Monday, December 23, 2013

I Can't Believe it's December 23rd!

This morning I finally have time to post and when I opened my computer and it said December 23rd I was in shock.  What happened to the last two and a half months!  Life has been insane.  I have been very busy getting ready for our daughter and granddaughter to move in and now they are here.  I've painted three bedrooms, painted furniture (with help some help from Debbi), reorganized closets, decorated for Christmas, did my Christmas shopping and Christmas cards all before Thanksgiving. Plus the regular responsibilities of quilting: two quilts for Lexi's bunk beds (no pictures yet), Scrap therapy table topper (below), Strip club quilt (heart quilt below), another strip club quilt for January (King size which I can't show yet and still needs the binding) and also some art quilts that aren't done and may never be done (not liking them very much). 




After Thanksgiving I flew to Virginia for a week to help Serena pack then flew back with Lexi while Jeff and Serena drove to California.  They are here and we are trying to incorporate their stuff into our stuff!  As sad as it is not to have our other kids and grandchildren here for Christmas, we have so much chaos here it probably is better this year.  At lease we are not alone.

I have been teaching although not all my classes are going over very well.  My Art Challenge group at Bolts in the Bathtub is going very well and I'm so excited about their work.  Here are just some of their couching work.  I demonstrated fabric weaving in November (we took December off) and am anxious to see their work with this technique. January's demonstration will be simple beading techniques.









I find myself being challenged by these amazing students.  I've spent the last two years immersed in traditional quilting because of teaching that I'm feeling lost when it comes to artistic creativity.  I'm hoping to change that this year and spend more time on my art being inspired by these students.  I need to step up my game!

Here are some pictures of Cheryl and her two quilts from the Vintage Moments class.  Cheryl decided to make two quilts from the one.  I think she did a very good job with the setting of the blocks. Vintage Moments was the first class of students I had at Bolts and my students have been very loyal to me. They are great!





 I'm hoping to post more in the coming year.  We are suppose to get faster Internet.  Right now it takes 20 minutes to upload one picture.  Now do you understand why it takes so long to post!  I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Thimble Town Challenge and more


Here is my Thimble Town Challenge quilt.  I won best use of color.  Awesome!


Our challenge for Loose Threads a few month back was a quote by Winston Churchill 
"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
I'm not a animal person so to put animals on a quilt is not going to happen.  
When Pigs Fly!


This fabric came into the store and I knew it needed to be a quilt.  Tiffany helped with the design.  Now its a store kit and I have my second pattern.  I'm still trying to master Publisher so it's really not the best looking pattern but I'm getting there.  This pattern is great for those panels we don't know what to do with.



I finished two quilts for Lexi's bunk beds and they are off to the quilter.  I'm working on a quilt for Serena, a tree skirt for a class I'm teaching, the next strip club quilt, three block of the month programs, and I need to start a tee shirt quilt for another class I'm teaching in November.  I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

Friday, September 20, 2013

It's About Time!


I know you have been wondering where I've been.  I think summer just got away from me.  June consisted of helping Bolts in the Bathtub get settled in to their new digs on Lancaster Blvd.  Finally feels like things are in some kind of order and the classroom is all set up.  These are some of the quilts from last weeks art trunk show used to kick off our new class "Anna's Art Challenge".  We had a good turnout and a lot of interest in the class.  I'll let you know how it goes.

The following are some of my students work.

From the begging paper piecing class.


From the Start Quilting 2 class.



The top three are from Log Cabin Paseos Class (original pattern).

Start Quilting 1 class

Here's my sample from Strip Club in July.  I need to get a picture of the one we just did for September.

Then I spent sometime in Redding with my daughter's family.  This quilt was made for my son-in-law.  He has wanted a binary quilt for sometime and this is what I finally came up with.  Not sure this is what he had in mind.


 Here's Ephram with his quilt.  He picked out the fabrics.  He's my 'love solids' boy.  When the kids were all visiting in August, I took them all to the quilt store and they all picked out fabric for either dresses for the girls or PJ's for the boys.  Ephram picked a solid batik blue for his PJ's. Go figure! I made 6 dresses (2 for each girl) and 2 sets of PJ's.  No more kids clothes till next spring!

Here they all are at the airport where we picked up Lexi and Serena waiting for luggage.  Car seat never came but we all had a great time.  As you can imagine this Nana had so much fun with her grand kids and her daughters around.

We are also busy working on the house.  Serena and Lexi will be moving in with us in December so Serena can go to nursing school.  So we are repainting rooms, re tiling a bathroom floor and I have more furniture to paint.  It's never ending!




Here's my latest project for Loose Threads.  It needs some work but it will have to wait.  I have two quilts to make for Lexi's bunk beds, a queen for Serena, a quilt for Daniel, and a lot more for Christmas.  I spent the last few days organizing my scraps and my quilt studio when I should have been quilting.  Now this morning I'm waiting for delivery guys so I have to stay downstairs since I can't hear the doorbell in my studio.  That's why this posting is getting done!

Thanks to all of you who are still interested in what I am doing.  I'll try to post more often!  Happy quilting!


Thursday, June 6, 2013

Happenings up on the hill


It's fire season again.  This was the view of our house from below by the stables of the smoke with the red sun shinning through.  It was a anxious weekend.  Not because it was as close as it looks but because of the concern for fires that might break out closer to us.  It is extremely dry here and when the wind kicks up it's even a bigger concern.  



Spent last Saturday in Hanford for the shower of my niece Laine's shower for her first child, Paige.  Isn't she a cutie!


Here's the quilt I made her.

On Friday night, the night before, we had a craft night with the ladies of Grace Reformed church at my house.  We made coasters.  This was the first time for some of these ladies using a sewing machine.  Next time will be a table runner. 







Here's Beth, one of my beginning quilting students with her finished quilt top.  No class this week due to the store, Bolts in the Bathtub, moving to Lancaster Blvd.  My two faithful beginners are taking the Start Quilting Next Step with me.  Next week the log cabin block.

I made this for my nephew Kris and his wife.  It was long over due!

Katrina and the kids came to spend the week last week so not much quilting got done but we flew kites.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all of you are having a great Mother's Day with your families!  I'm home sick with sinus problems, yet again, so my day will include quilting and resting.


Here's a picture of the start of my challenge quilt for Loose Threads.  Not really happy with the result but will post it later and let you be the judge.

Here is the Strip Club quilt for the month of May at Bolts in the Bathtub. Of course mine was brights.  Dawna's was done in batiks.  I'll try to get a picture of it.  It was beautiful.

My daughter wanted me to make a table runner for a friend of hers and you know me it was done last minute.  I really forgot about it.  I'm happy with the results.  Just used my stash.  Sorry for the uncropped picture but ... it's a long story!


Finished teaching a Start Quilting class at Bolts in the Bathtub. These are my students quilts.  
 It's always fun teaching beginning quilting.  I was so thankful for Dawna being there.  She showed me some things about putting on borders that was very helpful.  Thanks Dawna, you are awesome!


Now for a picture of my girls.  This will always be my favorite picture.  Thanks for being my daughters and for being the mothers to my grandchildren.  You are all such wonderful mothers and such a blessing!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Just some of the things I've been up to!

I've been busy finishing class samples, charity quilts, and even a store sample.  I also have a quilt I made for Strip Club but I can't show it till this weekend.  I finished my quilt for Loose Threads challenge but I'm not really sure if it's anything to show.  I showed some folks here but they really weren't encouraging.  I'll have to see what the Loose Threads quilters think.
Here is the table runner I designed for our beginning paper piecing class.


 
Here are two quilts I made for Antelope Valley Quilt Guild for their veteran quilt charity.

This is for the Start Quilting Class (Start Quilting by Alex Anderson)

This is the Start Quilting Next Step Class.  I took three of the blocks from Alex Anderson's book and designed this quilt.  This is a new class at Bolts in the Bathtub.

I worked the store a couple weeks ago and made this quilt to showcase some new fabric.

Since Mother's Day is Sunday and I don't get to see my girls or my grand kids, I thought I would showcase some of my favorite photos.