Virtual Retreat 2016

[twiglet]

No idea. Not cracked it yet :lol:

[lorra]

Well, I ended up doing 8 small quilts, not the six I first thought. I have one more to do, but no rush with that one. I finished the binding on my Colorful Rhapsody for our local guild show. Received a blue ribbon on it. I am glad that is finished. I am getting things ready for a quilt retreat next week. I really need it. I need close to 200 charm squares cut for the class we are doing. I have 70 cut so far. I am just cutting from the smaller pieces in my stash. It is a Scrappy Stars quilt.
DH went with me to the LQS looking for batik fabric. He likes the Hawaiian shirts, but they cost so much. I let him pick out two fabrics he liked. I will make the shirts, then I get the scraps to go in my stash . I guess my labor is free, and he gets two shirts for the price of one ready made one. Just need to get started before summer is over. :S :S I also save his old shirts. I will make a quilt from them someday too.
First priority is to get caught up on my row exchange. Then to finish my mystery quilt. Then I guess I will sew his shirts. At least he won't complain about the time I spend down in the sewing room.
Oh gosh! I forgot about the garden. I help him plant the veggies, and pick the veggies, but the canning and freezing is up to me. When is there ever enough time. hmy: hmy:

[she-quilts]

Congratulations, Cathy, on your blue ribbon! Fantastic!!

I hear you about the list of quilt projects and then real life like the garden and such need to jump in there! It is crazy here with us trying to get our crops planted but it has been so very rainy and now cold this weekend. We don't even think about the garden until he gets his acres planted. So... our garden is usually late. Tonight the gardens would need covered though as the low is forecast to be 34'. :\

I've been busy quilting for others and really have an itch to get a quilt of mine on the frame since I attended 3 classes this week at the Cedar Rapids, IMAQ, Machine Quilter's Showcase.

[lorra]

Thanks Frances. I love MQS. I haven't been able to go the last two years. Definitely want to go next year. Will it be in Cedar Rapids again? Maybe some of the TQS group can get together. They have great classes at MQS!!

[twiglet]

Wow Cathy congratulations on the ribbon for your colourful Rhapsody Quilt. Good idea making batik shirts, make sure you order enough . You sound really busy.

Happy sewing Joyce and Cathy, I must get out in the garden as well now it's getting a bit warmer

[genevacarroll]

Cathy, Congratulations on your blue ribbon! You have been busy....

I was in Cuba for 3 weeks in April. For Americans this is unusual, as we are not allowed to go unless we have permission from the US Treasury and go with an approved "people to people" group. We had a wonderful time, learned a lot and enjoyed the Cuban people. We went to the studio of Martha Jimenez in Camaguey. She is known internationally for her sculptures, paintings and etc. This is a big deal as most Cubans are not allowed to leave Cuba... expect to go to Russia. In any case, look at the little piece of art I was able to buy. I love it and loved meeting Martha. She signed the back of my art piece. It's 4" x 6". Martha's mother used to sew when she was a child and sewing machines are in a lot of her work.




Since we've been back I've been working on a 3' x3' quilt barn picture. I am turning our shed into a quilt barn! I had a friend design the center block, I enlarged it and traced it onto the wood "block". Then I painted it all by hand. It was fun to do.





And I have been working on my kimono quilt. I have a couple more ideas to work out. One is to use the black dupioni silk and make a woven background. The silk has a clear nap, so I think it will be an interesting texture for the background. I plan to use the stabilizer on the back, cut the strips, weave it together and then sew down the raw edges. Do any of you have any hints on this? And of course, I will be finishing up the bottom half of the kimono before applying it to the woven background. This is what I have so far.





Hope all is well with each of you! It's raining today, but it's been in the 70s-80s all week!

Geneva

PS. I have no idea why the pictures are messed up! They are straight on my computer!

[genevacarroll]

Geneva, will the weaving be square to the edges or on the bias to the edges? Because if it is on the bias to the edges it will take up more fabric - I once saw a couple of woven ribbon samples, both the same size, but one done on the straight and the other on the diagonal. The diagonal one took up more ribbon to make. Also, if you are using iron on stabiliser I would recommend that you hunt out some of the black version it would probably give a better finish.

Cathy, congrats on your ribbon. :cheer:

[she-quilts]

Cathy, I hope the show will be in Cedar Rapids again next year. It is a great venue and just 2 1/2 hrs drive for me. We'll need to keep in touch for a meet-up! I should have posted on TQS about it. Oops!

I did hear one in the local guild (they have a fantastic show there as well!) say "where will be next year?". :\

[she-quilts]

Geneva - Welcome back!
Fun to hear about your trip to Cuba. Nice art piece from Martha Jimenez. Post of picture of your "shed quilt block" when it's installed what a neat idea.
Barb

[genevacarroll]

Thanks Barb! I will. Hopefully I'll be able to get it taken today as it's stopped raining.

And... it's good to be back!

geneva

[quilting00]

Geneva, What an interesting kimono project! I don't have any answers to your questions; but, I hope you will keep progressing as I look forward to seeing it in a finished state!

[quilting00]

I am back! Had a wonderful month with my grandkids, but is nice to get back to warmer weather :P We will be leaving for Montana next Thursday, so will be back in colder weather again lol. I have missed you guys, and TQS in general I started making a baby quilt as soon as I got home, as I bought the fabric just before I left...it's an
Alice in Wonderland panel that I am thread painting...it's cheating, because it's a printed panel, but it is cute :whistle:

Dorothy

[genevacarroll]

Hello everyone! Hope this finds you all well and sewing up a storm.

I've been in a bit of a doldrums lately. Blah... hope I get my mojo back soon. I probably left it under that imposing pile of stuff cluttering up my work table. Ugh.

My sweetie and I did get the barn quilt sign hung up on the "barn". It looks really nice. I'm pleased with it.








I hope these come out right side up!

Enjoy the day! geneva

[genevacarroll]

Hey... A quilt friend sent this to me today. Thought I'd share.

"Be a good steward of your gifts. Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. Be by yourself as often as you can. Walk. Take the phone of the hook. Work regular hours."

Jane Kenyon.



take care, geneva

[rehak]

Your barn block looks wonderful, Geneva!

I hope you get out of your doldrums soon.