Orchids Finally Finished!

I've been working on this Hawaiian Applique' off and on since May.  It's a wallhanging and  finished at 42" square.

I gifted it to a senior officer I work with.  He's been greatly supportive of my quilting, but, in a good natured way, always commented that I should be making him a Hawaiian quilt never once thinking I would actually do it!  At any rate, he was stunned when I gave it to him but he loved it.  Sometimes giving them away is the best part of making projects like these.

 I'm slowly getting better at consistent stitches and the points on the appliqué'.  But I have LOTS of work to do to improve the "valleys".

Now I have to find another project to do!

Pineapple

Of course, I had to take Sandy's other foundation piecing class, Pinapple blocks.  I think I like this method of piecing!  Here's some of our results today:

It was a long day and I'm tired!  (Actually, I think we all look tired.)

Dresden Fans

Sandy Corbin was vacationing on Oahu as she and her husband do twice a year.  She always takes time out from waterskiing to teach several quilting classes.  She is great fun and we thoroughly enjoy her.  Last weekend, I attended her Dresden Fan foundation piecing class and had a great time.  Here's one block:

One of the other students, Donna, took three of us (Sandy, Carol, and me) to the monthly Hawaii Quilt Guild meeting.

Orchids

I've been working hard on this Hawaiian Applique'.  I have the echo quilting around the border left to do and the binding.  This one is a wallhanging approximately 42 inches square.  I love doing this type of handquilting.  I just wish my stitches were more consistent!

When I get this one finished, there's about 3 other Hawaiian Applique' projects waiting to be stitched.  My aunt and I had a great time choosing batik fabrics for appliqué' when we visited Kapaia Stitchery in Lihue, Kauai, this summer.  Wonderful store!!

Puzzle Box

I haven't posetd in awhile, but I have been busy!  One of my favorite patterns is the Puzzle Box and I finished two of them to set them aside as gifts.  I left part of the binding unfinished so I could put labels on later.

Yarn Winder

Found myself a new/old toy.  It's a little yarn winder.  My mother had one just like it and it found a home with one of my sisters.  I've been looking for years for another and found it on eBay the other day.

My mother was an expert knitter and this yarn winder brought back many warm memories when I was a child helping her wind yarn for her projects.  All of us always had sweaters, mittens, hats and, of course, lots of slippers.

Now I have to find a proper belt and clamp for it.  The rubber band has just a little too much stretch!

Today was a good day.  Isn't it cute?

Batiks

I needed a projected the other day and pulled this kit out of the closet.  I had never worked with batiks before and it was one I'd purchased from eBay months ago.  I was a little disappointed with the kit because it didn't look like anything close to the photo.  It was supposed to contain "moss" and "grey" tones, but there were a lot of blues, blacks, and maroons in it.  So I had a hard time trying to arrange the colors.  I finally went with a "light" and "dark" arrangement.  Here's the result.

After I got it done, I kinda liked it!