Magical Slice and Dice

Carolyn told me that I hadn’t posted the photos from the Magical Slice and Dice class.  I really thought I had, but she is right, as usual.  Here are the photos.

First is Marti’s before setting on point.

Here it is after slicing twice and sewing back together.

Here is Carolyn’s before.

Here is Karen’s.

Lastly, here is Linda’s.

They all need the outer borders put on and they will be ready to be quilted.  Marti stopped by the shop yesterday and her top is done.  She is working on the backing that will include some of the extra blocks.

Fun class and wonderful quilts.

Melinda

First Quilts

Bonnie Hunter is talking about first quilts over on her blog.  I made my first quilt when I lived in Australia in the early 90’s.  I didn’t know a lot of people since I was there working mostly with men.  I decided that I wanted to learn to quilt.  I went to the local patchwork shop and signed up for a series of beginner classes.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that the teacher was the worst teacher in the history of quilting.  There was only one way of doing things – her way or else.  She wouldn’t allow you to choose your own fabrics since of course, she knew best.  At least that was her story.

We made 12 inch blocks by hand.  Here are a few of them.

There is only one thing you can say about these blocks – they are ugly!  I didn’t like them at the time and I don’t like them now.  I think we were supposed to make 12 blocks but I only lasted through 7 of them.  I still have some of them.  I don’t know why I don’t just throw them away.  I will never make more of them or use them for anything.  I have a plastic box with the rest of the fabric still in it.  I need to go upstairs and get rid all of it.

After this miserable experience, I was still interested in learning to quilt so I went to another patchwork shop and found wonderful quilters and teachers.  Here is the first quilt that I actually finished.

The photo is of the quilt folded up at my son’s house in Sweden.  It is wearing out but has been used and used and loved.  It was a quilt as you go log cabin and I made it in red and blue – can you tell I was somewhat homesick at the time I made it?

After this great experience, I can’t even imagine how many quilts I have made and how much difference it has made in my life.  I teach quilting, I work in a quilt shop, I have a longarm quilting business and most of my friends are quilters.  I belong to three guilds and spend part of every day playing with fabric – what a great life.

To see more stories of first quilts, go to Bonnie’s blog here.

Melinda

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful dinner.  I am sorry we are so far from our families but we had a nice time cooking the turkey and all the trimmings.  Of course, I forgot to take any  photos.  We had a pumpkin streusel pie from Publix and I made a red velvet cake.  Bill has discovered Angry Birds on my iPad and is having a great time.

The above is a quilt top from a round robin several years ago.  It is in the to be quilted mountain down in my quilting studio.  Waiting, waiting and waiting to be quilted.

It would be a great quilt to put on the dining room table at this time of the year, if it ever gets quilted.  I have been busy working on customer quilts the past few days.  Will continue that over the next couple of weeks and hopefully will be able to take time off over the holidays.

Melinda

Customer Quilt

This was a very old quilt made by someone in the family.  It has some age spots  (but who doesn’t) but it is still beautiful.

It is also a very large quilt and had a unusual dark green backing.  I would have preferred a muslin backing but it still turned out nice.  Dot, the customer, is planning on using the quilt on her bed.

Melinda

More Star Blocks

I got more blocks in the mail.  I am really getting excited about this wonderful collection.

There are lots of different sizes so it will be fun to figure out how to put them together. 

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–11/21/11

Here is my design wall today.  These are my blocks from the Scrap Bee.  I will get blocks from 11 people and these are the first 3.  I asked for stars of any kind on either a black on white or white on black background – any size.  These will be a fun challenge to put together.

For more design walls, go to Judy L’s blog.

Melinda

Make and Take

Today was a Make and Take class at Tiny Stitches.  We had seven wonderful women who came to the shop at 9 am to spend the day making small projects that are perfect for gifts.  We started the morning with bagels and cream cheese – also coffee. Our first project was a baked potato bag.  You know, the kind you put potatoes in for the microwave.  I know there are a lot of patterns out there, but this is one I made up.  We have pre-quilted potato fabric in the shop.  It even has Warm Tater batting in it.  A couple of hems, a couple of seams and the bags were made.

Next we made a rice bag, the type you heat in the microwave and put around your neck.  This was made from a commercial pattern and involved flying geese.

The next project was a pet screen zipper bag.  Mary made some bling for the zipper pull for everyone.

After the zipper bag, we had lunch.  I brought potato soup in the crock pot and Mary brought quiche and salad.  Yummy lunch!

Mary then taught a scissor case, made from a quilt block.  This project took a little more time since the block had to be quilted and bound before turning it into the scissor holder.

After this we had dessert/snack.  I made brownies and we had them with ice cream, hot fudge and whipped cream – definitely not the low cal special.

The last project was hexagon pot holders.  They are a variation of the table topper, using Insul-Brite and only two fabric strips.

Here is a photo of all the projects.

All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Melinda

Magical Slice and Dice

After teaching the class earlier this week, I decided to make another Magical Slice and Dice.  I bought a few yards of Southern California Shop Hop fabric a few years ago.  It is perfect to make a kaleidoscope block from.  I got the fabric lined up, the blocks cut and put them together at the Modern Quilt Guild Sew In on Thursday night.  Here are a few of them.

I especially the the second one in the bottom row – avocados and surfers, plus the California poppy.  I found a gray to use as sashing and an orange/red for the setting triangles.  It will be fun to see how it turns out.

Tomorrow I am teaching a Make and Take class with Mary.  I have brownies in the oven right now to take for dessert.  The class is an all day session where they will make 5 projects.  Lunch is included so I picked up soup, ice cream, fudge sauce and whipped cream tonight.  Mary is bring quiche, crackers and salad.  We won’t go hungry.

Melinda

Piecemakers on Monday

I belong to a wonderful bee called Piecemakers.  We meet at the church once a month and have a great time together.  At the beginning of each year we ask the members to sign up to lead a program and November was my month.

I decided to show them the hexagon table topper.  I learned this in Las Vegas this summer and taught it again at the Tiny Stitches retreat.  It has been very popular.

Here is the results of the morning.

Lots of different fabric choices but each of them turned out wonderful.  I made the two in the lower left corner.  They still need to have the backing attached and turned.

Next I want to make the sizes of the strips smaller and see if I can make an ornament sized one.  I think it would be cute.  Stay tuned!

Melinda

Bee Blocks Received

I have received four blocks so far from the Scrap Bee.  I asked for stars made from made fabric on either black on white or white on black.  These are perfect!

These are from Sara and Barbara.  Aren’t they wonderful?

Melinda

Finished Quilt Tops from Beginner Class

Didn’t they turn out great!

Melinda

Back

I haven’t posted in a week and think I finally have my act together so can get back on track.  First here are a few photos from the last Beginning Machine Piecing class last Wednesday.  We meet again this evening for the final class.

This evening we will put the borders on the quilts – I can hardly wait.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–November 7, 2011

My design wall still looks the same as the last couple of weeks.  Not sure when I have time to finish this one and move on.  Doubt if it will happen this week.

This is my jelly roll quilt made from Terrain.  I really like it and it only needs a couple of borders to finish the top.

For more design walls, go to Judy L’s blog here.

Melinda

Customer Quilts

I finished and delivered two customer quilts over the weekend.  First was a Saturday Sampler quilt from about a year ago.  It was made by Jean. She made extra blocks and it turned into a very large quilt.  She wanted feathers in the border but just meandering in the center.  Quick and easy but looks good.

The next one is a mystery quilt by Mary.

Melinda

Red and Aqua

We had a UFO challenge at guild to finish a UFO this year.  I had participated in a red and aqua disappearing nine patch swap last year.  At the guild retreat earlier in the year, I put the top together.  When we had to choose a UFO to complete I decided on this one. Here it is at the retreat.

Now we have to move forward through time to this last Sunday.  I decided that since the UFO challenge was due on Tuesday, I better get moving.  I purchased an extra wide batik backing – bright red.  On Monday afternoon, I quilted it, bound it Monday night and was ready for Tuesday morning.  I had planned on making pumpkin roll to share but ended up making a Chess pie Tuesday morning.  It must have gone over well because there was none to bring home.

Here is the finished quilt.

As you can see, I didn’t put the blocks together in the usual way.  I put four blocks together with the large pieces in the center and then surrounded them with white sashing.  I had one fat quarter of an aqua print and that was enough for cornerstones.  When I finished the top, I had thought I would add a border but the more I looked at it, the more I realized that it did not need a border.  I am happy with it.  It is about 70 inches square.

Melinda

Magical Slice and Dice Class

We had four people making a Magical Slice and Dice quilt last night.  The fabric selections are so different that it will really be fun to see how the quilts turn out.

First is Marti’s

Next is Linda’s.  I have 11 yards of this fabric to use as a backing and border on a UFO.

Next is Karen’s

and Carolyn’s

We stacked the fabric and cut the squares and then started to sew the blocks together.  Here are the first blocks up on the design wall.

Isn’t it fun to see how the blocks are turning out?  They are going to make the rest of the blocks, sew the top together and come back in two weeks.  We will then cut the quilts and turn it on point.  Fun!

Melinda

Allatoona Quilters’ Guild

Today was the November guild meeting.  The business meeting is held on the first Tuesday of the month and for November this is the 1st.

We had elections for officers for next year and after the meeting we had a wonderful potluck.  I took chess pie.  I guess they liked it because I didn’t have any to bring home.  I guess I need to make another one for Bill – maybe tomorrow.

We have a birthday fat quarter club at guild.  If you choose, you sign up to bring a fat quarter to each birthday person every month.  I have been doing it all you and this month is when I got mine.  The fat quarters were in a wonderful orange bag.  I asked for yellow or orange and got a lovely assortment.

I have recently decided that I like orange and yellow and really don’t have much in my stash.  I guess I should correct that to say I didn’t have much.  I do now.

Melinda