Still Sewing Between Working!

Well it is back to work and so my sewing is limited to the weekend and evenings.  I continued to work on the projects I worked on at the quilt retreat. 

 

I made two more blocks for my Caribbean Sea Quilt.  These complete the 18 blocks this quilt called for, but I think it may be a little small for the double bed I want to use it one.  I will have  to see once I get the setting blocks around each block.  But to increase it's side I will have to make about 6 more blocks.  That prospect doesn't exactly thrill me.  So I will have to wait and see. 

 

Two more blocks for Caribbean Sea Quilt

 

I also worked on my Boots wall hanging.  It sure is looking good!

 

Boots with Trim

So I finished all the embroidery this week, constructed the top and added the trim. 
Here is a close up. You can double click to see a larger view.

 

I also started quilting my little twister quilt.  Not pictured here since there isn't much to see, yet.  So it was a good week of sewing.  

 

Happy Sewing!

 

Quilting Retreat



I have been on vacation since last Wednesday. So what did I do on my vacation? I went on a quilting retreat with a group of my quilting friends. I use to go to quilt camp at a youth camp site and it was a lot of fun and with a good group of gals. But the climbing up in bunk beds and all got a little old especially as I am getting older. Also we had to pack our own linen and extra foam pads to make the hard thin mattress more comfortable.

Another group of quilting friends found this very nice place called Quilting on the Rim. Let me tell you this place is really nice and it felt luxurious.  The hostess Barb is a very nice and calm person. Her side kick Denny is a great help. Which I think helped to make the weekend relaxing. Plus the company of good friends is always of great value.  Barb seemed to have her routine down to a science.

I didn't get as much sewing done as I usually do and I think that is because I have really been tired and worn out from work. So I did some reading and relaxing. As well as shopping and eating, lots of good home cooked meals. It was so nice to be waited on and taken care of for 3 days. So here is a little picture journal of my weekend.

 My car is packed and ready to go. I didn't need the little table this year because I forgot my pressing pad to go on it, so I used one that was at retreat.

My trunk is very small and my machine does not fit into the trunk so it travels in the back seat of my car with the seat belt on it. My other item here is my cube on wheels doesn't fit in the trunk either. One of the disadvantages of a small car. Any way I had extra stuff in it because a couple of the girls wanted to look at my Family History Scrapbook. Those who looked enjoyed them. If I had needed to bring my linen on this trip I don't think it would have fit in!

Of course on the way to Show Low we stopped in Payson, first stop the Quilting Sisters for a fabric fix. Followed by a good lunch at Macky's Grill.



Once we arrived at Quilting on the Rim the machines and fabrics came out. Girls Start your machines!  Let me tell you those design walls didn't stay empty for long.  Several where up early sewing and many stayed up late. 

 

There is enough room for 10 quilters, each have their own table.  There were two cutting stations, two ironing boards, five design walls and lots of good light.  I think a lot of thought went into the planing of this space.  It was comfortable to work and visit in. The room wasn't so large that you couldn't visit with everyone.



This is a Chair Caddy my friend Linda in Miami, Florida made for me. She made it so I could remember the trip to Miami 3 years ago as well as to take all my stuff to quilting get aways. It is really very clever.

Here are the projects I worked on. 

Blocks from my Caribbean Sea Quilt, I have two more to finish and I should be done.  I was thinking I might need to make another column because this might be two small for the bed I want it for.  I also did some playing in EQ, yes I took my laptop with me and I spent very little time checking Facebook, email or anything else.  WiFi was available, I just wanted a vacation from it.

I started my It's All About the Boots wall hanging.  I even started the embroidery.  I'll post that when the embroidery is finished.  

I added borders and basted my twister curtain for the master bath.  One of my friends Jane who went with us picked out this batik for the borders, at first I thought it wouldn't work but when I previewed the pieced top on it, I knew that it did.  Good pick Jane!  Thanks !




Each afternoon I tool a break from sewing and did some napping and reading in the hammock.  Very nice and relaxing.    This is on the front porch.

We ate breakfast on the back porch and after each meal we spent time watching the hummingbirds.  It was relaxing to see them.  I didn't know how much noise those little wings make when the are flying.  The coolest temperature was 59 degrees in the morning.  It was very refreshing.

I had a great time, thanks to all who joined in on the fun.  This is what I saw on the way out. 

What I was reading while at camp and finished this morning was Quilt as Desired by Arlene Sachitano.  I picked it up last March at the AQG quilt show.  I really enjoyed it and I am glad I purchased another of her books while there.  I hope she comes to the next show so I can buy some more.  It is a murder mystery with a quilt show and quilters. 

Vacation is almost over, now to do the grocery shopping and unpack all the quilting stuff!

Happy Quilting!!

I Still Do Some Sewing

It has been a busy little while.  My best friend when home to heaven and I spoke at her funeral.  Her children and daughter in laws did a wonderful job at the funeral and writing the Life Story that I read.  Her is a picture of her as a little kid.  It is just her! Smiling and happy.  She had a good life and did many good things in her life even if it wasn't always easy.  She will always be remembered. 

She is my friend who started me quilting.  She asked me to take an 8 week beginner's class with her over at Quilter's Ranch.  Since I always liked sewing it wasn't a hard decision to go.  She also opened a quilt store a couple of years later.  And she gave me my chance to start teaching quilting. 

Thanks Rosie for that.  Look at what you created! 

Oh I did that all by myself with a little help from my friends.

The sewing I have done is all hand sewing.  I finished the binding on my Twister Witch's Hat, and made these 8 little yo-yos in the car on  quick trip to Taylor AZ.  I am not going to post a picture of the hat again.

I still have many more yo-yos to make. 

Now I am off to a quilting retreat for 3 days.  So I will post pictures when I return.  My poor Mr. B is sad he will be alone for three days.  He will survive!

Happy Stitching until we meet again!

This is an EQ Week

I had my monthly club on Saturday, yesterday.  So I spent the week drawing blocks for my class.  What I have done the last two months is draw the blocks and then have my students try and figure out how to draw the block, instead of me telling them how to draw the blocks.  I hope this exercise will help them to learn how to draw any block they see.  Drawing blocks is also my favorite pass time in EQ.  I guess I want to share that.

Today Sunday I had my every other week Skype session with my friend Linda in Miami Florida. We spend two hours talking and playing in EQ. I teach her some tricks and sometimes I help her with her round robins quilts. It is fun.

Some of the blocks I taught are from the Quiltmaker's 100 Block Vol 5 collection.  There are some cool block in that magazine.  So far I have drawn 8.  

There was one block that took me three different evenings of drawing before I got it right.  I spent less than an hour or so each evening, since I was drawing other blocks also.

Tonight all those attempts paid off!

This is the block I saw that I wanted to draw, this is a scanned imagine from the magazine. 

Here is my EQ version!  I am very happy with it.  I tried several different things to make the two smaller stars including reducing the size which didn't work and make a ton of extra lines.  Even with this sample I had lots of lines to delete.

Keep on drawing those blocks practice pays off!