Christmas QAL April Post 2

I enjoyed the MQX East in Providence very much and I did take lots of pictures.  Funny thing, but one of the vendors told me she did not allow pics so I deleted the one of her quilt that I had while she watched me do it.  Oh well.  I do have pictures of the winning quilts and some others with special attention to the fmq that was done on them.  I'll just show a few now. 

I just visited Lynn's blog http://sewnwildoaks.blogspot.com/   and was pleased to learn that one of her quilts was on display at the quilt show.  I wish I had known.  I looked at so many, but I think I do remember hers because I love the traditional quilt styles and spent more time looking at them.

This quilt won Best in Show.  I guess you can see why.

This quilt looks like a huge photo from afar.

The quilter used quite a few techniques to get her desired effect.  The water is silver decorative thread.

This one I love.

Of course, I love this cat quilt.  But I noticed that the quilter kept her fmq simple and achieved a pleasant effect, which won her a ribbon.  There are feathers quilted in the sashing, but the squares are simpler. 

God Bless.

Christmas QAL April Post 1

I'm getting ready to go to the MQX East http://www.mqxshow.com/MQX/East/Home/index.cfm
but I wanted to check in with Lesley http://lesleythecuddlequilter.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-christmas-quiltalong-is-here-with.html and everyone else to see what you are all doing.  Thank you, Lesley, for the applause and I hope you are enjoying your cinnamon buns.  They probably smell and taste delicious:)  They certainly look good.

The instructions for this month are posted so I hope to get to it later.  If I don't I'll still look in to see everyone else's progress and enjoy the sight of all the beautiful Festive Quilts being put together out there. 

Have a good one:)

Christmas QAL Reminder

Lesley of The Cuddle Quilter http://lesleythecuddlequilter.blogspot.com/  is the our bright and shiny hostess tomorrow for the Christmas Quilt Along.  She will have the third part of the Festive Mystery Quilt and we all are waiting for that.   

I plan to attend my first quilt show tomorrow, but will definitely get sewing later in the day and hopefully have some photos to share with you.  I guess it may seem funny that I've never been to a quilt show or attended a quilt class, but it's true.  I hope I'm not totally intimidated by the quilts and decide to never touch my rotary cutter again:) 

So have fun over at Lesley's and I'll join in later in the day.  With three parts of the Festive Mystery Quilt done our quilt tops are going to really take shape.

God Bless! 

SewCalGal Opened the Voting for the GQA



It's time to vote for the Golden Quilter Awards held each year by SewCalGal.  Just by voting you have a chance to win a prize from one of the many sponsors.  This is a nice way to recognize the people in the quilting world you appreciate and rely on.   Here is the link:

http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2012/03/vote-for-your-favorite-nominees-for.html

The voting is open until this Saturday, March 31st. 

Best wishes to all of the nominees.

God Bless.

All Caught Up For Now

Eleanor Burns' Treasure Chest Quilt Block #6 - Mexican Star
http://www.facebook.com/quiltinaday#!/quiltinaday/app_154809041280482

Is this block cool, or what?

SewCalGal's March FMQ Challenge:
http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-2012-fmq-challenge-tutorial-by.html

This was an exercise in loops and curves.  I still have a way to go, but it is fun and every month I learn a little something.

Sue of Quilt Times' Festive Mystery Part 2
http://quilttimes.blogspot.com/

All set for the next installment in April and looking good.

 

Message for Judy S; Because you have no reply email I wasn't able to forward the instructions for part 2. I have posted them on the original post of the March QAL page so that you and anyone else who needs them can find them more easily. http://needlethreadhappiness.blogspot.com/2012/03/chirstmas-qal-march-post-1.html

God Bless.

 

Christmas QAL March Post 6

The Christmas QAL in April will be hosted by Lesley of The Cuddle Quilter http://lesleythecuddlequilter.blogspot.com/
I love her blog header and button; looks like the perfect chair for some calming hand quilting. 

From the visiting I've done today, some of you have made progress in your projects, whether the Festive Mystery quilt or other things.  You are all so talented.  Thanks so much for joining me today. 

Christmas QAL March Post 5

This is what Moxie does when she wants attention.

She climbs my canopy and waits for me to hear her walking on it.  If you read Donna's post about ChaCha,

http://sosewcrafty.blogspot.com/2012/03/festive-mystery-qal-update-1.html

 you may not think quilting and cat ownership go together. But she's my comic relief.

Am I getting any sewing done or cooking?  Not today.  I'm pretty sure that any sewing I tried today I'd be ripping out tonight, so it's on hold.  But I'm happy to see what you all have been doing. 

Christmas QAL March Post 4

Sharon of Vroomans Quilts mentioned the Beach Boys Christmas song she enjoyed and I found this on youtube.  I love the clean cut look of that era.  I remember they came out with "Be True to Your School" when I was in high school and we all took it very seriously. 

http://youtu.be/O3l3VzIQa4w

Some of you are making great progress and have your units in bags ready for next month.  We also have some new quilters joining us, so welcome.  If you don't have a blog and still want to stitch along just email the host of the month for the instructions.  

 

Christmas QAL Post 3

Boy, am I ever off to a sloppy start! 

Hope you all have the second installment of Festive Mystery.  Let me know if not.

Sharon has snow, but we are cold and clear here. 

I'm off to sew. 



Christmas QAL Post 2

My apologies for not getting the second installment out faster.  I can't seem to attach the word document to email, so I am just forwarding Sue's email to you all of you.  No excuses, just apologies.

Chirstmas QAL March Post 1 Edited

Hello and Welcome to the March Christmas Quilt Along.

This month you are visiting the Southeastern part of Massachusetts in the North East of the United States of America.

I've been wondering what to do to make all of you feel welcome and inspired and I realized that if you are here and reading this post than you are all ready to go.  So happy!

Mr. Linky is here also, and when you log in I will email to you the second installment of Sue of Quilt Times' Festive Mystery  http://quilttimes.blogspot.com/.   If you prefer to email me, than do so and I will respond. 

We get to sew this month! And you will love Part C.  Be sure to post pictures because for me at least that's one of the best parts of this QAL.   I love to participate and I love to see what every one else is making.  Last month it was seeing the fabric choices of the other bloggers that helped me make my final decisions on fabric.  I don't belong to a guild yet, so other bloggers are my support and inspiration.  And you are IT today:)

Do you like to dance?  How about some music? 

My favorite band in high school ( after the Beatles and Bob Dylan, and etc. ) was

The Young Rascals.  I absolutely loved them.  I met them  and have their autographs from 1966 or 1967.  This song was my favorite at the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrCEEDyXYjE

Let's jitterbug around between sewing strips and taking pictures and visiting each others blogs.  If you feel like sharing your favorite music artists or songs, do so.  I'd love to know.

We are so lucky to be quilting together today. 

Let's have some quilting fun!

God Bless.

I'll be back later.

And yes, I do have a recipe to share.

After all, a girl's got to live:)

Festive Mystery Quilt

(March instalment)

 

1. Take the 3½” x 3½” background squares and put them in a bag labelled Unit A. (Now you see why you need plastic bags!)

 

2. To make Unit B:

If you are making the non-scrappy version, follow the instructions in section A below OR, for the scrappy version follow the instructions in section B:

 

Section A:

Non-scrappy:

 

i. With right sides together, sew one light and one medium 2” x 42” strip along one long edge.

 

ii. Open out and press seam to the darker side.

 

iii. Repeat to make five strip sets.

 

iv. Cross cut the sewn strips into units measuring 2” x 3 ½” units.

 

v. Take two of these units, rotate one so the light and medium colours are opposite each other. Sew together to make one four-patch.

 

vi. Press the seam to one side and trim the square to 3½” x 3½”.

vii. Repeat to make 48 of four-patches.

 

viii. Put in a bag labelled Unit B.

 

ix. Go to C below.

Section B:

Scrappy:

 

i. Take one light and one medium 2” x 2” square. Place right sides together and sew along one edge. Open out and press seam to the darker side. Repeat with another pair of squares.

 

ii. Take these two units, rotate one so the light and medium colours are opposite each other. Sew together to make one four-patch.

 

iii. Press the seam to one side and trim to 3½” x 3½”square.

 

iv. Repeat to make 48 four-patches.

 

v. Put them in a bag labelled Unit B.

 

C. That’s all for this month, so all you have to do now is . . . . .

 

Keep everything safe until next month!

All Set for the Christmas QAL

My fabric is all set for the second installment of the Festive Mystery Quilt which Sue http://quilttimes.blogspot.com/  will give to us this coming Saturday.  And I am going to be all set as well because I am the host this month.  I hope I make it fun for you.  Maybe I'll follow Hazel's lead and share a recipe. 

Do you ever wonder how QAL's began?  Or how Mystery QAL's began?  I think the newspapers and periodicals started it all.  Whatever it was I love to join in with other bloggers to make a quilt.  We all make the same design and they all look amazingly different.  It's fun. 

See you Saturday.

God Bless.



Stars and Crocus

This weekend I made five more Radiant Stars and I think I'm done making them.  I have twelve and that should make a nice quilt top. 

I have to cut out each block using templates and there are 48 pieces to each block.  The most fun was mixing and matching the fabric, but I'm low on the background and don't know if I can get more.  The sashing will be the prints. 

I have been using the practice pieces from the FMQ challenge as mug rugs and place mats.  I used one of the templates and then washed the item, so this doesn't really look that great now, but with more practice I think this will be okay.

This surprised me today:

Where did winter go?

God Bless You.

 

FMQ Challenge February Exercise

I have been working on the February FMQ challenge from Diane Gaudynski  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2012/02/february-2012-fmq-challenge-tutorial.html , and I have one sample that I will share.

Good enough for now, but not for a quilt.

I ordered stencils from Quilt in a Day when they had a 30% off sale recently, and they arrived yesterday so I now have some new toys. 

They are bigger than I expected.

They'll be fun to use.

God Bless.

February Christmas QAL Post 2

I have changed my mind.

After seeing the Christmas fabrics that others are using I went through my Christmas fabrics and found some I like better than the brown group.

And I'm up to six stars.

Now I will do some cutting.



February Christmas QAL Post 1

I'm having a difficult time making the fabric decision for the Festive Mystery quilt. This is what I chose yesterday from what I have on hand.

So of course this morning I'm second guessing myself and came up with this combo.

I think the medium and light fabrics are too close in value.  I'm using the brown because I have enough of it for the dark. 

Question for Sue:  would this design work with two darks of the same color and the same for the mediums and lights? 

Help please!

I may just go scrappy, but that means I probably won't make much progress today.

I have been making Radiant Stars and am up to five so far.

I might just work on those today until my coffee kicks in and I'm truly awake.



Saturday is Christmas Quilt Along Day

Not ready for Santa this soon?  That's okay.  You just need to be ready for some quilting fun.  The second Saturday of the month is almost here, well not here in this blog, but at Hazel's blog, http://hazelsquilts.blogspot.com/.  Hazel is the hostest with the mostest for the February Christmas QAL.  She has a wonderful blog and is sure to make you feel right at home and welcome when you join us.

Last year Sue and Cathi created a quilt for us to make together, and we were all so pleased with our finished quilts. We also enjoyed seeing each others progress and finishes.  This year Sue has created a Mystery Quilt for us to make together and has named the quilt A Festive Mystery.  Is that fun or what?  We will have six installments of the quilt, then will share our finishes in December when Sue again hosts the QAL.  Sue has a wonderful talent for design, so you can trust that the quilt we make together will be lovely.  Check out last year's finishes if you need more encouragement. http://quilttimes.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-quiltalong-party.html Just visit each blog to see the quilts and other items made by the bloggers who participated. 

Hazel will begin this Saturday by giving us the materials list and the first cutting directions.  I am hosting the March QAL and will have the second installment, although I don't know what it will be.  It's a mystery to me, too.

If you don't want to make the mystery quilt, you can make whatever you like.  I think that since the Christmas season ended so recently, we all know what we could use or want for next year.  And it's not too early to begin making gifts.

Hope you can join us.  It's sure to be a fun experience.

God Bless.

Storm at Sea Block

This is the fifth block for the Treasure Chest Quilt that I am making per Eleanor Burns and Quilt in a Day's facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/#!/quiltinaday

What I've learned is that blocks that may look difficult may just require more exacting attention.   I love working on this quilt because each block I've made so far is entirely new to me but is traditional, so I'm enjoying making them.

When I did a search for some history on the Storm at Sea block, I found that it is a very popular block that when used as the sole block in a quilt can create many different designs depending on how the block is put together and the choice of fabrics.  Two sites mention that the design is based on the  New Testament event when Jesus quiets the sea from the fishing boat, which is a nice testament to the faith of so many quilters of the past.     

Enjoy your crafting and Go Patriots!

God Bless You!



My Third Radiant Star

These blocks cannot be put together quickly, at least not by me.  But for this third block, things went much better.  I only had to rip out 3 seams, maybe 4:)

The February FMQ Challenge practice is a lesson in feathers!  So happy!  Maybe after following the instructions that are given and practicing as much as possible this month I'll get good at them.  Diane Gaudynski is the guest instructor.  The pictures look very helpful. http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2012/02/february-2012-fmq-challenge-tutorial.html

I spent time this past weekend patching together scraps of batting to use for the practice pieces.  So I'm ready to make feathers.

Today I visited an Audubon Wildlife Refuge nearby which is near some of the few remaining farms in this area.  Across the road the field was filled with Canada geese.  They were so quiet I guess they were resting.  I think the mild winter we are having is affecting man, beast, and plants alike.  My crocuses are popping up, but it's too soon.

God Bless You.