Kept In Stitches

Too Many UFOs

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April 16, 2019

After taking a much needed break, I am back and ready to sew. Every year I purchase so many patterns…I always have high expectations of making them all. Needless to say, that doesn’t always work out the way I had intended. So, I start the beginning of each year with the mindset that I will not purchase more fabric and patterns, and I’ll resort to my stash and the patterns I’ve already purchased. In some cases, my new attitude lasts days or maybe even weeks. I am always adding to my fabric stash, so I fail at that.
But, it’s okay…I figure there are worse things I could be doing (wink wink)! So I ran across this Block-of-the-Month Calendar I had purchased over a year ago and I really liked it. Although it is no longer 2018, I’m still going to give it a shot and get started on it…maybe I’ll even finish it.

Inspiring stitches publishes a calendar with a block for each month. Heartland Heritage is the pattern for 2018. I’ve managed to get the blocks sewn for the first three months and now I’m working on April. Keep your fingers crossed!

2019 Road to California Quilt Show

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January 26, 2019

Roots and Branches, Christina McCann, Depoe Bay, OR

Captivated by Nature, Olga Gonzalez Angulo, sant feliu de guixols, Gi Spain

Rain, Sandy Curran, Newport News, VA

Gumball, Vicki Spiering, Wauwatosa, WI

Celtic Crossroads, Harriet Bollig, Quilts of Iceland

Nordic Visions, Rita Kroening, Quilts of Iceland

Nordica, Angela Walters, Quilts of Iceland

Halldora, Harriet Bollig, Quilts of Iceland

Spin Cycle, Janette Kirby, Grand Forks, ND

Rainbow City, Claire Victor, Scottsdale, AZ

Rainbow City, detail

Slow Curves Ahead, Stephanie Ruyle, Denver, CO

Going North, Lisa Jenni, Redmond, WA

Peloton, Valli Schiller, Naperville, IL

Peloton, detail

Anniversary Rings, Maker: Lois Sackmann, Quilter: Gale Smith, Caldwell ID

Anniversary Rings, detail

Navajo Ruby, Cindy Stohn, Chandler, AZ

Navajo Ruby, detail

Ohio Snowball, Christine Perrigo, Erie, CO

Tickled Pink, Debra Crine, Marco Island, FL

Tickled Pink, detail

Spin Cycle, Valli Schiller, Naperville, IL

Spin Cycle, detail

Boogie Wonderland, Sharon Casey, Bakersfield, CA

London Tube Map, Carmen Michele Braithwaite, Orange, CA

Diamonds on Display, Heather Black, Spokane, WA

Espalier, Joann Webb, Grain Valley, MO

Plum Line, Muff Fregia, Midland, TX

2 Degrees Celsius, Stephanie Ruyle and the members of Bee Sewcial (Leanne Chahley, Karen Foster, Felicity Ronaghan) Quilter: Christine Perrigo, Denver, CO

Sewing Seeds, Maren Johnston, Santa Barbara, CA

Influx, Simone Gautier Bradford, Riverside, CA

Alpine Meadow, Cynthia Vogt, Kennewick, WA

Alpine Meadow, detail

Scrapology, Claudia Pfeil, Krefeld, Germany

Arches 7, Lou Ann Smith, Goleta, CA

Paper Cuts, Claire Victor, Scottsdale, AZ

Rhythm of the Rails, Kristin Shields, Bend, OR

Stone Lakes, Jan Soules, Elk Grove, CA

Five Treasures, Megan Farkas, Sanbornton, NH

Five Treasures, detail

Blow Flowers, Cindy Stohn, Chandler, AZ

Blow Flowers, detail

Cherrywood Fabrics, Prince Challenge

SunShiny Day, Beth Shibley, Los Alamitos, CA

In the Heat of Passion Flower, Christine Castano, San Pedro, CA

RED ROTARY CUTTER!

It’s Greg’s birthday weekend and we had to start it out with our annual trip to Road to California. Not only do I look forward to seeing some incredibly beautiful quilts, but I get to see a bunch of people that we only see at this show. Greg insisted on parking across the street and frowned on my suggestion that we call for an Uber to get us from the parking lot to the show entrance. We sat and enjoyed our lunch and made some new friends, then back to the show and all those awesome vendors. I managed to leave the show very inspired and didn’t add any more sewing machines or fabric to my hoard.

Channel Islands Carvers’ Potluck, December 2018

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December 31, 2018

In a previous post I talked about Garden of Innocence By the Sea and how much I appreciate the work that they do, and I wanted to see how I might be of assistance to their organization. The Channel Island Carvers really came through for making the urns. They went above and beyond anything I could expect. They presented me with 16 baby urns at their potluck this year. I will get the urns and the quilts to Garden of Innocence later this month. I still have many quilts that need binding. Thank you all so much for your support…it is greatly appreciated!

Garden of Innocence by the Sea

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November 11, 2018

About a month ago my friend Tedi Patterson told me about The Garden of Innocence by the Sea, a non-profit organization that she has worked with in the past. It really got me thinking about what I could do to make a change in the world. This weighed heavy on my heart and I quickly came to the realization that I would be making quilts for these babies. Each quilt is only an 8 inch square. The ashes are wrapped in one of these quilts before they are placed in a burial urn. I’ve asked my friends at the Valley Modern Quilt Guild to help me make as many blocks as possible. And, this next week I will be asking my friends at Ventura Modern Quilt Guild to help as well. My father is a wood-worker and he is going to assist me with the urn construction. I realized that with all the strife in the world right now…mass shootings, fires…it’s very important for me to help in any way that I can. My goal is to have 200 of these quilts by Christmas time this year. The video below contains more information about The Garden of Innocence. Please watch it…thank you.

Quilter’s Piece Corps—Quilt Guild of Victor Valley Quilt Show

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November 4, 2018

Our adventures took us to the high desert this weekend for the Quilter’s Piece Corps, Quilt Guild of Victor Valley Quilt Show in Apple Valley, CA. The Quilter’s Piece Corps began with a small group of quilters in 1983 and has grown to about 150 members today. What a very talented group! The show was at the Community Church at Jess Ranch with the quilts displayed on pews and included a fun craft market.

Happy Halloween!

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October 30, 2018

The weather is still hot, but there’s something about a hayride at the local pumpkin patch that signals the end of summer. We even managed to drag Dad and the dog with us for our visit. It was great to actually see people out and about picking their pumpkins. I know many folks just pick one up at their grocery store and its just not the same. Happy Halloween!

Improv Piecing at Quilty Pleasures

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October 16, 2018

We had a full class at Quilty Pleasures in Simi Valley, CA. There is something very gratifying about a traditional quilter being able to let go of all the ‘rules’ that we were taught to follow while creating a quilt. The members of the Conejo Valley Quilt Guild did an exceptional job and I’m always amazed with each persons color choices for improv piecing. I have so much fun teaching improv and it was great to be able to teach so close to home.

Violet Craft Class with the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild

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October 7, 2018

For several months now I’ve been looking forward to Ventura Modern Quilt Guild’s class with Violet Craft. The class was a blast and it made the day even better being around so many great people. Violet gave everyone individual instruction related to the pattern that they were working on. She certainly shone brightly as a teacher and I’m sure that the rest of her students would agree. It’s always fun to learn a new technique. I’ve been paper piecing for close to 20 years and I’ve learned something new. Her trunk show is Monday October 8, and the house will be packed at the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild meeting.

2018 Coastal Quilters Quilt Show

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September 16, 2018

We spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Santa Barbara, California at the Coastal Quilters of Santa Barbara/Goleta quilt show. They sponsor a show every other year and I always mark my calendar so that I don’t miss out. I really can’t say enough good things about this show…it’s small, quaint, and in an incredible location. No matter what your style of quilting is, you will find amazing inspiration. I also look forward to the great vendors each time. But, I was disappointed that the guy who sells the Kai scissors was not there this year. A wonderful day trip to Santa Barbara draws an end to a fantastic weekend. Not looking forward to Monday!

Jelly-Roll Rug Class

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September 9, 2018

I decided to try a recipe for apple fritter cake to treat my Jelly=Roll Rug class students on Saturday…it was a hit! Being able to use the theater costume classroom space at the Calabasas High School was a real privilege…surrounded by so much fun stuff! There was a great group of people and it’s always fun to see everyone’s color choices and watch them sew. I’m teaching this class again at the end of October in Simi Valley.

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