It's Over

So, it's over. This year's Guild quilt show, that is! Now, what am I supposed to do with my time? LOL!


The quilt show is over, and it was a GOOD one. I don't have much time to fill out this post, so I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!

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Busy October

I've been pretty darned busy these last few weeks getting ready for the Lee's Summit Missouri Quilter's Guild quilt show that's coming up November 5 and 6th. I'd sure like to have you come see the show (and me of course!). You can find out more details on the guild's blog. It will be at the Woods Chapel Methodist Church at 4725 Lakewood Way, Lee's Summit MO, 9am to 5 pm each day.

I'm the chair for the Boutique, and I think I now have just about everything priced, packed and ready to load on November 4 in order to get set up. We've had a nice showing from national vendors who have generously supplied door prizes. Of course, I had to have help from Clyde who decided to closely inspect everything as I was pricing it. Then he got tired and had to take a little nap!

Clyd'es Boutique

I've also been to a couple of nice quilt shows in the area. I've taken pictures, but since there has been so much discussion about whether they should or should not be posted on the Internet, I won't post them here for now. I think from now, I will share a piece of it. For now, I will share two of my friend Shirlee's quilt - she's also an Amazing Quilt Babe. These were just two of them that she shared at her quilt guild's show. Aren't they amazing?

I never tire of seeing Hubby with the wonder dog Mayo cuddling, taking naps together.  The weather has turned colder here, and the old rag quilt is getting double duty.  I really should make another since I've repaired this one about three times.  It's one of their favorites!

With the change in the seasons, our sunsets have been spectacular.  The wind has certainly been high, so most of the beautiful leaves have blown away, but we can still get that gorgeous fall color just before dark.

About 15 minutes before sunnet

About 2 minutes before the sun is completely down

I hope your autumn brings beautiful things to you, too!

Mayo and Me

So, the question of the day is this?  Have you scheduled your mammogram yet?  

Have you asked your mother, your sister, your daughter, your cousin, your neighbor, your FRIEND if they have theirs scheduled?

Early detection saves lives and gives years of life to those we love. 

I know. 12 years and counting - detected early with a mammogram.

The Rambling River Exhibit

Here is an overview of The Rambling River and 11 of the 15 participants. As I discussed in my earlier, post, this group is comprised of 15 women. 7 of us are from the west side of the state of Missouri near the Missouri River around the greater Kansas City area, and the other 8 women are from the east side of the state near the confluence of the Missouri and the Missisippi around the St. Louis area. I'm trying to put together the map of the state with each of our locations on it, too.

This exhibit is 22' long, and I'm sorry that this photo doesn't quite show the ones on the right side very well due to the bend in the wal. When it is displayed in November at our quilt show, I should have a better photograph of it to share. If you are interested in exhibiting it at one of your quilt shows or know of a gallery who would like to have it for display, please let me know. It can be yours for the shipping/insurance to and from our location. Each piece is 18" X 22" so the weight shouldn't be very much overall, I think. And it is just stunning to see all the different techniques and ideas that were used without sharing information back and forth until the "reveal".

You can see this in person if you are in the area on November 5 or November 6 at the Lee's Summit Quilter's Quilt Show. It will be at the Woods Chapel Methodist Church, 4725 NE Lakewood Way, Lee's Summit, MO from 9 AM to 5 PM each day.

You can double click each of these pictures for more detail. Enjoy!

The Rambling Art Quilters, Missouri (four people not shown)

#1 Lorrie Oltman and #2 Jane Kennedy

#3 Jill Harmon and  #4 Wendy Richards

#5 Klonda Holt and  #6 Nancy Sinise

#7 Cheri Rabourn and  #8 Marsha Bray

#9 Quiltgranny and  #10 Candy Grisham

#10 Candy Grisham and #11 Cathy Wight

#12 Judy Humphrey and #13 Joan Ferguson

#14 Josie Hermsmeyer and #15  Terry Rhodes

Rambling River, Part 9

I've been working with a group of quilters on both sides of the Missouri and the Mississippi River.  Seven of us are on the west side of Missouri and the Missouri River, and the other 8 quilters are around the Mississippi River near and around the St. Louis area.

Back in March, we were all given a fat quarter of a piece of fabric that was all the same, and it was designated for the "river".  The idea was modeled after The Ever Changing River Exhibit (with their permission), that hung at the NQA in June of last year.  So with our guidelines in hand, the journey began.

RAMBLING RIVER GUIDELINES:

• Create an 18" X 22" finished piece using the fabric provided
• Based on your specific directions, the river MUST come out on the right and left edges EXACTLY the width directed. (Mine comes in at 4" and leaves on the right side at 5")
• It can meander anywhere else, including the bottom, but must come out the sides because they are meeting up with other sides that will be hanging next to it.
• When hung, the pieces will show a Rambling River but probably will not have a straight edge on top or bottom.  Sides must be straight so they will go easily up next to the piece on either side.
• Pieced must be completed (3 layers), but any technique with fabric is allowed.
• Edges should be faced (not bound) so the river and all the design come to the edge of the piece.

I've been steadily working on mine, and I even took it to Michigan with me.  Yesterday, after taking off what I actually started with as my inspiration, I worked about 13 hours on it.  Today was the last part of surface design, and the facing.  

It's completed now, and ready to go to the meet-up with the rest of the river pieces on Saturday.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to meet the other quilters from the east side because I have a "guest" trunk show to do at a local quilt show.  They promise me I'll have pictures, though, so that will be good. They will hang for the first time together at the Lee's Summit Quilters' Guild Show on November 5 and 6, 2010.  For directions you can check our blog.  Hope to see you there!

Here's my process of getting there from beginning to end:

Just the beginning that actually changed a lot over time
(I accidentally burned the avocado bag, so that HAD to change!)

Partial work shared  in June.  Mine is the fourth from the left (not completed).
After seeing this picture, I didn't like the look of my fields at all, so it went back to the drawing board.

Adding clover to the field requires professional help, right?

13 hours before completion, I still didn't like the top half that I started with.
Taking off the big green hill did wonders!  It's never to late to change!

17.5" X 22" edge to edge, completed

The sky is seed embroidery stitches by hand on hand dyed fabric with variegated blue thread.  The sun is Thai silk beaded with various sizes and color of beads.  The fields are batik couched with yarn, scorched avocado bag, silk tie and flannel.  The river is filled with 3 colors of rayon threads that are hand couched.  The tree is made of "ort" roving and threads.  The field is full of rosette embroidery stitched clover.  The coyote has some fur outlines in taupe beading thread, and the houses and the furthest trees are machine broderie perse.  I've done both machine applique and hand applique, hand quilting and machine quilting.  I've given some close-ups, but you can also double click on any picture for an extreme detail close up of any of them, too.

Close up of coyote, river, clover

Close up of the sun, the village and the river

A beautiful way to the end the day at Quiltgranny's house

Another Day/Week in Michigan

On our drive to Suttons Bay, we saw a little gallery that had many kinetic wind sculptures in the yard, and these interesting sculptures. So of course, we had to stop and investigate!

I want the big bug on the roof!

And how about a giraffe family in your corn?

This is my totally favorite of Gwen's quilts, EVER! Not only do I want it, I want to make one too! Those liberated stars are 3"!!!! Have I LOST my mind?

Gwen thinks I have!

Tiny, tiny stars!

Look at that hand quilting!

And it just wouldn't be a good retreat without a refreshing swim in Elk Rapids. Now, remember the temperature this day wasn't over 60 degrees, and this is a spring fed lake. We were in the water about 20 minutes, but 18 minutes of it was just ME in getting in. The other 2 minutes was me flying out! LOL!

Me, Margaret and Marge - Wendy was in, but is taking the picture!

So without further ado, here are some favorites from the class.  I don't have all the names mentioned with the quilts, so forgive me for that.  There were a couple of new people, and I don't have my class roster handy to put them in the right places.  I'll try to get that corrected over the next couple of days, though.

Gwen's Liberated Baskets

Carol R.'s liberated sand pails 

Carol B.'s liberated "jacks"

Carol B.'s Liberated flying geese

Cassie's (?) Liberated all over 

Love the graphics of this one (Lois?)

Jenny's liberated baskets

Eleanor's liberated French fabric samples

Now, that I am back, I've been pretty busy with some last minute obligations.  I had a lunch/tea with my 1966 High School girlfriends today, a stitch day with my Amazing Quilt Babes yesterday, and I have been working on The Rambling River project frantically trying to finish all that I want to do to it before the due date this week.  Then this next Saturday I have a trunk show to do about an hour away, and a tea for Breast Cancer that I always make a quilt for their auction each year - and yes, that's going to be picked up from the quilter tomorrow.  Does that make you as tired as me?  It does for my furry friends!

Mayo the Wonder Dog and Clyde the cat are finally buddies

See you in a couple of days or so with more pictures of what's making me tired, but smiling!

Catching up

Yes, I know, I know! I've been back from Michigan almost an entire week and I haven't posted anything yet. I am going to rectify that for sure today (and probably later today too).  The week in Elk Rapids, Michigan was wonderful, as usual, with all my friends, and I made some new ones, too. My local friend Carol and I arrived on Sunday and met up with Wendy from California. We toodled around, got our groceries, kicked back and relaxed on Sunday night. On Monday, we decided to drive around the Leelanau peninsula which included the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a lighthouse stop, as well as our favorite place for cherry pie.

We started at Traverse City, then drove north to the point

That's me, just halfway up the interior side of the dune.

Wendy, Carol, and Sharon at the base of the dunes.

A beautiful drive about 7 miles further to the northernmost point of the peninsula brought us to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse at Northport.  A beautiful and rugged part of the peninsula, but we were the only ones there.  It was so peaceful and relaxing, we could have just curled up and stayed the rest of the day!

The Grand Traverse Lighthouse has been guiding ships and sailors since it was built in 1852.

At the lighthouse

View of Lake Michigan from the lighthouse path

At the end of the driving loop was Suttons Bay, a lovely little town with white picket fences and a most wonderful garden and florist shop.  I just couldn't figure out how to pay for the glass flowers or stow the owls in my suitcase or they would be located in Missouri right now!

Suttons Bay Florist shop lawn

Hoot, hoot!

Tuesday was the first day of the retreat, with people arriving, and we still had time to play around until late afternoon.  We did a little more shopping and antiquing here and there.  Of course, no trip to this part of the country isn't complete for me unless I go to Charlevoix.  I just love this little town, and the quilt shop there is just lovely!  Hearts to Holly always remembers us from year to year, and they have a marvelous selection of stuff that is very tempting!

Carol and I at the bay in Charlevoix.  Such a beautiful place!

So, back to the lodge, and here's the view from our window we had while sewing.  I'd post another picture of the view from our window, but it's much the same - the trees were just in a different place!

View of Elk Lake from our window every day.

Each year, Gwen brings a quilt and has it in the frame.  This year, there was a hand quilting demonstration as Nancy, Dawn, Marge and Unis quilted in the afternoon one day.  I think it was more a Tom Sawyer move on Gwen's part!

Quilting Bee at the retreat

I'll post photos of what the gals worked on this year for the Liberated Quiltmaking II theme.  I just took  Hubby's shirts (along with some thrift store finds) and this is what I accomplished.  I am going to really like this, but it's slow going for sure.  Inspired by Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville and the process was streamlined by Gwen Marston.

Just Shirts

 That's it for this installment.  More pictures and tall tales to follow soon!