Quilt Project from Las Vegas

One of the projects we worked on in Las Vegas was a panel quilt.  I bought panels for each of us from Tiny Stitches and most of the rest of the fabric was from Robin’s stash.  We did go out and purchase backgrounds – as usual very different backgrounds.  Otherwise they are the same.

This is Robin’s quilt top.  We both need to add two borders.  We bought light purple for the next border and she has a lovely black on black with cranes on it for the outside border.  I had planned on stealing enough from her to do my border but I forgot so I am looking for something to finish it off.

Here is mine – I love the background I found.  It kind of looks like Japanese writing but it isn’t – according to Jerry, it is Japanese graffiti, not real writing at all.

Here they are together – exactly alike only different!  We have a slightly different accent fabrics and the pinks are different.

Our friend Jerry Fujimoto designed this quilt and wrote the pattern.  We helped test the pattern for him.  It is very good and I am looking forward to more of his designs.  Here is his website that he is beginning to work on.  You can reach Jerry at jerry@pocketquilting.com.

Melinda

Getting Ready for Christmas in July

Christmas in July is coming up and as soon as I arrived in California I decided to get one project make so that all that would be left is to quilt it after I get back home.  Here is the cover of the pattern.  I had cut all the kits and had my kit ready to go.  It is a panel quilt with pieced borders and went together very easily except that the panel was NOT as large as they told you to cut it.  I hate patterns that start out that way. 

 

I was able to fit everything together by just taking slightly larger seams.

Here is the finished top.  I really like the non-traditional colors and patterns.  Once it is quilted, the panel will look like it is pieced.  Quick and easy – just what I was looking for.

I had planned on working on two projects while I was gone but due to stupidity on my part ( forgot one of the kits), I worked on the same quilt for my sister.  She decided to make a larger quilt so we each made nine blocks.  At least that was the intent but because Robin was teaching, I ended up making all 18 blocks.  I will have to get her to photograph them for me next week.  It will be the Christmas Quilt for her bed when finished.   This week she is busy getting ready to vend at the Long Beach Quilt Show.

Melinda

Next to the Last Day in California

I will be on the way home tomorrow afternoon and will arrive home around midnight.  It will make for a long day but I am looking forward to seeing Bill and my little doggies.

We had a great time in Las Vegas.  This first photo is of the car temperature gauge when we stopped in Baker.  It is a little fuzzy but it does read 113 degrees.

There is a very large outdoor thermometer in  the little town.  We stopped at the Mad Greek Restaurant on the way there and took this photo.

 

I am not sure if you can read it but it says 108 degrees.  It was hot every day in Las Vegas – usually between 105 and 110.  Of course, we were in air conditioning most of the time so it really doesn’t matter how hot it is outside.  We did manage to go to our favorite little Mexican Food Place a couple of time – Roberto’s!  I learned to love Roberto’s while living in San Diego many years ago and we were delighted to find it in Las Vegas.

I think I have said that we go and sew from Monday morning thru Friday morning.  We can get a lot done in that amount of time.  There are 34 people who go to the retreat each year – 33 women and Jerry!  He is our token male member of the group.  This retreat started 22 years ago and Robin and I have been going most years for the last 10 or so.

We decided to make pin cushions for each person so spent time last week sewing, gluing and stuffing pin cushions.  We used silicone cupcake liners as the base and filled them with walnut shells.  They were well received.  We also got a pin cushion made by Barb that was gambling fabric in the shape of a heart.  There were a couple of other little gifts and I will post more in the next few days after I get home and get the photos organized.

Melinda

Update on Family in California

Yesterday I took my kids and their kids to the airport to go to San Francisco where they are all going to the Russian River for next week.  Christina (my daughter) is doing a triathlon tomorrow and then they head up to the rented house.

It was hard to get a photo of all three of them looking towards the camera.  I like this one anyway.

Noah is one month older than Emilio.  Big difference in size though.

They talk on the phone occasionally and are best of friends.  Sometimes Noah doesn’t want to speak English but Emilio gets him talking.

These are my two.  Christina lives in San Francisco and is Emilio’s mother.  Joe lives in Sweden and Hanna and Noah belong to him.

This is the first time we have all been together in two years, since we took a cruise to Mexico.

Hugs,

Melinda

Fun in California

I arrived yesterday morning and Robin was at the airport to pick me up.  Joe and his family arrived in the afternoon from his dad’s house.  The kids immediately went in the pool and stayed for hours.  By the time they got out, their feet were sore from the water and rough texture of the pool sides.  Today they went out and got them some water shoes so that they won’t have that problem again. 

Here are the two from Sweden playing on the diving board right before jumping in.

This afternoon Crisy and Emilio arrived.  Here is Emilio right when he walked in the door.

Don’t you love his hat!

Tonight we are having 18 people here for dinner and have ordered Mexican food that we can pick up and not have to cook.  Should be fun.

Hugs,

Melinda

Happy Fourth of July! Happy Birthday America!

It is the Fourth of July and very hot here in the Atlanta area.  The shop was open early today for our Saturday Sampler but we closed at 4:00 so I am sitting here waiting for Bill to cook the hot dogs on the grill.  When I was a kid, this was a very special day because we lived near the beach and my parents friends from high school would all come to our house and we would have a big BBQ.  We would go to the beach in the afternoon and come back to the house for food. 

We would always have hot dogs on hamburger buns.  I am sure this started one time when someone forgot the hot dog buns but on the 4th it was always hot dogs on hamburger buns so I stopped at the grocery store to pick up hamburger buns to keep the tradition going.  Actually, I like them this way.  We cut them in half lengthwise and you can fit two on a bun.

I have a few patriotic quilts to show you today.  This first one is actually my first quilt I ever made and it lives in Sweden with my son and his family.  They have almost used it to death.

It was a quilt as you go log cabin and is the only quilt I ever made this way.  I had lots of red and blue fabrics and made this while I lived in Sydney, Australia.

Next is a quilt I made several years ago.  It is one of the first quilts I ever quilted on my longarm and is a good reminder of how far I have come with my quilting.

Last is one more quilt that is hanging over the door in my living room.  It is a picnic type quilt (of course, we don’t ever go on picnics) and is made with pillow panels for the border.

I am not sure when I made it but it was quilted by someone else so it was before the end of 2001 so it is at least 8 years old.

Tomorrow morning I leave for California thanks to Delta.  I have an morning flight so will be there before noon.  My sister will pick me up and later in the day my son and his family from Sweden will come over.  They are currently staying at his father’s house.  On Monday, my daughter and her family will arrive from San Francisco.  I am so excited about seeing everyone.  We haven’t all been together for 2 years.

I hope I can go to sleep tonight!

Hugs,

Melinda

 

More on Dazzling Dogs

I mentioned yesterday that I am going to put “doggie” sayings in the borders of the quilt and have had questions about what I am going to use.  Here the the suggested sayings from the pattern.  By the way, this pattern is by the very talented Amy Bradley and is called Dazzling Dogs. 

On the right side it will say ‘Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole’ – Roger Caras

Left side:  ‘Whoever said you can’t buy happiness forgot little puppies’ – Gene Hill

Top:  ‘The more people I meet the more I like my dog’  -- Unknown

Bottom:  “Happiness is a warm puppy; – Charles Schultz

Hugs,

Melinda

 

Dazzling Dogs

We had an open sewing day for employees at the shop today and I took the dazzling dogs from the Block of the Month that I have been running and started to actually put the quilt together.  First here are the blocks – finished.

I have been trying to decide which one I like best but keep changing my mind.  Do any of you have a favorite?

Next is all the blocks on the design board before I started putting them together.

I spent most of the day sewing strips and cutting sashing.  I then needed to make 24 nine patches for the cornerstones.  I got the whole quilt center finished before I left for home.

The last photo is with the borders pinned around the corner of the quilt. 

The pattern calls for sayings about dogs to be embroidered in the yellow borders.  I am planning on writing the sayings with a bright thread and my Gammill.  I won’t get it quilted before I get back from California but it will be one of the first quilts I do after I get home.

Hugs,

Melinda

Friendship Blocks from Beginner Class

We worked on half square triangles this week.  Both of them managed to make perfect friendship stars.  The quilt needs three blocks so they will make one or two more at home. 

First they tried Alex Anderson’s method of making the half square triangles where you cut triangles and sew them together.  Next they tried drawing a line on the square and sewing 1/4 inch from each side of the line.  The next method they are going to try is to make them slightly oversized and trim them down.

I also reviewed Thangles and Triangles on a Roll.  All are good ways to make the half square triangles and I use several of them at different times depending on the project I am working on.  What method do you like best?

Melinda

Selvage Blog Today

My Kiwi Zinger is featured on the Selvage Blog today.  Go over there and check it out.

When I was at the shop today, I picked up another bag of selvages from customers.  They are all so generous and I really appreciate their contributions to my obsession.

Melinda

Shop Sample Quilted for Fourth of July

There was a slight emergency at the quilt shop with a quilt needing to be quickly quilted in order to have it as a sample for the Fourth of July.  It needs to have prairie points added to the border so it had to be quilted up to 1 inch away from the edge.  I quilted it yesterday and took it in today so Mary can add the prairie points.

 

Barb made the quilt top, I quilted it and Mary is going the prairie points.  How is that for a partnership!

I said I was just going to meander it but once I got it on the machine, I decided it needed a little more.  I found a red, white and blue variegated thread on my rack and used that – it turned out nice.

Melinda