Happy 2015 from Delaware Quilts

Here are the updates for January 2015. 

The BOM index http://www.delawarequilts.com/BOMs  has been updated with two new blocks and two others which were updated adding more sizes to choose from. 

The Retreat page has been updated  http://www.delawarequilts.com/Retreat  announcing the openings in the 2015 Spring and November retreats. 

 I also updated My History page, adding 2014 quilts.  http://delawarequilts.com/MyQuilts/History/17.html

And if you missed it, we added another free project to the projects page, the Christmas Log Cabins.   http://delawarequilts.com/Projects/Yearly/ChristmasLogCabins.pdf

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2015 and wishes for lots of time to make lots of quilts! 

Quilting slump

I’ve had them before, but usually had a reason, illness, vacation, moving etc… This time I just don’t have any inspiration.  I have BOMs to do, and I have new patterns to write and make and I have zero willingness to even walk into the sewing room. 

Yes the cutting table is cleaned off, well most of it anyway.  And yes I have fabric and stuff to do… I just don’t have any desire to even work on quilting on the computer…  

I’ve tried, for the last week I’ve tried to make myself do something…..  but that’s all I’ve done. 

And don’t tell me not to worry about it… I have BOMs to do and I have mysteries to finish and I just don’t want to... 

I think I’ll go read a new book. 

My gift to you

Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Christmas too!

ChristmasLogCabins.pdf

Yes it’s been a while

Quite a few friends have asked what’s wrong, are you OK, and one friend wanted to know if I’ve been on vacation since October.  I’ve decided it’s time I reply honestly so you will stop worrying about me. 

I had two enjoyable but stressful weeks of retreating in October/November.  It was only stressful to me and I wasn’t real sure why.  The conference room was bothering me for the first time ever for one thing.  See I have claustrophobia and have for years, but thought I’d beat it.  However I found it was gradually creeping back and more and more things were bothering me. 

Because the conference room has no windows I'd tricked my mind into believing there was a huge picture window behind me as I sewed.   For some reason it wasn’t working this year and between that and all the normal chatter and noises, I was more and more uncomfortable.  Some of you noticed I wasn’t joining in the group meals and was keeping to myself a lot. 

I already had an appointment with my family Doctor when I got home, and he noticed something was bothering me.  (OK, I broke down while waiting for him in the examining room so it was hard not to notice.)  We had a good talk and he put me on some new meds. 

If you know me you know I hate taking medicines.  Adding another one to my already too many was stressful in itself.  But that I needed it was even worse.  And I realized that I did really need it when my house filled up with eight extra people on Thanksgiving.  All that “company” even though it was all family was just too much for me. 

And we had this planned vacation to Disney, the most magical and crowded place I can think of.  I wasn’t sure how it would go and well… it went so so.  I had a panic attack the first day, and prepared myself mentally for the rest of the week, and I made it through with some anxiety and a lot of encouragement from my dear sweet John.  In the end I can say I had a delightful but chilly trip but boy am I glad to be home.

Please understand I am fighting this, but it’s going to take a while.  Just don’t crowd me and don’t push me into something I am uncomfortable with.  I’ll be OK.

Packing.. unpacking and packing again…

First I was going to take this, then I decided to take that, then I decided to take them both of I could get them in the same container and now I want them both if they fit or not…  I’m sure everyone goes through these decisions when heading on retreat. 

And I took a serious look at my “stuff”.  If I was not the host of these retreats I would be taking my sewing machine bag which has all my sewing/cutting/measuring tools in it, a project bag with things to do, and a suitcase.  When I fill my car tomorrow it will be full, barely any empty space, and a friend is bringing up three totes for me. 

What could I leave home?  That is the question of the century! 

Almost ready

Not leaving for a few more days but I think I am almost ready.  I have all the sewing stuff ready and all the retreat stuff ready.  I just need the “me stuff” like clothes etc.  I think I will get it all done.  Now I just need to figure out how to get it all up there… that may be a problem!  

Almost retreat time

You would think after 18 years and 49 retreats I would have this routine down by now, but that’s far from so.  And I’m not real sure why, but this fall I seem more disorganized than ever.  I can’t decide what projects to take, I can’t decide what clothes either… will it be hot or cold?  I know… layers, t-shirts and sweaters.  And a jacket, I always forget a jacket if it’s a warm day when I leave home.   

But ready or not, it’s almost time and I need to start packing up the many piles I’ve made on the back porch and start getting ready… the way I’m going that’s what I’ll be doing all week long!  

More bulbs planted

Yesterday we worked in the yard because the weatherman said it was likely to be our last warm day of the year.  We still have a half a bucket of tulip bulbs to plant.  We went out and decided where we wanted the tulip bed to be, in a circle around my thorn bush.  Just deciding where was probably the hardest part… we thought.

John got the tiller from the shed, brought it to the front yard and tried to start it, and tried to start it, and tried to start it.  And that’s all we got done. 

Well not quite true.  While he was trying to start the tiller I dumped a bag of potting soil in to the old wheelbarrow that sits under a tree in the front yard, kind of our country decoration.  In the summer it’s filled with petunias and I decided it needed crocus for the spring.  I stuck a whole bunch of crocus bulbs in there and now just have to wait for spring to see if they come up… will be a while before I can show it.  

 
PS, glad we did go out yesterday, quite chilly today!

More work done

I can’t say finished because nothing new is, but I’m working on things.  I’m more packed than I was the other day and all the patterns are printed.  I planted another 500 and some bulbs this morning, mostly because I was up early, it was cool, and it’s going to rain which will cover all the holes I made. 

Now I’m going to spend the rest of the day (maybe) in the sewing room cutting strips and squares.  I cut more 3 inch squares yesterday and got a start on my own 2 1/2 inch strips, but I still have a long way to go on both. 

No, I don’t think I’ll have any finishes to brag about for a while, but I’m making progress.

   

I’ve been busy

It’s almost retreat time so I’ve started putting together my “stuff” to take with me.  When you’re the host, you have a lot of stuff, an awful lot of stuff…  more than my car can carry so I’m very thankful for a local friend who is coming up too. 

 

And I’m working on a few new projects.  I’m making sampler blocks from some of my BOMs, some old and some new too.  And I am starting my postage stamp quilts. 

Yes quilts… I’ve decided to make some eye spy postage stamp quilts for kids, using up fabrics I have on hand.  I thought I had enough to make some great quilts and started cutting.  With two of each square in a quilt, how much of a fabric would decide how many quilts I could make…  I cut and cut and cut for three days and ended up with 18 piles of three inch squares.  However, there are only sixty some squares in each pile and I’ve used up all of my kids fabrics… so I have some digging to do and maybe even some shopping. 

In the meantime I also starting cutting for my own postage stamp quilt or maybe quilts, time will tell.  I’ve decided my squares will be 2 1/2 inches, that way I can use up some of my left over strips from jelly rolls and other projects.  There is lots and lots of cutting in my future before I can even begin to sew. 

Yesterday I got sidetracked… the yard needed some work.  I have had a huge bucket of bulbs that needed to be put back in the ground.  And since it rained all day Saturday I thought the ground would be soft and easier to plant some of them… and I was right.  We worked about four hours, me digging holes and putting bulbs in and him weeding another small garden.  I only got half the bulbs planted but he got all the weeds pulled, until they come back.  And when we finished we were both too tired and sore to do much of anything else, so we didn’t… he watched TV and I read.... and thought about what other fabrics I could add to some eye spy postage stamp quilts…   

 

Yesterday and today

Yesterday I added this quilt to my for sale page.  Within a few minutes I got a message from a friend that she wanted to buy it and offered me $250.  A little while later someone else sent me and email and offered me $200, and I could happily tell him I already had an offer of $250.  I emailed my friend and thanked her and she said she didn’t want to not get it and said she’d pay the full $300.  This morning the gentleman offered me $275 and I told him I was sorry someone else had purchased the quilt already.

SO… I’m putting another one up for sale.  This is Scrappy Bricks.  Jan Davis came up with the pattern and gave me permission to use it with the Mysteries For Relay group and for sale on my pattern page. 

This Scrappy Bricks is made of 100% cottons and measures 59 by 77.  I would like $300 for this one also.  If you are interested or would like to make a serious offer email me.  QuiltersRetreat at Hotmail dot com

Thanks

 

Uh oh

About three hours ago I went into the sewing room to make a few sample blocks.  However the cutting board is piled with fabrics for my postage stamp projects and retreat stuff so I started to clean it off.  But then I decided I might as well start piling retreat stuff on the back porch since retreat is just three weeks away.  So I started and ran into some Relay For Life tote bags that would make nice gift bags for retreat.  Then I wondered if I had anymore and I went upstairs looking.  While up there I found a whole bunch of stuff I could use as my Relay For Life fundraiser at the October retreat this year and took all of that to the back porch.  Then I started counting, seeing how many I had of what and thinking what could I add to that stuff and I remembered something else very nice upstairs so I went back up and pulled that out of its hiding place and while up there found some more goodies which I added to the pile on the back porch.  Then I went back in the sewing room but forgot why I went in there to start and had to come back in here to figure it out… after nine or ten emails and checking in on facebook I finally remembered what I started to do… but I’m hungry so I think I’ll have lunch then go make those blocks.  

Another finish

When I updated the web site at the beginning of the month I realized I had not updated my UFO list since April, meaning I had not finished a quilt since then.  I started the year with 35 UFOs and one WIP.  The WIP is now a UFO and I’ve made 14 new quilts.  Two I am not counting on the UFO list as they will be donated as tops to Bob’s Blankie Brigade. 

Regardless, since I hadn’t finished any of the new quilts that meant my UFO number was going up instead of down and I had to do something about that!  So when I finished the special project I decided to do some bindings. 

Since my fingers don’t work well holding little things it had to be by machine.  I’d tried different techniques before and thought I had one down…. But … well the first quilt I did just wasn’t great.  I started on the front side and turned it over and finished on the back.  It’s OK, binding is secured all the way, but it wasn’t as perfect as I wanted.  So the second one I started on the back and finished on the front and it looked pretty darn good to me.  

I finished four smaller quilts and decided since I was on a roll I’d try a bigger one.  It’s done and the binding is pretty darn nice if I do say so myself.  I do prefer bindings finished by hand, but if the hands don’t work and mine won’t, I’m just going to have to settle on machine.  

Now on to something new!

 

Accomplishments

I finished that special project, but can’t show pictures of it just yet, it’s a gift.  And I had promised myself that I would do some finishing before I started anything new, so that’s what I’ve done.  I have three fewer UFOs as of this afternoon.   And I have one more on the machine now, but I’m taking a break.  Tomorrow I will finish that one, God willing and the creek don’t rise… and then start cutting postage stamp squares and strips!

 

Made possible by many

Way back in 2005-2006 American Cancer Society announced that Relay For Life would be doing on fundraising line.  I was literally “drafted” to be the on line chair for our event that year.  It was something no one knew anything about and everyone, including me, had to learn as we went along.  At the end of that Relay year our event, one of the smaller events in our region, won the top on line fundraising award. 

Fast forward to 2014… that little event is no more and I’ve moved on to a different event looking for the Relay spirit I missed so very much.  I found it and last night was given top individual and top team fundraising recognition.  (And FYI was the second top individual fundraiser too!)

Thanks to all of YOU who made that happen!

 

Comments

Comments are once again moderated so that no one has to see the spam that some robot keeps trying to post.  (Two dozen comments in the last three days) Your comments ARE important to me, and I will approve them as long as they aren’t smutty or trying to sell something.  And if your ID is not accepted, send me an email, quiltersretreat at hotmail dot com.
Thanks for understanding

October Update

First a reminder, if you are on Facebook please like https://www.facebook.com/DelawareQuilts  Monthly announcements and much more are posted on there all month long. 

Just two blocks for October, Buckeye Beauty because I saw a quilt at an Amish shop made using that block and updated Hour Glass. 

http://www.delawarequilts.com/BOMs/index.html

 

The fall retreats are coming up soon, our 18th year of all this fun.  Openings for next year will be announced in late November, early December.

Have a fun fall everyone!

 

Facebook whine.. again

Sometimes it really hurts not to be able to say what I really want to say on facebook.  Why can’t I?  Because I strongly feel that what I believe is my belief and I shouldn’t push it on someone else unless they ask.  Same thing with my political beliefs, yes I have political beliefs.  But if I say something that offends someone it costs me.  It sometimes costs me a friend which is the most valuable thing in the world to me.  My political or religious beliefs are not worth losing a friend over.  And there have been occasions that it’s cost me money, retreat money and even more importantly Relay donations.  

So how do I handle keeping my mouth shut when everyone else is posting things that REALLY upset me… I unfollow them.  And as the elections draw closer I know for a fact I will be unfollowing an awful lot of stupidly opinionated people. 

And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

What are YOU working on?

Beckey wanted to know what I was working on.  Sadly, still the wedding quilt.  I have all of one block finished, and most of the other blocks done.  I was short a few star points and am working on those.  However I’ve had a few interruptions and they still aren’t done.  

That’s my goal for this week, not just those points, finish the whole quilt!

 

Relay's done for this year.

I finished the Relay year as the top fundraiser for 2014 but that doesn’t mean a darn thing.  Cancer is still around and people are still fighting.  Special people like Joe Shoup, Ginny in Virginia and Georgeine in TN Carolyn and Colleen in NY, Darlene in Delaware, Kate in Alaska, and my own brother David.  You all keep fighting and I’ll keep raising money in hopes to find a cure.

But I could not have made it to the top fundraiser without a lot of help, so many people to thank.  Alyssa Anfuso , Anita Kendall , Ann (Celeste) Plischke , Anne Vaughan , Annette Aponte , Annie Burrell , Barbara Green , Barbara Waldrip , Barbara Wood , Barbara Klaver , Becky Gilliam , Bessie Horne , Bonnie Stapleton , Candy Beardsley , Carol Divis , Carol Liebel , Carol Mason , Carol Uhlman , Carole Baker , Caroline Rader , Carolyn Farugia , Carolyn Sage , Cathie Lypowy , Charlene Jacques , Christine Edwards , Christine Fritz , Christine Clar , Connie Gillen , Dawn O'Neal , Dawn Pflanz , Deb Wood , Deborah O'Neal , Debra Fordham , Denise Boysel , Denny Shaw , Diane Preston , Donna Russell , Doris Barbour , Ella Taylor , Gail Frenz , Gay Johnson , Georgiana Moses , Glenna Nichols , Gloria Mattison , Grace Thorn , Helaine Lobman , Irene Jansen , Irene Paulus , Jackie Herbert , Jamee Smith , Jan Davis , Jane Rudewick , Jane Smith , Janet Haragos , Janet Lentz , Jeanette Duncan , Jennifer Davis , Joan Baysinger , Joanne Harris , Joseph P Treacy , Judith A Warren , Judy Fisher , Judy Heath , Judy Valentino , Julie Jennett , Julie Matthews , Julie Treacy , June Sommer , Karen King , Karen Rhoads , Karen Robinson , Karen Sage , Kate Moreen , Kathleen Nyman , Kathryn Miller , Kathy Edwards , Kay Snyder , Kellie Mallette , Kimberly DeBona , Laura Hufford , Laurie Waddell , Lillian VanderKuur , Lisa Buckley , Lisa Marmon , Lisa Moore , Lois Casadevall. , Lorraine Schuller , Lydia Pochedly , Maia Liddle , Marge Hicks , Mariann Anfuso , Marianne Urban , Marie Crane , Marie Valachovic , Mary Glimka , Mary Jo Murray , Mary Scanlon , Mary Seitzman , Mary Skaggs , Mary Stoeckel , Maryann Ponte , Maryann Scanlon , Meloney Funk , Michael Baden , Michele Engebretson , Nancy Brodeur , Nancy Stearns , Nancy Wilson , Nancy Sue Phillips , Norma McCormack , Pam Barrett , Pam Clifton , Pam Steele , Pamela P Davis , Pat Bemont , Pat Elsner , Patty Stephens , Pauline Cabana , Peggy Benjamin , Rita Schiavone , Robyn Hershey , Rose Oswald , Rose Skojec , Rosemary Heideman , Sabine Wiesent , Sage's Snoods , Sandi Timmons , Sandie Rementer , Serendipity Quilt Shop , Sharon Zack , Sherry Stroup , Stefanie Behrendt , Sue Cook , Sue Fahnestock , Sue Hoppe , Susan Atkins , Susan Rizzi , Susan Rooks , Tammy Krumwiede , Terry Wright , Verdena Polley , Wendy Bivins  and I am sure there are more.  If I missed you I am sorry, but your donation helped just as much.  Remember, each one of your dollars is helping someone fighting cancer, or perhaps helping some scientist find the cure.  Thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart.

Time to Finish The Fight!

My Relay is this week, and I am getting my act together for a final push.  I’m hoping I am well enough to walk some, I think I will be able to.  Last weekend I went for a short walk on the beach, short only because rain chased me off.  If I hadn’t been at a group function I would have kept walking, but there’s something about being the only one soaking wet at a party that didn’t appeal to me. 

Relay is important to me, and has been since 1999.  This will actually be my 21st Relay. 

Wow…

Why do I Relay?  I have many reasons, my friend Joan for one, a double survivor.  Also Marge, another double survivor.  And for Georgeine who has fought many battles, now fighting again.  Also Ginny, fighting for her third time. 

Sadly my list is long, and THAT is why I Relay.  It’s time to find the cure and Finish The Fight! 

Want to donate?  You can donate directly on my Relay page at  http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Marge-Gordon

Or by PayPal at http://delawarequilts.com/Relay/index.html  (All money donated will go to Relay, I will cover the PayPal fees!)

 

Second block

This is the 2nd block of that special quilt I'm working on.  These are all finished ironed and ready to go in the quilt.

Sent from my Windows Phone

Postage Stamp Sew-Along

The other day I posted this photo of a pile of “scraps” on my personal Facebook page and stated that I had decided to make a postage stamp quilt.  A lot of comments and questions followed. 

I’ve decided to bring this pile of scraps and the conversation here to DelawareQuilts incase anyone else would like to join us. Best thing about this sew-along is that you can decide what size you want your stamps to be.   I’ve seen postage stamp quilts made from as large as 3 inch (3 1/2” cut) and as small as 1 inch squares (1 1/2” cut). You can get started now by gathering your scraps.

I think of a postage stamp quilt as a way to use up little scraps.  I save all my scraps and usually make string quilts with them.  This project will be just another way to use up those scraps, and will allow me to use some of the smaller pieces.  You simply chose a size square, cut a whole bunch of them and then keep on sewing until you’ve reached the size you want.

Here are two good tutorials on postage stamp quilts.  The Curious Quilter shows how she puts hers together one square at a time, which is good if you have thousands of squares cut ahead of time.  I will probably have lots of scraps I can put together this way, but probably not enough to make a big quilt.  http://thecuriousquilter.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/postage-stamp-quilt-block-my-demonstration/

Another way is shown at Red Pepper Quilts http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2012/04/postage-stamp-quilt-tutorial.html

I know I’ll be using this technique also, and in the end combining both into one quilt… or two medium size quilts… or maybe a lot of lap size or kids quilts….

I have a L O T of scraps!

You can sew along with us here on my blog, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DelawareQuilts

All the pieces done, now to put it together

Sent from my Windows Phone

Uh oh

I thought I had this posting to the blog from my cell phone figured out and I thought that I had posted my progress pictures on here, but I guess I didn’t think to check and make sure because now I see that nothing has been posted…. 

I have made progress, lots!

First I made the star points, then I made the 4-patches, and then just because I couldn’t wait, I made one star. 

This weekend I made all of the triangle squares and tomorrow I will press them and start putting together the second block, and more star blocks and then eventually the whole quilt... imagine that!  

 

Parents of the Groom

A friend asked me why there weren’t many pictures of John and me at the wedding.  Well that’s a silly question to me, sorry Ginny, but it is.  It wasn’t OUR wedding, and we were just the parents of the groom after all.  But mostly it was because we were enjoying every minute we could and just didn’t happen to be in camera view. 

However, our nephew happened to catch this one of us as we were announced at the reception.  Did we plan our entrance, not really.  I think Michael asked if we were supposed to do anything fancy and someone said just be yourself. 

Well ourselves were quite happy with the joy of the wedding, the beautiful location and weather, and the wonderful celebration that was about to begin and if this picture doesn’t show that joy, then what could.  (Thanks Joey!)

 

Summer’s not over

Summer isn’t finished yet, at least not round here it isn’t.  The last three days have been hot and humid and the traffic… yuck on the traffic.  However today traffic seems much better and even though the temperature is skyrocketing, I’ll bet you can find a place on the beach to put your blanket today.

While my neighborhood was infested crawling with tourons I stayed home and sewed.  I’m working on a new project, a special quilt.  So all weekend I did this, 

over and over and over again, and I’m still not finished.  

 

Update time

I managed to get one brand new to Delaware Quilts block up for September, a leaf pattern I’m calling a Sweetgum leaf, because that’s what it looks like.  That and an updated Autumn Leaves can be found at http://www.delawarequilts.com/BOMs/index.html

There are still openings for the October Retreat if anyone would like to join in on the fun.  http://delawarequilts.com/Retreat/2014/October.html

And that’s it for web page updates until next month, happy quilting everyone

 

Haven’t been sewing

I’ve been deciding, lots of decisions and I keep changing my mind too, which doesn’t help.  I’m making a quilt for the newlyweds, although the way I’m going they will be an old married couple before I even start it. 

It was going to have scrappy four patches, found fabric I liked so that part will not be scrappy.  Was going to have scrappy dark, didn’t like choices so decided on just two.  Was going to have a w-o-w background, had that but kind of wanted a pale blue and white floral, never found anything even remotely close. 

Then today I saw some new fabric that came in at the local quilt shop.  Took a drive to Serendipity and there it was.  BUT… it had green in it, and was too tan and the blue was wrong.  So it stayed at the shop.  HOWEVER… they had the blue I liked and didn’t have enough of so I bought two more yards of that, and now I’m set.  Hopefully tomorrow I can start cutting.  Hopefully nothing distracts me.  Hopefully…. 

 

One more seam

It's been a long process but just one more seam to go and then quilting and then binding and then on my bed it goes!


(The color on my computer is off from the real thing, I hope I can get a better photo once it's finished!)