Long Time Gone Show and Tell - Part One

 OH MY GOODNESS  - It's Virtual Retreat weekend this coming weekend, and I totally forgot to mention it! What have I been thinking about? 

So the Virtual Retreat is Saturday evening from 6 PM - 9 PM and all day on Sunday from 10 AM - 8 PM. It's so much fun - I hope you can join us. What else are we going to do since we can't get out? At least in our area. But then, even if I could get out, I'm not sure where I would go or what I would do. The lockdown has been excellent training to realize that I don't need to go window shopping for things I don't want. I don't need to waste time doing errands - I can get them done while I go for my walk. I'm outside of the house for at least TWO hours every day. 

It's sort of like my sewing. I've had a lot of trouble focusing in the past. Now, I'm so good at it that I can sew all day. I have such a variety of things to do in the studio and on the computer, and let's not forget the reading. There's just no need to go anywhere. I talk to enough people in a day that I don't need to chat with anyone in person. I don't mind, but it's not a necessity for me. 

I think one thing is that I used to get bored. I remember getting out in the middle of the afternoon and popping over to the local quilt shop - just to visit. So you know why I have a stash! Oh - there's something more entertaining around the corner. I need to go and explore or buy or whatever. The pandemic has taught me that it's OK to stay home. Switch up the activities, and I'm content. And how could you be bored with Murphy and Lexi for entertainment? Or the fish? Or the forest? I've learned to be happy with what I have and what's in the moment. Otherwise, I'll go through life wishing for something else, and POOF - my life will be over, and I wasn't happy. I choose to be HAPPY all the time!

Today, I'm going to share half of the homework for Long Time Gone. I had to laugh when I opened up the next episode of The Quilt Show this morning. 

Oh my - they are paper piecing, and they were showing a pineapple block. 

A pineapple block on The Quilt Show

Guess what I was about to sew? 

Three just started pineapple blocks

Yep--I need to work on those pineapple blocks that I need to complete my Long Time Gone quilt. There are 16 pineapple blocks in the quilt, and I have ONE done. So guess what my focus is going to be for a while?

Here's my Section 2 and 3 sewn together. There are 6 sections in total, and all my blocks are together except the pineapple. OK - so there is one more churn dash block that needs to be sewn as well. Guess what I'll be doing during the virtual retreat? 

My Sections 2 and 3

My goal for today is to complete Section 1, and that requires THREE pineapple blocks. I now have two done and working on the third. This is doable!!!!

Partially completed Section 1

It's a rather messy thing to do, so I might as well forge ahead and get it over with!!

Set up for paper piecing

OK -- so let's have a look at some of the homework from the weekend class. It's amazing to see how each person's choice of value and color has completely changed the look of some of these blocks. The show and tell in June is going to be spectacular. I can't wait!!! But first? I have a wee bit of sewing to catch up on. 

First up is Bernice. A wee bit behind, but that's OK - we have time on our side. The pineapple blocks are fun - notice two colors are going in opposite directions on some of them, and on the other block, we can see four distinct stars. 

Bernice

Bonnie has a beautiful soft palette with her pinks and greens, and that pink sashing is subtle. It's going to be gorgeous!!!

Bonnie

Brenda has her Section 2 and 3 assembled. 

Brenda

And all of her pineapple blocks are DONE. Those colors are so rich!!! I haven't met a pineapple block that I didn't like!!

Brenda

Carol is using a very soft palette. I think it's one fabric collection? Look at that star block on the middle left. That does NOT look like the pattern. A simple change of value and color - and a totally new block!!!

Carol

Cathy S's star block looks totally different from the previous two. There's going to be so much to see in all the finished quilts that you'll never find any of the mistakes or cut-off points. We all have a few, and we're telling no one where they are!

Cathy S

Her pineapple blocks are done. She did a few less complicated ones, and they look equally as nice as the busier ones. Who says we have to do exactly the same as the pattern. I rarely follow the pattern and have got caught a couple of times in my years of teaching where I didn't follow the pattern, and some astute student, who read the entire pattern, will ask why I did it this way? Oops!

Cathy S

Here is Cathy's Section 2 and 3 together. 

Cathy S

Cathy B has done some interesting variations with her pineapple blocks and also the star blocks. I love the variety, and it was a good opportunity to play!!!

Cathy B

Cathy B

Cindy has her pineapple blocks done, and I LOVE how she made a couple of wonky ones. Why not? Also, the star in her Plus a Star block really shows up. 

Cindy

Here's her Section 2, 3, and 4 sewn together. 

Cindy

Diane has her pineapple blocks done. OK -- so I was totally impressed at how many people got those pineapple blocks finished. Am I the only one who hasn't completed them yet? I love how she changed the color of some of them. In the quilt, there's a grouping of 9, a grouping of 4, and the last group has 3. She colored them each differently. 

Diane

Diane

Here's her star block. Again, it looks totally different from the others as she only used two fabrics. 

Diane

This is Heather's Section 2 together. 

Heather

And her Section 1.  

Heather

Helen Anne was busy working on those pineapples. I know they are done - I just don't have a picture of them. Wow!!!!  Love the classic blue and white!

Helen Anne

Jana has her Section 2 and 3 together. This is a gorgeous colorway!!

Jana

Judy has her pineapple blocks together. OK - so it's just me who is behind!!!

Judy

And here's her Section 2 and 3. This colorway is stunning. Look how she treated the checkerboard by bringing in the sashing color. Even though we all follow the same pattern, each quilt will be so unique in how it was assembled, and some people have changed up some of the blocks. 

Judy

Here's Kathi's Section 1, partially assembled. And a couple of other blocks. The jewel tones are gorgeous!!!  

Kathi

Laura has part of her Section 2 and 3 together, and I see some pineapple blocks.  I don't think anyone chose the same colorway, so that will make the final show and tell even more interesting. 

Laura

I have to laugh because, at the beginning of the class, Leslie said she was NOT doing any small pieces. Guess what? She did small pieces!!! Here's her star block. Very interesting done only in two colors!

Leslie

And she's working on the churn dash blocks. 

Leslie

WOW - WOW - WOW!!!!!   I'm so excited about all the quilts that we're seeing! This is half of the homework, and I'll share the rest with you tomorrow. A few people signed up who are either way behind or are choosing to monitor the class. It's such a shame since this is the perfect opportunity to get motivated and ask questions. After June, we're onto the next project! We are taking the summer off and will be starting a new Jen Kingwell project in September/October. We're going to be doing Boho Heart and Gypsy Wife during the same class. So watch for that signup. Both of those are easier than this quilt, so it'll be so easy for anyone to put together. 

I have to share this photo with you this morning. We knew this was coming, but seriously?? Did Mother Nature get her calendar mixed up? 

Snow? 

I got loads accomplished yesterday. The presentations got put together, I went for a walk, downloaded some new quilt magazines, and did a lot of writing. I'm happy to say that I'm almost done with all the writing - until the weekend! There's still loads to do, but at a calm and relaxed pace. But I had better get my butt in gear on those pineapple blocks, and I need to get back to the long arm—all in a day's work. 

That's why I love what I do because I get to create every day (and sometimes the creation is a written document), and every day is different. I don't long arm every day, I don't sew every day. I don't write every day. And you know what? I couldn't be happier!!!

Don't forget the Virtual Retreat - make sure you put it in your calendar. Here are the links. 

Saturday, April 24th, 6 PM - 9 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday, April 25th, 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

And now I'm off to get something done today. A walk in the snow with the girls. Yeah!!!! Murphy is going to be beyond herself. And a wet mess. 

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!