Atchoo!

Busy, busy, busy! Among other things.....

I finished and handed in a "Quilts for Kids" quilt to the Guild. I was given a packet of 20 (!) assorted Christmas flannels so I also have a second top done in boy colors which I need to finish before the December meeting!
It's not great...but not bad. Some child will enjoy snuggling in it. :)
I also made myself a name tag to wear to meetings.
On Saturday I attended a Guild workshop. The instructor was Jane Hall of foundation piecing fame. She was also speaker at the Guild meeting this month. Lucky us...she lives in Raleigh and is a member of our Guild! The class was Pineapples Plus and I really enjoyed it. :) Here are the blocks we created. In the morning we learned technique and in the afternoon designed and started on pineapple projects.
Jane was lovely and was very happy to let me take photos of her quilts. It was great to be able to handle and examine the quilts that are pictured in her books and have won various awards and ribbons.

Dawn Stars

Chroma VIIndigo LightsThis one, Vinas Viejas, just came back from Houston where it won Third Place in Traditional Pieced. Hollis Chatelain is also local to here and we had an interesting discussion about the controversy and about the craft as something that is growing and changing, as it should.

A couple of years ago, old friends gifted me with a Singer Featherweight. I don't believe it had been used for many years, though it looks like it was well loved and used in it's heyday. Like many unused Featherweights it smelled hugely musty and there was mold in the case. GAG. I cleaned out the case as best I could and took the machine for servicing, to a little old place run by several lovely old gentlemen. When I got it home I cleaned all the surfaces and dug in the crevices with cotton swabs....and put it back in the case. This was probably a mistake! I'm very allergic to cats and get some of the same symptoms when around molds, not often, but it happens. So about an hour into the class I started to sneeze and itch and stuff up. By the time I got home I was wheezing and coughing. The workshop was located in the youth room at a church so I really don't think there were any cats involved. The Tramp bought another case for the machine on eBay and I hope it arrives soon! In the meantime I've got to figure out how to de-must this thing! Any suggestions??? Wheeeeeze.....