Quilt show sponsor quilts

Yesterday I helped out the quilt show people by helping to distribute and hang up quilts in a lovely shopping district along the Deschutes River.  When we first arrived, one of the other women showed me a quilt that she was putting in the show.  It was a round robin quilt, but unlike any I'd ever seen before!



Here were some of the quilts that we hung:








Isn't this one great? It's Julia Child and it was hung in a kitchen supply store!





Have a great holiday weekend!

Asian inspired quilts

The other part of the exhibit at Quilt Works was devoted to Asian inspired quilts.  I found one in particular that I just found spectacular!





It isn't surprising that it took her 40 hrs to do the appliqué of the flowers and the birds.  I had to look so very carefully to see where they were attached to the background.  She didn't sew them down;  they were cut out exactly on the lines and then she must have pressed the pieces in place.  I don't know which type of material she used but it was so very effective.









I haven't sewn an Asian quilt in years but I still found these quilts extremely interesting to look at.

Tomorrow I'll show you pictures of quilts I saw today while I was helping out for the Sisters Quilt Show.  I was helping to deliver quilts to various sponsors for them to display the quilts.  It wasn't a ton of quilts but they were fun to look at.

And, just for fun, I'll share my freezing house story:  you know I love leaving the windows open here in Oregon because the air is so clean and I love the crisp, cool air.  My husband arrives tonight so last night was my last chance to do that (he hates the windows open, actually).  When I woke up around 7 AM, the outside temperature was 37*;  the inside temperature?  44*!! I'm not kidding.  It was pretty chilly!  This afternoon I've kept the windows open so the heat can come in.  I don't think my family will enjoy the house being in the 50s!! (Truth be told -- if I was in California, I'd have the fireplace on if the house got so cold!!)

June's quilt show at Quilt Works

I drove up to the cabin in Oregon this week (getting ready for quilt show and some retreat time!) and had to run over to Quilt Works to see their June quilt show.  It did not disappoint.  

The main show was focused on the featured quilter, Jean Mays.  Jean does the most beautiful appliqué!  Of course, her pieced quilts are pretty gorgeous as well.  She does her own hand quilting and you can see in many of these quilts the quality of her sewing! (and her tiny stitches!)




Piece o' Cake makes the best patterns!


Love the colors.  So sweet!




Same basket but different flowers.  GREAT idea!


This was folded so this was all I could see.


Love this setting.  I have never met a feathered star I didn't love, anyway!


Another great way to set sampler blocks.  Simple but so effective!


Hand quilting is amazing!


I made this quilt years ago out of batiks.  It's on the cover of a book I have.  Great little pattern!




I wanted a close up because I thought this was a great way to use large-scale prints.  I didn't have a ruler so I couldn't get the measurements but I'm guessing the center square is 8".

Central Oregon is just beautiful this week.  I sleep with the windows open all over the house (since my husband isn't here yet---he hates when it gets cold).  I woke up about 4:30 and the outside temp was 37* and the inside of the house was 44*!  When I woke up, it had gotten up to 52*.  I LOVE it!!

More pictures tomorrow of the rest of the show.  Off for a hike.  Still haven't turned on the sewing machine yet but I'm ready!!!

Quilting with friends helps productivity!

My friend Claire came over this morning to sew and we both seem to get so much done when we are together!  She's so creative.  Today she spent the morning trying to assemble a donation quilt out of scraps she got.  Me?  I need a pattern.

here's my Marvelous Monday Mini... I can whip up a 4" block with a pattern...no problem!!  VBG



I am actually repurposing some of the strips from the Primitive Gatherings SBOW.  I can't quite figure out their system so I'm using my own stash...Isn't it fine to use whatever fabrics we want notwithstanding that they send a kit?? VBG

here is the block I made for this week, just still needing the half square triangles, which I've sewn but need to assemble.  I also need to sew down the wool.  


I also made the latest Triangle Gatherings block... up to date!  Claire brought over a pack of fabrics she got at Craftsy that looked perfect for this project so I went ahead and did a little online shopping and ordered a little more for these blocks.  I'm enjoying them.


When Claire was over last week she worked on the binding for a donation quilt that she had made.  This is another example of her making something out of her own head!  I think it's so great that someone can make a quilt without a pattern.  I am not one of those people.  It's not better --just different!

Nothing fancy but awesome. Impressive, don't you think??

And the winner is.....

JANE!!  Please send me your address (randyiris@gmail.com)

Thanks to everyone who commented and wanted some scraps.  I Loved everyone's comments.  I think using someone else's scraps is always so exciting!!  I am also sending packages out to a couple of other people, who know already.

I have done a little sewing this past week.  I did get the first block of the Summer Block of the Week done...  It's a little disappointing to me (in all honesty) that they did not include the two little triangle papers for the outside borders.  And they also didn't include enough fabric for the strips (I  of course have plenty.  But not everyone does).  And, to top it off, the fabric for the second week's freebie was insufficient (one piece was too small).  I honestly think that if you're charging people, the kits should be right.  This is probably the last time I will do their summer sew alongs.  Anyway, it's an adorable block and I think the quilt will be wonderful!





And I did two more triangle gathering blocks:





And, the best news is that I finished Part 1 of the Mountmellick quilt I've been working on!  WOOHOO!!



Here's a close up of one corner:


I was able to find the border stripe fabric from Cyndi at Busy Thimble in Maine (thanks so much, Cyndi!  Can't wait to get back to the shop next month!!).  Isn't it wonderful?  The rest of the fabrics are just from my stash; although the bird in the center was cut from some wonderful fabric that Will in Paris gave me.  She has such wonderful taste in fabric.  I always cherish her choices.

I love giveaways!  I love all the comments!  Thank you again for your interest!

Talk about classic spam!!!

I found this email in my spam folder.  It was too hysterical not to share with you.  I'm going to get right on it... yeah, right!!!
I guess there are people that buy this stuff.


I’m Mr.Ahmed Yaki,the new appointed Postman of Regular Mail Post Office branched at Cotonou Benin. I assumed this office on 6th, May, 2017. On going through the files of the previous records of this office, I discovered that there are six parcels containing ATM cards each one attached with an email address of the owner on it. The former appointee of this office (Alhaji Ahmed Musa Jr.) failed to carry out the delivery as it was instructed and programmed. Probably, one of his reasons for not carrying out the delivery was that you have not provided your postal address to him for the completion of the delivery as he remarked.

According to the content recorded in each file, the ATM card was deposited by one Senior Evangelist Mathew Peterson who died one year back as a charity foundation parcel to each of the six of you. On the statement he wrote on the list, he stated that each of the aforementioned ATM cards contains the sum of US$5,000,000.00 and he found your email contacts as reputable and capable persons that can use the charity awarded ATM Cards to change the lives of people.
Meanwhile, I've made the arrangement of posting the six parcels through Regular Mail Post Office to the six of you to your respective mailing addresses.

Am also sending the same message of the same content to six of you that own the six abandoned ATM CARDS each at the same time. If found in spam folder, it could be due to your Internet Service Provider, ISP. So move to your inbox before your reply.

I went to our head office at Cotonou Benin and reported the issue of the discovered six ATM cards in my office and they verified it and gave me the veto order to carry out the delivery immediately you reconfirm your mailing address to this office in order for us to mail the ATM CARD directly to you after Postal Stamp of the parcel. Note, below information is officially needed for posting of the ATM CARD ASAP.

1. Your Full name,________________
2. Your home Address,______________
3. Your current telephone number,______
4. A copy of your ID card,_____________
5. Your age/sex,____________________
6. Your country,____________________
7. Your occupation,__________________
8Your nearest air-port__________________

We shall post your ATM Card once you update us with the above info and you shall be given a tracking number, that is, the Track and Trace number of your parcel once it is posted to your mailing address, so as to enable you track your parcel to know exactly when it will arrive to your mailing address.

Remain blessed as I'll be looking forward to receiving your immediate response.

Regards,
MR.AHMED YAKI
Tel:+229 689 46 891
Postman, Regular Mail Post Office Cotonou Benin

Catching up, sort of--- and GIVEAWAY

I'm trying to catch up on my Triangle Gatherings, having fallen 6 blocks behind. That's what happens when you go on vacation!  I am certain that unless I catch up, it'll be fatal... I'll never catch up. vbg









Two more to go to catch up...

Then, as if I didn't have enough to do, I started the Temecula Marvelous Mini Monday little quilt. These are TINY!  The centers are 2";  the entire block is all of 4"





In another weak moment, I signed up for the Primitive Gatherings summer block of the month, with the little wool applique in the middle.  I made one block (mostly done) but I won't show you that until I have the center done.  And it comes with their freebie, which is a small wool applique block.  I need to sew those pieces down too.  I seem to have a lot of weak moments, don't ya think?

I did a little gardening and picked the gladiolas that we planted this year.  I also came home to these gorgeous roses.  Mind you, I spend very little time in the garden for obvious reasons (I'm either babysitting or I'm out of town, right??).  So these are the miracle children of my garden!



The colors are spectacular, I think!

Now for a giveaway!!  I really do need to reduce the amount of quilting supplies I have since I'm truly never going to get to use all of them.  So today I think I'll give away a box of scraps!  I use only quilt-store quality fabrics and they vary between mostly civil war reproductions and brights.  Kind of an eclectic mix. Large pieces, too. I'm happy to share them with you.  Please, I'd prefer just to the US.  The postage to Europe and Canada is prohibitive!

Send me a comment on what you like to do with scraps and I'll pick a name on Sunday!

yummy fabrics

I promised that I'd show you what I bought at the quilt shop in Lihue last week as well as my pillow case fabrics for the kids!!


These are the fabrics I bought.  Do you remember last year when I made the quilt for the auction and used some Santa fabric that was x-rated?? Well, I couldn't resist buying another variety.  This time it is definitely G-rated! :-)

I've yet to decide what I'll do with these fabrics.  Because the prints are so large, they lend themselves to quilts with larger pieces.

And here are the pillow case fabrics.


I think they will be fun for the kids.  I will probably work on them this week.  My friend Claire is coming over tomorrow morning to sew and maybe I'll do them then.  I have 6 triangle gatherings to get done, having fallen a little behind again!!!  Maybe one of these days I'll actually put something together.

In just a few weeks, we'll be getting ready for the Sisters Quilt Show in Oregon.  I'm very excited about it and the chance to spend days sewing together with friends!

time for a little shopping

I took a quick trip into Lihue to shop at the wonderful LQS there.  Here is a sample of the fabulous fabrics they offer.  And, by the way, their Hawaiian fabrics  on the roll are $6.99/yd!!  Aren't they luscious???  





This is their outside front window!  Can you imagine doing all that appliqué?  Just gorgeous!  And the quilting?? Amazing!


I did manage to drop a little money on some more fabrics.  I decided to make pillowcases for my grandkids so brought three different fabrics.  I'll show you my purchases next!

No sewing but oh-so-great family trip

My friend bought me this wonderful wallhanging while she was in Kauai last month and I just finally got a chance to see it.  I have yet to figure out where to hang it.  I feel just a tiny bit guilty buying something like this for such a ridiculously low price. I'm sure it was sewn by someone in China or some other very low paying economy.  But I'm maybe in some small way helping them out by buying it at all.



Here is everyone, after barbecuing fish on the grill.   These are the same kids my dh and I brought to Hawaii in March (we only brought two).  They do love Hawaii and the water!  Of course, what's not to love??!! Life's good!


I am hoping to sneak away to the quilt store in Lihue some time during the rest of our trip.  I also did bring a little hand sewing -- my hexies for the Mountmellick quilt I've been working on.