Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Three

Another wonderful, productive class or I guess I should say two wonderful, productive classes yesterday.  Let’s start with the morning class.

The first thing we do each class is to display the homework from the previous class.  Last week we focused on nine patches and nine patch variations.

As they make blocks during class, they take down their homework and put up the new blocks.  We worked on a square dance block and then moved on to log cabins.

By the way, the blocks on the bottom rows are from a student that was unable to attend last week.  We should have her caught up by next week.

After an exciting break go grocery shopping (senior day at the grocery story), I went back to the shop for the evening class.  Here is their homework.

And then the blocks they finished last night.

Great blocks from everyone.  A couple are still struggling with consistent 1/4” seams but getting better.  Next week we tackle half square triangles and make friendship star blocks.  I can’t wait.

Melinda

New Block of the Month

I have joined Sue Spargo’s 2012 BOM.  My friend Jan did one a couple of years ago that I was fortunate enough to quilt and after taking a class last year from Sue, I decided to sign up.  The first block came earlier this week.

So far, I love the fabric.  I also signed up to get the thread each month.  This is going to be fun!

Melinda

Disappearing Nine Patch

At the Allatoona guild today, we worked on a disappearing nine patch table runner.  Lisa had made a couple of samples and really didn’t like one.  I liked it a lot and she gave it to me.  Here it is hanging on my front door.  Just so you don’t worry about the table runner – I have a glass storm door that protects it from the elements.

Thank you Lisa for the class and for the table runner – I love it.

I have a large stash of Authentic fabric from Sweetwater.  I loved that line when it first came out and managed to collect quite a lot of it.  I have charm packs, jelly rolls, layer cakes and some yardage and have never cut into any of it, at least until today.  I guess I am an Authentic hoarder.  I managed to cut up and entire charm pack to make my disappearing nine patch table runner and will use a little more for borders.  I got most of the nine patches done but haven’t cut them yet.  Here are a few of them.

I am glad I finally started using some of it.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 23, 2012

I have a design chair today.  These are the polka dots I bought this weekend.  I plan to use them (and others) for my guild BOM.  I am thinking about using Kona White for the background.

For more design walls, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Stash Report – Week 4, 2012

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 9 yards
Added Year to Date: 9.5 yards
Net Used for 2012: -9.5

Well, when I fall, I fall big.  There is a buy one fat quarter, get one free sale at Tiny Stitches this weekend and I bought 36 fat quarters!

At guild we are doing a block of the month or more accurately blocks of the month and I decided to do mine with polka dots so I now have a big selection of polka dots to work from.  I need to search my stash to see if I have enough of a background fabric – I certainly hope so.

I can’t believe I bought that many fat quarters.  Shame on me

For more stash reports, go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Class Two

We had great classes on Wednesday.  The classes started with the students putting up their rail fence homework up on our new design wall.

Morning class

Evening  class

Here are the blocks they made on Wednesday.

Morning class

Evening class

Aren’t they doing a good job?

Melinda

More About Retreat

Here are a few completed blocks from the quilts at retreat.  Love to look at the different fabrics and how they change the look of the block.

Here is a group photo of most of the participants – it is hard to get a large group together.

And a couple of photos of work in progress.

We had a great time!

Melinda

Amicacola Quilt Retreat

We got up to Amicacola Thursday night.  I drove by myself since Danielle was not feeling up to going.  Of course it rained the whole way up there.  Here is the room when we got there.

On Friday morning it looked a lot different, with 48 women busy at work.  The theme of the retreat was the 50’s.  We did another mystery quilt by Debbie Caffrey.  She writes wonderful mysteries and I highly recommend her quilts.

One of the side projects was to make an apron and decorate it however they wanted to.  On Saturday night we had a fashion show of aprons but first I have to show you what Maetha and I looked like.  We were Laverne and Shirley for the weekend.

Pat brought her Mother’s sweater clips and loaned them to me.

Aren’t they perfect!  She also loaned me the sweater.  I made the skirts and two of the people attending also had poodle skirts but I didn’t get a photo of them.  One was yellow and the other pink.

Here is the apron parade.

And here is the winner.

She received a gift certificate for the shop and an apron from Moda.

I will show more tomorrow.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 16, 2012

All I have to show today is one block from my retreat mystery quilt.  I have all the pieces to make the rest of the blocks but ran out of steam at the retreat.

For more design walls to inspire you, go to Patchwork Times here.

Melinda

Stash Report–January 15, 2012

Somehow I didn’t have enough of my background fabric for my mystery quilt so I bought 1/2 yard more.  I have decided I am going to count fabric used when I get a top completed since it might take a long time for me to actually quilt my own projects.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: .5 yards
Added Year to Date: .5 yards
Net Used for 2012: –.5 yards

I was unable to connect to the internet at the retreat so more to follow on that later.

For more stash reports go to Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing–Evening Class

Another five wonderful students in the evening class.

Here are the blocks that got made last night.

Off to retreat – more later.

Melinda

Beginning Machine Piecing

It is time for another session of Beginning Machine Piecing which started today.  There are 6 wonderful students in the morning class and they picked out wonderful fabrics to make their quilts from.  Here they are.

As usual, the first blocks they make are the rail fence blocks.  Here they are.

I am coming down with a cold and have retreat to get ready for tomorrow so I will post the photos from the evening class tomorrow.

Melinda

Gift Quilt

My friend Danielle is in the hospital with a serious issue.  What do quilters do when a friend is in need?  Give them a quilt.  This is a quilt I made last year and completed in November.  I put a label on it and took it to the hospital last night.  Danielle seemed to be pleased to receive it and I felt good about having it available to comfort her.

 

I hope it brings her comfort and warmth as she heals.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 9, 2012

My design wall looks exactly the same as last week.  I still hope to get this quilt completed but this week is not looking good.

For more interesting design walls, go to Patchwork Times and check out the others.

Melinda

Stash Report–January 8, 2012

I decided to join in Judy’s stash report this year.  I really want to use more fabric than I purchase and this is a good way to keep that in mind.  Of course, the fact that it is only one week into the year makes me look good so far.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: 0 yards

You can see other reports at Patchwork Times.

Melinda

Turning Twenty

Here is my Turning Twenty at the quilt shop – hanging on the wall!  It is hard to get a photo of it because it is hanging at the ceiling and the aisle is not very wide.  Even so, it looks pretty good hanging there.

Melinda

Finished Projects for 2010 and 2011

Finished Projects 2010

• Black and White Nine Patch Surprise
• Black and White Quilt
• Candle Mat for Swap
• Changeable Cover Bag
• Cheap Trick Schnibble
• Click-It Bags for Allatoona Guild
• Dazzling Dog Quilt
• Doll Quilt for Allatoona Swap
• Embroidery Quilt for Swap
• Five, Ten, Twenty 12 Days of Christmas Quilt
• Five, Ten, Twenty Pastel Quilt
• Flannel Wacky Devine Nine Quilt
• Fruitcake Wacky Devine Nine Quilt
• Gone With The Wind Quilt
• Halloween Wacky Devine Nine
• Home for the Holidays Christmas Quilt
• Letty's Bag
• Letty's Bag for Tote Swap
• Letty's Little Bag
• Magnolia Lane Quilt
• Needle Case for Swap
• Oilcloth Letty's Bag for Michele
• Origins Quilt
• Pillowcases (6)
• Selvage Kindle Cover (2)
• Selvage Pin Cushions for Blog Readers
• SSCS Gift and Ornament
• Winter Tote Bag for Swap

2011 Finished Projects

• "Lime Green is a Neutral Color " Wallhanging
• Aprons for Quilt Show
• Bright Flannel Wacky Devine Nine
• Click-It Bags
• Composition Book Cover
• Easy Peasy Grommet Bag for Christmas Gift
• Hometown Neighborhood Quilt
• Jovial Christmas Quilt
• Kaffe Magical Slice and Dice
• Lime Green Hiding in Black and White
• Name Tags for Quilt Show Committee
• Potholders for Swap
• Red and Aqua DNP
• Table Runner for Swap
• Turning Twenty
• Watermelon Quilt
• Zipper Pouch

I just wanted to clean up my sidebar and still keep track of what I have finished over the past couple of years.

Melinda

Rayon Batik

Several years ago, there was a vendor of Rayon Batik dresses at the Orange County Flea Market in California and both my sister and I loved the dresses and had several of them.  Well, we wore them out – to the point that they had to be thrown away and couldn’t even be given to charity.  They fell apart after wearing them to death.  Ever since then, we have been looking for this type of dress but have been unsuccessful.

At quilt market in Houston, Robin found Rayon Batik. For Christmas, she gave me enough to make 3 dresses.

Aren’t they beautiful?  Now all I have to do is find a pattern and try to remember how to sew clothes. 

Melinda

Knitting Today

I went to open knitting at Only Ewe and Cotton Too with Lynda this morning.  Had a great time.  Here is the project I am currently working on.

It is just straight knitting but a lot of it.  A few more hours and I will be ready to start on the ruffle.  Lynda and I each bought the pattern at Whole Nine Yarns last year and I have been working on it while watching TV at least some evenings.  I want to continue working on this until finished and then start a pair of socks before deciding on my next knitting project.

After knitting we went to lunch with several very nice ladies – had the biggest slice of pizza ever!  It had artichoke, black olives and mushrooms and it was very good, especially with Diet Coke!

Melinda

Bottle Tree–Version 2

A couple of years ago I decided I wanted a bottle tree.  Bill put one together for me and you can see it here.

Since it was made of wood, it eventually fell apart and some of the bottles were broken in the process.  The rest were packed into a box and they have been sitting in the garage.  I finally decided that I wanted to purchase a bottle tree made of metal so it would last.  I ordered it on Christmas Eve and it arrived last week.  We finally got it unpacked and put in the ground.

It is the Big Daddy Bottle Tree and is from BottleTree.com.  They are located in Mississippi and ship the same day if you order in the morning. The bottles have been collected over time and several friends donated them to me.  This summer I hope to plant a climbing vine at the base and see what happens.

Melinda

Design Wall Monday–January 2, 2012

My design wall looks like it did several weeks ago.  I got out the Jelly Roll Race quilt and hope to get the borders on it this week.  Then it can go into the “to be quilted mountain”.

I did finish one this this last week.  Here is my Turning Twenty for Tiny Stitches.  Tiny Stitches is turning twenty in 2012 so each month we will feature a Turning Twenty quilt.  Mine is the first one. It will be hung this week so I will get a better photo of it.  I like how it turned out.

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

Melinda