Finished modern quilt for lesson

I worked from the paper copy until I finished the circles.  I used a really fine fusible interfacing called Sewers Dream that I ordered from Sawyer Brook.  It is so lightweight it was easy to turn and lay really flat when ironed down on the finished straightline quilting of the light gray sandwiched quilt.
 

I used the Purple Thang to turn the circles-works perfect.

Here is the Sewers Dream.  

I really enjoyed doing the staightline stitching for the quilting for the sandwiched quilt.  I used painters tape which was perfect to attach and detach.  I do wonder how easy this would be if it were a large quilt.

I used a blanket stitch #60 on my new Pfaff  for the circles.

finished wallhanging

Modern Quilt lesson for guild

Examples of some drawings for my lesson on Modern Quilts I am doing in January.  Modern quilts have really brought in alot of younger quilters and have several definitions--improvisational; bold colors with lots of negative space and many times straight line quilting; solids with the new neutral gray.  These are a few of the possibilities.  Honestly, I still probably like the traditional quilts and probably samplers best.  But it is interesting and has revitalized the quilting arena.  The first example has strips of color (well it will have) placed randomly on a snow background and the other will be a gray background with bold colors as the circles.  The circles aren't finished.  I have to sew them on fusible interfacing and turn them yet.  These are just paper copies except for the circles and they are small versions which I will probably keep as is.  The Olsburg Quilt Guild is a small rural group that meets the first Monday of the month.  We take turns giving a lesson on different techniques and usually make a quilt to raffle every year or two.  The drawing for the raffle or chance

is done after the Swedish Supper in December.

Chevrons--clue2

CHEVRONS!!--Clue2.  Doesn't look like alot for 3 hours, but there are alot of steps.  I did use my AccuQuilt for the 2" yellow and neutral squares which saved time.

Stocking ornaments

Regina brought these by this morning for Mary and I to see.  I sent the SSQG the url yesterday, and she whipped up these two ornaments in 15 minutes or less.  Here is the url
http://stumblesandstitches.blogspot.com/2011/11/tutorial-scrappy-stocking-christmas.html

 

 

Pictures from my retirement party

Daryl and Gay

Label - the last word is rare

Gay and Mary

Pizza - my favorite food

Decorations with Orphan blocks

 

Regina, Debbie, Michelle

Barbara with a poem, Cindy, Carrie, and Jody

Retirement - emotions

Getting kind of emotional with today being my reception at work.  Also, realizing I am feeling a little older than usual.  I said goodbye to my fellow quilters; some who have been together with me for over 12 years as the Scholarly Stitchers Quilt Group.  Many have expressed a desire to continue to meet at our lunch time meetings on Tuesdays.  That feels like an accomplishment to leave.  Here are some of the comments we exchanged by email today.

  Gay, you have been an inspiration to us and we will miss you at our weekly meetings, which I hope will continue.

I'm going to try out the stockings as I always give my grandkids new tree decorations each year, so someday when they move out they will have their own set.  Mary

 

Gay--

Before this group, I did hand piecing and made many blocks for family reunion quilts. I had made table runners and wall hangings. And all of this was self-taught.

After I joined the group I saw my handpiecing, appliquing, etc. improve greatly. I even broke down and started using my sewing machine because the group quilts were done by sewing machine and not by hand.

The tips, tricks, and new patterns you brought to this group has broaden my quilting field.

One of the things you brought to this group was paper piecing and now I thoroughly enjoy doing paper piecing because you showed me tricks and told me it was Okay to open the seams when pressing.

I have to tell you. I did the family reunion quilts this year. They wanted 2 wall hangings. I incorporated everything you taught us, even twilling. Even though I was not at the reunion, I was told that it was a mad house when the wall hangings came up for bid. These two wall hangings raised more money for our next year's family reunion than any one quilt and our family has been doing this for 23 years. So my family thanks you for teaching me and encouraging me to do more things that challenged my mind.

I do know one thing. If I had not joined this group, I would probably have stopped dabbling in quilting a long time ago.

Thank you for getting and keeping us together.

I know you are just across the bridge from me and don't be surprised if I send an email to "The Shire" to see if you will be home so that I can pop over to see all the projects you are working on.

And who knows, I might even see you at "The Range" some weekend.

Best Wishes and have many wonderful and happy sewing days.

Cindy

on behalf of

 

 

There is little I can say that would better express the wonderful sentiments that the others have said. You have given such a gift to each of us, and we can honestly say that none of us would be where we are with our quilting passion (it's no longer a "hobby") if it weren't for you. Not only have you helped us individually, but the ripple effect has been so appreciated by those who get our quilts or other projects as gifts. Those folks may not know you, but a little of you is present in every project.

It is indeed hard to fathom that we have been doing this for 12 years. We so appreciate your expertise, enthusiasm, and devotion to quilting and to our group.

I like the QFF name. Maybe we can figure out a way to keep this group going that will be convenient for you to be a part of. I think those of us left here will forever keep our Tuesday group meeting as a way to really keep in touch even though we work in different areas the rest of the week.

Alice

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Gay—

Learning to quilt was a longtime desire and learning to quilt with you has been such a joy and a pleasure. Your enthusiasm is contagious—others might consider this a bad thing since my sewing corner is now a sewing room and I’m considering another stash reorganization… ;-)

Thanks so much and I hope we can together.

R

 

Ahhh! You are making me cry. I am such a baby and Daryl is so patient. I can think of crying and I start. Most of you are old enough to remember Love Story. I had heard the reviews on it and went to the movie determined not to make a fool of myself--and, I held it in until the very end and then I let it out with temendous gusto and sobbed my heart out, loudly!  Gay

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There are no words adequate to thank you for ALL you have done, donated, shared, taught, and inspired. I think none of us would be accomplishing what we are or at the level we are at without having had your patient and kind teaching. We are *forever* in your debt. And I refuse to say 'goodbye'!!!!!

 Barbara

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It has been a pleasure working with all of you through the years--some for about 12 years. We accomplished so much and many of you have become quite talented on your own. We talked about meeting here in town at various places to get together once a month on Fridays. I suggest something like the 1st Friday of the month, so it gets fixed in the mind. That probably leaves January out with the holiday, but we could begin in February if any of you are interested. As this is kind of a new group and we might think about starting an Etsy site--at least I have been thinking this, we should have a new name. Some names that crossed my name were PFFs or maybe QFFs--Piecing Friend's Forever or Quilting Friend's Forever. Any ideas? I know most of you will be working on Friday afternoons, but you could stop by after work for awhile and catch up with what we are working on. If the weather is bad, I probably will stay home and not tempt the weather, but I could come over late afternoon and stay until around 7 when it is decent. Any thoughts?

Here is a cute project that is quick and so cute.

http://stumblesandstitches.blogspot.com/2011/11/tutorial-scrappy-stocking-christmas.html

Hope you all keep meeting. Keep in touch. It appears I can keep my gyou@ksu.eduemail, so I am just a message away and will check to see what you all are talking about. I also am on FB and most of you are Friends, so I will post my quilt pictures. I also have a blog that I hope to keep current--Quilter's Haven http://bluebirdoftheshire.blogspot.com/.

Gay

Playing with the 201

Got to sew on this lovely old 201 Singer sewing machine yesterday for a bit. My dear husband oiled her up and refurbished this old sewing machine cabinet with a chair. The motor is as smooth as silk. and the stitch is beautiful. The threading is quite different from modern machines, so you really have to look

 

 

online for the manual. I have had this machine for quite awhile--just haven't used it for several years. I should give her a name; any suggestions? She was born in 1947; same as me.  I got a few more Celtic Solstice units finished which totals to a mere 23 completed.  This is my last week before retirement, so I will have time to enjoy keeping up with the clues this year.

I think I will name her Opal; my Featherweight is Olive--my Mother's middle name.