Quilt Show last weekend

I know, I've been missing for months.  Once you get behind, it's hard to figure out where to start blogging again.  I decided that I'd start with the quilt show I went to last weekend.  It's the Morris (IL) Quilt Guild's show.  It's a small show, but always a good show.

This cute lady greeted us as we arrived.

I've been wanting to make a duffle bag for a couple of years now.  This lady made 2 matching duffle bags in 2 different sizes.

The guild had a challenge.  People were supposed to finish or repurpose an old quilt.  One lady made the jacket from a quilt that was in bad shape (some of the fabric pieces are missing) and another lady finished a quilt top she found and quilted it.

The rest of the quilts are ones that caught my eye.

I can't resist sewing machines, even if they are plastic machines (not vintage;).

I love Churn Dash quilts.

I can't imagine making this quilt.  It is stunning!

I'm heading out to another quilt show this morning.  Maybe I'll take some photos at that quilt show, too.

Pattern Testing

I was asked to be a pattern tester for Rachel at Kohatu Patterns last week.  She is releasing a new pattern on May 10th in time for Mother's Day!

Since Rachel gives 2 different sizes for her Daisy pattern, I decided to make a Daisy in both sizes.  (Rachel also tells you how to make other sizes, too).

I picked a 'Sunset' background for the 12"x18" block.

I decided to do a blue sky background for the smaller block (7"x10").  Sorry, it was raining when I took the photo, so the blue looks a bit washed out.

I used the blue in the Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt (almost done with that) and the white and yellows are from the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks that I've been making (April's colors).

Of course I sewed both Daisy blocks on my 1927 Singer 15 hand crank.  I do all of my paper piecing on hand crank sewing machines, since the needle stops exactly where I want it to, and they make such tiny stitches, so the paper tears off easily.  I started both Daisy blocks while I was teaching a paper piecing class to a few of my little quilt guild's members at our sew-in last Thursday (they worked on spool of thread and sewing machine blocks).  Those blocks are way down towards the bottom of the page at this link.

stitching on one of the Daisy blocks

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

Go check out Rachel's website and all of her patterns.  These Daisy blocks were fun to make.  

February Stitching So Far

I keep meaning to post, but then things happen, and I don't post. I need to get better at posting.  Since I haven't posted in a few weeks, I have lots to show today.

First up, I've finished Clue #7 on the Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt.  Here are all the Clue #7 blocks.

stack of Clue #7 blocks

In my little quilt guild this year, we are teaching the history of different quilt blocks.  We have 3 different ladies each month that teach 3 different quilt blocks.  Last month I did Churn Dash. For February I chose the Storm at Sea quilt block.

Storm at Sea

I've been wanting to make a Storm at Sea quilt for a long time.  I used Christmas money to buy the Storm at Sea die from Accuquilt.  I printed out Accuquilts From Sea to Shining Sea pattern (free).  Accuquilt has several different Storm at Sea patterns available.  It took hours to cut out all the pieces!  I can't imagine how long it would have taken to cut this quilt out using rulers or templates.  The die is well worth the money (I got it on a BOGO sale).  Here is my quilt top.

Somehow I got 2 blocks turned wrong, so I'll have to rip them out and fix them before I get this quilted.  Oh well.  I will say that Accuquilts pattern is easy to follow, and I would make this again.  Hubby loves this quilt and said that we have to keep it.

My little quilt guild is starting a Round Robin challenge.  The first group started at the February meeting.  Since the first group is very small, I went ahead and added the first border to my center block.  I found the center pattern at a quilt shop in Rockford back in November, when I met up with a friends.

Wego Quiltin' Round Robin block

I've started on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks the month.  Red is the color for February (my favorite color).  I've sewn strips and sub-cut them for TONS of 3 1/2" 9 patch blocks (I'll be sewing these long past February) and I've finished the 4 Flying Churn Dash blocks. It's hard to tell in the photo, but I used 2 different reds for these blocks.  One was very scrappy, since I used the tiny amount of red left over from my Bonnie Hunter Mystery.  The other red is mostly leftover from cutting out my Storm at Sea quilt on my Accuquilt.

Flying Churn Dash

My birthday was earlier this month.  I got some quilting themed presents from a friend and from my Secret Sister at church.  I've already used some of these things.  I'll be using the seam ripper to fix my Storm at Sea quilt top. The neck light is very useful!  

I managed to get another 50 Ohmigosh! 9 patch blocks made.  I'm still a long way away from getting these finished.  I'm using them as Leaders and Enders, but the RSC blocks have become my Leaders and Enders now, so there will be fewer OMG! blocks for a while.  

Rainbow Scrap Challenge and Other Stuff

Wow, I haven't blogged since January 4th.  I've meant to, but I've been really busy, sorry.

First, I'm making 2 different blocks for the 2024 Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  One block I designed myself after seeing a similar block in Pinterest that I couldn't find a pattern for.  I was looking for different Churn Dash blocks, to teach the quilt block history of the Churn Dash block for my little quilt guild January 8th.  Did you know that there are at least 21 different names/variations of the Churn Dash block?  I listed all 21 names that I found, and showed several of the variations to my quilt guild.  This is the pattern that I drafted and made.  I call it the Flying Churn Dash.  It makes a 9 inch block.  

Flying Churn Dash for RSC24

I'm also making mini 9 patch blocks so that I can make a Jacks Chain quilt. The pattern from Quilter's Cache only has one block for the quilt.  There are two blocks needed, so I'll have to draft the 2nd block myself when it is time to put all the blocks together.  I made 45 green blocks for the January RSC24.  These 9 patch blocks are 3 1/2".  I made them using the Leaders & Enders method, and cut the strips with my new 1 1/2" Accuquilt strip die.  Sew much quicker to cut strips and sew them together, than to cut out each square (like the directions say to do). 

I have photos of the wedding couple with their new quilt.  They loved the quilt, as did both families.

the happy couple (and me) with their new quilt

While I was in Albuquerque, I dropped off 7 quilt tops (along with backing and binding fabric) to be quilted by another Treadle On member.  Jennifer has a long arm, and volunteered to quilt some of Marilyn's quilts for charity.  Marilyn was my good friend and quilting buddy that died in August. I still have quilt tops of Marilyn's that need to be quilted for charity. 

I met Jennifer at The Quilt Works quilt shop in Albuquerque.  Great shop!  I didn't have much time (wedding stuff to get done), so I only got to look at a tiny portion of the shop.  I checked out the white on whites (can never have too much background fabrics) and their sale room.  I could have spent and hour or more in that shop.  As it was, I came away with 7 different fabrics (4 backgrounds, 3 greens for the RSC, and a batik background).

cute bags that they use

The Quilt Works had a great balloon quilt on display.  Albuquerque has a balloon festival every year.  I asked if I could take photos and put them on my blog.  This is a pieced quilt, not a panel.  Wow!

I have done more on my Bonnie Hunter Mystery clues, too.  I've finished clue #6, #7 & #8, along with more of clue #3 (that she miscounted units for).  I have not started putting all the parts into blocks yet.

clue #6

clue #7

clue #8

more clue #3

I have a Zoom sew-in this weekend with my Treadle On group, and I'll be working on sewing these units into quilt blocks.

I've been trying to find a headboard that I liked for our king size bed for 2 years.  I really wanted one similar to the headboard we have on our queen size bed (now in the guest bedroom).  Surprise!  One came up on Freecycle, and we picked it up the day we flew home from the wedding.  This headboard is very similar to our old headboard in shape/style. What a difference a headboard makes in a room.  The wood is the same color as my bedroom set.  I love Freecycle!

bed with new (to me) headboard

I drove a friend to the doctor earlier this month, and he lives close to one of my favorite thrift shops.  Of course I had to see if they had anything new.  I found some thimbles.  I'd seen (and have) a thimble like the 'Medieval' thimble.  It was sew cute in it's box (and it still had the original price tag in British pounds).

I also found these 2 thimbles.  I really like the firetruck thimble!  I passed up several dozen other thimbles (mostly from 'places').

firetruck thimble

Disney thimble

I've been working on a Storm at Sea quilt.  I don't have any photos (yet), but I've made all 56 blocks, and the 8 rows are stitched.  I just need to sew the rows together.  This one takes more time since the instructions say to iron the seams open (boy does that take lots of time).  I'll be teaching the block history for the Storm at Sea block at my February quilt guild meeting. I need to find out more information about this block (history).  

What are you working on???  As soon as I get caught up with my blog reading, I tend to fall behind again.  I'm almost a week behind again.  Oops!