Let's get Synchronized!

I recently finished Synchronize and had fun taking it out for a photo shoot. I find that the colors are so much more true when I take pictures outside, but I usually take them around our yard. I needed to take a good photo of a  challenge quilt, so I needed to find a place I could hang it for a straight-on picture. Since I was heading out with it to photograph, I took Synchronize along and got some great pictures of both! You will have to wait a bit longer to see pictures of the challenge quilt...sorry!

I will be teaching the pattern for this quilt next month at Cut Up and Quilt.

I had some of this charcoal stripe left from another project and thought it would look good as the binding.

Finished up with a label and Conrad approved!

I will be on a mini retreat  this weekend with friends....can't wait to spend it sewing.

Serenity

Blogging is taking a backseat to so many other things lately....and I wish it wasn't.

Last week was especially busy as I had two sampler groups in the evening, plus my bookfair at school one evening. The bookfair kept me pretty busy all week, as I closed the library a few hours each day so kids could come and purchase books. We had a great selection and I was able to purchase books for the library with the proceeds, so it was a win-win situation. Unfortunately, the library is a mess of books that need to be put away and I was super busy the past 2 days, so they keep piling up. They will get put away eventually.....

Dianne

It was kind of fitting that I ended the week with the Serenity quilt class on Saturday. I had so much fun teaching this technique and watching the quilts come to life. Since I usually use batiks in the Circle and Spin series quilts, it's interesting for me to see

Jane

Evelyn

Sharon

This quilter used only 4 or 5 fabrics, so her tablemate and her figured out a pattern to make using her only reds. It's going to be gorgeous.

Barb

Jane

Carol

Pat

They are all going to be gorgeous!

Sharon

Pat brought some show and tell to share...she started this project during a UFO Saturday last month. I've been hosting UFO Saturdays a little more often this fall to give everyone a chance to get some projects finished. I have one scheduled for Nov. too.

Pat

my Serenity

Building a Happy Village...

I spent Saturday teaching quilters how to make seaside villas, magical vacation spots and other fun villages using Karen Eckmeier's book Happy Villages. They added mountains, skies and water to create interesting views.

Diane

I took multiple pictures throughout the day so that we could remember where we started! They got more creative as they created their vistas...adding interesting details.

The cottages, castles and waterfront villas appeared as they added more pieces to their work. It was amazing!

Jane

If you look closely, you can see that Joyce added an island with a bridge.

Joyce

Jeanette used an Alaskan vacation picture as her inspiration. It was beautiful.

Jeanette

Jonette has several series of long steps down to her waterfront.

Jonette

This was my working model for the class. I worked along with them, adding pieces to show the steps to creating these villages. Everyone enjoyed the freedom to create and became more enthusiastic about their projects as the day went on and they could see the beauty. Since you can change as you go if you decide you don't like it, the sky is the limit. (and your basket of scraps!)

My working model for class

Des Moines quilt show 2015

 There was lots of inspiration and fun at this year's AQS show in Des Moines. I went with a group of friends last weekend....we had such a great time.I was fascinated by this face done between stripes.

 This quilt belongs to Lynne at Patchery Menagerie....loved seeing it up close and personal.

 Yea, I was awestruck by this one.

 The following 4 pictures show the detailing in this Best of Show winner. It was gorgeous!

 That scene in the green border is all thread painting! wow!

 I took this one for my friend Cindy, who couldn't join us but would've loved this rooster.

 We giggled over this one, the calm waters above and the monster lurking below.

 We saw the huge "Wicked" challenge display. You could vote for your favorite. That was hard!

 All in all it was a great time, great inspiration and we all left with a few bags of goodies, ready to move on to a new project!

Making a Happy Village

With the Happy Village class coming up this weekend, I need to start a class model to show the quilters how it goes together.

 It's sort of fun and magical how odd shaped pieces like this can make something so beautiful and artistic! I had a lot of fun playing with shapes and moving them around.

Have you tried one of these villages? Stop by and see us work the magic on Sat. at Cut Up and Quilt or sign up and join in on the fun!