October Recap

What a great day to stay inside and sew!

Laura, Diane, and Mary Ann worked on binding.  Gwen and Jan pin basted and were happy to have extra help from Susie and Ruth.  Judy was working on her color challenge for Wildwood. I pin basted my Wildwood challenge.  There was lots of chatting and consultation, of course.

 

Kathy was knitting a beautiful scarf which she then gifted to me!  I gave her the yarn but she put in all of the hard labor.  What a nice surprise for me! 

Lunch was great, as usual.  Judy outdid herself with not one, but two, Halloween creations as well as a few other treats! 

 

We managed to talk business (challenge business) after lunch.  We decided to start with a potholder sized mug rug, snack mat, tiny quilt sort of thing for our next project.  We will discuss at our November meeting when it will be due.  It may be the December, January, or February meeting but we didn’t commit yet since many of us are distracted by our Wildwood deadlines that are approaching FAST!  We will do a randomized swap of the finished pieces.  Include your name and the date on the back of your piece.  The assumption is that none of us would actually USE any of these to handle food but no one will be policing that.  Here’s are some examples to inspire you here, here, and here.  This over-analyzer says … don’t overthink it. 

We also discussed the other challenge ideas that many of us liked.  We ended up with three favorites, including one that we didn’t list in the September Recap post.  In no particular order, our favorites are:  a braid book project (#1 from the original list), something for yourself (#4), or a round robin wallhanging.

We also discussed doing a Halloween fabric swap.  Think about the size that has the most appeal to you:  2.5 inch strips, layer cake size, charm square size, bricks, or other.  We can decide at the next meeting what dimensions and quantities we will use.  Participation is optional but, since most of us love Halloween quilts, I thought it might be fun.

Thanks to everyone for your input on my  quilt.  Your ideas helped a lot.  I will need to put the pedal to the metal to get it done but having all of the decisions made is progress!

Dear Divas

I've been busy trying to finish my Wildwood pieces.  I set some stretch goals for myself so things are hectic!  I made a backing for the huge circles quilt.  I used up a panel and lots of odds and ends plus clearance stuff.  You'll have to turn your head to see the right orientation.  This was the only way to fit most of it in the pic.  I hadn't realized until now that the trees in the panel look like topiaries.

 

Here's a shot of a quarter of the quilt, to refresh your memory.

I've been stumped as to how to quilt it.  My latest idea is below--sort of a ribbon candy effect in the square backgrounds and a spiral in the circle.  The circles are about 8" finished so I don't have the option to leave them unquilted.  My questions to you are ... do you have any other ideas for the quilting and, also, what kind/color of thread would you use?  I'd rather not use clear thread because this will eventually be a bed quilt that will be used by Brady.  I'd love to hear your feedback!

 

September Recap

What a beautiful day to get together and sew and eat and talk.  We were missing a few Divas today, including some of our more vocal leaders.  Things were a bit lower in volume but we had a lot of fun.  Of course, we talked about all of you.  Lunch was great, as always!

 

MaryAnn was working on her monochromatic color challenge for Wildwood. 

 

Susie was hand sewing the binding down on her Mary Ellen Hopkins challenge piece and Gwen was layering and pinning with help from fellow Divas.

 

Lynn was cutting scraps into useable chunks.  Presumably this photo shows her demonstrating the size of scraps she keeps or uses or maybe it was another topic entirely.  I had to include this shot.  :-)

 

Jan was prepping the ingredients for a Wildwood program for the members to make their own crowns and Dianne was working on more blocks from her July project.

Syd was knitting a shawl in a pretty color combo. 

 

Lynn decided she was “done” with her Heritage F’ing Medallion (HFM) and gifted the nearly done top and box of scraps to Jan.  Time will tell if this is the best gift ever or a penance.

I finished quilting my pixelated piece and was looking for advice on edge finishes.  This one is heavy!

Dianne put together these vintage Easy Pieces blocks she found in her UFO pile.  Lovely color combo!

 We brainstormed ideas for future challenges.  In no particular order …

1.      French Braid Revisited:  Use one of the books for a group workshop.  This was a today’s most popular idea.

2.      Applique: Can be hand, machine or fused.  Can be its own or a part of a pieced quilt. Finished quilt no smaller than 12” square (think Laura Wasilowski) and as large as you’d like.

3.      Quilter’s Playtime or Gwen/Freddie:  Use one of these books as a recipe for a few months in a row.  We have enough copies of these books in our midst that we thought no one should have to buy them.

4.      Make something for you:  could be a purse, a quilt, wallhanging, something knitted, etc.  The idea is that we are always focused on things for others. 

5.      Quick Curve Ruler:  This is the ruler MaryAnn used a few months ago with batiks for a shop sample.  Tutorials are here, to give you an idea:  http://sewkindofwonderful.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html.  We could do hands on working sessions so we can share rulers.

6.      Potholders:  Make a (probably display only) potholder for yourself or we could draw names.  Inspiration from this one came from Kathy’s chicken potholders a couple of years ago at the Wildwood show sale.  Melody exchanged them with her artsy friends a few years ago,  I believe.

7.      Small, art quilt:  No pressure—Dimension limits would be no side smaller than 20” and no side larger than 40”.  Anything goes.

8.      From Ruth’s email (I added a link that shows the houses.  They are really stunning.  Be sure to look at these projects.)

a.      I got this email this morning and Candy Glendening's Holiday Houses was one of the things I was going to suggest for our next project/ challenge. She has a new book that looks like it might have some small projects to work through together.  http://www.candiedfabrics.com/2014/08/25/my-ebook-create-handmade-gifts-for-all/

b.      Another thing I was going to suggest was a collaborative slice quilt. There are some ideas in Quilting Arts Feb/March 2013 and some other Quilting Arts in 2012

c.      Or.. a small abstact (or not abstract) quilt mounted to a painted cradled board like the things Melody Johnson has been doing.

We will take a poll next month and decide on a favorite. 

Made fabric

My sewing room has been moved several times and it's been a bit of a challenge to sew.
I'm upstairs instead of on the first floor and the room isn't organized at all. I just have no desire to make decisions about where things should go.  This is the forth or fifth move in just a couple of years.  This still feels temporary and I'm tired of hunting for my things in the boxes.
I tried to sew some of my unfinished projects and haven't accomplished more than sewing a few pairs of blocks together but I keep bumping into my scrap box.
I decided it was telling me to play with it so I listened to it's pleas today.   Made fabric blocks were my scrap box choice so I obliged.   I made thirteen blocks and got reacquainted with my sewing machine.  We missed each other. 

July Basement

I'm not sure which of our absentee Divas are more rowdy but it was definitely a little subdued without Judy, Fran, Lynn, and Laura.  Maybe the dreary weather had something to do with it. We managed to have fun nevertheless.

 

Syd and Kathy brought knitting to pass the time while they socialized.

 

Kathy had great show and tell--this trip around the world made from a line of astrological fabric.

 

The back included leftovers and fabric gifted to her from some of the Divas for her most recent birthday.

 

Gwen and Susie worked on binding.  Imagine Susie is across from Gwen--she must have stepped away before I took this photo.  Mary Ann was working on an applique project she plans to continue on an upcoming road trip.  Dianne worked on piecing some of the blocks she'd cut for the pattern she brought a couple of months ago.

 

Here's a shot of Jan reading the directions for the piping hot binding and Ruth is quite entertained.

Even with a smaller crowd, lunch was just right--as usual.

Kathy sent an email with our challenge selection plans for September and she also mentioned that we are on hiatus for August.  If you weren't at lunch yesterday, then you missed several Divas singing See You in September. I'll leave you with that visual ...

Mary Ellen Hopkins challenge and other June photos

There was a lot to show in the basement this month; it seems like everyone had something to show. I can't believe that I forgot my camera but Lori did an excellent job as photographer, better than I do. She said the divas are fast and it isn't easy to get a shot that is not a little blurry but she didn't unintentionally cut of anyone's head.
These first photos are  pieces we have been working on but are not part of the Mary Ellen project.

Diane showed herself to be quite prolific with some large pieces. these first two quilts were made from the same fabrics and they are pretty spectacular.

She has a new Tiara quilting machine and it looks like she has been putting it to good use.

And........  another one of Diane's quilts, her 2014 Jellyroll Race quilt. She put together her own jelly roll this year and turned out to be very nice.





Several of the Divas put together their own jellyrolls for the race and we all agreed that they turned out better this year because of it. You can see photos of Race Day here.




One more of Diane's large pieces, this one is still a flimsy. Does it seem as though Diane might be falling behind?

Here is Gwen with her Bargello Graphix quilt. We all worked on the this technique together  a few years ago when we were meeting in Syd's basement and we didn't have a name yet for our group.





























Lori was sewing the final seams on her Subway quilt, she has been working on this for a while, sewing together all of those individual squares. It was well worth the effort.


 







These are all the completed "Pockets to Go" that everyone worked on last month. This is not really all of them as several were gifted to friends or family already. I yet have to make even one but I plan to make one (or more) for myself and to give away.
The rest of the photos are all from our Mary Ellen Hopkins challenge. As Kathy said we would not be where we are in our quilting journey without her. My first quilt was pieced and I thought it would be the only quilt I ever made. I visited the quilt shop from time to time and  I took the It's OK class and I was hooked. I am sure it was that way for many people. Mary Ellens books and the Quilt Sitters Circle offerings kept us inspired and we kept on making quilts.

This is one of Kathy's small pieces I see another under her arm but there is no photo of that one.







Lynn had 2 flimsies this one that she is holding is made with Kansas dugout blocks using her hand dyed fabric.

The second flimsy below is from Mary Ellen's Hidden Wells pattern. I love all the floral fabrics in this piece and I oohed and aahed  about it and Lynn gave it to me. I hesitated to take it but I finally gave in and it is now mine. If you could see me you would see a very big smile.

Maryann also made a Hidden Wells quilt. she has it layered up and ready to quilt.














On the left, we have Gwen's pink and green quilt with bowtie and 4 patch blocks and sporting a floral border.
My flimsy is on the right. It is Mary Ellen's Metamorphosis pattern from one of her "Connecting Up" books.



















This colorful piece on the left is Judy's; it is layered up and ready to quilt. I am not sure what the pattern is but I see connector corners in there. I think the piece next to it belongs to Suzie. Could this be another "Hidden Wells" with sashing? I'm sorry if  I am not getting things right; chalk it up to old age. Blogger is starting to give me a few problems too. I am losing text and having trouble moving photos. Probably because of a photo heavy post.

This is Jan's "Bricks and Mortar" flimsy. I remember this pattern from Quilt Sitters Circle.It's one I thought I would like to make but I never got around to it.





She cut a lot of rectangles and has started putting them together for another piece.

Could this be another one of Diane's pieces? Yes, it is! This is her tribute to Mary Ellen.

Here is Kathy below with the little quilt she was holding under her arm in the other photo.








Fran is holding her flimsy. I see large 4 patches and double 4 patch blocks. It is set on point with floral fabric. I think setting blocks on point was one of Mary Ellen's favorite ways to set a quilt.

I hope I am right that this little piece belongs to Lori. if not maybe someone will correct my error.






 I know the next two belong to Lori they are front and back of her quilt. I am not sure of the pattern but it reminds me of a chain link fence. Could that be the name?



 It looks like a lot of work with a lot of connector corners. Lori hit the muckled fabric concept right on. She said she had been saving it for a long time to use as a muckled fabric background for a Mary Ellen quilt.

The last shot is the back of Lori's quilt. I love the bikini print strips at the bottom.






A few of these are completely finished already and hopefully the rest will be ready by November to hang in the Tribute to Mary Ellen Hopkins at the Wildwood show in Mentor, Ohio.




 Mary Ellen may not have been the first to use strip piecing but she made it popular and her book "It's OK if You Sit On My Quilt" drew us into the process. Her very clever Quilt Sitters Circle offerings at the local quilt shops kept us coming back for more and we waited eagerly for each new book. To attend one of for lectures was pure fun and we were fortunate that she came to our area for classes more than once.

Ruth