PROJECTS FOR APRIL AND MAY

I have had so much fun the last two months getting projects completed and starting a few new ones.

I had this pile of bright Kona solids and then I paired it with this wonderful text
fabric to make my first ever 
Prayer Flag.

This is so cute.  I want to make some more.  I put a facing on this one instead of a binding.

One of my friends was offering a class in raw-edge applique and this was the pattern we used.
Needless to say, mine does not look like the pattern at all!!

Here was an opportunity for me to use some of my hand dyes and some commercial fabrics to do something very whimsical.

My Modern Quilt Guild has been doing a design series as our programs.  This month was the Drunkard's Path and this is my version.

Should I turn it this way, or, should I turn it this way???

Another fun "sketch" piece I worked on were these lantern shapes using the Quick Curve Ruler.  I think I put these sketch pieces together mostly so I can quilt them.  I love straight-line quilting!

I think this is enough for this post.  I will share more in a later post.


                                          -sandi

PLANNING OUR QUILT SHOW

April and May have been very busy months for me. This is the first of several posts.  Early in April we started work on the 2015 Community Quilt Show, "A 4-Patch Celebration" which will be held for the month of September at Hamilton Place Mall, Chattanooga.  The quilts will be on display in the Center Court for shoppers and visitors to view.
My job has been to get our sponsors together and to get the word out for Call for Quilts.  We have some awesome sponsors of this event who will be providing many door prizes for us to give.

To request an entry form, email me at fun2qlt@gmail.com

Our VIP Block Party is an after-hours event as part of AQS QuiltWeek Chattanooga.  
Last year's event was a lot of fun and this year we will have two Viewer's Choice Awards.
Tickets will be available for a donation to sample tastings from area restaurants.
Donations will be accepted to get tickets for our door prizes.
Our efforts will raise money for The Next Door Chattanooga.
www.thenextdoor.org


-sandi

MARCH WORK

My first finish for March was this little wristlet pouch.  It was fun to make.  I am making several of these with variations.

I tried adding tabs to my zipper pull for this one.  I think it should have been quilted.  

I also made this little pillow.  I simply made the little pillow cover with no zipper or opening to stuff left over bits of batting into.  It turned our really cute.  

More blocks from Vintage Quilt Revival.  


Our first National Quilting Day celebration called STITCH IN THE MALL took place on March 21st.  We had so much fun with quilters coming from all around the region to sew, chat, and sign up for great prizes including a donation for an opportunity to win a beautiful lap quilt to benefit THE NEXT DOOR, a non-profit organization whose mission to help women in crisis.

Quilters signing up for door prizes.

Clothesline Quilt Show

 Quilters demonstrating projects and techniques.

 More quilts on display.

Meeting new folks.

The winner of the Opportunity quilt was Melissa Dumas.

I had a fantastic committee of women who worked with me for this event.

From left to right:  Carol Hooper, Suzan Dodd, Pam McCallie, Sandi Suggs, Linda Meck, and Sandy Rathjen.

Now I will get back to sewing and preparing for the April Retreat.  Until next month . . .

-sandi

FEBRUARY RECAP

This month has been very busy and I have finished a lot of WIPs.  The first thing I finished was a piece that I originally called Farmer's Market, but I have renamed it "Which Way Is Up?" because of the change in the setting pattern.

I still have not quilted it.  There are about eight projects in a stack to be quilted.

Another project that I have been working on about 3 years is this Hexagon Table Topper.

I hand pieced all of the hexagons, but decided to machine quilt it because it will be laundered often.

Channel quilting was very easy to do.

Another hexie project that I finished was this little wall hanging made from a tea towel.

I put the hanging sleeve on the front of this project.

I have not done this before but it was a great way to finish the project so I am giving it a try.

My Art Quilt Guild has been watching YouTube videos on various techniques.  In January we had three to choose from and the one I chose was Jane Davies video on Fusion Fabric.  I made a small sketch piece using tissue, fabric, ribbon and embellishments to make my Fusion Fabric.

Another February project was a sketch piece for Modern Quilt Guild.  Using Half-square triangles and Quarter-Square triangles to make an original piece.  I chose Kona Ash Grey and Supreme Cottons Paloma Grey.  I then threw in some Kona Azure.

I showed you a pile of leftover "strings" of fabric a couple months ago  that I started knitting.

The knitting piece is finished.  I will block it and then decide how to use it.  I have a couple ideas.  Maybe next month will see the finished project.

Another ongoing BOM project from Vintage Quilt Revival book includes a few more blocks I made this month.

Some of these work better than others.  May have to do something about those two blocks with the bright yellow and green.

And, of course, we had our first really deep snow for southeast Tennessee.  About 8 inches for us on our porch and LilBit's first trip into snow.

-sandi

PORCH CHATTER: FEELING BLESSED

It is not everyday that I am given the opportunity to give someone a quilt because they truly need a quilt.  But today that happened!

Our friends lost their home to fire a few months ago and nothing was salvageable.  They spent several weeks living in their motor home until they were able to find a home to rent. Everything in the home is rented and has no personal meaning for them. They are so thankful that no one was injured in the fire but all of their quilts and bedding were ruined by water and smoke/fire damage.  All of their furnishings  were ruined/destroyed.  

Today I had the pleasure of sharing a quilt with them for their bed.  

A Friendship Star quilt for these special folks and their dog, Max!!

I am feeling so blessed to give them something that they need and love!  Thank you, Libby and Charles, for appreciating my quilt!!  

I think this looks perfect on their bed!!


                                         -sandi

HEXAGON FINISHED PROJECT

I started this project in January 2012 and have finished it in February 2015.

I started with these fabrics to make a hexagon project.  




I worked on it watching TV; riding in the car on trips to see my grandchildren compete in wrestling, basketball, and football; and while waiting in various offices.  My hubs thought I would never finish it!

 I worked on it in sections.

Another set of units

One of the larger component sections

Here the design starts to develop

When I reached this point it was large enough for my 48 inch breakfast room table.  

 I liked this size so I added some borders and called it a finished top.

Channel quilting seemed to be perfect for finishing this piece.

All of the piecing was done by hand.  Over 570 hexies were used.  I did not hand quilt this because I was just ready for it to be finished!

LilBit loves this quilt.  She has on her little shirts because it is very cold today.

And, of course, she will just take a little rest while Mom takes her picture (again)!!




I am already working on some more hexies for more projects.  They are so addictive and fun to make.

Will post more on the new hexies later.

                                           -sandi


* inspired by a project by Bonnie K. Hunter, Quiltville USA

WHICH WAY IS UP?

I started this quilt sometime in 2011 and posted about it here in 2012.  http://frogpondstudio.blogspot.com/2012/10/wip-4-farmers-market.html

I called it Farmer's Market because I had a photo of an outdoor veggie/fruit stand that inspired me to choose these colors.  The block I am using here is called "Lady of the Lake", an old favorite.

I finally gave up on making 81 blocks for a bed size quilt and rearranged my thinking and came up with this.

 By adding the solid blocks here and there, I developed some arrows.  I changed the name to "Which Way Is Up" because you can turn it any direction and still have an interesting quilt piece.

I love the secondary pattern that evolves with the circles.

I am so happy to get the top done that I could not wait until I had it quilted to post this.  

The backing is ready and I hope I can get it quilted in the next couple weeks.

-sandi

2015 MODERN SAMPLER: FEBRUARY

I am still working on my Modern Sampler.  My small group is using Vintage Quilt Revival written by Katie Clark Blakesley, Lee Heinrich, and Faith Jones.

The two blocks for February are Dakota Star

and     Classic Rolling Squares Block

These join with the blocks from January:

Double Z Block:

Classic Riviera Block

Altogether they look like this:

Wow!  That yellow block is loud!!!  Will have to see how well that plays with the others in the final layout!

Until next month when two more will be completed. . .

                                     -sandi