A new guild project

 

Our guild had a sewing day on Saturday morning before our meeting. This Quilt of Valor top is the result, and we accomplished it in less than 3 hours.  The blocks were already made, but we added a narrow border on a few to make them all 12.5" square.

 

 

Ruby and Pam sewed like crazy, while Carmen pressed. I cut sashing and cornerstones, and the block borders.  We had enough Garlic Knot blocks to finish another QOV, and start one more. Carmen pressed a lot of Garlic Knot blocks too.  But with such a small group working we just focused on the other quilt.  It's graduation season - and youth baseball season - so we had a lot of people with bigger family priorities last weekend. We'll do another sewing day and finish up the other quilts too.

 

Working on Quilts of Valor

Our guild had a short work session before our meeting to work on the tops for our Quilts of Valor.  We got a LOT accomplished in about 2.5 hours. 

The panel was donated by one member (Ellen) and the 12" blocks and navy yardage were donated by another member, Mary.  These are going together for one quilt.  Just a couple more seams and this one will be a finished top. I took this photo before the navy sashing was added.

We put 70 Garlic Knot blocks together for another top, and have 30 more stitched into rows for a third quilt top.  Sylvia, Peggy, Ellen, and Gwen all sewed up a storm while Ruby and I pressed, cut sashing, and rearranged blocks.  And we do have more blocks to finish that third quilt but ran out of sewing time.  We were hoping for 2 Quilts of Valor, so 3 is really a lovely surprise development.

And during the meeting another member (Nancy) donated a large gorgeous piece of blue yardage for a backing.  We have some terrific people in our guild. 

Heartland Guild and my September stash report

The Heartland Guild met yesterday. I always enjoy guild, but this one was extra fun.  First, our guild presented 41 fabric microwave hotpad bowls to a local organization that has a soup luncheon as a fund raiser. The soup luncheon features hand made bowls made by students. The diners purchase the bowl with their soup. This year they will also be able to purchase a hotpad bowl.

 

 

And then we had a wonderful trunk show by Catherine Erickson, a certified Judy Neimeyer instructor. She showed us some amazing quilts - each more beautiful than the last - and talked about her business, Canton Quilt Retreat. I think we have more than a few guild members interested in doing a class/retreat with her in the future.  Catherine had patterns for sale and I bought 2 that I've been admiring for quite some time online. And then - I won a third pattern as a door prize. How lucky is that?

And now for my stash report. I must make a confession - September was definitely a month for fabric shopping. And I've enjoyed every bit of it. Just over 39 yards were added to the stash this month, with more than half of that backing for some current quilts. The rest was just for fun!!

 

I've finished some things this month too. Two large quilts are finished and 2 more smaller quilt tops are ready to quilt. And there were a couple of smaller projects finished too. Plus - even with the large purchases I'm still slightly ahead of the stash!!

 

In this month: 39.5 yds

In this year: 127.75yds

Out this month: 31 yds

Out this year: 131.5 yds

Back to the Traveling Stars

I've fallen way behind in making these Traveling Stars blocks and so I dug into that project box and made a couple of them on Sunday.  I am very close to having enough blocks now to make a queen size quilt. And I have about 10 of the center squares just waiting yet.

The center squares are made from 6" squares of fabric shared by guild members when they have the opportunity to travel and visit quilt shops. It's a fun tradition and some members have shared some great scrappy quilts that they've made using these squares.  I've been a member about 4 years now so I have collected lots of these squares.

Bus trip blocks

This fall our guild is hosting our bi-annual shop hop bus trip and the destination is the beautiful Black Hills.  The them this year is Hooray For Hollywood.  We have a tradition of offering participants a free block pattern when they register. They can make as many blocks as they want, and for each one they turn in as they get on the bus, their name is entered into a drawing to win some of the blocks.

This year we're offering 2 different blocks: a personal Hollywood Walk of Fame star block and a welcome to the Black Hills pine tree.  Bus trip participants can choose to make just one, or both, or several of each, or none . . . whichever they choose.

Round Robin - Wow!

The Round Robin quilt tops were returned to the owners and displayed at this weekend's guild meeting.  This one is mine and I'm just thrilled.

My center block is an appliqued Santa. The ladies were so creative in adding to this each month. Every border has such lovely details and I love every bit of it.

Each month the quilt was passed along to the next person on the list - for 6 months. And each month we had some specific instructions, such as add some applique or add something white.  I love how each round ties in with at least one other one. For example, both blue rounds have gold stars - pieced in one and appliqued in the other. Four of the rounds have references to Christmas carols. The green border with the flying geese really pulls out the green from my center blocks. Wonderful!!!!

String blocks & Week 15 Status of the Stash

Heartland Guild members are starting a couple of new baby quilts for donation to 1st babies of the New Year. We like to always have a couple of them ready in case there are twins.

The new ones are going to be made with string blocks. The committee provided some muslin for foundations and demonstrated the process. We are using yellow centers in both the bright variation and the pastel variation. My 2 blocks were done in a short evening sewing session.  These quilts will be so cute.

In the past couple of years since I've been a member, we've done applique blocks (alphabets and animal silhouettes) and those quilts were adorable too. And it's always fun to see a photo in the local newspaper of the guild representatives gifting that quilt to the new mom and baby at the hospital. 

Week 15 Status of the Stash . . . good thing I had a couple of finishes this week because I purchased fabric for some new projects.  I finished the Crazy Pinwheels quilt so I counted the backing and binding fabric. And I finished the Tropical Wedding quilt so that counts too.

Just for fun I bought a cute Halloween panel, and I got 3 batiks to use in a paper pieced project I'm starting.  And some fabric for another baby quilt gift and a little background for an applique.  I need to get BUSY!!!

In this week: 6 yds
In this year: 76.75 yds
Used this week: 6.25 yds
Used this year: 85.75 yds

Status of the Stash: Still 9 yards ahead of my stash!

It's not too early

It really isn't too early to be thinking about Christmas, is it?  

This cute Santa block was originally the December Count On It block, but I've been using a different one for that little hanger. So, it has been waiting to have a purpose. Well, that purpose is now determined - Santa is going to be the center of my Round Robin project for guild.  

I need to find some red buttons for the holly berries, and then put them (and the little black eye beads) into a tiny little bag to set aside for adding at the end.  And I need to iron a piece of muslin to freezer paper for a label to include with the box. 

I'm very excited to start this Round Robin and can't wait to see what I receive to work on first.  This type of project really pushes me out of my comfort zone and sparks some new ideas. 

Productive weekend

Our guild had a class yesterday morning and we used a pattern and ruler called Strip and Twist. We came with our homework done - the strip sets all sewn. Then we cut the pieces and sewed.  My navy, lime, and grey combination turned out well and now it is ready to sandwich and quilt.

Today I finished a quilt top and made 2 blocks for another project. But I'll show those another day.  And I have the binding ready to put onto another UFO quilt.  Moving forward . . . 

V is for violet

 

I have to share one more Heartland Quilt Guild project.  This one is a darling baby quilt that will be given to the first baby of 2014 born at the local hospital.

This little alphabet quilt is turning out just as cute as can be.  Members selected a block to applique and embroider. Some were done by hand, some by machine, and some are a combination.

My block was the V block and I finished it yesterday.  I need to drop it in the mail to the member who is putting together the quilt top so she can get that row completed.

Another guild project

A few months ago when our guild had a sew-in day, we all worked on making a very traditional star block. We were all instructed to bring a light, dark, and a medium fabric to use in our blocks. This month we put the blocks together into a top. We do need a couple more blocks to finish the final row, but it is looking good. And isn't it amazing how wonderful the blocks all look together?

Butterflies

Heartland Quilt Guild had a sew-in day today and we worked on a couple of charity projects. One of those projects was butterfly blocks for a quilt that will go towards a fundraiser for a local butterfly garden to honor a child who died as the result of a drunk driver.

I think these lovely butterfly blocks are going to make a quilt just as pretty as a spring garden.