Happily Scrappily Irish

Happily Scrappily Irish is a quilt top!  I finished the last two seams today!  I took the class, from Bonnie Hunter, 8 days ago.  I should have finished it yesterday, but, I didn't get any stitching done on Friday.

Happily Scrappily Irish

 

My hubby and son had to help out, since the quilt top was trying to blow away. 

Whoop! Whoop!

A Finish, Exchange Blocks, Some New Things....

I haven't had a chance to post about my latest finish.  I made a quilt for our youngest nieces high school graduation.  We delivered it to Albuquerque a little over a week ago, while we were there to attend another nieces wedding.

Ashley and her quilt

Here is a picture of the bride and her bridal party.  I didn't get a picture with the groom.

part of the wedding party

When I got home, there was an envelope waiting for me.  My Treadle On group had another block exchange, using our treadles or hand crank sewing machines.

These are the blocks I sent.  I used some of my sewing themed fabrics.  I sent 4 sets of blocks, using 3 different machines to make the blocks.

my blocks

I received 32 blocks from 18 cities in 14 states.  19 different people made these blocks on 24 different machines. 

Treadle On Spring 2016 TOBE blocks received

Also waiting for me when we got home from the wedding was my new June Taylor Shape Cut ruler.  I already had a much smaller June Taylor Shape Cut ruler, that I'd used for cutting the fringe on fleece blankets, years ago.  I'd never used the ruler for anything else, until Jocelyn at Happy Cottage Quilter started talking about how great her Shape Cut ruler is.  I finally pulled mine out, and used it to cut lots of 2" squares for my Happily Scrappily Irish quilt, AFTER I'd used a friends Go cutter.  OH MY!!!  The Shape Cut ruler was so much easier and quicker!!!!!

new June Taylor Shape Cut Pro ruler

both Shape Cut rulers together

Another friend has the Shape Cut Pro, and it cuts 2.5" strips on full width fabric, folded in half.  After using the little Shape Cut ruler, I just had to have the larger one, too.  I used it to cut the sashing strips for my Tulip Fields quilt.  My Tulip Fields strips are 3.5", and it was easy to line it up with this ruler.  It didn't take me very long to cut all my strips.

sashing strips for Tulip Fields quilt

On Tuesday, after I took Bonnie a machine to use while she was in town, I stopped at a few thrift stores.  I hit the jackpot for quilting DVD's.  Only one of these quilting DVD's has been opened.  I'll try to get them all watched over the next few months.  Not sure if I even have the books that go with the DVD's.

quilting DVD's

I've been stitching away on my Happily Scrappily Irish quilt.  I've gotten lots done, so far. 

6 rows completed

There are only 12 rows in this quilt (11 blocks per row).  I'm working on the last 20 patchwork blocks.  This quilt top will soon be finished!

Of course, I can't sew alone.  My little dog insists on being with me.  She even has a bed under one of my machines.

Katie, my sewing supervisor (taking a nap)

Of course the large dog also thinks he needs to supervise, but, he isn't allowed in my sewing room (he takes up all the extra space).  Instead, he lays at the top of the stairs, where he can keep an eye on me, and make sure no one comes up and bothers me.

Ratchet, blocking the stairs

It's nice to have 'helpers' but, I wish they'd keep their fur off my fabric ;)

Bonnie Hunter Part 3

Friday was the Happily Scrappily Irish class with Bonnie Hunter.

Bonnie Hunter by her Happily Scrappily Irish quilt

 It was fun to see all the different ways everyone was putting their quilts together, fabric wise.  Susan sat across from me, and Sharon sat behind me, with her Featherweight and Featherweight table.  Us vintage machine girls stuck together ;)

Sharon with her Featherweight and table

Susan and I, at our tables

I love how Susan is making her quilt (it's RED).  She also carefully chose her center piece and surrounding red pieces in the scrappy blocks.

Susan's red blocks, see the 'cross' in the center of the scrappy blocks?

We all had fun sewing together today.

I took a hand crank to this class.

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

 I got several blocks put together, but, for some reason, the pictures didn't come out.  Today was Ladies Crafting day at church, so, I had Kelly take a picture with me and one of my rows.

the row I completed at the workshop

I worked on this quilt at Ladies Crafting day, today, too.  I got lots accomplished.

this is how my rows will look

this is what rows I've done so far (lots more to do)

I got about 15-20 more scrappy blocks done today.  The alternate blocks were done before the workshop.

finished blocks, so far

This is all I have left to turn in to scrappy blocks.  The box is starting to look empty now.

what I have left to assemble

I'll meet up with Bonnie in the morning, and pick up my Singer 301A and table, that she is borrowing.  Bonnie has also gotten lots of sewing done these past few days.  You can see her posts here, here and here (so far).

I hope that everyone else is having a great week, too!

Bonnie Hunter, Part 2: Pride of the Prairie Quilt Guild meeting

Last night was the Pride of the Prairie Quilt Guild meeting, with Bonnie Hunter as our speaker.  It was a fun meeting.  There were 43 guests at this meeting, so, it was packed. 

We had show n tell before Bonnie presented her lecture.  Surprisingly, it was a short show n tell.

this will be a baby quilt

 The next few quilts are all Bonnie Hunter patterns that people have made.

***If you are easily offended, then don't look at the next set of pictures.***  With this presentation, we were laughing so hard that most of us had tears in our eyes.  Bonnie Hunter took video.  I'm hoping that she will post it soon. 

This lady is 84 years old.  She had told us that she was going to show off her bikini, made from quilt blocks.  (Sorry about the microphone stand being in the way).  She started off by coming out with a beach towel on.  She pulled out a strip of blue fabric, and told us it was her bikini bottom. 

the blue 'string' is her bikini 'bottom'

 Next, she started taking the beach towel off, to show off her bikini 'top'.

showing her bikini top

She showed us how 'adjustable' her bikini top is (to look younger, or older, depending on how it was adjusted).

***This is where to look away, if you are easily offended*****
She then proceeded to 'take off her top' by unpinning her blocks.

I do hope Bonnie posts the video.  It was so funny!!!!  You had to be there, to get it all.

There were some show n tell after the bikini.  What an act to follow, but, Christine's quilts are up to the challenge.

And a few more quilts and tops...

from a class Bonnie did 4 years ago (mine still isn't finished, Oops!)

a challenge, in progress

Bonnie spoke next.  (I didn't take these pictures, since I was one of the quilt holders).
The first quilt is Happily Scrappily Irish, which is our class today.

Happily Scrappily Irish

The next quilt is the class for Saturday (no, I'm not taking that class, but, I'm in the picture, holding the quilt;)

Texas Tumbleweeds

There were lots of great quilts that Bonnie has made.

back of a quilt, using orphan blocks

The next quilt is for the class I took on Wednesday, Tulip Fields.

see how tiny her blocks are

Here is my block, supersized.

Bonnie's block is 7", while my block is 15" (without the borders added)

More of Bonnie's quilts.

her latest mystery quilt

Bonnie's hexie project

 And finally, a picture of Bonnie.

Bonnie Hunter, holding the corner section of her hexie quilt

It was a fun evening. 

This morning, I'll be headed out to the Happily Scrappily Irish class.  You can see Bonnie's blog post about the Wednesday class here.  So far, she hasn't posted the video from last night.  Give her time.