Casserole Covers at Allatoona Quilters Guild

We had a good time as usual at Special Projects at guild this morning.  We made covers for casserole dishes or bowls.  Only two got made today but several other people were there and plan to make them at home.

These are simple covers, not insulated carriers.  These are going to be useful especially for outdoor parties and such.

Community Service at Allatoona Quilters’ Guild

About a week ago we spent the day working on cutting up fabric for community service quilts and pillowcases. We have a lot of fabric donated to us so we cut a lot into 2 1/2 inch strips and a few other shapes to make other kits.  We also cut up a lot of pillowcase kits.

Here are some of the strips – we had both regular cottons and batiks.

I took these photos fairly early and the boxes were almost full of strips by the end of the day.  Later on we sorted the batiks and make jelly roll equivalents.  We ended up with 14 full batik jelly rolls and several partial ones.

Barb made sloppy Joes – very good and there were lots of chips and other goodies to go with.  There were a couple of cakes and the most Dunkin Donuts boxes I have seen in one place.  There were enough donuts for the whole police force!

Fun day!

Melinda

Fabric Clocks

We made fabric clocks at guild yesterday. 

The one on the lower left is mine.  I love them all!

Melinda

Halloween Block

At the Allatoona Guild we have a block lottery each year.  It used to be Christmas fabrics but this year we are doing Halloween.  How it works is that the guild buys fabric, cuts it into fat quarters which are then sold to the members.  Everyone who wants to, buys a fat quarter and then makes up to five blocks using their own fabrics and a recognizable amount of the featured fabric.  For each block we make, our name goes into the lottery.

When all the blocks are received the chairperson sorts the blocks into sets (12) with leftovers made into small kits for table runners, etc.  At the December meeting the block sets are hung around the room and the drawing is held. I have to admit that I won 12 Christmas blocks several years ago and they still are not made into a quilt.

Anyway, I made one block today and hope to make a couple more.  I will be happy with 2 or 3 blocks.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–September 14, 2015

Today on my design wall is my Allatoona BOM House Quilt.  I spent some time last week and got it caught up through the 9th month.

I got all the checkerboard pieces sewn together and even have the rest of them done and just patiently waiting for the blocks to be made.  I am really liking it.  It calls for 4 borders after this.  First will be a small border of the lime green, followed by slightly larger but still very small of the white dots and then another tiny border (1/2 “ finished) before a wider finishing border.  I plan to start looking for the final border soon but have no idea what to choose.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

BOM Day at Allatoona

Our monthly meeting was yesterday and there will several quilts in progress being shared.  I started the September block but when I got the rest of them out, I discovered that I used the same two fabrics that are in the August block so I am remaking 18 tiny flying geese with new fabrics.  Another reminder of why a design wall is so important.  If I had looked at the previous blocks I wouldn’t have made that mistake.

The houses above are not in the right hour.  The block with the flower on it is the August block with the fabrics I started the flying geese with.

Aren’t the quilts going to be fun.

Melinda

Veteran’s Quilts at Allatoona Quilter’s Guild

Last March at our annual retreat the theme was Rosie the Riveter Goes to Red Top Mountain.  During the retreat we all made blocks that would be made into quilts for local veterans.  Over 53 people worked on the quilts and we ended up with six quilts.  All the same basic pattern but different fabrics and they ended up different sizes.  The members of the guild were asked to nominate local veterans to receive a quilt and we found six wonderful veterans who were able to join us for the presentation of the quilts and recognition of their service.

Last Tuesday we had the presentation of quilts. The six gentlemen in the photo joined us to received quilts.  On the right, in the blue shirt, is Cathy Wells, the mother of Skip Wells.  I am sure you all know who Skip is.  He is one of the five service members serving in Chattanooga, when he and his fellow Marines (along with a Navy man)  were killed by a terrorist. This happened in July.  He was only 21 years and is the grandson of Pat Trapanese, one of our members and my good friend.  Pat is standing behind her daughter.  Her husband (Skip’s grandfather) is on her side.

After the moving ceremony, we moved to another room and had a wonderful picnic with fried chicken supplied by the guild.  The rest of the food was furnished by members of the group – I took deviled eggs and a blackberry cobbler.  It was a wonderful picnic lunch and at each place was an American Flag pin as a remembrance of a wonderful day.

It made us all proud to be able to show a small amount of thanks for our freedom that is represented by veterans like these and many, many more.  Thank your for service.

Melinda

UFO Number 4

I finished up the center of UFO #4 for this month.  I still need to add the two borders, get it quilted and bound in the next two weeks.  That is in addition to the Quilts of  Valor that MUST be quilted, last months UFO that didn’t get done.  Oh – I almost forgot that I also need to quilt the table topper.  At least I won’t have to worry about nothing to do.

I can’t remember how old this project is.  It is over 11 years because it was a Bag Lady project and those stopped about 10 1/2 years ago.  The center of the quilt fits the top of a double bed and there are two more borders to add.

Stella and I went out to lunch on Wednesday after a quilt shop visit and this is on the wall.

Only in the South!

Melinda

Selvage Mug Rug

A month or so ago we had a special projects day at Allatoona focusing on selvages.  We were each given a kit to make a mug rug – only selvages needed to be added.  I have no shortage of selvages so I made my mug rug but never showed it.  Here it is.

I really want to start another selvage quilt but I can’t seem to decide on a pattern.  I keep seeing patterns I like and haven’t been able to settle on one.

I also worked on my Christmas quilt today.  I have most of the rows put together and am in the process of adding sashing.  The Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild has their sew-in tomorrow night so I hope to finish the top and get the backing.

Melinda

More from the Allatoona Guild Meeting

The UFO number for last month was Number 1 – my quilt was a fairly small baby/child’s quilt I made from a pattern I wrote several years ago and taught in Las Vegas.  I finished it up and showed it at the meeting.  I also turned it in for Community Service.

Number 3 was chosen for this next month – due in August.  Unfortunately it is my Swoon quilt.  The top is finished and it is large – about 90 inches square.  I am going out of town for 10 days (going to Las Vegas with my sister to sew for 5 of the days) plus I need to finish my Christmas quilt for Christmas in July.  I still need to find a back for it.  I have a lot of fabric from Sweetwater’s Authentic line that I made the blocks from.

Here it is right before I added the last border.  I hope I can get it done in time.

Melinda

Hexie Love at the Allatoona Quilters’ Guild

What a wonderful day we had yesterday at the Allatoona Guild.  Our guest speaker/teacher was Julia Wood of The Hexie Blog.  She was great and I was so happy to finally meet her. Here we are together.

Julia entertained us with hexie stories and lots of hexie quilts.  After a wonderful potluck lunch we had a 3-hour class with circle hexies and also EPP.  Fun!

Here are a few of the quilts that she brought from Alabama to share with us.

She brought more quilts but I kept forgetting to take photos since I was so interested in looking at the quilts and listening to her stories. 

Melinda

Selvage Quilts at Special Projects Day

On Tuesday we had our monthly special projects day.  The topic was selvages and there were lots of projects to look at.  Nancy brought three selvage quilts to share with us.

I love that they are all so different.  I have only made one selvage quilt.

I have lots of ideas but I would like to make another one soon.

We all went home with stuff to make a mug rug.  I have lots of selvages to work with.

Melinda

June BOM–Allatoona

I was tied up all last week when the monthly BOM was scheduled so Roxanne and Pat agreed to run it for me.  Thanks!

Here are the photos of the blocks that were shared at the meeting.

It is fun to see the various sashing choices.  Some decided to make the pieced sashing and others decided to use single strips for sashing – both work well.

Melinda

UFO #2 and UFO #5

The UFO for last month was number 2.  Here it is on my original list.

Here it is all finished.

I donated it to the guild community service project.  The blocks were from the Block Lotto a few years ago.  Hopefully it will make someone happy.

We then chose the UFO to work on for this month – due in June.  This one is UFO #5.

I picked out a backing for this one so hopefully will get it quilted and ready for June.

Melinda

BOM Day at Allatoona

We had a great show of neighborhoods at the meeting today.  Here are some of them.

A few people started to put sashing and block borders on.  Since we are on the second row of the quilt, the first row can be put together.

Melinda

UFO Number 8

I finished my UFO #8 in time for the guild meeting on Tuesday.  Thanks to Nancy, all the bad quilting was taken out.  I then quilted it again, got the label and binding on and was ready to show it at the meeting.

This is the back of the quilt and includes one of the panels that I used for the front.

I really like how it turned out!

I also took a photo of UFO # 6 from last month.

The UFO for next month is #2 – here it is now.

The top is made so I have to get a backing, quilt, bind and label it.

Melinda