Amateur Hour v. 1

This year I'm trying to get those pesky WIPs in control!!!  You know, the ones you started a while ago and now destest the very sight of . . .  Well, another one bit the dust!   A while ago (I'll let you check the date on the author's original blog post) I saw this tutorial on Jeni Baker's blog for making a Scrappy Nine Patch Chevron quilt.  This was when chevron was all the rage and I just had to make one!!!  Fast forward over a year later . .  and voila!  The quilt is done!

I call it Repro Rampage!

My husband is such a good sport!

 As you can see, I used a bunch of reds and yellows to make the nine patch blocks, most of which were from my 30's obsession period.  Unfortunately, I used leftover lining material for the white - very cheap, and it stretched like crazy when I quilted it.  I'm not sure why I made that choice - I think I thought I would never finish it . . 

We also had a fabulous time hiking around one of the local nature preserves scouting great locations to photograph the quilt.  These are in the reproduction cow camp.

See all the bunching and lumps??   I didn't want it to look like it'd been run over by cows!!

My husband is such a great sport about my quilting hobby obsession.

This was right before I told him there was a shady road instead of a one mile trail  in 95 degree heat that led to the cow camp.  He's still smiling!

Who hangs a quilt next to a roll of barbed wire??  This girl!!

I'm so pleased that I finished this!!  Here's to more like it!  

Carolyn Friedlander Meet Up!

Prepare yourselves, I'm probably going to sound like a fan girl for a minute . . . 

This past Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity to meet up with some wonderful sewists hosted by Carolyn Friedlander.   She organized a very informal event at Bok Towers in Lake Wales, where she is currently displaying several pieces of her work that reflect Florida.  

If you've never had the chance to visit Bok Towers, you really should!  If you're an uber historic architecture nerd like me you should seriously add it to your to-do list!

This is a view of the actual tower - unfortunately I didn't get any of the doors - they are wonderful!

Check out the stained glass - how often do you seen the fauna and flora of Florida depicted?

                                      Check out some of Carolyn's work below and my terrible photography skills!

This is my mom  sewing buddy meeting some fabulous Florida sewists!

Carolyn with some more of the folks who came.  Check out that gorgeous quilt on the wall!
After everyone met and chatted, we had lunch and then sewing buddy and I had to head back to town!

She even gave us FREE FABRIC!!!

I can add these mini charms to my epic HST road trip quilt!  (Stylishly displayed in that ziploc bag!)

MQG Michalel Miller Challenge

This year I challenged myself to meet new  more  any quilty people.   I joined the Tampa Modern Quilt Guild and went by myself to my first meeting.  (This is a big deal for a super introvert such a moi.)   I joined in time to participate in the Michael Miller Challenge!  We received these fabrics from Michael Miller.

I added some solids.  (Check out that awesome hole in the blue one.  And I was standing there when they were cutting.  Ughhh.   And it wasn't at chain store, either.)

And drew my own design.  So now all I have to do is some serious quilty math and I am on my way to a year of free fabric!!

(Don't worry those aren't my fabric scissors)

Instagram Addicts Anonymous

So I had this great goal to post more on the blog but seriously, have you joined Instagram yet???  Don't - its taken over my life!!!   Morning, noon, night - MUST CHECK IG FEED!  Its pretty out of hand.   Last night my media addiction got out of hand when I lost Settlers of Catan for the first time this year because I kept checking #quiltmarket posts.  Yup, now I'm that girl.  So I've decided - two checks a day.  I think right now I'm doing more photo viewing than sewing.  You can find me on IG @emily67855.