Comfort quilts- double hourglass

     This past weekend, I think I made a personal record of four comfort quilt giveaways (by referrals). I was sweating sewing the labels on, making the cards, and bagging them. I washed and dried them all before they left. This double hourglass just came off the longarm, was bound, washed and out the door so quick, that this is the best photos I could get of it. I would have preferred taking it outside and done detail shots, but it had to leave. The other three quilts have had photos shot and shown previously.

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Curved piecing workshop

     Our guild brought John Kubiniec to town on April 22nd for a curved piecing workshop. My friend, Elizabeth, and I are program co-chairs and are trying to bring instructors for workshops. This was our first one. Many of our guild members were scared of curved piecing and this workshop calmed them down and gave them confidence. John was a great instructor and full of so many ideas. His quilts were gorgeous.
     I made some blocks and now have to try and make a whole quilt, lap size, for a comfort quilt. I tried two arrangements. I like the center block one, but don't know how to carry it on to make it bigger without losing the flower center feeling. I tried graph paper, but can't see how to do it. Regardless, I need to make a lot more blocks.

Scrappy RWB squares

     My quilt guild made up kits from donated fabric for a goal of 40 veteran quilts by Veterans Day. I took 4 kits, and this is the layout for the 2 x 3 1/2" bricks block. I am going to sew a border of neutral bricks around the whole thing I decided. Just can't stick to a premade kit.

   Sheila R, you asked me about the tulip collage- but you are a no reply comment blogger. Send me your email.

Sunday flowers

     Today is one week from Easter. I realize that I forgot to show the Grace Garden my grandkids made for me last week. Today is sunny (wow, after all that rain) and the first tulips opened. Tulips are among my favorite flowers. I took some photos of the beds, mostly in buds, that I will share after they all open. So for now, here are the early ones in all their sparkly color.

Grace garden

More workshop blocks

     The Free Form Block class demonstrated a number of blocks from Cultural Fusion, Sujata's book. We started with the basic half square triangle and cut them into hourglass blocks. We also did the windmill blocks and she showed the rail fence also. I still have a ways to go on these blocks also.

Kind of like this arrangement

Jolene holding another beautiful flower from the garden

Workshop of wonders

     Last Friday, I set off in wet snow in a three hour drive to Ithaca, NY where the Tompkins County Quilt Guild was sponsoring 2 workshops with Sujata Shah. Two years ago, I took one there also and was fortunate beyond belief she came in from San Francisco and I got a spot. My friend, Elizabeth, and I drove down and found an Airbnb to stay in. We took all our food and cooked our own meals and packed lunches, which made it a bit more affordable. The first two days was Organized Chaos, a kaleidoscope quilt. The last day was Free Form blocks. There was a lot of cutting to do before we went, and I don't think I cut the right fabrics as I had to scrounge for some better strips. 
     Packing all the sewing stuff, clothes, and food items was a huge effort for me who hates packing. All into her Toyota Yaris. I am 5'8" and Elizabeth is taller. It all worked out. 

This is only the sewing supplies, minus the
trapezoid case of my Singer 301

     I only have about 30 blocks sewn and need about 60. So on my design wall at home, this is what I have. I put the corners in two of them so you can see how the pattern will look. I am going to make at least 30 more, and then figure out the arrangement. I have a better idea how to choose the fabrics and arrange the pieces in the blocks. I could have never have figured it out myself. Sujata is the best. My friend, sister in laws, and other women in the class were a great help.

    Yes, it was snowing all the way down there. Freezing cold Friday and Saturday, and then 70s on Monday when I returned. I saw this when I got home. I felt like I was gone a long time to have such a dramatic turnaround in my garden and trees.

Wonders of adopted blocks!

    When the Quilty Orphan Block adoption was announced, I pulled out a box of hearts that I could not get to and the fusible bugged me. I offered them here.
     My granddaughter drew the name of the winner and I mailed them off. Kathy sent me photos of the done quilt and a link to her blog about them. And today's link. Isn't amazing all the people affected by orphan blocks as well as the person who receives the hearts quilt? Makes me very happy to be a quilter!

Orphans I offered

What Kathy did with them!

A slice of sunshine before the rain

     I was able to take advantage of a brief sunny patch to photograph Monkey Business, all quilted, and one of the Starstruck tops with border. Since then, rain and more rain. Tomorrow, calls for accumulating snow. Yikes.

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Center Starstruck- border, hmm...

     I sewed all the blocks together for the center version of Starstruck and can't decide on a fabric for the border. It is 47 x 60 now and I was thinking a 3" border to make it a tad bigger. Now, I need to pull out the asymmetrical one. If I hadn't done this in a web method, I certainly would have gone astray. Thanks again Wanda for explaining it to me!

   It is so cold, dark and rainy here on Friday. If it was not for the photos I took Wednesday in my garden, it would be grim.