Charity Quilt Sew-In

For several years, the January meeting of The Whacky Ladies quilt bee has been devoted to making charity quilts for Capital Quilters Guild in Raleigh, NC.  Sometimes we bring our own UFO's or other projects to work on.  The easiest way is to pick up some kits prepared by the various charity groups of the guild.  The quilts go to neonatal units of local hospitals, rest homes, a shelter for abused children, and other worthy charities.

Thursday was the day to meet at our member Donna's shop, Whatever's Quilted, in its new location at Capital Plaza, 11829 Retail Dr, Wake Forest, NC. 

Donna is not only a long arm quilter, but sells HandiQuilter machines and accessories, 108" wide backing fabric in a rainbow of colors, and lots of other threads, gadgets and notions for quilters.

I arrived late due to a dentist appointment in the morning.  I brought my some of my own fabric to cut in an attempt to do some stash-busting.  Donna offered to show my how to cut five-inch squares on the Accu-Cut die-cut machine.

First, I needed to iron the fabric.  Another new gadget:  the Elna steam-press!

This was very easy to use.  Just lay your fabric across the table, lower the top, and wait until it chirps!

After my fabric was nicely steam-pressed,  Donna showed me how to use the 5" die cutter on the big Accu-Quilt Studio Cutter machine.

This model is larger and more heavy-duty than the smaller model machine.  It can cut through ten layers.  I ended up with hundreds of five-inch squares, perfectly cut in just minutes!

Donna sells both the steam press and the Accu-Quilt machines.

The other ladies had a head start on me, and were almost finished with several tops by the time I finished cutting my squares.  Here are Marilyn, Carolyn, and Lori working on their projects in the back of the shop.

Marilyn's kit featured a farm animal print in a streak-of-lightning pattern.

Donna worked on one of the machines she sells at the front of the shop, so she could keep an eye on things.

Lori was working on a stripy quilt with white sashing.

Lori also finished this Superman panel quilt top, which only needed borders to finish.

Donna was working on this scrappy strip quilt.  She used some of the leftover pieces from the fabric I cut in between the strawberry and floral fabrics.

I didn't sew anything in the shop, but have lots of cut squares to work on at home.  

We each brought something to contribute for lunch.  Mine were salads from Whole Foods, which I purchased on the way to Wake Forest from the dentist office.  It was a wonderful day with good friends, food, and fabrics!

Vintage View Quilt Show March 14-16 in Raleigh

My local quilt guild, Capital Quilters, is co-sponsoring a quilt show this weekend, along with the Carolina Longarm Association.  I have been an active member of both groups in the past, but have not participated much in the past two years.  However, I can recommend this show as one with lots of exceptional quilts and quality vendors.

It will be held this year at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.

Vintage View Quilt Show

• Kerr Scott Building, NC Fairgrounds, Raleigh (map or Driving Directions)
• Friday & Saturday 10am – 6pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm

• 400 Quilts, 40 Vendors, Lectures, Demonstrations, Wearable Art, Door Prizes, Exhibits
• Admission $5, Children 12 and under free
• Free Parking

This quilt will be raffled at the show.

A Garden for my Wedding Ring”
Designed by Judy Niemeyer
Hand appliquéd, paper pieced, and assembled by Capital Quilters Guild Members
Machine Quilted by Cathy Kirk

If you are anywhere near the Raleigh area, this will be a great chance to see some pretty quilts.

"Little Daisy" Makes Her Debut (and a Give-Away)

Last night, I attended the Capital Quilters' Guild meeting in Raleigh...where we all got to meet "Little Daisy!"  Our next Heritage Day quilt auction (on Oct. 6, 2012) will help to raise money not just for the guild, but for the local Girl Scout council.  There will be two raffle quilts.  This one is "Little Daisy,"  a smaller version of "Daisy of Savannah."  Both quilts will feature the same fabrics and quilting, but the larger one will have five rows of five blocks each.  That one will probably be ready by the February meeting.

Here is a close-up of the beautiful quilting by The Quilting Cowgirl, Cathy Kirk.  Look at those splendid feathers!

If you look at the back side, you see that this could serve as a wholecloth quilt.

This is the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts.  The founder, Juliette Gordon Lowe, was nicknamed Daisy.  Everyone knows that the Girl Scouts are expert at sales- we have already had several knocking on our door for the fabulous annual cookie sale!  They will be helping to sell tickets for the raffle, so we should have record-breaking sales!

Also at last night's meeting, there was the annual Silent Auction.  Quilters bring in books, fabric, patterns, and other miscellaneous items that they no longer need.  Bids start at only twenty-five cents!  You would not believe the stuff that was available.  Since I need to start purging my personal "stuff" prior to putting our house on the market, I brought twenty books to donate to the auction.  Fortunately for me, they all sold except one.

The orphan from the auction is Lap Quilting With Georgia Bonesteel.   Georgia is an icon of the quilting world, at least in North Carolina, where her TV show on PBS has been airing every year since 1979.  I took a sun-printing class with Georgia at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium a few years ago.  What a generous, classy lady!  I was so impressed.  She told us that this first book was, ironically, also her best-selling EVER.

So, if you would like to have this book, leave a comment or drop me an e-mail by Sunday night.  If more than one person is interested, I will have a drawing to see who will be the winner.  Make sure I have your e-mail address.

Whacky Ladies Sew-In Day

Today was a day of fun and fellowship for the Whacky Ladies, my local quilt bee.  For three years in a row, our January meeting has been a sew-in day to make charity quilts to donate to Capital Quilters Guild.  The guild donates to neonatal intensive care units, rest home residents, children whose families are in a program for  prevention of child abuse, and other worthy causes.

Instead of meeting at Quilts Like Crazy, our LQS, we met at Donna Sontag's new storefront business, Whatever's Quilted.  Donna was formerly housed at Quilts Like Crazy, but has moved just down the street at 1318-156 S. Main St. in Wake Forest, NC.  Donna offers both hand-guided and computerized longarm quilting service, and also is a dealer for Handi-Quilter machines.  She will even train you to use the machines and then rent them to you to quilt your own projects.



 Donna showed us the raffle quilt for the Carolina Longarm Association's next show.  She did a fabulous job using both computerized and hand-guided quilting.

Many members contributed green fabrics and helped piece the quilt top, which has Tree of Life blocks with an applique vine in the outer border.

Donna cleverly extended the outline of the vine into the plain parts of the border.

The alternate blocks have a beautiful feathered design.

She will turn it in at the CLA meeting in Greensboro on Saturday for someone else to bind.

Another show-and-tell was this amazing American Flag quilt top that Kathy Miller and a group of women are working on for the Veteran's Administration Hospital.  It will be used when there is a death of a patient, to respectfully honor and cover the body when it is being moved.  Much nicer than draping a white sheet, yes?  It will be quilted and donated.

Mary made a quilt at home and donated it to the guild.  I think it will be perfect for a Safechild quilt with its happy colors and frog motif.

On to today's projects!  I went through a stack of my UFO's and handed them out.  Marilyn finished a top made from a pattern in Quilts From Aunt Amy.  It is made from muted Civil War reproduction fabrics.  It has free-hand circles cut into quarters, then sewn together with raw edge remaining.  Once it is quilted and washed, the edges will fray, making a ruffled look.  I think this will be great for a rest-home resident as it will have a tactile quality.

Kathy took some of my 5-inch cut squares and made this joyous quilt top for a child.

Two years ago, I made a Yellow Brick Road quilt for Quilts on Wheels, and had lots of leftover blocks and partial blocks.  Mary put those together along with some other fabrics that I cut up for her as needed. 

Lori also dove into her UFO (Un-Finished Object) pile and came up with enough blocks for two quilts.  She made one and Carolyn made the other.  They both have nine-patch and alternate blocks in a scrappy design.

Sharon came late and started putting together a top from some orphan blocks of mine.  Donna got out her quilt tops from our meeting two years ago, and got them started on her computerized machine during our get-together.

It is so much fun to work on these projects together.  In just a few hours we made a lot of quilt tops which will later warm their recipients, body and soul.

Cyberbee Show-and-Tell

I just realized that I never posted any pics from the Cyberbee meeting last Thursday evening.  Cyberbee is a sub-group of Capital Quilters Guild in Raleigh.  We formed back in the mid-nineties when we were the only ones in the guild actively using e-mail...can you remember how different things were technology-wise just a short time ago?  We meet occasionally during the year, and always have an interesting show-and-tell.This time we met at the Cameron Village Library.  Several of us met for dinner ahead of time at Moe's Southwest Grill. 

Here are a few of our Show-and-Tell photos.

We all wanted to grab Margaret's Bali Basket and go!  She made it using directions from the book Bali Bowls.  I absolutely love her color scheme.

Here is a purse made by Jean from the Two-Hour Tulip Purse pattern by our own Janice Pope of the Capital Quilters Guild. 

Carolyn made a very cute Flip-Flop quilt, using silk flowers to embellish the sandals.

She also made a cute child's quilt with lavender log cabin heats.

Joyce is working on an applique quilt featuring squirrels from the Bunny Hill pattern Pumpkin Hill. Only one block to go!

Joyce also showed us her Crayon Farm quilt.  She used regular crayons to make these adorable farm scenes.

Here is a closer look at some of the blocks.  She did a big-stitch stipple by hand for the quilting.

I was particularly fond of the the turkey!

Joyce also is one of the guild leaders for our Heritage Day Quilt Auction on October 1.  She has been working hard to make American Girl doll clothes for the guild's boutique sale of hand-made items.  She had three bridal gowns complete with veils and bouquets.

Susan shared a bright and cheerful baby quilt.

June showed two very large pieced blocks from the Cabin on the Shore pattern by Minick and Simpson.

We are heading to our mountain cabin for the long holiday weekend tonight.  We will be taking both our dog, Kasey, and our son's dog, Roo. 

Dave and Emily are off on a dream vacation to Spain and France.  Bon Voyage, kids, and have a safe, memorable trip!

Quilts and Clouds

Here are some more pictures of the auction quilts on display at the Capital Quilters Guild Thursday night.  (See my previous post for my bee's winning quilt entry!)

 All of these beautiful quilts have been made and donated for the Heritage Days Quilt Auction on October 1.  Here is a big shout-out to all the generous quilt makers who have created these gorgeous quilts for charity.  I am so sorry that I cannot attribute them to their makers, since the "Viewer's Choice" was anonymous.

The one below has a stunning color combination, and I loved the swirly quilting.

I love scrappy quilts, and this one covers a wide range of the color spectrum.

Here is another scrappy beauty.

Here is a bargello quilt in hot colors suitable for this July weather!

This advent tree was one of my favorites.  There are 25 ornaments.

This is a very large, stunning quilt in muted tones.  Lots of piecing here!

Here is yet another beautiful scrappy quilt, in what appear to be Civil War reproduction fabrics.

I like the secondary patterns of circles made from this pattern.

This was one of my favorite quilts in the exhibit.  I like the play of light and the contrast between colors.

Now look at this stunner...all I can say is "Wow!"

This quilt was quite remarkable, and I think it was made by an individual, not a group. Sure would like to have this on the bed in our cabin!

This smaller quilt has a lot of energy.

This next quilt was very popular.  The block is a traditional one known as churn dash or monkey wrench.  But, inside the center of each block are folded triangles, which open to reveal a surprise.

The folded triangles remind me of those fortune tellers or "cootie catchers" we made as school kids.

This one opened to reveal a raccoon.  Isn't this a great idea for a kid's quilt?

The next four pictures show some of the above quilts that won awards in the Viewer's Choice voting.

Things have been very busy since my Thursday night post about the guild meeting. On Friday morning, I had to go back to Rex Hospital in Raleigh for my first blood test since starting anti-coagulant therapy. (I sprained my ankle July 10, and developed a Deep Vein Thrombosis ten days later.) The goal is a PT/INR level of between 2 and 3.  I passed with flying colors with a 2.3. The best part was that I only had to take two more of the hated Lovonox injections after that! Yippee! I took ten total, and have ten bruises to show for it, making my abdomen look very much like a Dalmatian! I'm still on Coumadin.  I went back to Rex again this morning and it was 2.2, so I am doing well on the blood clot treatment.

The ankle is doing much better, as well. We went up to our mountain place and I was VERY careful not to fall again. I just had to dodge the seven children and five dogs, and stay out of the creek. We got a lot done, which is good, since we have a huge crowd coming in next weekend.

When we left Wake Forest Friday afternoon, it was 102 degrees.  We arrived at our mountain place just following a thunderstorm, and it was 72 degrees!  What a relief!  The hot ground air meeting the cooler air from the storm created a blanket of fog that crept across the mountains.

It started in the west...

crept down the valley and obscured the hills...

finally covering everything!

It finally rolled off to the east.  I love these weather phenomena that make for exciting photos!

As always, our Kasey was a happy camper!