Virtual Retreat - Ongoing (started January 2019)

[Eileen K.]

As promised, here are the pics of what I'm working on right now. I took a class last year with Kerry Burke of Simple Bird Applique at the Academy of Applique in Williamsburg, VA. I'm such a slow stitcher; I should have had this done months ago, but life interfered.

[Eileen K.]

Eileen, those look very interesting. It’ll be fun to see just how you use them

[wendy w.]

Yeh Eileen you're sewing. They look quite complex, how will they be used? look nice as a brooch but it's hard to know what size they are.

[Geneva C.]

Eileen, glad to see you have met with the needle and are friends again. Your flowers are so pretty and complex. Good work!

Wendy, that whole cloth ice dyed piece is beautiful! You do wonderful machine quilting so I'm sure your piece will be really nice.

geneva

[Geneva C.]

It's my lucky day! Number 13!

So this last month I have been sewing quite a bit. I'm amazed at the things that are coming out of the sewing room! I have more time and less stress. B)

Last October our quilt guild hosted Ann Shaw. www.annshawquilting.com She is a certified teacher of Ruth B McDowell quilting techniques. I bought the pattern for the poppy and wanted to make a purple poppy. Then a friend who was going to take the class said she was going to make a purple poppy and I thought "I can't make a purple poppy because she'll think I copied her". So I decided to make a yellow poppy. I bought more yellow fabrics and took 4 bins of yellow and black fabric to the class. I had traced the pattern onto freezer paper beforehand so I could get right into cutting the fabrics for each pattern piece. On class day I set up shop along with the others and began to cut into my yellows. And then recut the pieces with a different yellow. And then recut and my friends even gave me some of their yellow. I ended the class hopelessly overwhelmed and had a horrible mess to show for it.



I took everything home. Set the yellow poppy into a corner of the sewing room and piled the yellow fabrics next to it. Other members started showing their finished poppies and I kept thinking about the yellow mess in the corner. Finally in January I had this epiphany! Why don't I make a purple poppy, just like I wanted to? I carefully pulled out the yellow mess, took all the yellow pieces off the pattern pieces and folded the yellow fabrics neatly and placed them in their bins. Then I pulled out my two purple bins and got to work. I had so much fun! I was excited, focused and on a roll! Within 2-3 hours I had all the pieces cut and on the wall. It was such a good feeling! Here's a picture with auditioning backgrounds.



Once I saw that black and white background I loved it. I used the piece of yellow fabric my friend had given me for the center. It was perfect. The piecing is very easy and the quilt goes together quickly. I got so excited I could hardly leave it alone. And here you go!



I quilted a one inch grid with black/grey variegated thread vertically and a white/black variegated thread horizontally. I went back and dropped in some purple variegated thread in between the one inch lines.



I am very happy with how it turned out. I used only fabric from my stash, including the backing. Now it will hang in the Guild quilt show in March with all the other poppies.
Oh! My friend who was going to make the purple poppy? She made a beautiful orangey-pink poppy. I learned two important lessons besides a new quilt technique. One, be true to me! and Two, I don't do well in classroom situations. I need to remember to go to classes with the intent of learning something, not coming home with a finished piece.

I had purchased a Tula Pink Elephant kit from TQS. A friend of mine is having a little girl in May and she loves elephants. So, I began that project and finished it this morning. If any of you make this quilt kit, contact me first. I have some helpful hints. I am a little disappointed with the fusible they used. It didn't stick to the background so I had to use a glue stick on each piece to place it on the background. And even with pressing, the pieces don't stick very well. In any case, I quilted this with the same one inch grid using the black/grey variegated thread. It causes the squares to look waffle-y which I like. I dropped in pinks variegated thread and I love how it turned out.



I made some small "badges" for my son and two of his friends for one of his businesses. I hope they like them. It's kind of a joke, but I think they will get a kick out of them. They finish at 3" square. That's the logo.



February has hit us hard with snow. We had a blizzard last Friday afternoon until late Saturday night. The wind and snow made our 600 foot driveway unpassable even with a snow blower. We are very lucky that our neighbors have tractors and will come and spend 3-4 hours clearing our driveway. We've had more snow, but no more than 3-4 inches at a time which my sweetie can clear with the snow blower. We are on our third snow since last Friday with more to come. hmy: This was taken Sunday.



I am done with winter! I had a nasty stomach virus last week, but am fine now. I'm thinking about what I want to make next!

I hope you are well and safe from winter. Hugs,
geneva

[Geneva C.]

Geneva,
Your projects look great! And I like how you quilted the poppies and elephant. I might try that one of these days.
It’s so nice having people pop in and chat with us, as we Quilt or cook, or whatever we might be up to while we’re at this Virtual Retreat.
Have a great time contemplating what will be your next project. We'll be watching to see what you decide.

[Eileen K.]

Ooh Geneva! Love both your projects. It was providence that the yellows didn't work for you; the purple is perfect. I'm sure the family will love the baby elephant too.

[Terry K.]

Geneva, I'm glad the yellow poppy didn't materialize because the purple poppy is wonderful! I enjoyed your elephant and the waffle quilting is a terrific solution to all the curves! Thanks for catching us up and I was relieved we didn't get the snow/ice that was forecasted. . .just four inches on ice that lasted for a couple of days. . .yet, my daughter, who lives 25 minutes south of us had nothing!!!!

[wendy w.]

Geneva i like your yellow mess it would have turned out great. I love your purple poppy though. Did Ruth McDowell do a show i must have a look.
Your square quilting is really effective. I like the idea of two colours, how clever.
And your snow is so beautiful, happy sewing

[Terry K.]

Today is my day to share what I've been doing in the last month. I posted about what I'm not doing here My granddaughter finished her cross stitch project. It was fun stitching with her!

I spent a lot of time finishing my online mystery quilt that "crocus" initiated way back in 2015. I shared it with a small group and one of my guilds. It will hang at guild quilt show at the end of next month. The posts are: 4th Quilting Step; 5th Quilting Step,6th Quilting Step, the Finish.

I shared two posts about participating in Bonnie Hunter's "Good Fortune" mystery this year. Post 1, Post 2. This will be my take along sewing project. I had fun participating and was sorry when we had the reveal!

My post today was about a Pop-Up I stitched yesterday. This was an easier project to make than I thought it was going to be! As for what I'm working on next. . .well, I've lots of choices. I'll probably stitch a couple outfits for the grand daughters since they showed some interest in a pattern and some fabric that I was gifted. I hope all of you had a nice Valentine's Day and that progress on your projects is moving forward. I'll share a photo of my finished quilt.

[Eileen K.]

Terry, that quilt is wonderful! I especially like the quilting. I downloaded Good Fortune, and even got the paint chips. Alas, I didn't do it.

[Terry K.]

Thanks, Eileen. I appreciate the thumbs up regarding the quilting. If you read my posts, you will learn how I struggled with what to quilt!! You can do start Good Fortune then at any time! I'm on no timetable to finish my start. Life is great!

[Geneva C.]

Terry, It's so nice to see what you've been doing... and not doing! I can relate to your "not doing" your guild's challenge. This year I felt the same way. I just couldn't get started. Then I realized that I don't have to make anything I don't want to! It was so freeing!

It's nice to see your BOM from Terri all done. I gave mine to my niece and her mom for Christmas this past year. They loved it and I felt good getting another quilt off to a good home.

Have fun with your granddaughters. It's so nice that you are keeping stitching alive for the next generation.

Take care, geneva

[Terry K.]

Thanks for your kind reply, Geneva. Yes, it is important to to be stitching projects we want to stitch! I hope my mom likes the BOM from Terri. Finished is awesome!!! As for the granddaughters, I sure am trying to find something in the stitching world that will excite them to want to learn more!

[wendy w.]

Yes i loved your Terri quilt as well. Lovely gift for your mum.