DRESDENS REVISITED

It started with this little kit from Susan G. Cleveland.

This is the first time I have made Dresden Plate blocks using Susan G. Cleveland's Prairie Pointer Tool.  Such a nifty little notion!

Chain piecing the spokes

Using the tool to get sharp points

After Pressing

Beautiful spokes for composition

I will be using this tool in other projects that I am designing.

                            -sandi

,

WIP # 1 FINISHED!

Contemporary Dresden Plate Quilt

On the first day of June, I had my DH choose a slip of paper from the bowl of all of these WIPs (Works in Progress).  This would be the project for the month to have finished by June 30.

The number he chose was #1 and this corresponded to the list in my binder.

#1 on the list was Dresden Plate.  I started working on it.

I took it with me to Retreat with my quilty buddies.

I worked on it diligently until I had the top finished.
I brought it home and started working on the back.  I wanted to use up all my 30s scraps.

I had some components left from making the Dresden Plates that I wanted to use up so I made the label from these.  The label tells the observer that this quilt was started two years ago with my friend, Linda Meck, who completed hers that first summer.

The original traditional pattern I started with called for 30 blocks to be set in straight set with sashing and 9-patch cornerstones.  After I made 15 of the Plate blocks, I decided I was finished with making Dresden Plates.
I still had all of the white squares that I cut to put the appliques on.  It seemed to me that I could use those and the 15 completed blocks I had and get that top finished.
I chose to set these on point simply to gain the extra inches to make the quilt a good sized twin.

I still had fabric left.  Since I had given up on a traditional setting I began to play with strata strips to make the borders.  I opted for borders only on 3 sides and one of those was one-third the width of the other two.
I liked all of the negative space that was left on this quilt.
It is quilted in an overall side to side pattern in medium density.
It is great to be able to say that the June WIP is now complete!!!

-sandi

QUILTING RETREAT WEEKEND

There is nothing as much fun as getting together with your quilty friends and spending three days sewing, laughing, sharing, and eating.  I went to Red Rooster Retreat in Cullman, AL this past weekend with a group of gals from Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.  We had a blast!

I packed up my sewing table, my machine and at least five projects to work on.  Oh, yeah, I did take my pillow and my suitcase.

The greeting at the front door.  We are here and ready to get sewing.

Here is where I made my "nest" with all my "gear" to sew the weekend away.  My travelling partner is Jan, and she was across the table from me working on one of her "scrappy" projects.

Barbara, our organizer, adding a binding to her Batik Puzzle.  Barbara is one of the Georgia gals.

Melba and Bobbie (Mississippi gals) laughing about something.  They laughed about a lot of things all weekend.  In the background is Bren (Tennessee gal).

The Louisiana corner with Kay, Reena, Sharon and Kim.

Barbara and Kathy working on the friendship block for Renea.

Martha, Becky, and Bren, all gals from Tennessee, working on different projects.

Reena completed her Southwestern looking wall hanging.  I love those flying geese in the border.

The first project I finished was my quilt that I called "Life's Orchard".  It is Bonnie Hunter's version of the Tree of Life block and it looks like an orchard to me.

On the left is Diana's Windmill Batik quilt and on the right is Bobbie's quilt she made for her granddaughter.

Bren was making this quilt for her BIL for his boat.  The boat is named Salsa and Bren used fabrics that are ingredients for a salsa to make this project the perfect gift for taking on a boat ride.

Audrey and Diana are admiring Audrey's Tulip Quilt, a gift for Audrey's granddaughter.

Sewing and Quilting make a gal thirsty.  We had lots of good food and good wine.

My second project was my paper-pieced Kaleidoscope quilt.  I only finished about half of this one.

My third project I worked on was the Dresden Plate.  It is the WIP for the month of June.  I finished the top and am now working on the pieced back.  I will feature it in its own Blog Post a little later in the week.

One final look at the Red Rooster Retreat as we drove away with plans to meet these gals again next year to sew, laugh, share and enjoy another weekend together.

                                                  -sandi

TIME TO FINISH IT

The other day was time to clean up the studio.  It was a really big mess from several projects I had completed.  I started to straighten out the fabrics on the shelves and discovered that I was constantly re-arranging plastic bins, tubs, and boxes. 

The time had come!!!  Get these boxes sorted out and stacked together so I could see just how many WIPs (Works in Progress) I truly had.  This is certainly not ALL of the WIPs, but I could not safely stack anymore. 

Okay, let's get a system here.  I decided to list these projects in a binder with a little information about how much was completed/started on each project.

This is about 15 projects.  Some would take an hour or so to complete and some will take a week or two.

I have made these lists before and I am bored with the list making.  June is the mid-way point of the year and a good time to settle down and finish off some things before the New Year.

I don't know if I will finish all of these, but I certainly want to see the stack go down.  We will keep tabs on it each month.

After getting the list in the binder I needed a way to get myself to complete a project.  Maybe I could get someone else involved.

A few of my friends are in guilds that have a UFO/WIP challenge.  I am not in one of those guilds.

The next best thing was to ask my DH to help with this.

I made little slips of paper with the corresponding number of the project in the binder and folded and put them in a little bowl.  You will notice that I am using recycled paper so there is printing on one side and I could write the numbers on the other side.

I explained this to my DH and told him that he would draw one number out of the bowl for me on the last day of each month until I had completed this stack of WIPs.  If I finished something in a day or two we would then draw another project for the same month.

So yesterday was the last day of May and he drew the number for me.   I started laughing when I opened it and saw what number it was:

No better place to start than with the number 1!  So I looked back at the list and found that the project #1 is Dresden Plate.
I started this project with a friend of mine 2 summers ago because she wanted to learn how to do machine applique and she chose the Dresden Plate.  She and I met several times and sewed together as I taught her how to do the applique, etc.  She caught on quickly and did not need me anymore.  She went on to complete her project and mine stayed in the plastic box.  I have several blocks completed, but still have many to go. 

The WIP for June is Dresden Plate:

I will keep you posted on my progress this month.

This will not be the only project I am working on.  There are always other things that get mixed in too.  The goal is to make sure this one is completed by the end of the month.

Stay tuned . . .


                                         -sandi