Time to re-group

I am sort of re-grouping after this year's show. Trying to prioritize my UFO's and all the new "stuff" I got at our show and at the Georgia show last weekend.

1930's, Augusta, GA

I didn't shop much at the Georgia show since I was "understudying" with Holly Anderson, an AQS Appraiser. I learned a lot and got my confidence back up. All good...including the not shopping much!

Dresdan plate "summer quilt" with embroidery, Augusta GA

My friend Paula got a blue ribbon for her wool applique BOM from Primitive Gatherings. She does great miniature work and her stitches are tiny! Also, my friend Maggie got a ribbon...I have such talented quilting buddies!

I was going through photos from the show and this one caught my eye...
Love how the light makes the Bethlehem windows glow.

Ribbon Trio

I've been off the computer for a few days...my computer got a virus and it (the virus) sent out emails to many folks in my email list. So picture this - fellow guild members expecting photos of their quilts open an email from "me" only to see advertisements on increasing men's...well, you know. How embarressing is that?! So if you ever get an email from with with just "re" or "howdy" or "how-ya-doin?" ...it isn't me. Anyway, had the computer guys out to the house and the CPU is "de-loused."

There are still a few more quilt show posts...
We had a really good members table this year. Everything from beaded eyeglass cases to table-runners to full size quilts. There were quilt journals and some wooden thread and ruler holders.

Those of you who visit my blog regularly may remember my Pink and Green Jacobs Ladder quilt. Well it received a first place ribbon!

My Witch's hat (a Crabapple design) won a second place in the wearables category.

And my S-crappy Economy quilt won a third. It was pretty exciting...

The Jacob's ladder is being mailed out to my nephew this week. The Spring Windmill below was in the non-judged category and is going out to my niece in New Mexico. Once I get these cleared out I can start working on my UFO's or maybe even a new project or two!

Catching up on mail

Last night I finally had a moment to sit down and catch up on snail mail...

I had two fun packages! One had this year's edition of Blanket Statements by the American Quilt Study Group. In the other was a pattern I won on Amy Bradley's blog. I love this pattern...I mean what is not to like? It's Halloween! I had looked at this pattern in Paducah last spring...if I start now I may have it ready for Halloween 2012?!
At our quilt show we had a silent auction to raise money for future guild programs. I had given some UFO's out at a meeting and most were returned in time for the auction. Well I really liked how this red, white and blue table-runner was finished up so I bid on it...not quite like buying back your own work but close!

Wool quilts

It is interesting to me to see how one technique or style is introduced into a group (like a guild) and spreads. Right now the hot new (at least to us) material to work with is wool.

Now remember we are living down south so there isn't a lot of wool around in the stores (or on folks backs for that matter) so we may be a bit behind the curve on this trend. It has sort of crept into the guild slowly. It started a couple of years ago when a few folks started felting and using the techniques to make purses and pins. Then last May we had a program on using wools. A new member of the guild, Paula, came to us from Wisconsin and she used lots of wool in her work. A few more folks started playing with wool.

Well at our show Paula won a First Place ribbon in the Block of the Month category for her execution of this Primitive Gatherings Quilt.

Paula's Monday quilt bee buddy Pat did her own interpretation of this quilt (in a large size using all re-purposed wools that she bought at goodwill and felted) and she also won a ribbon in her category.

Pat also used wool for the leaves on this quilt...

As if that wasn't enough Rachel won in the Home Dec category for her amazing and original face jug pillow.
Also this wallhanging by Judi B. won a ribbon...her embroidery stitches are wonderful!

Cathi Gainey of Shakerwood Woolens vended at our show. Based on the amount of traffic in her booth I think it reasonable to expect lots of wools quilts in our next show!

More show eye-candy...

It always amazes me...it takes three days to put up the show and less than three hours to dismantle it! The last ribbon was awarded today - Viewers Choice.
This is a Queen-size quilt...all hand applique and hand quilted (each of the circle appliques is a different fabric...) Nice to see the viewers appreciated great hand workmanship.

We had several Bonnie Hunter inspired quilts in the show...

A Crabtree quilt by Pat H.

A Crabtree quilt by Angie F. (no you are not seeing double)
And, yes another Crabtree quilts (this one by me!)A Roll-roll Cotton Boll...

And a Double Delight with an Applique border by Patty L.Guess you could say Bonnie made an impact on this group of quilters!

Quilts for the Kaffe fans...

Several members of my guild are big fans of Kaffe Fasset fabrics. I know there are lots of fans out there so I thought I'd share a few quilts from the show with you...


This nine-patch by Maggie Hunter won first in Pieced Wallhanging professional.

Colors in this star quilt are really vibrant.
This heart quilt below was made by various members of the guild for Ille as a birthday gift. It won first in the group category.

The stripes in this quilts glow...this one was made by Judy Lockhart. It won second in the Professional Pieced Wallhanging group.

It is Showtime...

Well all the quilts are hung...the vendors set up...and the ribbons on the quilts. It has been a busy couple of days and I cannot wait until the show opens tomorrow.Judges Choice by Rachel T.

I spent a good part of this afternoon taking photos. So many photos that when I uploaded them there were a few quilts I don't even remember seeing! But I have photos to prove I did...

First I want to post some of the big winners...the "Best in..."

Best hand quilting went to my friend Julie Z, (this is a Piece of Cake design)...

Best Machine quilting was done on Sharon's quilt.

Best Use of color was my friend Paula's "Big Blue"...

And Best is Show went to Judy Lockhart...

It is a great show...I'll post lots of photos this week...

Show Judging

Well my guild's first day of judging for this year's show is over. There are some beautiful quilts there. Susan Edmonson from Charlotte is our judge and is doing a great job.
One of the new quilters in our group asked me how I prepped my quilts for the show. I can't claim to be an expert but after seeing a few quilts with threads and dear I say cat hair, still attached I guess my system works ok.
First I make sure I have clean bags or pillowcases to put the quilt into. It is no good taking a quilt out of a bag, working on it for 30 minutes to clean off cat hair then put it into the bag it was originally in...chances are there are hairs hiding in there!
Second, I put my quilts up on my quilt hanging rack. You could put a clean sheet down on a bed or large table but having the quilt hanging is much easier on the back. I put a clean sheet on the floor below it and use a large box to toss the thread cuttings. Once it is on the rack I start at the top and going left to right I take off any loose thread using my seam ripper. I only use a scissors when I absolutely have to...I'm very nervous about cutting the quilt top.

After all the threads are gone (front and back of the quilt) I then use a pet hair roller and go after any lint, threads or pet hair. The larger the roller the better...I still end up changing the sticky part often.

I left out the part about locking the animals up in the other room while you do this...DH came home and promptly let Dobby the cat out. Dobby...well, being Dobby, immediately ran at the quilt on the rack sending quilt, rack and confused cat tumbling over me.

Off to get the pumpkin cheescake bars out of the oven...more scribing for the judge tomorrow and we need to keep our energy up!

Quilt Show Prep

So this is it...my guild's semi-annual show is this week. I am doing lots of last minute prep to get ready.

Last quilt bound and washed....

First, I need to get my quilts prepped. This involves removing all of the threads (amazing how many times I have to clip threads...its like they hibernate inside the quilt and come out only after you have folded them and put them away.) Then check for any pet hair...even if I keep these quilts in the "no-pet zone" of my house quilts are like a "pet hair magnet" and a floating cat hair will find a way through doors and solid walls.

Does she look like she cares if her hair is causing a problem....

Each quilt must have a 4-inch sleeve for hanging. Then I label the quilt with a permanent label and the show paper-label. They also require a cloth bag or pillowcase with my name on it to store and move the quilt in.
For my witch hat making a cloth bag was an adventure...Before the show I volunteered to scribe for the judge for a few hours. On Wednesday I am the food lady...I bring and set-up lunch for the judges and the folks setting up the quilt-show rack. (lunch is a tray of deli subs and a tray of homemade chicken curry salad on croissants, a veggie tray, fruit salad, homemade chocolate pound cake with peanut butter frosting, molasses cookies, and pumpkin cheese cake)...Folks will be working hard that day so they need their energy!

During the show I am responsible for the Demonstration area...not not quilt version of the Wall street protesters...we are doing demos on applique, embellishment, caring for your quilt, hand quilting, and working with wool.

Only a few more quilts to prep...which is good since we hand them in tomorrow night! So off to make the molasses cookie dough and hunt down a few more loose threads....

Goodbye Quilt

My guild's donation quilt spent most of the past year in my library (safe from the pets!) Next week it goes to it's new home. This quilt raised over $3,000 for Camp Rainbow, a camp for Children with Cancer.

The quilt design is from the book "Simply Vintage" from Blackbird Designs. The piecing and applique was stitched by over 30 members of Pieceful Hearts Quilters.

I spoke with the new owner today and she is so excited...so I guess I'm ok with it leaving!

Our next quilt (2012) debuts at out quilt show on the 14th...somewhere a quilter is stitching the binding on! Now time for the guild to start planning for 2013....lots of work but a good cause!

How many photos...

Since I haven't been able to do much stitching lately I have been spending a lot of time organizing my photos. I've always loved to take pictures but I think blogging gives me that extra incentive. This incentive has generated thousands of photos!

Cobb Quilt...maybe my oldest MIA-UFO

Don't get me wrong. I love going through them I just decided I needed a better method of organizing. Previously I filed them in monthly groups. At the end of each month I copied the file to a disk for a backup. Worked great for making backups but not so good when you try to find a specific photo.

So I made some specific files for those "go-to" photos like "pets" (don't even ask how many photos are in that one!), my antique and vintage quilts, quilts I've made, antique "inspiration" quilts, guild photos, Holiday decorating ideas....Now at the end of each month I will still make a copy of that months photos but then I will "file" them.

MIA-UFO A Carolina Christmas

One thing I did learn from this is there are seveal UFO's that are in hiding. Several of you have written about losing the mo-jo on a project and putting it aside until the magic comes back. In my case if the project doesn't stay in view it migrates to the back of the closet and goes into long term hibernation. It was tough to learn there are no quilt elves that visit my closet in the dark of the night to finish my projects...sigh.

Left-over Baltimore Album blocks....

So after the quilt show I am going to do yet another clean out. I have the "wanted" posters on these malingers (helpful to know what I am looking for!) They will either make it to the finish list or to new homes....

Finally thanks for all the tips on how to do one-handed binding (note: the birds with clips work really well!) Also thanks for all the emails with offers of help. My friend Paula came by and picked up a quilt and a table runner. She and another quilt-buddy, Angie, are going to put on the sleeve and finish the binding on them.

In a bind....

Somewhere in that yellow section of the brain above there should be a label that says "quilt binding." You can't see it? Maybe they drew my brain... With several quilts still needing binding before the show the lingering flu/cold finally tweaked my MS and my left arm has little to no coordination/strength.

So far I have tried pinning the quilt to a pillow to keep the binding taunt while I sew it on...works but is v-e-r-y s-l-o-w. I've also used a large binder clip to attached the end of the quilt to a table, letting the quilt hang over the edge and used gravity to keep it taunt while I stitch...can you say "awkward!"

I know this arm thing will pass...most of my MS-y stuff is irritating but fortunately temporary. But I do have a deadline (also, do you realize how long it takes to type this with one hand...yikes!) so any ideas on how to work around this?
On the good news side I did clear out a stack of UFO's last week...no I didn't finish them! I gave two dollquilts and three table-runners to members of my guild to finish so they could go onto our silent auction table. The way I look at it is I had "kitted" these up almost a year ago (put finished to with batting, backing, and binding) but still hadn't gotten to them...they needed to go. So it is a win-win...the guild gets more handmade items for the auction and I have cleared half a shelf in my sewing room (and a bit of quilter's UFO guilt to boot!)

Pensieve Quilt-top Finish

I finished my Pensieve Quilt top today. I decided to put a mixed fabric inner border with blues and a multi-color large floral on the outside. It finished at 72x82 inches.
I think I like it...not my typical quilt but that is a good thing! I used up a lot of scraps and older bits of fabric in this. The border I bought for another quilt but had changed my mind and this was on it's way to the stash pile...thankfully it worked for this quilt.I did a little break out on one corner since a conventional border on the entire quilt just didn't feel right. (the corner lies flat in real-life...except when there is a cat underneath it....like in this photo...)
Still coughing and wheezing...so wish this cold would just go away....

Now back to sewing binding and labels on for our quilt show next month....after a small nap...