Merced National Wildlife and San Luis Refuge

An Amazing day!

Sunshine and fresh air makes us smile!

It looked like it would be a mundane day with few

birds.

And then the snow geese showed up!

The reflection is amazing

And then the Swans!

And a few dozen grey Heron

Lots of Snow Geese

more snow geese

A sunset one only imagines. 

2020 Is a Wrap

2020 Quilting Projects Review

It has been an amazing year.  Each one of our kids, grandkids, and our great grand- daughter, Olivia, received quilts this year.  Along with those completed quilts, 4 grandparent quilts were sent to my cousins, 2 additional baby quilts were made and 2 stuffed bears.  There was also time to quilt 15 charity quilts for my quilt guild.  75 face mask were made and donated too. 

A COVID, stay at home year with lots of progress made indeed.  There is no way all of this would have been possible without the time created from our Stay At Home orders. 

Additional Quilts

Here are 4 additional quilts that are nearly completed.  One was quilted then unpicked and is ready to be re-quilted.  I was not happy with how it laid out after quilting it so I unpicked this giant quilt.  

This one was unpicked.  Here it is before stitching the quilt together. 

This is the only art quilt I did this year.  It was a quilt along with Melinda Bula. 

It is almost complete.

This was a BEAR to make. 

 It is an Anna Marie Horner quilt and I love it now.  

It is ready for the longarm

More detail of it

This is a Kim Mclean pattern done in all Kaffe Fassett fabric, except the background.  

It is nearly ready for the longarm.

This is the current state of an area in my studio as I work on completing the Kim Mclean quilt.

Be on the lookout for my 2020 Art Journal video.  

Love to all of you and may your 2021 be a blessing.  

Hello 2021

Updated Studio Tour

Today's Studio Tour

My studio as it sits today.  

Shelter Cove Women's MinistryQuilt #5

Shelter Cove Women's Ministry 

Quilt #5 Quilt Along

It is hard to believe we are on quilt #5.  What a journey it has been.  We have been able to stay connected through the pandemic of 2020.  New friends have been made and old friends have stayed connected with the common them of quilting.   Women who have never quilted before are now "quilters" and could be and ARE teachers! What a blessing you have been to me, each of you. 

Thank you from all my heart for letting me be your guide.  Praise be to God.   

Stay tuned!  Next Zoom will be in November, date TBD.  

Quilt #5: 

Gourmet Quilter Chevron Teresa Down Under French Braid

Patty Mac Braid My Youtube will remain unlisted You can also now find some of the videos uploaded to my blog at Barbgrandon.blogspot.com

Verses I'm studying today and are very appropriate for this time are: 

"...that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ"  Amen 

                                                                                                   2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Shelter Cove Women's Ministry Quilt #3

Here is a slideshow from Shelter Cove Women's Ministry Quilt Along.  This is quilt #3.  

It has been an amazing journey working with these ladies during the pandemic of 2020.  We managed to stay connected, make new friends, learn new skills, and engage with each other in ways we never would have 6 months ago.  

Thank you all. 

My Quilting Week. 8/7/2020

My Week Quilting

It's been a productive week in-spite of my knee and hip discomfort. My hubby lowered my long-arm so I can sit and stitch.  It is a little bit of a new learning curve but it has  been very doable.  

This is my practice exercise from Lori Kennedy's 25 week quilt along.  Week 7.  The quilt blocks above each have motifs in them from this week as well as past weeks which include flowers and swirls. So much fun!

This piece was gifted to my sister this week for her birthday.  It is also a practice piece from Lori Kennedy's class.  

 

Quilt #4

Quilt3Part 3 &4

Quilt #3 Part #2

Quilt #3 Part #2

Continue with HST in making a star quilt

My week in the Studio

Five Charity Quilts quilted this past week 

My LongArm issues last week UGH!

I'm one who checks and double checks tension.  I'm not sure what happened here but I've spent 3 evenings picking out the stitches.  

Fun stuff this past week also included catching up on Lori Kennedy's 25 week free motion quilt along challenge.

My goal for this challenge is to really understand my thread I used 4 different weights and actually love the 60Wt threat best.  I was nervous taking my free motion back to my domestic machine since I'd been quilting on my long arm for a few years.  But it worked!  I know the practice I do on my domestic will translate to my longarm.

This is a new tool.  It is called a "boogie board"  NOT what I first thought of when I read the term.  I was thinking ocean waves and salt water.  I LOVE this new tool.  It is kinda like the old Etcha Sketch of my time.  An added plus is that you can take the black back cover off and it is see through so you can easily see your quilt block and draw out a motif to quilt.  Brilliant

I used it to "mark up"

one of the charity quilts I quilted.

Lastly I started working out quilt #4 for the Shelter Cover Women's Ministry quilt along.  More to follow on that one.  

Another successful week in the studio.

Happy Sewing.

Quilt 2 Color and Design Arrangements

Shelter Cove Women's Ministry 

                                                                        Quilt Along

                     Color and Design Arrangements

                   

 

Enjoy

Shelter Cove Women's Ministry Quilt #1 Quilts

 Shelter Cove Women's Ministry

Quilt Along

Quilt #1 

I'm so proud of all the ladies who worked on their quilts, 

cheered us on and plan to work on quilt #2.

Shelter Cove Women's Ministry Quilt Along Quilt#2 Part#3 and 4

Shelter Cove Women's Ministry

Quilt Along

Here are the last two part of Quilt 2.  We learned how to make a bargello quilt and now have the techniques to make any type of bargello quilt pattern including the Trip Around the World quilt!

Quilt 2 Part #3

 

Quilt 2 Part #4

 

Shelter Cove Womens Ministry Quilt 3 Part 1

Shelter Cove Women's Ministry 

Quilt Along

This quilt will introduce working with Half Square Triangles (HST)

Quilt 3 Part 1

This is an exciting new quilt which

features half square triangles (HST)

This video  points us to 3 different ways to put

 together HST's to make a beautiful star quilt.  

Each quilter makes the quilt in a slightly

 different way.  All with  beautiful results. 

Water Color Books

                    "Little Books" 

These cute little books were made in Joanne Sharpes online class called "Sparks".  It has been a really fun class and and inspiration to get my watercolors back out.  It has been a busy time sheltering at home.  

I completed my first "little book"

 Painted pages for future "little books"

The picture on the left is the front of the "Little Book" and the right is the back.  I like them both

These pages in these "little books" can be filled with scripture, prayers, messages or sayings. 

No Walking Foot, No Problem

No Walking Foot

No Problem

If you don't have a walking foot your pins are your friend.

Use them along the seam your stitching down remembering not to go over the pins.  

Take your time.

Shelter Cove Women's Ministry Quilt #2 Part #2

Quilt #2 Part #2

Here is the video with links for quilt #2, Part #2  

I'm so happy you're here and I can share my passion with you and hopefully encourage, engage and connect with you.

Video with links

Two Quilts, different techniques to sew together.  Quilt on the left I cut ever other strip in half like Donna Jordan instructs, the second one I nested the seams.  I like both outcomes.

No rotary cutter, no problem:

draw a line on your sewn tubes and cut on the line.

Oh I did not like the red within the quilt once I started putting it up and looking at the color.  I took all the red off and made a border of it. 

I do like this arrangement a lot.  I cut the strips at the same spot and simply turned each strip opposite itself keeping the teal in the center.  you can do this with certain fabrics, say foxes, and keep them all together in the center of the quilt.  It is fun to play.

 Finally, a pink Baby Bargello done with all strip cut fabrics cut from 1/4 yard pieces.