Thursday, September 18, 2014

What Do Quilters Do On Vacation?

Why Quilt of course!

Well, my StashBuster friends will understand.  There is nothing like a new grand-baby to get the grandma juices flowing.

While spending three weeks in Atlanta helping out with the kiddos, Our first stop was Little Quilts in Alpharetta.  I managed to indoctrinate - I mean that 2 of my grand-daughters picked out their fabrics for their ''big girl" beds.  Julia picked 'Kaffe' type fabrics, Chloe picked all BLUES...  What??  I thought she was pink and purple!!  She is growing up.

I am using the same pattern for both quilts, but using the colorways that the girls picked.  I am using the Moda Bake Shop"Jelly Roll Turnover.


Second stop was at Tiny Stitches, where I picked up several Christmasy fat quarters to make Figgy Pudding, a pattern at the Moda Bakeshop.  This little quilt shop had some nice fabrics, but just found the fabrics for this quilt.

Then, because you can just have one, or two, or even three projects going at the same time, I also started a Double Irish Chain quilt using 2 inch strips with a Cheddar Yellow, red and Kona Snow.  Not sure how big I will make it but I have plenty of fabric to make it a large as I want.  Really need some bed sized quilts instead of the lap sizes I've been doing the last several years.

Monday, September 01, 2014

Retreat Recovery Mode



All you quilters know what it is like to go on retreat.  You look forward to it for months, you get projects lined up that you want to start.  You get what is needed to finish up a project (aka UFO), then the big weekday (or weekend) comes and you sew and sew and sew some more.  Well, yeah, we do some eating, talking and margarita drinking, but we do a LOT of sewing.

I was with several longtime friends, Barb, Linda and Sharon - all original FML members.  Linda has moved to San Antonio, but she always makes time for us, and we get artsy input from her.  I think this is the first retreat where I finished more tops than Sharon.  I don't think she took it too well.  She has been reigning TOP FINISHING DIVA for several retreats now.  She did bow down at one point!!

The three quilt tops pictured were all quilted and completed shortly after we got back. 

 I think I ended up finishing 5 quilt tops.  Not all are pictured, (a few were customer quilts).  Sharon finished four.

This third picture is what I have name 'Dream Quilt"  I guess finishing it is 'in my dreams'.  One day I will finish it.  It is one of my oldest (but most favorite) UFO's.  All she needs, is a border and quilting.



Oh, we were at Diane Anderson's Quilters Cabin TOO (the log cabin just down the lane from the original Quilters Cabin.   This place is great, because there are no minimums on how many people you have - it is per person - per night.  Book early, because she fills up quickly...