Sunday, January 21, 2018

Slow and Steady...

I am still in the working stage of life (and truth be told, probably will work until I graduate to heaven.)  My job requires that I travel A LOT.  I just returned from Vancouver, B.C. yesterday and am leaving for Fresno, CA today.

So, how does a body continue to move forward with their UFOs while on the road?

For me, it depends on how much time I'll be in a particular city.  For example, sometimes when
I travel to Vancouver, B.C. I will be there a as long as two weeks.

In those instances, I take Miss Ellie with me and set up shop in the hotel room:






It is always a bit amusing to hear the comments from the TSA agents..." Is THAT a sewing machine?!"  Why, yes.  Yes it is.

Other times I'll take some sort of handwork.  This past week (and this next week) I'm working my way through a pile of scraps; trimming them into useful sizes.  I don't have any particular project in mind.




Sizes will start at 5" and graduate down by .5" to 2".  I also cut strips to use in Bonnie Hunter's scrap patterns.











My grandson made his quilt with 5" squares I'd already cut from scraps.





The secret to moving forward is.... slow and steady wins the race.

Happy Sewing.

Monday, January 15, 2018

Desert Lily Quilters Guild Quilt Show Entries

The Desert Lily quilters are a talented group.
There were so many beautiful quilts at the show.  Here are but a few.



This quilt was hung very high so I could not get a very good shot.
I think it is stunning.

Some day I'm going to make a Hunters Star.



A selfie.






















Paper pieced starts in soft purples
The picture does not do it justice.




























This quilt gave me a good idea... take the extra, left over blocks I have and add a cat silhouette.  Instant, cute quilt.

I love paper pieced stars.

Auntie with her second entry "Tuxedo Tales"
The Desert Lily Quilt Show is always the second weekend of January.  Pretty quilts, a good variety of vendors and nice, nice people.  And, there are lots of inexpensive places to stay.  A fun, inspirational weekend for not a lot of cash.  Mark your calendar.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Road Trip !!




Road to California?  No.
AQS in Paducah?  No.
Quilt Con?  No.


Desert Lily Quilters Guild Quilt Show in Yuma, AZ




Most every year, on the second weekend of January I travel to Yuma, AZ to visit my quilting-buddy and snow bird Auntie and help out at the Desert Lily Quilt show.  This year I'm taking my quilting pal, Charlotte-the-Tall with me... yep, the two Charlottes on the road.  
Thelma and Louise?  More like Mutt and Jeff.  I'll let you figure out who is who.

It's a long drive from So. Cal. to Yuma, AZ.

The landscape is rugged, but with a rugged beauty.


As we drove, we chatted away and solved all the world's problems; world hunger, global warming, the next door neighbor's barking dog.




 

And, truth be told, Yuma is a nice little town...in the winter...Not sure I could handle those summer temps.

The Desert Lily quilters are a very talented bunch, but the MOST talented of them all is my very own Auntie,
Nyla Stoughton.

She won first place AND the Silver Dollar award (100 Silver Dollars) for her "Birdies."
A set of 12 wall hangings, one for each month, hand appliqued in wool.

Nyla Stoughton



She is so talented.  I am blessed to call her "my auntie", quilting buddy and mentor.

Charlotte Smith, Charlotte Q (me) and Auntie
Tomorrow, I will post more show entries...beautiful, all.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Welcome 2018 - The Year of the UFO*


I am associated with a number of quilting Facebook pages:  Quilt Along with Pat Sloan, Scrappy Girls Club; Panel Quilts; Thrifty Quilters .... there are tons of quilting-related Facebook pages to choose from.

It is so fun to follow these pages!  I get a lot of inspiration as well as making friends.

A consistent theme for the new year seems to be finishing up UFOs.


And if that is not enough to motivate you.... Pat Sloan is having a "UFO Challenge."


If you want to participate in Pat Sloan's challenge, click HERE.

Even though I did finish a few UFOs last year, I have more... So I think I'll jump on the UFO band wagon.  How about you?

I spent a little time this afternoon putting together my list.  They are not all quilts, but they are all sewing projects.











 So here we go! UFO completing into 2018.














*Unfinished Object