Virtual Retreat 2016

[Anne B.]

WOW!! I just looked at your quilt!! I can't wait to see what you come up with for this years fabric!! OK, this year, I have to get the situation taken care of with my father in law, & finish my nephews quilt, but next year...
Do you do other quilt contest/challenges? Something that I would really like to try, but up till now never really had the time for in the past
Anne

[Dawn S.]

Anne, I usually only enter my quilts in the local fair, and our guild's big show in September. I have also had a quilt accepted in a Macuso show, and a large show in Washington state. (Can't remember the name of it now.) I win a lot of ribbons, but consider myself a big fish in a small pond. Or, I usually joking say I have my guild fooled into thinking I'm a great quilter. My ribbons from our local show are from the viewers, and not judged. The Fair ones are judged. I love to quilt, but am struggling right now with my challenge quilt! It's just not playing nice!

Dawn

[Lorna B.]

Good luck with your challenge quilt, Dawn. Like you, any ribbons I've won have been at my guilds and in a small local show. I did like getting the feedback from the judges.

[Geneva C.]

Entering your quilts in shows, whatever size or location, is scary. Some of my quilts have won at big shows and then have not been accepted at other shows. Who knows? But putting your work, soul and feelings out there is good. It stretches me...

Well, I have finished the bed runner. This will go on the light to grey blues duvet cover I made. When it's all done and on the bed I'll post a picture of the whole thing. I still need to make some pillow cases for decoration. Sorry it's crooked on the wall! It's 29" x 72".





The fun part about this is that I found this bundle of 12 fat quarters in my stash. I have no idea where it came from! I think I may have won it, but I'm not sure. A few months ago I thought about giving it away as "those aren't my colors." But didn't. When I thought of the blue duvet cover and needed a gold/brown/red/blue etc piece to tie in the pictures and chairs in our room, I knew this bundle was perfect. I have very little left over fabric. I barely had enough to make the blocks. I did buy the setting fabric and used it on the back. I'm close to being done with this bedroom project. Yay!

A beautiful sunny day here in Eastern WA. Take care everyone!

geneva

[Geneva C.]

Bought a new storage box for my quilting cottons on Friday. And after tidying things up and finding all sorts of bags with fq's in it is pretty much full already hmy: Added to which, I went shopping today for some specials for all the seaside rows, which I have planned in my mind. Hoping to do some cutting tomorrow and possibly even some sewing!!! :woohoo:

[Betty J.]

Anne and Dawn, I have done six Hoffman Challenges and won 2nd place mixed technique in 2011. I didn't enter the past several years because I didn't like the fabric. I am going to try to get one made for this year and have a concept design. I think I better get going on this. LOL....look forward to seeing what you all come up with.

[Betty J.]

Rosemary, Sounds like fun.

[Anne B.]

Hey Sewdreamy! Your quilt is wonderful! I need to do this! I have never even put my quilts in a quilt show, when I was 18 or 19 I put a needlepoint in a local show and won 2nd place, that was pretty cool! I ended up giving that picture to my mom. I just always give my quilts away, this was the 1st year I was going to enter somethings. Fortunately, I finished my quilted jacket, so that will go in to be judge.
Hey Geneva, your bed quilt is beautiful, you'll have to show us some pics when your room is complete.
Anne

[Anne B.]

Geneva - love your bed runner looking forward to a picture of your completed bedroom project (really like the runner fabric). How was your moms birthday cake?
Rosemary - fun to hear about your fabric adventures!
Dawn and BJ- always enjoy hear and seeing your projects.
Barb :-)

[Anne B.]

Getting there - here is our freshened lounge with the curtains up

And here is a better picture of the stained glass

Finally, my 'organised' stash of quilting cottons, nearly all fq's but about 1/2 dozen of 1/2 m and similar of 1m pieces in the two boxes to the left and hand dyes, jelly rolls, charms, and a bundle of new shirting fabrics scraps in the left hand box

[Anne B.]

Very nice! Love those widows, & the rich burgundy colors!

[Dawn S.]

Rosemary, surely that is not ALL of your quilting stash? Or, do you only buy fabric for a project when you are about to start that project. I have bin after bin after bin of fabrics. But, I have to admit, some are so darned old (from over 20 years ago) that I really don't need to take up precious space with them. I need to just donate them. I am WAY beyond calico prints, and cheaper cottons!

Anyway, your lounge is shaping up. Wonderful color palette. Is that wine on the floor? I'll come over for a glass or two!

Geneva, your bed runner would go nicely in Rosemary's refreshed lounge! Same color palette. Really looking forward to seeing the completed bedroom. I admire the fact that you take time away from quilts, to decorate. I'm still working on (or NOT working on) my day bed area of my sewing "studio." It may never get completed. I just get too distracted.

Dawn

[Dawn S.]

Loving all the photos, ladies! Rosemary, your lounge is absolutely beautiful! I am contemplating a similar colored yellow for my walls, although my husband is not on board, and seems we'll end up with a cool blue instead. That is also fine, as long as I get a warm color in the dining room. I do love blues, and the room does need a good neutral-ish color.

I've almost got all the blocks finished for my son's graduation quilt/the infinity quilt. I have one row of light blue to finish assembling (so far just turning the squares into blocks, then will let it be on the design wall a bit to see if anything needs rearranged), and then need to cut the pieces for the 7 squares that are made of 4 triangles each instead of HSTs. It's looking very nice so far, son loves it, and of course after this part is the border.....Hopefully today I can get finished the last bits for the top (not the borders, just the middle) and then must do my row for Feb and probably March (sorry guys!)...although, if I do my Feb row today and mail tomorrow then I won't technically be late....hmmm.

As far as entering shows, I entered our county fair last year, and am contemplating making something for the challenge theme for HMQS (non-juried) just to see what feedback it gets. That deadline, though, is fast approaching, and other than an idea, I've not started yet....my "show quilt" that I've had the idea of since I first started quilting will probably be next year.......

anyway, no picture yet, but once I get the rest of the blocks I'll post a pic of the graduation/infinity quilt for you guys

[Dawn S.]

Love the windows Rosemary, and the whole lounge
Geneva the bed runner is great, thanks for the pictures!
I'm not brave enough to enter anything in a quilt show :blink: maybe some day...

Dorothy

[Dawn S.]

No Dawn, it is not all of my stash for quilting, but possibly about half of it. I have only been quilting proper since Izzy was born (it was that or beading, but I though patchwork would be more baby friendly than beading :P ) and the first 6 years or so was very slow on stash accumulation. However there is also my dressmaking fabric stash, old clothes for conversion to quilts stash, and a furnishing fabric samples stash (I used to work for a furnishing fabric company and got lots of discontinued samples approx. 2'sq)

Unfortunately those boxes are all empty :whistle: , but they did have books in them.