UFO finish for June

My UFO #12 for Judy's UFO challenge. Two small 9 patch quilts. The nine patches were swapped in an online 2004 swap hosted by Elaine MO with members of AAQMB. New samples for workshops on borders and FMQ.

 I also use them for machine covers.

 I used a batik sea horse print on the back to do the machine free motion quilting design.

quilt back

quilt front

 If Judy''s blog is up and running again, I'll have a link to The Patchwork Place on the 1st of July to see what other quilters finished for their June UFO for the 2012 UFO Challenge

Judy's site is kind of working. After checking for the new post on the UFO Challenge page I finally got it today altho it was posted on June 30th.??? I was able to link my post but now I can't get back on it to link it back to my blog :0( Oh well...

It's quilt #3 for July. A Dresden Plate quilt I started last year after taking a class from Analee Belden. 

Spring Blooms

It's Spring... but only in my sewing room. Rain rain rain for the second day. The garden is loving it and I've been busy making this class sample...

...for a paper piecing workshop at Cathy's the end of April. I love paper piecing and it's such a nice way to use up scraps. First learned to PP from Carol Doak on Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson.

These are from Anja Townrow's book called Dutch Flower Pot Quilts. I have her permission to use these two patterns for my class. They are both from her 2001 book which is still available. Published by AQS. Anja lives in Holland :0)
 

Here is a close up of the quilting. I had fun with that yesterday. Used a variegated Jeans weight thread for the stitches on the flower pot. Then Superior thread's King Tut for the remaining machine quilting including the feathers. 

This will be a fun class. Already have a few signed up. Saturday April 28th at Cathy's Sew and Vac. Click on the link for more details. TIA

Missed Design Wall Monday as my wall was empty except for the Blessing Baskets top that I finished over the weekend.

This is a great little QAL by Temecula Quilt Co. It's the perfect colors for my sewing room and I plan to make another small one with the original layout of five baskets to hang on the wall. This one will top an antique dresser.

I guess today could be WOW ~ WIPs on Wednesday :0) Another busy week with more rain on the way. Quilting 101 class coming up on Thursday.
Wishing a WOW to everyone today and a wonderful week. 

Just Takes 2

I am still fighting a flu bug. Almost 3 weeks... I'm so sick of being sick! I am better tho, after five days of antibiotics, a breathing treatment, inhaler, cough RX, soup and allot of sleep, I am finally vertical and able to do some quilting...

I worked on Just Takes 2 Mystery quilt. I am really enjoying the process! A little appliqué, paper piecing, templates and rotary cutting/piecing. I opted to add the Redwork as well. However, a different design. These are flower/heart designs from Alex Anderson's Redwork Garden. I tried to do the Redwork by hand, my attempt was pretty bad. I played around with my Bernina and came up with a way to make them by machine using free motion stitching...

Block 3 ~ California Poppy

 I resized the designs to fit these blocks. Block 3 is a California Poppy and on block 4 are Morning Glories and Sweet Pea...

Block 4 ~ with Morning Glory and Sweet Pea

The appliqué I am doing by hand, just not needle turn. I came up with a combination of methods by various quilter/teachers. Basically, using freezer paper and a glue stick I make the shape first and then hand stitch them down. Here are the hearts for block 6, ready to be stitched...

I love needle turn hand appliqué, both the process and the look but it's hard on my hands. Machine appliqué methods are just too flat!  I found a happy medium that works for me.

I also worked on my blog...

Check out the new pages I added under my header... quilts I am working on, UFOs and a gallery. The gallery page is still "under construction" until I dig up some photos of finished quilts.

January UFO #5

My January UFO. It's called Connected Friends!
Finished Jan 22, 2012 for Judy's 2012 UFO Challenge

Connected Friends ~ finished quilt

quilt top completed in 2004

Quilted in January 2012 with a star panto

added a sleeve and it will hang in my quilting studio

This quilt is very special to me. It started out with a Celestial Swap hosted by Luna Lisa while we were all on Alex Anderson's message board. We traded squares of celestial theme fabrics. Stars and planets! Some were patriotic, some batiks, some with glitter... all sorts and colors. 20 quilters participated. I still have the list :0) lunalisa, cjs, Kath WI, darlin, Tammie IL, moonbear, Heather in AL, wafermaker, TJ, TJ's daughter, Gayle Ca, Tingirl, ship4me, Daddy Kevin, PmintPattie, Waterlady, sewquilts, cougarvolley, quiltingbee and Meredith CA. Fabrics came from all over the US and Canada. I kept the list along with my original friendship star plan when making the top along with the finished quilt top for years. The swap was in June but I'm not sure if it was 2003 or 04? I didn't write down the year.

I also do not remember the designer of Connected Friends or which book I found it in... Found it! Connected Friends is a quilt designed by Susan Dissmore and is in her Clever Quarters book :0)

I do remember working on this quilt top during the summer while living in the Lake Tahoe area. Marlene Ball, an original member of AAQMB attended a quilt retreat in Tahoe each year. Mar and I spent the day together after the retreat at my home before she headed home the nest day. I worked on this quilt top while she sat in my big comfy overstuffed chair doing some hand quilting while we chatted. I loved spending time with her each year when she came to Tahoe. Mar passed away about 2 years ago.  I miss her...

That message board was pivotal to my quilting back then. I lived in a remote area of the mountains, no neighbors, no quilting friends, no LQS. There is now, Penny opened Quilting Tahoe after I moved away. Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson, her board, it's members and the Internet were my window to the quilting world. The message board was shut down about the same time I left Tahoe, the end of 2005. Still in contact with a few members. Marilyn, whom I also met annually when she vacationed in Tahoe. We stayed in phone contact over the years and she was a big support when my husband passed away in 2006. Sewquilts, who's fabrics are in this quilt top, became friends on the MB and are still in contact. Sally MO, all three of them were a hugh support when my life was falling apart. Plus many more quilters all over the states and Canada. 

Since I started blogging last year I found Vicky and her LA Quilter blog. She and I participated in Civil War fabric and 9 patch swaps. Judy Laquidara of Patchwork Times was a member of AAQMB. Just last week Tingirl, who participated in the Celestial swap commented on my blog when she recognised the fabrics! It's a wonderful quilting world!

So you see why this quilt means allot to me. Fitting that is was #5 and the first UFO to be finished in Judy's challenge. Thank you Judy, this has brought back some wonderful memories. It will hang in my quilting studio and forever remind me of Connected Friends.