Quilters Dream Weekend!

My friend Lisa from Canada called a few weeks ago and was in need of some serious getaway time. She'd found this retreat and asked whether I wanted to go.  What could I say, but "Yes."

Quilters Dream Weekend is put on twice a year, April and October. It is a lovely venue with plenty of room to sew and some really nice folks to sew with. In April, they offer "mini" classes that are taught by other participants; in October, you just sew.  Well, except for October 2015; Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville fame is coming then! (Marei...maybe you should mark your calendar)

This is the basic set-up.  You bring your table or can use one of theirs and they have several ironing stations set up in the middle. A block challenge, a fat-quarter giveaway and raffle prizes are all given. Food is included and it is the best I've ever had at a retreat. I sat by a group of ladies from NW Washington. Sharylann owns Tangled Threads Quilt Shop and her friend, Shirley, has her longarm set up in her shop. There were also two Donna's, a Deb and several other wonderful ladies who were all friends that adopted Lisa and myself and made sure we were having a good time.

The sleeping cabins; beds on both floors. You can upgrade to private accommodations, but I didn't see the point. I spent the majority of my time sewing!

This photo is of the grounds. I woke up early and took a walk each morning. One morning, while talking with Dennis on the phone, an entire herd of elk ran by. That was the coolest thing ever. Made me wish I had a real camera and was ready to shoot. Although they were in the mist, so I think my "memory" photo is better.

I took several projects to work on and actually finished one top and made a second from a Hunter's Star class.  Now here is where reading directions actually would have paid off.  They said two "contrasting" fabrics, what'd I choose...two BORING fabrics. They wouldn't have been boring had I not put them in the same quilt or added something for some pop. Live and learn.  And now I have a lovely, muted, Hunter Star background to do some applique and/or thread painting on (I think that's what they call "making lemonade from lemons")

This is what it could have looked like, had I read the instructions.

This is the top I took and finished. I purchased this "Quilt in a Bag" kit years ago at PIQF in Santa Clara. I figure its a close as I'll come to that Africa trip that's on my Bucket List. It turned out pretty well, although I don't love it as much as I did when I first saw it. But that is one less UFO.

Hard to tell from the crappy photo (sorry), but the outside has pictures of lions, zebras, elephants, etc., and the inner fabric is suppose to be zebra stripes.  I'll do better if/when it ever gets quilted.

Dory

A Family Affair

 In 1979, my neice, Corrie Rae, died at the age of four. She was a very special little girl and we all still miss her.  She was the daughter of my sister, Donna.  Donna has kept a box of Corrie's clothes all this time not wanting to get rid of them, yet not knowing what to do with them.

Several years ago it was decided to make a memory quilt with the clothes. Corrie's older sister, Christy, took the clothes apart. My other sister, Barbara, pieced this beautiful Sun Bonnet Sue quilt with the clothes, adding fabric (like the background) where necessary. Barb will bring the quilt to me when she visits in May and I'll quilt it. I think we'll have Dennis embroider a label for the back.

Not only has this project been a family affair, but it is such a great tribute to a wonderful little girl that will forever be four in our hearts.

Dory

Happy Easter

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!

Dory

Finally...Off the Frame

As promised, here is the finished "2007 Great Alaska Shop Hop Quilt." This quilt took such a long time to finish, over a week I think. Between life and thread changes, its a wonder I ever finished. This is a photo of the main threads that I used on the quilt. Quite a variety.

I wanted to make this quilt fun, without going too crazy. First a reminder "before" picture. This has actually been quilted, but without better lighting (which I'm working on), you can't really tell.

And now...some of the many different blocks. I tried out several things for the first time ever and am quite pleased with how they turned out. For example, curved cross-hatching. I used Deloa Jones Boomerang ruler and it was quite easy. For a better look at the quilting, click on the photo to enlarge it.

Nothing special about the quilting on this block...I just liked the colors.

This block has my favorite "flower" in the center. I used the design in the center of a few other blocks as well, for some continuity.

These blocks represent Aurora Borealis viewed over the mountains. (click here to see a real picture of the Northern Lights that is quite similar to these blocks.) Lyn wanted to make sure that the mountains actually looked like mountains. I thought the diagonal lines quilted in the same direction as the mountain "tops" accomplished this.

With this block and a couple of other areas of sashing, I used Deloa Jones' "Rope-a-Dope" ruler for making cable. The hardest part was trying to determine how to do the corner; I was pleased with how it turned out.

I did meandering feathers for the leaves in this tree and then tried another new quilting design for the grass and the tree bark.  The grass design came from Darlene Epp's Pocket Guides. I've had these guides since I began longarm quilting and I refer to them all the time. They are indispensable.   

There were several tree blocks on this quilt. With this one, I did "bricks" (something new for me) at the bottom to give the effect that the tree was behind a bridge with water flowing underneath.

I kept the sashing and border quilting more simple to keep attention focused on the inner blocks in this quilt. A swag in the sashing and paisley fill in the border with matching thread accomplished the look I was going for. 

This was a fun quilt to work on. My brain was tired by the end, so I took a day off and made a convergence quilt. 

Thanks for looking!!

Dory

April Fool's Day...almost

As you all are quite aware, today is April Fool's Day. Yesterday, however, we woke up to this trick thanks to Mother Nature!

Miss Emma was not impressed!

Fortunately, by early afternoon, the snow lost the battle and had almost completely disappeared. Spring snow storms are beautiful!

Dory