Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The Gala quilt is done!



Today the binding and the hanging sleeve were added and the quilt is now hanging in the stairway at the Early Learning Center. This picture was taken at the foot of the stairway at the ELC.

The quilt is not easy to photograph in the stairwell, but the lighting shows the fish and quilting off to the best advantage.

Goldie















Peachie




















and Spot.

Well, they don't really have names ... and if they did, they should have something a whole lot classier.

Tomorrow morning, the arriving children and their parents will have a surprise where a painting usually hangs. Saturday will be the Gala. Yes, we finished in time! Next week there will be no quilting day but our group will meet to celebrate.

This is our tenth year of quilt making. My husband would like to make a set of all ten quilts on note cards and has begun asking around for printers.

I have no idea how cards would sell but I sure wouldn't mind having a few sets. Each quilt is a reminder of friends made, ideas shared, problems solved and goals met.




Today I had a call from Kuraishi-sensei. This is the block she made for my friendship quilt.

Tomorrow she will come to the meeting with our former member.

Afterwards, she has invited me to a quilt show.

It is going to be a great day!!!




Asayama-san made this Ohio Star block. She is our best member for keeping in touch with those who have moved away. I'm so happy I will see her tomorrow too.








I'm sure Haeno-san will be there too because she is the member who was first to call and tell me about the meeting.

This block called "Nocturne", is the one she made.








Five other members of the group that made blocks for this quilt are still in the area but have not attended for at least a year or more. One member is living in San Jose, California and has returned several times. Another was living in Oregon and some of our group visited her one year for the "Sisters" show.

I have joined the Book Quilt Club and finished the first reading of The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas. One thing I liked about the story was that even when members of the quilt group had issues with the others, they counted friendship and loyalty to the group stronger than little irritations.  No member was quitting because of something someone said without thinking how it might sound to others ... or some other silly reason that needed to be forgiven and forgotten. I wish I could make a gift of that book to five friends.

My blue runner is almost ready to bind and I am sketching a plan for a baby quilt for my coming grandson.
My book club block for February will soon be underway. My + and x blocks are moving ever so slowly. 14 more blocks left to quilt on the first border. While wishing it would go faster, I am enjoying re-visiting all those fabric scraps. Now in the hoop, a block from my son's stash, Fabric from a quilt my daughters and I made for a friend's first baby, two bits from daughter's dresses, several more scraps from grandbaby quilts, batik from my daughter's quilt finished last year and Paul's "big boy" quilt. only a few scraps have never appeared in one of my former quilts. Plenty to do, plenty to enjoy. I hope you are enjoying your days too.


25 comments:

  1. I'm so, so Jealous as you may guess. Would love to be with you and Sensei tomorrow. Tell her I send my love, and we need to communicate more often. I love Goldie, Peachy and Spot as names and as a quilt. Tell everyone else in the Tokyo group I said hello, and how much I miss Japan.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really love how your quilt came out, the background really sets off the fish so beautifully.

    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  3. it looks wonderful I am sure the children will LOVE it xx What fun to have a show to attend and a catch up with friends xx Have a wonderful time x

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that quilt. The fish, so clever!

    ReplyDelete
  5. How wonderfully busy you always are, Julie. I love, love the fish quilt. It is simply gorgeous. Enjoy your book club and friends. Thanks for sharing your quilt journeys with us.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The quilt is just beautiful and I love how you quilted it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Gala quilt is stunning wherever it is displayed and will give much joy to anyone who sees it.
    Have a good reunion with your friends.
    Having pictures of quilts made into greeting cards is a great idea. In these days of email and electronic greeting cards there is nothing as nice as receiving a paper card written by hand and delivered by the postman.
    The most enjoyable part of making a scrap quilt is letting the mind wander amongst the pieces and remembering people, events and other quilts. Pure bliss!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow!! The Gala quilt turned out beautifully!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your fishy quilt is just breathtaking.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The quilt turned out great! I just started the Persian Pickle club. I'm only in the early chapters. Guess I'd better start reading.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The quilt is a show-piece!!! Enjoy your friends.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thrilling to see the Gala Quilt finished! You outdid yourself with those beautiful carp. I think your idea about notecards is genius too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is lovely to see the quilt hanging in its new home. It looks wonderful. I like the idea of the nore cards, too. A great way to mark a special achievement! Enjoy the quilt show.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Julie, I love the idea of the note cards. I can see them selling well.
    It seems to me that women need friends more than men do. But we also seem to get our feelings hurt much more easily than men. I think this starts at a very young age. As a teacher, I notice these differences even in young elementary aged children.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Such a beautiful quilt! Love the way you've done the koi and the background. I'm sure it will be MUCH enjoyed! Note cards. Excellent idea.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Most wonderful! I just love how the fish are quilted.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Julie, the fish quilt is absolutely stunning, it looks so wonderful hanging there, so much movement in it. I hope you can see the children's faces when they spot it for the first time.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh my goodness...the fish are gorgeous. I love the blend of colors and the background really makes them stand out. Wonderful! Your friendship blocks are filled with good times and memories. How very special they must be to you.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The fish quilt turned out beautifully! I love that yellow fish especially. And what a great idea to use the aizome blocks for the background.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wonderful quilts!! The most important is problems solved and goals met. I love this!!Thank you for sharing them!!

    hugs... sandra

    ReplyDelete
  21. I truly love the Gala quilt. Beautiful workmanship. The quilts on cards is a wonderful way to share and cherish.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh, my goodness. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I am short of adjectives -magnificent comes to mind. p.s. Note cards are a wonderful idea !

    ReplyDelete
  23. The quilt is simply wonderful...the work your group (you!) does each year is a real gift to others. I love The Persian Pickle Club - I read it a long time ago but your reminder may spur me to reread it. :) blessings, marlene

    ReplyDelete