Lucy Goosey – Amherst Quilters Guild

Our first blogger Quilt-a-Long with very few rules. There will be 6 blocks, all stars of some sort.

August 28, 2014

Aren’t these gorgeous?

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Want to see some extraordinary quilts up close? At this site (click here) you can zoom in close for a good look at some spectacular quilting and applique. I don’t see myself ever making a quilt of this caliber, but I do get some inspiration from the quilting. When working on my free motion skills, I have a few patterns that I fall back on again and again, and it’s nice to find some new ones to try. I’m sure those of you who applique will find the designs on the applique quilts amazing as well. What are you working on these days? Remember the Lucy Goosey quilt along that I had on the blog a while back? I’m making another block so I can set the blocks on point, and then I’ll be finishing the top up. I am making an effort to get […]

July 3, 2014

On the edge…

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. I’ve got my bin of selvages out and have been working on a tote bag design. I find playing with the selvages to be fun and relaxing. Really one can’t make an heirloom project (that’s not a challenge, anyone!) with selvages, so it’s not necessary to worry too much about perfect seams or colors matching just right. I ran across this post (click here) at Exuberant Color with great quilts using strips of varying widths. I think they could be great inspiration for selvages. Another idea for the bucket list is born. Here’s a link to a pretty stitched piece. Not too complicated and it’s “summery” looking to me. I love the dotted fabric as the fabric base. (click here) Time to get out your patriotic quilts. I leave them out for all of July (and sometimes August too if summer is busy!) How about […]

March 12, 2014

a blizzard?!!!

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Do you think that all the weather forecasters just love these storm forecasts? Last night Don Paul was actually scolding the school superintendents who had not yet closed their districts for today. So far it’s not bad outside–we’ll see what develops. Today is trash day in my neighborhood; I’m hoping I’ll be able to bring the totes back up from the curb before it gets too deep. I stopped in the grocery store yesterday and as often happens with these forecasts, the “joint was jumpin”. Milk, bread, eggs, tp …you native Buffalonians know what to do. I’m planning to do a lot of sewing! Got out some UFO’s. First my Lucy Goosey blocks. Remember those? (Look in the sidebar categories for a memory refresher.) I want to make 2 more blocks for the setting I have in mind. Found this great (if you like paper […]

August 16, 2013

It’s time to celebrate!

Hello all, Mary Ellen here again. We had a very nice presentation by the WNY chapter of the Modern Quilting Guild at our regular guild meeting last evening. Many of us had some of our questions about “modern” quilting cleared up for us. Those of us who consider ourselves to be “traditional” quilters have more in common with the “modern” girls than we might have thought. Several of the quilts that they brought along to share didn’t look “modern” to me at all. Some of the fabrics used looked like repros to me more than brand new designs, which is not to say that others of the fabrics did not have a really fresh new look to them. The use of solids in many of their quilts reminded me, and perhaps many of the others in attendance, of the days of old (now I’m really aging myself) when solids and […]

July 3, 2013

red, white and blue

Hello all, Mary Ellen back. I need to finish a quilt. Back when we began the Lucy Goosey quilt-along here, I started making red, white and blue star blocks. It’s a UFO project. I’ve been working on the first version, the one done in tropical scraps, trying to get it finished as a summer project. As I hung the flag out front this morning, I thought I should get out some patriotic quilted pieces. Well…I don’t have many of them. Have to remedy that situation. Do you change out your quilts for the time of year, or for special days? How’s your collection of red, white and blue projects? Here is a gallery of patriotic quilts to inspire you. click here. Have a safe, fun, Fourth of July everyone!

November 16, 2012

last Lucy Goosey

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Finally…the last Lucy Goosey block. It’s a nice easy variation of the Friendship Star block. Several variations are mentioned in case you need a few filler blocks. The directions are here: lucy goosey #6

November 2, 2012

bits and bobs

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. 1. Our president, Kathy T., has asked me to post this for you. Awhile back, at a guild show and share, Kathy shared a quilt with pieces like puzzle pieces. She had lots of inquiries about the pattern, which she found on the internet. Here is the site for you. You can see a photo of the quilt in the photo gallery at our guild site. The link to that is in the side bar of this blog. 2. I just discovered that I never posted the October, final, Lucy Goosey block directions! So sorry for that negligence. I found it just now in the list of “draft” posts. I’ll finish that up and get it posted ASAP. 3. Are you going out to the “old” Pine Grove workshop location for Judy and Bonnie’s Christmas Open House? It’s this weekend and next. I’m sure that […]

October 3, 2012

October Lucy Goosey

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. What a busy time it has been! It seems I haven’t been able to sit down for more than a few minutes until after dinner and a dog walk, and when I do I promptly doze off! I think it’s a sign of something-and don’t you dare say old age! I can’t believe we’re in the last month of our Quilt-a-long! I am working on directions for our last block, an easy variation on the timeless Friendship Star. I am planning to give your directions for a 4 inch, 6 inch and 12 inch finished block and a few possible layouts. I know that not everyone was in love with the first block-that paper-pieced star-and I hear tell that the block # 5 gave a few quilters fits as well. So sorry but perhaps you’ve exercised those quilting muscles a bit. Remember there were […]

September 1, 2012

next Lucy Goosey block delayed

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. I guess I shouldn’t call it a delay, since I said way back at the beginning of this Quilt-a-long that we have few rules if any for this. I have the block concept-just need to write up some directions for you. This will be number 5 (out of 6)-TTFN! Have a great holiday!

July 29, 2012

Lucy Goosey block #4–wonky star

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. I know that this fourth block is going to make some of you very antsy. No, it’s not paper piecing again. It’s a liberated block-I prefer to call them wonky (love that word!)–inspired by the work of designer Gwen Marston. If you are of fan a quick cutting, no measuring, and relaxed precision (is there such a thing?), you will love her work and will enjoy this block. If you are of the camp that will take out a seam 5 times to make sure the points match, then this block is going to send your blood pressure up. Have a glass of an adult beverage, just enough to relax your standards but not enough to make you dangerous with a rotary cutter! Take a few deep cleansing breaths, maybe do a few yoga stretches and then read on! Here is a link to the […]