Bursting with starts

     After finishing the three tops at the retreat, I started new ones. One of them will be a vet quilt- Red White Blue scraps- a string quilt I discovered in an older quilt book I got at a library discard sale. I am using the papers from Missouri Star- they are thin, strong, and don't wrinkle. I have 24 of the 36 string blocks I need. Kind of a cool quilt.

Here is the book I got the idea from and some sewn blocks.

One of the four zig zags needed

      Another quilt, Katie's quilt from MSQC, was started. I have all 16 patches and 4 patches done. I need the white rectangles and triangles cut and sewn yet.

The last start is one I need my head examined for. I fell in love with the quilt, Harvest Dawn, at a store and foolishly bought the pattern. It is a Judy Niemeyer one and I already have Sea Urchin that is stalled. It seemed like it was a shorter and easier one and in the heat of the fabric moment, I bit. I have all the pieces in the right bags and now have to paper piece them. I can't even tell you how long I took to piece these 4. I will just have to take one bag at a time forgetting what has to be done and chip away at it, regardless how long it takes.

Why I need quilt retreats

     I am aware that there are some quilters who think it is silly to pay to go somewhere to sew. However, I know that I need to. Last weekend, 10 of us rented an used convent in the country, and sewed for 3 solid days. Meals were split up between us and we were able to use the kitchen and dining room, yet leave the sewing machines up. Eating meals together was also a good time of sharing, trying different tools, seeing other techniques. Twice a year, my guild goes to a retreat center for 3 nights where they make and serve and clean up the meals- even more time to sew.
    Since this old convent is small, I try to take projects that just need assembly or block sewing as cutting and laying out is tight. I was able to sew together three tops and start working on three more. I will show the quilts here now, and new projects in another post. I used my new display stand that my daughter and son-in-law bought me for Christmas. It is fantastic, folds up and goes into a zip duffle. What an absolutely terrific present! I will use it all the time for photo shoots.

Exploding Squares laid out at home, numbered columns

Sewn and bordered. I started with 4" squares

Disappearing Hourglass (MSQC) quilt sewn

Exploding Squares starting with 6" squares, added thin sashing
as blocks were a bit busy

My new display stand, Woo-hoo!

It all goes in this zip bag!

Recoup, reboot time

     The holidays were extremely busy, emotional, and draining. I could not get sewing in and that makes me cranky. Every year my husband and I try to spend 2 nights in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It has to be one of the most beautiful places on the earth. The rates between New Years and Christmas are lower and we stay at a small, wonderful boutique hotel. We just walk and walk and drink in the scenery and architecture of the housing. 
     We use this time to stop and evaluate our goals that we wrote the year before and write new ones. We each list the top 25 things of the year and 10 areas of difficulty. I wanted to take more photos, but the weather did not cooperate. I just drink in the scenery and know it is feeding my love of colors, composition and textures which will help me be a better quilter. I would like to share some photos to show you what I mean. I find these such filling images. My hope is that they give you some inspiration!

This gazebo sits at the mouth of the Niagara River at the junction of Lake Ontario. It is across the river from Fort Niagara.
Toronto is just out of sight to the left. I have seen weddings here in the summer.

Dried hydrangeas outside a B&B

Just to the left of the gazebo, Simcoe Park

Some trucks off the road between NOTL and Port Dalhousie. the patina and functionality of them intrigue me, just like my vintage sewing machines.

Think of all the hard farm work they did.

The shops all had fabulous greenery outside, no plastic here!

Cover for the baker

     My mother was hounding me to make a cover for my daughter's Kitchen Aid mixer as she has a new kitchen. I don't sew 3D real well, so I was hesitant. I found a nice and free pattern online http://sewing.about.com/od/homedecprojects/ss/Free-Pattern-And-Directions-To-Sew-Your-Own-Stand-Mixer-Or-Blender-Cover.htm#step1 and used some special fabric I was saving. It will match her granite top. I made a lining for it and checked the sizing with that. I did not use a piping (too tough for me). Then, I sewed it all together. By using a lining, I did not have to put bias tape on the bottom. I am showing it here on my sewing machine, as I am a quilter and not a baker. She took it home with her and hopefully, she will like it.
UPDATE: Daughter has the PROfessional Kitchen Aid which is three inches taller than the normal ones, so it doesn't fit. Guess who has to do it all over again.

That's not a mixer!

Princess ready to go

     I finally finished quilting the Princess quilt for a friend's child, bound it, washed it, labeled it and just waiting to connect to deliver it. Of course, my granddaughter wants one now. I don't know if I can take that many princesses again.

Bordered and ready to quilt

     The One Block Wonder newest quilt is all sewn up and ready to choose a backing and quilt. I love it.

Disappearing 4 patch sample block

     Sometimes I just need to make something new without thinking about what it will become. I saw this cool 4 patch disappearing 4 patch or teresa down under and had to try it. I started with 5" blocks. Here are my finished sample blocks. I think a whole quilt out of these would be terrific.