I'm quilting a fat quarter shuffle quilt -- the bigger size.  Part way through it I realized that the thread I was using was intended for a different quilt.  So, of course, that meant a stop at Quilter's Cupboard in Ankeny for more thread.  It looks like that was a good idea since I'm almost through the second spool that I had.  Oh, well.....

I got two third place ribbons at the fair this year.  One on the butterfly quilt and the other on the crossstitch picture I entered.  

I got my stripey quilt back from Jennifer Bernard at the end of July.  I really like the feathers!

Back of the quilt.  The feathers really stand out. 

I finally got a grown-up sewing table.  This is from Tracey's Tables.  I ordered it at the Ankeny Quilt Guild show in July and it came about a month later.  Lots of storage and above all, a nice flat sewing surface.

The San Clemente bag from a Quilter's Dream of San Dimas, CA.  It uses 6 fat quarters and goes together fairly quickly.  I bough this pattern because my laptop will fit in it with room to spare.

This is the 16" version of "Beauty Bright" from New Leaf Stitches of Fergus Falls, MN.  Kari Carr came to speak to the guild Monday night.  She did a workshop on the Sunday before, teaching this pattern and demonstrating her notion, CLEARLY PERFECT ANGLES.  This notion helps you sew half square triangles and diagonal seams without drawing lines on your fabric.  Works really well.

This is the president's challenge from last month at guild.  After the meeting I was thinking about what I was going to do with the small quilt (such as frame it) when I decided to "frame" it with another quilt.  I made the black quilt, put piping on it the color of the butterfly and sewed the small quilt on top of it.  Worked out pretty good!

yucca blooms

fringed daisy

daylilies

cone flower

coreopsis

                                            a few flowers from my back yard



My entry for this year's President's challenge at guild.  Black, white and a color that we picked from paint chips at an earlier meeting.  I pick blue.  The background fabric is purchased.  Three of the flowers have 3-D applique with french knots covering the centers, the petals are accented with ink and colored pencil.  The butterfly wings are a heavy interfacing fused with two layers of fabric.  The top fabric has Shiva oil paint and crystals, there is a thin wire satin stitched on the edge of the wings to hold them up.  The body is fabic fused on Peltex, satin stitched on the edge and crystals added.  I think it turned out really well.

Block A finished.  Mine is on the left, Cindy Olson's is on the right.  The pattern is Exploding Star by Tea Mahone of Tea Quilts.

Block A laid out, ready to sew

trimming down half-square triangles

  

Randi making sure nothing gets away

        

I've been getting ready for a workshop this next Sunday.  I had to cut a lot of 3.5 inch squares and make the same size half-square triangles.  I like to cut my triangles slightly bigger than needed so I can trim them done to the right size.  It's a little more work but at least my finished squares are the right size.

 Some early spring blossoms and foliage.  The clematis is really blooming well this year.  Must be because of the mild winter.

I recently bought a new Ipod with more storage capacity.  I've downloaded alot of my cds on to it.  Right now I have over 1600 songs and 135 gigs left to go.  I'll have to find something else to use the rest of the space for.

I took these tops to Jennifer Bernard last week so she could quilt them for me.  Both tops have been done for some time so it'll be nice to get them finished.

Some of the books I've read so far this month:
" A Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  I wanted to read it before seeing the movie "John Carter" which was based on the books.  Movie was pretty good.  Book was still better.

"Death Comes to Pemberly" by P. D. James.  Murder mystery set on the estate of Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy.  Anyone who has read or seen "Pride and Prejudice"  will recognize the characters.

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.  I'm  re-reading the trilogy before the movie comes out at the end of the month.  I'm about half way through "Mockingjay".

This is my other helper, Lennox.  She is also a rescue kitty. 

These are a few of my entries for the Iowa State Fair last year.  The quilts are the same pattern (BQ2) from Maple Island quilts.  The top bag is the "Zippy" Convert-Able from Tammy Tadd Designs.  The other bag is the "Margo" from Lazy Girl Design.  The needlpoint is a kit that I had done many years ago. 

This is Randi.  She likes to 'help' with whatever decorating is going on in the house.