Miniature Class

Seven of us went to Cotton Weeds in Freeport for a Ohio Star Miniature Quilt Class with Leslie Muir-Volpe our instructor. (Pictured below).

These are some of the miniatures that she has done. She is a very talented lady and a great instructor. She began by explaining choosing your fabrics, color and explaining about the process and choices you need to make before you start.

These are the samples made by Leslie for us to make. The 3 1/2" block was the first one we made so that we would be a little bit more comfortable when doing the smaller 1 1/2".

My 3 1/2" amazingly came out perfect. Then it was the 1 1/2" blocks that was my challenge and by the time I got to the 4th block I was a little more comfortable. I opted not to do the cornerstones. Her instruction in laying and cutting the seams on the back really helped along with a lot of tips when dealing with little itty-bitty pieces. I will probably stick with the 3" finished squares when doing mini's at least at this point.

There were three of us that went together. Beth who also has a blog.

Donna
I am sitting at my machine...windows are to my left and it was a delightful work area. The day was sunny and beautiful with temperatures in the high 70's so it was tempting just to have stayed outside. The next best thing was to take our lunch break outside.
These are the mini's in progress...Mine is on the top left....Beth is in the bottom middle...Donna did her's in batiks. They were all unique and we have a great time spending the day together. It was in a quilt shop and we shopped afterwards.

The day was challenging and it was a stretch for some of us but we agreed it was worth it and we had a lot of fun as we interacted with each other.

Monday was a sunny day and I usually clean and do laundry. Well, I was having major water problems and you cannot clean without water...so the next best thing is to quilt. I finished the top that I started at Casey Quilters Spring retreat over three weeks ago. It is called "Under Cover" and has 3 large snowmen done with fusible web and then embroidered. I do not really like doing that process so bought a panel with snowmen and changed the top...I made up my mind that this top was not going into the pile to 'wait' to be finished. I already have it on my quilter and will hopefully finish it by this weekend. I am calling mine 'Starlight Snowman' If you want to check out how it was suppose to look click hereI take a lot of my quilt pictures on my clothes line because it is easier to get a full picture. You can see the ground is still pretty barren with a little green grass starting to grow. The pine trees always have their needles and we are starting to see little buds on the other trees. You can hear the pollywog's at night peeping which is a sign of Spring. I was thinking today, when I was a kid and how we use to take a big clump of them (they were big slimy bunches) put them in a jar and hopefully watch them hatch. Memories are a wonderful thing.

Pin Cushion containers

Tacoma Quilters met today and below are the 'Duffy bags" that we made a few weeks ago. These are 20x29" and various pockets to carry our rulers. The one on the botton is long because the gal who made it is short and she also wanted to put her mat in it. They are so unique. There are others finished but were absent. This is a pattern that Barb, our president designed. Judy had a workshop today and we made pin cushions containes from plastic pill containers. You use an 8" circle of material and gather it....hot glue it. Inside you put a plastic cap that you get on water bottles to hold your thimble. It is amazing how much you can carry in it. Great for class or small projects. We thought these looked like colorful ice cream cones.

This is the gals that finished theirs today. Judy who is in front was the instructor.

This is the area where we meet. We have about 22 members. We had two more join today. It is a morning meeting and those that can go to lunch afterwards. It is a fun group...we represent all levels of expertise.

1st Miniature

This is my first attempt at making a miniature. I used Thangles to make the half triangles and then hand pieced each one together. I used flannel inside and a Kona cotton for the backing. I hand quilted. It was a fun project for me.

Two other gals and I are scheduled for an upcoming miniature workshop at Cotton Weeds in Freeport on April 25th with Leslie Muir-Volpe – Class Instructor - Flying Fox Studio. We will be doing the Ohio Star in this workshop.They say she is very good and I expect to learn lots!

Easter Message

If you celebrate Easter check out my Family/inspirational blog for entry.
http://livngfrhm.blogspot.com/
Have a wonderfu Easter....Margo

Duffy's Bag - Tacoma

I have posted 3 entries this evening. Please scroll down to see them all if you would like. I am playing catch-up!!!


This is designed by Barb and called the 'Duffy Bag'. It's intended to hold all the rulers etc. that we carry to a meeting or class. It measures 29 x 20" with different sized pockets on front and back.

I basically made it to fit my needs. The straps are 42" and I can put it over my head to carry. I used
pre-quilted material. I also put a band on the top with straps stitched inside. Barb's was made so it was like a tube and turned right side out after stitched. I had to do some adjusting because there was no lining. But I am very pleased with it and have already used it.

Front and back shown

Tacoma Projects

Our Tacoma quilt group had a demonstration of 'miniature quilts'. This was the first time that Kayleen had led a class and she was a little nervous. But she did a great job and I am sure this is only the beginning. And of course she made a lot of us hungry to launch into a new area we had never been. These are the ladies looking over her samples, books and tools she uses.

These are a couple of samples. I am making the one on the right. I am piecing the pinwheels by hand.

Each month we have a block drawing. This month was Easter. I used bunny material and I made a cross. The cross is very meaningful to me and puts me in remembrance of what He did for mankind.

My flying geese came out perfect. I used Flying Geese x 4 ruler by Lazy Girl Designs
Very easy to use. You can make 4 at a time in 12 sizes. No Math, No Waste and No triangles to cut. 1/2" seam allowance included. The winner this month was our President Barb.

We are a busy club. We had two new members this month giving us a total of 20. There are always many ideas of new projects.

Casey's Spring Retreat

This is mine in process...added last and cannot seem to move it down....
I am doing something different on the top. Scroll down to see more.
This was done at Casey's retreat.
It has been awhile since I have posted. My intentions were good but just no time.

Sherry hosted a two day retreat for Casey Quilters. There were 9 of us who came with machines and material and with a goal.

Our project was 'Under Cover' quilt taken from Fabric Trend magazine - Winter 2009 and designed by Pearl Louise Designs.

This is Sherry's (left) full size 54" x 76" quilt made using two simple blocks with quick-fuse applique.

She served as the hostess, instructor and also supplied the meals. What a treat not to have to cook. We ate well.

Barb who is so creative fashioned a miniature. She scaled it down of EQ6. And, Of course, we all ooh and aah. It was adorable. (please note her button noses that look like carrots)

Here she is with the snowman in the process of putting the faces on for her larger quilt

Chris, starting to cross stitch the faces to give them personality.

This is Sue's and she is not pictured because her eyes were closed and she would not have appreciated it. (smile) She did a kit that was called 'Under the Stars" done in flannels and we thought it should be called 'stuck up snowman' because of the noses...it was looking good.


We certainly have fun when we get together. There were others I did not get pics of and a couple of the gals worked on other projects. All in all we accomplished a lot and agreed it was a wonderful weekend!

Star BOM #13

This is #13 and I call it the 'block of blocks' because if all my blocks went together with as much difficulty I would not have ever got to this point..1. cut something wrong.. 2. re-cut and it went together awful... 3. went to EQ6 and paper pieced...4. My iron sputtered and ruined a corner square and by the time I tried to get the rust out the color came out.. 5. replaced corner piece and pressed the final time....so you see it was an adventure...IT IS DONE..PRAISE GOD!!!! It really has been wonderful and my first experience doing a block of the month. Of course, I have yet to do the many borders but I do anticipate the adventure and the finishing of this beautiful quilt. Thanks Judy.

This is the others blocks minus the 13th that is above...

Kieve - quilt - Fabric

A group of 15 ladies from Backroad Quilters went on an annual retreat Saturday and Sunday to Camp Kieve. We stayed in the very beautiful and modern Learning Center that accommodates 20+ people with sleeping, dining room. This picture (taken from their website) is a view from the lower bedrooms of the lake. The second level is where we sew with windows the whole length. The scene has changed; the snow is gone, the lake is starting to open up, the mud is everywhere and lots of potholes on the road coming in off the main road.

We each brought our own projects. I decided to do this quilt called 'Fool Around Fun'. It is a scrappy quilt. I used two charm packs from Moda. 'Rites of Springs' and 'Peace on Earth'. I usually work from a design wall so found it hard to put together without a visual. The striped material was something I had bought for a friend but she decided to use something else and it proved to be the one that made it 'pop' as we say in the quilting world. There are several of us doing this quilt and they will probably be displayed in the state quilt show in July.

One of the highlights is our visit to the area quilt shops. We always go to Maine-ly Sewing in Nobleboro at some point of our trip. I am doing 'Under Cover' quilt at a workshop in a couple of weeks and so I put together fabrics I will be using. The off-white will be the main focus and instead of doing fusible snowman I found a wonderful design with snowmen that I will use.

Another shop we visited is Alewives Fabrics in Damariscotta and they have wonderful bright cheery fabrics. Below is fabric I am using for a bag to carry all my big rulers etc. It is called the 'Duffy bag' designed by our President and copyrighted. I found some quilted fabric and added others to make the outside pockets. We all came home happy that we had accomplished a lot and we had more fabric for our stash.

Tacoma Meeting

We had our Tacoma meeting today and showcased the big pin cushions we began last meeting. They are varied designs. We all agreed they were pretty cute!! Some were stuffed with rice while others with poly-fil. The one on the bottom left had pins stuck in it. It belonged to Rayna and her cat kept taking the pins out so she had to hide it in a plastic case to project the hen and the cat.

This is the whole group holding their creation.
This is Pres. Barb and we call her the gadget queen. She is also very talented with embroidery and did the stitching on her apron. We all brought gadgets we 'could not live without'. They were many and varied.We make a block each month that has a theme. Those who make them put their name in for a drawing and someone gets to take them all. This month it was a spring theme. This one is what I decided to do. It is hand appliqued. The design is Pat Sloan called 'Prancing Posies'. It was pictured as a runner in McCalls April 2005 magazine.These are the other blocks and the winner is Pauline (pictured). It was pretty amazing the blocks were mostly yellow/lavender/purple. You can click on the pic and I think you can see them better. I should have made it larger but you get the idea.

It has been fun to come up with something each month. Next month the theme is Easter.

We have some very talented ladies....wouldn't you agree.

Caleb's Strippy Quilt

Caleb-5 is the grandson of my friend, Betty. He had cancer and is now doing very well. He likes frogs. So I decided he needed a quilt. I had made strippy quilts for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren . They are rugged and versatile and he can lay with his dog, build a tent city, as little boys like to do, and it will not harm it. It can be thrown in the laundry and drier. I sew the binding on and do a fancy stitch on the front. This quilt is every mom's dream!!...you do not have to be careful with it. Except for the sun!! It is cotton and will bleach out easily. I did a meandering stitch on my short-arm quilter.
If you would like to see pics and read Caleb's story it is on my other blog.

Chicken pin cushions

Our quilt group made chicken pin cushions on Wednesday. The tiny one I had made a long time ago. I made the one log cabin with the gals and will stuff with white rice.
When my grandsons, J and J came to stay overnight they saw them and wanted to make 'big' ones. They knew exactly what color and 'how' they wanted it. So these are their designs. Josh's is the yellow one. Jacob's is the brown rooster. We used felt for the red and yellow cones. They are simple to make unless you get the tails turned around as I did. J and J pulled from my stash and of course took those wonderful moda etc. fabrics. What is a Gram to do ...oh yes, the best for the grandchildren...what joy they bring!!

I keep this blog for quilting....I have one where I posted their pics...it is a family and inspirational blog. You can check it out if you like.

Star BOM #12

This is #12 in a series of 13 with Block of the Month with Judy Laquidara. This has been a learning for me with 16th measurements. Below all the block are pictured. They will be set on point so they will look different but this gives you an idea.

Table Runner

Our group took a trip to Sewing by the Sea in Trenton a few months ago and they demonstrated how to make a runner using the 60 degree cut on the ends. One of the gals, Pauline(above) came home and held a workshop for us. The choice of material is the making of it. Some of them are so beautiful. Saturday I went to Fabric Garden in Madison and they had many fabrics that would make beautiful ones. We used a micro stitch gun (size 11/64" fasteners) to tack it together to line it up which is very important. I used Jinny Byer material for mine (below)This table runner was sent to Tn. for my son, Mike and daughter in law, Nancy . He surprised all of us and came home for his brother's 50th birthday party. Had not seen him for a couple of years.

Star BOM #11

This is Block of the Month I have been doing online with Judy Laquidara and many other ladies. We get 2 blocks a month, complete and post on her blog with a link back to ours. We have 2 more blocks and then the borders. This is the type of quilt I would never do on my own so this has been good for me. We also used 16th inch and that was been a stretch for me but I conquered it. Always nice to add more expertise to what you already know.

Hearts-Tacoma

We got up this morning and it was a very light snow and so the thought was that not many would show up to our quilt meeting because of the possible slick roads. We all came except for one gal that was sick. Each month we decided to do a block with a theme. We would put our name in the pot for each block we made and the person whose name was drawn would get them all.This month was a heart that could be 6" or more and any technique you chose and signed. I chose to do a paper pieced block with an appliqued heart. The winner was Pam....this was her first meeting and she became a member. What a welcome gift. We were so happy for her. She is a gifted quilter and we told her we expected it put together in about a month. (smile) Next month will be a Spring Block using pastels. Our chapter banner is behind Pam...

We always have show and tell....quilting projects, purses that some of the ladies had done at a workshop and this was Rayna's offering today. I had a full picture but I am good to the gals and I promised I would never show anything on the blog that they would not like. But I told her I would fix her up and so here are her socks she made...she is a gifted knitter and she always has something in hand that she is skillfully doing. There were a lot of laughs...

This was a quilt that Kayleen did in an evening and we all really liked it so we decided to each make one using material from our stash. It is called Fool Around Fun by Susan Fuquay. It is always good incentive when working with a group to get things done that we would not do on your own, and also enjoyable to see all the different colors that will be used.
It was a fun day...we were suppose to work on a charity quilt but forgot some of the elements and so decided just to enjoy one another. We are a small group of about 17. It was a great day and the sun was shining by the time we were headed home.

Camille's Bag

It is has been unseasonably cold here in Maine in January. Our local quilt group had a workshop for this bag and I chose bright Spring colors and lined it with green plaid.Can you tell what I am looking ahead for!!!! This is a ps013 Camille bag designed by Penny Sturges. I made some minor changes, enlarged the band at the top and also made the handles a little lighter by not using full wide of the fusible fleece. I also put more pockets inside with Velcro. It does not look big in this picture but it is about 14" wide x 14" tall. It is an easy bag to do.

Funky Valentine Hanging

WOW the first day of another month. Where did January go? After Christmas it is like you take a deep breath after finishing all the projects for gifts. Then you realize that time is still moving and you better get going again with projects promised, projects in the wings waiting to be finished, new projects and on and on it goes. I get older and realize that I will never accomplish all I want before I die. Last year my goal was to finish UFOs. This year I am still working on UFOs or WISP (works in slow progress). One of the groups I belong to did a valentine project making covers for Kleenex boxes. I would have no use for it so decided to do something different. Do you ever feel like you try to get ahead but you get be hinder??? Another group I am in decided to do a block each month and draw names and someone will get the whole batch. This month it is a valentine so I got mine done in pink/reds and hand appliqued only to find out I need to have red/white...Soooo I took the pink/reds and made the above block for the valentine project in place of the Kleenex box. And made a new red/white block for the monthly drawing. So if you are confused so am I. But I think I have got it right. (smile it is called life)


Candace wanted to see a picture of the quilt 'flowering green' that I finished recently on my bed. I would recommend if you are making pillow cases to make them extra long so they would hang down on the sides.