Jo Morton is in town and she is visiting three chapters of Quilters Unlimited. I'm looking forward to her Rhubarb Crisp class on Saturday. I'm a member of the McLean chapter and she'll do a lecture and trunk show for us next Tuesday. I wanted to see her before the class so I went to the Fairfax chapter meeting to see her this morning. I will have no trouble sitting through it again next week. Jo is very personable and her quilts are fabulous! I wish I had taken a photo of my fabric selections for the class. I have way more than her instructions call for and it is all ironed and neatly tucked in a bin. I'm sure I'll only use a small fraction of it during class, but it was fun bonding with it again. I started with some of Jo's fabrics - Cocoa Express, Crimson and Clover, Ember Red and Evergreen and added many other designers to the mix. I think you can tell by the names what colors I using. I also added some cheddar prints. I had fun shopping my stash and I can't wait to get started. I have no business starting a new project, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a class with Jo.
I've only been stitching a little bit here and there and when I do that I tend to go from one project to the next and the next and the next..... Let's see, what projects have I touched in the past couple of weeks... EPP the hexies, hand quilting the morningstar, a simple square block pattern for a charity quilt (did a nickel swap with gals in the Springfield chapter), handpieced a spool block, made a basket block, and stitching hanging sleeves on my 3 quilts going into the guild show in June. I do my housekeeping in the same haphazard manner ; c )
Oh, and I've been weeding, weeding and weeding some more in our garden. How could I forget - I have poison ivy on my forearms. It's not bad enough to see a doctor, just bad enough to drive me crazy at night. I think I got about 3 hours of sleep last night. It's blistered now and I've been soaking in Aveeno. I picked up some tecnu spray at the grocery store today. I just put some on. It smells awful so it should be good, right?
Early this morning I put my 9-patches from the McLean chapter exchange on my design wall. I want to use two different fabrics for the block background and alternate them. I was so tickled that this setting uses the exact number of 9-patches. I made a few extra with my strip sets so there are several repeats. I'm not sure what color to go with on the background - maybe light and dark grey, or blue and grey or blue and brown. I don't know. I might go out to the Jinny Beyer Studio tomorrow morning and audition some of her palette fabrics.
My rotary cutter broke (the grey one in the photo) so I went to JoAnn's and used a coupon to get a new one (grey and white). I'm not completely happy with it. It's light in my hand and I find it hard to open and shut it. What brand rotary cutter do you use?
Wow--what a lot you have going on./ First off--I love your star quilt. It is a beauty!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful opportunity to take a class from Jo Morton! I know what you mean about not needing another project, but how can you pass up such an opportunity?
So sorry about the poison ivy--sounds miserable!
I just use a regular curved handle Olfa cutter. I've never used anything else, other than the straight handled one, so I have nothing with which to compare it.
What a beautiful Lone Star quilt and a gorgeous photo as well.
ReplyDeleteooough sucha a beautiful Lone Star! and I'm excited to see your project in progress all laid out on the design wall!!! A few years ago I hosted an ongoing mini 9 patch swap. I have hundreds in all colors... and don't know what to make of them. Can't wait to see what you have in store for yours! Perhaps I'll be inspired!!
ReplyDeleteLove from Indiana! ~bonnie
Love your lone star. Good luck on choosing the right background fabric for your ninepatches.
ReplyDeleteI too love Jo Morton and her quilts. Have lot of her fabrics and books in my stash. Enjoy the class:o)
Enjoy your Jo class and lecture.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the Lone Star - how fun to have a finish.
I think it is a good thing to work on multiple projects - then your working with inspiration not because you 'have' to.
Take care of the ivy blisters - hope they heal quickly, darn gardens ;-)
Great nine patch project - you'll know the right fabric when you see it.
I'm a dinosaur rotary user - mine are so old I can't help you out but will pop back to see what others are using.
The Lone star is beauuuuutiful!!!! But then I've never seen a star I didn't like!!! But this one is special!! Such exquisite work!! You have been busy!! And NINE PATCHES - two of favorite blocks all in one post!! You are on a "make Doniene happy" day!! So great - I agree when you see the fabric you will know! and Rotary cutters - I use one like the one of yours that broke!! Maybe you will get use to the new one! Oh poison Ivy is no fun! We don't have the ivy - but poison oak and it is miserable - my mama always said "if it stinks or taste bad - then it probably works!!" LOL Hope you are soon well!!
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Congratulations on such a beautiful finish. The Lone Star looks beautiful and the colours are perfect. I love your nine patches too.
ReplyDeleteYou are so lucky doing a class with Jo. I have great memories of meeting her in the Barn last year and have her Prairie Flowers Encore on the to do list.
Have a wonderful, wonderful time.
Love your quilts! I'm partial to the nine patch one.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your poison ivy!! Have you ever heard of Ivy Block? It is a cream you put on BEFORE you start working outside. It is expensive, but better than getting poison ivy.
I use a 21-year old olfa cutter. I have a newer olfa cutter, but the old one feels right in my hand.
Oh, I'm so jealous of you getting to take a class with Jo Morton! How wonderful! You'll have to tell us all about it! That's one of the things I really miss since moving to Maine, and not being in any guilds.....the great teachers who would come with a trunk show and then a class, too! I really miss that!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear of your poison ivy.....yuck! How long does it last? Hopefully just a bit!
And your lone star quilt is gorgeous, Maureen! Love it!
The Lone Star quilt is not something a lot of quilters make. I think the diamond shapes are what can be intimidating. Your quilt is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on finishing your Lone Star quilt. Beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI hope all your sewing it taking your mind off the poison ivy.
Have lots of fun at Jo's class. I got to meet her last year and I agree, she is a lovely lady.
I am another one with lots of projects on the go at the same time!!! :)
Beautiful Lone Star & Nine Patch !
ReplyDeleteI have the same grey rotary cutter since 15 years and broke it one month ago...I loved it so much. I write to Fiskars because it was full life guaranteed and they answered me they will send me a new one - the grey & white- I'm waiting. But after what you say....I could be disapointed !
oh the lone star is just so beautiful, on my list of quilts to make some day
ReplyDeleteLOVE the nine patches, of course :) you will find the right fabric at Jinny's shop I am sure!
I have the olfa yellow rotary cutters and love them. The old fashion ones!
I am going to buy a new one for the pinking shears blade they have and hope to find the same one/style
I like the way it feels in my hand and opens and closes easily, not ergo shaped but thats ok with me.
Kathie
Your Lone Star is sparkling! I adore the nine patch quilt. I use the Olfa cutters, the original ones; however, the replacement blades don't seem as sharp or last as long anymore. Have fun at the Jo lecture and trunk show!
ReplyDeleteYour Lone star is very pretty - I like how you did the border. Like the scrappy 9-patches too!
ReplyDeleteI use the yellow ergonomic Olfa cutters for three reasons. 1) Ergonomically they fit my hand better, 2) the blade is only exposed when I push on the handle, 3) I can lock the blade in place when not using them. All of these things are very important if you have small children, pets or elderly people around. Accidents do and will happen.
I can't tell you how many times I have been to retreats or classes and have seen quilters leave their rotary cutters open, lay fabric on top of them and forget about them, or talk with their hands with the blades open and their arms flailing about.
I used to work in a quilt shop and we heard so many stories of people getting injured - but never wanted to pay the extra money for the safety features on rotary cutters until AFTER they or someone else got hurt. Ok, I'll shut up now!
Your star quilt is just wonderful. Great border.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your Poison Ivy! I used a homeopathic remedy several years ago and it worked great.
Have fun with Jo!
congrats on the lone star finish~!!~it looks beautiful set up on that table~!
ReplyDeletemy rotary cutter is like your grey one. i've had it forever, i think~!
i hope that your poison ivy rash gets to feeling better very soon. i've never been exposed to it and hope that i can keep it that way . . . ouch.
:-)
libbyQ
The Lone Star quilt is just spectacular, a great finish there Maureen!
ReplyDeleteLove the 9-patches too, this will have such a lovely old vintage feel to it!
Regarding rotary cutters, I use Olfa, I did get the Fiskers - all grey - some years ago and it was the worst cutter I've ever used, didn't last very long as it kept popping the blade back to the closed position, such a nuisance, so I ditched it, only use it now for cutting cardboard, but still hate it LOL!!!!! I know there are lots of new handle shapes around, I think it's a matter of trying out a few to get the one that suits your grip, especially if you have hands weakened by arthritis etc.
I hope you have better luck with your new one!!!!!
Love your lone star and it is even better because it is finished!! I look forward to seeing your Jo project!!
ReplyDelete