Bag Ladies of the Fat Quarter Club

I started this quilt as a block of the month from Chickadee Hollow Designs, in January of 2016.  It is finally stitched, quilted and bound. 

When I started working on this around my friends and told them the story that goes along with these ladies:   Copied from Chickadee Hollow site.

The Bag Ladies of the Fat Quarter Club are a group of 12 lovely ladies who portray themselves as Bag Ladies. They are all unique as most Bag Ladies are. They all dress a little differently, certainly some eccentricity apparent and there accessories are eclectic at best. They come from all walks of life and their ties to family or old friends may have been lost. But, they found a place, where they were accepted for who they are and what they bring to the group. They all have one common interest in quilting. They all show up every Friday night at the local quilt shop to sit and enjoy their stitching with each other. They are a happy group, and they all contribute the things they like to bring for refreshments. You will find homemade chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sardines and crackers, wine, lots of wine, for some of the refreshments. 
The coffee pot is always on at the shop and they enjoy their coffee too. Each one shares what they are working on and delight in the companionship of each other. But, they all come for one thing, on Friday nights Fat Quarters are $.99 cents! The best deal in town! 

my quilting friends wanted to be part of it. They started naming different ladies for themselves and the others we sew with.  At different points I thought of stitching the names of them on the blocks. Then I thought maybe I'd have them sign their block.  But I have way more than 12 friends I sew with, some leave, new ones come - so as 3 years have passed in the making, I decided that I know who they are and without names they represent my circle of friends that I stitch with weekly and yearly.  I've made some of the best friends in my life since I've started quilting.  So this is my friendship quilt, my "I'm so Blessed" Quilt.  
Today I'm off to do some more quilting.  I'm rocking this list of 15 items, 7 done and 8 to go.  Today I'll quilt the small charity bear quilt and I want to start the quilt for Jacquie my first Mother in law.  
Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn   

Day on Day off

After I got the quilting done on the flag quilt on Monday - 

and after dinner, I cut and sewed the binding on.  I didn't get a picture of that, but I will once the binding is hand sewn.  I need to find a better place to hang quilts to take pictures of them. 
Tuesday I was on fire.  I did some house cleaning, then I pin basted 4 quilts so that I had them ready to go.  (Even started quilting.  :)
Next up on the quilting schedule - Carter's Minecraft quilt.

Then my Bag Ladies.

This one is a charity one that I brought home from the cottage.  

And my Bee Quilt.  

Then I plugged in my headphones and started in on Minecraft.  Since it's pixel squares I am mostly doing stitch in the ditch and a little echo quilting on it.  I got about 3/4 of it done before I stopped on Tuesday.   
Wednesday - well that was another story.  As if it wasn't bad enough to have a bruised tailbone that I'm dealing with, I fell and hit my head and bruised my ribs so Wednesday was a day off. I laid on the couch all day, and watched NCIS reruns.  So day on fire Tuesday - day off on Wednesday.  Today, yes still sore, I'm going to see if I can do a little more quilting on the Minecraft quilt, if not maybe some hand stitching on binding. I'll let you know how I do. 
Have a blessed day!
Lynn 

Red White and Blue for June

It's a beautiful day here in sunny Arizona.  I love the sun and blue skies we get here, I don't always appreciate the heat we get here (125 degree's) :)  It's just after 8 am and already 86 degrees. But that's okay a lot of people have to stay inside a few months of the year because of snow, we stay in a few months of the year because of he extreme heat.  
Any way that's not what I'm here to write about, I'm here to set out my game plan for June.  June is becoming a patriotic month.  I am working on my Daughter-in-laws flag quilt.  I got it pin basted  and started quilting it yesterday.  

I figure I will have the quilting finished on that by first to mid of next week.  
The other parts of my red, white and blue - patriotic June have to do with the scrappy UFO's I found that I will working on at the retreat that starts on the 17th of the month.  

I posted about these in this Post.   The first one will involve 1/2 square triangles and then trimming so that will be a little time consuming.  The 2nd one will be very easy until I get to the little pinwheel cornerstones.  
As always I have 6 other projects I'm taking to the retreat with me - and will probably never get to them.  LOL.  
So what's up for the rest of the month?  More quilting, I am determined to get some tops done!  I have backs ready for at least 6 quilts right now and batting cut for 4 or 5.  These 3, will be the first to get quilted.  :
Minecraft - 

Bee Quilt.

Bag Ladies.

I want to get (at least) these pin basted in the next couple of weeks.  One of our grandsons is coming for a visit at the end of June and first part of July and he will be using the bed I use to pin the quilts.  :) I don't imagine I'll get a ton of quilting done while he's here, but a little here and there could add up.  I would hate to have the time and no quilt ready.  
I'm sure this will keep me more than busy, as my mind thinks of other stuff I want to do also.  But hopefully I can make a good dent in what's listed here. 
So for now - Happy June and I'll keep you posted on what I am working on.
Blessings,
Lynn 

Got your Back?

It's little bits at a time, but every little bit added together makes a whole.  Yesterday I was able to get the backs put together for two more quilts.  Here is the back for Carter's Minecraft quilt.  

It's hard to see, but it is a really neat Ombre fabric.  I also made the binding.  Now to get it pinned to quilt. It  will be the next one to get quilted after the Bears.

Next I made the back for my Bag Ladies Quilt and cut the strips for the binding.

Next up I made some cord wraps (to use instead of rubber bands) - they will be a workshop next week but I don't want to haul my machine back and forth - so made them at home. 

I still had some time so I bordered and pillowed (I didn't want to bind it) my stitch sampler I made with Crabapple Hill Designs.  Now to find a place for it. 

And I still had some time so I made a little cloth book that someone gave me about the birth of Jesus.  I'll be sending this to Carter and his younger brother Ben and little sister Nellie. 

That finished up my day.  I did a little bit of hand stitching on the frogs but not much. 

Today I am going to work on quilting the bears.  I have got to get started or they will never get done. 

Wish me luck.  

Blessings,

Lynn 

Bee Blocks and more.

Still working on my Bee blocks for the corner stones of my Bee-Utiful quilt.  Here's the ones that I have finished. 

I only have 11 1/2 to go.  :)  These are trimmed, now I can line them up so I know which ones I want to go where. 

A few of us did a little road trip on Saturday

We made it to 4 quilt shops and I got some really good deals on stuff I needed (not just wanted) I was able to get the Bee fabric that I'm using on the sashing for $5.00/yd so I bought enough to make the backing.

I also got binding for my Bag Ladies.  I have enough of the sashing fabric for the back by adding a small strip, but needed the binding.  Score!

It is the opposite of the sashing, here I'll show you.  

So it's perfect. 

Then I had a couple of gift certificates to the quilt shop where I used to work while they were here in Fort Mohave so I got 4.5 yards of an off white to use as backgrounds for scrap quilts.  I only got stuff a two stores and didn't find anything I had to have at the other two.  They had stuff I liked - but didn't need so I was good.  

Hope you're having a good day - 

Blessings,  Lynn 

River Quilters Camp

I call them retreats, some call them camps.  Tomato - Tamato - Call it what you want it's a sewing fest and I enjoy them. 
This retreat/camp is especially fun.  They have raffles, gifts, door prizes and games. And even with all of that - you have plenty of time to get a lot of sewing done. Here is a group picture

The Room Set Up.

 And our goodies.

Here are my Bag Ladies of the Fat Quarter Club. I got the sashings in and now to quilt.

This is a wool mat that was part of our gift bag.  I went ahead and got most of it done.  

Saturday - Java Table Runner

I had left over fabric - so I made matching place mats.

Then I worked on the this little kit that my friend Susie H. gave me.  She's the one that does the drive by gifts. 

I need to embroider something in this banner.  The pattern says "Kindness Matters" which is good but I wanted to say something else... Not sure yet.  

Here are the projects Cheryl worked on but first - I want to show you a funny.  Cheryl brought a wall hanging that she appliqued on to show me for a possible banner at our quilt retreat... She looks up and Kathy sitting behind me had the same design as a logo on her shirt. 

Okay now her projects - She made these zipper bags for a friend that was leaving on a cruise and needed gifts for daughters of an exchange student they once had and were now visiting. 

Then she made this quilt top.  It was a kit she had put together for my Sister to do, but didn't do. 

We both did our wool mats but I didn't get a picture of her's.  Then she did this.  She did a Ta Da... asked if I could see the vortex pattern and Uh Oh I spotted that there were boo boo's on the right side.

I felt terrible having to tell her.  We brainstormed trying to figure out the easiest way to fix ... but there isn't going to be an easy way.  It's every other block on every other row that needs to be turned.  :(.
That wrapped up most to the retreat.  On Sunday we both worked on hand work until most everyone was heading out then we packed up too.
I worked on the last block for my Bee-Utiful QAL quilt. 

I started sewing the sashing between the blocks on Saturday - but Cheryl gave me a neat idea for the cornerstones - which will involve more embroidery so I'm not quite done yet.  I've just laid it out to give you an idea how it will be.  (or Bee)  

Well it's another busy week here.  My Sister and Brother in law are leaving for their other home on Thursday, so we're working at finishing up her stuff and getting stuff ready for her to take with her to do over the summer.  Also she is helping me pin the Bear quilt so I can quilt it while they are gone, hopefully to have it finished when they come back. Then there is regular life.  Oil changes, the gym, meals to cook, Doctor appointments and on Friday is another quilt show to go see.  
Have a Blessed week everyone - 
Lynn 

Bag Ladies Have Been Framed

I had a little time today so I trimmed up my Bag Ladies and started putting frames (borders, sashing) around them.  

I'm telling myself I'll wait until I get the final one done before I start putting them together, so I know where I want to place them. But who knows I got excited when I saw them all framed up, and wanted to start sewing them together. Guess we'll see.  
Have a blessed day - Lynn