Design Wall Monday–October 31, 2011

My design wall still has my jelly roll quilt hanging on it waiting for it’s borders.

I hope to get it finished before next week.

For more design walls, go to Judy L’s blog here.

Melinda

Pizza, Patchwork and Puzzlement

Last night I taught/led a mystery quilt group at Tiny Stitches.  They pay for the class and that includes the fabric for the center of the quilt top, the mystery, me, and dinner.  For a dessert surprise I made brownies – more later on that.

I did the first cut of the fabrics for them.  They got two strips of 5 colors of Halloween fabric plus 10 strips of background.  I packaged them into a cute little Halloween bag and included a miniature pumpkin on the top of each bag.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the kits.  At the last minute a fourth student signed up (actually she thought she had signed up earlier but apparently forgot) so at the last minute I cut one more kit.

While they worked on making lots of half square triangles for the mystery, I called Pizza Hut and ordered Pizza and chicken wings.  Talking to Pizza Hut was kind of like  “who’s on first”.  The Pizza Hut I was talking to is right across the street.  I gave them our address and they said there was no such street (the same street they are on).  I told them to look out of their front window and they could see the shopping center we are in but that didn’t help.  Finally they decided that they knew where Subway was and since we are in the same shopping center, they could probably find us.  About 45 minutes later the phone rang and the delivery guy was outside the other door.  Yea!  The food arrived.

After eating pizza and wings, they got back to work on their quilt tops.

Around 9 pm I fixed the brownies.  First we had a brownie on the plate, then a scoop of vanilla ice cream and lastly a couple of spoons of hot dark chocolate topping.  Yum!  Back to work on the quilt tops again.

While they were working on their quilts, I put together kits for my next shop sample.  Tiny Stitches is turning twenty in 2012 and we are going to feature a Turning Twenty quilt each month.  I signed up for January so need to get going.  Here are the fabrics I am going to use.

Isn’t it going to be bright and beautiful.

At the end of the evening, the group had each made at least one strip for their quilt.  Here they are hanging together on the design wall.

You might notice that the one strip has a different background fabric.  The late student had to have a different background – very similar but different – because I used all of the first one in the original kits. Around midnight, they picked out backing and borders for their quilts – Halloween fabric was 30% off so they all bought enough to finish their quilts.  I ended up getting home about 12:45 am!

Off to the shop again today – only open for 4 hours so it shouldn’t be a difficult day.

Melinda

Maria Elkins

Maria was the speaker at guild yesterday and I really enjoyed her presentation.  She had both slides and real quilts to share.  She is teaching a class again today and will be heading back to Ohio when it is over.  Once she gets home, she will be on a plane to Houston where she has been notified that her quilt is one of the top eight winners.  I can’t wait to hear what happens.

Here are a few of the quilts she showed yesterday.

She had more quilts with her but Pam was there and willing to show me how to do Magic Loop for my next socks so I stopped taking pictures and played with yarn instead.  I think I might have actually learned something.

Here are more of the quilts from the Thursday workshop.

 

You might recognize the last one as Bobby Cox, the retired manager of the Atlanta Braves.  This portrait was made by the granddaughter of my friend Jan.  It is the first attempt at anything quilty.  Didn’t she do a wonderful job – actually, everyone did a wonderful job.

I am teaching a Patchwork, Pizza, and Puzzlement class from 5 to midnight tonight so have the day off.  Unusual for a Saturday!

Bill is driving home from Missouri where he visited his Mother and the rest of his family.  I am anxious for him to get home.  He should be here in a couple of hours.

Melinda

Bloggers’ Quilt Festival

Here is my latest favorite quilt.  It is also the one I am using as a header on my blog currently.

I took it to guild today to get a charm for finishing a large quilt.  I came home and put it on my bed and will sleep under it for the first time tonight.

This quilt was made over the past 3 years.  It was a block of the month at the Allatoona Quilters’ Guild and I finally completed it this summer before our quilt show.  I used many, many black and lime green fabrics and really love this quilt!  If I decide to keep it on the bed, I guess I might have to repaint.

The feathered star was a challenge, especially since I wanted it to be scrappy.  I finally paper pieced it.  I wanted to custom quilt this but realized that it was so busy that my efforts would be wasted so I did an overall swirl and it turned out just fine.  Of course I used lime green thread!

This is my current entry in the Bloggers’ Quilt Festival.  Be sure to check out all the other wonderful quilts.

Melinda

Max

Class with Maria Elkins was WONDERFUL!

I worked with a photo of Max, my little Yorkie.

We used four values of a single color.  I chose green.  Here is the base fabric with the first layer added.

Here it is with the next layer.

Here is the final – with all the layers added.

Of course it needs to be quilted.  I am really pleased with it.  By the way, the first photo has the most realistic color.

I highly recommend taking a class from Maria if you have any opportunity.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Session 4

Lots of progress in class last night.  The log cabins were homework and we worked on half square triangles.  We made friendship stars and everybody got one or two done. 

Next week is flying geese.

I am off to a class with Maria Elkins today.  I am going to attempt a portrait of Max, my Yorkie.  Wish me luck.

Melinda

Jelly Roll Quilt

It seems like everyone has made a jelly roll quilt but me.  I was feeling left out so I got out a jelly roll and put this together.  I have a bright pink for an inner border and one of the floral prints for an outside border.  I sewed the strips together as leaders and enders but sewing the whole thing together took a long time for the first seam.  I didn’t think the strips would ever end.  I think I will get Cuddle for the backing.

Actually, I quite like it.

Melinda

Winter Wonderland Center Complete and Bordered

Well, at least the first border is on.  Next is the fly stitch on all the seams and then on to the pieced blocks.

Still quite a bit of stitching left but it should go pretty quick.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–October 24, 2011

I finished my last embroidery block for Winter Wonderland last night – at least I thought I had finished it.  I went upstairs to the sewing room and started pressing all the blocks, trimming them to the correct size and sewing them together.  The last block I worked on was the last one I was ready to trim.  Here it is – before trimming.

When I started to trim it, I thought something was wrong.  Apparently I forgot to trace three more little snowflakes.  So this morning, I stitched the last snowflakes and you can see it completed in the center of the next photo.

Some of the blocks are sewn together and I should be able to complete the sewing tonight.  I then will add the first border and it will be ready to do a fly stitch on all of the seams.

At a sew-in last week, I started cutting the star blocks.  I have been making little kits of the star blocks so hopefully if I have a little time, I can get one block done at a time.  There are 23 star blocks and then some filler blocks.  I am actually believing I will have a quilt some day soon.

I think I am going to take an embroidery break after the fly stitch and knit some socks.

For more design walls, check out Judy L’s blog here.

Stitching Sunday–October 23, 2011

Here is the last embroidery block for the Winter Wonderland quilt.  I just have a few snowflakes to finish and I will be ready to put the center of the quilt together.  I have to cut down all the embroidery blocks, sew them together, put on the first border and then do a fly stitch on all the seams.  I had hoped to get the embroidery done yesterday but the quilt shop was so busy that I really didn’t do anything in the evening.  I had great plans but ended up doing absolutely nothing but read my Kindle book.

This morning I also took a photo of the October gifts that Marta sent.  They are going upstairs next to sit until Christmas in my very full Santa Sack.  What a fun swap this is turning out to be.  I was late with my last two months of gifts but Marta has received them.  I have a couple of ideas for the November gifts.

This week I have a lot of customer quilting to work on plus finishing a table runner for a swap.  Should be a busy week.

Melinda

Finger Pin Cushion

I stopped at a little antique mall in Roswell today and picked up this finger pin cushion.  While my sister Robin was here earlier this month, she got one of these and I decided I wanted one also.

Melinda

P.S.  Don’t look at the old hand with the ring on – I think someone switched the pictures when I wasn’t looking because that couldn’t be my hand.

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Three

There were only four students at class this week.  Unfortunately two students had to miss class.  Hopefully they will be able to come next week.

Here is the homework from last week.

Last night we worked on Square Dance blocks and then moved on to Log Cabin blocks.

For homework, they will each make two more log cabin blocks.  As you can see from the above photo, some of them don’t have a distinction between dark and light while some do. Value matters!

Melinda

Winter Wonderland Block Finished

I finished the next to last block of Winter Wonderland and started on the last block. 

Not sure why the background looks slightly pink – it is white.

I haven’t felt well for the past couple of days so no posts since Sunday but hopefully I am better now.

Off to quilt.

Melinda

Stitching Sunday–October 16, 2011

Another evening or two and I will have this block completed.

Melinda

Customer Quilt

Here is a customer quilt I finished a couple of weeks ago but never got around to posting.  It is made from an Elm Creek pattern and is going to the maker’s granddaugher.

It was custom quilted and I put the binding on – beautiful quilt.

Melinda

Stitching Status

When Robin was here last week we went to lunch with friends in old Roswell.  We stopped in several shops and Robin bought me this.  I think it is supposed to be a makeup bag but it is perfect for hand sewing.

At guild we saw a thread catcher and figured out how to make it.

It is perfect for the little sewing case since it folds up and is very cute!

Here is the status of my next to last embroidery for Winter Wonderland.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Two

The above blocks are the homework from last week – rail fence blocks. Next is a few more that were completed after I took the first photo.

We started on nine patch blocks yesterday and after making a few, we moved on to log cabin variations.

Aren’t they doing great!

Melinda

New Fabric

I opened the mail this morning and here is what I found.  I purchased this from Over the Rainbow and love it.  I got two different cuts of Gastlies and one of the coordinating.

I think I will make an Easy Peasy Grommet Bag out of it.  Robin had a bag and it was so cute!

Melinda

Table Toppers from Callaway

Here are many of the table toppers that were finished at Callaway.  Everyone had the opportunity to make three special projects and to take home three completed projects.  It is fun to have something completely finished from the retreat.

Each kit had four 2 1/2 inch strips of Christmas fabric, a piece of batting and a fat quarter (for the backing).  Simple project where you simply sew the four strips into a strip set and cut six equalateral triangles from them, sew them back together, sandwich with the batting and backing and sew around the edge.  Turn them right side out and stitch around the edge.  Quilt as desired.  Even the ones with the same fabric turn out different depending on how the strips are arranged.

We also made magic wallets, and a little card cases – lots of fun with little projects.

Melinda

Second Retreat Day at Callaway

The Great Pumpkin visited the retreat and gave away some Halloween treats!

Lots of quilts were worked on, special projects were made and fun was had by all – more photos later.

Melinda

Quilting Retreat at Callaway Gardens

Here we are at beautiful Callaway Gardens.  It is a beautiful place and a wonderful place to hold a retreat.  Here is our sewing area.  My machine is on the right and Robin is using the one on the left.  Maetha is in the middle.  Two samples of the retreat quilt are on the chairs – Robin made the one on the left and I made the one on the right.

Here are the goodie bags – the theme of the retreat is Run Away to Callaway so we have hobo sticks with bandanas on the end to put our goodies in.

We had the choice of three different bandanas – birds, wildflowers or butterflies.  Robin and I both chose butterflies.

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In the afternoon we had a Chocolate buffet – yum!

We also have a few special projects to work on – I cut kits for Christmas table toppers and here are the ones Robin and I made.

As usual, they are exactly alike, only different.

More fun in store tomorrow.

Melinda