Medallion Round 2 2017-2018

This year I'm planning to do something applique to each of the rounds I have signed up for.

This is the starting point:

I first thought of a dolphin appliqued in each corner but when searching for dolphins I found smaller ones and thought this would work better.  Plus then I could use the cornerstones to bring in the light house fabric.  Concept for waves at first was more curly but that would have been tough so settled on small peaks.  Applique technique was Stich-N-Peel and machine sewn down with invisible thread.

This is the finished item, Sept 2018

Colleen Granger's Nov retreat

Nov 10-14

Friday, arrived about noon and set up quilting area in lodge.  Also sewing in the lodge are Leddi, Barbara, Karen, Juliette and Thelma.  Had lunch the started applique dolphins for the medallion.  Glad I decide to only have 3 per side as it got old.  Also decided on small wave like applique.  Cornerstones to bring in the fabric from round 1.  About 9pm the Viking sewing machine started acting up using the invisible thread.  Got so frustrated went home and finished then went to bed.

Saturday, up early and back to retreat.  Worked a bit on the Quilt Club state blocks but everything seemed to go wrong and glad to give it up for breakfast.  Packed up Viking machine for repair and brought out Featherweight.  Went into town for my first Nancy Brown hand applique class.  We started The Bog.  I got maybe 3 inches of one piece done.  Looks like a blob stitched to blob at this point.  Back to the retreat.  Worked on state blocks again but still nothing seems to be the right size.  Packed it up and moved on to the Awesome Ocean blocks in purple.  Decided to sleep at home again.

Sunday, finished up on the Awesome Ocean purple blocks. Worked a bit on The Bog.  I'm getting the hang of hand applique.  Not sure I'm liking it yet but at least the dread is gone. 

Found a bag of one partially completed baby quilt under one of my guest beds.  Since I need a quilt for a woman at work I decided to complete that quilt.  There was enough fabric to complete a second quilt.

Monday, finished border on the second baby quilt.  Went home about noon and take a couple of meeting for work.  Once back pulled out the Judy Nightmare pattern mom had been working on in hopes to finish the diamond shapes and make sure the color placement was okay.  Thanks to the other ladies we were able to determine the minimal number of diamond shapes that needed to be pulled apart and resewn to get a pleasing quilt.  Spend the rest of the evening doing that.  Once done went home for the night.

Tuesday, back at the retreat about 8.  Visited with quilters in the dining room and the packed up my stuff and left about 10 and went to work.  Very enjoyable retreat!

Bishop's Ranch retreat Fall 2017

October 2017

Arrived 5pm on Sunday.  Set up quilting space shared with Karen D and a new friend Leslie (from Laganitas).  The total group was 32. 

Started working on Awesome Ocean doing the characters in yellow.

Monday, continued and finished the yellow blocks of Awesome Ocean.  Karen and I did a 3.5 hike in the morning and in the afternoon went for a swim with Kathy for 30 minutes.

Tuesday, completed the Quilt Club blocks for the month and the last one I needed to do to catch up.  These are in the paisley fabric and accent colors.

Put the binding on the Color Wave quilt.

Also learned how to make a button bowl.  I got most of it done but did not have ribbon and buttons to completed.  Also  Did a short 1 mile hike in the morning with Karen and went for a swim with Kathy in the afternoon. Started quilting on a quilt in the stash, the fabric was a stripe of Vegi Tales and the book was Wonderful 1 Fabric Quilts by Kay Nickols.  I remember getting the book and fabric on sale in one of the visit to Phoenix many years ago. Karen, Leslie and I had several good laughs looking up on the internet who the Vegi Tale characters were, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber (who starred as Elliot the Pirate in a movie).

Continued to machine quilt (straight lines with black thread outlining some of the black boxes) on Wednesday.  Karen and I did a 4.5 mile hike.  Went swimming with Kathy in the afternoon.  Almost completed the machine quilting. Left about 5pm and picked up Joanne then went to MQSC meeting.  Signed up for medallions for the 2017 - 2018 year.  Also going to help on the opportunity quilt marketing.  Got back to Bishops Ranch at 10 pm.  Did a bit more machine quilting then Karen and I retired at 11 pm. 

Thursday morning Karen showed Pam and I how to make fabric postcards.  I made a post card for Ann L after completing the machine quilting the Vegi Tale quilt.  I squared up the quilt and then cut the binding.  About 11, began packing up and was helped where I could until 12:30 when we had lunch.  Home by 2pm.  Unpacked car.