Glad Mystery: Day 2

We started sewing bright and early again for day 2 of the Glad Mystery.  

Both of the sample quilts, made by Nancy and Susan, were hanging up.  I can share them with you since we were the last mystery group.  We don’t have to keep the secret any more.

Out for lunch at Pepitos today.  Great Mexican food.  I ordered the buffet, which included fruit, with a wide variety of Mexican food.  The others ordered off the menu.  We were all happy. Yum.  

The women in our group all chose different color schemes for their mysteries.  Each one seemed to be unique but beautiful.

 

The blocks need to be set together with sashing.  I spent some time looking for sashing after lunch, and after a bit of pondering, chose red for mine.  Surprise, it’s my favorite color!

I love this pattern and can’t wait to get my quilt finished.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Jan

Glad Creations Mystery 3/09

Twice a year Glad Creations holds mystery classes to introduce new patterns. There’s a group of us who go to most of them.  It’s really a lot of fun.

Directions for selecting and cutting fabric were sent out about a month in advance. Here’s the hints that they gave this time.  ”For this Mystery Quilt you’ll need prints in a variety of colors and  a fairly broad range of values.  There is no background in this quilt so the prints will need to show up against each other.  Within each group you’ll want varying values, colors and/or textures.  . . . . No matter what type of prints you’re working with, select fabrics from 3 or 4 color families and then find prints in a variety of values in each of those color families.”

I started my fabric selection using the Urban Couture line designed by Grey Gardens for Moda.  I chose red, green, brown and periwinkle. Love the periwinkle.  It’s an unusual color and makes the red, green and brown pop.  Take a look at the beautiful range of prints in this collection from the Moda website.

urban-couture

Starting this morning, using three clues we made two types of blocks.  One was a 4 patch and half triangle block the other was a log cabin variation.  

 

 

 

Of course we had to take a break for lunch  We went to a great bar that served food.  It’s called Busters on 28th.  The most popular item was the turkey panini sandwich with black mission fig jam.  They also had an interesting beer list.  (but that’s another story.) I would recommend you try this place. Great food.

Late in the afternoon the mystery was revealed.  The quilt is beautiful.  Here’s Nancy and Susan’s versions.

 

 

Then some show and tell.

 

 

Finally, food and relaxing.

 

 

I can’t wait to go back tomorrow.

Mini Shop Hop

Today I went galavanting with my friend Geri.  We headed to Bear Patch Quilt Shop in White Bear Lake.  Even though I wasn’t planning on spending much, I found some treasures I had to have.  

Birthday fabric!  The happy birthday and ballon fabrics are my favorites.  Add a few solids and it’ll be perfect for a table runner.  The line is called Hallmark Birthday by Free Spirit.  Isn’t it fun?

I also had to have Cupcakes. This line is Sweets and Treats by Timeless Treasures Fabric.  Pattern # FUN-C 1264. Don’t know yet what I’ll do with it.  I have to ponder it a while.  Any suggestions?

Then I picked up an Easter Mini Braid Runner Kit.  The pattern is from Quiltie Trio by GE Designs.  The designer is Gudron Erla , a Minnesota designer.  Included is the top, binding, batting and backing.  Since it’s a quilt as you go pattern, it’ll be done in a snap.  The fabric are little Easter prints by Fabri-Quilt Inc.

We walked down the block after our shopping spree to the Avalon Tea Room for tea and scones.  We had black currant tea and a lemon poppy seed and a cream scone.  I have to say the scones were the best I’ve ever tasted.  Light and airy and delicious. When we asked about them we were told they were made with cream.  Mmmm!

Fun day.

Jan

Swanky!

swanky  (swang-kee)

elegant or ostentatious

synonyms: stylish, chic,  smart, fashionable

What a fun name for a fabric line.  I love Moda and they usually don’t disappoint.  So when my friend Deb and I visited the Blue Bamboo a few weeks ago and found this we couldn’t resist.  Well, she couldn’t resist buying a fat quarter bundle and then she shared it with me.

We’re each making a Snapshot quilt by Terry Atkinson.  It has larger pieces that show off the fabric well.  I’ll post photos of the finished quilt soon (yeah right) maybe later.  

Here’s what Snapshots looks like.  

I found the fabric promotion on the Moda website along with a free pattern. Notice the fun names for the fabrics.  The designer of this line is Chez Moi.

swanky-fabric-pdf1

swanky-quilt-pattern-pdf

Spring Break Quilting

Since I’m a teacher, I have the great benefit of spring break this week.  I want to catch up on some quilting tasks (I know it’s a burden, but I’ve got to do it!).  I thought about a “to do” list but that sounds daunting.  So I decided to call it an accomplishment list.  I’ll cross things off when completed to keep me on track.  Let’s see how I do.

Accomplishment List:

Sew Moda blocks of the month for March

Sew the Roger’s block of the month for April

Quilt the Amadeus quilt on my longarm

Buy fabric for Glad mystery

Cut fabric for Glad mystery

Piece Easter runner

Sew binding on Valentine runner

What’s on your accomplishment list?

 

Jan

National Quilting Day

I just found out today was National Quilting Day. Sure happy I did a little piecing. How did you celebrate?

 

 

 

Jan

Charity Quilting

Each year, our WISQ quilt group takes on a charity quilting project for the year.  We choose a pattern, make blocks throughout the year, and then meet in February for a Saturday of sewing.

This past year (2008-2009) our charity of choice was Quilts of Valor.  In 2003, Catherine Roberts of Seaford, DE, started the Quilts of Valor Foundation when her son and his 630th MP Company were being deployed from Germany to Iraq for one year. Piecers and longarmers volunteer their materials and time to make wartime quilts of valor to comfort U.S. wounded soldiers.

The blocks we used were Easy Double Four Patch from Mary Johnson.  Each month, the quilter who hosted our meeting chose a color.  We then pieced blocks in that color with fabric that came mostly from our stashes.  Karen collected the blocks and grouped them into sets that would make complete quilts.  

On the first Saturday of February we met to sew the tops together.  As of now, we have completed  19 tops.  Most of those were, or will be, dropped off at Fat Quarter Quilts in Coon Rapids, MN – an official drop off site.  A few were also dropped off at Glad Creations in Minneapolis

 

I took one of the tops home to quilt on my longarm.  Since I’m a newbie, I thought the practice would be good.  I tried a pantograph pattern for the first time.  It turned out okay.  Even looked pretty good once it was completed.

The Quilts of Valor (Midwest) web site states that they’ve donated 15,000 quilts to date.  You can also check the site if you’d like to support this worthy cause.

We had so much fun, we’ve already started blocks for next year.

 

Jan

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Memory Lane: Free Block of the Month Program

 

 

While browsing for free quilt patterns, I found this one at Block Central. I like the intricate setting and borders.  The fabric requirements and the first three installments are posted.   

Block Central Memory Lane

Jan

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WISQ March 2009

We were greeted by Lucy, Sue’s dog, as we arrived for our March meeting.  Sue knitted her the cutest purple sweater.  Look at her pose, just like a model.

 

After everyone settled in with something to drink and munch on, Sue started things off by sharing a Glad mystery quilt she finished.  Although it wasn’t her favorite quilt ever, she got lots of ooh and aahs when she unfolded it.  ”I’m sure someone will take it off your hands Sue.”

 

Cindy shared her Ramblin Rose Quilt.  It was a block of the month program from Fat Quarter Quilts in Coon Rapids. It’s a design by Marti Michell using templates.  — Okay, I’m going to weigh in on this.  I did these blocks too, and I am totally not a fan of using templates. — But . . . .  didn’t it turn out to be beautiful?

Here’s a runner by Cindy.  The pattern is Jack’s Favorite by Perkins Drygoods.  It would look great in my house!!

Cathy is the Queen of scrap quilts.  Here’s a log cabin she pieced and quilted from numerous scraps.  It turned out looking gorgeous, which just confirms what I believe.  Sometimes the more fabrics in a quilt the merrier.

If Cathy’s the scrap queen, than Shirley is the runner queen.  Here’s a runner that’s maybe more of a topper.

Another great runner (that again would look great in my house) has a “cheater” backing.  

The next one is a real stunner –  lots and lots of oohs and aahs.  Shirley made it specially for her grand niece.  Lucky girl!

 

Mary shared the cutest little star quilt that she made for Jo’s Little Women Club. Several of us attend this monthly meeting at Four Season’s Quilts in Plymouth.

Karen started off by sharing a beautiful leaf quilt designed by Heather Mulder Peterson.  I love the black background.

Here’s a big block quilt, also by Karen.

Finally a fabulous pink and brown quilt Karen made from a Debbie Caffrey mystery pattern.  She says it’s one of her most favorite quilts ever ( but Karen has lots of beautiful quilts and lots of favorites).  I think it’s superb.

 

It was a great night of fun and show and tell.  We are good!

I almost forgot the most exciting news of all. My tell . . . . . . . . . I’m going to be a Grandma!!

WISQ Winter

The winter has been long, and I have not posted for a while.  So to catch up and show you a bunch of the fun stuff We’re in Stitches Quilters were up to this winter, here’s a Smile Box slideshow to view.  Enjoy!

PS If you’d like the slides to move a bit faster click the forward button on the bottom right.

 

Make a Smilebox slideshow