FRIENDSHIP

Friendship and quilters just naturally go hand in hand.  I have had the great pleasure this last year to go on several retreats with lots of different quilters in several different places. 

Each retreat has its highlights and special memories.  It would be difficult to pick the one I enjoyed the most.

This past November I went with an awesome group of women to Grand Oak Retreat Center in Scottsboro, AL.  These gals call themselves the Lotus Blossom Quilters.  Each one of us made a rail fence block using fall colors with a neutral as the  center bar to put our autograph on.  After arrival we then exchanged these blocks with each other and now each of us has enough blocks to make a small wall hanging; or, we could add blocks to it and increase its size to bed size.

 
 
 
 

My blocks had my name and the name of the group with the date.







I decided to take the suggestion of my friend, Linda, and I made 9-patch blocks which I then "fractured" to make new blocks.

Putting them together became a fun little project and I chose to use asymmetry for a couple of rows.  That offsets the predictable, traditional style of this pattern.

 

 

Each block echoes the style of the maker.  It is such a fun quilt to look at and enjoy with each person's name and her fabrics.

 

I quilted it on my domestic sewing machine with concentric circles and pebbling in the centers.

 

 

No project is ever complete without LilBit's approval!

 

                                   -sandi

www.grandoakretreat.com

 

 

IT'S ABOUT TIME

Most of the time I make quilts for the sheer pleasure of creating.  I want to try a technique, a pattern, or an idea I have.  It is not common practice for me to always have in mind to give my quilt to someone.  I have made quilts over the years for gifts, of course, but I make more quilts just for the joy of the process.

In the past I have offered to make a quilt for my hubby to use in his recliner when he is watching TV.  His usual response has been that he is  concerned that he might get it dirty or ruin it somehow. So I had not made him a special quilt.

This is the man who is so appreciative of my art and talent and shows me the greatest support as I pursue my craft.

I decided a few months ago that this was the year that he would get a quilt for Christmas.  Since I have design walls behind the door in every bedroom in the house, he usually sees everything I am making in all of its stages.  In fact, I often discuss and ask his opinion on projects.

This Christmas gift quilt had to be a surprise for him.  I was at a quilting retreat when I pieced the top.  After I came home, I finished the back.  However I did not get it quilted before Christmas, so his box had a top, a back, and a note that said "to be finished" in it.

It thrilled me to see the expression on his face when he opened it on Christmas morning.  He was so surprised and pleased!!  He thanked me several times.  I counted it a success.  He said "I never saw this one as you were making it."

I finally have it quilted, bound, and labeled.  The pictures are not the greatest but I was taking them outdoors and the temp was about 12 degrees today.

Hubby is a real music buff and I chose to use two different music fabrics for the backing.  Of course, LilBit is checking to see if she can read this music.  LOL

This quilt was started in 2013, but I am counting it as my first finish for 2014.  The pattern, Lawn Chair Quilt, came from Moda Bakeshop.

                                -sandi