Sit and Sew

We have a local quilt shop in High Point called Dragonfly.  It's a really nice, small quilt shop and I tend to shop there as much as possible because you need to support your local quilt shop.  I even work there occasionally when the owners are out at quilt shows.

Dragonfly has a Sit and Sew every Tuesday night.  It's free and it's awesome.  I have met a fantastic group of quilters who have become wonderful friends.  It was out of this Sit and Sew that the High Point Quilt Guild was formed.

So yeah, I heart this Sit and Sew.

I firmly believe that groups like guilds and bees and sit and sews are important to quilters.  It's easy to do our art in solitude and find gratification in it by ourselves.  But other quilters make you a better quilter.  You pick up ideas and tips and learn how to refine your craft. 

We always bring projects that we've completed to show and inspire. 

Below is a quilt from Kelly Healy.  It's a Pineapple Quilt.  I have seen this pattern and have never really thought about making it.  But seeing Kelly's lovely quilt has made me think twice.  The "pop" colors are corals and I'm not sure if you can tell in this picture, but the "whites" aren't whites.  They're soft shades of gray and gray print.  Kelly paper pieced this and has been working on the quilt for about three years.  She's entering it in the Dixie Classic Fair and if she doesn't win a ribbon, the judges' eyesights need to be checked.

 

 

This quilt is by Sue and Chuck Bino.  It is a block of the month from Dragonfly. If you remember I showed Gail's in last week's blog. 

It always amazes me how quilters can take the same patterns and fabrics and totally switch it up. 

And THAT is why quilt groups are important.  Inspiration.  Ideas. Tips.  Tricks. 

It all furthers the art and passes it along to the next generation.

There won't be a blog next week -- maybe.  If the planets align correctly, I will be in Florida with the granddarlings for a week.  But if the planets don't line up correctly....there will be one. 

Love and Stitches....

Sherri


Guild Meeting

I work with a great group of women in the High Point Quilt Guild.  A great group of really, really talented women.  We always have a Show and Tell as part of the meeting and at each meeting, I'm just blown away by the magnitude of talent in the group.

This is one of Linda's show and tells.  She always has at least two.  I swear the woman doesn't sleep!  She gets more done in a week than I do in a year.  This one was done on her embroidery machine.

 

 

And this is a block-of-the-month from Dragonfly Quilt Shop that Gail made...

Our speaker was Dr. Melatonia Young who talked about the Underground Railroad quilts.  She was a fascinating woman that had so much to tell about the history of those quilts.  Much has been debated on about those quilts:  Were they actually real?  Did the Underground Railroad even exist?  She answered so many of my questions.  I learned that there were actually two underground railroads -- one to Florida (it was a free state) and one to Canada. 

Several members of our guild had already made the Underground Railroad quilt sampler.  Barbara Brackman and Eleanor Burns both have quilt book with the patterns.

This was Linda's.  I believe she said this was the first quilt she  ever made, so it was constructed several years ago.

This was Theressa's.  I think this was the second quilt she ever made.

This was Lynn's.

All of them were beautiful (and an Underground Railroad Quilt is going on my to do list).  And by the end of the meeting, with Dr. Young's help, we could "read" what the blocks meant and follow their directions.

It was an awesome, awesome meeting!

Love and Stitches,

Sherri



What a Weekend ...and the Next Block....

Last weekend was wonderful and hectic, but the bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, the weather was sunny, and everything was perfect. 

I'm not going to lie, I shed happy tears because Matt and Anna are so good for each other.

I'm also not going to lie, I shed some sad tears because this is my baby.  The last child to truly fly out of the nest...

In many ways, my job as a mother is over.   I just hope I did well enough at it that both children hit their adulthood strides without too may missteps. 

My Two Children, Meg and Matt

 Matt and Anna

 Matt and Anna

 

I did have time to put together block 10 of At Piece with Time.  This block is called Broken Star, and it's not difficult.  It re-introduces some of the basic techniques that we've gone over before, such as the "magic x."  It's not hard at all, in any areas - not even the applique!

So let me encourage you to finish this block and to push ahead on the setting triangles for the Harvest Block.  We will be there before you know it!

Love and Stitches....

Sherri