Saturday, March 31, 2012

Quilt Show in Korea


"River" at the quilt festival in Korea
In our quilt guild, we have small groups that meet outside of the guild meetings. One of the groups that I belong to is a contempory quilt group called, Crossing Borders.  Each year we make up a list of challenges for each month. In 2010, sixteen of us agreed to a challenge called the "River". Our section of the river was to be an 18" wide wallhanging with a facing (not a binding) and we had to have the river enter on one side of the wallhanging a specific point and exit on the other side at a predetermined spot. Also, we were to use some of the hand dyed fabric for the river that one of our members dyed. This project has received so much attention, that we were invited to show the whole project at the Minnesota Quilter's Quilt Show in June, 2011. It was also shown in our St. Cloud Heritage Quilter's quilt show in October, 2011. We were invited after the Minnesota show to send our project to Korea for the "2012 Quilt Festival Korea." Two of our members took the wallhangings in their carry-ons to Korea for the show and hung all the pieces at the show. They wanted to make sure that everything got there on time and didn't get lost. They are having a great time in Korea and have found time to shop and explore.
     *** My section is the seventh from the left. It is the winter scene. Just like out my kitchen windows but I do not have a river!!!

It has been a fun and exciting time for us. Wouldn't it have been awesome to go to Korea for the show????
 
Beth

Longarm Quilting Group

On Wednesday, I drove down to Woodbury (St. Paul, MN suburb) to Sharon's house for a meeting of a longarm quilting group. We hadn't been able to get together for about seven months. It was so great to see everyone. Of course, I forgot to take pictures of the "Show and Tell" that everyone had but I did get pictures of everyone when we went to lunch. Mary has a quilt that is entered in the Machine Quilter's show in Kansas City and in our Minnesota quilt show. She did the 2011 BOM, Ruffled Roses, from "The Quilt Show." It is absolutely fabulous.
Left to right: Lila, Pat D., Pat S., Sharon

Left to right: Gale, Marilyn, Mary

These ladies are all so talented and fun to be around. Some of the ladies are attending the quilt show in Paducah this year and some will be going to the machine quilting show in Kansas City this year. I would love to be able go with, just not possible this year. Besides, I haven't made use of everything I learned last year at the Milwaukee machine quilting show. We meet again in May and since I am hosting, we are going to meet at Gruber's Quilt Shop in Waite Park, MN. It will be a great time of the year for a road trip (and a quilt shop is always a great stop!!! LOL).
Beth

Friday, March 16, 2012

Summer in March

The weather in Minnesota is awesome!!! We are having summer in March and it is expected that we will break high temperature records for five days in a row, if not more.

Last weekend my daughters, Brenda and Natalie, and Natalie's husband came home for my Birthday. It was such a nice weekend. They both have dogs and the dogs love coming to our place because we live in the country and they can go in and out as they please. Only issue is that they were getting a little muddy. Brenda brought me a beautiful flower arrangement that she had put together. Natalie gave me some more Silpada jewelry which I can wear without breaking out from. Hubby gave me cash. What more could a person wish for???  Flowers, jewelry, cash!!!  Grin------

My son, Byron, has been in St. Louis working on the lock and dam project and just arrived back home yesterday. He has been living with us for the last year and a half, so it was nice to have the house to ourselves for the last six weeks. He is going to take me up to the casino for the "Seafood Buffet" for my birthday. Another favorite item for me ----    Now I can add food to the list of good things!!  Does my family know me or what??? LOL

While Byron was in St. Louis he found a good deal on a Featherweight. It needs a little TLC but I think I will keep this one and sell my other Featherweight. I will get a lot more from that one then the one my son bought for me. I spent some time cleaning and oiling it. It sews with a nice stitch but needs to be cleaned some more and the gears and motor need to be lubed. The finish is in good condition (shows normal wear and tear) but nicked around the bottom, probably from in and out of the case. There is a case but it is in such bad condition that I will not be using it. No extra accessories with it either. It is a Centenial model but built in 1950 instead of 1951. Will have the husband of  the "featherweight lady" check it all over.


Still working on Orca Bay. Slow but sure!! I'm building all the rows right now and have put some together. Guess I am being a very slow speed turtle but it is nice to take my time and also take time to enjoy the nice weather.

Natalie and her husband live in West Fargo, ND. They have made an offer on a house in Fargo, ND. It has been a big decision. West Fargo has a diversion so that they do not have to worry about the spring flooding. The house in Fargo is in the flood plain, all though the house has not been flooded. If Fargo gets in gear and builds the diversion that is in planning, then they will not need to be concerned about flooding.  Until the diversion is built flooding will always be a concern. The Red River flows north and some years the ice is not out of the river up in Canada and that can cause the water to build up. They still have to counter offer and wait for what happens. What a process!!

If you have time this weekend, The Quilt Show with Ricky Timms and Alex Anderson will have free shows all weekend for International Quilting Weekend.  There should be something for everyone to watch. I know I will be sewing and watching shows since my computer is in the sewing room and I can wheel it right up next to me.

Time to get off the computer.  I need to remember to set the timer!  LOL
Beth

Monday, March 12, 2012

Stash Report

Used this Week:                      4.00 yards
Used year to Date:               22.11 yards
Added this Week:                   0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:              31.625 yards
Net Used for 2012:                 - 9.515 yards

Skipped stash reporting on March 3 because there was nothing to report. This week I sewed three pillowcases for our quilt guild service project. At Featherweight Club, we brought fabric to cut squares of blue and green for a Split 4-Patch quilt for a service project.  I still am not able to deduct anything significant because I have not completed any of my really big projects.  At least I didn't add any fabric in the last two weeks.  Since we had a snow storm on the evening of February 28th, I did not go to any of the Leap Year sales at the quilt shops. Boy, did that save me from buying more fabric!!   Grin, Grin ---

Beth

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Quiet Week

It has been a quiet week. We did have a snowstorm on Tuesday evening into Wednesday. Quit snowing around noon with about 10 - 12 inches of snow. At least I no longer have to worry about snow days, I can sew in between road trips.  Hubby did take me out for Leap Year dinner.  The casino had the buffet for $2.29 each.  I sure can say he is the last of the big spenders!!!  LOL

I am still working on my Orca Bay between activities but did get a set of dish towels machine embroidered.  They are redwork designs but I did them in colors that I thought my daughter Natalie would like.
Guess I'll get back to Orca Bay and keep my nose to the grindstone.  I want to finish the top in the next few days so I can start on the March UFO.  The March UFO number selected is number 8 which is a blue and yellow log cabin. Also, I downloaded two audiobooks from the Library to listen to. I do adore a good mystery.
Beth