Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Five Easy Pieces

I'm home from the NQA Quilt Show in Columbus and trying to catch up on laundry.  When I got back Saturday we had an all day hog roast fundraiser for DS1's football team and Sunday we were invited to a lovely cookout.  Trying to put things away and do damage control on the house.  I always feel like a maid when I get home from a trip!!

Anyway, my dear friend Sandy and I took a class at the show called "5 Easy Pieces" by Diane Hire.  She's written some great books and had one of her quilts there that was awesome to see up close.  The class list had us bringing two sets of 5 six inch squares of fabric that we would put into a quilt, some thread, batting and a backing.  Naturally I bought way too many sets plus extra batting and backing.  It was a good thing, though because Sandy brought some fat quarters we decided not to cut up and used my fabrics, which worked well for her.  Here she is having fun.


Here are our sets when we finished the class.

 Mine are on the right.  I actually got them pieced, cut out and quilted during the class.  I finished the edges but am not real happy with them.  The threads kept catching around the corners and they need to be ironed here!  I intend to join them somehow and embellish them.  I'll cover up the bobbles with some beads or something.  I borrowed a Janome (they were provided for the class).  It was very nice but I am so used to my old Viking Lily 550 (for sale if you're interested) and my new Bernina 440 QE.  I needed a walking foot I think.  Anyway, it was a fun class.  Here are Diane Hire's samples.  The one on the left is the class we did.  She joined them all on a quilted strip of fabric.

In the middle, the turquoise/purple set are some squares she's doing and trimming for a quilt. Sandy and I bought some batik fat sixteenths to make one like this.  We thought we would work on it in our hotel room but were exhausted from all the quilt viewing and, of course, SHOPPING!!  We did get them all cut into squares and ready to go.  We both bought the same set of green batiks and are sharing some cool purpley and pink sets.  I'm excited to get going on them.  

Tune in tomorrow and I'll share everything I bought with you.  I'm so excited to use it! Unfortunately, I have to finish my dotee dolls and we are going on vacation soon and then I need to quilt the star quilt when we get back.  I'm planning on forcing, and I do mean FORCING myself to clean up my messy, horrible sewing closet before I get started.  I figure that once it is cleaned up and the kids go back in the fall I can sew to my hearts content.

Well, sew to my hearts content when laundry, cooking, cleaning and the possible threat of needing employment to help pay for college educations don't hamper my fun.  Reality is such a creativity killer!

I'm off to take the DS1 to his football "camp" at the high school.  DS2 and DD2 and I are taking my MIL out for dinner.  We've been terribly neglectful of her lately!!

Piece friends!  Jenni

1 comment:

Candace said...

Sounds like a fun productive trip.
Isn't it a shame that we have to catch up when we get home. Looking forward to seeing your purchases.