I'm happy to report that "Birds of a Feather" is finally DONE-DONE! Oh-so-many years in the making! It was practically still smoking when I turned it in! And look-ee what it brought back home with it!!
It all started with a BOM sponsored by Quilted Moose in Gretna. Debbie has a way with kits and BOMs. I don't even like applique and I was in!!! A group of us went to Gretna on BOM Saturday, got our blocks, stopped for lunch and then gathered in Lincoln to work on them the rest of the day. We had such fun.
As you well know - I CANNOT follow a pattern exactly! And this project was no different. There was no blue fabrics in the kits. Who can stand to have eggs in a nest that aren't blue?? So I started changing it around from the very first month. And of course, I fell behind, years behind!! So I didn't like the last blocks, didn't make them! C and I made up our own layouts. I added an initial block. In the star, in machine embroidery, I optimistically said "2007" - hmmm, it wasn't finished then! Not ripping that out and seriously, who's going to notice or care? I used fusible and machine blanket stitched the applique. I hand quilted it. there were several 'time-out' periods for it. But it's done-done now!!
I've been busy with Fabric Post Cards this spring. Here are the latest ones. "Childhood Memories" where I featured all the games we used to play. I remember endless nights of Hide n seek. Hopscotch and especially sitting on the cool garage floor on hot summer days and playing Authors and practicing shuffling!!
For "Traditional Blocks" I made the 3" schoolhouse featured on the web this year (last year?) It needed a little something to fill in the block, so I added trees. I loved how it turned out.
I had to head for the laundromat this week. Kingsize quilts do NOT fit into household machines! And it was way-past time for a washing. I went to Harbor and I found that I can never get front loading machines. At least not with glass doors. I was fascinated by the quilt going around this way, then that way!! Did you ever read Corduroy?? The artist in the laundromat getting inspired and sketching??? It's like that!! Even when you're almost 62!
This spring I got busy making Quilts of Valor. I made 4 with help from friends. Here they are! The first was a disappearing 4patch, quilted by Cindy Young in Brookings. We had a display at the Brookings show - It's on the quilt rack, on the left. That quilt went to the Quilts of Valor organization. The next two are disappearing 9patches, quilted by Martha Lane in Lincoln NE. They went to my BIL and a good friend's husband. The fourth is a spider web UFO, quilted by Wilma Roles in Newport and it was presented to my SIL's dad. It was great to present these. They were well received and I highly recommend you get involved with this great cause. I already have blocks started for the next one!
This spring at Finishing school we had access to an AccuQuilt machine. I cut a bunch of 2 1/2" strips from kids prints. Tried my hand at a lasagna quilt. Well, first of all, I had way more than just a jelly roll!! I think I could have wrapped the first strip around our whole complex! It made almost a double bed quilt! So I cut it into 3 baby quilts and a doll quilt! All were donated to charities supported by my quilt guilds. I watched the Missouri Star You-tube video and that was helpful. If I ever did it again, I would separate boy strips from girl strips! If you don't, you do end up with a mish-mash that doesn't fit either!!
Here is my Brookings challenge - theme was "Bucket List". From the start, I pictured piles of finished quilts! Talk about a dream!! It won a 3rd place ribbon in the Challenge Quilts at the show too!
Here's Mr K!! He's one now and oh-so-busy!! I think the other two pictures were complete blurs!!
