It's Wednesday and I'm glad to finally have something to show, especially since my good friend,
Elizabeth, is hosting, and all of what I have to show was completed at her house last weekend!
The most wonderful thing about blogging is the friends I have made. Elizabeth and I finally met last January at
Road to California.We spent about two hours walking around, getting to know more about each other. Last Thursday I took Amtrak down to see her. First of all, I highly recommend Amtrak, although I wish the whole trip was on the train rather than just two hours on the train and four hours on an Amtrak bus. But never mind.
It was fabulous weekend. Around
Halloween last year, she posted pictures of her quilting group which has gotten together nearly monthly for 16 years! The Halloween party looked like so much fun that I
repeatedly begged politely asked if I could attend this year. It worked out for me to come to the Christmas party this year.
Thursday night after supper, Elizabeth and her husband, Dave, took me to a spectacular place pretty close to where they live. Oh the lights...
And the cupcake shop,
Okay, these moving figures/animals were slightly creepy, since they just moved around without singing, but the lights helped a lot.
The next morning, we went to IKEA, where I purchased some fabric. Good thing we are each honest quilters...
When we went home, we got the house ready and started warming up the most delicious chili.
Her quilting friends were welcomed by this very festive door.
After supper, the tables were cleared off and we started sewing. Elizabeth has the nicest friends. I felt very comfortable with all of them.
There were nice little gifts for everyone, pincushions made from an antique quilt,
and the cutest zippered pouches, made by Elizabeth and her friend, Leisa.
The next day, Elizabeth and I spent the whole day sewing. I had brought along my Farmer's Wife blocks. I'm only putting 81 of them on the front of the quilt. The other 30 are going on the back. (Or maybe only 29--I counted and counted over and over, and can only find 29--I
know I did all of them so some stray block must have attached itself to another quilt...).
Chain piecing...
The stack on the left looks kind of weird because there are sashing strips on two sides...
(I probably should mention that a couple of these pictures were "borrowed" from Elizabeth's blog...)
Anyway, 41 will have straight sashing, 40 will be set on point, alternating with each other in nine rows of nine blocks. These are the only two that are completed.
This is one of my favorites:
Elizabeth worked on pillow shams for a beautiful Christmas quilt:
I started this cross stitch on the train--another benefit of not doing the driving!
This was such a fabulous weekend. Sewing together, getting to be closer friends, both of which are works in progress. Thanks, Elizabeth!