Pre-Houston Rush

Everyone who works at Market and/or Festival is in the pre-Houston rush stage. Just look at #quiltmarket on Instagram to see a bit of all the great stuff that will be revealed soon.

For me, it's getting clothes and paperwork ready for 13 days at the Hilton Americas, a great hotel I love staying at. The staff is wonderful and I really look forward to seeing so many of the same people year after year.

Yesterday I taught two classes, 3 hours each at two different shops, 21 total students. First, was a Creative Log Cabin class, using the Creative Grids 8" Log Cabin Trim Tool. It was a fast-paced class, helping all 8 students learn the basics and the easy but specific steps I've come up with to make these blocks fast, fun and accurate. Success!:

Class scenes:

Rhonda with her Featherweight and Quilts of Valor fabrics

Sharon's contemporary strips

My Class Sample:

At noon, 5 of these students and I hustled on to the next location for our Monthly Long Time Gone session. This was session 2 and I was thrilled to see the great blocks 13 students had made this month. Did I think to take a photo of the design wall covered with all those blocks? No... Next month. Here is my Section 1:

My Section 2:

We meet for 3 hours once a month for 6 months. I give tips and tricks for that month's section. The students take notes, ask questions and play with their fabrics--no need to bring a sewing machine for only 3 hours when I have so much to teach for each block. They are making wonderful quilts!

My Spellbound sample is now on the wall at Huntsville Sew and Vac.  Class is two sessions, Saturday November 11 and Saturday December 2. Any two Jelly Rolls, exactly the same, will work for this simple yet graphically dynamic quilt:

 Today I made the splendid little Stella a splendid little pillowcase for her Splendid Sampler quilt:

I'm eager to see her reaction--this makes a terrific I Spy quilt.

Have I mentioned how much this family LOVES Halloween?!

Lauren, Stella and Andy as Rick and Morty, whoever that might be...

I also quilted and bound the Palmateer Point mystery quilt I made a few weeks ago:

My stack of small quilts is growing by leaps and bounds--I think I'll add a dozen or so to my Etsy shop when I get back from Houston. Most are small, this one is about 25" square.

I probably won't get time to blog much while working in Houston but I'll add photos to Instagram and Facebook regularly. See you when I get back.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

A Few Finishes

After a busy September traveling, I'm now in the "soon to go to Houston" mode. And I've been busy teaching local classes here.

My "go-to" quilt to make as a gift for nieces and nephews graduating from college is what I call the Super Southern Star--it's from Calico Carriage Quilt Designs. No "Y" seams, only half square triangles. I've taught it many times and have made about a dozen of them, about 75" square.

Here is one a student just completed as a wedding gift:

A quilter won't mistake this pattern for a "real" Lone Star" or Star of Bethlehem quilt but it makes a bed-size quilt top in a weekend and can then be quilted simply or with more complexity.

I recently taught this locally to 5 fairly new quilters. They did great in  our one all-day class, learning all the steps needed to finish their quilts. In the morning they learn how to make one quarter of the center:

In the afternoon they learn how to make one quarter of the side panels:

Two center quarters done, you can really start to see the star

  

They will all have terrific quilts when they are finished. Here is the one I made as a sample to keep for myself:

My two garments for Houston are now officially done. We are given fabric each year from manufacturers so we can make garments we wear on specific days while working on the Education Team. This helps identify us as staff and helps us in planning our wardrobes--I am there 13 days so having specific jackets I wear on specific days sure helps with  packing. Five pairs of black slacks, a bunch of shells or blouses, and the jackets are all I need. We can make whatever we want and can add one additional fabric to the ones we are given. These fabrics are from Alexander Henry, I added the red:

This is a beautiful rayon from the Menagerie collection of Rifle Paper Company, part of Cotton + Steel, a division of RJR Fabrics:

The other day I just wanted to quilt something so this wallhanging Trip Around the World was basted and ready--a former class sample. In a few hours I quilted  and bound it and it's now added to the pile of potential "gift" quilts:

Today I finished the Palmateer Point Sew-A-Long quilt from Humble Quilts. Lori does a small quilt sew-a-long once a year or so and I usually join in. Without a border, 21" square:

With a border, 25" square:

Think I'll baste, quilt and bind this one soon--no sense adding it to the unfinished top pile.

I have one more bed-size top for a class sample to get made in the next two weeks so I better get busy on that.

Let's quilt!

Barbara