4-Patch Posey

At the yearly quilting retreat I attend we had a class making a 4-Patch Posey quilt.  I started on my version and then it sat for two years.  I just wasn't happy with the sashing I had sewn around the blocks.  Fast forward to today.  We had a class at Foothills Quilters on how to make a 4-Patch Posey.  Yes!  I figured this is the perfect opportunity to pull out my unfinished project and get back to it.  I tore off the offending sashing and started fresh with different fabric for the sashing.  I got the top together and thought I was done.  But no - when I looked at it across the room, it just glared at me.  I could hardly stand to look at it.  So back to square one.  I tore it all apart again and tried one last time.  Now this new sashing feels just right to me.  Here's a picture of the finished quilt and a close-up of the sashing.  Note:  The border fabric is the fabric that is mirror cut to make the 4-patch blocks. 

Christmas Block of the Month-Old Fashioned Christmas

The top is now together with the Old Fashioned Christmas redwork blocks.  Now all that's left before the July meeting is to type the step-by-step instructions and I'm finished.  Hope the ladies like it.

Christmas Block of the Month - Traditional Christmas

The second half of the year, our Foothills group is doing a Christmas Block of the Month (BOM).  They'll have a choice of two different designs.   One is traditional Christmas and the other one is an old time Christmas.  I've had the red work blocks finished for a while but needed to put together the tops so I'd have them to show for the introduction to these BOMs.  I finished one this week, just in time for the July meeting when we plan to get it started.

Here's the traditional Christmas quilt:

Here's the old time Christmas quilt in process:

I need to finish it this week too because I have another project that is also due at the July meeting.  The inner ear/positional vertigo problem I've been dealing with for nearly 3 months has put me way behind.  I hate it when I have so much to do at the last minute!  But they're going together smoothly, so that makes me happy.  While I've been making them, I've been writing the step-by-step instructions and snapping photos of each step.  It should be a breeze to get them typed and made into a hand-out - if I can just read my scribbled notes, that is (grin).

Stone Soup Challenge

Our guild chapter (Foothills Quilters) is doing a quilting challenge this year called the Stone Soup Challenge.  Each participant is to  put together a quilt using the ingredients provided in a block packet I put together, adding their own fabric ingredients, and making a "delicious" quilt for all to see and enjoy.  The theme is based on the traditional story of how starving villagers put their meager stores together to make a big pot of delicious soup for everyone to share:  A carrot here, an old potato there, etc.  Likewise, a pinch of this fabric and a dash of that fabric could turn into a creative and wonderful quilt.  The theme I selected was antique toys using bright fabric that could be used as a donation for our charity, Arrowhead Hospital and it's Neonatal Unit.  We make them both preemie quilts and isolette covers.  In exchange they let us use their meeting room for our sewing meeting each month.

Below is a picture of the packets the ladies had to choose from.  Each packet contains one applique block, one 9-patch, a fat eighth, a nickel square, and a piece of rick rack.

The whole chapter will vote on their favorite in several categories and some nice prizes will be awarded.

It's Finished - Joy's Rabbit Quilt

Woohoo, I finished Joy's quilt late Friday night.  I'm happy with how it turned out.  It took me a little over 39 hours to quilt it on my longarm.  I tried some things I hadn't before, such as echo quilting around applique and free- hand stitch-in-the-ditch on the borders.  And they both worked.  Yeah!  I enjoyed quilting this one and once I got going, I didn't even hold my breath while I was working (grin).  The "jittery nerves" thing usually gets to me but this time it was okay.  Wonder if I'm finally acclimating to longarm quilting. 

Here's a picture of the finished quilt:

Joy's Rabbit Quilt

I'm in the process of quilting Joy's darling Rabbit quilt.  It's been waiting patiently while I've been down with an inner ear infection and positional vertigo.  It's been an awful several months without being able to quilt.  I've been so dizzy and my eyes have also been bouncy so couldn't even read.  I finally got back into my sewing room last week.  Yeah!  Here's a picture of Joy's cute quilt in process.

Today I'm outlining the applique and echo quilting around it.  I'm also doing a small stippling around the baskets.  I'm having fun with this one and, thankfully, it's going well.