Quilt Con in Nashville

My husband and I took a week's vacation to Florida. We had been working with the builder on our master bath remodeled for 5 weeks prior. It was good to get away and relax. The evening we arrived in Florida we saw this lovely sunset.

The rest of the week the weather was cool and foggy. The sun did peek through for a bit on 2 days and the temps did rise to the 70s.

While I was there, I was able to meet Sally, who was one of the Island Batik Ambassadors when I was an ambassador. We had lunch and enjoyed a few hours of chatting, fun, and shopping. It is nice to meet online friends in person.

On the way home, we spent the weekend at my sister's and brother-in-law's house in the Nashville area. On Sauturday, my sister and I went to Quilt Con. This was the first time I had attended a Quilt Con and the first time she had attended any quilt show. The weatherman was predicting severe weather, but we went. We were able to park in the underground parking. The facility (Music City Center) was beautiful.

The show wasn't crowded, perhaps because of the threat of bad weather. My sister is a sewer, but not at all a quilter. She enjoyed looking at all the quilts, especially those on social themes. I was happy to take photos for a Gridster Bee Mate who couldn't attend. She wanted some photos of her quilts that were in the show.

Slivers of Rivers by Simone Bradford

Hoko Dots by Simone Bradford

In the next few days, I will post some photos of quilts that peaked my interest. 

For now, I hope you get to sew and stretch your creativity.

Old Quilt Book Blog Hop

How many quilting books do you have? 

What is the oldest publication in your book collection? 

Bea, from Beaquilter.com is hosting the Dust Off a Quilt Book blog hop. Her idea was to find an old (to participants) quilt book or magazine on our shelves and make something from it. It could just be that we are inspired by it or that we make just a block from it and turn it into a small quilt or bag or mug rug. It was really up to us!

I've been quilting since 1976 and I knew I had old books among all my books. (The photo shows about 1/3 of the books I have!) 

The book I chose was published in 1977. The cover quilt had interested me when I chose it from the freebie table at a guild meeting a few years ago. For the blog hop, I chose to make something smaller from the "Contemporary Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt" pattern on the cover. The original pattern makes a large twin size quilt.

I have the Rose of Sharon #2 by Sharon Pederson die by Accuquilt which made cutting lots of flower so easier! 

I decided I would make a few placemats for the summer. I chose scraps of Island Batik fabrics I still had from my time as an Island Batik Ambassador 2 years ago. 

Making the Placemats:

I am sure you can see the basic concept of the pattern from the book.  I devised my own method to make the placemats. 

I gathered green fabric for the background for the flowers. Not much of the green would show, so it didn't have to be fancy fabric. The book pattern uses muslin. I cut the pieces 12-1/2" x 16-1/2".

I sewed batting scraps together with zig zag stitches and this would go under the green background foundation. 

I used my GO! cutter to cut the batik scraps into the largest flowers. I arranged 11 larger flowers on the green background and batting (see finished placemat above). I sewed around the petals 3 times with my free motion foot. It gave a good outline and wonky was fine.

I got a tip from Lea Day, when I stopped at the longarm booth at the AQS Houston Quilt Show in November. She said when free motion quilting, if you go slightly off your path, just sew around 2 or 3 times and it looks like you meant to quilt that design.

I added the 12-1/2" x 16-1/2" backing piece. This was some extra green I had in my stash. BUT, I wanted to give the flowers more dimension and fun personalities than the book pattern showed. I layered a smaller cutout and a center circle on one of the larger flowers that I just appliqued down. I tacked them in place with a wash-away glue stick. I sewed around the flower centers two times and on the 3rd time around, I stitched a straight line out toward the V in the smaller petals to help hold them down just a bit.

Some of the loose petals had to be pinned back so they did not get sewn into another one. I also pinned them back away from the edges when I squared the sides to 12" x 16" and when I sewed on the binding. 

This was a fun project and I will be ready for summer dining! 

Here is the list of bloggers you will want to visit. 

Monday Feb 18^th

Turid at densyendehimmel

Pamela at Pamelaquilts

Joan at Moosestashquilting

Anne at seems like a plan

Susan at Desertsky Quilting

Selina at Selinaquilts

Kathleen at Kathleenmcmusing

Tuesday Feb 19^th

Cindy Stitchin at home

Jennifer at curlicuecreations

Stephanie at stephjacobsondesigns

Kathy at Kathysquilts

Shasta at high road quilter
Theresa at bumbleberrystitches

Wednesday Feb 20^th

Sharon at Vrooman’s quilts

Suzy at Websterquilt

Nancy at patchworkbreeze

Brenda at songbirddesigns

Karrin at karrinscrazyworld

Denise at craftraditions

Thursday Feb 21^st

Anita at Domestic Felicity

Leanne at Devoted Quilter

Jennifer at Dizzyquilter

Carla at Creatin' in the Sticks

Lee Anne at Podunk Pretties

Andree at quiltinglearningcombo

Lyndsey at Sew Many Yarns

Friday Feb 22^nd

Bea at Beaquilter

Barbara at Bejweledquilts

Laura at slice of pi quilts

Sherry Powered By Quilting

Pat at Life in the Scrapatch

Carol at Just let me quilt

Kathy at Kathy's Kwilts and More

Marian at seams to be sew

Old Quilt Book Blog Hop Began

I've been looking at the posts for the Old Quilt Book Blog Hop which began February 18.
My post is on February 20.
I'd love to know of an older quilt book or magazine you have on your book shelf. Leave a comment here telling what it is.
Here is a list of the blog hop links:

Monday Feb 18^th

Turid at densyendehimmel

Pamela at Pamelaquilts

Joan at Moosestashquilting

Anne at seems like a plan

Susan at Desertsky Quilting

Selina at Selinaquilts

Kathleen at Kathleenmcmusing

Tuesday Feb 19^th

Cindy Stitchin at home

Jennifer at curlicuecreations

Stephanie at stephjacobsondesigns

Kathy at Kathysquilts

Shasta at high road quilter
Theresa at bumbleberrystitches

Wednesday Feb 20^th

Sharon at Vrooman’s quilts

Suzy at Websterquilt

Nancy at patchworkbreeze

Karrin at karrinscrazyworld

Denise at craftraditions

Thursday Feb 21^st

Anita at Domestic Felicity

Leanne at Devoted Quilter

Jennifer at Dizzyquilter

Carla at Creatin' in the Sticks

Lee Anne at Podunk Pretties

Andree at quiltinglearningcombo

Lyndsey at Sew Many Yarns

Friday Feb 22^nd

Bea at Beaquilter

Barbara at Bejweledquilts

Laura at slice of pi quilts

Sherry Powered By Quilting

Pat at Life in the Scrapatch

Carol at Just let me quilt

Kathy at Kathy's Kwilts and More

Marian at seams to be sew
Brenda at songbirddesigns

Quilting Fun on Florida Trip

Last week I flew to Florida with two quilting friends. We visited our quilting friend who has moved to Florida. 

The weather was great in the Winterhaven area and we were happy to be away from the cold weather for a few days. We had a well organized plan for the two days we were there. Dinner at the Polite Pig in Disney Springs after getting picked up at the airport was so tasty. We walked around after dinner. I found the Lego Store and had wanted to get some Lego pieces to make a sewing machine. I spent about an hour with two young employees who were excited and enthusiastic to help me find what I needed. I took the pieces home and finished building the little machine model yesterday. 

The next day we toured the Winterhaven area, passing by the orchards of orange trees was similar but different from my daily drives past the apple orchards in Michigan. We stopped at a roadside stand where they had grapefruit twice the size of softballs for $1 and Honey Bell oranges, which I have wanted to taste since I saw a newspaper ad in December to order some by mail. I thought they were fine and tasted like oranges. 

We went to 2 quilt shops, Heart to Heart Quilt Shop and Heartfelt Quilting & Sewing. While there I found some black and white fabrics to add to those I bought just before flying out. I'm going to make another Zig Zag Tag quilt, since the first one was so fun!

We went to lunch on 2 different days, once to Crispers (I thought the food was very good) and Lavender N' Lace Tearoom (Restauraunt, Antique Shop, and Garden) where the food was so unique. We also visited Richard's Seashells Shop (say that quickly 5 times). I found a Christmas decoration. 

I had a wonderful time in Florida with a great gal and guide. We flew back in to ice and yucky winter weather! Wish I could have packed some sunshine and warmth in my luggage to bring back!

Zig Zag Tag Quilt Pattern

The quilt pattern I designed and posted HERE at the end of January now has a name!

Janice left a comment with the suggestion to call the pattern Zig Zag Rag (rag because of the rhyming component). In tossing the name around, Zig Zag Tag came up. Thinking of the game of Tag it was the greatest rhyme for the name since it does look like the blocks are playing tag on the quilt.

I sent an email to Janice asking for her mailing address. I will be sending a package of 40 black and white print squares (5 x 5) out to her. I have sent her a free copy of the pattern.