Goodbye 2014

No, I didn't get lost in Shipshewana! It's been awhile since my last post. I swear the days go by quicker and quicker as each year passes. We had eight deaths in our church family in a ten week period. I was ill for almost two weeks and then I sliced my right eyelid and needed six stitches just a few days before Christmas. I was so fortunate that my eye wasn't damaged. I haven't done much of anything sewing related, but I sure hope to change that with the new year.

Shipshewana was another wonderful retreat with 120 quilters attending from around the world. The weather outside was frightful, but the sewing room was delightful. Rosemary made another Smile Box of photos from Show and Tell. You can see it here.

Several of us worked on our Woodlands Quilt. This was a free pattern online using Jo Morton fabrics. I have the blocks all together, but need to add the borders. This was a fun quilt to sew, but there sure were lots of half square triangles.

Next project waiting to sew is called General Jack. I bought this kit at Caroline's in Rome, IN, about a year ago. There will be several of us sewing this quilt at the retreat in Chesaning this week-end. Isn't being at a retreat a great way to begin the new year!

As with every previous January, I have high expectations for a fabulous new year and kept resolutions. Have to have hope!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! May your sewing machine and needles get
lots of use. I look forward to seeing the results.

p.s. Thanks, Tracy!

Brrrrr. It's November!

My Prairie Rose was quilted and waiting for me at The Cottage last week. Now it's binding time! I'm really happy to have this almost done. Here is my friend, Sisley, trying it out. I used a wool batt and with the cooler weather coming, we'll need this on our bed.

I added a few more scrappy lozenges to my pile at the retreat last week. These are so fun to make.

Most of my retreat time was spent cutting out the fabrics for Woodlands. Next week is the Dear Jane retreat in Shipshewana, IN. Woodlands will be my project.

Happy Halloween!

                         Happy Halloween from my house to yours!

Oops

Last Friday was the Halloween party at The Quilted Cottage. We had a smaller turnout this year, but it was still a fun day. I decided to work on the next quilt due for Jo Morton Club. That meant I needed 41 little nine patches in different blues. I had cut my strips beforehand, so I was ready to go. When I reached the 36 finished nine patches mark, I suddenly realized that I had done them wrong. Yikes! Here's a sample of the mistakes and one correct block.

The nine patches were to be set alternately with different 2 3/4" squares of the blues used in the blocks. I had carefully read how wide and how many strips of backgrounds and blues, but then proceeded to sew. After all, I know how to make a nine patch! However, a nine patch can have light corners or dark corners and this quilt was meant to have light corners.

Time for a plan B! Found this Andover print at the shop and decided I liked the
look of the little print with the dark blue niners.

I will have a show and tell at the club's next get-together. Mine will be a variation of the one shown.

I'm linking up with Connie at Freemotion by the River today.

Rainbow Scrappy Saturday Blocks

I sewed a few little brown blocks for soscrappy's monthly color challenge. This block was shown on her blog here. I did turn the HST units by accident and decided to leave them that way. These blocks will finish at four inches. I will have fun playing with the secondary patterns. I'm linking with soscrappy today.

Jim has been picking lots of apples from our two trees.

Slow Stitching Sunday

Today I am working on a stitchery kit that I bought a couple of weeks ago at a quilt show. Kits are great to pick up and work on when you don't want or don't have the time to put items together for a pattern. I'm also linking up with Kathy for her Slow Stitching Sunday.

The burning bush is turning red and the leaves are falling from the trees. Won't be long now until I start my countdown for spring.

Mid October

This is my pile of fifteen double churn dash blocks made with scrappy reds and blues. It is an exchange in our guild this year. Every other month we will have a different block with specific colors to make. They will be swapped out and we'll get a variety of blocks back. I spent almost three days at the last retreat making these!

My Marcus Brothers Friends and Companions Mystery blocks are now a top! I was surprised that nine little 8" blocks became a 60 1/2" square quilt! This was a wonderful sew along.

The latest "homework" for QCU next week. When Moda University ended, our shop started its own school of higher learning. Quilted Cottage University meets once a month with different 'professors' giving a presentation each meeting. We are currently working on a mystery quilt. This is the current block.

And because she looks so cute, here's a pic of Annie.

                       Off to catch up on my Austen Family Album blocks.

Fantastic Fall

The weather has just been fantastic this past week ! Sunshine and mid seventies temps. Perfect weather to finish out the regular baseball season, too. And the Tigers did finally win their fourth divisional title! They waited until the very last day, but who doesn't need a little drama!

I made the last block for the Marcus Brothers Friends and Companions Designers Mystery. This Friday we will be given the put together how to. These blocks were fun to sew and I love the colors.

My daughter-in-law's mom and nephew came over from Germany to visit. We had them here for dinner and a day in Frankenmuth. She doesn't speak any English and I don't speak German, but we had three good translators. I was gifted with this beautiful table runner. She does beautiful knitting and crochet work.

My hibiscus had more blooms this year than other years. Must have been the rain and cooler temps at just the right time.

My brother, Paul and his wife, Kelly came to Michigan to see their new grandson! This is a family pic taken last Saturday. My mom and dad, brothers and sisters, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law hoping to celebrate the Tigers clinching the American League Central title for the fourth straight year. The Tigers waited until Sunday, but we had a wonderful time together anyway.

In July, Rosemary Youngs came to the sleep at home retreat at The Cottage! We like to work on similar projects or even the same project, at times. Here is Helen, Connie, Rosemary and me with our Market Days tops. Somewhere I have a picture of the smaller size quilt, too. I'll keep looking.

More Project Updates

I've been without a computer for the last week. Although I could have posted from my iPad, I couldn't get the photos I wanted, etc. I'm just not that tech wired to do things differently. Now I think Jim has me back up and running smoothly.

My Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll is now a top ready for quilting! This is one of my favorite quilts from Bonnie Hunter, but it sure has a ton of pieces in it. I felt the need to stay with this one until it was done.

This is my T Quilt from Jo Morton's Little Women Club. I have a bad habit of
thinking that once the top is done, it's off to the next project. This still needs quilting.

Last week was the September Sleep At Home Retreat at The Quilted Cottage.
I caught up with some blocks, sewed on a binding, added borders, added hearts and almost finished my Moda Alpabet quilt. (it is now finished, but I don't have a pic yet)

An area Apple Farm has an outdoor craft show every September. The air is heavy with the aroma of cider donuts. It was a nice day to walk around outdoors. I love the decorations they have located around the farm. Here are
two of my favorites.

Tin can flowers! They were adorable.

Bowling ball bugs! The eyes are the holes in the bowling ball. Love the way the cans and bowling balls were upcycled.

Remember me?

I've sat down to write so many times, but never post. Today is the day to get back into my blog.

It has been a busy summer that seems to have flown by way too quickly. How can it be Labor Day week-end already?

My sister, Connie and I were able to attend the AQS Show in Grand Rapids again this year. We had a wonderful time shared with friends, Rosemary Youngs and Amy Stevens. Rosemary had two gorgeous quilts entered into the show. At night we all sewed around the dining room table while watching the Tigers and laughing our night away.



I worked on my Prairie Rose Sampler the past few months and it is now at the LAQ.

 My list of UFOs is staggering, to say the least. There has been progress made on many of them, though. I think Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll is getting near the flimsy stage. I'm working on the pieced border now.

 When a Block of the Month or Block of the Week is posted online, I'm drawn in like a moth to the flame. So far, I'm keeping up to date on the Austen Family Album, Threads of Memory and the Marcus Brothers Designers Mystery. The first two photos aren't up to date, but the blocks are.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Labor Day week-end!

Very Soon?

Obviously, I don't know the meaning of 'very soon' which is when I promised to post in my last entry.

Last week was the semi annual Dear Jane Retreat in Shipshewana. What a fun and wonderful time we have there. Our stomach muscles actually hurt from all of the laughing! The weather was beautiful. We were able to dart in and out of the conference rooms without a coat or just a light jacket. Rosemary Youngs has a Smilebox of the show and tell on Friday evening. You can find it Here. Tracy Craven also has show and tell on her blog Here.

This pic shows Helen, me, Connie and Rosemary with our finished Flag Quilts.

This is a baby quilt I made for a good friend's daughter. She wanted black and white fabrics. I was a bit hesitant at first, but ended up liking the outcome

!

Last November, Cindy, Connie, Helen, JoAnn, Rosemary and I decided to do a Shipshewana themed block swap. Rosemary sent each of us a pieced and an applique block pattern. We chose what colors we wanted and had six months to sew the blocks. These are the blocks I made for our swap. Our next task is to have a finished quilt in November!

These are the blocks I received. I love each one of them! By the way, we called our group The Six Shipshe Swappers. Say that three times fast!

Till next time....

I'm still here!

You'd think I'd fallen off the edge of the earth! I always look forward to January as it is a new beginning and a fresh chance to catch up and start over. This year it zoomed by so quickly that I almost forgot it was here. And now February is following right along beside it. This winter has been one for the record books. I'm so looking forward to seeing some mud outside instead of ice, slush and snow!

Although I haven't been posting, I have tried to keep up with your blogs and I have been sewing on lots of projects.

Yesterday I finished the binding on my log cabin flag quilt! This was a kit from The Hen House in Charlotte, MI last year. They were featured in The Quilt Sampler with this quilt. The logs were cut one inch and finish at 5 inches and the flag is wool. It's one of my favorites.

I've made the first two blocks from Barbara Brackman's latest offering on her Civil War blog.

Also have the first two months of the Prairie Rose Sampler done. Those blocks are huge!

Here are a couple of flimsy finishes:

The first was a kit from The Quilted Cottage bought a few years ago and the second was made from an Amish block swap in Shipshewana back in 2005.

There's lots more to share. I will be back very soon. :-)

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year ahead.