Winter Work - Love It

Every year Janna, one of the gals in our guild, sponsors a retreat at a college here in town. She actually has two of them this month. I am signed up to go but will just go for the day and come home after dinner then back next day. I really don't like hauling my sewing machine and all that goes with it so decided to just do hand work.   Kathy, who is going also the same weekend, said she is bringing along everything necessary to fuse some applique blocks. Great idea!! Me, too! The above two pictures are what is swirling around in my mind.  I have been following the blog http://gloriousapplique.blogspot.com/ for some time now and just in awe of all the beautiful quilts being made and the progress posted by the various quilters. They are all working on quilts that have been designed by Kim McLean. They are all her version of some very famous old applique quilts and in the folk art style. Just gorgeous. I am not wanting to make a big quilt, but I am ready to do another smaller wall hanging with Kaffe Fasset prints. The second picture is one group of patterns I could use, but I also have two others that I like so will make that decision soon. I am wild about the piece of fabric I picked up the other day at the new quilt shop. It is the stripey dots - isn't it splendid? So for the retreat I will cut out some blocks, pack up fusible web, fabric, iron and ironing surface, scissors and just join Kathy in being regular cutups at the retreat. I can also take some embroidery along so won't even miss my Bernina. All my life I have always liked January and February and being in where it's cozy and just doing my thing.

 

 

Here's the Merry-Go-Round table topper pieced and ready to be put in a quilt sandwich after pressing.  I said it was easy-peasy, right?  Well, not quite right!  Putting it together in rows was kind of dicey but I am not the best piecer among quilters and piecing isn't my favorite part of the process.  However, it's together and looks just fine and I do like it.  Was discussing the binding of it at our little group that gets together several times a month (that's a lot of fun) and my friend, Kathy, suggested making a facing for it.  How cool is that and much easier than binding!  That is what I will do.

I got to thinking about backing fabric and found this down in my stash - there is a lot of it and it looks to me like it will be just about perfect.   Keep warm!  (Click to enlarge)