Machine Quilting Exposition East 2012

Three of us went to MQX this morning arriving maybe 15 minutes before the doors opened! My two companions are not quilters but they were able to admire the spectacular quilting we saw.

I had a chance to chat briefly with the delightful and energetic Janet Lee Santeusanio and her cohort Mary Schilke, the entrepeneurs whose baby the MQX is!

Here's the Best Of Show, WOW!

"America, Let It Shine"!

Sherry Reynolds completed this quilt on a DSM, amazing accomplishment, congratulations Sherry.

She included embroidered wording of the Preamble to the Constitution, and more wording around the quilt. This quilt also won best Machine Quilting award for a "sit down" quilting set up viz. a domestic machine. We were all blown away by this quilter's exquisite work.

"Fiesta Mexicana"

Beautiful quilting from Renae Haddadin.

Pieced by Karen K. Buckley

"Night Jewel"

By Diane Durr.

"Flourish On The Vine"

By Kathy Wylie

"Chloe"

By Theresa Fetch

Tropical Fantasy

By Terri Doyle

"Crop Circles"

By Joanne Shapp

"ICU-DO U C Me"

By Birgit Schueller

"Starburst Galaxy"

By Carol Perkins

And the back of Carol's quilt.

"Remembering Dolores"

By Jan Hutchison

"Turtle Bay"

By Claudia Pfeil

And the back of Claudia's quilt

"I'm Watching You"

By Barbara McKie.

This lifelike portrait is not just adorable but a work of art "thread painted" on Barbara's domestic sewing machine, it definitely rates a wow, or maybe even a bow WOW, LOL !

These are just a few of the many exhibited quilts, kudos to one and all for their hard work!

I did just a little shopping, picked up a few more great Art Color threads from Bob at Superior Threads along with a supply of thread nets.

At Sew Batiks I found 16 Chubby Eights to supplement BJ's batiks and when I handed the young woman my CC she said "I know you, I follow your Blog, I am Vicky from NH, I never expected to see you here!" I was delighted and just as surprised as Vicky, so Hi Vicky from NH I am so happy to have met you! It is indeed a small world.

When we came out of the Convention Center the streets had been washed clean by a rain shower

and the weather was overcast, breezy and much colder, and I was very thankful for my hoodie.

We lunched at Joe's American Bar and Grill then headed back to Bridgewater.

'Early For Monday' Report!

Tomorrow will be super busy so I am posting tonight. Starting out with Matthew, taking him to preschool and then a couple of appointments. So far I haven't packed but there are a pile of clothes on top of the bag awaiting final dispensation! To take or not to take! Ugh, that's the part of a journey I hate, trying to figure out what I need and what I can do without because I also hate to overpack! But then there's the dilemma of not having things you do need, oh my!

We have a 6am. flight Tuesday so we'll need to be out of the house soon after 4am. Now I think I should have simply booked us on the red eye, next time! We also have to ensure we have all that is necessary for one small dog, more complications.

After church we gathered at Matthew's other G'parents for a Matthew birthday party [his birthday is Tuesday].

He had a grand time with all the new toys,

and this wonderful helmet since he will be learning to ride a bike!

Searching for something to do hand work-wise, I came across this very cute idea at Ravelry for a "Button" quilt made from knitted "buttons".

They are very small, only about 2" diameter so it will take very many of them to make anything other than a doll quilt. However it will give me something to do with my hands and I can decide later what to do with any "buttons" I knit.

BJ, Lauren and Shayla came to sew yesterday. I didn't take any pics because we took off for an hour or so to go to the Olde World Quilt Shoppe and to Babbo's for lunch.

But I did get the borders on the pink and brown diamonds and I really like this quilt. Not sure how it should be quilted, and it will go on the stack awaiting the longarm anyway so there's time to decide.

Resurrection Sunday

Hallelujah, He is Risen!

He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Saturday In Holy Week

Good.....For Us

It is finished

Finished For Friday

BJ's delightful Pineapple Blossom [Bonnie Hunter design] in batiks is all quilted and ready for her to bind. Her niece's wedding is 21st. I think so that's time enough for binding- and a label BJ!

Quilted with an off white thread and a freehand floral/leaf all over, since it has a Hawaiian sort of theme.

Wordless Wednesday Going Hiking!

Tuesday Quilt Report

This pic. shows my pink and brown blocks on the design wall and I am very happy with the result. It will get a brown stop border then a pink final border.

Orphan block pot holder!

More pot holders to take to MA. some with selvedges, a few from orphan blocks, you know how it feels to get the left overs out of the fridge, same thing with these bits and pieces!

This is Andee's wedding gift for her niece. Wedding isn't till June so she has lots of time to bind it. Who would think that orange and purple, opposites on the color wheel plus leafy green, would look so great together, I love it!

Quilted in a freehand floral/leaf design with a lime green thread that sets it off perfectly.

Show And Tell Quilting

Four of us had a productive day yesterday.

BJ showed her Easter swap blocks.......

and the Pineapple Blossom [Bonnie Hunter design] for a niece's wedding April 21st. BJ plans to have it all assembled and bordered to deliver to me tomorrow so I can get it quilted this week before I leave for Boston and MQX. It's a terrific quilt that looks very sparkly in batiks, and I have been wanting to make one so perhaps this will spur me on after I complete the current projects!

Alissa is working on these controlled scrappy blocks that she says are "dandelions."

Lauren worked on her "Less Than traditional" quilt, each circle is sewn top, batting and backing together, a finished piece.

Then they are joined like so, her first four blocks, isn't that interesting, looks for all the world like a Cathedral Window design.

Being QAYG, the back is already finished too and you make as many circles as you want until you get to the right size quilt for your purpose. There will be more on this and pictures as Lauren progresses, because we are all curious to see the finished product.

She also showed the first of three denim quilts for a deceased coworker's children, made from his clothing.

A close up of the picture in the center..........

and the intact jean's pocket for the child to store his treasures.

We all had to take a turn with the two little Yorkies belonging to my DS and DIL who are out of town for the weekend. Any time there was a vacant lap they were leaping up for some attention, caring not one bit if we were sewing or not!

These are my Craftsy BOM blocks for March just in time for release of the April block patterns.

I am using my batik stash for these.

If I show you these blocks I have to tell you that I sewed them together wrong three times, argh, that's a record and I was so frustrated that I "spat the dummy" or as BJ said, pitched an Aussie fit, accompanied by suitably unprintable language, LOL. In Australia "spit the dummy" refers to babies who are so frustrated they spit their pacifiers out so they can yell louder [ but in Aus. it's called a "dummy", don't ask me why!] BJ and Lauren both assisted in the un-sewing of these and the fourth time I managed to get them all sewn together correctly. BJ was so afraid of another Aussie fit that she paired the HST's in the correct format for me!

This is the pattern from Fons and Porter May/June 2008 magazine, and I collected the pink and brown fabrics some time ago. They are mostly Buggy Barn selection I think, and now finally I am making use of them.

This is part of my effort to pull out stash fabrics from a while back and use them up. They have aged long enough, LOL.