Quilts and photos...

This year I signed up for an online photo class with Ricki Tims (yes, the quilter Tims!.)  It helps keep me focused on learning and trying new things with my camera.  Most of all it gets me out taking photos!

My week 5 photo - Shape

We are in week 5 of the class.  It sort of alternates with a technical lesson and then an "art" lesson.  We then take and post a photo using what we learn.  So far so good!

Last week it was a technical photo...long distance "tack-sharp."  Almost got it.  These are the "love locks" at the Savannah Lock and Dam.  I was trying to get the locks and both the smooth and rough waters behind them in focus.

The 2017 guild donation quilt is finished!  (except for a sleeve and label...)  The quilt was inspired by a quilt in Indigo Quilts by Kate and Lori Lee Triplet.  It is an Irish Chain with a Birds and Flight border.  I drew the 6 applique blocks.  The quilt is queen size.  We used a lot of different Indigo fabrics in this quilt!

This week I am trying to finish up the quilt for my friends silent auction.  Also working on a quilt inspired by one that came out of the $5 bag of quilts!  And when I have a minute I'm cleaning the sewing room...ya, it will be a busy week!

Quilt for benefit Auction

A friend of mine has a sister who is undergoing extenisive treatment for cancer.  Her family and friends are holding a fundraiser and as part if it there will be a silent auction.

So on the design wall is a quilt I hope to finish in the next couple of days so it can be in the auction.  I will finish at baby/toddler size.

Cutting and sewing with the broken finger has been a challenge.  Starting off with a jelly roll and some strips from the 2-1/2 inch bin helped a lot!  I actually have enough to make a second one for the guild's silent auction next fall!

Plus a stack of bonus 4-patches...

On the cutting table...

I'm learning that typing with a broken baby finger is tough...heck a lot of things are tough!  (washing dished one handed...the worst!)

But I have a deadline to get the kits out to the guild members for our 2018 donation quilt so past couple of days I've been cutting fabric very slowly and carefully!

We are making Kaffe Fasset's Vases and Bowls.  Naively I thought working with a kit would make the process faster and easier then last year when I drafted a pattern and we picked out the fabrics ourselves.  I was wrong.

I have a pile of leftover fabric...which makes me nervous...sort of like when you put together flat-pack furniture and have extra screws and bits left over.  You wonder if the furniture will collapse the first time it is used!

The there are the fabrics that there is no-way you can get all the pieces required cut from it!  I made multiple templates and laid them out on the fabric...not going to work!  Went online and ordered another 1/2 yard.  That is also the challenge - the local quilt shops do not carry much if any Kaffee.  Closest is s 2 hour drive!

I am close to halfway with the kitting...now what to do with all these pretty bits of leftovers?!

Guild meeting

A few times a year my guild has a meeting where both the morning and the evening groups get together.  It is fun to see everyone in one place and or course it leads to some great show and tell!

Hexagon quilt made using the circle and fold method...

a 60th birthday quilt!

a quilt made from baby onesies....

a finished quilt from a Pat Sloan workshop we had last year!

a thank-you gift to our president showing Mt. Ranier, WA....

and food...

lots of food...

we also recognized our outgoing officers...

Polish pottery and fabric...what a great combo!

We also had another fund-raising weekend for our 2016 donation quilt, Raindrops for Rainbows.  This project raises funds for a camp for children with cancer.

This quilt has done really well!

and one of our local sewing and vac shops provided us with some needed water for the hot weekend!  Thanks Branum's!

Design wall update....

I have a lot of projects going on at once...I know!  What else is new!

For years I've wanted a French Prov. style quilt for my kitchen wall and I am now close to having it!  I bought the charm packs at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium in May, put it on the design wall in June and stitched them together in July....if all goes according to plan I'll put the border on in August and quilt it in September!

border fabric for my "French" quilt....

I've also started my neutral quilt using a pattern in Pat Wys book.  My interpretation of neutral is a bit broader than hers!

Anything that looks like denim is a neutral....and I included some yellow just to keep it interesting..

I am also working on a quilt for the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild to give to those in their community effected by the shooting.  Several members of my local guild made blocks and am almost finished sewing them into a top!

And finally, I continue to work on blocks for "The Splendid Sampler" led by Pat Sloan.  I am way behind but I'm ok with that.  In the end I guess I'll make about half the blocks...it is still fun!  I'm using only scraps for this project...not making much of a dent in the scrap bags but at least I'm trying!

Donation quilt top finished!

It has been a crazy month already here in Georgia....heat has been over 95 degree every day...had to have a procedure to take care of some aneurysms before I could have my gallbladder surgery...and we had to finish the guild donation quilt.

The first two are really not interesting (except for the fact they are cutting into my photography time...need to learn to like studio work more!)  The donation quilt however has really turned out nice!

My guild makes a quilt each year to raise money for Camp Rainbow, a medically supervised camp for children with cancer.  The inspiration for this year's design came from Indigo Quilts, by Kay and Lori Lee Triplett.  In their book they have a an antique "Irish Chain with flock of geese border."  (love this border but it isn't for the faint of heart!)

Since we have found that applique quilt tend to raise more money we added the applique.  I drew the 6 applique designs myself based on traditional motifs.  The fabrics include yellows to orange, dark indigo to powder blue, and a few browns and tans.  There are at least 100 different fabrics in this quilt!  Most of the fabric came from members's stash...we purchased the background and a couple of fatquarters of indigo.

So now it will go off to be quilted by another guild member...

(Just a note...this is in no way soliciting ticket sales for this quilt.  We offer tickets at an Art event, a Home Show, and at our Quilt Show.  They are also available from guild members sometime after November this year.)

What is on the design wall...

In addition to going to workshops I have been trying to do some sewing and even a bit of "designing!"

My sister requested a quilt for her cabin up in Maine.  I started to make a Scrappy Trip Around the World from Bonnie Hunter's website.  I've made that pattern several times and I knew it would work up fast and use some of my overflow of 2-1/2 inch strips.

But of course midway I thought...why not put these blocks on point?  And maybe turn them different directions...oh no, then I have to piece the sides

ok, so I made a very simple project into a real pain!  But at least it is almost finished!  (btw...Goldie my cat is not making this process any easier...one block went missing and still has not been found!)  Thought for sure once I remade it the block would show up!

The other quilt I'm working on is just starting!  Each year my guild makes a quilt to raise money for a local camp for children with cancer, Camp Rainbow.  This year the quilt is based on an Irish Chain with flying geese borders in the Kate Triplett's Indigo Quilts book.  Of course it was only a photo so I had to draft a pattern (with Kate's permission.)

Then the committee thought it would be good to have applique in the open blocks...because my guild loves to applique.  So I drew some designs.  Now the blocks are starting to come in and it is sort of exciting to see them!  Saturday is the deadline for them...should have a photo of an "almost quilt top" then!

Donation Quilt at Home Show

My quilt guild makes a quilt each year to benefit Camp Rainbow, a medically supervised camp for children with cancer.

One of our big events for this quilt is the Augusta Home Show.

I worked at our booth for the first shift and was really happy with how generous the folks were.  One man said he didn't have time to fill out the tickets but wanted to donate and put a $20 bill in the bucket!

Flowers are starting to come up even with the cooler weather...makes me want to work out in the yard but it is still about a month too early!

Speaking of flowers my friend Paula gave me my swap quilt this week!  The quilt on the left is Carnival corn that I made and gave to her and on the left is Fanciful Blooms (a Sue Spargo pattern that Paula made her own!)  which she made and gave to me!

Baby Quilt finished!

I did it...finished a baby quilt before the baby was born!  Trust me this has only happened once before...usually I think I do well if it is finished before their first birthday (oh ya, I wanted to know the gender first...that excuse just doesn't work anymore!)

The last stitch went into the binding about noon and it was at the post office by 2:00!  I stopped for an ice-cream on the way home to celebrate!

I have another baby quilt waiting for binding so I can't stop and party too long...

I'm continuing to work on Photoshop...a little bit each day...and it gets a bit easier each day.  Not a lot but a little bit!  Yesterday I too photos on different manual setting of my camellia bush.  First year it has bloomed!

Also worked on our guild's next donation quilt.  We got permission to base it on this quilt in Kay Triplett's book on Indigo.  We are adding some applique in the open areas. The applique will be in the fabrics below...a bit challenging but fun on the less!

Today was a pretty emotional day.

Ninety quilts were delivered to vets at the VA Hospital here in Augusta.  These were vets in long term care.  Most seemed to be from the Korea/Vietnam ere through there were a few WWII vets hanging on and unfortunately a few from more recent conflicts.

The guild put together these quilts in 4-1/2 months.  That is a lot of fast stitching!

RJ from a local machine and vacuum shop quilted this top that I had made with other quilters.  It was his first time quilting so I think it was extra special for him to present the quilt!

There were many watery-eye moments.  Regulations did not allow for photos to be taken on the care floors...just take my word that there were lots of smiles!

VA Hospital quilts

A few months ago a chaplain at the local Veterans Administration Hospital approached the quilting guild I belong to and asked if we could make quilts for the long term care wards.

82 of the quilts on display at a local church...

Many of these vets are elderly and no longer have family that visit.  Making the institutional setting even bleaker.

Here in front are two of the quilts I made...Bonnie H. fans will recognize one!

So first our goal was 50..then 75...and come Tuesday when they are presented I believe we will be close to 90 quilts!  I'm really proud to be part of this guild...

I am madly putting the binding on the last one in my stack...a fitting project for the 4th of July I think!

So close to the 75 goal!

Another quilt finished for our local VA!  It looks like we will have the 75 needed for the three long term nursing home units...if not we will be really, really close!

My friend Shannon finished this top this week adding to our total!

I have two more to bind...so close!

Been taking more photos of the dragonflies and daylillies!  My sister sent me a book on identifying them!  Some of the ones that I thought were two different types were really just male and female...sort of like birds they have different coloring.

This weekend I need to get back to work on the guild donation quilt....my goal was to have that done and out of my sewing room by the end of June!   Yikes!