Neighbor Judy....

Years ago my daughters and I were so lucky to have neighbor Judy and her husband, Dave, move next door.  They attended so many grade school, middle school and high school events for both girls.  As a single parent it was often times difficult to make both girls' events, but they were there if I wasn't. Jeny, my youngest daughter, was about 8 years old when they moved next door.  Here they are with her at her Ferris State University graduation in 2009.  My other daughter was graduating the same day in  South Orange, NJ....the date conflicts just never end, just get less and less. 

 Judy re-entered the world of quilting about the same time I started, the high school graduation of my now 30 year old.  Judy and I have done quilt hops and bus trips and our own designed quilt hops for several years now.  A trip to Shipshewana was always on the agenda with a stop at the cheese factory.  A couple days ago she stopped over to show me her new block experimentation.While she was at the Attic Window for the seasonal sample block of the month she picked up a copy of the new Block book from Missouri Star Quilt.

Above, Judy is showing me how she made these large half-square triangles (HST), from two large squares sewn together along the outside edges, made the pinwheel shown then get......

this new block by cutting and slashing.....The Block also explains several more blocks from making HST's.   I think it's called the Disappearing Half-Square Triangles.  She's promised to send it over but she's having so much fun I haven't seen it yet.  These books are the best deal in quilt world....$5.99!  Besides the patterns simple and concise instructions are the mainstay for each pattern.  Judy is what I call a production quilter.  She must complete at least two or three full sized tops a month!  When we both started we insisted on only hand quilting our projects; I've played with machine quilting since I'm obsessed with finishing projects (even though I have several in the queue).  Judy loves to shop at the Goodwill's and Salvation Army for deals, unfinished quilt projects.  Someday she's going to open all her large pizza boxes used to store her blocks and quilts and count how many need completion.  Without her experimentation I'd have little inspiration though!  With the upcoming presidential season and on going sports TV, I'm confident she will get a few more done...certain presidential hopefuls get the quilting needle going faster!

Have fun and stayed tuned for an update on our last meeting at GRMQ and our really cool retreat plans.  I am so excited for the fall retreat weekend at a camp on Lake Michigan!