It Doesn't Look Like Spring

I should be posting something to herald spring as I'm more than ready for it's arrival! But I realized I had not shared a picture of the silk flower piece I made when teaching the class last month. I finally finished quilting the background and binding it a couple weeks ago. It's a very simple piece using fall leaves.

Close up. I love using metallic threads for accents.

Today's mail brought siggies. Two friends, Anne and Sylvia from Germany sent these lovelies.

Happy Thursday!

Reality Check

In 2007 I made this silk flower and tulle wall hanging and donated it for the silent auction at our guild's quilt show.

I don't know who bought it or remember how much it went for, but I think it was a decent price.


It was one of favorites, actually. I liked it alot.

Well guess what? It's back in my home!

A couple weeks ago a friend from quilt guild was shopping at a local thrift shop and guess what she found there?


With this price tag?

No chance of getting a big head around here! LOL.

I'm glad I had my name on the back. For $1.50 I'll happily keep it myself.

Last weekend I was feeling in between projects and still letting ideas for the border of my Baltimore Album quilt percolate in my brain. So I dug out a box with more of the pieces my grandmother cut out.

There were just a few hexagons in this size so I sat and hand pieced them. Not sure what I'll do with them now. But aren't the fabrics fabulous? In one block alone there are fabrics from a skirt I wore in the 1950's, a dress I made myself in the early 1960's and p.j.s I made for my sons in the mid 60's.

Today is chicken and noodle dinner day at church. So my custard pies are baking and I need to go tend to them.

Tomorrow I'll try to post some pics from Monday night's fabulous trunk show at guild.

Workshop

I had a wonderful time Monday teaching a workshop for my guild..The Little Balkan's Quilt Guild. The girls made some BEAUTIFUL projects. Two of them were completely FINISHED! The others soon will be and I hope they all enjoyed themselves as much as I did.

Here are some pictures Tom took during the day.

I enjoyed presenting a trunk show that evening and again on Tuesday to the Joplin Town and Country Guild. I'd like to just curl up in the recliner and do some handwork today, but it's chicken and noodle dinner time at church again so I need to get busy and bake some apple dumplings to take over and work this afternoon.

Maybe tomorrow I can veg and quilt.

More Flowers

Saturday I put together another silk flower and tulle wall hanging. It has yet to be personalized for the recipients.

This picture taken without flash shows the quilting a little better, but mutes the colors

And this picture of the back taken before it was trimmed and bound almost looks like a whole cloth doesn't it?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mother turned 80 today.

This was taken in 1947, a year after I was born, and is one of my favorite pictures of her.

This was taken in March of this year.

I made this quilted birthday card for her earlier this week.

And sent her this quilt made last year. It's called "Bouquet of Roses" and reminded me of her from the moment I made it. These are definitely her colors and she sounded tickled to receive it.

We aren't able to attend her celebration in Iowa today but send our love and wishes for many, many more healthy birthdays.

My Student

Next month I'm going to be teaching a workshop for my guild on wall hangings made from silk flowers and tulle. Tom thought he wanted to see if he could make one, so Monday he began a project.

Here he is pressing his fabric for the background, borders and backing.


Sewing his background and borders. He really likes my little Featherweight.



Selecting the flowers to use

And arranging them

Layered with tulle and batting and ready to quilt

This was a busy week for us, so he wasn't able to start quilting until Wednesday

He finished the quilting yesterday

I bound it for him this morning (that's his least favorite part of the quilting process and I've convinced him there is no shame in letting someone else do it for you).

Didn't it turn out nice?

It's a Christmas present for his mother. Hope she doesn't read this before she gets it!

Tom thinks if he can do this, then anyone can. Hope the students next month feel the same.

Here's a link to projects made by people I've taught in the past

And some of the many I've made