From Our Retreat

Here are some more items we finished at the retreat last weekend:
Here is our sample mini quilt that proclaimed our theme for the retreat.  It's so cute.  I was working on another WIP so didn't get to make one there, but I have the kit.  Then we made place mats for when we went to the dining room for meals.
This was the general idea for us to work with, but lots did it differently.
Here's mine.  Since my girls gave me all the birds they didn't use, I made a futuristic one  (no wings required) which I call
Air Traffic Control.  
My daughter's.  She had such a lovely back, and decided to make it the front and keep it simple.  She gave me all her birds.

She also made this Itty Bitty Baby Dress for her best friend's baby who is due to be born anytime now.


My DIL, Deanna, made another kit - a feather eyeglass case.
They had such neat projects for us!

I'm linking to some linky fun.  See my tab under the header.  Blessings!





Two More Make Five

On my Design floor this Monday is my completed 5 blocks for the RSC 2017 challenge.  The left and right blocks of the first row are new.  Wonder what the challenge color will be for June?  We should know soon from Angela.

I managed to use 1.66 yards finishing baby coverlet at retreat and three blocks. My destashing total is now 47.98 yds so far this year.  I may yet get to 50 yards (my half way point) in June.

What are you doing this long weekend?  We've said prayers for those who gave their lives for our safety and freedom.  Long may they be remembered.
A Veteran's quilt I made in 2011.

A quilt of valor made by me and two of my neighbors. From 2006





And then there were three

Here's my third green scrappy block for the 2017 RSC



For the quilt I have in mind the blocks have to be 9" finished. In the I Love to Make Quilts version, it is a 12" block. I've finally worked out a method to make reducing the block less complicated for me.
I see what the size of the finished pieces have to be and then add a 1/2" to the measure. For instance for the one above.  The middle of this 9 patch is twice the size of the corners, so my pieces have to be 1/4th the finished size.  So I divided 9 by 4 and got 2 1/4".  I added the 1/2" seam allowance and squares for the corners  should cut at 2 3/4".   The middle rectangle is 2 3/4" twice, but since this is a long rectangle, one subtracts the 1/2" seam allowance as there is no seam in the middle.  And so it goes...

At retreat, we do make and takes.  They give us a kit and we make it.  Most of us are usually learning a new technique when we do this.  Our first make and take was to make a name tag.  Here's mine.
We had three birds to choose from.  Here's my daughter's:
She stuffed hers and braided the feet.  Wish I had taken more pics of my Mom's and DDIL's.

I'm linking to Angela's RSC 2017.

WIPs Be Gone


I had made this top some time ago and found the perfect back for it.  I took it to the retreat and was able to finish it there.  It only has the two flannel layers. Technically it is a baby coverlet.  Should work just right for our hot summers.



The strips are from other quilts that St. Anne members made either as a tube quilt or a back. That makes it a scrap quilt, too.

I found this totally cute backing flannel. Liked it so much, bought a bunch.


My DH came up to the patio with this bouquet for me. It's an echinopsis plant. The flowers only last for a day, but oh how lovely while they lasted.

I'm linking to some parties today. You can see where under the linky tab:  linky parties.
Blessings!

Design Wall Monday

I'm back from a wonderful retreat.  I'll have pics and more to say once I relax a bit and get back into the normal routine.  In the meantime I left up on my design wall an isolette cover for the NICU:

The brown is more like the dog ears. Don't know why the photo didn't turn out. Ah, I see. Camera was set to auto not indoors.  Anyway, it is a softer brown.  The cover measures 32 1/2" by 46 - the size they asked for.  It will have a dark back to help block out the light for the preemies.  The center block is made up all from left overs and squares cut off while making Nearly Insane # 3.

What are you up to?  Go over to Design Wall Monday to see more DWs.

WIPs Gone on Retreat

I"m off to a guild retreat at the beautiful Vina de Lastonnac Retreat Center in Temecula.  It is actually a convent. 24 of us quilters will be there 3 days.  You can read about it here.  Below is the Christmas quilt I made from a 2009 UFO.
quilted

The back

Bound and set aside for Christmas.
See you Monday!

You're Invited to a Portrait Party

Well, actually the results of a portrait party - a wonderful, eclectic, contemporary collection of portraits in the book by Julia Kay entitled Portrait Revolution.  I have two very artistic adults in my family - one who always seems to have a pencil in his hand drawing portraits, so I wanted to learn more about this type of art.  Also I'm an avid quilter and as I visit quilt shows I see more and more quilts that have the human form in their design.  I was please to see needle arts represented in the book.

The cover itself drew me in to the book.  There are so many mediums and styles.  It really is a wide representation of what artists are creating all over the world. The 450 portraits really captivate one. My 6 year old grandson was over one day. We spent over an hour looking at these works.  I was fascinated by drawing blind.  Alan saw one and said, "I can do that," about an abstract done by Timothy Schorre entitled Patricio, Chile and made on an iPhone with the Sketji app.

Here's his version (looks very much like the one in the book):
"Why don't you give him ears," I said handing him the light brown crayon again.  "Nope, Grandpa doesn't hear and he doesn't have hair".  He's right.

Now my drawing blind.  I used my statue of St. Jude Thaddeus for my attempt.

This book is a keeper. It's so interesting. I think I'll give it to my son - just his kind of book.

I received this book (Watson-Guptill Publications) from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. And I’m so glad I did.

Moving It Forward Monday

Made an RSC challenge block - last of my teals.

I'm linking to Em's Moving it Forward Monday and at Beth's Monday Making. Stop by and see what everyone is working on. Blessings!

Some of this; Some of that

Our poinsettias are lasting forever! We were gifted these a couple of weeks before Christmas, 2016 - and look how colorful they still are.  A bit dusty, but beautiful.









Now that the green leaves are starting to come out, I'm trying to think of a place where I can set them into the ground.  It will have to be near a hose and some shade, so that our hot summers don't fry them.  Maybe I'll just find a huge pot to put them in.

Now for my stash report.  I found a back for the NI #4, made 4 pink blocks for the finished St. Anne's top and then sewed the outer border, added borders to the left overs isolette top and started a RSC challenge block for 1.75 yds to give me a grand total of 46.32 yds destashed this year.

I hand stitched on my Anna's Garden applique block while I was at the doctors. Just one more bud to go and I can start stitching another prepped block.

Will you get to sew on this lovely Mother's Day?  I'll be joining some linky parties - see my tab under the header.  Blessings!

WIPs Be Gone

I used the wrong setting.  That orange border is a nice peachy color. Oh well.  This St. Anne's top came from the book Quilt for Joy  by Barbara Brandenburg and Teri Christopherson.  I just made a smaller version.

Finished at 36" square and is now being sandwiched by another St. Anne's member.

Climate change did a number on a couple of our fruit trees.  We have a wonderful Pomelo tree that usually gives us a crop in January - February. Don't know this citrus?  Go here.  Our tree, shown below, usually gives us a good crop.  I usually send packages to family and friends as a Happy New Year gift.  In fact in Southeast Asia if you eat some on New Year's Day you'll have good luck.  This year we had two fruits.  One fell prematurely from too much rain and burst.  The other we got to pick.
Compared to a 6 oz cup - you can see how big this is.

Then you peel it - you can see how thick the rind is.
Once you finish peeling it you have this luscious pink fruit.
And the tree?  It's loaded with another big crop but way out of sync - It usually blooms in June and the fruit is ready in middle of winter. Now we don't know.


We have a grafted pink pommelo and it is delicious.  It's work to get to the flesh, but worth it.  What does it taste like?  Just like a naturally sweet grapefruit with no astringency.  Yum.

Hope you get to sew today.  I'm linking to some parties - you can see the links under my tab above.






Design Wall Monday

Left on my design wall is the exploded Nearly Insane block #9 (actually my 4th) which is now a quilt top.
I must have measured wrong somewhere because I had to add that small inner border to make it to size (my size that is of 30"). Now to decide on a back and it can come down to be sandwiched.

And here's my finished top.  I'm hoping to sandwich it in the next few days and get started on the quilting instead of adding it to the Ready to be Quilted pile.


Are you quilting or sewing?  I've done my 30 minutes today.  I'm participating in Annie's Sew 30 Sew Fun challenge.  Join us.  Anything to keep me motivated.  Linking to some parties.  You can find them under my tab Linky Parties above.  Blessings!

Some of This, Some of That

Mom and I spent Friday at a local quilt show - the Inland Empire Quilt Guild's show in Norco, CA. It was a small show but very enjoyable and of course, had some great quilts. Here are three we liked (click on the photos to see them enlarged) :
a gorgeous One Block Wonder quilt

My Mom's favorite - a Pearl Pereira quilt - Fantasy Flowers made by
Cheryl Giovenco, quilted by Sheila Osbrink.

The label is below.  My favorite - The row of quilts opposite this beauty
kept me from getting back far enough to take a complete photo. Learn
more about it here.

A fabulous version!
Not much sewing done during the last two days.  This past week I used about 1/2 yd among my WIPs to add to the year's destashing total of 44.57 yds.

Another very busy second week of the month coming up.  I hope you have time to quilt. Blessings!

WIPs Are Going ....

... but slowly.  
NI #3 is quilted (terrible photo, but had to take it last night)

Here's part of the front - had fun following the pattern in the fabric

Made the units for 4 more blocks for the St Anne's quilt

Half way done with  the last border of my April UFO

Working on a bird for Lori's QAL

Quilting the Christmas quilt - just the grid work done so far.
Lastly - enjoying my amaryllis that are in bloom across from my kitchen door.
Tomorrow I'm taking mom to a quilt show for her birthday.  She turned 91 last Saturday.

Before I forget - last week's winner of a fat quarter is Karen Martin.  I've sent her an email.  Can't link this Friday - I'll be logging quite a few miles this coming week (200 this weekend).  I hope you have time to quilt in the next few days.  It would be nice to know what you're working on while I'm so busy with my other life.  Blessings!

SAHRR Round 5 and 6

  Ready to show rounds 5 and 6. Actually, the prompt for 5 was make 4 of something. So I chose four patch, and actually since that made my q...