My sister started a Mariner’s Compass quilt at a class 

I taught in 2005!!

Well,  almost 20 years later and she still hadn’t made 

much progress on it!

My suggestion -  call it done and just let me quilt it!!

She was agreeable to that!

For her birthday I flew down to Virginia and presented her with

This finished wall hanging!

The Custom free motion quilting was so much FUN!!

Close up of the spiral shell quilting pattern

In the compass points

My favorite - Ship in a Bottle!!

The back really shows off my quilting!

Just loved how it turned out - and so did my sister!!!

The past few months have also been busy with

Stitching up a few quilt samples for

QuiltCorner Studio in Sandwich.

Mum Garden - fun, fast, easy, light and breezy!

Spools with Figo Space Dyes

Was another fast one

Made with mini charms!

Turtley Awesome!

Another herd of turtles -made with

Charm packs

This is the second time I’ve made this sample!

All of the quilts above are available as kits at

QuiltCorner Studio in Sandwich Ma!!

There is nothing better than a clear crisp walk on the beach

And Horseneck Beach is my favorite!

To walk and collect Sea Glass!!

This spring I was asked to donate to a 6” x 6” canvas 

painting for auction with proceeds to go to 

the Inner-City Neighborhood Art House.

A non-profit organization in Erie Pennsylvania,

Where one of my sister-in-laws volunteers.

It is such a privilege to be able to participate in wonderful cause.

A quick floral tulip arrangement was what I came up with,

Hope it does well in the auction!

Since I had a quilt all done and ready to go out the door

I donated this bright and wild beauty too!

Hoping it will brighten someone’s day!

Last month I was able to get away with my best Quilty Gal Pals

(Joan, Diana and Giuliana!)

To the Cottage at WestPond Inn in Bolton.

Oh My Goodness …so relaxing.

And since I had everything cut and prepped ready to sew

Much was accomplished!!!

My daughter asked if I would make a baby quilt for one 

of her coworkers. They do not know what they are having 

and they are big Red Sox fan

And already have a three year old boy ….

Baby quilt if it’s a girl 

Just LOVED the rubber ducky fabric!!

Red Sox baby quilt if it’s a boy

And of course I had to make a Big Boy Red Sox quilt

For the three year old!!!

Now to quilt them all up and have them ready for mid August!!

A few years ago SCQG had quilter David Sirota

(Aka: Quilt Maven Dave)

For a lecture and workshop - well I never finished 

my workshop piece, That’s still in the UFO pile … 

as I started a new one using just one fabric!

‘Effervescence’

And I LOVE how it came out, 

The transition of color is exactly want I wanted!!

Need to come up with some spiffy quilting ideas for this one!

Star Pop 2 in Tilda Fabrics

Plan on adding a border to this one

This is my THIRD attempt at starting 

Pretty Little Pots

Each time I get 4 or 5 blocks in and end up disliking my

Background fabric choices ….

This time I’m going with white or white-ish low volume fabrics…

Much happier this time!!

With all the quilting not much time has been spent on painting

(My hobby from my hobby!!)

But did get to participate in a zoom class on Poppies!

Love my zoom classes with Alex Kincaid!

And I’ve started working on Rhododendrons!

Need to finish stamen and leaves

But that’s for another day!!

Today I’m relaxing sipping tea and hand quilting this beauty…

After this current block only two more blocks and the border

And it’s done … so another year!!!!

Have a wonderful spring (if it ever stops raining!)

Have a great Quilty Day and enjoy every stitch of life!

                               Janet 

 

 

Secret Garden appliqué is finished!

Well she’s finished!

The top anyway!!

My Secret Garden Quilt

Is ready for basting and quilting.

Yes I’ll be quilting her on my 

Little domestic Janome!

Probably outline each of the motifs

And then some nice floral background 

Fillers - should only take me a few years!!

The pattern is The Secret Garden

By Sarah Fielke

Fabrics are from Tilda

Except for the tree branch-

that’s from my Japanese Taupe collection. 

There are cute little critters and motifs throughout the quilt

Mostly things I see in my own garden!

Had to add the seashell - since I love the beach!

We have a number of squirrels that visit

the flower garden, they sit under the 

bird feeders waiting for droppings!

A few years ago we had a momma red fox trot

through the garden - unfortunately she was carrying

one of the neighbors chickens.

More squirrels!

 

Had the add the painter!!

One of the many birds that visit the garden!

Hubby loves elephants!

Me and my Raven!

There are three Ravens that hang around 

the garden all summer - they

are quite comical to watch!

Onto the next project….

Another Sarah Fielke pattern!

Rainy Days & Sun Rays

It was a BOM from 2020.

She’s been sitting on my design wall

patiently waiting for me to finish her!

Preparing to start another block.

I changed the pattern up - making

the pattern smaller ( to fit a certain wall!)

Here is my prepared edge system!

Sometimes we need a diversion from our crafts! 

Mine is watercolor painting!

Below are some of my paintings that

have been printed into 4x5 cards.

                                          

                                                        

Stargazer Lilies are one of my favorite flowers. 

 this one was painted during a zoom workshop with Alex Kincaid, 

pleased with how it came out!

Tried another version of the lily using the techniques

learned in my zoom workshop 

and came up with the next

Stargazer painting

Got a little daring and added a deep blue

background - it pops the flower

right off the page!

Over the past two months I’ve had the pleasure 

of showing my quilts and speaking

at local guilds!

Huge shout out and thank you to:

Holly Berry Quilt Guild in Falmouth

Thimbles and Friends Quilt Guild in Abington

Hands Across the Valley Quilt Guild in Amherst 

Cape Cod Quilter Quilt Guild in Brewster 

Thank you for inviting me to your wonderful guilds!

My classes at QuiltCorner Studio in Sandwich 

have been keeping me busy:

Collage

Domestic Machine Quilting &

Three different style Bags

In June I’ll be teaching my

Prepared Edge Appliqué method

at All About Quilts in Walpole

Life gets busy - so remember to take time to smell the flowers!

Happy Spring!

 

Had the pleasure of going on two quilting retreats in January!  

Always fun to get away with my Quilty Friends!! 

This past year I’ve been working on my 2023 BOM from Sarah Fielke… “The Secret Garden”

All I have left to do is the large branch and a million and one leaves!!!

So a few days before the first retreat I spent time prepping the leaves using 

the freezer paper and starch method that has become my favorite! 

Once the leaves and flowers were prepared they were glued in place using Roxanne Glue.

This is my set up at the retreats! 

All of my Quilty utensils in my “A Place for Everything” 

Bag, my little Needle Book and the Lap App - which I’m trying very hard to use! 

It does make a difference in reducing the stress put onto my 

neck and shoulders after many hours of appliqué stitching.

Another project that is in the works - to quilt my sister’s Mariners Compass quilt.

She started this quilt way back in 2007! After deciding she will never finish the quilt

She has decided to just stop, remove the pinwheels and make it a wall hanging!

My job… is to quilt it!!!

Using my Boogie Board I’ve come up with a few quilting designs,

Now to transfer the designs onto the quilt and get it DONE!!

Spent some time playing with my watercolors this month!

I decided to join an online watercolor workshop with Alex Kincaid.

There is a monthly fee - but it is so worth it.

Alex’s weekly class and instructions are wonderful and I’m learning 

To become a better watercolorist with each class!

 

For Christmas I painted two pet portraits for two of my friends…

When they both cried I knew I captured their fur baby just right!!

                                              Brady                                                         Louie 

Till next time ….

 

It has been two years since my last post! 

My last post was June of 2021 and the world was just starting to open back up after Covid... 

Not that I haven't wanted to post - it's just the time involved creating the "perfect" blog post! 

Much easier to quick click something into Instagram!

Now it's time to play catch up by recapping the past two years of 

Quilting and watercolor painting!

I am blessed to have a hubby (Thank you Stephen!) that doesn't mind

me spreading my quilting, stitching, painting into just about

Every Room in the house!!

~My Primary Sewing room~

Is where the sewing happens! 

My Janomee is for machine quilting and the Bernina for stitching!

and then there is the Ikea Billy cabinets for Fabric storage!

The other sewing area is the "guest bedroom"...

Stephen refers to it as "The Creative Laboratory"!! Love it!!

What I've been working on....

A few of the cute projects from my  "Secret Squirrel Stitch Society"

by Pretty Fabrics and Trims out of England!

Embroidery, EEP and Liberty of London fabrics ~ what's not to Love!!

   

"Feeling Crabby" one of my shop samples

for Quilt Corner Studio!

Christine took to her beach to photograph!!

"Robots"

the pattern is from Elizabeth Hartman

I made these colorful robots with "Fishy" bellies to represent the Cape!

Such a fun quilt to make - 

my favorite is the tall red robot with the lobster belly!! 

Finished a major applique project this year~

Garden Party Down Under - by Irene Blank of Australia

Pattern was a free online BOM for members of The Quilt Show.

Due to the size limitation of where it will be hung in the house

 I omitted the outer diamond border.

Had this one custom quilted by Quilty Gal Pal Diana Annis.

another top finished is Christmas trees 

(not sure the name of the pattern!)

It was fun and easy after the applique quilt!

This will be a nice snuggly Christmas quilt !

A Place for Everything bag!!

This was a challenge but I Loved how it came out!

Once you make one - you might as well make a few more with companion duffle bags!!!

  

Guild Quilt Shows are BACK!!!

The Rhododendron Quilt Guild had their show in March and

Silver City Quilt Guild had their show in September ...

between the two show I brought home a few ribbons!

The RNQG is a viewers choice show and the 

SCQG show was judged by National Quilt Judge Pat Harrison

Honey Bee Dreaming Big!

 received a First Place Viewers Choice ribbon at RNQG

AND

First Place Viewer's Choice in the 

Look What I Did in Class Category at SCQG

Garden Trellis
First Place Viewers Choice ribbon at RNQG

AND
First Place Judged Ribbon in the Bed Appliqué Category at SCQG

Ravens

received a Second Place Viewers Choice Ribbon at RNQG

AND

Second Place Judged Ribbon in the Bed Applique Category at SCQG

(it came in second because Garden trellis came in first!!)

"Violet"

received a First Place Viewers Choice Ribbon at RNQG

Garden Party Down Under

First Place Judged Ribbon in the Lap Appliqué Category at SCQG

This quilt was finished just in time for the SCQG show! Phew!

2020 Temperature Quilt

First Place Judged Ribbon in the Lap Pieced Category at SCQG

A Place for Everything Bag

First Place Judged Ribbon in the Other Category at SCQG

More Works in Process!

Afternoon Delight

pattern by Sue Garman

Pieced blocks alternating with prepared edge appliquéd blocks

stitched with Tilda fabrics!!

All of the quilt designs are marked with blue washout marker.

This one I'm quilting myself - it will take me FOREVER!!!

I can't wait to put it on a bed!!

Ladies Of the Sea

pattern by Sue Garden

I've been hand quilting this for the past two years! 

It would probably go a bit faster if I would just sit concentrate and Do It!! 

But too many other projects just keep getting in the way!!

I'm really looking forward to hanging this one!! Some Day!!!

This is my current needle turn project!

Secret Garden

pattern by Sarah Fielke of Australia

soft backgrounds with Tilda fabrics -

it is going to be dreamy!!

My newest favorite hobby - watercolor painting!

Quite morning... sipping coffee and sketching,

getting ready to watercolor paint ... and the results!

 

Making cards for Christmas

I posted them on my facebook page and friends asked to buy them!

Need to work on a card making business!!!

 

Candy Cane Lolly pop was painted from a zoom class 

with Alexis Cantu of the Netherlands!!!

She is a fabulous teacher, learned so much for this class.

Definately keeping this one! Need to take more of her classes!

One of my favorite watercolor artist Melissa Hyatt of Conn.

hosted a Chickadee Zoom watercolor class!

My chickadee from the class:

These little birds are so cute I had to give it another try

using my own reference photo:

"Crab Shack"

another zoom watercolor class with Melissa Hyatt.

I've take a number of her zoom classes - love her loose style.

Pleased with how this one came out.

Kingfisher

zoom watercolor class with Liz Clayton Fuller.a

She is a natural science illustratorand the class was offered 

thru the Ornithology Society. This class a very detailed - I loved it!!

Love my little guy - he needs a name!

I'm back giving lectures and workshops to guilds!

Along with working and teaching at QuiltCorner Studio!

Retirement Life is busy!

Til next time

Have a great Quilty Day and enjoy the process!

                               Janet