GPDU -- MONTH 9 One Vase and One Shoo Fly Block

 We are really making progress on Garden Party Down Under, the 2022 Block of the Month, for The Quilt Show.com. 

It's not too late to start--this pattern is FREE to Star Members of  The Quilt Show. Designed exclusively for The Quilt Show, by designer Irene Blanck, you can join now, get all the patterns throughout this year and work on this quilt as you wish. After December 31, 2022, the pattern will only be available for sale from the designer or shops. Why not get it FREE--along with all the other benefits of Star Membership.

Here is my Month 9 urn block and the final ShooFly Block from my sample quilt made last year:

Here is Irene's Month 9 urn and ShooFly Block:

Using a window template, cut from plain paper, allows you to audition vase/urn fabrics.  Here are two completely different looks:

Remember, there will be a rim of fabric along the top edge of the urn--a dark solid would work well with both of these choices:

By now, most everyone has determined their favorite method for stems, circles, leaves, flowers and the vases. Mine was made with turned edge machine applique, using Print and Piece Fuse Lite for the patterns. This reverses the design--not really much of an  issue with this block. 

If you need to review, all of the videos and blog posts remain available and the Facebook LIVE broadcasts are also online, find them HERE -- on YouTube.

Our monthly Facebook LIVE chat will be Friday September 2, 2022, at noon Central time. Join us if you can LIVE or watch later. If you are with us LIVE, I am happy to answer your questions--or post them here and I will answer as part of the LIVE chat. 

Next month we will make TWO smaller vases, each block will be 14" H x 6" W. We will also start the Diamond Borders. Irene used needle turn hand applique for her diamond borders. I chose to machine piece the diamond borders, cutting each Diamond and background Triangle to accurate size and machine piecing as usual. There will be instructions for both methods.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Disappearing Patchwork -- the Quilting

 For the past few months I have been working on a Neutral quilt, made from neutral fabrics: white, tan, gray, in various shades of each. That is descriptive but it's not a great name. So, the official title is Disappearing Patchwork.

About 62" square

Here are details of the machine quilting I did with the Bernina Q20 sit down long arm:

Each of the thirty-two 4.5" squares has a different quilting design--some I got from books, some I came up with. Most were done with a ruler: 

A star: 

Just follow the squiggles in the fabric: 

Square on point with horizontal and vertical lines and a square on point with pumpkin seeds: 

Each of the 2" x 4.5" rectangles have the same half circle curve, done with a circle ruler: 

The pinwheels in the four corners have simple quilting, a square on point with pumpkin seeds:

All the remaining pinwheels have more curved quilting, again using a ruler: 

While it is hard to see, the small 2" squares were used to "travel" from block to block, with a simple loop-di-loop squiggle that got me from one place to another: 

Superior Thread: Omni 40 wt #3008 Sesame Seeds and Bottom Line 60 wt  #653 Beach:

On the brown narrow outer border, I used Quilter's Select 60 wt # 739--it matched perfectly for a very simple loop that took me quickly all around the outside edge:

The back in the sunlight--I love the texture of quilting: 

Disappearing Patchwork is named this because this is a simple 16 block quilt, made from pinwheels and 5" squares, cut up using the "disappearing nine-patch" method. 

There has been some interest in using this for a free Sew-A-Long here in the future. If you are interested, let me know in the comments below, and when we reach 2500 followers, I will do that. We are about 2300 now so follow by email or with Google if you  have a Gmail account--it's easy and you don't miss any of the posts, usually twice a week, Wednesday and Sunday.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Traveling to Teach

 This week I am traveling to Tuscaloosa, AL to teach two workshops to the West Alabama Quilters Guild.

Friday August 26 is WESTERN SUN. I love this quilt and all it can teach us. I hope the students will enjoy this one:

Wild Western Sun--class sample about 45" square

Western Sun--made for my bed, 110" square

I  have written about this several times--it is a replica of an old quilt I fell in love with. Find just one of the prior posts about this quilt HERE

Saturday August 27, 2022 is CHARMING SAMPLER. A real favorite of mine to teach, this was designed as a special class for the first annual Joyful Journey Retreat, in 2019. It has 3" blocks but they are taught in a variety of speedy ways--so much fun. And a great way to use the Charm Packs we buy and don't know what to do with.

Each sample here is about 33" square. Every time I teach it I want to come right home and make a new one: 

My original class sample

The second one I made

This is a driving trip, about 3 hours southwest of my home. I will enjoy two nights in a hotel, good food, and great new quilter friendships to be made.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Annual Quilt Guild Potluck Dinner

 I have  been a member of the Heritage Quilters of Huntsville since right after I moved to Huntsville, AL, in 1988. It is a great guild and has been an important part of my joyful journey as a quilter. 

For various reasons, it's been a year since I was able to attend a meeting. This past week we had the annual potluck dinner and membership renewal. I was determined to be there. Good food, good friends, being a part of a like-minded group of quilters--what's not to love?

A few scenes from the evening,  as we are now celebrating 35 years of quilt guild strength.

Outgoing President Suzi Wilbanks with the "President's Quilt" made for her by her Board. She loves teal and this is the perfect quilt for her: 

Board Members wearing their 35 Year Anniversary t-shirts: 

What I didn't eat--there were TWO dessert tables and I only visited to take home a treat for my husband--he LOVES this meeting:

More: 

The Board provided the fried chicken, all the paper goods and drinks: 

We all brought side dishes--the non-desserts were placed on the table in front of the person who brought it. When it was time for dinner everyone moved left, inside and out, all go LEFT!  No one is stuck with whatever is left after everyone else is called. I love this method--it's a brilliant way to feed lots of people at once. Everyone moves around the entire horseshoe table layout and we all get back to our seats about the same time so everyone eats at the same time. 

The drinks, chicken and desserts were in other areas of the room, so it was easy to get those things after we circled the tables. 

Just one side of the room--we had about 70 members in attendance:

Good Friends  April and Suzie--they asked me to "take our picture" so I did: 

I paid my dues for this next year and was really glad I was able to attend this meeting. The only time we do food is this August meeting and the December meeting--when only sweets are served--my husband loves that meeting too.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LONG BEACH -- PART THREE

 Just one more short post about Long Beach, showing my purchases.

As usual, I get thread from Superior:

It would be wise if I had a plan, or knew what colors I needed for upcoming quilts but I usually just buy some various types and colors. Here are OMNI and OMNI-V (variegated), Masterpiece, Bottom Line, and So Fine 50. Check out all their products and ALL the education they provide: Superior Threads

Walking past a booth that sold Singer Featherweights and supplies for them, as well as other things, I saw this Ideal Seam Guide. There are two in the package, a curved edge and a straight edge:

Thinking about working with Stella a few weeks ago, this seam guide will help her stay straight as she sews. I am eager to work with her again and will try it. 

It comes with the Ideal Seam Gauge, with a variety of seam sizes--place the needle in the hole for the size seam you want, then place the Ideal Seam Guide against the Gauge to get the perfect Seam Guide:

They also had a nifty new tool: Annie's Scissor Holder--designed and made by their granddaughter. It is the red thing in the photo above. Stick it on the side on your machine and you can easily keep scissors handy as you work. Very clever.

The company is Sew Very Smooth  They have great videos showing how to use their products. A very nice couple, definitely a family-run business, and I was glad to support them with my purchases.

That's it. As I have a sinful amount of fabric, and too much other stuff, I am trying not to add to my stash and studio. But we NEED thread, right? 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LONG BEACH -- PART TWO

 The Education Team works to support Quilt Festival as we take care of the many Faculty who provide first class educational opportunities and help the students and attendees who might have questions. It's lots of fun and lots of work, but I enjoy it a lot. The Long Beach show is my favorite, thanks to the beautiful weather, and the close proximity to excellent dining opportunities. 

Here are some more fun photos of my week in Long Beach, CA.

The People--the Education Team who worked this show, in our daily garments. We came from TX, FL, CO, and AL:

Vicki, Barbara C, Barbara B, Jill, Melissa, Cassie

Breakfast and lunch is usually a protein bar. But come dinner time, we eat really well. The FOOD:

Island Burgers Beach Bowl with grilled fish

King's Fish House

Tequila Jack's

Island Burgers Chop Chop Salad

Gladstone's Seafood Linguine

Yard House

The SCENERY:

Boardwalk at Shoreline Village

The Hyatt in the background and the Yard House

Blooming Bird of Paradise at Island Burgers--we only get them here from a florist

Sunset on the walkway Bridge across the highway

And finally, a Sunset Selfie--Melissa took a good shot of us all after dinner one night: 

Traveling isn't as easy at is used to be, sleeping well in a hotel isn't easy either, but I love being part of the Education Team and we had a great week. I will see them again in Houston.

Besides being met by my husband at the airport, I was welcomed home on the highway by this beautiful and very long rainbow, the perfect end to a great trip:

Up next, LONG BEACH -- PART THREE, showing my purchases.

Let's quilt,

Barbara