Simple and Sweet

This weekend was a simple one, with time to catch up on projects and to visit with friends.

"Jacks for Althea" 36" x 48"

I quilted and delivered this crib quilt to a friend for her granddaughter.  

To save time, I tried a fusible batting.  

It worked very well for this small project. 

Then I went to my neighbor's backyard for some outdoor sewing--my FAVORITE summer activity.

That's my neighbor, Shannon, (left,) and her visitor, Deanna, from Portland.

While they sewed on their Bernina's, I made progress on my embroidery.  

I finished the red chain stitch all the way around the lone star.

A Day with Kathy Doughty and Friends in Portland

This weekend I got to spend a VERY fun day in Portland, Oregon, with Kathy Doughty and her crew from Material Obsession in Sydney, Australia!

Aren't they gorgeous?  Well, so are their quilts!  Their works are truly stand-outs in the international quilt-making scene.

Cath, Wendy, Kathy and Carolyn

They were on their way to Sisters, OR, to teach at Quilter's Affair.  

I hope many of you will be there taking Kathy's classes!

We started the day in their hotel room.  The minute I walked in and saw them working on their amazing creations, I felt like I was home.  I was so bowled over by all their works, that I took only a few photos.  

This quilt is called "Fractured."  The pattern is in Kathy's latest book, Making Quilts, the Promise of Joy.  She's teaching it at Sisters and in Syracuse, NY, at Quilting by the Lake in a few weeks.

NEWS FLASH--THE U.S. VERSION OF THE BOOK IS BEING RELEASED THIS WEEK!  

Their strong, deep friendship is so evident.  They clown around and laugh all the time.   

I gave them these little pin cushions to tie onto their sewing machines.  Immediately, they all began trying out ways to wear them.  Necklace?  Bracelet?  Headband? 

Then we went to the Pendleton Woolen Mills Store.  This company is very Oregon.  They began in 1909, weaving blankets to trade with the Native American people.  The store sells top quality wool yardage and blankets in original designs.  They have BINS of remnants and strips for sale by the pound, plus sale tables.

I found some woven plaid cottons on sale for $2.50 A YARD!  

I bought three quilt backs, plus some remnants.  

Next stop was the very cool Alberta Street for lunch and visits to 

Bolt Fabric Boutique and Modern Domestic, plus other cute shops and refreshments at a patio cafe.

Then off to Pittock Mansion for a view of the city and a walk through the gardens.  

It was a real joy to see Portland through their eyes.  They found inspiration everywhere--a green painted house, a patch of red flowers, the shape of a thistle...  

The day renewed my gratitude for this amazing quilting community that we all share, with friends in every corner of the globe, inspiring and shaping us as we express our lives through our quilts.

Template Fun

It was HOT this weekend, so I stayed in and made this crib quilt top for a friend's granddaughter.

"Jacks" 36" x 48"

I used this template, which I'd bought a few years ago.  

Funny how those things pop up at just the right moment!

A Day with Loretta Bennett

I got to spend Saturday with Loretta Bennett of Gee's Bend, Alabama!

When Stephanie heard she would be in the area for another project, 

she organized a sewing day for Gee's Bend quilt fans--like me.  

Thank you so much, Stephanie!!

Here's Loretta showing how she takes apart jeans.  There's a pocket perfectly picked off.  

To her right is a polyester double knit block she made.  She's wearing a t-shirt made from the design.  

(She had been at Pilchuck school as an artist-in-residence.  The t-shirt was made there.)

After telling lots of stories about growing up in Gee's Bend, 

she took a strip from each of us to show how she makes a quilt out of anything she has.  

All that, plus a leg of denim, and wa-la!

Behind her you can see some of the blocks made by participants in the class.  

Loretta will take these home and put them together into one quilt.  

Loretta is a really lovely person.  Besides being talented, she's humble, generous, patient, and kind.

You can see some of her quilts here.

I finished this top, which I started in 2011 at another Gee's Bend class in Sisters, Oregon.

Below are some details.

Now, I've got a whole lot'a quilting to do!

Gwen Marston on Lopez Island

I've just returned from four days with Gwen Marston and friends on Lopez Island, Washington.

This was one of several workshops I've taken from her.  

She never fails to be witty, good natured, helpful, talented and SO much fun.  

This retreat was all about making medallion quilts.
Here's Gwen with the flimsy I made during the first two days.

This is the start of one I worked on the last two days.

Photo by Sharon Risedorph, shown with permission from Roderick Kiracofe.

The inspiration is this quilt in Roderick Kiracofe's book, QUILTS, at Blurb.com.

It's made between 1950-1975 in New Orleans by an African American quilt maker.

  

Here's Gwen showing the book, while everyone took notes about how to order it.

If you like quirky quilts like I do, you're going to want this book!

The retreat took place at this historic one room school house, set in an idyllic field. 

One day, I heard a "baa" and looked out the door to find a herd of sheep passing by!  

If you look closely, you can see a black border collie working the herd.

Our hosts were two lovely women who did everything to make sure we were all relaxed and happy.  

One has a great little quilt shop on the island.  Isn't this a fun sign?

Each day started and ended with a ferry ride from and to a friend's place on a nearby island.

And a drive past driftwood sculpture.

One morning I spotted these deer outside my bedroom window.

The last night, we all made a scarecrow for our friend's garden.  

Ah, the island life!

Sharon and Anita were also at the retreat.  It was a real treat to sew with them.  

Check their posts for photos of the participants' quilts and thoughts from Gwen.  

One Word Wednesday

Embroidery

All the seams will get their stitching.  They seem "undressed" without it!   

For the back story on this quilt, click here.

That 70's Quilt

I've become obsessed with a certain quilt block pattern.  

I found it used in an old quilt here.  According to Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Block Patterns,* it's called "Shooting Star," and dates back to 1895.  

I made it with my 1970's fabrics.  Each block is 24 inches, so the whole thing is 72 inches square.

This block is a great way to show off large prints.  

This print is from a table cloth that came with 4 inch white fringe.

This one is yardage, 36 inches wide, of course.

(Sorry about the blur.  It was sunny, but breezy outside today.)

More yardage--perfect for a summer dress.

Another table cloth, which also came with white fringe, paired with and a man's shirt.

An apron with sleeves.

The print is bark cloth, and was made into napkins.  The gingham was curtains.  

Home decorator yardage.


I just love these fabrics!  They remind me of the carefree days of my teens and twenties.

Here are some other quilts I've made using 1970's fabrics.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

*The Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns is an excellent resource for over 4,000 quilt block patterns.  The book is out of print, but there's a digital version called Block Base here.