Retreat weekend

I usually go to the mountains during Memorial Day weekend, but since I had just seen all the family the weekend before at a wedding, I elected to stay home.  Well, not really home as I spent two days sewing with friends in Cambria.  My goal was to get the blocks together for the BOM from BJ's Quilt Basket, Bend,Oregon.

This is the inside.  I included the triangles at the top to show
how it fits in the applique border.  I would like the quilt to
fit a queen bed, so I'll need another border.  I'm going to try
and find a pieced border that looks good with the inside.  I don't
want to just add fabric to the outside, but we'll see.

Just some of the blocks.  I do machine applique.
I struggle with the quilting design when each block is different.
I can't do in the ditch because some of the seams are pressed open.

I have to repeat this section 8 times.  There will be flowers at the end of the stems.
The pattern has the vine coming out of the triangle and ending near the corner.
I've decided to make the vine continuous around the quilt.  The stems are hanging
because I can't sew them down until it's attached to the quilt.  It's easier to do
the machine applique on a small piece rather than a 70' square piece.

Once again, thanks for checking in.

Two finishes

Over the past few weeks I've finished two quilts.  Yea!!  One of them is a challenge quilt for two different groups - not due until July and December . .  . and I'm finished in MAY!

Actually, both quilts are for challenges.

The first challenge was 9 Fabrics, 9 Blocks.  You had to use exactly 9 fabrics and make exactly 9 blocks.  The setting of the blocks was your design decision.  Even the binding had to be one of the 9 fabrics.

Here's mine.

The pattern is "Isabel" by Fabric Confetti.  It's machine embroidery applique.
This is the first time I've done this type of applique for a quilt. In various
workshops I've done some little items:  Monogram a bag, etc.

The background is two different grays so I could make my 9 fabrics.

The pattern called for fabric here, but I chose to leave it off. I eliminated some of
the stitching.  I didn't need placement lines and omitted the close stitching around
the exterior of each piece. I still did all the machine quilting on my domestic machine.

The second finish is for two different challenges.  One of my friendship groups selects a "challenge" for the year.  I wanted to do state patterns (NY Beauty, Road to CA, Lone Star, etc.) but was outvoted.  We selected Stack 'n Whack - Kaleidoscope.  The next month our guild challenge was announced:  Use a book from the guild library for inspiration or make a quilt from the book.  You know where this is going - we have the Stack 'n Whack book!  One quilt, two challenges!!

I showed a close up of some of the kaleidoscopes in an earlier post.

There are "twirls" in each block and you can see the lines in the background.

Thanks for checking in.

Challenge top complete

I belong to a friendship group that usually meets (formally) only twice a year.  In December we set a group challenge for the year.  We usually meet up during the summer just to check in with each other.  This year's challenge was to do a "stack and whack" quilt.  It wasn't my first choice, but of course I'll go along with the group.  

The next month my guild announced their challenge for 2016.  Take any book from the guild library and make one of the quilts or use the book for inspiration.  Do you see where this is going?  Yes!  The guild has the Stack-n-Whack" book by Bethany Reynolds.  

One quilt = two challenges . . . . again.  I was able to do this once before with paint chip colors and Dresden plate design.

I can't show the entire top, but here are some teaser shots.  Since the guild challenge is due in July I know I will have the quilt ready for Material Girls in December.

The piecing was difficult due the the angle of the seams coming together, but I was determined to make them match.  It was a lot of sew, rip, sew, rip, sew, repeat.  I made this my slow quilting project.

Another plus.  I made the kaleidoscopes using a fabric from my stash!

Thanks for checking in.