What I did on Retreat

     Things have been awfully hectic lately. I am grateful for that. I would much rather be a busy person with a lot going on, than bored. Wouldn't you?

      Lots of these things have been non quilt related. I have gotten the first Porterdale Village newsletter out. People seem to like it. I have always thought it would be a good thing to have all of that information gathered in one place. And then there was tax day! The less said about that, the better, but when you work from your home there is so much paper work and record organizing to get it done properly. Also, I have been working on a couple of rug weaving deadlines.

    Enough of that; let's turn attention to more quilt related matters. I just got back from a retreat. It was great! Good friends, beautiful weather at a gorgeous facility. 3 days of sewing that was only interrupted by good eating, pleasant conversation, a little sleep, and, maybe an occasional walk. I have already posted photos of what was being worked on around me, Now it is time to share that I actually did some sewing myself.

     Remember this project?

     

     Sometimes, I can get 2 photos to land next to each other on my blog; other days I can't. Why is that? Today is looking like a "can't" day.













     Anyway, before I left for retreat, I had all of my strip sets grouped together according to how many I needed of each color family. 

     I got them all sewed together, pressed, and trimmed.

     When I got home, I organized them into pairs, and realized that I had 5 sets too few of that dark blue, and 5 sets too many of the light blue. Coincidence? I doubt it. Well, I can use the extra light blue sets on the back of the quilt, but I obviously have to make some more dark blue sets. Monday, a group of friends were getting together to sew, and I pinned the whole stack. Now they are ready to go under the needle the very next time I get some quality time with my sewing machine.
 

 
     I realize these are not the most exciting photos you have ever seen, but this is what I have been doing. I am pleased that this quilt is on the verge of coming together.

     On a related project, I have been working on a quilt that uses the same overall design, but done differently for a nearby on line quilt shop. The name of the quilt shop is honeybegood.com  We took that drawing, and are making a lap quilt out of solid (as opposed to strip pieced) HST. Karen from Honey Be Good, picked beautiful organic cotton fabrics, which will be marketed as a kit on her website. (Don't you think those colors are yummy?!) I had just gotten the quilt back from Regina (my fabulous long arm quilter);  and got the binding on before I left for retreat, so I could hand stitch the binding and sleeve at retreat. By the way, the name of this quilt is Tangerine Twist.

     I got another quilt back from Regina too, but this one doesn't have a name yet. I made the variegated binding, and machine sewed it on, but it still needs the hand stitching done. I would like to get it done by next Thursday, since I will be speaking at The Southern Crescent Guild in Fayetteville.

    
     That is what I have been up to. I am off to finish a rug, and get my quilts in order for Thursday nights trunk show. Thanks for stopping by!

Retreat Fun

      This past weekend, I got to go on another quilting retreat. I got to see friends I only get to see about once a year, some I haven't seen in several years, and even, made some new friends too. It was wonderful.

     Here are photos of the beautiful things I got to see come together at this retreat.

 

    
     So how is that for a widely varied body of work! Next post, I will show you what I worked on while at retreat.

Strips

     I have been busy, doing so many things lately, that I have had a difficult time getting much time to sew. I have a rug due tomorrow, so I have been weaving that. This can be dangerous. I was at the loom today, when suddenly, I got an idea for a whole other quilt. I know you have been thinking: "What this girl really needs is to start another quilt." I chose fabrics from my Hancock's of Paducah catalog, and would have put an order in on the spot, but I was saved by the bell. Since it was after 6, I figured it was too late to put an order in today; I won't be able to tomorrow since I won't be home. It will be interesting to see if the drive for this idea stays with me till Friday.

      My friend Dori, and I cleaned out our town's library. (There is no heat in it so it stays closed in the winter) It needed sweeping, and dusting, and the books that have been donated through out the winter needed sorting and shelving. I decided our town needed a newsletter, so I have been working on our 1st newsletter issue. I have it just about finished, but I have to make about 800 copies. Since it is getting pretty spring like around here, the community garden is also gearing up. I just sent A Scarlet Thread several class proposals to choose from for the fall. I am looking forward to see if they like any of them, and if so, which.

     I belong to a sewing group that meets twice a month, and we each take turns hosting it at our houses. That person cooks dinner for the group that night. You guessed it. Last night it was at my house. After dinner, we all pull our our various projects. I cut some squares and triangles from strips that I had previously cut, for this quilt.

     I finished this quilt, and got it to my quilter's. Now I have to finish writing the directions for the pattern, since it is going to be sold as a kit at honeybegood.com

     I got this quilt back from my quilter, Regina, and I still need to trim it, and put the binding on it.

          I am trying to spend a little time everyday, sewing strip sets for this quilt. I have not put any more blocks up on the design wall, since I want to get the rest of my strip sets done before I pair them together.

     Help is on the way! I have a quilt retreat coming up soon. 3 days of uninterrupted sewing. I can't wait! I am planning to take the above quilt, and my big, pieced hexagon quilt. I also have several quilts that have all of the blocks done, and just need to be laid out. I was thinking it would be good to get one of them arranged on the design wall, so I could get numbers pinned onto the blocks, and sew it together, while on retreat.

     I don't get to see this group of friends very often, so I am really looking forward to this. In fact, one of them, I haven't seen in years since she moved away several years ago, but is coming for a visit, and going on retreat with us.
     
     It's time for me to hit the sack, I have to deliver the rug to Atlanta tomorrow. It is supposed to be a rainy day. Hope your week is going well, and you are getting lots done. Thanks for stopping by!

Design Walls Monday

     Yes, it's not a typo, I do mean design walls. And, once again, I am coming in under the wire. In some parts of the country, it's not even still Monday, but in my part of the country it is.

     I taught a class at a nearby quilt shop, so I spent a good bit of my sewing time preparing for the class, making sample blocks, etc. I really enjoyed teaching the class, but I need to work on remembering to bring out my camera, while the class is in progress. This class covered 5 different blocks, that kept me too busy to take pictures. Sorry, I know that sounds like a lame excuse, I will have to work on that.

     So here is what is on my design wall(s). A few more pieced hexagons. I am up to 10 finished, and an 11th one, almost finished. I did a layout on EQ, and found out I need 50 blocks, so I am 1/5th of the way there.

    

     I am still working on this quilt, although there is not much change on the design wall to prove it. All of my strip sets are pinned, and I have been using them for leaders, and enders. I have lots of strip sets sewn together, but I want to wait until they are all sewn together before I start pairing them together, to make my blocks.

     This next quilt is one I collaborated on with a shop owner who's shop is near my house. I did the design, and Karen Daniel from honeybegood.com chose the fabrics. Aren't they beautiful? And they are all organic too. This will be offered as a kit on her web site soon. I am almost finished sewing the blocks together.

     That is what is on my design wall(s) this week. Go to patchworktimes.com  to see lots of other interesting design walls.  

     Thanks for stopping by!

Neglect

     Time always passes so quickly, so often, I look up, and I can't believe so much time has gone by since the last time I wrote anything! Since my goal is to write twice a week, I have been pretty neglectful. Is that even a word? I hope so.

     I say that I haven't been writing.
That is not entirely true. I haven't
 written on my blog, but, I have
 been writing all day. Next Saturday,
I am teaching my Let's Polka quilt at
A Scarlet Thread in McDonough. I have
 spent a good bit of today writing the
instructions for this pattern, and
gathering my thoughts on just what
 I can tell people to help them make
this quilt. 










    Last Thursday, I did our last demonstration at my guild quilt show. I didn't want to do the whole sewing machine thing again, so I thought it would be fun to try a few blocks for another quilt that has been tugging on my sleeve. Especially since it would be easy to work on while I was talking to people. I had already cut all of the strips for it, and I figured I could demonstrate rotary cutting the strips into squares and triangles, and get a few blocks ready to sew. The quilt was inspired by this painting by Vincent Van Gogh.

    
      I mostly, want to just explore using this color scheme in a very simple quilt with small blocks and an overall design. Here are the blocks that I cut, then I sewed them the next time I was at the sewing machine just to see how they would look together. I think I need a lot more to tell if I will like it. I may or may not add a thin sashing. This will be another good chain piecing, and work on away from home quilt.
 

  

     Yes, I am still working on my pieced hexagons-slow going, and my strip quilt. I have been carrying those strips everywhere, and I have all but 9 strip sets cut and ready to sew. There are about 250 of them. I have been sewing them between the other things, using them as leaders and enders, Right now I have 35 sewn, but they are not trimmed yet.

     One more thing. A couple of posts ago I mentioned meeting Karen from Honey Be Good.com. We have gotten together and done some brainstorming. She liked this drawing and chose some fabrics to make into a lap size to sell as a kit. I am trying to get it together for her ASAP .

      

     This is what I have done so far. I am writing a pattern for it too, as I make it. Sorry about the wonky perspective. My largest, best design wall is behind my loom, which makes photography difficult.

     So really I haven't been just sitting around and eating bon bons. Also, spring is almost here, so spring activities are starting up. The community garden, lending library, and my tennis team are all in need of attention. I am working on getting a newsletter started in my town. And now that the quilt show is down, there are all of those quilts to return to their rightful owners. Hope your life is full of fun too. Thanks for stopping by!






    

Design Wall Monday

     My large hexagon quilt is slowly growing. I got one and a half more sewn together, and 2 more laid out.

     Sorry, this photo is not as clear as it could be. I was racing against my camera battery when I took this. Now the battery is dead for awhile. They will look better when I get them sewn, and on the downstairs design wall with the others.















     Lest you think that is all I accomplished, I also cut a bunch of strip sets for this quilt.

    
     I am getting a surprising number of strip sets sewn together by using them for leaders when I sew the large hexagons together.

     That is what I have been up to in a nutshell. Don't forget to go to patchworktimes.com
for lots more inspiration! Thanks for stopping by!

A Big Surprise

     I have made a decision in writing this blog, so far, not to write much about the non quilting areas of my like. One big reason is that I regularly read a couple of blogs that include more non quilting aspects of life. While I really enjoy these blogs, I guess I worry a bit about feeling like I am copying them.

     That said, sometimes your non quilting life runs into your quilting life when you least expect it. I live in a very small town, and I am very active in the local community garden. The other day I was to meet a new person who was interested in joining. In the course of conversing with this person in an effort to get to know her; she mentioned that she works with her mother in a family run business in town. When I asked her what business they were in I was amazed when her answer was a quilting business! There is a quilting business in my town; and I know nothing about it!? Are you kidding? How could this have happened?

     It turns out that this is an online business called honeybegood.com  Their focus on organic, and sustainably produced fabric got me thinking. Although I had thought about these kinds of things in relation to food, I never thought about them in relation to fabric. The whole idea rather caught me by surprise at first. Of course, there is not the depth of variety available in organic fabrics, like there is in the fabric I have been using. Anyone who knows anything about my quilting knows that variety plays a major role in it. Also, organic fabric is a bit more expensive, and I am already struggling to afford fabric as it is. Still, I do feel that it is important to think about these kinds of things; and I do care about how what I am doing is effecting the world that I live in; so I have decided that it is worth working in some organic fabric when, and where I can. That way, hopefully, this will give better practices an opportunity to become more prevalent. They did have some really beautiful fabrics, including a nice selection of solids, which you know I love.

      I am still working away on this quilt:

      I have gotten 15 strip set sewn together just by using them as leaders and enders while sewing on my batik hexagon blocks.  Also, by carrying the strip bins everywhere with me, I have put together 47 strip sets. I like to plan them out in advance, so they are next to the sewing machine, and ready to go when I need something to sew on.

     As stated above, I have sewn 1 and a half hexagons together. I figured out that I need 40 hexagons to make a quilt. So far I have 7 1/2. Almost 1/4 of the way there!

     So, that is what I have been up to lately. Thanks for stopping by!