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).