Melinda Quilts etc
There was one new student tonight, along with the ones returning from last week. They were very busy with their homework and had most of their rail fence blocks finished.
We worked on nine patches and once again, they did a great job.
I am so pleased with the progress of both classes.
Melinda
This morning was the second session of the Beginning Machine Piecing class. They did a great job of the rail fence blocks and started working on nine patch blocks. Here are some of the rail fence blocks.
Here are a couple of the nine patch blocks.
Tonight there are eight students – the morning class has four. I will be busy tonight.
Melinda
We made neck coolers for the soldiers today at the Allatoona Guild. We have made them each year for several years now and each time we hope that it will be the last time that the need is there.
We ended up with over 120 neck coolers ready to send to Iraq or Afghanistan. We will check at the meeting to see if one of the members has a contact person over there. We have sent them directly to a soldier for the last 3 years but if we don’t have a name, there are several organizations who will willingly take them and distribute them for us.
It is good working together to do something like this. It makes us feel good about the opportunity to show our support of the troops and feel like we are making a difference. It is always one of the most attended community service days during the year.
Melinda
I taught a Beyond Beginners class last night. I thought there were going to be two students but two more signed up yesterday so there were four last evening. They all got a great start on their quilts. Here are the projects they were working on.
Very pretty fabric choices.
Also last night I finished the first sock.
I got the second one cast on and started. I am not real happy with this but am going to finish the second one and start on another pair. I see many mistakes in the completed sock but it fits pretty well and that is what really matters.
Melinda
I actually have two design walls so am going to show both this Monday morning.
First up is my How Does Your Garden Grow quilt. It is still waiting for more leaves to be made and added.
On the other wall are some disappearing nine patches. I am going to teach a class this summer using this block and have been doing some experimenting.
On the top row are blocks that I cut on the diagonal and sewed back together. I am not sure what I think of them. The bottom two rows are nine patches cut right through the center and reassembled. I think I like the layout on the lower left the best so far but I need to have at least a couple of more blocks done in each to see the secondary designs that come out.
Hanging in the baggie on the left are 100 aqua and red blocks from a swap. Once I decide on my favorite setting, I will put these together into a quilt. They are fun to play with. Actually the blocks I am currently playing with are also from a swap a couple of years ago.
There are lots more design walls to check out on Judy’s Blog.
Melinda
I had a surprise at the quilt shop yesterday. One of my student/customer/friends came by and gave me a bag of selvages that she cut off some of her stash for me. The ones on the right are from her.
On the left are selvages that were left for me in my drawer. Each of us has a drawer at the shop for things meant for us. Our pay stubs go there, we stash things that we are going to buy there and almost every time I go in, there are mystery selvages in my drawer. What a pleasant surprise.
I am teaching this afternoon so I need to go review my notes – more on that later.
Melinda
Those of you who have read my blog for a while probably realize that I have a serious black and white fabric addiction. While at the Sewing Expo a couple of weeks ago, I gave in to my addiction and bought just a few more black and whites to add to my collection.
That is a roll of 2 1/2 inch strips on the right and then several graphic fabrics. The one next to the roll is a Project Runway print and says things like “Carry On” along with sewing designs. I really like the beaters on the one on the right.
At least I do use this collection of black and whites. In fact, I seem to be stuck on black and white for most of my projects.
I am going to be teaching a disappearing nine patch class (may include disappearing four patch) this summer and have been playing with some nine patches and they are not black and white so there is some relief in sight.
More on that later…..
Melinda
At the ECQG meeting this morning Susan Brubaker Knapp did a great presentation and trunk show. Can you believe that I forgot my camera. Fortunately I did get photos yesterday of many of her quilts. Here are a few that I really like.
Lastly here is Susan presenting at guild.
She had many more quilts to show and I am sorry I forgot my camera. We went to lunch at Ted’s Montana Grill afterwards. Unfortunately I have to work tomorrow so can’t take the other workshop. If you get a chance to see Susan, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity.
Melinda
I spent the day at a workshop with Susan Brubaker Knapp today. She brought many of her small art quilts with her – I loved all of them. We worked on a small quilt of a barn based on a photo that she took. First here is her quilt.
Here are some close-up photos of the wonderful thread sketching on the piece.
Mine doesn’t look like this wonderful quilt yet but I did get all the pieces cut and fused.
Instead of doing the thread work on my sewing machine, I think I will do it on the longarm. Susan does the thread sketching before she puts batting on the piece but I am not sure that will work out well – I may need to use batting.
Danielle got a lot of the thread sketching done on her piece. Here she is hard at work.
And here is what her barn looks like now.
She has a great start on a wonderful art quilt.
Tomorrow Susan will be doing a presentation and trunk show at guild. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of her quilts.
Melinda
