Yeah! Yeah! The gangs all here! (almost)

Maybe not all could make it this month, but it was a very impressive turn out.

Pat was able to swing by real quick and say hello to everyone and gave Vevia a rolling pin to make some real springerle cookies.  Okay - now how many say they are Sweedish - how many German - how many Bavaria or Austria?  Reminds you of quilt blocks - everyone has one.

This was also the month to bring in your 2009 pass the box swap project.  There was some doubts for everyone as to who made which block.  Esther is laying out her blocks here and deciding if she wants to use the hexie flowers in the cornerstone area.

Esther brought in some lovely velvet, lace and such for us to go through.  Thank you Esther for sharing.  I have mine soaking right now - a great concoction of milk, lemon, baking soda and laundry detergent and water.  Worked on some other crocheted doilies - hope it works on these also.

Deb has a couple of blocks that she is not sure who made them for her.

Deb brought in some absolutely scrumptious Rosemary Lemon cupcakes to share with everyone.  They looked like they were little cherry bombs with the sprig of Rosemary sticking up - and no, I forgot to get a photo.  Sorry!

Donnis finished her box swap in 2010, but she also had questions as to who made which blocks on a few.

Yeah!  Jan is here.  And bless her heart (and our diets) she brought doughnuts.  Yep, we're real bad, but we are good friends - we did not make her take them ALL back home. ha ha

It was fun watching everyone look over each others blocks, remembering which ones they made

and discussing who might have made others.

This one Esther designed and made for her quilt.  She fussy cut some of the fabrics and don't you just love that middle?

It was also interesting to find out that each person did not necessarily make the same style of block for everyone.

Susie said that she determined some of them by the fabric that was in the box.  Machelle joined the layout process - so many colors, so many looks.  When they are all finished - then we will have a grand SHOW 'n TELL.

Shirley brought her's in ready for Susie to quilt.  They discussed possible quilting designs and of course oohed and aahed how she sat her blocks..

After the review, it was on to the work we brought for the day.  Esther is making more hexies and Deb is quilting her bow tie quilt.  We can not get a good look at it until it is done....rats.

Leila is working on her star quilt.

And Donnis is cutting fabric...........that is, she was........Vevia brought in her sharpener and something went wrong - it dulled even the slightly okay blade.

See, see - another friend.  Was great to see Judy and of course ....... great to see the lemon orange cake she brought also.  You may not believe this, but usually we have nothing so special except for Christmas.......until this month with THREE kinds of treats.  Wow!  and ugh on the scales  later.  Thank you Jan, Deb and Judy for loving us all soooooooooooo much!  hahahaha

Machelle was working on the binding for a Birthday gift.

Also forgot to get a picture of the tea pot pin cushion she made for Vevia.  Mind must have been so rattled by the great turn out.  Sorry Machelle - and you did such a great job.

Machelle was working right along until she went to help Donnis clean up Vevia's mess.

Here's Leila and Judy discussing every day things and what Leila is making.  You do not have to bring work along with you - time fellow shipping is just as good.

Remember that hand quilting class held in Clay Center a few years back?  Deb got one of those lap hoops and just loves it.  Could not find a name on it, but we have not seen too many like it since.

Had to look over this gift that Susie got.  A friend made her this great notebook case, and look at the pocket inside for a pen.  Very cute and usable.

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Ta dah!  Time for Show 'n Tell after a great lunch.

Judy brought in her disappearing 9-patch/tossed 9-patch.  Susie had quilted it.  Love the colors.  Judy picked those to go with her couch.

The back is very nice and could be used reversible.  (click on the picture to have it get bigger so you can see the leaf design better.)

Donnis wasn't sure if she had brought this in last month - doesn't matter, several people were not here so it was great to see it again.  Donnis does so many things out of "just books".  Her daughter Jan quilted it for her.

Deb was in the right place at the right time.  She found all of these 9-patches that used the gold fabric in the outside corners and the middle.  She took out the middle and replaced it with a red and then made the blocks into disappearing/tossed.  Put them together and took all of the center gold fabrics and made the sawtooth border with them.  Talk about energetic!  Fantastic Deb.

And the back is a plaid that matches all the front fabrics.  Looks great both directions.  Ann H. did the quilting.  It is done with rows of waving mountain ranges.  Went perfect with this quilt.

Can't remember the exact story, but all of these blocks were in a box and somehow Deb got them.  They have the names of people that several of us know or remember.  Deb put it together with the Country Jacobean fabric and Susie quilted it.

Had to get a close up of the quilting and the fabric.  The dotted fabric, Deb thought matched the dots in the background of the Country Jacobean.  We also found out that some people call it Jacob-ean, and others Jac(k)-obean.  Another one of those which region are you from.  Led to quite a discussion of karhs or cars.  haha

Machelle almost finished the binding.  This is a birthday present for her daughter.  Course we had to ask her which year it was for.  bad us

Susie finished her 2014 UFO - that's when we each taught a block at our monthly meetings.  We need to bring these all in when everyone is done also.  Great to see the difference in lay outs.

Susie also had this finished quilt to show.  Frances B. had given her the dresden plates and Susie looked through her fabric to find the perfect fabric to blend with what was in the plates.

We think she did a great job.  Looks like it all goes together.  Quilting did not show up as well as I would have liked in this picture, but you can see the sewing in and around the plate.  Susie said that she likes the look of using the embroidery thread. (click to see larger)

Vevia had seen this quilt at Leila's house and begged Leila to bring it in.  Diamonds and baby blocks or tumbling blocks - but look at how it shows up as stars surrounded.  All in the color placement and of course with the labels that Leila added on.

Leila had made three full size quilts similar to this out of jeans and corduroys that she had around.  This one was from left over's.  Leila has such an eye for colors.  Corduroys are almost extinct....but back then, it came in so many colors.

Vevia says never go to an auction to where you donated something - yep, she bought it back.  Sometimes you do something that is really great to your eye.  Remember all those quilts for others that you decided to keep and make that person something else  :)  We all have done it.  But paying to keep it, duh!?!

Okay - what is the game plan on the swap exchange?

Ten of us decided to go for it (Pat we included you - so Deb owes you an outing for fabric).

We each make 100  -  4-patches and give away 90 of them.

Begin with 2 1/2" squares, or strips. 

Put 4 squares together and end up with a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" - 4 patch.

Put 10 in each of 9 bags to swap

at the November meeting.

Gives everyone lots of time and then we will have the winter to put them together.

Do scrappy in all 4 places, or .........

It is your choice.

Looking forward to seeing what we each have to swap and then

Ta Dah!  The settings are always interesting.

Have Fun!

And fun is what we had at this meeting with so many of us able to come.

Hopefully we will see everyone back again next month.

From Bruce.

Good Friends = Good Conversation

Sometimes few in numbers, means more chances to talk with everyone.

And that is what this month proved true.  Boy, can five women really do the talking. hahaha

Pat had her hand quilting with her, but enjoyed so much the talking,  that she never got it out.

Donnis can do TWO things at once.  She brought in finished projects to sew the labels on and she accomplished it while keeping us entertained with stories of the past.

Leila was the hardest worker.  She saw this quilt in a magazine and thought of all the possibilities.

She is going to do Lemoyne stars - AND all by hand.  

Leila showed us some tips to make the star go together easily.  Look at her stitches.  Wow!

Leila has found out that you want the center triangles in before you tackle the squares in the corners.

This is a quilt that we all will be excitedly waiting to see to completion.

Shirley is trying to get ready for her trunk show on July 18th in Clay Center at the First Baptist Church for the Piotique Quilters Guild's meeting.  Make sure you mark your calendars - this is one program that none of us will want to miss.

Do these blocks look familiar?  This is a pass the box project that the group was doing when some of us came into the group.  Having a dead line has really inspired Shirley to work on some UFO's.

Little bit of a problem though - see these three blocks - WHO DID THEM?

Shirley had slips of paper on the backs that told who had made each block - except these three.

Donnis has her quilt done and has the names of those involved on the label, she wishes she had put down what block they made.

So if any of these look familiar - please give Shirley a call and let her know.

Now you all know that you can not bring in a bunch of blocks and not get assistance from everyone there on how they think they might be put together.  hahahaha  Shirley had lots of help from all of us.

Biggest obstacle was that there are 10 blocks.  Finding a layout for that number - well, one is going to have to go on the back.  So here is the winning layout for the nine remaining blocks.  Now it is Shirley's task to figure out how is she going to put them together and get this all done by July.

Good luck Shirley!

Lunch was leftovers.  Vevia had brought in some things that she had frozen from the Piotique Quilters tea on Saturday, and added some cheese and crackers.  Even had gluten free crackers in case Esther was back.

After lunch was Show 'n Tell.

Poor Lisa was trying to run in and NOT get in the picture, it did not work.

Donnis saw this in a water color quilt book that she has and with a little help from her daughter Jan, she finished it up.  What a great idea on how to use log cabin blocks.

She also finished the baby quilt and we got to see the final project.  Love how 3 colors give it another pattern - disappearing 9-patch of course.

Vevia brought in her take, on the "Chicks of the Month" blocks that Susie had introduced to the embroidery group to at the Piotique Quilters Guild.

Hopefully Sis is not looking at the site - here is her 60th birthday gift.  These are embroidered blocks that Vevia presented to her sister, Elizabeth, over 9 years for birthday presents starting on her 50th, then last year got the blocks back, sat them together and then this year will present the finished quilt on her 60th.

Judy had brought some quilt magazines into Vevia and here the ladies are checking them out.  Thank you Judy for sharing.

Next month we will find out how many want to participate in the Block Swap and if there is enough, then we will decide on what block we will make to swap and how many.  Even Pat said that she might join us - IF - it is a simple block and - IF - Deb will take her shopping for some fabric.  hahahaha  Heck we will all take her shopping.  hahahaha  Pat states that she is not a piecer, she only likes to quilt, so she does not have a "Stash".

Well everyone - be thinking about it.

It will be scrappy, so you do not have to go buy special fabric.

Have a safe spring and don't work too hard in the gardens.

See you in May.

:)