Hunter's Star Class

Last year at the quilt show at the Farmparks one of the vendors was showing a Hunter’s Star quilt and was selling a new ruler called the Rapid Fire Hunter's Star that made the construction a snap. This past weekend some of the ladies from my quilt guild got together to learn how to use the ruler to make the quilt or wall hanging. The ruler comes in 2 different sizes and each ruler will make 4 different size quilt blocks. I needed to make a quilt for Christmas so I chose the 10” block.

It was a little confusing at first for some of us but after we make our first block the light bulb came on. Some of the ladies had made the Hunter’s Star the old way with inset seams and triangles which can get very tricky. With this ruler it was all straight seams and it went together very quickly if you chained stitched.

 It is amazing what color choices people use to use and the way they put them together. At the end of the first day we had at least 4 blocks sewn together so we knew what our quilt would look like.

On Sunday we got together to finish up making blocks until the raffle quilt blocks got together. Three of the ladies spent time arranging the Orion's Star Quilt blocks into various patterns and we took a vote on which one was the most appealing to the eye. Now all we have to do is to decide on the border and find a quilter to have the quilt finished, then we can start selling raffle tickets.

We all had a great time getting together to learn a new technique or trick to make the construction of a quilt quicker, because we all have so many quits and so many to finish. I know I have at least 5 that I have started and have not finished yet. So it is nice to have a class to work on a new project and to get it almost finished in 2 days then to start on one at home and take 3 to 4 weeks to finish it.

NQA Quilt Show

 Last Thursday I took a bus trip to Columbus to attend the NQA Quilt show. I wish I could post photos of the beautiful quilts that were on display but do to copyright issues I cannot post them on my blog.

 Our buses left Chardon 7am and headed to Lakeland College to pick up some more blurry eyed but excited quilters. Most of my quilt guild sat together in the front of the bus and started talking about what we were looking for. Just a tip, do not sit behind the bus driver if you are worried about how the bus driver is driving. I will never again sit in that seat. We made good time and arrived at the convention center around 10:15 am, got our hand stamped and away we went to the show.

The theme of this year’s quilt show was the Mariner’sCompass, something I’m not sure I want to try. The front half of the room was all the quilts in the show, which were very beautiful, and the back of the room was all of the vendors.

 There were over 100 quilt shops and other vendors selling their stock. Some I have seen there since I have been going and some new ones. My small group decided to bee line it to the vendors to get the best deals first, eat and then take in the quilts on display.

I found some great fabric and a few patterns that I was looking for. I found out last year that if I saw something I better get it then and there because it won’t be there when or if I can even remember which vendor was selling it.

Around noon we all headed to the hotel food court to rest our feet and get some food and to see if anyone found something that we all needed.

Heading back to the show I took some time to finish the vendors then I got my camera out to take photos of the quilts that inspired me, which there were quite a few.

I fell in love with 4 wall hangings, one was of Geisha women which was hand quilted and along the top were silk cherry blossoms. The other 3 were panel wall hangings which look like 6 individual strips but when hung together they make a complete scene. These had thread painting, hand quilting and 3D textures to make up the flowers and the forest floor. If only I could do something that beautiful. I would have to quit my job and my hubby wouldn’t like that.

5pm and it was time to get back on the bus and rest our feet and backs. It was show and tell for everyone with a lot of “Where did you find that?” and “Why didn’t you get that for me?”

 We stopped for dinner at DerDutchman Restaurant, they changed hands a couple of months ago and the sign has not been changed. We had 2 kinds of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and bread. There is also a huge shop within the restaurant selling everything from gifts to homemade pies and fudge. My friend always buys 2 peanut butter pies or she can’t come home. While we waited for the bus drivers we got to sit on the big porch with rocking chairs.

After we got back on the road we played Bingo. Prizes ranged from fabric to boxes of garbage bags. Even the bus driver got to play bingo (we played a card for her) and won 2 stuffed animals.

A great time was had by all of us and I can’t wait till next year.

Delivery of the Pet Beds

I got an email from the recipient of the pet beds that my quilt guild made that I had to post here.

First of all I would like to thank Kathleene for meeting me at my work place, loading up her car and delivering them to Society for the Protection of Animals, Inc. in Fremont, Ohio

Dear Vandy, Kathleene and Joellen,

Thank you so much for donating the beautiful pet beds the quilting group made to S.P.A.!

When I distributed some of them in the cat room, I swear the cats were smiling! We will give some as gifts to families who are adopting pets, too, as you requested. Hope its okay that the foster kitties in the Cat room enjoy them as well.

Just look at their faces!

Please share this special "Thank You" with your quilt circle, Vandy.

And Kathleene, there are not enough words of thanks to convey to you all that you do for so many animals in need.

I hope you know how much your support (especially emotionally) has meant to me over the past years, and your support of S.P.A.'s efforts has helped to save the lives of so many worthy, castaway dogs and cats.

 And Joellen, thank you for riding along to meet us and helping to unload and reload the pet beds. It was really nice meeting you.

What adorable, unique beds!

And thanks so much too, Kathleene, for treating us to breakfast. That was a really nice surprise!

 We unloaded and placed all of the beds into the Cats room storage shelves.

When Terry and I moved to the country, ten years ago, we designed and built the cat room here with our own hands and our own money.

We currently care for 58 cats each day, and nine foster dogs. And that's here, at our house. Dianne, Char and Dale, Pam and Karen are fostering animals for SPA, too.

CAT (pronounced See-a-tee) was interested in

touching each bed with her paws.

Michael couldn't wait for us to place each bed. He was pulling them out of the plastic sacks, eager to pick his favorite one!

Michael climbed up to the top of the stack while we were unloading before placing on storage shelves.

 

Macdaddy and CAT watch with delight!

Meow-Meow helps unpack! Don't worry, we normally don't allow them to crawl into plastic bags. New things to see, new things to smell, new things to touch.

That all makes for a pretty exciting day in the Cats room!

 

I picked these wooden shelves up at Goodwill a couple of years ago. Several of the beds fit perfectly into the baskets! Talk about a comfortable place to snooze!

 Wish I could fit into one of these special beds!

 

 Sisters in rescue...

Roger saying... 

"Hey! Don't I get to try out one of the new special quilted beds!!!???"

 

 Again, heartfelt thanks from...

Michael, Susie, CAT, Valentine, Clemintine, BW, Saturday, Bert, Ernie, Meow Meow, Pee Wee, Jilly Bean, Bindy, Mindy, Macdaddy, Jimmy the Artist, Coaly, Sierra, Tux, Iris, Fast Eddie, Rasa, Hazel, Eve, Earl Gray, Judy, Cassie, Bella, Roger, Espen, Medie, Tucker, OJ, Lucy, Splish, Guido, Hobo, Sweetie Pie, Zeena, Cleopatra, Scotch Pine, Wally, Patchy, Cally, Susie Pooper, Little Bud, Maria Tiponi, Mandy, Grace C, Shaman, Black Pearl, David, Ronnie, Autumn, Mackayla, Duchess, Eugenia and Josie Falquette.

Barbara McGrady
Society for the Protection of Animals,Inc.
P.O. Box 1047
Fremont, OH 43420