Sewn Together - January

The attendance at this months club reached a new high with 10 ladies attending! Each table had two machines and the room was filled to the brim with fabric. I worked on Every Which Way which was covered in previous posts.

Here's the room.

Here's the fabric!    Actually this is Tori's stash, but her
fabrics are too colorful and fun not to show.

Tori was using up her stash making these cute little strip blocks and by days end she had enough to visualize the layout.

Tori!

This makes a very fun spring quilt!

I realized that day we even though we've always been well fed, I hadn't properly documented it. But rest assured we don't go wanting. Ever. Usually Sarah will make something delish in her crock pot, like chili, soup, or pulled pork. One night, Sarah brought her crock pot into the kitchen and set it on the counter to open the fridge door and it tipped off the counter and crashed to the floor! That night she had made an amazing corn chowder and it was quite a devastation having to mop that into the trash! We were also sad about her lovely expensive crock, but she quickly repurchased the same one and we were back in business. Without further ado, here's a typical spread.

Enough said.

After a loooonnnnnggggg absence, Heidi was back. The sewing lessons had to start from scratch again and she almost spent more time reading her manual than sewing.

Sarah had her sewing random 9-patch blocks, but she needed a little help keeping it TRULY random. That's when this bag was deployed.

"Don't look, Heidi! Just pull."

Here's a lovely picture of Heidi taken by Marcia.

 

Another old friend that reappeared is Julie! She's been marching her way up the Post Office ladder and finally qualified for a high up position with better hours. Welcome back, Julie!

Julie has several BOMs to finish up.

Photo by Sarah. Quilt by Julie. Stunning!

Jane joined in the fun as well. I mentioned her strip quilts for her children last blog. The project continues.

The strips are quite long before she cuts them into blocks.



Jane made this quilt with fabric that her daughter, Erin, brought
home from ____ (El Salvodor?) Will verify. The pattern is
called ________ (Twenty ?) Oh dear, I'm not remembering well!

Pam came later from work, but had a cold and wasn't up to much. She did show off this cute mini-quilt and worked on binding it. Those tiny HST in bright civil war prints are calling me!

Sue was back as well. She's been on vacation and very busy. She started in on her flannel project that I believe is for her son. We'll see if I'm right on that...

Marcia ducked out early on Friday and I found out later she was sneaking off to her other quilt club. Traitor! But then the roads were bad so she ended up going straight home. She returned on Saturday and worked on these blocks. Although, I'm afraid my project was a bit of a distraction for her. Help me, Marcia, help me!

Look how organized her piles are!

Last this time, but never least - Sarah started her daunting paper-pieced project. Here she is enjoying how fun that first section of the first block was to make!


And here's what the whole pattern is. Arcadia Avenue aka Absolute Insanity.

Can you spot Sarah's section in this pattern? It's like
finding Waldo.

December's Sewn Together



Well, I'm embarrassed but I can hardly remember December's meeting. These pictures help a little - Sarah made this stunning iron caddy. I remember that because she let me pick the thread color for the quilting. I felt like I was 10 again and Mom was asking for my opinion and then kindly explaining why that might not work. Except Sarah just accepted my opinion with gaity. She's like that. Always making you feel like a million bucks.

 

 This picture of Jane cracks me up because she is always pulled together so perfectly. She was sewing these scraps into strips and it looks likes she's made a coat of many colors! She in kind-0f the church darling so that makes sense. All of those scraps were from quilts she's made over the last 20 years. How meaningful now to have enough to give one to each child. She's going to sash them in each kids favorite color.

 

 

 Then Sarah produced these from under her table and allowed us to each pick our favorite. She had extra thermo-batting and bundled them with these adorable fabrics and then challenged us to make our own design of potholder. Oh wait, maybe that was just me. Did the others get patterns? Could have.


I picked the one in the lower right, then traded it for the
upper left, then went back to the first one. Ugh! It's hard
to chose when they're free!

 Marcia got this 30's repro sampler top completed. She whips up quilts like nobody's business but then has to beg her husband Rod to long-arm them. They're the cutest couple in the world and we kid them a lot about their marriage. I can't wait to see this one quilted - wonder what he'll decide to do!

 

And finally here's a happy shot of Pam. You never know what Pam will come with. She has many things going at once and they move along quicker than most, unless of-course it's tax season. Then we miss her dearly. She makes quilts that have instructions to make 1352 flying geese and she'll actually do it. I'd be out after 8. Also, noteworthy here is the scissor lanyard that Sarah made for all of us. There's a joke about keeping those pokey scissor tips away from critical body parts. You can figure it out.

 

 I believe this last shot is a sampling of Sarah's BOM club, or I should say one of her BOMs! Her and Pam have about three going from The Quilt Cove. This one is Women of the Bible.

Sewn Together Catch-up!

Today, December 12th, we had another fabulous time together sewing, talking, laughing, and indoctrinating new friends. I'm anxious to report on this wonderful day except I can't because somehow I'm now three months behind! So I'm cheating and throwing together a quick summary of both October and November so that I can properly record December's in a timely fashion. Then you know what this means, right? I get to start the new year off with a clean slate - I'll probably even resolve to always stay on track and never ever let six months just slip away! And we all know what happens with resolutions...

So I give you October in picture form (mainly because I can't remember details anymore!)

WHOA!! Check it out! The retreat was in October - not September as I thought. I'm only one month behind. Who's a super hero now? Don't answer that.

I give you November! (Drum roll)

New friend, Jenn McDermid (sadly they moved to ND today!)

New friend, Barb Warner. Making caring hearts for Moms
and babies in PICU.

The other Jen McDermid, making Vera Bradley ID cases! We'll miss Jen,
and Jen's Mom Jenn.

I spent some time training up these young sewers - Lexi Chum, her sister,
and friend Vantasia.

Next up our seasoned sewers showing off all kinds of handiwork.

Marcia is into wool felt applique and it's amazing!

Pam showed off her binding skills by finishing all three of these beauties.



Sarah's Mom, Linda, was not present in person but sent in
this stunner. Just whipped that up one afternoon. No
biggie. OMG!

Sarah reminisced about this family heirloom made from
recycled clothing, mostly polyester.

And here she is displaying the Joanna block from one of her
many Block of the Month clubs. This one is Women of the
Bible. When it's done, both her and Pam will have KING
SIZED QUILTS. That's right Pam, KSZ. Clear a wall!

And while we were doing what normal sewers do, my sister Julie was creating
this masterpiece! Her Magnum Opus. Over 200 pieces? Could that be right?
Whatever, it's insane.

We missed our fearless leader, Tori, but she and her hubby stopped by on their way out of town. Aren't they cute!?

And here's just a few goodies from that month for the non-sewers.

Sue wasn't with us that month for sewing, but I got her to help with the Trunk
or Treat event. On the left is Kim Sullivan, Chuck Wagon extraordinaire.



And then this happened. With wine. From a box. Diane and her daughter, Sadie.

Until next time!

September, er, October Retreat!



 Long ago in a far away land, ten ladies came together from across the Minnesota plains for one purpose; to escape our husbands, our homes, our routines, our troubles for what would become an epic 36 hours of both mayhem and might. To be cliché, our destination was nested away in the rural landscape of rolling hills and flowing streams, which were dotted with picturesque farms complete with BARN QUILTS (OMGosh!). This place is the real deal and is named Hutchinson or better known as just plain ol' Hutch to the locals. Right on main street is a quaint shop called Quilt Haven on Main. Previously owned by a cranky old witch, a new princess has taken up residence with her handsome prince. Gone are the days of dingy frumpy prints and dusty cival war quilts. Fresh paint, fresh finds, and fresh atmosphere are served up with such honest to goodness friendliness that you want to move right in. QHoM is comprised of two floors, both as satisfying as the next. The lower level holds the goods and the samples (which let's be honest - we want them all!) The upper level is the studio shaped in a large U around a majestic staircase. Modern sewing centers frame the perimeter of the U with quilting inspiration hanging everywhere. The front windows cast a warm light on those lucky enough to snag tables there. The back room has been converted into a mini kitchen/cafeteria for employees and sewers to fuel up and share their love of quilting. We were blessed to visit with the owner, flushed from her bike trek over (who doesn't want to bike to work!?) and then her husband who farms some and manages the finances some. The duo have a long history of hosting sewing parties at their other establishment and hubby has been known to dress in his tux to play butler.

It's no surprise then to find our Tori looking as relaxed and happy as a daisy in the field. The poor gal had a lot on her mind and just quietly sewed while the bright colors of her fabric uplifted her.
Marcia was in heaven! So much so she came back the following Thursday to sew. The trip clocked in at 1 hour 15 minutes, with Rod's instructions to stay away from 494.

 

 Sue had just purchased another baby quilt kit, this one inspired by her son's trip to Africa. Safari animals await that grandchild - now we just need the grandchild!

    

Joining us were Sarah's Mother, the lively Linda, who we know and love! And new to us were a set of twins, Karie and Kathy and their best friend, Carrie. One twin is married to Sarah's brother. These ladies do a lot of sewing together, not to mention all kinds of other life activities - travel, holidays - you name it, they're connected at the hip. And they're no novices when it comes to quilting!

 



Carrie was working on these tiny blocks shown with a scissor for perspective. I can't imagine making those, yet I'm oddly compelled to try. I even bought a tiny pattern (gasp!) for tiny Christmas blocks.

         

Lovely Sarah claimed to be sewing a prom dress as her selection was all glittery and flowy. It turned out to be a display drape for Tori's store.

 

I added another block to the PLUS RUNNER - not the Ecclesiatical Runner or Altar Cloth as my sister calls it. And that lovely delight below is chicken something something pizza from a neighboring restaurant. I have neither the dish or the name! Ugh. I'm not a research journalist! Aha! I am a research journalist. I looked it up. It's Zellas and it's fabulous. The item I ate was a Smoked Chicken Flatbread. So there.

 And last but never least, Pam showed off her latest quilt - a spectacular batik number and then she whipped up a patchwork sewing machine cover! Go Pam!

All too fast our retreat came to a close. Naturally, I had to leave out all the racy details that occurred eating out on Friday (Sarah's parking...Sarah leaving Marcia behind...etc) or at the hotel lobby. But feel free to ask any of us in person what really happened! ;)

Sewn Together - May

This was the month of

SARAH'S BAG MANIA!

Just look at these! She made them for everyone! And then she made more for people we don't even know! It went on for weeks!

Everyone loves their bag of-course and put them right into action!

 Pam knows how to whip up a top! Could this be any more gorgeous?!

And this red one!!? These are bigger than the usual blocks and there's so much detail. I think she said it was a block of the month club, but there's 16 blocks so I'm confused already. It's utter insanity. Or the work of a genius.

Gift tags by Sarah!

Had to stamp each color separately!

Barbara's holding Pam's Pineapple Block! Amazing!

 Tori's concentrating!

Chain piecing! The very beginnings of a Sailboat Quilt.

 Fussy cut and tiny squares with Boho Chic. Now...how to quilt this pillow?

 Sue is trying out the free motion on my machine! She's hooked.

And that a wrap for May!