Future Fabric?

The fields are bursting with new cotton.  Thought you might like to see a picture of the cotton after it is harvested.

Some round bales of cotton.

Not sure exactly where the cotton goes from our area or its end product, but I'd like to think it will one day be beautiful quilting fabrics.

Buzz for now,

Merritt

Stilling Buzzing Along

It's been too long, but still buzzing along with my quilting. Perhaps I'll be able to keep up with posting more often.

I wanted to share that I entered two quilts in my very first quilt show!!  Landmark Park is a local agricultural learning and activity center. This past weekend they held their Heritage Days Fall Festival, which included a quilt show and juried quilt contest. Our guild, the Enterprising Quilters' Guild was asked to participate. As the guild president, I encouraged our members to enter their quilts and challenged myself to place two quilts in the contest as well.  Seven of our guild members entered the contest.  I am pleased to announce that all seven of us placed or received an award. The following are pictures of our quilts:

Best of Show and Best Machine Quilting by Linda West:

First Place Team/Group Quilts by Diane Howse

Quilted by Linda West

Third Place Team/Group Quilt by Merritt Crawford

Quilted by Sharon Russelburg

First Place Miniature Quilts by Karen Callen

First Place Applique by Kathi Campbell

Third Place Applique by Karen Callen

First Place Wall Quilts and Judges' Choice 

by Merritt Crawford

Second Place Wall Quilts by Kathi Campbell

Third Place Wall Quilts by Judi Rairigh

Judges' Choice and People's Choice by Karen Keevert

It was such a joy to see our ladies rewarded for their beautiful quilts.  I was very humbled to receive the awards for my quilts and I'm blessed to be able to enjoy such a wonderful hobby in quilting and to do it with such great friends.  Hope you enjoyed seeing our quilts.

Buzz for now,

Merritt

Joining "Just One Star"

When I learned about "Just One Star", I knew I wanted to participate. Soooooooooooo, I printed the instructions from modafabric. blogspot.com and got busy.  What a worthy project!!

Here's my start:

I'd like to encourage my fellow quilters to take part in this wonderful project.  I found it just as quick to cut fabric for 2 blocks as for one, plus with chain piecing they went together in a snap.  While you are sewing your blocks, you can say a prayer for the soldier that will be the recipeint of the quilt with your blocks.

Let me know if you decide to join in.  I'd love to see your blocks.
Buzz for now,
Merritt

More Abbey Bags

As a beautiful Sunday comes to an end, thought I would share some pictures of some Abbey Bags I made for some special quilting friends of mine, a group of ladies that meet on Tuesday afternoons to stitch and share. 

These bags are sooooo much fun to make.  I have probably made over 20 now as of last count, for perfect little gifts. 

This week I will be teaching The Abbey Bag pattern at my guild's workshop.  Everyone has bought their own pattern and was given a little "homework" to give them a headstart in preparation for Thursday's workshop.  I plan to have move Abbey Bags pictures to post after class.

Hope you've had a great weekend.
Buzz for now,
Merritt

Back to the Buzz

It's so good to be "Back to the Buzz"!!  I have missed blogging about what's going on in my world of quilting.  I have some UFO's to show and some stories to share.  The pictures to follow are of a quilt I made for some special friends of mine.  It's called "Gone Fishin'".  The front is made from all batiks.  It was my first time to work with batiks, but it won't be the last.  What nice fabrics to work with!!

I enjoyed the combination of pieced blocks and raw edge applique blocks.  A dear friend, Kathi Campbell, quilted it. 

Thought I'd show you a few close-ups.

This quilt was featured in Fons and Porter Magazine.  June Jaeger is the designer.  "Cattle Country Quilts" put the kit together for me.  They chose beautiful colors.

That's the all for now.
Merritt

Meet My Owlivia

Good Evening.  I would like for you to meet my new friend, Owlivia Cool Chick.  She was "hatched" tonight at my guild's workshop.  I really had a great time designing her from all scraps!! Yeah!

She has many sisters that also "hatched" tonight.   For the pattern, here's the link:  http:///www.modabakeshop.com and type in Owlivia in the search.  Sandy Gervais is the designer.  Hope you are inspired to make your own Owlivia.  She's guaranteed to make you SMILE!

Beach Retreat

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to Panama City Beach for a quilting retreat with my quilt guild.

This is the beach house that we stay in.  We bring food, snacks, goodies, projects and machines, jammies and a toothbrush and sew, sew, sew with the occasional break to look at every quilt magazine imaginable or make a run to "Quilting By The Bay" quilt shop, JoAnn's, Michael's, or Hobby Lobby.

Took a break to watch the sunset.

Now to share a few projects I worked on and/or completed:

A bag from Moda Bake Shop - Mill House Inn Tote.  A friend of mine made one with me of the same fabric.

A dish towel using some orange chenile trim from "Fabric Cafe".

A minkie taggy blanket for a baby gift.

I was able to stitch my vines down on my Lizzie B Creative quilt.  I still need to stitch down my flowers, add and stitch the leaves and add the border, but it's coming along.

These are my blocks from the Fat Quarter Shop's Mystery Block of the Month.  I made the tree  block down at the beach.  My October block was waiting for me when I got home.  These fabrics are Kate Spain's Twelve Days of Christmas.

I found these fabrics at Quilting By the Bay with the exception of the three pieces on the bottom.  One of my friends made a Crazy Eights quilt from Bits 'n Pieces and it was so cute.  That's what I plan to do with these fabrics.

I worked on two other projects:  Gone Fishin' quilt that I completed and have taken to the quilter and I cut out a Christmas surprise for one of my daughters.

It was a very fun trip and much needed.
Buzz for now,
Merritt