Hearts! Hearts! Hearts!

Saint Valentine's Day is special. February 14th is celebrated in many nations and languages. We all love to LOVE! There is just something about seeing those hearts everywhere--candy hearts, flower hearts, magazine covers with hearts, books with hearts, songs about hearts and of course, Love! This special one day of the year is set aside to say "I Love You" to that special someone.
Many moons ago, when there was a group who met each month (quilting bee), it was decided one month to do a heart exchange. So, here is the heart quilt that makes its annual display draped across the balcony--memories of those whose hands fashioned heart blocks make their presence known once again.
This year we found a "Love" panel that called to be made--it will age properly for a few weeks or months before it is accomplished. But, at least, we have the beginnings.
We are gathering reds, pinks, chocolates and various other sundry colors to accompany this panel.
Finally, from 2010, this panel was completed and recently quilted by Sandy W., who
used a panto called 'cherry hearts'--perfect name!
And from our expatchers gathering this past week, we show Karen's finished table center mat--all pretty in pinks and reds.
She hand quilted hearts galore around.
A table runner will adorn her dining room with more hearts! Lovely hearts--big hearts, small hearts!
Perfect for the season of Love!
Wouldn't it be grand to have hearts floating around all year long? Let's make each and every day a valentine's day......................................................and tell that someone special "I Love You"!

Day with Expatchers--!!

February gathering is a birthday celebration--our 'food committee' does an outstanding menu! We gather--sharing our concerns, tells of recent travel adventures, giving hugs to those who are in need, but most of all we just enjoy being together. Here Karen shows off her 'blankie' that she made for a dear friend's daughter.
Sandy did the long arm quilting on this slippery satin fabric. She says, "it was like quilting water". Karen tells us how she had a difficult time even cutting a straight edge. The final results are in--and it will be a marvelous gift to a sweet little girl.
Brenda is assisting her granddaughter's scout troop so they can earn their sewing badge. She has a selection of Girl Scout fabrics that they will use in their project.
Brenda selected this pattern from About Crafts for the girls to make. They will learn how to sew on a button and do the whip stitching around the cell phone pouch. Brenda is planning to have the blank fabric squares ready for them. This will be a Mother's Day gift.
Judy was showing what she did with various scraps of flannel--cut them 6" wide, 39" long; sew them together to create an interesting Blinky quilt top.
For handwork, Judy showed us her 20 year long project (5 years already invested)--Grandmother's paper pieced Flower Garden. She is using paper blanks to get the perfect edge on the squares. Here she has her complete center block.
Around the edge, she will add the green spacers that will connect with the next block.
The back of the block looks so fabulous--such neat corners.
Annette shows her 'lost' quilt top that she recently found in her sewing room. She and her hubby worked over her quilt room and she pulled this top out, completed in 2003. We think it has "aged" properly. The top was handed over to Judy to add the finish on her long arm quilting machine.
What great color placement--two blocks made in opposite colors, which gives a different look to the old standard "Churn Dish" block.
We should all find such treasures in our quilt rooms--when and if we ever clean........................

And the Craziness begins! Spin-in continues...

Of course, someone always comes up with a clever way to create something to fit our theme--this year "Beach Blanket Bingo". Here is our own beach babe sitting on her bingo blanket! Smart--Renee!
Three of the gals from the modern movie set came to visit--Nancy, Suzanne and Martha--all decked out in their 'outfits' to fit the theme.
Take a close look at their knitted bikinis! They wouldn't wear them for real so knit a washcloth that was a bikini--these gals always give us a good laugh with their ideas on the theme!
Here is Judy's version of a beach theme--worked out on her loom with handspun. We saw Judy in the previous day post as the January spot on Interweave Press 2011 calendar. Sorry--your face is hidden, Judy! But your weaving is super! Oh, yes, she had enough handspun left that she made a small beach bag to carry your frakle game.
Some overachievers attend too--here is Janet with her hooked rug using handspun and other wool fabrics & yarns!
Tonni showing off her lovely knitted handspun shawl--oh, gee whiz! Tonni had shown her handspun, handknit sweater the day before--don't you just love these finished wearables???
And one big overachiever is Del (not seen here) who received a calendar with a knit sock pattern for each month. She took it to task and knit all 12 pair of socks and had a clothes line to pull out of her bag! Way to go Del!
Here is our niddy noddy drill team captain & leader--Jane, showing off her lovely handspun/knit shawl and hat. We are encouraging Jane to write up her patterns for publication.
Dr. Meow has her hands on other things besides kitty cats, she does a little of this and little of that. Her felted doll is one of the surprises she has to show this day.
Mary, who has finally brought her husband, Mac (who has learned to spin) shows off her latest fashion accessory.
We encourage involvement with traveling scarf projects and these gals continued with the project from two years ago and are showing their finished and not so finished scarves. Kim in the middle has hers on needles.
And here comes Trouble, Janet's better half, Tom--who shows his latest knitted shawl to complete Janet's wardrobe. Mr. Trouble also is an accomplished spinner and spinning wheel fixer upper!
Another wonderful thing about spin-in--sharing of ideas, goals and accomplishments. Melody models her finished shawlette.
With so many shawls being shown and worn, it's no wonder that our 2012 theme is "Shawl We Dance". Off to find that perfect shawl pattern, right size needles and some handspun stash yarn--there must be some, somewhere in this house!

January Spin-in Show

January spin-in is always the last full weekend of January, beginning on Wednesday of the week preceding that weekend. We are fortunate to have found a super conference center in Destin, FL. This was our third year in this facility. If interested, you can join the January spin-in Ravelry group (free-free-free)!
What makes Spin-in so special? It's the people--those who come year after year, those who learn of the event from a friend. Spin-in is never advertised. It is friend inviting friend--that is what makes Spin-in so special!
Yes, attendees like this new spinner! And a return attendee like Ron, who brings his 'spinning' wheel.
Ron creates premie hats to supply to his local hospital. Last year he accomplished 125 of these tiny hats. It's people like these gals, who show off their new creations from 2010.
We don't require all things to be handspun; just require you show off what you have made. Special people like.........
Rebecca who shows off her socks that were published. Hard to show off socks that you are wearing! And spinners who give to others.......
like Renee, who knit this prayer shawl for an ill friend, who passed to a better life, and the shawl came back to Renee--who thinks of her friend as she wears the shawl.
Christine shows off her triangle shawl that she made on her loom.
And giddy spinner, Dr. Meow, who loves to spin BIG yarn! the vendors love her!
Sandra shows off her recently completed scarf and below Valerie
show off one and wears one of her newest creations. Her hat is felted and she sports it proudly.
Some folks come to escape the cold weather in those northern states--like Char, showing off her
lovely shawl. And there are those versatile spinners, who take something old and make something new.
Paula decided she didn't want her 'old' sweater so she unraveled it and knit a sweater for her granddaughter. She also had enough yarn from the 'old' sweater to knit a American Girl sweater too.
And there are those who are handy with needles as they ride along to spin-in. This lovely dress was knit on the journey to Destin!
And Tonni is proud to wear her handspun wool sweater. She bought the roving at last year's spin-in, spun it up and knit her sweater to wear in 2011! what an accomplishment! And the wonderful people just continue on with Judy (another northern gal) who
was fortunate enough to gain a January spot in Interweave Press 2011 calendar. Another published author is
Charlene. Her sock patterns are used by many and now she has discovered weaving--handspun weft no less! Stay tuned for another one of Charlene's books to come off the presses in 2011.
Here is our Colorado gal, Marsha, wearing her latest shawl knitting. What color!
Looks to be a sunrise or sunset, which brings us to the evening on the beach.........................
nothing can be better way to close out the first day of spin-in--so we enjoy delicious seafood in a beach restaurant as we watch the world revolve around.