Outside the Comfort Zone

Fellow Quilters,

As I sit writing this post, I am enjoying the last of the local peach crop for this year – a definite sign that Fall is here.  Autumn is my favorite season, with the clear blue skies and brightly-colored trees.  We get lots of red, gold and yellow foliage mixed with the evergreens.  Fall walks are glorious, with the crisp air, no more flies or mosquitos, and the earthy scent of fallen leaves.  I try to step on every dried leaf just to hear the “crunch”.  Even a short walk is enough to clear the cobwebs of all-day computer work as I design quilts for upcoming fabric collections and write instructions for soon-to-be-released patterns.

Speaking of patterns, have you enjoyed the blog posts and free patterns from the My Happy Place Row-Along?  I was one of the first bloggers on the tour, and every Tuesday and Thursday until October 4 there are new rows for you to try.  Here are the still-active links:

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Clever Chameleon | Adventurous Applique and Quilting
Heleen Pinkster Quilt Design
Cynthia’s Creating Ark | Seams To Be Sew

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Songbird Designs/Brenda’s Blog | Powered By Quilting | Kissed Quilts
Happy Sewing Room | Sew Joy Creations

Thursday, September 27, 2018

BobbininQuilts | Daydreams of Quilts | The Quilted Snail | Scrapdash

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Words & Stitches | True Blue Quilts | Miss Loreen’s Schoolhouse
Meanderings Along Lizard Creek | Creativeblonde

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Quilt In Piece | Jaded Spade Creations | Mountain Meadow Designs
Masterpiece Quilting | Pamela Quilts

Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Show and Tell Day

The winner at my blog is – drum roll please! – Christi of Shelby, NC who prefers the ocean.  I totally get that.  There is something mesmerizing about walking along a beach listening to the surf lap upon the shore.  A packet of Christi’s favorite colorway of Stonehenge Gradations will be on its way to her shortly.

Last weekend was my annual retreat with the quilters from GEM Sewing in New Liskeard.  I taught a bobbin quilting workshop and an improv piecing workshop, and the students did amazingly well.  No issues at all with the bobbin quilting and couching.  However, all that changed when I demonstrated the first improv block.  As I randomly whacked it in half with the rotary cutter to insert a new strip, I could hear a few gasps.  This was definitely NOT the way some of the quilters were accustomed to piecing their blocks!  Everyone took a giant step outside their comfort zone, rose to my challenge and completed block after improv block with success.  Here they are after just one block!

The GEM quilters after piecing their first improv block. Diane was weak from the stress of random cutting and piecing.

Here are 2 more of the blocks:

GEM retreat green improv blocks

Gem retreat pink improv blocks

Many of them are well on their way to getting their quilts finished.

Blocks being auditioned for a layout

During the evenings, I worked on my own projects alongside the gals, and managed to get 2 tops pieced for my Alternate Gridwork trunk show this upcoming Saturday September 29 at Simcoe Sew & Quilt in Barrie (from 10am to noon).  I am working on getting at least 2 more tops done for the trunk show.  Then I’ll start the list of quilts to be made for Fall Quilt Market in Houston.  I’ll be making the blue version of my Good Vibrations,

PC231 Good Vibrations queen-size in the blue color option

and the throw size of Solstice Star using Stonehenge Gradations Solstice to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Stonehenge collection, in addition to 4 others.

I am also part-way through piecing versions of 2 new patterns:  Besties (using Northcott’s Girls of the World)

PC225 Besties lap quilt using Girls of the World

and Glass Menagerie (using Northcott’s Zoometrix).

PC226 Glass Menagerie lap quilt using Zoometrix

I’ll post links and some of my step-by-step photos next week.

See you next week!

Patti