From Phoenix with Love!

This is Sherri’s Pineapple Crazy from String Fling!

Oh – hold on to your hats folks – she went way above and beyond what I did and made this gigantic beauty nearly king size with 400 blocks coming to 100’’ x 100’’!

This photo is from the show & share portion of yesterady’s presentation event at 35th Ave Sew & Vac in Phoenix where I am teaching this week. 

I was blown away by everyone’s gorgeous quilts, but I swear – the entire room stopped breathing when Sherri unfurled her Pineapple Crazy.

Take a look at the full sized photo here .  It’s AMAZING!

Wow. Just wow!

Pineapple Crazy is 100% paper pieced and 100% scrap using pleasure!  Paper piecing is the best way to use up those smallest of cherished scraps without having to rotary cut anything down to a particular size before sewing.  It’s sew first, trim second – a total brainless win/win. 

There were SO many beautiful show & share quilts – one after the other after the other after the other, it was truly the BEST part of the day!

Lani’s Straits of Mackinac from String Frenzy!

Oh, those gorgeous aquas!

Lani and her niece Sarah started their Straits of Mackinac journeys during our time together at the Grand Hotel Needle Art Seminar last May – and here she is with the top done!  Fabulous, just fabulous!

Some Good Fortune quilts from last year’s mystery made an appearance!

I love the additional borders to make the quilt fit the bed!

And I also loved seeing our Frolic Mystery come to life in blocks!

You can see the rest of what was shared in this video here – the quilts are many and all so gorgeous!  Click to Play:

The day didn't end there!

10 of us gathered afterwards for dinner at Manuel’s – GREAT Mexican food!

There was so much visiting and talking and laughing and getting to know one another that the only thing that got photographed was Sarah's carnitas nachos as they were presented to the table!

APPETIZER?!

Oh no, that’s a meal!

And that’s one of the good things of being early with the happy hour menu close at hand.  Yummy!

So happy to be with these fun ladies!

It’s a great way to spend a birthday week.

The weather continues to improve – yesterday was sunny and no sweater required – today – even better.  Keep bringing it on – I need more Vitamin D!

It’s a Emerald City workshop day in the 35th Ave Sew & Vac event center.  Bring on the strings and triangles from strip sets using my Essential Triangle Tool!

There are close to 50 in the class from what I’m told – I’m glad we have that big new space because this afternoon’s block lay down with everyone’s blocks is going to rock this place!

Yesterday’s drawn group in the Quiltville Inn Rally is extremely excited and emails are flying amongst their ladies to see who is able to make such close dates in March or not.  My fingers are crossed that they can.  So our drawing is on hold for a few days.

Our January Quilty Box Gift-Away is still gathering entries!  Did you enter to win?  Click over to Tuesday’s post to enter.  Drawing to happen Monday.

And as I am celebrating the BIG 58 today – after class I’ll be heading over to my friend Jule’s house for dinner with she & her hubby to celebrate.  We’ve been friends since we were 12.  And here we are at 58.

How did we get here?  Look at all of the time that has passed and all of the things that have happened in our lives.  Yet here we are.  And we are still the same silly giggly girls we were back then. 

Coming out to Phoenix to teach has so many other benefits besides the teaching itself.  A family birthday dinner is also planned for Sunday evening at in Sister-in-law’s place and I’ll get to meet my new grand niece and grand nephew both born in the  past several months.  Priceless!

And so good for my soul.

And with that – I’m off to teach a class!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Jamestown landing quilt from my book String Fling. Just $19.99 in the Quiltville Store.

I'm not sure how I got here, or if I'm ready to be here, I just know that there are more exciting things around the corner!

So happy to be in Arizona sharing my birthday week with some amazing quilters. And looking forward to the next 3 days of workshops and all of the creativity and fun that will bring!

If the world had a big enough birthday cake I would share a piece of it with all of you!

Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!