Catchng up....

So earlier this month I promised I'd share some of the things I have been working on.

Well the first project I can only share a corner as it is a challenge piece for one of my guilds.  It is another piece done with my mother as my inspiration.  This time it is a salute to her strength and fortitude.  I can't share what just yet, as it will give away my piece, but here is a quick peek at some of the quilting.  I love the piping, as the black polka dots on the fabric are random, so the sliver that shows in the piping is truly sporadic.

This piece is quilted with Aurifil 50 weight cotton.

Once that piece was done and ready to be turned in to the challenge team, I picked up another UFO from last fall (yeah, shamelessly I have more UFO's than I care to admit.  I remember when I made sure I never had more than one other piece in process.  Oh well!)....  It is a piece that was started during my semi-annual Friday Night Fun at the CQ Getaway.  Yes, this piece took more than just the Friday evening.  I didn't actually finish the top until mid-day on Saturday.  But I finally took it out of the bag and finished it.   At the retreat everyone kept coming up to the piece to see the chickens running loose in the yard (by the base of the tree).

I did a bit of thread play on the top before quilting this piece.  More than half of the sun rays, as well as the little patches of grass on the hills and all the stitching on the leaves were done on the top only.  (disregard the little bit of lint...  it is amazing where these lint balls try to call home)

I enjoyed adding dimension to the piece as well.  The beige tablecloth in the laundry basket is sticking out and just hanging over the edge, as well as the purple one behind it.  The quilt the ladies are hanging on the line is a full quilt (all 3 layers). I still have to add the handwork to represent the 'clothes pins'.

I should have took a close up of the boulders I quilted in the boarders.  I love the texture it gives the piece.


"Laundry Day" as I have named it, is a true testament as to why as a quilter you probably need more thread than fabric :-)..  This small 24" x 26" has 10 different threads in it.  Sulky solids and variegated, Aurifil 50 wt cotton, Superior Masterpiece/Sew Fine/Rainbows, Mettler Twists, Gutterman and Isacord.

 I used Quilters Dream batting in both pieces.

Cross one off the list, but I have about 8 other UFO's sitting there waiting to be finished!

Quilt Escape - Spring 2010: Part II

OK, as promised here are some pics from the retreat last weekend.  You will see what I meant when I said we had some pretty talented ladies...  the creativity just flowed freely at the Interlaken Inn, in Lakeville, Ct.  Our host from Country Quilter/Flourish ---  art quilter, Jane Davila is always the "hostess with the mostess". 

Alright, without further adieu, here are some pics ....

My roomie, Ashley, worked on two different Kimono projects this weekend.  Ashley is known for her precision piecing and decided to try her hand at paper piecing this weekend.  Here she is next to four Kimono's using Japanese fabrics.  Ashley was unhappy, because in prep for the weekend she sorted her fabrics into 'good' for the Kimono's and 'rejects' for the Kimono's.  Well upon unpacking she realized she brought the 'reject' pile of fabric and not the ones she considered 'good'.

Now you tell me, do you see anything wrong with the fabrics she used in these Kimono's?  I sure don't. 

Here is a close up.....  they work for me Ashley!    The one on the right is a second set she is working with just black and white fabrics with all the sashes done in red.  Very sophisticated looking...  right :-)

This is a piece Donna Chambers started before the retreat for her Mom.  You can see she finished the top, made a fun back and has it all basted to take home and quilt.  If you look closely, there are squares with women in the center to represent the strength her Mother has provided her.  I think this is going to be a wonderful Mother's Day present.  The question....  will she get it finished in time???

Donna also worked on a top from a kit she picked up at Lancaster.  Here she is busy at work...

As you have heard me say before, Donna always has some interesting fabric...  even when she buys a kit.  I guess she just has an eye for it :-).

Jean was her normal quiet self, but as you can see, she was also focused...

She brought this fabric and the pattern at Lancaster, when the Pelham Quilters went to the AQS Show.  But by the end of day Saturday, she had the top all put together.  I just love the colors.  I told Jean that should she decide she doesn't like the quilt, or that it doesn't fit into her color scheme at home, that my quilt museum would feature it with honor :-)....

Next in one of the other rooms, Jane's sister, Linda decided that this was her weekend for hand work.  She didn't cart her sewing machine, just one bag with this master piece....

the fabric is all her own...  either dyed or painted, or both....  it is all needle turn applique.  Can I hear the OMG's as you read this.  Here is a close-up....  take a breath...  breathe....

I said breathe!  Absolutely stunning.....  My hat's off to you Linda! 

Back into the room I sew in...  the Garden Room.  One of the women who rides up with me, has a strong tie to very traditional fabric and patterns.  So Lorraine spent the weekend working on her 56 12" blocks.  This will be a Queen size quilt when finished...

Here they are layed out on the design wall.  She completed 42 of the 56 blocks.  Boy my hat goes off to her for her determination!

Tonight, Lorraine told me one of her friends saw it laid out this week and fell in love with it and wants it.  Now that it has a home, it means it has to get finished, so Lorraine asked me to quilt it.  Yikes...  Queen size...  haven't done that in a while.  But, it will get me into practice...  another story for another day, but I am thinking about quilting on commission.  Of course when I told Lorraine in the car going home, I told her I would start on smaller projects first.  But as she said tonight...  this will be a good practice piece :-).  We'll see...

Another of my car buddies is Margaret.  Margaret is also pretty quiet most of the weekend.  She just sits at her machine and sews..  not much talking from her.  But that usually means that at the end of the 3 1/2 days, Margaret has finished more than one top. 

Here she is with her 'Suduko' quilt...    always a challenge to lay out, so that you don't repeat a color in a row or column.

And here is Margaret with a top she fused before we arrived, but needed to be machine appliqued down.

That is a picture of Margaret's mischievous cat sitting in the flower pot amongst the tulips!

Maria, is a girl after my own heart.  She does a lot of paper piecing.  Her points are always exquisite and her quilts stunning.  I thought I had a picture of one of her tops finished, but it must have been blurry, because I can't find it.  But here, you can see she spent the weekend creating spiky sections via paper piecing.

Can't wait to see this one finished next year :-)...

Next are a couple of photos I took in one of the other rooms, but I don't know whose work they are, as the quilters were doing the same thing I was....  wondering the three rooms, getting inspiration from others work. 

Yes, I am an AKA, so pink and green hold a special place in my heart, but don't these squares just sing to you....  boy I can't wait until the fall to see this one finished...  at least, I hope she brings it back.

This was a quilt on one of the design boards....  It is string pieced, but you can see the pattern and the design is pretty interesting.  I love the way the colors move around....  but in this state, who knows where the quilter may be taking this piece.  Guess we will have to wait until the fall on this one as well :-).

Ok, I confess...  I just can't pull her name out of my head right now....  come'on, give me a break, there were 51 women this weekend.  She sits in the room right next to mine and is at all the retreats....  why can't I remember her name.  Oh well, take it from me...  she loves color....  and her quilts always full of it..  Here she just finished squaring up a block.  As you can see, color abounds.  Gee...  why can't I remember her name...  and I can't blame on a Senior moment, because I have been bad with names for years :-)....


Well I think that is about all the photos I have.  Except one of the group...

We are a motley crew, aren't we!  This is right after Sunday lunch and most of us, just want to get back to our machines :-).

I do have a bunch of photo's from Donna of quilts she had made prior to retreat, but I think I will save those for another night.

Night all.....

Going on Retreat this weekend!

Can't wait! Six of my quilting friends and I are going on retreat this weekend, and I can't wait! The retreat is at the Interlaken Inn in Lakeville, Ct. and is sponsored by The Country Quilter. We will be joined with about 45 other quilters... what a hoot! All we do is quilt, laugh, eat and maybe a little sleep!

Can't wait... I plan to work on two pieces that I have sketched out... one is a triangle piece that sits on it's point. It has ribbons of red, yellow and green applique against a dark blue background, with two swirling flying geese pieces coming out of the bottom point. The second is a 48x48" medallion guilt that I have been playing with on paper. I had both enlarged at Kinko's today, and my fabric selection is all ready to go.

But of course tonight, I worked on a third piece that just makes my heart sing. It is a Rhapsody quilt, and if I can get it enlarged before I leave and figure out the fabric, I think I might just bring it along with me. Oh well... guess the pressure is on.

I will post pictures when I get back next week (probably during the week, as I will be on the road for work, spending my nights in a hotel... always a good time to blog :-) )

Hugs....