2016 Road 2 California Quilt Show and Goodies I Bought

My sister and I spent three days at the quilt show this year, and one of our long time friends was able to meet us there for the day.

The view out of our hotel window is of Mt. Baldy in the San Gabriel mountain range - we grew up with this view, and always love coming back to this area of California.

This is this years winning quilt.  Doesn't it look like you could just pull the pillows off the selves?

I'm not a quilter like my sister, but that doesn't mean that I don't find great things to buy from the vendors - here are a few treasures - new block print fabric, vintage and new trims and buttons as well as a new paisley block for printing and fabric paints (not pictured).

September - Swap Your Stash Challenge

I like to add images to the little quilties I make. This image of a young woman hanging laundry on a clothesline, from Luna Girl Images, was perfect to compliment the fabrics I received for the September challenge.

I used the fabrics and lace to mimic the background in the image: Blue lace sky, pink & white striped cotton fence, green cotton grass, and white eyelet clothes hang on the silver fabric clothesline.

August - Swap Your Stash Challenge

I received the August 'Swap Your Stash' goodies early in the month, but haven't worked with it until yesterday. I decided to make two small wall hangings because I was having a difficult time trying to put everything together into one piece. I have quite a few old Russian stamps that I brought with me this year, and I used them instead of putting a picture on each piece. I still like to incorporate an image into each wall hanging I make, as I would do when using my own stash. The first picture is taken of the stash before I made the wall hangings. I usually forget to take a picture at this step, so I'm glad that I remembered to do that this time. Although, I am missing the light blue applique that I used in the #1 wall hanging in the before photo. It was included in the fabric packet I received.

July - Swap Your Stash Challenge

The July "Swap Your Stash Challenge" is nearly at a close and I just finished mine last night. I used flower seed packages that I planted this year, and added them to the stash to make two collages. I used Twinkling H20 paint to add a bit of sparkling color to the fringe. The two collages are very simular as I plan to keep one and send the other one to the lady who supplied July's stash. Now I'm looking forward to receiving the August stash.

Pincushions - Swap Your Stash - June

The June package of "Swap Your Stash" fabrics was waiting for me when I arrived in Kentucky. The bright colored prints are very pretty, and also quite different from the fabrics I am used to working with. The package also included a variety of colorful beads. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to make pincushions. I tried to use just the items I had received, but did use a couple of my glass buttons. The large 'jewel box' pincushion measures 5" square by 2" high. It will be handy for quilt pins as well as large needles. The smaller ones are also a basic 5", but do not have the depth - so part of the 5" top becomes the sides. I finished this challenge with just a few days to spare before the end of June. Now, I'll be looking forward to July's mystery to arrive in the mail.

May Swap Your Stash Challenge

I created this small collage wall hanging with the stash I received from one of the group members for the May "Swap Your Stash Challenge". The 'button card' is a scanned image of a button card that is printed on white cotton. Everything else is from the stash that I received. This has been a great challenge for me because it forces me to create a piece incorporating as many of the items I receive from the group members, but limiting items from my own stash. I like to use photos or other images in my work and will limit my stash to them.

Swap Your Stash - April

It was my turn to send out some of my stash for the April Swap Your Stash Challenge. As the participants finish their work for this month's challenge using my fabrics, I will post pictures of them here.

I decided to keep a set of the stash for myself and made a lightly quilted wall hanging using scanned photos from my Dad's grade school photo album from 1931 - 32. He lived in Lane, SD and attended Meyers School. I used an old ruler as the hanger for this piece. I will display it in our Kentucky cottage which is quite fitting because the original core of the cottage is a circa 1874 one room school house.

The journal covers are by Flicsha. Besides the one she made for the challenge, she also made one for me with my initial monogrammed on the front of the
cover.






Skye made a very cute Sun Bonnet Sue.




This wonderful fabric and painted collage titled "Give" is by LaRinda.

Swap Your Stash - March

An online group I belong to has a challenge that I am participating in called, "Swap Your Stash".

There are eight of us in the swap and each month one of us sends the other seven in the group the same pieces of fabrics, lace, buttons etc. Then, we all create something and post our creations to the group. I forgot to take a picture of the stash I received for March before I began to cut and sew. We received so many selections this month that I ended up making four pieces that I am posting here. (The pictures were taken at a slight angle to avoid my shadow)


Aunt Hope 7.5" x 15.................................. Granda 9" x 13"

Coats 6" x 8.5 " .............................................................Freedom 5" x 8"