Selvage Streaker!

Selvage Streaker top

86 x 99 inches, another really big quilt

I started making the selvage trapezoid blocks last year but had to put them up so I could finish Phebe. Originally, I'd purchased the background fabric, decided it was too bold and purchased a dark gray solid for the background and hot pink for the sashing. When it came time to piece it, I just could not make myself use those fabrics so I went back to the original background. These colors are out of my comfort zone (red) but I like it now that the top is pieced!

I think Jesse likes it too!

 I'd like to say this is the last selvage project for a little while but there's another project which may or may not happen soon. Ever get a quilting project into your brain and it won't leave you alone?

Here's my Selvage Star quilt which I bound with selvage binding this past week. This quilt will be entered into our Common Threads 2014 Quilt Show coming up June 26 - 28 in Wichita. I hope anyone within driving distance will come see our show! 

I'm busy stitching sleeves and labels onto my quilt entries but yesterday evening, I worked on an applique block. Yes, I think my Quilter's Seasonal Color Disorder is under control and my applique projects are once again looking like I might want to work on them!

Until next time, Mayleen

Quilters Seasonal Color Disorder

 Am I the only one who's attracted to different kinds of projects and especially color at the change of seasons? Its what I call Quilter's Seasonal Color Disorder! Have no idea what it really is but I tend to work on traditional projects with what I call cozy colors and designs in winter and "interesting" projects with bright colors in summer. 

Weather in Kansas can be unsettled. A couple of weeks ago, we hit 100 degrees way too early in the season. Then last week, we had a few days with highs in the 60's and we had to turn the heat back on because of the lows at night. This week, we're back to the upper 90's. Cold or hot, I just wish for rain!

With all the weird weather, I'm not sure which season I should be sewing in! My applique quilts are patiently waiting for me and as soon as I get this out of my system, they'll be worked on again.

Here I am trying to stitch on selvage binding on the Selvage Star of Bethlehem quilt. Those corners are a challenge with all the bulk involved. I prefer bias binding but this is straight binding and it rarely looks good when I make it.

Here's a project way out of my color comfort zone - Selvage Streaker.

This is probably the most modern quilt I've ever made. It just needs the borders (purple) and the cornerstones (teal) sewn on. There won't be time to have it quilted before our quilt show in June but I plan to show the top anyway at my "Selvage Quilting" demo. Those of you actually reading this will get to preview it next week. Its already met with mixed reviews at the quilt shop and sometimes I feel like I'm looking at an accident. I don't want to look but I have to!

Until next time, Mayleen

The Show and the Selvages

 "Wildflowers" - Prairie Quilt Guild's 2014 Opportunity Quilt

designed by Kim McLean, adaptations with permission

appliqued by PQG members, machine quilted by Kim Hull

Our guild, Prairie Quilt Guild of Wichita, Kansas, is getting ready for its biennial quilt show, Common Threads 2014, which will be held June 26-28. There will be 500+ quilts on display, everything from beginners to advanced quilts. Some will be judged by our NQA certified judge and quilt appraisals can also be arranged. Plus demonstrations, shopping at the vendors, a used quilt book sale, make it take it booth, etc. By the way, there's still vendor space available if anyone's interested.  We like to shop!

Want to know more about our show? Please go here: http://wichitaquiltshow.com/ and

 if you're on facebook, please like us!

This is my first year to be on the show committee and I'm in charge of the show book. Some days I think I know what I'm doing and some days ... ha. I feel like I'm getting a crash course on what happens behind the scenes of a quilt show. Lots more work than most people can comprehend!

Back to the quilts, I've entered five of mine - three in the general entry category and two to be judged: Phebe and the Selvage Star of Bethlehem quilt.

Remember this picture I showed you in a previous blog post? This is the inspiration for my Selvage Star of Bethlehem quilt.

Here's my version of the quilt. I just got it back from the machine quilter so no binding, label or sleeve yet. Too busy with the show book and life right now. I'm hoping it will all get done soon!

As usual, Jan the machine quilter did a wonderful job. Follow that link to see what she won at Paducah!

Sometimes I wonder if Jan secretly takes my quilts apart and repieces to make them more accurate! She says she doesn't like to piece but suspiciously, my quilts always look much better when I get them back.

Jan stitched around each selvage. Can you believe that? I haven't counted how many selvages there are but she must really like to Stitch in a Ditch!

Must get back to the quilt show book so that's all from me this time!

Take care, Mayleen