Monday Making

I had a request to make a bag for a young muscian.  She plays the violin, loves pink and purple,  and is bright ray of sunshine.  I picked up a yard of Windham's "Three Quarter Time" by Whistler Sudios.  Had a 1/4 yrd of that colorful notes.

Add this great screen print "Hollytex" with fun color, instruments, and just love those sunshiny faces.

I even caved and used the rest of my Mary Englbreit 'Merry Notes' for the lining.  I adore and hoard ME fabrics, so this had to be special.

A fun bag to make on a cold, rainy, windy day. 

*linking up with Monday Making and Design Wall Monday - sidebar*

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Flower Pounding WorkShop

My quilt guild hosted Lesley Grey, of Andes, NY to teach a Saturday day workshop on Flower and Leaf Pounding.  You can find a lot of this on the web from preparing your own fabrics or you can buy it ready to go.  We had Lesley purchase the prepared fabrics, enough and plus, for our class usage.

After a demonstration on using various flower and leaf types, placing them on the fabric, various technique steps - we were set off to experiment.

We are into our cold Fall weather and some members had a few items from their gardens and some bought from local shops for variety.

Supplies were basic - the prepped fabric, hammer, painters tape, towel (to help with the noise level), wood board, and vegetation of all kinds to play with.

And you can see there were all kinds of hammers - we shared items brought to as we found some things pounded out 'muddy', while others really had texture and/or color we liked.

Somehow I missed a table of members??? , we had 14 in the class.  But after our play time (and some lunch), we concentrated on making a more artistic piece from what we learned.  Everyone had a great time in learning a new technique and getting our feet wet with a little bit of fabric dyeing info as well.

Lesley , also, shared tips and techniques on adding detail to the piece with micron pens, stitching, and setting into finished miniatures.

 These are the three small pieces (of course I went small) that I completed during the workshop.  They need some finishing details and then put into wallhangings.  We each received 1/2 yard of the prepared fabrics, so I have a lot left and have stored in a zip-lock bag marked PFD (prepared for dyeing) and want to revisit this technique in the Spring when we have some fresh new flowers, ferns, and grasses to use.

It was a fun workshop on our last good weather day of the season.  Many of the members talked about how they were planning to incorporated their pieces into works and I look forward to seeing them as part of a guild meeting Show & Tell.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Feline Friday

This little helper loves to scatter blocks, so I covered my layout of Sapphire Stars while trying to sew them together.  She doesn't look happy about this at all.

The other help arrived!  I thought the blocks would be 'safe' on the ironing board to wait for pressing.  Well, I guess this is Moe's version of pressing blocks.

I hope to get this done today - completely done - flimsy done.  I need to go out and pick up some staples.  Saturday I have a class hosted by my guild - will share that.  Our County Emergency Services have sent out warnings of a very bad storm coming into our area Sunday and Monday.  Very heavy rains, gale force winds, and snow!!!  We could very well be off the grid for a while - hand work is set up.

Stay safe and keep stitching,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Scrappy Wednesday

I am down to one last commissioned bag, but I have to pick up fabrics to complete.  So a good time to get to this little tub stuffed with my units from Kevin's Sapphire Mystery.  The finish was revealed a while ago, but I got busy with other things.  Now it is it's turn!

I took things out and viewed the different steps along the way to be sure I had everything.

Once I shooed a FAT CAT out of the way, I have everything squared, trimmed and laid out for some block making.  Those small blue 'hatchet' blocks need to be made into a sub-unit first.

One block laid out just to see how it looks and be sure I am in the right direction.  I will assemble the flimsy, but looking for someone who would adopt it to finish it off and present for QOV.  I have my hands full with the Wounded Warrior project and would like to see this quilt be given to QOV.

The next scrappy temperature rosette is done and what a crazy weather pattern we have been in.  We even had tornado warnings which luckily only resulted in some heavy rain and thunder storms.  Yes, that pretty much took most of the leaves with it.

55 - 59 - 65 - 67 - 63 - 64 - 71

Tomorrow is a 'meeting/travel' day and I hope to add a little bit of side shopping into the mix as long as I am on the road.

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Monday Making

Monday's post is a little late to say the least - internet problems.  This is the last quilt commission - just to quilt this wallhanging.  My Juki must have taken my threats of tossing her out the door to heart, because she behaved all day.  I was able to get this done in good time and then a clean up of tables and supplies to get ready for the next project.  Just two bags to make and I can spend time on my own things.

 
On one of my 'shoulder' breaks from quilting, I looked out the window and saw those same colors.  Golds and rusty reds amongst some green!  I had to take some outdoor photos before this wonderful glow is gone.

This just cracked me up as it looks like one solid field of harvest ready corn with a tree line/power units running thru it.  BUT it is two fields with a major road between them.

I've shown these trees on the hillside when they were just getting some color.  They finish out fast and then gone to the winds and time.  You just know snow is not far behind with these signs.

A fuzzy picture, but you can see we are going into the last hurrah.  Golds and rust with the evergreens still bright.  With the loss of leaves, we can see our distant neighbors now.

Like our wonderful weather of late, it too shall pass once this gorgeous Fall glow has faded.  Until then, I am going to try and get time each day to soak it all in.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Scrappy Finish

The photo memory quilt needs it's binding attached and stitched down.  The label is ready for a little edge finish and then attaching.  Then this quilt is ready to head out the door.

The client also brought me some old panel piecess to make pillow covers with.  These just need their buttons sewn on to be ready along with the quilt.

I have a few more commission pieces that need a finish off so I can get everything out the door in the next week or two.  When you've spent 20 of 30 days on the road with meetings, quilt shows and vending - it takes time out of your work schedule.  My Juki is still limping and I hope it keeps up (with lots of colorful words) so I can get things done.

And in all the scuffle of projects and road time, I lost poor Earlene.  Finally came across her looking for something else.  Just the black and a few embellishments (with the quilting process) and I hope to get her done.  The 'butterfly' strip is actually part of the Bleeker Street project and I have been using those into other projects.  It seems to fit Earlene and with some adjustments, it will be part of her border.

We have a few more days of a little warmer, sunny weather - but soon to change with that word 'snow' on the way.

Back to that binding,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Scrappy Wednesday

My scraps of greens, aquas, heading into blues for this past weeks temperature rosette.  We've had heavy frost, but some of the Catskill and Adirondack Mountain areas have had a wee bit of snow.  I might need something special to mark our first snow day like I did for the Solar Eclipse event.

63 - 68 - 69 - 70 - 72 - 51 - 52

I may need to pull one or two more to work with these - piecing a back for a quilt that has to be finished this weekend.

I bought some embroideries from one of the vendors at the show - a local shop samples for demo of their machines.  There was quite a pile of some very lovely things.  Some singles, some doubles, triples and foursies.

This  one looks like our one barn and the old pump - yes, we had one of those once upon a time.  I like the fabric sashing, but I think I will remove and make into skinnier shashing.  Then I have a block in mind to make an outside border.  This one is mine.

I've had a lot of 'horse' requests lately and I grabbed this one up to save for any special commission requests down the line.

One of the other vendors at the show was a defunct shop and she was traveling shows trying to clear inventory.  I fell in love with the number FQ and it was a 'just have to have' purchase.  The 'Almost Amish' is an old RJR line and I took what was left on the bolt - a little over 4 yrds - with plans for using it as a backing.

Now I need to get that back pieced,

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon

Monday Making

Since I posted the Quilt Show on Monday, my Monday Making waited a day.  I worked these Bonnie Hunter Challenge Rails and Logs while there was time home from vending over the weekend and finished them up Monday.  They all need a good pressing and squaring up.  I now have 40 of each, so about half way there with this project.  The upside is that the last scrap bag is empty!  I have plenty of FQ odds and ends that need using up, so that is my next area to hit when I sit down to these.

  
Block #10  for the Pathwork QAL came out on Monday and I cut all my pieces out.  Love these little work boards to hold my things in place and sits easily next to the machine.  I will do these as leader/enders as I prep some projects for machine quilting.  Then my machine gets a good cleaning, oiling and set up for 'quilt' mode - those projects have been stacked up and waiting their turn for too long.

Our temps have downward spiraled with some very heavy frost last night - thought it snowed.  The Canadian Geese are making very short stops of rest/feeding and moving on at a fast pace.  I think that four letter word is on it's way.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon 

Pieces of the Heart Quilt Show

I managed to sneak out and grap some 'down the hall' and 'in the room' shots before it got busy.  My photos are not the best.

This drew - such a great scrap buster !!!

The kimono jackets  are the challenge for our guild this year, and Joan (our fearless leader) had a few in the show.

I was pleased to see another bear down the hall from my bear.

There were lots of miniatures, bags, and items of clothing - some of the guilds' challenges; and it was nice to see so many different guilds partake in this show.

T- shirt and memory quilts aplenty, too.

I LOVED this quilt and done by one of our guild members and supior longarmer, too.

Seemed at every turn there was a sign MORE QUILTS and boy were there!  All sizes, techniques, and all just awesome.

Look at all those triangles!  And the applique was wool.  I so wish I wasn't allergic to it because I would love to do this.

In the children's room were so many cute quilts and so nicely displayed.

My dear friend Martha's cute farm quilt - how cute is this?!!

Row quilts that were another quild's challenge

The Holiday Room filled with Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc....

And then my camera was dead and time to get back to my booth.

I hope this link works - a member of the Cobleskill Guild who is a professional photographer - her facebook page of this show is just fabulous

SharonAerneckeAitchison

Friday the Thirteenth

It was the first day of the Quilt Show and I thought I would share the feature quilter exhibit today.  This is Betty Fikes-Pillsbury, a reknown crazy quilter, local gal, and we are honored to, also, have her as one of our guild's members.

I am blown away by her work to say the least.  The piece she is demo'ing on she just started and has so much accomplished - I am amazed.

The large  windows in this room really played havoc in getting photos.    Large pieces, lots of small pieces, many articles of clothing, and home decor - she does it all.  She's even quite the herbalist, too.

AND it was her Birthday!! 

This year they added a special exhibit honoring local quilt guilds.  I was pleased to see 6 guilds set up displays - 5 of which are member guilds of the Catskill Mountain Quilters Hall of Fame.

  
Another room with large windows and lots of odd lighting in the room.  Love this dresdan!

Fabulous needleturn applique' on this one.

Lots of hearts made by all the members of this guild made for a special quilt.

Beautiful quilt that had just come from this guild's show and had earned best of show.

My guild's display.  Unfortunately the little photo screen display device we had some how lost a piece to attach the power.  Hopefully there is a fix so we can run them tomorrow.

With close to 200 quilts, wallhangings, appearal, and home decor pieces - I hope I get a chance to get some decent photos of the actual show.

And being Feline Friday on the 13th - had to snap a picture of a black cat!  Moe keeping my scrappy project safe while I am gone.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon