Cspoonquilt

Last year PVQA exhibited their first Modern Challenge.  See those pix  here .  Here are some pix from this year's ... This was the quilt that I made for the challenge.  I read the directions this year!  This is another quilt I made and entered in the General exhibit, but I guess because it is Modern looking  it ended up being hung with the Modern Challenge. Actually my favorite quilt in this challenge was made by Karen over at Capitola Quilter you can check out her quilts in the fair on her blog  her e. Well I'm off to clean my sewing room. Last minute stuff for the Fair always turns my sewing room in to a terrific mess.  It does give me a chance to do some early Spring Cleaning. cheers, Claire W.

There aren't a lot of hand quilters in our guild these days,  but it's always a treat to see those quilts that                                                                          are submited. This was one of my favorite quilts in the whole show!  Made by Carolyn Miller.  Carolyn not only quilts all her quilts by hand but she also generally hand pieces them!  I just love the asymetrical set of theses blocks.  Unfortunately you can't see the light blue embroidery in the inner border but there are a series of winter scenes, 'snowy cabins in the woods' etc.  I think it is a wonderful mix of hand work.  It is probably from a pattern but I did not get a chance to ask Carolyn the origin. Here's a wonderful vintage quilt, I love the mix of indigos and pinks! mak...

The Fair was FANTASTIC this year!  Some smart people on the Fair Committee decided it was time we change-up our display stands so almost all of the quilts were displayed in bays constructed of 10' metal poles and black back drops.  The displays were really wonderful! This first batch of quilts were made in a class taught by our very own Mike McNamara. "Mac"  uses a whole variety of improvisational techniques to make very unique quilts! Above is Mac's class sample. by Lisa Saporta  by Betty Whitman I think this one is Sue Costa's (but this is all from my feeble memory)    There were quite a few more quilts from the class and they were all wonderful but somehow these are the only pix I got from the class. These next 2 are also made by Mac.  They were in the general exhibit.  Mac makes wonderful abstract whimsical quilts and we are so lucky he is a part of our guild! I think Mac said this one he used up a lot of Blo...

I've been poking along on these blue and white blocks that I started with Randy's  Sow- Along in 2012.  I had them in mind for a quilt for my son and his wife as a wedding present (they were married last April).   PVQA's   Fair is always a time for me to sit down and figure out what projects Really need finishing.  Since Sam and Meg's  1st aniversary is coming up I thought now would be a good time to put on some steam and get the blue and white quilt finished!   The setting is kind of a composite of several Historical quilts.  I wanted to do a border kind of like Jane Stickley's quilt only not pieced (good lord that would take me Forever).  Since my blocks are 6" the triangle units are  larger too.  I looked at pix from the Quilt Index  and found a lot of examples of this kind of border, mostly mid 1800's. The last turn of the frame!  You can see what a terrific mess my sewing room is!  But the quilt ...

Well I'm in the middle of about 4 projects that need finishing by next Friday so some how this Valentines day missive did not get posted yesterday. Last weekend at the  SF Quilt Away my Art quilt students were so exceptional and self- sufficient I even had a little time to sew myself so I finished this sample that I had started as a sample for the class.  I'm in the process of making holiday door hangers.  Thus the Valentine theme.  Except for the puppy fabric and batik behind it,  these are all scraps from scrap swaps.  Randy is probably looking at this and saying "hey, I recognize a lot of those fabrics..." lol, thanks Randy!   These little projects go really fast when you don't have to cut a lot of fabric to get the variety you want.  That's why I'm always collecting little baskets of theme fabrics.  When they get enough scraps in them I lay them out and make little compositions.  See also my Halloween post  here  . ...

I was lucky to be invited to teach at the San Fransico Quilt Guild's "Quilt Away"!  It is a 3 day retreat held at the Mercy Center in Burlingame.  It was great fun and I really had a lot of fun with my students and many of the members.  The SF guild is very diverse in background and interests and it made for lots of interesting conversation at meal times! The Mercy Center is a wonderful complex.  There's a conference center and rooms,  Chapel, and rooms for retired nuns.   The grounds are really beautiful.  Lots of mature Oak trees and even a Labrynth! Here are some of my students hard at work.  I taught my art quilts class "Let the Fabric do the Art Work".  It was great fun!  It is a challenging class and all of the students produced their own one-of a-kind compositions.  A very talented group of women!   Now I must get off to my sewing room 'cause   my Guild, PVQA's    Faire ...