ACCUQUILT GO AND NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN AMERIKA SAMOA

Little did Carolyn know that when she contacted me about giving me a GO cutter that it would affect the lives of so many. Not only you all as blogging friends but the people of Amerika Samoa as well.

I was approached by the Human Resources here in Amerika Samoa about teaching sewing classes.

Some of the ladies (and or gents) have not sewn before so I thought that using these fabrics that Sew Cal Gal sent a while back would be awesome to teach straight line sewing. She used the Accuquilt Go to cut these, sent them to me to use for the non profit I was involved in. Well....I never got around to it with that paticular non profit but....I will with this group.



I told the director about these strips and that I could make more, I have a machine....I sat up straight and tall as I said that....huge smile on my face....

She was interested in the machine, she looks it up online and her face lit up. She wants to use the machine to let these ladies cut into their used clothing (what a way to reuse). I am willing to take my machine but at the same time, a little worried about the over use....will have to get over my selfishness.

We are in the process of trying to procure sewing machines, supplies, notions, etc. Since the tsunami and the closing of the cannery, it is very important that other skills are offered to the Samoan people to learn and support themselves. How exciting to be a part of this and how exciting that they will have the Go cutter to help salvage old materials into new projects. The director is trying to keep the groups to a minimum of 10 to 12 a class, no more than 25 people total for these sewing classes.

Maybe you will see a Samoan online store soon, selling cut fabrics, wouldn't that be awesome?

Thanks again to Accuquilt for making it possible for the community of Amerika Samoa to have access to a Go cutter..... It is interesting to see how this company has reached the vast regions of the world and how much easier it is making alot of lives.

You will find me here today....

at Pins and Needles


Then I got a little mail today...

Two of these panels and the one below from Nancy at Patchwork Penguin



She was having a giveaway and I was the lucky one chosen. I just love these panels....thanks sooooo much Nancy!! Can you see the lady carrying fabric?

She asked which one we thought we were.....I said the lady in the glasses wearing a suit. Why? Because I feel I dress rather conservatively....and wear glasses...easy enough but which one suits my personality? Hummmmm



Then I ordered me some feet....this one is called MR. BIG FOOT (reminds me of the song...Mr. Big Shot, you know you are....something abour relying on your old man's money......don't know the rest but now it won't leave my brain)!! I will probably sing that song in my dreams...wake up singing it to my own words...

Mr. Big Foot is suppose to help with visioin and....more control in free motion.



Since I do alot of applique, I thought this would help my visibility as well...



Hummm noticed everything in this post has to do with vision?

I was putting my shoes on the other day and thought a piece of grass was in my shoe...so I picked it up.......then screamed real loud....it was not grass....it was a geucko...... Did the little weebee geebee dance....

My husband almost had a heart attack...he said next time I scream like that there better be blood. Is he serious? He wasn't the one that picked it up??

TOO MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE!!

So how do I solve that problem?




Yep, you guessed it...doing things I shouldn't be doing and not doing the things I should.

Have to many to do's, to many want to do's, and there for I don't do. Will get back in the swing on Monday and crank out some of the should do's.....got some friends waiting in the wings for a few projects.

My one friend with the flower pots, she has done an amazing job on the instruction but I am having trouble getting the watermarks off the pages (the water marks are not ours...it is the brand of converter I used)...any suggestions, Or do I get rid of the free program and buy it? Used a free program to convert the folder over to pdf.

I WISH THE COLORS WOULD SHOW UP AS VIBRANT AS THEY ARE IN REAL LIFE!

Finished stippling this quilt (I made it in Texas).

I started stippling last night but was really having a hard time,
getting frustrated
and really not enjoying the process....and this little voice told me "If you are not enjoying the process, then quit!"

Yes, I hear voices but I don't see dead people (how creepy would that be).

so I quit!



After lunch today, I finished it and this time it was fun..... I think the quilt had alot of moisture in it from sitting in the living room....it stayed in my sewing room with the dehumidifier last night...moisture free......



Don't you just love the island fabrics.... I know that some of you are saying that the island fabrics is just not your cup of tea....and that is okay because it is mine.....and it is okay to be different least that is what my mother told me growing up.....HA!!

I just love how bright and beautiful it is....you can't tell by this picture but it is soooo fresh looking.

Now....gotta run to the store and get some starch for the binding....gotta have starch and that is one thing I can just run to the store for......yahooooooo!!! Small blessings...

Oh....I am waiting for my Go dies to come in and then will hit the GO cutter hard and heavy....

WHAT DOES AN EMAIL AND QUILT HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Earlier last week I got an email from a quilter named Karen. She had just designed a quilt(you can see her version of it if you click on quilt), she asked if I would be her pattern tester.

Anything to help a fellow quilter out and so this is what I came up with...

Isn't she a beaut!!



It is made with half a turnover. It took me about 6 hours to finish this puppy!



It was fast, fun, and her directions easy to understand. I will say that it would not have taken me as long but....

Mr. Pfaff was not playing nice....how dare he!! I think he knew...

yep, he figured out that I was unfaithful while gone to Texas. He also figured out that Mr. Daddy Pfaff is waiting in the wings if he doesn't behave.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
About a week since I wrote this post (waiting for Karent to tell me when I could post)


You know, we are always willing to blame someone else .....and poor Mr. Pfaff got the blame for the frustration I was having stippling this quilt. My sister told me the other day that I was putting my bobbin in wrong ( must have been that other barb that has been eating all the ice cream)....DUHHHHHHH. I have since used the machine and am having ZERO troubles..... Sorry Mr. Pfaff....I will make it up to you....

I will take Daddy Pfaff out of the room.

Remember the flower pot quilt and the palm leaves quilts...my friend has the patterns ready, we are just tweeking it a bit and it will be here soon...ypeeee!!

WE ALL KNOW THAT WHEN MOMMA IS NOT HAPPY, NO ONE IS HAPPY!!

You will find my husband cowering in the corner as we speak(just kidding....or am I)???

We have had internet problems all week!! I can come on line for maybe an hour and lose it....so frustrating...but I think I am back in full swing again.... I guess I can tell my husband he can come out of the corner now...HA!!

Here are the towels I did for July's towel swap...the ladies have received theirs....



did three different colors...



I don't think Canada or Australia have received theirs but I am pretty sure they don't read my blog...if so...ooops~!




If any of you would like the grill pattern or apron....just email me and I will be happy to send it over to you (yes free), no worries...well...maybe there will be an email fee (HA!).

I REALLY DO NEED AN ARMY OF ME'S....AND YOU WILL SEE WHY WHEN YOU READ THIS POST.

Over at Silver Thimble Talk, Pat was talking about these glue pens. So I went on ebay and order two hoping that they would help in doing a quilt binding like the one Sharon Schamber's does on her video. Great video, if you have the time, it is well worth the watch.


I am pretty sure I saw it on Jane's Fabrics and Quilts before I went to Texas. So when I saw the video...a lightblub went off when I saw the pens.

When I opened the package, I knew immediately why Pat chose these......any guesses?

Because it is pink!!



Here is where my disclaimer comes in....I believe (have forgotten, ordered before I left on vacation)...and I think I got them off a blog...so sorry...but here is where I need an army of me's...and maybe you will agree...but

How in the world am I going to do all I want to do before they lay this cold dead body six feet under? How?

Anyways...now you can see why I go through steam a seam like toilet paper....wish it was just as cheap.


I should be their spokes person.



Next was off ebay, I went to their red tag sale. Judy from sewmeow, was the seller...small world.



Then another red tag but this time Jerre from fabricartist sold this book to me.

Oh how I wish there was more of me to go around or more time in a day....



Can't remember....sorry....it was so long ago...yes, two months is a long time for this brain....one night is a long time...give a gal a break.



??????

Have I made any enemiees yet for forgetting where I purchased some of this stuff?



Betsy from Quilting Feista sent me this embroidered B...how fun is this? Thanks Betsy, still trying to think of something fun to do with it....smell the smoke???



So you see why I need an army of me's....

1. to do all the projects I want to do.
2. to help me remember things.
3. to help me remember things.
4. to help me remember things.
5. to clean house, do laundry, iron, go to the store.....ets....(as mentioned in earlier post.
6. to have someone to blame when my husband ask..."Did you eat the last of the ice cream?" "Did you eat the last bag of popcorn?" There are only two of us in this house, if he didn't eat it...then it leaves.....that other Barb...she can have the calories that go with it too.

did I say to help me remember things?

I did a long post because I didn't want to forget stuff but it turns out I already did...any longer and my husband could go back on ebay and resell my stuff and I wouldn't even know it....

OKAY.....WHERE IS IT?

I looked in the closet and it is not there!!



I looked in the hutch....and it is not there? I can not find it anywhere!!



Not in the book shelf!



Not in my scrap bin......



Didn't roll under my desk (what a mess.....)



Not in the drawers.... So where is it....???????

HEY!!! DID SOMEONE USE THE LAST OF IT AND NOT TELL ME?

No, it is not toilet paper

but just as valuable.



WHAT HAPPENED TO MY STEAM A SEAM?????



I purchased two rolls not long ago (January of this year to be exact)....and this is it!!! How can that be?



Someone call the quilt police....

Someone call 911

because this gal can not live without her Steam a Seam.....

Gotta have it and gotta have it now!!!!

Had to order more Saturday...can't wait for it to get in...was a bad girl and didn't order until the last minute.....how could I do that to myself? If I was someone else and I was me (which I am)...it would be wood shed time....my verion of " Let the beatings commence!"

I JUST STARTED SEWING --- FOR NO PATICULAR REASON

and sewing....and sewing...whittled down the second round to this....



because this is what is on the floor. The book? Well...it is holding the end piece for when I can get back to my sewing.



What am I making? Had lots of time to think on it....

but for now, I am just sewing.....

I grabbed all the 2 1/2 squares I made with the GO....

grabbed all the 2 1/2 squares that I had cut up over a long period of time....

grabbed some half square triangles that I had left over from a king sized quilt I made about six years ago.....

and just started sewing.....for no paticular reason....(can't you just hear Forest Gump)

and one day, I will just stop.

Actually, I have a game plan for all that thinking I did while sewing....but will have to wait.....hummmmmmmm

hummmmmmmm


hummmmmmm


oh..you are still waiting......until another day my friends...another day.

Happy Fathers Day!!!


PS.....I do not sew on Sundays...since I sew just about every day of the week, I take Sundays off...so even if something post on Sunday, be aware that it was not done that day.

WHAT ONE HONEY BUN CAN DO....

Two different types of cosmetic bags....



One tote...



This table runner...you can find the directions here.




That is alot out of one honey bun...

I say SWEEEEEEEEEEETTTT!!

Now for the next tote (no honey bun involved) but I wanted to share with you my scrunchie handles. If you look above at the tote, it too has scrunchie handles.




Inside the handles are these ribbons....look familiar? These are the ribbons that come tied around your honey buns and jelly rolls.....so next time, don't throw them away.



I make the casing about a half size longer than the ribbon...



use a saftey pen and pull the ribbon through the casing...sew each end...and wallllla!!



A nice scrunchie handle....if I had to do this green one over, I would have made the casing wider...least way, you get the idea....turns out so cute...adds a different dimension to a tote.

Remember you saw it here first!!

FABULOUS LADY, FABULOUS TALENT

You know it is not often that we meet someone and just automatically say WOW!! That person is awesome. Well....the Lady I am talking about today is totally awesome.

She designed this quilt....and well, she doesn't think anyone would be interested in her patterns. I am saying....oh yes they would...so what do you think?



She has done all this work by hand....amazing.




Then she gave this as a gift for my husband and I, wouldn't you just love to whip up something like this? So Adorable!!




Not only is she so talented (she has other things in the works) but I have never heard one ill thing come out of her mouth. Always the kindest things to say.

Her and her husband are originally from Utah, they are here in Amerika Samoa on an 18 month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They are quite a young couple, they left business and family and when they return home, back to work they go. What an inspiring lady and I am fortunate to be here and to have rubbed shoulders with her.

So what say ye? Should she make patterns for these? I say yes....notice that each flower and petal are different?

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A RED NECK WHEN........

You use this......(seam ripper inside the handle of a pair of scissors)



here is a better picture...



instead of this...




Table Top- This base will hold your seam rippers upright for easy use. There are two different size rippers and they can be stored in the base or removed and used by hand. Each ripper has a safety ball to help protect your fabric and the base is approximately 2 1/2x 2 1/2x 1.

Yep, necessity is the mother of invention.....

CAN YOU HEAR ME LAUGHING......I JUST COULDN'T STAY AWAY...

Still not visting very many blogs....sorry...

So let's see what the old Bejeweled was up to in her break?? All of a day....geeeshhhh



Cute little beads for the cosmetic bag below. (pictures are out of sequence...)

Gift for a friend that is leaving the island.



matching cosetic bag.



My GO is getting quite the work out! My husband came home today and saw these and said...my goodness Barb, what on earth are you going to do with all of those (he will see the postal bill soon enough...so I didn't answer). Then he said that he needed to put a lock on my stash or there won't be any after too long....hummmm



Finished this pink quilt (butterflies are made with the go cutter). Finished Saturday



Tumbling block quilt finished, Saturday. Practising my swirls...



Sometimes taking a break is nice but it sure gets lonely.....unless you have someone to break with....anyone want to come over?