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).

Two quilts Blessed on Sunday

Appropriately, we had and animal quilt ("Cats and Dogs ala Mode") to be Blessed this Sunday at which we had an "Earth Mass" and parishioner's animals Blessed. It was crazy seeing parisioners bring in their dogs (no cats were there), turles, hamsters into church suring the service.

And NO, I didn't bring my cats! It's a blessing they stay living on ANY given day. And besides, they like being home....LOL

The other quilt Blessed is pictured a few posts down... Framed Butterflies

Perfect timing!

I've been working on a few things for the group at home... finished our strippy quilt's quilting (needs to be trimmed and bound), made a few black HS blocks, etc. , but I've been so busy with the May fair that I haven't even gone online much. But sometimes, something happens at the right time, and you never know why.

While I was at the fair, running around crazily, trying to find last minute things for people, a woman walked up to me... I saw her coming at me and thought "What does Anne need?" hoping it was in the direction that I was already heading. She quietly touched my arm and said, "I was wondering if I could have your group make my cousin a quilt. He has brain cancer." Of course, I said absolutely! "That would be so great", she said. I told her I have the perfect one and asked her if she'd be at the 10am service tomorrow. The look on her face and her comments after, made me realize how shocked she was that we already had one ready to go. I think she thought maybe she could plan on one in a month or two. (I actually thought she was gonna cry).She was so touched by the idea that she could have it NOW, and send it to him, she was speechless, which made me choked up.

I had my daughter bring it over when she came to the fair and was able to give it to her that afternoon! I just need to write a note to go with it. That I could do tomorrow....

There is always a reason why some of our quilts don't have a place to go right away. I think they know there is a place for them, even if we don't. (Yes, our quilts are pretty smart!)

Charity quilt photo

Pat B's Brown-green quilt pictures from crafts photos on webshots

Tying a heartstring quilt-tutorial

Here is great tutorial on how to tie a heartstring quilt....



http://maryquilts.blogspot.com/2009/05/on-todays-agenda.html

Charity Benefit successful!

My daughter's culinary school in CT had a benefit on Sat for the "Sunshine Kids" and they asked our group to donate a quilt for their auction( See two posts above this one....) We donated a quilt last year- kid sized- that reaped $600 for their cause! This year, I sent two quilt, a child sized (blue/green with bugs) and an adult one, muted soft browns, pinks, blues... still about a throw/couch size. I was surprised when they picked an adult quilt, but realized after that the auction was attended by adults and the quilts were to be auctioned off for THEM, not the children. My daughter said the Chef was VERY impressed by the quilting done on it...thanks to our local 'angel wings' quilter, Laura McCarrick.

The bidding started at $400, and the evening ended with a bidding war between two ladies, one of whom bought it for $875.00!! Whooo hoo! Kiddos to YOU, Laura, and to the ladies of the group!!

May mtg --posted on the wrong blog!!

I made the posting for the May mtg on my personal blog, by accident. Click on the link (on the line above) to see what we did for this month.

QOV quilts done... # 615-616

Just took a look at Alycia's blog... http://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/

She finally got a chance to quilt our last two QOV quilts (along with our first quilt - #158--they are #615 and #616 on the sidebar...scroll WAAYY down!). She is up to 625 quilts!! You GO GIRL!

Actually, I give credit to our ladies who work so greatly every month on numerous projects. I'll be posting some more photos....

Do I dare say we have one more D9P quilt to put together???

Sunday quilting!

We'll have a chance to sew on Sunday, after the 10am service. Jut a few things to 'finish'. I have a cute little boys quilt to put 'prayer ties' into for Charlotte's Garden. I think it's called Space Odessey II. Hopefully, will find out where it's going this week.

This one is beautiful.... not sure where it's going yet either. Think we should call it, "String Garden".

Not sure how the Sunday mtgs will go, we only had 4 people at the last one, but it's quiet time to quilt...that's nice.

Mtg Faux Pas

Leave it to me (not a sports person-- unless it has wheels, Nascar or skates) to plan a mtg on a night that the UConn Huskies are playing in the March madness basketball games!! (It IS basketball, right?)

I had a great turnout (14 ladies- just about a record!), but a had 4 split within the first hour, then a few more left ahortly after when they heard it was a 'game night'.... but at least those who stayed, helped cut some strips for 'homework'... which for those who didn't stay long enough to find out what that was.... you are making heartstring blocks with a plain black center, then any colors throughout the rest of it... similar to this.

We did get the last row attached to the 'Blue-min' Heart' quilt for the priest's friend, Kipp W. and the lasagna quilt got pin basted (I'll try and SITD this week), and the rest of the lasagna strips were taken home and they've already been returned to me sewn together! Go, Marilyn...

I showed off Fr. Chips quilt, but I'm working on that one at home.... I'll post photos soon.