Dec Update

I shipped off the Moose quilt 2 to BR on the 18th of Dec, and it should get there in 3 days or so.Oh, and I did take a photo of the back of the Moose quilt2 ... where all the moose REALLY live!

 I also have several different bindings for the Yellow Heartstring quilt, so I'm gonna cut and prepare them since I know we'll use them in other quilts.

I also took the maroon (Cranberry Crush)heartstring quilt home to finish the ties and did that while watching tv. I thought I could be soo smart and trim back the batting and roll the backing over for a binding, but one edge is almost even with the front edge, so I have to trim it exact, then add a separate binding. I did come across a great binding fabric for it, so I finished that one. My grandson, Malakai, decided to 'test the quilt' out and approved. I always wash them before we distribute them, so I didn't mind.

Maryellen brought in the Lasagna quilt and my mom finished the binding on that... we just need to add a label to it.

This is one of Pat B's heartstring quilts (I'm calling it Pat B's 4x5), that we added a dark green inner border and a great faded green/ lavendar floral to the outer border. Looks great, don'tcha think? We'll always have a need for a wheelchair-sized quilt. Good job finding those fabrics ladies!!

Dec mtg Accomplishments

We had a nice turnout... not as many as I'd like to have had, but we did get a lot done! First some photos....

This is the Moose quilt for a little 10 yr old boy with lung cancer. I'm calling it "Moose on the Loose". I need to take a picture of the back since that's where all the moose really live! It's out second moose quilt for Charlotte's Garden, but made quite different from the first. All we're waiting for is the address to send it to him.

We also had a few quilts to 'finish'. Boy, it's interesting to realize that even in this group, we create UFO's. This top was made by Pat B. Here you see my mom (in the middle), with Maryellen (left) and Enid deciding on the color floss and how close to put the ties.Okay, off they go...

Pat B. brought in 4-5 Heartstring tops she'd put together of different sizes while recuperating from knee surgery. They all had the same/similar fabrics in them, but each one ended up with it's own personality. However, as per usual, Pat doesn't put on borders (she hates making that decision), so Dot and Margaret went through the fabrics we had (and some I brought from my own stash) to find borders. Here is one outer border that we didn't realize would be a perfect fit! The  picture above shows the inner border of deep green. Very classy when we get it done!

Janet G. was also working on the last Happy Block for a quilt for a little girl going through chemo treatments. She was made aware of her through her book club. I will wait to tell the 'turtle story' when you see the posted photo of the quilt in Jan.

Maryellen brought in the "Lasagna for Two" quilt (I'll post a photo soon) that she had SITD quilted, I took it home and trimmed off the batting and rolled the backing to the front for the binding. Mom will hand stitch that, then all it needs in the label.

We also made plans for our quilting event in Jan 16, 2010. It will be called "Cabin Fever"... where we'll be working on Strips and Strings style Log cabin from the HeartstringsQuiltProject blog. Scroll down on this site to see instructions. It will be held at our church from 9am-3pm. see the side bar for details.

Nov Mtg Results

We had a good turn-out for our mtg, and we only had a couple of things to work on... the "Moose quilt #2" (top shown in pieces still). We got it to the 'top' stage and framed it, but we felt we needed to add a little to the top and bottom, so I'll bring it home and see what we can buy for that. I'll also look for backing on it. I hope to work on it this weekend. Last weekend was too busy (babysitting, mtgs at church and good-bye party for nephew going in tot he Navy).

Pat B. has been steadily working on HS tops with a cream center.... FOUR of them... various sizes. Some which she'd like borders on (she doesn't do borders! LOL), so I took one home to see what I have for border materials at home. (I found a few, then bought a few to match).

We even got a few more Christmas stockings done (I have to add 18 hangers to equal amount of stockings). We have a total of 75! Three were crocheted- donated from our last year's "Christmas in New England" Fair at church. (See next post below)

Christmas Stockings Flying to the Troops!

Well, after our last mtg in November, I gathered up the Christmas stockings we were making for the troops and counted ...75 !! Good job ladies!! This photo was taken by Fran B who will be filling them and sending them on to the troops, since I was such a twit for not taking a photo of them before packing them up.

All but, three were fabric--- some quilted, some not. We even had a few tiny red crocheted/knitted 'pouches' to put a candy cane in. We sent them off yesterday to Fran Benson, who's with Operation Care Package, to fill them with all kinds of goodies and send them off to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. I really hope this is the last year we need to do this. ... (as in 'end of the war', and the troops can come home!)

A few deliveries....

Okay, in the last two weeks, we've sent off the Moose Goose quilt to 'KL' who has brain cancer. Hope it arrives safely... (I'll check the tracking number with UPS tomorrow).

We (I) also delivered our Amazing Grace quilt to Father Chip Elliott (our former rector). He was very touched by it (as was I to work on it)... It was the only quilt we've given away that I've hand-quilted. Truely a work of love from all of us. As you can see, he's on crutches (occasionally) and is 'booted'- that's the heel/ankle that was crushed... but he looks great! (Think the quilt's already working)!

Great progress tonight!

The ladies were so good about putting the ties in the Moose Goose quilt. It was very easy and fast to do. I trimmed the edges and will take it home to put on the binding.

Marilyn took home Father Chips quilt to finish the SITD on the inside border. Once that's done, all we need to do is put the ties into the 9-patches around the outer edge, label and bind it. Done!

The ladies were pretty excited to start another moose quilt for a 10-yr old with lung cancer on Charlotte's Garden. I figure we can have the top put together at the next meeting, since I'm gonna cut up the fabric for them to piece together. We have some leftover moose fabric from the back of the Moose Goose that we'll use. Plus some blues and greens, etc. It should look cool.

Moose Goose Quilt

Finally have the top done... I hope to have the backings pieced and set to 'pin-baste' so I can bring it to VT when I go up for 4 days next week. (Or should I let the ladies at church put the ties into it?)... Maybe I'll just pin-baste it in VT. After all, we meet Sept 1st next.

Day at the Orphanage Event- Success!

What a great day for a "quilting bee", so to speak...(Actually, it was a little muggy for me..whew!) This quilt (I may call it Prisms), was put together in design at the last mtg and Mary Ellen brought it home to put the rows together. I'm not sure what we'll do for the borders, but a nice black frame might be good before we extend the sides...

I went over to the church the afternoon before and spent three hours just sorting through the blocks and putting them on tables to have the ladies get ideas for the designs that we were to create for this little babies....(blocks). I'll try and tell you a little about the various groupings..

This one was a challenge I gave the ladies... Bright center strip, black on one side, white on the other with bright corners. We made two other quilts with some of the blocks, and these were the leftovers.

 

The ones on this table were two "Sudoku" (one squares and one rectangles) quilts that Mary Ellen made and then decided to donate them to the group. The top one, I chose to add a warm brown batik as a border, and the other one at the bottom of the picture, has a few fabrics that are auditioning... (I got voted down on the bright teal and the pink... oh well.) The Pink blocks were leftovers from a few Breast cancer quilts we put together. The note on the blocks at the bottom, says "Too small", as they were cut less than 9.5" square. So I have to remember when making more that they get cut 9.25" sq.

  

This is a closeup of the quilt with the backing (green) and the yellow binding already in a zip-lock, pinned to the top... Ready to go to the quilter (probably me...).

This one is sixteen blocks that Marilyn made and just wanted to try a two color variation (blue-red). The three up in the corner, were stragglers from the Prisms quilt.

These were various HS blocks... no consistant center strip (or even squared up to the center, per se) but I tried to blend them together according to color...I think they ended up being paired up to alternate with the red center blocks (later in this post).

This one was a block that I learned at a workshop. I'm not sure what I thought to do with it, but was pretty and I had a bag full of fabrics that would go with it. The rust 'prairie points' are 3-D".

This is the "muted cranberries",... they were the first attempt for Heartstring blocks by a new member, and although the center four HS blocks (cream and maroon) had no foundation blocks... she has since learned to do them better, I liked the split design to them. The other four blocks I though might go with them... maybe. However, Dot got them to work on and she decided to put the plaids with them... She took it home to finish.

 

This is the Bright/B andW blocks and the Red/white/blue HS blocks. Not sure whether it will stay with JUST RWB, but we do have a good amount of them.

These are strictly red center HS blocks. They'll get together in a quilt with very little help.

These went up to join with some of the blue centered ones, I believe...
 

This table had three choices on it. Clockwise from top; yellow/gold HS blocks. They were all made the same, same centers, same set of fabrics on one side (on all of them) and another set of fabrics on the other. Very stunning. It ended up with a gold border, and a yellow purple wide border on the outer edge. (the Border fabric was one I hated in my stash and had donated it, so it's good to see it got a good home. Halloween Happy blocks are next, not sure how they will get designed... and the left has the red/green plaids that got put together with the cream maroon blocks shown earlier.

 

This is the crew photo (minus Phyllis and Pat) when we finally thought to take a group photo. You'll see Phyllis and Pat in other photos, don't worry. Left to right: Muriel, Dot, Cricket, Jane, "C", Janet, me (Nancy), in lime green and Anna.

Here are Muriel, Dot and "C" working at making sure the blocks we had were all trimmed to the correct size.
 

Here's Phyllis, Cricket (a guest who came from MA to help- she's part of the heartstring group, like me) and Janet. (Hope they don't charge consulting fees...LOL)

 

Here's reliable Pat. She always says not to let her sew, but she's a great ironer! She even brought her knitting to do in between ironing.

 

Here is a quilt that we finally got the borders on (we've had it in the 'closet' for months! Don't know why we haven't finished it, other than other quilts get pushed in front of it). Thanks Cricket!
 

 

Jane (who is charge of our annual Quilt-a-thon for Project Linus) is working with Janet on the Yellow/gold HS quilt.

 

This is a trading patches that just never got a chance to 'play' with any of us. Next time...

I actually DID put down the 'whip' and let them have lunch!! LOL I made strawberry shortcake for dessert (Mom -far right- made the biscuits). ...ok, all I did was buy the whipped cream and smush the strawberries the night before.

This little frog Happy blocks set had filler blocks put inbetween for this affect. It should look great!

These blocks (misc HS) got connected with some of the red centers and were joined with sashing (black). It should look really striking when it's finished (almost got there before we left).
 

Unfortunately we only had the hall until 3pm (although I knew I could stay until close to 4pm), so the quilts that got taken home were the Yellow/gold HS, the Frog HB, the Cream/Maroon Plaids HS, the RWB HS, and the Bright BW HS blocks. Hope to see them at our Sept 1st mtg.

Since I have the last one at home, I'm not sure what will get done with it, since I also have Amazing Grace to finished the quilting and bind (we're putting in prayer ties in the outer edge), and we are starting a new one for a 15 yr old girl with brain cancer who likes moose and the color red.

Oh, just not enough hours! Why CAN'T I BE RETIRED????

These poor guys never even got to see the light of day! Next time...

A couple of stragglers

Here is one quilt that got finished recently... Raspberry/Orange Popsicle. My mom finished the binding, so it's ready to go when needed. Laura McCarrick did another wonderful quilting job on it "Angel Wings" pattern).

Amazing Grace was brought to church and pinned using the long tables in Anderson Hall, while the service was going on . We did get to make most of the service (Mom & I), but it needed to get pinned.

We also need to check out what to do with our orphan blocks. I have organized an event on the 18th of this month to put together all our orphans into quilts. Here are some of the groupings we need to figure out what to do with.

Halloween blocks

and Frog blocks.... I took them home to see what fabrics I could use on the 'space' between. I have many more to 'match' up with my stash. I'm on vacation so I guess I'll have time.

In preparation for the summer mtg

I just got a quilt back from our local LAQ, Laura McCarrick, trimmed it and have it ready to add the label and sew on the binding (that's already pieced together, ironed and ready to apply). It's a little wild, but I think it's bright enough to cheer up any girl (at any age.) Dunkin' Donut colors, don't you think?

I recently learned our former priest fell from a ladder, fractured his ankle and his knee and is in rehab. I think I should get to working on his quilt NOW.

Finished quilts for the Summer

Well, we have a few quilts that got finished before the summer started... they were Blessed on Sunday (with the exception of the emergency quilt). This one is for a friend of Paul Briggs', who lives in NH. The friend was diagnosed with brain cancer last fall. It's name is "Blue-min' Heart". It was quilted by Laura McCarrick with a design called "Angel Wings" (our signature design). Thanks, Laura.

This is the front and back of our "Purple Stripes". We stitched in the ditch on this one...no home, yet.

We had this one rushed off to a friend (who is dying) of one of our quilters. This is Lasagna for Two. We hope it brings the comfort and love this person needs in her final hours.

A Day at the Orphanage!

This meeting will be on a Saturday, from 9am-3pm. July 18th, 2009. Bring a lunch, and I'll provide the drinks and desserts for the day.

Hopefully, we can plan and play with the 'orphan blocks' to rearrange them into some funky quilts. I'll try and bring lots of background material to play with for sashings. Let's see what we come up with! Bring your sewing machine if you feel better using it, but we will have at least 3 set up. Always bring your basic sewing bag (scissors, seam ripper- whom I've decided to call "Jack".... Jack the Ripper?) and we can always use more rotary cutters, mats, etc. Please mark them with your own labels, so you get yours back.

Come enjoy the process!

June mtg-Show and Tell!

This was a night of Show and Tell with the fabrics I brought home from Maine (Marden's). There was a lot of 'ooooh-ing' and 'aaahhhing' and feeling of fabrics. EVERYONE was amazed at the quality of the fabrics I got for $1.99-$3.99. In the local quilt shop, they go for $7.99-10.99! The lady in charge of our annual quilt-a-thon was very happy to get her 'package' of backings for the baby quilts.

Once we put the 'eye candy' away for the night, we got on with the task at hand. Three of the girls got into trimming the batting from the edge of a heartstring quilt for 'Kipp'. He is a friend of our priest, who has brain cancer. Laura McCarrick did a beautiful job machine quilting 'angel wings' (her signature design for us) into it. Thanks, Laura. (You may be hearing from a woman I work with, to do some work on her mom's quilts).

We also trimmed the purple strippy quilt, which I SITD, now it just needs a peach binding. I had it in the 'binding bucket', already pieced together, folded in half and ironed... ready to apply! How efficient are WE?? Somehow I wasn't really pleased with the SITD on this. Notice the 'pulled' stripes, due to my sewing. Not sure how to correct that yet!

Sometimes we spend the evening making decisions. Sometimes we need each other. Just to be there.

This was an evening when a plan comes together. This quilt was a test with our black centered HS blocks. Making an optical illusion was the fun part. And we even have enough to make another one similar to it.

Okay, my initial name for it.... "Psychedelic Star". The other one may get named "Psychedelic Sister".

We sent home "Lasagna for Two" with Marilyn to bind (it was a collaborated effort from Margaret M & MaryEllen on the quilting). She dropped it off to my house in a week. Very fast! It looks great, too! Thanks, ladies...

We got a little publicity in the local papers (submitted electronically to itowns article ). The vestry had asked me to submit something about our group to the papers awhile ago, and I had something written, but it was too long (956 words). They wanted the article to be no longer than 500 words. Talk about how to cut so much out and still say what we're about!...hmmm. Such a shame, because lots got taken out that would have been nice to have stayed in. I'll post the original article for those who would like to read it.

We had to change the date of our 'summer project'... which will be "A Day at the Orphanage" where we'll put together the orpan blocks into quilts. We have quite a few and we may end up with a few more before that mtg (July 18th, 9am-3pm... bring a lunch, ladies). Hopefully it will be as much fun as the last one -- A Summer block Party (I know, it won't be quite as exciting).