My New Spray Basting Area

Sweetie and I just finished putting this up in the storage area of the basement. Since I don't have a midarm (yet), my projects will be on the smaller side so there won't be a problem with over spray. It's 8' x 8' with a foot or two of concrete beyond.

I have a cheater top (guild donation quilt) to baste and then try out the stencil that I made!!!!

Neapolitan Piggies Are In Trouble!

This is the first redesign. After I had the first design on the wall it was total chaos in my eyes. The rail fence idea just didn't work with the solid squares of piggy material thrown in. Out came my high tech quilting design tools...crayons and copy paper...and I had me some pinwheels. This is what a rail fence boarder looks like...not pleasing.



Since I still wasn't loving it, I put a post on Quilting Board to get some instant feedback from the many quilters that frequent the website. Within minutes, I had a new design on the wall and another picture posted on the website.



There's more changes to make and I'm not sure that I can "man up" this baby quilt enough to please all parties...but I sure do love the brown/pink/white combo...almost as much as turquois/brown/white.

What's wrong with a baby boy having some softness and pink....after all, he's soft and pink right now...he has the rest of his life to "man up" and it will probably happen way too soon.

A New Place To Read And Ponder Quilts

 

...and view nature...love those little hummingbirds...love to watch their aerial battles.

 

These two were taken with my cellphone (when do you think someone will come up with zoom on a cell camera?) and the last one was taken with the watercolor option.

Quilt Guild Badge Done!!!

I'm very pleased with how my badge turned out. Members wear their badges to the monthly business meetings, quilt shows, or other guild related outings.


Everything is cut out for Neapolitan Piggies and ready for sewing of strip sets.

Yesterday, I dropped into my LQS to check on some guild members that were taking a class and while I was there the owner was talking about accurate seam allowances. I mentioned that I was going to get some mole skin to make a guide. Pam, the owner, knows that I have a Brother machine (which she sells) so she said to follower her over to the machines, where she showed me which foot and what setting will give me an accurate 1/4" seam on my particular machine. I had already given up using the 1/4 inch foot with the guide bar...to big a seam.

One of the reasons that I started a blog was to have something in place to keep me on track (nag me), get me going (pester me) on a project....pretty much be there in my face to remind me to get going on something...to reign in my ADD tendency to bounce from one new thing to the other!

Ouh! Ouh! Ouh!...I'm going to try and make my own stencils? Now where's my Dremel?

I'm going to make a baby quilt for Sweetie's nephew's new son. These are the fabrics that will make up the quilt and yes, I used crayons to do my pattern. I think it's time I move up to at least Quilt Wizard!

It all started with the piggy fabric, which I only had a 12.5" strip of, and the rest were purchased at my LQS. I had to come up with a theme to make more pink in the quilt acceptable for a boy quilt. Then it came to me...Neopolitan ice cream was the baby's late grandfather's most favorite ice cream. I'll make 6" rail fence blocks and work in four 6" and one 12" blocks of the piggy fabric. Love the piggy fabric will have to order more.


Now that the temperatures and the humidity aren't so high the porch is a much more enjoyable place to be for all concerned. Except for last night, we had dinner on the porch for the past week. The cool mountain morning air is back...love to have that first cup outside!

Using Hankies On Quilts - The Rest Of The Story

Let me continue on...what a surprise when I went to complete the draft of this post to find it published incomplete. Read on about the impromptu quilt show!


This week at the Apple Country Guild meeting, one of our members gave a presentation on using old hankies in guild making. She brought a bunch of old hankies for us to use to practice various folding techniques. We learned various ways to fold for angel wings and my favorite which is shown above. I think these would make cute little wall hangings. I didn't get a picture of it, but she showed us how to fold the hanky to make a pocket. Other than the pocket and the skirt, I don't think I would use the other ideas although, it is a good way to reuse!


Another member brought in her experiment with origami using a hanky.


One member brought in several of her quilt tops to show. This one was a simple pattern but very colorful.




A Sunbonnet Sue with a fan skirt.


This was done on a large gingham fabric with embroidery/cross stitch like stitches.


The members want a guild program on this technique.


Another member brought in this LARGE top made with yo-yos.


These all had a different fabric peeking thru the center.

Gilmer County Fair Quilt Show

This quilt was it's division winner and the judges favorite. The piecing was very accurate and there was some beautiful embroidery work in the squares.


Another division winner.


Another division winner. One of the judges was in love with this quilt!




We had fewer quilts brought in for competition this year, but what we had was all well done.



This was all hand appliqued and hand quilted. The judges loved it but said that it need more overall quilting.





I brought in the chair, the washboard, and of course the chamber pot. I made the mistake of doing about 30 to 45 minutes of hand quilting on the frame in the picture. My shoulder and arm bothered me more than usual for days (really nights).



We are the set up volunteers from the guild...a fun group! Five of us were also there to help during the judging. What an interesting and educational experience!!! Are your bindings full????


My shoulder is a bit better and I haven't used the heating pad for four nights! After blood tests and X-rays, there is no diagnosis. The Dr gave me a scrip for a muscle relaxer that was in and out of my system so fast that it still didn't make for a good nights sleep (still had to use heating pad). Then he gave me a scrip for a pain killer that took away the pain but I felt like crap the next day (headache and upset stomach). According to the info I found on that med, it's highly addictive so I guess it's a good thing it didn't work for me.

At least I'm getting a little more sleep at night and don't feel quite so zombie-ish.