Another fun family sewing day!

I went to Earling yesterday for another family sewing day. We didn't have as many sewers this time as 2 of my nieces had to work, but we still had fun and got lots accomplished. 

 Mom's quilt was started a few years ago. She got the pattern from my sister and the fabric from me for Christmas. She had it sewn into rows when she came yesterday, and got busy pinning them and sewing the rows together. As you can see, it's a quilt center now!

 Hmmm...now to figure out the borders!

My niece, Ashley, has worked on cutting and prepping her T-shirt blocks the past couple of sewing days. After prepping a few last minute additions, she was ready to decide on a layout and cut sashings. Her large Ashley block still needs some fabric added to it lengthwise to make it fit in with the other blocks, but we decided to start sashing to help figure out what color/ type of fabric to use. She has leftover t-shirt backs she could use. Or maybe a cute fabric. So we put that on hold for the time being.

Finally! she was sewing!Once she got started, she couldn't stop! 

Her sashing fabric is a charcoal with black dots.

Unfortunately, she was introduced to our friend, the seam ripper, for the first time. She learned how to use a new tool yesterday, too!

When I left about 4:00, she had many of the sashings sewn in between the blocks. She stayed and sewed with Sharon for a few hours after that and finished sewing the sashings in between the blocks and sewed a sashing row as well. She really seems to enjoy it, especially when she actually got to sew! She is going over during her son's nap today and Sharon will help her add to the Ashley block to make it fit in. I can't wait to see it!

Ashley brought her son along and he played happily all day. So it was sort of a 4 generation sewing day, even though he didn't sew. Maybe next time!

Since Sharon had started her Modern Cathedral Windows Pillow over the weekend, she had one pillow top finished and another one about half finished when I got there. She quickly finished it and decided to put a narrow background border around each one to help the outer ring of circles stand out. 

She made envelope backs for both pillows. (here is one ready to sew together. 

 They both turned out so pretty and match the jelly roll race quilt she made on the last sewing day. It's tied and bound and ready to snuggle with.

 Last time we got together, I showed her how to make the Quilted Boxy Corner Pouch, and she has been making them ever since. Here are a few she has made.

 I forgot to take a picture of all of them. She gave each of us one. She spent the rest of the afternoon making more of them....until....

I had taken my copy of the Cultural Fusion Quilts book to show everyone and Sharon immediately wanted to try out a Peppermint Pinwheels block from the book. She cut one out before I left and later sent me this picture. Yea, she's my sister.

 You might remember Deb's Jelly Roll Race quilt from the last sewing day. Since her previous quilt took about 5 years, this one is moving right along. She chose two fabrics for her borders, cut both, sewed the strips together and got the first one sewn on and pressed.

Deb learning the value of pinning borders! 

 Her teal border is ready to sew on now and it will be a finished top. She told us yesterday that she wants to make pillows next. We all know that you are definitely a quilter when you are planning your next project while working on one.

In between helping them, I got the pockets made and pinned in a working model of the Super Tote I started before I taught the class. I want to get it finished now.

We also celebrated my birthday...Sharon made a yummy Cinnamon cake and Deb and Ashley made a delicious fruit pizza. It was really a fun day. We are going to try to get together again in February. 

Retreat planning day

 My retreat friends and I got together on Sat. to plan the food and games for our upcoming Feb. retreat. It's three weeks away and we're counting the days! Then we spent some time sewing. I worked on sewing the first large diamond together for my Lone Star class model and cutting another set. I love how this looks! That's all I will cut until demonstrating for the class on Saturday.

 Then I worked on making a few more black/gray Honeycomb blocks for that class. I am becoming obsessed with this mostly black/gray quilt. I partially sewed some of the seams together, but can still add more blocks if I want. I got opinions on using the zebra sets, and they all loved them so I worked them in.

Pat brought two show and tells ....her zigzag quilt, which is beautiful with 2 color zigzags.

 And this gorgeous 30's prints rail fence. She gave both of these quilts to Cindy to quilt for her (she has a long arm quilting business).

 Cindy brought her Chevy truck  quilt...she worked on getting this finished at our last retreat and it is now finished, quilted and bound.

 She put a road on the back of it! She delivered it to her brother on Sunday.

 Then she worked on her Sampler Club quilt. It's coming together nicely!

 Dianne worked on her Scattered Thoughts quilt...she has some gorgeous fabrics set on a gray background, so I can't wait to see some blocks finished.

 Rose worked on her last Sampler Club quilt....we all love her fabrics and think she should share.

 Pat was also working on her Sampler Club quilt...she had a problem with the sashings and had to get out her ripper...hate when that happens.

 Diana couldn't come as she had some family obligations. We missed her!

I worked on some class paperwork all morning yesterday...then went swimming with a friend at the senior center. It was my first time in that pool...the water there is so warm...it was wonderful. We did water aerobics. I'm not much of a swimmer, but I love water aerobics. I used to go to a class in the summers, but haven't gone for quite a few years. Maybe time to get back into it.

I worked on more paperwork when I got home and will probably do some pattern writing today as I'm home because of the holiday. Are you sewing?

Great day sewing!

I had a great day sewing with friends yesterday! The first thing I worked on was the easy receiving blanket that I saw on Missouri Star Quilt's YouTube video.  It was as easy as they said, and I can see where the more you made, the faster you would go. I made mine using 42" and 52" squares instead of 30" and 40" squares because I like them just a little bigger. It turned out about 47". 

I also got started on my new great nephew's quilt....since we know his name, I thought it would be fun to do some free pieced letters. I just hope the Dr. is right about the sex of the baby...cos that could render this quilt useless! Anyway...I hope to work on it some more later. Am not positive what I am going to do, but have a few ideas. 

 
 Two ladies worked on hand stitching bindings down.

Yuko is a new quilter and finished her binding on this quilt. She quilted it herself also.

 Cindy also worked on hand sewing a quilt label. Doesn't she look comfy?

 Brenda worked a quilt she is making her husband.

 Dianne is making a special quilt for her granddaughter.

 Kim hosted this fun day and is working on a miniature quilt. Lots of tiny pieces!

Pat brought her finished Twisterweave Mystery Quilt to show and tell! Love it! She worked on a sampler quilt we are doing in class.

Did you get to sew on National Quilting Day?

Sewing with friends on National Quilt Day

 I have to admit that after Monday night's class, I didn't get a lot accomplished during the evenings this week. I did do some sorting and putting away of leftover fabric from the past few projects I've made, but that's about it. I have been riding my exercise bike again too, have to get back in shape for the summer!

I'm excited that I am sewing with friends today! I have another great nephew on the way, so want to work on his baby quilt....he is due in May. I am going to use some of the animal themed bits and pieces left from another baby quilt...

 along with this adorable fabric that I fell in love with. I am planning on doing some free-pieced letters. The light blue will be the background.

 I saw a YouTube video from Missouri Star Quilt Co. for a self-bound receiving blanket. It looks so fun and easy, I have to try it. I am going to make mine slightly larger than they do on the video. I have no idea who this will be for, but who could resist those cute little angels? Someone will have a girl, eventually!

 I probably won't get to this, but threw it in anyway. These are the leftover strips from the Tumbling Blocks quilt. I plan to sew them together in stripsets.  I have been doing that with leftover strips lately, instead of throwing them in the stringpiecing bin. Two reasons....it is full (surprise, surprise) and I thought it would be fun to just sew strips together and think of something to do with them later. There are lots of these, so I could probably make a baby quilt out of them.

Only one bag, just flipped it over. Do you save the bags that sheets come in? They make great quilting project bags. You can see what's inside.

What are you doing for National Quilt Day?

Sew In Tuesday...

I am embarrassed to admit that I forgot to take pix yesterday during the sew in. Lots of  gorgeous fabrics, quilts and hard work but you will have to take my word for it.

I finished sewing my newest sampler design yesterday, so I am working on the patterns today. (I did a little cleaning, biking, and watering before I could start.) I will have a pic to show soon. I want to try to get the sampler quilted in the next few days too, while it is a bit cooler. It is sort of twisted when temps in the 80s sound cool.

 Every so often we took breaks to play the LCR game. We play with one dice and the ante was a fat quarter. Winner take all! The dice has L for left, R for right and C for center. If your roll lands on L, you hand your FQ to the left, if it lands on R you hand your FQ to the right and C lands it in the center. Once they are in the center, there is no getting them back. So this can go on for awhile, depending on how lucky you and your neighbors' rolls are. The game ends when all the FQ are in one person's pile. They get the center FQs too.

 We have played this during our past retreats. It's a little break and lots of fun. Sometimes it gets a bit exciting...  sorry, no pictures of that!

Nifty N, Tuesday Sew-In and Quilt Retreat...

The N was fun to make...this alphabet is going fast! I am ogling my O right now....just finished making it while my pix loaded for this post.

 Lots of quilting went on yesterday. These Tuesday sew-ins have been great for all of us....lots of sewing accomplished! You might remember this quilt when she worked on the top a few weeks ago.

 Diana made a pillowcase dress for a friend's daughter.

 Dianne finished this top she started quite awhile ago.  Her daughter will be happy as she was making it for her!

 Diana brought this finished top, she worked on it here.

Jane's quilt is the same sampler as the one above, just in pastel batiks.

 Eileen got this sampler top finished.

Here are the final blocks for the quilt she was working on here. Look for the quilt with the missing pieces...these fit in. Now it is just a matter of putting it all together!  Dianne and Laura also worked on their Windmill/Pinwheel swap blocks, but I didn't get any pictures of those.

I started working on the new sampler yesterday. Spending time working on the fabric needs and patterns Monday paid off as I got one set of blocks finished and another one started. This sampler is a little different as I am using all solids and a black background for an amish look. If you knew me, you would know that I never use solids. It's not that I don't like them,  there are just so many pretty prints to choose from! The only solids I have used in the past few years are black and white. No pics yet, but I hope to get a lot done on it in the next few days.

Tomorrow we leave to go on our quilt retreat. We are going back to the Harrisdale Homestead near Atlantic, Ia. (this pic was taken at the retreat last Feb.) We have the whole house to ourselves and plan on sewing all day and night long. This is the 3rd retreat the 7 of us have gone on, so it is becoming a biannual event. We all take our own projects to work on and take breaks every so often to eat and gamble with fat quarters playing the LCR dice game. It is great fun and a great group of ladies. I will have pix when we come back.