Saying goodbye...

I have been a bit remiss in my blogging this spring but it had to do with a big change that was taking place in my life.

I put my house on the market last month. After just two days it sold and I have been running around since then.

It was a very difficult decision to sell my home. It was the house that tempted me enough to pick up my bags and move half way across country to Texas. Besides the gorgeous weather, I fell in love with that bay window.

We had the house built from scratch with just a few changes here and there from the model home.

Six months later, she was ours.

 

And we proceeded to fill it with lots of memories...

and love...

Last fall my sister, who shared the house with me, decided to move out on her own and the house became a bit big for me. I also found that it was farther out of the way than I wanted to be when I went to any social activity. In other words the house no longer met my needs. It was time for a change.

After a lot of soul searching, I decided to sell the house.

Decluttering was not too bad...

But packing it all up...

was not just physically draining, but very emotional.

Everything is living in storage for the next month. 

I have found my next home but won't be closing until mid June. Then the unpacking begins. It will be a new place, a new adventure and as my daughter keeps telling me, a new place to fill with memories.

I'll be back to blogging soon.

On a Roll Here!

Last weekend I wrapped up my second project this year.
I started Piece of Cake 3 (Designed by Camille Roskelley for Thimble blossoms) last November during my Modern Quilt Guild retreat.

I struggled at first with the fabric (Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket for Moda) because, although I loved most of the prints, it had some bubble prints that just threw me off. On top of that, it felt like the layercake had SOOOOO many of those bubble prints.. It was driving me batty and was a joke at the retreat. Me and my bubbles.

With a pattern like this, where it's made exclusively with a layer cake and some background, you have little choice but use the full layer cake and cross your fingers hoping that in the grand scheme of things you won't focus on the gazillion bubbles.

I must say, I no longer see the bubbles. LOL!

I debated at first with the large border print since I found it very busy. So, I decided to give the eye a place to rest, and added the inner border (which is the same as the background print)  around the whole quilt instead of just the top and bottom as the pattern dictated. This gives the illusion of the blocks floating (which is why it's called floating the blocks) and now the border is not so heavy on the quilt.

It ended up a little bigger than the pattern at 66.5 X 78.5.

I picked up a nice flannel back and a solid red for the binding. Looking forward to getting this one quilted so I can swap out my Piece of Cake 2 that has a permanent residency on my sofa.

Enjoy your weekend!!!

A Coat for Penny...

Last week we saw a bit of cold weather hit us here in Texas. Nothing like what we have seen this winter, but it was cold enough to have Penny shivering. I got her groomed the weekend before and with the short hair and strong winds she was shaking every time she had to go out. I felt so bad.

Penny got this cute, cute, cute coat over the holidays but it was a bit short on the tail end.

And at times... she was not pleased having to wear it.

Last week I finally broke down and made her a new coat.

The fabric is Woodland by Natalie Lymer of Cinderberry Stitches

The design of the coat is definitely more simple and much easier to put on.

Plus, I don't think she is so embarrassed wearing it. LOL!!!

Dallas Quilt Celebration 2014

Every year the Quilter's Guild of Dallas puts on one of the most fantastic quilt shows in the area. This is the best guild show I have ever seen. Every year these ladies make it appear flawless. Every year I'm super impressed and I realize how lucky I am to be part of this guild.

This year's theme was Modern Quilts and you could see the theme reflected among the 400+ quilts that were at the show.

 

From the second place winner in last year's Riley Blake Challenge,

which was made by our very own Modern Guild president, Shannon Page 

(Quilted by Michelle Kitto). 

To incredible realistic pieces, like this one designed and quilted by Melissa Sobotka. 

Abundant talent could be found every time you turned the corner (Designed by Glyniss Wood / Quilted by Richard Larson)

The quilts were not the only talent displayed at the show. I had a chance to attend Lisa Calle's lecture on how she has found her inspiration through her journey as a quilter.

You might recognize Lisa from her blog Vintage Modern Quilts and from the Moda Bake Shop blog. I originally met Lisa in 2010 when my daughter dragged me to my first meeting of the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild. We met in the back of a local quilt shop and that first meeting was probably attended by 10 people. Currently there are over 80 women in the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild and Lisa was our president for the first 2 and a half years. It was great catching up with her and getting to know her a little better.

 After the lecture I wrapped up the quilt viewing and I will say that even though the theme was modern, there was a little something for everyone. (This was a Collaboration effort submitted by Timi Ann Welch / Quilted by John Liddicoat)

This was one of my favorites among the traditional designs. I love the feathered star pattern and the applique is just gorgeous. (another collaboration effort submitted by Marla Kelsey / Quilted by Helen Rode)

But of all the quilts in the show... This was my absolute, drop dead favorite.

The design is exquisite, the use of her prints and solids nailed this one. I was in awe.
This piece was created by Marie Zaczkowski (Quilted by Richard Larson). Marie is moving away from Dallas this year leaving a HUGE hole in our guild and in our hearts. She always has a smile on her face and is always there to help you if you need anything. She was the first guild member I met when I joined in 2009. She made me feel part of the group and that says a whole lot of her when you consider I joined a Guild of over 600 members. I will definitely miss her.

As always this show was fantastic. My only complaint was that the Red Crinoline booth was not there this year. They always have a booth, Paula being from TX and all, but with her moving out of state earlier this year, it looks like the show was sacrificed. I definitely missed her booth.

Other than that, it was another great show. Looking forward to next year! Enjoy the slide show.

First Finish of 2014

I'm so excited to have completed my first quilt this year. It has been over 6 months since I finished a large quilt so I was a bit edgy and needed a finish.

I fell in love with this quilt as soon as I saw it on the cover of the October 2011 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting (the quilt was called Star Formation in the magazine). I knew I wanted to make it immediately but it wasn't until I signed up for a class with Paula Barnes that I got the push to actually make it.

It is a very easy pattern but sometimes you need that push, that sew a long feeling, to get you moving on a project.
I started my blocks in class, but didn't get moving on it until I went to the Modern Quilt Guild retreat last November where I completed 25 of the 50 blocks in the quilt

Then it went back in the bin until my January retreat where I completed the other 25 blocks. I would have finished the quilt there but I realized that I had not prewashed my background and sashing fabric. I do tend to prewash most of my prints and with all the other fabrics prewashed I chose to wait.

As soon as that fabric came out of the laundry I started putting it all together.

It was so large that I had to piece one half first.... 

and then the other... 

After both halves were done I just put it all together. 

I am loving the piece. 

Now I'm on the lookout of some coordinating fabric for the backing. I am looking forward to getting this one quilted.

I have a couple of other projects that are mid way through that I want to wrap up before I start another project from scratch but wtith the Dallas Quilt show just a week away... I think I might need to buy another Red Crinoline quilt Kit to work on.

This pattern was first published through American Patchwork and Quilting but Red Crinoline has since published it as a stand alone pattern. You can find it here: Regimental Stars

BTW: So sorry for the quality of the pictures on this post. I took all of them with my phone.

Dallas Quilt Guild Retreat 2014

If you have been reading my blog for awhile you know that my favorite time of the year is in January  when the Dallas Quilt Guild has it's annual retreat.
I love going to this retreat. I can hardly make it to our monthly meetings but the retreat lets me catch up with everyone.

It doesn't hurt that my daughter loves the retreat as well and flies in from NH to spend the 5 days with me.
Now, don't tell her this... (Hi, Nyshma!!!) but at this point I'm on the fence as to grand children just because I know she won't be able to come to the retreat when they arrive. Grand babies that live gazillion miles away --- Retreat in January.. I'm telling you! It's a tough choice!! Good thing I have no say in it! lol!!

This year there was the least amount of quilters I have seen since I started attending the retreat.

There were 81 of us.

My roomies. Renee and Robin. So focused on their tasks!

My other roomie, Nyshma (my daughter) and Mary Ann, who was not rooming with us, but is part of my small group. We meet once a month or once every other month, depending on our schedule, but it's always fun to hang out! She was making a Dr. Who quilt for her daughter!

Even though we were just a few (typically we are over 100) the room did not fail to inspire...

I wish I had grabbed every one's name so that I could give them the credit they deserve.

But of course I failed miserably on these beauties. The pineapple quilt was made using a strip piece method, not paper pieced or with the possibilities ruler... It looks even more lovely in person.

That last one was Jan's loveliness and we didn't realize it was sideways until after the picture.

Another version of Di Ford's Phoebe was present this year:

This one belongs to Peggy.

I love the details she put in the center block. And look at the sheep!!!

Never would have thought of making them out of wool. How appropriate! 

Pamela and her sister, Wendy were working on Blackbird Design's Love Letter quilt...

Pam chose the same color scheme I chose when I started making mine 

(which is in a bin living the life of a "thought I'd make you" project)

I feel quite inspired to pull the pieces out and actually START mine!

My lovely daughter decided to dance to her own beat, as usual, and was doing a bit of improv with a jelly roll of PB&J by Basic Grey. We hit the local quilt shop to pick up the weave fabric she used in the background.
I wish I had taken a picture of the finished top. It turned out wonderful!!

I worked on my Fat Quarter Shop BOM while there. Four blocks down.. 

3 to more to catchup.

AND... I finished all my blocks for my Regimental Stars quilt...

I was so excited about that!

I had to come home and start putting it together almost immediately...

I'm loving how this is turning out!
I think I'm very close to my first finish for 2014!!