It's a CQG Sew Day! Let's Play!

 The CQG had a sew day on the 17th of this month. Eight or ten people showed up with different projects to work on. I even brought Marley and "her" machine since she had the day off from school. 

Everyone thought it was just the best thing to see a young one enjoying sewing. She worked on a simple one patch baby quilt to donate to the CQG to be sold at our next quilt show. The plan is to have several small quilts, donated by members, that will sell and all profits will go to CQG to fund some of our educational programs.

As you can see from the photos, not everyone was working on donation quilts, but the three or four of us who did made some headway.   

BRMQG Retreat!

Oh my goodness! I had such fun at the Baton Rouge MQG retreat! We stayed at the River Retreat House in Baton Rouge.

 It's a beautiful brick home with a studio area that wraps around the side and back of the home. It sleeps 11 but can accommodate more in the studio if there are some day-sewers who can't spend the night. 

I worked on four projects: my Sugaridoo BOM row, two postcards for my sister, an easy 8" square top, and an improv top using some of my text fabrics. 

But let's talk about my friends and their projects. They are all so talented. Can you imagine coming up with these beautiful tops? Of course, none of these are mine. That's another post.

We all got lots of work done. But...

We also played. Glen brought the quilt people. And they had a bit of a party. And...

These two flirted a while. They met on the top of my machine and decided to hang out there and chat. The fella must have liked that bobbin know because he sat there all day. Eventually he was forced to move along. (I was there to sew, after all, and needed a bobbin wound. Sorry fella.) I think we can find him in my toolbox with the rest of the group.

This happy crew visited on the bed of Glen's machine. They had a grand time chatting and getting to know one another. They returned to their places and got back to work. So let me introduce you to my retreat friends.

Joni and her top that reminded me of "Storm at Sea" quilts.

Yvonne who spent her weekend working on this improv piece that is almost completed.

I won this pretty bag in the first door prize that Brenda contributed.

 That would be the same Brenda who completed this top. I wish I'd gotten a picture of the whole top. It's really stunning.

Crissi finished up this beautiful top. It's paper pieced from a pattern, but I don't remember the author.

Belinda completed this lone star top and then quickly worked on her flag quilt, which is much larger than shown in this picture.

This is Glen's completed London Fog top. Many of the pictures are hers. I snagged them from various social media, with permission, I think. That would be Glenda happens to be Quiltswissy of Quilts and Dogs fame. 

During the first Corona quarantine she hung a different quilt on her front porch every day for over 40 days. Her goodwill was noted in the newspaper and on television, so I count a real celebrity among my friends. She happens to also be president of CCAWS the animal welfare people of Baton Rouge. 

Oh no, I'm not!

I've been having a rough go in the studio. Nothing is really happening. That top on the design wall is driving me insane. I've tried almost everything: adding to it, changing that, adding some more, an aha! moment that has gone nowhere, adding some more. I've about had it. 

Now, let me tell you that I wasn't so disappointed with it last week. I felt that something was happening. Not anything terribly bad, I mean. Then Richard walked in.

Richard: That's a busy quilt. (He was not being nice with that too matter-of-fact tone.)

Me: Well, I'm starting to like it a little. I think if I keep going it's going to become something. 

Richard: Yeah, it's real busy.

Me: Get out. Something's happening. (I think he crossed his eyes. Maybe not.)

The very next day, he walked through again. By this time his words had inched their way into my thought process. I was struggling.

Me: I think I'll turn this into a puppy bed. It's a good size for...

Richard: Oh, you wouldn't do that to the puppies, would you? 

Me: What do you mean? It's not that bad.

Richard: Well, they would go crazy. That's too busy.

Me: Tell me you're joking and you're sorry. 

Richard: Of course, maybe Cotton would be able to find his bed. (Cotton, at 17, is blind.)

Now that, friends, did get in my head. What the heck? Why? How come? (That's a Southern question.) So, just like that, I'm doubting the piece and, worse, am thinking of ditching it. Well, I'm thinking of cutting it into a different improv piece. Maybe not. I've decided to leave it alone until I get back from quilt retreat in Baton Rouge with the MQG there. 

Yeah, that's what I said. Quilt retreat! 

Design Wall Dilemma

Why would I call this a dilemma? Because I haven't known what I wanted from the very beginning. It all started with a Sherry Lynn Wood workshop back in November. I created two pieces, one I've turned into a finished quilt, which I like very much, now that it's in the quilt chest.

But then I had this second piece. It nagged at me because I just couldn't see what it wanted. I put it on the design wall; pronounced it ugly and wrote that it is hideous. It took up space. Lots of space. On the design wall. In my head. In the galaxy. Probably in your head. Look in there, would ya? Do you see it? What's it telling you? 

We went to Galveston. We returned. It stayed behind and found a way to make itself more monstrous than ever. I held a sewing camp. Five days, three kids, four projects, safety, safety, safety. One injury. We survived. The hideous quilt did, too.

All those things just got in the way of the percolating process. Talk about improv! Put, play, move, make more, chop! Everything was happening. Yet nothing was happening. At the same time. I had an aha! moment that lasted a 1/100th of a moment and then...nothing. Again. Maybe it's going somewhere now. I'm still not sure, but I'm dutifully sewing pieces together anyway. Besides, it may be growing on me. 

That's because for a day or so it had me thinking of a Nautilus shell. I think I'll keep going with that idea and see where it takes me. What do you think? Is there a Nautilus shell in there? 

Other articles about my experiences with Sherry Lynn Wood:

• SLW in New Orleans November 2019
• Workshop photos December 2019
• A finished quilt top March 2020

Sewing Camp Wrap-up

Last week I held Let's Sew Together day camp for little girls from our parish. It was such fun! 

The girls, ages 7 to 10, are sweet and listened well. I emphasized safety every day. In fact, we started the morning with a review of safety and a little "warm-up" session of sewing on paper and scrap fabric. Then we got right to work. 

I ended up changing a few things that I'd planned. Because it was my first time teaching sewing, I wasn't sure how much we could cover in a day. It turns out that I was fairly close. Of course, I have enough experience teaching that I know how to speed things along or slow them down to fit my schedule.  

One of the best parts for me is that I could have fun. There's no curriculum with a state test required to pass. Just be safe and have fun sewing.

In the end, each student made several small projects: a drawstring bag, a hair band (I sewed the elastic), a small felt "purse" with clear plastic window, and a large pillowcase. At the very end there was just enough time to make a little pillow for a favorite doll or pet. 

We started the week with a little welcome bag, which included a pincushion that I'd made and they took on on Friday. I learned that a welcome bag is not that important when there's fun to be had. 

One of the grandmothers told me at mass this morning how much fun her little one had and, since both girls asked to be invited should I have another camp, I'll call it a success. What do you think? Maybe another camp later this summer?

Let's Sew Together!

This week I'm hosting a sewing camp for young ones 7-12 years old. We started Monday with a tour of the studio, safety, and sewing straight lines on paper and fabric.

Yesterday it was safety again, straight stitch practice, learning curves and a "real" project: drawstring bags. Though we didn't finish the bags, we got farther along than I had hoped. I've decided to come up with another small project just in case we have free time one afternoon. Any ideas? I'd love some help!

Today, Wednesday, we finished the drawstring bags after safety review and warmups on paper. To finish out the day, we did a small project that takes me about five minutes start to finish. The kids needed 20 minutes, but moms came as we were wrapping it up, so they rushed a little.

But there was still time for a silly picture!