Mid Pinellas Quilt Show

Yesterday and today my guild, PQs, is hosting a show with two other groups at the Seminole Rec center.  Go if you can, this is such a nice show !   We were scheduled to work a couple of hours last evening, but since the crowds had come through earlier in the day it was quiet and we could look at the quilts.  Here are some of my favorites with names if I knew them:

Such a nice Kim Diehl pattern, I believe this belongs to Cathy Blanchard.

My large boutis, does not really come into its own with the pale background.

I have this pattern but only made one block I think, this is a lovely version of it.

Becky Madasz's beautiful version of Hop to It

and her lovely civil war quilt.  I have made this and loved every minute of it, Lou now owns that one. I am making another for myself, all blocks are done as well as the applique, need to put everything together (and I'm inspired to do that this weekend !)

Becky again, this is her own design.  I remember her drawing the house.  I also have the kit, never made, but I did play around with some different design options.

This was in the entry way, I do not recall whose quilt this was, beautiful though.

Another lovely Kim Diehl design.

My original design offered to PQs last year as a block of the month project.

A handmade Dear Jane - and perfect too !  What can I say, doesn't get better than this.  Made by the very talented Joan Petrelli.

The Caswell quilt, made by Margerite Connolly - fabulous red background !  Marguerite has a great eye for color.

Aren't these trees amazing ?  Cathy Starman made this, I have never seen this pattern but love it.

Many versions of this pumpkin quilt were on show, some bigger, some smaller.  Needless to say, I have this kit too, which came from Country Quilts years ago.  Need to make it, they all looked so cute.

Margerite again, I believe - sorry the color looks so odd, in fact this was a rich blue/purple batik.

Lovely schoolhouses in indgo by Marilyn Allison - this is one for Lou !

Love this, vibrant colors, made by Sue Lorenz.

Janet's Bunny Hill calendar quilt - this was a freebie one year, and Janet made such cute blocks.  Love the blue/grey setting colors.

Wool, made by Janis Magee - her quilts are just amazing, I looked at several in this show and they were all different, interesting, different methods and themes, from a truly creative person.

Yes, have this pattern too - lovely version of this with beads and sparkles.

 

 

******* PS - The show is over now, and when I went to pick up my quilts yesterday, I found that both boutis had won a ribbon !  There was a visitors choice ribbon in a number of categories, and the boutis won for wallhanging and miniature.  I was so thrilled, especially because this was a visitors vote, and it is important to me that people should love boutis !!!

Je suis super contente que mes boutis ont ete fort apprecies par les visiteurs, et ont gagne tous les deux un ruban pour la choix des visiteurs.  C'est pour moi tres important que le "vrai" boutis soit reconnu !

Strawberry Fields forever .......

Florida in the spring is the primary source for fresh strawberries here.  We are lucky that the farms are close to us in Plant City, where there is a strawberry festival each year as well.  Today was a beautiful sunny day, and so I thought it would be a good idea to get going on some jam making.  I am always so optimistic about this, but my preserves are usually a terrible disappointment, they just don't want to jell. 
This year, I have made it a challenge:  new recipe book, new beautiful copper jam pan from Mauviel, and iron discipline where measurements are concerned ! 

Macerating ready for me to cook later.

Nothing ripe left on this plant, the tourist season is in full force now and there were many people out.

The beds are covered with this foil, keeps the strawberries really clean.

 I love these onions, called "strawberry onions", there are usually a couple of rows planted at the edge of the strawberry fields.  I don't know why.

 

So once I have made the jam, I will post an update - will it set or won't it ????

 

Update:  Yes, it worked !   I made two batches, 12 half pint jars.  I will do it again next month at the peak of the season, maybe strawberry marmalade next time.

All that is needed now are nice labels and a decorative fabric cover for the lids.

Pierrefeu du Var - 10eme Rencontres du Boutis

If you are lucky enough to be in the south of France in March, try to get to this exhibition !  It is run by a local boutis club, and has grown significantly in the 10 years they have been exhibiting.  This year, the 10th anniversary edition, many well-known boutis designers are attending for the first time, as well as clubs and individuals who make boutis prolifically and do wonderful work.  My favorite designer will be there - Chantal Geoffroy is, in my opinion, the most wonderful boutis stitcher and designer I have ever seen, who embodies the spirit of boutis for me.  She is also an extremely modest person, who does not publish her work.

Here's the flyer:

February

It's already February and a very long time since my last post.  Christmas is always busy, and that carried on into January for me this year.
I have been stitching on my large boutis, and doing some applique.  I finished a quilt top I have been working on, an original design which I offered to my quilt club in 2014 as a block of the month.
I challenged myself to use fabrics I already had, and sometimes then you have to change what you planned, but overall I am pleased with the result:

The applique is wool on antique linen.  The rest are cottons.  I did learn that it's pointless to try to make such tight curves with a bias, it was just about impossible to get them smooth, so I will make gentler curves in future. The 3" nine patches were made using the technique on Fun with Barb's blog, starting with 4 1/2" squares instead of strip piecing.

I also took a class on making hexies stars with fussy cutting.  I love the result but this technique does take some time, so that will be a long term project.

Here's the first one.  More to come !