Cobbled Up Easy Street

I am sad to say my Easy Street is in for repairs all ready.  My texting buddy noticed that there are several four patch blocks twisted.  So in between cooking, banking, and errand running, I am correcting the twisted blocks.  The top picture shows one four patch unsewn and waiting for "re-entry".

Look in front of Rascal, almost on the front edge where there is another four patch in the wrong position.  Argh....


There is a quilting retreat at our church this weekend.  I am packed up, the food is made and I got through the guild board meeting tonight.  Headed off for some much needed rest to recharge the batteries for the retreat.

In the morning I will bake a cake for the birthday party at the retreat.  You see I baked the cakes today, but one of dogs knocked a cake off the dining room table while it was cooling.  I caught Rascal nibbling on the top of the cake.  Yikes, can't serve that.

So stayed tuned for pictures of the retreat.  We will try to fill up the walls of the Family Life Center with completed projects.  All the walls are carpeted so every wall is a design wall.  Also, the wiring was installed with quilters in mind.  That means lots of ironing stations!!

 Have a safe, fun weekend.
Yours in quilting,
Terry

Easy Street Finish

Yesterday, I got up as soon as the alarm clock went off.  Bound and determined that I would finish my Easy Street Mystery Quilt by Bonnie Hunter (www.quiltville.com).  Here is Rascal snuggled down in the finished top.  I just walked away for a few minutes and look what happened.  Six and a half pounds of tenacious terrier making a bed out of my quilt top.

So I laid the quilt out on the floor for a picture and to show Rod when he got home from work.
Now look who's on the quilt again.  This time with his toy and a look that says, "look I was good all day so you could sew, now its time to play".  I posted this picture so my quilt sister, Cathy, could view it.  This morning she text me and let me know I have a few blocks twisted.  Argh.....
Now I am busy twisting the blocks into the correct position.  The backing is loaded and waiting so I can start the quilting.  I really wanted to have the quilting done so I can take it with me tomorrow to the church quilting retreat. 

Yours in quilting,
Terry

Fabric Help!

Ok, rushing to finish my Asymetrical Quilt and stitching on the binding which was pre-made when I finished the quilt top.  Yikes, I'm about 15 inches short in binding length.  I believe its a Bernatex fabric.
Its the gold stripe in the middle.  I bought it at Quilter's Garden, but I know it was the end of the bolt.  They may have a fat quarter left.  Sending out an SOS.

Yours in quilting,
Terry

Fulton Retreat

About a week ago I was arriving at Susan's Calico Creations in Fulton, IL.  This is a three story quilt and furniture store along with being a retreat center. Four times a year Susan has a group of quilters retreat with her.  If there is interest in a new technique, Susan or one of us teaches the others. Otherwise we just sew, shop, and eat. Each  their turn at cooking and/or meal prep.

Above is the quilt I finished before I left.

When I arrived many of  the gals had settled in and started their projects.  This is Mera's project.  She spent Friday evening sorting values and color families.  This was the NO FAN zone (like a no wake zone when boating).  Can you manage her frustration if someone knocked this large assortment askew?

Here is the progress she made.  It is awesome watching her design this quilt.  She was using a peep hole or reducing glass, a red tinted plastic viewer or the camera. 

Here is Susie beautiful finish quilt.  Beautiful quilting by Carol Onken.

Above isSusie's new finished quilt top.  She was busy all weekend making a stunning backing for this one.  Below is Sheri's finish.  This is a scrappy quilt is a wedding gift for her niece.

Below is  Carol's scrappy log cabin and she quilted it on her longarm. 

Below is Cathy Kieser's beautiful Easy Street finish.  Don't you just love those borders she designed.  She had extra four patches and set them on point in the second border.  You can catch a peak of my Easy Street blocks laying on the floor next to Cathy's.  I was close to finishing all my blocks but I was short a few bricks of white on black.  It is now finished after the retreat and needs borders.

Unfortunately, I find that I did not take as many pictures as usual.  I missed Karen's Paisley Embroidery quilt and Cathy's Plaid quilt along with others.  My mind was half with my dad in the hospital and half at the retreat.  So glad for cell phones and kept in touch with him each day.

Yours in quilting,
Terry

Friday Finish

I am working on 12 quilts for Covered Bridge Quilt Guilds Quilt Show on March 16 and 17th.  It's is a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal). They are in all different stages of being finished.

Below are two quilts from a class I taught two weekends ago. Today they ready to be sandwiched and quilted.  The pattern is called Spicy Spiral Tablerunner.  It looks difficult but it is strip pieced and cut out with the 9 or 10 degree ruler.  The ruler does all the work.

Addendum:  Today, Monday, I have sandwiched the two tablerunners.  I use 505 spray out on the deck before the snow hits tomorrow.  Want to make sure I have everything lined up to keep busy and work towards my 12 finishes by March 14th for the quilt show.

Yours in quilting,
Terry

Family First

I have been absent lately.  My dad had surgery on Thursday, Feb. 14th. 

I finished my last customer quilt for the Covered Bridge Quilt Show at 4:30pm Wed., Feb. 13th.  (Woo Hoo! Doing the happy dance.)  Went with my hubbie to bowl out for our bowling league and had a quick dinner with our bowling partners.

Threw luggage and retreat supplies in the SUV and headed for Winterset, IA, where my dad lives.
Drove staight thru while listening to Debbie Macomber audio books, just over four hours.  Got about three hours sleep and we were up and off to the Methodist Medical Center in DesMoines.  Surgery at 7am and then waited the rest of the day for an ICU room.  Dad is still in the hospital and asking for prayers for his recovery.  He has lots of fishing and gardening plans for the summer so need to get him back on his feet as quickly as possible.

Yours in quilting,
Terry

Dairy Queen is OPEN!

Spring must be just around the corner.  Last night Rod and I headed uptown and turned the corner onto Main Street.  There in living color was the Dairy Queen all lit up and open for business.
WooHoo!!   I think I might be drooling, while contemplating that first Blizzard!

What is your favorite flavor of Blizzard?  Mine is Heath.

Yours in quilitng,

Terry