I love this deep midwinter season - short, bright days and long, cold nights. Hand quilting is so perfect for this time of the year.
I love make little gift bags and zippered pouches, and I'm so thankful for guild friends who share their expertise and cleverness with me.
Because I go through so many zippers, I bought my first roll of zipper tape with lots of pulls. After frustration I finally googled how to use zipper tape. And sure enough, the answer was there. You're looking at it: a 1/4" offset of two sides.
One of my favorite gifts is from quilty buddy Beth. Whether she chose this pattern for the color scheme or for the lamb on it, I love it. I followed
this tutorial for finishing and mitering the corners. In 365 days it will be a lovely usable kitchen towel. Right now it's hanging on the kitchen door.
The November Chicago Modern Quilt Guild meeting was about UFO's. And although I missed the meeting, just thinking about Debbie's topic spurred me onto using things I've started. The above Fence Rail is a kit leftover from a class I taught years ago Long-time neighbors Pam and Jon are about to be grandparents for the first time. This baby quilt is for the grandparents - we celebrate their joy!
My sister's grandchildren love The Hungry Caterpillar. These two panels will be turned into a queen-size quilt and a crib quilt. Both of these are finished and ready for their car ride to the Long Armer Frank.
This jazz t-shirt quilt is for one of John's Jazz Cruise buddies Gwen. I did one for her husband Winnie years ago, and not it's her turn. Currently this quilt is in three big pieces, so it too is almost ready for the Long Armer,
Time in the studio is joyous. It is here that I try to balance the dark tone that American politics has taken , a tone that favors conservative thinking, small government, and corporate wealth. 2017 has been an enormous year for my productivity. While I am personally joyful, I am not optimistic for 2018. I remain thankful for supportive family, good friends, and my quilting community.
