Catching Up & Paducah Photos

How is it that we are already over halfway through May?  It doesn't seem possible that summer is around the corner.  I feel like I've been doing nothing but playing catch up over the last several weeks since we were in Paducah, but then that always seems to be the case after being away!

I have been trying to get several quilt tops quilted and so far, I am only on number two.  And these are little quilts!  Here is a glimpse of this little nine-patch quilt that I've marked with an allover orange peel quilt design.  I've showed this quilting design before on another small quilt I did awhile back.  Several of you asked how I get the lines to curve and line up, so I am showing you here.

I used nothing more than a plastic circle template that I had laying around, part of a set of several different sizes.  You can use pretty much anything that is round as long as the circle is large enough to intersect the corners of the block.  This is a 4" circle over a 3" block.  You can see how I line it up, above.  You want the circle to intersect the block about 1/2" to 3/4" on each of the four sides.  Then I just draw around the edge of the template with a blue water soluble pen four times on each block.  It goes very quickly and it is an easy and effective way to quilt with a walking foot.  Click HERE if you would like to read more on how I do this type of quilting.

Since I am so behind on blogging, I am going to jump right in and share some photos from the AQS Paducah Quilt Show.  Hopefully this won't be an overload for most of you!

We stopped over in Chattanooga, Tennessee on our way to Paducah.  Of course we had to check out the antique malls across the street from our hotel.  This beauty was in one shop.  I didn't buy it, but I definitely lusted after it!  Don't you love the scrappiness and the mix of colors together?

Here are a few antique quilts that were part of a patriotic quilt exhibit at the Rotary Center in Paducah.  I apologize for not getting more details on each quilt.

This one was made entirely of yo-yos.

The following quilts were in the AQS Paducah 2016 show and are in no particular order.

Eternal by Kazuko Noto

Yumemi by Maiko Ogawa

Yumemi (detail)

Summer Stars by Cindy Behrens

Bodacious by Claudia Clark Myers & Marilyn Badger

Bodacious (detail) by Claudia Clark Myers & Marilyn Badger

Arabella by Deborah France

Arabella (detail)

Sunburst by Sherry Durbin

Sunburst (detail)

Extraneous Female:  Escapement Mechanism by Beckey Prior

Extraneous Female:  Escapement Mechanism (detail)

Arandano by Marilyn Badger--Best of Show Winner

Arandano (detail)

Ben's Midnight Garden by Barbara Korengold

Victory by Colette Dumont

Oscar the Great by Nancy Sterett Martin & Kristin Sistek

Oscar the Great (detail)

Sparkling by Mitsuko Hashimoto

Sparkling (detail)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Linda Neal & Jackie Brown

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (detail)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (detail)

In a Spring Breeze by Rumiko Ooiwa

In a Spring Breeze (detail)

A Garden for Your Peace of Mind by Kazuko Yamada

A Garden for Your Peace of Mind (detail)

Plates on Lace Napkins by Dawn Larsen

Plates on Lace Napkins (detail)

Supernova by Anapolis Quilt Guild

Tulips in a Vase by Betty Sweet

Tulips in a Vase (detail)

That brings me to the end of the first portion of my quilt photos.  Hopefully some of these inspired you!  I have more photos to share, including some of the wall size quilts, which I will post next time around. Have a fabulous week and Happy Quilting!

Bye Bye January!

Let's not even talk about the fact that January just blew right on by!  You know how it is, you get so completely focused on something and it seems like everything else in your life just falls by the wayside.  I lost two months, all of November and December, without one stitch at my sewing machine, so there was no way I was coming up for air until I had something to show for it this month!

Originally I had great plans to make this quilt and have it completed for Christmas 2015.  Needless to say, that did not happen and the most I had accomplished before the holidays was pulling fabrics for this quilt. 

I dipped into my stash of gorgeous florals (that I never seem to want to cut).  I wanted something that could play a background role without adding a lot of competing color.  This floral is an older Moda print, Seaside Rose, and I love how it worked with the pinks and greens.  Due to its popularity, it has been re-released and I've seen it available on several sites again (shabbyfabrics.com currently has it in stock). 

This is my own design, inspired by an antique quilt.  I added the chevron inner border (note all those Y-seams!) which repeats the small diamond shape in the stars and a large outer floral border for some feather quilting I am planning.  The smaller dark pink stars in the floral squares are appliqued.  At this time, there is no pattern available.  I am still playing around with titles for this quilt.  It reminds me of peppermint candy for some reason, so I keep coming back to the title "Peppermint & Roses."

I am really happy with how this turned out and hopefully, I will have it quilted by Christmas 2016!

Earlier in January I attended the Florida World Quilt Show in Orlando.  This is the same show that has always been in West Palm Beach until being moved this year.  I was very excited to see the show promoters moved it to Orlando, since that is almost in my backyard.  I entered my quilt, "Grandmother's Cabin" and was honored to have received an award for Best Sewing Machine Workmanship.  It was so nice to be recognized for all those long hours of free-motion quilting hundreds and hundreds of straight little grid lines!    

Following are more photos from that show for inspiration, in no particular order or preference: 

 

Moonswept by Nikki Hill St. Augustine, FL  Third Place

Winter in the Garden by Olive Gobin, longarm quilting by Ruta Hardenbrook Fruitland Park, FL 
Best Longarm Machine Workmanship

Winter in the Garden (detail)

Gradation by Kathleen Burford New Zealand

Off the Floor #1 by Gael O'Donnell New Zealand

Off the Floor #1 (detail)

Nursing Home Quilt #2 by Marge Hurst New Zealand

Nursing Home Quilt #2 (detail)

They are Bees not Flies by Jenny Hall New Zealand

Persian Dream by Ansa Breytenbach New Zealand



Persian Dream (detail)

Affairs of the Heart by Lorraine Baker New Zealand

Affairs of the Heart (detail)

 Roses for Katrina by Gail H. Smith Barrington, IL  Honorable Mention

Roses for Katrina (detail)

Humming Bee by Judith Wilson United Kingdom  Honorable Mention



Humming Bee (detail) by Judith Wilson

The Never-Ending Fame of Gustav Klimt:  The "Kiss" Revisited by Lesley Jurgens South Africa

Happy as a Clam by Rachaeldaisy Australia

Happy as a Clam (detail)

Nordstern by Claudia Scheja Germany

Lone Star Among Friends by Margarita Schuh Germany

Lone Star Among Friends (detail)

Sunkissed by Theresa Olson Jupiter, FL

Flourish on the Vine by Donna Douglass Apollo Beach, FL  Best of Show

Flourish on the Vine (detail of hand quilting)

Hopefully that makes up for my absence!  Sorry if this post has bogged down your computers and iPads!  I wanted to cram everything in while I had the time to blog.  I will be attending another large AQS quilt show at the end of February which is being held right here in my backyard in Daytona Beach, FL!  This is a first for us and quite a big deal.  I am looking forward to going and will have my Grandmother's Cabin entered in that show as well.  Stay tuned, I hope to have lots of photos to share.  Until next time. . . .Happy Quilting!