Tacoma & Trip to MQX combined

Our Tacoma group made this Quilter's Block Case...designed by Jan Vaine from The Graham Cracker Collection GCCO18.
I did mine in strips of black/white and did fancy top stitching. The case is 13" square and will hold 12 1/2" block...also opens to a design board with flaps on the side.
Above: Front of Mine and Below the back.

Barb teaching the class.

Sue (below) finished her Morning Star quilt...a chapter challenge to be displayed at the Maine Quilt show in July...she renamed it. 'Morning Star - Kitchen Sink Style" because she used everthing from her stash. It is gorgeous....great job!!

And then of course there is Rayna who always has something in her hands to work on. She made this family of snowmen. Spring is here and she is getting ready for winter again!! Just adorable...does it make you want to get started early?

Travelling friends to MQX this week...Barb, Sandy, Koleen and Sherry

56 of us left from Lewiston to Providence, RI. at 6:00am and returned near midnight.

They offered a one hour apron 'make and go' class. Bernina and Janome sewing machines were set on long tables in the midst of all the show booths. The apron was pre-cut and placed in a neat little bag. In an hour the 3 of us had something we created to bring home.

Judy - on right (Instructor in black and we did not get her name). She was from the South and talked very fast and I had to keep slowing her down to understand her. We had a lot fun with her and laughed a lot.

Pauline's pretty creation.

and mine!!

They offered vendors, many long arm quilt machines to test. The quilts were very artistic...most of them heavily embellished and heavily stitched. I did not take many pictures and was awed by the time, skill and patience it took to make them. My mind could not conceive of many of them.

From the convention center there was a walkway to a food court next door where we went for lunch on the 4th or 5th floor...that was an experience for me!!...Judy who was leading the way assured me we were not lost....we did get into a service elevator and from there headed up the escalator's and by the time I reached the top was a little light headed. We ate and thankfully found an elevator for the descent. Lots of laughs...fun time with friends. It has been a very busy week but an enjoyable one.

Midnight Ecstasy + Mini

This is a challenge by Tacoma Lakes Quilters that I have finished. It was originally called 'Morning Star". Designer Linda Hohag. I changed the name to "Midnight Ecstasy" it is 64" x 64". It shows pink but is actually an orange red and I used different backgrounds for each center block.....the flowers/stems.leaves are done using needle turn applique. I fussy cut the setting stones. This will go along with 12-15 other quilts in the Maine Quilt Show in Augusta July 30-Aug. 1. Everyone is different and all so unique. BELOW is the mini quilt 12" x 12" that I made from the left over wings of the flying geese. I sewed them as I went and then re sized 1 1/2". The idea for the layout is taken from Miniature Quilt Magazine Fall '93 designer Jill Holmes of Cumberland, Wis. I named mine "Midnight Bloomer".


Don't forget to check out post below of the 'show and tell' of our meeting with Tacoma Quilters yesterday. Until.....

Tacoma "Show and Tell" for this month.

My husband teases my friends in quilting or anyone he can tell the story to. We did a shop hop visiting several in a day and then we gathered at someones home and had 'show and tell'. He laughs...he just does not get how excited we all feel when we look at what others have bought and the great bargains. This is our show and tell for yesterday when we met with Tacoma Quilters. ABOVE is the group of us, we were probably in the middle of a business meeting , getting side-tracked as we sometimes do. Barb our Pres. uses a gavel and you will hear it several times throughout the meeting to quiet us down. We just get so excited about everything. There were 19 of us today...



Below are the some of the quilts done by our members that belong to Casey Q group. These are charity QUILTS FOR KIDS. They send everything but the batting with a month's time limit. They have all been quilted ...several by Sue, Sherry and Pauline and probably others. Very colorful and the gals did a great job!!


Pam...Sue R....Pauline....Sandy...Sherry...Barb

Donna had finished 3 different projects. #1 a large quilt...stunning!!

#2 by Donna..do not remember the name...Love it!!

#3 Her delightful Mini

2 children's quilts that Janice (right) made. Barb helping her hold them. Cute!!

And Koleen who produces so many and they are always very big and expertly done. You can check out her website. She owns and operates the Quilters OASIS Workshop and Retreat Center in Wales, ME.

This was found in a box by Rayna who thought she had finished it about 16 years ago...unusual fabric. The front is paper dolls

The back looks like rooms that a little girl would have in a doll house....A great find

You will be hearing more about this candle mat. This will be a little workshop taught by Koleen in a few weeks. This one is wool but you could make it in other fabrics. Her sister is owner of Pickering Farm Quilt Shop that our group will be visiting. We are all excited about that trip.

This ends it for this time...did not get all the details but it takes a little time to resize and get this done trying to remember all the details is impossible. I do really enjoy it and the gals like having them on line so they can save them. I have a couple of my own but will post them above so I can have a separate listing so I can find them when I want. So until next time.....