Busy week, a few pictures....

Jane's Sampler 22 Larkspur

I had a busy week of a Saturday UFO class and three nights of classes in a row, but not much to show for it in pictures. Sometimes the students spend their time cutting and don't sew in class as much. 

That Way, Sampler 22 Larkspur

 Veronica got her blocks finished for the Beginning Quilting class...they will put it together next month. The others in class had blocks finished, but I didn't get pictures for some reason...where's a photographer when I need one?

Veronica's More Peas in a Pod Beginning Quilting

We put Jane's Serenity quilt on the big design wall last Sat. and she sewed  the blocks into rows. I saw her Tuesday and she had the entire quilt sewn together...it's gorgeous!

 Jane's Serenity

 Ruth worked on a Stack N Whack from a class I taught many years ago..she got most of her blocks finished, so can start putting them together.

Ruth's Magic Stack N Whack

 Pat also brought an oldie but goodie...her Tangled in the Kite Strings. I love string piecing and need to do some again for fun!

Pat's Tangled in the Kite Strings

I don't have a class scheduled today, so hope to get a quilt loaded on the frame and start quilting it. First, there is some cleaning calling my name...

Mini Retreat, mini Serenity...

When I made Serenity, I made extra blocks so that I would have plenty to play with. Even when you love the fabrics, the blocks don't always fit in with the others. I took those blocks along on my retreat last weekend, plus fabric to make more. I wanted to make a smaller version and wanted lots of fabric  choices. this top went together fast because there are no setting triangles like in the original, just a straight grid. I did add a black batik print border to finish it. 

Lots of other creativity going on...Pat made this colorful quilt top using the Yellow Brick Road pattern.

Karen's 30 minute runner turned out cute!

Deb's cute graphic quilt (I forget the pattern name, sorry!)

Karen's Simply Posies center. She's trying to get caught up.

Deb's Disappearing Nine Patch.

There were a few more projects worked on and finished, but they are being made for gifts, so can't show the pictures yet. It's always fun to spend some solid time sewing...amazing what you can get finished!

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

This is my Serenity....

I'm still here, trying to get used to being back to work and trying to get some quilting done too. You can see that hasn't left me much time to blog,  I will try to do better!

One thing I've been working on are several new quilts in the Circle and Spin series. This is the latest one, Serenity, that I finished recently. I love circular patterns and have taught the Circle and Spin class many times as the technique I use is a fun and easy way to accomplish making circular designs without a lot of headaches. So I spent some time this summer working on a few new designs using the Circle and Spin technique.

As I was quilting this one, I was trying to come up with a name for it...that can be difficult. Finding just the right name that fits that design....can be elusive. I went through many names, trying to find something catchy that seemed to fit the quilt. I kept coming back to Serenity and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the feeling I get when I look at the design?  Maybe I felt serenity that it was finally finished? (hopefully this isn't it!) But there is always a satisfaction in finishing a quilt and I haven't wanted to name them all Serenity. Whatever it is, I kept coming back to Serenity, so Serenity it is.

A close up of the quilting, I used the Leafage panto which is one of my favorites.

There is something about a snakes nest of binding ready to sew on that is beautiful to me. Since it's hard to see the binding on the quilt, I thought I'd show you up close!

Conrad and Smokey claimed this quilt as their own! I had to sneak it away when they weren't looking as I will be teaching this design in Oct. so needed to hang it on display the other day.

I am starting a new quilt today so I get to play with some new fabrics...hope you are too!