Thursday Quilting

We have started getting back together again on Thursdays to do some quilting.  Now that summer is over things are getting back to normal and Pierina and I are back from Europe, we decided that we should start getting together again to do some quilting and visiting.  This was the first time that everyone was available so we didn't get a lot done but we sure had a fun time.

Joyce is working on her bed scarf  and

is planning some cushions to match.

We were trying to decide if she should leave

a border around the centre or not.

We decided that the border looks better

on than cut off.

So now she has to cut out some more squares

for her cushions.

Pierina is quilting her SunFlower table topper.

Maria is adding binding with piping onto her

Convergence Quilt.

She is using Ricky Tims method of binding

that we saw at the Super Seminar.

We had a visitor this week.

Bev is visiting from B.C., she is wearing a scarf

that Maria made and is knitting one

for herself.

I think I have to make a few of those.

I was working on the piano key border for

my Schnibbles Quilt.

It took me a while to decide how to put them

together and I finally decided that

the four sides should all be the same.

Peggy

Schnibbles Class

Last night I took the second of two classes making a Schnibbles Quilt.  We used Carrie Nelson's Schnibbles times two book.  With this book you can make quilts using 5" charm squares or 10" layer cakes or just that size of scraps.

We also used Deb Tucker's Wing Clipper Ruler to make our flying geese for the quilt.  There is a video on youtube on how to use this ruler.  I took this class because I had heard a lot about this ruler and wanted to learn how to use it. 

Wendy was the instructor

She has made a lot of these quilts,

so it was a great class.

It is always good to take a class from

someone who has made the quilt

before.

The class busy working.

Maria's - almost finished

Marlene's - one row done

Maureen's piano key border.

Maureen's finished and

she used all scraps.

Isn't it beautiful.!!

This is mine.

I have to add the piano key border.

The border is sown together so hopefully I should

have it finished in a day or so.

Peggy

Kitty Komono

I finally finished quilting the Kitty Komono Quilt that I bought in Trego, Wisconsin on the Ricky Tims Seminar bus trip.  It is a baby quilt for my Great Niece who is expecting in December.  I am going to be a Great Great Aunt again.

If you look closely there are cats in the squares.

The squares were a little tricky with the 45 degree angle

on them but with a little help from

my friends I was able to

complete them.

That is one reason to join a Quilters Guild.  There is always someone to help you when you need it and to get ideas for finishing quilts.
Peggy



Empty Bowls Caring Hearts

To-night I went to a dinner called "Empty Bowls Caring Hearts".  There were 335 people there all supporting local charities - The Thunder Bay Food Bank and Shelter House.  There was a line up to get in because if you got there early you were rewarded with a hand made bowl from the The Thunder Bay Potters Guild or a quilted placemat from the The Thunder Bay Quilter's Guild.  More people wanted the bowls and if they ran out of bowls you received a placemat.

A long line-up to get in.

Some of the crowd including our mayor.

Placemats and Bowls

Some of the pottery bowls

Lots of bowls and Placemats

There was also a silent auction of bowls and plates that were

autographed by celebrities.

Elizabeth Manley

Jack Layton & Billy Manzik

Fred Turner & Randy Bachman

Rick Mercer from the Mercer Report.

Joe Fiorito - local author

Good News Jazz Band

The bowl I selected by Ann McGoey

Maria's bowl by Alan Moon

A great night for a great cause.

Peggy

More Christmas

I have been so busy lately that I haven't done a lot of new sewing but I did get these placemats finished.  I have had them around for a year or so now.  They were a kit but some of the pieces were missing so I added the green strip and the last 2" strip and put the same colour of binding on.  They were suppose to me made so that they were put together inside out and turned and then no binding was put on them but I don't like placemats like that so I had to change them.  I think they worked out quite nice.

I have been try to get my things finished for the next guild meeting. We are doing our presentation on the Ricky Tims seminar that we attended last May. My convergence is finished and I am hand sewing the binding on.  I will post it when it is finished.  I hope to remember to take my camera to guild this week too so that I can put some pictures on the blog.

I spent last Friday over at the "Circle of Friends Quilt Shop" cutting out kits for the next quilt bee.  I cut 2 kits in the three hours that I was there.  It was a lot of fun volunteering and meeting new guild members.

Peggy

Convergence Continued

I am still working on the convergence quilt that we learned how to make at the Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminar and I think I have finished the quilt top.  We are having a meeting this week of all the participants to present something to the Quilt Guild about what we learned at the Seminar, so I have been working most of the week-end on it.

One of the gals who went to the Seminar with us sent me this picture that she took while we were there.

And here is one that I took

The butterflies are appliqued

onto the finished quilt top.

I used both examples to complete my convergence.  It isn't quilted yet and the horse on the bottom left isn't sewn on either but this is what I am taking to the meeting and asking for suggestions as how I might finish it.

If you look closely you can see the horses

in the convergence.

There was a lot of calculations done to put the coloured

swatches on the corners. 

A good learning experience for me.

Christmas is coming

Last year I purchased some kits to make oven mitts.  That was a big mistake.  I made one and I sure won't be making any more.  I think I will try to make a tea cozy out of the other kit.  I can use one at the cabin to keep my tea warm.

The oven mitt was really labour intensive.  Cutting, basting the sandwiches together and then basting both sides of the mitt together and then I don't think it turned out all that great.  Each side has 4 layers - lining, batting, Mylar (Insul-Bright) and then the outside fabric.  Really thick pieces to work with.   I thought they would make good small gifts but I think I will keep it for myself.

Oven Mitt.

I also made a new Christmas wall-hanging.  I thought these snowmen were really cute because this is more of a winter wall-hanging rather than a Christmas one and it can be hung up all winter.  We have lots of snow here so it won't be out of place.



They are the same snowmen

that are on the oven mitt.

Peggy

Dive into Fall

This is a really cute wall-hanging that I found in the

 Fons & Porter's Easy Quilt magazine, Fall 2011. 

It was really easy to make

and

sewed up quite quickly. 

I made the lighter one first and used

gold thread for the applique.

I should have stuck with that because

I used variegated for the darker bordered

one and I think I like the gold

one better.

They are different sizes because I guess

I didn't read the pattern for the dark one

I just cut the border the size I 

thought it should be.

I also used a different

burgundy for some of the leaves

on them and it shows

up better.

Peggy

I'm on a roll

I have another UFO finished.  I started this wall hanging in July at our retreat and put it aside because other things needed attending to.  I am trying to get my Christmas sewing done and finished so that it can be mailed off and figured I had better finish this up first.

My friend Joyce made the bow for me.

I can't tie bows but she sure can.

I am going to hang it on my front door

in December,

to make my house look Christmassy.

Peggy.

Mystery Quilt and My New Helper

Last spring the local guild had a mystery quilt for us to try.  It came in 3 sizes and I chose the smaller one but it wasn't quite big enough so I added an inside border.  It now measures 41 x 51, and I think it is a nicer size for a lap quilt.

By adding the border the same colour as the background

it makes the other parts and the stars

appear to float on the background.

I also have a new helper.

This is Banshee.

We are minding my sons cats for a few months

and she follows me around.

I am working on this Twister Christmas Wreath

and she seems to like it too.

It doesn't seem to matter where I am she wants to be

near me or on my lap.

It is hard to type with a kitten on your lap.

This is Buckley, all he wants to do is go outside

and he is not allowed

since they just moved here.

Peggy

Convergence

When we went to the Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminar, one of the things he taught us was "Convergence".  He puts 4 fabrics together, sews them, cuts them apart and then sews them together again, cuts them apart and sews them together for a final time.  It sounds confusing but the out come is spectacular.

On the way home from the Seminar we stopped in Trego WI at Thimbles Quilt shop and purchased some fabric to make a Convergence quilt.  I found some gorgeous fabric.

The vibrant colours in this fabric really caught my eye.

I also found these

and I thought they went well together.

On Thursday Maria and I got together to make our convergence

quilts.  It took longer than we thought and

I finished it yesterday.

I used 2 pieces from the horse fabric

and

1 orange and 1 blue.

That is why there is more blue in one corner

and more orange in the other.

The horses are almost side by side, and you can see

the reflection on the one on the right but

not the one on the left.

Peggy

Another Finish

I finished my grandson's quilt top the other day and took it to the long arm quilter.  Since the pattern looks like pinwheels she quilted it with circles to give the impression of the pinwheels moving.

This also called Square Dance.

The quilt pattern

The back of the quilt.

I really like this red fabric,

It is a nice backing for a boy's quilt.

Peggy

Fabulous Fractures

On Sunday I took a workshop with Linda Clark from Kenora called Fabulous Fractures based on the book by Brenda Esslinger.  We were also able to purchase books that were autographed by Brenda.  How cool is that!! 

There were about 12- 15 ladies in the class

Some of the fabric that was used.

This is my fabric, I bought it when I was in Paris.

Busy sewing my strips together.

All finished.

It is a little wonky in places if you look

too close, but I'm sure my next one

will be better.

Peggy