2010 AQG Quilt Show

I went to the AZ Quilter's Guild Show on Friday.  What wonderful quilts this year!  I was especially impressed with the wonderful quilting on them.  Here is a picture of the Best in Show winner - made by Terri Doyle.

Here are a few more of my favorites:

On the above embroidered Sun Bonnet Sue quilt, the quilting was what made it so interesting.  There were things like windows and trees and such quilted into the background.  Here are a couple of samples of that (click to enlarge).

The following quilt was spectacular and the detailed quilting was breathtaking. 

Here's an especially pretty grandmother's flower garden quilt.

The colors on the one below were so calm and peaceful.  I just loved the border applique too.

I loved this cute house quilt.

Here are pictures of the round robin quilts my applique group and I had in the show.  They looked so nice all hanging in a row.  The individual pictures in order are of Joy's, Elaine's Patty's, Joni's, Linda's (me), & Pam's quilts (I didn't get a picture of Joni with her quilt).

Here is a direct link to more of the pictures if you'd like to see some more "eye candy":

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/577004606TitDfT?vhost=good-times

Faded Memories Quilt - Top Finished

I just finished this Faded Memories quilt top this evening.  The pieced blocks were finished in 2006 and then sat in UFO status until now.  They are blocks that were made following a 2005 mystery quilt weekend by Planet Patchwork called Opposites Attract.  This is the 5th quilt I made using that mystery pattern.  On this quilt I set the blocks on-point and added alternating floral blocks.  The original mystery used only the pieced blocks - when set together side by side using high contrast fabrics (as directed during the mystery), they are a real eye bender.  Over the last 2 days I set the blocks on-point and added borders so now the top is finished:

Here are pictures of the other 4 quilts. 

This first one is in the layout of the mystery weekend - more of an eye bender.  My sister wanted a pink and blue quilt so I made this one for her in 2006 using the same fabrics as above by Moda called Faded Memories:

Here is another one I completed in 2006.  On this one you can really see why I call it an eye bender.  I originally made this one for my mother; she wanted a pink & blue quilt too, but this one turned out looking blue & yellow instead, so I made her a different quilt instead.  I got to keep this one myself.

This next quilt is one I made for my dear friend Laura.  It's set on-point like the first one above.  This one turned out especially nice and fits Laura to a tee.  You see, I was fabric shopping with Laura one day, and she was pointing at the various fabrics she liked, and that would look good in her house.  Later I went back to the store, and bought several fabrics in the line she liked, and made her a quilt.  I gave it to her for her Birthday in 2006 as a top and quilted it for her in 2007.

The last of the 5 quilts in this pattern uses low contrast fabrics that kind of blend together.  The eye bender effect is not nearly as pronounced in this quilt.  It is a Chruistmas Opposites Attract.  It's the one I actually made during the Mystery Quilt weekend.  This one is still a UFO; it's not quilted yet.

Sunflowers Quilt - Top Finished

This year I hope to concentrate part of my energy on finishing UFOs........both tops that are in various stages of completion and doing the quilting on numerous tops that are finished.

Last week I finished a quilt top I call Sunflowers.  It's been aging for a few years and just needed the mitered borders.  The needle-turn applique was done when we took a road trip to see my brother in 2007.

Round Robin Quilt - "Happy Hearts"

I'm so excited with my round robin quilt and also excited that I finished quilting it last week.  It will be on display at the upcoming Arizona Quilters Guild Quilt Show. Here is a picture of my quilt; I call it "Happy Hearts":

I made the center block and then my friends in the applique group I belong to made the other rounds (rounds in order made by JoyZ, PattyW, ElaineC, JoniL, & PamF).  I quilted it with feathers in various places, McTavishing, plus meander and pebble fill.  Though I haven't quite mastered quilting on my longarm yet, the overall effect is okay, and I'm pleased with it.  The pictures I took of the quilting don't show it very well but here are a couple of the shots anyway.

When I get the quilt back home I need to figure out how to take clearer pictures so that the quilting will show up better.

I can't wait to see all of the round robins finished (5 others besides mine).  We'll have them all hanging together at the quilt show.  We didn't enter them to be judged; they'll just be for display only.

I feel badly that I was supposed to quilt all of these quilts as my part of the round robin and then got intimidated by the beauty of these quilts and was afraid I'd ruin them after just quilting my first one for Patty.  I ended up asking the other ladies if I could quilt a different quilt for them and let someone with more quilting experience and expertise quilt these lovely quilts.  Thankfully they were agreeable.  One even got an award winning quilter to quilt hers.  I can't wait to see how it and the others turned out after the quilting was completed.

Baltimore Album Quilt - Month 11 - Wreaths

My block for this month is a strawberry wreath.  I've always loved strawberries and really liked the look of this wreath block pattern.

Here is the second wreath I made - a lyre wreath.  I designed this block by incorporating pieces and parts of a number of lyre wreaths I like.  The large rose is rushed - my first time to try that gathering method.  Fun! 

Baltimore Album Quilt - Month 10 - Baskets

Holding this spot because my basket isn't completed yet.

Baltimore Top - only borders to go!

I couldn't wait to get up this morning so I could put all of the blocks together on my Baltimore.  I already had the sashing around the blocks so this morning all I had to do was sew the rows together.  Now on to the borders.  There will be another small gold border around this (I think you have to click to enlarge this view to see the first small gold border) and that will be followed by an applique swag border.  I hope it won't take too long to make that........I'm looking so forward to getting it finished.  Here it is with only borders to go...........

Baltimore Album Quilt Center Complete

I'm sooooo excited - I just completed the corners on the center block for my Baltimore quilt. 

Tomorrow I can put the blocks together and then start on the borders.  I'm so excited to get this quilt so close to being finished.  It's taken many, many hours to applique all of the blocks and I'm so pleased that it's almost there.

AZ Retreat 2010

I went to the AZ Retreat Thursday through Sunday (Feb 18-21) and had a wonderful time.  We had lots of free sewing time and also had plenty of time to talk and get caught up with friends. 

They had goodies on the tables for us this year (a heart pin cushion and a filled snap bag):

The hostess at my table (thanks PatH) also gave us a gift - some fat 8ths of some beautiful batik fabric:

 

We did a right and left game where a quilting story was read and we passed 5 fat quarters.  I won some more beautiful batiks (thanks Jonna):

There were door prizes that were drawn throughout the weekend - I was so happy to win Elly Sienkiewicz's DVD - Advanced Baltimore Applique:

We were also invited to pick out goodies from an exchange table - I enjoyed getting a few gently used items to bring home with me.

We had a fantastic guest speaker this year (Terri Doyle, an amazing longarm quilter). Here is a direct link to the pictures I took of her trunk show:   http://good-times.webshots.com/album/576862581OVIICb

We did some mini-classes; one on paper-piecing and one on making a large tote bag. There were some off-topic mini-classes this year too; on on tatting &amp on on beaded bracelets. We had one dinner out together at a nice restaurant (the Elephant Bar).  We did a block lotto, had an ice cream social, and of course went shopping at a local quilt shop (The 3 Dudes Quilt Shop).

The highlight for me is always show and tell.  Since there are 32 of us we spread it out so that there are several who show their quilts each day.   I just love seeing what the other ladies have made and it inspires me to keep quilting.  Here is a direct link to the quilts shown during the show and tell sessions:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/576859887zKTQKK

Baltimore Album Quilt - Blocks and Inking Complete

Here are all of the blocks for my first Baltimore Album Quilt.  The Center is on-point and a picture of it is in the previous post. These are close-ups of the remaining blocks with their inking completed.

Block 1:  North, South, East, West; Home is Best

Block 2:  Friendship

Block 3: Courage

Block 4:  Love, Marriage, Home, Family

Block 5:  Faith, Hope, Peace, Love

Block 6:  Our Three Sons

Block 7:  Gratitude

Block 8:  Gather Blessings

Block 9:  Bend to the Patterns of Life with Grace

Block 10:  Abundance

Block 11:  Joyous

Block 12:  Do What Makes Your Heart Sing

Baltimore Album Quilt - Center Block for First Baltimore Album Quilt

Here is the center block for the first Baltimore Album quilt I'm making.  It is a silhouette of my husband & I. 

Center Block:  I Bless the Day I Found You

And here's a close-up of the block.  The silhouettes are inked.  Believe me when I say, I was pretty scared to start doing all of the inking on this quilt.  I was afraid that I'd ruin some of the blocks that I had spent so many hours appliqueing.  They all turned out to be okay though - whew!  I'll post updated photos of the blocks for this quilt with the inking on them next.

I picked out fabric for the sashing and the borders the other day so now I'm really getting excited to get the quilt put together.  I plan to applique a swag border with ribbons between each swag.  I can hardly wait to get this one finished!  Especially now that I can see the finish line.

Baltimore Album Quilt - month 9 - Eagles

I found this antique eagle pattern in a Quilters Newsletter Magazine some time ago and have been longing to get to the month we make eagles so I could make him.  I liked everything about the pattern except the face.  The face on the pattern looked more like a duck so I changed it to look a little more majectic - more like an eagle.  Of course I just had to embellish him some too.  He has the word courage written by his foot.  It's in honor of my grandson, Logan, who just went into the Army in January.  I'm so proud of him for deciding to serve our country.  He says he even likes basic training so far.  Way to go Logan!

I've decided to use the blocks I've made so far and make two quilts.  Now that this eagle block is finished, I've completed all of the blocks for the first quilt.  I have four more blocks I want to make for the second quilt.

I'm back

Hope you had a happy Valentines Day and cupid got you with his arrow.

I can't believe it's been a whole month since I posted to my blog.  It really couldn't have been that long, could it? I had a little surgery (skin cancer) that was a bit more extensive than I had imagined.  But I'm healing up now and should be able to get back in the swing of things.