Opposites Attract

I have a new finish for a class I am teaching this winter:

It's called "Opposites Attract" and features two colors opposite each other on the color wheel.  It's part of my "Color College" series of classes, using Becky Goldsmith's great book:  The Quilter's Practical Guide to Color.  This is my first complete machine quilting finish on the Bernina Q20--it's not the best quilting ever done but sometimes "finished is better than perfect".

In Houston I took two excellent classes on free-motion quilting.  One with Sue Nickels using a Bernina 770--great practice for using the BSR system.  The other was with Helen Godden using the Handi-Quilter Sweet 16--great practice with the sit-down longarm machine.  When I get back from the retreat I am headed to tomorrow, my plan is to find 3-5 border designs I love and master those.  Then 3-5 block motifs I love and master those.  It will be good to have a "toolbox" with my "go-to" designs at the ready.

In the meantime, I'm working away on the Stars in a Time Warp blocks--there are only 3 weeks left with new blocks coming.  Then it will be time to decide on a layout.  Each week I've made 2 blocks so the stack has grown to about 90.  I am enjoying this project quite a bit.  Here are the latest, as close as I can find in my stash:

These are Provincial prints and Sprigged Muslins, with Indiennes.

These are early Roller prints and cloud prints, more or less, probably less.


I've packed way more projects to work on at the week-long retreat than I will probably complete but it just wouldn't do to run out of projects.  Someone is bringing a Featherweight so I can do some machine work, here is string piecing:

And there must be handwork:

I started this years ago and need some help with it.  One of the Hexie Queens will be at retreat so I'm going to "Ask the Expert".

And hand applique':

The Blue Collection, by Maggie Walker.  I started this so many years ago and haven't touched it in years.  One of my applique' heroines will be at retreat and I am incredibly eager to sit by her side and learn from her.  I've packed up the 7 blocks that are done and taken the next four--way more than I can get done this week but it pays to be prepared, right?  This was one of those Block of the Month kit deals, with all the fabrics and the patterns.

I hope to be able to share some photos of the week ahead with you.  Stay tuned.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

Post-Houston Busy-Ness and Semper Fi!

First, today is the 240th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps.  I am a proud USMC veteran and send out a loud Semper Fi! to all my fellow Marines, past and present.  Those were the best four years of my life.  Not that the other years haven't been great but there is nothing better than serving my country in uniform.

Being gone for 2 weeks to Houston means life is very busy when I return.  Bills, mail, newspapers, laundry, and lots of class samples to prepare.  Here are my Winter 2016 classes at Patches & Stitches, my local quilt shop:

Leaders/Enders--make Free Quilts!  I'll teach at least 5 easy units that become great quilts as you are making other projects.  Save time, thread, and use those scraps!

The Feathered Star block--a process class, not paper-pieced, using Marsha McCloskey's book.  A beautiful center for a wonderful quilt.

Color College:  Winter Semester Opposites Attract--using the terrific book on Color by Becky Goldsmith:  The Quilter's Practical Guide to Color. I've written about it here and here.  This is the second of four classes using this book.  My design varies a bit from Becky's--come to class to find out why...

Kisses and Hugs, the Japanese X and + quilt.  This is a great project with scraps.  I've taught it several times and everyone does very well with those tricky intersections. 

I also have 3 sessions of Quiltmaking 101 from January through April. I really love teaching beginners, and trying to get them enthused about the Quiltmaking process.  My goal is to addict one of them, each class, totally and completely to Quilting--that is how my passion and the industry can continue to grow.  And I'm always successful at that goal.

Next week I have the pleasure of going to a private retreat for a small group of quilt teachers.  I have lots of projects to take, several things I want to learn on the business side of the industry and plan to relax a bit too.  Did I mention it's at a beach?  Too cold to swim in the Atlantic Ocean this time of year so the indoor pool will have to do.  More on all that when I get back.

While I was in Houston, my grand-girl, Stella LeAnne Wilkins was baptized in Huntsville.  Here are a few photos from the event.  Can't wait to see her here at Christmas!

Stella with her Mama.  

My happy husband with his grand-girl!

Let's Quilt!

Barbara 

Progress and the Ugly Quilt

I've been working on a few projects, as usual.  Here is the top for Kisses + Hugs, also known as the Japanese X and + blocks:

I added 3 more rows to the top I had prepared for my Quilt-In class and am now declaring this top "done".  Some simple straight line quilting, a binding and a label, and it's finished.  Very bright and cheerful. 

Last week I quilted both Box of Wine and the Ugly Quilt, with free motion and straight line quilting.  They turned out all right.  That free-motion process takes lots of practice and I just haven't put in the time yet to improve beyond "OK".  More tops, more practice, more classes, I'll get there.

Box of Wine, class sample for Color College

 I'll be teaching a series of classes about color, using the wonderful new book by Becky Goldsmith, The Quilters Practical Guide to Color.   I wrote about that here.

The Ugly Quilt

This will be donated--it's just weird enough to appeal to a young person, I hope.

This is my Tumbler Leader/Ender project.  Bonnie Hunter does an annual Leader/Ender challenge, learn about this one the 2015 Leader/Ender Challenge,  There are four rows of 60 tumblers laid out, not sewn yet, no rush.

New start, Smitten by Jen Carson Kingwell.  I saw this a couple months ago on Instagram, most people are doing the blocks with English Paper Piecing.  Some are hand piecing, some machine piecing, and some are doing the hybrid method, some of each.  There is a set of Marti Michell Perfect Patchwork Templates, Set H, that has all the pieces necessary for all the blocks so I am using them.  I machine pieced this block, Y seams and all, and will keep going with that process.  No rush on this one either. 

What are you working on this summer?  It's too hot here to be outside much so quilting keeps me cool.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

Three Amigas Retreat

My two best quilting buddies and I get together each summer for 2 days of quilting, talking, laughing, some eating, and mostly reconnecting as one of us moved 125 miles away some years back.  We look forward to this time and have already decided next year HAS to be 3 days so there can be some retail therapy too.

A few weeks ago I cut the strips for this new class sample and got it made at our retreat:

Box of Wine  40" x 48"

 

It's from a great new book on Color:  The Quilter's Practical Guide to Color by Becky Goldsmith.  I first wrote about it here.  I will be using this book to teach four separate classes in a series I'm calling Color College.  This is for Fall Semester--it shows how clear and grayed fabrics can work well together.  This book is packed with practical, easy to understand information about color but you DO have to read it to get the most out of it.  My hope is that those who take all four classes will have read the entire book by the time they finish the fourth class and have a better grasp on using color in their quilts.  Now it's on to the quilting.

My other finish is this, a compilation of blocks from the Simple What Nots Clubs I led over the past year.  Rather than make a bunch of small quilts, I put the parts and sample bits together:

Simple What Nots Club Parts 1 and 2, approx. 60" square

 

Then Ellen surprised me with a birthday gift, a quilt for my grandchild (ren), called "Sleeping at BB's":

"Sleeping at BB's", 40" x 48"

 

I love how bright and cheerful and scrappy it is and the beautiful machine quilting Ellen put into it!

Here are a few shots of their work, except that Sharon won't let me post several of her pieces as they are class samples for our Quilt-In July  18:

Ellen--we do love our scrappy quilts!

Ellen--always uses her leftovers for another little quilt

Ellen--she makes big quilts too

Ellen--this looks familiar--her guild did a red and white swap block challenge

Ellen--had to make a little one too, great quilting!

Ellen--Snowballs and Nine Patches

Ellen--GREAT Quilt of Valor, she almost finished during our retreat

Sharon--after she bound 4 quilts for her upcoming class

 

Time spent with these two is always so special, particularly because it doesn't happen often enough and we really have to make time to be together.  The first night Sharon's husband, Rick, grilled chicken and we all shared a terrific dinner at her house, including my husband.  Great times!

Time to scour the closets and bookshelves again for more stuff for our guild Yard Sale.

And look who is one month old today:

Stella!
 

Let's quilt!

More Stash and Simple WhatNots Club

 

 

I learned about these wonderful fabric bundles recently on Lori's blog, Humble Quilts. They come from Two Thimbles Quilt shop in Bellingham, WA. There is 2 yards in each bundle, 12 strips, 6" wide by WOF, and the cost of $14.95 seems very reasonable to me. So I bought 3 of them.  I could have bought 4 and paid the same on shipping,  something I forgot to check before I placed the order.  The best part is there is only 1 fabric in the 36 pieces I already have so it was a great stash enhancement event! Their service was excellent--I placed the order on Wednesday and the Priority box arrived today, Saturday.  Thanks, Lori!

There was very little Civil War/1800's fabric at Spring Market.  Most lines are bright and clear and a lot of solids.  The new lines are pretty fabrics, but I still love 1800's repros a lot.  So that is how I justify adding to my collection.  I will use several of these in my Stars in a Time Warp quilt. 

Last night was the Simple WhatNots Club by Kim Diehl for Henry Glass Fabrics that I am conducting at my local shop.  Here are 2 quilts completed from last month's pattern:

Michelle did 16 blocks, Anna did 9, both are great

The pattern is called Cloud Nine and those blocks are 3.75" finished.  I love how you get a little bitty Churn Dash/Monkey Wrench were the blocks come together at the corners. 

This is the pattern we are doing for May, called True Blue.  Each block is 6" finished.  I used one background fabric where the pattern uses several.  My tip for these small blocks is to use a small stitch, 2.0 or 12/inch, and press all the seams open.  These 2 blocks will become part of my WhatNots Sampler quilt, where I am combining the parts of many of these small quilts into one large quilt.  See my post about the parts on the design wall here.  There is only one month to go and I am working on that project now. 

Last night I also told the group about Becky Goldsmith's wonderful new book:

The Quilter's Practical Guide to Color, by Becky Goldsmith


 

I botch the title, I'm afraid.  Becky did a blog this morning about this, featuring a short video tutorial on color:  Color Tutorial.  She quoted my email to her about how much I like this book and think it will be so helpful to quilters.  I plan to teach 4 classes from this book and I'm calling it Color College.  We'll have Fall Semester this September, Winter Semester in January, Spring semester in May  and Summer School, in summer 2016.  Each class will be independent of each other.  The plan is to use 4 of the projects in the book to teach skills with color and by the end of the 4 classes, the students will have read the book.  I know many quilters buy great books, flip through them and don't read them.  You will get lots of out this book if you READ it!

May you all have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday and remember:  We are the Home of the Free, thanks to the Brave.

Let's quilt!

Barbara