Over The River Is Home Again...

She's home again!

When I opened the box, I was expecting the judges critique sheet, but there

were other treats tucked inside, too! Are you ready to see what came back?

I received a National Quilting Association quilt label for my quilt. It 

records that it was included in the "Going Green" show this year.

I'll be putting a fabric border on the label (just like I did for the one that's 

already on the back of my quilt) and then sew it on above my regular label.

I also received a program for the show and a ribbon as an "entrant" in the show.

It's already hanging up on my ribbon frame along with the few others I have.

I promised I'd share the judges' critique sheet when it came back. Well, here it is. I'm happy with the comments and will remember their feedback as I create future quilts and other sewn and quilted projects.   Overall, the most difficult part of participating in the NQA show was boxing  up and shipping off my quilt. That was nerve-wracking for me. I was so concerned that it would be lost in transit, and I most relieved when I found  the box delivered to our front lanai when I got home yesterday morning.    The extras in the package were icing on the cake. Really. I am happiest just  having my quilt back and hanging up in its appointed place in our home. I can  stop fretting and be content to  run my hand over the fabric on my way by. I think "Over The River" will just stay home from now on. Yes. I think so.

Childhood Memories In A Quilt...

 I got to see Pat Alderman again last weekend when I went to pick up

my "Over The River" quilt. I went to her home on Saturday morning,

and I could have squealed with joy when I saw my quilt again.

She greeted me at her front door and we immediately went into her

studio. The first thing I saw was my quilt spread out on her table. I can

say, without hesitation or exaggeration, "Pat is a Quilting Goddess".

I don't expect you to take my word for it. All you have to do is look

at the images I've posted for you today. I'm sure you'll agree.

 Exhibit One: There is a lot of snow stitched into the first panel.

Pat highlighted the snow on the trees, rooftops and in big, billowy

piles on the ground. She also contoured the road that passes over

the bridge, gave the horse and carriage added dimension, and 

added swirls to the sky to show movement in the background.

Still need convincing? Keep reading...

 Exhibit Two: My large border is a repeating acorn and leaf pattern, 

and then she added a leafy pattern in each of the flying geese blocks. 

So sweet! Well, don't stop here. There's still more!

 Exhibit Three: There are two different blocks between the stitcheries. One 

is a square in a square block, and the other is a star. Pat did two completely 

different designs for these two blocks. The square in a square blocks have 

oak leaves in the center, as well as each corner block. ahhhhh. I'm in love!

Her choices for those blocks were perfect and so beautifully executed.

 Exhibit Four: Look how the trees look so dimensional, and I can

almost feel the chill of the snow on the barn. I'm so glad I decided

to stitch a corgi onto the weather vane, and our initials into the tree.

Exhibit Five: Looking at the quilted detail in my "Over The River" version reminds me
of a kid's game we used to play called "Eye Spy". The more I look at the details, the
more cool stitching I find. The are acorns worked into nearly every aspect of my quilt!

This quilt is a tribute to my grandparents from Wisconsin. Both of them have passed,
but this quilt incorporates so many elements that remind me of those childhood trips
to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Our drive used to take us past an old church in
Winchester, WI (which I called "Winchester Cathedral", like the then-popular song),
many farm fields and cow lots housing productive Holstein cows, a lot of oak trees

 bearing their acorn fruit, and deer that would graze in the cornfields or dart across
the road just as our car was getting close. Our visits were fun-filled and happy times.

 Pat immediately picked up on my vision, and executed it perfectly. While 

the images reflect the countryside and scenery along the way, there was so 

much more to our drives to see my grandparents. We were little kids who 

couldn't wait to see Gramma and Grampa and spend time with them. There 

was always great food, lots of cuddles and family to see. Childhood bliss. 

When I look at my finished quilt now, I'll stop to remember my grandparents 

and the time we spent together in Wisconsin. I'll remember...and smile. 

Thanks, Pat, for bringing your special talent to this project. This will be a 

treasured piece for me, and hopefully an heirloom for our family. I'm so

grateful. I look forward to getting to know you better, bringing more of

my quilts your way, and seeing more of your own fabulous creations.

For my friends: If you're within an hour of Sarasota and are looking for

an awesome long-arm quilter for your projects, please send me an email

and I'll put you in touch with Pat. Believe me. She's well worth the drive.

Last Look Before The Longarm...

  Well, dearies. 

This is the last time you see my Over The River quilt until after it comes back
from the long-arm and the binding is attached. I couldn't resist this great paisley
 fabric to use for the backing and I think it's just "right" to go with the designs
and colors on the quilt top. (You remember how I love paisleys, right?)

Although the images for the stitcheries are winter scenes, my memories of
trips to my grandparents' house make me think of more autumnal drives.
The paisley seems more like fall to me. I can almost smell the rustling leaves.

I spent last weekend forming and joining the pieces for my corner appliques'. This

is my shot of them "in progress". They're waiting for the right side leaves to be 

attached here, which are now done. I've found that it takes me about three hours

to stitch each of these corner sets to the ground fabric, so I'll have them sewn soon.

If you are someone who checks out the items in my sidebars, you may have seen the

"Pledge To Share Step-by-Step" button. Each time I share my progress on a project,

it's really not so you'll be impressed with what I'm doing, but so that you can see

the steps that go into creating a finished piece. In my case, I like to consider those

steps to be part of my artistic process. Sometimes my finished piece is nothing like

I imagined it would be when I first started choosing materials, cutting and sewing.
I hope you find as much enjoyment following my progress as I do with my "work". 

After stitching down the first set and assessing my work, I knew they were exactly 

what I wanted for the final touch for my quilt. They make it a true one-of-a-kind.

 Although I've drawn the leaves with veining, I won't make a final decision on that

until after I've stitched everything else down. I'm still thinking about that.

If you're a quilter, stitcher, knitter or you choose to express your creative side in 

some other way...Do you take the time to diverge from a pattern or chart to do 

something that will make your piece unique from all the others that will be created 

from those same patterns? How do you personalize your work? If you're a quilter, 

of course, you probably choose fabrics that are different from the original, but what 

other ways do you change it up so that yours will be different? I'd love to know.

Getting There (I'm Through The Woods)...

Unexpected appointments and commitments have kept me from spending

my usual time in the studio, but I have been stitching and sewing when able.

Yesterday, I managed to assemble the blocks, panels and sashing for my 

Over The River quilt. Today, I'll finish the flying geese border from the pattern.

If you have the original pattern for this quilt, you know that it doesn't show
an applique' panel. That element is my own design and creation from start
to finish. I've added elements that are part of my memories of those
childhood trips to my grandparent's central Wisconsin house for holidays. 

Additionally, I'm adding one more border outside the flying geese border.

I want my quilt to be just a little larger than the 51 1/2" x 57 1/2" size as

designed. The additional border will measure 6", adding 12" to the length

and width of my quilt. Mine will finish out at 63 1/2" x 69 1/2". Nice size.

Once my border is attached, I'm going to add more applique' to that border.

Then it will be ready to send out for custom quilting. I'm so anxious to see

 it complete, and I hope you are, too.

On Being Organized...

 If I gave you a list of all the things I need to accomplish this week, you might

just gasp. I know I did! I keep a daily notebook with my tasks outlined page-

by-page, and when I accomplish items on my list, I check them off. It helps me

to see what I'm able to get done each day. My daily pages also have lists of calls

 I need to make, things I need to pop in the mail, incoming calls, appointments

and anything else I want to commit to long-term memory, like family stuff.

This week has a lot of entries, but I've also managed to tick a number off my lists

already! On Thursday, I'll be teaching Session Two of the "Over The River" class,

so I'm busy creating the block for that class and working on the embroidery, too.

First thing yesterday, we had a service tech appointment so that took up part of

my morning. Even so, I cut all the components for the "Block-in-Block"...uhhh...

block. (lol) I only need six to go into this quilt, so I was happy to have five of them 

finished mid-afternoon. They're lookin' good but, because the designer didn't

specify the finished size of the blocks, I needed to make at least one to know the size

 to create a paper piecing foundation for my students who'd rather use that method.

Mid-afternoon I began editing my recording of Handsome's North Port Concert 

Band concert last week. (It's due to the band members on Thursday night this week.) 

I managed to nearly get to "Intermission" before I needed to leave to meet the girls 

at Paneras for our weekly gathering. I was a little tired, but I went anyway.

Another item on the list is to do the stitching on the last applique' block for the

guild quilt. I took that with me to Paneras and stitched away while my friends

and I chatted and caught up on all the news since we last met together. It was nice

and I was really glad that I didn't decide to stay home. There were over a dozen

gals there, and my sweet friend, Margaret is heading back to Canada on Friday,

 so I got a chance to say "toodles" to her before she and her hubby pack to leave.

Today, I'll prepare my orders to ship, along with some Easter gifts to send North to

Mom Grace, my sister and our grandchildren. Next, I'll finish editing the recording   

for the Concert Band, and burn the DVDs. They'll be ready for delivery on Thursday.

I'll also make that last block and the paper foundation for my students this week.

Once that's finished, I'll do more embroidery on the panel and I'll be ready for class.

This is when FOCUS really comes in handy!

One more thing...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHELL!!!
(click on the "Happy Birthday" link to write a message on Shell's blog)

Class Day...

Today is class day in Venice.

I have the sample border completed. It will become a border in my own

quilt, but I want to be able to give the students an idea of how the block

will look for them. I created the paper foundation for it, just in case they

don't want to use the traditional piecing method (which I think I prefer).

My class outline is complete, so they'll know what to expect for the day.

I took the pattern page for the stitchery, and after I pre-shrunk the

muslin for backing the design, I traced it onto the panel fabric.

When I had my needlework shop, I used to sell Tomorrow's Treasures 

scroll frames. I have an entire set, and they are still my favorite frame

for stabilizing my stitching. Now they're manufactured by American Dream,

and I'm so glad that they're still available! (If you're interested in some for

yourself, here's the link. No. I'm not compensated for any endorsements. I 

 just like share my finds with you when I have or use something I really like.)

I'll start working on this as I teach the stitches called for in the pattern.

That ball of pink perle cotton you're seeing was just used to baste the main

panel fabric to the muslin for just a little more stability. I probably wouldn't

have added the extra fabric for my quilt, but the students are new to this

needlework technique, and the second layer of fabric will help to hide any

carried stitches. They're using black, dark gray or brown threads and any

thread jumps would definitely show through the light-colored panel fabric.

So, I'll be gone all day. Handsome usually has a morning rehearsal, but he

dropped a cymbal on his foot last night and we don't think he'd be comfortable

in a shoe, or making the ankle motions he'd need to make to play. His swollen

foot feels better with ice, so I suspect he'll be most comfortable with his foot up 

while he reads a good book. That also means Tag can stay home while I'm away.

Have a great day, my friends. It's almost the weekend - and the start of another 

month already. Where does the time go? It seems I just get used to writing 

"February", when "March" comes butting right in! So much to do...

Class Prep...

Crab•apple Hill "Over The River And Through The Woods"

 Today, I'll be preparing for the class I'll be teaching tomorrow. I'll be at 

Crazy Quilters in Venice, Florida. I needed to choose my fabrics (done), 

make the first block (pending), set up the embroidery to teach (pending), 

and finalize my class outline (almost).  This will be Session One of Four.

Lights

 The pattern calls for six light-value fabrics (loving these)...

Mediums

 Six fabrics of medium value (ahhhhh, yes)...

Darks

 and six dark-value fabrics. (For some reason these photographed 

looking gray when they're actually all very black backgrounds.)

"Luuukkke. Come to the Dark Side."

(Did I just do that? laughing!!)

One of the things that I think is cool is that, when I shopped my stash,

I found a black with a leaf/bird combination pattern (second from the

bottom of this stack), and then I found the same fabric in an ivory 

(bottom of the stack in the "lights" photograph). I am tickled!!!

I'll be cutting, writing, making foundations for paper piecing and looking

forward to teaching my first session tomorrow. This is going to be one cool quilt!

My Next Class...

Crabapple Hill Studio

 There is still one session to go to complete Arlyn's Embroidery Envelope. 

When that class is completed, I'll be teaching a full project in four sessions.

It's called "Over The River" by Meg Hawkey of Crabapple Hill Studio.
It's another project incorporating hand stitching into the design.

There will be plenty of time for my students to complete their homework 

because there will be a month between each session. Students will have

the option of making three different table runners (one with each stitched

section and one set of blocks (Flying Geese, Star or the Square-in-Square).

Of course, they can complete a whole quilt, as pictured, it that's the preference.
The whole quilt measures approximately 51 1/2" x 57 1/2".

Pattern Image

I'll be doing the model in colors and fabrics close to those in this photo,

and the gals who have paid their class fees are already busy choosing fabrics.

By the time next Thanksgiving rolls around, all of them will have their own

"Over The River" table or guest room accessories!

I wish you lived closer so that we could all play at our machines together!

One more thing:
I've added a new video to Handsome's musical assortment in my right sidebar.
This is from the North Port Concert Band concert on January 10, 2013.
I hope you enjoy it as much as the audience did,
and yes...that is me whooping at the end.
(link)