Tuesday, April 21, 2015

This 'n' That

Ah, beautiful spring!  We just had our first 80 degree day and it was wonderful.  There's a lot to do in the yard and I'm kind of enjoying it.  If I do a little bit every day, it'll look pretty good in no time.
I went to a quilt retreat over the weekend that my guild put on.  They do a couple a year and it's always fun.  While I enjoy our regular meetings, they don't offer the opportunity to really get to know people.  The retreat really is great for this and I love it.  We are lucky enough to have a place in a beautiful setting with plenty of room for sewing and lots of natural light.  The food is good and the company is great.  It doesn't get much better than that.  I took some pictures on my walk to use as reference photos.  Isn't this lovely?
IMG_0644
A few years ago when "modern quilting" became a thing, I decided that it was something I wasn't going to get into.  Saying a thing like this generally means that at some point I will do the exact opposite.  I dipped my toe in the modern quilt pool last year when I made "Mother Goes Mod."  
Mother Goes Mod
I'm not even sure if it qualifies as a modern quilt, but I wound up liking it more than I thought I would.  So a couple of weeks ago I bought a book called "Patchwork City."  What I didn't realize at the time was that the "city" in question is Portland, OR.  Elizabeth Hartman has charmed me and now I'm hooked!  I made part of one of the quilts featured in the book to use as a hanging and I really like it.  
DSCN1317
This quilt is making me revisit more perfect quarter inch seams and measuring often.  This is a good thing as it keeps me from getting sloppy.  Now I just need to figure out how to get a few of my beloved batiks in the mix.  Or maybe something from the Halloween collection.
The thought above makes me want to start a new quilt.  I have finished a lot over the years but there are a number of UFO's hiding in my closet.  Two of us from our small quilt group are taking up the challenge to finish something every month.  This will take some actual focus on my part and I think I'm up to it.  
It looks like it's going to rain this afternoon.  Time to make good use of it and sew!

I've recently been posting my blogs on the www.mobquilts.com website and have decided to post them here, too.  The website also contains our patterns and a sign-up for our newsletter.  

Quilt for fun,
Candy