May Quilting~Gingham

Yesterday was the last quilting session until September. We didn’t work on a service project, so we started to prepare for a group project we are going to work on, starting in September, and possibly for the next ‘season’. The pattern is called ‘Crazies’ by Buggy Barn. This same pattern was the first project we worked on in our very first session, which was (I believe), in August of the year 2000. Christie thought it would be fun for us to all make the same pattern again to celebrate our 15 years together quilting.

Some of us were new ‘sewists’, and the first time we got together, one of the gals was throwing threads on the floor, and having trouble with the machine that she brought. The bobbin tension was loose, and with threads being thrown around, it was then that I named us, ‘Loose Tensions’. I also thought it was appropriate because when we all got together, we could reduce some of the stress we hang onto in our every day lives by laughing, sharing, and just having a good time. Although I was not blogging at that time, nor did I have a good system for saving photos, this is my very first quilt made from that pattern. I made several more, but this one will always be the most special. It hangs in my ‘north-south’ hallway.

Christie, who was the one responsible for getting us all together and getting us excited about quilting, had taken a class using the Buggy Barn pattern, and she wanted to share it with us. That quilting day was never intended as an ongoing event, but we all had such a good time, that we decided that day to keep going. We quilted year round, once a month for several years, but then we decided to take the summers off, since there always seemed to be conflicts where one or more could not come, and for me, staying home and quilting on a day when my husband was taking off on our motorcycle made me sad, so we decided to break from June through August. It gives us all a break and makes us all happy to see each other again in September.

So back to yesterday, although I did not take any photos, we all visited and worked on our own things. I finished hand stitching the binding down on my ‘Cross’ quilt. The entire quilt (except the batting and the purple) is made from recycled sheets I picked up from thrift stores. The purple was actually a round tablecloth, and is a heavier fabric, but it worked. The backing was also a lavender sheet, although next to the brighter purple, appears more gray to me.

Kate finished the quilt top she started last month for the Park View Quilting Ministry.

May also marks Leslie’s birthday, so there were gifts given, and she brought cupcakes. Sadly, by the time I took photos, this was the only one left.

Christie chose Gingham for her fabric choice. Yummmmmm!!!!

The girls tore down, cleaned up and were gone just before 2pm. Louie had been out golfing and was napping in his chair when they left, so we both decided to take naps. We woke up a few hours later and turned into couch potatoes, not going anywhere or doing anything. Today, we MUST do something. I thought it was going to be nice enough for a motorcycle ride, but it is raining and I don’t see it clearing. 

Oh well, we still have the car!