The Blues

So ... don't get me wrong ... in my world the blues are just what I'm looking for. I love, love, love this combo of blue and white and the fact that some starfish are thrown in doesn't hurt one bit.

I put together this little number (just 14" square) for the January meeting of Patchwork Pilot Club. It hails from a free pattern from Bunny Hill and yes, I have made it before. It's a fabulous exercise in precision piecing and it is in the realm of possibility to finish the top in one 3 hour class.

But for me it's all about the color.

So tell me ... what are your favorite color combinations??

Permission to Fly

So ... basically, I've got nothin', so I'm resorting to some thoughts I had a couple of months ago. The fact that I can retrieve those thoughts is nothing short of a miracle. Sometime in April, when my June issue of American Patchwork & Quilting arrived, I was so taken by this first page, I didn't delve into the rest for several minutes. (Another miracle, btw.) This was the very credo that caused me to form the Patchwork Pilot Club, now thriving at this store on the 4th Wednesday of every month.

I have used a combination of my own patterns and those of others as the basis for our projects. During the months of March and April, we worked on Bluebirds of Gratitude, my pattern that grew out of the birds that I hand appliqued in Seattle last summer. You can see that pattern here.

Everyone is still in varying stages of piecing/applique/borders, but I had to show off Sharon's because she was the first to finish her quilt top. I was wowed by her choice of batiks and I am not kidding, I got a little teary when I first saw it. All the others continue to add their own touches such as Michelle's blacks and pinks, Margot's rich florals and Sue's machine-digitized birds in an altered layout. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that their quilts don't look just like mine does on the pattern.

So ... my plan worked.

How about you? How much do you/do you not like to switch things up in a pattern? As you can see ... you now officially have permission to do so.

Pilot's License

So ... remember this little number that I made as the first project for Patchwork Pilot Club? Well ... yesterday was the second meeting and the first chance for some show and tell from my little flock. Here's a sampling of their work:

Sharon followed Renee's pattern right down to the fun embellishments on the hearts. I love how she used decorative stitches for the applique.

Margot brought her friend Carol to support her as a first time quilter. They picked out their fabrics together, but still infused some individuality into their quilts. You've gotta love how they made use of that beautiful floral.

Yep ... this is Carol's quilt. Her very first quilt. You should have seen them try free-motion quilting for the first time, yesterday. Let's just say I won't be bringing in my first time free-motion sample. Ever.

But as a mother hen, I'm very ... very proud.

All Play and No Work

So ... I finished the quilt. Truthfully, I figured out just a couple of days ago that I really needed to have it done by tomorrow morning to take in to here for the REG(istration) Party since it's the January/February sample for Patchwork Pilot Club.

So ... I was working pretty hard.

Or was I?

While in the throes of my labors, I happen to come upon the following quote by James Michener:

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both."

I decided I had been playing all along.

helpful hints up the wazoo ...

So ... I am finished with the Patchwork Pilot Club quilt ... finally. Keep in mind also that I started this particular project when it was over 110 degrees. And now it's almost down to the 80's! Sheesh. That is a long, long, time.

But my point is this: Study the first picture and tell me what is weird about it. (Other than the fact that none of the fabrics in the border would appear to go together. That's the point, people.) No ... what I am trying to point out is that I am quilting on it and the binding is completely attached. What the heck!?!

Helpful Hint #1: I was furiously working on the quilting and had all the straight lines (around the sashing strips) done. Then I desperately needed an all-day-hand-project. So I applied the binding, sewed it down as my project-du-jour and then went back to the quilting. Can I tell you how easy it was to do without all the extra flaps on the edges? Sooooo much easier to work with.

I would definitely do that again.

Helpful Hint #2: If you think that another advantage was that I didn't have to deal with any pins ... well I never had to in the first place. I never baste my quilts and I never pin-baste my quilts. I use 505 spray to get those 3 layers to stick together. Always have. Always will.

And Helpful Hint #3?: If you live in the western US and haven't voted yet ... get out there NOW.

So ... I hope your wazoo isn't feeling too cramped.

I'm trying ... really I am!

So ... I am sewing as fast as I can, but this one's taking F O R E V E R!

I kept thinking I would wait and blog about the finished product when the product was indeed ... finished.

But I have pretty much exhausted all my culinary topics.

So deal with it.
In pieces.

Or provide me some fresh ideas to blog about in the meantime.

Retro Rejoicing!

So ... it's Friday ... finally!! The day I get to put the names into a bowl and come out with ... Ginger's name! Congratulations to Ginger who picked Butterfly #7 and will be the happy recipient of some very happy fabrics. I have seen Ginger's work and I know that my fabrics are going to a good home.

It's not a surprise that the winner's choice was #7 (thirties/retro) because that was also the winning block ... by far! Coming in second was butterfly #4 (two/tone/red/white) and in third place was #5 (kids) because ... well, who doesn't love a happy face in the middle of a butterfly wing.

As you can see, I have been ... playing ... with my butterflies since we last spoke. I cannot tell you how much fun I have had. This has been some of the most fun sewing I have done since ... I last had a lot of fun sewing. I will show off all the blocks eventually (I currently have 7 out of twelve completed) because each one comes to life with a handy/dandy border.

So ... I suppose you are still wondering what I am doing with these. The truth is that they are all going into the same quilt. (What the heck!?!) It will be the sample for a new club I am starting over at Bernina Connection that is just for quilters. I have felt strongly since I started teaching quilting classes that I want to encourage new (and old) quilters to make quilts with the fabrics/styles they choose ... not just like the one in the sample. I'm calling this the Patchwork Pilot Club ... because I hope to teach quilters to fly. No doubt you will be hearing more about this in the future.

Now back to the Kingdom to sew some more. Thanks to you all for participating in the infamous Butterfly Vote.

You guys are the best.