Swap Block received.....

I received my May swap block from Cori today... and I just love the colors. It will be an addition to the blocks I am collecting for a civil war reproduction quilt - Kansas Spirit.

More Quilt Retreat......

I also finished my 12 blocks the Baltimore Bunnies quilt that I am making. They were originally designed for hand applique but I couldn't face that! - LOL.... so I will machine applique them. They have been fused and now have to be satin stitched. THEN.... the borders have to be appliqued..... it is a beautiful pattern... and I hope to have a grand daughter that I can give it to one day.

This pattern is from Bunny Hill Designs, and I purchased it as a Block of the Month. You may remember that I also taught the All Things Christmas pattern as a Block of the Month - so this will be the second of her patterns that I have completed. I LOVE her designs ..... and if time permitted I would do them all!

This is my good friend Shirley - at our retreat. She is doing some hand work - she does the most amazing crazy patch quilting. You can see some of her work here.... She made the wonderful crazy patch wall hanging that was raffled off for Boston Terrier Rescue - she's always a great supporter and a really good friend. Shirley also teaches and has an online fibre arts group - Learning Fiber Arts. This is a great group that offers FREE classes.

Thought for the Day
Don't prepare the path for the child, prepare the child for the path.
Anonymous

Quilt Retreat....

I was at my annual quilting retreat this past weekend - friday to Monday.... and had a great time. This is one of the quilt tops that I finished - It was a kit and was sewn up very fast... I think it will mae a great christmas present!

The retreat I went to had about 50 ladies attending - from all over Canada and the US. We have an online group and discuss stuff during the year and then meet at the retreat once a year... this has been going on for 3 years.... AND I have another retreat to go to this coming weekend - this one has been going for 7 years and again, is made up of online friends. I have more pics... but my camera battery is low and I will have to upload them on another post. Notice.... my little Tooie has to get in the picture!!

Thought for The Day

Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along.

Hugh Allen

Machine Quilting.....

My favorite part of "quilting" is the actual machine quilting of the quilt. Before I started longarming I quilted with my domestic sewing machine - my Husqvarna Viking - there was no stitch regulation then, but now many machines have stitch regulation and that makes quilting so much easier. I teach machine quilting on a domestic machine at a LQS - and I love it when a student catches the same quilting fever I have.

I was looking around YouTube and found some great tutorials on machine quilting
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LHv2GV8F-8E
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LBusZ3cGpoA&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XmJeER4fV0k&feature=related

These two videos are from Nicole Webb. I had the pleasure of taking a longarm class from her last October and what a tremendously lovely lady! and I learned a lot also
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C9HzGohUjoQ&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9KbpK07iSJ4&feature=related

Thought for the Day
Do what you love, love what you do!

Block received....

in my Nine Patch Swap. I think this will go great with the rest of my Kansas Spirit blocks. I am getting quite a selection of nine patch blocks so I may be able to just make a quilt with those!

I haven't been doing a lot of quilting lately as I am preparing for a big move - and I think I am having "withdrawal" - I am anxious to get back at my frame and get some of my quilts finished... plus I have a few customer quilts to get done. I do have two quilt retreats to go to before I actually move - they were planned last year so I can't back out of them... and I am looking forward to doing something besides packing, moving furniture, taking things to the goodwill.....etc.etc.etc........... I guess that will mean I have more quilt tops to quilt!

Thought for the Day
To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.
Ralph Waldo Trine