Happy New Year!

Traci L.

Just a quick note to say Happy New Year and so many thanks for the thoughts, prayers and comments over the past year!  On a day when I was having a low moment, a card would come that made me think I actually could get better!  Although I walk unaided with a lurch, I am out of the wheelchair and living independently.  My left hand is getting stronger, with more gross motor skills--I'm hoping for finer ones soon!  When this blog posts, I may try rotary cutting again.  Have started cutting a plus sign runner.  Beautiful chambray colors on a pale gray.

Many years ago, I longed for a year off to sew and catch up on quilting.  Part of the wish came true--already 13 months off--but no sewing progress.  Be careful what you wish for!

Many of you may think I had forewarning of the stroke--I did not.  I had driven to the barn, fed and turned out the horses, driven home, turned on the computer, fed and brushed Dickens, and was simply walking across the kitchen when it hit.  The drugs took effect and I was staying in ICU overnight.  Apparently, I had a second stroke overnight--the one that caused the damage.  Now I am 13 months into rehab for something that took seconds to cause!  The neurologist said it was caused by a blood pressure spike.  Normally my blood pressure is fine--nothing to treat for--just one of those things.  I thank God that I am young enough, strong enough and determined enough to recover everything I can!

I did not have a picture of fireworks, but thought Traci's quilt would fill the bill!  My design, Laurie Derr's machine quilting, and Traci's fine workmanship all combine into one fantastic quilt!  The other pic is sunset on Lake George.  A wish for all loveliness in 2019 and beyond!

Happy New Year, everyone!  "See" you next year!

Giant blissful hugs to all,
Sharon

Good Things Come...

to those who persevere!  Here are two ladies with proof!

Joanne finished Bliss Doubled recently.  The center is all hand pieced and appliqued.  Don't you love the border stripe!  Absolutely stunning, Joanne!

And Judy E (you can just see her lovely hair above the quilt) finished Monthly Bliss 3.  The blocks are all hand pieced.  Check out those points!  That's Karen H standing at the left--she's our "Quilt Vanna"!  Soft, serene, breathtaking...ahhhh, it's a beautiful quilt.  

I am so proud of these ladies.  Have pictures of your Sharon Stroud projects, flimsies or finished?  I'd love to share them here.  

Happy November!  Just regular rain today.

Catching Up a Bit

Back in September, we met again to do a skill-builder class at Patchwork Plus.  This time it was the Acrobats block with quarter-square triangle units and squares.  It's not easy to keep all those points sharp, but these gals did an excellent job!

Here's the official portrait.

Pat A, Gale, Sharon N

And the candid!  (Gale bet me I wouldn't put it on the blog.)

There was a bit of white rain this morning....

A Look Back

Happy students from the April skill-builders class. And, yes, we used half- and quarter-square triangles cut to the correct size. No trimming but the dog-ears! And those points are sharp! Great job, ladies!!

More Smiling Faces

Just a few days ago, five ladies joined me for a Big Three class.  We used precision rotary cutting, machine piecing and pressing techniques to create the Providence block.

 Pat A, Cherie, Susan M

Sharon N, Gale

What a great time, and we laughed lots!!!  Your chance to join us is coming again in December.  I've updated the schedule pages both here and on my website.

I'm busy horsing around, and quilting, and doing some other fun stuff.

Blissful hugs,

Sharon

P.S.  I am listening to The Games, A Private Novel by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan.

So Proud

The last two days have been spent in the company of women eager to increase their rotary cutting, machine piecing and pressing skills.  Using the Christmas  Star II block and three fat quarters, each achieved their goals.  For two of these ladies, it was their first time cutting and piecing half-square triangle units. We don't cut bigger and then trim; we cut the correct size, piece them and press them to perfection.  You would have a hard time picking the first-timers' blocks from those of the more experienced piecers. Congratulations to each of you; you make me proud!

In the first picture are Susan and Cheri. 

Photo two has Gale, Pat, Kris, and Jane.  

Thanks for a great two days!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I am listening to Private India:  City on Fire by James Patterson.

Students

In December 2015, Sharon, Susan, Gale, Cheri, and Pat A. joined me for the Hill & Crag skill builder class at Patchwork Plus in Marcellus.  This block required precision cutting, piecing and pressing to fit all those pieces back together correctly.  What a job these ladies did! 

Susan (second from left above) also finished hand piecing and hand quilting her hexagon project.

Check out the fussy-cutting of these great Halloween fabrics! Thanks for sharing, Susan!

That's it for tonight!  Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

It's Exhausting

Interviews, FBI screenings, Secret Service...manicures, facials, spa days, wardrobe consults...it just goes on and on.  Learning to walk in heeled shoes.  Must be I am being taken more seriously in my fourth bid for President!  (wink, wink)  There was a lot of head shaking (not in a good way) when I brought up the subjects of tiaras and (weighted) scepters.

At any rate, since throwing my hat in the ring again, I have been busy, and busier, and am now into the 9th day of a cold/sinus/whatever.  Some will rejoice in knowing that I totally lost my voice one day, but it's back now....

Thanks for your patience.  Here's a brief tour of what others are achieving!

First, Sharon N, Pat S, Gale, Pat A, and Cheri learned to make flying geese units the old-fashioned way--with quarter- and half-square triangles!  They all did a beautiful job and have enough fabric to make a second block with the two main colors reversed!

Karen H. just has to bind her Mariner's Compass Bliss project--what a stunner it is!  Great job, Karen!

Carol R, a frequent flyer here on the blog, had her Green Thumb wall hanging at the Tompkins County Quilters Guild show a few weeks ago.  Just delightful, as always!

And Cindy O sent me this pic of 3 Unlikely Friends that she started last summer at retreat.  The setting fabrics add spark to the blocks!  Yippee!

The three blocks from Three Unlikely Friends were designed at the same time as the ones for Green Thumb.  They definitely did not do well with those nine, so I made a separate hanging out of them.  A very different feel.  I love them both.

Next up:  What I did in September.  Or maybe something else.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I finished X by Sue Grafton, Make Me by Lee Child, Tripwire by Lee Child.

Flimsies and Flimsy-Nots

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to spend some time with like-minded quilters.  Here are some pics of what they have been accomplishing.

First, Cindy O. who finished hand-piecing her 32-point Mariner's Compass.  This is a design I taught about three years ago.  The fabric for the eight main star points is just fabulous and brought the entire design to life.

Emily had not one, but two, flimsy-nots!  First is Monthly Bliss Doubled, the perfect mix of hand piecing and hand applique!  Civil War reproduction fabrics are stunning in this design.  Note the border!

And Emily's second "not" is Monthly Bliss 1.  The setting fabrics are perfect for making those hand-pieced stars shine.

Gale's version of Mariner's Compass Bliss.  If you look carefully you will see that all of the background is not the same.   Gale chose to use a few similar backgrounds to give the quilt more depth and to look like "black holes".  Just stunning.

And Gale finished her Monthly Bliss 3 flimsy.  The blocks are hand-pieced, and the setting fabrics are well-chosen to support those beautiful blocks.

And last for tonight, but never least, is Traci with her "not".  This is Mariner's Compass Bliss, with hand-pieced blocks.  Traci longarmed this herself, and I love the multi-colored binding!

Thank you, ladies, for sharing and for giving me even more reason to be proud of my students.  You are the best!

For those of you who are wondering what all the "Bliss" is about....  In my humble opinion, something good should happen to women at least once a month (we all have lots of not so great things that happen every month), so I started teaching long-term block of the month classes and named them all with Bliss in the title.  I have Monthly Bliss 1, Monthly Bliss 2, Monthly Bliss 3, Hexagon Bliss, Monthly Bliss Doubled, and Mariner's Compass Bliss. All hand-pieced, and some are even set by hand!  One of my students said we should be called "Bliss-ters", not to be confused with blisters which are very bad.  Our bliss is excellent!

I'm not exactly sure where the summer went, but it went too quickly.  Stay tuned for more cool stuff!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I am listening to The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty.

Another Student Finish

Carol R. of Ithaca, NY, completed this beauty and brought it to show me Tuesday night.  What a stunner!  Hand appliqued with batiks, machine set, and then machine quilted by Angie Roux (Quilting by Proxy).  The pattern is my "A Green Thumb for Everyone" which I taught as a long-term class at Quilters Corner in Ithaca.

It's so exciting to see finishes!  Don't hesitate to share yours!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

More Fun!

More happy faces!  And do you know why?  Because those points are so sharp I could cut myself!  

First up, the Big 3:  Home Circle at Patchwork Plus in Marcellus, NY.  These five ladies honed their rotary cutting, machine piecing and pressing skills.  Great job!

Anita, Victoria and Debbie are smiling proudly because they completed Jack in the Box blocks at O'Susannah's in Watkins Glen!  Their flying geese units are made the old fashioned way--with quarter and half square triangles!  Just delightful!

Victoria also brought in some show and tell that day.  First, she took to hand piecing hexagons like a duck to water!  What started as a small class project to learn the technique (NOT EPP) became a good sized runner.  All hand pieced and hand quilted.

A closer look and the back.

Victoria also took several machine quilting classes with Mandy Applebee at O'Susannah's.
(https://www.facebook.com/yellowhousequilts)  Victoria said she practiced and practiced before tackling this quilt.  All the feathers are freehand--no pattern drawn on the fabric!  I am very impressed!  Also, she was having trouble machine piecing the blocks and making them come out the right size, so...she hand pieced them and they are perfect!  That's why it pays to know lots of techniques!

So that's it for today.  Hope you enjoyed these beauties!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Flimsies...Flimsy Not

Trust me, I've been properly chastised for my lack of posting!  So I am going to try to string a few days of posting together, starting now!

Wait til you see!  

First, Debbie B. from Watkins Glen with her stunning Mariner's Compass.  She is going to hand quilt this beauty and already has designs in mind--that will be absolutely fabulous!  Great job, Debbie!  (She took this class at O'Susannah's in Watkins Glen.)

The lady behind the quilt is Gale, who drives over 1.5 hours each way to get to the classes at Patchwork Plus in Marcellus.  Gale has a lot of artistic vision and there is a lot to see on this quilt.  She traded out some background pieces in the compasses to make some look like they are "holes" in the sky.  Just amazing!

Next, Marie, who took this class in Elmira Heights.  Using a solid background really lets the stars shine.  Can we say WOW?  Yes, we can!  (You can tell she's smiling behind the quilt--just look at those sparkling eyes!)  I'm smiling too!

Many years ago I taught a class called Primitive Baltimore, which Judy D. took at Patchwork Plus in Marcellus.  She was lucky enough to travel to Hawaii and bought some fabulous fabric there.  She used the cutwork designs from the original quilt to make this stunner!  This is the Flimsy-Not!  Just beautiful!

And the almost-always smiling Penny!  This is her Green Thumb flimsy which she brought to show off!  Do you think she likes purple?  (Just a little?)

Ladies, this is what makes a teacher's heart sing!  You all did a spectacular job!  Thank you so much for sharing!

Tomorrow, a peak at some class photos!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I just finished listening to Memory Man by David Baldacci, and am listening to Robert B. Parker's Kickback by Ace Atkins.

Another Student Flimsy!

Last year Traci was in my Monthly Bliss Doubled class.  The perfect combination of hand piecing and hand applique, this beauty is absolutely stunning with Traci's fabric and color choices.

Here you can see the details better.  Thanks for sharing, Traci!

Spent time outside raking and picking up.  Just a beautiful day.

Blissful hugs to all,
Sharon

P.S.  This will seem like an odd question, but...for those who have Jeep Grand Cherokees, do you prefer All Wheel Drive or Four Wheel Drive.  And why.  Just curious.  No wrong answer!  Thanks!

A Bit of Catching Up

Last Saturday, five women joined me for another skill-builder class at Patchwork Plus in Marcellus.  We worked on the Handy Andy block, with lots of points and quarter- and half-square triangles.  These points are so sharp you could cut yourself on them!  From left to right:  Susan M., Sharon N., Gale, Alice, Pat A.  Great job, ladies!  It was a great day!

The Thursday before that Judy D. brought in her completely finished Monthly Bliss 3 quilt.  It is so beautiful.  Blocks were hand pieced, and the top was set by machine.  Truly lovely!

For those in the Featherweight class on Sunday (and for anyone having a Featherweight), there is a great book showing how to use the attachments on this and several other machines.  It is The Sewing Machine Attachment Handbook by Charlene Phillips.  People are often asking me if I use the attachments, and honestly I don't!  I go backwards and forwards very happily!  The pictures in this book are first-rate and you will be able to use those attachments.

I had only heard about them, but I finally found them!  LED lights for the Featherweight.  Now before you go rushing off to order one, read the pages carefully; there are different bulbs for different machines, and not just the Featherweight.  Here's the link:

http://www.stitchallthethings.com/featherweight-led/

I have not forgotten the applique tip.  Just needed to get a bit of this stuff out there first.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I have listened to Private Vegas by James Patterson, Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell, Deadline by John Sandford.  And I have read (in the last two weeks) Crossfire by Dick and Felix Francis, The Blood of an Englishman by M.C. Beaton, and Night Ride Home by Barbara Esstman.

And...for those of you that I've told about the horses at St. Mark's--I've ordered the book, so be prepared!

P.P.S.  Helen, it was so good to see you--you give the best hugs, girl!

Can We Say Colorful?

Noreen recently emailed me that she had completed a fussy-cut Dresden Plate quilt.  I, of course, wanted to see!

Here's a picture of the whole quilt.  LOVE how bright and colorful it is!

A close-up of one block.

And of another!  Isn't the background fabric just perfect for this piece?

I first met Noreen at the Vermont Quilt Festival last year and featured a picture of her red and white quilt here.

Another great job, Noreen!  Thanks so much for sharing!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I am listening to The Escape by David Baldacci.

A Flimsy and a Flimsy-Not

Karen H. has been very busy over the past few months.  Not only did she complete the entire Bliss Doubled project (second pic) but another version using only the pieced blocks!  Bliss Doubled combines both hand piecing and hand applique.

Don't you love the spark of color against the black background?  This is finished except hand sewing the binding.

What a difference!  Karen is also adding some crystals to enhance the applique blocks.  

Great job, Karen!  Thanks for sharing!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Smiling Faces

Last Saturday, six delightful women and I spent the day making Mrs. Keller's Nine Patch blocks at Patchwork Plus in Marcellus, NY.  One of the blocks from my Skill Builder series, this block taught students to rotary cut, machine piece and press to perfection.  We cut actual size pieces and sew them together.  No cutting larger and cutting down later.  No flying geese made from squares and rectangles; we cut half- and quarter-square triangles (no, there are no flying geese units in this block; I'm using it as an example of the skills these ladies are learning in the series).

From left to right:  Gale, Martha, Ginny, Pat B., Susan, and Pat A.  A wide range of fabrics--and just look at those smiles!   Thanks, Ladies; it was a great day!

Blissful, if brrrrrrry, hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I just finished reading Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Rita Mae Brown.  I am listening to Stolen Prey by John Sandford.

P.P.S.  Hi Judy and Linda!  Great to see you today!

Check Out These Flimsies!

My students are just the best!  These flimsies are from classes that finished in June.  And the tops are finished in October!  The class was Monthly Bliss Doubled, the perfect mix of hand piecing and needleturn applique all in one quilt!

First up is Debbie C. from Auburn.  Even more stunning in person, Debbie's choice of fabrics was so effective; check out that beautiful border.

Emily R. of Horseheads, did the same blocks in Civil War fabrics.  What a different look and feel; soft, serene--much like Emily herself!

And Terri H.  This is a rare sighting of that smiling face in its entirety!  Usually she's imitating Kilroy!  Doesn't this look like a breath of spring time?  

All three ladies did an excellent job!  I am so proud.  Thank you all for sharing your quilt tops with us.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Check This Out!

Traci L. won an honorable mention for her Flower Garden quilt at the New York State Fair this summer!!!!!

Using my patterns, Traci hand appliqued all the blocks, and our friend, Laurie, did the machine quilting.  It is just stunning!  

Congratulations, Traci (and Laurie)!

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

Retreat 2014 - Part 1

A funny story and some scenes from retreat 2014 in Lake George, New York.

Each summer, we have made it a tradition to run to the porch of my classroom (pic below) and wave as the Minne-ha-ha goes by.  Our goal is to get the passengers to wave--we have mixed results at best.  This year, five of my students decided to ride the Minne-ha-ha to see the lake from the lake instead of from shore.  We knew approximately what time the boat would be going by the dock at retreat, and those of us left on shore eagerly awaited the arrival of the Minne-ha-ha.  Our most shy and retiring quilter, TL, decided that they should all sit on the upper deck.  She also asked the captain to get as close to camp as possible.  When he asked why, she said that her teacher was on shore.  He asked what her name was.  TL told him--and...he announced over the PA system "Hello, Sharon Stroud"!  Can you just imagine!  Needless to say, all five of the quilters were waving wildly and they inspired the other tourists to do likewise!  The most waves we've every gotten!

Here's a pic of the top deck.  Counting from the right, the first five people are quilters!  The other side of the picture, top row, the enthusiastic tourists!  Too funny!

A close-up of the happy quilting castaways!  You ladies make me laugh!

Now, some random pictures I took that I wanted to share.  First, a piece of branch being used as a handrail on a path.  Isn't the texture interesting?  The white is a bit of fungus, I think.

We were lucky enough to get a private boat ride on Sunday morning.  Joe told us about rogue waves and we saw one.  No one can explain them, they just occur and are quite large.

The shore line coming into the boat house.  Just lovely.

Remember my classroom?  Here it is!  The lake runs under it!  And the water is so clear.  And that's the deck/porch we wave from!

And, to end this post, lake, rolling mountains, lofty clouds.  What a treat!

Next post I will show you the project we did at retreat and how the students interpreted it.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon