SUNDAY SEW AND SEWS

 In December 2016, a couple of fairly new students asked me if I thought they were "capable" of making the 2017 Block of the Month quilt for The Quilt Show, Halo Star Medallion, designed by Sue Garman:

I told them they were capable, BUT it would not be a fast, throw-together quilt, and they would learn a lot from it. I had no plans to make it but would answer any questions they had.

After thinking about it, I decided I would enjoy putting a small group together to work on this quilt. I reached out to my quilt guild Facebook group and had to stop taking names when I reached 15 people! As I was busy teaching a lot, the only two hours a month I had were on Sunday afternoon--so we became the Sunday Sew and Sews. 

Most of them are still members and while not everyone works on the current Block of the Month quilt with The Quilt Show, they all learn from what it can teach us. And most importantly, they have become close friends, with me and each other.

Last Sunday we met and Show and Tell is always a highlight. Enjoy:

Donna D has two adorable grandchildren. Auston gets this Alphabet/I Spy quilt:

 

And Miss E gets this Numbers quilt--both totally appropriate gifts from their retired schoolteacher grandma!

Donna also showed us this wedding gift she made, pattern and colors selected by the couple:

Then we got to see this amazing Western Sun made by Jodie L. She started it in a local class I taught and it is the same size as mine, 110" x 110", why you can't see the entire quilt here. She used a wide variety of 1800's reproduction fabrics, as did I, so I LOVE this quilt! And her accent squares are red, while mine were cheddar: 

Pam R showed off this wonderful Kim Diehl pattern, another great quilt with lots of fabrics:

And Pam went in a completely different direction with this. The center is a Robin Ruth's designs Mariner's Compass. I don't recall the story of the corner blocks--I believe they are from Kaffe Fassett prints:

Judi H has been enjoying bluework--hand embroidery with blue thread: 

And Judi had a new baby to welcome into the world. Brenda M, one of the original instigators of the Sunday Sew and Sews, quilted this for Judi, and the top was made from another Sunday Sew and Sews pattern. The late Janet Noever designed this as her go-to donation quilt pattern for many quilts she made and gave to local hospitals. After she passed the Sunday Sew and Sews helped complete about 50 of them:

Life is just one big circle, good and bad, happy and sad. We share all the "stuff of life" with each other.

This week we lost one of our beloved members, Nancy Hill Watts:

Many years ago Nancy had breast cancer. About two years ago, it returned and she underwent lots of treatments again and felt she was back in good health. In November she found out the cancer had spread to her lungs and her time with us was limited. Sadly, she passed away February 6, 2023.

Nancy loved all forms of needlework and will be greatly missed by many friends who shared that love with her. And her family. And her former work colleagues. And all who knew her. Her obituary taught me things I didn't know about her life before I came into it, as a quilter. Nancy Hill Watts

 

I have written about Sunday Sew and Sews many times--you can tell they are important  to me. Check out a few special posts here:

Janet's Legacy

A Tribute

Halo Star Medallion quilts-- check out THS POST to see the amazing Halo Star Medallion tops that came out of that first year 

The best thing a quilter can do is to surround her/him self with a special group of like-minded friends. All it takes is someone to say "Would you be interested in getting together?" 

We are all better as people and quilters because of the bonds of love and friendship we have built over these years. And it goes on.

Let's quilt.

Barbara