I look up from my computer screen,and across the room I see a tumble of colors and swirls under my Juki. It is a variation of our pattern Orcas Swirls. I smile for two reasons....it is beautiful...and, almost finished. I'm sewing on the long binding, and then a few hours of hand stitching and it will be completed. Fortunately, the deadline for an upcoming quilt show was extended just long enough to get this completed and entered.

The LaConner Quilt Museum's Quilt Festival 2012 is in full swing this weekend. Two of our quilts were juried in, Orcas Swirls and Amy's Twelve2. I walked through the show last night and was in awe at the range and quality of the quilts on display. Come by if you are in the Seattle area.

Another happening in the area is the Stanwood Art Walk tonight, September 30, 5-8pm. All the shops in our little town will be open with a featured artist(s) in each place. Our quilts will be on display through the month of October at Snowgoose Bookstore in Stanwood.

Today's project was to quilt this small piece, "Orange Segments." It is a variation of a new Here2There pattern designed by Amy. I love working with this pattern and exploring how the use of color can change the feel and look of the block. I love that it looks complex, but goes together easily.

I've been working on a prototype for a new H2T pattern...next step is to make another flower using written instructions.

I shared a photo of this a week ago when I was beginning the layout of this piece, and when the two youngest grandboys of the four stayed here for the week. Time to work on my project was hard to find. By the time I put them to bed and they slept, I was exhausted from the day. But, they left on Saturday, and I got to work on finishing this project which was due today. I was inspired by a card with the saying, "A friend remembers the words to your song when you forget"....I love those words and what they mean in a friendship.

When I started, I knew I wanted to use these Japanese fabrics for the background and borders. Once that was constructed, and the layers were sandwiched, I started making the two birds using scraps from my bins. I played with the placement of their legs to get just the right attitude. The flowers were cut from many different fabrics and quilted in place. The black and white fish in the left border is a piece of vintage Hoffman fabric.

The two birds and their long legs make me smile. It is a happy piece.

Time to work on my projects is fit in where I can around the busy schedule with the grandboys. Today I had a few hours alone, so I worked on my next piece which is due on the 15th. I spent days finding my voice in the prompt, and then a scramble to pull fabrics and seam the pieced parts. I cut out big flowers, first heaping them as a bouquet at the bottom, and then finding a balance as a chunky border on that great Kokka green background. I will move this and adjust that, add something new, change a line and add feathers. This is the beginning of it's 'becoming'....

Thank you to those of you who came by and said 'hi' at Art By the Bay last weekend. I always enjoy meeting you, and showing off our quilted pieces and talking about our
work. It was a good show in spite of the cool and wet weather.

Roger and I are getting ready for the show and sale in our home in just 8 days. If you are in the area I hope you will come by and see our beautiful quilted wall hangings and quilts displayed throughout the house. My studio will be open where you can see not only projects in progress on the design walls but a glimpse of my fabric stash.

This is one of Roger's latest series. It was recently featured in an art show at Creative Arts where he was the featured artist. His other works will be displayed as well. If you are a collector of his pieces, you will enjoy seeing his latest work.

The dates for our Quilt Art and Clay Show are July 22, 23, and 24 from 10 am. to 5 pm. Directions to our house are on Roger's website, www.camanoisland pottery.com

This weekend is the annual Art By the Bay art show at the Stanwood Fairgrounds - Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Amy and I have been busy finishing up projects for this show. We will have beautiful quilts, decorator pillows, quilted wall hangings, unique place mats, quilt patterns, quilted arty totes, and handmade collaged cards for sale. I finished this quilted tote just a few hours ago. Don't you love those oranges?

The other side of the tote has a very 'fishy' pocket.

We hope that if you are in the Seattle area, you will come by and see us, and enjoy the work of other local artists, eat some good food, and hear great music on the stage.

I finished two of our quilts within days. That is hard to believe, even for me. There is a show coming soon, next week in fact. And then another show two weeks after that. So these are done just in time. I'll post more information about the shows for those of you who are in the Seattle area.

Starburst is the first quilt shown above. It started as a challenge between us. Each of us made a center piece and passed it over to be added to. This one was started by Amy.

This challenge quilt was started at the same time. Ths is Little Star. Both of these quilted pieces are wall hanging sized.

Late last night I took the last stitch to finish "Wheels." I love to use metallic thread to quilt, and this one was very challenging. I love the overall 'feel' of this quilt. It is playful with lots of movement. I can think of other colorways I'd like to try - one with black and golds with an Asian influence is what I might do next. There is a pattern coming soon as well, the next in our line of quilt patterns, available at Etsy.

This is the back of the quilt I'm quilting now. Starburst is a collaborative challenge we worked on in a round robin between us. I will post the finished quilt in a few days.

Another stunning collaboration! I have finished quilting the center squares and frames, and now I'm ready to do the star points. Then there is a border of pieced 3" blocks...some are tiny pieced stars, some are floating squares...it will be a beautiful wall hanging when finished, and just in time for the home studio show and sale in a few weeks.