I know it's been a while. I still have a lot of things on my personal schedule with line dancing and providing quilt lectures and workshops. I'm sorry to report that I haven't had time to work on the 100 blocks in months now.
I was on the Tim Ezell Show on KTVI as a representative of my line dancing group's work with the Gateway Classic. We taught Tim how to do the Wobble Dance.
Here is my actual design wall with 2 of my 3 current projects.
And this is my other current project. I'm also preparing for our guild's quilt show the end of the month so the DJ quilt must get the dreaded scalloped border. It's been sitting for many, many months, almost a year with no work. The show is definitely my motivation. By the way, I hate scallop borders! Maybe because the quilt it so big for my first scalloped border project. Definitely because I don't really know if I'm doing it right. I'm using a combination of instructions provided from various sources. I wish I could have done the faced border but was afraid it would have been very difficult to line up the scallops directly around the triangles. I have almost 2 borders completed. I'll post a full photo when it's finished.
Here are the results from one workshop I gave; many different ways to make scrappy stars.
I'm so busy that I can't seem to post on a weekly basis. I did a little sewing this weekend, making one of the 100 blocks (temporarily in the center of the quilt). I'll post information about it when I make a few more as it not actually sewn into the quilt. The quilt in progress is for my cousin. I've added 2 borders. I think I'm going to add another border with the black/white print to make it twin-size.
We had scrap club meeting last Saturday and I worked on the project, Peaches and Creams, but in a scrappy version. This pattern can be found by clicking on the link or by visiting Judy's site, www.patchworktimes. I have a cousin who wants his quilt to have a lot of color so I made mine scrappy.
Accuquilt has 22 free patterns. Sign up for their website by clicking the photo like this on the right side bar. For doing so, you'll have access to download 22 patterns, free of charge!
I had technical difficulties last week and comments posted last week I wasn't able to respond to. I appreciate your comments and read them all!
This week I'm showing the finished top I showed last week; it look completely different. This quilt started talking to me. I didn't know what is was until it tapped me on my shoulder. It didn't want the traditional setting with straight blocks with plain sashing. It wanted just a little more so I gave in. The top stopped talking as this point, after making a final statement, "black binding would be a nice finish." That was I plan after it's quilted.
I worked on Quiltmaker's 100 blocks this week as well, making a post yesterday. Here is a picture of the blocks I made and to see the full post, go here.
I've been very busy lately, so busy in fact that I haven't made any blocks in over a month! I'm playing catch up again. I need 12 blocks to be on schedule so I got busy yesterday. Here of 5 of them.
Block 55 - Delectable Grapes
Block #110 on page 26
Marian Mapes
46 pieces
This one will be a mini wall hanging for my kitchen. I decided not to stitch around the appliques at this point but rather during quilting.
Block 56 - Mount Vernon Steps
#195 on page 69
Maria Umhey
Cheerful Quilts
20 pieces
This one is my favorite block in this batch as I'm partial to log cabin quilts, especially those with 1" finished strips. Sure wish I had time to make this in full size but I already have a log cabin started from a year or two ago that's not finished.
Block 57 - Ripples
#191 on page 67
Laura Stone Roberts
Assistant Editor, McCalls Quilting www.mccallsquilting.com
96 pieces
Whew! I was so glad to get this one pieced. I didn't follow the directions, making two "section 2" units instead of one. What was wonderful in my error is that the same pieces are used in section 2 and section 3 so I just had to frog stitch, you know, "ribbit".
Block 58 - Tapestry
#182 on page 62
Rebecca LoGiudice
Willow Hill Quilts www.willowhillquilts.net
41 pieces
Again, not paying attention I had to "ribbit" and it took a little longer than necessary. I guess I need to bet my groove back. Nice block that one day I'll make in scraps. This time I used a fun black and white print for the background.
Block 59 - Focal Point
#180 on page 61
Doug Leko
Antler Quilt Design www.antlerquiltdesign.com
53 pieces
I was so excited that this block went together correctly the first time out! LOL This is a quick block to make with dramatic effect. Try it.
I have a busy week planned as I have a Sampler Quilts lecture on Wednesday. Along with my regular scheduled activities, I don't see much sewing in my future. And, I just remembered I need to send something to the Scrap Quilting Club regarding this week's project. Gotta go!.
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Type-u-later,
http://www.teaquilts.com
I haven't forgotten my blog and my friends. I've just been extremely busy with working, family, and trips. My job keeps changing daily with new boss, new support staff (as 3 has retired in the last 9 months and 2 were laid off), and I now supervise three employees.
I've also had two trips, one a quilting retreat and a family reunion. I'm posting the retreat pictures from May 20-22 at Whistling Meadows Retreat Center in Greenville, IL. We had so much fun. You've got to view this video of the quilt police showing up at our meeting. It was unexpected so I missed recording at the beginning. We are definitely a rowdy bunch!
So what did I work on at retreat? I started working on my Shakespeare in the Park and got almost half of the rows pieced. Then, I realized that I left a set of setting blocks at home and had to put it away and work on something else. I was disappointed as I really need a large workspace to finish this quilt.
So, I started working on a Scrap Quilting Club project from a few months ago. I have a few more blocks done than what's showing. Have a few more to go.
Our group project was the Jellyroll Sewing Race. The quickest anyone could make this quilt was 1 hour 45 minutes. So, the quilter who completed this in 30 minutes is definitely a sweatshop worker. LOL We had so much fun. I made two of them at retreat. This is my first one.
And, here is my second one made from a scrap bag I purchased at Hancocks of Paducah during the quilt show. I joined the strips with a diagonal seam. I've come to the conclusion these will make excellent quilts for my family members (about 10) that are still on my list.
Here are the other quilts made. They all have their own personality depending upon fabrics used, scraps or from a collection. These are our charity quilts for 2011.
Debra won the race and received $15 gift to local quilt shop.
Here is a photo of the challenge quilts to make any quilt, any size that was dimension with fabric, not just embellishments. I did not make a challenge project as my life is too hectic at the moment.
We also made cd holders for our cars but I don't have pictures of them. In the next post I'll post that along with two other quilts I gave away at the family reunion.
I'm going to have a hectic next three weeks and am not sure if I will be able to keep up with the blocks. I'm really thrilled that I got this week's blocks completed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can find a few minutes to work on the blocks. Here are the two for this week.
Because of my computer issues I have not had a chance to visit or enter the give-aways for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 3. One day I did pop into Quilty Pleasures Blog to see a few of the blocks and was again amazed at the blocks show cased on the blog. I think I am a block addict!
Diane at Quiltmaker contacted me and said in honor of the 100 Blocks Volume 2 Challenge that I'm working on (completing all 100 blocks within a year), she would send me a copy of volume 3. I really appreciated Diane getting me a copy because as soon as they hit the stores I'd plan to go purchase my copy. When the package arrived in the mail, I was so excited. But wait, this package was heavier than a package containing one magazine. This is what was inside.
Included was the magazine AND 30 fat quarters from the American Jane collection by Moda. Here is a close up of the FQs.
Then upon closer inspection, I'm now thinking that Diane must have (1) been following me around in Paducah, KY last month or (2) she's been lurking in my home. In Paducah I purchased a yard each of two chicken prints by Timeless Treasures Fabrics.
I plan to use them to pull fabrics for these patterns which are part of a BOM quilt called A Country Journal by Maggie Walker Design. I've had these patterns for a long, long time and haven't done a thing with them. When I saw the fabrics in Paducah I thought maybe just purchasing a little fabric would motivate me to start the project. FYI - you can still purchase the patterns!
I really got a kick out of the kit Diane sent me. Now I have enough fabrics to re-do the entire kitchen with this theme. So, "thanks again Diane for such a wonderful surprise and well appreciated gift."
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Type-u-later,
http://www.teaquilts.com
