Leaders and Enders

Not a lot of leader/ender bow ties recently as I am using drunkards path blocks right now for my leaders/enders.  These are numbers 451-475. 

Melinda

Hexie BOM–Ice Cream Cone for July

While on my trip to the West Coast, I finished the ice cream cone for July.  I made mine with vanilla and strawberry ice cream.

The cone is not green but beige.  Not sure why it looks green.

Melinda

Almost Done With My Christmas Quilt

Next week (Thursday and Friday) is Christmas in July at the shop.  I have my quilt almost finished.

All I need to do is add a 2 1/2 inch white border around the red and get it quilted.  I picked up the backing fabric today so I will be ready to quilt and bind on Saturday – wonder of all wonders, I am not scheduled to work.  I am still thinking about how to quilt it but it will happen.  The top is about 68 inches square and I have a giant four patch for the back.

I really like this fabric and the design.

Melinda

Hexie Pouch

Robin and I made little hexie pouches last week.  We kind of went crazy making little projects.  There is a tutorial at The Zen of Making that tells how to make this cute little pouch.

Here it is open.

Isn’t it cute? 

Inside are two Altoid tins to hold lots of loose stuff – papers, scissors, needles, thread and other stuff. Next I am going to make little pincushions to add to the kits.

Melinda

Back Home in Georgia

I got home late last night.  Here are a couple more projects we made either in Las Vegas or in Seal Beach.  First is a project that Robin bought the pattern and kits for at Road to California earlier this year.  It is called the Beatle Bag.

Of course the one on the right is mine.  The red and black belongs to Robin.  Here are the insides.

There is also a long skinny pincushion that attaches to the velcro on the bottom of the bag.

We also made wallets.  Here is mine.

I love it!

Melinda

Sew Day at My Sister's House

We got back from Las Vegas yesterday and I will be flying home to Atlanta Monday afternoon do we decided to have a sew day. We set up the machines on the dining room table and off we went. 

At the retreat/workshop last week there were several special projects. We made the project bags first. 

Las Vegas - Day Three

Today Robin is teaching the Mexican Star small quilt. I shopped in her closet and picked out great fabrics to use. 

I finished a very busy baby quilt  

Melinda

Las Vegas - Day Two

Today is my day to teach. We are doing Scrappy Mountain Majesties from Bonnie  Hunter. It is a free pattern from her website. 

Melinda

Las Vegas Workshop - Day zone

We are working on curved piecing today.

Fun, fun, fun!

Melinda

Hexies and Friends

I am having a great time teaching a Hexie class today. About 20 new converts. 

Fun Day in Los Angeles

We went to see the Pompeii exhibit and the Endeavor in Los Angeles. It was a fun day but I had forgotten how many people there are everywhere in Southern California.  

Here are a few photos of the day.

California - Day 2

We ate so much for lunch yesterday that we never got hungry for dinner so we settled on a couple of glasses of wine on the front patio, watching the neighborhood joggers and walkers. 

Today's photo is a quilt called Mexican Star that Robin is teaching next weel in Los Vegas.  It is currently hanging in her dining room.

Melinda

In Callifornia

Lynda picked me up at 6 am Eastern time and my flight left at 8:41. Thanks for wonderful friends - it was very early but thankfully there was no significant traffic going thru Atlanta.

The flight was my favorite kind - uneventful. I arrived on time and except for sitting away from the gate for a long time, everything was fine at the airport.

Of course we went out for Mexican food for lunch and I took a short nap.  Ready to start thinking about dinner.

Since a post needs a photo, here is the quilt on Robin's bed.  It is a Lori Holt pattern - Great Granny Squares.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday

I am still working on my Christmas quilt but had a little set-back this morning.  Here are the nine blocks ready for sashing.

I started putting the sashing on but found a little problem with the bottom row.

The two blocks on the right are backwards.  The red pinwheel goes in the middle and the one with the grey diamond goes on the right.  I took them apart this morning and hope to get them back together – correctly this afternoon.  Fortunately the sashing is pieced so I didn’t have to take it all off.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Christmas Quilt -Nine Bloccks

I finishe the last block doe the Christmas quilt.  I then started on the sashing and pieced border.  While I won't get it quilted before I leave, I should get the top finished. 

I am still liking it.

Melinda

Another Hexie Quilt Top

Here is the second hexie quilt top that I bought on eBay quite a while ago.  This one is larger than the other one.

It has some age spots but what doesn’t that is this old.  I really love the fussy cutting you can see on several of the flowers.  The hexies are one inch and of course it is hand pieced.  Look at the little green diamonds that join the flowers together.

Melinda

Balloon Ride False Alarm

My friend Jan had a significant birthday earlier this year and asked her son to give her (and us) a ride in his hot air balloon.  He has a balloon he uses at festivals to advertise his business – Superior Plumbing.  Here is the chase vehicle with Jan and Danielle – the balloon is inside.

Unfortunately, that is where the balloon stayed as our flight was cancelled due to wind – thanks to the Hurricane in the Atlantic.

We got up and met to carpool to the take-off site at 5:15 am which meant that I woke up at 4:30 am which is way earlier than I am used to.  Of course, I couldn’t get to sleep early last night so 4:30 came very early.  We got to Alpharetta at 6 am and the truck showed up shortly after.

There was concern because of the wind and a few test balloons were sent up.  About 7:15, the pilot decided that the wind above the trees was too gusty and while we could take off and fly with no issues, he was concerned about the landing.  If the pilot is concerned, we were all concerned.  Hopefully we will get to try again – maybe in the fall.

We did go out and have a nice breakfast at Flying Biscuit.  I had a wonderful plate with creamy grits, topped by fried green tomatoes, eggs and salsa, with a biscuit and sweet tea – a true Southern breakfast.  Yum!

Anyway, we were back home by 9 am and I took a nap – now I am off to work on customer quilts.

Happy Fourth of July wherever you are!

Melinda

Old Hexies

I am speaking at a guild in California next week about hexies and all English Paper Piecing.  I remembered that I had purchased a couple of old quilt tops I bought several years ago on eBay.  I thought I would practice quilting on them but never got around to it.  Amazing that I knew where they were stored.  Here is the first one.

The hexies are quite large – my guess is 2 inches on the edge. I love all the old fabrics in it.  The blocks are hand pieced and completely random – sometimes identical blocks are right next to each other.  I took a couple of photos of the blocks.

I need to take it to Michele who knows about old fabrics to see when this was made.  It fits on top of my queen-sized bed so it is probably about 65 by 80.

Melinda

Christmas Quilt–Eight Blocks

Only one more block to make.  It will be like the one in the upper left corner.  There are two of each block except for the center one.  I should be able to get it finished today between quilting customer quilts.

Melinda

Christmas Quilts–Up to Seven Blocks

One more block got completed yesterday and the eighth one is partly pieced – making progress.

Hopefully I can get it finished this week – would like to quilt it before I go to my sister’s house next week.

Melinda