New sampler finished....whew!

I recently finished my new sampler quilt, Optical Illusions. Many of you that have followed my blog for awhile know that I started designing samplers to teach basics and other skills about 13 years ago. This is the 24th sampler I've designed and it's a bit different this time. I've incorporated some of the fun of the Circle and Spin series into pieced blocks so we'll see how it's received. It's quilted and I will get some better pix when it's bound. I will be teaching it in 6 monthly installments beginning on Feb. 28.

I have a group that's been working on Circle and Spin quilts, they are close to completion as you can see!

You will be happy to know that the new sampler is Conrad and Smokey approved.

quiltinjeanie designs

Love some more Mirages!

Susan B

 I had a good time on Saturday working with a fun group of quilters that wanted to make the Mirages quilt. They came prepared with fabric squares cut, so we could start right in on cutting our circles and sewing them back together. Lots of pretty fabrics and great attitudes made it a fun day.

Dee

Kathy

 As you can see, some very creative minds at work here. Different color choices always inspire us all.

Christie

Susan

Dianne

This is another quilt in the Circle and Spin series. It's a little more organized that some of them, and not as many cuts, but I still used not so perfect circles. The challenge quilt I recently completed was another one in the series with many more cuts and more muted fabrics. I like the way it turned out as well, thought it's definitely a different take on this type of quilt than I usually do. I will be posting pictures of it soon.

Spinning and spinning

One of my evening Sampler Clubs are learning how to piece circles making the Circle and Spin or Circle and Spin to the Moon quilts. They had lots of blocks finished when we met last time. Love all those colors!

They are doing a great job and found out that doing circles this way isn't that hard at all!

I will be teaching this again on Nov. 12 at Log Cabin Quilting in Exira. If you live in the area and want to try it, give Robin or me a call!

Two of the quilters from the last class of beginners are making the Double Four Patch quilt. These will be gorgeous when finished!

I have been working on my entry for the Quilting the Blues 2016 Challenge, so I can't really post my progress, but I took a picture of the 16 fat quarters that I received to use in the challenge. You can add 3 of your own fabrics to the mix. There are size requirements as well as other rules for this challenge, but if your quilt is chosen as a finalist, it will travel to the Original Sewing and Quilting Expos next year.

It's fun to try challenges and this one was challenging for me because I knew what I wanted to do, but at one point it wasn't happening. I had to rework it several times before I thought it conveyed what I wanted it to. It is at the quilter's now, so hopefully she is working her magic on it and it will be how I envisioned. I can't wait to see what everyone does with this challenge. If you took this challenge, let me know.

Is it a mirage?

 I spent Saturday with some awesome quilters who wanted to make Mirages, my newest addition to the Circle and Spin series. I had given them directions to precut squares, so they were ready to cut some curves and start sewing. As you can see, they got a lot finished!

Jane's use of batiks was gorgeous...she has the best collection of batiks around. Karen was using bright prints on a mottled blue background for a eye-catching look.

Karen H

 I didn't get pictures of Karen S or Amanda's blocks, as they had used fabrics similar to mine, and didn't put their blocks up on the wall. They thought they could tell what it would look like. They got a lot finished as well.

Elsie

Elsie had some Laurel Burch fabrics in her stash and threw in some solids as well for a colorful look.

Deb

 Deb had 4 different fabrics on a green background, so we tried a pattern as we put the blocks up.

JoAnn

JoAnn just wants to make a wallhanging, so hers will finish quickly!

Trudy

 Trudy had been saving black prints for a long time. As you can see a few had some colorful bits thrown in too.

Mirages as a backdrop to class.

 I think we banished some worries about sewing curves! I can't wait to see them finished!

Update: Deb N. sent me a picture of her finished quilt in Dec. 

Log Cabin Star class

I started my fall classes yesterday at Cut Up and Quilt with the Log Cabin Star Tabletopper by Marci Baker and Sara Nephew.  I was excited to see the fabric choices each quilter had chosen and I wasn't disappointed. Elsie chose batiks in warm and cool colors for her star. We worked on getting all of the logs cut precisely and a diamond  and one of each of the two triangles pieced so that they could take it home and have models of what needs to be done to finish the quilt.   

Elsie's Log Cabin Star

Denise decided to strip piece hers once she got her fall themed pieces cut, so she had all of her diamonds to this stage. We laid out the dark that will be next to the diamonds once the triangles are completed to get an idea of how it will look. 

Denise's Log Cabin Star

 Stacy chose soft batiks for her version. Love them  She was almost finished with her 2nd triangle.

Stacy's Log Cabin Star

 Dianne chose fall themed fabrics too ( all from her stash!) and was well on her way to finishing the diamonds using strip piecing techniques. She also got one of her triangles put together and started the 2nd. She is going to use yellows in place of the 2 oranges on the mirror image triangle, so that should add a bit of interest.

Dianne's Log Cabin Star

 Christine used fabrics from her stash as well for this vintage look. We talked about the fact that once the diamonds and triangles were finished, they could be reversed for a different look. So we played with Christine's blocks to get the idea of how that could work.  I forgot to take a picture of that, however. But these pictures show the triangles in their placement in the quilt, and how they are sewn to the diamond in the placement she chose to begin with. .

Christine's Log Cabin Star

It was a great class and they worked really hard to get as much finished as they did. They promised to send pictures of their finished tops to me so I can enjoy them. It's always fun to see the finished projects. This pattern is available at Cut Up and Quilt.

I have thoughts spinning in my head for a new project I'm dying to start, as well as a mystery project I need to get back to, but I need to focus on painting today. I got a little painting done last night after class and am going to head out soon to paint some more. I have a new Sampler Club beginning Tuesday night making the Circle and Spin quilt plus a Sampler 23 Club tomorrow night. I don't have time to get in trouble this week!

My Log Cabin Star

Is there life beyond quilting?

 I have been working around the yard, cleaning the house and painting the garage the past few days, so haven't done as much sewing/quilting. You might remember that on my Online Buddies retreat many of them made Circle and Spin quilts. Heather got her baby version finished and sent me a pic. She quilted it on her home machine, which she is really good at. I love her color choices. She used the smaller block from Circle and Spin to the Moon as she wanted the look of the Circle and Spin but in a smaller size. Beautiful! 

I did get the labels made and sewed on to the Off the Beaten Path baby quilt and Mirages. I made the baby quilt for my sis and her husband to give as a gift. I gave her some examples of what I could put on the label and this is what she chose. How do you make your labels? I use the June Taylor Colorfast Sew in Fabric Sheets. They are easy to use and my computer prints way better than I do. You can also had pictures or clip art to them. 

I needed to take some pictures of the Swag Bag to advertise the class, so I took it outside for a photo shoot. Love the outdoor pictures. Which pic should I use?

1

2

 My zinnias are blooming like crazy right now. Evidently they like heat! It's a larger bag and easy to make. I can't wait to finish the other one I have started for a class working model.

3

I went on a fun road trip to Mo. Star Quilts on Saturday with friends. We wandered in and out of the many shops there and enjoyed lot of eye candy and inspiration. I spent a lot of time in the Batik store and came out with a nice plump bag full of new batiks. It was a great day for it and we had a lot of fun.

 I started scraping and painting the garage the other day. I started with the doors because it looks the worst (hit by a hail storm awhile back) and faces the street. I finished scraping and painting the first coat of primer yesterday. It took over a can of primer, so the wood is really soaking it up. I'm worked a little on the south side yesterday too, and am going back to finish it today. It didn't need as much scraping as the other sides, not sure why unless it's because it's right across the alley from a house that shades most of it. For whatever reason, I'm happy about it. I like to scrape awhile, then paint awhile so I don't get too discouraged about the scraping. I like the painting part.

Wonderful quilt retreat with far away friends....

About sixteen years ago, I joined several Yahoo Groups devoted to quilting. Back then, you chatted via emails...some days there were many and other days not so many. Most groups did swaps, and other fun challenges, but I didn't participate in many of those because of my work schedule. But it was fun and interesting to chat with people from all over the country and overseas about quilting, family and life in general.

Connie, Tennessee

I really loved one group in particular, Country Quilters USA. It was founded by Connie and Leween, who met through another yahoo group, and quickly became a popular group of friendly, chatty quilters. There was always chatter about quilting, but mixed in was also talk of our families and what was going on in our lives. So I started to feel like I knew these quilters. They would host sew-in days with us checking in periodically to see everyone's progress. We could make photo albums and shared our projects that way.

Leween, California

With the advent of Facebook, we all became friends there and were able to enjoy each other's pictures and comments about life with even more ease. We could have private chats with each other or with groups of several friends. We could comment on each other's posts and support each other in our goals.

Barb, Florida

Many of us have gone through life crisis, family changes, and moves...all with the support of each other. Sometimes we chatted more than others, depending on how busy we were at the time, but we all managed to stay in touch.

Rita, Illinois

Many, many times we talked about getting together for a quilt retreat, but with the distance between us I don't know if any of us thought it would ever happen. (I always liked to throw out the fact that I lived in IA and since it was central to all, it would be a great place to meet.)  Then last fall we decided to plan a retreat and see how many would be able to come. We decided on IA, so I contacted Robin at Log Cabin Quilting in Exira, IA to see what the availability was for July at her retreat center. I thought Exira was perfect, because it is about halfway between Omaha and Des Moines for people flying in to either airport. The group settled on a date and the retreat was actually going to happen!

Log Cabin Quilting, Exira, IA

Paula, Washington

I started a Facebook group to plan and listed all of the details of the retreat...airports nearby, other facts I thought we would need. We spent hours talking on FB messenger about it as everyone started to come on board and make their plans. Eight of us would meet in Exira on July 14!

Heather, Minnesota

During the month of June, our chatter became more and more intense as we realized that we really were going to do this! Most of us had never met each other, so the prospect was exciting. At one point, one of the group cancelled because of a family emergency, but it worked out that she could come after all. The last week before was filled with talk about what to bring, who was bringing extra machines for the people flying in, who was leaving on what day....

Angela, Oklahoma

Connie drove the farthest, leaving on Monday afternoon from Knoxville. She arrived in Lisle, Ill to pick up Rita on Tuesday and they drove the rest of the way on Wed. getting them there a day early. We contacted Robin (retreat owner) and she said the retreat was open and they could come there a day early.

Barb's flight was scheduled for Wed. so she had planned to stay in a hotel Wed. night and drive out on Thursday to the retreat. But when she found out that they could go to the retreat early, she made plans to do that as well. 

Heather started thinking about coming early, as she had a 7 hr. drive and thought it would be nice to get there Wed. night so she had a full day of sewing on Thurs. So she left a day early and arrived that night.

Sisters Leween and Paula arrived via plane in Omaha on Wed. afternoon and I met them at their hotel for a mini quilt shop hop and out to eat. We made our plans to leave in the morning. Angela had to work part of Wed. and then started packing so she could leave first thing Thurs. AM. She also had a 7 hr. drive.

We all brought our own projects to work on, but I agreed to teach the Circle and Spin technique to them as well. So Friday afternoon we all stopped what we were doing and I taught class for awhile. It was fun and since they are all accomplished quilters, it went very well.

They enjoyed the ease of cutting and sewing together these circles and tested the rulers I had gotten made not long ago. They loved the rulers! They are making various sized quilts and 2 of them finished theirs on retreat. One more has finished hers since we got home. I can't wait to see pictures of all of them, finished!

I  made the Log Cabin Star by Marci Baker during the retreat. I had cut out the pieces before I left, so it went together pretty quickly. My friend Cindy agreed to quilt it quickly since I haven't solved the issues with my machine yet. I will be teaching it in Sept. at Cut Up and Quilt.

Log Cabin Star

I also worked on a new quilt in the Circle and Spin series made using all Moda Grunge fabrics....love them! It is currently finished except for the borders, which I should be sewing on.....now.  I will get it finished today.

As I talked about this retreat with people as it was getting closer, many were interested in the fact that we were spending 4 days together when we'd never met.  Others thought it was awesome that we were meeting after knowing each other online for so long. Robin (retreat owner) loved our story and couldn't wait to meet everyone, so as we trickled in, she greeted us with open arms and 2 bottles of wine so that we could have a toast when we finally all arrived. 

Sunday was sad as we said our good-byes to our quilting sisters, but we have already started planning next year's retreat and hopefully everyone will be able to come again. A tradition? maybe....