And the retreaters brought quilt finishes from previous workshops and mysteries to show & share!
Our first night, Friday –was my presentation night, so we arranged for Show & Share to happen after dinner on Saturday night before we all got sewing again.
And the finishes were just gorgeous!
Andrea brought her Smith Mountain Morning that she had started in a workshop with me at Quilt Odyssey in Hershey a couple of years ago.
I love it!
She has added an extra border to make it a bit bigger, and she did such a fabulous job putting this together.
Smith Mountain Morning is found in my book Scraps & Shirttails II.
Pat brought her Sister’s Choice!
I love Pat’s colors – her quilts are always so fresh and fun. This oine was in blues and yellows.
And I must say that Pat is a trooper –and I am always so glad to see her! She has done every mystery with us since the first one, and she is shown here proudly wearing her Carolina Crossing tshirt from Zazzle.com! If you sesarch for Quiltville items there, you will find all kinds of things –with proceeds all going toward the purchase of backings and battings for charity quilts. The zazzle shop is run by our friend Forest Jane who does our logos every year for the mystery. And we thank her greatly!
Charlotte’s Orca Bay from String Fling!
Purple and Orange and Lime Green, Oh My! Yep – we can count on Charlotte to go wild with color! I am always inspired by what she puts together.
Charlotte’s Grand Illusion!
Wendy’s Grand Illusion!
Isn’t this beautiful? Her colors and piecing were just so so so nice! And you have got to check out this quilting:
Walking Foot Diagonals!
This quilt was quilted on a home sewing machine – a Bernina, not a long arm. Regular sized machine. Her advice? Baste it well! And it helps if your daughter is around to help you roll the quilt and throw it over your shoulder as you sew! Isn’t this fun to look at? I love it!
A Gorgeous Moth in the Window!
Oh how I love all of these colors floating in a sea of purple! If you look closely you an see that she has used a giant paisley for the border..it’s perfect for this quilt in every way!
Moth in the window is from my Addicted to Scraps column with Quiltmaker Magazine. This block is one of the blocks from my upcoming online course, Scrap Quilts with Bonnie Hunter with Craft U. If you have always wanted to make Moth in the Window, and learn to use the Easy Angle Ruler at the same time, sign up for my course. It runs from Oct 12 to Nov 23, 2015.
Register now through THIS LINK and enter BSCRAP30 in the coupon box at checkout when registering. You will get all 6 workshop segments covering 6 block designs, all of my hints, tips and tricks for $99.00. That’s just $16.50 per workshop segment. You just can’t beat that!
Remember to use the code to get the discount!
An extremely wonderful Jamestown Landing from String Fling!
I get so excited when I see what you have done with your scraps! And I just love this quilt! Great job!
Emily’s Crumb Sampler!
A special family quilt!
I am holding the photo of Ann and her great aunt who lived with her while this quilt was made. Her great aunt had broken her hip and back then they were not as able to fix things as they are today and she had trouble for the rest of her life. Vivid memories live on of her great aunt sitting on “that end” of the couch and piecing piecing at every waking minute! The quilt behind the photo is a special one that she remembers her aunt making while she was little.
I love family quilt stories like this! From what we were told, her aunt worked from donated scraps from other ladies. At that time in the 1950s, dresses and skirts were mostly cotton and scraps were abundantly given from friends and relatives who made clothing but did not quilt. It was a happy story all the way around.
The fabrics in the quilt are 1950s house dress cottons. Wonderful!
Ann is at the far right next to her special great aunt.
My show & share!
I did get time to sew in the evenings. It was SO fun feeling like I was part of the retreat too, and I enjoyed the ladies so much. Oh, yes – we played music, we sang, we danced, we laughed, we chatted –You just can’t beat that Frankie Valli channel on Pandora!
I was able to get a few more rows added to my tumbler quilt. The rows were already done, I just haven’t had time to get them on.
Another row ready to add!
Close up of some fun scrappies!
There are now 11 rows together. I am loving this leader & ender challenge this year!
Do you want to join us on this year's Leader & Ender Tumbler Challenge? You'll find the instructions under the Free Patterns tab, and the Easy Dresden Ruler we are using is available in the Quiltville Store.
We did have a little bit of a round discussion about “THOSE FOLKS” who must not understand just what a Leader & Ender project is…because they finished their quilts and had them bound within a couple of weeks time.
This is meant to be a year long project!
Leader & Ender quilts are made from individual pieces sewn in between the lines of chain piecing other things to keep your piecing continuous. It takes a long time to build a quilt this way, but at the end of the year you had a free quilt with no time given to it really, and you keep the thread covered throw away bits of junk fabric you’ve been using as “thread bunnies” or “Sew betweens” out of your trash.
If you make the Leader & Ender project as your MAIN project and you go to town on it, finishing it in a week or two, does it really count as a Leader & Ender project??
Nope!
You still have a great finish. I’m thrilled that you were so inspired by what we were doing that you just went gung ho – like eating the whole chocolate cake in one sitting.
But while doing that, I hope you had something ELSE as your Leader & Ender project because SOMETHING has to be the Leader & Ender SOMEWHERE!
It reminds me of the commercial “How many licks to the center of a tootsie pop??” One, Two, THREE! CRUNCH!
Slow down – life is too fast as it is!
And that is just what I’m doing. I drove from Boiling Springs, PA all the way to the cabin yesterday. It took about 7 hours..and I was so wiped out when I got here that I unloaded the groceries and took a nap.
I am enjoying some of this!
And some of this with feet up in my comfy chair!
I’m glad to be able to enjoy Labor Day at the cabin…there is no mail service today, so it does me no good to rush home. I’ll head home tomorrow and tackle everything that has been piling up over the past 12 days. But for today?
I’m off the clock!
Happy Labor Day, everyone!
19 comments:
I'm currently working on two Leader and Ender quilts (Scrappily Happily Irish Chain and Classic Strippy -they use the same units), so I don't have time for another L&E project. But I really like the tumblers, and I love the Dresden ruler trick, so I'm working on that one in spurts. It will still take forever to finish, as I like my scrappy quilts really scrappy.
While I totally agree with you about the leader and ender as a year long project, there was something about those tumblers that kept calling me to do sew more of them. Kind of like chips--bet you can't eat one. One becomes two then becomes an entire row. So much fun. Have a wonder day at the cabin.
Debra, I agree, they are addictive. I am doing them as a leader ended and find myself doing more than one pair occasionally cause they are just so stinkin fun!
I will be working on scrappy mountains today, bring on the tumblers!
Bonnie, I hope you have a great day at the cabin. Enjoy the quiet solitude. RECHARGE!
Suzanne
Good morning Bonnie! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!
I really like the concept of leaders and Enders and I have been using a project for about 4 years now for my L/E. It is one of those quilts I may have never done if it didn't grow up as a L/E.
I have my eye on the lozenge quilt that was last years L/E, but I doubt I'll be patient enough to use it as a L/E. I want to start it this year. LOL!
It would be fun to see what variety of projects are being used as L/E during some of the classes and retreats you teach. I am sure, that like me, not everyone is on the current L/E project.
Thank you for all you do and for your generosity in sharing your quilting and life adventures with all of us!
How's this for a slow leader-ended project...I am still making Split 9-patch blocks from what, three or fours years ago? Sadly, I think that represents my lack of quilting time, or quilter's ADD where I start too many new projects!
Bonnie,
I can't tell you how much I appreciated those few words, "It's meant to be a year-long project."
While working on my Celtic Solstice AND my GIMQ, someone asked if I was going to do the tumblers. I responded with, "I couldn't possibly start another project!" Well, not realizing there was such a project in the works. Last year, I was part of a 4-patch exchange and we picked them up in November, during a presentation by another quilter/author. It should be finished in November, hence 1 year.
Thank you for your boundless energy and willingness to share your passion with the rest of the world. Looks like there's a tumbler quilt in my future, after all!
Jonnie Staggs, Ingleside, IL jonnie_staggs@yahoo.com
Ha, Don't feel too bad Andi! I'm just as slow.. I'm working on Cheddar Bowties as my L/E.! Lol! That was 3 yrs. ago? I don't remember...Still want to do Spoolin Around & Lozenges..as L/E...Haven't quilted my CS or GIMQ yet either. I'm woefully behind..
But Thank you Bonnie for all the Gorgeous Patterns & Fun!
Debra in Ma.
Everything looks lovely! Love it.
I love the picture with your tumbler rows laid out on the black carpet. There is what looks like a skinny black border between the main part of the quilt and one row of tumblers. I think that would be a neat way to finish one of these quilts! Gotta save that idea for when mine gets close to a finishing stage. I'm doing the 2 1/2" tumblers in Civil War pinks, red, browns and neutrals. Delicious!!
P.S. Love, love, love leaders and enders, I'm definitely a convert.
Gina in Missouri
I chose to use Grand Illusion as my leader and ender project this year, and just finished Step One. I opted to stay within a certain line of fabric (mainly to use it up), and sadly, I'm not enjoying it as much as when I go scrappy. I'll finish it of using Big Bang blocks in a different setting, and call it done. Next year's mystery - scrappy all the way!
Bonnie, you had me hooked on leaders and enders for many reasons, it was a way to use those bonus triangles, two patch left-overs from all the trimmings that I couldn't throw out and was big enough to use in another scrappy quilt project. Also, as my sewing students learned, chain piecing allows the seams to be edge to edge and when you don't have anymore to add to your chain piecing, the leader enders will keep it going which will also have seams from edge to edge. I always keep a little basket on hands full of different leaders and enders, and my students love using them and contributing them since they don't make alot of quilts like I do. And when you think about it, your units are ready to go! Thanks for a great show and tell!
Like Andi, I'm still working on split nine patch blocks, but I've also thrown in blocks for a baby quilt as L&E, so I am making progress.
I have been using my spare time going through my scraps, pressing, cutting into useable strips, squares,rectangles and tumblers. Sadly there has been no time for sewing lately. All our waking hours have been outside trying to get some landscape issues tackled. By the end of the day there's no time for sewing and besides am too pooped to even think of a project in the sewing room. Ah but winter is approaching and I will be ready to start sewing my tumblers as my LE. Gotta be ready for the day after Thanksgiving. It will be here before we know it. Am so excited to see what beauty Bonnie has for us this year!
I'm using my tumblers as my L&E, too! HOWEVER, although I only have 10 rows done and sewn together, I'm so liking it that it's HARD not to "go with it" and just sew the entire tub of tumblers I've cut already! HELP! How do I not be one of those who are finished in no time at all?? I'm working hard at restraining myself and only doing them as my L&E ... but then no promises from me. Thanks, Bonnie, for all you do for the rest of us! I so look forward to reading your blogs everyday!!!!marcie at ursaminorcreations@gmail.com
I looked at your picture, Bonnie, of the tumblers laid on the carpeting and said "oh - I love that narrow border in there." Ha... then I realized it was a loose row and the dark carpeting was the 'narrow border'.
when I made my mini tumblers, aka thimbles quilt, from 1 1/2 inch strips, I used pieces from my 2 1/2" strips tumblers as leaders and enders. so it wasn't a waste, I got to use the bigger ones as leaders and enders when the tiny ones were ready to go together. love it!
I'll use my extra Tumblers from the DWR I'm still piecing from lat year. They are cut with a 10 degree ruler. I cut way too many. it may be a mini in the time I have left to sew on it since I haven't start using them as L/E yet. Labor Day is the BEST day to take a Break! My Bowtie is still waiting for the Quilting as is my Grand Illusion. Too many Challenge and Sample quilts got put ahead of them in the queue.
Hopefully your time at the cabin was enjoyable as usual, and that you were able to have some down time. Interesting isn't how many people actually think.... you HAVE TO LABOR on Labor Day. Lol...
Bonnie, I so enjoy your blog and all you do for us. Just wondering how one could make the Tumbler Quilt without a dresden ruler. I have tried using some of the other triangle rulers but it just doesn't work. Any suggestions will be appreciated as I certainly have tons of scraps to use up. Thanks Jan
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