Fresh Sewing Day!

 I almost forgot! It is the end of the month and over at Lilly's Quilts  it is the end of the month linky party: Fresh Sewing Day! It seems it has been ages since I have linked up!  To be truthful I am not very good about remembering to make my mosaic and get it posted on time. But guess what?!!?  It has been such a productive month that I actually remembered and seen the link was up - so here is my mosaic! If you are a regular reader, you most likely have seen most of these. If you are visiting, Welcome! Please take a look around, I would love to meet you and visit your page also!

Starting top Left and going Right: My Clutch made at Sew South Retreat, Feb paper pieced Sugar Block Club block, March Simply Solids Bee block, scrappy paper pieced star from Sew South, Duffle bag from Sew South, my linen Bunting Zippy pouch, March block for Sugar Block Club, March block for Nurture circle of do.Good.Stitiches, and my Amy Butler Love tote bag. Wow, it has been a busy month! Looking forward to April!
Ginny

Flip the Switch!

Hi everyone! Hope you are having a great Saturday! It is a gorgeous day here- the sun is out, blue sky, and the ice on the lake is melting. Yea! Spring is in the air!

 Although evidently not fast enough for some...the bass fisherman are out on the big part of the lake (where the ice is all gone) but in my little bay we still have ice as you can see in the pic above. Both yesterday and today I seen a bass fisherman in one of those fancy, fast boats trying to make his way through the ice! He made a path about 50 yds before having to back out and turn around to go back to the big lake. Just saying...his boat is not made to go through ice...this is not "Deadliest Catch" here...

The white line behind the boat is literally chopped up ICE!

Ok so on with the real reason for the post!  Flip the Switch--yes, as many of you already know, the plug has been pulled on Google Reader and it will be over and gone as of July. I am recommending you follow me on Bloglovin'. I have been on Bloglovin' almost since I started blogging, a reader wrote to me and asked me to sign up, which I promptly did. I think it is easy to use and you can actually search for blogs you would like to read!

FOLLOW ME ON BLOGLOVIN' (click here for the link to my blog or use the Bloglovin' button in the sidebar to take you there)

Also I wanted you to know that I am on Instagram! Yes, it is a bit addictive. If you are unfamiliar with Instagram it is a program where you can take a picture and instantly upload it with a comment for your friends and followers to see. Many times this sparks a back and forth of comments which makes it almost real time and very spontaneous! There is a whole lot going on! Blog posts are great but if you have ever written one they are time intensive in picking out pictures and editing them and writing up posts. Instagram is just putting it out there immediately! If you have heard of the #scrappytripalong, Instagram was where it was born.



 So flip another switch and get on board with me over on Instagram! I am fishcreekstudio there!

You can also follow me on Pinterest if you would like I am GinnyF there!
I will be adding the social media button to my blog soon--just gotta have time to find out how to do that! :)

That's it! Have a great Saturday and a Blessed Easter!
(if that is applicable for you- if not--make it a great weekend!)

Ginny

Sew South Part II

Today I want to share the projects and finishes from my retreat last weekend at Sew South!
I also want to acknowledge the wonderful sponsors of this awesome weekend and all the wonderful products that were given to us in our Swag Bags!

Completed Clutch from class and wonderful Sugar Scrub from Old Red Barn!

Sew South Part 1

Wow! I have been thinking about this post and not sure that words will ever convey what I experienced this weekend......

You see I was at SewSouth. In case you haven't heard about it, it was a small retreat of 50 sewists in Charlotte NC. Tickets were first come first serve back in November. It was organized, and done oh so well by Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts.

This was her first attempt at organizing and running a retreat....you would never have known it. She rocked it, both in organization and content, not an easy balance to achieve.

And the sponsors were amazing!

In reality I wasn't sure what to expect....

I had been to big shows and classes before, and smaller local ones too. They were....good....but just not me...something was missing but I just thought that my expectations were too high... what did I expect? There were beautiful quilts, great lectures and even some sewing time....always lots of people coming and going.

And here I was driving 12 hours south to Charlotte, taking a weeks vacation to be a tourist and a sewist, with 50 other women that I had never met. When people asked where I was going and why, I got a rather blank look.... oh.. that sounds nice... have you ever met any of these people?  Nope, not a single one. But I read their blogs or was linked to them by Flickr groups and bees and I am inspired by what they create!

And you know what....create we did.....I met those women..... they inspired me again, and again, and again!
We had one language and that was fabric and thread.

From the first moments of checking in and receiving a wonderful Welcome bag with gifts from sponsors and goodies for those moments of thirst and munchies, to meeting Dana of Old Red Barn and Diane of random thoughtsdoordi and Susannah Kate of ArtNest (on Flickr and Instagram) on the elevator and being asked if I was here for Sew South and would I like to go to dinner?

Dana of Old Red Barn, Ginny of Fishcreek Studio and Susannah  Kate of ArtNest

Diane Stanley of Randomthoughtsdoordi and Ginny

 There was never a stranger....never an ego that needed to be checked at the door.... only women who love to sew and create and who wanted to learn and laugh 'till we cried and just have a girls weekend!

And we did.
We.Rocked.It....Period.

It was Exceptional.

I would like to think it will occur again, that the magic can be repeated. I hope so, but I am not convinced, because what was created wasn't necessarily only the wonderful clutch taught by Diane Stanley, or the duffle taught by the ever patient Lindsey of LR Stitched, or the cutest paper pieced star taught by Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts...

What was created was more, much more. It was about friendships being formed and extended. It was about generosity and sharing, it was about cheering each other on - literally, cheering for each finished duffle! It was about finding your tribe, your people. It was about belonging in a way and place where you were totally accepted.

It was Amazing.

Stay tuned for Part II -- you will see the loot given away by awesome sponsors
and the awesome projects we made.

Ginny

Charm Madness Blog Hop!

Are you ready?!  It's finally here ... the Charm Madness Blog Hop!  

Sew Lux Fabrics is hosting a blog hop to go along with March Madness only this is Charm Madness! I am so excited to be a part of this hop! Just look at the line up of guest bloggers! Each blogger will be posting a project using ......you guessed it! Charms! They may be regular size or mini, and there is a great variety of projects!

Bag LOVE!

Hi everyone! I am so excited to show you my new tote bag! Just finished!

I mean, you know, how can you go on a sewing retreat without a new bag... you gotta have something to tote all your stuff around in, right?

WIP Wednesday and Free Patterns!

Here it is Wednesday again! Hope your day is starting out on a positive note!


Here, we are digging out of 10 inches of snow! Yes, the weatherman hit it right on the nose this time!
So I am going to post this quickly and go grab my snow shovel as the snow plow has been through my little street and plowed that snow pretty high in my drive. I think it will be a late arrival at work today!

Just for fun - I love this pic of a what looks like a quilt pattern in the snow. A man named Simon Beck makes these geometric patterns only by using snowshoes, no machines involved. Check out his snow art here. There is a link to his Facebook page too! We work in the medium of fabric and he works in snow! Life is interesting, and full of possibilities.

As mentioned last week, I am attending Sew South (a sewing retreat) in a couple of weeks and there is some prep to complete before class begins -- yes we have homework! This week has been all about fabric and planning -- here are some of the goodies I ordered for the classes that have arrived this week! Can't wait to see how it all comes together. We will be making a duffle bag, clutch purses, a pair of PJ bottoms . I am also participating in a Secret Sewing Sister game (like Secret Santa at Christmas) FQ swap and a Sample swap -- such fun! So stay tuned to see how these lovely fabrics turn out.

And an update on the block front:


Look at this lovely!  I am queen bee for my hive for March and this is from Julie in my Magnum P.I. Hive in the Modern Stash Bee.(Yes this is all about stash and Tom Sellecks great 'stache is our mascot ;) Gorgeous! And this is a March block - she is so speedy! Can't wait to see the others from my awesome hive mates - this is going to grow up and  be a quilt for my guest bedroom..

And this is my Paper Pieced block for the Sugar Block Club. This is the February block and while not perfect, I am happy with the colors and majority of points. I did have to rip out the pinwheels in the middle once and do have an oops! on one of the points where it is just a hair short, but hopefully that will be hidden in the seam allowance once the the top is pieced! I am getting more comfortable with the paper piecing. It still takes a few minutes to rearrange my brain and think about the process but I really enjoy the results! How about you- do you paper piece? What are your favorite patterns?

 And finally here are three free quilt patterns for you!

Here is the link: http://www.mccallsquilting.com/free-modern-quilt-patterns

They are from McCalls Quilting and Quick Quilts. They are easy and rated for beginner level. So if you are new to quilting and looking for an easy project, one of these may be for you! And if you are experienced, who doesn't love an easy, quick pattern for a baby gift or after you have been working on a more difficult project! These quilts use strips, half square triangles and QAYG (Quilt As You Go) techniques - something that is on my list of things to try!

Well, off to see my favorite snow shovel and play in the snow! Many schools have closed in the time it took to make this post -- I would bet lots of sledding and snowmen to come today :)

Happy Stitching! Linking up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced.

Ginny