Turquoise Tuesday: National Women's Check-up Day

Today is TURQUOISE TUESDAY!!  

In honor of Women’s National Health Week (the second week of May) the American Lung Association and LUNG FORCE are turning the nation TURQUOISE  in support of the fight against lung cancer, the #1 cancer killer of women in our country.
So to join in support of this venture, I’m wearing a TURQUOISE  chevron striped blouse & topaz (TURQUOISE ) earrings today that match my eyes!



Plus I’m sharing some of my favorite TURQUOISE items, too!


This is my "Frond Garden" quilt that I teased you with little snippets of last year, 
then totally forgot to post the completed quilt for you to see.  



It is the spectacular "Carpe Diem" fabric by Melissa Marie Collins
from Front Design Studio that gives this quilt such vibrant visual impact.



The pattern I used is called "Sundance" by Villa Rosa Designs. 
Designed to focus maximum impact with large patterned fabrics, it was really simple to do. 

I originally had lime green around each of those TURQUOISE blocks 
(thank you to my friend, Robin, for the pretty floral fabric that I fussy cut)

but didn't like the effect of the green, so I got out the seam ripper & took it all apart. 

 Using the deep purple really set off the swirls in the wide bands of fabric on the sides of the blocks.

The quilting design is "Moonlight E2E" from mycreativestitches.net & 
can be found HERE: 

 http://www.mycreativ...t-edge-to-edge/ 

I loved how the swirls & curls in the quilting pattern matched the same design in the fabric

and I especially love how you can really see it on the TURQUOISE backing fabric!

I used wool batting, which doesn't crease & keeps the quilt lightweight yet warm & Superior's So Fine thread in a pale green color...#446.
It blended beautifully over all the different colors.

Next TURQUOISE project is my *Hunter Star* pattern quilt that I just finished.
In fact, I still have to add the binding but I couldn't wait to show it to you. 

I've named it "Turcaide" which is Irish/Gaelic for TURQUOISE. 

I used Deb Tucker's ruler, which has you create the blocks slightly over-sized
& then trim down so they're close to perfect.  



I was getting a little tired of making the same block over & over 
but I pushed myself to make this long enough to fit across the entire back of a sofa.




I used a design from Mountaintop Quilting called:
#1745 HUNTER'S STAR LACE

carefully placing it, point by point within each block,

and "morphing" it to fit, one at a time.

It took me well over 20 hours to complete the quilting!

I used Superior thread's *Fantastico* variegated thread, color #5070, 
which runs from a teal green to a darker TURQUOISE shade. 

Not one single thread break in the entire quilt!!

I LOVE MY INNOVA LONG ARM!!!

The sharp points of the design meet together in the center of the four blocks to form what resembles a Canterbury or a Maltese cross.

I "stitched in the ditch" in all the vertical & horizontal seams....BORING!!

I hate doing that part but I've learned it really does make a difference in how flat the quilt lies.
Deb Tucker has you press all the seams open, too, which helps a great deal.



I find that if I lay it in the dining room, 
where the morning sun can shine across it from the sunroom/kitchen windows,
you get a good idea of the depth of texture provided by the wool batting.  



The border design has scrolls & heart shapes intertwined.
I was glad I remembered to mirror the image when I went to the opposite side & bottom, 
so the hearts pointed outward. 
I've forgotten to do that only once & once was enough!
It is NOT fun, picking out 12 stitches/inch, believe me.






This last photo, taken later in the morning shows the color more accurately.  
I was pleasantly surprised to see the secondary pattern of "CIRCLES" throughout.
A totally unexpected added dimension!
Can you see the faint outline of them, below?



As I looked around the house today, I realized my hairbrush, my pill case, my kitchen broom & even my garbage can are all TURQUOISE...
I'll spare you the photos of those. 

However, I do want to share my favorite summer time nail polish.
    



Note the name on the bottom.....
 


One of my blogging friends, BJ, named her blog "Sweet Nothings", so this photo is for YOU, BJ!! 

(I added the last "s" with Photoshop, tee-hee)

One more TURQUOISE photo, from Southern Living, just because I love it...

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House.  I'll stop by to visit you soon!

 

Paducah, KY Quilt Show

"Arandano" by Marilyn Badger, Best of Show, Paducah, KY

I was lucky to get to attend the big quilt show this year in Paducah, KY ..."Quilt City USA"!
I had a wonderful time & really enjoyed the show as well as exploring the city & learning about its history.
However, I came home a day early due to a wicked sore throat which turned into a nasty upper respiratory infection.  
I missed out on my KISS quilt guild's "Mug Rug Exchange" (which I suggested!) & several other events, because I didn't want to infect others.

These photos show just some of the spectacular quilts from the show.
 Marilyn Badger won *Best of Show* with her "Arandano", which means "blueberry".  



It was AMAZING & the photos don't really do any of the quilts justice. 
To see them in person was just awe inspiring!
You can watch an interview with Marilyn & get to see the quilt better here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS3qfvwi-9w&list=UUAP5JtMkAFKkQMlrdnEjT8g&index=19







I especially got a chuckle out of this one below with the hats, 
depicting the quilter's (Tami Graeber) view at the Kentucky Derby!  

It was titled "My View, Those Darn Hats, Who Won the Derby?"  LOL

We've been to the Kentucky Derby & I wore a large red & black hat, 
(which I still have, BTW) so this really brought back fond memories.



Lots of 3-D embellishments & check out the fantastic feathering in the quilting of the red hat.



I don't have enough adjectives to describe all the delicious quilting I saw at the show.
Each quilt was more beautiful than the next.



My camera took lousy pictures of Bethanne Nemish's 1st place "Paisley Peacock" 

so I've borrowed this is from her website White Arbor Quilting 

& Margaret Solomon Gunn's 2nd place quilt "The Jester's Folly".  

(from Margaret's FB)

Both were spectacular but the skylights & overhead lighting played havoc with the colors! 

If you google each name, you'll see much better shots.  
Congratulations to both of these gals!!!

You can watch a video of Bethanne's interview about the quilt here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ysgrZwHEEs&feature=youtu.be

There is also a video with Margaret regarding her win here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eKcSimtwyQ

The following photos, in random order, are just a small taste of what was on display.  
I frequently overheard people gasping & saying "Oh my goodness!" again & again as I walked up & down the aisles. 






The quilting was especially delicious for me to see up close!!

"A King on His Throne" by Nancy Sterett Martin
Just look at that incredible thread work!!

The following"Twas the Night Before Christmas"quilt was a favorite of mine & you can see why.



I remember first seeing this type of looped corded edging done by Sharon Schamber years ago at the Houston Quilt Show.
 She had started her working career in garment construction & often used this technique when she made closures on wedding dresses & ball gowns.  











LOVED how the quilters (Nancy Sterette & Karen Sistek) depicted "Oscar The Great", the blue heron's the reflection in the water!
I wouldn't know where to begin to create something like this.






Ending with a scrumptious RED & WHITE quilt because you all know how much I love RED!



I'm SEW glad I got to experience Paducah & all that goes along with the show....strawberry shortcake from the Boy Scouts, the flood walls with the pictorial history of the town, the $5/book sale, Eleanor Burn's crazy antics at her show but especially the delightful company of my sewing friends with whom I shared a condo.  Thanks to each of them for including me this year!  Now I'm going back to bed, to curl up under a quilt.