Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Four

Yesterday was an exciting day in Georgia with the Tornado sirens going off a couple of times and nothing on TV but news.  Unfortunately for those north of us, several tornados reached the ground and severe damage was done.  Fortunately for us, we got a LOT of rain but no damage.  It was a bit scary though.

During the breaks in the weather, we were able to hold both the morning and evening classes.

Here is the homework from the morning class – friendship stars.

 

Here is what they worked on yesterday morning – double four patches.

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By the time the evening class time came, most of the weather issues were over.  Here is their homework.

Here is last night’s new blocks.

Next week we are moving on to log cabin blocks!

Melinda

Challenge Quilt

I am working on my challenge quilt for the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild.  It is due on Saturday but because I will be working at the quilt shop on Saturday, I need to finish it to give to one of the ladies to take for me.  That means tomorrow night.

We were given a fat quarter of one fabric – the light one in the fan, and 6 eighths of the others.  We were allowed to add only solid colors so I am using gray/grey.  Right now it is about 20 inches square.  The rules only state that it has to be at least 12 inches square so this fits.

I am teaching this morning and evening but hope to quilt it this afternoon.

Melinda

Red Socks for Danielle

My friend Danielle, started Chemo and Radiation for her brain tumor yesterday.  Before her first treatment, we met for coffee.  Danielle and her sister believe that red socks will make you well so in support of Danielle and the treatment, here are our feet – kind of blurry but try to ignore that part.

Mine are the sock monkey socks!  Love them.

Off to look for more red socks – hopefully with Valentine’s Day coming up, I can find some.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 28, 2013

I finished the center of my mystery quilt and am ready for the borders.  I have a bold flower print for the borders and have decided that I do not want to piece it so I will pick up another piece of it today and use what I already have for part of the back.

Here it is with the sashing/inner border on.

I will be using the check for the binding after the floral border.  Hopefully I can put the border on this afternoon.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.  I always get inspiration from the others.

Melinda

My Sister Robin’s Christmas Present

Back in the fall, I ordered a wonderful Christmas present from Carol Turznik.  If you don’t know about Carol, you should go to her blog and check her out.  She makes wonderful portraits and I commissioned her to make one of Robin.  I received it in plenty of time but after getting the rest of the California Christmas presents together I mailed it exactly a week before Christmas.  I mailed my daughter’s family gifts at the same time and they received theirs before Christmas.  Robin didn’t.  I kept checking with her and it didn’t arrive and it didn’t arrive.  About 2 weeks ago, it finally came back to me.

For some unknown reason, I put the correct street, city and zip code but her house number is 4373 and I wrote 4341.  How did I do that?  4341 is the number of the house we grew up in.  I haven’t lived in that house for over 50 years!  What was I thinking?

Anyway, she finally received it yesterday so I can finally post a photo of it.

Here is Robin’s blog post about it.  I am so glad it finally arrived.  Here is the photo of Robin I sent her for inspiration.

Melinda

Ricky Tims Seminar

I spent the last three days at the Ricky Tims Seminar.  I didn’t take my laptop, just my iPad but it didn’t really matter because the internet was non existent at the hotel.  My last few posts were from my iPhone and short because it is hard to type much on it.  Now that I am home, I thought I would post a few more photos.

This one is what Ricky calls Caveman style – I think I would like to try a small of of these.

Next are a few Convergence quilts.  I know I want one of these.

I also liked this one with all the half square triangles.

I think this was made by Alex Anderson but can’t see the label.

Lots of inspiration and lots of ideas for projects.  It was a fun time.

Melinda

More of the Ricky Show

Today is the last day of the seminar. Very fun but I will be glad to get home.

Ricky Tim's quilt Seminer

We are here at the seminar. The title of the lecture Out of Your Mind. Appropriate!

Show Us Your Socks–1/24/13

Judy at Patchwork Times is having another linky party – show us your socks!  Most people are showing their hand knit socks but because I only have my one and only pair and they are in the laundry today, I am showing my Knitting Girl socks.

The knitting girl is knitting with lime green yarn – my favorite.  I have to cast on another pair of socks – I want to be a sock knitter but have trouble getting started.  I took two classes to get my first pair done and I have forgotten everything I learned.  OK – probably not everything but much of it.

Check out the linky at Patchwork Times for more socks!  I am off in a few minutes to see Ricky Tims and friends for 2 1/2 days.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Evening Class Three

Lots more progress last night.  Several friendship star blocks were made and the homework was shown off.  Next week we will start sewing rows together.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing - Class Three

Fun morning. We made half-square triangles and friendship stars.

Busy Day

I went to the guild board meeting and then out to lunch - Chinese! After all that fun I headed to the shop to work on the BOM's I am running. Busy, busy.

Design Wall Monday–January 21, 2013

My mystery quilt is still on my design wall.  If I can get a few hours to dedicate to it, I can finish it.  I started putting the sashing on – all the blocks are complete.  There are only six blocks to this quilt.  Each block measures 19 inches when in the quilt.

I am really liking it so far.  You can probably see that except for the sashing, there are polka dots on all the fabrics.  There is one more border to add after the sashing.  It is a floral with a black background and bright flowers.  It has a 40’s/50’s look to it.  Hopefully I will be able to post a photo of the finished quilt next week.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times. 

Melinda

What I am working on!

I have been spending time working on a customer quilt.  I still have more to do but I am making progress.

Another beautiful applique quilt by Sharon.

Melinda

Mystery Quilt Update

I went to the Modern Quilt Guild sew-in Thursday night and had hoped to get more done on it yesterday but ran out of time.  I did get a couple of rows together.  Here is one of them.

I am really liking it.

Melinda

More Kaffe Fabric to Hoard

This month’s shipment from Wish Upon a Quilt is here.  More subdued colors this shipment.  They will support the brighter colors very well.

I worked on my mystery quilt at the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild Sew-in last night and finished all the blocks.  Will work a little while on the sashing this afternoon.  Hope to have it put together soon.

Melinda

Hexie-aholics

Sarah has a monthly hexie-aholics linky party and I want to participate.  This month I am going to show my Tula Pink Hex on a Beach kit.

There are 36 baggies of hexies.  I have the papers sewn on two baggies and am almost finished with a third.  I have it all packed up in my cute little case that my sister Robin got for me last year.

It has everything I need for hours of fun!

I am linking to the Hexie-aholic post here.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Two

Another wonderful class yesterday.  Here is the homework from the morning class.

Here are the nine patches from the morning class.

Can you match the nine patches with the rail fences?

Here is the evening homework.

Here are the nine patches that were made last night – great piecing and matching corners/intersections.

I am so impressed with these students.  Most of them have perfected the 1/4 inch seam which is usually the longest/hardest to master.  We will continue to work on it.

Melinda

Progress on Getting It Done List

Here is my list for getting it done in January.

1.  Complete Easy Street, including quilting and binding. Quilt top is complete – waiting for quilting.

2.  Quilt Winter Wonderland. Still untouched

3.  Finish one quilt for donation.  Located a quilt top and it needs to be quilted.

4.  Get out my scrappy bargello and complete the blocks necessary to make a quilt for my bed – not sure how much work that will be. I got this out and made one block.  Also counted the blocks and strips I have already cut and decided to use a Bali Pop for more strips.

Of course, I have done a lot of other things that are not on the list – isn’t that always the case.  Glad Judy decided to do a mid-month evaluation.  Perhaps this will keep me on track.

Melinda

Hexie Progress

There are 36 baggies of precut hexies in my Hex on a Beach kit.  I have sewn the papers on all of two baggies and well into baggie three.  I have been taking this to meetings and working on them during the meeting.  Amazing how many I can finish.

Lots more to do but at this time I think I will put papers on all of them before I start sewing them together. That should take several months.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 14, 2013

Here is my design wall today.  This is the mystery quilt designed by Debbie Caffrey that we worked on at retreat.  I do sew during retreat but don’t have a lot of time.  There are only six blocks in the quilt and I have most of the pieces made for each of them but only one completely finished.  I still need to add the white triangles to the sides of the strips before I can finish putting it together.

Several people were able to finish their tops.  Here are a few.

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Here is Debbie’s sample quilt.

I can’t wait to see the finished quilts in the next few months.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times for lots of inspiration.

Melinda

Roaring Twenties at Retreat

I think the photos speak for themselves.

Retreat First Day

Lots of fun going on. Here are a few photos.