This month we are doing blocks for Debbie, who requested that we make blocks from the Moda Be My Neighbor quilt, from 2016. I found all the free, downloadable blocks on Sew Let’s Quilt It website, and enjoyed figuring this out. My advice: lay out all the pieces as you cut it out, so you don’t get confused with what goes where.
I was the designated mailer for two other Gridster members who are close by, and was able to pose the blocks together. A lot of the blocks are showing up on Debbie’s Instagram feed, so head over there to get some quilty eye candy (and not only the Gridster blocks!).
One fun thing I did in Utah last month was to take a tour of the Hand-Quilter factory. It’s an impromptu tour — you just show up — but it was interesting to see how things are put together. I wanted to take a picture of the table that shows them “testing” out/breaking in the machines, but they asked me to wait to get this one, from above:
They also had a series of quilts, with lots of interesting texture and of course…free-motion quilting! Click on the circles for a close-up.
Continuing with the “What I Did On My Summer Vacation,” we left Handi-Quilter and had a Kneaders’ Seafood Sandwich, which unfortunately, I can’t get near me.
I arrived home a day or two early from that trip, in time to hit the 7th Annual Good Heart Quilters Retreat, organized and hosted by the amazing Lisa J. who helped found our group nearly twenty years ago. It was a day of fun and very cool cookies (thank you, Simone!).
I wish I’d taken a photo of me on that bench, but it’s unfortunately placed, behind the traffic light pole. Still. It could have been cool.
Even though it is a couple of weeks away, I can’t end this without reminding you to set your alarms on your phones to watch the eclipse, coming up on August 21st. Vox prepared this nifty celestial calculator that shows you what you’ll see in your part of the U.S. and what time it will show up.
Congratulations to Sandy A., who won the latest book giveaway.
I’ve sent her an email and will get the book sent off shortly.
Only two books left:
Since summer feels like it’s fast coming to a close, I’m doing both of them this week. At the end of this post, leave a comment to win either Kathy Doughty’s Mixing Quilt Elements, or Kim Diehl’s Simple Christmas Tidings. Both are exemplar books by women at the top of the quilting world. Thank you to all who entered these past few weeks!
Not All That Wanders Is Lost
…and shows my package (including little book, above) that was sent off to the person in line next to me, the idea being a circle — from one to another to another, roughly every month.
I followed the instructions, as before (old picture, above), but if you need a more detailed refresher on how to make bias tape, head here, to the
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
