Mom's Good Wishes quilt....shhhhh.....it's a secret!

 I am making a Good Wishes quilt for my mom since she has to go through chemo now. The thought behind it is that you make a quilt with pockets and people fill them with good wishes, small presents, poems, jokes...basically anything that will help them through any days they aren't feeling so good, or to use for warmth during their chemo treatments. I made one for a friend of mine several years ago. I used batiks and lots of trims on hers, as she loves crazy quilts. It turned out very heavy, so I wanted to do this one a bit differently.

 I played around with some fabrics I had, and pinned the pockets together, then tried to come up with a good layout.  It is sort of a random design I came up with that doesn't really have a pattern, but makes arrows where some come together. I started it Tuesday during my sew-in with friends, then worked on it yesterday as well.

 The top is finished, now to quilt it. I got a gorgeous gold and rusty red colored floral for the back. I plan on doing some squiggly lines through the sashings. Not sure about the borders yet, but will probably use a panto. I am going to add some buttons to the pockets for stability after it's quilted. She doesn't know about this, so if you are reading this and you know her, please....mums the word until I finish it and give it to her!

I then got out the Potato Chip quilt and got to work sewing the squared up sections together. I love the colors on this one and think it will be pretty when finished. I have 4 more blocks to finish, then I will be ready to sew it together.

Today I need to get ready for a camping trip I am going on this weekend with my daughter. I hope the weather cooperates!

New fabrics....yes, I was almost out!

 While I was in Earling last week, I found out about a sale hosted by a local crafty lady. I fell in love with these fabrics, and so did Conrad.  You can see the fabrics on the right better in the picture below. I have some other teal and brown fabrics that should look great with these.

I also got these pinks, blacks and greens there. Who could resist? My sister got some of the same ones as well.  The ideas are spinning around in my head...what to make first!

 Conrad also loves the fabrics I got at Stitchin' Tree Quilts in Harlan last week. It's a great shop and well worth the trip to Harlan. She has a versatile selection of fabrics in many styles and types. She is planning on opening a quilt retreat in the near future, so stay tuned! If you go to her website, you can sign up for her newsletter.

 Fabrics without Conrad. They do look sort of bare, huh...

 Closeup of the small print. Love this print and have plans to use it soon in a new design. The teal and orange floral  checkerboard is going to be the back of the Potato Chip quilt.

 I had a great day sewing with the ladies yesterday. I am working on a Good Wishes quilt for my mom as she begins her chemo treatments. I forgot to take pix yesterday, but will take some later.
Laura worked on this Take 5 quilt. She started it last week and finished it yesterday. She used Civil War reproduction prints in making this quilt for a friend.

 A friend, Karen,  stopped by while we were sewing and showed us her Orca Bay Mystery quilt center. Lots of little pieces and lots of pretty fabrics. If you click on the pic, you can see all the different prints she used for her quilt. She has been blogging about it on her blog, Hazel Dell Quilts if you want to see her progress with this quilt. She is still working on the borders, but I think she said she has them pieced, just needs to add them. I can't wait to see this when it is finished.

Quilt Show

We had a busy weekend getting ready for and holding the Bluffs Art Council sponsored Quilt Show. Here is a very large yoyo quilt. We used it on the bed turning.

 We had a full house for the panel discussion With Riki Saltzman.

 We don't have official quilt hangers, so used chairs on tables to display the quilts, as well as quilt stands.

 Lots of people enjoyed looking at all the quilts.

 Here is my Lone Star Quilt, displayed on a table. We stacked the bed turning quilts on top of it during the show.

The bed turning bed, ready to go. Everyone loved that part of the show.

Here is one antique quilt in the bed turning using the Winding Ways block.
We had a great time and the audience seemed to enjoy it. I will post more pix later in the week.

I'm off to quilt with friends today. Should be fun! 

Family sewing time and other fun stuff

 I went to Earling to spend some quality sewing time with my sister while she is here from Canada. She started her first quilt last year and wanted to make some progress on it. It looks like she is burning the midnight oil...not quite, but she did get lots done. She is making 15 blue blocks and there will be 15 purple blocks. She had 10 blue blocks finished when I left yesterday, and the rest of the pieces ready and squared for the other 5, just  needs to put them together. I think it will be really pretty when she is finished!

 Mom enjoyed playing with her blocks. She isn't quite up to sewing yet, but she kept us company while we sewed and enjoyed some quilt magazines I brought with me.

Here are her blocks on my faux design wall at her house.

Sharon came and sewed yesterday afternoon. She made and attached bindings to 3 quilts. I forgot to take a picture while she was sewing, or holding a quilt, but here is her basket of goodies. 

A family friend, Jeanine, came a did some knitting and browsing through quilt magazines.

I finished sewing the flat trapezoids on the rest of the Hollow Cube, Too triangles, then started a new Potato Chip quilt. When I made this quilt originally, I made it for someone, so eventually gave it to them. I wanted a new one so I could teach the class again and have my own model. 

On my way to Earling on Wed. I stopped at Stitchin' Tree Quilts in Harlan. She is having some good sales in conjunction with the All Iowa Shop Hop, so I managed to find some goodies there. Then yesterday,  a local craft business was having a good sale, and I scooped up some gorgeous fabrics at a good price. That sale is going on in Earling the next few days, so if you are going to be in the area, email me and I can give you the info. They didn't have lots of fabrics, but what they had are gorgeous. She also has tshirts, purses, jeans, pillow forms, and lots of other goodies. I will take some pix of my fabric purchases later and post tomorrow.

Today I need to figure out which quilts I am taking for the Bluffs Arts Council Quilt show and get them ready to take. We are setting up tomorrow and the show is Sunday. Can't wait to see all the great quilts!

Family time & quilting time

 Yesterday was great, sewing with friends all day. I got the rest of my Hollow Cubes Too triangles cut out and want to finish sewing the other side pieces on today...then I will be ready to figure out the layout. I really like this quilt and will be excited to see it come to life!  

I am heading up to my hometown for some family sewing/chatting time today. I plan on stopping at the Harlan quilt store on my way. They are having a big sale for the Iowa shop hop, so I have to check it out.

My sister, Nancy,  wants to work on her quilt, so we will be having a mini sewing retreat the next 2 days. I am taking several projects to work on, but will probably spend most of my time working on a new Potato Chip quilt. I designed this quilt several years ago, and gave away the one I made. I want to make a new one so if I want to teach the class, I have my own model. (Plus it's just fun and easy to make!) I borrowed my mom's quilt the last time I taught it!

My two other sisters that live in Earling have to work today, but one is coming tomorrow to sew in the afternoon. She has some bindings to work on

Snuggly baby fun...

 I went to meet my newest great-nephew, Matthew, today. He is one adorable baby.You might remember when I was working on his quilt....well, it fit him just right!

In fact, he got so excited about it, he started to dance!

When I got home, I started quilting my round robin quilt. I got about half of it finished. Then I went to a meeting for the local quilt show I am helping with. We met to finalize our plans and take in some more quilts. The quilts will be on display from 1:00 to 4:00 at the Senior Center on Sunday, June 10. If you live in the area and would like to loan a quilt for us to display, come to the Senior Center tonight, through Thursday night from 5:30 - 7:00. And be sure to come to the Center Sunday for the show!

An oops and a finish...

 I got a lot of odds and ends finished yesterday. I had a little oops when I was sewing the last 4 star blocks together, but it was easily fixed. The three new red ones look great with the rest. I think I will resist putting them on the wall, and take some pix after she tries some layouts.

I got the sample models for the new class cut, just need to partially sew them. Sewed the back together for my Round Robin quilt and it's loaded on the quilt machine and ready to quilt. I am excited to get it finished. We meet again on Thursday night, think I can get it done by then?

Then I spent the evening with friends celebrating a friends' decision to stay home and quilt full time. Wishing her luck!

I didn't do the dishes, so off to do that now!