New Year, New Handwork Project

A guild member recently donated a partially completed Baltimore Album Block of the Month for the silent auction at our quilt show.  Since there is no way the project could be completed by the 2023 show next month, a group I’m a part of decided to complete it for the show which will be held in two years.  This is not a project I would have chosen for myself, and I am very grateful that we have a long lead time.  Today I started prepping stems on one of the monthly units.  I was rather surprised to see that brown fabric was chosen for the stems.  The project coordinator assured me, however, that all the units had brown fabric for stems, though not all the same brown.

 

I’ve also been at work on my English Paper Piecing project which will be a good break from the applique work.  When I started running low on templates, I began joining some units together.  This will help me determine how many I need to baste in order to make a reasonably sized throw quilt.  I like how the pieces look together.

 

We had our family Christmas celebration December 28.  As usual, the Jolly Old Elf was much more generous to me than I deserved.  This was in the basket of goodies my daughter gave me and is now my favorite coffee mug.  I wonder, if instead of coal, a really naughty quilter would get empty thread spools?

 

New Year’s Eve was quiet for us, just the way we prefer.  We are definitely not party animals and, as usual, the one of our dogs had a hard time coping with the sound of fireworks.  We’re pretty sure that we also heard someone firing a pistol.

I’m not seeking out quotes for a specific word this year.  Instead, I’ve decided to focus on one simple reminder attributed to Theodore Roosevelt: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Guild Quilt Show

Guild Donation Quilt

During the past several weeks my Guild friends and I have been consumed with preparing for our biannual quilt show which was held last weekend.  My assignment during the show was to assist the treasurer in record keeping by being the shepherd of six cash boxes.  That meant I was there well before the doors opened and among the last to leave after the doors closed.  Despite the early arrival of a cold front and a new venue, the show was a success.

Silent Auction

We had a fabulous silent auction.

Boutique

 And a boutique loaded with handmade items.

Since I don’t subscribe to any magazines, I always look forward to our Bits and Pieces area where members have donated anything sewing related they no longer want to hold onto.

Score ($5)!

Of course, I had to visit the vendors as well.

We had 147 gorgeous quilts, but I was so busy once the doors opened, I didn't get any pictures.

The whole weekend was a lot of fun, but oh I was tired when we finally wrapped up.  I treated myself with a trip to the massage therapist today to work out some of the kinks.

Back from Retreat

I returned yesterday from our guild’s second annual retreat at the Compass Retreat Centre in Mt. Calm, Texas.  Like our first retreat, it was tremendous fun and a very welcome break.

This is the project I focused on, my version of Sue Garman’s “Good Golly” pattern.  I began piecing the blocks at our last retreat and had all my half square triangles ready to set this year. 

With help from my friends, I was able to make some border fabric decisions.

The retreat center has an attached fabric store with lots of gorgeous batiks.  Retail therapy was involved…

…and chocolate was involved; both from the snack table and the wonderful desserts served with meals.

…and inspiration was involved too.  Here are a few of the projects from the other retreaters.  I did not manage to get pictures of them all.  This is only a sampling.

We managed to get a little silly along the way.

I’m glad to be home again to hubby, doggies and my own bed; and I’m already looking forward to next year’s retreat.

Guild Day

Quilt Guild met today, a week later than usual this month so as not to coincide with Vacation Bible School where we meet.

I turned in 10 completed anti-ouch pouches I had made bringing my 2016 total to 64.  I also took a very big, very heavy dog bed which I was ever so glad to pass along.

On the home front I’m plugging along on the quilter trying to make progress on a UFO. 

I kind of like the way my practice/warm-up piece is looking.

Stitching continues on my strip sets for bordering another UFO.

For a few weeks I’ve been in something of a quilting slump, but now I feel like I may be coming out of it.  Mostly, I’m trying to stay productive inside where it’s cool.

Getting Ready for Guild Day

I had hoped to finish this project from April’s Karen Eckmeier “Happy Villages” workshop before the Guild meeting Wednesday, but it’s not going to happen.  At least I’m closing in on it and should be able to wind it up shortly.  Fortunately, this month’s workshop should not result in new a project. 

I also completed 10 anti-ouch pouches this month bringing my total to 64 for 2016. 

My Loot

I'm very late posting this, but here is my loot from the Quilt Guild show almost 2 weeks ago.

From the Guild Boutique and vendors...

I've been wanting a large African Market basket and was delighted to find one I really like.  I immediately started filling it with other purchases.

From the Bits 'n Pieces booth... 

You can't tell it from the photo, but I grabbed many small cuts of novelty fabric suitable for fussy cutting.  Over all, I was trying to beef up my stash of neutrals.

On the quilting front, I've transitioned my Jill Finley quilt from the Janome to the HandiQuilter.  I changed my mind about how to quilt the center and did a little frog stitching, but I think I'm on my way now.

Anti-Ouch Pouches -- February 2016

You really can't tell by looking at this photo, but there are 10 anti-ouch pouches waiting to be delivered to our Guild's meeting this morning.

Recovery Day

I spent the last two days working at our local Guild’s biannual quilt show.  It was tremendous fun and all indications are that it was a success.  Today is a much needed recovery day which I will spend working on my hexagon quilt.

If You're in the Area...

I’ll be here for the next two days.  Stop by and visit if you’re in the Hill Country this week.  

It's hard to believe I took this picture February 7!

"Found" Time for Quilting and Sewing!

To my great relief, I was not assigned to a jury Monday.  It was largely a matter of luck.  They needed 12 jurors and one alternate.  I was number 51 on the qualified panel, and all the positions were filled before they got that high.  Based on what little they could tell us about the case at that stage of the process plus what I learned by searching online for information later, I know it would have been a very difficult case to hear.

So, I was able to sew with my Tuesday group and continue working on my Sue Garman project.  Today, after the Quilt Club meeting, I stayed a couple of hours to help stuff and stitch up neck pillows.  These will be for sale in our February quilt show’s boutique.  We ran out of the stuffing so I brought several home to finish. 

I also handed in my anti-ouch pouches for the month.  I finished two more bringing my 2015 total to 102.  I picked up some more kits to make, but probably won’t hand them in until our January meeting.

Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming...sigh...

After four delightful days and nights with quilting friends on retreat, I am gradually reentering the real world.  You know, the world of cooking my own meals, no desserts, and doctor’s scales…that world.  Nonetheless, I’m glad to be home with hubby and the dogs.  I made Friday a recovery and reentry day with a very long nap built into the afternoon schedule.

Our first Quilt Club retreat had 28 participants at the Compass Centre in Mt. Calm, Texas.  The center was designed for quilters by a quilter and is run by quilters, so you know it had to be good.  We had spacious, L shaped work stations that made it easy to spread out our work.  I took my 63 year old Singer 301 and she held her own among some mighty fine new machines!

We also had acres and acres of design wall space, but my little blocks were so small, I used very little of it. This paper pieced Sue Garman project is going to keep me busy a very long time!

Every day, sometimes twice a day, we were visited by the “quilt fairy” and everyone won a door prize.  The loot I brought home (some purchased, but mostly gifted) including my blocks and an emptied spool is below.  

Maybe a Trailer Would Help?

Foolish, me.  I actually thought I would be able to travel lighter when going to quilt club meetings this year since I'm not an officer.  Here is part of today's haul: machine and tools for workshop, lunch, water bottle, and another full doggie bed.  Not pictured is the tote full of anti-ouch pouches and gleanings for the Bits 'n Pieces quilt show booth.

More on Anti-Ouch Pouches and Other Projects

Following my last post, I was asked about the pattern for the anti-ouch pouches the Quilt Club makes for breast cancer patients.  Here is a link to the American Sewing Guild’s site with the pdf format pattern as well as an explanation of how the pouches came to be made. 

On the personal project front, I’ve started the process of sandwiching this top for quilting.  This is the largest piece I’ve worked on since converting my HQ16 to a sit-down machine.  I do miss being able to load all the layers on rollers rather than finding large flat surfaces to get the job done.  I'm beginning to met a process in place, though, and next time it will be easier.

The Next Batch of Anti-Ouch Pouches Done!

After we washed windows this morning, it was time for me to play in my sewing room.  I finished the anti-ouch pouch kits I picked up at the July Quilt Club meeting, so that task is done for a month.  This time I decided to take 14 kits.  I've challenged myself to make 100 in 2015 and this brings me to 78.  We don't meet in December, so I need to keep the pace up the rest of the year if I'm going to reach my goal.  Cancer, in its various forms, has been the big killer in my family.  It makes me feel better to know there is a practical, hands-on way I can help bring comfort to some of its victims.  The bags are filled with Polyfill stuffing and used by breast cancer patients to cushion the surgical wound site. 

The crepe myrtles in our yard have been especially pretty this summer. 

Workshop with Sandy Klop

Thursday’s day-long workshop with Sandy Klop  was great fun.  It gave me an excuse to take my Featherweight on a play date.  She performed magnificently!

We used Sandy's Flying Circles design and learned a new technique to handle inset seams and how to create blocks using equilateral triangles. 

After stitching several triangle units she had us play around with layouts.  I just discovered that I did not take a picture of my own units.  I will have to correct that in a future post.  Here are some of the other student units in their colorways.  All them are very pretty.

The day went by much too fast.