Quilting like crazy!

Last weekend I had a baste-a-thon and got five quilt tops pin-basted, ready to quilt. I was able to finish two of those quilts during the week!

Finished!

I finished sewing down the binding for Flower Garden yesterday. It is such a good feeling to get that last stitch sewn! I had won these blocks at a guild meeting a couple of years ago.  It is nice to get some UFO's completed and out of the sewing studio!

Close up of quilting 

The perfect print for the back

Up Next.

This little guy has been moved two times across state lines. I think it is time for him to get finished up!  It is just a small wall hanging. I don't know why this guy keeps moving down the to do pile of tops. But I still like the colors even though it is at least 15 years old!

The Secret quilt

And I got the Secret quilt completed! It is a surprise for a friend, so I can't show it just yet. Stay tuned!

This is my Design Wall Monday post, check out Judy's blog to see what everyone else is up to this week!

So easily distracted!

6 of 12 blocks

Sewing like crazy!

I have a secret quilt that need to be quilted. It is surprise gift for a friend (so no peeking!) So instead of working on that quilt, what do I do? Sew like crazy on these QAYG blocks!  I taught this at the retreat 2 weeks ago and had some in progress blocks to demo the technique. I just got word that this class was not picked up for a conference in the fall. Since I don't need the blocks for another class demo, I thought I would just piece a few of them. It was too cold outside on Saturday to do the work that I wanted in the herb garden so I got sidetracked and finished all 12 blocks!  And got them quilted and trimmed this afternoon. Not like I have anything else that needs to be finished (the gift quilt among other things).

This is my design wall Monday post, check out Judy's blog to see what everyone else is up to!

Design Wall Monday

Last week I was at a quilting retreat put on by the Pie Plate Patterns ladies in Fountain Green. They do a great job of putting on a small town retreat!  Everyone had a great time!  I meant to take a photograph of downtown Fountain Green, but forgot. The downtown is one block long on one side of the street. With a gas station on the other side of the street. The event was held at the renovated dance hall. I had posted from the event about my first class here. Then I was able to play in the open sew area for 2 days before my last class on Saturday afternoon.

I pulled out my tub of Paradise Punch blocks. These were blocks started as demo's for classes. I had cut enough squares to make a queen sized quilt for my bed. So the tub of blocks had been tucked away for a couple of years. When I started to layout all the blocks, I was amazed at how many I had! I squared up the pile of untrimmed blocks and played with them a bit. I am excited to get back to this project!

I had a bagful of plaid squares leftover from when I made the nine patch quilt for my Dad a couple of years ago. It is on my gallery page. I started sewing them together into twos. Came out even. Then sewed the twos into fours.  Came out even. Then sewed the fours into eights. Came out even. And then finished off by sewing the eights into sixteenths. I ended up with 40 16 patch blocks! Not a single leftover square! I am trying to decide whether to make 2 twenty block quilts or one larger 40 block quilt. And whether to sash them with some shirting prints.

Diane's

Michelle's

Sweet Lady, whose name is on the tip of my tongue.

Another thing that is so cool is when your students from last year bring finished projects from a class that you taught. There were three ladies who brought their projects from my Hudson bay class. Diane's is a top and Michelle and Sweet Lady had completed quilts! Last September my good friend Charlotte brought her quilt to the guild meeting. I have a photograph of her quilt on this post. She had used a different layout than the one I used.

This is my Design Wall Monday post.

BTW, my Craftsy class giveaway is still going on until March 20th.  The link for the giveaway is in this post.

Retreating with Lisa

My friend Lisa and I are in Fountain Green at the Pie Plate Super Spring Retreat! Lisa taught a dyeing class this afternoon, she had a blast!

Lisa in action!

I taught my class "September" this evening. It was a lot of fun. The students got a lot accomplished. Everyone seemed to enjoy the class.

My work space

I had spent some time yesterday making up some sample blocks.  This is how my work space always looks after a bit of sewing. Home or away.

Sample block in progress

Attaching blocks demo

I love when each student brings a unique color scheme to work with in class. I had dug through my scrap bags and pulled out white, green and blue strips.

Trina's block

Trina used a jelly roll.

Tammy's block

Tammy used bright, colorful citrus colors. The multicolored polka dot fabric was her inspiration for the color scheme.

Pauline's blocks

Pauline used her collection of Hawaiian prints. I love the way she was able to highlight the old truck and the parrot!

This is my Off the Wall post for this week, check out Nina-Marie's blog to see what everyone else is up to.

My Craftsy class giveaway is still open, a winner will be drawn on the 21st, so check out this post to enter!

Design Wall Monday---Prep Day

Starry, Starry Night

Sweet Lady Liberty

On my wall/cutting table today I have two projects that I am prepping for a class on Saturday.  I am teaching Freezer Paper Piecing and instead of one project, they get a choice of the two designs that use the same technique. And since I forgot to have the students email me which of the two patterns they plan to use in class, I need to prep extra class patterns. They will get both designs in their pattern pack, but I need to make sure I have enough of both  ready for class working.  Hopefully after this class I will have some time to tweak the patterns so that they are ready to sell as PDF patterns.

Check out my post from yesterday, I am hosting a giveaway this week!

This is my Design Wall Monday Post, check out Judy's blog to see what everyone else is up to!

Snow Dyeing the Results post

Snow today!

Last night's heavy rain turned to snow overnight.  Not a lot of the white stuff, but enough to cover the ground. It reminded me that I had never shown the results of my snow dyeing last month. So here is the snow dyes.

#1 Jade and terra cotta

#2 orange yellow and dark blue

#3 terra cotta, brown & forest green

#4 yellow and orange

I don't know that this shows up well in the photograph, but it has some hints of a purple. I am pleased with this one.

This is #1 from above, love it!

This is #2 from above,hmmm

This did not turn out the way that I had expected!  I love it, but I had no idea that it was going to turn into a mud pile. So the next time I left out the blue and got #4.

Blue is my "color". I love the way that this one turned out. You just can't go wrong with blue!

#3 from above

I do like this one, I just thought it would be more green.

#4

So the second snow dyeing I made sure to only put orange and yellow on this piece.  I had a lot of orange and only a tiny bit of yellow left.

For Karen

When I showed this to my knitting friend Karen, she claimed it! I am to make her something with this, I haven't quite figured out exactly what, but I have a few ideas brewing.

Fuchsia and turquoise

Another yard piece. Another one that I really love!

I had a lot of fun with the snow dyeing!  Even though we had a tiny bit of snow today, it is not enough to do another round. And the way that the Spring weather is in our area, I may or may not be able to do another batch of snow dyeing.  

Check back on my blog on Sunday I have a special post coming up!

This is my Off the Wall post for this week.  Check out what everyone else is up to at Nina-Marie's blog.

Design Wall Monday--UFO week!

Last week some friends and I rented a condo and had a quilting retreat! It was a great deal of fun! I had brought along a huge plastic tub full of projects to work on. I finished the flower quilt top and got the blocks finished for "Amy", an upcoming pattern.

Finished the top from the retreat!

Yesterday I was able to get the "Amy" blocks sewn together into a top! I remember seeing the perfect border fabric in the stash closet when I was packing up last week.  Hopefully I can find it this week and get the border on the top.

Top of the quilting pile

A friend and I are having our own little challenge (feel free to join in!).  We need to finish 12 UFO's this year. In theory, one a month.  But we are being lenient on the time frame.  I was able to get 3 completed so far. Up next in my to be quilted pile is this little guy. Years ago a friend had given me the quilt top for my birthday. Sometime last year I quilted a bit around the applique and around the blue border. I am not sure why I didn't just finish it while I was at it. So hopefully it will be my finish Friday post for this week!

Next up out of the tub of UFO's

This project was started in a class by Jackie Robinson in about 2002 or 03.  I did have the top completed, but the middle section was just a hair too wide and puckered a bit.  I ripped out the seams holding the sections together (except the middle) and need to trim a slice off of each side. It has been like this for over 10 years now, I think it is about time to do that, don't you?!

This is my Design Wall Monday post for the week.  See what everyone else is up to at Judy's blog.