Aloha Maui!

Surprise!  Double post this week because of the fabulous blog hop I'm taking part in!  See yesterday's post for my introduction and to visit the other awesome bloggers who are also a part of the post.  Also forgot to mention yesterday that there are some giveaways on the host's blogs from some amazing sponsors!  What fun!

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Last week, I missed my regular Tuesday post due to my 30th birthday vacation in Maui. Like any trip I take these days, I went in search of fabric stores to grow my collection.  The first shop I went to was Fabric Mart in Kahului.  They specialize in Hawaiian fabrics, but also have some Japanese, novelty, and a great selection for garments.  The Hawaiian fabric was priced very affordably compared to the other shops that I went to on the island.  The next stop was Sew Special also located in Kahului.  I found some of my favorite print of Central Park by Kate Spain still being sold, so obviously I bought the rest of the bolt.  I think the ladies thought I was a little insane, but I have to feed my Kate Spain obsession, right?!  The shop overall had a great selection of fabric and definitely worth a visit.

A few days later, I visited The Maui Quilt Shop in Kihei.  This shop was fairly small and there were lots of customers.  I think this type of set up actually overwhelms me quite a bit.  However, they still had a great selection and had bolts everywhere.  I ended up feeding my cute whale obsession as well as getting their 2015 Row by Row quilt kit and a fabric pineapple that was made by a local artisan.  Looking at the pineapple, it looks like it's made with a similar technique as the styrofoam covered balls I made as Christmas ornaments - using folded fabric and a lot of pins.

Waiting for me when I got home was the Maker's Birthday Bash present from Anna of Rosewood Cottage Creations!  Look at all these great goodies she made and sent me.  This has been a great swap, and I'm very happy to have participated.  A shout out to the host Amista Baker for organizing.

After I opened all my happy mail, I set out to complete the Maui Quilt Shop's Row by Row and will eventually turn it into a table runner.  I used raw edge applique with a zigzag stitch.  I still haven't found which stitch I like the best with raw edge, but this technique is much quicker than turned edge.  On a sidenote, I own a lightbox, and it's amazing for tracing applique patterns.

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Here are some other things that I've been working on.  These are the 2 Quilter's Planner Blocks from the last two weeks.

Beary Goosey By Jan Ochterbeck of The Colorful Fabriholic

Equis By Stephanie Palmer of Late Night Quilter

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There comes a point where my ender/leader project becomes a project I just need to finish.  The Basket Case quilt was one that I felt the urge to go ahead and make the blocks to finish. Thanks to my husband for helping me layout all 42 blocks! I didn't plan the layout of the fabric beforehand which actually makes creating a "good" layout difficult.  Good meaning none of the same types of prints or main colors touching each other.  It's like one big puzzle to solve, but I think this layout will work out just fine. This is made from one of my favorite fabric lines, Vintage Modern by Bonnie and Camille.

Also for those that live in the Twin Cities area, don’t forget this Thursday - Saturday is the Shop Hop!  I can't wait to visit all the local area quilt shops again.

5/2-5/9 Weekly Goal:
Available time for quilting:
Wednesday PM, Thursday PM, Saturday PM, and Sunday

Projects I want to work on:
Quilter's Planner Block
Basket Case
PBQ103

Goals for the Projects:
Quilters Planner Block: Complete this week's Block
Basket Case: Finish sewing the quilt top
PBQ103: Finish 3 blocks. ( I noticed not having a quantifiable amount meant I haven't made much progress)

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