Reorganizing, Moda Sampler Shuffle, and Scrap Quilting Club November 2015

November was a very busy month.  It started with my group hosting our annual line dance party.  It was filled with activities the first weekend in the month.  It was fun hosting the event, but I'm sure glad the planning and preparing is over.

My husband received layoff papers earlier this month from his machinist job.  This is the third time in his career.  We were preparing for him to retire next year so it isn't too stressful, just a curve ball being thrown.  This reaffirms my decision to keep moving along with the professional side of my quilting business.

I'm in the process of moving items between two rooms in my home.  It's going to be a long and tedious process as I have outgrown my quilting area, especially since I retired and need office space, instead of just working from my laptop.  Since I have to move all my fabrics, I'm downsizing my older scraps (because I'm tired of looking at them and need new materials for motivation), redefining my new size of scraps I will be keeping if I don't cut it immediately, and refolding any yardage over 1/2 yard.  In the photo below, here is my green fabrics that I started with.  I now have the red and blue groups sorted.  While refolding the fabrics, I also pulled fabrics that I don't "love" anymore and am using them for quilt backs.  I have already made ten quilt backs from this group.  If I remember, I will take photos as I work to share this process.

In addition to reorganizing, I have started the Moda Sampler Shuffle.  You actually get the links from any online quilt shop.  However, the block patterns are only available for two weeks and then the links are disabled.  Three blocks are assigned each week.  Here are my blocks 1 through 12 on my design wall.

And here are this week's assigned blocks.  I'm using scraps that were out from my previous project so nothing has to match, just getting the blocks completed.

Now, on to the Scrap Quilting Club's show-n-tell.  This was out last meeting of the year and we had a holiday potluck.  This is always a fun event because we do more socializing than sewing in November.  I demonstrated how to make a gift box from two pieces of paper which will come in handy during the holiday season.

This is Connie's year long project.  She worked very hard to get caught up in the last month.

Rita also completed the yearlong project. She changed the border.

Elsie is still working on her yearlong project.  Keep going!

Jennifer completed her yearlong project bus is adding more applique to the border.

Jennifer is also working on baby quilts.

Sarah quilted a quilt top she purchased from a local quilt shop years ago.  Yeah!  One UFO almost completed.  Its for a soon-to-be-born baby.

Kathy is working on coaster sets for Christmas presents.

Kathy is sewing together blocks she won from optional blocks a few years ago.

I can't remember the story behind this quilt, but Kathy did an excellent job piecing the top.

Gwen's quilt is made only with HSTs.  I love the design and that it makes your eyes pop to various secondary designs.

Lee Etta showed this awesome patriotic quilt top made all from scraps.

Lee Etta also show her completed top from Bonnie Hunter's mystery two years ago.

So sorry this picture is sideways...  Laura showed this piece of cloth that she wants to enhance and asked the group for ideas.

Judy made fabric gift tags and gifted each person in attendance with one.  Thanks so much Judy!

This is my yearlong project where I changed the side border to make them longer; I also added cornerstones and the pattern didn't look good coming across the side borders after I changed the size.  I also changed two of the row patterns, row 4 and 8.  I love how bright this quilt is.

The Scrap Quilting Club members!  About seven or eight people were unable to attend the meeting.  I love this group of ladies.  We have so much fun each month while sewing, socializing, and providing advice (sometimes it's unsolicited, but in good faith).

Girls just want to have fun!

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