Monday Meanderings

It's nice to be home after a great week up in Maryland at the Faithful Circle Quilter's show.  The weather was spectacular on Friday and Saturday.  The crowds came out to see the quilts, shop the vendors and bid in the silent auction.  Although I haven't heard anything about the financial results all other signs point to a very successful show.  And, boy, Sharon and I were exhausted by Saturday evening as we worked all 3 days the show was open.  It takes a day and a half to hang the quilts, display the $10 and under sales items, prep the silent auction and get all the "stuff" organized for the yard sale section, etc.  But at the other end -- take down on Saturday is amazing. 

For the most part all quilts were taken down, folded, bagged and the the poles were down within 2 hours of closing the show.  I felt like a monkey running up and down my ladder removing quilts from poles.  But the section Sharon and I were working in was completely down and poles put away by the time we left at about 5:15.  (The show closed at 4:00. There were a couple more people working on our section.)  I spent the last 30 minutes or so taking quilts to folks who were busy working in other areas.  All in all, it was a great show; so fun for me to see friends I don't get to see often; and spend more time with my friend, Sharon. I didn't take a whole lot of pictures of quilts this year but I do have a few more to share that I will try to do later in the week. 

Do you like to support Quilts of Valor?  I do and sometimes I like to make just a few blocks, not make a whole quilt.  If you like that idea there is time left for you to contribute blocks to the current block drive. Go to Quilts of Valor to see the specifics on the 2018 Block Drive.  I have to say I've seen several blocks made up and I really like how they look.  Blocks need to be received in Texas by May 1, 2018.  They will be distributed at National Conference to State Coordinators based on the number turned in by their state.  So, even though we might mail them to Texas, they'll come back to our own state.  Here's the first one I've made.  I'm hoping to make a couple of more before Wednesday when our guild is collecting them in time to send out to Texas.  

The directions are on the web site.  Read them carefully because they have specific requests about color and placement of the colors.  I really like this block a lot.  They also give Accuquilt die numbers too.  I suspect I'll use this block again for some other quilts. 

I'm still getting some sewing time in on my Jamestown Landing.  Here's what my ironing board looked like after my last sewing session before leaving for Maryland.

Let's see -- finished string blocks, telephone book foundations, finished broken dishes units, string blocks waiting to trimmed and a few pieces to make into broken dishes.  Hum, that plastic container?  I had some nuts in it for a snack. At this point I don't have many more broken dishes to do but I do have another 80 or so string blocks to finish.  Ugh.  Not my favorite block.  Slowly, but surely, I am making progress on this quilt. Are you sick of reading about it yet??? 

Last weeks goals were done with one exception. Nothing more was done on the T Shirt quilt. You'll be seeing it on my list again this week. (And hopefully that will be the last time you see it on my list!) 

April 9, 2018

Bind T-shirt quilt

Continue to work on Jamestown Landing√

Visit Sharon & work the FCQ Quilt Show √

Stitch on little bunny piece√

And this coming week I'll be trying to get these 4 items done.

April 16, 2018

Bind T-shirt quilt

Finish little bunny piece

Quilt Braid Shuffle

Keep cutting kits for retreat*

*I'm hoping to have several baby quilts available to sew at retreat.  I like variety and have learned that I need simple things to work on that have already been cut.  I've got a couple of groupings of fabric for smaller quilts so that is what I'm working on.  

I'll be linking up with my regular linky parties.  I've missed spending time on the various quilting blogs so I hope to spend more time this week. Here are the links: Monday Making, Oh Scrap!, Moving It Forward, and Main Crush Monday that will be available tomorrow. (So hopefully I'll remember to come back and update the link!) 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 
  

Design Wall Monday 1-20-2013

I'm way late today because I hosted my tea group this morning.  We had a great time enjoying Vanilla Cream loose tea given to me for Christmas by Jenny and Brian.  Yummy stuff. Here are the ladies working on stamped Valentine's Day cards. We've started doing a small activity after tea.  I tried a new recipe -- apple ginger muffins. Nummies!  

I've been working on getting my brown and blue blocks into a top and now they are!  I started this quilt at least two, maybe three years ago.  I decided it needed to be bigger so I put it on the back burner for a while while I gathered more fabrics.  This is earmarked for Quilts on Valor in Colorado.  I still need to piece the backing but I'm tickled to have found enough fabric in my stash to make a backing for it.  Hum, the blues are less vivid in person.  This is "Shoe Boxes" by Atkinson Designs. 

Last Week's Goals

Week of January 13, 2014

Continue sewing brown & blue blocks together√

Put together snowman kit no

Put borders on Stain Glass project, start sewing the leading down ugh, no

Clean excess fabric scraps off cutting table √ at least half is stashed away

Trace the first three blocks of Christmas Favorites quilt. (Yep, I’m starting something new! OH MY) √ did all of the tracing!

Play with the Sizzix! √ great fun

Embroider a kitchen towel for me! √

Week of January 20, 2014

Prep for in-house retreat!  YEA!

Make Ellie a Valentine’s Day T Shirt

Visit Ellie and her parents for a short trip

Make food for Tea group and enjoy the visit

Work on Splint 9 Patch – put borders on

Embroider shirts for Sophie and Natalie

Bake a cake, vacuum and dust house for retreat/tea group

Continue working on A Tisket, A Tasket blocks

I'm late posting but I'll be linking up with Patchwork Times.  Take a look at what's on design walls across the Internet. (Oops, I don't see a Linky Party at Judy's today.  If it gets added I'll go back to linking mine with her. So, I closed the browser page and then opened a new one. Surprise, there was the linky party so go party! ) 

Happy Quilting All 

Stashbusting Report September

WOOT! WOOT!

It was a great month for fabric usage.  Amazing. 

2013	Fabric In Month	Fabric in Year	Fabric Out Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
Sept	8.	68.46	20.85	69.265	.805

WOW -- nearly 21 yards of fabric was used. I finished and mailed off lots of individual blocks.  Most notable were the blocks I sent to Alycia for her  Big Block Blowout for Quilts of Valor. You have until October 31 to make and send some blocks too.   I also sent blocks to Fran in New Zealand for the FCQ Equilters.  The biggest finishes were two quilts.  One was a UFO from about 5 years ago that is big -- 74" square. It used a lot of fabric.  I haven't taken pictures of it yet but one of these days I'll drag it somewhere and get some.  

Did you notice I'm out of the red and actually in the black?  I've used a bit more fabric than I brought in.  I've already used a half yard of fabric in October as I finished an iron tote today. 

Next up in my life is getting ready for Country Piecemaker's retreat.  Hum, I should look at my projects and grab one to take with me that can be finished easily.  

If you are looking for Triangle Thursdays, I'm swamped and will be out of town Thursday.  Look for the next TT on October 10th. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday 9-23-13

Here we are at Monday again.  Do you think the month is flying by or is it just me?  I'm getting things done but wow time flies when you are having fun! 

I've been working on blocks to send off to various people.  First up are my blocks for Alycia's Quilt of Valor Big Blowout Block Drive.  You can still make some of these blocks and send them in to be in her drawing.  Check out the directions here.  Deadline is October 31.  Yep, plenty of time to use up some of your stash.  I had to cut fat quarters for the bigger star sections but the strings all came from stash.  Yahoo! 

Directions for block 2 of the Big Blowout Block Drive are here.  I had to cut some of the yellow/golds but the rest were from my collection of 2.5" strips.  Yippee! This block is so effective. (someone clue me in if I'm suppose to be writing affective.  You'd think I would have learned that one by now!  I need a quick test for that and don't tell me affective means action ... it doesn't always work for me!) 

These will be going in the mail either today or tomorrow.  Along with other blocks I've made recently. These blocks go to Amanda of the Quilting Bee group.  She is making a nautical flags quilt.  I have to admit I chose easy blocks but boy did they make up fast.  Can you guess what I wrote here?  I'll tell you at the bottom of the post... You can find the pattern for these blocks here. 

And my last batch of blocks are for the block of the month lotto drawing at Faithful Circle Quilters.  It is from Quiltville.com and is called Crayon Box.  Click on the name to go to the directions. I've got several more in the works so I need to finish them today to get them in the mail with my membership renewal.  Loved that all this fabric came from my 2.5" strip drawer. This will be a very scrappy quilt when done. 

I've also been sewing the blocks of the shaded 9 patch together, the orange peel and the crazy little triangle quilt. No pictures of those yet although I did finish sewing all the little triangles together.  On to my weekly goals... 

Week of September 16, 2013

Bind Bumble Bees & Flowers quilt um, the binding is ready….

Make last 3 QOV blocks and mail to Colorado√

Get peach quilt on Ruthie and start quilting backing is loaded, the panto is prepared

Finish sewing orange peel blocks together well, progress has been made

Use 4 patches from demo to make a baby quilt I’ve made some more blocks but I haven’t any space on the design wall to lay it out.

Continue sewing the mini triangles together√

Week of September 23, 2013

Trim Bumble Bee & Flowers Quilt

Sew the binding on Bumble Bee & Flowers

Finish sewing Orange Peels together into a top

Finish loading peach quilt and quilt it

Make binding for the peach quilt

Make pillow cases with Kay and friends for nursing home

Finish sewing blocks into rows for shaded 9 patch

And, the Tea Group will be meeting this week.  I'm looking forward to hosting the gals making the pillow cases in my new studio.  So I do need to vacuum, dust, clear off the various sewing and cutting spaces, and set up a couple of more sewing machines.  Yep, isn't that great.  I can probably have 4 or 5 sewing machines set up and running in this wonderful studio. 

Saturday was my 5 year anniversary of blogging.  Check Saturday's blog for information on my giveaway.  You have until Thursday, midnight EST to sign up for your chance to win.  

And don't forget to visit Patchwork Times to find links to blogs sharing Design Wall Monday with you.  The flags above are PBS -- one of my favorite tv stations and hubby and my initials. 

Happy Quilting All!