Bally Hall & Paper Piecing Inspiration

New book added to my library from Paducah - Inspiring!

Bally Hall Center block appliqued border

Busy summer with so many great road trips! First, weekly trips to university 50 miles/ an hour away for summer classes (Intellectual Assessment & Career Development). Also relocating daughter from Los Angeles to Cleveland (with a couple extra days in Pasadena visiting cousin and museums there. Memorial day took us all (mom, dd, dh ) to see son and get him set up with summer housing in Iowa. Went to lovely White Coat ceremony for daughter and met her boyfriend. We ate great food and visited Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Next was participation in "Cousin Camp" at a lovely place in Granby, Colorado with all 6 first-cousins and partners - no parents, no kids. This was a fun filled week! - complete with zip line, rafting, games, etc. and abundant food!

Hand quilting projects went along on most all trips. Friend Teri and I have also met several times this summer as she began on a Jen Kingwell BOM where there is a fair bit of applique. We meet to applique as she is learning. She is doing amazing and is claiming needle turn as her favorite approach from the various techniques she has tried. I did a little applique and lots of embroidery words on the blocks. Beyond the Cherry Tree applique was also is in my bag and both Bible quilt blocks and two Cherry Tree blocks traveled with me to San Diego while I was there visiting mom. Most work on the Bible quilt this summer during "TV time" with mom, particularly Last Ship binge for season 4 on Hulu. 

Finally, I went with new quilting pal Brenda to MOKA Quilt History Group meeting near Kansas City for a fabulous weekend of antique quilts. Together we have agreed to serve on the exec. Committee to take on the planning Oklahoma meeting in fall 2019 and are working on venue and speakers. Fun to explore options! MOKA event deserves it's very own complete post - another time after I collect images residing on phone, Instagram & FB.

Now and then I have also worked on a little quilt project purchased in Paducah at the same time friend (Mary Ellen) bought a similar pattern. We agreed to each work on these, but have not shared updates with each other. She is sooo speedy, she probably will have it finished and I have just traced and cut out patterns and fabric for about five applique blocks. They were originally 6" but I have enlarged all to 8" - a bit easier to work with and show the lovely fabric. It is about the same amount of work really for a little larger size. about 6 block. 

That is a quick recap of a full and wonderful summer! (Also kept busy with many guests - a pleasure as always!) Enjoying the great group at church and ladies in class. I am sure I am forgetting something else- all good!

Now to my new job "AKA new life" has begun for fall semester with new employer where I plan to finish my career over the next 10-13 years. My goal now (again) is to balance it all and leave time for more quilting and limit "taking work home" (mentally and physically). New job is devoid of administrative responsibility I am just a small cog in a big system. VERY different for me and I am working to adapt - it has taken an ego adjustment, but I can see the value of this change at this time. 

Yes, I have sorely limited blog posts partly due to almost exclusively taking photos on my phone - is it an extra step to add them to the blog...so I am less likely to post because photos are a key element. Next time I will add more photos and updates with images.

Happy Quilting to all!