Day: October 24, 2017

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 1

Turkey Tracks:  October 24, 2017

The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 1

Heidi August

It was a good retreat!

And, was made better by the addition of a quilter new to our group.

Heidi August brought this GORGEOUS quilt for me to see–once again.  I saw it at the Vermont Quilt Show two summers ago and took a picture of it, which I posted on this blog.  This quilt is one of my all-time favorite quilts and maybe THE favorite one.  It has now won TWO ribbons at major quilt shows.  Go Heidi!!

It was a delight to meet Heidi!  She is full of lively, creative, energy and boundless good will.  There is nothing nicer than meeting a quilter like this one and bouncing up and down with her ideas.

The block is a pineapple block, and Heidi told me that there is a pineapple ruler that made this work much easier.

Many facets of this quilt make it wonderful:  the subtle use of color, the block itself, the clever use of text fabrics, and the whimsy in each block.  Take a look at some of my favorite blocks.  It was hard to choose which one were “favorites.”  I could have taken a picture of each and every block.  Of course I have to start with CHICKENS.

 

 

 

 

Taking pictures of these blocks is like eating only ONE potato chip…  I could go on and on…

Look at the clever backing:

And binding…

I have a fat quarter collection of those little colored squares, but never thought to use this fabric for a binding.

It’s PERFECT!

***

Heidi worked on a fun quilt and a more serious one.  Sadly I did not get a picture of this latter quilt.  The fabrics were dark and the light in the gym was not great.  I hope she sends me a picture when she gets the top finished.  I”ll share if she does.

And she very kindly sent me three quilt pictures that stemmed from our conversations:

A Halloween quilt top she just finished–which is as lively as Halloween is.

And her Tula Pink 100 Modern Quilt blocks–laid out and, following, the finished quilt:

This setting is one Tula Pink suggests in the book.  But Heidi, unlike Tula Pink, sorted the blocks by color.  It came out great, don’t you think?  I also like the wavy grid quilting!  A lot!

Go Heidi!

I look forward to more interactions with YOU!

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 2

Turkey Tracks:  October 24, 2017

The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 2

Here’s our space at the Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunkport, Maine.

This time the FGH located us in the gym as another larger group had been there just before us.  So, we had space, ironing boards and irons, tables, and design walls to spare.  The entrance is across the room from this picture.  And we had access to a nice kitchen with both a microwave and a convection oven.  We brought food and bought food.  A group has to have 15 in attendance to get FGH ood served.

Additionally, Jan Kelsey and crew sought out nearby quilting stores this trip.  There are more than the one very small one just down the street.  Sanford sewing is about 20 minutes–and they have been so supportive of us during our retreats, including fixing machines we’ve dropped off there while we are at the retreat.  There is a nearby Marden’s.  And there is a store called Wool Camp that the girls who went on this expedition loved.  Who knew?

From left to right, Deb Hazell, Heidi August, and Deb Torre.  That’s Tori Manzi in the background.

Vicki Fletcher.  Don’t you love that smile?

Mac Saulnier.  Mac and Jan Kelsey went to college together and have stayed in touch.

Mary Bishop, with the quilt she designed and the jacket she made at the October 2016 retreat:

Vicki Fletcher and Sharon Flanagan with Sharon’s quilt:

Jan Kelsey with a baby quilt.  This fabric is interesting because I made a quilt for a grandson with this fabric and put the remnants into our last fund-raiser auction.  Jan bought it, not realizing that I had donated it.  I like what she did and am so happy that someone else was using the fabric.

I did not get a picture of Jan Corson (!!!) or myself.

And I went back into old files to find what I did with the fabrics Jan Kelsey has above:  it was quilt No 43, made in 2009.  I’ve come along way baby!  As has technology.  The pics are from a camera that distorted the “rectangle” of the quilt, for instance.

I would definitely put cornerstones if I were making this quilt today.  The panel details are so cute though.  They remind me of the Japanese designers who are making fabrics with these “retro” motifs.

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 3

October 24, 2017

The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 3

The Work

Wow!  Look at this fun quilt Deb Hazell is making:

Here the pattern:

Deb H. also worked on this yummy wool blanket that is meant for “ownself.”

The blanket is yummy, but look, too, at the nifty portable sewing table Deb has.  The top has a clear acrylic piece that fits exactly around your machine.  I think the brand is Sew Eaze???  They are not horribly expensive either.  To her right is one of the portable tables that let you put your cutting board or ironing pad and iron right at your fingertips.  I got one at Amazon and can’t imagine what I did before I had it.

Tori Manzi is a master foundation piecer.  She finished the side sections of this quilt on this retreat.  There is a big plain section that goes between the arrow points.  And see below that the arrow head and some of the stock are elaborately foundation paper pieced.

Tori has a lot of the components of this quilt done now.  I think the little stars on the right will go into that middle section.  My goodness!!

I love this quilt Jan Corson is doing.  Blue and neutrals, stars and log cabins, what’s NOT to like??  She got the top done this trip and all the blocks trimmed up so the quilt will lie true.

Next, she made these little pouches for her daughter’s wedding in July–gifts for the bridesmaid’s.  Four done!

The inside of each has a different, charming fabric.  If these pouches run away from home, Jan, you could start looking at my house.

I am living vicariously through Deb Torre, who is just moving into the most beautiful farm house with a BARN and outbuildings.  Animals are coming in the spring.  I voted for chickens.  Hubby has a new tractor.  Deb is making this “star” quilt to go with the new bedroom’s colors.  She made great progress during the retreat.

In addition to her star quilt, Mary Bishop also made this Halloween table runner.

Mac Saulnier worked on these log cabin wreaths.  If I understand her correctly, they will be put together back to back to make a hanging for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.

Jan Kelsey worked on two Christmas funky block log cabin quilts.

But her big project for several retreats now has been this quilt that uses old postcards saved by her grandparents during their travels.  She copied the cards and printed the copy on to fabric.

Clever!  And, a lovely way to capture family history.

Vicki Fletcher got borders on her “disappearing 9- patch” quilt.  From a distance, this quilt looks so lacy.

I got the last 40 Tula Pink blocks done, from TP’s book 100 MODERN QUILT BLOCKS.  I used all Cotton + Steel fabrics and will set the blocks in this “city” setting.  Mary B. said the blocks remind her of old-fashioned comic book pages, all colorful and each page different.  Yeah!  That’s the look I wanted.  Now I am looking for C+S setting fabric.  The ones I like are virtually sold out.  I really liked the sparkle/Stardust fabric in grey.

I relaxed by making some Wild and Goosey blocks with my teeny scraps–a pattern from Bonnie Hunter.

I’ll set them with black and white strips and will set the blocks with wide sashing grounded by a small-block 9-patch.

I made two of the big star blocks (16 inches) that I designed after taking Amy Friend’s improv workshop.  Her book on this method is IMPROV PAPER PIECING.

It was a productive retreat.

Turkey Tracks: Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 4

Turkey Tracks:  October 24, 2017

The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 4

Coming Home

This girl was waiting for me when I got home–reminding me that it’s nice to go away but even nicer to come home.

Betsy Maislen’s flowers were still beautiful.  Betsy stayed with me between voyages on the J&E Riggin, a windjammer out of Rockland, Maine.  Betsy volunteered for six weeks in September and October this fall.  She LOVES to cook with Annie Mahle and to be on the Riggin.  She also loves to get her clothes washed, to sleep in a real bed, and to be recharged and ready to go out again.

And she made and sent me one of the cards I was kitting up for our retreat group to make–as a little gift for those who came.  Amanda Jean Nyberg (Crazy Mom Quilts) designed this card project.  You can find directions in her WONDERFUL book NO SCRAP LEFT BEHIND.  I did a recent blog entry on these cards.  Didn’t Betsy do a great job?  Don’t miss the little owl on the right.  I loved getting this card from Betsy.

Betsy was at our May 2017 retreat and is planning to be at the May 2018 retreat.  She retired this past June and is discovering that she loves to quilt.  Rhea Butler introduced her to the Lucy Boston paper piecing blocks on the Riggin this summer–during the Slow Sewing cruise–and Betsy fell in love with them.  She’s just finished her second one now.  Pretty, huh?

***

NOW, here’s a challenge for those of you who choose to accept it.  Some of us are challenging the Coastal Quilters to make Jen Kingwell’s pattern “Long Time Gone,” starting in January.  This quilt is an improv form and uses a lot of different blocks, so it is a terrific learning project.  Besides it’s just fun.  Betsy is going to do it with us from Vermont!

I’ll post pics of your finished quilts here on the blog.

Let’s have some fun!

Here’s a version.  To see others, google “images” for the pattern.