Tuesday, September 3, 2013

WIP--as always!

Never can resist Sindy's patterns from Fatcat PatternsThese great patterns come up each month, making for a fun time diving into the stash bin!
Loving these dogs!  Sindy is posting two a month--free of charge until the next one pops up.  Miss a pattern, don't despair--you can purchase them as downloads.

Really need to do something about his eyes--or does he really have no eyes?! 

Woof!  Woof! 

These blocks will make great Binky Patrol quilts--I try to make them colorful with playful designs
Perfect fish fabric for this swimming fella.......swim on dude!

 
Hoot!  Hoot!  Loving these owls--although, they do take some time to decide on the right stash fabric to make the right impression

Here is Gerda!  She certainly is unique......................

Saturday, August 31, 2013

LABOR DAY

Labor Day has the history of this holiday that is celebrated throughout the United States.

Photos, videos, and other topics

Facts and Figures of Labor Day

And the most important information for this holiday.....................

Food!

Enjoy your holiday!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Math is Involved.................

In our journey to make a quilt, we use math including fractions, whole numbers, division of numbers--just to get to the ending.
Remember all these flying geese--I won't forget 224 of one and 224 of the other combination = 448!  A nice whole number

Take the sum of the whole number +  a part of another number =112 of these components

Now we are adding a portion of the 224 to a section that is 4.5 to = 56

That's a nice collection of parts to make up a whole

To which we add more of the portions (112) to make one whole of complete block = 56

Now, take that 56 number and divide into sections of 7 = 8
And we get our answer =


One complete quilt top! 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Quilts of Valor


Let's hear it for those who champion our heroes--which also makes them heroes!  Recently, I was honored to work along side some of these wonderful people at a sewing day for Quilts of Valor.  This organization has their mission:  to cover all combat service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.

There are some ways anyone can participate in this organization: 

  • piece a quilt top at least 55"x 65"
  •  quilt a top
  •  donate monies towards postage and supplies
  • volunteer administrative assistance for the Foundation
  • join a local sewing day


There were also stacks of donated fabric on hand in case our kit ran short of necessary supplies.  What to choose?  What to sew?  So many interesting choices......and with each quilt, a pillow case to match is presented.

My friend Judy and I arrived at Tomorrow's Heirlooms Quilt Shop to begin our sewing adventure.  Our leaders from Columbine Quilt Guild had kits available for us to begin our task for the day.



I chose this patriotic quilt--pattern and pre-cut strips were in the kit and we're off and stitching!

Judy chose this rail fence kit and whoa!  rail fence blocks had already been assembled!!

During the morning I took a break to see what others were working on--nice to have fabrics ready for sewing

And the facility!  great lighting!  great set-up for cutting and pressing!  great tables for machines!

Here we have the makings of an interesting quilt with 18" star block

Our sewer is on her way to completion of this interesting string center with star points

another sewer brought her featherweight Singer to show it still had some life in its stitches



Zoe Ann & Vicky, our leaders, were working on the great flannel board on this Coin quilt top==hint, if sewing this one, make sure to sew four together and then sew the strips, otherwise, you'll have wavy strips--voice of experience talking (so says Zoe Ann)

so many interesting patterns to sew together



And we are back to mine--sew four of five fabrics together; five of six fabrics together--get that!  Then cut into 8" blocks and 9.5" blocks; then cut diagonals and you have all these triangles, which are then sewn together

We are getting there--should have total 20 blocks 11.5"x 11.5"

All but borders and Judy completed her top--isn't this smashing look with such a simple pattern--it's the fabrics that make it so yummy looking!

Another good thing about being in a quilt shop is the lovely surroundings--quilts on the wall with interesting stitching

And yes, the visitors who drop in to see what you are doing............here we have a visitor who brought her prize winning quilt to show off.

Nice! and Nice!  I can see why it won Blue Ribbon at the competition

This quilter knows how to do some raw edge applique! 

This was definitely a good day and gave me a warm feeling of serving in some regard to bring comfort to our military personnel--okay, off to finish up those blocks and assemble.........


This foundation is not about politics. It's about people.


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

New Legacies: Contemporary Art Quilts

Exhibit now on display through August 31st at Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Colorado is New Legacies: Contemporary Art Quilts. This juried show features various techniques to offer a range of expression to the artists' legacy. These small wall hangings use varied fabric designs with hand painting, dyeing, hand or machine embellishing, stitching, etc. This is an exciting exhibit--one not to be missed.
Jo Fitsell "Withdrawal"

Close-up

While browsing through the exhibit, I met this artist, who also has another piece in Golden exhibit at Foothills Center.  This is Margaret Abramshe with her piece "Sacred Clock of Now"

She uses photo transfers on cloth to express your thoughts

Julia Pfaff presents "Contrast XIII"

Great quilting lines

This is a prize winner "Sand Dollar Spectrum"

Betty Busby created this lovely hanging

Patricia Kennedy-Zafred has two pieces juried into this show. 

"Interwoven"

This is a haunting piece!  But well executed by Patti Morris

"Rohingya Children"

Martha C Hall, "Bits and Bytes"

Interesting piece

Sandra Palmer Ciolino

"Martello #3 Sympatico"

These are just a few of the highlights of this exhibit.  all of the works are excellent in their execution and design work--go visit!  And the facility is super nice! 


Repurposing!

 Still cleaning out closets; finding all sorts of interesting things I had forgotten about.  Years ago, I had spun cotton and wove on indigo...