HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S to all!!! Not only is there green all around on every one's clothes but here in St. George Spring has sprung and it is glorious!!! For those of you that have not yet experienced the beginnings of spring, here is some eye candy for your pleasure!!!

Ever since my Dad and I moved into an aprtment together in September, 2009, I have said the space was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too small for all of our stuff (translated - all my quilting fabrics, books and patterns and sewing machines). So, one morning I woke up and was so tired of all the clutter that I got on Craig's List to look for a space to rent that would not only hold all my quilting stuff but where I could finally set up my long-arm quilting machine so I could learn how to use it (after all, I have only had the long-arm for over two years now!!!).

I figured with the crumby real estate market and all the empty rental spaces, I could find something I could afford. I took into consideration that if I got a space then I would not have get a storage unit for all my client files and excess furniture that are coming from Colorado this month (which would be about $55.00 - $70.00 month) Sounds like a pretty good rationalization if you ask me!!! Tee! Hee!

The first place I looked at was the right amount of space but it was broken up into two spaces, so the 10 foot long-arm would not have fit. The Realtor said I might check in the building right next door as he had a LOT of empty spaces. I did and the rest is history.

The space is 22' x 11.5' so the long-arm will fit just perfectly!!! Plus all the tables and shelves and other sewing machines!!! I am so excited!!! The landlord is letting me paint and I can bring my sweet Pollie dog with me!!!

Heres what I have right now and I will keep you posted as I paint and turn the space into my "Studio"




Oh, look!! There's Pollie now checking out the Studio!!

I am so excited!!! My new shipment of my Kaffe Fassett fabrics just arrived this afternoon!!! Look at how beauriful it all is!!! These fabrics have the most brillant colors and and the feel of the cotton is like silk!!! I am looking forward to selling this fabric at really good prices and working with it myself!!!

I have been working on baby blankets for family and friends. All of these blankets are flannel on the one side and a high quality cotton on the other. I then crocheted the edges - fancier for the little girls and not so fancy for the young men!! These are such fun projects because I can work on them in the evening while spending some time with my Dad. Two of them are already spoken for and the pink frilly one is ready the next time a little baby girl is looking for her new little blanket.

Its interesting, the hemstitching that is sewn into the fabric before I start the crocheting is done down at the local Benjamin Franklin. I thought with the fancy machines I have I could do the hemstitching myself and save a lot of money, BUT the prep time to get the two pieces of fabric perfectly placed so I could even start the hemstitching and then the time to sew the hemstitching all the way around the blanket took so much time that I finally succumbed to letting the ladies at Ben Franklins mess with all the work involved.

Also, I was told by a sewing machine shop that the machine Ben Franklins uses is made just to do hemstitching - it is not a sewing machine that does anything else. At the sewing machine shop I learned that these machines are no longer made and the companies that have them baby them along just to keep them fine tuned!!!

The long and short of it - it is WELL worth spending the money to let the pros place the hemstitching so I can spend the time enjoying the finish work.