I'm still a bit behind in my Triangle Gatherings (they just keep coming!) but not terribly. I had help from my grandson up at the cabin last week -- we put the foot pedal on a stool (if you have grandkids, buying these stools from Target is a MUST have. Our kids use them all the time, for everything!). Even little Emma got in on the fun after her family left and she stayed behind for a WEEK with Nana and Papa! Not sure who loved it the most. Note my wine was readily available! Emma just turned 5 last week, by the way!
I've been working on my Marvelous Mini Mondays from Temecula Quilts and I'm up to date thus far, until the reveal comes out tomorrow. I have to say that making blocks so friggin' tiny is a challenge for me! Especially with my inability to sew very accurately!! ;-) Here is the whole lot of them, along with some of my favorites. Mind you they are 4" unf! I had a very hard time with the 49 patches, which I was able to do thanks to the Mini Maven Janet O, who advised me to cut them 1" and make it 7x7. Really?? Don't look too closely at mine... they frequently don't line up... oops. I may not be the most accurate piecer, but I do enjoy fussy cutting!!
And on the drive home Friday, I was able to get some stitching done on my Summer Blocks of the Week from Primitive Gatherings. My grandson helped me do the piecing before he left and I was able to prepare about 3 blocks for the car ride. FUN. All these blocks still need the tiny half square triangles that go around each one. Later...
I do enjoy doing the wool appliqué (=don't have to be perfect) and now that I'm home for a while, I'm hoping to tackle some of the projects I have left hanging--maybe even play around with some of the things I bought in Maine (although to be honest, I think I had to leave most of what I bought in Maine at the cabin -- no room in the car!! vbg)
More triangles!
This is a lot of little sewing but nothing to put together into a quilt thus far so I am not feeling very accomplished.
On another note, I am feeling accomplished for two non-quilt related reasons:
1-- my wedding anniversary is tomorrow (Eclipse Day, which we were going to spend up in Oregon, along the path of totality, but since we chose to have Emma for the week, we had to bring her back home this weekend... opted for a week with Emma vs watching the eclipse. No brainer for us!)... We got married in 1977-- FORTY years ago!! Amazing that it's been that long. Has gone by so fast. It's a lifetime! Still feel very lucky!
2--I got on the scale in mid-June and just about died. Decided on the spot that I had to lose weight so started following Weight Watchers online that very day and am proud to say that I've shed nearly 15 pounds in about 11 weeks. Have to remind myself that it's a lifestyle choice and not a diet. In other words, this is a problem that will plague me all my life (and has)... On a conservative approach, I'm half way to my goal. it's not where I want to be, but I'll take it. Actually, I'll take 15 pounds too! That's a lot of potatoes!! vbg
So that's two pats on the back for me!! WOOHOO!!
Last weekend I was in Maine attending their annual quilt show. It was really impressive!
On entering the front door, we were greeted by a most fabulous quilt.
Harriet Hargrave was teaching there and she had this quilt hanging in the entry. I just loved her use of reproduction fabrics; we also thought that she must have dyed the muslin to get the antique look. This quilt was called "Softly Spoken", which seems appropriate.
What a great use of hexagons!!
Here's another one, totally different!
This quilter made a full size Storm at Sea and then made a smaller version!
I love this little appliqué quilt. Pattern is called "Heart Strings and Hope Chests" by Anne Morrell Robinson.
For all you mini-lovers (Janet O... this one's for you!). See the little glove on the right? Great idea they have: they put a glove on any quilt that has been hand-quilted! They also put a green dot on the quilt's name card, indicating that the back is worth looking at! Very clever!
I thought this was a great way to use selvages (for those of us collecting them!)
Great simple quilt!
Another great little appliqué quilt. This one is "Gypsy Jazz" by Robyn Falloon.
Did I mention that Wendy and I did a little quilt shopping? Our first stop was at On-Board Fabrics, which is housed in a former cow barn. Great little building but the best thing about this store was their collection of sewing machines!! I'm only showing you one wall... there were machines everywhere!
We also went to Attic Heirlooms, which I had heard was not to be missed. It did not disappoint. I think I bought a couple of patterns, a small kit and maybe some more wool!! ;-)
Of course we had to visit Cyndi Black's shop called Busy Thimble. Many of you know this shop but I can't get over how much fabric she has hidden away. Last time I was there, I was too overwhelmed to get any pictures but this time I was determined to share the inside with you.
Think you might find some fabric to buy there??
Wendy and I spotted this "tiny house" while driving and I really wanted to send you a picture. I've never seen one up close. I was so focused on the house that I neglected to include their extensive garden next to the house. To be honest, I don't think my fabric and machines would fit inside this, forget about a bed! Cute, hunh??
One other not-to-be-missed in Maine was a lobster dinner! We bought the lobsters in a very small local shop and Wendy's husband cooked them in sea water he got for our dinner. OMG. IT was so good. I had to show you.
That's about it from Maine. I'm up at the cabin and actually did get a little sewing done this week. I'll show you that progress later this weekend. My daughter and her family arrive this afternoon for a week, so I probably won't get much done during that time but very excited to the family being here!
Well, I can't believe it's August already! I lost the last two weeks of July! After the Sisters quilt show, I babysat my grandkids for a week, recovered for a few days and then flew to Maine to visit with Wendy Reed (constantquilter), which was a great treat. Then I was home a couple of days and we drove up to our cabin in Oregon for an extended visit. That's where I'll be for the next 3 weeks... I think I'll stay here for the eclipse since this area is supposed to get almost the totality of the experience! Plus August 21 is my 40th wedding anniversary. NO idea how THAT happened!! Anyway, quilts anyone???
WHEW! Finally time to put something on my blog.
Here are Wendy and I, after nearly a week of laughing, talking, eating and shopping! In short, we are happy campers! (except that I was leaving)
Wendy and her husband Gordon are really the sweetest people and I feel so lucky to have been invited to visit them. We had a great time. They showed me a true slice of life as a "Mainer" or "Maine-iac!!". I can see why they love it there! I'd love it, too!
I want to give you a taste of Wendy's stash... This is her feed sack collection. OMG. Gorgeous! I think she said she's been collecting them for over 50 years!
And some of her fabrics!! Some... not all... ;-)
Want to see some of Wendy's work?? Mind you, Wendy does not follow patterns. Oh, how I wish I could do that.
Isn't this a great way to use up extra fabrics? Of course it wouldn't make much of a dent! She and Cyndi (Busy Thimble, now my favorite LQS!) exchange 1-1/2" squares of all their fabrics.
Just a small hexagon project! Isn't it great! Can you see her fussy-cut little white hexies??!!
Wendy has an uncanny ability to recreate antique quilts, using truly antique fabrics; then she replicates it with reproduction fabrics. I showed you a quilt she'd done and shared when I went to the Shelbourne Museum with her last fall. Can you tell which of these is using the antique original fabrics and which is the reproduction??
here's another pair! Can you tell which is which?
Since I'm extolling the virtues of Wendy Reed, here are a couple of quilts she entered in the Maine Quilt show, which was ostensibly why I went. The first one is made of orphan blocks she had accumulated! I just love it. She called it "Pot Luck" and she used only cheater-cloths on the back, which made it even more interesting. Of course, she used her pot-holder method of quilting each individual block separately before connecting them together.
Fabulous or what? Do you see the ribbon hanging on the side? One more to add to her extensive collection! Wendy also entered her Shenandoah Valley pot-holder quilt that she's been sharing on her blog. The quilt won First Place, as well as several other accolades and ribbons. I'm not able to show you the picture since the organizer of that sew-along wants to display them all together. It's spectacular!
These next two were a challenge organized by her guild. Each invited participant was to copy a block from the book "One Hundred and One Patchwork Patterns" and then make a modern version of the original block. Here are Wendy's, amazing as always!
Can you see the rick-rack between the yo-yos?? Isn't her background fabric fabulous??
I've got many more pictures from the show to share with you but I'll do that hopefully tomorrow. I've got someone coming over in the morning to hopefully purchase my Bernina 1080, which is the first of my attempts at downsizing. If you have any interest in a Bernina 1130, let me know. That's next on my list; a Singer 301 will follow. I've also got a Rocketeer to sell. (Singer 401, I think).
Have I been doing any sewing? Hardly any. I did this when I was watching my grandkids a few weeks ago. I'm now completely behind on this project.
I'm going to sew a bit this afternoon, since it's about 100* outside and I definitely wilt and/or melt in that heat!
I'm BAAAAACK! And I think I figured out an easier way to transfer the pictures from my phone to my blog... anyone every use Airdrop?? Totally new to me...
