Q – This fabulous bird-heart-pattern fabric from Michael Miller Fabrics was on display in Heirloom Quilts & Fabric, Poulsbo, WA. One of the quilt shops Curls and I visited during our Northwest trip. I love this quilt shop and visit it every time I’m in the Tacoma area. I’m a compulsive fiber collector! I don’t have any idea what I want to use this fabric for, I just love birds and hearts so obviously I had to buy some. Wonderful ideas abounded.
Aren’t these the cutest high top shoes for baby? The pattern is from Curby’s Closet, who has the most adorable patterns for baby attire. I just love them. I have a 5 month old grandson who these would look so darling on. Only problem, my daughter and son-in-law were thoughtless enough to moved to Hawaii in January, taking all four of my precious grandchildren with them. These shoes wouldn’t be worn. Baby Luke spends most of his days in just diapers. Sigh….
Curls got an idea for the best boy’s shirt, all made from fat quarters. Each part of the front was a different fat quarter pattern, as the sleeves, and the back. She collected fat quarters at the different quilt stores we visited. She had three grandsons so she had a ball collecting fabrics. One of the shirts will be done in a car theme. Fun fabrics. She promised to share the shirts when completed.
One of the most beautiful and friendliest quilt shops we visited was the Wild Rose Quilt Shop & Retreat in Orting, WA. We wish we lived closer so we could attend a retreat. On display was a model for the Bucket Bag pattern by Kram’s Kreations. Really quite wonderful. Unfortunately, they were out of the interesting fabric that was on the display model. We love bags!! Always on the look out for new patterns. I mean really, can a gal have too many bags? Barbara found a lot of fat quarters for the shirts. It was quite fun digging through all of the fat quarters looking for the perfect ones.
Sister Lindsay is a whiz at making pillowcases. So, when we got over to Missoula to visit mom and her, a trip to Vicki’s Quilts Down Under was in order. They have TONS of fabric. The most humorous was a Pickles comic strip print by Timeless Treasures. Opal is holding an armful of bolts of fabric and says to Earl, “You knew I was a material girl when you married me.” And, why didn’t I buy some???? I purchased the above fabric and following Lindsay’s instructions, made the pillowcase (the case is folded to fit into the picture). This is the amount of fabric to purchase for a standard sized pillow:
Main color = 27″
Contrast = 1/4 yard
Trim = 2″
This APQ site has the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge – Free Patterns. You can find instructions on sewing a wide-variety of pillowcases.
Curls – Yes Q and I had a great time going to all the cool stores. Here are a few of the fabrics I bought to make pillowcases from:
This is one is for my youngest grandchild, he is 2 and the only one who I haven’t made a pillowcase for. This next picture is of the fabric I have chosen for my 4 year old grandson. He is crazy about monster trucks. I still have to get the coordinating fabrics to go with it. This will happen on our next adventure!
This last picture is of fabric I chose to make another pillowcase for myself. I got the fabric from Bear Paws, our last stop. They are all I use. I just love them.
The other fabrics I bought were for shirts to make for my grandsons. I have a sketch of the idea in my notebook and at a later time, when they are finished, I shall share them with all.
Q -The last quilt store that we had a hard time leaving was Bear Paw Quilting and Bernina in Coeur d’Alene. Huge store with a lot of ideas, fabrics, books, etc. Have you ever noticed that if there are too many choices you end up with nothing? Barb bought some great fabric for different projects, she was on a mission to find iris fabrics. Mom and Barb’s favorite flower is the Iris. I loved all of the batiks. Sister Terri made the most beautiful batik quilt. She shared the pattern with me, I just have not made one. I have to admit, I love to piece the tops, but HATE to do the quilting, binding, etc.
Can’t remember which shop I saw an idea for a great bag made out of jelly rolls. They used an antique handkerchief for the outside pocket. Such amazing ideas.
PS – Forgot to mention these yesterday:
FREE – A Rainbow for My Hands by The BeadKnitter (on display at Yellow House Yarns). Fingerless gloves using a beautiful Entrelac pattern. At the store they used Mini Mochi yarn.
Costs – Kaleidoscope Mittens by Little Nutmeg Productions– from kid’s sizes to adults. Can’t remember in which shop these were on display. Really quite cute. Too bad (yeah right) the weather here in San Diego isn’t really mitten/glove weather. One set of gloves/mittens lasts for years!!!
Right now rain is pouring down; it’s cold! Earlier it was so windy with hail falling that I thought we’d blow away. Yeah, I’d better rethink the gloves/mittens. How did it go from the 80’s on Sunday to this today? Hum.
It was still on the cutting board when Q came over for the day. As serendipity would have it, the day before she had been looking through her old Ottobre magazines and saw the cutest boy’s shirt made out of recycled men’s shirts. She came up with the perfect solution for my problem. 🙂 Make a yoke! I quickly drafted a pattern and cut it out. Now I can’t wait to sew it all together. Perfect Solution, Q! 🙂
Curls and Q 
