The earth is waking up slowly from its long winter of rest.
Meanwhile, the Pueblo West Quilters have been active. Very active. Mari
Pretzer’s Mystery Quilt Retreat produced over two dozen quilts in all stages of
development. Check out the Sew N Share pictures for a limited group showing.
Can you believe all the variations of the pattern?
Have you been reading the Minutes? Helen’s been challenging us monthly to read them by giving
away a $100,000 bar. That’s right, a 100 Grand candy bar! Only one winner/month
so read the minutes and the treasurer’s reports to keep yourself informed. CKQ
whispered to me that she’s going to
win next month. We’ll see…
CKQ thinks this is the year of the challenges. What do you
think? I think this is the year of fun, fun, FUN!!!
Did you love
the Relay for Life quilt? Or the Alzheimer’s quilts? Check them out in the pix.
If you’re wanting to participate for a chance to win the Relay for Life quilt,
get your tickets before the midnight drawing on May 31st.
Email pwquiltersguild@gmail.com
for information.
(Warning: Time for a shower cause CKQ is on a soap-box… or
is it time for an hour of unwinding in front of the TV?) Pueblo West Quilters
are not just quilters. We’re active members of this community and beyond. Our
quilt-making skills produce quilts for those in need, for comfort and love. Our
quilts raise monies to further research and awareness. The quilts help pay
salaries for the scientists and doctors who are tracking down and eradicating
those atrocious cells. It’s not that all bad cells are bad, it’s that they
carry a multiplying device in them that causes them to reproduce exponentially,
crowding and suffocating the good cells. There’s a Great War going inside our
bodies and we’re fighting until we win. Quilts have been a voice for millions
of women throughout time and there’s plenty of Cactus Kilter Quilters in the
Pueblo West Quilters Guild who aren’t afraid of raising up their needles. (This
soap-box was brought to you by the ACME anvil company. Beep. Beep.)
May’s Program was
“Gag, Gasp, Guffaw” quilt show where
members brought their ugliest quilt or their first quilt to showcase how far
we’ve come since those beginning learning curves. Let’s just say that the
evening was sooo inspirational that the CKQ photographer was overwhelmed and
stood in awe, several times before
she realized photos were not taken. A case of you had to be there.
Giggles, gasps, and Oh Mys! echoed the room as CKQs pulled
out their shades to hide their shocked, frozen faces.
In some cases, eyeballs were falling out of their sockets
and bouncing out the door while the lips were hopping after them exclaiming,
“My eyes! My eyes!”
Prizes? Oh yeah, a bunch of them. Gems one and all. But the
truly amazing quilts received ribbons.
Best in Show: Lisa Mollenhauer’s ladies are sedately gliding
over her quilt.
Ugly Winner: Donna Ford-Ferrell’s mauves and mint green
quilt is presiding on her bed today.
Nice Try: Helen Cherry’s black and white quilt is twisting
in knots. (Psst! Some of them are unravelling.)
The Block of the
Month is the Four Patch Slice. 10.5”
x 10.5” unfinished scrappy block. Four 5” squares and one 3” x 15” white or
white-on-white strip. (Hint: at least 15”.)
http://www.inspiringcreationsblog.com/2013/11/4-patch-slice-free-quilt-pattern-and.html
Yes, PWQ did this block in the past but
by popular demand, it’s back so whip up a few scrappy blocks for your chance to
take home a quilt-in-the-making.
Becky Panariso gave us the last set of instructions for PWQ’s 2014 Mystery Quilt Challenge.
Take the large triangle rectangle and lay them at ninety
degrees, creating a rotating pinwheel effect with the large triangles. Take two
rectangle of Large Contrast Color 1 and lay them on opposite sides/diagonals of
the whirling flying geese. Repeat with of Large Contrast Color 2. Sew
rectangles together to create a large block.
Repeat these steps for the final blocks exactly. When you assemble your top, a secondary whirlwind pattern
will be formed from the Large Contrast Color rectangles. See the photos at https://www.facebook.com/pueblowest.quilters?fref=ts
or https://pueblowestquiltersguild.shutterfly.com/
for Becky’s examples. Make identical blocks to avoid the Vomit Comet Syndrome.
Just saying…
Now, we’re all alone.
Alone to figure out which direction the
blocks need to rotate.
Alone to select the borders.
Alone.
Alone.
Alone.
How are we ever going to take out the
mystery and create quilts by November’s meeting? How?
Hah! Quilters are never alone! We talk to each other. We
share our problems until viable solutions appear for the quilter.
Mystery? That’s history.
You need feedback or a sounding board? Cactus Kilter Quilters
to the rescue. CKQs are always ready to help. You might be the CKQ another
quilter needs so step up and help. You might be the CKQ in need of help, so
step up and shout out your troubles. Together we’ll nibble away that daunting
elephant quilt and stitch by stitch we’ll have a fabulous showing in November.
You saw what happened with Mari’s Mystery Quilts at the
meeting. Imagine what’s going to happen over the next six months! CKQ can see
it now … the place is packed. Grumblings because the Board needs to keep the
members informed: 2015 Board announced, Holiday party final details,
End-of-the-Year wrap-ups, etc… It’s got to be done. Sew N Share, drawings,
final LUV quilts and pillowcases tallied to bring the count up, … Oh my. Will
we ever get to the program?
And then it happens.
The 2014 Pueblo West Quilters’ Quilt Challenge Program.
Quilt after quilt after quilt is shown and talked about. Oh
the glorious colors!
“Did you see
how she set those blocks together?”
“I would
have never thought of that.”
“I should
have brought my camera.”
“Don’t you have one on your phone?”
“Crap. I
forgot. I really need to learn how to use it.”
“Ohhhhh.”
and “Ahhhhh.”
Applauses
and encores.
Yep. It’s going to be … wait for it… legendary.
Whipping the
Binding into Place & Labelling it done,
Cactus
Kilter Quilter
