A Little Stitchin' Here, A Little Stitchin' There

The hands are busy! If the hands are busy, then the mind is busy. These pieces are works from past few weeks in the studio.

Trying to keep up with this series of BOM applique blocks has been an adventure to say the least.  We are learning new techniques and applique stitches are becoming more controlled.

This BOM (Block of the Month) Stitching has been quite fun to do--easy peasy and quickly completed.  Check out the right side of the blog to find "Summer Daze", which will lead you to this free stitching design.

Well, it's April, but we are stuck with February 'wacky love' calendar wall hanging.  This is also noted on the right side of the blog.  Each month it is a complete wall hanging--if you keep up.

The Ex-Patchers met this pass week in Judy's spanking new studio!  WOW!  Is it great!  Good lighting, nice comfy area with lots of working area--we are happy!  Judy is beaming with her accomplished goal--a Studio!

Karen is working away on her heart quilt; adding the magic square to the corners of the heart fabric.

With our work space, we can seat comfortably to sew and also lunch as Debby is doing in the background.  Karen is keeping her hands busy with her chain stitching.



Debby has a stack of chain stitched sections to her block.  She is using a handy dandy gadget given to her by friend Julie--a wooden block with a small slicer on top--just slice through the chain stitch--super fast!



This is the pattern that Debby is making with her fabric squares.  She is making this quilt for her German foreign exchange student (from years ago) who is marrying this summer.  What a lucky couple!

Here is our 'unofficial' secretary, Annette, with her latest creation--just look at all those tiny little blocks--all paper pieced--what a smashing wall hanging!

Annette is adding the finishing touches on the back.  We discussed rules about the hanging sleeve on the back of the quilt--learn something new every day from these gals. 
Okay, we are back in the studio to finish up February 'wacky love'--maybe, even get to the April applique pattern today as well.  Hope there is a little stitching in your life!

"In A Quilter's Garden"

The West Houston Quilter's Guild hosted their annual Spring show this past weekend. And very appropriately named too--"In a Quilter's Garden", so there were many flower related quilts displayed.  The Best of Show was this lovely work by Georgina Buschauer.  Look at the detail on the center............

Such lovely flower dimension--you could almost smell the flower aroma.

The quilting was also done by Georgina.  This was titled Challenge 2 and she states that the 'quilt grew on me'.   Well, it certainly grows on us!!

The photo came out a little blurry--sorry, but it doesn't take away from the overall look of this awesome best of show.

Small wall size hangings also glow with flowery containers.  Titled "Jammin Flower Power" was pieced and appliqued by Susan Jenkins and quilted by Marilyn Gore--great work gals!

The wall sections were hung with profession care and concern for the integrity of the quilt.

A traditional 'Barn Raising' scrap quilt was made by Lauren Semple and quilted by Pam Klein.  You just got to love these scrappy quilts.

This quilt really was eye catching! And a great play on words--"Dot Com"!  Pieced by Susan Jenkins and quilted by Karen Hansen.

Dots ! Dots ! Dots ! Big ones and small ones!

"Texas Tumbleweeds" blocks pieced and quilted by Debbie Huebel.  This block is usually known by the name of buzz saw, using 2.5" strips.

"Mary's Star Quilt" pieced by Julie Lisle and quilted by Valerie De Ruiter--this quilt uses a creative means of triangle points.

A close-up view of the quilting by Sharon Dixon.

Sharon also pieced this quilt using the pattern "Merry Go Round' by American Jane.  The quilting design is Honeysuckle by Patricia Ritter.

A close-up view of the donation quilt that was hung at the entrance of the gallery.

The donation quilted was hand appliqued and machined pieced by members of the West Houston Quilter's Guild and quilted by Jane Plisga.  The pattern  is "Midnight Floral Fantasy" and designed by Karen Kay Buckley and Janet Shultzabarger.  It measures 95"x95".

In keeping with the theme, flower pedals warned visitors 'Do Not Touch'!

A close-up of the quilting feature on "Friends in my Half Square Garden"

This lovely quilt was a production of a half-square exchange with a group of friends.  In all there are over 3000 half square triangles in this quilt.

"Tree of Life" by Pamela Pfeiffer and quilted by Jane Plisga.  This was inspired by 'Friendship Triangles' by Edyta Sitar.  It was also the result of the half square exchange, using 144.

This quilt shows how different fibers can be combined to create an imaginative quilt.  "A Primitive Garden" pieced by Nicole Chen and quilted by Cathy King was a BOM (block of the month) quilt from 2009.

Using wool fabric along with regular cotton quilting fabrics will give Nicole an indoor garden to appreciate for years to come.

This was only a small fraction of the wonderful quilts displayed during the two day event.  It is always amazing that dedicated volunteers will work tirelessly to install their handwork for such a small amount of time.  It is the way to bring some beauty to this world.





April Weaver Gathering

Blogger has changed their look; so, the short story is....it is harder to figure out the codes for photos!  But, we'll learn and get in the groove with blogger again.
Here is the April happening with one weaver study group.  We are donating unused shuttles to our new weaver, Scharine.  These came from Rosemary's studio.  It seems the longer you have been weaving, the more shuttles you gather and some just sit idle by the side lines.



Rosemary attended a juried art festival in the area and bought this lovely jewel of a shawl.  It is plaited twill pattern.  Olga came bearing three of her recent felted creations.  The first one is dyed a chocolate brown.  It is silk base with wool inlay.



For some reason, the camera picked up the color differently in this photo.  You can see the wool strips laid in stripes.

This creation was black base with white silk and wool inlay.  Absolutely fantastic handle!

In this photo you can see the stretch of the wool/silk as it is pulled and laid over the base fabric.

We all envy this one!  Olga said it was a keeper for her to wear!

Penny showed her woven blanket--so very soft; the handle on this was wonderful!! And the color combinations were real winners.

Our study for the year has been waffle weave.  Penny had a sample to show.  She used two different weights of linen and the top fabric has been washed.  She isn't pleased with the look.

This photo shows the linen fabric before it was washed.  This would make great curtains.  Penny wants to achieve a nice washcloth.

Connie had her waffle weave samples.  She is using color to outline the 'dimples' of the waffle.  We all agreed that we like the plain checkboard effect between the waffles.  The only problem weaving waffle and plain weave is the draw-in.

Great waffles achieved but not to Connie's satisfaction.  Back to the 'drawing board' for her.

Antje, on the left and Rosemary on the right are examining Antje's latest rug.  Antje breaks all the rules for weaving and we love it!!  This, to her, is the wrong side.

This is Antje's right side! She wove it this side up and tucked al the loose ends to the back side.  She is very thrifty and uses old clothing for her 'rags'.  She'll combine knit and cotton together.

And this lovely shawl is from the new weaver Scharine--can you believe?  She is weaving with sari silk and this has been through the burnt test to make sure it is truly silk.  Lovely--another one to break the rules with her weaving!

A close-up of Schraine's edge where she is knotting the fringe, for a more elegant look.

DANGER-WARNING!

There is a quilt pox going around--it is very contagious to some and as the sign says "no known cure"!  Have you caught this pox yet?  In our house, it has a steady hold on the sewing room and at times, no one enters--afraid they will catch the pox!

But, some are daring and have ventured in to try their hand at different techniques; like this applique.  Don't you just love this little squirrel?--Fun to make up using the spray starch and freezer paper method.  Just need to stitch around the acorns, do the sign lettering and wagon rope to finish up this block before April block comes out.  This one is from Bunny Hill Patterns.

The next three blocks are from two different challenges or QALs--one is being led by Natalia at Piece 'N Quilt (Star Block QAL, which just began) and the other is the wrap up from a series that began in the fall through Moose on the Quilts.  With the latter there are enough blocks to make a nice size quilt top--mostly from Layer Cake stack.

Each month there was a different quilt designer who were generous to give us a block.

And then there was this QAL--from PS I Quilts. It sounded like a good idea at the time, as the technique used two different jelly rolls--one lights, one darks, but then............
after you sew all those strips together, you have this.

And then you need to cut more strips.  Now, these are neatly stacked ready for the next step, which is ........

heading to the machine area where all those neatly stacked strips get tossed around and in one big mess!

Okay, now you sew again--five strips into one big block; make sure you alternate the colors right--or otherwise, frog it (rip, rip, rip)  Of course, that has never happen...........................

This will make an interesting quilt top if and when it is finished with the sewing--but at this point, it is rather boring, so one strip is added--occassionally--while sewing on another project.  Someday, you might see it here--COMPLETED!