Largo, FL Quilt Show

I've haven't been sewing or blogging since we've started doing some work in our kitchen.  I was able to sneak out for a few hours on Saturday at the last minute to catch a peak at a quilt show within driving distance.

The Largo Cracker Quilters Guild began in the 1970's with a few quilters that hand pieced and hand quilted.  Today they have 70-80 members with all levels of skills and quilting interests.  The many beautiful applique and hand quilted quilts on display reflect the guild's origins, while many wall hangings and whimsical works reflect their varied interests today.  What a fun show!

Installment 1 of the photos I took - these are some of the applique quilts:

Two Finished Quilts

Well, it rained most of the day on Friday and I was able to finally get some tops quilted and finished since there was no thunder and lightning.  These will go into the box to be sent off to the Wrap Them in Love Foundation.  This great group has a mission to collect donated quilts and distribute them to children around the world, so they can be wrapped in love and comfort.

The first quilt finish uses blocks that I won in the Sunshine Quilt Guild’s block lottery – the color scheme for that month was red/white/black.  I’m sure an older child will appreciate these more sophisticated colors.  The back is black and white polka dots.  I took the pic when the binding was still pinned, but it's done now.

This quilt fulfills two of my 2011 Challenges:

   First, it was number 18 on my list for Judy Laquidera's UFO Challenge from her Patchwork Times blog.  I had more than 12 to put on a list so I doubled up and #18 was across from #6 which is the number she selected for January - I have already finished my #6 - read about it in this post.

  And Second, it is #3 of my 11 in 11 Challenge for WTIL - I'm making progress on making 11 quilts for that group this year.

Photo when almost finished

Detail showing polka dot backing

The second quilt finish was made with some fabric that I received when a dear lady passed away.  I fussy-cut some of the whimsical animals and framed them in the Attic Windows setting.  The borders have butterflies in the same colors.  The backing is an orange tone-on-tone.  A younger child is sure to latch on to this cute top that is soft and cuddly, even if it doesn’t photograph well (the camera operator, I’m sure)!

This is #4 for my goal of making 11 quilts for the 11 in 11 Challenge for WTIL.  Woohoo!

 

Detail with backing showing

National Popcorn Day

Since there's no recent news on the sewing front, I thought I'd better let you know that today, January 19, is National Popcorn Day so you don't miss it!  Pop on over to Gilly's Place (horrible pun intended) for her famous pizza popcorn recipe:

Cute Snow Puppy Alert

I have to admit that I occasionally check in at the Daily Puppy ... doesn't everybody?  This little girl in the snow was just too cute!  This is Lulu, the Wheaten Terrier.  What a doll ...

Fortunately, it's not snowing here in Florida, but we sure did get hit with a powerful rain storm.  The lightening and thunder made my dog hide in the closet and all of the ponds filled back up - they have been very low for a long time, so we can't complain.

And on the quilting front - I have finished #2 of the 11 in 11 Challenge for Wrap Them in Love.  This is the H-Blocks quilt with a second pic that shows part of the cute, girlie backing (Lulu, above, would probably love to take a nap on this one - it is just so soft).  I love the colors and it was definitely nice to make a girly top for a change.

Auditioning Borders

I am still working on the blocks that were on the *design floor* in yesterday's post.  I didn't like that dark block standing out all by itself so I made a few more darker blocks to spread around.  Then, since I added another column, I thought I'd just put on a simple 2 inch border around it all.  That way I won't have to piece the back (yes, there usually is a method to my madness!).   I think I might have liked a few more darks, so I reserve the right to add another row tomorrow - we'll see what develops.  This is how it stands tonight (I think I'll use the fabric on the right for the border):

Quilting Done & Design Wall

I have a new project that I've started laying out on the *design floor* ... these H-blocks came from a block swap way back in July 2009.  Since they were very easy to make, and the swap specified pastels and white-on-white that I had a bunch of, I made a bunch to swap.  I then ended up with enough blocks to make two children's quilts - and it's about time that I got around to making them.  It will be fun to make a more *girly*  quilt since I've made so many *boy* quilts recently.  I will try to be creative with the borders, but I make no promises (sometimes I poop out and just go with what's easiest)!

Some of the swap blocks

I also finished quilting and binding #2 of the fraternal triplets that I showed in this post (one of those has already gone out in the mail).  This one will become #1 of my goal of 11 in 11 for Wrap Them in Love.  It was also on my list as #6 for Judy Laquidera's 2011 UFO Challenge, so I've completed one UFO for that!

Finished quilt with back showing

Detail of meandering quilting and backing

Attic Windows Top is Finished

I finished off the Attic Windows top with some border fabric that I had leftover in my stash.  The butterflies were all of the right colors and almost as whimsical as the other focus fabric.  The white background calms the extremely bright center down a little.  Once again, I'll say that I shouldn't take these pictures at night,  because I don't know how to use the software to make the color corrections, but someday I'll learn that.  The closeup detail picture that shows the border butterflies is closer to the true colors.

View from the Attic Windows

The Attic Windows blocks are growing.  They still need the hot pink sashing and then borders and then maybe I'll have to put out a sunglasses alert because it will be so bright!  The cute kiddie fabric is from Helen's stash at Wrap Them in Love.  I had the blue fabric on hand and scored the matching orange and pink at wal-mart at 50% off (yep, our store's fabric section is going out of business, too) - this is the thicker, better fabric and I'm going to miss the wal-mart prices on that.  I've heard that in some areas of the country people have been successful at petitioning to have the fabric sections put back in the stores, but that is unlikely around here.  Oh, well. 

Had to shut down due to thunderstorms with lightning in the area - can't take a chance on the surge protector failing and being without my sewing machine ...  more Attic Windows tomorrow (or later today if the weather clears).

Progress to Date

Detail 1

Detail 2

Mailblocks Lottery

I am in an on-line quilting-related swap group called Mailblocks.  This month's lottery (where you win the whole kit and caboodle - it's not a swap) is a very easy block and is to be done in black and black-on-white.  You just cut two rectangles, each is 3 1/2 x 6 1/2, and sew them together.  You can make up to 16 blocks and you get an *entry* into the lottery for every block you make.  These 16 blocks will be my lottery entries:

You can lay out these blocks to make a number of different designs.  Good thing I wasn't sewing these together because I laid down some wrong!  These all will get mailed off to the winner of the lottery (maybe I will get to keep them if I win ...fingers crossed) at the first of February.  Good luck, Mailblocks members!



Third of the Triplets is Done

The third of the triplets is now a finished top.  I though I was going to have fraternal twins, but it turned out there were enough blocks to make 3 children's tops.  One is a finished quilt that went in the box to WTIL already and here are the next two:


1 of 3
Donated Already
I've been playing with cropping-
haven't gotten it right yet!




2 of 3



3 of 3

Each has a little different personality.  This is the last of the blue/white blocks and I will finish quilting these two to complete the January challenge.  I'm already looking forward to the February color selection.

Meanwhile, I have started fussy-cutting some blocks for an Attic Windows top - here's a sneak preview (the colors aren't accurate - I'm better off taking photos in daylight):

Box Taped Up To Go

I just finished taping up a box with four quilts that I had ready to go on their way to Wrap Them in Love (WTIL).  These are the last of the 2010 donation quilts to go out - ok, I'm a week late but they're going out so that's good!

A few members of the WTIL yahoo group have jumped on board with a catchy goal that sounds like fun and I know I can make it!  It's to complete and send in “11 in 11” [2011].  I already have some quilts in the works for that ...

I think I've posted most of these before, but these are what’s in the box that I will get to the post office tomorrow.

Blue Scrappy Is a Top

The blue scrappy (see the Rainbow Challenge on my sidebar) that was a UFO is now a finished top.  I guess it's still technically a UFO until I get it quilted, but it's next to go on the frame so it certainly has a good chance to be completed in January!  Now I'm working on its fraternal twin (it will be in columns instead of squares).

All sewn together.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Over at SoScrappy's blog, there is a Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  The color selected for January is blue.  And my luck is holding in the New Year because the number 6 was selected in Judy Laquidera's UFO Challenge.  For me, the number 6 is the blue scrappy monkey wrench blocks ... Boy!  Two projects are gonna come together and get done this month.  I'm keeping my projects simple in order to make sure they get completed and sent out the door to the various children's charities that I support.  In January, I should be able to finish two that will be similar to this one on the *design floor* (grin):

First UFO and Design Wall of 2011

I've almost finished the pieces that will go into the first top that I'm making from the purple/yellow blocks that I won in the Sunshine (on-line) Quilt Guild's lottery.  I decided to split my winnings into two groups and then added some blocks of my own to the darker of the two sets.  This is the layout that I've selected:

I love the little basket block that a Sunshine member made.  The top still needs top and bottom  borders to make it more rectangular (and the pieces aren't sewn together yet), so the finished top will look a little different; but I'm making progress in 2011 already!

Jump on over to Judy Laquidera's Mr Linky list to see more design wall UFOs in progress for her challenge (see button on my sidebar re: the UFO Challenge).  Tomorrow I'll show what I'm thinking about for the Rainbow Challenge - this Challenge's color for January is *blue*.