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.