I did it!!

I came home from my walk this morning and thought my husband had installed a new lawn ornament in our front yard!  But no, he's real.








Here he is with his honey.  Spring is in the air!

I did not think I was going to be able to reach my goal this month of getting 12 Dear Jane blocks done.  I have just been too busy working on or doing other things.  But I had some time this weekend so I started them anyway and I was able to get 12 finished by yesterday!  Hurray - still on track!

H-10 - Ben's Bowtie - 26 pieces
This one is completely machine pieced.

H-11 - Piercing Rays - 24 pieces

This one is paper pieced in six sections.

H-12 - Hannah Lou's Hearts - 5 pieces

Hand appliquéd using the back basting method.

H-13 - Farm Fields -7 pieces

Machine pieced

 RS 12th from Top - Linda's Church in the Valley - 31 pieces

Paper pieced, using the freezer paper piecing method, in six sections.

RS 13th from Top - Marlene's Pirouette - 23 pieces

Freezer paper pieced.

I-3 - Family Album - 21 pieces

Machine pieced.

I-4 - Stability - 25 pieces

Machine pieced with some hand appliqué using templates in the center block.

I-5 - Maria's Majesty - 6 pieces

Hand appliquéd using the back-basting method.  I should have reverse appliquéd this one, but thought it looked good enough to not do over.

I-6 - Viewer's Choice - 6 pieces

Hand appliquéd using the back-basting method.

I-7 - Mac and Muff - 27 pieces

The center was machine pieced and the borders were paper pieced to get that teeny tiny triangle and then added on.  These blocks will finish at
4 1/2 inches!

 I-8 - Pete's Paintbox - 25 pieces.

This is the only one this month that I had to do over, or I guess I didn't "have" to, but I did.  I chose a directional fabric for the background and that off kilter center square bothered me.  I machine pieced this first attempt.

I decided to paper piece my second attempt.  I really liked the fabrics together so I stuck with the directional background but I think it worked better the second time around.

Well, I have started many things today.  I started my laundry, I started putting Easter decorations up, I started doing work for my job, I started getting ready for the day, I started my diet - again - but I haven't finished anything yet!  I guess I better get busy and go finish something!  Oh on second thought, I DID finish this blog post :)

Have a great day!!

A Few More Show Photos

Here are the last few photos I took at the Sunset Slope Quilt Guild's quilt show.

They had a small display of quilts that they donate to St. Mary's Hospital's Cancer Center to be given to patients going through chemotherapy.  Both of these quilts are beautiful and would certainly brighten someone's day.

Native Americans by Deany Hayes

All hand appliquéd, hand quilted and embellished with beads, leather, conchos etc.

They had a small miniature quilt section.  This one is quite something!  You can see by the safety pins and size of the card that this quilt is not very big!

Block of the Month by Jewell Buck

This was the block of the month challenge for Sunset Slope Quilters for 2012-2013.  They were given a theme for each month but were free to choose their designs.  I really like the colors!

Stellar Stars by Mary Hussman and quilted by Lorraine Preuss.

I really, really like this one a LOT.  It's very striking in color and design and quilted beautifully.

She said it was created in a class at Quilter's Corner taught by Linda Smith and it was a challenge for her - but oh so worth it!

Mistral by Diane Abraham

Made using a pattern by Toni Whitney.  She said the mane has over 60 pieces in it!  Beautiful.




I am inspired to go work on my projects!  Quilting calms me when I'm stressed....

Identified!

I found out that this scrappy thimble quilt I posted a few days ago from the SSQ Quilt Show belongs to and was made by my friend Sheila!
And, to top it off, she made it when she had a broken shoulder!  Talk about determination.  She said she loved using her favorite scraps and actually had it mostly hand quilted with the big stitch but it looked "pinched and awful on the back" (her words, not mine!) so she took it all out and had Phyllis Davis quilt it for her on her long arm.  I love it, it's just beautiful.





So if Sheila can make this work of art with a broken shoulder......

The Next Generation of Quilters

They had a youth category at the SSQ Quilt Show last weekend.  By the way, the name of the quilt show was "Not Your Grandmother's Quilt Show". Here is a picture of Jo, who is the president of SSQ, with her granddaughters standing in front of the village quilts they had made and hung in the show. The youngest asked why the sign said, "Not Your Grandmother's Quilt Show" and her Mom pointed out that in fact this IS Her grandmother's quilt show :)  So cute, and so fun to see the younger generation take up quilting and enjoy creating beautiful things.
The youngest said she sat in Grandma's lap to quilt her piece.

This quilt - Modern Stash, My First Quilt - was made by 10 year old Lane Trehearne.  He said he made this quilt because of a pretzel fabric Grandma got at the guild meeting.  He wanted to use that fabric to make something and it grew into a big quilt!  He even quilted it on his Grandma's long arm quilting machine.

Colorbook Trio by Sean (age 9), Andrew (age 11) and Ashley (age 6) Siefken

Andrew says " We wanted black/white/red on the border.  Sean wanted dinosaurs, fish, lime green and chili pepper.  Ashley wanted the border different. We went through Grandma's stash and picked our own.  Grandma did control the foot pedal.  It was our first time sewing.  We took turns sewing in the ditch.  We helped with the pinning."


I read somewhere that if you want to teach a boy how to sew, you introduce the sewing machine as a power tool :)

I had trouble reading the title on this one, but it was made by Irene Parks, age 12 and the quilter was Bev Hayes.

Happy Stripes by Irene Parks, age 12, quilter Bev Hayes

Ragtime Quilt by Brendon Dalley, age 12

He says he took a class and made the quilt but when it was done his rats chewed it up and he had to re-stitch it!  Got to keep your quilt away from those rats Brendon!



Three of my four children made rag quilts when they were younger.  They are fun to make and so comfy!

My Happy Quilt by Kathryn Parks, age 10.  Quilter Bev Hayes.  She said she chose white squares so her quilt would be different than her sister's (above).  She also said it turned out "prettier than she expected".  Nice job Kathryn!


Nice job to all of these young quilters and kudos to the grandmas, moms and friends who are helping them get started in the art of quilting!!

Reality TV

OK, I admit, I am a Survivor Super Fan.  I have watched every episode of every season - and there have been 30 seasons!  To celebrate I bought myself a 30th Anniversary Survivor Buff with logos from all 30 seasons on it.  Crazy, I know.  I just really like the show!  I used to think I could compete on the show but I don't harbor that delusion any longer.  I probably wouldn't last two days.  I don't like bugs and I don't like to eat fish - which is about all they get for 39 days.  I wouldn't mind losing some weight though!

I also really like The Amazing Race show and recently my two sons sent in an audition video to hopefully get selected to appear in an upcoming season of The Amazing Race.  I thought they did a fantastic job making their audition video!  Check it out below.  I do hope we see Team Holt! on a future season of The Amazing Race!  It would be so fun :)

More Quilts!

Jackie Got Into Aunt Millie's Garden

by Jackie Aguilar

This quilt won an award at Paducah, as well as several others.

Colorful Clamshells by Marge Sheppelman

Mad Red by Sonia Sanderson

I neglected to get the makers' names on these two great quilts!

SSQ Quilt Show Favorites

I thought I would post some of my favorite quilts from the SSQ quilt show over the weekend.  It might take a few days because I always have a lot of "favorites"!



Buggy Blanket by Sherri Creer

Bali Fever by Dee Hoagland, quilted by Laurie Gerse

Treasured Fabrics on Display by Nancy Kowal

BOM Shades of Teal and Brown by Jean Rostviet

(Love these colors together!)

I apologize - I somehow missed the name on this one, but I really like the colors and the design!

It's a Small World by Lauri Burgesses

I found this one very interesting!  The hexagon blocks were all hand embroidered from patterns that were printed in the newspapers in the 1940's.  The quilt was completed in 2003.

One of the times I went to the show I voted for this one for Viewer's Choice.  I just love the design and the colors!

Sunrise Sunset by Carol Bruggeman


I worked on a birthday gift today - having fun with it!

Stay tuned for more quilts tomorrow :)

Little Bits Show and Tell

It's almost time for my miniature quilt group meeting again and I realized that I never posted show and tell pictures from last month!

Leota is making this awesome sea turtle wall hanging.  I am so impressed!

Annie has been working on her Dear Jane blocks.  She decided to start from the middle and work her way out - as opposed to me, who started at A-1 and am pretty much going in order :)

Sherida is finishing up her monthly minis for herself and her daughter.  Her "eek" and "boo" turned out great in her pumpkins.  I guess fusible appliqué was the way to go with this pattern.  They didn't show up when I tried to hand appliqué them....

Annie enjoys back basting hand appliqué and shared her method of keeping straight which fabric goes where.  She takes a little snippet of each fabric and glues it right on the pattern in the corresponding piece.  Then when she comes to number "3" to sew on she looks at number "3" on the pattern and sees exactly which fabric to use.  Great idea for keeping it all straight!!

Just Call Me Grandma!

If you solved the puzzle yesterday you probably guessed that I am going to be a GRANDMA!  I am SO excited :)  My daughter Megan and her husband are expecting their first baby - our first grandchild - in the Fall.  One of my friends said, "Let the Baby Quilting begin!"
Here are a couple of crocheted items recently made by Megan.  She's obviously in the baby mode already too.  I am looking forward to getting more into the baby mode :)
In the meantime I've been trying to quilt the comforter she made and it has been a real challenge.  Two layers of wool batting is a lot to push under a domestic sewing machine.  My arms and hands are sore from the exertion!  I do hope it turns out satisfactorily.  It is definitely challenging me!

I hope everyone's week is off to a great start!!