I Quilted All Day Yesterday...

 

Yesterday was spent focusing on quilting and I got the entire center quilted on my new quilt! Yippee!! This morning I am clipping threads on my lap. To make this task manageable, usually I fold the quilt into quarters so it fits over my lap easily. I focus on threads on the quarter that lands on top, clip them all nice and orderly, covering the entire section easily because the size is small. Once that top quarter is clipped, I flip it over to the quarter that was on the bottom. After that side is neatly clipped, I will unfold the quarter fold and and refold so I can do the same with the two quarters that were folded inside. Sounds a little confusing, but it works wonderful and eliminates confusion about finding the threads that need to be clipped easily.

On this quilt, there are two- three threads on each layered circle that I need to find because I did not do continuous stitches between each layered circle.

Can you see those two threads on the penny above? That's what I'm clipping this morning. I'll be done before I know it and will flip it to the backside of the quilt and clip those as well. Today I plan to quilt the outer side of the border and get the binding on! Yippee Again!! You can see that my quilting is not perfect, but it's good enough for me. I enjoy doing the work of finishing the quilts I make, even though my quilting is not perfect. I dread coming up with the quilting designs because I am still new at freehand quilting, but each time I finish one, it gets a little easier and I get a little more confidant!

It's so exciting to get to the end of a new quilt! This one seems like it's taken a long time, but it really hasn't. Much of my time this summer has been spent on other things, like teaching, traveling, working on other projects, etc., and this quilt has been so easy to have to work on when I have snippets of time here and there. I know I've said it before, but I can't wait to introduce you to the whole quilt!

The next few weeks will be super busy for me. Today is the start of the Blog Hop, Crazy About Wool! My post will be on Friday the 27th, so be sure to come back and see what I have to offer for the hop!

 

This coming Saturday, Sept 28th, I'll be teaching my class, 5 Ways To Do English Paper Piecing, in Hills, IA at the wonderful quilt store, Inspirations. I'm so excited to share my techniques and strive for each student to walk away having found a few ways to baste EPP in a way they enjoy.

Next week, I'll be helping to set up the Des Moines Quilt Show which is the show within the show AQS Quilt Week. The show runs Wednesday, Oct. 2-5 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. We'll have a few hundred vendors and close to 1000 quilts between both shows! It will be great fun! If you plan to come, please let me know...I'd love to meet up!! This is where the raffle quilt I mentioned HERE will be shown and raffled off!

The following weekend, Oct 11-13, I'll be headed to South Dakota for a weekend retreat with the Stately Stitchers Quilt Guild to teach English Paper Piecing at their retreat. This is especially exciting because this will be happening in Pierre, SD! We lived there for 9 years and this is where I learned to appliqué and the women I stitched with weekly were so inspiring, supportive and fun. I am so flattered that they want me to come teach. It will be so wonderful to see these ladies again as well as to meet new members of the guild since I left in 1998.

Have a great day!

Take care,

Missie

 

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Des Moines Area Quilter's Guild Show 2012

As you know if you read my last post, the Des Moines Guild is at the same time in the same building during the AQS Show. We usually show about 450-500 quilts. It is an outstanding show! Here are some highlights for you to see.

 

This quilt was made by my friend Mary Martin. Mary is in two small groups with me. She made this quilt showing all of her family's pets. They look so real when you look up close! She did an awesome job! All of the animals names are written on the quilt. If you notice the black lab's name...he was a rowdy pup and Mary's husband cursed at him enough that became his name! She said all the neighbor kids loved to come play with this dog because they could curse! What a story! LOL She received a second place ribbon.

 

Bragging time for me...this is my daughter Katie's quilt! She made this last summer in about two weeks. I showed her one triangle to demonstrate foundation paper piecing and she needed no more help! The blocks cover the top of her bed and the borders hang down to cover her thick mattress. She got a BLUE ribbon in the Junior Division.

 

This was made by my friend Julee Prose. She started this quilt in the 80's and finished it recently. It won Best Hand Quilting and a second place in it's category! Very pretty! She loves large appliquéd blocks with scalloped borders.

 

This quilt was made by Karen Pavlik. It received an Honorable Mention ribbon. I don't know this quilter, but every quilt she entered, I was drawn to. When I was checking out folks at the end of the show, she came to my table. I introduced myself and complimented her quilts. It was nice to meet the person who made them since I liked them so much!

 

Some First Place Winnwers!

 

Half of our Little Quilt Auction. We donate little quilts and the money raised in the silent auction goes towards our programs each month. It's always fun to watch the end of the auction when everyone is trying to outbid the last person! Fun fun!

 

My quilt, In The Orange Grove, Honorable Mention, Pineapple Category

 

A Warm Welcome, first place, Small Quilts

 

Two pretty quilts...the black one is Julee's.

 

 

My Charmed Beginnings in Cotton and Wool, third place, wall hanging.

That's all the pictures I have! I hope you enjoyed the show!!

Take care,

Missie

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AQS Des Moines Show 2012

Well, I am recovered from a week at the AQS Des Moines Show! Once again, it was a great show! Helped set up, worked a few shifts, enjoyed the company of my Aunt Mary and her friend Liz, from NE, shopped and shopped, ate and ate, looked and looked at quilts, and helped take down! Whew!! What fun! Here are a few highlights from the AQS side of the show...

This young lady, Jean Clark, from Mt Horeb, WI, was so PROUD to show her ribbon winning quilt to all who passed. She was so cute and all smiles! Her quilt won 3rd Place and it was in the Hand Quilted Bed Quilt Category. I hope I am still quilting and enjoying it as much as she does when I am her age!

 

This beautiful basket quilt called, A Tisket, A Tasket, A Green and Yellow Basket was made by my friend, Linda Arndt. This quilt was in the Bed Quilt Machine Quilted Category. It is such a pretty combination of colors and lovely backgrounds that give it such movement. I love it! Linda is in two of my small groups. Such a sweet lady who makes such sweet quilts! She had enough baskets left over from this quilt to make another one! I will show it tomorrow...

 

This one was in the Wall Hanging Machine Quilted category. It is called, And Always Affectionately Yours, and was made by Shirley Wyngarden from Marshalltown, IA. I thought the blocks were so pretty. I love sampler quilts and have several in progress. I couldn't pass up a picture of this one!

 

This one was also in the wall hanging machine quilted category and it won a blue ribbon. I thought it was striking with the beautiful colors and simple, but complicated looking design. It was made by Ann Feitelson and is called Basket Weave 2: See Saw. Makes me think a bright quilt is in my future...it's such a beautiful combination of color! The pattern of the baskets makes you think for a moment that this is a log cabin quilt, but then you realize it is baskets. Very interesting design!

 

This one was so bright and cheerful. It was part of a special display of quilts made by Jean Lohmar. She was very talented! This quilt was striking with a wonderful pieced background! It really made your eyes wander around looking at the entire quilt! Stunning! All of her quilts were beautiful show stoppers. Extremely well quilted and large. I would guess there were 20 large quilts in her exhibit!

 

This one was so eye catching! It is called Super Sweet Ambrosia, made by Ruth Ann Reynolds of Raymore, MO. This quilt is so nice and bright...and so interesting. Many parts to look at and explore! Love those brights once again!!

This one is called Miss Emily's Garden, made by Carol Floyd. She is in my applique small group ( which is not so small) and is very talented. This quilt won Honorable Mention!

This quilt was made by my friend, Julee Prose. I believe it is a Barbara Brackman design. Julee is also in the large appliqué group and she is very talented! We have such similar taste in quilts, we have a good time together talking about quilting. She is an excellent hand quilter as well.

 

This is Me with my Life In The Midwest quilt. I was very proud to have it hang in the show. It was in the Bed Quilts Machine Quilted category. It was fun to hear folks talk about it as they looked. I enjoyed telling some about the hidden meanings in the quilt for me...the corn, soybeans, wheat, etc. if you have not read about it, you can do so HERE, HERE and HERE. Do you see the little hidden gems I just mentioned that are a bit hard to find in any of the pictures in those links ? They are on the vines. This quilt is my favorite. I love hexies, I love appliqué and I love my hubs...all things that make this quilt special to me!

 

I end this post with the back ends of these bunnies! I thought the fabric was so perfect for a little bunny butt. The waves of the fabric make him look plump and happy! Again, I have no notes on who made this quilt. My apologies to the quilt maker, but I sure like those bunnies!

I will post a few from the Des Moines Area Quilters Guild portion tomorrow...more pretties to come!

Take care,

Missie

 

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