New Mystery Quilt

Today Bonnie K. Hunter has the fabric requirements on her blog for the new mystery quilt.

Yes, even after the length of time it took me to make last year's mystery quilt, I'm going to jump in and try this year's quilt.  I'm so excited.  I'm hoping that I can find enough fabric in my stash so that I don't have to go out and buy more fabric.  But I'm not ruling that out. L

I have been working on 4-patch blocks using my charm squares, nickel squares or 5 inch blocks.  (Whatever you want to call them.)  As I said, I have cut up lots of my fabric so it's time to make something with them.  And I can do this as leaders and enders as I work on the mystery quilt, sewing 2 quilts at one time!

Are you interested in the mystery?

I Know....

I know... I haven't been blogging like I should.  But I've been working on some fun things.  Still cutting up my grey/gray fabric from box number 7, still hand quilting the backing for my pillows and still playing with fabric.

Yesterday, our Quilt Guild had another Mini Retreat.  So much fun!  And I love seeing all the things that people are working on and getting to know fellow guild members better.

And Jill (in the pink) was leaving early to go home and finish packing as she was leaving on a Bus Trip on Sunday to go to Dallas.  To Quilt Market!  That would be a fun trip!

I got my paint chip challenge project pin basted and started a quilt from the book "Nickel Quilts" by Pat Speth and Charlene Thode.  I've been cutting up so much fabric that the drawer I put the 5 inch squares in was getting too full.  I decided it was time to do something about that.

Quilt Guild

Tuesday night was my Quilt Guild meeting and I love "Show and Tell".  The first "Show" was a wonderful 1930's quilt.

 And I really love quilts from the 1930's and 40's.  

A close up of the center of the pink square. 

All the wonderful quilting.

Hand quilted, look at those stitches.

I'm feeling inspired to get at my hand quilting projects.  I have to finish that one leaf first.....

Gray or Grey? Box Number 7

I decided to start in on another box in the closet, Box Number 7.

This box has all of the gray/grey fabric I have bought over the years.

Sunday Sewing

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at my friend Patti's house as we finished up some potholders from this book, Zakka Style.  We mainly added bindings as the rest was already done by other helpers.  They came out so nice.

Every year we work on a small project to give at a breast cancer survivors dinner called  "Women Helping Women".    You should really check out this book, it has some really nice and easy projects that would make great gifts for your special loved ones.

I Can't Believe It!

I can't believe it!  It's been three weeks since I sat down at my sewing machine.  That's how long I've been back from the Quilt Retreat.  I have been working on projects, just not projects that needed my sewing machine.

I set up the machine this morning and made a couple of string blocks.  I have cut out my Paint Chip Challenge table runner and I've done a little sewing on it.  Hope to have some pictures to show you tomorrow.

I also have been doing hand sewing.  Working on a hexie, hand quilting the backing of the little pillows I'm trying to finish up from Box Number 6 .  And I'll soon be working on hand quilting my big quilt.  I know that Bonnie Hunter is doing a hand quilting for an hour a week challenge. Not sure I'm ready to join the group, but I am going to try to quilt a little on it every night.  Slow and steady wins the race, just like my Orca Bay quilt.

The AQS Show

Last Saturday I went to the AQS show.  What an amazing display of incredible quilts!  There were signs on all the quilt displays asking that you do not take pictures, so I didn't.  Here is a link of the quilt show winners.
There are images of just a few quilts, but I'm sure they will be in quilt magazines soon.  The Des Moines Area Quilt Guild had a show and I took pictures of quilts there. Enjoy the mini show!

An interesting setting for a log cabin block.

I loved the colors.

I love turtles.

Old neckties

Look hard to see the cats and mice.

Love that the background is all scrap, but the sunflowers give it  a very different look.

Black, white and red.

Another interesting background for the applique.

Over the top applique.

Another wonderful example of applique.

I loved the way this quilter handled the corners on this string quilt.

A Fun and Fast Weekend

It seems like weekends go by way too fast.  I had Friday off work and I headed out to A Quilting Place to machine baste my oldest UFO.  I'm so happy to make more progress on this quilt.

This quilt is all hand embroidered by me and I'm going to hand quilt it.  I wanted to do this kind of quilt as a memory quilt or to pay tribute to my grandmother.  During the 1960's, for extra income, she would embroider a quilt for people.  She only charged $25.00 for her work.  If the customer wanted it hand quilted, she would do that too.  Again, only charging $25.00.  So for Christmas in about 1978 or 1979, my mother bought the kit for me.  For my birthday I got the thread kit.

  As I was basting the quilt, I discovered I had forgotten to embroider one leaf.  It won't be a problem to go back and fix that.  I can't believe that happened.

Fun Days Ahead

I have some fun days ahead of me.  Friday morning, I have the day off work, so I scheduled time to go to A Quilting Place.  I'm going to machine baste an embroidered quilt top.  I have had this top done for years.  It's my oldest UFO and I want to try to hand quilt it.  It feels good to make some progress on things that have been sitting in my closet.

Saturday I'm meeting up with some friends at the AQS show in Des Moines, Iowa.  My last post was about that show.  I'm pretty excited.  I've never been to this show.  A number of friends have gone and raved about it, so it's about time I experienced it.

What exciting plans do you have for this weekend?

ASQ Show

American Quilters Society National Quilt Show 2012

Event Information:

Make your plans now to attend the 2012 AQS Quilt Show at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, October 3 – 6, 2012. We are excited to be using the newly renovated Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center at Veterans Memorial with all new classrooms and ballrooms. The quilts and vendors will still be located in HyVee Hall.

The AQS Quilt Show is open to the public – and you’ll get to see more than 1,000 quilts, a huge Merchant Mall with new and antique quilts, the newest quiltmaking supplies, and jewelry and other gifts that are quilt related.

Dates:

Wed Oct 3rd, 2012: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM

Thu Oct 4th, 2012: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM

Fri Oct 5th, 2012: 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM

Sat Oct 6th, 2012: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM

Tickets available at:

www.americanquilter.com

Ticket Price:

In Advance: Sold through AQS

AQS Members: $8 Daily; $15 Multi-day

Non-members: $10 Daily; $30 Multi-day

Admission at the Show:

AQS Members: $9 Daily; $17 Multi-day

Non-members: $11 Daily; $30 Multi-day

For more information vist:

http://www.iowaeventscenter.com/calendar/convention/44-american-quilter-s-socitey/

or visit the Official Site of the Americans Quilter Society site at:

http://www.americanquilter.com/index.php