{Post #826} Another Quilt Show Today!

I am going to a quilt show in my little hometown today...in about 30 minutes, in fact!  I am such a homebody that it is nearly laughable to think that I'll be at two shows in two successive weekends. 

The quilt above is from the Asheville show last weekend.  There were several breathtakingly beautiful black background quilts at the A show.  The above one had such painstakingly lovely applique.  Gorgeous!

~Joan

{Post #825} Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll

While at the Asheville, NC quilt show last weekend with my husband, I saw this from afar and barely restrained myself from veering off the "path" of quilts to view to run over and see and photograph it.  The pattern was a mystery quilt from my friend, Bonnie Hunter.  I was so disappointed that the maker did not credit Bonnie with the pattern.  That was just wrong!!

Here are seven pictures of the quilt, starting with the whole thing, then giving close up shots.

I've been piecing my latest secret project.  If you are not a family member and want the URL to find it, email me at wparker3@carolina.rr.com for the location.  Until then...

~Joan

PS:  Bonnie emailed me and said that sometimes the quilt show forms leave off a space for the quilt design or designer, so it was most likely not left off by the maker.  I'm glad to hear that!!  I felt bad for her.

{Post #824} Little Log Cabins

I took a picture of my little log cabin blocks before I took them down to use my design wall for a secret project.  If you read my secret projects blog, check over there in a few.  I am about to post my progress on a Christmas-gift quilt.

Only need a few more blocks (22) to complete this 8 x 8 setting.  Here it is so far.

Also threw a border on this ancient UFO.  It was going to be a 9-block quilt, but I cut the tan wool for the background incorrectly, so I was discouraged and threw the whole thing away except for this block.  There is a little embroidery (hand blanket stitch around the shapes, and crewel for the other details) and tiny buttons of different shapes and colors.  It has sat for years, but I decided to finish it and make a small wall hanging out of it.

I have never quilted through wool, but I am going to do a simple crosshatching pattern.

~Joan

{Post #823} My Birthday Post

No, today is not my birthday.  8/23 is my birthday.  Just so you can start planning for next year ;)

Here is the progress on my Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks.  The original larger red one was repurposed to a candle mat.  I have it pinned and ready to applique onto a backing. 

I took Elisabeth to the doctor this AM.  Her asthma is flaring up, which it rarely does.  When we arrived at the doc's, I only had the purple blossom finished.  It didn't seem like we were waiting that long, but I added the 4 green hexies and the blue blossom while we waited.  These do stitch up quite quickly. 

To give a size comparison, there is a picture with my hand.  I also am showing the back.  When Susie and I went to Franklin to see Bonnie, Bonnie sewed one hexie while she was sitting with me during show and tell.  That was all the tutorial I needed.  Basically, you baste the sides down and then use shallow stitches to sew the hexies to each other.  I got some cardstock-thickness hexies at Mary Jo's last week to give this a whirl.

Here you go...

After a hexie is completely surrounded with others, one may remove the paper inside.  That's why the outer edge of my piece still has the paper in there.

~Joan

{Post #822} Finally--A Few Wedding Pictures

Here's a picture to start things off.  Some very funny expressions.  As I look at it, the old Heinz ketchup commercial song keeps running through my head..."Anticipation...anticipation, is making me wait"...

A more formal shot of the lovely ladies...

The second most dashing groom I've ever seen...

Emily with my wonderful husband (her father, hee hee), and her flower girl...

When Emily arrived at the altar, Steve did not seem to notice my husband.  Isn't his expression priceless??

So glad to see some pictures!  They turned out fantastic.

~Joan

{Post #821} SOK and Quilt Show

I am only 5-1/2 rows away and 7/8 of the border from having my Seeds of Kindness quilt finished.  I worked on it a little tonight, then I went down to sew on one of my surprise projects for about 30 minutes.

My husband whisked me away to attend the Asheville Quilt Show this past Friday.  We had a lovely time.  He is the best.  True story.

I am going to share a couple quilts every time I post.  I only took photos of the ones I liked something about.  Thirty-nine in all.  Some have more than one picture.  Here are a couple of favorites.

This first one was called "Daniel's Colors".  It was made by Daniel's mother's friend.  Daniel's favorite colors were red, white, and blue.  He never saw the quilt because he gave his life in service for our country.  Yes, I cried when I read that.  The workmanship and design in this are marvelous.  The second shows a close-up of some of the exquisite machine quilting.  It was hand appliqued.

I love feathered stars.  I made one block once.  The following scrappy red feathered star also has remarkable workmanship.  The piecing is nearly perfect!  The center of each star is a different pattern.  The stars between the blocks have appliqued leaf shapes around them.  I wonder how many hours this took to make?

When I made my feathered star, I was going to make a queen-sized quilt.  After one block, I decided it would make a nice wall hanging (the ONE block, that is!).