Remember the other day when I talked about finding blocks from the Handbag Sampler? In addition to those blocks, I found several other orphan blocks. I almost gave them all to the BAM Community Quilt project, but I couldn’t quite do it. These are two Baltimore Album Quilt blocks I started in a class with the most famous BAQ quiltmaker, Elly Sienkiewicz. I took the class at Thimble Creek when they still had a shop in Walnut Creek back in the dark ages. It was maybe 1994 or so and I was excited to take a class from the person who started the craze and did the work to bring BAQ quilts to the fore ..read more

Admin Definition of art My friend, Kathy, posted this on her Facebook page and I think it is a pretty awesome quote. Projects, Classes, Patterns, Techniques & Tutorials Do you need to start thinking about small gifts for teachers or co-workers? Try the coffee cozy by Sew Hungry Hippie. Natalie has a video tutorial to help you be successful. Larissa has just released some new wool felt projects. They are stars and can be used as Christmas decorations as well as other types of decorations. Her patterns are available exclusively from her Etsy shop. Recently I watched a Fresh Quilting Episode ..read more

I started off strong with my green scrap bin out and using strips as leaders and enders to make strip blocks for my next Color Strip donation top. I made a few blocks at the Retreat, which helped with my numbers for the month. I am pleased to report that I achieved my goal of 30 donation blocks this month ..read more

I brought 4 projects to work on. I was able to work on all of them and make significant progress. Colorblocks 3 – quilted First, on Friday, I buckled down and quilted the Colorblocks quilt. You will see some in progress posts after already knowing that I finished the quilt, but that is the breaks with my blog. Colleen did a better job of quilting Colorblocks 2, but I am not unhappy with my work. As you can see, I have to take out the pins, trim, add binding and a sleeve. I also need to enter it into the Fair. I am really pleased I got to quilt it at the Retreat as it was a lot more pleasant t ..read more

I made some progress on the Colorblocks 3 quilt. I started making blocks using the Square in a Square ruler**. My YM helped with basic directions for that ruler. I used silk I have had for making this quilt since 2003 or so. Colorblocks 3-laying out blocks I had a plan to make 16 blocks only and began laying out the blocks as I finished them. I started using a limited amount of colors but it soon felt like the silk FQs were multiplying. I kept finding new and different colors in the stack. I had a little of each color, but mostly pink and blues. No big surprise there. The blocks went togethe ..read more

YM PJ Pants At the last minute, or nearly the last minute, before the YM went home, he finished his PJ pants. I provided a little help. We only had to do the casing for the elastic, and the hem, but it still took a couple of hours. He did a lot better at sewing this time. His stitch lines were a lot straighter than last time, so he didn’t have to rip anything out. There were a couple of details in the pattern instructions I didn’t understand, but I think we made the finishing work. Having to finish before he went home stressed him out a little, but I just kept supporting him and reeling him ba ..read more

Retreat Treats I got back from the guild retreat on Monday night. I had time to relax, look at my projects, unpack as DH was out at a class. Friend Julie was much more organized than me and took some photos of getting ready to leave. I thought about it several times as I packed, but it just didn’t happen. You can imagine what my living room looked like: bags, sewing machine, tools all piled by the door ready to be loaded into the car. SIL#2 and I drove down to San Juan Bautista  on Friday where they have a Retreat Center. The guild went there last year, too.  We couldn’t get into t ..read more

Pink Palomino I started another Palomino Pouch as part of the Pink Project. I wanted to try and succeed at the gluing step that closes up the sides. I have everything cut out, but have to find a zipper that matches. The fabric is definitely pink, but more of a peachy pink than the Pink Dot Bluestem or the Pink Piebald and I am not sure I have one that will match. I might have to use white or some other contrasting color. I do like it when the zippers look like they belong on the pouch ..read more

April Pantone Blocks Along with garment sewing and a new bracelet, I also got some more Pantone blocks from Julie at Sew Day. I have a stack of postcards to match and plan to do that this weekend. I owe her several and hope to bring them to the Retreat. Pantone ideas – evolving We are almost done making the blocks, then it will be time to put the quilt together. Perhaps I will use this design – or something like it – sooner than I think ..read more

Julie designed slap bracelet Julie made a cool cover for the bracelet from the Retreat last year. She used the slap bracelet as a base to slide inside the cover. Mine has been sitting on my desk for a year not doing anything. I thought hers was so cool that I asked her to make me one. This is the package I got at Sew Day the other day. The thing with buttons is the cover for my slap bracelet.   Wearing my new bracelet I had to do some jamming in to get the bracelet into the cover. Then I sewed the piece shut and can wear it ..read more