Quilt Every Day for April

I know that I won't be able to quilt every day this month, because we are going to be out of town visiting friends for a week or so (leaving either Sunday or Monday). And then later in the month I'm going to Paducah, Kentucky, with a friend to see the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show & Contest. But I'm going to try to quilt on the days I'm home. And if I don't keep track of what I'm working on here, I won't remember at the end of the month.

Yesterday, all I did was make one block for our guild's president (the members always make a block for the president as a thank you). I forgot to take a picture of it before I turned it in at our meeting last night, but it was a Sawtooth Star block. Today I'm continuing to work on Diamond in the Rough.

This past weekend, I attended the Oklahoma Quilt State Organization's Spring Retreat at Western Hills State Lodge. It was a lot of fun! But that means I have a couple more unfinished projects to work on, although I did get one of the tops finished - I just need to quilt it. And one of the classes was actually making a basket - out of reed, not fabric! I really enjoyed that. And that is also finished, so I really only have one unfinished top! It's a table runner called Tulip Bells Table Runner by Southwind Designs. I finished one block in the class and also the centers for the other two blocks - so it shouldn't take too long to finish.

One of the teachers at the retreat, Darcy Ashton, does hand appliqué. I don't do hand appliqué - I do machine. Her patterns and books are really great - and can be done by machine just as well as by hand. I had taken a class with her about a year ago, and my friend and I were the only two in the class who brought our sewing machines! Anyway, Darcy is working on a new book, and she wants people who do machine appliqué to realize that they can use her books and patterns too. She asked me if I would do the machine work on about 20 blocks. I would get a signed copy of the book and my name would be listed in the book. Of course I said yes! I was quite flattered and pleased that she asked me. You can see her website here: Darcy Ashton.