This is why I TEACH!!!

 In January of 2011, we started TWO projects at the The Hobby Horse. Yesterday was the BIG REVEAL for both of the projects. We had a couple of guests and loved having them and getting a chance to show our work to others. Since not all of you could be at our show n tell - I will bring the show n tell to you.

Get a cup of tea - sit back and enjoy the show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Project Number 1

The first project was called Christmas Heart Light by Susie M. Robbins

A little history before we get to the show n tell. This is an older pattern (1996). Gail at The Hobby Horse has run this pattern as an ongoing class TWICE. Once when it first came out and again later in about 2002 with her seasonal club. I started this quilt in 2002 and it sat in a box NEVER finished. Then somehow this quilt came up as an option for one of our 2011 clubs.

OK - here we go......................

Linda - notice that Linda expanded the sawtooth border and the outer border all around the quilt 

Jo also expanded the sawtooth border and the outside border to all around the quilt

Janet has made TWO of these. She made one when Gail taught the original class. This allowed Janet to get super creative on this one. Notice that she completely changed the border and did NOT do the sawtooth and made a piano key border in stead. And Janet's had been quilted!!!  Oh yes - it was also bound!!!   

Some of the charms that she added

Janet used lame in the stars pinwheel blocks

She also created a trend by switching to a brown colour for the blocks in the tree trunk

More charms, but see what she used for the holly berries????   Those are upside down YO-YOs. Great - now if only her dog had NOT eaten the borrowed yo-yo maker!!!!

Pauline wanted a longer quilt so she added another row to the top of the tree and added a star block for the tree top. Notice that she used a darker background and made her pinwheels into snowflakes!

Anne has her top done, it is partially quilted and the binding is on!!!   I am sure she can get it finished to hang for Christmas THIS YEAR!!!!

Helen Anne - changed up her colour scheme from the traditional Christmas colours. I love it!!!!   She also added a row on the bottom. The red is her tree skirt. Great idea!!!!!

Helen Anne - used organza on her pinwheel blocks to give them some bling. 

She also appliqued hearts using the organza which I am sure was NOT easy.

Marilyn kept her quilt similar to the pattern

Look at the buttons she found for the holly berries. I LOVE THEM. 

And hard to see from this photo, but she used a variegated green fabric for the holly leaves and it looks amazing on the entire quilt. Marilyn was also pretty new to machine applique and did a fairly wide satin stitch and it looks AWESOME. WELL DONE!!!!!!

And then we come to Anne. Anne also made a Christmas tree quilt.
Wait  a minute - this is SMALLER than the others????   Well this was quilt NUMBER 2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anne's BIG Christmas quilt. I love it. She added a saw tooth border on the two sides and then added a checkerboard and more sawtooth on the top and bottom to get the size she needed. Clever!!!!!   But two quilts? - That's ambitious. Oh yes - her big quilt was quilted and BOUND!!!!

In the top row of Anne's big quilt - she added this silver pinwheel star block. 

She use a variegated thread for the button hole. I love it. 

All of her blocks were fussy cut from a print that included mice and presents!!! She also used a  glitzy red fabric in the quilt and for the binding. It was GORGEOUS!!!!!!

Lisa's quilt. Very pretty colours.

Lisa's buttons that she bought from Europe??????   I think that is where she said she bought them. I LOVE them. I want some!!!!!

Lesley's quilt. I know they worked together and had the same fabric, but I think they made the EXACT same quilt - or I goofed on the photos. 

Mary's quilt which is currently getting quilted so it will be ready for Christmas. Gorgeous colours!!!! 

This is Gayle's quilt. It is still in pieces on my sewing table. I am helping her with the assembly. Notice that she made the tree trunk green. Great idea!!!   The border is going to have sawtooth and the outer border all around the quilt.   

Last but not least is MINE. Yes - I finished the quilt top. At first everyone thought that was awesome since it is the FIRST time that I finish one of these projects and have show n tell at the final reveal. However when I revealed that this the same quilt I started in 2002 and had half done - well they all had a good laugh at that!!!!!   I did stay with my original fabric choices even though I know I would never touch them today. And the applique???  - all done by hand. Don't ask me why. The important thing is that it is done and so is the backing and the binding.

So  Teresa and Judy - where are your quilts??????????



And now for Project Number Two.

Dragon Star by Judy Niemeyer

Yes - the quilt is as intense as it looks!!!   Not only is the entire quilt paper pieced, but here are "C" curved seams, there are "S" curved seams, and there are partial seams. Then we had to deal with the issue of fabric requirements - the pattern called for a total yardage of almost SIXTEEN yards of fabric for a quilt that measures 65 inches square. That was NOT acceptable in my book, so I rewrote the fabric and cutting requirements and brought the yardage down to a respectable 9.5 yards. Remember this quilt is paper pieced and does require extra for the paper piecing.

I LOVE Judy's system for using templates to cut the shapes required to fill the spots.

Keeping all that in mind - remember that some of these students had NEVER paper pieced before.

Jo - unusual colours but beautiful. Note - Jo ALSO made the Christmas quilt. AWESOME job on BOTH!!!!!!

Mrytle - another GORGEOUS choice of colours. Just fabulous !!!!!

Marg with a beautiful colour combination. That little bit of pink just makes the star pop

Katheleen who played around with the fushcia colour on the outside corner and it turned out awesome!!!!  Hey - we can fix ANYTHING as part of that point was buried beneath the next point, but we figured out how to make it come out front!!!!   Oh yes - Katheleen joined the class a couple of months after we had started and caught up nicely!!!!

Anne - this is a HOT FLASH quilt!!!   She used several colours from the same line of fabric by Patrick Lose. 

Marion - this quilt remind me of the blue Caribbean sea. I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Takako who started VERY late in the class and was finished before anyone. We were not able to see her quilt in person as she has it in Japan to show her mother!!!!!

Janet - almost got her pieces together. Remember Janet ALSO did the Christmas quilt!!!!

Linda had all the pieces of hers done, but not together. She also did the Christmas quilt and works full time. She has her hands full!!!!

Pauline got a good start at getting hers together which she is making to match another quilt that she is working on. We are all suckers for punishment by trying to do everything!!!!

Linda who got her pieces finished, and started on the assembly. It is going to be gorgeous. I know Linda has been busy from another class I am teaching and also making samples for the block of the month at the guild!!!

And mine - sadly still not together, but almost all the pieces are made. A project for after Christmas.

My quilt so far - on the design wall. 

The pictures do NOT do justice to any of these quilts. They were all stunning in their own right. I would be happy to have any (or all) of them hanging in my house.

Ladies - it was a PLEASURE to have you in the classes. A little bit of humour, a LOT of creativity and a WHOLE LOT of work on your part and you all have some spectacular quilts. You should be so proud of your accomplishments!!!!   I am VERY PROUD of you all. Very impressive work.

And wait until you see what is lined up for next year - but that has to wait for another day.

Have a great day!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!