Black Friday Shopping

I don't "do" Black Friday shopping any longer.  As I have gotten older, the long lines to get in, long lines to check out, crazy parking lot, etc. just isn't worth the time and effort.  If I am going to shop on Black Friday it is very selectively.  This year it was Joann's at 6am when the doors opened.  Here was the lure

The Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter Machine - Retail (on the Cricut site) $179.  Price at Joann's - $59.99.  I could NOT buy it.  I don't even know when I am going to find the time to use it but I HAD TO HAVE IT!  While I was there I also bought some other goodies that were sale items

The fabric stack on the right is for a quilt for Drew.  I am going to use flannels for the quilt top and back it with Minkee.  (Pray for me.)  In the stack of fabric on the left there is a piece of home dec for an order, lining fabric for Christmas bags and the fuzzy stuff on top that looks like Elmo's fur is to make scarves.  Karen had a tutorial on her blog last year and I made them for my nieces.  (So soft, fluffy and EASY to make!)  I bought the crayons because I am a crayon freak.  The thread was BOGO and you can never have enough thread!

These are my favorite pins

 
They are sharp as the dickens, go through fabric like butter and the heads don't melt.

I needed buttons for bags and these were also BOGO

Aren't those glass buttons gorgeous?  I like using the recycled plastic buttons on the batik cell phone cases and I love the texture of the "Organic Elements" buttons.

This morning I am picking up my sister at 6:30 since Joann's opens at 7 and we are going to do a little more shopping.  I want a "ribbon ladder" and the fusible interfacing that is a door buster.  Julie needs tulle and that is also a door buster this morning.  When we get back I am helping her get ready for the annual children's Christmas tea party at her house.  I will be cutting more tulle.  I have already cut 280 strips for tutus.  I think we need another 100 or so.  The theme this year is "Nutcracker Suite".  The little girls will be making waltz length tutus for their craft (with mommy and grandmother's help) and then making up a dance to perform.  I love these tea parties.  My sister has the best ideas!  I won't be staying  this year since I don't have any grandchildren with me this year and it would be too depressing but I am sure everyone will have a wonderful time.

Hope your weekend is happy and productive!

Thankful heart

The open house for "Hazelnut Deux" was a huge success and I am thankful and tired and happy and over whelmed all at the same time!  In the madness the ensued about 15 minutes before folks started arriving I completely forgot to bring down my camera from the studio.  My mother is usually the first one to think about taking photos but she was in charge of food and beverages and I had her hopping!  My sister, Julie, organized, dragged fabric from the studio and displayed it beautifully, put labels on everything and wrote out invoices for me.  She also made 8 different kinds of cookies, ran the vacuum for me and kept me to task when I was running around like a mad woman.  My momma made two appetizers, kept the mulled cider flowing and the food hot.  My daddy hung the banner, greeted folks and provided jokes.  I could never have done the open house without their help and support.  On days like yesterday, I remember why I came back to Pennsylvania and I am thankful beyond words.

I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner for my sister and her family so I am going to be one busy woman in the next few days.  I am setting up the guest room to display bags and accessories before I take my show "on the road".  I have a couple of orders that need to be filled by the end of the week.  I also promised my sister that I would help load a quilt on the long arm this week.  (It goes so much faster with 2 people!) Next Saturday is the children's tea party and I told Julie I would help her.

Just thinking about it...I may need to go back to bed!

Friday Night Sew-In Accomplishments

I wish I had accomplished more but I went out to dinner, had two glasses of wine and then came home to sew.  Needless to say, my eyes were slapping shut long before I finished everything on my list!  (And that is also the reason why I am posting this on SATURDAY morning instead of Friday night.)

I am loving the free motion quilting on the batik strip bag.  I think I will look for a pretty button today to finish the front though I am also thinking about a small tassel.  The bag is only about 7" square and roughly an inch deep so it is perfect for a quick shopping trip.  The closure is a simple dot of Velcro.  The cording is long enough to cross over the shoulder.  This was the first time I have put in a small grommet.  I love banging stuff with a hammer so that was fun!

The Christmas theme bag is just a simple tote.  I have one that I made for myself last year that I use all during the Christmas holiday.  I have a couple of inside pockets in it but there is no closure.  I like it for toting my lunch or books.

The baby quilt is curve line quilted and then free motion loops in the border.  I still have to bind it but that will happen tonight while I watch TV.

I have so much to do today and still have to manage a shopping trip to pick up more fusible batting.  The open house is tomorrow afternoon.  Thankfully I have the support of my mom and quilty sister who are coming to help today and tomorrow.  My mom is getting to be an expert in making bag bottoms!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Name Change

So, it turns out that "Hazelnut Hill" is a registered trade name or trademark or something of that nature.  This means I had to change the name of my company so my handbag/tote/accessory/quilt business is now Hazelnut  Deux.  It would take hours to find all of the references to it under the old name and strike through so please disregard the other name.  (By the way, if you were somehow confused before, I never sold nuts.)

You know, if it isn't one thing, it's another!

Friday Night Sew-In

I just signed up to do the Friday Night Sew-In (link is on my sidebar) on November 19th! I have so much to do before next Sunday's open house so I will have lots to show for my efforts this time. It will probably be a "2 Diet Dew" night!

There is something special this time. Go ahead, sign up...you know you wanna do it!

I am in love...again!

Oh.my.goodness!  Have you seen the new quilt up on the Moda Bake Shop page?

  "I Dance in Circles" just jumped out at me and I have got to make it!!  I am not going to use a layer cake.  I am going to use batiks cut into 9" squares.  Batiks!  It will be gorgeous.  Have I mentioned that I have a basket full of batik fat quarters and I have been looking for ideas?  Kismet.  Ooohhh...can you see it in "Happy" by Me & My Sister from Moda and made as a baby quilt?

I know I have so much to do before the 21st but there is a "bad" Suzan telling me to just go ahead.  I dare not listen to her.  She has gotten me into so much trouble in the past!  Well, maybe if I just cut a few to see how it will look...

An adventure

I have a holiday open house for Hazelnut Hill Deux in 3 weeks.  I have been sewing day and night for about the last month.  I have, at the very least, another 40 things to make.  So, what did I do yesterday?  I went shopping with my sister!  I needed fabric so there was good reason to shop but did we really need to take 6 hours?!?

We went out into Lancaster County which has some of the best fabric shopping imaginable.  Specifically, my sister wanted me to "experience" Obie's Country Store.  I am guessing it was a general store dating back to the late 1800s.  There is an enormous gas lamp chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the shop and a second floor with random width planked floor boards.  Those are the only real architectural details I can give you because of this

 and this

and this

Heading up to the second floor...

where I found this

and in one of the small rooms

The fabric on the first floor is literally stacked from floor to ceiling.  If you are looking for fabric to finish something you started several years ago, I bet they have it!  They have PB Textiles, Red Rooster, Marcus Brothers and Maywood Studios.  Just about everything else I saw was manufactured by generic fabric companies.  The prices for the more recent fabrics were just a little bit less expensive than most shops in the area.  Fabric that had been around longer was priced accordingly.  I did find a couple pieces that I will use for Hazelnut Hill Hazelnut Deux.  Do not go into this shop if you are claustrophobic because you will come out screaming!  I was a little creeped out.  Two people cannot be in the aisle at the same time.  You have to kind of weave your way around a maze of fabric.  This place could not pass a fire inspection so they must not do them out in the county.  I am really glad I went because it made me laugh...a lot!...and now I can say that I have been there!

We also went to a huge fabric outlet, the Hayloft quilt shop in Morgantown and the Waverly fabric outlet.  My sister found gorgeous home dec fabric (she is re-doing the master bath) at just 12.99 a yard with an additional 20% discount store special.  If you are in the area and are looking for upholstery or drapery/curtain fabric, it is worth the trip.

Here's what I added to my stash

I also picked up some Metro Blue Goes Black but apparently I left it in my sister's car since I can't find it.  Good thing we are going shopping again today!!

Questions

I tend to post to my blog in the early morning...sometimes in the wee hours since I usually am out of bed around 3am.  I tend to take photos when it is the crack of dawn so lighting is an issue.  (I don't like to use flash since it washes out everything.)  I also blog spur of the moment.

So...some questions.  When do you write your posts?  Do you shoot your photos in advance or around the same time you post?  Do you use a "point & shoot" camera or a snazzy SLR?  Do you use photo editing software and if you do, which one?


I am such a "Ms. Nosey Pants"!!