I never can say goodbye!

I have this problem, when I move, I can't quite leave behind the friendships I made! When we moved from Salt Lake to Sacramento in 2001, I still kept (well, really still keep) in contact with the wonderful women in Quilter's Holladay (sic, it is the name of an area, now city in Salt Lake County). It is is a wonderful local guild! I have made lifelong friends because I joined that group in 1995. When I knew I was going to be moving to the Sacramento area, I contacted the guild there. Didn't quite get the response I was looking for. They are a larger guild and I guess I was looking for a smaller, friendly guild. Anyway, one of the visits I made to see Sweetie (he had already moved, I was tying up loose ends in Utah) we drove around the countryside exploring. We stopped in Winters and got out to walk around.  Sweetie points to a building on Main Street, " quilt shop, gotta stop". We went in and I met Diane.  Everything good that happened to me in California is because I met Diane that day. I started teaching there after I joined Sweetie in California. And eventually worked at the shop as well. It was a wonderful time! I also met Carol via the guild that Diane pointed me towards and she invited me to join Cotton Club. It was a fun, small group. Diane eventually joined as well. About the time we moved back to Utah, they started doing a monthly block swap. Well, I had to keep in touch, so this was a good way to do it. They choose a simple pattern and you make a set of blocks each month to swap. And one for the "pot". I make all of my blocks for the year, mail them to Diane and she swaps them out for me. I have won the "pot" several times!

In progress

I had to pass on last year's swap, but when I saw the pattern for this year's blocks, I HAD to do it. Freeform cutting is always up my alley.  I am a bit behind, but as long as I get them done and to Diane by the end of the year, she can catch me up with the rest of the gang. And hopefully I can take trip to California in January to pick them up in person.

Last 4 batches

Finished block

You take a square, cut it in two, straight with a ruler, at angle or not (your choice). Add a strip of solid, then do the same crosswise. Leave the ends hanging, we all get to square up our blocks that we received in the swap.

Completed sets

We are to use black on white and white on black for every other month. I love the way these blocks come out! I can't wait to see what everyone else is doing! I have 7 sets done, done. Working on #8 and still have 4 more batches cut and ready to sew. I had hoped to finish these at the retreat last week, but spent to much time wandering around and chatting.

Joy's breakfast

Karen's breakfast

My breakfast!

Tuesday I went to breakfast with my knitting buddies at Das Cafe in Spring City. I wasn't in the mood for potatoes and eggs, so I had Nutella chocolate cake for breakfast instead!  It was good!

This is my off the wall post for this week. Also my Finish up Friday post.  I hope to finish up those swap blocks today!

Pie Plating!

Last week I attended the Pie Plate Patterns Super Spring Retreat! It was a great time! My friends, Lisa and Helen, came down from Salt Lake for the event.

Lisa, me and Helen

We parked ourselves up in the mezzanine for open sew time. You can look down and check out what everyone else is up to!

Helen and Misty

We tucked Misty into a corner for "time out". We had set up a cutting station. Helen cut strips for everyone for Strip Poker on Friday night.

Lisa

Lisa worked on a quilt for her new grandson who is due in the summer. In the background you can see Helen's heart blocks. She was auditioning a layout.

My quilts

I hung some of my class samples over the railings. My classes went well! I love teaching EZ Crazy! There are so many possibilities with color schemes and layouts. Behind the blue quilt is where Misty was in time out.

Gift Bag

Wine!

A few years ago I had taught my Dice and Splice Flag Quilt class at the Quilt Walk festival. It is a quilt as you go project that uses zigzag stitching to join the blocks. I walked into the class and saw that all but one of the students had featherweight machines in front of them. I was shocked! Did no one read the supply list? The ringleader, Michelle, explained that they did not want to bring their heavy machines to the festival. We were able to work out a method for them to make the quilt. The next morning Michelle ran into my roommate, Sandy.  Michelle asked her if I was ok. Sandy replied that I had a very trying class the day before and it took me two glasses of wine to get over it! Michelle and her posse were coming to the Super Spring retreat this year. And when she saw that I was scheduled to teach the Flag quilt class, she decided to bring me a bottle of wine in case I had another batch of hooligans in my class this time!

Hurry! We are in a race!

The Dream Team!

Bonnie and Brenda offered a special surprise Friday afternoon activity. It was a Treasure Hunt using a smart phone app!  Lisa was our ringleader and we went all over Fountain Green and Moroni finding clues and answering questions! We had troubles checking in at the locations, so I think we could have won, but we came in third. It was FUN!  I hope that they will do it again next year.


This is my Off the wall and Finish up Friday post for this week.

Sweet Sixteen

I was able to get my February Sweet Sixteen done last week! Well, except for the binding. I want to use a solid black and that is in my new sewing studio. I will get it this weekend.

February

Closeup

Still having fun with the mosaic idea.  I have a plan for my March piece. Since I will be at the Pie Plate Pattern's Super Spring Retreat next week, I hope to have some time to work in it.

This is my off the wall and Finished Friday post for this week.