May Quilt Circle of Friends

Here we go again with another fun gathering of Quilt Circle of Friends.

First up was our Barn Quilt Block of the Month. Above are blocks members made from previous month patterns. Below is the May block.

Isn't it too bad we don't have more fun when we gather? 

Bonnie  got pranked again. Known for her perfect piecing and for always taking it to the next level, it was a surprise to all of us to see this block submitted as made by her?!?  We decided to graciously accept this block, knowing we can "quilt it out". 

Members turned in more blocks for our Dallas Co. Just One Block Fair Challenge. Just as a reference, the 3 made on the right side above are all by Bonnie. As you can see, she can piece. Counting "Just One Block" may have gotten past her, though. Honestly, this is a fund raising community project and we welcome all the blocks we can get!

We also had several more items turned in for our June Orphan Block fund raiser for the Adel Library. Above see a couple zip totes I made from donated laminated cloth and shop sample printed panels. Below is a lap quilt from donated fabric. There are two of these. Plus a little zip coin purse, a small wall hanging by Lonnie, a small pillow made by Diane from a donated Dresden plate block and potholders made by Margaret from donated orphan blocks and orphan remnants of heat resistant backing.

Lonnie just finished this big beauty, enhanced even more with gorgeous machine quilting by Julia Swallow.

Joyce made this as part of a challenge from another group. Members were given three pieces of fabric and the pattern to make this charity quilt. There should be several of these quilts float together by this summer.

Joyce also shared this little table runner. She made it using the pattern she won at our April meeting. Very pretty!

Nancy H. has been busy make Halloween quilts. Aren't these cute?

Lorna is finishing up quilts for her grand kids. Above is Drama Queen and below is Calendar Girls. Nice and DONE!

Diane is making small quilts with a group of art quilters, above and below. She says it is helping her get out of her box.

Margaret shared this lovely Snowball Block quilt. These are blocks she collected in our club exchange.

 

And then it was Abbie's turn. She made several small things for our library porch sale. Above are leftover blocks from a quilt she made with machine embroidery.

And these are little things she made at a machine embroidery retreat. She very generously donated them all to our library porch sale. - - - a zip pouch, a mini quilt and a small covered notebook.

You may have seen Bonnie's quilt last month. This is a matching pillow sham. Lovely.

Celia is sewing up the fabrics she purchased in Hawaii. Isn't this pretty?

She also shared these blocks, belonging to a friend who has asked her to do "something" with them. She gathered ideas from QC so maybe next month we will see what she did!

Maddie stopped by to invite us to her graduation party. Congratulations, Maddie and best wishes for whatever comes next!

Cathy is working her way through 3 lap quilts, one each for her children. Here are two of the three.  Looking good!

She also shared this flannel quilt she is finishing up. Nice.

Sue (sometimes known as Deb) shared a block made by her sister Gloria for our Ladies of the Lake Fall Quilt Retreat. Our 2016 guests were each given a piece of ombre fabric and asked to make a 12" block. So pretty. Thanks, Gloria.

I debuted our new cloth license plate for the 2017 Row x Row Experience and our "row". Starting June 20, the theme this year is "Row by Row, On the Go." We designed our row to represent the brick streets of Adel and our proximity to the Raccoon Valley Bike Trail Loop. For more about the 2017 Row x Row Experience, check out their website.

We drew for a few prizes, snacked on Tuxedo Brownies and called it another great evening.

As always, thank you to my Quilt Circle of Friends with a special thanks to  Jackie O for taking these pictures!

All Iowa Shop Hop Magazines are in!

Just in - Here is the magazine you've been waiting for. Great value just to have for reference of quilt shops in Iowa but also includes the All Iowa Shop Hop passport and maps. Get yours while the getting is good! This magazine gets better every year.

Our Winner was in!

Nikki Hunt was in to pick up our gift basket, a drawing prize from the Adel Chocolate Walk. Thanks Nikki!

Sunday Sewday?

Not on Mother's Day! I got to spend the day with these guys.

After church, the girls made a trip to Holub's Greenhouse where I redeemed my M.D. gift card. Someone appears to have learned how to "strike a pose." The background to this pic was equally beautiful - - - just a sea of potted geraniums.

News from the Iowa Quilt Museum

Three All-American Events Monday, May 29th Quilts of Valor awarded to Madison County Veterans Ceremony at Winterset Cemetery - approximately 10:30 am Saturday, June 3rd First Anniversary Celebration & Military Uniform "Fashion Show" Sunday, July 9th Quilts of Valor Award Ceremony at the Iowa Quilt Museum 27 quilts to be awarded

Help the Iowa Quilt Museum celebrate it's FIRST ANNIVERSARY!! June 3rd, 4-6pm - Party Featuring Military Uniform "Fashion Show" Leo Landis, curator at State Historical Museum of Iowa will present on these historical artifacts No Admission charge & refreshments will be served Free will donations accepted to continue the work and mission of the Iowa Quilt Museum RSVP Appreciated to Museum Director Megan Barrett, 515-462-5988 or director@IowaQuiltMuseum.org

Couple of Sunday Sew Day projects - -

These are a couple of little zip totes for our June porch sale. The lamb panels were something I printed on fabric as part of a demo. The laminated cotton was donated to Quilt Circle for our Orphan projects. I was happy to marry them up.

This was running yardage of a border print donated to Quilt Circle as an orphan. I cut the fabric into two pieces, put flannel on the back and quilted them. Now we have two little lap blankets for our June Sale.

Adel Chocolate Walk Wrap Up!

Thank you to everyone that came out to the Adel Chocolate Walk! It was a beautiful day and a great time. 

These are our Tuxedo Brownies, with cream cheese filling and toffee sprinkles.

Shop owners met following the walk to draw for prizes. Above is our basket.

Here is a list of the drawing results for $50 gift baskets:

AdelHealthmart - Nick Stajcar from Adel
Adel Quilting - Nikki Hunt from Adel
Brick Street Bakery - Jessica Chumbley from Waukee
Brick Street Books and Cafe - Jessica Delp - Adel
Decor Adel - Leslie Balsay from West Des Moines
Studio Q 360 - Kathy McEntee from Waukee

We are already making plans for the 5th Annual Adel Chocolate Walk in 2018! 

What do you want for Mother's Day?

I copied the 2nd part of this post from a FB post. I think it really speaks for all moms. Mother's Day is a time to remember to be nice to our moms. I was not always patient with my mom and I sometimes hear customers being impatient with their moms. I want to say to them - - - "Be nice to your mom. She won't be around forever."  

Full disclosure - I am lucky to have 3 little T's (Brookly knows what that stands for) that try their hardest to be patient with me! Thank you, guys, for making me a mom.

            -----------------------------------------------------------

Every year my children ask me the same question. After thinking about it, I decided I'd give them my real answer:

What do I want for Mother's Day? I want you. I want you to keep coming around, I want you to bring your kids around, I want you to ask me questions, ask my advice, tell me your problems, ask for my opinion, ask for my help. 

I want you to come over and rant about your problems, rant about life, whatever. Tell me about your job, your worries, your kids, your fur babies. 

I want you to continue sharing your life with me. Come over and laugh with me, or laugh at me, I don't care. Hearing you laugh is music to me.

I spent the better part of my life raising you the best way I knew how. Now, give me time to sit back and admire my work.

Raid my refrigerator, help yourself, I really don't mind. In fact, I wouldn't want it any other way.

I want you to spend your money making a better life for you and your family, I have the things I need. 

I want to see you happy and healthy. 

When you ask me what I want for Mother's Day, I say "nothing" because you've already been giving me my gift all year. I want you.

One last shout out!

Today, 10 am to 3 pm is the Adel Chocolate Walk! 

Pick up a passport at any participating business:

Adel Healthmart with gift boutique

Adel Quilting & Dry Goods Co. - fabric, patterns, notions and gifts

Brick Street Bakery - coffee and pastry bar

Brick Street Books and Cafe - great lunch specials

Decor Adel - gift shop - New!

Studio Q 360 - luxury spa and gift shop - New!

Get your passport stamped at each of the 6 shops to be eligible for our prize drawing.

All of the completed passports will be combined to draw for 6 baskets of goodies - each at least a $50 value.

Above is our basket, filled with fun things for either a quilter or a non-quilter, for you or for you mom!

While you make the rounds, remember to grab a free chocolate sample and the recipe to go with.

Great day to visit Adel with the Juffer Family Gardens having their annual plant sale and the Penoach Winery hosting the Iowa Clay Festival. Find more on both of these events on their Facebook pages.

Spring Quilt Sampler Magazine!

Look at what just came in! They go back out just as quickly so grab one soon.

New Backing Fabric

We all love a nice selection of wide backs, don't we?  We are expanding our selection. Here are a few of the new pieces and there are more coming soon.

These are a re-order. Called Circle Play, we had these in October and sold out immediately. They're back plus we added one in grey and black.

Today these two more country colors came in. Also coming is navy, grey, soft pink and yellow.

Meet these lovely ladies!

It's that time of year. Quilters are hitting the road and spreading their joy.

 These gals from West Bend stopped by today on their way to visit the Iowa Quilt Museum in Winterset.

And these gals came from even farther. They are from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, making their own road trip to visit Iowa quilt shops.

May Purple Bag Drawing Winner is - - - -

Diana Deskin! 

Congratulations, Diane. Your prize is in the bag - - - a small jelly roll, a bundle of fat quarters and one of our brand new, 2017 License Plates.

OOOOOpen SEEEEw!!!

This week at the Adel Library, Thursday and Friday!

Plan an Outing in Adel!

Saturday, May 13!

Visit Adel for all sorts of fun on this Mother's Day Weekend. Bring mom or just treat yourself to Chocolates, Pottery and Plants!

Adel Chocolate Walk:

Visit these 6 businesses for a chocolate sample and recipe. Take your "passport" to each to enter the drawing - - - 6 baskets, each valued at $50.

AdelHealthmart (with gift boutique)

Adel Quilting & Dry Goods Co.

Brick Street Bakery

Brick Street Books and Cafe

Decor Adel

Studio Q 360

Iowa Clay Festival:

Saturday and Sunday at Penoach Winery. See their facebook page for more.

Heirloom Plant Sale:

Wildly popular plant sale. Come early for best selections.

A "thank you" quilt delivery - - -

Lonnie K. presented this quilt to Andrew for his first son. Andrew is the chef for our Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat.

He appreciate the extra effort he goes to to make sure we are all happy and we wanted to say thank you with this gift. It has a fun flannel back of soft orange with blue elephants.

This quilt was made by strips collected from all those who attended our spring Ladies of the Lake Quilt Retreat.

Who needs a spool of thread?

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to this old dog! Max is 105 years old in human years today. Here he is doing what he does best - - - napping.

Cake Mix

Have you seen the latest thing making a buzz in the quilting industry? Miss Rosie's Quilt Company started with 4 "recipes". Shown below is Recipe #2. Very soon, recipes 5 through 8 will be out.

 Here's how it works. Place two 10" squares right sides together. Pin one of these paper patterns on top. Sew on the arrowed lines and then cut on the solid lines. That will net you enough units to make any of the blocks shown above in Recipe #2.

It's kind of like paper piecing but using just 2, 10" squares. After stitching, you pull all the paper off.

This is an efficient use of fabric and it is also the hesitant quilter's friend.

There are 45 recipe sheets in each pack for $9.95.