Saturday, June 30, 2012

Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild June Meeting


 Today the Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild met up again at Jona's house.  We haven't met since last October but we now officially are meeting every third Saturday of the month!  Yippee!  These first two photos show most of the people but I couldn't get those who were right around me and one that arrived later.
 We had twelve people present (above:  Laura, Nedra, Margaritte, and Kirsten)
 (above:  Tracy with grandbaby Jocyln, Jona and her daughter, Heather, Lisa and Alyssa).  Sorry if I messed up the spelling on any of those names!  We had a really productive meeting!  We elected board members, decided on a rough estimate of dues we will pay in September, planned our next meeting, got to know two or three newbies and had show and tell.  Here is Kirsten with her paper pieced stars...she said this might be a two year rainbow project (note to self I should send her over to SoScrappy's blog to join us in the rainbow   challenge..different color each month!) and it is great for leftover strips and strings.

 She also showed us these blocks in Joel Dewberry fabric which will eventually get made into a quilt and put on her etsy shop.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/materialgirlkirsten if you want to see what else is there!
 Next Jona showed us one of the quilt she is making for her sons.  This is made from grandpa's shirts (stains and all!) and the back was a really cool moda polka dot that is the right size for backing and doesn't need a seam or two to make.  We all oohed and awed over the perfect grey she found to set off the blocks.
 Next Kirsten helped her mom Tracy show off her stuff since she was feeding the baby.  First we saw some very modern looking placemats which had beautiful binding (several people mentioned a great tutorial by Heather Bailey at http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/photos/continuous_quiltbinding/index.html to get the same look--I need to read that tonight!)
 Next we saw Tracy's baby quilt for Cheyenne.  It was really pretty with her name quilted in it.  Love that extra touch!  This is a pattern Kirsten is writing too.  Tracy said it was her first time free motion quilting, I have not braved that yet.
 I guess I should have cropped some of these photos...here is the back.  It was such a cute fabric.
 Those must be Alissa's toes!  Tracy is also making Christmas stocking for each of her grandkids I think it was and this one was the hexie one.

 Seriously some talented people at this meeting...Tracy made up the pattern to this lunch bag on her own.  I love, LOVE, love it.  Really a nice size and made from the Reunion fabric line.  We passed it all around and I am pretty sure it made it back to her before she left, lol.  I don't think I would want to try making that one, but I am all for buying one on etsy!
 Here is the other Alissa (spelled differently who also goes to Huggy Bunch with me) with her mixing bowl.  It is paper pieced and I really want to make one.  I think this is the only picture I got of her because she was sitting next to me.
 Next I shared my Orca/Green Bay and my Schnibbles with the houses.  The new Alyssa shared a really cool quilt on her phone that she passed around to share.  You can read about it and see the pictures on her blog at http://pileofabric.com/post/973450-the-patchwork-prism-is-finished#comments .
On my other side was Tiffany (our new President) and she shared this bag (designed by one of the gals-Michelle- who was come to past meetings) you can get the pattern here http://www.etsy.com/listing/98972933/pretty-pleats-tote-pattern-pdf-sewing but seriously this bag was one of my favorite things shared.  The colors, the little pleats, wow!
 Laura shared one of five beach bags she made for an upcoming trip to the beach.
 She also shared this which isn't the best picture because they are in front of the window, but it is really pretty.
 Her mom, Margaritte is holding up one end of this quilt, but it was made by Laura.  They took a class together at Three Dudes and made this from strips.  She added the pink to a Bali pop and I agree with the gals that said it really makes the quilt.  This one is stunning!
 She also made this bag (we took a class for Nimble Thimbles and made bags from this pattern together but this is a new one.
 Now on to Margaritte.  She made sort of Drunkard's Path in her favorite colors.  Another stunner!  She had so many left over blocks she is making a baby quilt and maybe more.
 She also shared this flower that she made from a kit at ETC.  I have never been there so I am going to have to check that out!  It was a sew and take.
It was a really fun meeting.  I learned a lot and just really enjoy the interaction we have as we get to know each other.  Since I love to blog and am pretty organized I am now the secretary/blogger for the group.  That will keep me getting to the meetings and get me going modern more!  I do have one cut out that I want to get to so thinking I may try to at least get started on it before the August meeting.  For July's Show and Tell we are supposed to bring something to show off that we feel is a strength and something that we are stuck on.  I may just bring that dang Bargello Seasons, because I really don't know what to do to make myself happy with it!  A weakness I have is when I don't have a pattern!  
If you are in the Phoenix area you are more than welcome to join us for the next meeting in Gilbert on July 21st.  Check us out on facebook or at the http://phoenixmodernquiltguild.blogspot.com/



Friday, June 29, 2012

A Finish and Two Continues!

 Picked out, made and attached the binding on my Bibelot Schnibbles!  Nice to have it finished, it has been sitting here waiting its turn for a few weeks now.  I think I may have more projects in progress than ever before and it is a little overwhelming to me!  I feel all behind though I don't have any deadlines except those I impose on myself.  Weird.  I did look over my Bargello Seasons quilt and ya that is one UFO top that is just not happening this month.  I just don't want to take it all apart and I am not in need of it right now anyways, so back to the drawer it goes!
 I made more progress on the Anita's Arrowhead blocks.  Twelve done and forty-two to go.  Love it so far! I also made lots more little bow ties and three more blocks..I think I need two more to get another row on this quilt.  That might be all I have time for before the year is up, but no reason I can't keep on with it til it is the size I want I guess!

Finally a Giveaway!

 I have been planning to do a giveaway forever and just never seem to get to getting out the loot and taking a picture.  I finally decided that today is the day to do it!  There is a book, several patterns, some charm squares in Christmas fabric, some JoAnn's fat quarters and two kits that are really for hand beading or something that someone more creative than me can do something with or regift!

So leave me a comment and and tell me something I may not know about you just to make it more interesting and I will pull a name out of a hat or some such thing after midnight Saturday night (that gives you about 48 hours to get here and read this..I hate it when I miss a giveaway because I am a day behind on my blog reading!).  Good luck and thanks for visiting my blog!

Andee in AZ

Anita's Arrowhead, Some Shopping and Cute Toes!

 Despite my best efforts to not shop since I replenished my stash (and then some) I saw a sale online for charms that I had to check out...that led to even buying a non sale set (or two) of charms.  I always get two because that is what I need to make a schnibble.  So I justified this purchase because I really only have a few sets left to pick from when I do a schnibble each month.  Also, I am not even crazy for the southwestern looking sets I bought, but figure my mom and sister will fight over anything I make with it so I picked that line.
 I worked all week  and went to a workshop for four hours after work today and was quite excited to get home and finally pick up this Anita's Arrowhead block from where I left off forever ago.  I managed to get a total of six full blocks done and I did the part one sewing for all the blocks so they will go together faster tomorrow.

 I wasn't really planning to move this quilt to the head of the line, but I just really like it!  I think I can get it done and quilted for a nice Christmas gift for someone.  I sure hope I can part with it, I already have a Christmas quilt!  Hannah's Christmas tree skirt is made from this line (mine too though still not done) so a matching Christmas quilt would be nice for her...she is getting quite a quilt collection but she doesn't seem to mind.
Last night Kathy and I got our toes done, had sushi and went to Deaf Coffee Chat.  It was fun, I got purple and she got an electric blue type color which looks good too.  So relaxing and a must for sandal weather which is dang near all year around here in Arizona!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Next Meeting is June 30th

In case you may have missed it, our next Phoenix Modern Quilt meeting is at Jona's house Saturday June 30th at 1 PM in Gilbert.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone again!
Andee

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Sunday Sewing :)

 For my Christmas all year long challenge I sewed a set of Christmas Tree napkins today.  Not sure who will wind up with them, but glad to have one more gift made and stashed away.  I also made more cheddar bow ties.
 Then just for fun I whipped up a few blocks of Anita's Arrowhead.  I have to say I am absolutely smitten with the ease of making this block...love things that look more complicated than they are.
 This is going to be a gorgeous Christmas quilt and not sure I am going to be able to part with it, lol!

 Still have more pinned and ready to go, but the sewn and waiting to be cut stack is growing.  I am listening to this audiobook Randy gave me.
 Also made it outside to take pictures of Leap Year.  I have extra blocks and am not sure that I will add them to this top or make their own little top.


Saturday, June 23, 2012

Beach Trip and Some Hand Piecing

 Kathy and I took a much needed road trip to California this weekend.  I prepped up twelve little flowers to handsew on the way there and back and umm, well I sewed one!  I love it, it is tiny, tiny.  It is for the doll quilt group I belong to on yahoo.  Apparently in October we will be making a doll quilt with these tiny flowers on it so our fearless leader (Sentimental Quilter) gave us a heads up to get the hand sewing done.  All of these little one's together are about the size of one of my other project!
 Here we are at the beach.  We drove up and down the coast and stopped whenever the mood struck us.  We wound up spending the most time at Oceans Beach which has a dog beach because we just had to have Bug with us.  She took it all in stride (and slept all the way home) and there were tons of dogs to watch at the beach.
 It really was relaxing and meditative and I spent part of the trip letting go of the past and embracing the present so I can make it to the future.  I still don't understand and have accepted that I never will.  Life is that way sometimes.  It was a good trip but we are glad to be home and I hope to sew tomorrow!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Florabunda Fabrics

I belong to the quiltville swap group on yahoo and we just swapped out yellows and florals for Bonnie K. Hunter's Florabunda!   http://quiltville.com/pdf/floribundapdf.pdf  for the pattern.  I love, love, love all the different fabrics I got from this swap!  I tried to label the fabrics with the right swapper...one of them wasn't labeled and I got that one double but each had a bonus fabric inside so it is all good.  Aren't they awesome?
From Deb D. 

Mystery Swapper (I think Mavis but could be Gail)

Susan

Debra B.

Judi (Swap Queen)
 I also cut some of my own for BJ and Ros who will be getting to this one eventually too.  If either of them wants I will trade some of my doubles for some of theirs!  I now have enough to make about 65 blocks (the pattern is for 80) so I am well on way to this with no doubles needed.  I have it all kitted up and will be pulling it out down the line, but I just had to share all these florals.
Me

Is anyone else working on Florabunda?

Wordle of the Day :)

Wordle: Modern Diary Blog Words

Happy National Quilting Day!

I participated in the National Quilting Day sewalong on the Modern Quilt Studio page.  We sewed Friends all Around.  Here is my first block....