Prepping for Quilt Camp

I get to go on a quilt retreat this coming week, 4 nights!  I am very excited to hang out with friends and quilt.  My hip is getting back to normal after two months of therapy (we still don't know why it went wacky, but oh well), and that will help my comfort level of being able to bend and walk!

For my main project I decided to take my Fire Island Hosta quilt I started last year.  I LOVE this quilt.  I had the center sections done and this weekend I cut the outer two paper pieced borders and have this part assembled.  It will end up being 100 X 100 when it's finished.




I have a large sewing room and the adage of filling more space if you have it is true.  I am not the neatest person when it comes to my fabric. I think I need a little chaos to create.  However my cupboards of unquilted tops were a bit out of control. Several had fallen out while looking for something else.  I took a before picture and an after picture. The tops on the left side have backings with them.  Altogether there are 42 tops there.  Then I remembered two tops that were in a bag I took to guild for show and tell!  YIKES 44 unquilted tops!!!  

A friend who sang at my wedding 32 years ago saw the pictures on Facebook and picked out two quilts she wanted to buy.  This is one and I have it basted and ready to take to quilt camp and will machine quilt it there.  I do all my quilting on a Pfaff Grand Quilter.  This top is 54 X 78 and was made in about 2000.  I was involved in the Pat Sloan yahoo group and had a couple friends that were very "country".  We did a row robin exchange.  The backgrounds are all Buggy Barn Fabrics and there are several Pat Sloan fabrics in this quilt.  I really am not a "tan" person so I am glad this will find a new home!

I have another quilt cut out using Kaffe Fassett fabrics and I am almost finished with the hand applique on my Folk Art Sampler wool applique wallhanging.  I will be taking that along to machine quilt too. I think I will be busy and probably won't finish everything!

Linking up with Patchwork Times and Main Crush Monday.

A Few Finishes

I have managed to finish 4 projects out of six so far on the 2016 Finish a Long that I shared in this post.  First, my Scrap Squad quilt is finished, photographed and the blog post will be done today for Quiltmaker.  I can't wait to share the quilt with all of you!

I then picked three small quilts to quilt and bind.  I am getting back into the mode of machine quilting and it feels great!  I am also working on a secret gift for a friend's birthday.  I had to deal with getting all my tax stuff together for our CPA last week.  The joys of being self employed farmers and dealing with the estate of my FIL!  

I am thrilled to have this Dragonfly wallhanging finished and hanging!  It was all hand appliqued in the car or on trips.

Hand Appliqued Dragonfly wallhanging for my guest bath

quilting closeup

Leaders and Enders project for a donation quilt, quilted in the ditch

Fairy Frost leftovers - donation wheelchair quilt for care center

quilting closeup

 My friend Robin in Washington sent me these beautiful vintage Grandmother's Flower garden blocks. She also sent some precut hexagons and extra fabrics!  I sewed the row together on the left and I will sew the next row and then try to hook the two rows together.  The blocks are beautifully done, but they have a super tiny seam allowance.  It will be a great quilt when it's finished and I'm excited to own these blocks!

I am linking up with Patchwork Times and Main Crush Monday!