It must be Summer...

I'll bet it is hot where you are. We haven't had the scorching heat that other parts of the country are suffering through, but it has been hotter than usual for June. Our high here was Sunday, when we got to 89 degrees. And yet, I was wearing a sweatshirt in the studio! Because it is primarily under ground, it stays a constant 68 in there. Unfortunately, with AC coming through the vents, it turns rather chilly. Our AC is set  at 76 and we are fine with that upstairs, but it adds to the chill in the studio making me uncomfortably cold. I'll just keep wearing a sweatshirt to work. Some of you may have the same dilemma, it is freezing at work (grocery store, movie theater, etc.) and hotter than Hades hinges outside! Curious...

Meanwhile, back on topic. Quilting!! I took my big Bernina in for a spa treatment and when the guy called to tell me it was ready, he asked if I do a lot of machine embroidery. No, I don't have an embroidery machine. He says I had 11 MILLION stitches on it since my last tune up. Holy cow! That sounds like a huge amount. I guess if you count all the times I sewed something and then picked it out... yup, that's probably it. I'll pick up my machine on Friday. Nuff said.

Home from last week's retreat, I was back at the machine doing customer quilts. 'BIG' was the word of the week!

Wow!!  3" circles on a king sized quilt. The spread of color from the hot center to the cool edges is done exceptionally well.

It was quilted with the appropriately named panto, Circles.

The texture shows nicely on the backing.

The same customer made this Postcard from Sweden quilt. 

To compliment the triangles in the piecing, I chose the panto, This way and That, for the quilting.

I really like the backing, too.

This quilt was inspired by the Agilejack blog. The blogger had a tutorial for the quilt, but not until after this quilter figured out the pattern and how to make it! That's a smart quilter.

The difficult to see panto,  African Samba. It made for wonderful texture with the support of the wool batting.

The backing is this bright Kaffe print. It is silky and soft.

Last is this beautiful gift for a granddaughter.

The customer wanted a pattern with hearts. I think this fits the bill.

White on white backing shows the quilting nicely.

I am working on the tops from the retreat, but it has been slow going. With all the customer work, giving a tutorial for binding at our Heart To Heart group, a quick trip to Blue Ridge to see the fiber arts show (I have some quilts there), and helping with 4-H quilt camp for kids, I have had little spare time to do any quilting on my stuff. 

I finished a set of four placemats, (seen here front and back), after my demo of how to make, apply and join the ends of binding.

One of the 3 yard quilts from the retreat.

Quilted with a quill panto.

The backing is one of the $15 bolts I got from Stitchers Garden on the way to Paducah.

You may have seen this on the design wall in the last post. I wandered into a vendor booth that had all vintage fabrics and they had 6" square bundles of chenille bedspreads. I took the bait and bought one.

They made their sample with a straight set, but the quilt was tiny. I put the squares on point and added setting triangles and a small border to make it a better size. Sewing the lumpy chenille was a challenge!

I quilted it with Flower Power

This backing is so soft and smooth. I bought it in great quantity. Naughty Susan!

Another quilt from the retreat, this one is a keeper. For me, that is!

I used the panto Fork in the Road and a variegated King Tut thread for the quilting.

This was a perfect fabric for the back! I used it for the binding, as well.

Here are the 4-H kids with their projects. I worked quite a bit with the only boy, who was a fun and cheerful sewist and quilter. 

The past few days I have been preparing for a tutorial for the evening guild about quilt-as-you-go techniques. I'm just about ready to do the presentation. These are blocks for the demo.

Poor Mr Wazoo has been having a battle of wits with the local deer herd. They sneak in and eat his flowers while we sleep. The more brazen ones come in broad daylight to do their mischief! Our beautiful hostas look like celery stalks. Not one leaf remains. The lovely dark orange-red geranium blooms are all gone. Every rose chewed and swallowed. The same with the azaleas and hydrangea. He sprayed Deer Away on everything, but to no avail. I fear this battle has just begun. At least it keeps him busy outside and not pestering me in the studio. I like deer, but I like a happy Mr W. better. Stay tuned!

Now, go eat some ice cream and cool off!

 

                                     

Long time no post

I have been remiss in posting here!  Life gets busy sometimes and I just don't have the energy to write something witty for you all. So sorry. Let's get caught up and go from there...

I left you with a photo of the customer's sewing machine quilt  Here it is all done.

Fresh from trimming

Grunge fabrics work well for this pattern!

I used a geometric circular panto for the quilting.

I like this entire project.

Next was a 180 degree turn from the modern sewing machine quilt. Made by the same customer, this Sunbonnet Sue quilt is soft and pretty in Tilda fabrics. She had already made an Overall Sam quilt for the first child, so using the Sue pattern for the new baby was a no brainer.

It is quilted with Baptist Fan.

Sweet backing completes the quilt.

This behemoth took two days to complete the quilting. Each 6" block is repeated four times throughout the quilt. All batiks.

Here you get a better feel for the size of the project.

The quilting is a scrolling trellis type pattern. I thought it would add texture to the busyness of the quilt.

Brown backing.

Another large project was this UFO from another customer. She started it years ago and finished it  this year. Hooray!

Front view. The construction was perfect. Square and flat.

I used a lovely paisley scroll pattern for the quilting.

You get a better look at the pattern on the backing.

I love what I do because the variety is so interesting. This lap quilt is improv-pieced in bright happy colors. The applique adds the perfect touch to the pretty quilt.

The quilt is for a girl, so I used a butterfly pattern in variegated thread.

Cute pieced backing, too.

Mr Wazoo is in his element outside. He works on his flowers and shrubs, riding the tractor around and tidying up the beds and weeding where needed. Our yard is truly a showplace for the neighborhood.

Outside the studio, there are small pots with lovely plants and pops of color.

The clematis went crazy this year and is packed with an abundance of blooms.

The shrubs in the front rock garden are coming back from the freeze we had two winters ago.

Here is the street view of the house and the front yard.

Our new butterfly bush is going strong and attracting butterflies already!

The pots on the porch outside my window are beautiful.

These are the nicest blooms I have seen on the clematis.

My friends and I went to Pigeon Forge, TN last week for their annual quilt show.  I didn't take many photos, but thought I would include one of my favorite quilt.

This is my favorite. It is all wool applique with wonderful embroidered bits in the blocks.

After the retreat, I did a trunk show and talk in Franklin, NC, came home and packed my stuff for a retreat and drove to Dahlonega, GA for a four day sew-fest. I sewed like a crazy person and finished 6 quilt tops. Most are for guild outreach committees, and one (yet unfinished) is for me. Here are some photos from the retreat.

The first top on the wall is a Warm Wishes project with a fun floral theme.

One of my sewing mates finished this cheerful baby quilt with bright block borders around cute animals.

There are two sewing spaces for retreat goers. I snapped this when the ladies were going to lunch in the upstairs level of the venue.

This is the area where I sewed with five other quilters.

Our friend Lauren is freshly retired, and there was a party to celebrate.

She looks relaxed and happy.

I made this top with Villa Rosa batiks. I may have to keep this one!

After looking at several Three Yard quilt books, I decided o make my next community quilts with this pattern

This one has feathers on its focal fabric.

Lauren made this tongue in cheek Christmas quilt with hunky men.

My top number two, but with different  borders.

The focus fabric has these pretty birds on it.

This top has raccoons flying airplanes. 

Some are even parachuting out!

The happy retiree

Our group of quilters with the Georgia mountains in the background.

When I got home, I quilted one of my tops from the retreat.

I thought these dogs were adorable! Look at that pink tummy on the sleeping puppy.

I quilted it with dog bone motifs, and used a coordinating backing.

My label.

That's it for now. I am off to see if I can get a haircut. I also have to stop at Home Depot and arrange to  have a Father's Day gift delivered. A quick grocery trip, then back to work!! 

Have a great day, and keep quilting!