Hello,

Quilting By the Lake is over for one more year, but I am still in the happy after glow of seeing everyone.  Week two brought with it   new classes and some additional people.   This first shot is of the mini mall that happens both weeks and is when the participants can sell their wares- books, patterns, posters and fabrics- to others at the conference.  This event is always well attended by both faculty and the students as we all check out the special items our fellows wish to part with.

Week two is always as much fun as week one because I enjoy  watching as new a different ideas emerge from my  peers.    This shot of Sharron shows her 4.1/2″ Dear Jane blocks behind her.  She is doing this quilt in six variations and claims that after she has worked out the “bugs” with the first block the others are easy.  

Debbie continued to work away on her scrap quilts and finished two more tops the second week.    Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves in the Independent Studio class and produced lots of work.  Linda ( on the right) quilted and completed this this beautiful orange and black piece.   Betty worked very hard on this black, white red and yellow quilt for her grandson.  I think Cathy did a lot of exploration with her seven  works that are pictured behind her. I feel the smiles say as much about the good feelings that carried us all home as any thing.

Apron Auction  Last week  there was an apron auction and this week that was repeated.  All the teachers made or altered QBL aprons. Cynthia Corbin skillfully hid a small piece of her  work on the back of this fuffy/furry apron.    Rosalie continued her fish theme with fried fish this week.   We all had fun bidding and enjoying the festivites at the end of the session.

Progress Report Exploration 1:   I did some work myself  too.   This new bit of exploration was more work with the curved line connections.   I made the white, rust, orange and green fabric in a QBL 2 class about four years ago.  The colors fit well with the rock and canyon things I am doing now that it has now found a home.

Exploration 2:    Here  I used a piece of Randy Keenan’s discharged fabric as my starting  place.  I had purchased it at the mini mall.  I was also feeling a bit out of my depth with the curved work so I wanted something I felt comfortable with too.   I started quilting this with silver thread this morning. 

 

 

Exploration 3:  This work too started with and older bit of Randy’s fabric.   I purchased it last year  and it got burried.  It only came back to light when I was doing my cleaning in preperation for  QBL three weeks ago.

 

 

Exploration 4:    This is another of the curved line piecing / rock wall projects.  I am not at all happy with it so far.  I think I did too much in the way of curves and so it is very warped…… A new problem for me to solve before this will be seen again.    But I am showing it to let you know I make mistakes, especially when I am trying new things.  If one does not make errors every now  and again then one is playing it too safe.

 

 

 Good Habits   This quilt was also started at QBL  and I finished it this week.  I think the completion was do to the small size as much as any thing.    I challenged myself to create a block of a simple every day object.  I chose a toothbrush.      The white areas are the bristels of the brush and I added lots of line quilting to add to that feeling.  The  multi-colored area is the handle of the brush.   I quilted in toothpaste tubes in various stages of usge in the solid areas.  I did have fun with this project and plan to make the idea a challenge to one of my design groups.

Do to a change in plans I will be away next week on Thursday  so this blog will be posted on Friday next week.

I hope everyone is enjoying the bounty of summer and creating great things.

Hugs

Carol