Out Of Town

I'm on vacation--woo-hoo--in my favorite place in the world--Nantucket, Massachusetts. My husband and I come here almost every year in September to celebrate our anniversary, explore the island and the wonderful restaurants here. I don't tote my sewing machine with me but I did bring a bit of hand applique to do if I have time. So while I can't show you my design wall, I can show you the quilt-related items I bought the other day--and I think you'll love them!

I attended the Brimfield Antique Festival in Brimfield, MA. The things I'd read about the show were almost unbelievable--5,000 vendors and over a mile long but it was no exaggeration! There's something for everyone, and quilters are no exception.

 This crazy quilt has 81 hand-embroidered names and ages (!) on it and in the center it says "Made for H. Wales Leines from the members of the Masonic Home, Christmas 1908". There are some condition issues with the satin and silk fabrics but that's to be expected. It really is in remarkable shape. An interesting element is the little red 'bows' you see in the black squares. They tied the quilt with pearl cotton around tiny red ribbons and they look like little bows! Very sweet!

 The other quilt is a lovely example of a 2-color quilt, hand-pieced and meticulously hand-quilted with teensy stitches. When I heard what the vendor wanted for them I almost gave myself away but in the spirit of the flea market, I bartered him down even a little more! I'd expected to pay 3 times what I did.

Can you see the error in the quilt? Do you suppose the quilter put it there on purpose? I do!

Oh, I also found something I've secretly wanted for years--RED cowboy boots. They're great, leather boots and were only $40! My husband laughed and laughed but loved them on me!

Did YOU post something from your design wall on Judy's blog?

Lots of Quilting This Week

I had time to get a lot done this week. Unfortunately, it's all stuff you've already seen so it isn't too exciting.  I finished the 9th and next-to-last block for Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Design's free online BOM, "Henreitta Whiskers", almost finished quilting the quilt I made at last week's Linda Ballard class,






plus a whole lot of unglamorous, boring, mending and altering ("this tag itches me" my husband says of the Hawaiian shirt I bought him, and the beautiful, white gaberdine slacks I bought at the shi-shi consignment clothing store I sometimes go to needed shortening (lining and all) and I needed to finally make a proper derndl skirt for an upcoming Oktoberfest!

Oh, and I finished quilting and just need to hand-sew the binding to the "'Lil Twister", Layer Cake quilt I started in April. A UFO just about completed!! YAY!

 Hope your week was as fulfilling ! Please check out Judy Laquidara's blog to see a LOT more inspiring Design Walls

A Class Without a Teacher!

I always look forward to quilting classes even if I'm pretty sure I know how to do everything we're going to be working on. It's being with my quilting buddies and spending a whole day with only sewing, pretty colors and catching up with my friends' lives to occupy my thoughts that makes classes fun. Oh, and I always do end up learning something new--even if it's from the person sitting next to me.

Our quilt guild in Yuba City, California has a favorite teacher and we have so much fun with her, we have a standing contract with her to come teach a class every January and every August. This has been going on for probably 10 years!! You might have heard of Linda Ballard whose specialty is mystery quilts. We just LOVE them--and her!

So yesterday was the class and there were about 30 people signed up, but on Thursday, we heard she was in the hospital with a gall bladder issue (except she had her gall bladder out years ago). Anyway, she was hurting and they had to do surgery but even though she returned home on Friday, she still wanted to drive 150 miles to teach the class the next day!! Well, it didn't even cross our minds to cancel the class OR to have Linda threaten her health and come--we just got together with the pattern for the class, which she sent down, and we spent the day making "Dancing with the Stars". Linda has taught us well over the years and we just used that knowledge to 'channel' her right into that classroom.

I changed my quilt up a little and put applique baskets where there would have been big, blank areas I would have had to quilt--not my strong suit. I sure do like the way this quilt turned out! 30s fabrics are so 'happy' don't you think?

One more thing: I was very late getting last weeks DWM out and it was the reveal of my Spring Chick's group's challenge so if you missed it, click here to view all the great quilts that came of our "3 Little Words" challenge. And don't forget to see what everyone else has on their design walls on Judy's blog!

Three Little Words Challenge

Three months ago, our Spring Chicks group decided to do a Three Little Words challenge. We all took little sheets of paper and wrote down 3 nouns, 3 colors and 3 themes. We each drew a slip of paper from each pile without looking and had to make a 16" x 20" quilt depicting our adaptation of these words. Here are the wonderful results:

 Jennifer's words were red, balloons and mosaic. Those balloons flying off in the sky were really a fun element.


















Carolyn's words were Aquamarine, feather and summer. That's a feather fishing lure there--cute!

Doris's words were dark green, house and gardening. We didn't expect an out house in the woods! Too funny!!















Sherry's words were aubergine, grass and that special vacation. She used her embroidery machine to create the flowers she saw in Monet's garden on her 'special vacation' to Paris this spring.

Sandy's words were lime green, party and wildflowers. She'd just gone on a retreat with Mary Lou Wideman so her quilt was a riot of colors with the humorous words, "when wildflowers party".

Betsy's words were olive, fall and celebration. She loves sunflowers and this quilt depicts her joy of them for her fall birthday.















My words were aquamarine, the Queen of hearts and fireworks. I used a lot of Swarovski crystals for the fireworks witch may not show up too well in this photo. What a fun challenge! I want to do it again!!

Spring Chicks Reveal!

Jennifer                 Carolyn

Tonight our Spring Chicks quilt group had the reveal of the Sutter Hospital Breast Cancer Quilt Auction quilts we made. Several months ago, we exchanged 2 1/2" strips and could make any quilt we wanted with them. Here are the fabulous quilts what will be donated to the auction this week:

   Doris

 

                                                                This one's mine

Sherry   














Sandy

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Julie

                                                           

What a spectacular bunch of quilts, ladies. We should all be very proud of ourselves and honored to be able to give something to help Sutter Cancer Center raise funds for this great cause.






 Betsy

On My Design Wall

I have a special event tomorrow night--my Spring Chicks quilting group is meeting to reveal our "3 Little Words" challenge. Each of us randomly chose a theme, a color and a noun,  from a bunch of them that we'd written on little scraps of paper. My 3 little words: Queen of Hearts, Turquoise and Fireworks. What would YOU have made with those words?


Each quilt is supposed to be 16" x 20" and I bet they'll all be spectacular. Mine turned out exactly as I'd planned and I'm so happy! This is my version of the Queen of Hearts on a turquoise background holding a firework with dozens of Swarovsky crystals decorating the piece.

The queen is made with fusible applique and each element
you see is an individually cut out piece placed on a black background then trimmed and placed on the white background.


Now I'm going to look at all the other wonderful projects
on Judy Laquidara's website for Design Wall Monday--
you should too!

P.S. Jennifer--you shouldn't be looking at this! Wait until
tomorrow night!

A Block Exchange

Yesterday was the eagerly anticipated block exchange with my quilting group, The Calendar Girls. Here are the 9 blocks with the theme "North Woods Winter" that I was lucky enough to come away with! Don't you LOVE them?! This is such a talented group of ladies and I can't wait to get started on the design for making these blocks into a quilt.

The blocks are 9 1/2" square and I want the quilt to be small--a wall hanging of 42" or less--for a perfect little place in our foyer where I display seasonal pieces. I'll have to scour my books and magazines for ideas. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Here is our lovely group--that's me on the far right. We'll all have our blocks made into quilts ready to reveal them on December 11th.