September already, what happened to August?

That is a great question!

It’s September 4th and the summer is over… what happened?

I wrote a book… I submitted the complete draft on Monday. Now the editing starts… but the first big bit is done 🙂

I did manage a road trip to the AQS show in Grand Rapids.  There are lots of sewers in Grand Rapids…
Some people use the word sewist. I think I prefer stitcher. What do you think?

My friend Lisa came with me. She had never been to a quilt show before. We met up with Jenny Lyon after the show on Friday evening. It’s always an adventure with Jenny.
We crossed the river. I waited until we were on our way back from dinner to take a picture. I knew the light would be just right!

I had never been to AQS QuiltWeek in Grand Rapids before  even though it is the closest of the AQS shows to home, just under 200  miles away. I arranged with Tina from Turtle Hand Batiks to spend a few hours in her booth on the Saturday morning. It was fun catching up with old friends and meeting new ones while I stitched on one of her artisan made panels.

I did get chance to look around the quilts.

Here is Jenny’s quilt, Midnight Garden.
Wonderful machine quilting. The grasses are free motion stitched in 12 weight thread.All Jenny’s classes were full. She not only knows what she’s doing, she is a fabulous teacher too!

This quilt caught my eye, Zooloo by Betty Kent New.

So much to look at, with lots of lovely details, including some hand stitching.Lisa couldn’t believe all the work that people put in to their quilts. There were several of Kim Mclean‘s designs on display, including this one, Pandemonium, beautifully made by Susan Minchow.
I’ll be teaching at the show next year. I’m already looking forward to a good time!

Back to the book. I made three trips to Rockford for photo shoots in August. Ruby began to think I was moving in to stay FOREVER…

Ruby and Benjamin were rearing Monarch butterflies this summer. The caterpillars ate a lot of Milkweed.I was there to witness a chrysalis being made… it’s very seriously weird, lots of wiggling involved.I returned to see the butterfly almost ready to emerge…And here is a very new butterfly!I’ve reared lots of tadpoles to frogs in my time but never butterflies. I have a lot of questions about what goes on in the chrysalis. I need to spend some time with Mr. Google?

Thanks to Julia for the pictures.

The book really has been all consuming this summer. I can tell you it’s an embroidery book. You will have to wait for the details until the spring. I hope you will think it was worth the effort!

After I hit send on Monday I needed to do something completely different.

I brought a bag of 1″ strips back from Tina all ready to make a new clothesline bowl… so that’s what I did.

Lots of zigzag stitching of wrapped clothesline. I used the original 20 foot on my BERNINA. I prefer not to have too wide a foot…It took about four hours, including wrapping the rope first, and then the stitching. I used the whole 100 feet of clothesline to make a big bowl.It’ll be going with me to Paducah next week. I have a full class for Wrapped in Scraps on the Friday evening of QuiltWeek. I’m also teaching a free motion quilting class on Wednesday and a Happy Scrappy Improv class on Thursday. The improv class has some spaces left if you happen to be in the area…

Now, I’m busy assembling kits and getting ready for the Fall. I will be visiting Kentucky, Utah, Georgia, Florida, Texas and California before the end of November. Then there is a girls’ weekend to enjoy, two weddings, and Thanksgiving with my dad and the rest of the family to fit in… and just a couple things to finish off and send for that book, and maybe an edit or three!

I’m thinking there might be more to blog about in the next few months…