Safe Harbour

 

Another Patchwork Palooza block is done, it's the sixteenth. This one is named Safe Harbour so I thought the tree/bee fabric in the center would work. I really like how the first center triangle's fabric design swirls around the center square. More teeny tiny HSTs™ to add to my envelope that's getting a bit full now.

Tangerine Shopping

I got to have a little field trip this week with friends to a new-to-me quilt store, Quilts & Things. Definitely not as close as my LQS, but it was super fun to get to visit with friends while checking out new fabrics. I got two fabrics from Art Gallery Fabrics studio, in the Tangerine line to make myself a summer top. I really love tangerines. The darker one, which is an odd green-grey-blue will be the main part and the lighter tangerine fabric will be the contrast parts.

I also picked up this intriguing sort of origami-ish folded bag pattern. It's very clever and I'm going to try it out at Sew Day on Saturday.

Next door was an enormous Dollar Tree, where I only found two things to buy, some rather oddly colored alphabet beads and some craft cubes. Nothing in particular planned for these two.

And then when I returned back home I had a package from Feral Notions with all the above fun and sparkly goodies. And one from Amazon with a new ironing board cover that is new but not terribly sparkly. The window rainbow maker went up in the top of my studio window, instantly delighting the studio assistants with new colorful things that aren't really there to chase around.

A thread cutter for cutting chain piecing that uses an old rotary cutting blade between the two big stars. It went together very easily and safely. And it made me change my rotary blade out.

It works very well and is very cheery as well as safe.

And also a new ruler that has embedded confetti and laser cut printed markings. Packaged up with those clear grippy dots which makes it very stable. 2.5"x10" is a good handy size, that is easy to use.
 

Retreat Shopping & Prizes

 

At the retreat, I went shopping with everyone at the Family Threads quilt shop. They generously gave our group a retreat discount. I got some blue thread for sewing on the facings of Running Out of Raincloud. A pack of chrome sewing machine needles because I wasn't sure I had some with me. And a pack of John James chenille needles, always good to have for hand stitching. There was a good selection of sale fabrics, those two on the left, the weird green plaid and the orange/yellow/pink text block fabric were a great deal. 

I then couldn't resist the good range of Marcia Derse fabrics.

Here's the Marcia Derse fat quarter pack un-packed.

After I laid the fat quarters out, I realized that a couple of them were not Marcia Derse, but Carrie Bloomston instead, that's okay they play well with each other.

We played some fun retreat games, and I scored a great ruler that I haven't tried out yet. Several people there said it was good and I do love the non-slip-i-ness of Creative Grids rulers. 

The ruler came all wrapped up in the cute holiday print FQ which exactly coordinates with the jelly roll strip that I got in another game. A nice coincidence.

The retreat had a little gift shop, so I checked it out and bought a stretchy Our Lady of Guadalupe bracelet, some Monastery Creamed Honey (yummy!), a nice bottle of goat milk body lotion from a local farm, Bell Hill Farm. I'd also bought some of the same company's goat milk soap at the quilt shop. 

The final shopping opportunity didn't work out as the store was closed on Monday's. Friend Jaye had spotted a Featherweight for a very good price and I was toying with the idea of getting it. Am I now a person who really really wants a Featherweight? Maybe so, several people use them at Sew Days and really like them. If they're in good shape they have a very good stitch. Some research is necessary, so I think I was lucky the shop was closed.

Britex Pilgrimage

I was really lucky to get to check out Britex Fabrics while in San Francisco with DH for his conference. I’m pretty sure this is my first time in their “new” shop on Post Street.

 You can see a delivery truck delivering bolts of fabric imported from Italy. I joked with them that I hoped it came in before the insane new tariffs. Who knows how much more fabric will be costing us now???

I bought 3 pieces off of the remnant rack. All in various weights of cotton or cotton blends to dye.

And in the ribbon/trim/button section I found two colors of sashiko thread and a super interesting cork “ribbon”. They had some really nice Cotton&Steel fabrics but they were pricey at $19 a yard.

And I scored a handy dandy carry bag too.