Sunflowers Abound

Hello Everyone,

On Saturday, I taught the Sunflower Illusions Class in the CVQW studio.  I must say that this group of ladies was just wonderful!  They really worked hard and completed at least two blocks while learning to paper piece the Judy Niemeyer way!  Organization and methodology are key!

Let me show you just a little from the students.

These are Terrie's blocks!  What a wonderful job she did and I love the colors.

Kristin had this fabulous lilac and green combination.  I am so excited and can't wait to see the finished quilt.

Lisa was cranking the blocks out!  She managed to get four completed and they really do look like sunflowers don't they?

Terrie also had the green and pink option.  They were actually kits from my online shop and are available by clicking here.

Here are the happy students!  They were awesome and loved every minute in the classroom with them!

You can see more photos by clicking here. 

Until Next Time...

Sunflowers Abound

Lots of Spikes

Hello Everyone,

Whew!  I have been absent for a few days as I have been busy.  I am in Arizona enjoying a visit with my son, loving being outside in the sun, visiting family, and teaching.  I thought most of you would be interested in the teaching part, which consists of quilting... of course.  The family stuff might be slightly boring... ;)

On Monday, I taught the Sunflower Illusions and Total Eclipse class at In Stitches!  in Goodyear, AZ.  I had a fabulous class.  These ladies were so friendly and all had wonderful selections on fabric and colors.

This photo was taken at the end of the day.  This beautiful block was made with all Stonehenge fabric.  Love the texture!!

This one is truly going to look like Sunflowers, don't you think??  The oranges, yellows, and greens pair together so nicely. 

Several of the ladies were crowned today!!  Nancy made this gorgeous beauty.

Then paired it with this beauty.  A gorgeous block.

Florence used the purple batiks for her background fabric.  This is going to be one fantastic quilt.

Linda made this gorgeous lime version.  These colors are going to pop!!

No batiks here... a very elegant Asian version.

Another Sunflower beauty!!

To see all the photos, just click here.

To purchase the Sunflower Illusions pattern, click here.

To purchase the Total Eclipse pattern, click here.

Off tomorrow to teach at A Quilter's Oasis in Mesa, AZ!!

Until Next Time...

Lots of Spikes

Another One Done!!

Hello Everyone,

I realized last night that I had shared with you my finished Sunflower Illusions quilt top, but never showed you the finished quilt! "Oh NO... GASP..."  I said to myself. 

Wait no longer...

A little close up of the quilting.  I just did an overall design of leaves for texture.

I used a green variegated thread. 

You can see the quilting a little better on the back.  I love the look. 

And I love the batik that I used for the backing too.  This was from my online shop.  You can find batiks here.

I even put the label on too!!  How many of you are as bad as I am about getting labels on the back?  I totally am awful about it.... so this is a MAJOR accomplishment for me.

Don't you just love the "flowers"?

Quilting on the front.

The quilt top.  I am in LOVE!

You can find the pattern here.

Until Next Time...

Another One Done!!

The Top Is DONE!!

Hello Everyone,

In yesterday's blog post, I had said that I was heading to Vermont to teach for the day.  Well, I never made it there.  Blizzard Nemo really caused much havoc here in New England and made quite a few of the roads impassable.  The highways were still down to one or two lanes.  Due to this, I just did not feel comfortable traveling on the roads.

So guess what I did???   Finished the Sunflower Illusions quilt top!!  Oh and I did my taxes too... which do you think was more fun??  

Let me introduce you to my Sunflower Illusions quilt top...

I am totally in love!  I did complete the backing and hopefully as you read this it is on my long arm being quilted!!  I am a woman on a mission.  

This is a class that I have taught and will continue to teach, so watch my calendar and shop class schedule for this one to show up.  

You can get the pattern in my shop by clicking here.  

Would you be interested in a kit with these fabrics??  If so, let me know and I may just cut some and have them ready on the website!!

Stay tuned for photos of the quilted, completed quilt!

Until Next Time...

The Top Is DONE!!

Almost There!!

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday's blog post I showed you the progress on my Sunflower Illusions, mostly due to the fact that Blizzard Nemo took hold in New England.   As a result, I have been indoors since Thursday sewing.  Mind you I am not complaining about the sewing, just the snow.

Yesterday, I had the layout up on the design wall and it was merely a matter of me joining the units together and then placing the borders on all four sides.

But first I would like to show you what we woke up to that allowed me to make more progress on this quilt top.

The doors were blocked by TONS of snow.

The cars in the driveway were buried.

The deck totally covered in snow, it is almost the height of the railings!  We had about 3 feet of snow!

Ground view of the car buried.

But you know what all this snow meant, right?  I couldn't go out again today!  That, in turn, meant more sewing.  Yay!!  

I was able to join all the units together.  That meant sewing 30 curves.  I started the curves at 8 am and was done by around 1:30.  I did take a break for lunch.  Then I had to join the blocks and the rows together.   I did...

and I love the look!  But I still have to attach 4 borders.  I managed to only get the side border on and will need to get the top and bottom on tomorrow night.

Here is what I have now. 

I am really hoping to get the borders on the top and bottom, the rest of the papers peeled off and the backing made all by Monday.  Then onto the long arm.  

Do you think that I can do it??

Oh yeah, I am heading to Vermont today to teach a class... so maybe I won't get it all done.... hmmm....

Until Next Time...

Almost There!!

The Effects of The BIG Blizzard

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday the BIG Blizzard, Nemo, hit here in New England.  We hunkered down all day and did not go anywhere.  I decided that hunkering down in my home studio was definitely the way to go!!  I literally sewed ALL day long and loved every single minute!!

I was able to get a TON accomplished on my Sunflower Illusions... A.K.A. my Aster quilt.  I really am loving the look of it!

I was able to complete all the KM Units.  I had 25 to make and managed to get it done.

I just kept pinning the stacks to my design wall and watched it grow.

With more each time, it was truly a good feeling to see them all up there.  At this point, I had to take a breath and went to get dinner ready.  

So, the plan was after dinner to lay it out on the design wall.

That is just what I did!  Today if I am still pleased with this layout, I will begin sewing the units together and hopefully by day's end, I will have a quilt top!!

Even though I hate snowstorms... I really have loved the effect of this one!!

More snow today!

Until Next Time...

The Effects of The BIG Blizzard

What Is On My Design Wall??

Hello Everyone,

Since you last saw this "quilt in progress"... I have made some headway.  I worked all day yesterday in completing the quarter circle units ~ Unit H.  They are all done.  Today with the BIG snow storm coming our way, I will be hunkering down and working on the Unit KM.

Because of this BIG snow storm, I had to cancel my classes scheduled for today and tomorrow.  Mother nature really can throw a monkey wrench into things... Let's pray that the power stays on!!

I really like the way these units are shaping up.  I am making them in the pinks, hot pinks, and yellows as they are reminiscent of my Asters.  I say reminiscent because they are no longer alive.  

My sweet hubby thought they were weeds and sprayed them with weed killer.  So they are no more.  Sad, but true.  However this quilt will live forever in my home.

Don't they look pretty?  This color combo is one of my favorites. 

With the green batiks, (all of them are batiks), they act as the foliage.  I can't wait to sew some more today!! I will have more pics for you tomorrow, hopefully it has grown a TON by then.

If you are interested in this pattern, Sunflower Illusions, you can find it here in the shop.  The batiks can be found here.

What is on your design wall??

If you are in the storm zone... stay safe, and hunker down and sew!!

Until Next Time...

What Is On My Design Wall??

Happy Campers!

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday was our last day at the retreat that I was teaching at the Strong House Inn in Vergennes, VT. I must say what a lovely group of ladies we had there and they were all very prolific!  All of them understood the paper piecing process and really seemed to enjoy it!! That made me very excited and happy for them.

Here we all are holding some of the blocks they completed.  Oh... but there was much more than what they had in their hands!!

Here is Patty with one of her Desert Sky blocks.  Patty and her daughter came from Canada to attend the retreat, about an 8 hour drive. And they plan on coming next year too!!

Here are three of her blocks together!  Just gorgeous!

Mary, the innkeeper, is also a quilter and got in on the action too!  Her blocks are just beautiful!

Cindy's block turned out just wonderful.  I love that black patterned batik soooooo much.

Laura was quite busy and was able to get all these units done!  She certainly out did her mom, I think.

Ruth, another Canadian, finished these.  I really love the colors that she chose.

This was a fabulous place to have a retreat.  The rooms were beautiful, the food gourmet, the company was fun and friendly.  Another paper piecing retreat is already in the works for next year at the same time!! Yup... a different project though.  I will be teaching it too... so keep your January calendars open!!

If you would like any of the patterns that we made at this retreat... Desert Sky, Total Eclipse, and Sunflower Illusions, you can purchase them on my site by clicking here.

If you would like to know more about the Strong House Inn (as it it a year round inn), just click here.

If you would like to see ALL the photos from the retreat just click here.

Until Next Time...

Happy Campers!