July 2026

 We met at Marty's house. There were 5 of us (Mary, Joan, Mindy, Susan, Marty) with Deanna, Arleen, Sandy and Alice missing. We shared stories about our health and well being and then moved into our quilt sharing. Our snack was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting; our continued conversation including some discussion of inviting some new people to join our group. Here are the photos from our meeting today.  August meeting will be at Alice's,  September at Mindys and October at my house....

Susan The 62 is mine which is a repair I am doing of my great Aunts 63 year old quilt.

60 is a couple of squares from the foundation paper Piece Wensleydale quilt I am working on.  

59 is the back of a quilt I started in 2008 and finally finished for my daughter...

58 and 73 are oucs of my front of the quilt (with my daughter).

55 is the front of my 4 patch Posey, 56 is a close up and 57 is the back.



Mindy

Joan The first quilt that I showed at our get together is called revenge of the napkins as you know I collected actually stole napkins from restaurants on trips that I took for several years they’re integrated into the into the motives. Actually, I got the idea of doing that from looking at what you were working on at our last meeting with Marty thanks to my husband who was able to cut things more accurately than I can now and my daughter who put made the yo-yos that went in the center of each one of the squares the front of it was in good shape in the back. I don’t know if Susan took a picture of it, but it has one full napkin that Richard bought for me at Tallia and West in Phoenix and it has a Frank Lloyd Wright design on it. It was quilted by Melissa Quilter. The yellow thing is the front of a very large queen size bedspread. I’m trying to use up my yellow fabrics and Richard and I just cut fabrics for the back of it and I still have a lot left over. Oh my goodness hopefully next month there will be a picture of it completed. 

Marty showed a whole-cloth quilt that she made in a workshop with Lucy Hilty in 1993 (and finished in 1995). She included this because Lucy was the subject of the presentation at the recent in-person EBHQ meeting. It was a fun process of designing, marking and hand quilting the piece and considering Marty chose too thick a batting, being a relative novice to quilting at that time, it ended up taking a toll on her right arm.

Marty then showed 3 donation quilts two of which were made using patterns that EBHQ has on their website and the third is a design that she likes that uses nine-patches with two different fabrics and a third fabric in the center square. These are all child size.

Mary continues the new kind of baby quilt with each one, this time dogs…

After her grandson got his bicycle quilt, Mary’s granddaughter asked for a dancer quilt.  Joan helped Mary with her color struggles (changed the hair color from blond to brown for a little more contrast in that part of the quilt among other things).

Arleen This is a Japanese Puzzle quilt  that I have been struggling to make. Without a dedicated sewing room I have to make do with my small space and my mom's old machine. Ugh. Lots of mistakes but I decided to just keep going. Don't look too close.

 

 

June 2026

 The June 2nd meeting was hosted by Joan.  There were five of us present, Joan, Mary, Alice, Marty and Mindy.  Sandy, Deanna, Susan and Arleen were not able to attend.  Joan served a wonderful dessert made from a recipe by Narsai David so you know it was delicious.   Our next meeting in will be at Marty's home in El Cerrito on July 7.

Joan shared that she and Rich were celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary the day of our meeting.  She did not have a quilt to share because it was out being quilted but we had a nice conversation about other topics.  It's always nice to catch up.

Mary brought a finished quilt of a large rabbit.  She had drafted the pattern based on another pattern that she had seen.  It is in lovely soft yellows and she did her usual, very creative, free-motion quilting.

Alice brought a geometric quilt top in bright solid fabrics that was quite interesting.  The pattern looks complicated but she broke it down so we could see that it was easier that it looks.

Marty brought 5 child/baby quilts completed using her own fabrics but using patterns that the DDCQP posts on the EBHQ.org website.  There was an announcement made at the May Tuesday Open Quilting session asking members to create children's quilts for the local hospitals so she went to work immediately.  Marty's process is to start with the back of the quilt and build the front using the colors on the back.

Mindy did not bring a quilt to show but we were happy to hear about her recent medical tests that hopefully will lead to her doctors finding a method of treatment for her.  It sounds like surgery is in her future but she hopes to gain some strength prior to that process.

Arleen I was not there, but wanted to share what I have been working on in Hawaii.  My sister in law Carol took me to a craft pop up and I was able to get some bags of scraps.  I made this child size quilt for my brothers friend. I tried to use up all the fabric from the bags.  I’m also trying to make the Japanese Puzzle quilt from the scrap bags that I bought from Over the Blue Horizon.  It’s hard.

If Alice, Mindy, Deanna, sandy or Susan want to send pictures of what they are working on, just take a picture and email it to me. It's fun to see what everyone is up to. And I love the pictures.

Susan wrote, Thank you Arleen... sorry to miss the meeting but I had a prior engagement.. .I have gotten my Circle Pizzazz back from the Longarmer and am finishing the binding. I am pretty happy with how it has come out.. Now I am working on my Foundation Paper Piecing of the Wensleydale.  I would also like to offer to have the meeting at my house sometime as well....

 

Deanna wrote, Thank you, Arleen.  I love everybody's quilts, but I don't have any photos to share.  I did finish one quilt and two baby quilt tops before we left for Texas, but haven't taken any photos.  Here in Texas I haven't been able to quilt as we are living out of boxes until the bathroom and the floors are finished.

Joan wrote, We had a lovely meeting on June 2. We were small but mighty I wish I had something to report from my work this past month. I did finish the revenge of the napkins quilt and Melissa Quilter has it to give it final touches. I’m working on a very large bed quilt but it’s taking longer than I thought. 

Hi Arlene. Hope you guys are doing well. Miss you. Turns out this quilt uses the same colors as my printer. Cyan. Magenta. Yellow. Black. White.

May 2026

 Although I wasn’t there the meeting was held at Mary’s house.  I think Sandy also could’nt make the drive, but Deanna was able to take pictures and send them to me. Deanna said Alice was not able to attend.  I’ll try my best to put together this blog post, even if I’m not there to share.  It’s great to see what everyone is up to.

Marty

Marty completed two DDCQP kits this month including one Chinese Coin pattern which inspired her to use some of the free fabric from Tuesday Open Quilting to make another Chinese Coin complete quilt.  She also brought the completed 3-Yard Quilt she showed last month as just a top so that she could show the quilting design she created.

Mary

This is Mary’s Vanity Square quilt made for Obie’s friend who wanted a craft themed quilt (previously shared with QT before it was quilted).  Mary couldn’t find many craft themed fabrics so she made it an arts and crafts quilt and added music and painting fabrics.  She brought it back today to share the quilting. She used up the leftover blocks on the back so she could be done with Vanity Square pattern for a good while!

Mary’s 8-year-old grandson told his mom he wanted to take down one of the quilts on his bedroom wall because he wanted a new one. Debra convinced him to measure some of the empty space on his wall so he could get another one instead of having to take one down. Then he decided he wanted a bicycle quilt; his dad asked if he wouldn’t like to have a dinosaur quilt but he was very insistent on having a bicycle quilt!  The quilting includes a bird, some clouds and some irises.

Susan

This is my Circle Pizazz quilt for my oldest son Nick. Learning how to sew curves. Will be adding borders then off to the quilters.

Deanna

The quilt on the left is a Bento Box quilt, re-sized to fit some 5" squares that were left over from a prior quilt, rather than the usual center that uses two rectangles.

The quilt on the right is based on an EBHQ children's quilt pattern, but the rectangles are of varying widths and the fabrics used make it an "I Spy" quilt.

Mindy

Arleen

I was able to finish the tshirt quilt for my friend Jon.  He was so happy to finally see the old tshirts made into a memory quilt.  He gave me a thank you note and some money. I stitched in the ditch with a walking foot and did free motion quilting on some of the T-shirts.

Joan didn’t bring anything but will be hosting the next meeting on June 2 at 130.  She is starting a black and white quilt and is in the middle of assembling it.  She is planning her Washington trip and this is a challenge quilt.

April 2026

 For the first time in a while everyone made it to the quilt therapy meeting at Alice’s house.  The stars aligned for all nine of us to meet and enjoy each other’s company.  With the warming weather and longer days hopefully Sandy will be able to make the drive, Deanna and I will be in town and everyone will stay healthy.  The May meeting will be at Mary’s house on May 5 at 1:30.  Mindy offered to host in September.

Arleen

I went first with three quilts.  The first was the quilt top from last month that I quilted in a circular pattern.  I started in the center with a small circles with free motion.  Then I switched to the walking foot and measuring arm on the foot to make 1 inch circles.

The second quilt was started in the Sarah Nishiura workshop.  I cut out a paper template to get the pattern for a circular quilt.  I was so happy to use my remaining Michael James Geometrics fabric.  I don’t know how old the fabric was but it was perfect for this pattern.  I also used Jennifer Sampous ombré fabric to make a border.  The bright colors brought out the colors in the older prints.  It was quilted with a 12 wt Superior lime green thread.

The third quilt is a t shirt quilt made from 20 volleyball shirts.  I backed it with interfacing and bordered it with the ombré fabric.  The bright colors made the old tshirts look brighter and almost new.  Some of the shirts were from the 80s.

Marty

Marty had 5 quilts to show.  The first quilt was quilted using a walking foot.  She read Leah Days book about walking foot quilting.  Starting in a corner she did a quarter circle arc, then continued the arc about 3 inches from the last. Another arc was started in the next corner.

The next quilt was the dark green flower quilt.  She quilted it on the diagonal with the walking foot.

The third quilt used fabric from Sandy.  The black and white animals on a teal background became the inspiration fabric for the laptop sized quilt.

The fourth quilt also used Sandy’s fabric to make the Vanity Square pattern.  She had a roll of 2.5 batiks.  She said it was hard to put together.  Mary suggested just make a lot of blocks and when you have enough put it together.

The fifth quilt top had some cheery animals on a nice background.  The hedgehog, racoons, foxes and bears looks like a perfect baby quilt.

Alice

Alice showed two quilts.  The first quilt is quilted with a walking foot.  She admits it’s easier when it is edge to edge.  She was happy to experiment with the straight line and serpentine stitches.

I think the second quilt was made with free motion quilting.  It is hard to see, but the rose quilting stands out on the plain fabric.  She is still experimenting with the ruler work.

Susan

Susan had two quilts to show.  The first used the blocks from the sewing class.  She added the three kitties on a pillow and a piping border that she learned in class.  It’s so cute. 

The second quilt still has two more rows.  It comes from a musical instrument fabric that was cut by stacking the fabric using a pin into the repeating motifs and cutting them in squares. It looks very psychedelic and very well done.

Mindy

Mindy is at it again with her tiny hexagon paper piecing.  This is going to take a long time.  She has to select the fabric, cut the hexagon, glue the paper piecing and then hand piece each together.

Her second project is equally tiny.  She is making tiny two inch pinwheels.  To me they are so tiny, I would have a hard time just threading the needle. Such beautiful handwork.

Mary

Mary had two quilts to share.  The first is a forgotten quilt top that she decided to finish.  She did walking foot quilting.  The back is made with some pretty llama fabric and pieced in fabric.  Nice.

The second is a planes and propellers quilt.  I love the quilting of clouds and  lines to show the planes path.  So creative.  Mary was inspired by Laura Lee Fritz books on free motion quilting and showed two of her books.  I have to get them. I can see how they will help my free motion quilting.

Joan

Joan had two quilts. She brought her finished crayon box quilt to show the quilting from hello stitch.  They did a really good job of I think is computerized quilting.

Deanna

Deanna worked on her twofer quilt with black thread to outline the black triangles and multicolored thread to free motion quilt.  She freehand quilted vines and leaves on the squares and border to perfectly balance the quilt.  This scrap quilt of Japanese brights is made with 5 inch squares and 3 inch squares sewn on one corner to make the triangle.

Sandy had no project to show as she is downsizing, sorting and figuring out as Maria Kondo says What Sparks Joy. As spring arrives, I know I am looking at old projects and wondering if I’ll ever do dyeing, stenciling, screen printing, indigo, beading again.  Too many fun projects that take up so much space. Thank you Sandy for sharing your fabric with us.  You brought some lovely pieces that we are all using with Joy.