Instagram Quilt Fest - Part 3 of 6

 Before we start I have to show you the solution the Coast Guard came up with for keeping TONS of sealions off their dock:

Ingenious!!  Apparently, sea lions are not as mesmerized as we are by "Air Dancers!" 

Our guild is making an Ukraine quilt for our show.  We will be sending donations at that time.  I have a favorite sunflower pattern and we adapted it to the Ukraine colors.

Here is the Ukraine colors.  The four segments are not going to be sashed together.  We think we'll use them as a border or in the corners.

Here's a picture of my Sunflower quilt.  Traditional colors and the sash between the parts is really interesting going across the quilt.  My good friend C in Lincoln NE brought this pattern to our small group.  7 out 12 ended up making it!!  It was very contagious.

On with Instagram Quilt Fest Questions

Quilt Back:  If you are asking if I make boring backs ... nope!!  Okay, sometime when I don't have time to think it out.  Or someone is hand quilting it.  I absolutely adore extra blocks on the back.  Especially gives me a smile when I make it every morning!  Here's some examples of Fronts and Backs - can you match them up???

Pressing Matters:  My mom used to be my presser.  We had so much fun sewing together and someone pressing your seams for you really produces a LOT of really good blocks!

I usually have my ironing station set up away from the sewing machine.  My knees get really cranky if I don't stretch them often.  In the old apartment, if I was sewing the kitchen table - iron was in the sewing room and vice versa!  At retreats - you'll find me at the farthest ironing board from my station!  Ok, I  admit I often detour by the snack table!!  But I exercise on the way there!!!

And while we're talking strategies - your rotary cutting pad works great on a kitchen counter!!  If's it's 'double wide island style' you can work forever!!

Sewing Friends:  The best kind!!  My best friends are sewing friends.  I had two from earlier in my life, but I taught them how to quilt - problem solved.

Quilters are always exercising their brains, usually cheerful thinking about their next project.  And the best at helping you solve any problems - we're used to thinking around an obstacle.  I made a wall quilt for my sewing space years ago - 

Recent Finish:  Cherrywood Lane early this year.  An Edyta Sitar sew-along last year, using her Summer Village pattern.  So much fun!  

You know how quilting mysteries start easy and then get harder and harder??  We won't mention Jen Kingwell!!  God bless her and her wonderful quilts!  

This one did NOT!  And the finished product - perfection!

My good friend at Fernwood Quilting long armed it for me.  My hands are apparently 20 years older than I am now. And I'm 69!!  They don't have the stamina or flexibility they had earlier.  Hand quilting, binding and 'arm-wrestling an alligator under the harp of my DSM' - machine quilting ... all problematic at this point. 

Best Tip Ever:  Ok, when I was a new grandma, a good friend told me, "Don't make a thousand quilts for the first grandbaby, there will be more.  And you don't want to hear how the first got more than the next favorite!"  

So - my theory is present your quilts to a schedule:  Baby.  Big girl/boy bed.  Kindergarten (applique their hand or a favorite picture they drew) Teen (at least they can wrap themselves in a hug) HS Graduation; College Graduation; Wedding.  Repeat!!

Best sewing tip:  If you are pinning a long seam.  Start pinning opposite!  I mean on the right (far?) end of the seam.  When you are done pinning you have the end of the seam that goes under the pressure foot in your hand.  You don't have to move all those 'sticking out to get you' pins out of the way.