Retreat #1 ends and Retreat #2 begins -- -

Thank you to this great group of ladies for joining us at the lake for 3 great days of stitching and a lot of laughter. Below are just some of the quilts that were born so far this week.

Angel Tree

As the holidays approach, it's time to start talking angels. We have a list of children, ages 5 months to 21 years old, that need a friend. 

Stop in and look over the list. We ask for a pillow case. If you would like to include some gifts inside your pillow case, that's even better.

This year, recipients are through Dallas Co. Crisis Intervention and Advocacy.

We ask gifts be returned to the shop by December 15 so we can deliver.  Thank you in advance or your kindness.

New table runner/wall hanging, perfect for the season. This is made with string piecing on a foundation square and went together in an afternoon. Fun and cute AND available in kit!

Sunday Sewday

My last couple Sunday Sewdays have been focused on finishing up details for retreat. It starts today!  The first group of our Ladies of the Lake guest will arrive this morning (at Lake Panorama) at 10 am and stay through Wednesday. The second group arrives Thursday and stays through Saturday. Unlike this gal, we will be quilting everyday this week!

Holiday gift idea!

 Our friends from Quilting on Main in Pocahontas shared this idea recently. This is an 8 1/2" "Tumbling Block"  pot holder made using a hexagon ruler. Lots of fun to be had with this ruler including hexagons from 2" to 8".

For the back of the potholder, I fussy cut this cute Christmas print.

We are just packing up now to head out for our 12th retreat. With the theme of "Twelve Days of Christmas", this will one of our fun demos.

Birthday girl

The mother of my granddaughter is 32 today. Happy Birthday, Willow Ruby!

Quilt Show Tomorrow

Saturday. October 25, 9 am to 3 pm, stop by the Waukee Christian Church to see their quilt show. Pick up a couple raffle tickets for quilt drawing at 2:30 - Need not be present to win. Get more details here.

New reads --- -

Just in - - - love this magazine.

I picked up this new book today. Perfect for holiday gift giving, this is a children's Christmas story written by a Winterset, IA quilter. All autographed copies in house now for just $9.95.

Retreat Reminders - - -

Check the "Retreat" page of this blog for a few reminders. We are knee deep in retreat planning here at Adel Quilting!

Sneak peak - -

Coming to a quilt shop near you soon!

No longer a mystery - -

Last year, Quilt Circle of Friends did a Mystery Quilt. Then we offered it to everyone else. Now that this BOM is finished, we can show the quilts. These are some of the Mystery Quilts made by QC members.

This one is by Lonnie K.

and this one by Celia M.

Here is Margaret B's version.

Nancy H did her's in pink and brown civil war reproductions.

Theresa H. changed hers up a bit by adding a narrow sashing strip (red) between the blocks.

Joyce S. changed hers by adding a sashing between the blocks and and an extra row of squares between her nine-patch blocks.

Another by Joyce S, done the same one only with a more scrappy selection of fabrics.

Trish S. played around with her blocks, turning the corners to create an entirely different look.

Jan M. rearranged her pieces, moving some of the sashing strips to the borders, creating this fun quilt.

What a fun project this has been.  Do you have a favorite?

The pattern for this quilt, "Friendship Circle", is available at no charge if you purchase the fabric from Adel Quilting and Dry Goods Co.

A gift

The Covered Bridge Quilters always give us a gift for vending at their quilt show. This was our gift this year. I love it. It's on my kitchen table now!

October Quilt Circle of Friends

The October Quilt Circle of Friends meeting has been cancelled due to a death in our quilter family. 

Visitation for Kathryn Barker (Lonnie's mother) is Monday evening, 4 to 7 pm, at Twigg Funeral Home in Panora. 

The History of the Apron

          

Remember making an apron in Home Economics? I don't think our kids know what an apron is. 

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material.  But along with that, it served as a potholder for  removing hot pans from the oven. 

  

 It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. 

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

 

And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms. 

 

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. 

 From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.  After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. 

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. 

 

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. 

  

 It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. 

                                     

Today - - -

Our heartfelt condolences to the family of Lonnie and Kurt Keeran on the passing of Lonnie's mother.

Reminders

Just a few of reminders:

• Our new mini-charm bracelet block of the month is just beginning and we have a few vacancies. Cost is just $16.50 a month, every other month, for a total collection of 6 precious 3/4", glass encased, paper pieced blocks. Wear them on a bracelet or a necklace.

• If you are registered for one of our Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreats, check the "retreat" page on this blog for updates. I just added the 2015 dates.

• If you are participating in our Afternoon Delight Block of the Month, now is the time to reserve your finishing kit. 

Retreat update

For those of you attending our fall Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat, check the blog retreat link now. We have added cutting information for the retreat quilt projects, You may want to cut, mark and label pieces before retreat to get the most out of your time.

Find the retreat link under the tab "Pages" along the left side of the home page.

If you have not yet picked up a kit and would like one, contact us soon.

Madison County Covered Bridge Quilters Show

Here's our booth. The show runs again tomorrow, 10 am to 4 pm at the Winterset Elementary School on south 4th Street. It's a nice little show with about 100 quilts and 9 vendors.

Bring your husbands for the large vintage car show just outside the building.

This is our newest sample in the booth. Jenny O. made this shop sample for us. It is lined with Decor Bond, giving it great stability.

The inside has zipper pockets and elastic top pockets. 

On the outside, there is a zipper pocket plus deep pockets on each side with elastic tops as well. Jenny tells me the pattern is very thorough and has great pictures. This is one well made bag. Thanks, Jenny.
This is a booth I enjoyed. These gals, from Storm Lake, do a lot of their own patterns.

This is one of their runner/wall hangings. I thought this was cute and ordered a dozen for our shop.

Here is another of their patterns with small folded stars.

Here is a close up. The choice of colors in batiks was very attractive.

This booth, from Northern Missouri, was doing demos on the Accuquilt Go Cutter.

Take a drive tomorrow (Sunday) and end in Winterset! The trees are perfect and the weather beautiful. Of course the Covered Bridge Festival is just a couple blocks away as well.

A few new pieces - -

From Riley Blake, "Olivia"

- - - and herringbone prints in several nice fall colors.

Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat

Today, I sent email attachments to those registered for our two Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreats, Oct 27 through Nov 1. 

If you are registered and did not receive an email today, you may need to send me an updated email address.

As a follow-up, our first retreat is full but the Thursday, Friday and Saturday retreat still has 2 openings. Get all the details at our website here.

Bette's Flower Box Medley

Remember our Flower Box Medley block of the month? This is a close up of the center panel. Below is Bette D's. She used our fabric choices for the blocks each month but she put it on a tan-ish background. She also used the same turquoise blue for the block frames but thought it was too bright to match her bedroom so turned it over and used the backside of the fabric as the right side.

Isn't this fun? I just love it when customers put their own twist on a quilt. Bette plans to add two more pieced borders to make this fit her bed.

Cowboy Jack

Jackson was so excited to go to the rodeo, he got himself dressed. This was his version of cowboy gear.

This is his mama's version of cowboy gear. Guess which outfit he got to wear to the rodeo?

It's OOPPPEEEEEN SEEEWWWWWW WEEEEEKKK!!!!!

For the past several months, for one reason or another, I have had to miss Open Sew but I do believe the sewing gods are with me this month -- - for at least one day of stitchin and chattin anyway.

Open Sew is this week, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 am until you just can't take another stitch!  Join us.

A thank you from Jennifer Buttolph of Conkerr Cancer.

I am happy to say we had a total of 1,520 pillowcases dropped off in my area.

The Eastern Iowa coordinator had a total of 1,121 pillowcases
dropped off at her sites.  That makes a total of 2,641 pillowcases
made in Iowa.

Our goal nationally was 44,000 pillowcases for the month of September
since September is Children Cancer Awareness month.  That is roughly
how many children are being treated for life threatening or life changing
illnesses. 

Conkerr has some guide lines that they would like us to follow. 

1.  All pillowcases have to be made of 100% cotton.  No flannel.
 
2.  No glitter fabric.

3.  All pillowcases have to be made using the hot dog method and French
     seams.  If anyone needs help learning how to do this method I am 
     more than happy to teach them.  I also have written instructions if I 
     have a snail mail address.

 I'd also like to thank Adel Quilting and Dry Goods in Adel and Woodside
Quilting in Des Moines for hosting events for Conkerr Cancer in September.

Footnote:
Adel Quilting continues to be a drop off site for Conkerr Cancer pillow cases.

New Stuff

Another selvage quilt, made by Janet V. Isn't this a fun fall table runner/wall hanging?

We have a new Little Snapper. This little quilt measures 6" x 12 1/2". Kit includes fabric for the front, back and binding as well as the Rag Spun leaves, Owl Button and the leaf wire hanger.

Here's a close up of the little owl. Isn't he cute?

It's on!!!!!!!

The American Quilt Society International Quilt Show in 

Des Moines, today through Saturday.

We have special show hours in Adel - through Saturday, we are opened from 9 am to 8 pm. Bring in your show book and receive 15% off your puchase.

While at the show, give a nod to this quilt, hanging in the jouried portion of the AQS show.

This is our Afternoon Delight block of the month. Pieced by Judy Williams and machine quilted by Michele Pettorini.