Week 5

Birthday Treats

One of the coolest things about going to Quilt Camp on your birthday is receiving all kinds of cool gifts from fellow quilters. I've attended the Cabin Fever Quilt Camp several years in a row and it almost always falls during my birthday. Some of the women there have learned of this and they bring me treats. I love treats!

This first picture is actually of fabric that I got for Christmas from my friend, Christy. It's so beautiful that I had to include it!


For my birthday, Christy made me this pincusion and gave me more fabric.




I received this from the Director for the Quilt Camp.


And this is from Aunt Cheryl and her friend, Pam. They drive 6 hours to attend quilt camp. That's dedication!


I also received a jelly roll of Moda's oh so pretty Butterfly Fling fabric and during camp, I cut into to complete a beautiful border for a quilt that I've yet to post about. It's too bad I didn't get a photo but even if I haad, the photo wouldn't have done it justice.

Week 4

Stringy Variation

I love, love, love this quilt. I came to me in November when I was thinking about what I could do with all the strips I saved. I've been saving them for awhile. Here's one previous reference about them.

Anyway, I decided to sort them by color and immediately starting sewing them together. When I was away at Quilt Camp this past weekend, I put the half blocks together and started sewing and trimming and sewing some more. I'll admit I was a bit disappointed that all that sewing in November only amounted to a small wall hanging. But it's gorgeous and I know exactly what I'm going to do with it. I also know that I must make another one - one that's big enough for my bed!

This quilt measures 45X36 and gives me my first 3,240 points for the 2011 Stashbusting Contest.

Stashbusting!

A group of women that I quilt with has decided to do a stashbusting contest for 2011. Here are the rules:

2011 Stashbusting Challenge

• Quilters receive one point per square inch for finished tops. Measure width and length and multiply them to get final points.
• If you finish a quilt — including quilting, binding, etc. — you receive another point per square inch. Tops quilted by others do not count.
• Projects started previously — in stages such as a few blocks done, or with quilting yet to do — will be counted in the challenge.
• If you give fabric to another person in the challenge, you receive one point per square inch.
• If you need fabric that you can't get from another person in the challenge, you can buy it for .5 point per square inch penalty.
• If you are unable to resist buying fabric, you will be penalized 1 point per square inch. Example: a fat quarter will cost you 396 points or a full yard will cost you 1,584 points.
• The following items are allowed to be purchased without penalty — batting, backing and binding. You are also allowed to buy notions such as thread, rotary cutters, etc., with no penalty.
• Fabric given to you as a gift is penalty-free, but you cannot use gift cards for fabric without penalty.
• Photos of finished tops and finished quilts should be emailed to the group.
• All points — earned or lost — will be reported to Natalie. She will keep the running tally for everyone.
• Only quilts measuring at least 1000 square inches will be counted.
• The challenge will run from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.

So far we have 8 participants and 6 completed tops/projects. I hope to post pictures of everyone's progress which will happen if folks actually send me photo's.

Week 3

Week 2

Ta da!! Week two block for my self-inflicted 2011 Grandmother's Flower Garden block challenge.

Week 1

I've decided to make a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt with all of my hexagons. It's such a classic pattern and one of my favorites. My goal is to do one flower a week so that I'll have around 50 by the end of the year. Here is the flower for Week 1.



Hopefully 2011 will bring more than just GFG blocks to blog about!