Take 5 on the 4th of July

It’s 99 degrees today, the 4th of July. It’s comfortable here in my air conditioned sewing room and I’ve been busy. Yesterday I put the blocks together for a Take '5' by "The Teacher’s Pet". What a terrific pattern! All of the pieces can be cut on the AccuCut (www.accucut.com/), thank you Jan for cutting them for me on our AccuCut at the shoppe. I used the fabric line from Benartex An Apple a Day. I knew when we got the line it would be out the door in no time. We Wenatchee quilters love our apple fabric. I had the blocks all made in a couple of hours. Today I sewed the rows together and put on mitered borders – yep, I did miter borders and I got them all right the first time. I am getting much better. I use Quilt in a Day Christmas at Bear’s Paw Ranch, page 48, for my illustrated instructions on mitering. I know lots of books have these instructions, but this one sure does the trick for me.

The top picture is my version of My Secret Garden, from the book Gathered from the Garden by Cindy Lammon. What a great time the five of us had making this quilt (see Jan’s blog My Secret Garden dated July 1, 2009). I hope to get pictures of the other three when everyone has their quilt back from the quilter. My border fabric is from my stash. How exciting is that? Of course, I had to buy several additional fabrics to match, but that was half of the fun. Everyone’s quilt is truly a work of art and we plan on entering all of them into the NCW Quilt Guild (http://www.ncwquilt.org/) Quilt Show in October and we hope that we can get them all hung next to each other.

Happy 4th to everyone! It’s my husband and me tonight watching the Wenatchee fireworks from our patio with our two shelties. I am sure the kitty will be hiding in the guest bedroom. She doesn't like loud noises and new things. I bought us some sparklers to have fun with, too. Enjoy!

My Secret Garden

Last summer I found this book sitting on a table at the store. The cover showed this beautiful quilt with so much applique. I bought the book for what ever reason we buy something that we figure we will never use. Then, I showed the book to Kathryn. She showed it to others and we are all thinking this would be the quilt to make.

So, in September '08 the five of us started meeting on Mondays to sew. We decided we would start the quilt in January giving us time to find fabric. For Anita, this was hard as she really loves her kits. She picked out her fabric based on what was used in a quilt at the Attic Window. Ruby found fabric while traveling - the same fabric that Anita originally looked at. Wilma had fabric in her stash and added much to it. I think Kathryn did the same.

January came and we started sewing. By this time, I had gathered too much fabric and was struggling to get colors to work. I made my first two blocks for the top left corner and started on the first applique block. I worked 3 days just to get the stem on that block. But, I couldn't get past the first two blocks and that the colors where not what I wanted - too dark, too stark. By this time, everyone else was done with the second section of blocks and cruising on through the quilt.

In March, I am still working on the quilt and have cut my second set of leaves for the first applique block. Some of us were still thinking hand applique and others were going to machine. During a Saturday that many of us sew together, I looked over at Sandy - expert hand appliquer and long arm quilter. I get up and ask Sandy if I could hire her to do my applique, never knowing she would say Yes! Now I had to start making block kits of all the applique blocks so that I could give them to Sandy at our guild's retreat in April.

At the Attic Window's 1st UFO Night, my neighbor and friend Donna said she had told me she would do the applique for me. So, I picked up a baggie and gave her the brick wall block with it's 3 bias stems and 28 leaves. Now, I had subcontracted my applique to two excellent appliquer leaving me with only the pieced blocks.

During this time, first Kathryn finished her quilt. Quickly followed by Anita. Though Anita's border fabric just wasn't working and she did a search at the Attic Window and found a much better border fabric - something to pull all the blocks together and more closely resembling the designer's border fabric. These two also had their tops quilted and now have finished their quilts.

Wilma came in third (no, I had no idea this would be a race) and passed her quilt top onto Sandy (see above expert) for quilting. Now, Ruby being the gentlewoman that she is took pity on me and took her time deciding on her border fabric. After a few purchases and changes, she settled on a striped border fabric. While waiting for delivery of the fabric, I was able to finish making kits for each block - except one. I have found that a great way of doing this type of quilt is to make the block kits and then, when there is time to sew you can get it done quickly.

My second to the last block gave me difficulty and was set aside for a few days. Came back to it fresh and redid a few cuts (hate those sixteenth inch cuts) and the block went together finally. But, now I was left with the last block under the checkerboard at the top right of the quilt. The block called sunshine was just not gelling for me. Couldn't find the right fabrics and after getting a lot of help from friends and coworkers, I decided to toss the designer's block and with Claudia's help found a paper pieced block that I liked so much more - the compass star. A little struggle again with color until I decided it was my quilt and I had already changed it, so do something I like. And I love the block, 2 light to medium yellows and purple, great.

Ruby finished her quilt and it also went to Sandy for quilting. This last weekend I finished my quilt at our Saturday sewing day, 3 months since I asked Sandy to do my applique. Tomorrow, I hope to put an eye on my bird. Friday, I will show it to some friends and then, this weekend it goes to.....wait for it......yes, Sandy for quilting. This will be the third My Secret Garden for her to quilt.

We are all going to have our quilts in the Harvest of Quilts show in October, hopefully grouped together. In September, the Attic Window will have Cindy Lammon's trunk show. Ms. Lammon is the designer of our quilts and we all want our quilts to be there.

My thanks to my subcontractors: Sandy and Donna for doing such beautiful work and helping me actually get a quilt top done so quickly.

UFO night

Tonight, well actually last night, was our UFO night. What a hoot! These ladies know how to have fun and get things done. I think there were 14 of us sewing tonight. I had the honor of sharing a table with Little Judy and her broken wrist. To keep her in line, we had to put a piece of blue tape down between us - just couldn't trust her not to creep over to my side. Course, if she walked away I had fun moving the tape line. We were only threatened with seperation once. Frosty sat kitty corner from me. Frosty, aka Carol looks like a sweet lady but she can toss out those zingers with the best of them.
After pizza, we all got down to work. I finished sewing my compass point paper pieced block that I substitued for a block in the "My Secret Garden" quilt. A group of 5 ladies are making this quilt. Of course, I am the only one not done. But, this is my last block and I got the paper off when I got home. 16 sections to this 10" block, even with pressing open my seams, I have a lump in the middle. I think I need one of those wackers that I have seen in magazines. I believe you hit the center with steam and then, Bamb - wack it flat. Wonder if my hammer would do the job. I hope I can get this quilt top done before the end of the month.
It sure is fun seeing with these talented ladies and seeing what they like doing. There were hand and machine sewers. Diane and her daughter were up front working on the web site. Quilts were being bound and one lady was using a tweezer on her paper piecing foundation removal. Can't wait to see what everyone brings next month.

In Full Bloom

That’s what my yard is – in full bloom. Everything from roses to daisies to petunias (the Wave Petunias are awesome) to my blackberry bushes (thornless of course!). I also finished the Thimbleberries In Full Bloom table runner and three placemats. I’m getting better at using my BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator) and doing some thread play with my quilting. I am learning to relax with it and just have fun. That’s so much better than holding my breath and tensing my shoulder muscles. The In Full Bloom is a panel of six 16-1/2" flowers. They are gorgeous. Diane has made the table square and it looks fabulous. She and I really think this fabric is stunning. Now that this project is completed, I’m going outside to pick some flowers from my garden. Don’t you just love this time of year???

day 2

Today was the second day of summer vacation, with a 15 year old daughter home we had to find something to do. What better way to spend the day besides stopping at the AW. Have you ever noticed how your car seems to turn into the quilt shop parking lot without you knowing you were going there? With a kid who has no interest in sewing, I get to go into the shop by myself! Inside I get harassed by my friend and coworker, Wilma. "Take your daughter to the back of the building and get her signed up for class." or words to that effect. Class being drivers ed. Now if that isn't a scary thought. To ensure that I did it, she took my keys out and locked the car up and brought in Michelle.
Then, Mom got to have more fun. Make the kid talk to "quilters", show off her Big Dog shirt, etc. As any mother knows, at this age our revenge on our kids is to embarrass our kids. And I do it so well. But, I did take her back and enroll her in drivers ed. Boy, my parents had it easy with the school providing the class. They only had to pay for my summer school class as I didn't want to wait till September to start.

Back to the store to tell Wilma that the deed was done. But, in the time I stepped out a fabric rep had stepped in. I don't know how anyone can choose and be practical about picking out fabric. I see Moda's Kansas Troubles fabric and I want to take it all home. Marilyn is admiring all the fabric that would work for the Civil War club. Diane is looking at fabric for what may become our new Block of the Month. She found a new pattern offering many options - can't wait to see what she decides to do.

Tomorrow night is our Girl's Night Out at the shop. It is a fun group of ladies who come on the second Wednesday of the month. We usually have a hands on project for a quick make and take, specials for the month to show, new products and as any self respecting quilter requires - treats! But the best thing is seeing Show and Tell. The work that these ladies consistantly create is amazing. As I am not working tomorrow I am hoping I can finish something for show and tell this month. Fingers crossed that I get up and create early tomorrow. The kid came in to say good-night and is already organizing part of my day to her benefit.

EQ 6 Club

Today was our second meeting of the new EQ Club. We had a good time playing with the program. Having gone from EQ4 to 5 and now 6, this is finally my chance to do more than play with blocks in a quilt. I have designed a few blocks over the years but always had problems trying to print them. I would play around and it would work, but never know what I did to be able to do it the next time.
This is fun, learning what it can do and actually doing something. I drew out a block that I saw a picture of earlier this year. Now, I want to design a block and try and put the two together and make a quilt. Actually, that is our assignment for this month. Design a quilt.
My round robin group is tossing around the idea of actually doing a round robin exchange project. Not sure when I would have time to do it, but quilting should be fun and I think that would be.

Strata Star Tablerunner

Is table runner one word or two? I can never remember. I also have trouble with eightteen, two t's or one? Any way I spent yesterday afternoon cutting and sewing strips and this afternoon constructing and quilting the Sew Easy Strata Star by Ruthann Eckersley. She stopped by the store with the fun pattern and even left us a sample that she had made until we got ours made. I used the Benartex City Blooms line by Kitty Yoshida. Isn't it great?

Ahhh, another checked off my list!