5th Annual Quitville Mystery Kick Off in Chandler, Arizona!

We had 18 people at our 5th Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff party in Chandler, Arizona this year.  If you want to attend next year and will be in the area, let me know.  We invite people until the seats are filled!  One day we are hoping to have Quiltville Co-Moderator Irene (and her mom) and maybe one day Bonnie Hunter herself (she has to eventually be visiting family on Thanksgiving weekend right?).  Well, we can dream!

Some of our regulars were out of town or working but were with us in spirit!  One of my new Quiltville Cruise friends, Cynthia, came in all the way from Vegas!  Well she has family here and had the holiday with them but I am sure our party was the draw, wink!  I think another gal drove in from Buckeye! 

 Kelli could not stay but stopped in to bring us GOBS of scraps to pick though!  She is the current president for AZ Blankets for Kids and she invited us all to join in their next sewing session.  I have not gone in awhile and need to get back there!  Thanks Kelli for the scraps and all you do for the kids in Arizona!

 

Barb with En Provence

 A few gals had already gifted En Provence so their quilts are not in our picture, and Barb had to leave before picture time but we got one of her alone.  My favorite part of this get together is seeing all  of Bonnie Hunter's magnificent designs in different colors up close.  Each one is its own masterpiece!  I somehow you missed out on getting this pattern for free last year here is where you can get it instantly

Phyllis Marguerite, Laura, Andee (me), Jennifer, Celeste, Andi, Heather and Charlotte!

 Some of us doing duck lips some of us not so much!

 Here is my En Provence.  Love how it came out!  You cannot go wrong with a Bonnie quilt!

Close up of my quilting done by Ros

This year we got a shot of the backings and the labels.  Everyone oohed and awed over the fabrics chosen.  Each attendee is gifted a label made simply with your picture in MS Word.  I just add in designed by Bonnie Hunter, made by blank and info about the party and year.  SEW much fun.

Close up of my autographed label!

 
 Here is the whole crew minus Kathy who was taking the picture,  and Barb and Kelli who left before we got this far.  Left to right starting at the top:  Laura, Marguerite, Andee (me), Jennifer, Celeste, Andi, Heather, and Ros.  Second row:  Marlene, Limbania, Tina, Jill, Cynthia, Charlotte, Fran and Phyllis.

 This is the first year Kathy did not complete her quilt top in time for our next Kickoff party.  She did get her very first block together and is looking forward to finishing this up soon!  Here's hoping she keeps up (with my help) this year!

So to make that happen, Kathy and I are tag teaming on her quilt which will be gifted to my baby brother Sam and his fiance Ashley.  We are doing it in her colors and keeping her posted of our progress.  Makes it extra fun!  I am also doing a Packer colored quilt.  

We managed to complete both clue ones before bed!  

Thank you Bonnie for this gift, I have made every mystery (some more than once) and look forward to it every year.  I even have a tab on my blog devoted to the mystery quilts and another one with a Quiltville Parade of quilts!  Linking up with Quiltville for clue one's Monday Link Up soon!  Looking forward to clue two of On Ringo Lake!

Belated Blogging

I have less time to sew than ever and am struggling to find the time to get it in and to blog about it!  My phone does not automatically save my pictures to dropbox anymore (it is full) and so I have to email my pictures for my blog to myself and half the time I try to send too many so they don't go through..  Then top that off with the way I need to be logged in to blog (as opposed to blogging for my guild or bring able to see my other email that I email my pictures to) and viola, I just don't even get to the blogging.  UGH!  I am still working on my weight loss journey.  I reached onederland a month or so ago, yay!  I have been struggling for the past few weeks though and took a bit of a break where I just did not stress on it, but today I am back on the wagon and working my way back to onderland!  Thanksgiving is my favorite meal of the year--oh well, I have nothing but time to keep on keeping on!  

So a few weeks ago I completed these two tablerunners which I will gift to Mom and I was thinking my sister, but I think I decided to gift the second one to my son's fiance.  Thanks again to Barb for giving me her leftover bunnies!

 I finally quilted up (not too well I might add the little Christmas Tree mug rugs that were on Kevin the Quilter's blog last year (or was it the year before already?)

 Kathy and I both finished out 35th Ave. BOM for this month. Yep I see the boo boo.  Noticed it this morning.  May leave it--such is my attitude.  See how my Type A is improving, ha!

 I also finished the hand quilting and binding on Bonnie's  A Little Bit Hexie"  super cute, love it.  I am keeping this one for my little quilts collection.

 I also whipped up two little baby tops for future gift giving.