A great class

Thursday I zoomed a class with Beth Ann Williams called "Easy and Effective Machine Quilting with a Walking Foot."  It's a two part class, with more good info next Thursday.  Beth Ann showed a number of marking tools that I have but haven't tried very much, as well as those I haven't heard of.  I'm heading to the quilt shop this morning to see if I can find some.  Here's a link to her blog updating her test of marking tools.

We went over various ways of echo quilting as well as stabilizing the sandwich and moving it without turning.  Her hints were very helpful, and I enjoyed working on the homework.  That involved practicing marking and stitching.  If you are looking for a useful class, I would recommend Beth's.  She is practical and very approachable.  

Beth said that physical limitations have led her to quilt most things with a walking foot these days, and the quilts she showed were really nice.  I have stopped trying the do free motion quilting myself because I find it stressful.  I can never seem to regulate the tension and length of my stitches, but my walking foot stitches turn out great.  When I want curlicues, I take a quilt to a long armer.  Much of what she talked about, I already knew to some extent, but it felt good to dive a little deeper into the subject.  Can't wait til next Thursday!

Fall fun

 It's going to be a cloudy high 40s today, and I see the wind blowing.   That means it's chillier than it looks.  The foliage is still pretty, but I don't think I'll be going outside to do any yard work.  There is laundry going this morning, and this afternoon I have signed up for a machine quilting workshop online.  It's about using a walking foot more creatively, and I hope to pick up a few pointers.

Yesterday we met Diane and Bill for an early dinner downtown.  It was $5 Burger Night, and the burgers were really good.  I checked on Noom before ordering so found that my burger was within my range, thank goodness.  I am finding Noom quite interesting, but I don't know that I'll renew after my three months are up.  I'm not sure I've lost any weight this month.  Anyway, walking back to the car, Paul had to stop for a picture.  If you can enlarge it, you'll read some funny epitaphs.

 

Bow ties

Earlier this year, I participated in a bow tie block swap with some online quilting friends.  Most swapped two blocks, but Debbie and I exchanged ten with each other.   These 8" blocks were incredibly each to make, and a lot of fun to arrange.  I'm curious to see how Debbie arranged her blocks.

I finished putting the blocks together and got them ready to quilt last weekend, and this Saturday I finished quilting the little quilt which is destined for Bags of Love.  The binding has been sewn to one side, and, because it's raining today, I'll probably get it sewn to the other side today.

I have a few small quilt projects to work on after that, but I am nearing the end of a good book, too, so I'm not sure how I'll spend the rest of my day.  Yesterday I tried a new recipe for baked chicken breast which involved brining briefly and a rub.  It was a huge success, and we have quite a bit left to enjoy this week in a chef's salad and maybe enchiladas.  This means I'll spend a little time in the kitchen today, too.

I had hoped to do some more yard work, but it looks a bit too wet out.  I edged a little bed around the birch tree in our front yard.  It was a bit difficult due to all the roots there, but I am hoping to get some bulbs in before mulching for the winter.  I also need to trim the hydrangeas out back.  The tag on the bush said it was a "mini," but it has turned out to be "maxi" and needs human intervention to stay in its spot.  The flowers have surprised me by slowly turning from white to burgundy, so I've been a bit slow to remove them.

Gorgeous weather

 

We are having a lovely fall.  The temperatures are between 65 and 75 almost every day.  Every morning's fog promises and delivers a sunny day, and the night temperatures are perfect for sleeping.  This is why we live in Vermont.  We know it will get lousy out eventually, but right now, it is a perfect place to live.

We try to get out for walks most days, and yesterday's showed some of the fall colors to perfection.  I like the colors best when they aren't quite at peak.  Every view is a gift!

I did do some sewing yesterday - finished quilting the bow tie quilt and sewed the binding onto one side.  I need to sew it to the back and may start that later today.  Yesterday I went to a Calico County Quilters meeting.  It's a small group and we usually bring out own projects to work on while chatting.  I finished my sashiko and now have to figure out what to do with it.  I think I will turn it into a wallhanging with a colorful border since the background is a charcoal gray.

This morning I was back outside, working under the birch tree where I removed some ungainly junipers earlier this summer.  I edged around the area covered with leaves and will get Paul to help me mulch tomorrow.  Here's a view from the tree.  Isn't that red tree amazing!?!  I can see its top from my computer, too.

It's been a relaxing weekend, which is good because the week looks like it will be somewhat busy with appointments and social events.  Not a bad life, retirement. 

Fall foliage

Here in Central Vermont at this time of year, the mornings are always foggy.  The leaves are slowly beginning to turn, and we anxiously await their "peak."  My friend Samantha recently took this photo from Green River Reservoir, about an hour north of us.

There is really no place prettier than Vermont in fall!

Quilt shows and "potato chip" blocks

Thursday I took two quilts with hanging sleeves to the library to be hung where the AIDS quilt panels were.  I'm not sure how they'll get them up there.  The space on the older brick wall of the building and visible from the new art is huge.  They say they have a volunteer handy man who doesn't mind climbing.   

I think the quilts (Harriet's Journey and Hanky Quilt #2) will be a little small for the space, but I had only one larger quilt with a hanging sleeve.  I'll work on another one this week and swap them out in another month or so.  Both are older and used to be on beds in our B&B.

It never rains, but it pours! On Friday, I had a call from the Barre Opera House asking me if I could show some of my quilts in the lobby for about six weeks.    I had a show there one summer maybe ten years ago.  They have a lot of events planned this season and a very empty (dull) lobby.  The catch:  I need to hang the quilts this week.  

Yesterday I got out all the smaller wall hangings and curtain rods and dowels I have.  Paul cut one dowel to fit a small wool appliqued piece.  We will try hanging everything on Tuesday.  I'm excited!  Today I'll get the steamer out to work on one quilt that's very crumpled (shown here without wrinkles).

Meanwhile, I've been cutting 2" x 3.5" rectangles for "potato chip" blocks to go around the Dresden Plate quilt that was in timeout in the closet.  I need 24 for the next border and am having fun putting them together.  It's going to be quite colorful.  The final border will be a wide, plain print to bring the quilt up to about 72" square.  

I told myself...

 ...I wasn't going to participate in the guild Block of the Month this year.  I just end up with too many orphans.  Then I realized I didn't need to put a slip of paper into the bag of names for the drawing.  So today I did make the block and will put it into the drawing at the October meeting without entering.

I did end up with two orphan pinwheel blocks from the cutoffs, and I will use them somewhere - on pot holders or mug rugs - eventually.   I did a little complaining about the requirement that the background fabric be a fall batik fabric, thinking that I didn't have any.  But I did find something in my stash that worked although the contrast with the darker fabric makes that fabric, which was supposed to be green, look blue.

This morning I finished machine quilting Rows D through F of my Dear Jane.  I'll roll it up with the first three rows and proceed... eventually.  I want to work on a few other projects first.  I offered to coordinate a Round Robin or a Block Robin for the guild, with a deadline to sign up of October 1.  No one jumped right on it, but maybe some people will by next week.  I enjoy either type of exchange project   It's a challenge to build on someone else's project, using someone else's choice of fabric.  The last Round Robin I worked on was mostly my least favorite color - brown - but I chose to add a little blue to the border and really liked it.

I received more of the "Flora" fabric from the Cute Little Fabric Shop in Utah yesterday, so I can work on the Dresden top and the lily block, both using parts of that line.  I'm thinking the lily block will end up as a table runner, but I'm not sure yet.

As I write this, I see some guys on top of the house across the street cleaning the chimney.  That's a sure sign of fall!  Our leaves are beginning to change but have a way to go yet.  This morning it was about 45 when I got up and today's high is to be in the high 60s.  I do love fall, but I'm not wild about what it turns into!