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!

AQS Paducah 2018

Awesome Winner Award Ribbons

Went to my first ever AQS show in Paduch, KY last week! What a wonderful time we had. It started out with finding the awesome loft apt. just blocks from the Quilt show and museum. It is on Airbnb (my favorite) and sleeps up to eight. BEAUTIFUL kitchen and large gathering room - all open and light with many windows.

Celebration by Carol Gentry
as seen at AQS Paducah, KY

Next challenge was finding other gals to join me. Originally the plan was for a few ladies locally to go and meet up with our good quilting friend who had moved to Tennessee a few years ago. But, turns out she could not attend. So there were just three from our little town. I put out the invitation in the local guild and MOKA (Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas Quilt study group - see their FB group) to find others. Three other ladies contacted me and signed up for the adventure from OKC, Tulsa and Pennsylvania! What awesome new talented and fun quilting friends! We had a blast, cooked and ate meals together, plus had "show & tell" each evening sharing our adventures, the highlights of the show, so much inspiration, and new treasures gathered each day. 

Now for the quilts! Here are just a few pictures of some of the amazing quilts!

 There were many Japanese Quilts including an AQS exhibits and in the Quilt Museum (no photos there). The workmanship is amazing!

National Parks quilts display @ Rotary

Cherrywood Challenge 2018 Wall Quilts - Van Gogh theme

The shops and windows in town were also decked out with quilts! What an all-around wonderful quilt adventure!

Quilt inside local gourmet kitchen & gadget shop made by shop owner.

Paducah AQS 2018 - Six awesome, fun & quilt
 travel adventurers (+ photographer)

Frozen Pie!

We were pretty much froze solid the past few days - here is the view.

Catching up on the blog...I made some pie potholders over Christmas while visiting family in San Diego. At mom's house, used her old singer. It runs so well and is simple and straightforward without any bells and whistles. Love it! And the pies turned out so cute! I am finally getting around to sharing them.

Happy Quilting to all!

Happy New Year for 2018!

Happy New Year & Happy Blogiversary to me!
WOW! This blog is 9 years old this month. Time flies.

Below is Di's Bally Hall quilt (hanging in Houston - guest photo).

The quilt is one of the classes I took in in November. At that time I 

learned  hand paper piecing of hexies and pentagons. Not sure how

I have been quilting all these years an d never learned this technique,

but it is captivating! I have made hundreds of paper pieces since that

time for this quilt and for the beautiful Giggleswick Mills quilt, another

class taken while at Sentimental Stitches quilt retreat in Shipshawana,

Indiana.

I have made much progress on this quilt at the retreat and since then. 

On a personal note, I am feeling good about the career opportunities

and spring 2018 work plans. Mainly balance is my goal for work and

for personal and crafty endeavors! 

Bally Hall by Di Ford

Di Ford teaching paper piecing

Antique Show & Tell quilt at Shipshewana Retreat

Antique Show & Tell quilt at Shipshewana Retreat