Between The Rain Showers!

We must have all been doing quite the rain dance - because once Saturday rolled through and we stopped to take a photo of the dam that no longer had water flowing over it on Wilson Creek - 

It rained for nearly two days straight - yesterday being the heaviest of all, so I'm glad we had opted to take our over-the-porch-rail photos on Saturday afternoon between cloud bursts!

Take a look at all of these Lupine & Laughter beauties!

The sky may be grey, but these quilts are sunshine.

Next to the row of Lupine & Laughters was Paula's Scissors finish. So cute!

The pattern is Sadie the Scissors from Everyday Stitches.

An adorable child's quilt made from a panel -

And the wonderful Humming bird quilt you have been asking for a pattern for.

I hate to tell you this but this quilt began as a photo from the maker, that she had pixelated and custom made into a quilt design for herself.  There is not a commercial design.

She started here at Pixel Quilts.

You can upload any photo and it will pixelate it into a pattern for you along with a key for choosing the solid colored fabrics you need to complete your own design.

So many of the group are now interested and invested in making these small tester patterns!

Patty's Rose

The interesting thing to me is that it is not entirely squares. But there are rectangles and larger squares included and it really does feel like putting a puzzle together.

The best thing about working with solids?  Both sides of the fabric are the RIGHT SIDE!

Back to the porch rail:

Smocking sampler, and a Debbie Caffrey mystery the guild participated in.

This is the same pattern, in different fabrics. It was finished yesterday afternoon so we are showcasing it here as well.

Linda's gorgeous star sampler. 

It was a great display for everyone driving by!

Another Debbie Caffrey design - love the colors!

And the finished center before borders are added.

And another flag quilt center finish -

This is Freedom Song by My Fabric Addiction.

I always love seeing what folks put in the jar quilts!

And it's not just quilts!

This cute little outfit with the M monogram was made for a cherished grandson. Adorable!

And for those who wished to participate, there was a little drawstring bag making workshop - so cute!

What's the tiniest little quilted bag you've ever made?

So darned cute.

One of the quilters keeps her binding thread, clips, snips, thimble, needles in one of these PINNED to her quilt so no matter where she is binding it (The goal was to finish binding on the back porch and she did!) she is never going find herself without her thimble, or not know where her thread is, or have a replacement needle if she breaks or loses one.  Genius!)

It was an awesome week - rain and all!

We missed those who weren't able to attend this year.  We love the new ones who stepped in to fill open spots and hope they'll be coming back - it was a fun time all around.

I spent most of my day at my desk yesterday drawing graphics and working on the PDFs for our upcoming Hello, Gretchen pattern release - scheduled for Thursday.

*Note: I wasn't able to do quilt photography yesterday due to copious amounts of needed rain. If conditions aren't better today we may push it a day until I can get those photos. But fingers are crossed that today will do the job.*

It was still raining early afternoon so I dug into something to clear my mind.

See this?

And this?!?!

It became this.

And then it became this.

With Y seams.

Yes, with Y seams (And you can tell at the lower left that I already picked one out and started again.)

Yes, you can do Lemoyne stars with extra seams in the corners and middles so you don't have to set in Y seams.

But I don't want extra seams running through my solids.  If it was a print, it wouldn't be so noticeable.

Y seams it is.  And not too bad if I do say so myself.

Where am I going with this?

Dunno.

I just needed a palate cleanser.  I've still got my Romania blocks to work on.  There is a mystery quilt to start. But sometimes...you've just got to try something that's been on your mind for a while.  So here we are.

Today - The Pieceful Hearts gals will already be on their way by the time I get to the retreat to start in on laundry and getting the house ready for tomorrow's arrivals - the July Quiltvillians are inbound!

Photo taking - hopefully.  Pattern writing - mostly...and maybe I can sneak in a few more string diamonds?

How about your Tuesday ahead?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

“She used a needle as often. as easily as a telephone; it was her duty, her comfort, her companion, her mode of self-expression. ⁣
⁣
And when she undertook a project of great magnitude, she was not just passing time or doing a bit of show-off needlework, she was making a statement about herself; about her skill, her patience, her ability to endure endless days of hard work and tedium for the sake of the pattern of the whole, and ultimately of her sense of her own value as a human being.” ⁣
⁣
Beth Gutcheon, from The Perfect Patchwork Primer, 1973
⁣
Have an awesome Tuesday, folks!⁣