Return to blogging, or What I did on my Summer Vacation

Yes, I know it's been too long, so we won't linger on that issue.  Since last entry, I've finished at least 2 quilts and made a couple of mug rugs.  Mug Rugs are GREAT fun, and if you haven't made any yet, I highly recommend them!  Fast, satisfying quilty fun.  I also have an un-pictured quilt top in the works from a class at AQS Grand Rapids; machine piecing hexies with Jacquie Gering.

I was working on 'the Summer Quilt', which used the 15 degree wedge.  I had posted earlier a link for the technique I was going to use.  Anyway, that was great, scrappy, fun, & I really wanted it completed by September guild meetings.  It is beautiful & soft (silk batting), & was a lot of fun!

As I finished it, I was staring at a quilt on a quilt ladder in my studio.  It had been pinned for about eight years.  Yes.  I said EIGHT.  I decided I was IN THE MOOD TO MACHINE QUILT.  Pulled it, decided to see how far I could take it.  Turns out, I took it to the finish line.

These were traditional vintage applique patterns from a quilt museum, but I made it about the time I was tired of yellowy, muted colors & wanted to use COLOR.    It's lovely & was fun to quilt in a non-traditional way.

I had seen this fantastic typewriter block on facebook somewhere, and decided I HAD to make it into a mug rug for my oldest daughter, who is a writer.  It was a 12" paper-pieced block, so I had to reduce the size.  It still is a little larger for a mug rug at about 9", but that way she can have a great snack on it!  Our daughters were both going to be visiting Labor Day Weekend (but not our California son), so I decided to make each a mug rug.  I actually quilted the typewriter more after showing it to my friend, Modern Vicky.   She was right; it needed more quilting!  So this photo is BEFORE the additional quilting.  It's fun to quilt the bee-jayzus out of something small!  Plus, you want your mug rugs nice & FLAT.  Funny, someone contacted me after I posted this in the 'Just Us Quilters' group on Facebook.  She had a book coming out & wondered if I would make her one.  She wanted some swag items & would pay me.  I am not FOND of paper-piecing.  At least, not so far.  My friend, 'Modern Vicky' is FABULOUS at paper-piecing, absolutely amazing!  I love her work.  So maybe I will keep trying, just because she inspires me.  But, in the meantime.  Hmmm, how many hours did that mug rug take me?  5 hours to complete?  Do you think she'd pay me $100 for a mug rug?  I think not.  Daughter Katie is an amazing writer (check out Best American Short Stories 2008) and was given a vintage typewriter by a friend when she got her Masters in Creative Writing at the prestigious Writers Workshop at the University of Iowa.

The mug rug for my younger daughter is supposed to remind her of home, as I have a passion for blue & white dishes, and we always had some when she was growing up.  Emily worked in fashion in NYC & is now at an agency that specializes in creative solutions.  I wish I had cropped this photo so you don't see so much of my shiny table, but alas & alack, my technical skills are not huge.   Yet.   I'm learning, but it's slow.....

So that catches us up to about September 1st.

My next exciting project was bringing Jacquie Gering to my guild, Great Lakes Heritage Quilters.  That was amazing, inspiring fun, and deserves it's own entry, with photos.  So, my friends, you must wait a couple of days, and I will blog about that next........