Post Retreat

The Quilts From The Bluffs annual Quilt Retreat was last weekend and oh what a great time!  I finished a couple of tops, a couple of pillow cases and worked on string blocks.

First up is a top I started last year at Quilt Retreat and I worked on it until I packed everything away for Thanksgiving.  It didn't take long to finish up.  The pattern is called {Picture Frames} Quilt from Little Miss Shabby .  It is a great tutorial but I did change things a little as I didn't have enough of my yellow fabric to make it exactly as the pattern, I added the orange.

When we went to Alaska last summer, my friend Rachel watered my outdoor plants for my.  I brought back a fat quarter packet of fabric for her and she added some batiks she already had and made this cute little table runner.

We always have so much fun and Penny, who does our meals, out did herself again this year.  Wonderful food, wonderful friends, and a wonderful time.

String Quilt

I finished the binding on my string quilt yesterday.  It was sooo nice.  I sat on the deck and stitched the binding down by hand.  The day was beautiful.  After dinner I sat on the deck again, with my quilt on me and read a book with a glass a wine.  Love the cooler weather!

I tried to take a picture yesterday, but it was too shady.  Today it's overcast and this is the best I could do.  Just had to show you though.

Fabric is "Bewitched" by Alexander Henry Fabrics

 I did find a shoe box size plastic bin in the closet with the fabric for His and Hers Halloween pillowcases.  I sewed them up this morning.  Took me a little time to find a fabric to go with the "Hunks" but I did!

Fabric is "Halloween Hunks" by Alexander Henry Fabrics.

I've been trying to pack up things for the Retreat, so I guess I better get busy and go back to that.

I Better Get Busy!

I need to get busy!  The Quilt Retreat that I am going to is next weekend.  Last year this time I was busy cutting kits to take.  This year's theme is UFOs and I now have to make some decisions on which UFOs I'm going to take.  And I didn't realize just how many I had until I was trying to decide which ones will make the cut.

First, I am taking fleece that I bought 2 maybe 3 years ago to make a fleece tie blanket.  After that, I just don't know.  One UFO that needs to get done before the Retreat  is my string quilt.  That is going on my bed at the Retreat.  So will work on that tonight.  I'm trying to finish up the binding.  Hopefully I'll have a picture for you tomorrow.

But tomorrow is the Grand Opening of a new quilt shop.  (The one I got to get a sneak peek at 2 weeks ago.)  I'm ready to head out again and meet up with some friends.  I guess tomorrow there will be demo's and lots of other fun things going on.

I'll be back tomorrow.  See you then!

Binding

I'm currently working on a binding for a string quilt I quilted this past weekend.

When I did the binding on the Orca Bay Mystery quilt, I decided I wanted to keep increasing my skills.  I wanted to try to end my binding in a bumpless way.  I always used the method I had learned in my beginning quilting class.  I was a little afraid to try any of the new techniques as I heard from friends all the problems they had.  Plus I didn't want to buy a new tool that I may try once and never use again.

Then I found this on YouTube.  Connecting Treads' tutorial on how to do a bumpless binding.  AMAZING!  I did it first try on the Orca Bay quilt   Sooooo easy.  I love it and I will now be ending my binding with this technique every time.

Check it out. I so love this.

Exciting News

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

We have a new quilt shop in our town.  We have a Hancock Fabrics, but now we have a local Quilt Shop!  Love the new store.  Here is a picture of the new owners;

Kim and Becky - Owners of "Cut Up & Quilt".

Love all the fabrics.  They offer classes, which Jean is teaching.  Quilting services and so much more.  Pretty exciting if I do say so myself.

I am still working on the closet clean out.

 I made up this charity quilt with the leftover blocks from this quilt.  I had a panel with the quilt pictures and sayings in the closet.  They worked perfect to finish this quilt so that it was a little bigger than just nine 16 patch blocks. Plus, I don't think I ever would have used the panels for a sweatshirt or tote bag, maybe at the time I bought the panel, but not now!

Going to keep plugging away at the closet.  I decided the last 4 of the pumpkin wall hangings are going to be made into pillows.  I had enough of the binding fabric left to make borders and I'm using the leaf fabric for the backing.  I'll be back when they are done!  See you!

Box Number 6

I think my closet is like a clown car, UFOs just keep coming out of it!!

 Box Number 6 held a project from the craft show days.

 The box held these little wall hangings. Two were done, one is quilted and has the binding pinned on, and 4 are tops waiting for backing, quilting and binding.  I'm going to finish these up for a church craft show.

Another project out of the closet it this Project Linus quilt.  I took the kit home some time back and it was missing enough black fabric to finish it.  I have solid black fabric in different weights from previous projects.  Found some that matched well and finished this.  Gave it to Jeanine this morning for Quilts From The Bluffs.  We meet again next Saturday.