Good Morning Quilt World!

love seeing green popping up in the ground

After what seems like weeks, I can finally get back to my quilting room. I haven't totally been out of the quilting loop but I wasn't doing as much as I would have like to have been doing!
The garden is all planted and the flowerbeds are starting to fill in nicely. We just need some gentle rain and all would be good in that area.
Next weekend will be the official start of summer for me. Travelling, weddings, and get togethers with good friends.I did get to do a bit of travelling a week or so ago. I went south to a friend's house and we picked up a few hitchhikers Barb, Gail, Pauline and we headed to CQA (Canadian Quilters Association)show in Toronto. Much to my surprise while at the show, I also got to see our other friend  Kathy(I am her blog stalker in case you didn't know)from slow Sunday stitching with Kathy. Now as a good stalker I should have known she would be there but she kept saying no she wouldn't be!!The show was great and that is all I will say as I did a post on it earlier and you can go see it here.Let me know what you think!

Not bad machine quilting, I think!

Today I will be chained to my sewing machine doing some machine quilting. I have 27 blocks to complete quilting and a binding to make and to add on. If the quilting fairies are with me, I will be slow stitching that binding down tonight or this afternoon, I am more hoping! Here is a peek at the block, it is a  gift so full shots won't be till next week.
It is Kathy's slow stitching anniversary. Four years of bringing all of us together on Sunday for some relaxation and slow stitching. Thank you Kathy for giving us this venue to show off our talents and reminding us to slow down in this busy world, to stop and smell the flowers!! Have a great week everyone.

Art verses tradition?!

WARNING: VENTING ABOUT TO HAPPEN!!

early morning Peony

Maybe the wrong words to title this post but not sure how to explain this is a few words. I attended the CQA(Canadian Quilters Association)show in Toronto last week. I was only there for a day, to see the vendors and the quilt show. It was a large venue at the International Center. There were lots of vendors of every shape, size and variety of quilt shops along with dealers of sewing machines and quilting machines. Even I, a seasoned quilter/shopper was overwhelmed!
BUT as for the "quilt" show.....to coin a phrase from a commercial.."where's the beef", I wanted to ask "where are all the quilts"? Now when I say quilts, I mean the kind you would find on someone's bed. Don't get me wrong there were some not many, that I would call traditional quilts. For the most part the show was a gallery of art pieces. With black curtains as a backdrop I felt like I was in a gallery on opening night. The pieces were beautiful, life-like and even thought provoking BUT were they quilts??? Three layers, quilted or stitched together..yes they meet those requirements but you would never see these on a bed or hanging on the wall in a hallway of someone's home. I could be wrong there. Also the quilting....machine quilting, long arm quilting is becoming common place. We all have busy lives and the "art" of hand quilting is going the way of the dodo bird! I just wonder how a quilter can make a top, send it to a long arm quilter  and upon its return, bind it and then call it their own. Sometimes the quilting makes the quilt, or makes the top go from nice to WOW!!! I think these long arm quilters need to be recognized more in the process. Yes they provide a service but that service is what might have won the award for the quilt.

Cheddar Pinks in full blossom

This is a juried show which should showcase the best from across Canada. As a traditional quilter, I was and am sad to think of our craft becoming more art than something to cuddle under and use everyday.

These are all just my opinions but I have heard others voice the same thoughts. I was going to show some pics from the show but not sure about copyright and permission so I will avoid all that.
 Instead I will show my flower garden starting to come into full blossom!

Rain Delay....

Poppies just a little beat down by the rain

In baseball it means all the fun stops but at this time of year it is a good thing for me. I don't have to be outside planting, I can be at my sewing machine sewing up a different kind of storm!
I have been sewing for a couple of days now. Sort of my own mini retreat as I was not able to be part of a group that is on retreat due to scheduling conflict with my DH. I have seen pictures on facebook and I think I am getting just as much sewing done as they are!!! Enjoy girls!

pieces slowly becoming units

I have been working away on Bonnie Hunter's talking turkey pattern. When I first looked at it, I thought it wouldn't take that long to piece....boy was I wrong! I will have to keep that in mind when I start future projects from her patterns. I love all those pieces but I am on a time crunch with this one
and really need to have this quilt DONE!!!
I have been working mostly in green and off white so yesterday I decided a change was in order. I have a couple of challenges due at different guilds(I belong to 3 of them).I took a few minutes to decide if one finished piece could cover two challenges and oh yes they can. Yesterday I worked on our "gift bag challenge" where you find a gift bag you can replicate into something quilted. It can be a wall hanging, table runner or full size quilt.So mine is done but I can't show it as yet...TOP SECRET!!
Today I am working on a different challenge. You will have to wait to see these also. I developed a bit of a plan last night but was getting too tired to do math. So not wanting to screw it up, I will start fresh this morning. This will be the project that covers two challenges so I have to make sure every requirement is covered.


So today along with the rain and literally watching my garden grow...I will be stitching along with Kathy and slow stitching Sunday. It is the perfect day for it too. Enjoy your day and whatever you decide to do!!

getting a drink and waiting to be planted