Catching up with 6 inch blocks

While Randy is away on retreat I've been trying to catch up on my blocks for her sow along......I'm nearly there!  Here is some progress.  Bonnie Hunter is "sowing along" with Randy too.

Slowly they are adding up

Thanks Randy for keeping up with this sow along :0)

See what everyone is up to at WIP Wednesday over at Lee's blog...

Meet Fern Royce

Fern has an infectious smile, really doesn't this smile make YOU want to smile.  Fern is from Berkley, California.  It was a pleasure to meet you Fern, I hope you finish this lovely little quilt , Happy sewing, Kim

 Fern taking pictures for me on my camera

Fern made the tiniest HST border I have ever seen!

tiny, less than inch wide

Fern was trying to decide whether or not to include the star in the center of her medallion.

Gwen critiquing Fern's little quilt creation.

Blogger BOM #13...catching up!

Jackie has been leading this BOM project for 13 months......and I have just finished the last two blocks and I am all caught up!  How fun!  Thanks Jackie :0).  Happy sewing, Kim

Blocks in the first colorway

 turquoise and greens for the  second colorway

Block 13 is designed by Sarah, each block has a different blogger designer.

looks like another color blindness test :0)

I'm linking up over at Design Wall Monday with Judy, come over and have a look at all the projects :0)

Meet Charlotte

I only have one good picture of Charlotta and her work, the others are blurry or Charlotta in the back ground....sorry Charlotta.  The good news is Charlotta has a blog where you can see more of her work :0).  
Charlotta is from Kentucky and loves Zebra's.  Her work was so playful while she tried new techniques to build her medallion quilt, it started with a printed rectangle of a bird standing on a zebra.

Happy Sewing Charlotta, Kim

Meet Harriet from Baltimore, MD

Harriet flew from Maryland with her friend Kathleen and stayed in the condo below my family.  She worked at the opposite end of the room but we did get to talk a bit in passing, laughing and watching Gwen's demo's.  So here's Harriet!

Kathleen, Harriet, Fern ( with my camera) and Sharon behind her camera.

 

(There were plenty of Singer feather weights in the room .)

On the other side of this photo :0) ( this is what they are looking at)  they aren't really watching because they are star struck but because Gwen has take over their sewing space for book signing :0)

Harriet's study of color and shapes for her medallion center

Harriet found a small space to show her quilt on the design wall for show and tell.  ( sorry I cut your head off Harriet) She added a turquoise border then made the tiniest biased waves to applique on top.......just a lovely piece of work.

 Happy Sewing Harriet, Kim

Finish it up Friday

  Amanda Jean is back doing her Friday linky party :0)  Yeah and I actually have a finish to show!
And I linked up over at "can I get a Whoop Whoop?" too., come on by and see what everyone is up to.

 Here is my finished little quilt that I made from scraps from a little quilt Mary Ann was piecing while on retreat in Alabama.
China and Mary Ann Pettway led our retreat and didn't so much teach but set up a spiritual atmosphere conducive to creativity, full of suggestions, inspiration and support in each persons vision for her own quilt.   I found out they will be back at Camp McDowell again this Spring, if you can go I sure would not miss the chance to quilt with these wonderful ladies from Gee's Bend.  ( email Sarah Nee at folkschool@campmcdowell.com for more information. ) No affiliation just a happy camper :0)
  Happy Sewing, Kim

Mary Ann's signature

China's autograph too :0)

Add caption

Finished and hanging at the top of my stairs so I can see it everyday :0).

Christmas block for Victoria

I love to do blocks for group quilts, here is my latest block I made for Victoria while I was at Gwen's retreat, it is a mini medallion. Check out all the  blocks made by others over at Victoria's blog.

Happy Sewing, Kim

Little  Santa center block sent out by Victoria to use as inspiration for a block design, since I was with Gwen doing a medallion inspired retreat I made a mini medallion with some fabrics from the retreat and some that I took with me from Pokey in California :0).

Gwen's Beaver Island retreat: Meet Linda

Meet Linda

Linda showing her work at the show and tell

Linda showing  and telling us about making her liberated flying geese

close up of the vase and applique detail on the flower...."look a G for Gwen :0)" she told me.
Well why not turn the outcome of a liberated  applique into a celebration of being at a retreat with Gwen :0).

auditioning the flying geese, while Mickey's red border fabric shows on the left, we shared design wall space and by the end of the retreat space was getting tight.

 

Gwen's retreat brought quilters from all over, meet Linda from North Carolina.  Linda brought a piece already appliqued for the center of her medallion.  We all loved the fabric she chose for the vase and I think most of us asked her what the name of the fabric is and where she got it.  She has had it for sometime and doesn't know where she got it.  I think if we could have found it we all would have bought some on the spot.  It has great colors and depth and for a vase it is simply perfect!    Another beautiful start to  our challenge of making a medallion quilt, Happy sewing Linda I hope you finish this piece,  Kim

Meet Kathleen Awalt from Baltimore

Kathleen quietly worked away down at the opposite end of the room from me, but after seeing her opening show and tell pieces and knew I wanted to share them with you.  Kathleen graciously
took out all her beautiful quilting work and let me photography them for my blog along with all the work she got done while we were at the retreat.  Get a cup of tea you are in for a treat.  Thanks Kathleen :0) and Happy Sewing, Kim

Kathleen with her Indian silk turquoise fabric with elephants

Beautiful silks being pieced

One of Kathleen's studies in the "37 Sketches" style  of studying "liberated quiltmaking"

Another study with a grid hand quilted through the abstract piecing.

A study in pinks with linear quilting .

Isn't this one fun?

 A study in blue

Kathleen also like windows and all their variety, she pieced many of these before deciding to piece them together. The colors and movement made this such a fun quilt to look at.

screen window

double window with shutters and blinds

This lovely square red silk piece will be covered by the silk "doors" on either side of the work and will have to be opened to enjoy the little masterpiece inside.  How divine!  Thanks Kathleen.

Room with a view

Gwen's retreat was in a great  space with lots of room for everyone to spread out and really work.
The energy in the room with all the creativity going on was nearly palpable!

I had a table up against a window and had a great view  of the lake and also of all the other quilters.  It all was very relaxing while being stimulating for trying new techniques.
I highly recommend this location, and the retreat that Gwen assures us will go on even when
she is not the teacher.  Here are just a few shots in around the room and my view from my sewing machine.   Happy Sewing,  Kim

that is Hale!!!

Hanging planters outside the windows

after the rain

all set up and ready to go

View from my sewing table

Great natural light

view from my sewing space

Meet Mickey

Mickey came with lots of parts and pieces already made for this lovely creation but adjusted, added to, rearranged, rethought, and remade it throughout the week.
Always a quick smile and a few minutes to chat.  I enjoyed meeting you Mickey :0).  Happy Sewing, Kim

Vase and grandmothers hexie flowers

More blocks and auditioning red for a border

More borders added and notice a few pedals have fallen from the flowers vase and are now on the first border.