Candy Stripe

Candy Stripe

Doesn't this cheerful scrap quilt put a smile on your face? Four inch squares of pink, lime, yellow and turquoise prints are randomly set in four-square blocks, then framed with bright striped sashing and squares of lime dots.

I repeated the stripes for the back, with border and binding in a pink Dear Stella crosshatch pattern. It's quilted in one huge circle, starting at center and spiraling out to the edges. Happy and girly, this 36” x 45” beauty could be a baby gift or a lap quilt. I really enjoyed working on Candy Stripe, using up more of my fabric inventory while creating something useful.

🔴 🔴 🔴

“I found I could say things

in colors and shapes

that I couldn't say any other way 

--things I had no words for.” 

Georgia O'Keeffe

 

🔴 🔴 🔴

“Clean out a corner of your mind

and creativity will instantly fill it.”

Dee Hock

Hard Lesson: AccuQuilt

Play Time

I bought myself a new toy, an AccuQuilt Go fabric cutter. It was on sale at their website at the end of August, so I ordered. As soon as it arrived, I used the basic die to cut pieces for several quilt blocks. The cuts are precise and the blocks went together perfectly. I loved it at first use, so easy and quick!

Play Time is a sampler quilt from those blocks plus a couple of test squares from recent projects. The bright red, aqua and white colors blend these different designs into a pretty 32” square.

Unfortunately, my happiness didn't last. I was enthusiastically cutting and sewing up a storm, when I saw AccuQuilt advertise a new sale on Labor Day. The cutter I just bought is now $50 less for the month of September, "lowest price of the year." I contacted AccuQuilt customer service twice and found out that their 30-day satisfaction guarantee is far from satisfying. They would not give me the $50 discount, even though it had only been 10 days since my order.  All they said was NO, have a nice day and here's a link to our latest sale. WHAT???

They just took the joy right out of my new purchase. I truly like the product, I even did an positive online review right after purchase, but their company policy stinks. They could at least offer a discount on another die, or a coupon, or something. Now every time I use the thing, I remember that I got fleeced.

I guess I'm used to nice merchants who want their customers happy so they will continue buying their products. I found out the hard way that AccuQuilt is NOT one of those.

One customer 

well taken care of 

could be more valuable 

than $10,000 worth 

of advertising.  

Jim Rohn

Your most 

UNHAPPY customers

are your greatest source

of learning.

Bill Gates

Two Quick Designs

I have been stitching like the wind and need to catch up, so I
have two quilts for you today.  These mini  projects go quickly and are so much fun to design.

Lakeside Oasis

 

Lakeside Oasis consists of strips and squares in cool, peaceful colors.  Green, aqua, navy, and grey strips are joined randomly, then cut into squares and sewn on point with light grey batik.  I stitched with grey thread in a wave pattern.  This relaxing and pretty 31" square is currently on the wall in my bedroom.

Tea Time

A cute table mat of diagonally placed wide strips is neutral cream and tan with a touch of aqua.  They are stitched together and cut diagonally, then flipped around to form a 24" square.  Tea Time was inspired by the binding and backing fabric of alphabet letters and teacups. 

Speaking of inspiration, I have had plenty lately.  These two were done back in July and early August.  Since then I have finished five others and designed so many that I can't sew fast enough.  

Gotta use all this pretty fabric, so I can buy more!!  


NEVER, NEVER ENOUGH FABRIC 
 

Fresh Laundry

There's something about the smell and feel of freshly washed laundry. Clean and crisp. That's what I was going for with an update of our laundry room last week.

It all started when my eighteen year old washer began to make crazy sounds. A search for a reliable replacement led us to Speed Queen. A Labor Day sale at Gibson's Furniture in Gallatin gave us a great price on a new set, thanks to Eddie and Scott.

Perfect time for a quick redecorate, don't you think? I painted the walls a pretty gray-blue. Galvanized panels are perfect for the laundry sink backsplash. We painted the switchplates, cabinet knobs and hardware in hammered silver to match. Jerold installed a new under cabinet LED light.

A few antique blue Mason jars, old washboards and clothespins, Mason jar prints and a small painting I finished in the spring complete the transformation. The little scrap quilt is called Tropical Geese.

Results:  Fresh laundry room, bright, clean and crisp.

Normal

is just a setting

on the dryer