Future Projects

I have wanted to do a sunny days class since I first saw Susan Baker's sample quilt at the Crazy 9 Patch Quilt Shop. It is lap size and has a wonderful scalloped border. So I signed up for the class and selected my fabric. I will post a picture of the completed quilt after class.
Here is what it looks like. The class (2 classes really) was fun. I always learn some new technique or trick from Susan. That is why I even like to take her beginner classes. I love the scalloped border. There were only 4 of us in the class, and I was the most experienced quilter. Susan Baker wanted us to completely piece the quilt top, including borders and then quilt inside the main body of the quilt, not on the borders.

The second class was only two weeks after the first. I volunteered to do the other student's quilts if they wanted...but no complaints. It was good practice for me. 2 out of 3 decided to let me quilt them. We learned the scalloped edge in the second class. I love the bright colors that we (Martha the quilt shop owner and I) chose. It is a very cheerful quilt.

Fruit Cocktail

While I was in Hawaii earlier this month, I couldn't help but notice the popularity of Hawaiian quilts. I just had to look out the window of my hotel room. The roof of the parking garage is the pattern of Hawaiian quilt.

I went to Kaimuki Dry Goods and got the fabric for my first Hawaiian quilt - a pillow. I also got the two quilt patterns by Vicki Stratton. One is called Passion Flowers which uses a lot of batiks. The other is named Fruit Cocktail, also batiks.
I started the Fruit Cocktail quilt. It has 2 different blocks; a 16-square block and a 16-square with a center diamond. The blocks have purple batik setting triangles and white with lavender sashing.

My Trip to Hawaii

I just got back from a 2-week business trip to Hawaii. I worked a bunch of hours so I did not have a lot of time to see the island. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village right on Waikiki beach. I was on the 23rd floor in the Rainbow tower which is perfect for watching sunsets.
Hawaii had just gotten 40+ days of rain. Then a few days before we arrived, there was a a sewage spill that the city diverted to the Ala Wai canal which contaminated Waikiki beach. The beach was closed for a couple of days. The locals told us to stay away from the beach even though the hotel said it was safe after a few days. A man fell in the canal while we were there. Tragically, he died 6 days later from a flesh-eating bacteria.
My co-worker wanted to take surfing lessons while we were in Hawaii. He ended up going to a surf class on another beach conducted by Hawaiian firefighters. He enjoyed the class.

Hawaii Fire Surf School

Another Turning 20

This is probably my 5th Turning 20 quilt. Well, 2 of them were Turning 25 because they had 25 big blocks. This one was inspired by a quilter named Harriet who used the same collection of Aborigine-inspired fabrics. I saw the fabric at the quilt shop, all aqua and orange and brown. I thought, yuck.

Then a week later, I saw Harriet's quilt and it blew me a way. It was so striking. So I had to make one using the same collection. Martha, the owner of the quilt shop guided me through the fabric selection process. She has a better eye for color than I do and she just bosses me around when it comes to selecting coordinating fabrics.

Carpenter's Star

I decided to use blue and yellow fabrics, very mellow, for this Carpenter's Star. I like the pattern because the big pieces show off the fabric. As patterns go, this one was pretty simple, mostly half-square triangles. There were big places for quilting.
I don't have the confidence to quilt fat feathers yet so I did skinny feathers. I put some fat feathers in the border though and I was happy with them.


I got creative with the corners. I took pieces of ideas from several sources, doodled a bit, resized it until I got it to fit the corners. This is my first quilt using Quilter's Dream Wool batting. It stays nice and fluffy.

I'm not sure who gets this one. Maybe I'll keep it.

Hooked on quilting....

I have sewn for years, mostly clothes for my kids and myself. Then 2 years ago, a quilt shop opened in our small town. I took their first class, the elongated star pattern. I gave it to my mother, she loved it. I've been hooked ever since.