Fun Block Wonder(ful)

Well it wasn't all fun but it did turn out Wonderfully!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - 63" x 62"

(it's a rainy day here, so the colors are a little funny)

 I didn't have the heart to kick coco off, as I just came home from a 5 day trip.  She helped with the entire photo session.

 I am especially happy with how my partial fans look on the border.  It is a good reminder that you can use any portion of a stencil.

 I used 2 fabrics on the back:  A Gold Dragon, which was great because I watched 4 seasons of Game of Thrones while working on this quilt and an Asian Toile' which I adore

I still need to stitch my little sparrow above my label.

 back Asian Toile' details

Here you can see the texture of the quilting.

This quilt gave me all sorts of problems.  After binding, washing and blocking I found I had missed several fan arcs - grrrrrrr.

 In order to quilt it properly I had to un-stitch the binding on the back and the front.   I used a single binding.

 I held it off to the side while I started and stopped the quilting stitching.

 When finished I just pinned and re-stitched to the front and hand stitched (again) to the back.

Here are 2 dresses that I'm sending to Columbia with Lori.

 I made several little goodie bags with "girly stuff".

I will be kicking off my lecture/teaching year with a visit to the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild Sept. 15-17th.  Find info on their Facebook page here or their Website here.  I'm looking forward to meeting everyone!
xo

Swap News & Mary Schafer

Will there be a swap this year?  What is the theme?  How can I get in on the fun?  I've had many inquiries and here some answers.

Hint for the next swap:

The timing for the next swap is going to be Jan-March 2018.

My fall schedule includes lectures, trunk shows, workshops, a quilt show and a Seminar this fall so I'll be announcing the swap in January and the blocks will be due in March.

Please participate in the survey on the right sidebar.  It may have an impact on the number of swappers for each group.

Can't find it on a phone or ipad?  if you scroll all the way to the end of my web page, you'll see "View Web  Version".  click the link and you'll see my complete page.

After jumping off the cruise ship, I jumped in the car to visit the Mary Schafer exhibit in PA.

This was my favorite, hands down.

 I also love this one.   Mary added the borders and quilted this lovely pyramid quilt.

 A very quaint sampler quilt.

 Not a Mary Schafer quilt, but part of the PA exhibit and my favorite color combination.

 This was Pauline's favorite.  It was very fun to study it the pattern and placement of fabrics.

Among the quilts, beautiful doll houses were on display.  I love the step stools for small visitors :)

Gwen Marston has lovingly written two books about her friend Mary.

 I may not Bingo in real life, but my friend, Diane, sent me these winning vintage button bingo cards.  I love them!

 yay!  I finished basting my OBW quilt and today will be day 4 of quilting.  My machine is humming along again after it was cleaned.

 I'll leave you with this sweet photo.  When I clean and wash  Timothy's big enclosure, he spends the day in his travel crate.  Mr. Starbuck makes a very good babysitter.

Hope you get a peek at the eclipse next Monday and please take my swap survey.  I'll leave it up for about a month.

xo

Now where was I?

Oh yes, still stitching clams for the Birdie border on my Medallion Quilt.  Three down, with only one to go - woo hoo!

Hint~  I find the best way to press applique' with a clear water spritz, right side down on top of a clean bath towel.  

This way your pretty applique won't get flattened as you can see below.

 

I use a print out of my design as a road map.  It helps with color placement when things have been "simmering" a while.   I spy George and Abe tee hee.

It is a little like dealing cards finding the right placement for the little clams.

Using a long banquet table works great for this kind of prep.

OBW update (it's a good news/bad news situation)

I made it 90% through the second marking of my OBW and realized it is off again (did you hear my wailing and gnashing of teeth?.   I then had a "ah ha" moment and realized it is the wrong design so I have a new plan and will share it soon.  This is getting boring at the this point.

On to the borders.  I'm using a portion of my newest fan stencil.  It is "Snowflower and the Secret Fan" after all......

Hint~  when you're only using a portion of a large stencil, mask off the area you don't want mark.

It also really helps to keep things straight.  Of course you have to put the tape on straight ha ha ha - you get me.

I have had the sweetest nectarines this summer.  I found this great recipe for a cobbler to take to quilt friends for a sew day.

Have a wonderful Week!
xo

Bingo, Blunder, Boats and Birds

I have a funny post today with nothing much, especially if you follow me on IG which I hope you do.

First an oldie but a goodie and never shared before.
Fairy Mini Quilt - just 11" x 11"

The center was inked by an Illinois friend, Laurie P.  I paper pieced the borders from a Kathleen Brooks pattern.

 Another early epic fail of labeling but it says 1996 on the front.

Blunder!
I had a marking plan and even bought juicy new water soluble pens (which worked against me).

I am using the Tea Cup design.  Perfect for an Asian quilt, right friends?

Well, in my excitement, I picked up a pen and just went at it, picking a random area to start.  In no time I was off my markings....which was very evident by looking at the seam lines on the quilt.

I share this in the hopes you don't make this mistake.  Marking should line up in some way with the seams.  I didn't think about this pitfall until it was too late.  Worse yet, I kept marking thinking I could fix it.  ha ha ha the quilt Gods laughed.

It took many many sprayings to remove the juicy dark lines and by then I lost my flat quilt top - but I repressed/starched yesterday and I think it will be okay.  Keep a good thought for me and this quilt.

Boats!
Mr. Fun crewed on his 24th Chicago to Mackinac Yacht Race last weekend on his childhood friend's boat.  I tracked it at home on an app. It was fun to watch the fleet progress up Lake Michigan.

 For the first time, Slapshot won a flag by finishing 3rd in their class, J109!  Congrats to all the crew aboard and the Skipper Scott.

Birds~
This hummer was at the kitchen sink window feeder. Check out those sweet feathers on her  legs.

She hears or sees me - clever girl.

 Here is my Nyger Thistle feeder, which the house finches just love.

I'm caught again!

 I'm taking these through the window, but they still catch it.

B I N G O !!!
Don't laugh, but this was a life dream.   To play at a big hall bingo at Foxwoods. There were about 4000 people and we played 34 games with 9-card sheets. We didn't win, but we had a great time and will go again!

Thats about all I got this week.   Hope you have a fun week.
xo

p.s. one more thing to be happy about - Winter is Coming....is here.