Hawaiian Applique

On August 13, 2014, I was able to take a class on Hawaiian Hand Applique with Janet Elia of Janet Ann Creations ~ Quilts and more. The Ninigret Quilters guild in Westerly, RI hosted this event. The monthly guild meeting was treated to her trunk show. What a wonderful speaker and teacher. She was funny and personable and is very gifted.

I was able to complete the applique fairly quickly, however the echo quilting seemed to go on forever. I was able to complete three rows before I called this finished.

The backing is black velvet with a hidden zipper.

The pillow finished at approximately 19 inches square.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday 

Merry Christmas . . . .

A Happy and Holy and Merry Christmas . . .

Little White Elephants

I was invited to a baby shower for the daughter-in-law of a wonderful friend. The colors for the soon to be little princess is pink and gray and the theme is elephants. (When did newborns have colors or themes??) One of the shower gifts was a wonderful wicker elephant - not sure if it was for storage or possibly laundry.

 Anyway - the mother-to-be was all aglow and the grandmothers are just tickled --- PINK!!

And, of course, it was time to make a baby quilt. I was able to find some lovely fabric that matched the theme - pink and gray and elephants - and it was flannel. I love to back baby quilts with flannel. It just makes it so warm and snugly. The quilting started as a pantograph of interwoven hearts in a medium gray but it just looked too fussy so I removed the stitching and settled on an overall meander stitch in white. I worked much better.

 
The pattern used was from a Crazy Mom Quilts tutorial. It was wonderfully easy and really sewed up quickly. I love the look of the zig zag without any half square triangles.

The finished size was 41" x 45".

This little photo shoot was lots of fun. Photos were taken just outside of Wickford Village.

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday  and also TGIFF at Quilt Matters.

Grand Illusion Part 2

Step 1 - Completed

So far I have completed 61 parts for step 1 - just 49 to go!

Just completed the 100th block for Step 1!

Now onto step 2 -

 Lots of Cutting - I choose Option 3 - Sew & Flip Method resulting with lots of bonus squares!

21 units completed - lots more to go.

Time to link up for step 2  at Quiltville's Quips & Snips.

Quiltville's 2014 Mystery Quilt

Step 1 - released 11/28/14

Already to go for the release of Step 1 of the Grand Illusion Winter Mystery Quilt for 2014 from Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville's Quips and Snips. Here is my fabric section:

 

I don't have a large selection of scrappy black and white so I will be using these throughout the quilt. They happen to be two of my favorite fabrics right now.

Not much to show at this time. 

Lots of cutting.

 A bit of sewing.

And one block completed.

  Just 99 to go! 

Time to visit with Quiltville Mystery Monday Link Up.

The Quest for the Row by Row Experience . . .

 

August 23, 2014 - The rush was on. Once we decided to participate in the Row by Row Experience, we had just one week left to collect the quilt patterns. But of course we had plenty of time to complete the quilt by the Halloween dead line. Before we knew it, it was October and a collaboration was needed to get this done. Hours and hours later, the quilt was finished with four whole days to spare -- thanks Peggy! But, alas, we just missed the prize. Next year we have vowed to start much earlier!

We really did have fun trying to figure out the paper piecing - I certainly need more practice.

The participating shops that we visited in our area are:

Knit One Quilt Too

Emma's Quilt Cupboard

Quilted Threads

Blaine's Sewing Machine Center

Dragonfly's Quilt Shop

Franklin Mill Store

The Sewing Room

and our favorite local quilt shop, Folk Art Quilts.  Our quilt is currently at Folk Art Quilts, so if you are in Wakefield, stop in for a visit and a bit of shopping. You won't be disappointed with their wonderful selection of fabrics.


Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday.

Nantucket Lightship Baskets

O.K.   I finally have something to link up! 

Although it is not a quilt, it is still something hand crafted. 

Just could not resist linking to Freshly Pieced. Lee's work never fails to inspire!

It seems that no matter how much you have on your plate, there is always time to learn something new. I have talked my father into attending a basket weaving class with me.
It's given by a wonderful basket maker here in R.I. at Stony Lane Basketry. 

Joe's specialty is Nantucket Lightship Baskets. This is certainly not the relaxing basket weaving you would image - you weave and build and craft throughout the process. Both he and his wife Kate are great teachers and so very patient with us newbies.

While Basket # 1 is waiting for a poly or a shellack finish, here is Basket # 2,
still being worked on:

Basket # 2

Teacher Joe - working on the rim for Basket # 2

Dad - a beginner among the ladies.

I'm slowly working away on a quilt that must be finished before I can plan another vacation - because the vacation will include delivering the quilt! More on this later . . .

After the Degree . . . . . . off to Alaska for some relaxation with Dad and Sis . . .

The scenery was just overwhelming and the pictures just do not do it justice.

Definitely a place I would like to return to . . .

A Great Finish!

YEAH !   

 Now that this chapter has been completed, it's time to get back to creative fun. Lots of avenues to explore. I have just been introduced to the "Row by Row" experience at Folk Art Quilts (Wakefield, RI) and it looks like lots of fun. Just one more day to collect all the needed patterns. With all the quilts that have been on hold while studying the Blue Oceans of the business world, I am not sure I will have and opportunity to complete the rows in time, but the patterns from the shops in RI are just lovely! Tomorrow will be the quest to MA quilt shops to finish collecting the patterns. 

As always, lots to do . . . just not enough time!!