A new challenge!

 We moved to the library for our December meeting.  It's not really a party, but there were cookies!
Everyone brings something to work on while we chat and share.  Eventually someone asks. "What are you working on?", and show and tell begins!

Our newest member, Lausei (Mary Lee's daughter-in-law) made herself a cute little what not bag with beaded trim.  We all thought it was nice enough to be a wrist purse!







Lori is making folded fabric ornaments as gifts.  We all loved how she is fussy cutting motifs for the center.

Beth's boyfriend is getting pillowcases for Christmas.
She chose this fabric because he likes cowboys. 

Lori also made some really nice walker bags.

Kathi did some "nuno" felting- using a hand sander!- with her fiberista group.  This process felts a fabric such as chiffon onto wool roving. 

























The images were created using an app called prisma.  Of course, some of us grabbed our phones and did a quick search. 


 In just a few seconds, this picture....



 was transformed to this!





Great- another way for me to spend time staring at my phone.  :-)

Susan did some dyeing.  Thee were collective "oohs" as she showed these.



















Susan also unveiled her "Modern" quilt. 

This was inspired by Georgia O'Keefe's Jack in the Pulpit no.V   Susan used upholstery fabrics to give the piece texture.  Working with them was an adventure.

Mary Ellen was finishing up a piece she has been playing with.  She finally used an attachment for stitching circles she had gotten for her machine a couple of years ago. 






She then decided to do some bobbin work, adding the circles after the piece was quilted.  

   Mary Ellen found the process to be fun and effective.  Then she challenged each of us to try it, and gave us each a little gift to get us started.

No deadline, since she just wants us to have fun!

The next meeting will probably be at the library as well.  January 10, 2017

November sit and sew

We had a very low-key meeting this month, enjoying being together, doing some handwork and sharing what we've been up to since the quilt show.  Several of us have been cleaning up the sewing room, and finding projects long neglected!  And it was nice to get an up close and personal look at some of the projects that were finished just in time for the show. 

Cynda is using her ice dyed fabrics to make hexies and is now addicted!

Some of the newer fabric Cynda dyed

We all saw a face in this one

Mary Ellen found these in her sewing room

It didn't make the show, but the Jacobean quilt is finished

Hand quilted- with exceptional skill!

A mistake made this piece better than planned!

Having to reprint allowed Mary Ellen to add all this great texture.

Emmy dug out her old stitch sampler in an effort to improve her machine quilting skills

Emmy's completed wool felt piece.

Another piece Emmy finished for the show

Emmy made  new topper for the Guild's tree at the HLOM

An old project Mary Lee finally finished in time to hang for the holiday

Lots of great texture stitching.

Mary"s "fish" are mermaids!

Tiny stars pieced from that lame!

Martha updated her "Instant Art Quilt"- an old group project

Martha's modern quilt- finished too late for the show.

Our next meeting will be at the Library.  Nothing on the agenda as of today.

Trying to get things finished

With only a month to go until the quilt show, we are all working hard to get the quilts we entered finished in time!

 Mary Ellen is hand quilting this beautiful hand appliquéd piece as fast as she can!

 

Kathi is adding stitching to her layered circles.

I don't recall if this is going into the show, but it was inspired by the piece she showed us last month.








We all coveted the pretty bag Kathi got as a gift at her retreat with online friends.

 Chris finished her fish.  The coral pieces she showed us last month look even better now!

Emmy isn't planning to finish her hexies for the show, but don't they look pretty all stacked up in the bin?

Lori is adding some stitching to stabilize her crazy quilt.

Martha brought the pieces she finished at retreat with her online quilting friends.

Mary Lee brought her donation for the raffle basket- a lovely and soft runner woven on a rigid heddle loom.

Mary is doing some fabulous quilting on this piece from a pattern by Laura Heine.

 The flamingo is made as a collage with flowers fussy cut from many fabrics.

It will be a fabulous show, don't you think?
We won't be meeting in October, since it's the day before we have to turn all of this in for the show!

Relaxing during the dog days

 We had our August meeting, on a 90 degree day, at Mary's lovely house.  Her dog, Daisy, came in to observe the festivities.

Some of the quilts for the modern "challenge" are finished!  

Mary Ellen says hers fits the "modern" parameters because:
1- Use of grey
2- Use of solids
3- Geometric shapes
4- Heavy quilting
5- Forms go off the edge
She calls this a study in transparency.  Very well done!!!

Lori said hers fits these "modern" requirements:
1- Use of negative space
2- Improvisational piecing
3- High contrast
4- Minimalism
5- Solid colors
Lori calls this "Not my Cup of Tea"  She explained it, but I didn't write it down.  I don't think it was because she didn't enjoy doing this. :-)


Kathi took a class at QBL with Lorie McKown last week.
It was the perfect class for Kathi, and she came home with this fabulous piece!
 It's meant to tell a story of what motherhood has meant to Kathi.
The dress was made with a vintage lace tablecloth.

Sorry the detail is a bit blurry.











Here's a couple more goodies for the raffle basket we are donating to the Guild's show in October.

Lori is making Hexies from this book.  These came out the wrong size so she made them into coasters or mug rugs.

Mary Ellen made these placemats- perfect to bring along to a picnic!

The rest of the show and tell was pretty great, too!

Mary Lee is hoping to have this ready for the quilt show.  Made from a pattern by Kathy Doughty and using fabulous fabrics by PB textiles.  









Mary has also been making hexie snowflakes, but isn't sure she knows how to arrange them.  We all said it won't matter!

Chris had hoped to finish her fish, but her machine decided it was too hot.  So Chris brought the fancy corals she has been making for it. I can't wait to see the rest of it now!!

Martha had fun doing some doddling as quilting on this piece.

Mary Ellen is hoping to have this one ready for the show.  She is planning to hand quilt it.  She has 61 days, not that anyone is counting.