2011 Blogger's Quilt Festival

You can tell by the smile on my face how much I love this quilt. It was a no-brainer to choose this beautiful quilt to share on this Blogger's Quilt Festival.
The pattern is from Jennifer Chiaverini's Sylvia's Bridal Sampler book. It consists of 140 blocks - all 6.5". My Quilt Buddy; Mary C, aka: Quiltingrandma and I worked on our separate quilts over 9 months time. I had just had rotator cuff surgery and was recovering. I had picked up Fat Quarters of Nancy Halvorsen's Christmas Fabrics a year or so before and saw them sitting in a bin and knew they were meant for this quilt. I didn't have a Christmas Quilt to put on our King-sized bed. The Background fabric was a problem - everywhere we looked it had sold out. I only had about a yard and a half. I had to get creative, adding another background fabric and using it sparingly. Sewing the blocks was something I could do without hurting my arm. Mary C did the cutting of large pieces. I could sub-cut and trim the Paper pieced blocks as I went along. We would cut blocks and put them in little plastic boxes to take with us on road trips to TRENDS in Portland, OR. We adapted a few of the blocks to make them 3-D blocks, just for fun. The applique blocks were the hardest for me do. E-4 the Indiana Rose block, I made at least 6 times. We even took it to Tri-cities for an Applique class to try and figure out a way to make it. We had our Quilt Tops almost complete when we went to meet Jennifer Chaiverini at her book signing in March of 2010. I was still searching for the final border fabric, which I found on that road trip. She signed our Quilts in the N-10 Diamond Friendship Block (lower right corner). I consider it her seal of approval. Each Block in the quilt was individually quilted with a feathers wreath. The sashings have Holly quilted in them and the borders a beautiful Feather. It took 11 days to quilt on my APQS Long- arm with Side Saddle. I named it "Cardinals at Elm Creek" because of the cardinals that are fussy-cut and placed in many of the blocks and because Jennifer's books are all about the Elm Creek Quilters. It has been shown in all the local quilt shows now. I'm happy to say that it WON People's Choice at the Trends in Portland last Fall. You can read more about it by clicking on the underlined link.
Thank you for looking at my favorite Quilt. You can link up and see over 550 other Blogger's quilts at Amy's Creative Side.

More quilt shows

Quilt shows two week-ends in a row...
At the Northwest Quilters Quilt show in Portland, I put this block together at their "Build a Block" booth. These blocks are being used for their humanitairian efforts. It was fun to design for someone else to sew.

Jerry's two sisters in our Hotel room when the two quilts were unveiled. On the left is Gloria and the quilts were for Glenda's two children. They were both amazed at what I had done to the quilts and were extremely pleased. This was such an honor to finish these quilts for her and her children.

Book signing at "Trends"on Saturday Morning. This quilt is called "Kitchen Window" Book Author is Elizabeth Hartman.Pink Roses on display at the Tri-cities Quilters 28th Annual Quilt show. This quilt got lots of looks and comments. It is the two color version of the quilt designed by Mary Crowther and I. We are hoping to get it published this spring. The theme this year "Sew Many Scraps...Sew a Patchwork Quilt". Jackie Robinson was the national Featured Quilter. There were several of her quilts displayed, though she wasn't there in Person.

Here are the two other quilts entered in the Show. The batik quilt below is my version of the American Beauty quilt designed by Marti Michell. This featured her newest template set (at the time) of Star Sashing Set. and set M of her Perfect Patchwork Templates. If you have not tried these templates you should really try them out. They are fantastic! This is my Sylvia's Bridal Sampler (SBS) quilt. I chose to do it in Christmas colors and LOVE how it turned out!

Quilts a plenty getting finished!

These first two quilts were made by the late Alice Wilson (Jerry's Mother) and quilted on the Longarm by Lynn for two of her sister-in-law's grandchildren. This was before the Longarm went to the APQS repair shop in Iowa. The bear paw is quilted with a Pinecone pattern, click on the picture to see it more clearly.

Needles have been flying here as my longarm arrived home from the hospital! We have finished many quilts and many more are near finished. Here are a few of the quilts finished in the last few weeks.
This is the Pink and White version of the "Bouquet of Friendship" made with Marti Michell fabric.
This is a Baby Charity Quilt made for donation to the guild. Done in the D9P pattern quilted with a Tiara, wand and stars pattern.

This is made from donated fabrics of Trudy Young a deceased member of our Guild. A simple 4 patch with alternating squares and quilted with the "Tumbling Teddies" pattern.

This is one of 3 identical quilts that were quilted with a simple meander. A Shelter Quilt made by Jean in the guild to donate to the Walla Walla Women's shelter

Quilt made by Audrey for the WW Women's Shelter, Quilted with Ribbons pattern by Lynn.

Baby Boondoggle ruler and a scrap box of fabrics

Yesterday, Store Associate Mary C. and I got to playing in donated box of Children's and Novelty fabrics and discovered a new favorite ruler, The Baby Boondoggle. This is what is left of the scrap box and I still see many more shapes to be had at a future date. Mary and I had fun playing in this box and putting the different fabrics together to make a shape that was big enough that would fit the shape of the ruler.

This is a few of the many Baby Boondoggle diamonds that we made from the box.

This is the fabric that I am going to use as the alternate setting shapes. What do you think?

I am trying to get more charity quilts together for our local quilt guild. The Walla Walla Valley Quilt Guild donates baby quilts to the First Steps program for at risk babies. I am a few behind my last years goal, so I need a few more. The guild challenges each member to make 12 baby quilts a year for this purpose. I challenge each of you to make a quilt and donate it to the charity of your choice.

Here is what the Design wall looks like now. We are just playing with them and thinking of all the different ways we can change them using both of the Boondoggle Rulers. Comments Please!

Round Robin Updates

Today, Lynn is caught up with her commitments for the SBS Round Robins.the above picture is Carrie's Medalion with the squares on Point added.

This one is the easiest round of triangles added to put the whole thing on-point. It is Debbie's.

The new fabrics brought home from Trends are priced and on the shelves. There is a lot more coming in with the new year.

People's Choice Winner again!

And the People's Choice WINNER is... Lynn Wilson from Thread and Bolts. Mary, ever ready with her camera caught this first reaction to the announcement.

Here's the winner right after the announcement under the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler quilt named "Cardinal's at Elm Creek". It is named for all of the fussy-cut cardinals that are scattered through the 140 blocks in the quilt. Click on the picture to see it bigger and find the birds. This is the 3rd award for this quilt to win.

Fabricholics fix Coming!

Airplanes overheard all night and the Bigfoot upstairs in our hotel! I will be glad to get to the warehouse today and have a blast cruising the aisles of our fabrics Host Maywood Studios. Having a good time there and renewing old friendships. Will also be viewing the new fabrics from all the new vendors today in the booths. I will get to see my sister, Todie today also. She owns and operates a long arm quilting business also in Vancouver Washington called Todie and Your Quilts. It is good to see you today sister!