My Sewing Side

I'm highlighting some of my quilting projects today and I can't wait to share!  I do have a great time with the color and design of fabric and quilts.  I'm lucky to have an almost daily encounter with fabric!  For about 19 years, I've been working at Bear Patch Quilting Co. in White Bear Lake, MN.  A great quilt shop!  I started working there while I was still a critical care nurse.  Gradually I worked less nursing hours and more quilting hours!

Eventually, I was having much more fun with fabric and felt I was at my limit with how much trauma and grief I could take at the hospital.  I'm so, so glad that I had my quilting therapy to help me at that time!
Fast forward to the present!  I'm still stitchin'!  I have chronicled much of my sewing and quilting history over on my earlier blog.  But right now, I'm living it up right at my Bernina 730!  I am especially happy because it's getting close to the time to go to a retreat with a group of friends.  4 days away from home with a chance to sew as long as I want to!  So I have been preparing the things that I want to take along.
In that first picture, I have little bundles of pieces pinned together to make my little houses.  I give quite a bit of thought and attention to putting the pieces together.  And it helps me to do that at home alone so I'm not too distracted by my companions!  There's a picture of my little shark house and a tree that I have added to the design.

This pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilts is my inspiration.  It says I need 137 houses.  So far I have about 50.  That's a lot more houses to make!  I'll have to look at what I want the final size to be and see if I'm sticking to that plan!

Another ongoing project is my Plus quilt.  I started both of these earlier this year, and work on them when I'm able.  The Plus quilt was part of an online sew-along by the designer and author of Comfort Quilts.  I didn't keep up with the weekly assignments, but I'm better off to go at my own pace.
There are 2 sizes of plus blocks, 3" and 6".  I don't even know where I am on the count to completion on this one!  I've thought that I would make it big enough to fit the queen bed in our trailer.

I love the look of this quilt!  And it would be a great way for me to put my personal stamp on all that aluminum in the trailer!

I have plenty of little cross pieces, in both sizes of block, pinned together in little bundles and ready to take on retreat.  Again, I can do the thinking part of color and design at home alone.  Then I can have the fun of putting the pieces together and socializing with my friends!

Just one more quilt idea to show you!  I love these star blocks!  They are called Lemoyne Star, and I learned to make them with a special ruler designed by Deb Tucker.  The first 2 turned out so well that I decided to continue with more.  So those fabrics, also, have been selected and cut at home, and boxed up for retreat.
One of the best things about these 3 projects is that I am making them primarily with the fabrics that I have at home.  And adding something here or there that I see and the store.  Sometimes something just jumps right off the shelf that is perfect for a little house or star or plus!
So, now you know about this side of my life, in case you have missed it before!
​Soon I'll be able to share more about my camping stories, and eventually we will get to the point of quilting in the trailer!