Monday, January 27, 2014
Diamond String Quilt
A few months ago I took a class on doing a string quilt. When I first saw the sample in the store I thought it was beautiful but was beyond my skill level. My friend Catherine was teaching the class and assured me I could do it and that it looked complex but really was not. So I signed up for the class and fell in love with the technique and the design. I used scrap fabric in the class but plan on doing another one that is all batiks.
Block of the Month Quilt
Last fall I joined a Block of the Month with Fat Quarter Shop (www.fatquartershop.com). The fabric was Avalon and I just loved the fabric line so I knew I wanted to do the BOM.
Here are the 4 I did prior to the retreat I went on.
At the retreat I completed 3 more blocks.
Block 5:
Block 6:
Block 7:
Here is all 7 blocks put together:
I have no idea what the final layout will be. I haven't gotten my final kit yet and I still need to purchase my backing and binding kit for this.
I just love this fabric and each month when I get a new block there is always a ton of leftover fabric. I look forward to seeing the end product.
Here are the 4 I did prior to the retreat I went on.
At the retreat I completed 3 more blocks.
Block 5:
Block 6:
Block 7:
Here is all 7 blocks put together:
I have no idea what the final layout will be. I haven't gotten my final kit yet and I still need to purchase my backing and binding kit for this.
I just love this fabric and each month when I get a new block there is always a ton of leftover fabric. I look forward to seeing the end product.
Mystery Quilt 2013
Early 2013 I decided to join a Mystery Quilt group through Connecting Threads. It sounded like fun. I was still VERY new to quilting so I was a little nervous about since I had no idea what the final product would be I had no idea if it was at my skill level or not. I went out and bought my fabric and couldn't wait to get started.
The first step was all about cutting the fabric and sewing a few pieces together. "No problem!" I thought.
Then I got the second step. Yikes. It had flying geese in it which I had never done before. I was instantly intimidated but the instructions seemed clear enough so I did it anyway. The first few that came out didn't look right and when I measured them the measurement was off so I gave up and didn't touch the quilt again.
I have always been a believer in finishing what I start. I always knew I would come back to the quilt when I had a bit more confidence. I brought the quilt with me to the retreat I went to seek experienced advice. My friend Catherine told me they looked fine and to remember that once the geese get added to the other pieces it will be fine. So I plugged away and kept making the geese and adding them to the other blocks. What a relief it was to see the final end product and to know it truly was going to be okay! Here is the end result:
I think in the beginning of my quilting experience I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect in every aspect. I've learned to forgive myself when it isn't perfect right off the bat and to keep plugging along because the end result may still be perfect even if this one strip is not. If I seek perfection 100% of the time while quilting I will just get frustrated and quit. Thanks to Catherine I persevered and created something beautiful. Now I will move of the next step and finally finish this quilt.
WIP Wednesday
The first step was all about cutting the fabric and sewing a few pieces together. "No problem!" I thought.
Then I got the second step. Yikes. It had flying geese in it which I had never done before. I was instantly intimidated but the instructions seemed clear enough so I did it anyway. The first few that came out didn't look right and when I measured them the measurement was off so I gave up and didn't touch the quilt again.
I have always been a believer in finishing what I start. I always knew I would come back to the quilt when I had a bit more confidence. I brought the quilt with me to the retreat I went to seek experienced advice. My friend Catherine told me they looked fine and to remember that once the geese get added to the other pieces it will be fine. So I plugged away and kept making the geese and adding them to the other blocks. What a relief it was to see the final end product and to know it truly was going to be okay! Here is the end result:
I think in the beginning of my quilting experience I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect in every aspect. I've learned to forgive myself when it isn't perfect right off the bat and to keep plugging along because the end result may still be perfect even if this one strip is not. If I seek perfection 100% of the time while quilting I will just get frustrated and quit. Thanks to Catherine I persevered and created something beautiful. Now I will move of the next step and finally finish this quilt.
Quilt retreat weekend
This past weekend I participated in my first quilt retreat! It was awesome. There were 4 of us total (Catherine the host, Camille and Nanette) so it was small and intimate and everyone from a different level of quilting experience. My dear friend Catherine hosted the retreat in her lovely home.
About my friend Catherine: I met Catherine about 5 years ago or so at a company we both worked at. I wouldn't say we became friends instantly but it happened pretty quickly. She is an amazing person and is the one responsible for my addiction to quilting. One day at work she brought in a few of her quilts to show everyone and I instantly fell in love and knew I wanted to learn. She makes amazing quilts! Thanks Catherine for sharing your passion with me and helping to create that passion in me.
When packing things up to prepare for the retreat I couldn't decide which projects to work on so I brought several.
One of them is a Mystery Quilt Block of Month I am doing with Fat Quarter Shop (www.fatquartershop.com). I will write a separate post about that quilt. I had completed 4 blocks prior to the retreat and had 3 more that needed to be completed so I brought them with me.
With each block I got better and better. I am so proud of my star in Block 5.
That is my first star and it looks to awesome! Woohoo! I am proud of how far I have come in just a year and no matter how frustrated I have gotten at times, I never quit.
Next I started working on another Mystery Quilt I had started working on early last year but gave up on it because I felt my flying geese were horrible and not working out. So glad I brought that with me and showed Catherine who reassured me it would be fine. I finished the stars for this quilt with the flying geese and I am very happy with the results. I made eight total, here is a close up of one of them. I will write a separate post about this quilt.
It was a great quilt retreat weekend. I made a lot of progress on two quilts and learned how to make Grandma's Flower Garden which I am excited to try. The food was amazing, the conversations were both funny and touching at the same time, and the projects being worked on were beautiful. I look forward to the next one.
About my friend Catherine: I met Catherine about 5 years ago or so at a company we both worked at. I wouldn't say we became friends instantly but it happened pretty quickly. She is an amazing person and is the one responsible for my addiction to quilting. One day at work she brought in a few of her quilts to show everyone and I instantly fell in love and knew I wanted to learn. She makes amazing quilts! Thanks Catherine for sharing your passion with me and helping to create that passion in me.
When packing things up to prepare for the retreat I couldn't decide which projects to work on so I brought several.
One of them is a Mystery Quilt Block of Month I am doing with Fat Quarter Shop (www.fatquartershop.com). I will write a separate post about that quilt. I had completed 4 blocks prior to the retreat and had 3 more that needed to be completed so I brought them with me.
With each block I got better and better. I am so proud of my star in Block 5.
That is my first star and it looks to awesome! Woohoo! I am proud of how far I have come in just a year and no matter how frustrated I have gotten at times, I never quit.
Next I started working on another Mystery Quilt I had started working on early last year but gave up on it because I felt my flying geese were horrible and not working out. So glad I brought that with me and showed Catherine who reassured me it would be fine. I finished the stars for this quilt with the flying geese and I am very happy with the results. I made eight total, here is a close up of one of them. I will write a separate post about this quilt.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Update
I am all moved in to my new place and I love it! Unfortunately I don't have the space I did before for a quilting corner so I will have to do on my dining room table but that's okay. This weekend I will heading to my dear friend Catherine's house for a quilting retreat so I will be sure to post quilting pictures during that time. I'm looking forward to the retreat this weekend. It will be my first retreat! I have so many projects to work on!
My goal for this year are to complete 4 quilts:
1. one for my mom
2. one for my sister
3. one for the QOV (Quilt of Valor Foundation www.qov.org)
4. and one for me
I have the patterns and fabric for 1 and 3. I have most of the fabric and the pattern for #2. I still need to decide what to make for myself.
I'm looking forward to quilting again, it's been too long of a break.
My goal for this year are to complete 4 quilts:
1. one for my mom
2. one for my sister
3. one for the QOV (Quilt of Valor Foundation www.qov.org)
4. and one for me
I have the patterns and fabric for 1 and 3. I have most of the fabric and the pattern for #2. I still need to decide what to make for myself.
I'm looking forward to quilting again, it's been too long of a break.
Friday, January 3, 2014
On the quilting front...
I am moving a week from tomorrow so I have been in the process of packing and getting ready for the move so I haven't had an opportunity to do any quilting. Once I am settled into my new place I will be able to get started on a project. Now I just need to choose which one to do....
Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard
I'm sure we are all well aware of the 50 Shades of Grey Trilogy and the craze it created. I read the books and they were....okay. I thought the sex was too gratuitous and fantastical to be believable and I ended up caring more about their relationship than anything and so I by-passed the sex scenes.
Garbiel's Inferno is the first in a series by Sylvain Reynard and I have to say is WAY better that the 50 Shades books. Slightly more believable and has more realistic events in them. However, the issue I have with these types of books is that so many of them involve some rich guy and a lowly girl who supposedly needs "rescuing". Where are the books about a blue collar guy and hardworking woman who fall in love? I would fall in love with a blue collar man far sooner than I would a guy with a ton of money.
That being said, I loved this book. I loved their relationship. I love that it wasn't ALL about sex (SPOILER ALERT: they don't have sex until the last chapters of the book). As their tension builds you build with it and I loved that about this. It can be cheesy at times but for the most part it is an endearing book.
I recommend it over the 50 Shades trilogy.
Garbiel's Inferno is the first in a series by Sylvain Reynard and I have to say is WAY better that the 50 Shades books. Slightly more believable and has more realistic events in them. However, the issue I have with these types of books is that so many of them involve some rich guy and a lowly girl who supposedly needs "rescuing". Where are the books about a blue collar guy and hardworking woman who fall in love? I would fall in love with a blue collar man far sooner than I would a guy with a ton of money.
That being said, I loved this book. I loved their relationship. I love that it wasn't ALL about sex (SPOILER ALERT: they don't have sex until the last chapters of the book). As their tension builds you build with it and I loved that about this. It can be cheesy at times but for the most part it is an endearing book.
I recommend it over the 50 Shades trilogy.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Wine Tasting in Napa Valley
Since my blog is called "Quilts, Books and Wine" I figured I should actually post something about wine.
Over the holidays I took a trek up to San Francisco to see the 49er's play their last season home game at Candlestick Park. Such an amazing experience and I am so glad I went. The following day I drove up to Napa Valley to do some wine tasting. My family is from Napa and have lived there my whole life but I have never done any wine tasting there, pathetic I know. So I made an effort to do it this time.
Our first stop was Beaulieu Vineyards, otherwise known as BV coastal. A standard winery with a basic tasting room. Wines were very pricey and tasted "OK". Nothing exceptional. My friend liked it and bought a bottle for herself. It just wasn't that great, I thought.
Next stop was Beringer. The Beringer property is absolutely beautiful and has been there since the late 1800's. I have driven by the property my whole life so I wanted to be sure to see it. The property was all that the winery had going for them unfortunately. Both my friend and I did NOT like the wine. Even their special reserve was not that good. But we had a blast anyway and had to leave fairly quickly to make our appointment for the tour at Castello di Amorosa.
Ah, the Castle. The Castello di Amorosa was built to look like a castle from Europe. Every stone and every piece of wood actually came from Europe. It has been 14 years in the making and is still in process. It even has a moat! Simple beautiful property! Our tour lasted about 45 minutes and ended in the cellars where they keep the barrels. We even got to taste wine straight from the barrel. The wine was not expected to be ready until 2015. But it tasted good even now. Our tasting happened in the cellars as well and was exceptional! I paid a little extra to do the reserve tasting and I am SO glad I did. The wine at the Castle was less expensive than BV or Beringer, if you can believe that. The Castle does not sell in retail stores so you can only buy it online or in the Castle itself. And it truly was some of the best wine I have ever tasted. So smooth and rich. I bought 3 bottles. 1 of their standard Pinot Noir, which was some of the best I have ever tasted. And 2 of their reserve La Castellana "The Lady of the Castle" which I will be saving for a special occasion. I could not have been happier with our visit to the Castle. The tour was amazing and the wine was superb. Highly recommend visiting this castle.
http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/
One nights where I just want to enjoy a simple glass of wine I drink my $6 bottle of Castle Rock. :) It's smooth but tends to go bad pretty quickly so I have to finish the bottle within a couple of days before we starts to go bad. But oh well. Cheap can sometimes be just as good as the better bottles of wine.
Over the holidays I took a trek up to San Francisco to see the 49er's play their last season home game at Candlestick Park. Such an amazing experience and I am so glad I went. The following day I drove up to Napa Valley to do some wine tasting. My family is from Napa and have lived there my whole life but I have never done any wine tasting there, pathetic I know. So I made an effort to do it this time.
Our first stop was Beaulieu Vineyards, otherwise known as BV coastal. A standard winery with a basic tasting room. Wines were very pricey and tasted "OK". Nothing exceptional. My friend liked it and bought a bottle for herself. It just wasn't that great, I thought.
Next stop was Beringer. The Beringer property is absolutely beautiful and has been there since the late 1800's. I have driven by the property my whole life so I wanted to be sure to see it. The property was all that the winery had going for them unfortunately. Both my friend and I did NOT like the wine. Even their special reserve was not that good. But we had a blast anyway and had to leave fairly quickly to make our appointment for the tour at Castello di Amorosa.
Ah, the Castle. The Castello di Amorosa was built to look like a castle from Europe. Every stone and every piece of wood actually came from Europe. It has been 14 years in the making and is still in process. It even has a moat! Simple beautiful property! Our tour lasted about 45 minutes and ended in the cellars where they keep the barrels. We even got to taste wine straight from the barrel. The wine was not expected to be ready until 2015. But it tasted good even now. Our tasting happened in the cellars as well and was exceptional! I paid a little extra to do the reserve tasting and I am SO glad I did. The wine at the Castle was less expensive than BV or Beringer, if you can believe that. The Castle does not sell in retail stores so you can only buy it online or in the Castle itself. And it truly was some of the best wine I have ever tasted. So smooth and rich. I bought 3 bottles. 1 of their standard Pinot Noir, which was some of the best I have ever tasted. And 2 of their reserve La Castellana "The Lady of the Castle" which I will be saving for a special occasion. I could not have been happier with our visit to the Castle. The tour was amazing and the wine was superb. Highly recommend visiting this castle.
http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/
One nights where I just want to enjoy a simple glass of wine I drink my $6 bottle of Castle Rock. :) It's smooth but tends to go bad pretty quickly so I have to finish the bottle within a couple of days before we starts to go bad. But oh well. Cheap can sometimes be just as good as the better bottles of wine.
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