Waiting

 It is difficult to wait sometimes. 

But wait  we do. 

I am waiting for a take out sandwich right now and listening to my stomach protest the lack of food. 

So while I wait I will share the latest pictures. 

On the long arm is my teal fence rail. 

Made from four one yard pieces cut into two and a half Inch strips. 

I made this quite awhile ago and am finally getting it quilted. 

It is quilt number 90 that has been done on the Bernina Q24.

Carol’s Scrappy Sampler was a block of the month from the Quilted Crow in Bolton Massachusetts 

 Carol was stitching down the binding when I took this picture 

A close up of the quilting on the teal fence rail quilt. 

The pattern is called “Triangle Maze” and was purchased from Urban Elementz. 

Jo-Anne’s Star Table topper just off the long arm. 

Quilt number 91!

Food is ready!

Louise, heading home to the island to eat!

On the Design Wall

Sometimes you just have to give in and put a quilt on the design wall and finish it!

My “ Narragansett Blues” quilt ( pattern by Bonnie Hunter) has been in a basket for a few years. The basket has traveled from home to my studio more recently but in the past, to Bedford Pennsylvania for classes with Bonnie Hunter, and the back home again and to North Kingstown for classes with Bonnie Hunter and then back home again. 

This basket has really traveled!

So when I recently moved it around the studio for the third time in one day, I decided it was time to be completed so the basket could be emptied!

So here it is on the machine with a row being added to the left side of the quilt top. 

Here is the center section of the quilt on the design wall. 

I am hoping to have the left and center section sewn together and completed today. 

Let’s see how I do 

Louise, not on the island (but at the studio) today, trying to finish this project!

100 Blocks in 100 Days

It is complete!

The “Make the Cut” sew along began July 1, 2020.

It went for 100 days.

Each day I sewed one block and posted it on Instagram.

Finally it is complete!

We quilted it on Saturday.

All that remains to do is the binding.

100 blocks in 100 days and a quilted top by day 105!

Maybe 2020 isn’t so bad after all, if it means I can finish a quilt like this!

You know, nothing pulling at me to get done and lots of time to quilt.

Otherwise,  .....

And I will say it again - 

It is COMPLETE 

(Except for the binding)

Louise, on the island, trying to find some dark blue for the binding.

 

Trying Something New

 The world of blogging is a strange place.  

And, as is the case with all things internet, once you think you have it mastered, the internet “gods” tell you that you were wrong.

But I digress...

The point of this post is to use a new device to make a blog post. 

As you may have noticed, I have been sorely absent from the blogging world.

Now we are trying to remedy that.

So on to the post!

The latest quilt in the window is from a Villa Rosa pattern called” Nightlight” 

It is made with a charm pack and a grey (medium) and cream (light) for the four patch block.  A quick but effective pattern for a nice baby quilt.

“Milky Way” is a pattern from the Quilt in a Day Company.

It was made from two charm packs and yardages from The Moda Grunge Line in grey and vanilla. Not a difficult pattern, but not one that could be done in one day.

This quilt was in the Studio Classroom window awhile ago.

It was made from a layer cake of batiks using the pattern 

called “Can You Spare A Dime.”

A fun pattern that I think is still in print.

If not, I have an older copy available in the studio.

Well, that is all for my experiment tonight.

Hopefully I will be back here soon!

Louise, on the island, experimenting with a new device in the blogging world

August 2020

 Once again, it has been awhile since my last posting so I will try to bring you up to date on happenings in my world.

In June my Bernina Q24 finally arrived and was installed on the fourteenth (Flag Day) by Noah an his crew from Gather Here.  Pretty much an all day affair, but when it was over the machine was ready to go!

So I stared at it for the next 24 hours as I wondered to myself what was I thinking!

But I forced myself into motion, watched a few videos and began to try it out on the various charity quilts I had assembled in anticipation of just this time.

Each quilt has been a unique learning experience. Let me show you some of what has been done.

Below is my most recent quilt, “Milky Way”, pattern from Quilt in A Day was quilted with the “Cottontail” pattern that is part of the Bernina Q24 suite of loaded patterns.

This was the second charity quilt.  It’s distinguishing features include a row of bubbles, unfortunately not shown here, as well as the “scrap paper” design . But the best thing about this quilt are the feet!  Can you see them? It was our first experience taking a design, linking it and turning it in various directions.  May not seem like much to you but it was a very big thing for Paul and I to figure out and do!

Next we have below one of my Daffodil quilts. Two of these same design wall hangings were quilted side by side on the long arm using a very large flower design.  The second one of these now lives with my sister.

And now we have the second charity quilt.  This was quilted side to side rather than top to bottom.  It was also our first attempt at making a true edge to edge pantograph on a quilt. Can you see the bubble design?

This was fun to do and a true learning experience.

Next comes one of my quilts which was a pattern called “Can you spare a dime?”  Made with a layer cake ( one from a Pat Sloan line of fabric), this quilt was actually quilted on my Babylock Coronet! Now why did I include it here?  

This “Turning Twenty” quilt was made with twenty fat quarters, hence the name, and quilted with a lovely  stars and banner over all edge to edge pantograph design.  Its significance comes from the fact that we finally got the design to actually be edge to edge,

An overall view of the charity quilt with the feet, scrap paper and circles.  This was really lots of fun to do.  I was sorry to let it go!

Next below is one of my wilder creations in terms of fabric.  It’s included to be visually stimulating and to annoy some of my friends with it’s wildness. You know who you are!

And finally up is “Fanfare” a Studio 180 design.  It is made with fabrics purchased from Kathryn when she had her store, “Dragonfly’s Quilts” I know I probably spelled the dragonfly part incorrectly, so I apologize Kathryn!  You can find her these days online and doing a Facebook event every Sunday night.

Well this concludes this slide show since the rest of my pictures are on other devices and it takes way too much thinking to get them into a blog post at this time of the morning!

Hope you enjoyed seeing our progress as we learn and use my new Bernina Q24!

Louise, on the island, waiting for the coffee to perk, 

(yes I still have an old fashioned Faberware percolator sitting next to my Keurig!)

An Ironing Monday

As many of you know, I thoroughly dislike ironing!

( yes, there is another word that would substitute very nicely for “thoroughly dislike” but as a former kindergarten teacher, I spent many years trying to keep that word out of the students’ vocabulary. Thus I hesitate to use it even today, especially in the written word!
However, I digress...)

So as I have been sewing lately, I just pile up what needs to be pressed on my ironing board and then move along to the next sewing item.

But eventually it catches up with you.  You can’t go on to the next step until you get one part pressed and trimmed.

So guess what needs to happen today?

That’s right! Pressing! And maybe a little bit of trimming this afternoon.

Wish me luck!

Louise, on the island, standing at the ironing board, staring at the units and blocks that need to be pressed.

Keeping Busy

It is not difficult for me to keep busy - whether it be recently or times in the past.

As a quilter, I have many projects to do!

Today I have been working on a precut Block of the Month that I found recently when I was rearranging for a new purchase.  I decided to try to put together one block a day.  It will keep me busy.

I also resurrected a number of tops that need to be quilted.

This one was sandwiched today and put on the Babylock Coronet.

I have a little bit done.  Now that I have a plan for the quilting it will proceed quickly.

"Birds on a Wire" by Michelle Renee Hiatt is ready to be assembled.

That will happen sometimes this week.

There are many more projects crying out to me!

Some just need a final border,

( yes, Eileen, that background was your challenge fabric!)

Some only need their binding,

And finally, some are waiting to be started.

These times can be stressful, or they can be viewed as time to work on projects.

You are the one who can choose.

Me? I choose projects!

Louise, in the studio at the moment working on projects!

January 2020 Retreats

Retreats are the best thing ever!

You get to sew with friends, eat great food and see wonderful projects that will inspire you.

The past three retreats can be seen under the hashtag of #quiltersretreat2020 in Instagram.
all put together in one tidy space.

But if you are not an Instagram person, I will give you a view here of some of the projects that showed up at Retreat these past few weeks in January 2020.

Janice's Snowman made with a Creative Grids ruler.

Sharon's Storm at Sea made in a class with David Sirota

Gail's baby quilt made for a friends newborn

one of our gifts from the weekend

String blocks ready to be sewn into squares

Many more photos were taken of the beautiful projects that happened over the weekends.

Check out my Instagram feed to see what was posted.

In the Studio Classroom window...

Recently this piece made its presence known in the window of the Studio Classroom.

This little quilt is the pattern found in the 4 1/2 inch On Point Ruler package from Quiilt in a Day.

I used a charm pack of Tula Pink's "Tabby Road" fabric to make this quilt

The On-Point ruler make the "kite" shape that is found in many quilt blocks.

Why not stop in some day for a quick tutorial!

Enjoy your day!

Louise, on the island, catching up on things!