Quilt Camp

Last weekend was quilt camp at "Covenant Point", in Iron River, Michigan. The site is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We arrived by 10:30 am. on Thursday. Checked in and unloaded our things. I had registered for a class using the book, Stellar Quilts, by Judy Martin. The pattern we were going to do was "Apron Strings." Our teacher, Jeri came up with a little quicker way to make the block. This is it.

I got the top almost done. One plain border and one side of the patchwork border got done. I made a couple changes to my border. I am liking howe it is turning out.

For me this was the first time I had made a pieced 15 inch block and had to square it up. In all the years I have sewed, I have never had to square up a pieced block that big before.

I decided to make a wall hanging. Nine of these blocks were going to be enough. I wanted to make a project that was doable for a weekend.

Carol, Jeri our teacher, and Mary Katherine were in my class.

Here are my friends I went with. Sitting at the table is, Karen, Sandy and Gail. Standing is, myself, Pat, and Rhonda.

The rest of our group took a paper piecing class to make the "Civil War Diary Quilt."

Here is what they got done. Sandy, Pat, Gail, Rhonda, and Karen.

Karen and Rhonda had the opportunity to take another class called "Good News."

The Civil War quilt is a beautiful quilt. I said I would like to do it too. When I visit with them next sunmmer, I am to have one done too. Here's hoping!!








Here is the lodge we stayed in. This was a bible camp on a small lake. The area around was beautiful. We had gorgeous weather. Blue skies each day. We had frost on two mornings. Breakfast was at 7:45 each morning, so early rising for all. Lunch was at 11:30 and dinner at 5:00. Classes were in between. We even had teachers to help in the evening for a while. There was always sewing time inbetween, or you could stay and sew until when you wanted.

We had a lot of fun, learned a lot, and ate great food. (and I have a wall hanging almost done!!)


Have a great day. Mary

What fabric should I use??

Decision, decisions, what fabric should I use?

When we decide to work on a project, something as small as a little table topper, we agonize over what fabrics we should use. This weekend I worked on making this little topper. The pattern and kit were purchased in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Attic Window Quilt Shop. It was easy. Here was this cute pattern, and the brown kit, using pumpkin fabric with accents of brown. Love it. It turned out great. Then I decide to make it again.

This time with Halloween fabric. I don't have a lot, but you think I could come up with 4 fat quarters that go together.

Then there is Christmas fabric. Now I do have quite a stack of various styles and colors of Christmas, but again 4 fat quarters that I thought go well together?? And last but not least 4th of July, or red white and blue. Surely that should not be a problem. After all I made 3 scrap flag quilts after 9/11. I have lots of basic red, and blues, and do have more patriotic fabric, with stars and flags and other symbols of patriotism.

Should I use this or this, should I uses contrasting fabrics, maybe it should be from a certain collection. Can I use a batik with a 30's, or how about with a civil war with it. Sometimes we just over think what we are doing. Are we afraid if we cut into a fat quarter, we could have used that one piece with something else down the road? Maybe we can never find that fabric again. Decisions, decisions. simple or complicated, we put our heart and soul in to our quilting.

Tomorrow we leave for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to visit with friends. Pat and I will leave Thursday morning to travel to Iron River for a quilt retreat. Several of her quilting buddies will be going too. Our husbands will have to fend for themselves for a couple of days while we are sewing our way to new quilts! My fabric is packed, and so are my sewing supplies, now I need to think about clothes! What should I take, will it be cool, or hot, capris, or jeans, t-shirts or sweatshirts? Again, decisions!

I will update when I return home. So looking forward to several days of sewing with quilting friends. Have a great week.

In quilting friendship

Mary

Random thoughts

This morning as I was reading blogs I ran across some interesting thoughts. At Magnolia Bay Quilts, Kim referred to a blog on on Dawn Heese site, Linen Closet Quilts, about being a better blogger. Sometimes I think what is going on may not interest anyone. Actually, since we came back from my husbands family reunion earlier in August, I have just plain been in a funk. No machine sewing, a little hand work, cleaning out a couple closets, putting some card making supplies in order and a little reading. This past week, sewing started looking up. I had purchased this great book by Mary Lou Weidman recently, and have been thinking about trying one of her great ideas.
Recently, I had won this great tote bag, and fabrics from her blog Mary Lou and Whimsy Too.
She has such great ideas and creativity. Maybe I need to step out of my comfort box.

Last Saturday my husband and I drove to Lincoln, Illinois for a balloon festival and outdoor art show and flea market. The balloons did not launch at 5:00 as it was too windy. They did, however, have a balloon glow. About 17 balloon were blown up and tethered at dusk. As the sun went down you could see the "glow" as they light up their balloons. It was fantastic. You could walk around the crew and balloons. The announcer would give a command and the balloons would light all together.

This was the only "special shape" balloon called "Sea Fantasy." It was so cool to see. There were was a fish and a star fish and a dolphin attached to it.

Here are 3 other balloons being inflated. On our way home we stopped in Plano, to see if we could catch a glimpse of any changes on the Superman movie set. Did see this overturned car. We have found out that there is a sequel being considered to this movie. Everyone is anxious to see it and check out all the area where filming has been so far. Movie is not scheduled to come out until June 2013. Bummer!! There is a site on Facebook devoted to this movie and Superman sightings.

At our scrap club meeting this past week Donna showed this darling pinwheel quilt made out of half square triangles. It is such a sweet wall hanging.

Last but not least this is what I have finally been working on. It is the "Zippy Strippy" bag by Atkinson Designs. As you can see 5 are done, and 5 more need zippers. Naturally, I don't have the right color zipper. More shopping to do!

I am keeping busy, but at a slower pace right now. I am getting ready to go on a quilt retreat at Iron Mountain, Michigan the middle of September. My friend Pat and several of her quilting buddies and I are going to "Quilt Camp". I think they are going to work on the "Civil War Diary"quilt, and I am going to work on one called "Apron Strings". I need to start pulling fabric.

Have a great week, and thank you for stopping by.


Mary

Superman in Plano, Illinois this week

Superman is being filmed in Plano, IL this week and next. They have really done wonders to make Plano into Smallville. We checked out the town on Friday evening, along with a lot of other folks with cameras. They have added buildings, changed store fronts, and fixed up other buildings. This is the Smallville Realty. The pictures on the window is of real houses in the area. These buildings have all been added. The store on the left is supposed to be selling boxes and packing materials. The supplies are in the store. The one with the yellow awnings is a bakery. The baked goods are in cases in the store. There is talk that a tornado is supposed to go through the town, which is why you see parts of buildings blown away.

This house is out on Route 126. It was by accident that we found out about the filming out here. Andy went with his Dad and took a couple pictures he thinks Amy Adams is in. We have only been by these areas about 5 times. Anyone that we know that wants to see it, we have been taking out. It will be fun to see if we recognize all this when the movie comes out.

It has been a lot of fun following this. When you are familiar with an area, it is fun that it is going to be in a movie. We are looking forward to when this movie comes out.

On the sewing front, nothing! I have lots to work on. Have done some hand work. Did reorganize the dining room table where my card making supplies are. Would like to finish up several cards. Soon, I will have to start working on Halloween and Thanksgiving cards. Think I know what I am going to do on with Christmas cards.

You would think that being retired you would have more time. Wrong! I am just as busy as when I worked. Do get more sewing done though. Did clean out my clothes closet. That was a major accomplishment.

We finally updated and got a new computer. The other was so slow, it felt like forever to do anything on it. Now we have Windows 7. Naturally my old files are not compatible with this version. We went from Windows XP to 7. My friend Sharon came over to help convert everything. What a job for her. I had no idea it would be so much work. I have disks for Foundation Factory, from windows 95. Can't get them to load. Two major jobs were my quilt book inventory and my recipe book. I was afraid I was going to have to redo them again. I think that would have been 3 or 4 times I have loaded that information through the years.

That's it for now. Hope everyone is having a great week. Weather has cooled a little. The rain today was good.

Needlekeep is Done!!!

This is another project done!! I am so pleased with how this turned out. This was a kit. There is some of the fabric left over. At least enought to start another one. When I showed it at one of the quilt clubs at Prairie Stitches in Oswego. I had several friends say they would love to have one!!

It has a place for needles, scissors, and thread. I love the little basket on the front. I do love basket patterns!!

Have a great quilting day tomorrow!!