For the Quilter in You

If you have never visited Missouri Star Quilt Company's website you are missing out. They have some good tutorials available. There is one that I thought would be a great idea for holiday gifts or just for fun ~ you can find it here. Enjoy!

Quilting Class

I finally got to that quilting class (actually it was more a piecing class). Those of you who are seasoned quilters know this is a beginner's quilt. We used a turning twenty pattern that is indeed fairly simple. I am pleased with the outcome thus far, but simple or not it is still a good bit of work! Since the piecing is done, I am working toward getting the quilt basted and then on to the quilting. I have not decided if I am going to hand quilt or machine quilt this one. I also need to find a motif to quilt. A good bit of work ahead and I am eager to see the finished project.

From a Fat Quarter

Inside one of the bags I received from the shop hop I found a little sheet telling what can be cut from a fat quarter. I am sure this is in a lot of quilting books but I thought I would pass this bit of information on to any of you quilters/sewers who might not have it in a convenient place. I think I will laminate my little copy and put it where it is easy to find.

From a fat quarter you can cut

99-2" squares

50-2 1/2" squares

42-3" squares

30-3 1/2" squares

20-4" squares

16-4 1/2" squares

12-5" squares

12-5 1/2" squares

9-6" squares

6-6 1/2" squares

Days Go By ~ Enjoyed the Smokies & the East TN Shop Hop

It is amazing how quickly time passes. June has come and is almost over. We just returned from a family vacation in the Smokies. I think I have seen more mountains in the last month than I have seen in my entire lifetime. Trips to Missouri in May, Peru early June, and just returning from the Smokies has certainly offered some amazing views of God's handiwork. I am surprised that my dreams have not been filled with mountains!  Though all of the trips were different, each one was a blessing. I am looking forward to being home for a while now.

The Smokies are beautiful!

It was sad to see all the trees dying because of insects

that are not native to the area.

 

I don't think I have a picture here from Clingman' Dome ~ certainly a must see.

For those of you who are use to climbing,
the steep half-mile trail to the observation tower will not be difficult.
For the rest of us "non-climbers", well, there are resting points that get lots of use!

There is a beautiful view not many steps away from the parking area

for those who choose not to take the trail to the observation tower.

Unfortunately, it was quite hazy the day we visited the observation tower

and it did not offer the desired view.

It was unique, however, to be high enough to experience a cloud passing through

~ quite cool and refreshing!

While in Sevierville, Tennessee, I found out that there was an East Tennessee Shop Hop going on. Unfortunately, we were leaving a couple of days after I found out and I couldn't make the rounds to all the shops. I did enjoy getting to visit several shops and picked up several projects to work on.  Each of the shops had a goody bag for the participants that usually included a free block pattern and a fat quarter. They also offered their shop hop featured block with the included material for purchase for $5.  I could not pass this up, so I have several blocks to piece and then find a place to use them.  My sister recommended that maybe I put all the blogs in one quilt as a keepsake from the trip. I like her recommendation.  Since I purchased a block from each of the stores, I also have a second, duplicate pattern for each block, from each goody bag, that I can share.  So it seems that July might be filled with several quilting projects. I am thinking that I would like to do next year's shop hop with my mom and sisters. I think it would be great fun. I will have to see if they are interested. No rush though ~ we do have a year to decide. Below are some of the goodies that I picked up.

Before we left for our trip I signed up for a class that will take place in July and picked out the material I would need. It is suppose to be a good class for beginners (of which I would still consider myself). I am looking forward to actually getting a whole top pieced and moving on to the quilting.

  For the July class project.

 

Well, I have lots of stuff that needs to get done. May the Lord bless you all and fill your life with laughter and goodness as the days go by. Have a wonderful day!

Quilting On My Mind

As we were visiting with my mom yesterday, my sister told me that the new quilting, shop hop magazine was out. We were both excited and I had to stop on my way home and pick up a copy. I always enjoy the shop hop editions. I like seeing all the different shops and all the ways they display the products in their stores. I enjoy the quilts, the stuffed animals, all the bags, and so much more. It's just a delight. So, I have browsed through the magazine a few times now and will probably sit down shortly on the couch and read about the different shops and absorb all that beauty.

I am especially excited that my sister-in-law and my brother have opened up a new quilting shop! Although it is about an hour and a half drive from where I live, I look forward to heading that way once a month and participating in some of the classes they will be offering.

Some of you who have dropped in before know that my mom, my sisters, and I had started learning to quilt together but the quilt shop where we were going closed. I was very disappointed. Now we can start again. I am having to squelch my desire to get started on something this month because I already have other commitments that I need to spend time preparing for and carrying out. Hopefully, sometime early June we will be able to get something going. So, I am looking forward. Now on to reading that magazine!

Quilting Quandary

Thought I would share some "block of the month" pieced blocks with you.  Unfortunately, they are pieced with no where to go right now.  The quilt shop where my mom, my sisters, and I had been going, closed.  I'm afraid we did not get to see what the finished quilt should look like.  Since we are all beginning quilters (decided to learn together) we are not sure where we are going from here.  We are not going to give up though.  We have had a great time getting together each month and plan to make new arrangements after the holidays.  Maybe we can contact the shop owner and see if a finished pattern is available.  If not, we will find somewhere for our blocks to go!