PRODUCTION MODE

 So far this month I have completed 4 quilt tops and the month is not half over. Deadlines have a way of forcing production.

LUCKY STARS got off to a good start. I wrote about this project before: NEW HANDWORK PROJECT and LUCKY STARS PROGRESS. But I just wasn't feeling this quilt.  I LOVE swapping fabrics with my Sunday Sew and Sew friends. That continues. So, after making 4  blocks I called it  "DONE".

Here is the completed wallhanging top:

LUCKY STARS, 35" square

As soon as the 2027 Block of the Month quilt top FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE was completed, I took it to longarm quilter extraordinaire Patty Wilson. She is working on it right now and I will have it back soon. Here it is again, 84" square:

Then it was time to complete two new WORKSHOP SAMPLES for a wonderful Caribbean Cruise March 17-26, 2028. Yes, a year and a half from now. We have to work well in advance. The cruise is through the American Quilters Society (AQS) Registration won't open for at least a few months. Their website in that link lists other cruises so you can get an idea how it works. Holland America is the cruise line and I am excited to try them. The ship has less than 2000 passengers, a nice change from the 7000 passenger cruises I have done lately. Save the date and start saving your pennies, we will have a fantastic time!

UPDATE: This is the FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT about this cruise. You can see the instructors, the itinerary and the prices. The  Workshops will be announced shortly when official REGISTRATION opens. PLAN NOW TO JOIN US:

AQS Southern Caribbean Cruise 2028

Here are my two WORKSHOP SAMPLES. There will be optional KITS for those who want to order them or you can bring your own fabric. Each of these is a Two-Day class, while we are at sea:

LONE STAR AT SEA, 25" square

TROPICAL ROSE STAR, 28" x 32" 

Now I have to do all the paperwork. And I will make two additional samples before this year is out so I can have two quilted/finished samples and two that are just tops. You can learn a lot from seeing the back of a quilt top.

Then it's time to start packing for the FALL RETREAT in Livermore, CA--I head west September 27 for a week of fun AND teaching two great classes. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

KEEPING BUSY

 There are always multiple projects going on in my Studio. Take a look: 

At my guild meeting last week I picked up two "Comfy Quilts" that needed binding. The first I did by machine, the second I am hand sewing the binding to the back. They will be returned next month and will be donated to one of several organizations the HERITAGE QUILTERS OF HUNTSVILLE  supports with quilts:

This is the time of year I work to finish the current Block of the Month for THE QUILT SHOW so I can concentrate on the NEXT BOM coming in January 2027. Game On! is  designed by Becky Goldsmith. I am making BOTH the SOLID and PRINT kit versions:

SOLID through Month 11, almost done:

PRINT through Month 11, ready for Month 12 to be completed. Flight of the Bumblebee, 2027's BOM, is on the wall behind it--I don't want to take it down until it's finished so the wall is a bit distracting:

I spent some time cutting all the fabrics/pieces needed for the remaining four borders that are made in Month 12. This allowed me to plan the fabrics as I like and each border is ready for sewing as I get to it:

LUCKY STARS is still ongoing. The next star is made by paper piecing using the pattern my friend Cyndi R created and the next ring of wedges is ready to be sewn by hand, English Paper Piecing (EPP):

I had another idea of how to use the great fabrics I get each month from my Sunday Sew and Sew friends should I decide not to make any more Lucky Stars. I have always been taken with Timna Tarr's Circle quilts and this would work. 

First, I considered using one neutral background like any of these, OR the neutral Charm Packs I have on hand:

Here is one of hers using neutral backgrounds and several fabrics in each circle:

Scrappy Snacks by Timna Tarr

But then I saw this one of hers and REALLY LIKE it:

O Happy Day by Timna Tarr

Good thing I don't have to decide today...

Some people may only work on one project at a time. That doesn't work for me as I always have several deadlines looming. 

This is also when I  plan next year's local classes. If you are local OR want to come to Huntsville for classes, let me know what interests you. My usual WORKSHOPS are listed above under the WORKSHOP TAB.  Here are a few thoughts at this moment:

FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE:  DEMO CLASS once a month, 2 hours, I will show exactly how to make that month's segment of this complex quilt. Membership in The Quilt Show is required--that gets you the FREE PATTERN once a month. You will sew at home:

FEATHERED STARS PAPER PIECED: learn detailed paper piecing while making the perfect block for a center medallion or start a full quilt of Feathered Stars:

MY FAVORITE THINGS: a four-day, once a month class that teaches so much, my favorite blocks, AND how to design your own unique layout, or use mine:

OH MY STARS: this will happen somewhere in 2027--perhaps a one day Workshop for a local guild. Stay tuned: 

Let's quilt.

Barbara

LUCKY STARS PROGRESS

 A few months back I mentioned a new handwork project: LUCKY STARS. I was inspired by my friend Jackie Kunkel of Tuscon AZ as she showed all the great stars she was preparing: 

Jackie Kunkel photo

The Pattern from KUSTOM KWILTS
www.kustomkwilter.com

Read that first post for much more information: HERE

Getting fabric from my 12 Sunday Sew and Sew friends is a fun and easy way to gather a wide variety of fabrics each month. There is an assigned color each month and we each bring one light and one dark 3.5" square of that color for each person. These are very easy to cut from fat quarters. 

We "deal" them out as people arrive and everyone goes home with 12 light and 12 dark squares of the color. Here is the first month's table with the color Orange:

I thought I was going to LOVE this project. It's been a bit of a struggle. The pattern is great, the instructions are fine, I LOVE the design BUT...  I really don't know why I feel this way. 

I  LOVE making the 15 wedge ring by English Paper Piecing (EPP)--that is fun and simple handwork:

Joining the center star with black background to the outer wedge ring I find a bit more challenging:

So far I have made these 3, using different techniques each time:

I left the cardstock papers in before the machine applique--BIG mistake, it was a challenge to remove them after the applique

The "papers" were printed on Print n Piece Fuse Lite, easy enough and they stay in but they don't provide much of an edge for the EPP

Hybrid method, some hand, some machine applique and I took out the card stock wedges first--much better. 

I decided to machine applique the completed star to the black background, so much faster hand applique, and I am satisfied with that.

It is lucky that I have smart friends. One of them, Cyndi R., would rather Foundation Paper Piece (FPP) by machine than hand piece by the English Paper Piecing method (EPP). She worked with Electric Quilt (EQ8) to create a few star/centers that are the right size and shared those patterns with us.

Here are a few of Cyndi's blocks:

I printed her Split Star pattern on Freezer Paper and used it for my Blue/Aqua one:

For this one, I hand appliqued the outer Wedge Ring to the pieced Star, leaving the extra black background to be trimmed away after the applique was done.  I carefully removed the card stock papers from the Wedge Ring before the applique.  

After trimming the excess black background from behind the Wedge Ring, I machine appliqued the completed Star with Wedge Ring to a pieced black background square. Then I cut away the extra back background behind the Wedge Ring/Star.  I was happiest with this plan. 

A few of the Sunday Sew and Sews took a local class on how to make this entirely by machine, gluing all the pieces together then machine appliquing each seam. That is an interesting technique BUT this was supposed to be my ongoing HAND project so I am not interested in that method. 

So, for now, I will keep making Stars by Foundation Paper Piecing, using FREEZER PAPER as the foundation, then doing BOTH hand and machine applique to complete the block. 

If you want to know more about Foundation Paper Piecing with Freezer Paper, see my TUTORIAL HERE.

Susan C. said "I was DREADING this project BUT I LOVE this block and English Paper Piecing!" I am thrilled she is loving it. Look at her progress:

A few of our group haven't started yet so time will tell how many of us make a complete quilt. I can always use more placemats...

Let's quilt.

Barbara