Found

We moved 8 years ago and some bins got tucked away in a closet and forgotten about - forgotten about until I went in search of patterns for pillows that just had to be in that closet because they weren't where they should be.  Now I don't know about you but when I pull a bin out I just have to see what treasures are tucked away in it.  And look what I found.  This is my first attempt at needle turn applique.  All I can say is, "You've come a long way baby!"  It's always great to look back and examine some of our earliest work.  I can't believe the colours I chose!  Now in my mind this was always a brown quilt but when I photographed it, it looks so red!  I have to embroider the legs on the chicken and give it an eye and I really should finish it.  This may be a good quilt to practice my machine quilting on.  Would you believe I even had the backing folded up beside it? 

I'm looking forward to lime green for November and a finished flimsy for the RSC.  Linking up with Angela and checking to see what mocha latte goodness is going on.

A Bit of Brown and Workshop Fun

I don't know how I manage it but somehow my days get filled up with "stuff" and some days very little quilting gets done. This is the second year I've been working on Boxy Stars and this year's brown has a bit of animal in it. 

I think those are leopard spots and some zebra in the background.  Aren't they just a little bit wild?

I also participated in Lori's quilt along.  I'm not happy with the background colour I have and may just change it out.

During the summer when I was shop hopping I picked up a cute little pack of 2.5" charm squares and thought another little table runner was in order.

I like the diagonal movement in this one.  I haven't figured how to quilt it yet but I'll have to do something to play up that movement.

But the best thing I did this week was a little workshop that a quilting buddy put on for a small group of us.  Mary got our twitch muscles going!

We made circles - mine are like a string of e's, made mini trees, then put them on a hill,

Then we used the little pine trees we made to make a larger tree - doesn't this look like one Charlie Brown would have picked?
And then we zeroed right in and made a solitary tree branch.

Mary provided us with a background fabric and then we had to recreate the solitary branch on it.

I didn't have the right green threads with me so the needles aren't too visible on the branch but believe me they're there - lots of them.  Now look at that little chickadee!  Isn't he just the cutest little thing?  I wish I could say I thread painted him but truth be told Mary gifted everyone in the group.  I don't have him attached yet.  I was thinking I'd check my stash and see if I have a different background fabric and then practice my lesson again.  Sounds like a great Saturday/Sunday project.  I'll be checking in with Angela and the other rainbow scrap quilters.  What have they been up to this week?

Catching Up

Where has the time gone?  I can't believe this is my first post for October!  There was a flurry of activity around here from the end of September until just after Thanksgiving Day but, I finally had some time this week to finish off September and get to work on the October RSC blocks.

Here are September's blocks.  I like the way the orange plays with the red and pink alternate blocks.

The first brown block turned out pretty well as did the second one.

It was so nice to put the rows together.  I am anticipating November and the last two blocks. 

Can you tell I'm anxious to get this one done? The star points are all ready for the last centre blocks and the alternate blocks are all stitched up and joined to the yellow stars. 

It's hard to get a good picture of the quilt to date - too big for the design wall and  I just can't get the whole thing in the picture when it's on the floor. Angela's done a great job designing this one. 

I'll be linking up with Angela at soscrappy and checking to see what brown scrappy goodness everyone has come up with this week.

A neighbouring guild held their Quilt Show this weekend.  Here are a few interesting pictures:

You really had to step away from the quilt to appreciate this original design.  Can you see the cat looking back at you?  Jennifer Johnston did a great job on this one.

Evidently this little block with the white ribbon has 292 pieces in it.  The block is about 5 inches square.  The quilter, Kathryn Caie, called the quilt Nearly Insane.  It took her 5 years to complete.

Here's a block from a quilt called Insanity.  I've seen this template used to make a mini quilt but the quilter, Susan Butler, made a full bed size quilt.  I can't imagine cutting and stitching all these mini bits again and again.  Think I would be insane when finished. ;-)

This wall hanging was spectacular  - my favourite in the show.  The quilter, Judy Pearce, was inspired by the old spirograph (Do you remember that child's toy?) .   She quilted the design and then appliqued doilies and embellished with crystals.  The photo just can't capture all of that and do it justice.  When I first saw the quilt I thought it was machine embroidery but then I read the label and wow!  Exquisite quilting.