Sunday, October 31, 2010

Not as liberated as I thought I was.....

I finally found the time to finish up my liberated baskets quilt.


I thought this would take no time at all to put on the  1.5" stripe border and then my 6" red border, but when I started taking measurements......my quilt was not square!  Argh!!!  I hate problems.  I couldn't just trim, but had to add fabric because I was WAY OFF.  "sigh".   So much for being liberated.  I need a pattern AND I need to work in my own environment, not on a 6' table amongst chaos at a retreat and trying to hang my stuff up on a loosely hung piece of batting on a wall. I squared up all my blocks, but I think trying to hang them up and make them fit just didn't work for me.  But.....the borders are now on and don't look too bad.  The quilt isn't perfect, but it is ready for the quilter and I think next time (if there is a next time), I will make blocks in a uniform size. 


Also, started prepping for block #13 of the Cherry Trees.  I have made my master sheet.


...and marked my background to get a general idea where my applique pieces will go. 



I will be stitching tomorrow. 





Tuesday, October 26, 2010

New blog regarding Beyond the Cherry Tree....

Keep an eye on this new blog set up by Sharon from  http://grassrootsquilting.blogspot.com/ .  We will be posting pictures and comments regarding our journey on the Beyond the Cherry Trees Quilt Album BOM; and I will be one of the contributors. 

http://beyondthecherrytree.blogspot.com/

It will be so exciting to see all the different variations of this beautiful quilt.  I for one am excited about this. 

Thirteen block patterns have been released and we are all at different stages of this process.  I hope you enjoy taking a peek as we get started on this new blog.   

Thanks Sharon for getting this started!!!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

YES!!!!

Can you tell that I am excited to have this block done?



All those little hairpin turns were very time consuming, but.....



Block #12 for the Beyond thc Cherry Trees if finished!  Yes!  I am so glad.  Now on to Block #13 which looks a little easier; and then if I get that one done by the 10th of November, I will be caught up again. 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

More going on than I thought.....

I don't know where the time goes, but I have been getting things done.  For one thing, I am working on #12 Cherry Tree block.  I know, I know, I am a month behind.  I think I have been in a funk, but I am slowly changing that.  Block # 12 is a doozy, but little by little I am whittling away at it.   Here's a small peek.



I, also, bought some fabric to border my liberated baskets with .....and I bought some more fabric to do the same.  I am having a hard time deciding since my original plan was to make this a "red" quilt and the first fabric I ordered on line was a rose and since I had added some of the rose color fabrics from the French General line into the quilt I thought it might work.....but I wanted a red quilt.  Here are my three options....





Also, there has been a little work on my Hearts and Hands blocks.  The completed one I have posted before, but the other two are works in progress....nearly done.



Then, if you recall my turkey wallhanging/table topper, I have been fretting over the fact that he seemed to be floating in air, so I decided to add some funky legs to him.  He is ready to be quilted.



Of course, my daughter saw him and said she thought he would look great in her house, so with what 5" charms I had left over from the "Amazing" charm pack (plus a few more added ones from my stash), I threw together another one and have all the applique pieces ready to get stitched down.  This one will get legs right away.


Then I have to mention my son-in-laws beautiful woodworking.  My daughter and he are putting things in their Etsy shop (located on my side bar to the right named Three Tiny Acorns) and he has just posted a black walnut quilt hanger.  He does beautiful work and will be adding more in the future.  Here's a good picture of the quilt rack with one of my daughter's wallhangings in it and the quilt rack alone.




Speaking of Etsy. my daughter has a friend who makes absolutely beautiful jewelry.  What woman doesn't like jewelry AND at an excellent price?    Her Etsy shop is called Vin29 and I just purchased a few beautiful pieces from her and I told her I would brag about her a little here.  I have photographed the pieces that I just bought.  


A beautiful green and brown necklace.



A pearl and crystal bead bracelet (very dainty).


A fall leaf and beaded  memory wire bracelet.



And she made me this custom turquoise necklace.  I owned the center beads for a very long time and asked if she could come up with a necklace that would feature them and this is what she came up with.  I love it. 

If you want to visit her site, the address is....


I know she would appreciate your visit. 

Well, that is it for now.  I need to get back to my Cherry trees so that I can get caught up. 

Thanks for stopping by. 



Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Little more Gwen time......plus....

Just thought I would share a couple more pictures from my Gwen retreat. 

Nancy, Sharon and I are called the "Quilty Chicks" and we have had some really fun times together.  We originally met at our first guild and came together to form our own little mini group.  (Vicki, the fourth in our group, left us to move to Florida when her husband retired). 

Here we are enjoying something we really like to do.....eat.  This was at a restaurant in Elk Rapids called Siren Hall.  It was a converted "garage" and they had the best food and some really good drinks.


We needed some good sustenance so that we could get back to sewing all day and all night at Gwen's retreat.

This quilt is what Gwen calls her "floor quilt" challenges.  The whole quilt is made up from scraps that are picked up on the floor from everyone at retreat and then the next year they come back with a mini quilt. Some of these quilts are really beautiful and this one gives you an idea of what some of these talented woman can do with very small scraps that are thrown on the floor. 


Other than Gwen's retreat this past month, I hadn't gotten much sewing done, but in the last couple of days I did get one more Hearts and Hands block done.



Also, got my next (and I am really running late on this BOM) Cherry Trees blocks started.  Yes....I just have the freezer paper ironed onto pieces of fabrics, but that is some headway.



I'll be ready to start stitching on this real soon. 


Michigan quilters, take note

  Come see us at our first Quilter's to Quilter's sale.   Don't know what that is?  Well, it will be 28 quilters/vendors selling...