Finished Scrappy Ocean Waves

I just finished sewing binding on my Scrappy Ocean Waves quilt. I started this quilt in the fall of 2008. I free-motion quilted feathers every here and there. Of course I couldn't take the time to mark them. Not perfect, but not bad for my first time, especially since I did not follow the process I should have by marking first. This is just a piece for my scrap lecture; doesn't have to be perfect. By the way, the blue is a quilt on wall that I pinned the ocean waves to so that I could take a photo - it's not part of this quilt.

Now I got to see what to do next. I was supposed to have a yellow and blue split 4-patch quilt for my brother made in May and that didn't happen. I went searching through my fabrics but can't find the perfect border for it. Maybe I'll go shopping for that and get that one completed. He is looking for his quilt to be finished any day now. You know how they think...it doesn't take too much time to make a quilt, right? Yeah, right!

Ohh, I forgot to share photo of the totes my quild made. We had some home dec samples donated by local store. We decided to make totes for Voices for Children. We collected 68 bags. Way to go!

Here are the three that I made; I had to place them upside down on my sofa so that they would not slide down.-------------------------- Type-u-later, Tea in MO http://www.teaquilts.com

Reporting in early this week

FYI: I respond to comments personally as sometimes I'm not able to access by blog away from my home computer where I can post comments and send e-mails. At that point, it's easier for me to reply to an e-mail. If you too have the same question as a previous blogger, ask away and I'll send you a response too. Now on to the good stuff. My quilt guild met last evening and here are pictures of my flower challenge quilt. I machine embroidered 50 different flower designs from various designers. The quilt path created during piecing reminds me of paths. So, I decided to name this quilt after a local garden in my area, Missouri Botanical Gardens. The quilt has a few butterflies, an owl, a bird or two, and a couple of bees. All the print fabrics are floral. It was a joy to make this quilt. The quilt won two ribbons: 1st place in Wall/Bed Quilt and 2nd place Viewer's Choice. Here is a close up of the quilt for your to see. I used a friend's long arm machine to quilt it. Nothing fancy, just wanted to get it done. I did meet my weekly goal of completing the knotty purse and Christmas Charm tote. The purse is being donated to guild for a brown bag raffle drawing. The tote will be used to deliver Christmas gifts. I don't plan to complete anything else over the weekend as I'm teaching a class on Saturday. Oh, I have to make a quick handout for that as well. Gee, it seems I always have plenty to do...

-------------------------- Type-u-later, Tea in MO http://www.teaquilts.com

Retreat Weekend

I had a productive "extended" weekend. I was hired to present two classes to a local quilt guild during their quilt-away. I hadn't gotten around to visiting the facility so that was another advantage as I'd wanted to see the facility for consideration of use by two quilting guilds I'm a member of. I did get my banner made that I mentioned in my last post.

I taught the Exploding Star class. Most of the participants made about 1/4 of the quilt. The themes ranged from 2-color quilts to feed sacks to controlled scrappy. They all had their own personality. One of the students in class wanted me to upload a photo of a half-square triangle quilt I started. When she last saw it, I had only the center pinwheels pieced. This baby is now HUGE.

One of the benefits of being at retreat is that I got to attend three lectures by Marti Michell. She gave great handouts and if you love her templates you would have enjoyed her presentations. I have 2-3 sets of her templates but don't use them too much - just depends upon what the project and process involved. And before you ask, yes, Stacey Michell was there as well. Stacey does a magnificent job with hand dies. I purchased two of her "hula hoops" to use on some Hawaiian applique patterns already in my stash.

During retreat I was very productive. In addition to teaching 2 classes, I put mitered borders on my scrappy 3-d stars quilt. I worked on the knotty purse, getting to the point where I was to add a magnetic snap. I did not have a snap so that project was put on hold. Marti Michell had so many log cabin quilts that I started another one, never mind that I have two that need quilting in my UFO pile. The off center log cabin squares were cut from scraps I'd taken to the retreat so these four blocks will not be actually pieced to each other. I have lots of strips cut at home that I plan to use to make this a really scrappy quilt. I plan to make eight large blocks (64 small log blocks). I got a tad further on my class sample for the Charm Tote class as well. I enjoyed the retreat and the guild members. I had so much fun (other than an attack of "the ants") and look forward to working with this guild in the future.

I plan to finish the purse and tote this week to get them off my UFO list. We'll see...I also have to get ready for a class I'm teaching Saturday on the X-Block ruler. Oh, and before that I have a quilt guild meeting on Thursday that I'm the president of and it's challenge quilt night. And then, Friday I have a craft guild meeting. Hopefully I can cut logs for my log cabin quilt. In addition I have to put back the things I took to retreat and do a little housekeeping to get me through the week. Gee, I'm tired just typing of all the things on my to-do list this week. Come back and see me some time.

Don't be a stranger.

-------------------------- Type-u-later, Tea in MO http://www.teaquilts.com

Completed the Exploding Star and more WIPs Listed

Hey, I'm posting more than once a month again! I decided that trying to remember an entire month of things I've done when I'm very productive is difficult to do. I had a productive week. I hand sewed the binding on my flower challenge quilt (picture will be posted after June 18th). In addition, I basted my scrappy ocean waves quilt. I just decided that it did not need a border as it's just a lecture sample. I placed the blocks on point and then figured out how to piece the setting triangles and corner blocks. It was a lot of fun. I need to learn (and remember it) how to make smaller quilts when needed only for teaching.

The big drum roll goes to the EXPLODING STAR! I completed the quilt last evening about 9:30. It took me five days of quilting on my sewing machine to get it done. The quilting process was pure torture and many times I had mental images of destroying the quilt (but not in actuality.) This one has truly been a labor of love. I started this quilt September 24, 2005. It took me about six months to piece as I used it as my chain on/off project. I've taught the class twice before completing the quilt. I just decided that I wasn't going to teach it again as a quilt top only. Sometimes impromptu, crazy goals is what it takes to get me moving.

Here is a round robin quilt organized through a swap group. I may get this one basted after I make a backing for it. I have a simple flag that I made years ago that would make a good start for the back. I have outgrown the simplistic nature of the flag and couldn't decide what to do with it.

This week I plan to make a name banner and teach at a quilting retreat. I'm in the process of packing class items. Then I will have to decide what projects I'll work on in my down time. I have a couple of scrap quilts that I've neglected for too long. So, I'll probably take a couple of those. But first, my embroidery club meets tonight so no sewing for me today. -------------------------- Type-u-later, Tea in MO http://www.teaquilts.com

Still plucking away on UFOs...

I'm getting a lot done but still have 117 UFOs on my list. I'm just amazed at that. Fellow quilters believe I don't have UFOs when I get so much done. I am definitely a technique junky, quickly getting bored with the repetition sometimes required in quiltmaking. I abhor quilting large quilts on my regular sewing machine so I have a lot of bed size tops that are ready for quilting. I'm teaching the Exploding Star quilt next Friday at a guild retreat and decided (last minute of course) that I should quilt this quilt for the class. It's almost embarrassing that I started this quilt 9/24/2005. When showing it to students for show-n-tell in 2007, they wanted me to schedule a class. I started a miniature version for class (which is not completed either) as I didn't need two this size. Yesterday I basted the top and began quilting it. I have about 1/5 of it quilted. I'll keep you up to date and let you know if I can get it done by next Wednesday. If you'd like to see more of my WIPs look at these two pages on my website: http://teaquilts.com/wips.htm AND http://teaquilts.com/more_wips.htm I haven't updated the site in a while as I'm using blogger temporarily. Some of the WIPs are completed, like Turning Twenty Again and Batik Quilt. I hope you enjoy looking around my site. -------------------------- Type-u-later, Tea in MO http://www.teaquilts.com