GRAND ILLUSIONS PROGRESS

Today was our neighborhood quilting at the clubhouse day.  Lynne worked on a paper pieced beauty.  I worked on GIM.

I now have 40 squares finished.  All of clue one is cut.

So fun to sew with neighbors, twice a month, in our fabulous craft room.

Click here to see links to others working on GIM.

GRAND ILLUSIONS

Today I got together with other quilters from my area who are working on Bonnie Hunter's current mystery, Grand Illusions.  We met at Nancy's Quilt Shop in Winter Garden.

The colors are taken from The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI, which was the inspiration for the quilt.

Everything cut and packed -- ready to go.

Oops!  Something is clearly wrong on this first go!  Yikes.  Where is Jack?  Jack the Ripper.

This looks better!

Two finished, 98 to go before Friday, when the next clue comes out.

Hope you are finding some stitching time this weekend too.

Where did the time go?

I've been super busy and haven't updated the blog!

These are pics from a class I took this month with Andrea Schnur, Certified Judy Niemeyer instructor.  We are making the Bali Bed Runner.  Yikes!  Crazy involved.

MARY FONS COMES TO MT. DORA

Look who was sitting at my table at guild yesterday morning.  It's Mary Fons!

Mary did a presentation in the morning and showed us this quilt.  It is made with fabrics she would buy a dress in.  It's really interesting how it all goes together.  Don't most of us limit our closet to a few colors mostly; and don't they all go together?  Also it's a statement that she has her own style; she doesn't wear her mom's pants.

This is the quilt we worked on in class.  Interesting that while monochromatic neutral, she threw a couple ice blues in the mix.

Mary is a great teacher.  At 35 years old, she is from the generation that never had home ec.  Even threading a sewing machine is new to most her age.  And she's from the tech generation, so she knows how to reach new young quilters with YouTube, etc. and starts with the basics.  Mary just started quilting 7 years ago.  Her background is in free-lance writing.  Good communication skills are sure paying off for her in the quilting world too.

Being young, she has tons of energy and told our guild to 'use her' as we had paid for her to come for the day.  So we did!  After a full morning with us, then a quick lunch with us, teaching all afternoon, we scheduled a catered dinner in the evening with another slide show and talk by Mary.

I had Mary sign my copy of the first edition of her magazine, Quilty, as well as her new book, Make + Love Quilts.

It's so refreshing to see young quilters reaching other young quilters.  I'd hate to see quilting die out or even lull.

Also interesting to those of us in her mom's generation to hear about how it was to grow up in the Fons and Porter umbrella.   

It was a very fun, but very exhausting day! 

GRAND ILLUSION

Bonnie Hunter's new mystery, Grand Illusion, is inspired by one of my favorite places -- The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI.

Click here to check out the views that inspired her, and to see fabric requirements.

I sure don't need another project this fall, but this is soooo enticing!

QUILT TOPS

I'm working on trying (at least trying) to get some order in my sewing room.  Today I resurrected and hung 18 completed tops, also know as flimsies in the quilting world, waiting for quilting.  Yikes!  Some have backings ready too.  I know of at least two more that aren't shown.

Well at least I know what direction I need to lean this winter.

My grandmother inherited 2, yes 2, unquilted tops from her mom.  That overwhelmed her as she wasn't a quilter.

Image my kids, none of whom quilt, but all three know the value and love in homemade, inheriting so many tops.

I still have hope for a grandchild quilter.  Working on it at least!

LICENSE PLATES

During our travels, I've been collecting License Plates.  I think I have a NC too.  Hmmm.........

I'm sure many of you are too.  Now for ideas of what to do with them.  Suggestions?

SAILING

I'm working on Charlie's Fleet today, while watching wind and waves out the window.

The picture doesn't give a good enough view of our waves today, on our normally calm bay.  But it does put me in the mood for working on sailboats.

DESIGNER MYSTER BLOCK 2

This is Block 2 of the Designer Mystery BOM.  It's called "Sweet Jordan" and is designed by Sweetwater.

I'm caught up, which is good, as Block 3 is in the mail.

I'm really happy with this project so far.

SECRET WORK

Much of what I've been working on lately has been secret.  For example, I'm in a row swap where only the owner (original) row can be shown until all the rows get back to her.

I can't show you what I did for my row on this, but here's Marianne's starter row.

These fabrics are flora from Australia.  She included many of them in her packet, so that we could all use some in our rows for her.

Well, can't show what I did, but it has been sent onward.

There are 6 of us in this swap.  The original rows all travel in a circle.  We each make a row to go with each and send it on.  We have 6 weeks to do it, but they are traveling rather fast this year.

One of our gals is in England, so the post does take a while getting across the pond.

I've never met any of the gals in this swap, but through the years in our on-line group, I do feel like I know them very well.

Hope everyone finds some time to stitch today.

DESIGNER MYSTERY 2014

This is Block 1 of the 2014 Designer's Mystery Block a Month from the Fat Quarter Shop.  I love the fabrics they are using the year.

Edyta Sitar (one of my favs) designed this block and named it Magical Anna.  I'm very happy with it.

Sew and Sow Farms is having a give away.  Be sure to check it out here

HAPPY FEET

Look what the UPS lady brought to my house today!  So supportive and comfy!  Perfect for guild, quilt shows, retreats.

PS:  Alegria Paloma in Aztec print.  I ordered mine from Amazon.

HEXIE TIME

I've been working on hexies for GFG blocks this week.  This is for a swap where we each send a fat eighth to each participant.  They use your fabric (and others they might add) to make a block representing themselves.   In return you receive many different 6" blocks all with your common fabric.

I'm using GFG to represent me.  I have 6 grands for the 6 petals.  I'm nana in the middle.

ROW BY ROW

Row by rows are so much fun that one of my groups does this type of swap every year.  My theme this year is "Northwoods of Paradise" and this is my starter row.  It will travel around a circle of 5 or 6 or us, each making a row to go with this.  Of course I'll be making rows for them as well.

Row by rows and medallions are my favorite swaps, because you don't have to worry about all the blocks matching up, or a creative way to sash them to make them all the same size.

This year we have a wide variety of themes from 'Out of Africa', 'Australian Flora', 'Red and White', etc.  Swaps like this make us get out of our boxes and think.  Others always add techniques and styles to mine that I would not have thought about.

The Row Experience, in my last post, was the perfect size for our starter rows, so I used the pattern and kit from my LQS.  Vicki, owner of Village Fabrics and Crafts, really captured my theme in her design.

Today is my birthday, and we are off to the falls to celebrate out in nature.  Hope you are having a super day too.

STATE ROW SHOP HOP

Are any of you doing your state row shop hop this summer?

I am doing at least one row -- the one from my LQS in Paradise, MI.

I have to say this shop, in the middle of no where, is one of the best quilt shops I've ever been in.  It's along M123, just west of Paradise, on the way to Tahquamenon Falls.  I think many of their customers are vacationers.

Here's about 1/3 of the building.  It has been added to in stages.  It's very basic up north on the outside.  Inside, ooh-la-la!  I'll share pictures of that sometime.  Wonderful fabric selections, yarns to die for, patterns galore, cross stitch, tote bags, fabric paints, huge notions wall, etc., etc.  Lots of eye candy!

This is my haul from today.  I love their license plate!  So accurate.  The row really captures this area in summer.  Blueberries (wild), animals, and woods.  Vicki, the owner, is sooo talented!  This row is just perfect for Paradise!

I'm using it for my starter row for a row swap, with the theme "Northwoods in Paradise."  That's the same as any northwoods theme, but might include freighters going by on Lake Superior, lighthouses, and waterfalls too.

Hope  everyone is finding time to stitch, and if possible checking out the Row by Row Experince in your state.

SUMMER VIEW

This is my summer view from the sewing loft.

That's Tom the tiny being in the picture for perspective.  It's in the sixties and windy.  So nice to have escaped the heat and humidity.

ROUND ROBIN RETURNS!!!

I haven't posted very often lately, as mostly I've been working on Round Robins that are secret until the owner gets hers back.  These are from a swap on The Quilter's Thread.

This is mine, that I received on Friday.  The center is a lonely orphan block from an applique class.   I LOVE the rounds that each quilter added!  The fabrics are mostly 30's, and they are much perkier than this washed-out photo shows.

The flying geese round is especially appreciated, as it was made by Josie, who has since moved on to heaven:(  She will be greatly missed by her friends and family, and yes, even by online friends who never met her in person, like me.  The world is a better place because she was here.

Here's Jodi's quilt.  I had her's last and got a picture.  Wish I could share more of them with you, as each is spectacular.

If you enjoy medallion quilts, you'd love participating in these round robins.

I'm so thankful to each participant.

Jenny of ELEFANTZ: Are you ready? The Stitch-along begins on Monday.....

Jenny of ELEFANTZ: Are you ready? The Stitch-along begins on Monday.....: "The Lord's Prayer" is made up of 26 free embroideries shared over 26 weeks, all coming together as a simply pieced el...

TORNADO???

No, not a tornado.  Just the status of my sewing room after two hours of pulling everything out of the closet.  OK.  It was a mess before pulling everything out, but now???????????

Resembles an episode of Hoarders, doesn't it?

It's going to take a lot more hours to get it back into usable shape!  Plugging away here.

As The Fly Lady says, it didn't get this way in one day, and it's not going back quickly either.

Please send positive vibes.  I need them.

Lucy Boston: Patchwork of the Crosses

This pattern has intrigued me for a few years.

It amazes me how many different looks can be achieved with so few pattern pieces, just depending on the fussy cuts of the fabric.

Here's an example from http://everystitchblog.blogspot.com/.

Some stitchers are going totally scrappy and others are using a planned palette.

I was perplexed as to where to start until I found this wide border fabric on the left on the sale shelf at my LQS.

One of the others was with it, part of the same line.  The other two I added.  I think there are zillions of possibilities for fussy cuts with just these four, but I'll probably add more.  Anyway, it's a great starting point.  I think this will make a super take-along project.

POTC can be made using Inkingo or with paper pieces.  Hmmm...............

The I've Been Hexed and I Like It Facebook group has inspired me with this project.

SAILING

Today in sunny and hot FL, I went sailing.  24 boats completed.

More to follow.....................

PROGRESS

I've been sewing with Jodi almost weekly.  My retreat mystery quilt is coming along nicely.  This is the stack of finished blocks.

I wanted to share what I've been stitching with -- my new Bernette that I got at our guild show at show price.  She is very lightweight and sews nicely.  Great for taking to a friend's to sew, without undoing my set up at home.

This was a very long chain with the last strip being sewn on the blocks.

Silly, but fun, stringing them around the room.  It was a LONG chain.

But then.............Oh no.................. all of these were just being pre-drilled.  Yup!  Just drilling.  no thread in the bobbin!

Using the floor for a design wall, and arranging balance.

Nan was working on her mystery top too.  Crayon colors.  Beautiful!

Oh, and not to forget.  This has been my quilt helper when I sew at Jodi's.  He seems to always come visit me:)

See my gecko friend, there on the screen?

Next installment?  Borders!

Happy stitching everyone.