April 2016

What a great day we had learning how to paper piece pineapple blocks.  This is a few of the blocks that Deb has already made.  Deb shared some of her templates with us and walked us through the technique to achieve these little blocks.

These are examples of the border blocks for this quilt.  I didn't catch what the smaller block was for.

Deb shared the hint of coloring the template so we would know which piece would be a neutral and which would be a color.  

A dab of glue on the wrong side to hold the first piece of the block to the template was the first step.  Some found the glue helpful with other pieces also.

This is the final results of our paper piecing lesson today.  It took us most of the club time to get a block made.  Peggy's is the orange one that really popped!  

We took a break from pineapple blocks for show and tell.  This is Patty's Allietare totally done.

Patty's versions of the medallion quilt with Sheree's border on them.  Her blue one.....

and her purple one.

Cathy's Disney quilt totally done.

Peggy made this quilt for a family reunion.  It is going to be hung up and people will sign the blocks.  It was even more impressive in person.

 It took me two and a half years to make this bag.  I had trouble finding the fabrics that I wanted to use, then trouble finding the time to make it.  I made one for myself and one for my daughter.  When Madison saw it, she begged me to make one for her, so I am going to attempt to make a smaller version.

This is Bonnie Hunter's Smith Mountain Morning quilt that I made for my son with his BDU's that he wore while in Iraq.

Here is Linda's medallion quilt so far.  These are all turning out so different and so pretty. This has been a fun project!

A dinosaur quilt for Bronson.  Linda folded the bottom to make a footie pocket.  

Rhonda's baby quilt.

Rhonda's medallion quilt with Sheree's border.  I love seeing how different all of these are.

Rhonda is making another Wacky Web quilt.  She had Ed make us all templates so we too can make these blocks.  I am looking forward to trying them.  Thanks for the templates!

Show and tell is done and soon it will be time to eat.

We had pineapple chicken with rice, two different/similar bean salads, broccoli salad and coleslaw, cookies and cherry cobbler.

Here we are, busy working on our pineapple blocks.

Rhonda has a make and take for us for next time.  She said it is a surprise and she will let us know what we need to bring later.  Apparently it is something pre-approved by Cathy and something that we discussed last month.  I am clueless!!!

Next quilt club will be June 4th, since the 4th Saturday falls on Memorial Day weekend.

Peggy, your bags picture didn't turn out.  If you want to send me a picture, I will add it to this post.

If there are any typos, let me know.  I was too tired to proof read.

Here are the directions for next meeting.  Rhonda's surprise is we are going to make the Christmas Bench Pillow,

Christmas Bench Pillow

Click here to see design.  Kimberbell Designs

http://www.kimberbelldesigns.com/shop/Pillows/p/Deck-the-Halls-Christmas-Bench-Pillow-x3576333.htm

Materials List and cutting instructions

Background  1/3 yard (white, white on white, cream, etc.)

1  Cut 8 inches by 38.5

Black Stripe  approximately 1/8 yard

2        1 inch by 38.5

Block Rows (top and bottom) assorted Christmas fabrics

22    Four inch squares

Assorted greens for the wreath.  I have a template for the Dresden wreath and will discuss the best way to complete the appliqué at next quilt club.

Assorted Reds for the bows and berries.

Construction

You will make two rows with the assorted 22 four inch squares

11 for each strip

Add the 1 inch black strip to both long sides of the background piece cut 8 by 38.5

Next the 4 inch square strips to both long sides of the black and background piece.

Top done. 

Quilt top as desired.  You will need a muslim backing and batting approximately 20 by 42 or width of fabric.

Back of Pillow (Approximately 16.5 by 38.5)

Use your preferred technique to make pillow backing

To make pillow

(2) 16 by 38 muslim to make pillowcase

Stuffing to fill pillowcase

March 2016

I do not think this blog post is meant to be!!!  I was almost finished with it and accidentally closed it out and lost everything.  A lot of the pictures from quilt club didn't turn out, so I was trying to get the pictures I know were missing gathered together.  I had to retake my baby quilt pictures and it was way too cold and windy to get them until today.  Hopefully I will get it published now.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

Whoever said March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb doesn't live in our part of the world.  It is still cold and windy and it is April 10th now.  Peggy posted this on her Facebook page.  I agree!

We met for our March meeting the 2nd of April due to Easter being the end of March.  There was almost a full house.  The only one missing was Sue, who was sick.  We missed you Sue and hope you are feeling better now.

Peggy showed us how to make a mat for our sewing machine's foot control.  This is something that I had on my to do list that probably would have never gotten done if Peggy hadn't done this-so thank you Peggy!  I really appreciate it.  My foot control is always slipping away from me and these help keep them nearby.  Here are Peggy's.  Don't they look like cute flip flops for those foot controls?

Sheree designed our next border for our medallion quilts. Ed made the templates for us for this unit.  Thanks Ed!  Sheree's colors are so pretty.

To make this, you start out with three strips of fabric.  The middle one is 1.5 inches and the outside ones are 1.75.  You need to make four units for each block, so judge your strips accordingly.

You place the template on the strip set, lining up with the middle strip.  Cut around the template.

Sew the four units together to create this cute little block.  I think it finished at 3.5 inches?

Here are some of the other medallion quilts so far.

Peggy's

Pam's

Rhonda's   See the blocks for her next round?  They look bigger than 3.5 inches.  Maybe they are 5 inches.  Someone who has made them will have to let me know so I can post accurate info!

Now for show and tell:

Deb's thirties fabric baby quilt

My latest Fancy Forrest baby quilt.

These are three of the five baby quilts I made this Spring, quilted and ready to go.

 And the backs.

 This is the back of the blue and white baby quilt.

Virtual show and tell:

Peggy's raffle quilt for her husband's shop.

 Peggy's purple mile a minute quilt.

Peggy's baby minky quilt- this looks so cuddly!

Patty made another Easter Egg table runner.

We had good food to eat as usual.  Sheree made taco cups, we had pasta salad, I think there were two desserts, Peggy made home made bread, and there were barbeque meat balls.We requested the recipe for the bread, which Peggy said was easy to make.  I bought the ingredients, so I hope she is right. 

Simple One Hour Homemade Bread

Makes 2 loaves

5 1/4 cups white bread flour
2 – 4 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. (rounded) saf-instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups warm water (somewhere between 100 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit)

1. Mix dry ingredients.  Add oil and water.  Mix for 1 minute and then check the consistency of the dough.  The dough should be very sticky.  If it is too dry, add more water.

2. Mix for 5 minutes.  (Do not add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.)

3. Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto surface.  Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).

4. Divide dough into 2 pieces (or more if you wish to have smaller loaves) and shape loaves into desired shapes and place on greased baking sheets.  Cover with a large dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.

5. While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  When loaves are ready to go into the oven, use a sharp knife (you can lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging) to make several slashes in the top.  Make each cut about 1/4-inch deep at a 30 degree angle.  Bake loaves for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Next club meeting is April 30th.  Spring should finally be here by then!?!? Linda is doing the next round of the medallion quilt and I think Patty is going to help Cathy with her round of the medallion quilt.  I need to get busy on this round, so I am ready.

I have a request for everyone-remind me to take pictures!!!!  I think it is nice to have pictures of us quilting and pictures of the make and takes that we do.  This is one area that I totally forget about the camera and wish I had pictures for the blog.  Thanks.