Weekly update: snow, a quilt show, a finish, and something new

I presented "Every Quilt Tells a Story" to the Riverside AAUW branch on Monday evening. I was glad that Erika accompanied me because we had a snowy drive back home.

Here's the view from the shelter of my garage at 10 p.m.

6:30 a.m. Tuesday

By Tuesday morning the storm had blown over.   Chicago had no measurable snow in January and February -- then 14" in this one March storm!

The Southport Quilters, the Kenosha guild, have an annual quilt exhibit at the Kenosha Public Museum. I went on Saturday and enjoyed seeing the 50 or so quilts on display.  I knew several people there so I spent as much time chatting as admiring.

 The 4-patches in this sparkling quilt are tiny. I think they began with 1-1/4" squares so the units are 1-1/2" finished.

I have this Elizabeth Hartman pattern and plan to make it. . . . some day. I like the "winter to autumn" colorway of this version.








In my studio this week:


I finished the table runner for the GFWC-IL convention.  Nice to have something done two months in advance.


















My new project is a wallhanging for a P.E.O. chapter sister who is  moving out of state in a couple of months.  The pattern is from "Hearts Aplenty," a book by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith.  It's tricky because the only clues to the placement of the applique pieces are this color photo and a *smaller* black-and-white photo. Neither is very helpful.   I'm improvising!

As shown, the piece is 42 x 54.   I'm going to make a smaller border.

Daisies are the P.E.O. flower.

Monday link ups:
Monday Making
Design Wall Monday
Main Crush Monday
Oh Scrap!

P.S. I indulged at  Quilt Play  -- a yard on clearance and batik remnants. 5 yards, $37.

Weekly update: procedures, presentations, posters, and some fabric bargains

Sunrise on Friday 

This was quite a week!  I had two medical procedures which took time and preparation but fortunately had clear results. Friday was my final board meeting for the regional library system. I was elected when I was still working, and I appreciate that I could stay on to finish the term after retirement.

On Tuesday I gave "Every Quilt Tells a Story" for P.E.O. Chapter LA (based in Deerfield, though the meeting hostess lives in Lake Forest).  I asked if someone could take pictures. Indeed -- and here is the link to the photo collage:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTEFSBqJ4ss

 Chalk Talk is a community event to foster conversation about the character traits we value.
100 posters (out of 225+/- photos taken) were put up in a storefront gallery and in windows in Zion, Beach Park, and Winthrop Harbor.

I helped set up on Thursday, stopped in at the open house on Friday, and then tried to find all of the posters on Saturday.

 Here are the photos of some friends with their favorite words. .

Cal (blue shirt) is the Community of Character committee chairman.

His favorite word the day of the photo shoot was "hat." (He's 3.)

 And me?  I ended up on the door to the post office, which is better than being on the wall inside it!






Meanwhile, downstairs in the studio:  I wanted to make a yellow jacket to wear at the upcoming P.E.O. convention. I was sure I had a piece of yellow linen.  I looked in this box, and that box, and those two other boxes.  Whew! I finally found it. I modified a pattern I'd used some years before, but I had to re-read the instructions to be sure I did the collar and front facings correctly. I don't make many garments these days.

The batik stars are coming along. I will continue until I make 42 of them.

Joann's sent a coupon for 60% off premium cottons, which included batiks. There was also a 20% off the entire purchase. These four batiks (7-1/2 yds total) cost $2.49/yd!  The turquoise will be used as a tablecloth at the P.E.O. convention prior to becoming part of a quilt (perhaps sashing for these batik stars?).   [Also in the photo: a twin cotton flat sheet, $2.32 at a thrift shop where I also bought five summer blouses for $15.]

I'm linking up with:
Oh, Scrap!
 Monday Making
 Design Wall Monday
 Main Crush Monday

Quilt program and gifts!

On Wednesday afternoon I presented "Every Quilt Tells a Story" to the Antioch Woman's Club.  It's a big club, with over 100 members on the rolls. About 70 people attended.  I've given the program a half-dozen times now so I'm comfortable with the sequence of the quilts I show and the timing. I include vintage quilts from my collection, among them my own baby quilt (made by my mother's church circle) and my first quilt (a Bucilla cross stitch kit, made when I was in library school (1973-74)).  I also bring some of my recent work.  I invite club members to bring quilts of their own to share the stories.  This time there were four quilts, two Double Wedding Rings and a Dresden Plate from the 1930's and a yo-yo quilt from the late 80's.

 Afterwards one of the club officers (herself a quilter) said, "Everyone enjoyed it! There were some people who don't care about quilts, but you made it so interesting and they really listened."

One woman gave me a half dozen quilt magazines. "I hope you can use these," she said.  "I'm legally blind."  I thanked her and then added, "It must be hell not to be able to see."  She smiled and said, "It certainly is! I'll be 91 this year." Good for her!

Another woman said, "I don't have any use for these. Would you like them?"

You bet!  These are uncut linen towels/runners from Sweden (Dalsjofors, Hellinne).

These are potholders snapped on to the holder thingy. They belonged to the woman's mother. (Cute but useless crafts will always be with us.)









The woman said she believes someone gave this to her mother.  The squares are 2" finished.  I don't know if I'll keep this, but at least I made it "disappear" for the donor.

My next EQTAS presentation will be in May. It's such fun to talk about quilts!

P.S. I charge a modest honorarium + mileage.