Reporting on Sunday - Extras

Last Friday was my monthly Quilts of Valor meeting, so I usually finish up some of those projects the week before to take along with me.  The first is a Jelly Roll-type quilt made up from pieces that I bought for just $2 at a guild’s shop during their quilt show.  Someone had cut the strips and had sets pinned together – it looked like the intention was to use them to make a log cabin, but I just went the easy route and made the Jelly Roll pattern.  I think these always look better after they are quilted.

This second one was pieced by someone in the QOV group and I quilted it with my new computerized long-arm.  I think it turned out great!

 

I wish I had made this top - it is gorgeous!

Detail showing Allegiance pantograph

Quilt before binding was hand-sewn down at the meeting

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month and my LQS is having a challenge to collect pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer.  That group’s mission is to help children smile while battling life threatening illnesses.  You can learn more about this group at:  http://www.conkerrcancer.org/

These are the pillowcases that I made up last night and took to the shop today (and the close-ups of the cute fabrics – I just love the designs!):

 

Lined up and ready to go

I LOVE those dinosaurs

Puppy toes are always popular

This is the last of my cats-in-the-tulips fabric and I will miss it!

Remind you of a circus?

My favorite footwear ...

And today I MUST finish bindings for my Wrap-a-Smile quilts … I have been saying this for weeks!  I’d like to get a box in the mail ASAP … [more best-laid-plans??].

Happily Quilting Again!

This is the latest that I called “Not a Maze” all quilted – done in Retro Leaves (a digital computerized pattern) - now I just have to get some bindings done.

My DH and I decided to bite the bullet and tackle changing out a seemingly faulty switch on my new-to-me longarm.  OK.  True confessions … I decided that we would tackle the switch and dragged him kicking and moaning up-the-down staircase – claiming all of the way that he didn’t know anything about electricity.  Oh yeah?  Then why did you work for an electric utility for 30 years?  But I was an Accountant  he whined …[and he was a darn good one].

We followed the instructions kinda loosely since that exact part isn’t made anymore:

And we did a great job:

Except for that small (or rather long) slit down the back of that protective cushy covering.  It tore when we tried to get to the wires.   Maybe I can find a bicycle handle cover to replace that – or electrical tape – or good old duct tape …  But otherwise, the new switch works wonderfully!  We’re geniuses, I gotta tell ya.

This is the back of Not a Maze showing the quilting of the Retro Leaves - I'm having a blast again:

Next up is a large Quilt of Valor.  Wish me luck!

Have a Safe Holiday!

Weekend Sewing

Finished up another kid's quilt on the frame.  This was the Round Robin that the Sunshine Quilters and I did a long time ago.  Since it is wider than I normally make, I was reluctant to quilt it on my old frame that had a "bump" on the rails.  It looks tiny on my new frame!

This is detail of the simple quilting - looping hearts:

And, TaDa!  Now it just needs binding ...

Well, we all know I'd like to be a country girl, but alas, I've always lived in a city.  I was watching this thing come up where I feed the birds and thought that it looked like a corn stalk when the leaves first started coming out:

That made sense since some of the seed I purchase has corn in it.  But, NO!  When the top came out, where were the tassels?

Turns out that I was growing sorgham!

I'm going to let it seed out and give those to the birds ...

This is the latest WIP:

I'm calling it "Not a Maze" since it isn't ...

It will be next on the frame, then I'll have to put on two Quilts of Valor - they might be a challenge.

Fortunately, I had lots of time to sew today.  It rained early, then it was back to blue skies - I wasn't chased away by lightning for a delightful change of pace.  This was the view of the clouds from my sewing room:

Fine Arts Quilt Exhibit

The Dunedin Fine Arts Center had a very interesting exhibit recently of art quilts.  If you read this blog, you know that I never make art quilts … mine are, at best, nice-looking (I hope) utility quilts for children.  But this was an especially intriguing show because of two special sections.

The first was called IQ: Masterpieces.  The format was the quilter’s interpretation of a painting by a famous artist (originally done in oils, watercolors, etc) using fabrics, threads and embellishments.  These are a few of my favorites:

The other special section of the show that fascinated me showed selections from the works of Betty Busby.  She translates magnified images from the cellular world into fantastic fabric creations.  Here again are some of my favorites:

But back at my house, I remain in love with my new quilting system.  We are beginning to understand each other (yes, there is a large learning curve!).  I can now distinguish between an operator error and a possible glitch in the system.  The operator errors are slowly being identified and eliminated – LOL.  This is a hint from my first finished quilt without a hint of help from my instructor:

And I almost forgot the deer in the yard.  There are actually two little ones – one is having a love affair with my dog.  One of the little fawns comes up to the screen to try to get the dog to come out to play – the other fawn is properly skittish.  The doe comes and gets it and chases it back into the woods.  Too funny!

I Went to a Guild Meeting

Several friends from my Quilts of Valor group wanted to check out a local quilt guild’s meeting and they invited me to join them.  That was the perfect opportunity for me to go to my first ever guild meeting.  I am too shy to ever just walk in alone!

The guild is close by and is very active.  They hold a semi-annual major show, hold weekly sessions (some workshops, some educational and some sit-and-sews in addition to the monthly business meetings).  They are actively supporting several charity efforts.  And, best of all, they were very nice!

These are some photos of the Show and Tell at the end of the business meeting:

 

Spicy Spiral Table Runners from a recent workshop

cute vest - see those prairie points?

they support a local woman veteran's shelter

art quilt - painted canvas - more in a later post on these

My friends signed up as interested in joining, but I did not put my name on the list.  Due to the meeting room’s size and some other constraints, the guild limits its membership to just under 100.  If I joined a group such as this, I know I would want to jump in with both feet, especially for the charity/philanthropic projects, and I just don’t have time for that right now.  There are only a few slots open and I wanted my friends to have a chance at them.  I wish them luck!

Sometimes I go by this fountain early in the day on my walk:

And sometimes I go by in the evening:

If it’s in the evening, I can almost guarantee that I am pooped and dragging my feet  on the way home, but I had a good, long walk …