Catherine Elena's Baby Quilt - In process, November 2012

Alexandra's baby sister is coming in January 2013 so it's time for another quilt. Niece Ellen invited me over to see the newly painted room - pink! Now I have to say I am not a pink person. But it is good for me to work outside of my usual palette of colors, right?

The timing coincided with Fabric Depot's montly 35% off sale so away I went on the hunt for pink. I was walking up and down the aisles and spotted this fabric and thought - this is it! (Okay. For those of you who know me you can see that I did manage to find fabric that works in colors that seem to find their way in to many of my pieces. But I do have pink too!)

Robert Kaufman - "Dress Up" - #13063

My journal page of the palette
(somehow this came out upside down)

The design I am doing is a wonky log cabin inspired by a quilt photo I saw in Angela Walters' book, Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters (1979, pp.86-87). The quilt, entitled "Housing Project", was designed and pieced by Scott Hansen and quilted by Angela Walters.





Here is what is up on my design wall so far. The small squares are the centers for the wonky log cabin blocks. The finished size will be roughly 48" x 53". 

I can hardly wait to get further along but it will have to wait until my afternoon tutoring sessions are over today. I feel a long night coming on in what Mark refers to as "The Sweat Shop". Too much fun.

Molly's iPad Satchel - August 2012

Molly modeling her new satchel

A joint effort by my niece Molly and me. I was so proud of her work on her first-ever sewing project. She was such an apt pupil (and achieved excellence).

The back

It slides in so easily

The front

Baskinette Cover - October 2012

A quick fix for Gil's old baby basinette. Now it's ready for Clare & Gil's next two granddaughters due in January and March of 2013.

The inside view

  

Velcro closure for easy removal

Thanksgiving Napkins - October 2012

Thanksgiving dinner for 22 family members - a new napkin for everyone!

After rearranging the living room and borrowing a table from my sewing room we were able to make one long table. Here it is all set and ready.

Room for all 22 adults and one baby!

Nicola made place markers from beach stones

Gloria Loughman's Class - September 2012

My Canadian quilting buddy, Janet, and I took Gloria Loughman's two-day workshop "Quilted Symphony" this past September at the Stitchin' Post in Sisters, Oregon. We arrived a few days early to get in some fabric shopping and do a bit of sewing. 

There were about 15 of us in the class, one from as far away as the East Coast. Gloria was a wonderful instructor - encouraging each of us as we worked on our designs, periodically stopping the group to share another technique or design element and interjecting suggestions. She also brought some of her fabulous quilts (I wish I had taken some photos).



Here is the photo I brought to the workshop and used as inspiration for my piece. 

Rearranged space with the new design
wall mounted in the background.

I got a start on the piece at the workshop but it was obvious that I would need more time to finish. Once I got home I decided I needed to rearrange my workspace, make a new shelf for organizing my thread and put up a bigger design wall before I could start another quilt.

The new thread organizer based on a design
I found online. Where woud I be without "google?"

Time to get back to my project. 

Here is my quilt at one point in time. I kept this on the design wall while I was working on some other small projects, occasionally removing or adding bits of fabric.

I traveled out-of-town for a few weeks. When I returned I concentrated on completing the design and sewing the pieces to the tear away pattern backing. Here is where I am at so far.

The full piece will be about 20"x 26" when finished

detail of lower right corner

detail of right middle

detail of upper left corner

The next stage will be to make the sandwich, do a bit of quilting in some areas, and finish the edges. This will have to wait until I finish two baby quilts and one more table runner.

Clare's Table Runner - September 2012

I made a table runner for my sister-in-law Clare but got so excited to give it to her that I forgot to photograph it. I will add photos later. 

Just got some photographs of the runner so here it is.

13" wide x 82" long

I used a quilting design from Angela Walters' book

In its new home after Thanksgiving brunch

Connie's Table Runner - August 2012

An anniversary gift for my sister-in-law Connie - made to match her Villeroy and Boch dishes. I used some beautiful Marcia Derse fabric "Spotted Graffiti" for the backing and binding.

14" x 54"

      

Lap Quilt - April 2012

The original layout

I was at the Stitcin' Post and saw a quilt that was made from squares of  Marcia Derse fabrics. This was just perfect for all of the 5" sample squares I had just ordered from Marcia. I bought a few more pieces of her fabric and put together a lap quilt that my daughter Anna suggested for those cold leather couches in the living room.

52" x 72"

A little design on the back too

Vincent's Quilt - May 2012

Stefanie and the rainbow of fabrics

My sister-in-law Stefanie wanted to make a queen-size quilt for her son Vincent who was working and studying in Germany. While we were in Sisters at Christmas Stefanie and I worked on the design and layout for the quilt. We supplemented the fabrics I had purchased at Fabric Depot with some fabric from the Stitchin' Post. Stefanie started with the cutting and sewing - getting a pretty good start before she headed back to Corvallis












And voila! A new quilt for my nephew Vincent - pieced by Stefanie and quilted by me.

Round Robin - November 2011 and counting

Me, Marti, Janet, Ann, MJ and Hiromi (Sandi is taking the photo)

It all started when seven of us were together in July 2011 for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. We had such a good time that we decided to meet again in November for a quilting retreat. MJ kindly opened up her beautiful home (and her huge fabric stash) in Mosier, Oregon. 

A great workspace upstairs in the guesthouse

MJ demonstrates her quilt binding technique

Sandi brings dinner and Ann's husband joins us

Marti & Janet - breakfast cooks extraordinaire

While no projects were completed we did share lots of ideas and technniques. By the end of the weekend we had agreed to do a Round Robin project, splitting into two groups of three each.

Our RR rules: The first person on each list makes a center block about 11" square, unfinished. That block, along with some of the fabric, is sent to the second person on the list who adds a border between 2" and 8" wide. The piece, along with fabric, is then sent to the third person who adds the next border with the same width restrictions. Finally the piece is returned to the first person on the list, again with some fabric. At this point, no restrictions as to how (or when:) the quilt is to be completed.

My Center Block

Design inspired by a design in Jean Well's book
Intuitive Color & Design

My selected fabrics

Janet's added border in progress

Janet's finished border

A first stab at a layout with the pieced blocks
made by Ann. Stay tuned for updates.

Ann's Center Block

Lotus Flower block from Ann

In progress on my design wall

With Janet's border. How will Ann finish it?

My completed border

Janet's Center Block
Lots of paper piecing on on each round. 

With my border added. I know Janet is playing around
with how to make this into a more non-square rectangle
for a lap quilt. A good challenge.

Janet's Dresden plate center block
with Ann's border

I really enjoyed the RR process. It was so fun to receive a package in the mail and take on the challenge of working with other's color and design choices  - figuring out the next direction to go with the quilt. 

I can't speak for everyone, but I have yet to finish my quilt. Somehow life got in the way. But finishing my RR quilt will be perfect therapy during January & February (aka the "mole period" in Oregon). One day I hope we can reconvene and share our work and stories on all six quilts.