At least one thing is done!

Fern

I finished my Sweet Sixteen for March, Fern. I now have 4 of 12 completed. What a stupid idea to start a year long, monthly challenge to myself while in the midst of the longest move ever! I had March started in March. I finished April a while ago, Fern was stewing for a bit.

Fern close-up

The background color is correct in the first photograph. I did a bit of free motion quilting to make the little leaves that unfurl. The rest is quilting with my trusty walking foot.

Fern back

Since this was for March, and it was green, I used some shamrock fabric for the back.

Never ending Grandmother's Flower Garden

I pulled out my hexagon quilt to work on at the local guild's weekly sew day. I prefer not to drag a machine along and since I am trying to meet people it is a good take along project. I have no idea when I started this, but I am pretty sure it has been at least ten years ago. I started off wrapping and basting to papers. I didn't count, just started cutting squares and wrapping. Then I started to put some of the hexagons together into flowers. I am using repro 1800's fabrics and a red print for the centers.

Starting from the center

Once I had a dozen or so flowers together I decided I should figure out a layout.  This is the center of the quilt. I haven't figured out what is next. I am setting these flowers together with black prints in between. It is a slow process and I might never finish it, but it is fun to work on.  Every once in a while.

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Amanda Jean,  Myra, Sarah, Emily, Judy, Beth and Beth

Quilt Fest

We are finally moved into the new house, completely! As with most of this project, our timing went totally crazy.  After a few delays we finally signed the papers. And of course, it was the day I had to drive North for Quilt Fest in Layton. Sweetie drove South to the new house with the puppy dogs. We hooked up again at the family cabin the next weekend. Our trailer was parked there and so we left from there for a post retirement trip to Wyoming. Sweetie is so more relaxed, retirement is going to suit him! He has worked hard for a lot of years and deserves to to it easy. Since we were without internet, I was not able to post about Quilt Fest until now.

Florence

My Dear Friend and teaching partner, Florence with her wonderful Tulip quilt! Perfect hand applique and machine quilted! For some reason this did not get a ribbon. It should have!

Lisa

Another Dear Friend, Lisa, with her abstract Hello quilt! She does wonderful free form piecing!

Ruth aka "Mom"

Another Dear Friend, Ruth. She is my substitute Mom and very dear to my heart! 10 years ago while we were at Asilomar, I made this little cake quilt for her. Along with being my Mom, she is also my Dessert Monitor. A position that she takes very seriously! And she does her job well! She had found it recently and brought it along to the conference.

Finished my Emerald Pools!

I did not take any classes this year, with all the moving hubbub I just couldn't get it together to prep for a class. I did buy a table in the retreat area and brought a few projects to work on. I was able to finish the binding on my Emerald Pools! Ta Da! A finish!

Emerald Pools!

The completed quilt. This top was such a UFO. I had sewn it at Bryce years ago. Taught a class on it 2 years ago at Quilt Fest. The in progress to demo quilt from that class was finished soon after the class. It feels good to have it Done!

Class samples

Florence and I taught our Walking Foot Wonders class on Saturday. It went very well. Just a sampling of quilts that we show during class. We each had a suitcase full of quilts to show. Lots of different design ideas for using your walking foot.  Florence is the precision part of our team, I am the wing it part!

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Sarah , Beth, Emily, Judy, Beth and Amanda Jean.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

Maple Leaves

Close up

Back

I am entering my Maple Leaves in the Art Quilt Category at Amy's.  It is a little over 20" and made freeform pieced. The maple leaves were cut by a Silhouette machine and fused on. Walking foot and free motion quilting were used.


I am also linking to Beth, Emily, Judy, Beth, Nina-Marie, Amanda Jean

Last week in Town

We are counting down to the big move! Well, we actually have most of our stuff moved. Just a few things are left, computer desk, bed, an old table (borrowed a couple of folding chairs from a neighbor) and an ironing board.  A few pans and dishes, and clothes in a suitcase.  We hope to sign papers on Friday and then head out of here. Things I will miss:

Wonderful neighbors!

Beautiful mountains!

Only one traffic light in town (new town has 2)

My wonderful quilt guild in Wales!

My Fabulous knitting group in Manti!

Too many things to list.

View from the back porch

We have gorgeous view from the back porch.  It looks out over the valley to the Southwest, so the sunsets are so awesome! We have wonderful views at our new home in Kanab.  Lots of red rock, cactus and pine. Our view of choice there is to the East, so we can watch the sunrise.  I will post photographs from there in a few weeks.

In other news, I had previously mentioned how the mayor in the town where my family's cabin is had stolen our subdivision's gates and declared that our shared driveways were open to the public. Our HOA sued and we won!  It has been a long 3 years of not being able to feel that the properties were secure in the off season. Here is an article about the judge's ruling.


My Quilt was featured in a blog post!  How fun is that? It was nice to know that someone really liked my piece, "Maple Leaves". I have better photographs on this post.

I finished quilting my Emerald Pools.  I have the binding on, just need to get it tacked down.

Emerald Pools

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Amanda Jean, Myra, Sarah, Judy, Emily, Beth and Beth

September

I did one last dye session last week. As we are in the midst of a  move, I had some leftover dyes that I wanted to use up before the final load. I do know that old dyes lose some of their umph, but sometimes that is a good thing. And I just didn't want to waste it, dyes are expensive.

Mop rag

I always put down a damp soda ashed piece of fabric when mixing my dyes to catch any stray powder. I reuse it several times and then use it to dump the dregs.  I am pleased with this one!

Forest green and yellow

I was surprised how the green looks more blue.I believe that the dye had degraded and the blue held on in the forest green. This was accordion folded and then I poured on the dyes in a ziplock bag.

Purple and yellow twist

If I were a few years older, I could have been a hippie! I love the look of tie dye. This piece was twisted and then tied in a knot before adding the dyes. The deep purple dye also degraded.

Blues dry folded

I used a piece of fabric that had previously been soda ashed and left to dry. I bi folded it and dumped on cobalt, navy blue, and the last of the deep purple.  I think this guy has possibilities of some surface design.

Blue and brown dry 

Another tie dyed look. I folded this piece like you do for Hawaiian applique. I then dumped the dyes on it, in a ziplock bag. Some little bits of black, terracotta and blue (cobalt, maybe?)

Brown and gold dry folded

I folded this accordion style and then accordion folded it in the second direction.  Not sure if you can see it in this photograph, but I had dripped a bit of the deep purple on it by accident. It is about the only spot in the dye session that the purple turned out purple! Terracotta and gold. Maybe it was actually deep yellow.

Another mop rag

Another mop rag.  I also use them to wipe up the table after the dye session (I have the table covered with a plastic table cloth while dyeing)

Stacked

I finally finished stacked! I took this class at the Bryce Winter retreat, eh? 4 years ago?  My friend, Lisa B. taught it. It was fun!  She is teaching it again this year at the Utah Quilt Guild Quilt Fest in a couple of weeks. I wanted to have it finished so she could have another class sample.

Stacked closeup

So things are happening with our move and hopefully we will be home (200 miles away) in 3 weeks. Right before Quilt Fest! I will head North to the Fest and sweetie and the puppy dogs will head South to our home in Kanab. It has been a long, stressful move.  I will be glad to finally be settled and move on to the next adventure in our lives.

I am linking to Beth, Amanda Jean, Nina-Marie, Sarah, M-R, Lorna, Myra, Emily,  Beth Judy

And there goes July!

It is hard to believe that July is just about finished for this year! The summer seems to be flying by. I am behind on my Sweet Sixteens.  I finished April yesterday. I have March started.  February and January are completed. I don't have a good idea for June, but do for May and July. And now I need August as well. It will happen. I hope to get myself caught by the end of the year.

Flower Power for April

April's color is purple.

Close up

I had experimented with some new ways to wiggle quilt the background. I like the effect, and will do more with this idea soon. This photo was rotated by blogger. Why does it do that to me? I can't make it rotate back. It was right side up when I took the photo, right side up on my computer and then it rotates when uploaded to my blog. Gremlins.

Emerald Pools

I started quilting on this guy earlier in the summer. He got set aside and now it is time to finish!

One line of Quilting

So I only got one line of quilting sewn before he was set aside. It still counts as the quilting is started! I hope to have this finished for next week.

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Fort Worth, Judy, Emily , Beth and Amanda Jean.

It's gonna be a Hot One Today!

This weekend is supposed to be a hot one! I am hoping to keep cool in the house. But we will be at the new house which doesn't have A/C. It will be a test to see if we can keep it cool using other tricks.  Hopefully I can sew. Or at least sort some things in the new sewing room. I really need to find the "languishing sweater" that is half knit. It is for my daughter. I have restarted it 3 times already, and now can restart it again. She dropped 40 lbs! and so it needs to be a different size (and maybe pattern!)

The beginning of the quilting lines

I made an effort to get back to my Sweet Sixteen project for April (March is half done, but I was not in that frame of mind) I decided to quilt the background before adding the raw edge appliques.

One direction completed

At this point I was undecided whether to leave it with only quilting in one direction or to cross the lines.

Fun cross lines!

After I had three lines down the middle, I decided to not cross everything, but just to put some random 3 lines crossing every few inches. I thought it was a fun, funky look.

Adding the appliques 

I got the stems done and my flower centers cut. I am going to make 60's type flower power flowers. I had to cut the binding strips to make sure I had enough of that green.

As for the Tour De Sock, the new pattern dropped yesterday. Look for the stage six finish thread. I love the pattern, random cables. I dislike the method. I don't care for the way toe-up socks fit, in the toe, at the cuff or even the heels. I love my cuff down socks. I think I will knit this round, but will have to reverse it to a cuff down pattern.  So it will not qualify for points.  So it goes. It is a good cause and I have had fun chatting and laughing with my teammates (we are in it for fun, not to win). A link to a previous post about socks.

I am linking to Nina-Marie, Fort Worth, Emily, Judy and Amanda Jean.

Finished, just in Time!

Too bad it wasn't the project I wanted to complete in time for the Springville Art Museum show. LOL. At least I have something to enter.  I will try to finish the Red Rock landscape for the next show.

Swirl

I had been working on Swirl for a while, just a fun little piece. The photo is pre-binding.

Maple Leaves

I borrowed back a commissioned art quilt that I made for Karen last year. I feel it is my best work over the past year. I blogged about it here.  It has been a wild ride this year. Hopefully it will calm down soon and we can move on to the next stage in our lives.

I am linking to Nina-Marie Sarah, Emily, Beth, Judy and Amanda Jean.

What to do When your Daughter is Visiting

My eldest daughter married a Brit and is living in England. She came for a visit and to go to her High School Reunion. She spent the first week of her trip in Salt Lake, staying with our son and his wife. They did all kinds of the museums and swim lessons with their young sons. Then a birthday party for our 3 year old granddaughter at our other daughter and son-in-law's home. Then the visiting daughter and I went up to Bear Lake and the family cabin. I finished a pair of socks for the Tour De Sock and gave them to her. Project page here.

Vicky modeling her new socks

We also did the Limber pine trail hike. At the Reflection Bench, which overlooks the lake, ashes were scattered from my Mother and Brother. It is a place to go and remember two wonderful people who lost their battle with ALS. Both too young.

My Daughter and Me

Selfie at the bench.

Mom's initials

Every time I go to the bench I use the gravel from the path to write Mom's initials. I am sure that they were trampled soon after we left, when we got back to the parking lot it was full.

Peace sign

I also put a peace sign near the reflection sign. It is only slightly off the path, but no doubt also trampled. It is not a place that one would look down, so unlikely to be spotted. I just like to think I am putting the thought of peace out in the world.

Creepy looking tree

Early on the hike we saw this tree in the distance. It looked really creepy. Neither of us were game to go and check it out.

Cocoon

Later in the hike we spotted all these caterpillars forming a large cocoon. I am assuming that was what was going on in the previous photograph.

Indian Paintbrush

The wildflowers were prime!  Just a few of the many inspirational photographs I took on the hike.

Columbine

I believe this is a type of Primrose, but I didn't have my wildflower book with me. There were many other flowers, I didn't get good photographs of them.

My Personal Roofers

So how did you spend your vacation?  Helping Dad replace a shake roof with steel! We only got the shake stripped off the west side. Still a lot of work to do this weekend.

She worked hard!

Just a bit of the shake

My job was to be the ground support. They tossed this mess off the roof and I loaded it into a wheelbarrow and brought it over to the woodpile and stacked it.  I don't know where I am going to pile the other half of the shake.

Stacked for firewood

So the only finish was a pair of hand knit socks! But quality time with my daughter is priceless!

I am linking to Amanda Jean and Nina-Marie.

The Beginning

Inspiration photograph

I decided to make a landscape featuring a cliff that is near our Kanab home. I took this photograph while on our hike last weekend.  I love the red rock in the area! I am planning some sort of improvisational type piecing. I think. We will see what happens. Sometimes these ideas take on a different path.

Fabric Palette

I pulled batiks in browns, oranges, corals, sages, and olive greens. I also grabbed a couple of pieces of my hand dyed blues.

Thread selection

I filled a container with possible quilting threads. I always like to have a lot of thread possibilities, I most likely will use only a few of these. And the red is in there for a bowl, not this project.

Almost quilted!

I was able to get some more bubbles quilted in my little spiral quilt. I hope to finish that this afternoon and get a binding on it.

I am linking to Emily, Amanda Jean and Nina-Marie.