A Little Stitching...

I took a Laura Heine class with my larger quilt guild (Pride of the Prairie) last Saturday.  We worked on the Tomato pin cushion collage.  The teacher was GREAT!  Her name is Linda Lambert, and she has been teaching these classes for several years now.  I learned more in this class than any other quilting class I've ever taken.  I have a LONG way to go before my collage quilt is finished, but here is what I got done during the class.

where I stopped at the end of the class 

me, working on my tomato

teacher Linda, in a blouse she made using the collage technique she was teaching

I have lots more things I want to add to my collage, including 'threading' the needle, a doily, etc.  Not sure when I'll get a chance to work on this again, since I have several things that need to get done before I can finish this.

Another thing I worked on this week was butterfly blocks for next year's Missouri TOGA raffle quilt. We're supposed to bring our finished blocks to this years TOGA.  I made 3 - 12.5 inch blocks for the raffle quilt.  I also made 3 smaller blocks for myself. These are paper pieced.  You can find the patterns here. (I enlarged the pattern to get the 12.5 inch blocks).

Pepper block

Cricket block

Gidget block

3 - 5.5" blocks blocks for me

Remember the oversized sewing notions I've been making (previous 2 blog posts) for my little quilt guild's Annual Tea?  Well, hubby finished the 2 wooden needles I asked him to make, and I got them painted.  All my oversized sewing notions are finished now.

pack of hand needles shown for size

I'll be using all of these oversized sewing notions for the Tea, then (hopefully) for this year's Lyon's Farm Fall Festival (waiting for the vendor forms to be mailed out, they are really slow).  I'll also be using them in my booth at my large quilt guild's quilt show March 14-15, 2026.  Put this show on your calendar.  It is ALWAYS a GREAT quilt show!  I attended this quilt show before I ever joined this guild.  The quilt show was why I joined this guild.

I still have a few demo's to prepare for the Missouri TOGA (Treadle On Gathering & Academy) in June.  If you love vintage sewing machines, and want to travel to Missouri, come join us.  The link above will take you to our MOTOGA page (easy to join).  We will be meeting in Ava, MO June 19-21, 2025.  If you search my blog, you can find out more about TOGA's.

Quilty Things & Northern Lights

 I got some nice photos of my newest granddaughter on her quilts.

My oldest granddaughter and I went to a quilt store in Anchorage, Seams Like Home. I bought a Laura Heine pattern that I've been wanting to make.

My granddaughter was chatting with all the ladies at the store, and she must have made a good impression, since as I was checking out, one of the ladies asked her if she would like some fabric to make some napkins or something with her grandmother.  Of course my granddaughter said yes.  They gave her 13 fat quarters of this fabric.

13 fat quarters

The day before I had bought a used Accuquilt die to make turkey placemats for the kids.  This fabric will be used in those placemats.

Someone texted my son last night to let him know that the Northern Lights could be seen from their area in Anchorage.  He and I drove up a mountain (away from the city lights) above the tree line so that we could see the Northern Lights.  I got several photos.  This is my first time to get to see the Northern Lights!  The photos were taken from the car (windshield) or out the open car window.

This morning I took some photos of hoar frost outside the patio window.

hoar frost

hoar frost

I haven't gotten any sewing done since I arrived.  That's ok.  I'm having fun playing with all the grandkids instead.