Mqx Quilt Show Pictures...

Tina and I had a great day at the Machine Quilter's Expo East in Providence, RI. The quilts were beautiful, not as many vendors though, but we did get wowed by a demo like I told you we would. Here's Tina at the vendor we always buy something from!

Here's my purchase from that shop. A pattern for machine sewing Cathedral Windows and the Purple Thang. I also bought some jumbo ric rac. I LOVE ric rac!!

There were so many wonderful quilts...I took over 100 pictures. These are my absolute favorites.

This first one is the best and we had the honor to meet Nadine who pieced and quilted it herself. I thought for sure she was a professional quilter.

We met when I commented on her beautiful sling. She broke her arm and I asked her about it. She said she made it to match the quilt she had in the show!!

Isn't it just beautiful.

Look at that quilting...I can only dream to quilt like that.

You really need to see this in person!

Thanks for letting me share this Nadine...so nice to meet you!!

 Here are a few more of my favorites...enjoy the mini show!

This Triple Irish Chain is on my "To Do" list. I love this pattern.

If you're ever in the New England area (Providence, Rhode Island) next spring, the MQX show is worth it.

Have a great weekend,
~Karen~

Find a Friend Friday...

Welcome to another wonder Friday linking party to find a new blogging friend!!

If you're new to FaFF, it's a simple linking party to add a link to your blog so friends, old and new, can stop by and visit.

Tell your blogging friends about the linking party and more will join in with us!

This is an easy one to participate in...you are just linking to your own blog. No projects to sew, furniture to paint or cookies to bake and take a picture off. You are just sharing your blog and then friends will stop by for a looksy.

• click on "click here to enter"
• copy and paste or just type in your blog address
• enter title of link...your blog name or phrase to grab attention
• add a photo of you, your profile picture or your blog button or whatever you think will grab some one's attention...(I'm thinking a picture of a big piece of strawberry cheese cake, but that just me LOL)

That's it...super easy. Just think of the possibilities of finding some wonderful blogs.

Thanks for participating,

~Karen~

Anyone Going To MQX Today?...

Tina, from Seaside Stitches (my quilting partner in crime) and I made a last minute decision this week to go to The Machine Quilter's Expo this year. We usually go every year and take classes, go to the show and buy things we will never use. That last part is an inside joke, but I'm sure some of you may do the same thing. We realize we are suckers for demos. We are drawn in buy the demonstration and we usually end up buying some quilting tool, template or pattern we never use. I think last year's template and pattern I bought are still in the bag!!

Well, we are headed up this morning to the Providence show, so if anyone else is going to be there let me know here and I can get the comments on my phone!!

Click HERE for the link to the MQX Show East. It's a fun show and the quilts are amazing.

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Thoughts on Thursday...

Vacations...some people call them holidays. Whatever the name, we love and need them!

We have always been a Disney family...love it there. To do it up first class would be wonderful.

However, we've always wanted to drive across the country and visit every state. Drive in a big comfy RV, stay in the best hotels, eat yummy food and explore the country!

Ahhh...a girl can dream, right?

If you didn't have to worry about money or time, where would you go on your "Dream Vacation"?

Happy Thursday,
~Karen~

Laundry Room..Not Big, Not Pretty, Not A Room, But Organaized

Laundry Rooms...Would I love a big room to wash, dry, fold all in one place? A laundry "room" to paint, decorate and make look like my dining room? Absolutely!! I love all the laundry rooms I see online filled with baskets and beautiful glass jars filled with your cleaning essentials.

However, I have a laundry closet and I love it just as much! I sooo appreciate that my laundry closet is upstairs right off my kitchen. Would I love it in my master bedroom closet...YES, but that's not happening any time soon either! So when you have ordinary like me...make it FUNCTIONAL and ORGANIZED!!

Here she is in all her glory! Our washer broke down so we bought a new one. Then the dryer went 6 months later. They changed the design of the set in that 6 months, so now they don't match :( 

In the past it would have bothered me, but now all I care is that they wash and dry for me!! LOL

Here's a little walk through. Maybe you can use a few of the ideas in your laundry space! Notice I said "space" not room.

The shelf on top holds all those things you looks for in the basement or the "Junk Drawer". The far left has plastic storage boxes and the middle has wooden wine bottle boxes.

The boxes hold all different kinds of things...labeled so everyone can find stuff.

All different lengths of extension cords...

Batteries...buying batteries to my husband is like buying fabric to me!

Phone accessories and computer cords...

mouse traps / ant cups and timers...

The wooden wine bottle boxes hold flash lights, surge bars and bug sprays.

I also added a small piece of peg board. Did you know they come in pre-cut smaller pieces at the hardware store?

The peg board holds all the little tools that you might need for small projects, but don't want to go in the basement or out in the garage to get them!

One tip...for tools that don't have something to hang them with...just add a string or zip tie. Hangs easily from the peg board now!

Every square inch is used. Added small shelves to the sides to hold soaps, bleach etc.

The under the shelf basket is for...you guessed it...the missing socks! What is up with that?? Where do they go? I can't throw them out either, because I keep thinking they'll turn up in some one's drawer, under their bed or in their gym bag!

The other side hold dryer sheets and the light bulb boxes. Again, my husband's other buying habit...light bulbs.

Well, it's not a room, it's not pretty, but we know where stuff is and our clothes are clean!! LOL

How's your laundry room, closet, area doing?

Happy organizing if you get the chance,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Recycled Milk Cartons For Storage

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Today's Tool Time is a mixture of recycling, hardware store finds and jewelry findings. We all need storage for various things...whether it's for our sewing, crafting or in other parts of our home, we need storage. My first thought is...I don't want to pay for anything to store my things in! Here's where milk cartons come into play.

My kids go through milk so fast, we should own a cow. However, with the girls away at school, the rate we go through it has slowed down. It's taking me longer to save the containers, but I only need a few more.

Do you remember this idea from one of my sewing room posts? It's the back of my cutting table. I use a conduit pipe with brackets attached to the table. It holds my rolls of freezer paper and Heat & Bond.

Old curtain brackets attached under the table.

Conduit pipe is found in the electrical section of your hardware store. An electrician would run wires through this pipe. Me? I use it for rods to hang things on...it's super cheap, strong and comes in so many pre-cut lengths.

The star of the show...plastic milk cartons.

You'll need to cut out the top, front portion of the carton. You need to keep the handle section intact with the bottom.

Cuts easily with scissors.

Here are the few I've collected so far.

Lots of storage in there.

They slide easily onto the pipe through the carton's handle.

Perfect for storing all your scrap fabric that you cut up into certain sizes.

***Here's a tip for you...when you are cutting up fabric for a quilt and have left over pieces, cut them up into usable squares right then. You are more apt to use the squares in the future if you cut them now verses throwing the fabric in a box to cut up later.***

If you want to label your fabric squares, just print your measurements and cut them out.

I used a die cutter.

Next, punch a smaller hole at the top of the tag and use a large jewelry jump ring to attach to the milk carton.

I used an awl to make the small hole in the top part of the carton's handle.

Add the jump ring to hold the tag on the carton.

2 1/2 inch fabric squares all in one place!

Great for a quick project when you know what size the squares are.

The gallon jugs fit 5 inch charm squares perfectly!!

Now for your children or grandchildren...

Holds pens, pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils etc...(I didn't change the label names in this picture. Still says the square measurements)

Add a roll of paper so the kids can unroll the paper across the table to color or just rip off a piece to draw some where else.

This roll of  paper is in the painting section of the hardware store. $2.49!!

They use it to mask off areas for painting, but it's perfect crafting paper for kids. It comes in different widths too!!

Supplies are organized and easily accessible for kids.

Whether you use this idea in your sewing room, kid's craft room, husband workbench or in the garage...it's a great way to organize and recycle!!

I'm thinking there is going to be a lot of milk used up this week. You'll be making pudding, eating cereal, drinking milk shakes etc just to get that milk carton.

Have fun!!
~Karen~