Megan's Blog

Deserving Winners

Back from Vermont.....phew, I'm exhausted!  I had a wonderful time, but I'm glad to be home.  So much to tell you about the show but let me start with some things that were a little different about this show....it seemed like alot more of the quilts were hand quilted!  is this a trend developing, is it a regional thing? 
The Best of Show was hand quilted and a Pineapple no less!

and then there was BEAUTIFUL hand applique and embroidery on the borders

I never got a picture of the whole quilt cause there were always oodles of people in front of it.....but I'm sure you'll see it on someone else's blog.

And 2 of our local ladies were among the award winners too!  Jill Reid won the very prestigious Founders Award for her quilt

I had seen this quilt before at our local show and noticed that Jill has added even more quilting than last time I saw it so it is even more beautiful......I guess a quilt is never really done???

And Barb Vedder won for her quilt as well

Barb always tries to put her initials on the front of the quilt....I think I might try a little of that too since I am notoriously bad about labelling.

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!!!

Something a little different about this show is that it is judged on the point system rather than the elimination system.  I took the opportunity to go to the Judges Panel to hear the four judges talk about the judging and how it works and what they look for.  I think I like the point system, I think it gives more opportunity for ribbons and does not pit one quilt against another.

And the Judges Top 6 (critical) Comments, according to these judges:
        1- Straight Lines should be straight. 
        2-  Curved lines should be curved.
        3-  Would benefit from additional quilting.
        4- Quilting stitches should be smooth and consistent
        5- Binding needs to be full.
        6. Corners need to exact and consistent
Good to know....if ever I actual finish a quilt for competition again.

More VQF stuff later: Sally Collins class, lovely purchases, etc.

but with regards to the ladies and our adventures, let me just say this about that--what happens in Vermont, stays in Vermont.....know what I mean????

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

delicious goings-on

Barbie Van Wonderful and The Bell of the Ball came over for some fabric fun yesterday....long story, but I will just say there was alot of stripping cutting of fabric strips in anticipation of some most wonderful upcoming projects.  So to fuel the effort I made a great chicken salad I thought I'd share.  It's from the Betty Croker cookbook I got when I got married 102 years ago.

Curried Chicken Salad
1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 cup green grapes
1 8-oz can water chestnuts drained and chopped
1 11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
3/4 cup white rice cooked and cooled

dressing:

1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp curry powder

Mix the salad stuff, mix the dressing, the throw it all in a bowl and mix together.  Serves 4 (if you hang out with super models)

Ooo, and more delicious things.....another lollipop block is prepped and ready to travel to Vermont with me.

my goodness, it looks like I was in a geometric mood when I did this.....what do you think this means?????

Anywho, I'm packed, Grandma is coming to babysit, got a new memory card for the camera, and this year we have the addition of Sister Mary Cadbury with a supply of all the best chocolates.  Wine, chocolate, fabric.....I may never come home!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Fell Off the Planet

Oops!  I fell off the planet for a brief period, I was so immersed in end of year projects, parties, play-off games, that I lost all track of time.  Here's a little glimpse of the last week...

Twin#1 had to bring in a "innovative treat" that had something to do with a math concept....come on, are you kidding me???? but we stepped up to the desert bar and made rice krispie treat sushi ----math concept:   a cyclinder

I have to brag a little---they were the first treat to disappear.

Each of my angel's classes has a quilt to send to Project Linus and each teacher has a thank-you quilt with all of the students names on it, so yipee, that's over!

Baseball ended the season with a loss in the finals for their division, but they felt really good about their season and we felt really proud of their teamwork and sportsmanship.....not something we saw in other teams and their parents and grandparents sad to say.

Report Cards came home....I'll just say, we're very proud of everyone and we've seen HUGE improvement in someone in particular who for the first time got A's across the board.

And I have been working on a secret project for a magazine using Kim Deihl's newest line....very nice, very homey, very tight deadline.  But yeah! that's done too!

Now I can look forward to the annual Invasion of Vermont.  You know, the sisters head north to invade some small unsuspecting state, and shop and drink and laugh....and see a few quilts too!

I'm taking a class with Sally Collins on precision piecing.  Her class description says we'll be making 3" and 1-1/2" stars in class.  Yikes, I better find my glasses!

In the meantime, I signed up for the newest Doll Quilt Swap.  I'm not saying what I'm working on but I will give this little hint....

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Taking my chances

I guess I was taking my chances sending send a twin on a secret mission to get class signatures on a premade quilt top.  Guess I should have given a little bit of instruction other than "get everyone to sign it"....cause I got signatures in every different direction!  So I did a little bit of fixin of the yo-yo flowers and quilted it up.

AND I finished the class quilt for Twin#1's class....

So that's two of the four projects that must be completed before heading off to the Vermont Quilt Festival at the end of the month......I sure the DH doesn't mind a little sewing on his special day tomorrow!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

 

Fabric and a Secret Mission

One more week of school and Twin#2 has a secret mission.  Stashed away in his lunch box in a ziploc bag is a little quilt top

He's getting each of the kids to sign the white blocks and then presto-chango, it will be a teachers gift by Monday!  Sure I could have been organized weeks ago and get the kids to sign the squares but this year-end seems have caught me off guard. 

So while this secret mission is in the works I headed off the NJ Quilt Convention with Lollipop Lorre and the firehouse ladies.  There were many wonderful quilts as usual, and a definite increase in the number of repro quilts....mmmm interesting to watch trends.

I told myself I would not buy fabric, but Mary MADE me!

We're both hoping a little infusion on new Civil Wars will get us back to our CWDQ blocks....so stay tuned.

Hope you have a wonderful day and if you are in the NJ area, take a trip down to Edison and see some wonderful quilts.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Friendship+Quilts = One Great Day!

It was a super friendly, quilty day today.  The Lollipop Ladies came over for a visit/design consultation/fabricholics support group meeting.  Lorre is in town and we like to think that visiting the gang is the highlight of her trip----although her family would probably disagree.  But sometimes you just gotta hang with the girls!

So we had Lorre's lollipop blocks on the wall with mine and yikes, some of the blocks don't even look like the same pattern with the different fabric selections.  But in the end, we have all figured out the anything goes is the only rule that applies to this quilt.

And tonite was the guild annual Strawberry Supper.  What could be more wonderful that taste testing all the  goodies from the most wonderful cooks--quilters?

And finally I got to unveil the Friendship Quilt

the people who participated did a GREAT job of personalizing their blocks with little candles in the windows

or curtains

and winner of this quilt is (drumroll please) Sister Mary Awful!!! 

Friends... quilts....not a bad way to spend the day.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

They crack me up...

Yesterday we went to the mall---#1 Son for a new phone and Twin#1 for ice cream.  So I broke down and bought the "for emergency use only" phone for the twins.  They have been bike riding to friends houses and this way they can take the phone so they are available for real-time nagging from me.

After explaining to Twin#1 the rules and regs for the phone he seems to understand.

Mom:  so it's for calling me or Dad or 911, that's it!
Son#1:  no, I think it's a "calling babes" phone
Mom to Twin#1:  do you have any babes to call?
silence from Twin#1
Mom:  are you not answering because there is a babe
Son#1:  he's not answering because he's changed his name to Nunya
Mom:  Nunya?
Son#1:  Nunya Business
Twin#1:  You can call me Mr. Business

geez, they crack me up...

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

The Natives are Restless

it's the start of the "can we go in the pool" season, and I've been caught unaware and unprepared.  Usually I accumulate a pile of books for light poolside reading.  So far, I only have these...what else do you suggest????

and I better get some applique to work on as well.....Block#6 is prepped.

I thought maybe it was toooo pink, but it seems to play well with others, so I'm sticking with it.

This time of year is MADNESS!!!! with all the end of year goings on, and some secret project commitments, but the pool beckons and the natives must be appeased, so I'm getting a glass of iced tea and  taking the lifeguard chair.  Hope you find time for a little break this weekend too!

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Thank you Mother Nature

We had severe storm warnings yesterday, high winds, hail, etc.  What we got was rain off and on.  Rain in the morning, which meant I could sew instead of working in the yard.  Then sun for enough of the afternoon to get in the first playoff game which ended in a 17-2 no-hitter victory (thank goodness for the 15 run rule!) and then rain in the evening, so back to the sewing.

And look what I did....

isn't it funny, that blue floral really stuck out before and now it looks like a good transition.

the weather is better this morning and I'm having the guild's board end-of-year dinner this week, so I better get to that yard work even though I REALLY want to put on the next border. oh well, guess I'll have to be a grownup and go do the work at hand instead of playing....

Have a great day, hope the weather cooperates where you are.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan

Leap of Fabric Faith

The house is quiet, the kids are off to a scouting event, so I turn my attention to the poor neglected, not really started medallion.

Taking that first step is always the hardest for me when I can't see the whole quilt in my head.  But I have faith.  I have faith in the fabric, that if I like the whole pile that ultimately the fabric will find it's proper place.

I think this outside border will help transition into the green and browns....stayed tuned, we'll see how it turns out together.

Hugs and Stitches!

Megan