Do they read blogs in heaven????

Yesterday was a very interesting day. It was one of those good/bad days.

I spent most of the evening on the phone catching up with people and received some bad news. I have taught many quilt classes and met many students whom I have come to know over the years. The daughter (who I also know) called me last night to tell me that her mother Beryl had passed away last week. What a shock!!!!  Beryl was such a lovely lady - she always had a smile on her face even though she had fallen prey to cancer. The disease was under control - well so everyone thought. She was taken off a drug trial and all of a sudden took a turn for the worse and didn't survive. Beryl used to read my blog and I hope she can read it today. I didn't see her often as she lived quite a distance away, but I always enjoyed visiting with her when she came to class. Beryl - I will miss your smiling face. You will be missed!!!!!!  And I am adding you to my list of people that I will ride in memory of for The Ride to Conquer Cancer. If anyone would like to make a donation to support this ride (benefiting the Princess Margaret Hospital), here is the link to my fund raising page....


The Ride to Conquer Cancer


While the day ended sadly - the day started in a PANIC. My Elm Creek class was at 10:30 and I still had a LOT of blocks to piece. Oh yeah - leave everything to the last minute. But I managed to get the blocks all done and get to class on time!!!!!   OK - next month - I'll start a little earlier!!!

But we had an awesome show n tell.

Marianne with her Christmas themed blocks

Judy with her blues/whites and a splash of pink

Pat with a beautiful range of colours

Jeanette with her soft fresh colour scheme

Tish with her FUSSY CUT blues

Janice with her reproductions

Celia and her soft oriental theme

Susan another soft colour scheme (and yes one block is partially done)

Ruth and her awesome blue/yellow/green blocks

Lois and the gold/brown colour scheme

Joanne and a soft brown/red colour way

Mary Jane with a beautiful collection of blocks (and yes Mary Jane - we love the brown)

Mary Jane was busy and caught up with the blocks from last month

My blocks - oh yes - that is green/orange and yellow!!!!!

My blocks - all 40 to date

Yes - we have completed FORTY blocks so far - only 100 more to go!!!!  I have to say that I am IMPRESSED with the work of all the students (Vicki and Carol - we missed you yesterday!!). Almost everyone is up to date which is awesome. I think there are a number of students who are working ahead which is great because it means that they are getting comfortable with the process and that is what teaching a class is all about. Letting the students learn and do for themselves. So far we are working on the easy blocks (I heard those groans!!!) some are fiddly with lots of half square triangles, but so far, no curves, no applique, no paper piecing, no partial seams (oh maybe we had one), no Y seams. Those are all things that we have to look forward to!!!!

We are going to keep up with our schedule of 10 blocks a month and starting in the fall - we are going to chat about settings - oh yes - there will be some interesting things to show. I've got a couple of ideas NOT in the book on how to arrange these blocks. The problem with making these kinds of quilts - it is almost next to impossible to start sewing it together until you have all the blocks together. When Anne was here arranging her blocks she DID NOT arrange them in the order in the book. And there are two reasons for that - the colours - unless you are EXTREMELY organized - you could end up with a LOT of the same colour in one area if you follow the original quilt layout. And some blocks just look too heavy to be together.

Speaking of organization one of the girls has come up with brilliant organization plan for her blocks. Mary Jane has a very neat book that she has compiled with the fabrics used in each block so she can avoid duplicating colour schemes in her blocks.

Mary Jane's block organization

I think I mentioned that the block instructions were written by a number of different people. Therefore you have all kinds of instructions. I have to figure out the sizes to cut the pieces in some case. Well I got busy sewing this block (Anvil) and oooops - I made the block TOO SMALL. I had to remake the block and the too small block - well that is going in the orphan block box.

And I always love show n tell that people have done whether in my class or not. Judy brought in her bargello table runner from a bargello class I taught a couple of weeks ago.

Judy - Bargello table runner

 And then from my braid class last week - Tony and Linda must have done nothing else but sew their braid quilts because between the two of them - they completed FOUR quilts. Two blue and two purple. Awesome job Tony and Linda.

Tony and Linda - braid quilts

Tony and Linda - braid quilts

Tony and Linda - braid quitls

Tony and Linda - braid quilts

Monday night our little group got together - remember I had to get my red/white quilt done. Well what a show n tell that was. First Mary got her quilt done that she had committed to getting done.

Mary's scrap quilt (on the cover of one of the Nickel books)

Then Linda brought out a nine-patch - we did LOTS of nine patch exchanges.

Linda's nine patch - front

Linda's nine-patch back

Linda's nine-patch back - raw edge applique with the left over blocks

 Pat was supposed to be working on the border of a wedding present quilt, however she got her basket (favourite things) done.

Pat - favourite things basket quilt

Pat - favourite things basket quilt - My block - do you see what I did?????   Oh boy - I made a BIG booboo!!!!  Pat only noticed it when she started to quilt it. Too late to change it!!!

Pat's wedding quilt

Pat's wedding quilt - with the border

And I showed my red/white quilt. Now Mary had hers - for some reason, I thought she had given it away. But no - she made another red/white quilt and gave that away. Boy do they ever look different!!!   Oh - I supposed you want to see how different they are?????

Mary's red/white

My red/white

Hard to believe these were made from the same blocks!!!!   Of course - the lighting was quite different where both of these were taken. I am going to try to locate the picture of the what Halina did with her blocks. Going to have to dig for that and it may have disappeared with one of my hard disk crashes.


I've got more, but that will have to wait as I have some work that is URGENT to do today.

Oh - but before I go - people often ask if a design wall is useful. Well it is when you are trying to work on any  quilt, but very important when you work with One Block Wonder. I put my green/orange one up again this morning.

One block wonder - 

Hopefully this will become my new progress quilt. If I have a few minutes, I will start rearranging the blocks to get colour groupings.

Oh yes - I did finish something - well sort of yesterday. Remember that missing green fabric - well I just bit the bullet and found something similar and sewed it up. No time to wait for a miracle to happen. I will touch up the blocks with some gold shiva stick after the quilt show!!!!   And then to figure out what to put on the borders. I don't have much of anything left - loads of yellow so we will see.

Stack n Whack

So yes a design wall can be useful - and MUCH BETTER than using the floor. Do you see what my dogs did this morning!!!!!   There is a whole big space in the studio and I guess we were competing for the space!!!!!   This is an eye spy quilt that I found when I was looking for the one-block wonder. I had it nicely laid out and crap - look what they did!!!!!

Eye spy on the floor!!!!!

Progress report - Patch Sampler blocks pieced - ZERO
Number of Hot chocolates : ZERO

Oh my god - I could use one right now, but then I would have to go and waste time in the drive thru!!  GET OVER IT!!!!!!   Besides I am going to the gym this morning. I am in shock that I am able to do this, but I really really really want to get rid of some weight and this is an easy way for me to make it happen.


Don't forget to go to http://www.fiberarts.com/  and click on the BIG WHITE rectangle and vote (if you haven't already). My stash is number three in the first category.


And make sure you have some time next weekend set aside for the Brampton Quilt Show - April 30 - May 1. There are over 400 quilts on display, mini raffle, tea room, and a real live GEISHA and SAMARAI WARRIOR. They will be there for the display of quilts that the Brampton Guild is sending to Japan. It is going to be FUN!!!!!


OK - now I am gone.


Have a great day!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!


PS - WELCOME to my new followers and those who have left comments.