BOWs, BOMs and a Mini

Posted on May 18, 2013 by cookie

A quick update on my BOWs and BOMs – that is my Block of the Week and Block of the Month projects.

Barbara Brackman’s Grandmother’s Choice Block of the Week treats us each week to a bit of history on Women’s Rights movement and a quilt block pattern. Last week we had the block Nameless Star and the history touched upon The Lucy Stone League. My Nameless Star:

This week the block highlighted the many misconceptions about women’s anatomy – including the historical (hysterical) view that we should not ride bicycles or sit astride horses. I’m sure all the ladies in my cycle class would heartily disagree. Nonsense! Thus the block this week is named Nonsense! My Nonsense:

The Dixie Diary Block of the Month (also written by Barbara Brackman) includes Civil War history and a monthly block. The May block is called Token of Dried Roses – here is mine:

When I first started the Dixie Diary blocks we were given an option to applique a star or a heart on the block. My first block I appliqued a star, but the rest have been hearts. So I’ve gone back and replaced that first star with a heart – I think this will give the quilt a nice consistent look. Next month will the the 6th month – I’ll play with laying the blocks out and show them to you as a group.

I’ve also been working on a miniature quilt for the TVQG Quilt Show Auction in September. I was inspired by my friend Suz’s work on the log cabin row houses during our retreat but decided I wanted to make houses out of our favorite (ok, one of our favorite) fabric designers – Kaffe Fassett. So here is a miniature – 13.5″ by 18″ – called “Kaffe’s Crazy Neighborhood.”

I still need to quilt, bind and label it, but had to share the bright and cheery little quilt. And, if you want to bid on it, be sure to come to the TVQG Quilt Show in September!

Have a happy weekend, y’all!

Grandmother’s Choice Update

Posted on May 6, 2013 by cookie

We are up to week 36 in Barbara Brackman’s Grandmother’s Choice Block of the Week. Each week we get a quilt block pattern and a bit of the history of the women’s rights movement.

Last week the block was Granny’s Choice and the history highlighted the women who were against female suffrage. This was a fun and easy block but very dynamic and effective:

This week the block was Sunbonnet Baby (I’ve always called this block Sunbonnet Sue). The biography of the young Vera Brittain and her part in the suffrage movement was addressed. My Sunbonnet Sue is truly a flower child complete with a butterfly tattoo:

The Grandmother’s Choice Flickr group is chock full of other interpretations of these blocks as well as awesome comments and encouragement! Be sure to check them out!

The Sunbonnet Sue block brought to mind my Howdy wall hanging. I hang it in the kitchen occasionally – especially during the State Fair of Texas or the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Very Texas!

Howdy

Have a GREAT week, y’all!

Building Barns, Bali Stars, Blooms and More in Mt. Calm

Posted on April 30, 2013 by cookie

I came home from the JSS Quilt Retreat at Compass Centre about four days ago and I just now feel like I’m caught up on my sleep! What fun we had! I was so busy sewing, eating and laughing, I didn’t get much blogging done. But now that I’m caught up on some zzzz’s, I can share some retreat moments.

The gals that participated in the Bali Star class made great progress – ok, it may have felt slow and tedious, but the results were tremendous! Early on Peggy and Sarah show off their “melons”:

But soon, these parts were put together:

And eventually entire blocks adorned the design walls:

I know these quilts will be simply beautiful! As the Bali Stars were being created other projects were also well underway. Barb finished quilting this beautiful hand pieced baby quilt.

And she worked on the blooming pansies for a bed runner for her mom:

See the spot on perfect hand piecing? Barb is using the Inklingo method with the Periwinkle Octagon shape collection. Check it out … so pretty … so tempting!

As Barb built blooms, Suz built row houses:

The fabrics are simply to die for! Cherrywood Hand Dyed fabrics.

And I built more barns with chickens to go with them:

It was all about the livestock out there in the countryside! These will all go together as part of the Little Red Barns Quilt.

What would a retreat be without a little bit of “Getting Goofy” with funny hats and silly straws! Tiaras for some…

Funny hats and mustaches (or …uh… uni-brows) for others:

Add in a very silly straw and a glass of wine to send us all over the edge into hysterical laughter! We certainly had a lot of fun!

JSS Retreat Day 1

Posted on April 22, 2013 by cookie

Our JSS Quilt Retreat at Compass Centre in Mount Calm, Texas started late yesterday afternoon. Barb, Suz and I packed Suz’s vehicle to the brim and made the trek together:

We tried to limit the number of projects we brought so we could all three fit in one vehicle. We made it!

After hugging our fellow JSS’ers, claiming a room, grabbing some workstations together, we actually got started sewing!

Inklingoing - Barb and I both brought our Inklingo projects – I’m still working on the Case of the Secret Garden (COTSG) and Barb is doing both COTSG and the Inklingo Periwinkle Octagon Quilt. We hand stitched on these for a bit:

Bali Table Runner Class – A lot of the JSS’ers have grouped together to take a Bali Wedding Star Table Runner class from Jules.

These will all be gorgeous. As incentive, the full sized Bali quilt is up on the design wall:

There was a lot of selecting, sorting and labeling of fabric yesterday afternoon.

Lynn and JJ decide which is lighter – the pale pink or the other pale pink…

This morning Jules explained some of the intricacies of the pattern. Caffeine may have made this a more teachable moment .
Not all of us are in the Bali class so other projects have been showing up on the design walls!

Barb has been working on finally finishing up a baby quilt before the baby turns 21…

Suz has this cute table topper done:

Barbara has been assembling this gorgeous quilt:

I’m drooling over this Bunny Hill quilt that Sue H is working on – are those colors just scrumptious!

Sue-H-and-Bunny-Quilt And … I put down the COTSG Inklingo project and started on my Little Red Barns quilt:

JSS West! We have a group of JSS’ers and their friends from California.

These sweet ladies brought us each a goody bag filled with all things “California”.

So, I’m back to the sewing machine for another barn and maybe back to the snack table… Stay tuned for more updates!

Grandmother’s Choice: Contrary Husbands and Coffee Cups

Posted on April 20, 2013 by cookie

I have been getting ready to go on a quilt retreat tomorrow, but wanted to catch up with Barbara Brackman’s Grandmother’s Choice Block of the Week before I packed up the sewing machine and all the paraphernalia that goes with me on retreat.

Last week the block of the week was Contrary Husband:

With all those Y seams I hand pieced this block. Takes a bit of time but I find it easier than wrangling with machine piecing and stopping and starting at the exact right spots.

This week’s block is Coffee Cup:

This is a really cute block and I think an entire quilt using the coffee cup block would be lots of fun.

Be sure to read Barbara’s blog for some interesting history related to contrary husbands and coffee cups. Have you ever had “making coffee” written into your job description? I have, but I made such horrible coffee that it wasn’t part of my job for long! The Grandmother’s Choice Flickr group continues to show gorgeous renditions of these blocks along with fun comments and lots of encouragement. Be sure to check them out!

OK, I’m off to pack up for the Bee retreat. I promise lots of updates during the retreat so check back often.