That darn Georgia

Somehow my "NO" button never works. Like most quilters, beautiful fabric sticks to my thighs when I walk by and I end up with enough fabric to complete a lifetime of quilts but never quite the right mix, so a trip to the shop is always in order.  I have to admit that I don't buy very many kits in part because I always want to change them and I don't want what everyone else has already made.

About 12 years ago, Jenny Beyer came out with MoonGlow.  This is a gorgeous quilt that I know many have had difficulty putting together.  Well when they brought out the 10 year anniversary kit I broke down and bought it.  The color play really is striking and most of it can be completed using paper-piecing.  It has been sitting on the shelf for the last 12-18 months...until I get to that stack of the stash.

Photo taken from the web

One night at club Georgia mentioned that she was trying to finish her MoonGlow but thought Susan would personally shoot her if she brought it to another UFO day.  I chimed in and said that I would work on my MoonGlow if Georgia wanted to work together on the project.  What was I thinking?  this was not on my list of projects to work on anytime soon.

I am well on my way to completing the quilt with 6 design blocks done.  However, I have been working on a design edit to add a large oval compass in the center as a medallion and adding a number of additional blocks that may be duplicates of the current design or additions from the Judy Mathieson Mariner's Compass.  I think I have enough fabric but know that I can buy more through Jenny Beyer's online store.

I am taking my remaining blocks with me on vacation next week.  It takes me 2-3 hours to complete one of the blocks and some of the remaining blocks are more complicated than what I have done so far.  I may only get a couple of blocks done or I may complete the remaining 7 design blocks.  Once I have the core blocks done I will really have to focus on that center design and see if I can pull it off or go with the beautiful quilt as it is currently designed.  More to come

Kathy's beautiful fabric throw

My friend Kathy Watson has moved to Sun City, Arizona.  Supposedly she will be back here during the summers when it is brain boil in Arizona.  Last fall before she left, Kathy and I were on retreat at Lake Beauty.  She had this great fabric she wanted to use for a throw at the end of the bed.  Kathy decided to quilt the design motifs with a minke backing.  She spent a lot of time getting the whole cloth pinned to the minke (it really stretches a lot so needs mega pinning).

This spring when she was back she passed the partially completed throw to me for finishing.  You know it was just following the design on the fabric, nothing real difficult or fussy but OMG there was a lot more than what I gave it credit for.  I quilted on this thing for weeks to get it done.  If I needed practice with my free-motion technique, I just got it.

The fabric is a great print of medallion circles and curly cue flowers and stems.  I was able to just follow the outline of the different motifs with a tan thread on top and a yellow in the bobbin. 

   


With all of the pinning the whole thing was pretty heavy but the mink really need the stabilization or it would have stretched and sagged all over.  As it turned out, the minke took on a fabulous texture. 

 
Once she binds this "quilt" (there is no batting) I think Kathy will really like the results.

Kristi had a birthday

Recently my business partner and I had to buy new laptop computers.  It is nice that we can do that at this point.  Kristi wanted one of the smaller 13 or 14 inch style for easy portability.  I got the 15 inch with a 10 key number pad in the keypad area.  We have both been happy with the computers but Kristi was having a problem finding a "sleeve" to put her computer into before she slides the whole thing into her carrying bag. So for her birthday I made her a little sleeve for her little computer.

In addition to the computer bag I finally completed the quilting on the Four Patch Posy I had intended to give her for last Christmas.  So in the middle of a very hot summer Kristi got a cozy quilt for her tv room.

The colors will work perfectly for her.


This pattern is so fun to make that I have another one ready for the vacation trip where I get to sew