Student Show and Tell

Cheryl loves hand work.  While others were making 18 hand pieced blocks, she made 39 AND hand quilted the whole thing!  Isn't she amazing?  Can you tell she loves purple?  She has her Mariner's Compass quilt for this year set and probably hand quilted by now.  I'll see her this week and keep you posted!

Peggy Smith took a hexagon hand piecing class with me through her guild.  When I saw her at a lecture recently, she brought back that project and another.  We do hexagons with regular hand piecing, not over paper (English paper piecing).  You can see her center and two rounds on, with the third round pinned at the top right, ready for sewing.

I thought this was a great idea:  Peggy used her embroidery machine to make her label directly on the backing fabric before quilting.

And this was the other project, hand appliqued pine trees from a guild workshop I taught in 2010.  It's just lovely and the red binding is the perfect finish.  (The bottom binding is cut off--by me, the o supremo photographer.  Sorry, Peggy!)

Great job, ladies!  It's exciting as a teacher to see projects either in progress or finished.  So don't hesitate to share your flimsies and/or flimsies-NOT (aka finished).  I love them all.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Mares' Tails

Did you know that this type of cloud formation is called "Mares' Tails"?  They are a type of Cirrus cloud formed of ice crystals.  I think they are just beautiful.  Enjoy!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

House in the House

Okay, that's as rapper as I can go!  (Count your blessings!)

Terry has been on a finishing campaign and has done a remarkable job.  Here she is with Monthly Bliss 1 totally finished.  I love how the blocks just shine.

And here she is with Monthly Bliss 3.  She had quite a time choosing the setting fabrics.  But I think it was worth the wait for that border fabric.  

Great job, Terry!  Thanks for sharing these fabulous quilts.  

It's exciting to see class projects at any stage in the process.  Don't hesitate to send me pics at sharon@sharonstroud.com.  Please make them a reasonable size file (under 300 kb) so that they are easier to open and save.  I'd love to see what you are doing and to share with other like-minded quilters!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Magic?

It looks like it will be a bumper crop of hops this year.  So the Casket Company Brewery will be back in business.  Remember:  Our beer will bury you.  

These two photos were taken on May 17.

This one was taken May 26.  Check out the vine above the lattice.  It is almost an inch thick and is at least 18 inches above the top of the shed.  These are the most amazing vines ever!  I wonder if they are related to Jack's bean stalk?

Dickens has the final word tonight.  (I think it's actually a raspberry!)

Some quilting pics tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Posting

Dickens asked me to let him respond to those who have been asking about the lack of posting.

Don't make me come over there.

I was so excited a couple weeks ago to see turkeys in the field!  There used to be large flocks and now it's rare to see more than five or six adults.  Last week the field was plowed and has again been planted with corn.  It doesn't take long for the stalks to grow tall and to obstruct the view of wildlife.

Still quilting like a mad woman (okay, that's normal for me--I mean the "mad woman" part).  Started riding again a couple weeks ago, which seems wonderful.  The lawn in growing like a hay field--oh, wait, it IS a hay field!

At any rate, I'm alive and living life to the fullest.

Special, blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I am listening to Gone by James Patterson.  And the latest two Stuart Woods.