Tacoma May BOM

Tacoma's Block of the month was a basket. Everyone who submits a block gets their name in the drawing. They were so beautiful and of course, many would have liked them to have had them. Our winner was Bea and she was ecstatic. Congratulations!! The big block on the right was one of hers and will use set on point as the center piece. We have done it for 4 months and it will be fun to see all the winners and their finished quilt. This was the one I did for this month. It is Gray background and deep blue contrast. Next month is a patriotic block of red-white-blue.

Ohio Star Miniature

This is my Ohio star from the miniature class I took with Leslie Muir-Volpe a few weeks ago. Each block size is 1/2" finished . These are really small and it will be the only one I ever do. The white/red block are 1" finished and I did really enjoy that size. Plaids do not work close up. But it will hang near a vase of flowers and from a distance it will be fine. This was a learning experience and it was a great challenge. The block itself is 8" x 8"

Mainely Fun Quilt Shop Hop

Wow!! what an exciting 2 days as 10 us (our group at Casey's Quilters) did the Mainely Fun Quilt Shop Hop 2nd Annual Spring Fling. We visited 8 shops beginning in Sanford at Kathie's Quilt Shoppe; then, Cottage Herbs Craft & Quilt Shop in Berwick; Knight's Quilt Shop, Cape Neddick; Calico Basket Quilt Shop, Windham; Cotton Weeds Quilt Shop, Freeport; Quiltessentials, Auburn; Busy Thimble Quilt Shop, Litchfield; and ending at Country Creations, Jefferson. We each purchased a passport and had it signed at each shop turning it in at the end. There are prizes awarded so we wait to see if any of us got one.

On Thursday we left Gardiner at 8:15am and visited the first five shops and had lunch at Mike's Clam Shack. We got home around 8:00pm. It was a long day but we all agreed it was wonderful.

Today we finished off the last 3 shops and had lunch at the famous Moody's diner in Waldoboro and arrived back in Gardiner late afternoon at Kay's home. Of course we had to have a cup of coffee/tea and have 'show and tell'. It is amazing what others see and buy that you never saw. There was great variety. I made more purchases than planned buying something at every shop. I am starting to make miniatures so of course had to have a book and found two to begin my mini library. 'Scrap Miniature Magic' by Christine Carlson and 'Flip-flop paper piecing' by Mary Kay Mouton. I bought reds/blue for the miniatures, browns and reds, greens and gold for the shop hop hanging. A Classic Motifs craft holder hanger that I use for many of my small wall hangings, Also, Spring Meadow collection by Moda for my great-granddaughter's, Olivia's 8th birthday. She wants to learn to quilt so thought that would be a good challenge for her to learn to lay them out..she already has been doing little things. Also Nana's Flower Patch 14" x 14" pattern and the fabrics, tiny buttons and Sandcastle(a heavy material) that is used for the background which I had never heard of. Then some renegade fabrics that I added to my stash. An All-in-One Ruler for my minis. And a big red button for a bag that I had made. So all in all it was great.

Below is Cindy the owner of Busy Thimble in Litchfield with the center block of the quilt that each shop displayed. We received the center pattern at the end plus a little bag of threads, scissors, needles, etc. The Block Tool was used for the various other blocks and all were different depending on the shop.

Cindy is the lady that really taught me how to quilt. I took classes at our local HS and her shop. What I like is that she would tell you how she would do something but also show you other ways and then allow you to decide. Thank you Cindy, for the joy that quilting brings to me and it is because you were so gracious in teaching me.

Each shop had their version. Below is Quiltessentials in Auburn

This is the one at Cotton Weeds in Freeport
Country Creations, Jefferson this is there rendition. As you can see there are lots of projects to keep me busy. We all agreed we will do it again next year.

Starlight Snowman

The inspiration for this quilt was from 'Under cover' by Pearl Louise Designs. This was a project at Casey Spring Retreat held the first of this month. I veered from the pattern on the top part using a panel. I was determined that this was not going into my pile to quilt. I quilted it free hand learning some new designs. I did not do it really close as I wanted it to feel supple. Size is 53x80. Close up below.

I made stars for the sky. It does not really show up but you get the idea. The fabric had stars in it.

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.