Orca Bay in Progress

Just a quick post to show off my Orca Bay Mystery Quilt. I now have ten rows put together. That is Rosie walking across the quilt. She was confused, thought I was taking her picture so she posed for me. You know, it seems that every quilt I make is my favorite while I am making it, but this one is my FAVORITE favorite. This quilt is being made totally from scraps, so I may go for custom quilting for this one. When I had all the blocks for this quilt in a box waiting to be put together I thought it was going to be way too green, but seeing it together like this with the blue squares being formed and the yellow blocks in the corners it doesn't seem too green at all. Well, enjoy the pictures, I sure am.

Putting Orca Bay Together

I started putting together my blocks for the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt today. This shows one end of the four rows I have done so far. The colors are actually brighter than it shows in the picture - I don't know why it looks so dull. I am very pleased with my colors. Bonnie Hunter used black where I used green, red where I used blue. The black and white is what inspired the name "Orca Bay" because orca is whale. I love my yellow string blocks - I think it really sets off the green and blue. I really didn't like it very well until I put the yellow in. I have put a lot of work in this quilt. Bonnie started posting the clues just before Thanksgiving and finished just after New Years. Once the last clue was posted I sort of dropped the project for a while because I didn't care much for it. Now I am happy I decided to persevere and hope to get it done soon!

Another Bow-tie Idea

I woke up yesterday morning with this idea in my head. The same size blocks in varying shades of green with a smaller bow in the middle, in jewel brights. If I arrange the blocks like this it sort of looks like a Christmas tree. Can you see that the bows sort of look like ornaments or lights on the tree. I'm thinking of making four sections like this and putting them points to the center to be a square Christmas tree skirt. I would put white around the pieced trees, and maybe a trunk at the bottom of each tree. I am going to try to work this up in EQ7 and see if this will work. This is nineteen blocks and what I have in mind would use another row on the bottom to make a total of 29 blocks. I think that would make it a good size. Or I may decide to use these blocks another way entirely!

Cedar Lakes Retreat 2012

Here are some pictures from our retreat at Cedar Lakes in Ripley, WV over the weekend. I didn't take many pictures because I was busy sewing (and talking and eating!).

We all enjoyed ourselves and feedback so far is excellent!

I worked on several different projects and got a lot done.

It would have been better if Debbie had been there.

Waaaaa!!! Debbie can't go!!!

Debbie is having a heart catheterization on Monday and her doctor told her to stay home from the retreat! Waaaaa!!! I don't wanna go without her! We had all these projects lined up to do at Cedar Lakes and I'm not going to do them without her. I am scrambling here to get some other projects lined up. Our KitchenAid mixer cover and JellyOhs quilt can wait until we can work on them together. Meanwhile, very unhappy here!!!

3D Bow-tie BABY Quilt Totally Finished, Warm Weather, and Retreat Time

I know that I already posted this one finished but now it is TOTALLY finished! I did some quilting and got the binding on, but then I knew I needed some more quilting on here so I stitched in the ditch around the blocks. I washed and dried it this morning and I think it looks wonderful! The colors are truer in the close-up picture. I have lots more ideas using the 3D Bow-tie block, so expect more!

Yesterday was warm enough that I sat out on the porch for a few minutes! (Not long, really.) I took a picture of Audrey's house while I was sitting there. That is what it looks like on a warm very early February afternoon. That is what I look at while I am on the porch. I can't wait to plant flowers out front and hear the wind chimes and 95 degrees is really not that hot! It makes me happy to look forward to spring and summer and seeing all the trees in their greenery. The experts tell us that we are having a very warm winter but I don't agree! I am cold most of the time, even though I wear long underwear and warm sweaters and sweatshirts. It is cold in the summer too with all the air conditioning in every building. Now, I'm not saying I don't want air conditioning, but everyone overdoes it, so I have to wear a sweater when I am indoors. I love to go outside in the heat and finally feel confortable. In the winter I only have my new wonderful electric fireplace and my little heater that I take with me everywhere. I can't wait to wear my shorts and no socks! Socks turn around on my feet so that the heel is usually in the front. And my feet are so small that buying socks is a pain! Women's socks are too long for me, and girl's socks are usually too small. I guess I just can't be pleased!

I have packed up my sewing machine and tomorrow I am headed for Cedar Lakes in Ripley, WV for our annual quilt retreat. Viking Sewing Gallery (where I work) sponsors this retreat every year on the first weekend in February. This is my fourth or fifth time going. I will be posting pictures when I get back home. Debbie Canterbury and I room together and work together on whatever projects we have going. This year we are making covers for our KitchenAid mixers and we have a quilt called Jelly Ohs that we will be piecing. Of course, we will be eating and talking for hours and hours. We will have about half of Friday for all this, plus all of Saturday, plus Sunday morning. I think there are about 60 people joining us for all the frivolity. I can't wait to get out to Cedar Lakes and get settled in. I'm going to be as happy as a pig wallowing in the mud!