Villager Idiot or Smrt Girl?

On my long arm sewing machine, I have the ability to follow a paper pattern (pantograph). I do this using the controls at the back of the machine, using a light (or stylus) to follow a drawing.
So why am I stitching on paper, to stitch out a hockey player? duh? Perhaps because the quilt
has a vertical pattern run rather then horizontal on the frame....you know directional.
But (insert light bulb) I can position and stitch one drawing at a time, and no paper mess.
Well duh! Pickn' up speed I am.
gudrun

Raffle Quilt

I had a great opportunity recently to quilt for a community group called the Beaver Valley Agricultural Association, they organize and hold the Beaver Valley Fall Fair each Sept.

  Last year, BVAA purchased a quilt from Georgian Quilters' Guild for  raffle. It  happens I quilted that raffle quilt, that quilt now resides in the Philippines, but I digress.   This year a BVAA member gathered together blocks from previous challenges,  put them together with sashing and borders, and asked me to quilt the piece for BVAA.  It came together nicely, wouldn't you say.

                                                              

TGIF folks,

gudrun

Some Days are Diamonds....

I recently quilted this large quilt called "I had a Dream".  I am unaware who is the pattern designer. This was fun to quilt till I got to the borders. My my.... 

If you look closely you will see the wee pleats I made to gather in the fullness. They haven't been appliqued down, so they are not flat and neat, yet! But looking decent already...lots of spray starch to help.

Fullness in Border.

I 've arrived in the season of fullness, here's another quilt with fullness in the centre.

This one of three 'same' quilts in different colour ways. The piecing is lovely except for what ever happened in the centre??  There was some fullness that I ended up carrying along to the border.  When I got  to this point on the first quilt, I re-examination of the other two quilts...same thing.  The piecer took them home and worked on the problem.  The next one I worked on  was substancially
 flatter,  a hit of spray starch, and of course tape on the tiny loose border,  it finished off well. The last one is not as well behaved :)) However, spray starch, extra batting and careful stitching should keep the fullness from traveling to the borders. Stay tuned.
Hope your Monday is a good one,
gudrun

Congratulations Lesley, Oh and me too!

The Lucky Lesley from our lovely West Coast will be receiving
a set of pillow cases I  made.  In her email she sounded
more excited  then any pillow cases  I have know are able to
excite....and I was right. As it happens she was also
 just hired as a teacher in her neighbourhood.
She'll be teaching music to children from k to 4.
  Her first job in her field of training.  Wow!

The Fall Fair season is upon us here in Ontario.  I was convinced  by friends, I should
participate in my towns Fair so I did.  I entered a new category "long arm quilting' and the
floral section.  I received two firsts and 2 seconds in the long arm category, the quilt at the top of the
page took a first.
I recd a second in a challenge called " I made it form my old jeans"  click this link  to see the quilt I used.

I entered four florals and took  two firsts in the florals category. I didn't take a picture of the cosmos I entered but the Pic below is of a design challenge called "No Blooms".

All in all a wonderful Fair for me :))

"No Blooms" is sitting on top of canning,   I did the day before the fair.

Floral arrangement " No Blooms"

Antipasto 2010

Here's a really good picture of the work that day.  I had lots of help. DH and DS pitched in with chopping and stirring .....

Antipasto Inspector and Assistant

Happy Thursday,
gudrun

Canadian Grade School Reader Quilt

Do you remember Dick and Jane? Here's  2009  quilted version





Oh oh what fun! Sorry about the soft focus...I will get better with the camera I promise.

Happy Tuesday!

Gudrun

Mystery Quilt

Greetings,

I have been on a lovely vacation. I have lots of vacation pictures. To be edited and

such before I can begin to share them.

  I am going to get back into the swing of blogging again, with this gem.

Prior to my vacation in Beautiful Northwest British Columbia, I had the pleasure of quilting this  one.   The colour choices are lovely.  This picture doesn't do it  justice. (they never do) Except for the borders this was a 'mindless' job, of  SID.  Mindless, yes but concentration is a must :)) As my fellow quilters know.

Embellishing the Lily

Our last trip to the summer place was a short one, the sewing machine stayed home. A small quilt and container of 'things' and a few beads did however come on vacation with me. (smile) 

I only took a few things along so this is far from finished.  I think it is coming

along nicely.  

I am now in the process of looking for a box (somewhere in the studio) that contains

a small supply of silk ribbon, and some silver embroidery floss. Every garden needs a  spider and  its web.

 
These are parts of a set of ear rings that I bought from a street vendor on Queen Street, when I first lived in Toronto.  The only reason they are still a set after all these many years, is of course due to the difficulty I had putting them in, consequently I think I probably wore them less times then fingers on one hand. What a way to break a set... I am well know for single earrings, and gave up worrying about it a long time ago.  I wear 'odd' pairs all the time, the ear ring police haven't found me yet!
Happy Hump  Day Folks!
gudrun

Little Lily & Oriental with Metallic Fabrics

I am a lucky gal....

I found this top for sale at a local quilt store. I quilted and bound it, now I am going to 'highlight' it.

I am starting with some trapunto and beading.

More to come....

I also worked this week, (tsk tsk...ya' ll thought I vacation all summer eh!) quilted this Oriental fabrics quilt, with a simple Gingko leaf.  The backing is a gold metallic fabric, as well lots of metallic fabrics on the front.  I found lots of 'metallic gunk' ( a specially specific name for a new to me phenomena ) in the bobbin race.  I am thinking this stuff is what gave the long arm tension headaches. sigh. I did all the tricks and tips I have learned over the past 5 years (yikes already!) of long arming to deal with tension.   I ended up blowing a fuse and having to make a trip to purchase a replacement and spares, in a near but still away hardware store  blah blah not the way I planned that day.  The good  news is Client is coming over this am so that means payday..Yeah!  I hope she likes it.  

It is a gift from the bride to a sister that  is 'standing' up with her on the big day. The pictures here do it little justice many large scale prints where left in large pieces to get a 'picture' of the fabric,  some are large portions of panels...of which I own one. 

wishing you all a happy Thursday,

gudrun

Summer Quilt Projects

I am going to say the usual...I can't believe how long its been since I posted.

I have been up to my ass in crocodiles trying to drain this swamp.

Nah... it's summer I like to be outside, so that really limits the amount of time left over

for screen play.   

 Our summer spot. 

 And this is what I did on my vacation 

The picture is taken in full sun on the deck, so is a bit washed out looking.  I don't usually

work in these kinds of colours so it was challenging to stick with it. 

I had the good fortune of acquiring someone else's ufo at a recent Guild auction. For a very small sum. I know the lovely lady these blocks belonged to, she is no longer able to sew or quilt. There was no info with this kit re designer or pattern name.
There were 8 completed blocks and 4 in various stages. I made several more from my scraps, to make this a larger quilt. There was lots of the light green fabric  included in this ufo pack. 

 I will add  a border(s) but haven't decided as to colour(s).  I am thinking of using the rest of the light green and  a tiny bit of white. Keeping it simple, making a one inch "straight"

border is enough of a challenge for this piecer.

This isn't everything, more later.

Wishing you a happy Friday. and as D A M  say

 peace

gudrun

A Quilting Challenge

I belong to a wonderful internet group. It is a teaching group for folks who dabble in fibre arts. I am learning some new techniques. The phrase  "stretching my abilities" is what comes to mind, when I think of what I do with this group. My latest is an attempt of a portrait of my home. My teacher/coach has a photo of my home and several other students homes on her blog, Chris.

I can see from the instructions...which I read carefully,  this project is not a going to be a quick one. But I am sure pumped to get going on it!  Thing is, I need to finish client quilts this week and  of course it is a short week.  That isn't a complaint, I 'd like all Mondays to belong to the

weekend. 

 

Finished is finished

                                                   

 My  version of a quilt to re-use jeans materials,  also with previously used flannel & several smallish pieces of batting.  Heavy? a little, I also mucked about with two threads in the needle. I wanted a thicker red thread.  I use a  cone of a pink cotton with various reds,  ends of spools. 

I am feeling good 1. to have finished it, 2.  to have used up  a bit of stuff that's been hangin about the studio for what feels like much too long.  and 3. one RTO off of my 'list'.

This weekend I hope to bring my Guild mystery quilt, up to date.  My intent was to try and finish mine (quilted and all) before I quilted any from clients.  Ha!  good intentions are funny things. And I Know I will bypass making mystery quilts, in the future. Not my cuppa.

And I am off for a cuppa hot  lemon 'cold medicine' and a small pity party for one...colds aren't fun.

gudrun

Close up

Here's a really close view.

I don't have a name for  the quilt,  yet.

I don't always name them. But I am thinking if I make another one, and I probably will, it would be a good way to distinguish between them..or I could number them  :))