Post Show Blues & Ribbons

A good thing! I love the Blues, my favorite music genre. Chairing Vendors with my quilt guild has been fun. My favorite part is meeting vendors and getting to know them. My paperwork is ready to turn in at our wrap up meeting and I am looking forward to spending more time improving my quilting skills and finishing my own quilts :0)

I love to see my customers quilts displayed and am quite proud to say that 5 of their quilts that were entered to be judged won ribbons! More deserved them, in fact all of them ;0) Showing off my customers quilts this morning... starting off with Pam's Swoon (not judged). I am amazed at the talent we have in our guild. Enjoy

Pam's Swoon (not judged)

Cannery Row by Bev (not judged)

Judy with her A to Z quilt

Kelly's Big Wedding

Sandra's Vintage Valentine

Kelly's Kaffe

Janie's Amaretto Cottage

Janie and I worked on this one together 

and one of Beckie's quilts received a Viewer's Choice

Beckie's Birds

altho I believe it should have been pinned to this quilt

also made by Beckie with birds

Beckie's Peacock

a few more (not judged)... 

Karen's ~ It's Finished!

love quilting feathers!
and texture

Sandra's Scrappy Balls

and I absolutely love this one my friend Sandy made! It's scrappy and fun :-) like her!

There are lots more to share. Quilts are posted on my longarm blog too.

and I will do another post, including quilts I did not quilt...

like this one made by Kathy Thomas

The Rose ~ by Kathy T

This is a combination of quilting and embroidery which Kathy is really good at. Kathy is on her way to becoming an accomplished longarmer with quilts displayed as well.

Barbara Michels has been longarming for a long time and is really good! One of her own quilts received two ribbons, a 1st place and Best in Show. Congratulations Barbara!

Lone Star by Barbara Michels

Well done ladies! It's an honor to be in your company 

It ain't over until the fat lady sings

There were no fat ladies singing, the quilts have been taken down, the doors to the quilt show closed, however it's not over. Always those little things to wrap up. It was a grand event. Wonderful vendors, good food from Roots, family and friends came to see our quilts! Life is good!!! Where to start with pix... so will begin with my kids!

My son Chris, better known as Scribles, Kristy and Haley standing in front of Kelly's quilt at our guild's Harvest of Quilt's quilt show. Michael was a gigantic help and support for me. In fact, he was so helpful and quick on his feet, there are no pix of him! That's just how good he is! Love these wonderful people! 

I have the best customers too! with the nicest comments on their placards. Thank you! This week I am posting pix of quilts made by each of them on my longarm/customer blog Moonbear Designs and Quilting. Each day there will be a post featuring each of their quilts, today began with Judy's two quilts... here is the link :0) 

This is another link to Lynn Wilder's blog, Sew'n Wild Oaks with some really good pix of Donna Greenwald's (our featured quilter) quilts plus an even better pic of Amaretto Cottage. Thank you Lynn!

Still recovering along with my longarm. Today I spent the day fine tuning my longarm, Helena. She has been working hard this year and deserves a little TLC. I am changing out her check spring and getting her tuned up for the holidays and ready to frost some quilts. 

Hard to pic a fav but... this one I have to share because I worked on it with my friend Janie for more than a year. Amaretto Cottage... finished and hanging at ASQG's Harvest of Quilts 2015 in Chico, CA... with a first place ribbon in our category... Well done Janie!!!

 Tot ziens, Jo

 

AC medallion top is a flimsy finish

Yea! Amaretto Cottage with borders

This completes my top! 

Close up of the center medallion 

Upper left quadrant 

Pulled from fabrics in my stash to make this quilt. Lots of Civil War reproduction fabrics plus some Thimbleberries and the large floral print used for borders. The outer border was supposed to be wider but without finding more of that floral fabric, it's fine as is. One more small border was also part of the pattern was going to be the red. Instead it will be added for the binding. As is it's just the right size for a Queen size bed. I'm happy! 

Amaretto Cottage was a year plus project I worked on along with my friend Janie. It all started when Janie purchased the kit and asked for help constructing her blocks. They were a challenge! I decided to make test blocks and it grew from there ;0)

Janie's top is also finished,
we finished it earlier this year in April

We have a bunch of ideas for the quilting 

Now to find the time to do it! 

 

Hump day and it's going to be a hot one. Off to fire up the longarm and get some customer quilts done before it gets too hot this afternoon. Enjoy your day!

Tot Ziens, Jo

Janie's Amaretto Cottage

Yea! On Friday Janie and I spent the afternoon together

and finished piecing Amaretto Cottage!

Started on April 16th, 2014

Top finished April 10, 2015

Top finishes at 112" x 112"

It's been a wonderful journey for both of us

Janie made perfect mitered corners in the outer border!

Janie is one of my very first customers and we have become wonderful friends over the years. Both of us growing and learning as we improve our quilting skills. We already have several ideas floating in our heads for quilting ideas. Janie loves butterflies so there will definitely be lots of them stitched into this beauty! 

A King size roll of wool batting is scheduled to arrive this week

along with some black batting ordered for Brandie.

Another friend doing some amazing stitching of her own

Check out her latest blog post with some amazing cross hatch
Brandie used a CD to mark her crosshatch... love it!!!

I consider myself very lucky to be in the company of so many wonderful quilters! 

Enjoy your day, stitching away :0) Jo

Goals for March

1. Amaretto Cottage ~ Add borders to my top as well as Janie's once we have her last blocks together so that both of our tops are ready for quilting. 

2. Binding and a label on the little geometric scrappy quilt without a name. I finished the machine applique yesterday, this is a pic with them placed onto the quilted top...

It worked great using a button hole stitch to stitch the EPP pieces onto a quilted top :)

3. Binding and label on Steppin' Up the Squares, top made and quilted in February

Altho I didn't set any goals for February, I did have a finish with Beckie on Valentine's weekend each making Our Favorite Bags. We had so much fun! 

Enjoy your Sunday, Jo

Make the time to take some stitches because...

"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave."
Native American Proverb

Janie's Amaretto Cottage

 up on the design wall in my studio.

We arranged all of the pieced blocks

with the medallion center in a final layout

along with the setting triangles we cut today.

Wonderful colors and fabrics

Janie took them home to piece the blocks and triangles. 

Next will be the borders and then... 

quilting a finished top. Yea

Completely off my goals from January. Didn't set any for February and ended up spending three of the weekends on new projects. Love the bags Beckie and I made and finished. Over the weekend Steppin' Up the Squares, a last minute decision to join in a guild workshop with Mary Kay Davis the first weekend, that quilt top is quilted. Getting back to Amaretto Cottage, that fits into my goals. Yep, happy!

Enjoy whats left of the week and month

Tot Ziens, Jo

AC center field is complete!

All of the blocks are done (and one redone ;0) Inner border is added to the center medallion, all of the blocks are set into the corner sections and sewn onto the medallion. Yea! That completes the center field of my Amaretto Cottage! Great to take the day off and spend a lovely rainy day finishing one of my November goals and here it is...

This is the block that I changed yesterday

It was the very first block originally made with a light background

When I put it up on the design wall last week with the first layout

I wasn't happy with that light background fabric for corner blocks

First layout...

Second layout with the remade corner blocks

 ready to add to the center after

adding a medium tan border to the medallion 

and another shot of the center field finished!!!

Borders will be added, the same dark floral print that borders the medallion. Right now the center field measures 86 x 86. The center block, Missouri Star is 15", the blocks in the medallion are 6" and the blocks in the corner settings finish at 10".

Janie has all of her blocks completed as well and dropped them off last week. After the holiday we will put her blocks up on my design wall and start assembling her Amaretto Cottage. Pix soon :0) Her colors are completely different, the original fabrics by the designer, Marianne Elizabeth ~ Classically Home for RJR.

I would be happy dancing except this head cold from &%** still has a grip on me :0( Another rainy day YEA! and on to my next goal... Frozen quilts!... for the girls to be made for the next holiday... fast approaching! Yikes! Much to do. 

Spent a lovely day with Mom, Michael and our little Thanksgiving feast. Chris came, it was a wonderful day. Mom making a funny face at me. She is just so darn cute, especially for 99!

Enjoy your weekend

Groetjes, Jo

Amaretto Cottage and 99

Yipee! 

Amaretto Cottage is up on the design wall :0) this evening!

This is the first layout with most of the 10 inch blocks laid out with the medallion center. A few more to finish, then add one more border to the center medallion before the outer blocks are added to finish the center field followed with at least 2 maybe 3 outer borders. One will be wide and the same dark floral print as the last border on the center medallion. Happy dancing to have this baby laid out! 

 

I had the nicest surprise this afternoon, flowers from my friend Pam!!! So nice! This morning I sent Pam pix of her Swoon quilt in progress on my longarm frame. Looking forward to getting the binding on and back into her arms to see in real life :0) 

What a wonderful day! 

We also celebrated my Mom's 99th birthday earlier this week.

 Wow 99 ! Happy Birthday Mom

Groetjes, Jo

November's Goal ~ Amaretto Cottage and Frozen

Janie and I are on the last block for Amaretto Cottage!

Month/Block 9 ~ Nine Patch Star Variation

Not completely pieced and there are three more for a total of four of each block.

Nov. goal is to finish the last blocks and then start setting the blocks together! Yea!!!

A recap with pix below of each block, Amaretto Cottage is a block of the month from Marianne Elizabeth. My friend and customer, Janie purchased the BOM as a kit in 2012 with the original fabrics from Marianne in the Honey colorway. Gorgeous fabrics in mostly golds and purples. Janie asked if I would help her with her quilt. We started working together on it last year and now we are getting close to finishing the top! I decided to pull from my Civil War stash plus a few Thimbleberries to make the blocks myself, making it easier to help. Janie has done a fantastic job with her blocks, "perfection" I say even tho she never agrees with me, she is an excellent quilter! 

The first four went into the center and formed the medallion. HERE is a link to the blog post for Month 7 with both of our centers finished in September with borders. First blocks were 6" finished, Block 1 ~ English Ivy (corners), Block 2 ~ Cake Stand (8), Block 3 ~ Aunt Addie's Album (a challenge!) and the center is Missouri Puzzle which finishes at 15 3/4". 

Center blocks

The first month's block were the same block made in two sizes

6" that went into the corners of the center

and then four more in a 10" finished size.

All of the blocks will be set on point

Month/block 1 ~ English Ivy, the 10 inch block

We didn't follow all the months in order. Instead we would choose a difficult block followed by an 'easier' block just to break it up a bit. It was also nice to work at our own pace! 

Block 5 ~ Log Cabin (changed the fabrics)

There were 12 of these total. 8 regular and 4 that will be corners...

Block 5 ~ Log Cabin

Block 5 ~ Log Cabin corner block

Block 6 ~ Kansas Troubles

For both blocks 1 and 6 I pulled very light background fabrics because they will create a diagonal line into the corners of the quilt once all of the blocks are set. The rest of the blocks are darker.

Block 8 ~ Pinwheel Square
(Block 9 is pictured at the top)

Block 10 ~ Temple Court

Block 11 ~ Beginner's Delight

Month 12 will be cutting the setting triangles, the layout and joining the 10 inch blocks with the log cabin blocks and adding final borders. My goal for November is to finish the last blocks, get the center field of this quilt all together and ready for the borders. I am so looking forward to seeing how all the colors work out. We know Janie's will be gorgeous in the gold and purples. HERE is a link to a google image search for this quilt.

My second goal is to start 2 quilts intended as Christmas gifts for the girls. The focus fabrics are from Frozen with the two sisters which is perfect for two little sisters. Of course, they know all the words from the movie's songs and they both were Elsa for Halloween. This is my pull along with the purchased fabrics... the large pink Frozen fabric will be the backings.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend. Weather is gorgeous here in Nor Cal. 

Loving it, however California needs rain! 

Groetjes, Jo

More on glue pinning Amaretto Cottage

Getting back to the glue pinning on my Amaretto Cottage blocks.

Last 'layer' of triangles are added to these blocks by glue pinning...

(the scrap lining is there just in case to protect my worktable ;0)

As promised, wanted to let you know about glue pinning the bias edged triangles. These once cut triangles went great, just as well as the twice cut triangles with the straight of grain edge. Triangle is laid down and then a little heat. Easy Peasy!

This is a link to my first post with more pix about glue pinning these blocks. 

Also tested a piece of scrap fabric with the white school glue, washed it by hand and the glue washed out, no hard glue residue left behind. A blogger did this with Roxanne's Glue Baste It, also with success. Which makes sense and is probably a better choice if you have it on hand. I wanted to see if the inexpensive white school glue worked for this application and it does! Not a good idea to use Elmer's for applique! Mostly I am happy to finish these blocks! Plus, the next set of four are also finished as of this afternoon! 

This block was really easy! A pinwheel surrounded by HSTs Yea!

The first and possibly the only easy block in this quilt from &%## as Janie calls it ;0) Two more blocks are also cut. I love pulling Civil War fabrics for these blocks. One is Kansas Troubles and from what I remember making the same block for Barbara Brackman's Civil War Sampler quilt, a bit of a challenge :0) 

It's been a good day considering that I also finished quilting my friend Donna's quilt that I started yesterday. Really nice quilt, love the center! Will take better pix outside in the morning when the lighting is better and it's cooler. 

Hope you are enjoying the weekend as much as I am. Next I am headed over to spend the rest of the afternoon with my mom. Will see if she knows who I am today. Tomorrow's plan is more sewing while watching football. Life is good. Fall is coming, my favorite season! 

Enjoy your weekend!

Take the time to take a few stitches :0)

Groetjes, Jo