2018 First Quarter Finish-A-Long

A week into the new year and I've got my work cut out for me. But it's all good! I'm getting caught up on projects that were MIA, and I'm learning some new things along the way.

Here's what's on my list for first quarter finishes for 2018:

1.  Finish up this colorful table runner.  I picked this up as a kit at the quilt shop in Sisters, Oregon, about three years ago. This week I found it again and decided it was high time to get it pieced, quilted and on my table! Plus it has some wonderful purple, which is this year's Pantone Color of the Year. So trendy, yep, that's me!

2.  Finish up this table topper.  This little gem was part of a QAL about four years ago. I remember wanting to do something really fancy in the centers of the blocks, but I was a fresh, new longarmer at the time and was afraid of messing up. Now, I know that whatever I put in the centers will be just fine. I might say, "I've come a long way, baby!"

3.  I've pulled these fabrics so I can learn curved piecing. I'm taking a class with Ann Peterson on Craftsy, and I must say she is an excellent teacher!  I decided I will learn by doing, so I'm on Lesson One, which is to make a set of placemats. I've even cut out the templates.  My long-term goal is to make a quilt for my son, and it is covered with curved piecing, and paper piecing! I've got my work cut out for me on that one, but it's a goal for another quarter.

4.  This is my scrappy project, which I'd like to finish up in January.  I started it about a year ago, and it's been sitting on my cutting table, shoved clear to the back, all this time. It was lonesome! And it's a great way to use up some scraps. Four blocks down, about 26 more to go. Yikes!

5.  I guess I'd also like to add the quilting and binding of two quilts that have been hanging in my closet for almost two years now. One is a simple patchwork. This will also be my March OMG goal, getting it quilted and bound!

6.  And the other is a large star pattern from Angela Walters.

That should do it! Fun, fun, fun.

Quilting with a smile,
Barb

Linking up with:
2018 Finish-A-Long
Linky Tuesday 
Needle & Thread Thursday 
Midweek Makers 
Let's Bee Social

HMQS - Stunning Quilts and Fun Times!

Quilters are the nicest people. True fact.

I think that's part of the reason I love long arm quilting so much - I get to spend time with ladies who have spent many hours creating quilts for people in their lives. Those givers touch a cord in my heart, and through my ability to help finish their quilt tops by quilting lovely patterns all over, I get to play a small part in their gifts. How special is that?

I'm being kinda sappy, for sure, but again, true story!  A week ago I returned from spending three days at the Home Machine Quilting Show (HMQS) in Sandy, Utah.  I've been there twice before: once as a brand spanking new quilter who had just bought a long arm and didn't know quite what to do with it, and then a year later with a little experience under my wings but still feeling very much like the novice.

Oh - there's my friend. I think she's camera shy....

This year, I returned and had every bit as much fun as my previous trips. I went with a quilty friend, and we talked our heads off about quilting. Good thing our husbands stayed home because I don't think we stopped talking once during the five-hour drive down there. Or back! My time at HMQS was filled with classes, checking out the vendors, and of course, oohing and awing over the awesome work that went into the creation of each and every quilt on display. And there were some stunners!

Quilting Sampler for Class by Judi Madsen

I took classes from Judi Madsen, Angela Walters and Jenny Pedigo & Helen Robinson (Sew Kind of Wonderful). Could it get much better than that?  These are all women who fell in love with quilting, kept at it, and developed their own style to turn it into a business which gives them a good livelihood. And the best part? They like to share with us.

Angela Walters giving instructions for FMQ at the HMQS 2015

Sisters Helen Robinson and Jenny Pedigo make up Sew Kind of Wonderful, best known for their Quick Curve Rulers and curvy quilts. Class was fun!

I won the drawing for the quilting sample that Jenny Pedigo did during class. It's even signed :)

 
I also ran into people I knew from my local quilt guild, an old friend, and I even found myself in class with a blogging buddy whom I had never had the pleasure of meeting in person before. Val Reynolds of Val's Quilting Studio. What are the chances of that?

Oh - and I ran across a quilt that was entered by another blogging friend, Helen Ernst of Till We Quilt Again from New Jersey.  Her quilting is stunning, although it doesn't show up well in this photo. I snatched up an unsuspecting attendee to snap this photo of me in front of Helen's quilt.  Poor lady, she had no choice in the matter and I then proceeded to explain to her the story behind the quilt and how far it had traveled to get here, and that it had become lost in the mail, and fortunately found, and now graced this spot in the show!

If you zoom in you can see the quilted helicopter. Very impressive work by Helen Ernst of Till We Quilt Again

Anyway, I learned lots and had fun in the process.  I'll leave you today with a bit of quilty bling in these photos of some of the wonderful quilts on display. I took more than 150 photos, so count your lucky stars that I'm not posting them all!

I cannot figure out how to get these to appear upright - my apologies!

That's all for now.
Barb

Goal for September's A Lovely Year of Finishes

I'm traveling two weeks out of this month, so I'm trying to be realistic and keep my goals workable. With that in mind, I'd really like to finish this set of table runners.

I made these from one charm pack of Amy Butler prints.  All I need is binding, and I've got a finish!

I can't decide which is my favorite of these two?  I quilted a real fun pattern in the center prints, but it doesn't show up well at all. It's from  Angela Walters' new book "Shape by Shape - Free Motion Quilting With Angela Walters"  and is called Swirl Chain. It works in well with the outer swirls.

 Once I get the binding on, I'll try to get a better photo from the backside.

The second runner had me stumped as to the quilting, so I just did some stippling. Don't think I was feeling all that well that day, so I scribbled. Fun, fun!

So, with my Day Job taking most of my time this month, getting the bindings on these two darlings will please me greatly!  Thanks again to Melissa and Shanna for hosting A Lovely Year of Finishes. I see that it is inspiring many of us to just "Get 'er Done!" especially when time is scarce.

Be sure to join the fun and link up your September Goal for ALYOF. See you on the flip side!

Quilting with a smile,
Barb
Linking up to Needle & Thread Thursday,  ALYOF