All Kinds of Quilty Activities!

First, quilt show pictures from Ellis County Show in Midlothian.  There were so many beautiful quilts there, and I took way too many pictures to show all of them, but here are some of my favorites.
Wish I had the maker's name on all of them, because they all are very talented quilters!

"For Grant" By Mary Jo Smith (I think for her grandson Grant) - Isn't it gorgeous?!!

"A Soldier's Blanket Revisited"; Maker's name and story in next picture.

"Precious Memories" by Sandra Johnson; just look at that quilting!
Embroidery, Crayolas, pink, and CHRISTMAS!  Must I explain more why this one captured my eyes??!!!

"Wildflowers Don't Care Where They Grow",
One Block Wonder by Diana Buckley, who asked me to tell Ruth Hi! I love this one!

For some reason, this one made me think of Ruth also.

Wish I could show you more pictures; all the quilts there were beautiful!

Then two days after the show, my friend and I went back to the flea market.  She made another BIG haul, and I got more than I should have.  It took us all afternoon to measure hers, and I don't remember her yardage, but it was a lot.  The price went up to an average of about 35 cents a yard this time, but she got several large yardages.  We were too tired to measure mine, but will soon, and I'll report on mine then.

Next after that day, another friend came to my home on Monday and Tuesday and asked me to help her put together a little patriotic panel she bought at the show.  (I got the same thing, and will show it later next week hopefully.)  She's a new quilter, and then on Friday asked me to go to Hobby Lobby in a nearby town to help her find batting and a backing fabric.  The panels will be very simple, but very attractive.  I quilted on mine a bit today.

 On Wednesday before the quilt show, two of our church quilters came to my house to finish the borders on our next raffle quilt for the youth fund.  It is now at the quilter's to be quilted.  It is 95" x 95", and here's the top.

 The feature fabric had been used on tables for the pastor's first anniversary dinner, and we were told by someone to make them a quilt from it for them.  All of the table coverings were cut by non-quilters, with no thought of repeats or anything else!  Then the pastor's wife redecorated their entire house, and we heard her say she finally had everything the way she wanted it.  So we decided to make that quilt the next raffle quilt in November.  No sooner was that decided and announced, when we then heard there had been a miscommunication somewhere, and we were asked to make a throw or something from the scraps so they would have a remembrance of the occasion and the fabric that was on the tables, not that they will ever recognize the fabric now.  There's not a piece large enough to show how it looked before two quilts were made.    

So three of us spent the last two Wednesdays working in my sunroom, and came up with a throw.  As I always am saying, we really were flying by the seat of our pants on this one --- no pattern in mind, really, and only  butchered scraps of the feature fabric after having fussy cut all those big squares in the first quilt.  This is the fabric used in both quilts; picture before first quilt was begun.    There must have been at least 20 or 30 table covers, with the cuts at different places on every one!  And we are supposed to make a quilt???

One of the two gals fussy cut more blocks from the scraps, and then I stacked remnants very slowly and carefully and cut out 4-patch stack and whack blocks, enough to come up with a throw. The third gal had my machine going at break-neck speed as she stitched narrow sashings around the 4-patches and then got it all into seven rows and then the flimsy.  (Actually, it isn't very flimsy!  It's more like drapery fabric!  The big quilt weighs a ton!)    Each of us had our job, and we got the top together except for a narrow border that is on it now, but I have a picture of the top like it left my house, and I wouldn't care if I never see it again!  I think the 4-patches turned out very well.  Oh, and incidentally, those blocks are on my new design wall.  I'm so glad my quilting buddy helped me get that together before we started this quilt!

Last week was a quilting monster week for me, every day except Thursday, and would you believe I had two doctors' appointments mixed in (just routine checkups), plus a full face-forward fall on my front sidewalk at 10 PM Tuesdy night after putting my garbage can out for pickup.  Not a soul heard or saw me, not a single car went down the street, and for the first time ever, day or night, I didn't have my phone with me!  I just busted my knees, ribs, and hands really good, but I didn't hit my head.  I finally was able to get up and get back to the house, with no serious damage.  I must admit I AM still hurting and  moving rather slowly after last week!

I'm hoping for a better week next week, but I know friends will be back here at least two days, maybe three,  to quilt again.  I'm about ready for a break so I can work on my own projects, and I'm sure they are too!

So, what' going on with everyone else?

---"Love"