Quilts for a Cancer patient

Marilyn picked up a quilt for a friend of a friend who has cancer. Claire A., a 68 yr old woman is suffering from ovarian and uterine cancer. She has been sent the Marilyn's Chrismas quilt (shown here in the process of being finshed).

March meeting

Had only four ladies show up, then got two more to show, but they could only stay for a short time. Long enough to make sure I could send home some batting for a teal/tan heartstring top that Enid (shown here) brought in (and backing... did the diagonal thing to lengthen it and pinned it so she could sew it together at home). It will be named "Fairies in the Desert".

Mary Ellen brought in a top also, but we didn't have a backing big enough for it (6x8 blocks- hs), but it did make us think we needed to go to Marden's for some backs. It was a beautiful couple of tops they had....Thanks, ladies.

 

All our intentions were to match up the tops that were finished with backings (and find out who didn't have anything that would match), take notice of the quilts that had bindings and which ones could have the backing wrapped around to the front. It's amazing to see which ones we still had left. Wow....

This is a nice one made by Marilyn L, and I found a nice blue, night sky with moons, but the yellow I had for the binding will hav to go down the middle to widen it. "Snowballs in the Sun".

This backing fabric, never made it to the quilt next to it. We had better choices once we went looking.

This is another blue framed one, haven't named it yet....I wanna name it "Blue Belly", due to the blue squares in the middle (it's belly), but I'm sure it will call a name out when it has one.

This lime green selvedge needs more parts. We need to get more lime green and make 11 more blocks to finish it. The green and brown fabric laying on it are the backing and binding for it.

This little cutie we found wrapped up in some fabirc, that may have been meant for it's backing, but we found a better backing or it. Not sure who made this... but there was another space one with this same space fabric in it. It almost looks oriental... lovely. "Martians on the Move".

March meeting

Tonight we will be meeting at 6pm instead of 6:30pm. Two reasons.

1. I'm on a seasonal layoff, so I'm home all day.
2. We have to set up after for a funeral the next day.

Can't wait to show off photos of what we've accomplished in the last few months.

Sad day...

Heard at church today that the husband of one of our VERY regular members, Margaret M., has died. So sorry to hear....Our prayers are with you Margaret.

Another happy delivery!

It was so nice to hand deliver a prayer quilt to one of my co-workers and allow her to 'pick one out' (of the three I brought her, she picked out the one I had planned to give her). She has been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer that has spread to other areas (lungs/bone) and the quilt she picked had 'breast cancer fabric' in it!

 I named this one, "Cotton Candy Pink"

Some tops are done!

While we've been waiting to have a meeting to see where we stand with quilts that are in stages I've been busy at home.

I have finished putting the plaid blocks together (just need to iron the seams open). I haven't decided what binding to make for it, but it will depend on what we choose for the backing (sometimes it is nice to 'wrap' the backing over to make the binding. Easy, Peasy!

This is the first Framed quilt, "Birch Branches". Hopefully, we'll find a nice backing for it.

 

Also put together our "Fall Frames" quilt (second framed quilt). I think the blocks need something more around the outer edge. I'll go looking in the plaid boxes for something or see if we have some dark brown/tone on tone colors to frame the whole thing.

Can't wait to see what we have for finished tops from the other ladies.

Delay due to Illness

We're postponing our meeting this month until Feb 11th, due to me (the boss) being a little ache-y on Sunday. I've been working on tops to be finished, but they won't get put together until April.

A thank you from one of our quilts 'owners'.

It's always nice to get word that one of our quilts found a good home and can get to work at comforting it's owner, but we never expect one because, frankly, they are usually so wrapped up (no pun intended) in their illness/sickness/healing process. That's really where we want their energy to go. Not consumed with writing us a thank you. However, we received one via our Facebook page...here it is.

"I  just sat down and wrapped myself in my Peace-by-Piece Quilt to watch the evening news. I also plan on sleeping with it tonight (pls don't tell my wife :)) I received this product of love per the request of R*** W*****, one of the best superiors an employee could have. You ladies are the silent ones...reaching out to those in need and I for one can't thank you enough for the Peace you've sent my way. Keep up the good fight and may God bless you in your untiring service.  W.A."

Well, W.A., YOU keep up the good fight. God Bless.

"Man Up!" Jan meeting

Dee working on Halloween Horror

Well, I must say we had a great time, even though we only had six ladies at our first 6 hr event of 2013. While Dee & Janet worked on this 'horrid' quilt (blocks were straight/consistantly sized/etc), that sure turned it into a gem of a little quilt!

This is the layout. It was made years ago but no one is sure who worked on the blocks (them being so wonky, I don't think anyone WANTS to claim they worked on it). All I know is, Janet was a miracle worker to get it into this cute quilt top.

I'm glad I had this broom fabric to add for the border. Next is to add a boy fabric to the back that is NOT Halloweeny. Then it will be reversible.

 

These blocks I yanked out of the 'orphan block' box in our storage. They were from a 'swap' that I'd done years ago with a local quilt guild. I fixed it so there'd be 12 blocks and then went to work at adding black sashing to separate the business of the black/white prints.








After adding the sashing (am I the only one who caught sight of the improper sizing of the blocks, that somehow came out okay in the end?), we decided if the outer border was to work, we needed a nice blue fabric to pull out some color. Well try and find a blue/green backing for it. Maybe one we can roll the edges over to the front for a binding.

This quilt  I'll call it "Back in Maine" since the backing was bought in Maine.

 We tied it with multicolor embroidery floss since it was so colorful.

 

I did layout all the quilts that Kathy had quilted/ and or bound, along with her 14 pillowcases. I added Marilyn's pillowcases and we will send them to Con-Kerr Cancer (drop off is at Quilting by the Yard quilt shop). The green/torquoise one on the far left is called "Stop it, Cars!". Just a top at this stage, but we'll either finish it or donate it to Project Linus in March.

These Heartstring blocks were done by Kathy and possibly others, but were in the orphan boxes (RWB), and I thought they needed to be put to a top. This placement didn't make it to the finish.

 This was the finished project. Dee and Jane worked on this. Great job, guys.

 This was one of the loveliest ones we got to work on... Kathy had made the HS blocks and one of the new visitors, Delaney (age 11) worked on the placement of these blocks. I'm thinking this should be called "Thank God I'm a Country boy". It just looks so homey and warm. This is how far it got put together. I'll hopefully work on it at home or bring it to the Feb mtg to be made to the top stage.
Nice placement on the quilt, Delaney.....

 This medalion I've been playing with for years..... Not sure what to do with it yet, but the next stage should be something that makes it POP! (The rust points are flappy- not attached down).

These are piles of HS blocks to be made. (one pile is what is two photos at left). 

 These are more piles to be put together..... the Red/Blue pile did get to a top (see photos above), but the others need a few more blocks to make a complete top. For another meeting.....

 Here she is..... Delaney. She was visiting us with her mom (whom I work with). We gave her the blue blocks and just let her design it. We'll call this one, "Delaney's Quilt". She did such a good job on the design, she can come back anytime she wants. (I hear her mom says she is planning our lunch for the next 6 hr event!).

This is what she started with ....

and this is what she created. Great job!

 

 

Okay, I know

we were making 'manly' quilts, but while I was laying out the stuff to be worked on the night before, I found these lovelies and decided they needed to be 'revamped. Not sure who made them, but I hope they don't mind that I 'adjusted' them.

And then I just kept going.... connecting these purple pinwheels below.

These "fall fabrics' (top pile) were taken home by Marilyn. Can't wait to see how she puts them together. We put together the pile on the bottom left before we went home (Janet and I), She's taken them home to put together. We may have to put a border around them to finish that top.

 

This one needed one more block, so I made one the night before and Margaret worked on this one, until she realized that a block or two, didn't lay flat when ironed, so I took it home to 'fix' it and put it together. I can see this one with a black border and wild outer border. Hmmm......

 

 Jane was working on rows as needed. Overall, it was a very worthwhile day..... Thanks everyone! See you in February!

Preparing for our Jan Quilting Event

One of our most active quilters, Kathy S had taken a quilt home last time that we'd met and returned with the doll pattern #2 quilt. She got it quilted and bound.

She also put together these two pinwheel quilts. The top one I'm calling "Scattered Pinwheels"...

 While this one I think should be named "Pinwheels in the Grass". Just lovely.

 Dolly Dinkle #2...

 

This one is called "Psycedelic Butterflies" and the interesting thing about this quilt is the two blocks that were used, have NOTHING in common with each other!

 But even the back is beautiful.

 

 

 This panel was purchased in Natick MA, at the Fabric Place Basement. I added the red piping, the dark green borders and the red cornerstones. We have a second panel just like it. I'll be curious to see what we do to that one.

 Kathy dropped off several blocks that she'd made. These blocks are 16", all pieced around a blue center square. (This was sent to the ladies via email to try and duplicate).

 These are mine... Only got 6 done, but they are large so we don't need many for a quilt.

 These are ones Kathy S put together. They may be too long, unless we add to the sides.....or remove one row on the bottom.

Kathy also made 16 blocks of fall fabrics. We may make them assorted or do something completely different with these....

 

I had these strips from some panels that were leftovers. Found some grass in my stash, pieced it together and added a pieced turquoise frame. Just needs a backing....May call it, "Stop it, Cars!"

 These piece I've been playing with for a few years. Just added the black sides to it. The rust prairie points in the center are not tacked down (they open up). Not sure where to go from here, but this may be a work in progress.

Kathy also included 48 plaid heartstring (HS) blocks. I tried to play around with them into different designs...

 Added a 6th row at the bottom...

 Not sure how we'll choose to go, but I can always refer to these designs for the final quilts.

I can't wait to show the ladies these ....