Workshop with Cindy Grisdela

I went to a workshop with Cindy Grisdela on curved piecing with Milltown Quilters.  I really enjoy her work - I've seen her many times at the American Craft Council show in Baltimore.  There was a lecture the day before - I managed to snap some pictures:

Her workshop was very relaxed and free-form ... just a really nice day!  Here are a couple of class samples:

It was so simple to do the curves because the end result doesn't have to match seams!

When you pack up to go to a workshop, it's always so hard to anticipate what you might need to have later and honestly, I can only carry so much stuff.  I brought fabric I thought would work for the background but nothing really struck me.

And now that the holidays are here I'm so busy with other things that the poor strip of curves is still just hanging around on my design wall all by itself!  Maybe I'll put it on my 2017 UFO list...

After Thanksgiving....Thanksgiving table runner....story of my life...

While I finished 10 (TEN!!!) Holiday tablerunners before December 1, I did NOT manage to finish my Thanksgiving tablerunner in time for Thanksgiving...seriously...

In progress:

Finished top:

Basted and ready to quilt...after Thanksgiving....

Happy Birthday to my angel...

I miss you, sweet pea…

November UFO and more Holiday quilting...

No surprise here - the October UFO wasn't even touched.  So, now we have November and the number is 12...and this top is to be quilted.  And once again, I don't see that happening...the biggest reason again this time is that I don't already have a back.  It could take me the whole month to get a back together and squared!

I'm still working on my Holiday tablerunners - realizing not everyone celebrates Christmas:

...along with season 2 of Outlander!

2016 UFO Challenge - October

I've pulled the top and set it on the HQ16....but there's simply no way on this Earth that I'll quilt it before the end of the month...No.Way.At.All.

If I already had a back, it might have been possible....

Bus Trip to Pennsylvania...

On Friday I went on a shopping (and EATING!) bus trip with Milltown Quilters and Faithful Circle Quilters to Pennsylvania.

First stop was Burkholders Fabrics in Denver, PA.  My first time there - the place seemed huge to me.  Actually, I didn't really have a list of stuff to get so it made it almost impossible to really look at everything.  I found myself just kind of doing laps and randomly picking up odd things.  I like to use stripes for my bindings so I did manage to get some fabric to bind some tops I have made. 

The highlight of the trip for me was - the Shady Maple Smorgasbord!!!  Seriously...as long as I got my lunch I would have been happy to not even see quilt shops!

Last stop was the Kitchen Kettle area in Intercourse, PA.  The weather was absolutely perfect and there are lots of shops and things to look at.  I walked around, in and out of stores, and just enjoyed the afternoon.  Got myself a snack and sat at a table outside and did some serious people-watching!

Still Working on Christmas Gifts!

Still October and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!  I'm working on Holiday tablerunners and I just finished quilting them!  Next up (and last up!) is the binding...Can.Not.Wait.

Quilting:

And a finished stack:

September UFO Finish

I managed to finish the September UFO for Spring Water Designs....today.  Seriously, why do I wait until the last day so often? 

This was a Hearts to Holly quilt pattern using their Holly Bunch fabric bundle. I saw the bundle at a quilt show and liked the fabrics...any of their patterns can be used for any of their bundles.  A nice, quick, easy charity quilt.

Is it Christmas already????

Hell has officially frozen over - I'm working on holiday tablerunners!

I'm a Winner!!!

The Universe simply doesn't let me "win" stuff....I actually asked if she made a mistake!  But the most astounding thing:  I was the random winner of the August Spring Water Designs UFO Challenge!  It's almost embarrassing though since it was the very simplest of all the UFOs I've worked on so far this year...I added one, small, border...seriously...but as they say, never look a gift horse in the mouth...

This is a long-running UFO.  The pattern is Everyday Best Quilt by Piece O Cake designs.  It is mostly bright fabrics with dots of some sort so it's pretty busy - thus it makes it hard to find something to border it.  My original plan was to add a narrow border and then a wider one, only once I got the first one on it just seemed impossible to find something else to add to the mix...so I didn't.

Before:

After:

Detail:

I still may find something to add a second border, but that's for another challenge!

Deep Creek Lake

Every Labor Day Weekend we make a point to have the whole family together.  We all look forward to it.  It's a lovely time with all of us there - big meals, swimming, fire pits, s'mores....ice cream at the Lakeside Creamery, DCL State Park, outdoor activities at Wisp - even Charlotte went zip lining this year at 4!

We passed a Garrett County barn quilt driving in:

Our home-away-from-home:

Coffee in the morning:

And sunset in the evening:

With the occasional adult beverage in between!!!

Family evenings making s'mores:

It's hard to say goodbye...

...goodbye, Uncle Steve...I'll miss you

Emmeline's quilt FINISHED!

TA DA!!!

Finished with time to spare - leaving for Deep Creek Lake in a week and will give her the quilt then.

Loaded on the HQ16:

And done:

Whew!