Quiltathon Day

I participated in Judy's (patchworktimes.com) quiltathon this weekend....and this is what I finished! My 100 9-patch blocks for my Guild's September project. The group is doing their blocks in cream and Thimbleberry fabrics, but I decided to use up my scraps and did mine in muslin and reds. We will learn how to cut the blocks and sew everything back together at the September Meeting...it's a really pretty, scrappy quilt when you are done.

I have four quilters signed up for the Fall (Sept-Nov) Journal quilt challenge....any other quilters want to join Gina, Lorraine, Kris and me? Info is in my Jul 16th post...check it out!



In Closing:I sent my registration in for the Utah Quilt Fest. I am hoping to get a all day class on fabric dyeing and a all day class on strip piecing with curves. I also signed up for a nighttime lecture on using up your scraps and the Opening Night get together to meet the teachers.



Do you have a State or favorite Quilt Fest you routinely attend....please share!

Journal Challenge-want to join me?

I want to do a journal quilt (8.5 X 11 inch block) challenge, and I want you to join me!

The Theme will be nature...tree's, plants, bugs...whatever is you vision of nature.

The challenge will run September 1st to November 30th...one block per month for 3 months

(Above-vacation journals by Marilyn Rose)

(Below-another inspiring journal quilt...do not know who made it though)

Each month, the sub-theme will be:

September:Nature-your view

October-Nature-your favorite seasonal view

November-Nature-up close view

Okay quilters, who's with me? I have done journal quilts in the past and really like them because:

1.They are small and manageable to do

2.They can be as simple or elaborate as you want

3.They are your own design, so no one can say you did something incorrect...how do they know you didn't plan it that way?

The challenge only includes completing the top...quilting it is great, but not mandatory.

Please let me know if you would like to join by leaving a comment or e-mailing me at

quiltersr@peoplepc.com

In Closing:Nature...what visuals does that word bring up for you? Me...trees...I love all kinds of trees. In fact, that is going to be the theme for my journal quilts. What about you?

I learned ALOT at quilt meeting yesterday....mainly, that I have not insured my quilting items well enough in case of a disaster. Our speaker, Linda, is a quilt appraiser, but she also organizes quilting/sewing rooms for insurance needs. Here are some of her ideas/suggestions:

1.Organize first to see what you have-take an inventory-write it all down

2.Take photo's of your room/shelves/closet/drawers/furniture-keep photo's & inventory list somewhere safe outside your home. What should you list:
Machines and furniture/tables/lamps.....how much do you have invested in your Machine(s)
Fabric-by the yard, fat quarters, jelly rolls....do not list it by the price you got it on sale, but the full current price you would pay to replace it
Equipment:Rotary cutter(s), Scissors, rulers, pins, seam rippers, etc.
Thread: How many spools do you have....I have 107 (I counted last night)

Patterns/Books:Again, the replacement price, not the sale price.

Quilt appraisals:The price to put on it is not the material and thread you have in it, but what would it cost you to PAY someone to reproduce it, including the cost of materials.

One thing she shared for bloggers....you can save your blog to a memory stick concerning your quilt post that show a completed quilt (size and description in post) and take it to your insurance man as proof of lost items.

I am giving myself a challenge....to inventory my sewing room over the next 30 days, including:

Sewing machines: 4
Equipments:rulers, rotary cutters, scissors, etc.
Thread:already done-107
Fabric:this is going to take time!
Patterns/Books: Oh my!

I am also going to have a couple quilts appraised at the Utah Guild Meeting in September (free service provided for up to 2 quilts per quilter)

Has anyone else already done this? Anyone want to take the challenge?

Better weather=better attitude

Three generation Dresden Plate

Started by Grandma H in the 1950's

Passed to my mom in the 1970's

Finished & quilted by me in the 1980's

The sun was shining in the East as the moon was setting in the West....my brain said "oh, a beautiful sunrise and warmth is coming". Then I stepped out to 21 degrees with a cold wind. Oh well, I control my attitude, sun or rain!

I had a wonderfully busy day running errands. I even enjoyed going to Wal-Mart. Usually I hate Wally World because of the crowded aisles and too much clutter, but today I dropped off 3 disposible cameras (found during some spring clean-it will be a big surprise what photos we get back), grabbed some more cloth diapers for the eco-friendly mommy-to-be, and a new t-shirt for my hubby wrestling coach. I also got to have lunch with my daughter V, which doesn't happen often enough for me.

I got thinking about my quilting goals for 2008, which lead me to thinking about my quilting past. I think I basically started out like many other quilters....made simple pieced baby quilts for my own babies...then onto more complicated pieced quilts to challenge me. Next came going to shop or festival classes. Of course, I was going to learn, but also to get away from home and be with other creative women for a few hours (or a few days). I moved into applique, which seemed to be more my creative outlet. I became a partner in a craft/decorating shop for a few years, which steered me more into small wallhangings ( and dolls), which I could produce quickly.

Now, I want to do things I see that will stretch my creative wings. I read about quilting techniques I have never heard of and feel I have become very settled in my craft. I use to be concerned by cutting and possibly ruining fabric, but I am developing a "hey, it's only fabric-I'll replace it if I make a mistake" attitude. It's been really nice to just do a project, not for someone else, but just because I wanted too.

Wow, didn't mean to write a essay of my quilting history! I did read on Field Trips in Fiber blog about keeping track of your incoming and outgoing (finished projects) fabric, so I am going to do that for a while to see what I actually accomplish. I donated calico and muslin today for pioneer clothing for a youth reenactment trek this summer. I am going to consider that part of a finsihed project.

I am ready for some new ideas and new challenges.....if you want to share your quilting thoughts....drop me a line!

Incoming: 1 yard plus FQ (B's b-day quilt)
Outgoing: 5 yards calico
6 yards muslin=11 yards total