Here’s the last installment of Tah-Dahs from the Spring Quilt Escape.

These bright blocks were made by Sue.

I love the tall, skinny Churn Dash blocks that Nan was making.

Chara made this baby quilt with lambs in the borders.

I think these snowball blocks belong to Karen J.

Stephanie made this striking quilt top.

That’s Connie, looking quite coy, behind her polka dot creation.

Pat made the quilt tote that I demonstrated.

She did some fabulous free motion quilting on it.

Sarah has some appliqué planned for this, but I made her pose with it anyway.

Marsha got this great top finished.

Lonna was working on some beautiful indigo and cheddar blocks.

Annie got this tah-dah finished just before we left on Sunday.

Jean made this incredible quilt.

And yes, I even did a little sewing.  That bin is filled with selvedges…

…and I got a lot of blocks made, but want to do more.

As at any retreat, we had lots of goodies, but I had to share photos of these two.  Cookies from Karen R…

…and cake balls from Robin.

It was all great fun. I can’t wait until September when we do it again!

This is Josie, who works in the kitchen at Falls Creek.  She is a hoot!  She always asks if she can share show-and-tell…

…then borrow something from one of the retreaters, trying to convince me that she made it.  Finally, I’m on to her!

Sue shared this fabulous row quilt.

She also made this Turning Twenty.

Sharon said she made this during her Nine-Patch phase!

She also made this quilt with tulip blocks from a block swap.

Kathy made this “Man Cave’ quilt for her husband.

This colorful quilt was made by Mary T.

She also made this snuggle star quilt.

Isn’t the touch of green great in this black and white quilt she made.

Karen V. shared these cute snap bags.

She made these placemats while trying to improve her machine binding skills.  What a great idea!

Karen V also made this table runner…

…and this stunning quilt.

Karen V

 

Marsha showed her pretty star quilt.

Patty amazing Carpenter’s Star quilt.

Jean shared this great medallion quilt…

…and this fun animal print quilt.

She also made this stack of Sunbonnet Sue quilts.

Annie shared this quilt.

She brought back these two quilts that she started at the last retreat

This is also her Sampler Quilt.

Annie’s.

This is my Dear Dorothy quilt.

We had lots of wonderful show-and-tell at the retreat, including this stitchery from Carol.  I believe she did the stitching on linen.

She had also finished this wall hanging.  She did the center a couple of decades ago!  Don’t you love the paper pieced geese in the corners?

Nan recently finished a quilt top from my Bears Outside My Window kit. I hadn’t made it in the green variation, so was really pleased she let me photograph it for the catalog!  It’s really a fun quilt–I split the pre-printed panel and put it back together with an attic windows setting, then put bear paws around the outside, hence Bears Outside My Window!

Here’s my original red version.

Gloria, a member of my guild, designed this fabulous bag.  She shared the pattern with the guild members, and I asked permission to share it with my retreaters.

I wanted to demo it, so whipped up this version.  It’s amazing how much it holds.  I have six quilts in here!

After my demo, Pat T made one from this fun animal print!

She also shared this quilt she made with leftovers from years of quilting.  I love the pillow tuck!

I’m always saying that the Twelve Step Program quilt from my first book, Bundles of Fun, has been made more than any other quilt I’ve designed, and Pat helped prove my point!  She made this one with an interesting border…

…and this one with the traditional border.

Sue made several of these adorable pincushions, and I got to take this one home with me.  Thank you, Sue!

Lonna brought this early Sunbonnet Sue.

This quilt she made for her son when he was a baby.  It’s just opportunity cloth, but she embroidered around all if the characters!

She also made this Christmas wreath wall hanging…

…and this Christmas quilt.

This Nine-Patch is also one of Lonna’s.  I like the random squares in the borders.

My favorites are always the vintage quilts.  This is one that’s been in Lonna’s family since the Thirties.

Of course, I loved looking at all the prints and had to examine each one up close!

Denise brought the first quilt she ever made, this adorable ducky quilt.

This is Denise’s most recent quilt.  I know because she finished it just before show-and-tell!

Tracey made this OSU quilt, showcasing a lot of different sports.

At the last retreat, Robin challenged the ladies to make quilts from 1-1/2″ squares–squares that would finish at 1″!  Well, several of the ladies took her up on it and surprised her with a cute skit during show-and-tell.  This is Anna’s finished quilt.

And this is Penny’s.  Nana Pat and Mary K. have started making them, too, and I’m pretty sure Denise got the bug before the weekend was over!

Our other Pat P. made this quilt, which she said reminds her of her childhood on the farm.

Laraine brought the finished product to show us.  This is another quilt that had it’s start at an earlier retreat.  It’s so great to see them finished!

She also made this sweet row quilt.

At the last retreat, Judy was working on the blocks for this quilt.  The detail in it is incredible!

Several of the ladies had participated in a row challenge.  This Halloween one belongs to Joy.  Don’t you love how someone added their row up the right side?

Karen J (there were FOUR Karen’s at the retreat!) showed us her warm row quilt.

Judy’s row quilt had a Christmas theme.  There were some talented quilters participating in this challenge!

Suzie was a first timer at our retreat.  I love this medallion quilt that she made.

And look what she did with the back.  It’s as pretty as the front!

Stephanie showed off some pot holders…

…and table runners…

…and this precious bunny quilt.

I shared the Bavarian Rose quilt, which is made with my fabric collection, Bavaria.

And this is one of four placemats made with my newest collection, Red, White and True Blue.  I guest posted on the Sew Timeless blog with a tutorial on making the placemats.

This isn’t the end.  I have more!  I told you this was a prolific group!

Wow and wow again!  What a fun time we had at our Quilt Escape last weekend.  There were 46 of us, and it was four days filled with sewing, fun, eating, fun and inspiration.  I’m truly amazed at how much everyone accomplishes, and their work inspires me.  Part of the fun is Show-and-Tell.  Here’s the start of what we saw.

Several people brought back quilts they worked on at the last retreat, like this one from Robin.  It was part of my A Quilt Block A Day from Facebook.  All it needs now are cornerstones and two more borders, and it’s finished!  There’s a tutorial here on my blog for the blocks.  Click HERE for a tutorial on regular Bow Tie blocks and click HERE for a tutorial on making three dimensional.

Robin did blocks like the ones below for her Secret Sister one time, and made a set for herself, too.  I love how she used the two different colors for her setting squares.

And she made this quilt with blocks she received from her Secret Sister.

Robin also made this Bargello quilt.  The squares finish at 1″!  She’s going to do a demo on how to make it at our next retreat.

This vintage Double Wedding Ring belongs to a family member of R obin’s.  It still needs to be quilted.  Don’t you love how the addition of one more piece of fabric on the four-patches forms a blue border on the top and bottom and a yellow border on the sides of this quilt?

Julie made this Patriotic Log Cabin.

This gorgeous quilt was done by Pat P.  We only had three Pats this time, and only two were Pat P!

Pat P #1 also made this quilt.  This color combination in batiks is my favorite!

Here’s Phyllis holding up several table runners that Barbara made.  The first is from my Center Piece Table Runner kit.

She liked it so well, she did it in Christmas fabrics!

This one is perfect for fall.

I know what she’ll have on her Easter table!

This is a very sweet Valentine runner.

Phyllis made this beautiful cover for either an iPad or Kindle, I can’t remember which!

She also made these two amazing miniatures.

Make that three amazing miniatures!

We had two token scrapbookers at retreat.  Karen R shows us her Christmas album with yearly photos of her son and Santa.  Although now that he’s nearly 16, he says he’s through with Santa pictures!

This is my sister Sally, who also came to scrapbook.  But, she had a quilt to show-and-tell—a gift from HER sister!

She also shared an album that covered multiple trips to Hawaii.

Sarah had a pretty, spring table runner to show…

…as well as this incredible Many Trips quilt.

A few retreats ago, I demonstrated the Hunter’s Star ruler from Studio 180.  Many of the ladies started quilts.  Here’s Sarah’s finished one!

In fact, here she is at the retreat a year ago, just getting started!

Sarah also made this wonderful wildlife quilt for a raffle.

Stacey brought the first quilt she ever made, I mean started!  She’s hand quilting it, and hasn’t given up yet!

She also brought this completed quilt that she started in a mystery class I taught a few years ago.

This was Dante’s first quilt.  I think it’s amazing!  She said it nearly drove her crazy.

After making the Flying Geese quilt, she kept on quilting, and this is her quilt, too.

Carol made this wonderful sampler quilt.

Susan did a Twelve Step Program from my Bundles of Fun book.  It uses just 12 fat quarters!

I shared two quilts from my Dolly Dear fabric collection. This is made from a pre-printed panel.

This one is called Let’s Play Paper Dolls, and the pockets hold the dolly dresses!  There are kits for it on my website.

That’s a start!  I’ll share more in a day or two.

 

 

 

Last fall at the Anna Lena retreat, Mary and Robin had a stack of really fun blocks that they had gotten in a block swap.

Once the blocks started going up on the wall, they drew a lot of attention.  That led to a conversation about block swaps, and before you could say “Crossroads to Jericho” we decided we would do a block swap at our next retreat!

Robin and Mary’s blocks were so striking yet so simple that we decided to do this block for our first swap.  You might want to organize a swap with your friends, too!

Blocks finish at 8-1/2″. Here are the fabric requirements for each block.

Black: 5) 2-1/2” squares

Four different bright prints: 1) 2-1/2” squares of each and 1) 5-1/2” squares of each cut once diagonally.

When you cut your large square diagonally, you will end up with two triangles.  You only need one per color per block, so set half aside for another block.

L
Lay out your squares to form a nine-patch with the black in the middle and on the corners.

Match the triangles to their companion prints.  I love how this forms an arrow.

Once you have the nine-patch sewn together, line it up with one of the triangles as shown below.  Make sure an equal amount of fabric is visible on each side then stitch.  I like to do opposite sides first, press, then do the remaining sides.  On the nine-patches, I press toward the dark.  On the triangles, I press toward the triangle.

Voila!  Your finished block.

If you set the blocks straight, the black forms a chain through the bright arrows.

If you set the blocks on point, the nine-patch is more visible.

Every swap needs a few rules.  Below are ours.  The last one is the most important!

Your pieced block should measure slightly more than 9”.  There’s a little wiggle room here, so blocks can be trimmed to 9”.  If your block is smaller than 9”, it isn’t acceptable.  Either restitch with slightly smaller seams or make another one to swap.

Don’t trim your blocks.  Let the person receiving them do the trimming.

The black can be a solid black, or a black-on-black print, but be sure it “reads” black from a distance.

Bright means bright, clear colors.  Nothing muddy!

You may make all your blocks the same, or use lots of different blacks and brights.

Have fun!

 

 

More quilts from the quilt show in Houston.

Patriot’s Dream by Barbara Shrout,  The name is inspired by a line from America the Beautiful—“O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years…”  I love the curved edges.

Barn Raising by Lauren Semple.  Isn’t it amazing what can be done with half-square triangles!

Standing Strong by Sharon Dixon.

The Secret Life of Dancing Tulips by Jeanne Brenner.  The title refers to the dancing tulips subtly quilted into the border.

I love the shading achieved by different tones of the same color.

Sunflowers 2 by Charlotte A. Hickman.  I think sunflowers are such happy flowers!

Black-Eyed Susans and Yellow Mexican Hats by Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert.These two flowers grow wild along the roadside in Texas.

Portraits of Flora by Timna Tarr.  What a great use of many, many fabrics!

This next quilts wasn’t at the show in Houston, but there’s a reason I’m showing it here.  It’s called Checkerboard Vortex, maker unknown.  It’s quite famous in the quilting world, appearing in many books and at the recent Red and White quilt exhibit in New York.  This quilt was made around 1920!  In the book Twentieth Century Quilts 1900 – 1950 it’s described as, “Extraordinarily contemporary in its design, this amazing quilt is a triumph of precise design and piecing, and it it an astonishing precursor to the art of Vasarely.”  Like many others, I’m in love with this quilt.

Incredibly, Nora Ronningen has made her own version of the quilt which she calls Vortex in Variation.

I could hardly pull myself away.  It was stunning!

Preserve Nature, Preserve Self by Susie Johnson.  Did you know the gingko tree has been around for 270 million years!?!

Redwork Revisited by Susan Dague.

The maker used old kitchen transfers for the designs on this quilt.

I think the sashings are great, too!  They are just half-square triangles.

One of the exhibits was called Text on Textiles.  In the display area were several old typewriters.  Wow, an orange one!

Ethel’s Diary by Eileen Campbell is a great use of photos and words on a quilt.

I remember pressed tin toy typewriters like this one!

This adorable portable is a lot like the one we have that Bob’s grandfather used in his “Tailoring Parlor” in Libby Montana in the early 1900′s.  The carriage flips forward and the whole thing fits into a case!

Salvaged Words by Jette Clover.  There are pages from vintage books used on this quilt!

I’ve used words and photos on labels, but not as the main focus of the quilt.  This is from my Dearest Brother quilt, which tells the story of Anna Lena’s life.

Hmmm, that might make a good blog post!

Oh, I love it when it’s time for the Bloggers Quilt Fest, sponsored by Amy over at Amy’s Creative Side.  This is a time for people all over blog land to show what they’re working on or a favorite quilt.  I’ve decided to show my Bavarian Rose quilt, since it’s the most recent thing I’ve made.

One week before I was leaving for Quilt Market, I got my sample fabrics–2 yards of each.

For some crazy reason, I decided that I’d appliqué 32 roses for the quilt!

Mind you, I’m not really much of an appliquer, except for some hand buttonhole work I’ve done in the past.  But, I persevered and got them done, using a buttonhole stitch on my Elna.

I also made three other samples for Market.  A bag…

…a Laptop Sleeve…

…and a little stitchery I call Gretel.

And to top it all off, I found a vintage tablecloth at Market that perfectly matches my new collection!

I see curtains in my future!

 

Today was the first day the vendor booths were open here at Quilt Market.

Timeless Treasures really increased their booth space this Market, and everything looks fantastic–including this adorable line, Bavaria! ;-)

Only one yard of each print was flown into the office in New York, and it had to be cut up for 20 samples, so each salesman would have a set so they’re very tiny!

Needless to say, I’m quite fond of the Orange Crush line.

Timeless does fabulous batiks, and Mango Salsa is really pretty.

I’m thinking I need to make a circle quilt!

Isn’t this a pretty purse made from the Tonga Treat?

Everything old is new again!  My bedroom in the early Seventies was hot pink and orange.

More pretty fabrics.

Black and bright is always stunning.

Wild Ginger.

Mixed Media Mosaic.

Made from pre-cuts.

More eye candy.

This is Monica Lee’s Cardigan Girls.  I got to meet Monica this Market, and she’s a hoot!

Catch of the Day is adorable with lobsters and crab.

L’amour de la vie is a cute little French line.

Mechanical Genius is a first line from Mo Bedell.  Perfect for boy quilts!

Don’t’ you love how the selvedges are incorporated into this pillow?

Sweet on NYC by Sugar Pixie.

Bella Verona is a beautiful new block of the month.

And Timeless has an exciting new division called Dear Stella.

So much inspiration! And all this in just one booth!

 

I’m a member of the Peninsula Quilt Guild (that would be the Long Beach Peninsula!).  There are about 50 members, which is pretty good for our small community.  The group is very diverse, and one of the most fun things about the meetings is seeing what everyone brings for show-and-tell.  I had my camera with me yesterday, so thought I would share with you, too.

Joan made this Migration quilt.

She used a gorgeous fabric on the back.

She’s been making 6″ blocks, and used 12 of them in this house quilt.

Becky has been making red, white and blue quilts to donate.

Here’s another one.

She also made this snowman quilt using wool.

Eleanor made this kaleidoscope quilt in a class at Boardwalk Quilts.

Glennys made the next two table runners.

She says they’re the same block, just turned different ways!

She also showed us the peacock sweater she made which won Reserve Grand Champion at the fair!

Deborah made this in a Paula Nadelstern class.

Jerene made the next two quilts.

Beverly made this strip pieced quilt.

Glennys made this quilt…

…and this wall hanging.

Joyce brought this Seven Sisters quilt that was stitched in the early 1900′s.

Audrey had been experimenting with piecing around a center hexagon and made this Christmas table runner.

Carol showed off her row-by-row quilt.

She also showed her recently completed Over The River quilt top, which she plans to hand quilt.

I don’t know who made this patriotic quilt.  Help?

Gloria brought this quilt that her mother made several years ago.

It was a great meeting.  After it was all over, Kathy brought this garage sale find in to show me.  I’m in love!  That’s Anna Lena Land!