Weekend Blocks

This week's 1880's Sampler block, Steps to the Altar

This week's Civil War Quilt block..Little Blue Basket

Barbara's block didn't have a handle but I decided to add one.

Tile Quilts

Monday night I had a great time learning about a style of quilts that were new to me.  Carol Gilham Jones presented a program and  trunk show on tile quilts.  It was not at all what I expected.  It turns out a tile quilts is a relatively rare form of quilt possibly related to crazy quilts.  Carol explains them on her blog  and Barabara Brackman has an excellent post with even more links to historical tile quilts on her blog in this post.

It was fascinating to learn about this rare old quilting form and to see this amazing piece from the 1800's

And it was exciting to see how Carol has taken this style into the 21st century.  

(Okay..I give up trying to post another slideshow. If I let Photobucket post it directly it shows up..sometimes...If I then try to add comments or if I try to get the code and post it myself..problems.  Since there aren't that many pictures..I'm just going to post them individually).

Carol's quilts are so creative and colorful.  I enjoyed her show very much. She has a book out called "Tile Quilt Revival" and it's available on her blog.

I may have to try my hand at one of these when I can find some time.

Mary

Try, Try Again

Sometimes you have to find an alternate way to do things to solve a problem.  I still don't understand why the slideshow in my first post is working for some and not for others; working for me when I preview it but not after I post it. 

But I found a work around and I hope everyone can view it this time.

In The Style of Freddy Moran

Last Tuesday Tom and I attended a meeting of the Joplin Town and Country Quilters. Linda Jenkins of Owasso, OK presented a wonderful trunk show that she calls "In the Style of Freddy Moran".  Linda started quilting after taking a class with her daughter not that long ago. 

Shortly thereafter she took another class from Freddy Moran who is known for her fun style of design and exuberant use of colors.  The rest, as they say, is history, and Linda has been turning out  bright and beautiful quilts in Freddy's style ever since.  She has also become close friends with Freddy and has taken many cruises and workshops with her.

This quilt, made by Freddy and quilted by Kathy Sandbach, was presented to Linda when she moved into her new home in OK.
I hope you'll enjoy this slideshow of Linda's quilts

I do not know why this slideshow is not working. When I preview my post it works fine, but after I actually post it, it doesn't work. You can, however click on the "view all" that is showing and it will direct you to my Photobucket album that has all of the pictures of Linda's trunk show. At some point I hope I can figure out what the problem is.

Edit later:  The slideshow seems to work for some and not others (including me).  I'm guessing it has something to do with individual browsers and internet settings although slideshows in earlier posts are working.  Some are..some aren't and I'm not bright enough to figure out the difference.

A Little of Everything

Siggies received last week from Sally in Texas...a different one for each of us

Mine..so much work in these sweet flowers

And Tom's ....deep in the heart of Texas!

How cool is it that Sally Brown lives in Brownwood.  I'll have to ask if it is named after her family.

This week's block for Chery's 1880 Sampler BOW..Pine Tree

And this week's block for Barbara Brackman's Civil War BOW--Lousiana

Don't forget to check out the history lesson on her blog that goes along with this block.

Yesterday was National Quilting Day and several guild members gathered to work on various projects.  I spent the day sewing string blocks for community quilts.  I hoped to make a dent in the tub of little scraps and second tub of batting squares, but I don't think either one looks any smaller.  This is what I got done..7 inch blocks and 6 inch blocks.  Hope you did something fun for NQD as well.

Block Redos

I finished the last two alternate blocks for the Thread Head Quilt Along after we got home from church today.Then I remade two of the blocks I wasn't happy with.  Actually I made a whole new block 4

And put new flying geese units on this Block 10 (keeping the center the same as before)

I have one more block I'm not 100% sure I like, but for the most part I think this is about the way it's going to stay.  Time to start sewing rows together.



Thank you, Joanne, for all of your hard work on this project.  Your tutorials have been fantastic!  As I see the blocks that others have made I'm reminded over and over why I love sampler quilts.  There are going to be some gorgeous quilts!

Like this one.  Wish I had such a beautiful bed too!



New Block and New Toy

Today's Civil War Quilt block is London Square.  My seam intersections leave a lot to be desired, but I finally gave up. For some reason I just wasn't getting it today.

Maybe it was because my mind was elsewhere.  Like on the new toy we picked up earlier today.  Yesterday I saw an old Singer in a cabinet offered on a local garage sale page on Facebook.  I called and the price was right so we drove an hour and  a half and picked it up.  It needs cleaned up and some work, but I'm hoping it will be a fun addition and sew as well as my Featherweight does. 

It's a Model 66, manufactured in 1952 according to the serial number and it's really not scratched up at all. 

What looks like scratches in the photo is just the light reflecting off the dust and dirt. The decals are all intact.  The cabinet is in decent shape too..could benefit with a good refinishing but that isn't likely to happen any time soon.  If nothing else I have a new sidetable.



Friday's Blocks

I've finished the last of the blocks for the Thread Head Quilt Along.  Well, except for two more alternate blocks I still need to make.

Yesterday I made Block 18, Farmer's Daughter

Today I made Block 19, a combination Shoo Fly and Cross 4

And finally, Block 20, Dove In A Window

I had a few adventures with these last two.  I did the blue one first and was trying to use some HST's I already had on hand.  That gave me slightly smaller dove units so I enlarged the center plain pieces a bit.  Then when I was trimming my brand new HST's for the red and green block my mind wandered and I miscut them, resulting in even smaller dove units.  So I punted and added coping strips on the insides.  Made me feel very frugal and very 1800ish. LOL.

Speaking of which, I also made this week's block for the 1880 Sampler Quilt, called Four Anchors

I love that she is making these so easy without paper piecing.

I'm sure like me all of you are sending prayers out to the many thousands affected by today's earthquake and tsunami.  The news is heartbreaking.

Now for some KU basketball.



Just One Star

With a grandson in Afghanistan serving his third Middle East tour and a son who served in Iraq and gave 30 years to his country, how could I not take part in Moda's 100 Quilts in 100 days Project?

My block is in the mail today

Won't you consider making "Just One Star" for this worthwhile project?

Soon I'm off to enjoy some lobster ravioli for my 65th birthday.  Whoa....can that be?



Goldilocks

That's who I feel like today...

I was working on Block 16 of the Thread Head Quilt Along

I made one and it was a  bit too big.  I made the second one and it was a bit too small.
Do you think if I made one more it would be just right?  Doubt it. LOL.

One of the namees for this block is Wedding Ring.  I have better luck when I make this as a 25 patch with all squares and HST's.  But they are made and I can make them work so onward and upward...6 more blocks to go plus 9 more alternate blocks.



I Won!

Thank you to all who voted for my little wallhanging in last week's Quilt Gallery contest.  My quilt got the second highest number of votes, so I won one of the five books being given away.

 How exciting!  I don't have a lot of time for reading these days but I will definitely sit down and read this one when it comes.  Thank you to Michelle for hosting the contest and to Laura for donating the books.  And thank you again to those who voted for Tom's portrait!