Brother-Super Quilter

I have been asked what my super quilter looks like...I am in the process of loading a quilt today so decided to take some photo's. This is a Super Quilter Original and a Brother 1500 sewing machine. I had handi handles and used them for a while but then decided to get a Quilters Cruise Control. You cannot use both but I kept the frames and handles and it took care of the wires.






















This is where I hide myself away with my Janome 6500 and my new desk purchased from Tony's in Sanford. Very comfortable studio for me. I had a cabinet and installed 2 thread holderes and a whiteboard with one side cork so I can write or pin instuctions at eye level. I also put a shelf underneath my new cabinet. So comfy I am.....

'Flowering Green' UFO top finished

This is another UFO top finished. It was started in 2006 as a block of the month at a local shop named 'Whipper Snappers'. I started with 3 basic colors . The 13 finished blocks sat in a bin waiting for me to finish for a while. The original design did not have a border but the print I chose was too much and so decided on the navy that I used to frame the blocks with to pull it together. I really like the addition.Below - A Close up of one of the borders. This quilt was designed by Mary Ann Florek and measures about 89"x 89". It will go on my bed for now after I have it machine quilted. I have named it the 'Flowering Green'

Star BOM #2

My 1st block was posted about midnight Eastern Standard time and here is the 2nd block of Judy Laquidara Block of the Month and it will be midnight by the time I get it posted. I am real pleased with it. I have never mitered corners before. Amazingly everything matched and I have 12 1/2" unfinished. Judy said the first two were the hardest. Whew!! I am looking forward to the 3rd one. I have also enjoyed looking at all the other blocks as they have been posted. The color combinations are outstanding...Glad to to be part Judy..thank you for your hard work. I really appreciate it.

DownEast Trip - Milbridge

This was a trip we made this weekend DownEast as Mainer's call it. We went to the Milbridge area and these pictures are taken off a little place that you find when you follow some of the side roads to the ocean. It is utterly breath taking. This rock sits precariously just waiting to be 'shoved' in!! My husband went down to it but I chose to stay on the 'high ground'... several people have been known to get down where there are slippery rocks and fall and drown. Once you are in the waves it is hard to get out. This is my hubby and I...taken by a lady who was from Pa. She, her hubby and young son had been in the area for a week and had taken over 300 pictures. So I do not feel so bad with I am 'clicking away' and someone makes fun of me. This is another one of desires - photography..will not live long enough to fulfil everything I would like to do.
This is a picture of the fog that rolls in in seconds and then a few minutes later would clear....we watched it several times....in the winter they call it 'sea smoke' at least that is what a resident told us in our travels.
This picture below was taken and you could see the boats and a little later they were invisible because of the fog. You can see some of the lobster traps in the water. In one bay alone there are over 1,000 traps. There are dedicated men who work hard, long hours just so we can enjoy the delicious lobster. I had 2 lobster rolls and 1 crab meat roll this weekend. They were soooo good! My husband would have bought me a whole lobster but I said I wanted 'lazy' lobster. Which means you do not have to pick it from the shell.
All above pictures were taken Friday afternoon. And in the tradition of this summer we hit hard driving rain on Saturday as we were headed to Machias Blueberry Festival. Many drivers stopped along the road because of it. I am sure it was particularly hard on the many bicycler's along the way. We walked among the booths like everyone else and got wet. Have you ever tried putting two people under one small umbrella successfully!! I always travel with a larger one but he is always making 'fun' of me and 'chiding' me so I just tucked my little one in my luggage. Needless to say he wished I had brought another. Can I say 'I told you so', or 'Lesson learned', Well I am going on and on and need to wind this up. The Maine coast is so beautiful and we do not visit enough and enjoy it. Today, Sunday, we headed home and the day is sunny and beautiful. A promise of a good week. We are all crossing our fingers....maybe we will get to finish our haying.

Poinsettia Pot Wall Quilt

Christmas in July, a project that I started with my group 'Casey Quilters' is finally finished ! Poinsettia Pot Wall Quilt from the book 'A cozy Quilted Christmas' by Kim Schaefer. It is 29 1/2" x 36 1/2" Wall hanging.
I used many techniques, iron on, machine and hand work. I will finish it off with binding that is finished by hand. I really enjoy decorating my house at Christmas time with different quilted pieces.

Rain in Maine

Rain , rain go away ..

Come back some other day!

This is what the kids use to sing...it has rained for at least 2 weeks....and yesterday and today the sun did shine but there was a shower each day...it makes for dreary days....

Friday was cleaning day...my granddaughter Allison helps me but it is so hard when it is dark and dreary so I put all the lights on in the house to brighten it up and give the feel of sunshine.

Saturday my husband spoke at a men's meeting in the morning and then we were off to the Skowhegan Fair....we watched the truck and tractor pulls and ate dough bread and sausage sandwiches...you know the junk food you have once in a while that tastes good when going down but makes you feel yucky afterwards. The deal for me was that if I could go to quilt store first I would go. He wanted to go to the farm store so it was a swap off. I bought 5 yards of light grey with a swirl pattern in it, a quilters rule with markings for 16th inches and a product I have not tried before 'Mary Ellen's Best Press' it is a clear starch alternative. I had seen it at the quilt show and the lady assured me it worked wonders on bias. So of course, I said I had to have it..at least I will try it.

After church today we rode to Camden...it is a pretty little village and the clouds in the sky were pretty amazing as they are bringing in another storm and of course, I did not have my camera so needless to say there are no pictures.

You can see I have been busy and have not done any quilting but tomorrow I will try to conquer some things.

If you want to see what the flooding looks like...Sue, my friend has a link on her website and it will show you what a road being washed away...pretty amazing.


http://www.wmtw.com/video/17144859/index.html

Strippy Quilt

I copied this pattern 'My favorite quick donation quilt' by Mary Johnson online and not sure where. It is one of those things you see and know you would like to do and place in a stack 'until'. I visited Marden's recently...'all Maine girls know where that is'...you can get great fabric...great prices....if you hit it right and know your material...so bought 1 yard each of focus fabric...tone on tone and an accent piece. A lady ahead of me was purchasing these and I simply said 1 yd each...easy purchase...no struggle....don't you love it.. Below is a close up...it was fun to do....I bought some tiger prints at our local quilt show and will do some for my twin grandsons (10 years old) and make matching pillow cases...they are something they do not have to be careful with.
I have 6 tops ready to be quilted..just purchased a Quilters Cruise Control for a short-arm and practicing some different designs...practice makes perfect...Right!!

Pattern is:
1 yard of a focus fabric - cut 5 strips 6.5 inches by WOF
3/4 yard of tone on tone - cut 6 strips 3 inches by WOF
(1 yard if you use this fabric for binding)
1/2 yard of accent fabric - cut 10 strips 1.5 inches by WOF
(1 yard if you use this fabric for binding)

• Assemble as shown in the picture above - please note that the top and bottom strips do not have accent strips sewn on the outside edges of the quilt
• If focus fabric is directional, pay attention as you sew sections together.
• Quilt size is approximately 41 x 56.

This is the basic instructions but you can add to them ...change width etc...lots of options.

If you choose to make one have fun and it is so quick. My friend Sue has made some also and you can check her blog out...

http://northwindsquilting.blogspot.com/2008/07/bug-strippy-2.html

Star BOM #1

Well it is midnight here in Maine and I have conquered the #1 Block of the Month that Judy Laquidara is posting. Realized after I took picture I did not take it straight on but my points are there. I had never worked with 1/16 of an inch before...I think this is going to stretch me a little....most everything is on 'bias' .....but I will conquer...Also was not sure about the colors I chose but I think it will give it punch when done... thanks Judy for the challenge.

It is Monday August 11 and I decided that I did not like the background I had chosen as it was too directional ....so I purchased the same light gray but with a different dynamic to it...I also used 'Mary Ellen's Best Press' The clear starch alternative on the bias pieces and had a much easier time doing this second one...I used the same center and the green I had used previously.. I think I am finally pleased with it...