Pointless Quilter

Yep.  I took a modern looking quilt and made it traditional.  I also made a quilt that I think is pretty modern.  My friend Anna (Anna the Artist Within) is a quilt designer and this is one of her quilt patterns.  She taught it at one of our guild's classes.  It's called Modern Matrix and when she made it with her color choices (a lime green, black and white) it is sooo modern.  I used a very traditional fabric and quilted it pretty traditionally too.  The lines I used were the serpentine stitch on my machine  I don't know if I pinned bad or the serpentine stitch pushes the fabric so much but my very narrow border is all messed up on two sides.  But I still like it.  And last year I was getting the Fat Quarter Shop mystery boxes.  This was one of the quilts that they had in one of the boxes.  They gave you the colored fabric, you just have to add your own backgrounds.  I called my friend Anna (same one from ...

Last year when I took my dad to Arizona, we had some trouble with Southwest Airlines (didn't have a wheelchair for my dad when we got off the plane after many promises).  Anyway, we each got a $150 coupon to use in the next year so I decided to go visit my younger sister Beverly in Washington.  We had a fun filled few days.  Here are some of the fun things we did. Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum (which is located near the space needle). These were just a few of my favorite pieces.  So amazing what he did with glass blowing.  This is where we went the first day I got there.  We went to the Museum, we walked to Pikes Place and had dinner and then went home. The next morning we got up and drove north to the Mount Vernon area where we were able to see the tulip farms.  Another inspirational day of color and beauty. After that we went to my nephews college campus and he gave me a tour.  I was able to get a picture with ...

Two weekends ago I took a guild class with Grace Errea of  Amazing Quilts by Grace .  She has a unique method for raw edge applique.  My class sample was horrible but only because I didn't bring enough or the right color of fabrics.  I thought I had enough batiks in my stash, but apparently I didn't.  So I learned her technique and went right home and put this flower together.  (It is one of her patterns.) Over a year ago I bought some Aurifil invisible thread but was afraid to use it.  I have used Superior Threads invisible thread before and it always worked well.  But wanted to try this.  I used the clear with my Easter quilt I showed with my last post and it went well so I thought I'd like to give the dark invisible thread a try.  I LOVED IT. Had a nice visit this past weekend with my younger sister and her hubby and kid and of course my dad and brother and his wife and youngest daughter.  (It was her 13th B-day.) ...

This past week I was able to attend the Road to California Quilt Show in Ontario, California with 2 dear friends and always meet up with other friends while there.  This year I took a class from Helen from Sew Kind of Wonderful - the Quick Curve Ruler people. Here's what I accomplished in the class. Pay close attention now.  Here is what my friend Debbie and Kathy finished in class. You notice it?  Someone didn't pay attention to the placement of her blocks or even the name of the pattern/class - Metro Rings.  Easy fix though.  Just have to be more careful when I get around to finishing the quilt which won't be for a while.  I have some other items that need to get finished first.  More on that later. While at this lovely quilt show I saw many a beautiful quilt for inspiration.  Did I take a picture of any of them?  Well no, I forgot my camera and I didn't want to use all my memory on my phone for the photos.  I hope someone...

I'm packed and ready for a retreat in Cambria and I'm also the speaker at the Nipomo Quilt Guild (doing a trunk show) and because I have to take not only my retreat stuff (you know, machine, tables, chair, fabrics, threads, rulers, food, etc) I have to take 4 suitcases and 1 plastic tub full of quilts to show so I have to borrow his "new to him" half ton truck to carry it all. He has mentioned this several times to me tonight. So the last few days when I've had a few extra minutes, I've been finishing this little baby.  It's from the class I took at Road 2 California, the class was Layered Waves by Karen Eckmeier.  I decided to make mine a pillow to keep at the beach house in Cambria. An the picture below is the reason we went to Livermore on Sunday.  We brought the parts for this shelving unit to the kids.  Jeff and his dad had all the parts and pieces of trim and it was their job to paint and put it together.  I am amazed at how fast they did it  Appa...

But of course I can't show it.  Not my favorite but not my least favorite quilt either.  Check back in July after we share all our quilts. I don't have anything else finished but what I do have to share ...  I finally won a blog contest from Quilted Squid.  I won a signed bag from Eleanor Burns and a cute fat quarter of fabric. Took Sue Rasmussen's machine quilting class (sponsored by the Common Threads Quilt Guild) on Saturday.  Just her lesson on needles was worth the cost of the class.  She helped me perfect my stitches.  Since she is a judge at quilt shows, I will take her word that my machine quilting stitches are too big.  She also gave me some great ideas for the background quilting of the Vintage Moments quilt which I WILL START QUILTING ON THIS WEEK!  She also spoke at our guild on Thursday night and she was very impressive.  And funny.  Here's a picture of her during her lecture. I also finished my green and white quil...

The Orange Blossom Guild in Visalia that I had my trunk show on Thursday had a bowl class today that I just had to do.  I've wanted to make one of these for a while - I actually already had some of the rope that you wrap the fabrics on, but didn't have a book on how to do it.  Glad I took a class.  Linda Matthews had several great hints and tips. Bright orange fabric and black thread.  Decided to add a bat applique piece to go with my Bat Crazy quilt I did earlier this year. My trunk show went very well once I got over my nerves.  A few friends and members of my guild, Common Threads came to support me as did my Aunt Carolyn from Bakersfield.  Anna and Janice took me out to dinner afterwards and it was so nice to relax and catch up with two friends who have moved away in the last 2 months. Thanks for looking.

And today we worked on LeMoyne stars.  Not one of the easiest blocks for me but I managed to get 3 of the 17 needed done today.  Luckily we have a month to get the rest finished.  This is a 6 month class and we meet once a month. Here's a block by almost everyone in the class.  My block is the top left block.  (photo quality poor because I had to use my cell phone for pictures).  Janice's is the purple one next to mine, Linda Matthews is the top right.  On the bottom row - from left to right, Lynette, Rita, Sara and Barbara Brown. Here's Anna Koelewyn (left) the teacher and another student Hiley (not sure how she spell it) with 2 more blocks.  Anna is holding Linda Blasingames. Great class and I can't wait to see all of them finished. Finished the top of my Dresden Plate quilt and got the back and binding ready to go.  Just need to pin and quilt.  (Just, right!) Tomorrow I have my in-laws over for dinner for Father's Day and my f...