Quilt Circle of Friends February Meeting

We gathered in the shop last Monday eve for our Quilt Circle of Friends meeting.

Last month, at our holiday party, we played quilter's poker with 5" squares and 2 1/2" strips. Members were challenged to "make something" from their winnings. I stitched mine together and made little zip bags.

Jackie O. cut her poker strips down and stitched them together to make this really fun pillow. Other members are finishing up their challenge poker strips and squares to bring to our March meeting,--- right gals?

Jackie also brought these two quilts to show. The one above is an archive Get Er Done project. It's a block of the month through the Country Register paper many, many moons ago BUT now it is done! Oh, and beautiful.

Here is a Double Slice Layer Cake quilt using up lots of brights from Jackie's stash.

Isn't this just beautiful? Lorna made this for a fund raiser at the school where she teaches.

Lorna also showed us this magnificent number.

Nancy J. shared this fun sampler quilt. Done! 

Lonnie is expecting two babies this spring, ----granddaughters that is! This is the quilt for the first one. So sweet.

Margaret B, never one to let any dust gather around her sewing machine, showed us this beauty she just finished up.

Trish S. showed us this little can of goodies. It has all the supplies she needs to make English paper pieced hexagons on the go.

Several of the members are making animal blocks. Trish made several since our last meeting

 You will see these quilts and some quilts from our snowball block exchange at our spring outdoor quilt show in June.

Theresa just finished a cozy flannel quilt for her bedroom. Now she is working on matching pillow shams. 

Joyce has been finishing up small things like this dimensional runner above and the pot holder and place mats below.

Marti K. introduced this red and white quilt to us. 

Bonnie N. brought this quilt to share. They funny story behind this quilt is - - - She visited Australia and bought all of these fabric there. Then when back home, she saw the very same fabric at a Des Moines quilt shop! Still - the fabrics are really pretty.

Madelyn B.shared her stripey quilt. So fresh and pretty.

Complete with a very nice label.

And Celia Mc finished up her snow ball quilt from the blocks we exchanged the last year or so. The back is her signature fleece blanket. Such a nice soft quilt.

Back to Marti with her Chubby Chicks quilt. This is the close up.

And the whole quilt - done!

  

with a fun label on the back.

We closed the evening with a demo on this double pinwheel block. To see more on this block, scroll down to the Feb 16 post.

As always, it was great to gather with my Quilt Circle of Friends.

Special thanks to Jackie O. for taking and sending me all of these pictures.

Just a Speck

New from Moda. Lovin it.

Kimber Bell

Have you perused the Kimber Bell books? Just full of fun little projects. We just added a couple more to our selection.

Ruler chat

I am not really a gadget girl but this is a little ruler I find quite handy. It's 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" and really convenient to have near your cutting table.

Another nice feature of this ruler is the 45 degree marks. It makes it really nice when trimming flying geese units.

Sunday Sewday

I spent my Sunday Sewday preparing for our Feb. Quilt Circle of Friends meeting.

If you have been following the blog, you already know that the Quilt Circle members have been exchanging snowball blocks

Member Bonnie N. made her blocks into this quilt:

Doesn't look like she used snowball blocks, right? Well, this is what she did - - - -

The snowball blocks are 6 1/2" so, she cut 6 1/2" squares of black print and layered it right sides together with a snowball block. An added benefit of this technique is that it also helps true-up the blocks. Notice the black peaking around the edges of the not-exactly-square snowball block? Using the black fabric as your cutting and stitching guide will get things back in plumb.

 Then she stitched a 1/4" seam allowance all the way around the outside edge and cut the unit diagonally in both directions.

That makes 4 of these units.

 Arrange the 4 units to make this double pinwheel block.

Isn't this a sweet block? I believe Bonnie said she picked up this idea from a demo at the Houston AQS Show. Thanks for sharing and inspiring, Bonnie!

Open Sew follow up

Nancy J. shared this found and finished quilt. The top was left behind in the estate of a friend so Nancy has finished it for the family.

 Trish S. finished these two quilt tops for the twin beds in her lake home cabin.

There was lots of conversation around the pressing station.

Deb S was sewing together random strips to make blankies for the bottom of dog crate beds at the local live pet shelter. What a great use of scraps, odds and ends.

Sheri was making a magazine caddy that attaches to the side of a mattress.

Margaret B and Trish S enjoyed some Mother-Daughter sewing time.

 Joyce S. was making animal blocks.

 Patty S. worked on her Craftsy bom. So cute in all polka dots.

There's always lots of Show and Tell. Theresa H.  stopped in on her way to work and showed us this beautiful flannel brick quilt she is working on.

Nancy J. completed another Jelly Roll Race quilt, this one for a grandchild.

I worked on a shop sample -- - you'll be seeing more of it later.

 

Nancy H. was sashing together these fun pinwheel blocks for a baby quilt.

Pat chatted with this guest who just stopped in to check out what we were doing.

 This quilt top was getting prepped for "quilting".

Nancy J. shared this fun quilt. Nice.

Jackie O. just finished up this quilt top. I'm sure it is one of the Adel alumni comfort quilts.

It was another fun couple days of sewing with friends. Doesn't get any better than that.