February 2022 Update

 Wow…2022 is just flying by so far.

I had a Material Girls retreat last weekend which meant there was lots of activity getting ready and lots of accomplishments. 

First, we had a challenge to finish whatever Moda Frivols kit we were given last May. 

My pattern was, “Lakeside,” with Brenda Riddle as the fabric designer. I had to supply the background and binding fabric. There is no batik fabric in this one so that was the big challenge to for me as I like the tighter weave of batiks. But it is adorable and will make a great baby quilt.

I like to work on a different project every day of a retreat. I started with a quilt I kitted up from my stash with a batik border print being my inspiration. The pattern is a freebie from In the Beginning Fabrics. It is a design from Jason Yenter, “Winter Elegance.”

I am calling my quilt, “Autumn Elegance.” I just need to add the borders and this quilt top will be done. 

 

My second project was, “Ice Castles,” which I also kitted up from my stash using a pattern from McCall’s Quilting, February, 2009.

I got all of the snowball and star blocks made at retreat and quickly made up the border blocks yesterday. I  still need to sew all the blocks together. Then there will be a focus fabric for an outer border. 

And my final start at retreat was another blue and white snow-themed quilt, “Snow Stars.” I kitted this one from my stash…and I’ve not even made a tiny dent in my stash…but I am trying. 

I forgot to take my Bloc-Loc ruler to size these half-rectangle triangles so I moved to the second step which is making hundreds of four-patch blocks. 

Most of my show and tell at retreat where pieces I’ve shared on my blog but I added a Seminole border to the Chandelier top made with sewing-themed batiks.

Just a little info about our retreat group. 

Our Material Girls quilting group meets during the “school year,”…summer schedules are too hectic for us to meet. We schedule 3 retreats during our quilting season, October, February and May. We also meet for a Saturday Sew-In day at our local quilt shop, the second Saturday of the month, for the months we don’t have a retreat. 

I think I joined the group in 2016.

I love it!

We decide amongst ourselves what “challenge,” we might tackle during the season. 

Since we just finished a challenge we are weighing two options. One is a mystery quilt one of our ladies will select and lead or making a quilt with the pineapple block using whatever method you want. I believe there is a new Creative Grids ruler a couple of ladies have for making pineapple blocks. I have a magazine pattern that uses paper piecing. We will decide at our May retreat. 

As always…there were some handwork projects I stitched on recently.

My latest Bucilla kit project is a vintage kit that is a 3-D tree. I have to make the tree and all the ornaments. I think this will take me a couple of more months to finish.

I officially finished the 2020 trio of Mill Hill Jim Shore ornaments.

Feathered Friends Snowman, Gift Giving Snowman and Clean Sweep Snowman.

I am now working on the 2021 Jim Shore series of snowman and have one done, 

Snowman with Cocoa.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!