Quilt for CCYA

The East Cobb Quilters’ Guild made a beautiful quilt for donation to CCYA – Center for Children and Young Adults.  They have a large fundraiser every March and auction many wonderful things.  Late last year we were asked to make a quilt for the auction.  Many members of the guild helped with the quilt and it was given to me to quilt.  It was amazingly flat and square and a pleasure to quilt.

Here it is, all finished.

It is a large quilt – about 100 inches square.  It is based on a Judy Niemeyer pattern called Crown of Thorns.  Judy kindly gave us permission to use her pattern.  It is mostly paper pieced and is beautiful!  You can’t really see my quilting but here a couple more photos that show a little of it.

Our version of the quilt is called Circle of Light – good name don’t you think.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Last Class

I forgot to post the photos from the evening class last week!  Here are the wonderful quilts.

Didn’t they do a great job?

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–February 27, 2012

I have something new on my design wall today.  This is the border pieces for my second shop hop quilt made from the wonderful line called “Stitched in Color”.

I finished the Reunion quilt and it is in the “to be quilted” stack. 

I had planned on using the plaid for the first border but it is so wonky that I don’t think it will work.  Instead I will use it for the corner blocks and use the one on the right for the borders.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times and check them out.

Melinda

Stash Report–Week 9, 2012

I finished the reunion quilt top and got the backing pieced so I used 9 yards this week, 5 yards for the top and 4 for the backing.  I didn’t buy anything so made progress in the right direction.

Used this Week: 9 yards
Used year to Date: 23.5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 40.75 yards
Net Used for 2012: –17.25

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times here.

Melinda

Back in Georgia–Beginning Machine Piecing Last Morning Class

I got back to Georgia last night – uneventful flight but the full body pat-down at the airport did give a bit of excitement to the day.

Today is the last of the 7-week Beginning Machine Piecing class.  The morning class did a wonderful job and I got some great photos of the students and their quilt tops.

Aren’t they great – both the quilt tops and the students.  I loved teaching this class.

Update:  Danielle is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning.

Melinda

My Friend Danielle

Here is a photo of my friend Danielle and me taken a few years ago – obviously at a quilt show.  Danielle is in Little Rock at the University of Arkansas medical facility.  She has a brain tumor and the best neurosurgeon in the world will be operating on her this week.  Dr. Yasagril is highly recommended and Danielle is grateful that he has agreed to accept her as a patient.

Lynda and her husband are also in Little Rock to give support to Danielle and her husband.  She has an 11 year old daughter who is staying in Georgia.  I will be at Danielle’s house during the evenings, shared with my other friends, to take care of her and get her off to school on time.  This week is a school vacation so she is staying with friends.  We hope that Danielle will be able to travel back to Georgia for her recovery in less that two weeks.

Please pray for a good outcome and that all goes well.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–February 20, 2012

My design wall is in Georgia and I am in California so I have a design floor today.  I finally finished the fly stitch on my Winter Wonderland top – the embroidery is completely done.  Next are the star blocks for the borders.  I have most of the cut out and in little kits for each block.  Perhaps at retreat next month I can devote the time to work on them and finally get this top finished.

I know it is wrinkled and will look much better when pressed but I am pleased that it made it this far.  I worked on it on the plane and then finished it on Saturday here at my daughter’s house.

By the way, my grandson is sewing – here he is.

He is making hamster stuffies.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Stash Report – Week 8, 2012

I bought quite a lot this week but it is all for specific projects – well almost all.

Used this Week: 1.5 yards
Used year to Date: 14.5 yards
Added this Week: 17.25 yards
Added Year to Date: 40.75 yards
Net Used for 2012: –26.25

I finished up the table runner and the back.  Unfortunately it is small so there was about 1.5 yards used for the front and the back.  It isn’t quilted but is waiting patiently for it’s turn.

I had two quilts accepted into the Bulloch Hall Quilt Show next month.  Neither has a sleeve or a pillowcase so I bought enough for that.  The pillowcases are about 2.5 yards and the sleeves are about .75.  The shop also got some new black and whit batiks and I got a fat quarter of each.  This is the part that I don’t have a plan for.  It was 1.5 yards.

I got another kit for a shop hop quilt made from Reunion fabric – 20 fat quarters = 5 yards plus the backing of 4 yards.  Hopefully I will finish it this week and be able to count it next week.  I have the top all made in two sections.  Just have to sew the last seam and make the backing.

Lastly, I counted my other shop hop quilt.  I didn’t pay for the fabric so was going to skip it but it did come into the house so I am going to add it in – another 3.5 yards.

When I get home on Tuesday I have a quilt to finish quilting that needs to be done for the guild meeting on Friday.  After that, I hope to get the shop hop quilts done next.  Be sure to go to Patchwork Times and check out the other reports.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing and a Trip to San Francisco

Sorry about yesterday.  I had thought I would be able to post the photos from the next to last Beginning Machine Piecing class but by the time I got packed, I ran out of time.  I had the best type of flight from Atlanta to San Francisco – uneventful!  By the time I got here to my daughter’s house, I forgot I was going to do a blog post.  Here are the photos from Wednesday’s class.

Next week we will finish putting the blocks together and then putting the borders on!  Exciting!

Today we are going to the Farmer’s Market in the morning and having tea in the afternoon.  Not sure what is scheduled for evening.  Hopefully I will remember to take photos.

Melinda

Snowman Block of the Month

I posted a photo of Cindy’s version of the first block of the Snowman Block of the Month that she is leading at Tiny Stitches a few days ago.  Here is the photo again of the first block that Cindy stitches.

Apparently several people are interested in the pattern and have contacted the shop.  I didn’t explain it well enough and many thought it is a free Block of the Month.  Actually, it is $10 per month and that includes the pattern and background fabric each month.  If anyone is interested in it, you can contact Tiny Stitches at tinystitches@bellsouth.net and Cindy will get back to you with details and work out the payments.

I am still trying to decide what color(s) I want to stitch mine in.  I think I will look for a variegated floss or perle cotton and just use one color instead of all the colors Cindy used but I can’t decide.  So far, I have just traced the patterns on the background.

Melinda

Swap Package for Kris

You might remember that I received a wonderful swap package from Kris.  Here is is.

Here is what I sent to her.

The accessory bag I made is a click-it bag.  I also made her a nametag/cell phone bag like I made for the quilt show.  I included a few other goodies that I hope she finds useful.

Melinda

Selvage Fabric

Yes, I know I said I was going to try to slow down my fabric purchases but this one I absolutely couldn’t resist.  SELVAGE fabric!

I got it from Spoonflower and it comes in two size prints.  I love it!!!!  Not sure what I want to do with it as I know I will have trouble cutting into it.  I got a yard of each size.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–February 13, 2012

I finally finished the table runner – now it just needs to be quilted.

I am so glad I finally used some of this fabric.  I have words for the backing.

After taking this off the wall, I put this up.

The fabric is also by Sweetwater – it is a Snapshot quilt out of the book Happy Hour.  The line is Reunion.  I finished the rest of the blocks this morning and hope to get the top put together later today.  It is too big for the design wall, so I will lay it out on the bed.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times and check out the rest of them.

Melinda

Stash Report–Week 7, 2012

As you can see below, I didn’t do well this week.  First was the purchase of the wonderful polka dots.  I can’t say I am sorry for buying them but I need to start using more fabric.  The second purchase was 5.5 yards for the back of a quilt.  I haven’t turned it into a back yet so can’t count it used.  Hopefully this week I can get it ready to quilt.

Used this Week: 13 yards
Used year to Date: 13 yards
Added this Week: 11.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 23.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: –10 yards

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

More Bee Blocks

I made the January and February bee blocks today.  One is going to Canada so it won’t go out until Monday but I can drop the other off at the Post Office tomorrow.

Here is the January block.

Here is the February block.

Hope they like them – I do.

Melinda

Polka Dots

I know I have been trying to slow down on my fabric purchases but I just couldn’t resist this.

I only got fat quarters but it still added up to six yards!  I love them!

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Five

We made the last of the blocks for the beginning quilts yesterday.  Next week we will lay out the quilts and start putting them together.  The last week we will put on the borders and talk about quilting.

Here are the morning blocks.

And the evening ones.

It is going to be so exciting to see what the quilts are going to look like.

Melinda

Catching Up

I finished up some past due Bee blocks.  First is this one for Bailey.  She did not want it trimmed to size so here it is, uneven edges and all.

Next is one for Staci. I really like this block.

Lastly, here is Marta’s block.  She used Christmas fabrics.

Hope they like them.

Melinda

Super Bolt Sale

Here is the store before opening on Super Bolt Sunday!  Lots and lots of happy shoppers.  Next is what most of them were waiting for – fabric by the bolt and a very good price.

This is only part of what was for sale.  The main store also had 25% off everything in the store so you can only imagine the crowds.  Thankfully everyone was glad to be there and very patient.  It was fun for both the staff and the customers.  Only a year to go until the next Super Bolt sale!

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–February 6, 2012

My design wall looks just about the same as last week.

Actually I have started sewing the blocks together but not enough has been completed to change the look so this is the same photo as last week.  Hope to get it off the design wall this week.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times and check them out.

Melinda

Stash Report - Week 6, 2012

I used fabric this week for the guild community service projects.  I cut muslin squares to use as bases for string blocks as well as giving my strips for the project.  I figure that I cut 11 yards of muslin and there were at least 2 yards of strips, so I am counting 13 years.  No new purchases this week although there are some dots on the way in the mail. I forgot that I purchased 2 yards plus 2 fat quarters last Monday so I have revised my totals.

Used this Week: 13 yards
Used year to Date: 13 yards
Added this Week: 2.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 12 yards
Net Used for 2012: 1 yd

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

New Embroidery BOM

Here is a the first block of a new BOM from Tiny Stitches.

There will be a happy snowman every month.  By the way, I did not stitch this yet – it is the sample made by my friend Cindy!  Her embroidery is the best I have ever seen.

Melinda

Shop Hop Quilt

Here is the fabric I have for a quilt for Shop Hop.  The top fabric is a preprinted piece.  The bottom will be the borders and binding.  The center fabric is so wonderful that we decided not to cut it.  There will be one big center piece with borders around it.  Here is my EQ7 drawing.

Simple but with such wonderful fabrics, I think it will work out well. 

Since this is a shop quilt and the fabric is not mine, I am not adding it to my stash report.  Of course that means I won’t be able to count it when completed either.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Four

Another fun day at the quilt shop.  It was time for the beginning class to tackle half square triangles.  They are such an important part of so many quilts but sometimes a little challenging to get just right.  They all did a good job.  First here are the morning blocks.

Here are the evening ones.

Next week we make flying geese.

Melinda