Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? A Weight Off My Shoulders...

Hi, all!

It’s Friday again - are you ready to whoop it up?  As you read this, I’m at the AQS Quilt Show in fabulous Paducah, Kentucky - the home of the National Quilt Museum AND Hancock’s of Paducah.  

If you’ve never been to Hancock’s of Paducah, you really should think about stopping in if you are ever anywhere near.  This is not your average fabric store.  The first time I went in, my husband was with me.  Good thing - he pounded me on my back to make me start breathing again!  Several hundred bolts of solids, including every color Kona cotton.... a bajillion bolts of batiks..... thousands of bolts of fabric sorted out by manufacturer, designer and line.  And then there’s the back room - - - oh my!  The first time I was in, the lady cutting my fabric asked if I found everything I was looking for, and I said the only thing I wished they had was precuts, because I couldn’t find them anywhere.  She said, “Oh, they’re in the...  back room...”  in the same tone of voice the guy at the video store would tell you where to find the adult movies.  I followed her to the room and... oh my....  thousands of precut bundles all arranged next to the stock room - 20 foot tall shelves with more fabric!!  I tell you, it was a fabric addict’s dreamland.  And during the quilt show, they have tables of one-yard cuts all at great prices - you just kind of dig through and see what you can find.  You never know what’s in the stacks, so it’s like a treasure hunt.

OK, that’s enough about that.  I’ll try to post some pics next week, both of Hancock’s and of the quilt show, so you can see how much fun it is!  I may even show you some of the “Flat Lilli” pics I have to take, too - Lilli made a little paper doll for a school project that she’s supposed to send with someone on an adventure.  I’ve been nominated to get some great pics for her class project - this should be fun!

So as if going to the quilt show wasn’t enough to be whooping about, I’ve got something else....

I finished this commission quilt!  I’m so much happier with my second attempt at a t-shirt quilt.  This time I used a woven fusible interfacing and the t-shirt blocks were much more stable. I also did straight line quilting this time instead of a random meander on the long arm and I think that worked better also.  

My customer chose the sashing and cornerstone colors (Kona Graphite and Torch, both new colors this year) and I chose the backing, a nice masculine black and white graphic print from Joann’s.  The blocks are 12.5” square, and the entire quilt measures about 70” square.  And I’m so glad to have it finished in time for her son’s graduation!

I’ve got one more thing to whoop about, too - - - I’ve got the Swoon quilt on the frame and it’s almost finished!   I’ve got maybe 30 more minutes of quilting - small random meander in the space around the bottom row of blocks - and then it’s done!  It’s really nice to know that this one is tucked away too (well, at least as soon as I do the binding, but that’s a quick finish) and I don’t have to worry about major deadlines for a while!

Oh my - I just noticed something else - that followers count is up to 999 - just one more to go to reach that elusive 1000 mark!!!  Hmmm…  I'm at Paducah, the quilt capital of the world…  I bet they've got something great I could get for a giveaway!!  I'll have to put my thinking cap on…..  Come on, one more follower!!!

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And now it’s your turn!

What’s making you dance the happy dance this week?

Share with us - we want to dance along!

Remember, it doesn’t have to be a finish - 

Just something that makes you smile!

The party will remain open until Sunday night -

Hope to see you there!

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One more thing - I hope you’ll check back in on Sunday, when the fabulous Jamie of L’Fair Quilts will be guest blogging for the Hands2Help Challenge! I can’t wait to see what she’s got for us - she’s one of the most creative and prolific quilters I know!

Hugs!

Sarah