More Easy Street

I'm loving this so far!

Easy Street Update

I'm so excited to see how Easy Street turns out!

Today's Obsession

Scrappy Christmas Dresden blocks. Two done. Seven to go. I hope to finish this by the end of February 2013. Consider that a New Year Resolution.

Easy Street part 5

Bonnie is keeping me guessing!  I finished part 5 of Easy Street and have absolutely no idea what this quilt is going to look like.

Here are my units:

Do you have any guesses?

Check out everyone's blocks here.

Easy Street Part 4

I went on vacation during Easy Street clues 2 and 3, so I had a lot of catching up to do this week.

I finished step four.  Here are my blocks so far:

I always throw my little leftover bits in a bag and give them to a friend.  She informed me that she is no longer taking them, so I had to make a crumb block from my Easy Street leftovers:

I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do with this 9.5x12-inch block, but it was fun  to piece!

Check out everyone else's Easy Street blocks .

Thanks Bonnie!

Easy Street

I swore that I would not start another project, but who can resist a Bonnie Hunter mystery?

Here are my step one blocks. I did not have gray scraps so I just used yardage from my stash.

Check out everyone's progress here!

I'm feeling modern

I spent this afternoon with the Hudson Valley Modern Quilt Guild. I am looking forward to learning new things From this group.

Farewell, friend

I love to quilt.  I love the quilt community.  Sometimes I get to combine those loves and make a quilt to donate to an auction supporting the quilt community.

I am in Houston this week for Quilt Festival.  IQA is holding a silent auction of little quilts.  One of my quilts is hanging there, waiting for someone to take it home:

I enjoyed making this quilt and I will miss it just a little bit.  I hope it finds a new home with someone who loves it!

If you are in Houston for Festival this week, check out all of the small quilts and bid on a few to support the IQA!

Hot off the presses!

Run, do not walk, to pick up a copy of Machine Quilting Unlimited magazine. It's a fabulous magazine with the latest and greatest in machine quilting.

If you turn to pages 44-46 you will find an article about me! Page 46 has a photo of my favorite quilt. Any guesses which quilt that is?

More in the Serious Quilt Series

When I made my young friend a Minimalist Kermit pillow, I decided to make a Miniature Minimalist Kermit quilt for myself.

There has been no sun this week, so I haven't been able to get a photo with true color.

My Miniature Minimalist Kermit quilt is quilted and awaiting binding:

I have more plans for my Not-So-Serious Quilt Series.

Another Super Serious Quilt

While on call for jury duty this week, I started another fun quilt project.  It's a very serious quilt, since quilting is VERY SERIOUS BUSINESS (wink).  

There are letters on this quilt that spell out a word or phrase.

Any guesses yet?

How about now?

Closer?

Last chance!

The colors in all of the photos are so different, yet none really shows the color of this quilt.  There has been absolutely no sun this week.  I will take a photo of this quilt in sunshine as soon as I am able.  Until then, here is the photo of the entire quilt:

I made this quilt for one person, but now can think of three others who deserve a Rock Star quilt.  I will have to make more!

What words should be on my next super-serious quilt?

Too Serious About Quilting?

Sometimes I have to remind myself that, even though I am very serious about quilting (it is my JOB!), quilting itself doesn't have to be very serious.

Last week a young friend introduced me to Eric Slager and his Minimalist Muppets.  Something about the simplicity of the shapes just stuck with me.  I decided to see if I could reproduce one of the Muppets as a pillow for my young friend.

I went to the Quilt Basket with my favorite lawyer (hiya Peg!) and bought some green fabrics:

 

I decided that it was ok to try something other than what I normally do (machine quilting), so I started drafting a paper-piecing pattern:

Much to my surprise, I survived (and enjoyed?) the paper-piecing:

The flash ruined the color in this photo, but my Minimalist Kermit pillow (thanks to Eric Slager) was finished:

My young friend loved it!  And I love her.

I don't think I am done with Mr. Slager's work yet.  Which Muppet would you choose next?

Is this bad?

Send in recommendations for a new iron please.

And the winner is...

... the Ferris Wheel!

I have already started the process of making a quilt from this photo.  

First step:  Project the photo on the wall and trace the elements onto a large sheet of paper:

I am sure that there is a computer program that can do this work for me, but the tracing helps me get my brain around the objects in the quilt.

I am trying to decide on the background fabric.  Should it be pieced or a single piece of fabric?  Help me decide.

Stay tuned for the next step in The Sky Over Glenelg (working title of the quilt)

Readjusting

I am home from Australia and slowly adjusting to being on this side of the planet again.  Yesterday I was awake and ready to face the world by 5:30 pm.  Today I was out of bed around noon.  I call that progress.

I will be posting my Australia photos over the next several days, but wanted to show a here vs. there selection.

A photo of the clear blue sky in Glenelg.

A photo of the clear blue sky at home.

One of these photos will be the basis for my next quilt.  Vote for one!

Even in Australia...

... The Steelers rule. I found an Australian fan!!!

Exploring New Places

I am thrilled to be blogging from Adelaide, Australia this week!

Since I am very busy working at the Quilt Festival and the time change is not being kind to me, I have not had too much time to explore.

I have had time to check one thing off my "things to do in Australia" list, though.

Eat vegemite:  check.

More good news, bad news

Good news: today is Monday and the rec center is open

Bad news: I cannot get there

Good news: it is 20*F cooler than yesterday

Bad news: weather app says rain

Good news: I have an umbrella (and the weather app was wrong)

Good news: I took my walk

Good news: I got to see the Bountiful Temple lit up

In short-- good news!

Good news, bad news

Good news: I have made a commitment to exercise daily

Bad news: I left my hotel this morning before their gym was open

Good news: I landed in Utah in time to hit the hotel gym

Bad news: it is closed for renovation

Good news: they offer passes to the local rec center

Bad news: it is closed on Sunday

Good news: it isn't raining

Bad news: it is 94*F outside

Good news: I exercised anyway!

Late night google search

To the young woman who just called me at 12:35 am, 12:37 am, 12:44 am, and 12:56 am:

No, I did not just call you.

Yes, I am sure.

No, really, I am sure.

No, I am not Kelly.

Yes, I do know someone named Kelly but I am not her. Really.

No, there is not someone, like, "younger" in the house.

To my blog readers:

This is why I am awake at 1:45 am googling "how to fall asleep.".

Answer number three looks promising: drink a relaxing beverage.

Learning Russian

My dual-language book arrived in the mail. I am so excited!

A Russian video of me

I remember talking about Handi Quilter and my experience being a guest on Quilt It! the Longarm Quilt Show.  I have to confess to not really understanding the video at all.  Maybe after a few more trips to Russia?

I've been blogged...

By a Russian Blogger!

Be prepared to hit the "translate" button.

Click here.

I met Elena when I was in Moscow and she blogged about the day we spent together.

I want to go back to Russia!!!!!

Brooklyn's Quilt, part two

As promised, here is the next installment of the quilting of Brooklyn's quilt.  I nearly forgot to post this; jetlag is not for sissies.

I am quilting the 16-patch block in this next video.  I am using a Handi Quilter Half-Circle template with my sweet Sweet Sixteen.

To make the continuous curve in the block, I place the template 1/4-inch away from my starting corner:

and 1/4-inch away from my ending corner.

There are lines on the template dividing it into sections, but I ignore all of the markings and position the template only based on the starting- and ending-points.

 

The block is finished:

I leave tomorrow for Quilt Odyssey in Hershey, PA.  I will be working with the Quilt Basket there.  Will I get to see any of you there?

Hopefully I will remember to post the next video when I get home from there!

Quilting In Russia

Several weeks ago, Handi Quilter asked me to go to Russia with them to teach how to use the HQ 18 Avante and HQ Sweet Sixteen.  I jumped at the chance, but not because it was not a life-long dream of mine to go to Russia.  I had actually never considered going there; I have never considered making a trip to the moon, either.  Both places seemed equally out of reach for me.  I realized what an opportunity they were offering and have been eagerly anticipating this trip.

Getting to Russia is not without its challenges.  Remember this quilt?:

I made this to deal with the frustration of applying for my Russian visa.  That process made filing my income taxes look quick and easy.  I was worried that everything about going to Russia would be that difficult.

It once took me 30 hours to get to Edmonton, AB, Canada from Hartford, CT.  Last year it took me 68 hours to get from Pelham, NH to Salt Lake City, UT during Hurricane Irene.  I was having nightmares about all of the things that could go wrong during a trip to Russia, but my trip went very smoothly.  The travel time from my front door to my hotel in St. Petersburg was exactly 24 hours.

While planning my trip to Russia, I tried to do a little research online about what Russian quilters are like, what types of fabrics they use, and what types of quilt shops they have.  I can 'google' with the best of them, but I found very little information about quilters, quilts or quilt shops in Russia.  I went on my trip with absolutely no expectations.

I taught three days of classes in St. Petersburg.  I was worried about teaching through a translator, but it was much easier than I expected it to be.  Quilters in Russia are like quilters are here in the United States and we just understood each other.  It is amazing how far one can get by pointing and using hand gestures.  I certainly used my translator, but when she had to leave the room the students and I still understood each other.

I did some demonstrations and let the students fall in love with the machines.

Doesn't Oksana look happy?

She pets and hugs the Sweet Sixteen as much as I do!

Sergei (the big fellow in the black shirt) was quite a prankster.  He kept our classes lively.  Ludmilla (on the far right) is a very talented quilter and quilt teacher.  Natasha (to my left) is a very happy and enthusiastic quilter who works in the quilt shop.

I am certain that I learned as much from my students as they learned from me.

I now find it hard to believe that I have never thought of Russians as quilters.  There is such beauty and inspiration everywhere in St. Petersburg, from the extraordinary:

 to the ordinary:

Yes, I plan to copy this railing pattern in a quilt someday.

I mentioned that I looked for information about quilt shops in Russia.  One site stated "there are only fabric shops in Russia; no quilt shops." Imagine my surprise when I got to Moscow and took the escalator up from the subway to see this billboard on the wall:

It was advertising the quilt shop across the street from the Metro.  Maybe their next ad will feature Handi Quilter?

 Across the street from the Metro station and down a few flights of stairs was one of the largest and brightest quilt shops I have ever seen.  The photo only shows one small portion of the shop.

They had more sewing machines than I have ever seen displayed anywhere.  Ever.  I have photos of two of the five walls of machines:

I taught two days of classes in Moscow:

Alexander is an expert at fixing sewing machines and he was eager to try quilting on this one.  He would point at the machine and say "Avante" while holding up two thumbs.  I guess he likes it!

Moscow quilters have inspiration everywhere, as well.

The mundane:

(ribbon candy!)

and the divine:

 

I am home now recovering from my 23 1/2 hour journey.  I am so grateful that I got home at 10:30 last night so I could go directly to bed, sleep well, and wake up today as good as new.  OK, maybe not as good as new, but I'm still vertical.

I saw so many beautiful things while I was in Russia and am just itching to turn one of my photos into a quilt.  Maybe I will work on this one tonight?

(a stone in the sidewalk across from the Kremlin)

Friday in Moscow

I met a new friend this morning -- Jerry.

He wanted to learn how to quilt, too!

I met Alexander the Great.... Quilter:

After work I stopped back at my hotel room and took some daylight photos for you:

Nice, huh?

If you want to see nice, go to ГУМ (pronounced: goom).  It is a super-luxurious shopping mall on the eastern side of Red Square.  Crazy!  But definitely worth seeing.  My co-worker wanted to buy a gift for his wife.  He saw a purse.  I kept saying "You can't afford it."  He didn't believe me.  $1500 US.  "But it's just a fabric bag!" he said.  Yep, it is.  It was that sort of mall.

Next we found out how to empty Red Square really really fast -- Send a sudden downpour:

Now you understand the rain spots in this photo of Red Square from the bridge over the Moscow River:

After we got thoroughly soaked, we headed back to the hotel for a ragout.  Fan-tas-tic!

Time for bed.  Спокойной ночи!