$1,500 Reward Offered For Return of Stolen Quilts

Nancy Rink has offered a $1,000 reward for the safe return of the 17 quilts that were stolen from her Bakersfield, California studio this past weekend. Thimble Towne, a quilt shop in Visalia, has contributed another $500.

Originally, it was thought that 16 quilts were taken, but after a careful inventory by Nancy, an additional loss was discovered. I am sure that Nancy is heartbroken over this missing gem.

Please see the previous post for pictures of all the stolen quilts. We are praying for their safe return.

Nancy Rink's Quilts Stolen

One of our local quilters and nationally known fiber artist, Nancy Rink, had 16 quilts stolen from her Bakersfield, California studio this past weekend. These are gorgeous creations that Nancy patterned herself. Please keep your eyes peeled and forward this information to all of your quilting friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update: A reward has been offered for the safe return of Nancy's quilts. See the details on the next entry on my blog or at

 

http://quiltedtimeposts.blogspot.com/2014/07/1500-reward-offered-for-return-of.html

 

 

Quilting in Circles

Some of you may remember that I started out years--yes, years--ago quilting "Vivid Imagination" with concentric circles. I liked the look, but I was ready to tear out my hair. Every time I tried to stitch those jazzy circles, the quilt layers pulled and shifted and distorted all over the place. No amount of practicing was making things any better.

Why hadn't I used spray adhesive between the layers of the quilt sandwich? I don't know. Never again.

I ended up backtracking. I decided to quilt a wavy grid across the quilt top in hopes of adding some stability and preventing all that annoying slipping that was going on between the layers. It was time consuming, but so worth it. The result was much less shifting, not having to rip out so many wobbling lines of stitching.

The green area of this photo shows the wavy grid. The yellow and orange areas already have the concentric circles superimposed on the grid.

So, now I am back to quilting circles, and the process is going much more smoothly.

 There is nothing like working through problems. I think all those bright colors kept me going

An Upside Down Sort of Summer

This summer has definitely not gone according to my original plans. The undoing all began in June with a jaw abscess, a root canal, and an extended period of recovery. My endodontist is a jewel, but I don't look forward to our visits.

Early on during the summer, I was supposed to go on a road trip to visit a dear friend. Fortunately, she has been gracious enough to wait patiently for my health to return. If God is willing, I will still be able to make that trip before school is back in session.

I also had several home improvement projects that have stalled for the time being for various reasons. Ugh! Like Goldilocks, I sure hope that I soon find that contractor that is "just right".

In the meantime, I have tried to stay positive and get a little quilting squeezed in on most days. I have been making steady progress on my "Vivid Imagination" quilt.

These are a few quarter yards I purchased for my Halloween quilt. Isn't that purple fabric with the crows the bomb? I suppose Halloween fabrics, decorations, and color combinations are generally odd in an attractive sort of way.

 

Here are some of the most recent Halloween squares I have made. So far, I have over sixty completed. I suppose I should stop one of these days and figure out just how many I really need. That probably won't happen any time soon, because I find myself working on these little morsels when I can't control other events in my life. It might be a long road to Halloween. 

A Delicious Day of Quilting

Today was a delicious day of quilting. No appointments. No having to leave the house to do anything. No visitors.

I suppose I could have let these bright Roma tomatoes call my name to do something with them--not to mention the three other bowls of produce that sit overflowing on my patio table. But I really needed a day to balance my thoughts and level my emotions. It's wonderful how quilting does that for me.

In the meantime, the tomatoes will just have to wait. Quietly. Colorfully. Beautifully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress on "Vivid Imagination"

With everything going on around here, don't think I have forgotten this colorful friend.

 

Originally, I had tried to stitch wavy lines along the outermost border, but the quilt would have none of that. It stretched, pulled, distorted, and every other obnoxious thing that a border can do. Finally, I picked out the wavy lines and tried a large zigzag instead. It worked!

 

 

I stuck to a simple spiral on these accent squares. So far, so good.

 

 

Look at the delightful stripes I found in my stash for the binding! I still have quite a bit of quilting left to do in the center of the quilt so am not quite ready for the binding, but at least it will be ready when I am.

 

 

 

Candy Corn and Potato Chips

Well, there were lots of cute comments about these little Halloween squares that I had begun making at the time of my last post.

Magnolia Tea said that I needed to pass out some candy corn with my pictures. Little did she know that I had some candy corn fabric ready to be cut and sewn into some more squares. You should be able to see them in this photo.

Quilt By Faith commented that 2 1/2" squares are really small and that was why I probably need to do yoga. Too funny! My yoga teacher said that almost any beloved work performed with the hands is a form of meditation. Even quilting!

 

Besides, I am having so much fun with these silly fabrics that it is hard to stop. Kind of like eating potato chips.

 

 

Thanks for your sweet comments and your brilliant humor. They make my day brighter.

A Tiny Bit of Halloween Stitching

Well, I had to come up for some air in the midst of all that canning and freezing--and do a little sewing. I grabbed these Boo Crew mini charm squares that I got at a ridiculously discounted price and played for a bit. I also cut a few more squares from fabric I already had and mixed them in. Most of the black background fabric was already in my stash as well.

A lot of fun sewing with these goofy little prints!

Eventually, these 2 1/2" squares will be used for a border on a Halloween applique.

Happy Garden, Busy Me!

Not a whole lot of quilting going on here this week. I am trying to work my way through the mountains of produce.

Anaheim peppers for salsa and Chile rellenos. I have finally figured out that I can roast peppers on the grate of my gas stove top. Yum!

 

More white peaches. The yellow peaches on the dwarf tree are ready, too. I picked them last night before the birds took them all.

 

The tomatoes are glowing on their bushes like Christmas lights. It's funny that I don't always notice the tomatoes when they are green. Then when the temperature peaks over 100 degrees, and the bright red fruits pop into view.

 

 

I am missing my quilting, but I can't complain.

Peace, Love & Tehachapi

Independence Day found me celebrating in Tehachapi, California with a big fish fry and potluck lunch. Five of us jumped in the car and traveled to the quaint mountain village to join twenty-five more friends--some old, some new.

After that extended lunch and desserts, my friend Robin and I stopped in old downtown Tehachapi to do a bit of shopping before we headed home. Most stores were open although 5 Heart Quilts was closed by the time we got there. I was planning on gently needling Claudia, the proprietor, to see what quilts she will be entering in the Kern County Fair this year. I guess I will have to wait until September to know that.

Thinking that I was sorely disappointed, Robin gently steered me to an antique and collectible store that was located nearby and nudged me toward these "Peace Frogs".

I hate it when my friends know me better than myself.

Of course, the adorable salt and pepper shakers came home with me. How could I resist their lively colors? Their mouths even had tiny magnets in them so they could kiss!

Outside the shop, there were many sights to see. The entire downtown area was decorated for the holiday. This is the train depot.

 

I am assuming a water tower.

 

 

A side street.

 

 

Gallery 'N Gifts, where the artists were available to talk about their work.

 

 

 And finally, a road sign. Robin found it interesting that the airport and cemetery were listed so closely together. Her father was a pilot and survived a scrape or two.