Alternative First Saturday

Some friends and I have been participating in a local quilt shop's BOM series for several years on the first Saturday of each month. We're in the habit of getting together for coffee after the BOM meeting. The next series starts in November but this year we all decided we have too many WIPs and UFOs and we didn't want to start another project.

So instead of starting the new LQS series, we're having our own Alternative First Saturday meet-up for coffee and conversation. Six of us met this past Saturday for the first get-together. We each declared a project that we have to show progress on at the next meeting. Some of the projects include Broken Dishes blocks, Farm Girl Vintage blocks, and log cabin blocks, and all are commitments to finishing WIPs.

My project is the red project, story here and here. My goal is to make one checkerboard block and one Dresden Plate block each month. I started in early September and here are my blocks so far:

The Dresdens still need centers; I'll wait till I have more of them and decide whether I want blue centers or maybe an amber or bronze color. I don't want this to read as a red, white, and blue quilt. The Dresden blocks are oversized; they'll get trimmed down and snowball cornered later.

We're a talkative and eclectic group. The conversation ranged from the Andrew Wyeth museum to class reunions to warts & toenail fungus; chakras & crystals to titanium replacement knees. Oh, and there might have been some talk about our quilting projects, too.

The first Alternative First Saturday get together was very enjoyable - but wait, there's more! Another LQS was having a FQ sale, so some of us adjourned after coffee to go shop for FQs. The sale price has gone up - gasp - to $1.09, but still, how can you beat that?!

So I indulged in a little stash enhancement. No particular purpose, just stuff that I liked.

Corals and pinks

Aquas and greens

Miscellaneous

No particular need, just pure stash enhancement, but my usage numbers are good this year so no guilt. Sometimes you just need to supplement the stash to have a fresh take on pulling a palette together. I picked up 16 FQs for 4 yards in, and kept it to less than $19 including the tax. 

All in all, I'd say my first Alternative First Saturday was a smashing success, and I'm looking forward to more monthly meet-ups. The girls have asked for a Murphy update, so I'll have to try to get some new pics of him for next time.

Link ups: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt