applique class with Nancy Brown

We gathered (opps, Nancy's not in this picture!) last Sunday in Morro Bay and learned applique tips and how to shape cat and dog faces in fabric. We had beautiful samples and a wonderful (and entertaining!) instructor right there to inspire and teach us. I enjoyed the whole day!

This first picture is Nancy's quilt of her friend, Mittens.

And this quilt is of Nancy's cat, Opie. The quilt shows off Opie's beautiful blue eyes.

If we locked ourselves in this room for the next three years, Nancy promised that we could complete this lovely quilt with several of our favorite dogs....might take me six with lots of help!

Nancy also showed us how to trace pictures of our own pets and accent the light and dark to make quilt replicas of them.  This week was busy so I only got as far as a neck and two eyes for the dog applique that will look like my dog, Bridget....completed that in the class, except for having to redo one of the pupils on one dog eye. And then another dog eye for a second dog applique that will look like my other dog, Sandy.

Hopefully someday these parts will look a little like this.

My thoughts and prayers are with those of you on the east coast braving those storms this weekend. Hope it's almost over.

finally some finishes

Mr. Walking Rabbit is quilted and decorating the wall in our family room, warming my primitive heart.  Thank you to Log Cabin Quilter for the inspiration. I loved the plaids and flannel that went into making this guy. It was just a fun project.

Next I have another attempt at dealing with my novelty fabric "problem". When I started quilting back in the 90's, Debbie Mumm's designs thrilled me...to the point of buying an awful lot of Noah and his ark. (I am fighting with Blogger again about where I want to place text)...So here is the quilt top and then the quilt back. I actually still enjoy Noah...fortunately. This quilt was simply designed to showcase the large images.

One initial plan for this fabric was to use a "10 minute block" method that I saw posted on Happy Cottage Quilter's blog but it didn't work so well with these novelties. Zebra would be Zera in all the blocks. I do like the idea of this method though and will look for a chance to use it.

On to newer fabric...but still a few years old...I made a king size quilt for my friend several years ago for her wedding. Recently, I realized I had leftover blocks and lots of fabric I could use to make a smaller version for myself. This quilt is called Buckeye Beauty in Marsha McCloskey's Quick Classic Quilts. Tonya chose the fabric collection from my stash and selected this pattern. It is still a favorite with both of us. For mine, I quilted it with a pattern called Plumage...which seems to be my current favorite.

I have been doing some embroidery and now quilting on a couple of little quilts planned for Christmas presents....no pictures available because of the surprise factor. And today I have gathered up all the Psalms blocks and will start on putting them together with sashing fabric.  I will show a picture next time because if I try to add it now...who knows where it will show up in this post.

Hope you are having a wonderful summer day!

Happy Independence Day!

I have been doing embroidery, piecing and longarm quilting but have no pictures to show for it yet.  What I do have though is a picture of the new baby deer in our neighborhood and some views of where we go to walk the dogs most days.

This sweet little creature will learn which houses have the best salad!

We are blessed to live by a large ranchland that our town purchased and now has open as a park for everyone to enjoy. Along the ocean we have a beautiful circuit to walk and view the ocean and some interesting creatures.

This is looking north to San Simeon.

And here we head back toward the south to check out who is hanging out on the rocks.

We love seeing these sunbathers everyday.

Hope you are having a great day with family and friends.

a couple of finishes

Finished this small floral quilt for a co-worker but I'm not sure if this is her style or not. This was started with some leftover blocks from the quilt I made for my mom. I quilted it using the Plumage panto. I love the feathers but this pattern is kind of narrow which means more passes on the longarm. Perfect for a smaller quilt as I don't run out of interest like I would on a queen size.

So in case she isn't into sweet florals, I pulled from my stash and made up this quick darker quilt...which I sort of prefer for me as well.  I put the feathers on this one too.

Carol of Brown Quilts posted about a friend of hers making pillowcases for servicemen and women. Some help could be useful so several of us are pitching in.  Feel free to join the effort if you are so inclined. It is kind of fun. Here are the two that I am sending off.

I'm currently working with more leftover blocks making a quilt for me :-)  Will show pics of that later but I leave you with improved pics from my new camera of my friends, the billboard cows on 101 north to Salinas. These guys always make me smile.



quilt show

Seven Sisters Quilt Show this weekend in San Luis Obispo was lovely. Here are just a few pictures...

Rose quilt by my friend, Rana :-)

A dog quilt that was pretty cute.

Viewer's Choice

Marianne says my camera skills are pretty boring.

But finally there is some quilt piecing going on around here. I'm making a little quilt for a co-worker from extra blocks from the quilt I made for my mom.

I'm having quite a time with this blogging template today, fighting to keep the font I want and having it align on the left. I am not much of a HTML warrior though so I'm signing off to piece. My sewing machine is much nicer to me!



2 Psalm blocks and a camera

"River of Delight" is for Psalm 36. "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." Ps 36:7-9

"Prairie Flower" is for Psalm 103 and is the final block I am making for my niece's quilt. "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him....Ps 103:15-17

My plan was to sashing these together with black fabric and border it with grape vine fabric that I have leftover from my Women of the Bible quilt. The colors in these blocks are a little different though and may not go as well with that fabric. So I will have to see how it all looks together.

This next picture is the first I took with my new camera that I got for my birthday :-)  It just came in the mail yesterday and it was late till I could play with it...due to waiting for the battery to charge.  This shot of my sewing room may be TMI as you can see at least 2 of the cat beds in here and the dog collars off for the night. I'm kind of like an 8 year old that loves to keep trinkets and stuff around to look at... which leaves the not the neatest of sewing areas and this room shows it. 

And here is the first picture of Elinor with the new Canon Elph. She's not as annoyed as she looks...or at least I didn't think she was.  She is sitting on yet another sewing room cat bed. The girls are such big helpers in here, they deserve the best :-)



Just One Star and a Broken Heart

I was inspired by a recent Covered Porches post to join in and make a quilt block for the quilts being made for soldiers.  You can get the pattern to make one too for the Just One Star challenge that Moda is holding. Moda needs to receive them before May 1st.  I made mine out of scraps I had in my stash...and in looking for what to use became inspired to clear out a draw of fat quarters and scraps working them into either the 'scraps to be cut box'...see previous post :-) or into my wall cupboard that has the fabric sorted by colors.  Reorganization and clearing out is always a good thing.

This Psalms block was actually finished about a week ago but the pressing was not attempted and the photo not taken until today. I'm not showing the back :-) but it came out better than I first hoped. Pressing these blocks still has a ways to go on the learning curve.

This block is called Broken Heart and is for Psalm 34

I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Ps 34:4,7,18

Elinor went up to check out the beautiful blue sky.  She is a little camera shy but held her spot for just long enough.

Haven't started a pieced scrap quilt yet because I got distracted by this at Log Cabin Quilter.  I now have it mostly stitched down...had to move the pocket and still need to re-do the carrot.