Spring has Sprung!!

Spring is finally here in the forest. The snow is (as of yesterday) completely gone and the ground is warming. From the cold dirt - the lilies and crocuses have emerged and and the trees are budding out.

Spring is also the time for a Spring Quilting Retreat. I spent 4 wonderful stress free days playing with friends recently. Here is what I have accomplished.

Two years ago I participated in a $5 BOM at the Local Quilt Store. I have dallied as to how to put it together and never purchased what I thought that I wanted for the setting triangles and the borders. Now two years later, I am stuck and scrambling for something that will look right. This is what I completed at the retreat. This is the completed center using a dark large print coordinating fabric in the Anna Griffin Blue Willow line. It still needs borders - I am planning on using the same large print fabric for those.

I also worked on a Guild Challenge. This Challenge was to create a 30 inch to 45 inch square wall hanging with as many 3", 6" and 12" stars as possible. These are my first stars made from stash fabric that I did not like. They have actually grown on me and I now am liking the fabric. Imagine that - LOL!!

Off to the sewing room this morning for more sewing!!

Donna's Quilt

The last few days have been intense. My very best friend, Joyce,  from college days came to visit for four days of sewing and quilting.

Another good friend of hers, Donna,  passed away recently having lost her long battle with cancer. Donna had chosen fabric for a thank you quilt some time ago for her daughter, Julie, who had taken her in and cared for her. The fabric and patterned remained in the bag until last Wednesday.

We cut, pressed, sewed, cut some more, sewed some more, and then some more! Suddenly it was pieced. Then it was onto the Voyager to be quilted. Binding was made and sewed on. By Saturday noon it was ready for hand sewing. This was the results:

Although we did not get the hand sewing completed, it is on its way back to Rhode Island for hand sewing, label and delivery!!  I am blessed to be able to help complete this beautiful quilt for a wonderfully sweet generous lady.

Long Arm Ruler Work

I have been accumulating several rulers for long arm ruler work. I had the notion of doing a complete quilt with just straight lines. So .... Here are some thoughts on that!

I need my head examined - lol!!

Here was what I got accomplished on this Christmas Santa Quilt Kit from a LQS that included a panel. I am not generally a fan of panels but this one was cute and afforded me lots of squares that I could practice my straight line ruler work on. The Pinwheels and the square inside a square surrounding the panel were the easiest to decide what I should do on them. They "spoke to me" as just simple outlines - because I wanted to be simple if I needed to undo anythink that got done!!. The squares were 6" finished so not too large and would fare well with not a lot of quilting in my opinion.

The panel was a bit more tricky. As there some printed squares and several Santa blocks, I followed the idea to do a simple outline in those printed blocks following the pattern in the six inch blocks. Again going fro  simplicity and practice!

The Santa Blocks got a simple outline first. Then I filled in the navy background with small to medium stippling. The Santa needed something as well, so I did some free motion quilting on each Santa following clothing lines, beards,skates and the like!

I was pleased with the outcome and here it is - complete!

Snow Day Project

Despite the fact that I have many irons in the fire up in the sewing room, Thanks to Storm Nemo (who knew that Nor'Easters got names - lol), we had very heavy snow the last two days and I was inspired to do some blocks for our Guild. We do Quilts of Valor as our "charity" project and the gal who does it gives out a BOM every month and assigns colors.   She was short on a few so I did quite a few the last two days!! Here is what I have accomplished !!

Progress

I thought that I would take time out to show the progress on my Son's Birthday quilt mande from the Bali Brown Sugar Crackers. I have squared the blocks, arranged them and sewed them together. This is what I have so far:

I am pleased with it. This center will finish up at 48" x 56" before the borders. I have already put the 45 degree Piano Border together ready to cut. 

To do this, I took each Bali Pop strip and cut it in half using a 45 degree cut. I then arranged them and sewed them to arrive at this piece:

Once this is stripped into  four inch pieces, it will become the second border!  I still need to purchase a nice brown for the first and third borders to set it all off. All finished I expect it to finish up approximately 70" x 78". This will be a great size for the couch when done!