Saturday, September 5, 2009

Little News and Bigger News

This has been a week of working and a weekend of accomplishments. I embroidered, pieced, pressed, cleaned, washed, read, played, and rested Wednesday and Thursday. And, I did get the Eleanor Burns BOM block done.













Then Friday I was off to NWFL to visit with friends. My friend, Nita O’Keefe, was in Ft. Walton Beach, at the LQS doing a trunk show of her embroidery designs.

See that table? That was 1/3 of the samples she had to show. She and Holley Pike have formed a union with Becky McNeal, Gal Pals, to sell their designs. For the last two years their designs, along with thread, have been part of a subscription so I already have most of them but it was great to see them stitched out. And did I get pictures? No, I forgot to lift my camera I was so entranced with what she had to show.

Also while there I got the swap blocks I completed in March. It seems that some people signed up for the swap but didn’t do their blocks so others had to be recruited in order to complete the swap.


These are the blocks that I now have to work with. They range in size from 11 ¾” to 12 ¾” I see this as a challenge but as of right now I have no idea what I will do with them. As you probably have seen, I really like bright fabrics but I also like a challenge so we will have to see what my fertile imagination will come up with: a UFO all ready for next year.

After the show I was able to go out to lunch with another friend, Jeannie no blog (a wonderful seamstress), and then spend a little time, and money, at Joann’s and one of my favorite quilt shops, Margie’s.

The big news:


South Seas is quilted. The panto came in on Thursday but, except for setting it out on the frame, there was no time to quilt. However, this morning I was in the studio, ready to quilt. This is the panto, a 9” swirl.

I guess I have been spoiled by the pantos I have been getting from Urbanelementz. They come with 2-4 rows printed and nesting designs. As you can see, this is only one row and I would have to move the panto for every row to make it “nest” with itself. So, I quilted the rows as you see them and then was left with large blank spaces. So this is how I decided to cure what I saw as a problem: click to enlarge.



I quilted a water-like meanter between the swirls and I really like the effect.







6 comments:

Pat said...

You did a great job of "problem-solving" regarding the swirly panto. I love the look you got on that quilt.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

The meander looks like it was meant to be in there.

I only participated in one swap and when I got back blocks that were all different sizes and some with bias on the edges I decided I would just make my own blocks.

Nancy said...

Wow!! You make me tired just thinking of everything you've accomplished. Everything looks lovely!!! Congrats!

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

Dag girlfriend! I need a nap after reading all that you got done! Beautiful job on everything. The swap looks really cool.
bunny hugs,
shell

pollyanna said...

Wow you have been busy this week! Gorgeous quilt with the 30s fabric. I am especially attracted to the bwr quilt in your blog picture. I love that little thin red line through it. You have a pattern for that one?

Judy D in WA said...

I've had to take swap blocks apart and resew to get them close enough to work with or I've used wonky sashing-don't know how that would look with these blocks though. I love what you did with the panto areas. Very clever!