Easy Street Mystery Quilt Clue 1

Just call me the backwards quilter.  For Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt, Easy Street, I started out cutting little squares from my strips even though I know that sewing the strips together first is faster and easier.  Luckily I came to my senses . . . and did just that.  Then I went to my sister-in-law, Michelle's house, for a mini Mystery Quilt retreat last night, along with a yummy supper, and forgot the cord for my sewing machine . . . ugh!  Michelle kindly let me use one of her machines, since she has about five machines, and even claimed to be related to Bonnie Hunter.  I told her she has a long way to go to catch up with Bonnie.  

I had fun shopping for black and white material.  All the black and white in my stash was too dark.  My favorite is the little coat hangers.

Squares and strips

I'm not sure I understand the concept of "spinning the seams" in the blocks yet.  I have never tried that before.  I am a fairly new quilter and am discovering new tricks and tips all the time.  I will try the spinning and if I can't do it, will ask Bonnie to show it on quilt cam.

This week I will work on turning the strips into squares.  Sew much fun!

Thanksgiving Quilt Poem

Happy Thanksgiving 

On this Thanksgiving eve, I am counting all my blessings – my family, my health, my Q-Bees and my stash.  I am so thankful for my blog and all the new friends it has brought into my life,  Using vocabulary from the quilting world, I decided to put my feelings in a poem and called it the “Thanksgiving Quilt”

            Thanksgiving Quilt

Start with one constant, like God,

Add scrappy pieces of family

Throw in some Zinger friends

Press together with harmonious colors

And threads of music, books and art

Find backing that fits

Batting for warmth

Layer together . . .

Knot and tie with strong thread

Or stitch with long arms of love and thankfulness.

Forgive and un-sew when necessary! 

Blessings to you and your family on this Thanksgiving.

Wonky Log Cabin Squares

Wonky Log Cabin Squares for the Sandy Quilt Drive sponsored by Quilting Gallery.  

On the wall - my first wonky squares ever and it was really fun to put these together without the fuss of measuring everything exactly.  They are not squared up yet.  First they are mailed to a team leader where they are squared up and then made into the quilts.

This is going to be an ongoing project, so if anyone is interested in making and donating blocks for the Hurricane Sandy survivors, click on the picture link below:

Christmas at Warther's Museum

Only 47 Days till Christmas!  

After quilting with my QBees at Miss Carol's studio on Saturday, Barb, Jenna and I went to Warther's Museum in Dover, Ohio to see the 2012 Warther's Hospital Auxiliary Christmas Tree Show.  It was right on my way home and what better way to end a lovely day of quilting.

If you have never visited Warther's Museum, it is well worth the trip to Dover.  One amazing exhibit is where Ernest “Mooney” Warther carved a whole working model of a steel mill from memory - it still runs.  There is so much to see.  He was a genius for sure!

The trees in the show all had a theme and you could vote for your favorite large and small tree - it reminded me of a quilt show.   The trees were sold and auctioned off for charity to benefit the Union Hospital Auxiliary.
One of my favorites was a tea time tree . . .

And then . . . what do you know . . . a Grinch display complete with a quilt - just like Mitzi's quilt.

 "He puzzled and puzzed till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!" 

Strolling through the trees and decorations, I started thinking about all the Christmas shopping, decorating, baking, quilting, and . . . OH NO!  Only 47 days till Christmas!  
Post Script:  As soon as I got home, I ordered the Grinch quilt kit on Ebay.  

We better celebrate Thanksgiving first!

Quilts for Hurricane Sandy Survivors

The quilting community is donating quilts to help people affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Bonnie Hunter posted on her blog Quiltville an email from Carrie Crowley Davis.

 

I am the Long Island Chapter Coordinator for Quilts for Kids .org and am hoping that you can send a shout out for child size quilts. 

We are working with the local schools in Long Beach, pediatricians in the Rockaways and the Community Outreach Center of Nassau Community Hospital and Winthrop Hospital to help get warm quilts to people. 

We are also going straight to where the Red Cross Disaster Relief Vehicles are and directly giving to people in need.

Quilts can be sent to:

Carrie Crowley Davis
Long Island Quilts for Kids
304 North Ocean Avenue
Patchogue, NY   11772

Any questions can be emailed to me at ccrowleycsw@aol.com

Let's get busy doing what we can.