Love Entwined - are you kidding???

I had a class yesterday - now unfortunately Cockadoodle Quilts closed over the summer, and our Christmas Club quilt isn't complete!  Linda VL offered her house as a place to meet until we finish. Now Linda lives on the OTHER side of the city from me. I plugged in her address and TRUSTED my GPS, but for some crazy reason I got the SCENIC tour of the city.

It was pouring rain yesterday and it pretty much rained the entire day. Not only was it raining, but one of the major highways was closed so that added to the congestion and well - let's just say that it took a LONG time to get there. On the way as I drove beside the subway and I saw this sign which I thought was pretty explicit.

Perhaps more signs like would prevent people from trespassing????   If you can't read it - it says - DANGER. High voltage - Trespassers may be electrocuted!!!

Anyway - finally made it to Linda's and what a show n tell awaited me.

We started with Helen Anne

This is a Bunny Hill design - All Things Christmas. Helen Anne's mom (Beryl who is no longer with us - but we are still thinking about her!!!!!!!!!!!    She was also in my $10 classes!!). Anyway, Beryl bought this kit and started it - I think she made one block. Helen Anne and her sister, Karen have chosen some UFOs from Beryl's stash and are slowly getting them completed.   I love this quilt and I think it is so special that the daughters are finishing those quilts. 

However, Helen Anne has a piece of advice for us!!!!!!!!!!!!    If you make the top - you should keep the pattern attached or write the name of the pattern, designer and whatever other pertinent information is necessary for the label. Because there are many tops that they have no idea who designed them. AHA - that is a good lesson for me - I have loads of tops and NONE of that information is with them. Next time I go through my patterns - I will pull that information and put with the appropriate top.

Then it became the MARLENE show.............

A top that Marelene had started a while ago. 

Her quilt from the tinners that we did a couple of years ago

Cat quilt from a Cockadoodle kit

Another top - I think she said this one was a mystery

And so - pretty basic stuff - right????   Well then she threw this into the show n tell and we were STUNNED................    Does anyone recognize this????

Marlene's Love Entwined

The pattern for Love Entwined

 When she brought it out - Helen Anne recognized it immediately because she is also working on this quilt. She sent me a picture of what she has done so far.

Helen Anne's Love Entwined

OK - so if you do NOT know what this is all about (and I did NOT), there is a designer - Esther Aliu from - oh shoot - I want to say Australia, but I may be wrong about that). Anyway - she saw this "Fine Marriage Coverlet" in a book. She fell in love with the quilt and decided to design it. I believe she used EQ7. She is offering the pattern as an 18 month BOM FREE on her blog.

The Original Marriage Coverlet

Now through the magic of the internet, she has managed to find the original quilt!!!!!!   And she is trying to get pictures of it.


She has lots of other neat stuff on her blog - but holy cow - this is a LOT of work.


Homepage of Esther Aliu blog


I know I will NOT be jumping onto this one. And the funny thing is that Esther hasn't even started the quilt yet!!!!!!!!    She bought fabric - didn't like it and so she has THOUSANDS of people working on the quilt, but she has not started!!!!!    My kind of teacher!!!!!!!!!!!


We finally got to show n tell for our project...............

Helen Anne

Marlene

Notice that Marlene has a BARN quilt on her piece

Raili

The others are still works in progress, but hopefully by next month - we will see more of the tops!!!!!!!    Great work everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I got back in the car and got on the highway pretty much right away (no scenic trip on the way home), but it took 1 1/2 hours to drive home. The traffic was like a parking lot for most of the way because of the rain and the closure. It was UGLY.

Made it to the gym in time to grab a salad and then off to yoga. Today's yoga was a bit weird - it was more of an instructional class on posture and the spine than yoga. Which was really good because Adam showed us how to hold our body to take pressure off our back for various yoga moves. OK - so why don't other teachers show us this kind of thing??????   And how to do sit-ups without hurting your back. It was very much worth going to.

But it was 4:30 by the time I arrived home and I had done NO SEWING all day and we were going out for dinner. Yikes - not much time to get anything done, but I did eek out a bit.

I know - I know - I am supposed to be working on the autumn quilt, but I thought I would do both of the spring ones AND the autumn one. I had to make all those fiddly half square triangles at the bottom - but I methodically worked my way through them. Sew a few, cut in half, press and then trim and before I knew it - I was done. 

Then I did get all the flying geese from the Autumn quilt - they are also ready to go and of course  another fiddly thing - sew, cut off the corner, press and then trim. But they are ready to sew!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I was making flying geese - OOOPS - I think I am missing TWO squares, but since these were random - it was easy to locate two 1 1/2" squares in the scrap box. 

And while I worked, I used some of the other pieces as enders and leaders. As I was sewing, I noticed that the fabric I used in the tree trunks is the SAME as that I used for the fences in the quilt top I just completed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Same fabric as the tree trunks. Several years apart - four to be exact and I still have this fabric in my scrap boxes!!!!!!!!!!

And a BIG thanks to Helen Anne for getting me the page I need to make the border for that other quilt. I did search my entire book case and NOPE - can't find the booklet. It must be here somewhere, but where?????   No idea. I am sure it will turn up one day. But now that I have this - I can tackle that other $10 quilt. But FIRST - I am really excited about finishing these seasonal ones - let's hope the enthusiasm lasts!!!!!

So as I was driving in the car yesterday, I thought about what I had posted on the blog and my napping situation. You see - we only have one sofa that is long enough for a comfortable nap and DH usually naps on that. Yes - he has no shame!  I could go upstairs to bed, but I don't like napping there - I could stay there all day!!!!!!!!    BUT I have discovered the PERFECT solution. Have a look..............

YES - it is my camping cot!!!!!!!!!!!    Got my bicycle pillow and my plush backed bicycle quilt and I am ALL SET. Perhaps I will have to test it out this afternoon!!!!!   Then I can just throw it in a storage closet when people come over!!!!!!!!!!!

But yikes - that cot, while it is comfortable, it is not easy to assembly. Well it is easy - doesn't take long, but requires some upper body strength as you insert those supports. That is why I did not use it that much this summer. I really like it, but I think it is more appropriate if you are going to stay in one spot for a couple of days.


Sparky is out of sorts this week. Look at her - trying to hide behind a chair.............

Poor Sparky!!!!!!!!!!!!

And why is that????   Well - we have company!!!!!!!!!!!    Pesky company who wants to PLAY!!!!!!!

Yes Kaylee is here!!!!!!!!!    

We went out to dinner last night with one of our neighbours (the husbands play golf together). We had a great buffet at the golf club, but I ate too much and OH - those desserts were too good to pass up!!!!!

And what is with this cruise stuff?????   EVERYONE is taking a cruise - my friend Elaine (and a bunch of her friends) are on a river cruise in Russia, Marian and Flo and various family members and friends are on an Alaskan cruise and Laura (our neighbour) is going on a wine tasting cruise down the US west coast by HERSELF!!!!!    I am not sure I like the idea of a cruise (but I like the BY MYSELF idea!!!!)   Of course - the wine tasting should be fun. We told her to wear a badge on her sweater with the name of her cruise ship in case she got lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Well - as excited as I am about sewing - I am going to check the weather and perhaps get my butt on the bike!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!