Potential

I got this muffler at a garage sale with the idea I'd rework it. It's eye lash yarn, double stranded and very thick as a result.

I picked out the binding and unraveled it. There are about four skeins of yarn. I'm going to re-knit it narrower. I don't need the warmth, but I love the color and feel. Garage sales are full of potential. Oh... and I paid 12 cents for it!

Watery Voices

We used to read George MacDonald's fantasies to our sons when they were growing up. Mr MacDonald has a very fanciful way of describing nature and the world around him. He talked about little springlets and creeks rushing down the hillside to join their watery voices with the river on his trip down to the ocean; leaping and dashing from rock to rock in their joy at rushing down the hill; such a great image.

We went to Montgomery Woods for a creek check. We've never seen this much water in the creek. And the *mosses*, so green and lush!

I don't mean to look so serious, but it was a low light exposure, so I was asked to 'hold still'. :)

It was a great day, so magical. You could almost hear the woodland children giggling behind the flowers on the forest floor.

Thank You

True, Administrative Professional's Day is a "Hallmark" occasion, but these were on my desk when I came in today.

Beautiful. No one has ever given me a dozen yellow tulips. And the card was so special, complimentary and appreciative; I have to say I almost teared up. It doesn't hurt to be thanked. And so I thank those that thanked me today.

Spring in Ukiah

Picture from the internet

A quick view of the valley before the next April shower.

May Basket BOM

I decided to do the block of the month for May, piecing a single block gives me something to sew without a big commitment. The unfinished block size is 13", which is a little odd, but okay... Here it is laid out on my piecing board. I cut carefully. I checked the quarter inch seam on my machine and stuck a piece of mole foam on the machine bed as a guide, I sewed what looked like a thread breadth shy of where I normally sew.

The results: Points all match, there's a healthy quarter inch around the outside for seam allowance, block looks good. It measures 12 7/8"

Hiding somewhere in my sewing room is the elusive 1/8".

Scrapbag Bonanza

Most of the ladies in my guild know I like to work with scraps so every so often I'm gifted with a scrap bag. It makes me so happy! Free fabric! Different quilters use different colors and patterns and I love sitting down and pouring over strips and bits. This is the pile when I first took it out of the bag, but it expanded because the pieces were compacted.

Here is the pile sorted about half-way. I have a natural tendency to 'group and sort' and I enjoy 'making order out of chaos', so this is the perfect combination of those things! I'm in heaven.

This scrap bag felt like a treasure trove, the more I sorted and grouped, the more I found; several sets of orphan blocks and these fun velvet applique'ed blocks - as well as a spool of quilting thread, 11 cents, several flower head pins and a sock! Kathy do you want the sock back??

I'll prewash another day and then cut the fabric into strips and squares; fresh colors to add to my palette. Can you see how big I'm smiling??

Amish Bearpaw BOM

I guess I've never worked with solids; it was more challenging than I would've thought, the thread melting into the black fabric. Maybe it was the lighting in the sewing room at 8:30 at night... The instructions said the unfinished size should be 11" and blocks donated to the Block of the Month program would be measured. Oh no, the quilt police! My block came out 10 3/4" and that just wasn't acceptable so I frogged the center seams and sewed them again - this time it finished at 10 7/8", better, but it still had me worried.

I needn't have worried, the BOM chair was gracious, didn't even eyeball my block, just added it to the group. Don't they look nice? There were blocks that were visibly an inch larger than they should've been, my scant 7/8" wasn't even missed. The winner of the drawing got all 25 blocks.

Later in the morning the guest speaker talked about being "quarter inch challenged". Being off a scant 7/8" hasn't mattered too much in my quilting up till now; but I'm beginning to think that's why the Ocean Wave alt blocks don't come out. Don't cha just hate that?

Spring in the Valley

I make a lot of blue and green quilts, is it any wonder?

WoW! Lovin' the color of the sky this week.

Thank you for visiting and to those of you that leave comments. Lena, I would like to reply to your kind comments, but your profile is set to 'no reply'. I'm glad you liked the pictures of my quilt retreat. I don't know the name of the birds on the rock, they are chicks; the Mom saw me and flew off leaving her fledglings looking around in confusion. It was amusing.

Be Warm

I had to share, too cute!

He Is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

Computer graphic art by Frank Roberts (DH)

Green and Purple Continous Strip

Did I do any quilting at this quilt retreat? Thursday evening I pieced the President's block. Friday morning I pieced the mystery block for retreat, no picture. Friday afternoon I worked on Ocean Wave alternate blocks, they continue to come out *wonky* due to bias edges, a pressure foot that allows too much skating, poor trimming; you name it, frustration continues.

Saturday I jumped into some no-think-um sewing; started and finished another Continuous Strip quilt; this time I used a 2" strip instead of 2 1/2" and it took 4 hours of sewing to piece the top. Fun!

The color palette, strips pulled from my 2" precut strip bin


Joining the strips on the diagonal


Four strips wide


Sixteen strips wide


32 strips wide

I love it! And I always enjoy seeing where the colors fall since the method creates a free-style placement of fabrics. Several ladies at retreat wanted to know how to make a quilt like this so here are a few details.

For this quilt, which measures 41" x 44" you'll need to sew one continuous strip 2 inches wide by 35-36 yards long. To begin, take left over fabrics from a variety of projects, cut them into 2" wide strips of random lengths. Any length will work, but I don't use anything over 22" because it adds more variety. Decide on a color scheme for your quilt and select a big pile of strips from your strip bin to match that palette. Join the ends of the strips on the diagonal, easy how-to here. Press the diagonal seams to one side, then fold the strip RST, sew down the entire length on one side. Cut the bottom open and press the seam to one side. Fold the strip again RST, sew down the entire length. Cut the bottom open. Continue to fold, sew and cut open; when your quilt is 16 strips wide, the strips run vertical; when you fold RST and sew the two 16s together, the strips will run horizontal and your quilt top is done. This method always creates a square-ish quilt. There are more pictures and how-tos in January 2010 post and March 2009. Judy and Patty, I hope this helps!

Retreat Show n Tell

We gathered after dinner on the second night for Show n Tell. I never tire of how different quilts can be.

Thimbleberries Sampler


Dresden Plate Sunflower Runner


Stack and Whack Fundraiser quilt made from tee shirts!


Four Pointed Strip Stars


Day and Night


Day and Night mini made from 'leftovers' created when making the full sized quilt.
A Quilt in a Day pattern.


In Motion art quilt




Double Star - a Mystery quilt


Crazy quilt salvaged from the dumpster, husband of deceased wife didn't want 'that old thing.' (!)


Puss in the Corner

With all that inspiration in our heads, we hurried back to the sewing room. It looks like Martha is pausing to consider her next move!

Fort Bragg's LQS

During retreat it rained most of Friday so we stayed in and sewed the day away. Saturday dawned clear and crisp, so several of us took a break from the project at hand and went to Sew n Sews fabric store. Eye candy!

Blue, Green and Purple

Orange and Red


Sakura


Radiant Suns


World of Color


Pieced Oranges


One Block Wonder


Four Pointed Star Wall hanging

More about retreat soon...

Quilt Away 2010

Retreat was fabulous. I sewed, slept, shopped, walked the beach, hiked the headlands, shopped some more, eat, laughed, sewed some more and sat in the quiet of my room enjoying the view of Noyo harbor. I was glad to go; March is a great month on the coast. Click any image to enlarge.

Harbor Lite Lodge, Fort Bragg, CA


Rhododendrons







View from my room


North Harbor Trading Company


Morning Surf


Heading out for the day's catch


Martha & Candace



Dottie


Bethany

More tomorrow.