Oh, Those Expat Gals!!

What a great group of gals these expats are!! We can sing their praises to high heaven all the time--always there when you need a listening ear, a friendly nudge, a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board for all your compliments or complaints! They'll tell you when you are wrong or when you are right............................okay enough of that 'sappy' stuff and on to the gathering this week.

Judy M had finished the quilting on this year long project--Raggedy Ann & Andy redwork sampler quilt.  It is always an accomplishment to finish a long drawout project and finally fun to see the blocks become a quilt.  This is only complete with the quilting in my book.

Since there was the recurring theme of hearts, Judy used a heart pano to give this quilt some pizazz. Now, for the binding, a little hand stitching and we'll have a quilt for the ages.

Judy had also finished the quilting on Debby's top for Michael, who was one of the foreign exchange students that Debby hosted years ago.  This lovely comforter is a gift for his summer wedding--what a gift!!

 

We all fell in love with the backing!  Black satinee--what a whole cloth experience!  We said you could use this back as the top

Karen was working on her new grandson's top--what a bright baby quilt!  She was sewing on the border strips, which is the green fabric used in the sashing.

Karen was 'fussy' cutting her blocks from this fabric.  And being the perfectionist that she is, she used paper piecing to get the main block outlined with the sashing.

Judy continued to add her 4" blocks to her top.  So many little pieces cut to make such an outstanding look.

We welcomed Brenda back after her surgery.  She had been cooped up for six long weeks so we were all happy to give her a big hug and see what she has in mind for her next project.  And it's this 10 minute tiles pattern.  Using variegated fabric, shaded in black to gray to white and reds, she was cutting the necessary widths of fabric.  Please Brenda--let us know if the tiles only take 10 minutes to complete!

Annette,  celebrating  31 years of marriage on this day(!), was working on her "Bee Happy" top.  She and hubby have planned a long weekend away to celebrate with each other.  Congrats Annette and Phil!

What a great block!  So many things happening in just one area to give you an overall motion effect.

Here Annette is 'auditioning' fabrics for the outside border.  Brenda is giving the look- review test.  Annette is planning to make half square blocks to frame the center section.

Linda was putting the finishing touches on her grandson's flight panel for his birthday gift.  He aspires to be a fighter jet pilot when he grows up!  Isn't it great that he so loves this panel and wants it as his grandma gift--yes, we are teaching them right from the start!!

Chugging Along!

We are just chugging along with our projects--slowly but surely.  Finally, have a pair of socks off the needles and ready to wear--when the weather turns bitter cold!!

This pattern was interesting to knit; nothing boring about this design! 

This past week was a day spent with a few of the expatchers in Judy M's new studio.  She has brought her quilting machine down from her house and working away on projects.  In an early post, you saw the beginnings of this quilt for her granddaughter.  Now, the top is quilted and ready for binding, along with little 'bling'.

Look how cute this is!  Just taking a preprinted panel and adding some lopsided blocks, along with applique flowers gives you a fanciful quilt for a dear little girl.

The quilting is perfect for this top!

This is the top that Judy finished quilting from my hands.  It looks smashing!!  These blocks took over a year to complete.  There were four more blocks to be added--but enough is enough!

The quilting pattern is 'wrought iron'.  Great balls of fire--something else has been completed!  Hurrah!!

And this top was left for summer quilting--another accomplishment that took over a year--working with one row or one block each month gives you a finished top.  The backing is an orange shade of fabric--bought 110" wide muslin, dyed it with Rit dyes--one package of orange and one of tangerine.

Judy was sewing away on her top for the RV queen size bed--who would think that this pattern could be complicated?  But, you must watch which way the corners are going when you sew the 4" blocks together.  If not, you'll have flying geese instead of stars.

Lots and lots of blocks ready to be stitched together.

The studio is getting new 'looks' every so often.  What a great sampler quilt hanging this one is.

Remember this whimsical Diva hanging by Karen?  Well, Karen was finishing up the binding this Tuesday. 

Sandy had put the quilting stitches around the border of this super hanging.  Just right for a quilt diva--threads going every which way!!

May's WOW!! Group

This weavers group has progressed by leaps and bounds during the past year!  To think that most of these gals are 'beginners' who have tackled many of the difficulties of choosing appropriate yarns, calculating, setts, winding warp, threading heddles, understanding drafts, tromping treadles and producing some outstanding fabrics.....................even those who are experienced or advanced weavers never learn it ALL........that's is the best thing about weaving world--you never learn everything there is to know.  There is always something about different yarns, different color combinations and setts as well as weave structures.

The gals are still weaving away on their summer/winter structures.  Here is another sett that gives a totally different view of this unique weave.

A photo of draft of above weave.

Totally different--summer/winter is so versatile.

Have a problem with tension?  Just use what is handy to weight those pesky warp threads.

Once again, another look at summer/winter.

One color or many, the weave works.

How about this color combination?  Perfect!  Maybe next on the loom?

Sample, Sample, Sample...........................

Our state conference is just around the corner, so Anita wove this towel in conference colors--it's a twill weave--smashing!

A show piece, to say the least, by the hands of Julie, using natural colored cottons--a great addition to any kitchen.

We are assembling our gift basket for the state conference raffle.  Who wouldn't want to win this lovely ribbon dessert plate with handwoven ribbons woven by Julie and Marian.  The gals had such fun with their inkle looms, they are talking about a study group this summer.

A great addition to the kitchen basket is this knitted and fulled pot holder and glove, given by D'Anne.

And here is our completed raffle basket--what a great assortment of wovens, kitchen accessories and food items.  Buy a ticket and place in our jar!

We had some other wovens that were not included in the basket.  Here Marian is discussing her latest scarf hot off the loom. 

And Anita didn't want to show this towel, off the same warp with conference theme colors.  "Why not?" we asked.  She said it wasn't her greatest work!--well, not the greatest in her eyes maybe, but smashing anyway--weave and learn.

ROUND UP--GET IT DONE!

May--heading into summer now and the thought processes are panicking!! Yes, it's almost time to pack up and head to the summer home--so, there are lists of 'to do and finish'!  The loom needs to be warped, blocks that need to be sewn up, wall hangings that need those last minute touches and of course, why not begin a new UFO in the process?

This is the April calendar hanging--looks to be an easy peazy thing to make--just lay down the pattern, outline stitch and you're finished.

All those tiny bits of fusible are being put to good use.  No! don't throw away any scrap that can be used somehow, somewhere..........

And then, since it is the first of the month, another one of the 'birdie' stitching patterns come out--got to do that one to keep up!

Who can resist little guys ?!!  another one of the clever ROM (row of the month) patterns from Fat Cat--Sindy is a genius (of course, she knows how to make use of EQ programs!)

Here is the first month of the ROM--aren't they so cute?

And the makings of the second ROM--we just need to add more facial features to the bunnies--give them some personality.

Trying to eliminate some of the stash, we are working on 2012 valentine hanging--here we are auditioning fabrics for the outside border.  The camera sees things different than the human eye--which fabric works the best?

Now, we have the inside block for April, what should the outside borders look like?  Another audition as we write--not too fond of this combination, so back to the stash.

Finished March--this was fun piece to do--"in with the lions, out with the lambs" or is it vice versa??

And the one for February is finished--well, not quite finished finished, the top is finished.  This was a challenge--so many instructions & so much cutting--one never knows where to begin but soon it becomes apparent, just one step at a time and you'll get there.

And here is January!! Okay, it isn't completely finished either, but at least, we have the basic part done....

During evening hours, we can stitch away on that 'birdie' block--something different and aside of knitting--busy hands, you know!