Barn Quilt Class

Suzi Parron came to my large quilt guild last night, and talked about the Barn Quilt books that she has written.  Today was the Barn Quilt class.

We met in Terri's garage.  It was a lovely day, with a light breeze and the temps reached mid 70's.

one side of the garage

the other side of the garage

 We were provided with a 2 foot square plywood piece, that had been painted with primer.  We got to choose a pattern, or, bring a pattern.  Suzi showed us how to prep our piece, and get started.  This is the pattern that I chose.

 

We drew our pattern lines, then started prepping for painting.

ready to paint the first color

We painted the first color, then dried it with a hair dryer.  The red took 3 coats of paint to cover it nicely.

red parts painted

Next was the white paint.  Here is is, after the white has been painted and the tape has been removed.

one color left to paint

All that is left is the blue, with the star.  I'd already painted the white for the star.

just need to remove the green tape

Here are the other ladies, working on their Barn Quilts. 

Here is my finished Barn Quilt. 

2 foot square barn quilt

 Talk about a great place to take a photo...with Terri's 1930's car.

What a fun day!!!!  Suzi is already booked for more quilt guilds in this area, in 2018 and 2019. 

Busy Weekend

I had a fun, busy weekend.  It started off with quilt camp, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Ottawa, IL.  What a fun time quilt camp is. 

On the way to quilt camp, I stopped at a favorite thrift store.  Oh my!  Guess what I came home with.  For $10, I just couldn't pass this one up.

1950's White electric (Japanese made)

Quilt camp is for the Camp Tuckabatchee quilters.  This group holds a quilt show every 2 years, to help raise funds for Camp Tuckabatchee.  I was asked to join this group last Spring. 

We started the weekend with some paper piecing.  We are starting to make the ribbons for First, Second and Third place in all the quilt categories for the next quilt show (March 2019).  I made the 5 cabins in the top row.  We have plenty of time to get these done.  Sorry for the blurry picture.

cabins and trees for quilt ribbons

The most exciting part of Friday, was late in the evening for me.  My son and daughter in law, in Alaska, had a 'reveal' party.  My daughter in law made a great canvas, with pins sticking out of it, and their friends filled balloons with paint.  My son and daughter in law thru the balloons at the canvas to find out if the baby will be a boy or a girl.

my son, getting the canvas ready for the paint filled balloons

Before they threw the balloons at the canvas, they called, and Skyped me in (and hubby at home, too), so that we could be part of the reveal. 

It's a Girl!

Everything has been PINK lately, so, I wonder if I knew, deep down???  (BTW, I don't like the color pink, so, hopefully I won't have to make many pink things).  

I was busy stitching, both by hand and by machine this weekend, at quilt camp.  I've been working on a 'secret project' and I keep promising that I'll show it off. So far, it has all been hand work.  I'm trying to get it finished, so that I can get it quilted quickly.  This is what I've gotten stitched so far. 

Here is the center block, that I finished this weekend.

After I finished that block, I started embroidering the names on each block, to match the hands.  I finished 3 blocks this afternoon. 

first hand print block finished

stand I'm using for the embroidery

When I get this quilt top finished, I'll start back on the Peter Pan baby quilt.  This one needs to be done before the baby quilt.  

I also stitched 18 circle pairs together, to make more ornaments.  I still have lots to do to finish these ornaments, but, it's a start.

18 sets started (with the 2 finished ornaments)

Book Review

The Proving, by Beverly Lewis

I've read very few of Beverly Lewis' books, but, after this book I think that will change.  Each time I picked this book up, I didn't want to put it down.  I'd read much longer than I'd planned.  I was immersed in the characters and the story.  

Mrs. Lewis kept you  in suspense about what would happen, till the very end.  Details aren't revealed quickly, but, slowly, and in the proper places.  Life is like that.  We need time to learn the truth and time to deal with it.  

I don't want to give any plot lines out, since it would reveal too much, and spoil the book for you.  I do suggest that you get a hold of a copy, and read it.  

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion. 

A Few More Exchanges

I've been in several different exchanges this year.  These are some of the last exchanges.  I only have one more exchange this year.

Treadle On Pin Cushion Exchange.  ALL of my Treadle On exchanges have to be made on a people powered machine (treadle or hand crank).  This is the pin cushion that I made.

lady bug pin cushion

Yes, I made 2 of these, for different pin cushion exchanges.

Here is the pin cushion I received with this exchange.  The pink one is from the exchange, the tiny finger pin cushion was from the hostess that organized the exchange (thanks Stephanie).  Really cute!

Treadle On pin cushion's

The next exchange was also with Treadle On.  This time it was a bag exchange.  No rules, just make a bag.  I had to cheat in the end, since I couldn't get the binding on the one I made while using a hand crank, and, since I stopped every few stitches, a treadle wasn't an option, either.  I did include a note in the bag, to let the new owner know that I used an electric (1939 Singer Featherweight) for the binding ONLY.  This is the bag I made.  I thought the fabric was perfect for a Treadle On exchange.

Treadle On bag exchange

Here is the bag that I received.  There is lots of detail in this bag, and pockets inside, too.  Look at all those ruffles.

bag I received

Stephanie was the hostess of this exchange, too.  She made all of us a bag herself.  Here is the bag that Stephanie made.

triangle zipper bag

The last exchange was with the Yahoo Harry Potter group.  This exchange was for Wizard trading cards, shaped like Chocolate Frog cards.  They had a template that we were supposed to use, but, no more information.  We could use whatever 'medium' we wanted to use.

I was late on finishing this exchange.  It is in the mail now.  Since she doesn't read my blog (not a quilter) I think it's safe to show these pictures.  Here is what she sent me...

card with the Wizard cards

She made these cards special, so that I can insert a photo of someone inside the lace, at the bottom of the card, and add important information to the back of each card

Wizard Cards I received

Here are the cards I made.  Mine are all fabric. A Firebolt (broomstick) a Golden Snitch and the Hogwarts Crest.  I got the patterns off of Fandom in Stitches.  They were all 5" patterns, but, I reduced them down to 3" and added strips of fabric on each side, so that I could make them the shape of the Chocolate Frog cards. 

Wizard Trading Cards that I made

Since I didn't want to go 'muggle' on her, I used a people powered machine (no ekltricity was used in making these cards).

What I've been up to.....

I haven't gotten nearly as much sewing done in the past few weeks, as I've needed to get done.  Nothing on Peter Pan blocks, one exchange that still isn't done (was due on Saturday), etc.  There has been so much 'life' going on, that I haven't been able to concentrate like I should.  Oh well.  Still, stuff has been happening.

I've been working on Clue #2 of Kevin's Mystery Quilt Along.  This is my very first Mystery quilt.  Of course, I didn't do it the usual way, nope, I had to do it the hard way, and work on THREE different versions at the same time.  Kevin released the final info on this clue, so, I'm w-a-y behind now.

2 scrappy versions of Clue #2

controlled version of Clue #2

See the blocks in the top picture.  Oops!  They aren't supposed to be stitched all together.  They are supposed to look like the ones in the bottom picture (2 sets of 3 strips, not sets of 6 strips).  I wasn't paying attention, and stitched 2 full sets of the scrappy version together.  Guess who has been un-stitching???  I still have some of the larger strip sets to sew together.  Kevin warned us that this Clue had the most sewing to do, and, he was correct.

A man came to my booth at Lyon's Farm and asked if I wanted some machines.  He just wanted to get rid of them.  Well, he called me on Friday morning, and I went over and picked up 3 machines.  Not sure when I'll get a chance to clean them up (you can see the dirt on one in the pictures below).

Kenmore 148.292 (1960-61)

Kenmore 158.1355080 (1991?)

Kenmore 158.19460 (1976)

The bottom 2 machines are free arm machines.  Once they are cleaned up, I'm sure that they will find new homes with someone else.  The top one, I think I'll keep.  It is just a straight stitch machine (and really heavy!), and I like it.

Hubby and I had a very busy day on Saturday.  Hubby wanted to go garage sale shopping.  We did find a couple of things.  My mother wanted a sewing machine that was light weight, and simple to use.  The light weight part rules out most of my vintage machines (they start at 25 lbs without a base added).  We found a pretty new Kenmore in a bag, that has only been used a few times, and is lightweight. (Sorry, I forgot to take pictures).  I'll have to check it out, to make sure it works, then mom will have her machine.

We also found a pack & play that had only been used 4 times.  With a new grandbaby on the way, we wanted something for the baby to sleep in when it came to visit us.  It has a changing table and a musical mobile, too.  The 'baby' is just a stuffed elf I have.

set up for an newborn

diaper changing area

Now to make some sheets for this.

While we were out running errands on Saturday, we also stopped and picked me up a new cell phone.  Mine would have been 5 years old at Thanksgiving, and was so old that many apps wouldn't load on it, and it wasn't working properly.  I don't upgrade unless I have to, since I really don't like learning new technology.  I'm doing really well with this new phone.  The only problem I've found so far, is that my old phone had a 'quilted cover' on it, but, this one is such a new version, that they haven't come up with any 'quilted' patterns for cases.  Yes, I know that I could have uploaded a picture, and they could have printed it on the case, but, I'm already learning enough new technology, so, I opted for a case online.  Hopefully it will arrive this week.

Yesterday, when I was backing out, at the grocery store parking lot, this caught my eye.  I just had to take a picture of it (and laugh).  It must be October and Halloween time.

passenger in the car next to mine

Last night was my little quilt guild, Wego Quiltin'.  Since we are a tiny guild, we don't have speakers come in, but, we take turns (volunteer) to do different demo's for the group.  I did the demo last night.  I found this Christmas Ornament last year.  It was sew simple to make, and the ladies loved it.  It took me longer to figure out what fabrics to use, and to cut the fabrics than it took to stitch up some samples.

Here are the two that I finished.  I have lots more to stitch up.  I made kits for everyone in the guild, so that they could make one at home.

same fabrics, turned different directions

I'm headed out to pick up a friend, and we are going to the Quilts of Valor sew-in this morning.  We both will be sewing binding on finished quilts.