Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year!

I haven't posted in a while, but this post is a worthwhile one to read even though it is going to be a long one. Edit: I am splitting posts since just describing the sewing part is long enough without starting on the shops.

Yesterday was New Year's Eve, a day I hate. Most people reflect on their lives and aging on their birthdays, but it is New Year's Eve for me. I love my birthday and make it a gala celebration, but New Year's Eve I hunker down.

This year though I wasn't going to do that. I am not sure how I stumbled on it, but I saw Missouri Star Quilt Company was having a New Year's Eve Mystery Quilt event. I thought this was something that would be fun and worth sharing with somebody else. So I invited my friend Doris. We had SO MUCH FUN!!! Genuine fun where I felt welcomed and comfortable. The drive was super easy with Hamilton being so close to the interstate and only 2 hours south of Des Moines. Jenny was supposed to be there that day, but her family gifted her a cruise or something like that so she wasn't there. I don't begrudge her that. It was 6F yesterday.

The event started at 10 o'clock and we arrived about 9:45. I had struggled to get out of bed in the morning, so it was a little later than I'd planned. I had to park across the street and we were unloading our stuff from the car when two young men came over and asked if we needed help. They carried our stuff in for us! Great first impression. Later we found out that they do this for all events. Last fall there was a western themed sewing event and they dressed up in costume for that complete with cowboy hats supposedly.

The space was great and you can read about it here. There was so much food! And good food at that. This was my first real quilting event and I hadn't known what to expect, but it was like being among friends. The MSQC staff treated us all really well, just very well done. Attendees were very nice as well and all were complimentary of each other's fabric choices. Doris and I found a spot in the back near the ironing board which worked out great since we were able to talk to ladies while they ironed. I took my first sewing machine, a cheapo Janome that travels well. I signed up to rent a machine, but I worried about my seam allowance and went with the one I knew I could finish the quilt on.






This is how the mystery quilt worked: they gave fabric requirements and cutting instructions ahead of time. Different fabrics in different configurations were placed into bags marked with different clue numbers. At set intervals through the day, they would hand out clues so you knew what you were supposed to do. There was no way you would actually get the quilt top done. Well, maybe if you sewed fast and ironed quickly and didn't eat any snacks or wandered around looking at other people's projects. From the first clue I figured out it was some sort of repeated block pattern so I decided I would keep pace with the clues to get one complete block done and then work at my own pace for the rest. I did get a fair amount done and if I was more industrious today, I would have done more.

I LOVE my fabric choices. I don't have a picture of the fabric alone, but you will see them in the block. I used Alison Glass' Clover Sunshine that I found on sale at the Fabric Shack. I bought a solid which was described as textured. I thought that meant it looked textured. Well, it was textured with much give. It frays a lot, which means I need to get this done quickly and off to be quilted.

The block was a quatrefoil and I think is a pretty block. Doris and I were worried that it would end up being an ugly quilt, but as I said it would make a good story then. "My friend Doris and I . . . ugly quilt." It is amazing what a difference fabric choice makes. I think some of the older ladies thought my fabric was a bit much, but like I said I love my fabric.

I had a great time. Apart from the sewing adventure, it was fun to spend time and talk to Doris. She really is a lovely lady and her friendship has really enriched my life. Not just saying that, truly mean it.





1 comment:

  1. What an awesome trip!! And to get to go with Doris, too! Win-win for you! Looks like a lot of fun. 😄 I hope to get to MSQC someday. It's been on my wish list for a couple of years.

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