Re-cycling in Vermont

Every year, my family heads to VT for some time at a family cabin. My mom always had a week there  and I usually head up at the end of her vacation, to help shut the cabin down. This is one of the quilts I had to work on..."Mountain Majesties" is the pattern, but I joined them so I could call it "Pawlet Mountain Trails" (after all, I'm on Pawlet Mountain).

 Really do love the colors on it and will use scraps of the golds/creams for a backing. Needed to just add the one last column, then straighten out a few of my seams.

 

 I think this will be close to what I name one of these quilts...."Cycling in Vermont". It was requested by a parishioner for a friend who is ill and they love motorcycles. She bought us the cycling fabric (and a bribe-food-, lol...never needed, but appreciated) and working with was I had on hand, I thought the deep blue was perfect. Since it was cycling' fabric, I thought I'd use my selvedge edges (the parts you all throw away!) to brighten up the quilt. (I found it hard to lay this quilt out inside the cabin...did I forget to tell you the cabin is a one-room building-unles you count the bathroom?)

Well, at least I have the deck outside (as big a floor plan as the cabin itself). I think this will be the plan ...so far. 

 If I need to make it longer,I'll add two strips (2.5" finished) above and below.I'll fill in the muslin with more selvedge edges to carry the theme throughout the quilt.

 

 This is the bunkbed I slept in...bottom one. But I found a small end table from the porch for my machine, and used the dresser as my cutting table. Worked for me. You are actually looking at a quarter of the room! Oh, did I forget to tell you it's a one-room cabin? yeh......(I'm leaning against the other bunkbed to take this photo)

 Nothing like having an ironing station on the back porch. It isn't very wide, but it doesn't need to be. Can't wait until we go to the first meeting to see what else we can do for these two quilts!

A few more quilts delivered!

It's wonderful when you can deliver the quilts yourself, some people are really surprised that you thought to give them one, so it was nice to be able to have some nice big quilts for them.

This quilt, "Angel Among the Stars"  went to Pat, a parishioner who just recently had total shoulder replacement. (It matches her couch perfectly).

The quilt was made by Mary Ellen Z. with scraps from all her fabrics. She took a project I assigned with 'wonky stars' and made it really great! The quilting was done by Laura McCarrick, co-owner of Quilting by The Yard quilt shop in Vernon, CT, who quilted angel wings into it....Beautiful work, Laura!

Mary Ellen also made this "Road to Oklahoma" quilt....When you step back, you get to see the stars. This went to Alycia, a lady in town who is going through kidney dialysis, waiting for a transplant.

Hot Pockets!!

No, not the food... These are what Kathy called her 'collection' of Pocket prayers done during the heat wave for two weeks. And what a collection she has made for us! Just enjoy the 'eye candy'.

(Try and keep count of the new ones...did we tell you that some or two-sided designs? )

Some of adorable all on their own...animals (mostly cats or dogs). 

 I think one is hiding under the bottom right one.... don't forget to count.

 Nice framing of the cat.

 

 There were many that were duplicates, and sometimes in photographing them I tried to vary where I placed the duplicates.

 Then I decided to have them photographed by 'themes'... the soft muted cools colors.

 The ladybug collection...

 Ladybugs and florals

 More cool collections...

 Cats playing...

 Animals in the house?

 Brights and animals... some of these are reversible.

 Pastels...

 and the rest....

 Stacked in piles of ten...yup, totaled 110. So much so, that they didn't fit in the 'blessing basket'.

 See all the bright colors!!! No need to make anymore for quite a while. Thanks Kathy!! You are one powerhouse (and thanks for letting me see the "kingdom'-sewing room).

More quilts finished and Blessed

It's been such a blessing to see how many of these quilts can come to life and be finished!!

This one was created because of the beautiful fall fabric. Not wanting to cut up this fabric into small pieces, we used a large 8" square block, framed with fabrics that would match the leaf fabric. We put them together with a broder of the fall fabric, so it gives the illusion of the frames rising above the leaves. Makes me think of leaves floating under a bridge, which may end up being the name of this quilt. Green plaid is on the backing, with various strips of the frame fabrics as the binding. Two possible names...1. Leaves Under the Bridge, 2. Floating Leaves. 

 This  one is a quilt that Mary Ellen did using blocks that she'd made from a 'Block of the Month' project and it looks a little bit Asian, and is machine-quilted by Laura McCarrick with angel wings, hence the name, "Asian Angel Wings". Nice black and white florentine backing was used.

This quilt was a Black and White Challenge, done with Vernon Nutmeg quilters, when Nancy was a member. She had these blocks from the challenge and had never put them together. Considering them to be 'orphan blocks' from this project, she put them together with sashing to enlarge the quilt, then added a brilliant blue thin border, with a larger black print border. The backing is pieced and the binding is solid black. It's called "Challenge Me".

 

I love seeing them laying over the railings at church when they get blessed. It's such a special moment.

 These two are laying near the babbling pond in front of the pulpit. Love these.
Stay tuned for more....

December's meeting - Lots of quilts 'almost' done

 In our organizing session this month, we needed to all be aware of the recent requests we've gotten and to see where we are in finishing some to fill these.We have a little kids quilt, "Critters- Bugs in the Grass", that is ready to go to Eric. I have to write the letter that goes with it (actually done now), and deliver to his Aunt Lelia.

We also had a request for a parishioner (Betty B), from another member (SB), who is going through some very tough cancer treatments (and I believe, some trials-medically). We put together the "Blueberry" top previously, but sandwiched it and tied it at our meeting. All I need to do it do a slight wavy stitch through the border and bind it (will the back wrap around the front enough?... we'll see). I hope to get that done, at home, by Sunday. Then we can get it blessed with another one -"Dots". Hm... I haven't taken pictures of these yet. I guess I'll have to and post them later.

This is a panel that I added black strips to the top and bottom to lengthen. I figure we can use it for a top and stitch around the log cabin strips to make it look pieced. The ladies said we should use some border black fabric for the sides.... That can get done at my house this month.

 

We put this together at our summer block party event. At least we had the strips into columns. I finished it at home. Our thought was to put a 'tie' into the points of the envelopes. We'll put one with a real pocket in the envelope for a label on the back.

We did come across one that needed a 'fix' job. Does it look crooked? We 'rushed' to get the borders on at the last meeting after hastily cutting this off.... but never squared it up. Once I got it home and looked at it, it just didn't look right. So I measured it. Duh.... the right side was 61.", the middle was 62" and the left side was 62.5" long. Well, I guess this will be my project this month to remove the borders, even out the length and put the borders back on. 

This one was part of the many vertical lasagna quilts we made at the block party... Added a soft green and it will be done. Nice to have some 'guy' type quilts. 

Another lasagna quilt.... no borders yet. It's a little more yellow than it shows in this photo.

This was one I finished (probably wheelchair sized), that still may get a border.Probably black, but I'd like to have the 'points' stretch into the border. Believe it or not, this started out as lasagna strips, meant to go as a rail fence, then got 'adjusted', since the rail fences looked 'broken'. I call this one "Shattered Italian Tile".

Janet made this wonky Log cabin quilt... we'll put that in the 'tops' pile and work on that soon....

This lasagna quilt had the lime green border added by Marilyn. Stunning addition. Thanks Marilyn!

Another top pile...."Starlight Prisms"

Maryellen made this one, I believe....

 We even had time for a slight 'show and tell' from the members...

This beauty was made by Margaret for her husband. What a nice present.

Marilyn stretched these lovelies to make a larger quilt. Beautiful border!! Nice choice of fabrics, too.

Another Margaret quilt....using heartstring blocks, adjusted. I took a photo of the quilting that was done (by Laura McCarrick-great choice of threads, Laura!)

And last, Marilyn used a great focal fabric for this pattern... and doesn't like to have scraps left, so used up the rest of them to make the design for the back.

Great work ladies!!!!!