My Creative Works: Quilting Times

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Quilting Times

OKAY, I's just back from an extended Gimli Quilters Getaway with my sister Sylvia and niece Pat along with many MPQ and other familiar quilters! This year I swear it was the largest participation ever and thankfully for us at least there were a few retail spots open and we expanded some - what will happen next year when they are rented out I don't know! Anyways in our "quilt around the clock" room one of the gals was working on a biscuit quilt and talk about a conversation spot!!! These "pieces" just kept multiplying, cloning or whatever term you choose and kept taking up more and more counter space! The were also very tempting and drew many a person (me included) to go by and poke them - LOL!

Biscuit pieces kept multiplying

Now I have to say that over the past few years I've been working on "Moondance" by Beth Ferrier from Applewood Farms and honestly have FINISHED piecing all the blocks last fall at my sisters. Well at the retreat this year I finally planned out the layout of the blocks and on Saturday completed sewing them all together.

Moondance blocks planned out

Finally blocks pieced together

I thought I'd never get to this stage

Sylvia my "life saver" here!

And I owe it all to my sister Sylvia, for if it weren't for her expertise and patience I'm sure this project would have been garbaged or at least donated to the MPQ UFO auction as I had just about run out of all my patience trying to figure out these star blocks. So now it's onto planning the various flowers, butterflies, dragonflies along with the four bluebirds for the outer corners to be needle turned hand appliqued onto the open dark green spaces. Hmmmmm I started this baby in 2004 and finally got to this stage in 2010 - wonder how long it'll take me to complete the appliques???

Now here are two of Pat's UFOs which she assembled and quilted this weekend - YEAH!!!

Pat's UFO's finished!

And here is her new project of fabrics just bought this weekend - a lovely tablerunner which was quilted and the binding stitching started too!

Pat's new project!

Here's all her projects ready to be packed up and head home!

Pat and all her projects

Then here's Sylvia working on a gift from Ann of a flowers panel which she's separated the squares and rearranged them before adding on the borders. It has turned out just lovely too! She also worked on a paper pieced design for a memory quilt she's making.

Sylvia working on her flower panel

Completed panel

Pat and Sylvia

And then there's me! Well I started off my weekend framing my tatted Giraffe roaming on the African terrain! This was then mounted over a painters canvas using the techniques taught by Michelle Dobrin not that long ago at an MPQ major workshop weekend. This will be a gift for the couple I house/dogs sit for as they are "giraffe crazies"!

Me & my tatted Giraffe framed!

Framed tatted Giraffe

I also checked and yes Day 9 of the TIAS was posted and the front desk clerk was so nice, she printed it off for me so I can do the tatting ASAP. Yeah well dummy here counted 7 beads so that's all she put into her baggie at the start - NOT the package as usual - SO you guessed it I could NOT complete all the steps while away. So I got back home today and promptly sought out my beads and finished off my steps!!! Here's my pics!