Virtual Retreat - Ongoing (started January 2019)

[twiglet]

And the photo that didnt work that time


Anyone else started?

[eileenkny]

It's the 8th, so here I am! Wendy, I love your Fibonacci quilt-it looks a lot like one of Ricky's quilts that I can't remember the name of right now. ops:
I've never done ice dyeing, I'll have to try it sometime.
We had snow, but then we had spring; now we'll have winter temperatures but no snow. Clear as mud?
I'm working on something but can't share it just yet. I'll also share some applique tomorrow. Why tomorrow? Because I forgot to take pics today.

Hope everyone is having a great February,

[twiglet]

Thank uou Eileen. I look forward to seeing your post tomorrow.

Luann ess is every stinking seam or it could be stronger words than that

[genevacarroll]

Wendy, Holy Moley! That Fibonacci quilt is wonderful! How nice that you suffered through just for your son. I would like to know.... Did you throw your gloves to the floor in exasperation? Your ice dyed fabric looks lovely. You'll have fun cutting it up and sewing it back together again.

Luann, I get your blog post by email and enjoy it so much. You are a busy lady. Your redo of your home will be so nice. (When it's done!)

I've been recovering from some icky virus. :sick: I'll be back to sewing tomorrow. I put together a Tula Pink elephant for a baby gift. It's pretty cute. I'll wait til the 13th to share photos and other news.

We've had snow and more snow expected this weekend. Good time to stay home and sew!

Hugs to everyone! geneva

[genevacarroll]

Wendy, does that little star always show up or was that just a ‘design element’ that you made happen? I don’t see it in the other points, I’m wondering just what made it appear where it did???? Inquiring mind (s) want to know,, lol

[twiglet]

Anything that appeared on that quilt was by accident! I had a lot of trouble getting my head round the colour choices and when i drafted the pattern i added seam allowances that were already there duh.
Here's a link to Carols illusion quilts so you can work it out
http://www.bryerpatch.com/gallery/illusion_quilts.htm

[twiglet]

Geneva ha ha i felt i was working blind so just kept going. I'm going to give my son the choice of three the fibonacci, the illusion and another not started yet thats more me, a strippy landscape from a photo he took down in Ushuaia.

Im going to have a go at a wholecloth quilt with the ice dye fabric i saw this recently at a. Show. I love it

[lotti]

Happy belated birthday, Rosemary!

Love those illusion quilts. Thanks for the link.
Looking forward to seeing your version of that wholecloth quilt, Wendy. I bet it’s going to be fabulous.

[eileenkny]

As promised, here are the pics of what I'm working on right now. I took a class last year with Kerry Burke of Simple Bird Applique at the Academy of Applique in Williamsburg, VA. I'm such a slow stitcher; I should have had this done months ago, but life interfered.

[eileenkny]

Eileen, those look very interesting. It’ll be fun to see just how you use them

[twiglet]

Yeh Eileen you're sewing. They look quite complex, how will they be used? look nice as a brooch but it's hard to know what size they are.

[genevacarroll]

Eileen, glad to see you have met with the needle and are friends again. Your flowers are so pretty and complex. Good work!

Wendy, that whole cloth ice dyed piece is beautiful! You do wonderful machine quilting so I'm sure your piece will be really nice.

geneva

[genevacarroll]

It's my lucky day! Number 13!

So this last month I have been sewing quite a bit. I'm amazed at the things that are coming out of the sewing room! I have more time and less stress. B)

Last October our quilt guild hosted Ann Shaw. www.annshawquilting.com She is a certified teacher of Ruth B McDowell quilting techniques. I bought the pattern for the poppy and wanted to make a purple poppy. Then a friend who was going to take the class said she was going to make a purple poppy and I thought "I can't make a purple poppy because she'll think I copied her". So I decided to make a yellow poppy. I bought more yellow fabrics and took 4 bins of yellow and black fabric to the class. I had traced the pattern onto freezer paper beforehand so I could get right into cutting the fabrics for each pattern piece. On class day I set up shop along with the others and began to cut into my yellows. And then recut the pieces with a different yellow. And then recut and my friends even gave me some of their yellow. I ended the class hopelessly overwhelmed and had a horrible mess to show for it.



I took everything home. Set the yellow poppy into a corner of the sewing room and piled the yellow fabrics next to it. Other members started showing their finished poppies and I kept thinking about the yellow mess in the corner. Finally in January I had this epiphany! Why don't I make a purple poppy, just like I wanted to? I carefully pulled out the yellow mess, took all the yellow pieces off the pattern pieces and folded the yellow fabrics neatly and placed them in their bins. Then I pulled out my two purple bins and got to work. I had so much fun! I was excited, focused and on a roll! Within 2-3 hours I had all the pieces cut and on the wall. It was such a good feeling! Here's a picture with auditioning backgrounds.



Once I saw that black and white background I loved it. I used the piece of yellow fabric my friend had given me for the center. It was perfect. The piecing is very easy and the quilt goes together quickly. I got so excited I could hardly leave it alone. And here you go!



I quilted a one inch grid with black/grey variegated thread vertically and a white/black variegated thread horizontally. I went back and dropped in some purple variegated thread in between the one inch lines.



I am very happy with how it turned out. I used only fabric from my stash, including the backing. Now it will hang in the Guild quilt show in March with all the other poppies.
Oh! My friend who was going to make the purple poppy? She made a beautiful orangey-pink poppy. I learned two important lessons besides a new quilt technique. One, be true to me! and Two, I don't do well in classroom situations. I need to remember to go to classes with the intent of learning something, not coming home with a finished piece.

I had purchased a Tula Pink Elephant kit from TQS. A friend of mine is having a little girl in May and she loves elephants. So, I began that project and finished it this morning. If any of you make this quilt kit, contact me first. I have some helpful hints. I am a little disappointed with the fusible they used. It didn't stick to the background so I had to use a glue stick on each piece to place it on the background. And even with pressing, the pieces don't stick very well. In any case, I quilted this with the same one inch grid using the black/grey variegated thread. It causes the squares to look waffle-y which I like. I dropped in pinks variegated thread and I love how it turned out.



I made some small "badges" for my son and two of his friends for one of his businesses. I hope they like them. It's kind of a joke, but I think they will get a kick out of them. They finish at 3" square. That's the logo.



February has hit us hard with snow. We had a blizzard last Friday afternoon until late Saturday night. The wind and snow made our 600 foot driveway unpassable even with a snow blower. We are very lucky that our neighbors have tractors and will come and spend 3-4 hours clearing our driveway. We've had more snow, but no more than 3-4 inches at a time which my sweetie can clear with the snow blower. We are on our third snow since last Friday with more to come. hmy: This was taken Sunday.



I am done with winter! I had a nasty stomach virus last week, but am fine now. I'm thinking about what I want to make next!

I hope you are well and safe from winter. Hugs,
geneva

[genevacarroll]

Geneva,
Your projects look great! And I like how you quilted the poppies and elephant. I might try that one of these days.
It’s so nice having people pop in and chat with us, as we Quilt or cook, or whatever we might be up to while we’re at this Virtual Retreat.
Have a great time contemplating what will be your next project. We'll be watching to see what you decide.

[eileenkny]

Ooh Geneva! Love both your projects. It was providence that the yellows didn't work for you; the purple is perfect. I'm sure the family will love the baby elephant too.