Enjoying The Cocheco Show

The Cocheco Quilter's Guild actually meets in Dover, New Hampshire, but their annual show is held a bit north of Dover at the Rochester, New Hampshire Community Center.
I was there only briefly today as I needed get back home to pick up Matthew from his job at the Gilmanton Recycling Center at 1pm. So this is just a smattering of images that I enjoyed.

Above was Susan Chaplin's featured display.

You can click on any picture to zoom in on it.

When I walked in the door, I was greeted by Linda Monasky, of The Bear Paw Gallery, Alton, New Hampshire, and said hello as I was busy signing the guest book. Next, I ran into Margorie Garland from The Sunshine Girls at the Alton Senior Center. She posed for me beside a vendor's booth.

As I looked about, I was interested in how very differently the following two quilts came out, because they were both from the Cocheco Guild's mystery.

Now look at the other one.

I definitely see a Bonnie K. Hunter influence here! A combo of Sister's Choice and Scrappy Mountains' Majesties, maybe? They are both free patterns from Bonnie's website here. They  both looked great and yet were so different.

There was a Rectangle Wrangle from Bonnie's second book, "Scraps and Shirttails."

It was so well done that folks were drawn to it.

Then I spotted two "brights" quilts that appealed to me. The first one was featuring candy prints fabric in a churn dash pattern.

What a modern churn dash it was!

And at the complete other end of the row of quilts, was the other "bright" that I liked. They were both by the same gal, Ruth Swasey, and I hadn't realized that until writing this, LOL! I'm consistent.

What an effective block and alternate block scrappy design. Here it is up closer to enjoy the fabrics.

I think that each block's background neutral was different and scrappy, but some may have been repeated, not sure about that.

As I stood reading my program booklet, Shirley Mento bumped into me and gave me a big hug! She was there with all the gang from the Sew & Sews and we all said hello's and hugs.

By a special request of my dear friend and fabric-swapping buddy, Nann, in Illinois, I had hunted down the two quilts by her friend, Verdi Johnson. The link to Nann's blog is here. 

It was like being on a scavenger hunt at a quilt show, two of my favorite things to do! This is the first Verdi Johnson quilt, called "Weeds & Wildflowers."

What a clever way to re-invent Scrappy Trips Around the World!

The quilting is wonderfully viney and weedy!

The second Verdi Johnson quilt was a red/white/blue themed scrappy Trips blocks.

I love what she did with them!

Both the entries took ribbons; a third and a second. Nice work, Verdi!

I also photographed a trio of three different doll quilts all made by Gladi Porsche and quilted by her.

They were so sweet! Here is number two of the three.

I just felt that my small quilts friends would love these!

My personal favorite in the show had such a big crowd around it that I only got a detail of it with one block.

I loved that pumpkin cheddar that balanced the blues and indigos in all those lovely Civil War selections.

There was another quilt that also made my heart stop for a nano second and it was this one. I love that buckwheat tan with the blues!

And who could resist this Hunter's Star?

Matthew has been wheedling for a second quilt that is longer to cover his feet better. He has chosen blue as his color which made me truly study this beauty.

I have already collected some Indigo Crossing charm packs but I am still ruminating on a design. Of course, as a terrible stashbuster I had to buy some new fabrics from my favorite "Seasoned Saltbox" vendor, Cheryl Wentworth! But I made sure that they were blues.

The Seasoned Saltbox had a queue for the checkout!

I tried to be good, but the Devil made me buy 5 yards, LOL!!! Just kidding, I love my stash!

These displays just wowed me!

I got home to sullen stares from the poor abused creatures.

Tanner is in her sleeping box.

Stay calm and quilt on!

Autumn Gifts

Today was mild and as I was on my way home from The Sunshine Girls quilting group at the Alton Senior Center, I took note of the subtle changes in our colors of the fall foliage as I drove. I apologize for the danged real estate broker's sign that mars the landscape, but it is a pretty view along Route 140 going west.

We are not getting as vivid colors this year due to a long period with no rain just before we started getting our first frosts.

The backyard is soft golds and russets but not those flaming scarlets and blazing oranges. Still, the air is mild during the day and quite chilly at night. Hooray for quilt weather at last!

In addition to those gifts from Mother Nature, I received a lovely blue bag of Birthday quilty loot from Grace yesterday. Just look!!!

AN IKEA LIGHT!!!!! WHOOHOO! It was imported from Maryland since New England has no Ikea stores. This is the same model that Bonnie K. Hunter has had such good luck with and that I've wanted one forever. It has the heavy pedestal base and I'll photograph it set up at my machine tomorrow, maybe.

And that lamp was wrapped in a carefully folded fat quarter and pinned shut. The FQ is the dark chocolate brown Civil War foulard. And what a beauty of a tiny flying geese potholder all done in Jo Morton's Spice Chest! The potholder is sitting on top of a full yard of a gorgeous creamy neutral in the newest Moda, Midwinter Reds! Yummmy!

The back of the potholder is in brights that say "Happy Birthday!" in a gloriously scrappy nine-patch.

Thank you so very much, Grace!!! The potholder is never gonna get used to lift pans. I have pinned it to the wallboard above my computer between the portraits of lady ancestors of mine in a place of great honor. But, Grace, you simply MUST sign it when next you visit.

From Janet came a mindbogglingly tiny Christmas tree ornament in a log cabin; my personal favorite! I tried to show it as I held it so that you could appreciate its daintiness.

 I think that it is all done in Kansas Troubles and I asked Janet to please sign the back of it for me and date it. Now why was I so stupid as to not have Grace sign hers at the same time, sheesh!?!

Thank you so much my very dear friend! This is a treasure.

And over at the Senior Center, we had some big news. Amy Braun, our beloved and energetic director, has accepted a new post one town away at an assisted living facility where her 90 year old father is currently living. It breaks our hearts to lose her, but we wish her all the best!
Here is my lunch table at the Center, where I changed my mind at the last minute and opted out of the fish or was it seafood salad wraps?

The wonderful quilt on the wall is by Dorinda, who volunteers in the kitchen often.

For those of you who are uncertain of the proper way to enjoy fall foliage, here is Raven's recommendation.

Leaf Bath, everybody!!!

As for the kittens, they preferred to bask on the cedar planks like lizards...

I did very little sewing today, just one Jacob's Ladder for that November swap. I think that one brings me up to ten done.

Happy sewing!

Delightful Day At The Mothership

Today was a fine fall day to spend shopping, chatting, laughing and enjoying lunch with two of my favorite virtual internet friends. Today made them all the more real!

Victoria, Janet, and Grace at the Mothership

Grace is my friend from Maine who has the most amazing quilty socks!!!! Aren't they fabulous? And how about dem new Nike's, too?

Grace found a few new "oranges" ( no, not the kind that you eat, silly!) and she will tell you more about her quilt-in-the-planning stages on her blog.

There is so much to see at Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor, New Hampshire!

The store is so big that you can get lost daydreaming over fabrics when you were really trying to find their beautiful restrooms, LOL!
My other dear friend, Janet, from Utah, had brought her daughter Angie. Her blog is here.

Janet as we all took a break on the porch

It was so heartwarming to see this mother-daughter team up to find great stuff.

It made me miss my own mother, who is, right now, busy pouring drinks for Saint Peter. Do they have swizzle sticks in Heaven?
My mother was not a quilter, but she loved her needlepoint! The lively bunch that she formed as a sit'n'sew group she named, "Stitch & Bitch."LOL!

My beloved mother and her needlepoint.

Ahhhh, but I digress! Now it has become tomorrow and I was just telling you about yesterday that was today. hmm. Well, you know what I mean...

Janet and Angie both made so many decisions they were a bit overwhelmed.

So Grace and I whisked them off to the local eatery called The Canoe where we feasted and told all the stories and asked all the questions and wearied our poor waiter, Jayloam.

He was so nice to take our picture as we were leaving.

A Fabulous Foursome!

It was the best company of kindred spirits! But before I go, here are just a couple of last random inspirational photos that I took at the Mothership.

Cheddar and nine-patch

 Now is that cheddar and nine-patch spicy enough for you? It was all Halloween themed fabrics!

And I leave you with this darling scrappy log cabin to remind us all that we all fit in somewhere.

Stay calm and quilt on!