Lots Going on in Oklahoma...

There has been a lot going on in Oklahoma lately.  First and foremost were the tornadoes on May 19, 20, and 24.  Many people lost everything.  My guild - the Oklahoma City Modern Quilt Guild - organized a quilt drive and made two beautiful quilts to be raffled off to earn money for charities involved in long term relief efforts.  To learn more about the quilt drive and how you can win one of these beautiful quilts, click the link above.

On a personal note, I was off work for two glorious weeks.  A lot of sewing was done during that time.  Caught up on the Sugar Block Club BOM.  The first one looks really dark.  I really want to redo it, but then again, I really don't!  We'll see...

Because all of my sewing stuff is in the middle of the living room, one of my goals during my vacation was to get a bit better organized and make my area look nicer during down times.  I bought some decorative boxes to keep projects in and made a cover for my sewing machine.  I looked at a bunch of sewing machine covers on line and finally decided to pull out some orphan blocks I had made over the years and put them together.  Rather than fitting the cover to the machine, I made a rectangle and put ties on both sides.  I think it turned out cute... 

Oh!  And I decided on a name for my lovely new machine.  She is KATE!  Because she is so classy and sophisticated...LOL!

I really want to donate quilts to the quilt drive, but I produce actual finished quilts at a snail's pace.  Then I remembered that I had one baby quilt on hand that I had made last year that hadn't found a home.  I am taking it to tomorrow's guild meeting to donate. 

I also quilted and bound two quilt tops that a former member of the guild had made but hadn't had a chance to finish.  She received the blocks in a swap and then put the tops together.  I think the colors are very nice together and both would make a good snuggly for either a little boy or a little girl.

I had hoped to finish this quilt as well.  I put the blocks together into the top last weekend, but I think it needs to be bigger.  Haven't been able to decide on a border idea...still thinking on it....This was a BOM from a few years ago titled 'Sentimental Journeys'.  Borders and finishing instructions were never published so I am on my own...

I have been reading and watching videos about free motion quilting.  My first shot at it didn't turn out too bad.  I want to practice some more.  I bought a pair of machingers gloves Friday as well as a special bobbin case made especially for FMQing.  Having always wanted to go on a quilt shop hop, I finally made it Friday.  Along with a fellow guild member, I went to three different shops in central Oklahoma.   The shops were very different from one another but all three had some interesting items.  I hope to go again someday, but I totally blew my budget - practically at our first stop.  Oh well...It was great fun!

Next weekend will be my first ever quilt retreat!  I am calling it quilt camp because I love the Elm Creek Quilt Books and their quilt camps.  I know this will be nothing like that, but I am still excited.  I have narrowed it down to three different projects to work on and have been making lists of supplies to take. 

Take care everyone!  And have a great week...

Bri