There is a lot of quilty goodness happening at Quiltville Inn this week - so much creativity, and the November Quiltvillians only moved in on Wednesday evening!
The one thing I dearly love about returning groups - and I've likely said it before, and I'll definitely say it again - because it bears repeating: I love seeing reunions of folks who hadn't seen each other over the past year, and I get to feel like I'm part of their reunion too!
We get to catch up on things like what weddings happened, who had new grandbabies born, who has retired, who has a new quilting studio - all the things. I love it!
Quilt in progress is Easy Street from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders.
I also love seeing projects that were started at an earlier retreat come back as a big finish for an over-the-porch-rail photo op!
Barbara finished her Spider & The Fly top - 100% recycled shirts in this top - yes, even the bright orange!
Her goal this retreat is to finish the borders for her Punkin Patch quilt from String Frenzy. I love the deep green she has chosen for her checkerboard border! And those pumpkins! So cute!
And she brought her Chilhowie fabric pull!
How are you coming along on yours? If anyone asks you where to find the fabric info, please direct them to the Chilhowie Mystery Tab at the top of the blog where I will be linking all of the clues for easy access.
Kismet blocks are coming together!
And looking grand on the design wall!
I spy Sand Castles from String Frenzy and the beginnings of Bear Branch!
Winston Ways in holiday fabrics! Pattern from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders.
I can't wait to see this one come together!
It brings great joy to see so many beautiful quilts in progress - especially since my own project is going much like this:
That's paper piecing for ya! LOL!
Just where was my brain? Evidently not paying attention. Oh well, SHIFT HAPPENS!
ALL. PICKED. OUT!
This has been the most mind numbing experience of my whole quilting existence. Seriously. Picking out fairly close spiral quilting with perfect tension on loosely woven fabrics is no picnic, let me tell you!
And I found it best to unpick from between the layers - peel the top back, and use my seam ripper wherever railroad track stitches where easily visible. It saved a lot of fabric nicking, but I do know I did catch the fabric a time or two. One place I'll have to unsew the top a bit and replace one of the logs.
There is thread everywhere. There are more short thread pieces to remove from the quilt top.
And since I don't know when the Intelliquilter will be installed, I just may put this one in the "To be hand quilted" pile. (Though I don't know if I can stomach that much up-close-and-personal time with this top after it absorbed all of the bad words I could muster under my breath during the unsewing part.)
So what do we have instore for today? First up - HAIR CUT! So very needed.
And while I am to town for a hair cut there will be other errands to run.
The quilters have plans to hit up a quilt shop or two along with an antique mall (or two!) while I am gone and we'll all meet back up this afternoon to tell the tales of our day out and about.
I hope to be back at the Juki at some point to continue the blue/green project. I'm loving how it is coming along so far - when I have enough of it done I'll share progress. Right now it doesn't look like much.
What is happening with YOUR Friday as we head into the weekend?? Are you feeling the holiday crush yet?
This in from April, one of our October Quiltvillians!
She has started in on a full color Pine Tree Point quilt using all of her fun scraps. Christmas is not just red and green anymore!
Holidays are coming whether we like it or not! And I have placed the PDF pattern for Pine Tree Point at 25% off in both the Quiltville Store and the Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop. No coupon needed.
Sale is good through 11/23/22 (Thanksgiving Eve) so hurry and save!
And if you already have this quilt started as a UFO - maybe now is the time to pull it back out and finish it up! I'd love to see your finishes.
And since we are talking about November sales and savings, here's something else you may be interested in:
ALL MONTH LONG!
25% off EVERYTHING at Electric Quilt!
YES! That includes EQ 8 Software!
And it includes the Block Base+ Add On!
Click through my links to get there, and remember to use coupon code EVERYTHING to save your 25%.
If EQ8 and Block Base+ are not on your gift list - they should be!
Today's plan - Hanging out with the November Quiltvillians! Most arrived last evening after I had already made my way home.
This is the time of year where "NO NIGHT DRIVING" gets really depressing. It will be harder (and cutting into my fun!) next week when Fall Back happens.
What do you have on your plate for today?
Don't forget to sign up for our Panic in Paducah Book & Fabric Gift-Away HERE.
And while you are in a winning mood, Don't forget to sign up for the Nov/Dec '22 Quiltmaker Gift-Away HERE!
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
That drawing happens TOMORROW 11/5/22.
Okay, that's it - let's get this day going!
Vintage string quilt found in Kentucky.
Have an absolutely, positively wonderfully creative day, everyone!
With visual focus on dark fabrics wouldn't hand quilting become quite a strain on your dear precious eyes? It would play havoc with mine...just my opinion. Be kind to yourself and hang in there until the new long arm arrives and starts purring like your sweet cats.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story of misery in unpicking the quilting. Last year I had to unpick 5 rows on a king sized quilt because of horrible thread shredding. I kept trying things to make that thread work because I thought it looked so pretty on the quilt top. It took me three weeks because my hands just gave out. I, too, unpicked from the middle but used a razor blade along with the seam ripper. I thought I would never finish it. I picked a different design and thread color when I reloaded it. It was all meant to be as the thread color and design looked better than my original choice. I really appreciate knowing that others have experienced the same thing and there is no quick solution. Oh, how I wish there was! Good luck with your new computer system you get it!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your longarm troubles, but you are gonna LOVE your Intelliquilter! It is amazing and does more than you can imagine. Also, the company has the best support I've ever seen anywhere! By the way, did you know there is a Facebook group called "Friends Using IQ (Intelliquilter)" and they are truly friends, I have a notebook full of helpful tips that came from those FB members, so many in fact, that I had to make up a "Contents" page for the notebook! Can't wait to hear about your experience with your new IQ!
ReplyDeleteHaircut Fri- Yay! I need one but can't get hold of my hairdresser and the road is closed to get to my Neice. Winter has come to the PNW. Quilty Season. Making Quilty gifts today for Christmas. Should have started sooner. Famous last words.No where to go. I love my days that have nothing on the Calendar. Upgrading my Embroidery Machine next week. Early Anniversary/Christmas/Birthday present to myself. Hope your Upgrade gets there soon. Blue and Green makes me think of my 2nd Midnight Flight project started a the PNW Quiltville Retreat in 2017 at Royal Ridges.
ReplyDeleteI feel for your "unsewing." My computerized midarm died in the middle of the sixth row of a very dense pattern (dense to start with AND shrunk to fit the small throat space). I estimate it took about 30 hours of watching Zooms and You tube videos to unpick it. Just finished my first quilt on my new Amara with Prosticher and waiting until I'm a little further on my ateep learning curve to reload and quilt that one, stretched this time instead of compressed!
ReplyDeleteOn my agenda today - a little house, a little quilting, and making a turkey pot pie for dinner. OH and maybe a nap!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas everyone.....lolol and Happy Sewing.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you have to unsew your quilting. That is the worst.
ReplyDeleteMy Pine Tree Point is coming along ... I'm doing the red border now. Made a big salad for supper.
Beautiful day here today..
Come home safe.