OUT WEST!

 I recently enjoyed a trip to the Sierra Nevada mountains for Lynn Wilder's Retreat. She does retreats 3-4 times a year for about 35 women. I was happy to be invited to join them this year as we wrapped up Laurel Ridge, Lynn's Block of the Month design for The Quilt Show. You can still get the patterns FREE as a Star Member: Laurel Ridge Block of the Month 2025

Here are just some of the the highlights in photos:

My accommodation for the week was a lovely cabin a few doors down from Lynn's cabin. Her friend offered to host us--we had the cabin to ourselves all week.

View off  the deck of our cabin

Lynn Wilder and Pati Violick, Director of Marketing Marcus Fabrics, my roommate for the week

My room

The kitchen

A welcome card, homemade chocolate chip cookies, champagne

View from the Loft above

View from  the Loft

The next day 5 of us made the 2.5 hour drive to Yosemite. It was a glorious Fall day and we enjoyed the trip, my first to a western National Park:

To prove I was there

Candace, Pati, Gwyneth, and Lynn

El Capitan

The next day Retreat began, with setting up the large room and Lynn's "pop-up shop". Many hands made light work. Attendees came about noon and the sewing and chatting began:

My Laurel Ridge was finished there

Lynn's Laurel Ridge on display

The door prizes donated by Marcus Fabrics

The first dinner was Appetizers, Desserts and Wine, brought by the attendees. The food all week was good, this was really great:

Lynn's sister, Gail, even remembered from my blog that I like Moscato--she kept my glass ready each night. Thanks, Gail!

Each evening there was Show and Tell. This is a very accomplished group of quilters. Here is just a glimpse:

Angi is knocking this one out of the park

Linda made this in a class with Jean Impey

Lori makes art quilts mostly--this is made by burning in the black lines

Gay L brought her Color My World--I believe it's the most well-made of any I have seen. Completely flat. She is now inspired to finish it.

Melinda worked on this much of the week

For MORE PHOTOS from RETREAT, check out Lynn's Blog: Sew'n Wild Oaks blog There is so much to see there.

I worked on two ongoing projects:

Border blocks for TEXAS STAR and Old Italian blocks for MY NEXT LIFETIME QUILT

Read more about those here:

TEXAS STAR

SUMMER SEW A LONG

Monday morning we got to watch Alex Anderson live as she revealed the 2026 Block of the Month quilt, Game On!, designed by Becky Goldsmith exclusively for The Quilt Show. Here I am watching:

Now I could pull out my Solid Kit and start working on Game On! I had printed the patterns and instructions at home so I was ready to begin:

For more information on this FUN quilt, see:  Game On!

One evening I gave my presentation TIME MANAGEMENT FOR QUILTERS. It is always well received and I enjoy giving it. Many watched:

The next night Pati gave a presentation about how fabrics are designed and made--it was very informative. Prices will continue to rise and manufacturing quilting fabric in this country will not happen again. 

All week I watched these women  making quilts, friends and memories. It was so good to be with them. Many return at least once a year, 10 of us were first-timers. There was a mother daughter daughter team who kept SO BUSY it was hard to get their photo:

The only problem for me was I didn't get a power walk all week--no cell service outside Wi-Fi in our cabin and the Lodge, meant I could get hopelessly lost and it is BEAR country and MOUNTAIN LION country. Windy roads that all look the same, no sidewalks, steep drop-offs to driveways or woods. No, I just had to stay in and sew after walking with Pati to the Lodge most mornings.  

And the food just kept coming. Each day the snack table grew--I called it the OH NO! table. Homemade goodies and some of my favorite store-bought goodies added to the challenge. Thankfully, I only came home up 3 pounds and they were gone quickly:

A well-run retreat is a super experience, a chance to get away from the duties at home and make new friends. There were gifts, laughs, and so much more. I am happy I was there to enjoy it.

My flights there and back were mostly uneventful. Returning the first day of the "slow down" of flights was worrisome but the 2 hour delay leaving Sacramento was due to equipment, not cancelations. The 3 hour layover I expected in Atlanta became a one hour layover and I arrived in Huntsville at 11 pm, as expected. 

And now I am home for a few months so it is time to get something done!

Let's quilt.

Barbara

PICK A PETAL -- MONTH 6

PICK A PETAL is the 2024 Block of the Month quilt designed by Jen Kingwell exclusively for The Quilt Show. It is FREE to Star Members, join today to take advantage of this great bonus. WATCH Jen's Show to see how she makes this quilt--it is FREE for EVERYONE all of 2024: Jen Kingwell Show 3401

This month we do more whimsical applique on another Log Cabin border. Which border it is on YOUR quilt depends on which photo you use as a reference. 

I discussed this on the MONTH 5 LIVE, see it again here: MONTH 5 LIVE

This photo is on The Quilt Show website. Find photos under SEE QUILTS.     Notice the bright aqua/purple block on the LEFT SIDE:

Here is the photo that was used with the KIT--I used it on the cover of my 2024 BOM Notebook:

My Notebook.  Now the aqua/purple block is on the bottom:

All this means is for ME, Month 6 is the TOP border, upside down. It doesn't matter what it is for YOU, we're going to make them all eventually. 

Here is mine in progress. All the stems are sewn by machine applique, blanket stitch with green thread. I wrote about that in detail in MONTH 5. Some shapes were sewn by machine, some are prepared for needle turn hand applique--the border travels with me so I can hand stitch while on the road:

Hearts and leaves waiting for hand applique

The apple and leaves ready for hand applique

Green gingham leaf ready for hand applique,
bottom motif to be sewn by hand, stem is done

Feel free to add your own whimsical flowers/shapes. This is a "magic" garden, anything goes.

On the LIVE for MONTH 6, Friday June 7, noon central, I will demonstrate how I secure the very thin 80 wt Quilters Select thread to the fine needle so it doesn't get unthreaded and how I hand applique. If there is anything specific you would like me to discuss or show, put a comment here or on the FORUM

As always, please share your progress or ask questions on the FORUM--everyone learns there.

Next month Jen introduces us to hand embroidery. I encourage you to WATCH THE SHOW--it is FREE FOR EVERYONE all year, not just Star Members. Tell your friends to watch. Jen discusses hand embroidery on the show:

JEN KINGWELL SHOW 3401

Let's quilt,

Barbara

Garden Party Down Under--Get Ready

 On January 1, 2022, the Block of the Month quilt for The Quilt Show will begin. Designed exclusively for The Quilt Show by Australian designer Irene Blanck, it is FREE for Star Members from January 1-December 31, 2022. 

The show that will kick off this exciting project is FREE FOR ALL TO WATCH, beginning January 1, 2022. I hope you'll watch, even if you are not a Star Member or don't want to make this particular quilt. The show is so well-done and I bet you'll learn a tip or two. Watch Show 3001 starting January 1, 2022

Here is Irene's quilt:. It has that "Australian vibe" that many of us find so appealing:

Here is my sample quilt. It has my "vibe" and I also incorporated some "Optional Alternative Techniques", like pieced borders instead of needle turn hand applique borders:

Here are some TIPS for GETTING READY:

1. Have copy paper and ink on hand. The first month you will print up to 30 pages on copy paper--the patterns, the instructions for  Month 1, Irene's General Instructions, and my Optional Alternative Instructions, should you want those. I created a paper piecing pattern for the Dogtooth Borders in Months 1 and 2--you will print those IF you want to paper piece them.

2. Print & Piece Fuse Lite: if you want to print your pattern pieces on a fusible product using an ink jet printer, you will need 6-9 pieces for Month 1. 

3. Prepare Your Fabrics: the Kit instructions recommend pre-washing. I did. I separated darks/lights, made a slight 45 degree angle cut on all four corners to cut down on raveling and put a Color Catcher in each load. There was very little color loss in either load:

Trim all 4 corners to cut down on raveling before pre-washing

Color Catchers after pre-washing

This is a wonderfully scrappy quilt that doesn't require a large amount of any one fabric--you can use small pieces of your favorites. The Fabric Requirements document shows all the Kit fabrics and the amounts of each: Fabric Requirements  I provided a list of the Fabrics I used in my Sample quilt in an earlier post: Fabric Selection for My Garden Party

4. If you are new to Applique or want to consider making your quilt a "Sampler of Techniques", review some of the great shows available to Star Members on www.thequiltshow.com  I especially recommend the two Master Classes on Applique. Find those easily with the Search box at the top of each page.

I provided a Resource Guide for quite a few shows that will be helpful in making this quilt: Resource Guide

You can combine various techniques in this project: hand applique, turned edge machine applique, machine pieced borders, embroidery--the 1/8"stems are perfect for that. Trying these different techniques throughout the year will help you get better at them all and find your favorites. Irene Blanck's instructions are for needle turn hand applique.

5. Turned Edge Machine Applique: this is the method used to make my sample quilt. Eight of the Sunday Sew & Sews helped and this  method was new to each of them. I have written about it Here

and Here Those earlier posts used a different fusible product but the process is the same. It is how I made Ruffled Roses:

6. Tomorrow, December 27, 2021 I will do a LIVE broadcast at Noon Central time on how to GET READY for the Kick Off January 1, 2022. I will review these suggestions and answer your questions. If you can't make it live, all the LIVE broadcasts are available on THE QUILT SHOW channel on YouTube. You can find them easily at The Quilt Show On This Page

7. On New Year's Day be sure you watch the Show that begins January 1, 2022--FREE TO ALL--to see a complete overview of Irene's process and the Optional Alternative Techniques I offer. It will answer some questions you may have right off the bat. 

8. Additional  Resources to help you on our year-long journey:

     Monthly Blog Posts on Garden Party Down Under--available to all the first of each month--this is my primary way of  "teaching" how to make this quilt 

     Videos for a variety of techniques used in this quilt--find them under each month for the 2022 BOM  on www.thequiltshow.com 

    The Forum--the place to Ask Questions and Share Your Progress:  2022 BOM Forum

I hope you will join us on this journey! I am looking forward to a great year.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

AFTERNOON DELIGHT--The Wrap Up

 We have come to the end of another wonderful Block of the Month quilt, Afternoon Delight, designed by the late Sue Garman.

Margo Clabo, a Star Member from the very beginning, has completed hers and posted it on Facebook:

As people get this quilt top finished, there is discussion about how to quilt it. I have written two blog posts about how mine are quilted: My Afternoon Delight quilts  and Ruler Work on My Red, White and Blue smaller quilt

Here is the edge-to-edge design Margo used on hers. The quilt design is very busy, the pieces are very small so edge-to-edge is perfectly acceptable for this quilt:

A quilt is not done until it has a LABEL--I firmly believe that. I have written about this here: Label Your Quilts. Margo made a beautiful label:

As you get your quilt done, please post it on the Forum---it is really inspiring to see these quilts get completed. Even several years down the road, people post their completed Block of the Month quilts--we can all understand why some projects just take longer to complete than others. The 2020 Block of the Month Forum is The Quilt Show Forum for 2020 BOM.  When sharing on social media, use #afternoondelight2020bom so lots of folks can see these quilts.

Don't miss the super DISCOUNT price for a one year membership--only $39. Very soon this deep discount will be replaced by the standard price, $49.95 for a year. Join NOW and save.

LASTLY, THE BIG REMINDER:

If you are a Star Member of The Quilt Show and have not downloaded, saved or printed the 12 months of patterns, be sure you do so before December 31, 2020. After that date, the rights to the pattern revert to the designer and will no longer be free for Star Members. The cost to buy these patterns is about $80--so your membership to The Quilt Show comes with a terrific added bonus. 

If you are considering becoming a Star Member so you can make Color My World, the 2021 Block of the Month quilt, designed by Wendy Williams, join before December 31, 2020, and save the 2020 BOM--in case you ever want to make this beautiful quilt--you have FREE access to the 2020 BOM until December 31, 2020 and on January 1, 2021, you will get FREE access to the 2021 quilt pattern:

I look forward to working with all those eager to make Color My World--a fun and entertaining quilt that teaches a lot. See you January 1, 2021, when the Show rolls out and the first month's pattern becomes available.

Let's quilt.

Barbara