Virtual Retreat July 2015 - Join Anytime

[Pamela N.]

Hello everyone, Loved reading what everyone is planning to do in July. I'm bringing my 2014 BOM to the retreat to FMQ, it will take me some time to finish it as I am slow. I have almost half the quilt done (not including the borders) and I am really enjoying it. I have just finished a hand quilted applique quilt, I only have 2 quilting projects to work on at any time -1 hand 1 machine so I will be looking for inspiration for the design of my next hand project. I'm going on holiday for week too.
Best Wishes Pam

[wendy w.]

Sorry you're having a bad year Carol, hope it improves now and fabric is a comfort. I'd love to see your baby quilts I need some inspiration

Love the quilting stories and your first quilt Lois it looks so soft.

I'm going up Snowdon tomorrow to cool down

[wendy w.]

I just read thru all the posts, since I introduced the thread. I should have made notes so I would say the right thing to each of you. But, alas, I didn't and if I go back to re read them again, I'll probably end up down another rabbit hole. I'm known for that sort of thing.
Most importantly, I want to let those who have been dealing with adversity, you are not alone or without someone that cares. If you care to inform us you are safe here. Whether it's health, relationship, or emotional, whatever it may be, we all care that you are taking care of yourself. And many of us have a little list of people we pray for on a regular basis. So, please feel comforted.
Wendy I remember you said you were going for 'virtual' milk duds. Be cautious I hear they are addictive in that form also!!! LOL
JUDITH (I think?), I believe you could change the center twirling blocks into a 4 or 9 patch and sashing that could have more interest, but not twirl, by making the corners of lights or darks that would become a 4patch when assembled. If you want me to, I would draft up the block in my EQ program and I could send it to you. Or, if you did' use stripes. Instead a tone on tone or similar design would calm it some.
I know that many of us think we should finish some projects before starting another one. I'm not opposed to this concept, but if it was the easy thing to do, well,,, I wouldn't have all my "in progress" pieces! I think that sometimes you need to let yourself really get the new project that's on your mind, underway to a point that you feel you can take a break from it. On the break you can pick up one of your previous pieces and continue on. I liken it to farming. You prepare your ground (get your sewing machine and cutting area cleared off). You purchase sufficient seed to plant the area and a little extra in case you tractor and planter mess up, (fabric and thread shopping). On planting day, you get up early, take the lunch you packed last night and head out to the field. (Off to the sewing room). Now comes the starting of a what will be a harvest a few months down the road. After the seed is in the ground, there may be discing, weeding, and any number of other terms. You may even need to irrigate to keep things alive. And there is the 'waiting for it to grow' and mature' before you can even get ready for the grand finale of harvesting! And when a harvest is brought into the silo, it is only after proper fermentation that it can be used to its full benefit.
Hope you all enjoyed that bit of rambling! Maybe next time I'll tell you about my dad wearing the pj bottoms I made for him when I was about 9. Poor guy, he walked like a mummy, so as to not split the crotch out! I can laugh now, but I had no idea back then.
Luann
PS I really value each of you and I am so glad I found you.

[Carol G.]

Ok, let me try this again using my laptop instead of my kindle. LOL Here is the baby quilt, from a Leisure Arts book. And here is the baby, Lucy. She is my dear friend's first granddaughter. She is the prettiest little baby.
And thank you for your words. This year is on an upswing from the first half.

[Carol G.]

Are you going to be the lucky commenter? On my blog today, I've asked for comments on my 'forest fire' piece. Somebody's comment is going to get them some hand dyed fabric.

www.letscreatetoday.blogspot.com

Luann

[Catherine S.]

Carrie, yes Lucy is adorable. The quilt is very pretty too.
Luann, I tried to comment on you blog, but somewhere got lost when logging in. I will try again tomorrow.

[Catherine S.]

Lois, Marianne, Judith and Geneva - Love your garment and quilting stories! I'm guilty too garments first then quilts!
Carrie - Love Lucy's photo and quilt what a sweetie!
Wendy - Snowden looks like a neat place DH and I would love the train!
Pam - Love to see your FMQ progress I'm still mostly stitching in the ditch.

Barb

[Annis C.]

Interesting quilting stories. Some of my first quilts were inspired by Georgia Bonesteel's Lap Quilting, except I did the lap quilting on the sewing machine. And my applique was fused and machine stitched through all layers one block at a time as early as 1975 so there was no quilting needed. I believe they call that appliquilting now.

This month I'm working on my DBIL's quilt. In fact I will be making 2 quilts, 1 for him and 1 for their king size bed as his wife didn't want a forest/wildlife quilt for a bedspread. She chose a block called Crystals from a McCalls website. I'm searching everywhere for teal fabrics. I found a lot of choices on line and had my DD help me choose the ones she liked the best. I'm hoping to add some brown to the quilt, maybe if I can find a fabric I like that has both colors. Now for some time to go shopping to see if any of the local stores I haven't been to yet have at least some of the fabrics. My 6 yr. old DGD wanted to sort the fabric swatches that weren't chosen. We weren't too surprised by the way she sorted them as she has done something like that before. There was 1 with a heart, there was a stack with a ruler at the bottom of the fabric, there was a smallest one, there was a stack with a Sale sign, there was a stack with a Shabby Fabrics circle, and there was 1 that said fabric.com. I would have sorted them by color or value!

[Marianne G.]

It's always great fun to hear where and how people have got into patchwork and quilting. I guess coming from a family of dressmakers on my mum's side and embroiderers on my dad's side I've always thought growing up it was a natural thing to do but it was a huge eye opener coming to school and being branded as terrible in home ec even having my knitting held up in front of class and told this was How NOT to KNIT! hmy: My dad threw a fit - not an easy thing to induce! :lol: If I'd only ever learnt through school I would never have been sewing/knitting/embroidering today that's for sure.
I've been busy tackling my WTDL and the “top” of the embroidery machine cover is finished. Once again I committed 2 cardinal sins – first one not to cut the sashing and borders all in the same thread direction and secondly I didn’t measure the borders and sashing accurately enough so I have wavy sashing and borders. Seeing I only had limited fabric and wasn’t sure I really liked my second fabric choice (the first was a darker green that looked great but wouldn’t go with the other machine cover I made and the machines sit next to each other) I don’t care.



I will WFQ it with a plain calico backing (I think although the jury is out on that one) – I can always turn it inside out if I really don’t like it when it’s finished!
Marianne
PS some people may recognise the blocks - they are some of the over 100 blocks I pieced during Laura Nownes class way back in 2012. I've used others for some big bags for my sewing area and covers for the sewing machines.

[Marianne G.]

Marianne, Those blocks look so different , Because of the fabrics you have used. As for the waviness, I am sure that you can 'quilt that out' :whistle: :P as for cutting your sashing from different directions, because that was all the fabric you had, who cares especially since it is not a directional fabric design. I was originally taught that in appplique you had to have all the grainlines matching - but that doesn't seem to be the rule for all the great applique quilts you see winning big prizes :huh: So I guess the rules are really just guidelines for help, not hinderance .

[Susan S.]

Margarita - sending you healing thoughts. It is really nice to have a happy task to use your hands during recovery.

Judith, great story. It is so interesting to hear about what got people interested in quilting. I totally understand your thinking a 5/8" seam was correct. I sew my clothes for years. I know your husband will love the beautiful quilt you are gifting him for his birthday.

Geneva, new grand babies are such a blessing. I enjoyed your story also.

Lois, new grands are wonderful any way we can get them! I love the idea of putting hearts and stars on a baby quilt. I have a baby quilt that needs some details and that solves that question.

Barb, safe travels. Poor California so dry. My Mom is in Santa Barbara. No more pretty flowers. So sad.

Rita, beautiful wedding quilt.

Marianne, I agree that your piece looks like faries are around somewhere.

Rosemary, picking color of threads or fabric online is not easy. I love silk thread.

Carrie, you have found the place for inspiration! Baby and quilt are beautiful.

Annis, you have to love the creative mind of a 6 yr old! Interesting sorting!

[Susan S.]

Since I have diabetes, that will be perfect for me too. I am looking for some new diabetes-friendly recipes for tea, hot or cold.
Judith

I'm diabetic, too. One of my favorite teas is by Good Earth, Sweet & Spicy; it is naturally sweet with cinnamon (no sugar) and comes in black tea or herbal versions and is good hot or cold. Another favorite by Yogi Tea Co. is the Egyptian Licorice, again sweet with no added sugar.

Kathy

[Susan S.]

My goals for this month:

* Now that I know that hearts and stars will be perfect for a baby quilt I want to finish quilting. I have it stitched in the ditch and waiting.

* I have my nephews Tumbing Block quilt about half way done. I would like to finish it.

* my Grand daughter is coming home from a three week Marine Biology Voyage where she became a certified scuba diver. She has filmed underwater with her Go Pro. I am so excited. She has sea turtles swimming with her! Art quilt inspiration with be in my dreams! So I need a mantra that the baby and my nephew are line ahead of underwater sea life quilts. We shall see how that works out!

Happy Fourth everyone!

[Judith A.]

Since I have diabetes, that will be perfect for me too. I am looking for some new diabetes-friendly recipes for tea, hot or cold.
Judith

I'm diabetic, too. One of my favorite teas is by Good Earth, Sweet & Spicy; it is naturally sweet with cinnamon (no sugar) and comes in black tea or herbal versions and is good hot or cold. Another favorite by Yogi Tea Co. is the Egyptian Licorice, again sweet with no added sugar.

Kathy

Thank you, Kathy. I will add both of these teas to my shopping list! I appreciate the suggestions very much.


Judith

[Judith A.]

Luann,
Thank you for the good ideas about modifying the Flowers for Julie quilt.
I appreciate the offer to draft it in EQ. I have EQ also. I could draft it, I needed some help about how to modify it. You gave me some good ideas. Thank you.

Regarding finishing projects before starting another... I am a little different. Once I get started, I can't stand to stop working on one quilt I am involved in, and start another. I don't feel guilty about starting one project before finishing another - I just hate the interruption. That's just me.

Judith