The big problem with not writing here for a while is that I have so much to catch up with. :) Spring is slowly, sloooowly becoming a reality here in Maryland. (sigh!) The crocus above were flowering in my Mom's front yard in southeastern Ohio when I was there last week. I have snowdrops flowering in one corner of my yard here in Columbia, but no crocus. Maybe the winter killed them? The daffodils are about six inches tall by my front step and in bud ... but no blooms, yet.
I spent most of last week in Ohio, dealing with things for estate settling - searching for the land survey that my Dad supposedly had done in the mid 80's, before he bought the small farm we have on the market now. NO luck there - I think we may have to pay for a new survey. (sigh) Also succeeded in finding the key for the storage unit Mom has been paying for each month all these years (took two round trips and much fussing with oil on the lock and such) ... maybe four hours or so of effort but we did find and use the key to get in (security lock on the unit would have been hard to remove if we didn't find the key!).
The final review and completion of the probate efforts is scheduled for late April. I have to do some paperwork yet to ammend the record (to show things I've paid for since last December when the last recording was made). Hope it all gets done ok!
As I was doing my land survey detective work, I found a new-to-me barn quilt in the backroads of Jackson County, Ohio:
I should have had the good sense to note the address but I didn't - driving was taking most of my attention (yes, I did pull to the shoulder to take this photo:).
I took a wrong turn on my way home from Ohio so got to photo some extra bridges this trip. :) Bridges - I'm pondering quilt designs to play with these structures:
Interesting how varied they are in material and design. :)
I did manage to go to the Baltimore Heritage Quilt Expo (annual show) last Saturday (with my friends Patty and Barbara) -- even though I did not go to the AQS show in Lancaster, PA (didn't think I had enough walking endurance for that one). Saw a lot of really nice quilts at the Expo! I haven't been in several years so it was a treat to see so many people I know - former customers, former employes, friends. :)
Here are some of the quilts I enjoyed (by no means all of the great quilts I saw!):
I admire the gilding work on this heron - lovely use of patterning!
This is a close-up of a quilt with lots of surface design and thread work - and my favorite subject, too. :)
'Fireflys' - beautiful imagery and color palette.
Fibonacci and other numbers - this one appeals to the statistical aesthetics and science parts of me. :)
I've always liked 'jar' quilts - I've seen fabric used that features bugs, food, sewing notions - but I had never seen this use of different sizes of jars. Nifty. :) Someday I'll make one of these quilts - probably long, long after everyone else had quit. :)
My former staff did not get together during this long winter so when we did meet last week (on Wednesday, at Peace-a-Pizza in Catonsville), we had lots to talk about and some GREAT show and tell. :) My apologies up front for the photos - was using my iPhone indoors and backlit at that. :P
Alice I. has been learning English Paper Piecing at Springwater Designs quilt shop. Alice loves mid-19th century reproduction prints and she's working on the embroidery to border this pretty GFlower. :) I 'helped' her find some buttons for flowers after lunch during a visit to The Stitching Post. :)
Alice M. made a nifty portrait quilt of her uncle? who passed away last year. I loved her clever use of fabrics and the patchwork background. She has also been expanding her fabric dyeing skills with thickened dye painting:
Also some more beautiful shibori immersion dyeing:
Daria P. finished the top of a star quilt for her Star Wars loving spouse - very apt. :)
Libbie R. is recovering from her health issues and has managed to start back sewing (you can appreciate how much trouble this was for her when I tell you that she will be having cataract surgery soon). Libbie is a supreme precision sewist, so this is a huge and gratifying step in recovery for her! :)
Patty S., energizer bunny sewist that she is, had lots to show us (not all of which I got pictures of - this quilt was gorgeous, sorry it is out of focus!).
This is Patty's version of the Grand Illusion quilt - she made a smaller quilt than most and used the extra parts she sewed to do several baby quilts.
This is the upper section of a queen-sized rainbow colored quilt Patty is making for the St. Louis church raffle (for 2016?) - I LOVE the positive/negative use of color. :)
Robbyn R. is finally getting her Baltimore album quilt back under production. This is her "New York" block, in honor of her state of birth.
This is the "D.C." block, for her husband's place of birth.
This is her "Marriage" block - the paper labels show where/what she will ink once the applique is complete.
Robbyn is an excellent hand quilter (as well as excellent hand appliquer, as you can see:) - she is now teaching hand quilting at Cottonseed Glory in Annapolis. The photo above is a close-up shot of her class sample. She is also teaching basic Baltimore applique, I _think_.
Of course, I took my three Millefiore quilt rosettes to show ... and we all shared around photos of grandchildren. So much fun to chatter and catch up! :)
I have been trying to work on a block for a community quilt that Thomas Knauer is coordinating and I am abashed to admit that I am having troubles with it. Sigh! The block is a large 32-blade Dresden Plate ... something is wrong with what I've done (I'm pretty sure the mistake(s) are mine and not that of the original pattern) ... I am going to have to draft my own templates 'cause I think there is something 'off' with my printing out of the given templates ... even with careful cutting (of well-starched fabric) and sewing, my half-circle _isn't_:
I share this just to show you that even experienced quilters can have problems with their skills. Sigh! I have to get back to making this today as I now have more pressing items to work on.
I saw a quilt at my 'traditional' guild's meeting on Thursday morning that I really liked - don't know how I missed knowing about this design, called Rose Dream, but there it is:
Great amounts of fussy cutting opportunity with this design! :) I'm officially putting this one my want-to-make list. :)
The fabric kit for the Gravity block of the month quilt I am going to teach at Springwater Designs FINALLY came and I have to get cracking on making that! :)
The next few days will be busy for me - have to get started on my Gravity sewing, have to finish the Dresden Plate block and have to make a name tag for the swap in my 'modern' guild ... before packing up and leaving for Wisconsin/Kansas on Tuesday. Wish me luck!!
:) Linda
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