Happy New Year 2018!

Happy New Year All!

It is another cold one today.

14 degrees at 3:15 pm on a sunny January 1st, 2018.

Could be worse since yesterday the high was about 11 degrees!

But when it is cold outside, we stay inside and quilt!

The first binding applied in 2018.

Bright and lime green to lift the mood.

The first binding completed in 2018 will be....

"Weed Whacker", a Bonnie Hunter free pattern that I began at a retreat that I think took place in 2010 or 2011. This was one of my beginning scrappy Bonnie Hunter quilts. Full sized picture to follow soon.

This is the latest one being worked on...

"On Ringo Lake" the 2017 Quiltville Mystery Quilt. Lots of pieces in this one so it is going to be the January retreat leader/ender project this year. I hope to complete it by the end of the month. Crossing my fingers on that!

Strips for a lap sized "Quock Trip Quilt" using the Eleanor Burns pattern. I need to update my samples for this quilt.

Another binding ready to go.

Pieces for a second "Cyclone Quilt" have been cut and pieced. Another Quilt in a Day pattern that can be found on their website under the free pattern tab.

Pieces for a "Jumping Jacks" quilt by Missouri Star Quilt Company..

"Best 20" from 2017. Yeah I know, a bit much, but it was really hard to just come up with just Nine!

Dottie's paper pieced Unicorn pillow,

Another Missouri Star pattern top completed. Loved the scrappy outer border!

Roxanne's panel quilt with a piano keys border.

Tricia's quilt top used a Villa Rosa pattern called "Busy Bee" as inspiration. She added the sashing and cornerstones as well as a pieced outer border to make this beauty!

A "Disappearing Nine Patch" by one of the students. I apologize but I cannot remember who made this one. If it is yours, please let me know.

A work in progress from yours truly. These blocks are at least about ten years old at this point and I still don't know what setting to do with them.  They are now back in the "to do someday" pile.

Placemat made for Thanksgiving. The original plan was to make one for each of the dinner guests. I only finished one!  I probably should continue making one each month so I am ready for Thanksgiving 2018.

Two tops completed at a November retreat. Neither are quilted yet although both are small enough that I could do them myself.

That seems to about it for projects that I took pictures of in the last two months of 2017.

Progress was made on many UFO's this past year but the UFO stash has really not been decreased at all. I continue to start new projects when I get excited about a new technique, book or pattern. Sometimes a line of fabric just inspires me to create.

But

Thanks to the Snoopy crowd for this lovely photo. 

Hello 2018!  

I hope you are a good one!

Louise, on the island, watching the sun set on the first day of 2018.

Hanging out in California

***!! This post was written while I was in California this past week. The connection was not strong enough for me to upload all of the pictures. So it is being shared with you now that I am home. My week there was awesome!!***

At Quilt in a Day!

With Eleanor Burns... 

And Sue Bouchard...

My heroes! These ladies are the ones who started me on my quilting journey many years ago!

I have spent the last four days at Quilt in a Day Teacher Training in San Marcos, California learning all the tricks of the trade.

We worked on half square triangles,

Flying Geese,

"Kiley's Kite"

Scallop Borders,

Made Maple Leaves and Turkeys

 Worked on the Triangle in a square,

And made the Mexican Star block using the Wdge a Ruler.

I met some great people who come from varied walks of life, states and countries! Okay, one other country - Canada. But you get my point.

We are all interested in learning and then teaching and sharing our knowledge.

Thank You Eleanor and Staff for a wonderful learning experience!

Louise, who is NOT on the island, but rather in California learning at Quilt In A Day with Eleanor Burns.

Heading Towards October

We have a few more days left in September 2017. We have been in a very warm spell with temperatures running well into the eighties.

This picture is from this afternoon about 4:30 pm. Don't look too closely at the date and time on the bottom! I forgot to reset that info after the last power failure from a couple of months ago.  For some reason or other the battery did not kick in - probably due to a dead battery I would guess!

But we have been taking advantage of these warm days with a boat ride every afternoon.

This picture was taken just after we returned from today's ride. It will probably be the last one, since the weather is supposed to change tomorrow and the boat comes out on Friday and I have class tomorrow afternoon. 

I guess summer is really coming to an end...

Even if I try to ignore the leaves changing and beginning to fall.

September has been busy with some project finishes making me proud.

My knitted scarf was a summer project that I only worked during outdoor music concerts and on boat rides. Well, the concerts have been over for several weeks and today's boat ride was the last one of the season, so the scarf screamed "Finish me today", and so I did!

One last picture of Lisa's huge 110 x 110 "Pineapple Blossom" begun in the Bonnie Hunter class last year in September and now completely finished a year later.  She brought it to Open Sew Monday night so we could enjoy it one last time.

"Falling Charms" became a completed top last weekend. I finally finished the last border during retreat last Saturday. Now to piece the backing and get it to the long armer.

Marie finished her Tablerunner last Friday during Open Sew. It was a compilation of left over fabrics from some of her previous projects.

This Kaffe Fasset fabrics top was finally completely sewn last Wednesday at retreat. It has been a webbed top for many months.

The completed "Sister's Choice in Green" is shown here.  The 49 blocks each have a different green in the triangles. It was pieced as a leader and ender project and mostly sewn in 2016. I tried to find a suitable border fabric for quite awhile but nothing ever clicked. I finally gave up and called it done.  I like how it came out, don't you?

Still not completed, but on the design wall is this blue/purple hour glass and pieced sashing beauty from the early 2000's.  It is scheduled to be completed after I return from California. Maybe it will be my UFO project for the next session.

Shown here as a completed top, "Weed Whacker" is now quilted.  It waits for its binding to be applied also after I return from my trip.  This top was begun maybe two years ago, so it is not really a long term UFO.  However it is nice to have it almost ready to be checked off as completed!

September is coming to a close and with it maybe the horrible weather in terms of hurricanes will also end. Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria, fires in the west and heat in the east. It has been one for the books.

But on a lighter, happier note...

Tomorrow is my aunt's 90th birthday. Happy Birthday Auntie! Sto Lat!

Louise, on the island, reflecting

Ahhh, September

We went through a few cool days this past week. I wore jeans for a few days. 

But summer seems to have returned now that the kids are back in school.

82 degrees Fahrenheit on September 5.  A few more days of summer seem to be left for us to enjoy!

And on to all things quilty....

A binding being completed...

"Sister's Choice" on the front.

Full view picture to come when the binding is finished.

The center of "Weed Whacker", a Bonnie Hunter pattern, was completed on Sunday.

This jelly roll sampler is now finished and hanging on the wall in the classroom.

The aquarium continues to grow.  Working on the yellow color way now.

"100 Blocks in 100 Days - City Sampler" is a top, only needing the outside borders.

Another thimble block is done.

I think I am going for twenty for the top.

I currently have seven with this one.

Windy afternoon on the deck

Enjoying the breeze and the warm temperatures.

Louise, on the deck, on the island, relishing the day.