In Trouble Again

I decided it was time to start blogging again. And I'm beginning with a confession. My sewing room is a mess again. Here's why:
1. I traveled to lots of quilt shows and shops this summer. Everywhere I went I bought a little something. But I've been too busy to really unpack it all so the purchases are still in their bags, in my sewing room.
2. I'm traveling to Norman, OK next week to work with the quilt guild there. But because I got such a good deal on airfare and am not driving, I am limited in what I can take. Therefore I have put together a power point presentation for my lecture to take the place of the trunk show. That meant that I had to photograph lots of things...dig them out of their hiding places, photograph them, then try to put them back where they came from. Not always successful in doing so.
3. I'm in the midst of MANY projects, each one requiring different materials. Many piles.
4. We've reacquired two quilt racks (that my husband made many years ago for our mothers). I already have one of my own...where to go with the extra two? One of them is in the middle of my sewing room.
5. I'm writing several different articles for the Quilting Quarterly and using books from my personal quilting library as references. Not necessarily put back where they belong.

I just need a few more hours in the day...anyone have some to spare???

It Was a Winner!

Were you able to make it to the NQA show in Columbus earlier this month? If so, perhaps you saw my challenge quilt hanging with the other little quilts in the "Little Quilt Auction" display. There were 8 of us who took part in the challenge and NQA members had a chance to vote for their favorite challenge quilt. I am happy to report that MY little quilt came in 2nd! What fun to see it hanging there, sporting a ribbon!
When the quilts were auctioned off Friday evening, the 8 quilts brought in over $1000 for the NQA grant program. I don't remember who bid on my quilt, but I'm hoping that it went to a good home!

Delivered!

As you can see from the photo, some of the "Little Pink Houses" quilts have been delivered to my local hospital. On Wednesday I presented Milica Kay (of the Cancer Care Center of Henry Ford Hospital, Clinton Twp., MI) with "Clear Skies" and "Chance of Showers." It feels good to have them all finished and ready for new owners. The plan is for them to be auctioned at a "survivors' event" on June 22nd.
The remaining 3 were promised to her just as soon as I can get them finished. I've started quilting "Hazy," but with my busy summer schedule, I'm not sure when it will be completed. I'll keep you posted on my progress and on the $$ we raise for free/reduced fee mammograms. :)

Change of Plans

After looking at the calendar, seeing what the coming weeks are bringing, and realizing that I have to have some "Little Pink Houses" quilts to the hospital by May 25th, I changed my plans. I put aside HAZY for now and pulled out CLEAR SKIES. Quilting 9 blocks seemed much more manageable than quilting 12 blocks.
I got right to work marking the quilt top, then layering it up. I've been working on it steadily (and have a sore finger for proof!) and am just about finished with the hand quilting. Just have to quilt along the border on both sides.
CHANCE OF SHOWERS now has the binding sewn on by machine. I just have to do the hand stitching to finish it off. And I'm in the process of making labels for both quilts.
I feel confident that these two quilts will be ready on time! Yay!

I'm back!

It has been a very long time since I wrote something for my blog. I've been busy--stitching, traveling, writing, speaking. I guess I am thoroughly back to being myself--immersed in everything quilt-related. That's a good thing! :)

Last weekend was my annual quilt camp retreat. I did a bit of machine work, but the bulk of my time was spent quilting the first of the "Little Pink Houses" quilts. The first one I chose to work on was "Chance of Showers". I just have to quilt up the sides along the borders, and then it is ready for binding. The next one I'll tackle is "Hazy." I'm hoping both will be finished before Memorial Day so that they can be auctioned off at a Survivor's Event in mid-June. So far, everyone who has seen the quilts and heard their story has been moved. I hope that they will raise lots of $$ for the low-cost/no-cost mammogram program that my local hospital is starting.

To see all the quilts and close-ups of the blocks, go to:http://littlepinkhousesquilts.shutterfly.com/
I'll record my progress and the success of the quilts here in my blog.

Charity quilting

I just put the final stitches in the binding of a charity "kid" quilt. Feels good to have that done! This is the second one I have finished this week--both have been in my sewing room, waiting to be made (I won't tell you for how long...).
I've also been working on the "Little Pink Houses" quilts and have the quilt tops just about completed. They are turning out so neat! I received enough blocks to make two 12-block quilts and three 9-block quilts. Once I finish the final embellishing, I'll photograph all of them.
It really is a good feeling to work on charity quilts--giving of myself for a good cause! I hope you feel the same way when you work on charity quilts!

Scrap bag find

I finally went through a bag of scraps that I was given almost a year ago--lots of great scraps in there, in fabrics different from what I have. They will be fun to work into some of my future projects.
Tucked in amongst those scraps were these two pieced heart blocks. With the addition of only a few fabric strips (some of which came from that same scrap bag), I had a table runner! I chose to put no batting in it--just backed it with some homespun from my stash, and did a little bit of "in-the-ditch" quilting to hold it all together. Quick and easy because the hard work was already done. I love the way it came out!