It's been a week of finishing up languishing projects and I'm so glad I finally got to these things. First off, the Fall quilt I started in fall of 05 is finally done! All it needed was a binding, so it wasn't a big deal, though it'd been on my sewing table for a good 6 months or more. This quilt is machine pieced (with free-piecing techniques), hand appliqued, hand embroidered and hand quilted. The design came from Mary Lou Weidman when I was on her yahoo group. I did one thing differently though, because I appliqued the letters instead of free-piecing them. My one mistake here was in making the corner squares around the pumpkin in black. What was I thinking? Anyway, I do really like it. This one will be by the front door come September!
The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is coming up in July and it's huge thing around here. There are events around Sisters and Bend in the couple of weeks preceding it (quilt show date is July 14), including art strolls and all the quilt shops around have special classes that week. This is the first year I decided to enter a block in the block contest. You have to pay for the privilege of entering because you get a pack of 5 fabric squares (each about 10 x 10"). This year they are Westminster Fiber fabrics including some of Kaffe Fassett's fabrics. The deal is to make a 12" block using most of the fabrics. If you do applique, as I have, you can add one fabric for the background and 2 other fabrics if you want to. I just added the blue background and the tree fabric (the two trees are from one fabric). This is hand appliqued, hand embroidered. This is my own design.
They will choose 48 blocks that will be divided into 4 groups. Each set of 12 will be made into a quilt (quilted and bound) and one of the 12 block makers will win the quilt! I think that's a pretty good deal. If your block doesn't make it into the ones that are chosen you can have it sent back to you, or donated for charity quilts.
Another event they are hosting is called Wish Upon a Card. Anyone who wants to can make a fabric postcard to donate. They will sell them during quilt week and proceeds will go to 2 Central Oregon charities. I made two to send in.
Speaking of the quilt show, I finally finished one of the quilts that I entered! I even finished it with a month to spare, so I feel pretty good about that. This is the quilt that began it's life as a Keepsake Quilting Challenge quilt. When I realized I'd never get it done in time, I put it away and finally got it out again last fall. I decided to add the red border so it would be big enough to enter in the Sisters Quilt Show. I finished the hand quilting two days ago and got the binding on yesterday. I really love this quilt. It's my own design. I guess you could say I have a thing for houses!
Well, I think that's enough for now. I have more to show though because I have been doing some knitting and I have a tutorial to show you. Meantime, have a great weekend!