Summer wrap up and Fall Quilting!

So it's October...

WHEN did THAT Happen??!??

Seems like yesterday the sweet smell of 

Lilies filled the hot summer air

and my Hydrangea's were in beautiful full bloom,

with the Rose of Sharon starting to pop!

there were lots of visitors to the yard

especially these three turkeys that I have watched grow

since the spring!

and a beautiful deer that just could not resist my husband's peach tree!

Disclaimer: we only plant a garden to feed the wildlife!!!

It's their own personal buffet!

In August I attended the New England Quilt Museum's

Summer Celebration

with one of my Quilty gal pals ~ Diana

she is standing in front of a quilt that she Quilted!!

This quilt also happened to win the popular vote for the entire

Summer Celebration!! Congrat's to the quilt maker and Diana!

While at NEQM Diana and I had the privilege of viewing

"Threads of Resistance"

~WOW~

Very Impactful...

Continuing to receive and LOVE my monthly

Blue Quilty Box from

the Fat Quarter shop!

SO many fabulous goodies 

with lots of projects to keep me busy all winter!

This summer hubby and I were able to get away for a few days

first was our trip up into New Hampshire

so he could ... Gold Pan!

NO ~ he hasn't found any gold...

but he has had fun!

While he dug in the dirt I spent my time

sipping an ice coffee, reading the latest edition of Quiltfolk

(Loved the Hawaiian quilts in this edition)

and focused on my favorite style of quilting ~ Appliqué!

 The next few days were spent sitting on the edge of the canal

watching him fish ... and fish... and fish!

getting more appliqué done....

 and a little English paper piecing! 

and he caught a fish...

too small to keep

so back into the canal it went!

The end of August was time to put things in high gear

to get my quilt done for the guild's quilt shop in September...

There was one section that just baffled me as to how to quilt it...

so that's when the beads came out!

Love the combination of sashiko, appliqué and beading!

Here you can see the beaded areas.

all the quilting was done on a domestic Janomee 6600!

With every quilt I try and do something new...

this time is was a scalloped boarder...

or rather a piped scallop boarder!

It came out ok...

a bit bumpy - but it was the best I could do

on my first attempt! with just 24 hrs left

before the show judging!!!

Nothing like squeaking it in!!

The Silver City Quilt Guild had two special displays,

the first was our Comfort quilts...

Most of the quilts were donated to a local shelter for women and children

and some were sent to "Quilts of Compassion" for those in need in Houston

The second special exhibit was our "Quilts of Valor"

my guild works with the Ma chapter creating quilts for veterans ...

no all the quilts pictured below were made by SCQG members,

some were made by other quilters.

and here we are ready for the opening of SCQG's

sixth biennial quilt show

All of my hard work paid off...

"Tropical Sashiko Sampler" 

received 

Best of Show!! 

from Pat Harrison

a certified quilt judge!

Plus 

Exemplary Domestic Machine Quilting!!

Posing with my quilt and ribbons!!

My little landscape

"The Lonely Pine"

received a Viewers Choice first place in the

"Look what I did in Class" category!

My Quilty BFF ~ Joan

entered her "Gravity" quilt

(first time she has ever had a quilt judged!)

she received a Judge's Third Place in the Large Bed Category

and a Viewer's Choice Third Place!!

So proud of her!!

My mom doesn't usually feel up to getting out and about

but we had one really good day in mid September

when I was able to take her to her favorite place

"Briggs's Nursery"

She loves looking at all the plants and they have a nice place to

sit and have tea and dessert!!

Both of my children had their share of bad weather....

my daughter survived Hurricane Harvey in Texas

and my son was hit with Hurricane Irma and a Tornado!!

 Both of them have requested Hurricane Quilts!!!

For the fall I have restarted my Ladies of the Sea Quilt

It will be scaled back from Sue Garman's 16 ships to 9 ships

as it will need to fit on a certain wall!!

The cent ship is "Massachusetts" from another pattern line ~ 

but it called (yelled!) to me so it just had to be made!!

The decision of the moment...

choosing the last three ships!!

There you have it ~ all caught up!!

Quilting a BIG quilt!

Trying to get two big quilts ready for my guild's September show...

may have taken on a bit much

 as I also have two smaller quilts and a table runner to quilt,

all of them to bind and make 

hanging sleeves and labels!

The show is not for two months ....

that's enough time...

Right???

Things were going along smoothly

quilting up my 2015 BOM "Snapshots" 

from the Fat Quarter shop...

Using utensils and a trusty blue wash out marker

worked on my boarder design using a walking foot.

Lots of stops and starts...

Lots of burying threads!!

But I'm happy with how it came out!

Machine quilting is always a challenge for me...

 my Janome 6600 makes it a bit easier!!

Next challenge is what to do with those

uneven and offset sashing!!

toying with a simple vine and leaf design...

Love and empty spool! 

Means I've been busy!

Even better when I have another one handy!!

Big OOPS!!

Totally forgot about the photo transfer picture on the back of the quilt!

When the blue water soluble marker disappeared and the area dried...

this is what greeted me :(

The photo from the back (which I forgot to treat)

decided to bleed thru to the front!!

YIKES!!!

Will have to come up with a creative fix for this!!!

My second big quilt is an appliqué and sashiko quilt 

from a Sylvia Pippen design

It has been basted (by a longer friend!)

with a double batt (wool on top of Request)

Now the challenge is to quilt out the design in my head!!

Cross your fingers!!

That's what under my needle for the next few weeks!

Till next time!

Have a great Quilty Day and enjoy the process!

            Janet

Another quilt retreat!

January was definitely Quilt Retreat month!

I had the opportunity to get away to my second retreat 

a few weeks ago - so wonderful to get out with other quilters!

The creativity was just outstanding!!

My days were spent working on two different donation quilts,

one for SCQG's Comfort Quilt program and the other for

Quilts of Valor (ran out of sashing fabric so could not finish that one!)

Here is my pile of cut fabric for a disappearing 9 patch

Using a speckled background batik fabric

and bright 5" precut batik squares-

it was fun putting it all together

then slicing it up!

rearranging it, 

and then stitching it back together!

now it just needs some boarders

(which were left at home!!)

 and it will be ready for someone in the guild to quilt!!

Hopefully it will go to someone who really needs a bit of comfort!

After returning from my fabulous three day retreat

it was time to get serious and get quilt tops and backs ready

to be basted - since that is NOT my favorite job

and I have FIVE that need to be done 

I'm opting to send them

out to be basted! 

Here are three ready to go!

This is a block that all go on the back of my "Snap shots" 

quilt - pattern was a BOM last year from the Fat Quarter Shop.

Such a fun quilt to make!

Since in was a camera - it just call for a family photo!

more photos of the quilts once they are basted

and I start quilting them on my Janome 6600!

Can't wait! Need to get them all quilted

for SCQG's show in September!!

May even have two more to add to the pile by then!!

Let's not forget 

Super Bowl 51

Wha-Hoo

LOVE those Patriots!!

Usually I can appliqué while watching the game…

but not this one! 

Emotions were all over the place…

they were off to a horrible start - so depressing, then

BOOM

they woke up came to life and made the greatest come back in history!

It's funny everyone is down on the Patriots for always winning…

well I grew up watch a Dad who support the worst loosing team ever!

He had seasons tickets and went to every game … and they mostly always lost!

He still stuck by them…

I'm sure he was looking down from is 50 yard line seat in heaven

and was over joyed at such a come back win!

Thinking of you Dad - miss ya <3

Ok tears dried … now back to quilting!

Christmas, Happy New Year and a few 2017 finishes!

 Christmas has come and gone…

always makes me sad

so much preparation, anticipation and excitement

then blink and it's gone.

The Living room was all decorated waiting for the kids to come home,

so great having them home even for just a few days.

The Santa tree skirt I made way back in 1983 for

hubby and my first Christmas …

it still looks great!

 "Selfie" Family Photo!!

In October my son asked me to make a quilt for his girlfriend!

At first I though what you want me to make a quilt start to finish

in two months!!

Well mission accomplished times two!

A Patriots quilt for Matthew...

 and a blue and white quilt for Emily!

She loved it!

Happy New Year!

Wondering what this year will bring??

My first quilt top finish!

Scrappy Trip Around the World

which is a free pattern on Bonnie Hunter's website.

Here is a close up.

It will be donated to the Silver City Quilt Guild's

Comfort Quilts Program!

Another member will take it and quilt it,

then another will bind it

(great group effort)

and then it will go on to someone in need of Comfort!

The first weekend of January I was off to a retreat!

Packed lots of projects!!

First project was from a stack of fat quarters in my stash

"Little Lifesavers" by Michael Miller

and thats as far as it got…

I forgot the sashing fabric!! Oops!

Next up Block 8 of my "Snapshots" quilt

(a BOM from the Fat Quarter Shop)

and block 9!

Four Hedgehogs for my

"Fancy Forrest" quilt

Once home the hexie bug bit me and the result

was this way too cute needlebook

inside view…

yes the little Bunny is appliqués on!!

and the back!

 Block 6 of "Ladies of the Sea"

Finished!!

SO nothing big is finished…

but lots of projects brought up to the next step!

Hope your 2017 is happy and healthy

and full of Quilty Finishes!!