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Photo Tutorials Split Nine Patch Camping Quilt (2013) 

I know you are all waiting to hear my decision. No, I am not going to Quilt Expo. I'd pretty much decided that before I asked what everyone else would do, but I was very curious to see your answers to that question. Very interesting - they were all over the board. Lots of great ideas and recommendations. Thank you so much for all your input.

After all these years of collecting fabric, patterns, books and other quilty things, I know the only thing that works for me is to stay away. It would be different if I had very little extra money and knew I HAD to control my spending, but since I have a well paying job that is not the case. It is incredibly easy for me to rationalize any purchase when I know I can afford it if I want it. I really don't mind not going. The whole purpose of the Expo is the vendors - the quilt show is minor and secondary to the shopping. I always find the Hoffman Challenge to be fun to see, but since Hoffman fabrics no longer appeal to me I get no inspiration from the quilts. There are always other quilts I enjoy looking at, but I've rarely seen one in the style of quilting that I am currently doing. So it doesn't bother me to miss the show. Besides, I already have enough inspiration in my collections of books and patterns to last several quilters lifetimes. And I have lots and lots of quilty things to do at home this weekend. I can take the $8 I'd have to spend on parking and the $5.50 entry fee and buy myself a goodie and coffee at Starbucks before I head out for my 9:30 haircut app't. Love seeing everyone's pincushions - thanks, Evelyn, for such a great sharing idea! I started gathering mine together for a picture and was totally surprised at how many there were. In this picture you see only the downstairs pincushions, which doesn't include the several boxes and tins I also keep pins in. (I'll share the upstairs ones later.) The yellow one is made from fabric with paper dolls on it. One Tangled Threads meeting two of the members announced they had a project for us to do that evening. They'd bought fabric that meant something special to each of us - I loved paper dolls as a child - and did a bit of preliminary cutting and stitching. That evening we finished the pincusions and each took home a treasure. I love this one, which lives by my featherweight. I don't remember where I got the turtle that lives by my ironing board. The blue wrist one is left over from my clothing construction days, and holds an eclectic collection of needles. The tiny thumb pincusion lives in my appliqué basket and holds short appliqué pins. The wool flower was a gift from an outgoing board president to the members of her board in my North Star guild. The strawberry I made as a program project one night at North Star guild. The project was led by the friend that I bought the hand dyed wool from that I'm using in Warm Nights. I don't use the last two for anything but decoration. I was going to rejoice about finishing the September block for the Jan Patek mystery, but after downloading the photo and renaming it "Blossom and Berries" I realized I've not yet sewn on the berries! They are all prepped and waiting in my appliqué basket. I'll finish during the baseball game today, then I'll collect all the blocks so far and take a picture of them together to post, as I've not done that for awhile.

Better get dressed - don't want to be late for the haircut!



1. Pumpkin Spice lattés
2. Pumpkin and cream cheese muffins
3. Starbucks - no surprise there!
4. Helpful, encouraging internet friends
5. Jeans and flannel shirts


Posted by Patti at 7:47 AM Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh such cute pincushions! And I love that mystery quilt block! I really love it! I had a good laugh about the berries!

September 23, 2006 at 8:30 AM 
Nice that you know yourself well enough to know that you can't go to the quilt show and not spend. Glad you are not too disappointed about missing it.

September 23, 2006 at 9:25 AM 
Good for you to have made your decision and stuck to it. I didn't comment on your previous post - I was going to but then I got too confused over reading everyone else's about whether I thought you should go or not! Good job you are a bit more decisive than I am!

September 23, 2006 at 10:13 AM 
Glad you made your choice - I sensed it was probably what was in your mind *s*

You have a nice assortment of pin cushions. I have enjoyed seeing the variety that's out there.

Enjoy your Starbucks - a delicious treat and pick-me-up too.

September 23, 2006 at 10:31 AM 
GOOD GIRL ! ! ! ! !
BRAVE GIRL ! ! ! ! !

I bet you're not feeling too bad about your decision...

How's your haircut ? I'm sure you're looking GREAT ! (and I love your pincushions, too!)


September 23, 2006 at 10:42 AM 
I am glad you told us what you decided to do about the expo- I was thinking of going to Country Village up in Bothell today but I know I would be too tempted by the quilt store so I went for a walk on the trail instead. Now back to those triangles.

September 23, 2006 at 10:57 AM 
A very good decision on your part, Patti. Enjoy your Starbucks and the pampering haircut. You've earned it.
I like that block without the berries, it'll probably look even better with them. But then, I've come to really look forward to seeing whatever you do.

September 23, 2006 at 11:40 AM 
Very cute pincushions :) xoxo mel

September 23, 2006 at 5:10 PM quiltpixie said...

if the point of the show is the vendors, and you wouldn't enjoy having to control yourself, sounds like a good decision...

September 23, 2006 at 6:36 PM 
Starbucks sounds like a good compromise! In Austria going out for coffee is very expensive$$$ - much cheaper to get a glass of wine (a glass of coke is also pricy). I am glad you reminded me - because I MUST get some powdered hazelnut coffee creamer to ship over there for my winter coffee drinking - I have yet to find flavored coffee creamer and I do so love it!

Fun pincushions! Seems like many have the tomatoe (although in the more traditional red), and the past clothes sewers have the wrist one too!



September 23, 2006 at 7:08 PM 
Really cute pincushions. I especially like the turtle one.

Mmmmmm . . . pumpkin spice latte. Thanks for reminding me that it is that time of year. Starbucks is not on my normal drive to work so I guess I'll have to make a detour some morning soon.

September 23, 2006 at 7:34 PM 
Well done on staying so strong Patti :)

LOL at the berries - that is definitely something I would do. Actually I do it with cooking all the time. Pack up after I've cooked something and find one left over ingredient that I forgot to add. Unfortunately it's usually the sugar in muffins - not a good ingredient to forget!!

And I must make myself a pin cushion!

September 24, 2006 at 3:55 AM Projects Finished in 2013