It's a birthday party!

Michelle over at Quilting Gallery is celebrating a 4th birthday, and in honour of that she's having a

So I've decided to join in the celebration.  I've never been part of a Blog Hop before, but I couldn't turn Michelle down.  Stop by often to see what I'm up to and to get in on the give away that I'll be offering tomorrow.  I see that my friend Upstate Lisa has joined the fun too!  Woo Hoo!  Why don't you come along and bring your holiday cheer with you.  It's gonna be a wild ride!

I'm still here...

but I've been busy with several things.  First I had to finish a hand quilting project that has been sitting around since 2007.  Yes, yes I know, but don't we all have projects that have been around for a while.  This one was started while at a retreat.  The theme was "heritage quilts".  I thought I knew what fabrics were considered reproduction, but I soon discovered that I had a lot to learn. 

The style of this quilt however is heritage.  It is what was often called a "strip quilt".  Each of the blocks were signed by attendees at the retreat.

I also had to put the binding on a quilt that I started in a Seminole workshop.  I call it "A Seminole Christmas"  The fabric is from the Robyn Pandolf Christmas Collection from a couple of years ago.  This will add a festive feel to my bedroom.

and here are some close ups of some of the rows.

Now I just have to finish off the African Collage that I started piecing the last time.  I should be finished before Christmas and will post the end result next time.  I'm also adding to a Round Robin. but that is for another post.

A collage

is a great way to try what I call "designing on the fly".  This is what I learned over the last two days of taking a class with Pippa Moore.  Our guild hosted the class and it was quite an adventure.  I used fabrics that were unfamilar to me, but the vibrancy of them had a certain appeal.  Here is what I had to work with.

Yes, the kit supplied by Pippa for the class was a cornucopia of African fabrics and batiks.  Initially I was uncertain that I was going to be able to put all of these together.  My western sense of order was going to be put to the test.  However it was Pippa to the rescue with her encouragement and a few consultations.  I grasped my rotary cutter and made a start.  Here is what I have so far.

A special thank you to Pippa.   Her easy going manner and ability to draw me into a playful frame of mind kept me enthralled.  These two days went by all too quickly despite the extra hour we gained by setting the clock back.  The pieces are now on my design wall and I continue to play. Stay tuned for the final result.