Category Archives: Uncategorized

Busy weekend at Quilt Camp!

I had a great weekend at Camp Abnaki at a quilting retreat with Champlain Valley Quilt Guild and the Vermont Modern Quilt Guild.  Worked on many projects and enjoyed the comradery of  fellow quilters.

I had the most fun making a stuffed animal puppy for my future grandson due in November.  I used one of my husband’s old soft corduroy-like shirts.

Puppy dog

Puppy dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My next project was a large Carpenter Star bed quilt to have on my bed during the holidays.  This project has been cut and ready to work on for about 4 years – I finally worked on it at this retreat:

Carpenter Star Quilt

Carpenter Star Quilt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I spent some time working on a few other things – one trying out a new tool to make Drunkard’s Path (Sew Kind of Wonderful Quick Curve Ruler) and also constructed 3 Firefly blocks from Elizabeth Hartman’s Fancy Forest pattern (5 fireflies left and I will have all the critters completed!)

Quick Curve tool work

Quick Curve tool work

Firefly blocks

Firefly blocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next few weeks will be busy – CVQGVT guild meeting was last nite, MQGVT meeting Sunday,  working on client quilts until I go to a quilt retreat at Jay Peak next week and then the CVQGVT Quilt Show is the following week –  October will be history before I know it!

Vermont Quilt Festival Follow-on… my class project

I was able to break away from Registrar duties on Saturday during VQF to take a class with Kimberly Einmo.  She is a gifted quilt designer and teacher.  The class was called Sunshine Starburst and we used her specially designed Jelly Roll ruler for the construction.  I got a good start during the class but had quite a bit to do to finish the top.  It still needs to be quilted but I have the top finished.  Her ruler and techniques made working with the diamond pieces so much easier!

Finished top from Kimberly Einmo Class

Finished top from Kimberly Einmo Class

Feeling tired! Crazy Busy week at Vermont Quilt Festival

vqf 2016Wow what a week –  very busy at Vermont Quilt Festival last week…  I wore my fitbit and from Sunday through Sunday working at the festival logged over 105,000 steps which is about 44 miles!    Our Social Media guru Trista Dufresne took and posted many great shots on the Vermont Quilt Festival facebook page… her artistic approach inspired me to take the above photo in memory of this crazy week….

My quilt did earn a red ribbon and several of the quilts I quilted for my clients were awarded ribbons as well!

Graduation Season is here!

Many high school graduations are happening this week here in Vermont.  A special family friend is graduating – Jordan Walsh.  I presented her today with a quilt made of the Essex High School colors to congratulate her.

Disappearing Hourglass Quilt

Disappearing Hourglass Quilt

An Opportunity To See Some Beautiful Modern Quilts!

One of my client’s modern quilts will be showcased at Nido’s in Burlington from June 24 – 26.  One of the quilts in her show is a quilt I quilted for her – it was a great experience to work with her to give her quilt the quilting effect she was looking for her.  The quilt is called Meadow Quilt:
Meadow Quilt

Meadow Quilt

 

 

You can see more of her work via this link:  Modern Quilts by June Shen-Epstein

Congratulations June!  I’m sure it will be a great show – can’t wait to see them all!

Retreat in Rangeley Maine

I have been in Rangeley Maine for a quilting retreat this week –  one of my favorite weeks of the year spent with good friends doing what we love together.

It always takes longer to do the piecing that I think it will so I always bring way too much to work on.  I was able to catch up on my Spring Yankee Pride Mystery – will post a picture of the top when it is done….  and also piece 2 other tops as well as sew binding on the quilt I pieced at my last retreat.

Also –  did see a moose!

Here are pictures of my projects and of the moose:

So Long, Farewell!

So Long, Farewell!

Fun with striped fabric I purchased over a decade ago!

Fun with striped fabric I purchased over a decade ago!

Disappearing Hour Glass Quilt

Disappearing Hour Glass Quilt

Rangeley Moose

Rangeley Moose

Antique Quilts – such a treasure!

I just finished quilting an antique quilt top of hand pieced hexagons –  would love to know the story behind all the different fabrics!

Just back from attending MQX (Machine Quilter’s Expo) last week in Manchester New Hampshire and learned an important tip when working with antique tops from Gyleen Fitzgerald the guest speaker at the banquet.  As she noted – many of these tops have fabric that is fragile –  so if you place a piece of muslin directly under the top over the batting it will provide extra stability and if one of the fabrics does wear through you will see the muslin below not have the batting pop through!  I was so glad I hadn’t quilted this top before hearing this tip – I have quilted a few other antique tops and will now always do this –  it truly provides a bit more stability.

This quilt was 79 inches by 75 inches and was filled with hexagons that were 2 inches in diameter.  I did continuous curve free-motion quilting on each and every one!

2 inch hexagons - so many different fabrics!

2 inch hexagons – so many different fabrics!

 

Happy Easter!

Easter is a bit earlier that normal this year… fortunately here in Vermont it is feeling like spring!

I wanted to share a block from my next project as it sure fits the season…  it is a group project and I will post a picture of the quilt when it is done.

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

Springtime Quilt Block

Springtime Quilt Block

 

Bricks, Cobblestones and Pebbles

I just completed a mystery quilt that was run online via Facebook page Gyleen’s Bricks, Cobblestones and Pebbles hosted by Gyleen Fitzgerald.  It was a wonderful pattern using all scraps.  The quilt was pieced in rounds about a center area – lots of fun and everyone is posting their quilts which all look so different!  I used mostly all reproduction fabric scraps for mine.  I finished quilting and binding it over the weekend and now have it on my couch – ready to watch the Oscars tonite!
Couch Quilt

Couch Quilt

Bricks Cobblestones and Pebbles Quilt

Bricks Cobblestones and Pebbles Quilt

Vermont Modern Quilt Guild Challenge

I recently joined the Vermont Modern Quilt Guild and have very much enjoyed their meetings and meeting quilters in the group.  Modern quilts are very different in design from what I historically have worked on for my quilts so it is challenging to break some of my old habits from a design perspective.

This month the challenge was do do some “minimalist” work.  I ended up using 4 colors including the background and trying to do a simple design – it looks simple but took a while!

I quilted the sample and made it into a pillow.  I needed new pillows for my couch so also made another pillow with the same fabrics.  The challenge project is the front pillow….  can’t wait to see what the challenge is for next month!

Quilted Pillows

Quilted Pillows