Still More Good Stitches

As I mentioned in my previous post, I haven't been doing much of my own sewing or quilting, but I have been participating in group outreach projects with other members of my guild. Last week, on our monthly charity quilting day, we put together three fun kids' quilt tops that we'll be using for demos during our county fair in August (I took the picture before we finished the third one). Just simple solid squares and novelty squares, but the tops look great. We'll work on tying them during the fair, with the goal of donating them to our local foster child program.

If I'm not able to do my own sewing, I'm always happy to participate in something like this!

Doing Good Stitches

Although I haven't been working much on my own quilting lately, I am still happy to be helping with some group projects in my guild. In the last few months, we have made several comfort quilts for members who are dealing with some tough health issues...and I've been honored to quilt a couple of them. Nothing fancy, just plain free-motion loops and few hearts. It does the soul good knowing that these quilts may give comfort for some very dear people.

Retail Therapy

Just because I haven't had much time for stitching lately, that doesn't mean that I don't take an opportunity here and there for some retail therapy at a fabric sale. I recently added these to my stash of binding fabrics because I love how bias striped bindings look.

And although the fabric on the left doesn't really look like a stripe, look how cool it looks when folded on the bias...

Fun Street Art

I need to do this on the fence around my garden...perhaps it will keep the varmints away....

You can check out other fun designs like this by clicking here. Looks like a great way to use up fabric! =1

Bad Blogger

I've been falling down on the job, but life has been way too busy for me lately to blog (or quilt) much. However, I'm now really going to try to get more quilting/sewing done and hopefully, more blogging about it. Thanks for sticking with me.

This is a photo of part of the bathroom wall at one of my favorite quilt shops, O'Susannah's Quilts and Gifts, in Watkins Glen, NY. There are lots of markers in various colors on the sink, and visiting quilters are encouraged to write on the walls. It's a patchwork of names in a rainbow of colors -- just like our quilts!

Gratitude

Thank you to everyone who has congratulated me on getting my Jane Stickle quilt accepted into the International Quilt Festival in Houston (see previous post). I've tried to respond to all, but some of you have your profiles set to "no reply", so I can't answer directly. Hopefully, you will see this on my blog.

As I've said before, it is only thanks to the support that I received from my local quilting friends and those of you in cyberspace that I managed to finish my quilt. There is no way that I would have been able to complete the process without all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you! All of the awards that my Jane has won are partly yours as well.

Since I don't like to have blog posts without at least one photo, I'll leave you with a photo of the very first DJ block I finished back in May 2008. You can read my blog post about it by clicking here. Too bad all the blocks weren't that easy!

Once again, thank you all!

Houston, We DON'T Have a Problem

(Photograph by Charles N. Abbott Photography)

I've been so excited since I got this news a couple of weeks ago that I almost forgot to post this on my blog...

My Jane Stickle quilt (more commonly know as Dear Jane in the quilting world) has been accepted for display at the 2014 International Quilt Festival in Houston!

And...

...They want it to be part of a traveling exhibit to their other quilt shows and events through August 2015!

To say that I am honored and overwhelmed by the excitement is definitely an understatement!