I LOVE Making Scrap Quilts

Charity quilting

2012-03-03T14:23:00.003-08:00

I just put the final stitches in the binding of a charity "kid" quilt. Feels good to have that done! This is the second one I have finished this week--both have been in my sewing room, waiting to be made (I won't tell you for how long...).
I've also been working on the "Little Pink Houses" quilts and have the quilt tops just about completed. They are turning out so neat! I received enough blocks to make two 12-block quilts and three 9-block quilts. Once I finish the final embellishing, I'll photograph all of them.
It really is a good feeling to work on charity quilts--giving of myself for a good cause! I hope you feel the same way when you work on charity quilts!

Scrap bag find

2012-02-23T17:23:00.003-08:00

I finally went through a bag of scraps that I was given almost a year ago--lots of great scraps in there, in fabrics different from what I have. They will be fun to work into some of my future projects.
Tucked in amongst those scraps were these two pieced heart blocks. With the addition of only a few fabric strips (some of which came from that same scrap bag), I had a table runner! I chose to put no batting in it--just backed it with some homespun from my stash, and did a little bit of "in-the-ditch" quilting to hold it all together. Quick and easy because the hard work was already done. I love the way it came out!

Discovered: More Storage Space

2012-02-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

The other day I was looking for a picture that I thought would look good in our newly painted half bath. I was sure it was stored under the bed in my sewing room, along with other pictures and art class projects in large flat boxes. It wasn't there. I later found it peeking out from behind the small bookcase next to the bed in that room.
But I did discover that the largest box under the bed contained my older daughter's art projects from high school. She's almost 37 years old! I certainly don't need to be keeping those projects any more. That box will travel to her house with me next month. In the meantime, I'm thinking about what I can store in that space under the bed!

What a difference!

2012-02-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

All my bear making fabrics and tools are now in two 18 gallon plastic tubs in the basement. Packing that stuff away really freed up a lot of space in the closet in my sewing room. I'm now thinking about what should go in that space.
I also did something else that really makes a difference in that room. All my sample quilts were folded and stacked atop one another on the bed--they took up a lot of space that way, the quilts were getting permanent folds in them, and the stacks of quilts made the room seem crowded. I decided to open each quilt out flat on the bed and store one on top of the other in that way. (I thought that I could actually hear them saying "thank you" as I did this!) I then covered the entire bed with a sheet--much better for the quilts and definitely a much less cluttered look to the room! There is now space to "store" things (projects in progress, for example) on the bed, atop the quilts. The only time I'll have to be concerned about this storage method is when we have a house full of overnight company...but that doesn't happen very often, and I'll worry about it when it does!

Problem realized

2012-02-06T05:36:00.000-08:00

I'm back to sewing a lot--guess I can't really stay away from it! I'm tackling some of those UFOs I discovered while sorting my sewing room. I'm finishing up some of them, and in so doing, I've finally discovered my biggest bad habit: When I am finished with something (tools, fabric scraps, pattern, thread, etc.) I just plop it in my sewing room and don't put it away. That is how my sewing room got in such a mess to begin with!
So now, whenever I take something back to my sewing room (yes, I'm still sewing downstairs on my dining room table...), I make a concentrated effort to put it back where I got it from.
I will try very hard to do this each and every time--another "new year's resolution"!

Good Suggestions

2012-02-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on my sewing room, doing a little each day. It is getting less and less intimidating, which is a good thing!
When we moved to this house 14 years ago, many of my sewing things were left in boxes and put on shelves in the basement. Little by little over the years, those things have made their way into my sewing room, leaving empty space on the shelves.
One quilting friend suggested that the things I am not using right now, but don't want to get rid of, should go into plastic storage tubs and be put on the basement shelves. Why didn't I think of that?
All my bear-making supplies will (hopefully) fit into an 18-gallon tote so they can be stored on a basement shelf. That will free up lots of space in the closet in my sewing room! Hmm...what else can I put away in a storage tub in the basement?

Oh My!

2012-01-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

As you know, I've been working my way around my sewing room, sorting and organizing. I never realized how long this would take! My head is swimming...it seems that everywhere I look I find UFOs. Add to that all the "wannados" I come across. I'm thinking that I need to stop organizing right now and get busy sewing! That's much more fun, anyway! :)

Papers, Papers, Papers

2012-01-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

Several days have been spent sorting papers--copies of quilt patterns from magazines, books or the internet, quilting articles saved from newspapers or magazines, etc. Over the past few years, these have just been stacked in a box. I figured it was time to put them away in the file cabinet that sits in the corner of my sewing room.
The file cabinet has 4 drawers. Each drawer was already pretty full because I've been saving files of quilting articles and patterns for YEARS. Plus, anything that didn't seem to have a place got stashed away in one of the file drawers. The drawers are now a bit more organized and the sorted papers have been filed.
One day I should just concentrate on that file cabinet. Leafing through the files, I realized that some of them are no longer relevant. If those were removed, there would be more room for future pictures and patterns. :)

Fabric Play

2012-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was "put away fabric" day. The "falling over" pile of fabric is gone and all the large pieces of fabric are now back in their proper places--reds with reds, blues with blues, etc. As I was sorting through project boxes (I keep the fabrics and pattern for each project in its own separate flat box, and have the bad habit of just leaving everything there when the project is finished...) I came across bags of squares, half square triangles and extra blocks. I pulled them out so they are visible and accessible. For me, these things are the beginnings of charity quilts. What I found will keep me busy for most of the year!
Last night I thought to myself "this room is actually beginning to look organized." But I still have a long way to go!

Container Search

2012-01-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

After reading a recent magazine article about creatively using containers, I've been on the lookout, both at home and in the stores. I found a canvas "basket" that was on sale at JoAnn's and that now holds all my embroidery patterns and projects. I bought a couple more scrapbooking storage boxes (~12" square and ~4" high). They are great for projects, especially projects that I want to take somewhere. I put the word out to my quilting friends that I was looking for a large glass jar--like a big pickle jar--in which to put the collection of wooden spools I'd discovered.
When we had a gathering of quilting friends on Friday, one of them walked in with a jar for me--perfect! The spools now have a new home, and look great atop one of my bookcases.
Friday I took with me several bags of items that I'd weeded out from my sewing room. But I ended up bringing most of the items back home. My quilting friends have enough "stuff" of their own, and weren't really interested in mine! I'll find a good home for these things somewhere...

More Floss

2012-01-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I had my embroidery floss all organized, I discovered more!!! I've been sorting my wool embroidery box and my regular embroidery box--I found skeins of floss tucked in with patterns I've used. More to wind and file. Will that job ever be done?
I also found a few UFOs and sorted out patterns that I will probably never use. I have decided that my paper piecing patterns will "go", too. I do not enjoy that technique, so might as well pass those things on to quilters who do!
A quilting friend reminded me of the Bloomingdale Sale that takes place at Quilt Camp each April. I'll probably have a whole trunk load of things to add to the sale this year!

I Cheated

2012-01-19T04:25:00.000-08:00

I have to confess. I cheated. Being surrounded by all that fabric and those projects made me want to do some sewing. I came across a collection of someone's leftovers, cut in the funny shape you see in the picture. Those leftovers said "piece me together" so I did. I put 4 of them together randomly and then trimmed them into the rectangles you see in the second picture. Now those are waiting to be set together to make a baby quilt. I have an idea, just haven't acted on it. (I did pick them up from my living room floor--my design wall--so they are no longer in the way.)
I also cut and attached binding to one of the quilts waiting to be finished, and I made one more block (so I now have 9 to work with) for the project I started in a class with Gwen Marston over 4 years ago. Time to finish that up and put all the extra fabrics back where they belong!
The urge to do some sewing was just too strong, but in a way, this is helping to clean my sewing room, right???

Reporting Progress

2012-01-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

I didn't get as much done in my sewing room this weekend as I'd hoped. My husband decided to finish the redecorating of the 1/2 bath that we started MONTHS ago, and I was enlisted to help a bit. Final coats of drywall paste were put on (in removing the old wallpaper, we also removed chunks of the drywall. Obviously the previous owners did not properly size the walls!!!), sanding was done and everything taped. Yesterday we purchased the paint and by last night it was applied and drying. Today we did touch up work and I cleaned everything up. Now to put the toilet back together, cabinet doors back on, light fixture and mirror back up, towel bar and paper holder on the walls and we're good to go. It looks so much better than the 15-yeqr-old wallpaper did!
In between being called on to help, I worked on my sewing room. One reader suggested that anything that doesn't apply to sewing/quilting should be removed from the room. Well, that meant a large part of my teddy bear (Boyd's and others) collection went into a box. It does make the room less cluttered, but now what do I do with the bears??? Another dilemma...
I dug out one corner that contained a stack of boxes and some bags and went to work on those containers. I sorted cardboard templates that I'd collected. The ones that use unique cardboard are definitely "keepers." The ones that are pretty "rough" went in the trash. I came across my whole collection of wooden spools and I want to find a large glass jar in which to display them. Fabric for blouses and skirts that I know I will never use will be donated. Odds and ends of batting were measured, labeled, rolled and tied, and stored in a big box that is in the closet. And I sorted and organized embroidery floss, merging my mother-in-law's collection with mine. Four boxes went down to three. Still so much to do...

Getting Behind

2012-01-12T04:50:00.000-08:00

I'm getting behind on my goal to do a little bit in my sewing room every day. I started teaching income tax to AARP volunteers on Tuesday and have come home tired. I've also spent the evenings getting ready for the next day.
But that doesn't mean my mind hasn't been busy. I stop in front of the sewing room door and look inside, wondering "If I moved this there and put that over there and got rid of that..." I'll be back at it this weekend, hoping to put into action the things I've been planning in my head!

Magazines Sorted

2012-01-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

While sitting in front of the TV this weekend, watching football, I sorted through quilting magazines. I am happy to say that I have a 7" high stack of them ready to go out the door. Hopefully other quilters will find them interesting. I've come to the conclusion that, for me, the old (I mean REALLY old) magazines are more interesting than the current ones. The old ones will definitely stay in my collection.
As I went through the magazines, I bookmarked some designs that I thought would work up well into scrap quilts. I sketched out those designs on graph paper and added notes for how I would "scrap" them. I also bookmarked a few interesting articles which I will photocopy at the library today.
This was time well spent while the games went on in the background...I knew the Lions/Saints game would end up the way it did, but there's always next year for our local team. Guess I'll cheer for Drew Brees as the playoffs continue.

Magazine Collection

2012-01-06T05:22:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling good about the progress I've made--all the little odds and ends are in their proper places right now. The next steps will take longer, however. I've decided to postpone the fabric sorting for now--seems every time I have a piece of fabric in my hand, I start dreaming of the possible uses for it. Not good!!!
So, I've decided to attack the stack of magazines. Time consuming, because I'm flipping through them for scrap quilt ideas (as if I need more!!!), but also interesting. The old saying "everything old is new again" keeps coming to mind. The newest edition of APQ magazine advertises a book on big-stitch quilting. Well, guess what? A 1997 magazine features a pattern that is big-stitch quilted, with instructions on how to do it. And, even before that, I did big-stitch quilting on a Blizzard Quilt that I made in a class at my local quilt shop. Definitely not a NEW technique (but fast and fun...have you tried it?)
Going through these magazines will take me several days, but it's a fun thing to do while sitting in front of the TV. I'll be watching the Lions tomorrow night, hoping that they make a good showing against New Orleans (but I'm a Drew Brees fan, too).
PS: The magazines I no longer want will be passed on to fellow quilters.

Surprise!

2012-01-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

I've started! I decided to work with the things on the floor first, so I finally opened shopping bags and emptied tote bags. I came across the things I'd bought at antique shops while on vacation in the Paducah area. One was a grungy bag of (what I thought were) scraps of vintage fabrics. Imagine my surprise--and delight--when I discovered that the "scraps" were actually these blocks along with LOTS of cut-out butterflies! What FUN!
The floor is basically cleared off now. I also put loose spools of thread away in my thread box and put balls of pearle cotton in the drawer where they belong. Progress, and it feels great!

What A Mess!

2012-01-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

When you take a look at these pictures I snapped today, you will agree with me that my sewing (?) room needs help. My biggest problem is that there is too much stuff for the room...if the spare bed weren't there (yes, there is a twin bed in the room...can you find it???) perhaps that space could hold a storage unit of some kind. But, that is not to be, so I need to get very creative this month and figure out where everything is going. Will I ever be able to sew in that room again? We will see...

It's a Wrap!

2011-12-20T03:52:00.000-08:00

My "Mrs. Santa" sewing is done and the gifts have been wrapped. I cannot believe that all is finished well before Christmas Eve! I had lots of fun making the aprons, doll clothes and doll quilts, and the best part was that I did the shopping for most of the materials for these items right at home. With the exception of one package of bias tape, all the fabrics and trims came from my sewing room. It is great to have a stash!
The multicolored doll quilt began with a collection of charm squares. The red/blue doll quilt began with a collection of fabric sample swatches. It didn't take much more fabric to turn them into these little quilts.
I hope that all your Christmas sewing will soon be finished. May your gifts be received with smiles and hugs. :) MERRY CHRISTMAS

Here it is!

2011-12-05T08:03:00.001-08:00

My challenge piece should be almost to its destination by now, so I'm letting you have a look at it.
Remember that I was given a fat quarter of a really wild and crazy fabric (in my opinion), along with 3 beads and ~18" of 3 different ribbons. We had to use a recognizable amount of the fabric, plus all 3 beads and some of each ribbon.
When I opened the fat quarter of fabric to study it, the first thing I saw was the bird. That led to my design, and I'm very happy with the finished project! (And happy that I was able to mark this project off my "to do" list!)
Techniques used: hand applique, lots of hand embroidery, and hand quilting.
Title: Rock-a-bye Babies

Ho Hum

2011-12-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

My blog is supposed to be all about the fun I have making scrap quilts. I haven't posted anything in a long time, mainly because I haven't been having fun making scrap quilts. The projects are there, waiting for me, but I cannot get going on them. I think I am finally feeling the effects of all the family events of the past 6 months. Family dynamics are now different and, especially around the holidays, we miss the loved ones we have lost. I don't feel inspired or creative. I'm sure this is natural, and I hope it will soon pass.
I did finish up the challenge that was put out by the editor of the NQA journal. It was mailed off to her last Wednesday, so she should receive it well before the December 15th deadline. My next post will contain a picture of my finished challenge quilt. Stay tuned!

Completed Project!

2011-11-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

At a get together of our little quilt group several weeks ago, a collection of pieced butterfly blocks was shared. These were old blocks that someone had put on the "give-away" table at a guild meeting. There were so many blocks that we were able to divide them among the 4 of us who were interested in them. I brought home 20 blocks.
In studying the blocks, I discovered that they were hand-pieced. This was surprising, given the way they were so misshapen and of varying sizes. It would be impossible to square them up to all be the same size. What to do? I did trim straight edges on the blocks as best I could.
I decided to add over-sized triangles to the 4 sides of the blocks. I was then able to trim the blocks to 12 1/2" square. I set the blocks 4 x 5, alternating direction of the butterflies.
Since the butterflies had an "art deco" feel to them, only a geometric border would do. From my stash of 1930's-type fabrics, I was able to match some of the solid colors pretty closely and pieced the triple border.
Quilt top finished! (Before the others have even started on their project!) Was fun and I'm proud that I completed it, in record time!

Group Support

2011-10-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Today was meeting day for one of the small quilting groups that I've joined. It has been so long since I've been able to make one of their meetings--I debated whether I should go or not. I'm so glad I did.

Being with other quilters really energizes one. It is so much fun to see what each one is working on, and great to get and give tips for each others' projects. At the meeting, I was putting the last few embroidery stitches on my NQA challenge piece and wondering out loud how I was going to quilt it. I received so many great suggestions--I can't wait to get it layered with batting and backing and start in. (Usually the quilting part is my least favorite part of a project, but now I'm excited!) My goal is to have it finished WAY before the deadline!

I presented my "Pink Houses" project to these ladies. They each took a kit and asked me to bring more next time. Such support! The mail requests are coming in nicely, too. Thank you!
It will be fun to see the finished houses come back, and even more fun to create neighborhoods from them. I am grateful for your participation, and hope we can generate a tidy sum to donate for mammograms for those who cannot afford them. (I hope you've gotten your annual mammogram!)

Back to it!

2011-10-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

After a whole week of catching up on sleep, I'm back to my sewing. I knew I was getting back to being me when I spent some time last Monday and Tuesday in a few fabric shops. I was looking for more "sky" fabric for the Little Pink Houses challenge I sent out to my newsletter readers. (Information about my challenge can be found on my website: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com.)

I've also gotten back to the challenge I'm working on for NQA. It is due December 15th, and that's not too far away. I DID get some great suggestions for my challenge piece from my quilting buddies a month ago, and I 'm trying to incorporate some of them into the piece. I'll share a picture of it when it is finished.

It feels GREAT to be back to stitching! I'd rather do that than clean out a closet or two any day! I appreciate the comments you left regarding my last blog post. I'll think about those things while I'm quilting. :)

What to do with them?

2011-09-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Because I'm in the midst of cleaning out my parents' house, I'm starting to take a good look at my own home.
My sewing room is full of fabric and projects that I have begun. When I decide to start getting rid of some of these things, the fabrics will go to groups that make charity quilts. The projects will most likely go to a "free" table at quilt camp or a guild meeting.
But at what point should I sort out the quilts that I have made? Where should they go?
And what about the old quilt tops and quilts that I have collected? I also have a large collection of old quilt blocks, old quilt patterns, and other assorted quilt ephemera. What will happen to all of that?
I'm definitely not ready to get rid of a lot of these things now. They are still needed for the talks I give, the workshops I teach and the patterns I design. But at some point, they will have to go. Is it better to give them away while you can still "control" where they go? Or is it better to let someone else do it after you are gone and not know what happens to them?
I guess I feel that I need a plan. Do you have a plan? If so, please share your thoughts. Thanks!

Challenge Begun

2011-09-06T11:59:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of the summer, the editor of The Quilting Quarterly put out a challenge to the staff. She titled it "Spontaneous Delight." She sent each of us a fat quarter of fabric, some ribbon and 3 buttons. We are to work these things into a small quilt--18" square--to be auctioned off at next year's NQA Little Quilt Auction.
An idea came to me as soon as I saw the fabric. But with my hectic summer, all the materials just sat there.
I am happy to say that over the weekend, I got started on the project. If I keep at it, I should have no trouble completing it by the December 1st deadline. Wish me luck!

Emotionally Drained!!!

2011-09-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Wish I could say that after being with the Livonia 9-Patchers in July that I truly was able to get back into my quilting! This summer has been a real emotional roller-coaster for me and my family. Not only did we lose my father, but my mother-in-law also passed away, three weeks ago. I have been away from home so much in the past 4 months that some mornings when I wake up, I have to stop and remember where I am! I have so much to catch up on around here--gardening, bill paying, house cleaning. I'm taking things one day at a time and gradually trying to get back to my quilting projects. They are all stacked neatly in my sewing room, waiting for me. Which one to start with is the question now. :)

Getting Back in the Groove

2011-07-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

I spent a lovely day today with a group of ladies from the Livonia 9-Patchers quilt guild. They gathered to learn to make my "Pieces of Eight" quilt. We were all challenged. I was challenged to modify the directions for those wanting to construct the basic "flower" design by machine rather than by hand. Students were challenged to learn or remember hand-piecing and/or hand-applique techniques to insert the center and stitch the "flower" to the background. Despite these challenges, we all ended the day with smiles on our faces.
After the past two months of being very involved in the lives of my aging parents, and experiencing the death of my father, it feels good to get back to my stitching. I am even starting to get some new design ideas. Being around other enthusiastic quilters certainly helps! Bring on the fabric and thread!!!!

Sandwiched

2011-06-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

Decided it was time to blog a bit again. I haven't felt like it lately because I'm being "sandwiched." I'm finally going through what so many of my friends have gone through--helping kids who are having kids of their own, and helping elderly parents. My parents, who live 8 hours from me, with no other family members nearby, have finally had to give up living in their own home. I was with them for three weeks, helping with the transition. Now that I'm home, I worry about their health and safety. The travel and the extra responsibilities I've taken on don't leave me with much time for my quilting.
I've always thought of quilting as therapy, but it is hard to be creative with all of this on my mind. I'm glad for "simple" projects, like embroidery. I'm working on a crazy quilt project--the feather stitching is coming along nicely!

Competition

2011-05-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

Scrap fabric is becoming a hot commodity!
In past years, I would be the only one at Quilt Camp picking up others' fabric scraps. Not so this year! I found very few pieces of fabric thrown away in the trash. Quilters must be getting wise to how much fun it is to work with scraps. Throughout the weekend, a couple of my friends would give me their project leftovers and one of my table mates kept receiving small scraps of fabric (smaller than I usually use, so I'm curious to see how she'll use them).
There were collection bags and boxes around for the tiniest of cut-aways. Seems that one of the charitable organizations in Battle Creek collects these and is able to recycle them like one recycles paper. They get so much $$ per pound of scrap fabric! How wonderful! I've started my own bag for this type of scrap and will take it to Camp next year. Nice to know that even the tiniest bit of fabric will not go to waste!

Going Again!

2011-04-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm still unpacking from my time in Oklahoma and my trip to the Marshall Quilt Show. But tomorrow I'm off again! It's time for Quilt Camp. I'm looking forward to 4 days dedicated to sewing--no cooking, no cleaning, no interruptions! I'm expecting to get LOTS done.
I've been cutting and organizing projects all week, and will have many bags and boxes to take with me. The car will not be as packed as it was two weeks ago, however. (See attached photo)
I DID fit everything in, but there was no extra room! All the practice of packing my daughters off to college in a Honda Civic wagon has come in very handy! :)
More about Camp when I return...

Home, But Not for Long!

2011-03-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

I arrived back in Michigan late Tuesday night. When I got on the plane in Oklahoma City, it was 85 degrees and partly sunny. When I got off the plane in Detroit, it was 34 degrees and sleeting. Quite a change in a little over 2 hours! After being in balmy weather for 3 weeks, I'm having a hard time adjusting!
Since arriving home, I've been hard at work, preparing for this weekend. (My husband kept the house looking pretty good while I was gone, so I'm not concerning myself with that right now.) Tomorrow I head for Marshall, MI. It is time for their Spring quilt show, and I am the featured speaker. I'll be talking about Scrap Quilts on Saturday afternoon and Historical Trends in Quilting on Sunday afternoon. I'll also have a booth in the vendor mall, selling my patterns and book.
I've gathered together all the things I need to take along, and I really think I'm in trouble. I have so many quilts that I want to show for each lecture--I've filled 12 BIG tote bags (the large plastic zip ones that one can find at the dollar store). Add that to the things I need to set up my booth. I'm going to have to get creative to fit it all in our Focus wagon! Wish me luck!
Just a reminder: The quilt show is at the Marshall Middle School (100 E. Green St) Hours: Saturday from 9-4 and Sunday from 10-4 $5 entry fee.
Hope to see you there!

Signs of Spring

2011-03-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying my time in Oklahoma. I took my granddaughter for a walk the other day. All around us were signs of spring: the birds were singing, the sun was shining, the pear trees were in bloom, other trees were leafing out and the temperature was about 70 degrees. Just perfect! I know that I will have Spring Fever in a big way when I return to Michigan next week. But just looking at all of the Easter things for sale in the stores, I'll be reminded that spring is not far away.
Quilt shops, too, are pulling out the brighter, "springier" fabrics. And the latest issues of quilt magazines feature pastel or floral projects. Have you seen the new "Quilter's World" magazine? It is hard to miss with the beautiful pink, green and white quilt on the cover. And if you open it to page 56, you'll find a table runner designed by ME. :) The Goin' Green runner is a fun project, that could be made in any color you like...doesn't have to be green! It is easy to piece, and makes good use of the cut-away scraps. Give it a try!

Local Quilt Shop Celebration

2011-03-11T06:48:00.001-08:00

The owner of the local quilt shop celebrated her 5th anniversary of ownership last Saturday. She had several "5" specials going on: buy 5 fat quarters, get one free; buy 5 yards of sale fabric, get 1 yard free; etc. Plus one received an additional discount at check-out by selecting a fat eighth of fabric from a basket and looking at the slip of paper rolled up inside. The shop was very busy with quilters taking advantage of these specials.
I was there for several hours talking to quilters about my patterns and signing books. I always enjoy people watching and listening in on what they are saying. It is a rare person who doesn't say "I have tons of scraps." I met one last Saturday, though. She told me she doesn't save any scraps--she gives them all away to groups that make charity quilts. Why? Because she doesn't understand how to make scrap quilts; she finds them confusing. Too bad I can't spend a day or two working with her to show her what fun they are!

Tired

2011-03-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

Grammy duty started earlier than expected. Our new grandson made his entry yesterday. He's just precious! His big sister, at 23 months, isn't quite sure what this is all about. When she first saw him yesterday, she almost burst into tears. Her world will definitely be different!
Before Grammy duty began, though, I taught a workshop at the local quilt shop. I had fun on Wednesday showing some Oklahoma quilters what they could do with a stack of charm squares. I taught my pattern "In Three Quarter Time". All who participated were delighted with the results of the day.
I was able to spend a little time designing and stitching yesterday morning while waiting for the announcement that grandson was born. Not sure how much free time I'll have once everyone comes home tomorrow. It will be noisier and there will be lots to do. And I'm tired already, after less than a week away!

Time to Blog

2011-02-28T06:01:00.000-08:00

No time to blog lately...My head has really been into the two talks I'll be giving in less than a month and I have been preparing for the trip I'm taking later today. I'll be spending 3 weeks in Oklahoma, being Grammy. Our new grandson is due any day, so I'll be helping our daughter with him, plus keeping our 2-year-old granddaughter occupied and (hopefully) happy. It will be interesting to see her reaction to the new family member!
I have several quilting projects packed and I have sent out a few e-mails to quilters in the Norman, OK area. I hope to have time to do some quilt-related things while I am there. And I hope to have the time to blog about them. We will see...

Sneezing!

2011-02-18T05:16:00.000-08:00

In preparing for 2 trunk shows that I'm giving the end of March**, I've been pulling out all my old quilts and quilt tops. I have them spread all over the living room so that I can study them and allow them to "talk" to me. It is so much fun to look at them and study them. Fun to imagine the ladies who worked on them, too.
But, I'm finding that I'm sneezing a lot and my nose won't stop dripping! Guess there's lots of dust (and who knows what other allergens?) in these wonderful pieces. Doesn't stop me from smiling as I work with them, though. I just keep the box of tissues handy!
**Come see and hear me at "Stitches In Time"--the community quilt show in Marshall, MI on March 26 and 27. For complete info, visit www.marshallmi.org.

Workshop Fun

2011-02-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was spent teaching one of my patterns at a workshop for the Oakland County Quilt Guild. It was a delightful day!
Our project was "Now Starring: Leftovers". The morning was spent scrappy-piecing and in the afternoon the ladies learned a quick way to make flying geese units. Then they were ready to put some star blocks together.
I don't know who had more fun all day, the students or me. :) I enjoyed seeing them start to loosen up and really have fun with the scrappy piecing technique. And I loved hearing their comments as they dug deep into their scrap collections. Some pieces of fabric were seeing the light of day for the first time in years, and ladies were telling stories about when, where and why they bought certain pieces. Oh, the joy of scrap quilting!

Bindings Done

2011-01-25T12:21:00.000-08:00

All of the quilts that needed bindings have them! Now I'm working on labels. After sorting through my quilts in preparation for some upcoming trunk shows, I was surprised to discover how many of my quilts are not labeled.
I'm just making labels from muslin and writing on them with Pigma pens--nothing fancy.
I cut freezer paper to the desired size of my label, draw guidelines on the dull side with a Sharpie marker, and iron the freezer paper to leftover pieces of muslin.
For variety, I have several colors of Pigma pens for the lettering. I include the name of the quilt, my name and city and state, and the name of the quilter.** After the lettering is done, I heat set the ink so that my message doesn't get washed away. (I learned that the hard way several years ago!)
The edges of the label are pressed under and the label is appliqued to the lower back corner of the quilt.
**I'm embarrassed to say that for some of the quilts, I do not remember when I made them, so I cannot always add a date to the label. A quilting friend has decided not to date her quilts so that she can gift them whenever she wants to without the recipient knowing whether the quilt is old or new. In the future, the fabrics might help date the quilt, but if the date is somewhere on it, there will be no mistaking when it was made. A good reason to include the date whenever possible! Maybe a date range is better than nothing???

"Lined" Binding

2011-01-12T03:09:00.000-08:00

Not much sewing/quilting is getting done right now. I'm in the midst of teaching income tax to the local AARP Taxaide volunteers. That is my annual brain exercise. :)
Pictured is the quilt that needed binding, with very little fabric left to do so. As you can see, it is a 2-fabric quilt, so I didn't have many fabric choices for the binding. After measuring the fabric I had left from the quilt, I determined that I had enough to make a "lined" binding. This is a technique that I happened upon a number of years ago, and have used successfully.
For a 2-1/4" double binding: From your main fabric, cut strips 1-1/2" wide. From the lining fabric, cut strips 1-1/4" wide. Piece all strips as necessary to achieve desired length. Then seam the two strips together along the long edges. Press the seam allowance in the direction of the lining strip. Fold the binding in half and apply to the quilt in the usual manner.
For 2-1/2" binding, cut the main fabric strips 1-5/8" wide. Cut lining fabric strips 1-3/8" wide.
For 2-1/8" binding, cut the main fabric strips a SCANT 1-1/2" and the lining fabric strips a SCANT 1-1/4".
Try it...it works! Have fun with your bindings. (I've got the next one ready to hand-stitch, so I'm really making progress!)

New Year's Quilting Resolutions

2011-01-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

A new year, and new resolutions! Of course I hope to finish some UFOs, but first I want to tackle those quilts that have been waiting for bindings and labels. A whole stack of them sits in my sewing room. I guess, as usually happens, I got interested in a new project before completely finishing an old one.
Some of these bindings are challenging--perhaps that is why they were put aside. I've already finished the scalloped one. Once I remembered the technique, it wasn't that bad. The next one is a bit more tricky. I have very little fabric left with which to make the binding. I'll let you know what I decide to do after I measure what I have.
Good luck with your new year's quilting resolutions!

One More Gift Idea

2010-12-16T18:43:00.001-08:00

My daughter told me that her 20-month-old could use a pillow. A regular size pillow seems too big for my granddaughter, so I bought a travel size pillow. Of course she would need some pillowcases for her new pillow! I went looking for some fun fabrics. I found some great cat fabric in my stash and bought the green floral fabric at the quilt shop.
One-half yard of fabric is plenty for a pillowcase for this size pillow. Cut the fabric 13 1/2" x width of fabric, and remove the selvages. Fold the fabric in half, right sides together. (folded piece will measure 13 1/2" x ~ 22") Using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch both side edges. Serge or zig-zag the raw edges of the seams. Press under 1/4" along the top edge of the pillowcase; then turn under another 3" to form the top hem. Press. Stitch the hem close to the turned-under edge. Turn pillowcase right side out and press.
A quick and easy gift for a toddler or a traveler!

Little Aprons

2010-12-15T05:44:00.000-08:00

My almost-three-year-old granddaughter loves to help out in the kitchen. My daughter suggested that I make her some aprons for Christmas. They were fun to make and turned out very cute! The pattern I used is Simplicity 2626.
Contrary to what I usually do, I went out and bought new fabrics for this project. Each apron took 3/4 yard of fabric and I didn't have any hunks of "little girl" fabric in my stash.
Now when she's helping to make pizza or frost cupcakes, my granddaughter's clothes will stay a little cleaner! And I have leftover fabric scraps to add to my collection. :)

Newest Christmas Stocking

2010-12-08T04:42:00.000-08:00

Traditionally I have been the one to make Christmas stockings for family members. All of a sudden it dawned on me that another was needed this Christmas--for my granddaughter who was born in June.
I always use the same basic template for the stocking, but try to make each one a little bit different. This time, I used some Christmas charm squares. I sorted them by color (red and green), then pieced them together until I had "fabric" large enough to cut a front and back for the stocking.
It is fun to imagine what treasures the stocking will hold in the years to come!

Dressing a doll

2010-11-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

I found a cute Fisher Price doll* for my granddaughter, but the doll came only in a diaper and bath towel. She needed a nightgown, and a hunk of flannel leftover from making a baby quilt was just the right size. I found a bit of white flannel, too, and that became a new diaper for the doll. A piece of leftover quilted muslin was just the right size for a tote bag for all of the doll's accessories! It is so much fun to make these little things! I'm looking forward to making lots more in the coming years.
*The doll really is cute, not scary as she seems in the picture. The camera's flash made her eyes glow!

Doll Quilts

2010-11-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

First up for Show and Tell are the doll quilts I made. The fabric in this doll quilt might look somewhat familiar to you if you've been following my blog for a while. This little quilt is for my granddaughter's new doll and was made from fabric leftover from the frog crib quilt I made...remember the one that fell apart in the wash? I thought about using some of the actual fabric from the quilt--decided to only re-use the backing fabric. I chose a different green fabric for the quilt top--we'll see how this one holds together! This quilt was very simple to make: 2 1/2" strips were used for the 4-patch blocks and for the sashing strips. The borders were cut 3 1/2". The finished quilt measures ~20" x 26".

Remember the leftover disappearing 9-patch blocks? I used some of my favorite Thimbleberries fabric to border them out. This project was a great place to use up a leftover small piece of batting. And a fat quarter of fabric that I really didn't care for became the backing. I then tied the little quilt with perle cotton.

Both of these projects were fun, simple ways to use up fabric scraps!

I've Been Sewing!

2010-11-23T05:40:00.000-08:00

I think my Christmas sewing is done! I've made lots of "little" things that sew up quickly--doll clothes, pillowcases, doll quilts, Christmas ornaments and gifts for our group gift exchange.
I've had to buy very little fabric for these things--being small, I've been able to use fabrics from my stash! Hooray! I'll get out my camera, take some pictures, and share the projects with you in my next few blogs.
I like creating and sewing so much that I'd rather do that than anything else. My house is proof of that. I could do my designing in the dust on the end tables, I think! And I certainly haven't taken the time to keep up with my blog! But now I definitely have some things to "show and tell," so stay tuned!

Fun!

2010-11-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

A few disappearing 9-patch blocks that I picked up on a "Free" table are making the cutest doll quilt! The 9-patch blocks began as 3 1/2" squares, and it is taking only 3 of them to make the quilt. I have some fabric in my stash that will be great for a border, so I should have this project finished in no time! It's amazing what can be done with a few leftovers!!! Fun!

End of October!

2010-10-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

Where did the past month go? It flew by because I was on the go! And so busy that I didn't have time to think about blogging! I knew it would be that way, though, because of everything I/we scheduled. Glad to be back home and getting back to a normal schedule.
I have lots of sewing projects I want to get to...first I had to be able to get to my materials! I spent last night cleaning out and re-organizing my sewing room. I now have a stack of things waiting to be cut--aprons, doll quilts, and a new pattern I want to try out. I also have some scrappy piecing to do. Can't wait to get started!

Have You Seen It?

2010-09-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

If you are a member of NQA, you should have recently received the fall issue of The Quilting Quarterly. Have you read it yet? Check out the pattern on page 33!
When I sent a copy of my book, Start With Scraps, to the editor for review, she asked me to design a project for this issue. I had the perfect project sketched out in my notebook and this was the perfect time to bring it to life! (Actually it wasn't really the perfect time. Most of the work on it was done while I was at my daughter's in June, helping with the new baby. It was a challenge to work with the sewing machine of someone else and in the workspace of someone else. But the project turned out the way I wanted it to and was to the editor on time!) I hope you will give the pattern a try!
Tonight I'm showing my scrappy-piecing technique to a new group of quilters. Hopefully they will have fun with it and get hooked on this way of using up scraps!
I'm taking along my patterns and the samples for my newest ones. If you haven't yet seen them, go to http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com and check them out! It's a great time to make some "Little Pink Houses"!

Next projects

2010-09-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Wow! Can't believe it's been a couple of weeks since I last blogged! Where has the time gone?
The T-shirt quilt is now in the hands of the quilter. I can't wait to see it finished...we decided to use variegated thread for the quilting and I found a great batik fabric for the back. I purchased Fairfield's Classic Cotton batting for this quilt, so I'm anxious to see how that works out, too!
Now that that project is out of the way, it didn't take me long to move on to others. I'm beginning to think of Christmas gifts. I've found the perfect pattern for this year's ornament for everyone; I've pretty much decided what I will make for the gift exchange within my quilting circle; and I'm designing the doll quilt that I'll make for my granddaughter. New aprons are needed for the little ones, too.
If you need some quick little gifts, why not try my newest pattern, shown here, "Scrappy Sacks"? They are fun to make and each one is unique! Check out the details of this and all my other patterns on my website: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com. Happy stitching!

Pattern's Ready!

2010-09-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

Little Pink Houses is now ready! Hope you like it! It's my tribute to all those ladies who have been or are now battling breast cancer. It is designed to be a fund-raising quilt. I hope lots of you will use it to raise lots of $$ to help find the cause and a cure for this disease. It has affected way too many women in my life!!! (and probably in yours, too!) The pattern is available from me...check my website for ordering instructions: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com

More Waiting

2010-09-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

I guess it is a good thing that the answers to the T-shirt questions haven't come yet. The other day my sewing machine decided to act up. I wore out another gear in it, so it is out of commission for at least a week. In the meantime, I'm doing some hand-sewing, cutting the pieces for a couple of quilts, finding backing so I can take a wall quilt to my quilter, and putting together my latest pattern. "Little Pink Houses" will soon be available. I hope to have it on my website in the next day or two. Keep watching for it! Happy Stitching! :)

Waiting

2010-08-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

The T-shirt quilt top is all finished. I'm now waiting for answers to my questions: What type of backing should I use? Batting or no batting? Machine quilted or tied?
It was a challenge to get all the parts to fit together, but I'm happy with the results. Hope they will be too! I have a couple of T-shirt squares left that I will work into the back of the quilt. There will be many T-shirts returned; had I use them all, I think they would be able to wallpaper the room with the finished quilt!!!!
While I'm waiting for the answers to the questions, I'm working on some UFOs. It feels great to be making progress on them!
Have you checked my website lately? Only about 10 more days of the summer sale on my patterns. The sale ends on Labor Day. "Scrap Nick" and "Little Bit Frosty" are two easy scrappy patterns--the wall quilts, runners and place mats would make great Christmas gifts!
Go to: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com and take a look!

Something Different

2010-08-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

This week's project is a 90 x 90 T-shirt quilt. I've made T-shirt/clothing quilts before, so that is not what is different about this project. What is different, is the subject of the T-shirts--Grateful Dead. (My kids think it is really funny that I am making a Grateful Dead quilt!)
As I was first sorting the shirts, all I was looking at was the size of the design and the colors used. It's when I started preparing them for the quilt (BTW: I LOVE Pellon Shape-flex) that I really started to notice the pictures. I can understand skeletons, skulls and tie-dye colors. But what I don't understand is how the Peanuts Gang fits in...several of the T-shirts show Snoopy and friends dancing around. The only connection I can think of between Charles Shultz and the Grateful Dead is that they were both from California. I'm curious...I'll have to check into this...

Book Review

2010-08-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading "The Aloha Quilt" by Jennifer Chiaverini. I enjoyed it very much. Not only was it a good story about one of the Elm Creek Quilters, but it was also a history lesson. I learned a lot about Hawaii's past! Another added bonus: woven into the story are complete instructions for making a Hawaiian-style quilt! My fingers were itching to try it, but unfortunately right now I have too many other projects started.
If you want a good, easy read, I recommend this book!

A True Vacation

2010-08-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last week we were on vacation in southern Missouri. We rented a cabin for the entire family at Lake Wappapello State Park. It turned out to be a TRUE vacation because we were very limited as to the available technology. My son-in-law had to drive 25 miles to find wi-fi access* and not everyone's cell phone worked. There was satellite TV, but not a whole lot of stations. I didn't even do much of the hand sewing I took along because the lighting was poor and there were no real comfy chairs. We were forced to relax and it was very nice!!! Several of us remarked that it had been a long time since we had a day where nothing was planned.
Even though it was hot, we hiked a bit, went swimming, played games, etc. And each of us was working our way through a good book.
As usual, the week went by very quickly and we were soon back to real life! For me, that's ok...I couldn't wait to get back to my quilting projects! :) (Now if only someone else would do the cooking and wash the dishes!)
BTW: no quilt shop in that town, but 3 McDonald's!

New Books

2010-07-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

I love books, especially books related to quilting. The Marie Webster Quilt Guild always has a used book sale at the Celebration, and I can't stay away from that. I came home with at least a dozen new-to-me books, for not a lot of money!
Speaking of "new"books, did you know that Earlene Fowler has started writing about Benni Harper again? Her latest is State Fair. And Jennifer Chaverini's latest book is The Aloha Quilt. The vendor next to me at the Celebration had every quilt fiction book every published, I think, so over the 3 days I had a chance to really check them out!
Did you love to play with paper dolls as much as I did? I was always designing new outfits for mine. When I saw the latest book from Brandywine Design titled Dolly Days, I had to bring it home! The book looks like so much fun! I'll get to "play" again, this time incorporating quilting.
Are there any books you'd recommend?

Signed, Sealed and Delivered!

2010-07-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

My goal last week was to finish my niece's quilt and get it in the mail to her. It only took me a day or two to finish the binding, make the label and sew it on. While doing that, I thought about what I would write in the note that I planned to tuck in the box with the quilt. I wanted to explain to her why I chose that particular pattern (Country Roads) for her and the significance of the colors used (things she might see as she bicycled along country roads...).
My niece called me last night--she'd received the quilt and was thrilled! Even though it was hot where she lives, she planned to sleep under it right away! It's reactions like that that make quilt making such a rewarding pastime! Don't you agree??? :)

QHF Celebration

2010-07-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

A week ago I was getting ready to open my booth for the second day of the QHF Celebration. It had been a bit of a challenge to set up, but I like the way it came together. My only regret was that I didn't have room to put out all my quilt samples.
The wonderful ladies of the Marie Webster Quilt Guild work very hard every year to pull everything together for the Celebration event. They hang quilts for display, they hire teachers and lecturers, they plan the vendor mall, they secure the venues, they plan a volunteer banquet, etc. I'm sure they were disappointed with the small turnout this year. There was much discussion about it--due to the economy, to the hot weather, to quilters going elsewhere, to lesser known teachers and speakers???? Who knows?
A small crowd meant more free time for the vendors. We did some networking, but most of us had stitching projects along to work on. It was fun to walk around and see what everyone was doing--from embroidery to hand quilting. I was able to complete some small applique projects and make some progress on a hand-pieced quilt top.
I thoroughly enjoyed talking with the quilters who did come to shop. It was great to see old friends and make new acquaintances. I had a lot of nice comments re my patterns and book. The sample quilt most commented on was my mini yo-yo quilt (never fails!). And one lady wanted to vote for my Ruby Blooms quilt as the best of show! :) Fun!
I'm sure the ladies of the quilt guild are already planning for next year. Eleanor Burns will be back and the inductees will be the Jameses, who were very instrumental in starting the quilt museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. See YOU there???

Getting Ready

2010-07-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to head to Marion, IN tomorrow morning. I'll have a booth at the vendor mall during the Quilters' Hall of Fame Celebration, Thursday thru Saturday. I'm hoping to spread the word about my book and sell some of my patterns.
It is a lot of work to get ready for the booth! I've been working at it for the past couple of weeks--making lists of what I need to take for my display, increasing my inventory, making up a few scrappy items to sell, etc. The hardest work will come later today, though, as I load everything into the car! When I arrive tomorrow and find out my booth location, I then have to unload everything and get creative in the setting-up. I have some ideas in my head, but will they work once I see my space? The three hours we're allowed for set-up goes by quickly!
Some people travel from quilt show to quilt show to sell their products. They must have a "system" worked out so that the packing and unpacking becomes routine. I plan to talk to some of them to find out their secrets! What a great opportunity to network with other quilters, both the vendors and the quilters who "shop".
To learn more about the Celebration and what all is taking place in Marion this week, go to www.quiltershalloffame.net and look under "Celebration 2010". Hope to see you there--stop by my booth, "Got Scraps?", and say "HI". :)

Catching Up

2010-07-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much "catching-up" there is to do after being away from home for a month! Lots of weeds to pull in the yard, lots of flowers to prune, lots of spider webs to clear in the house (not to mention the dust!). I've also been catching up on sleep and getting back in touch with friends.
I'm trying to clean the house a little at a time--since it's not my favorite thing to do, I take a break from sewing to clean a bathroom or sweep the kitchen. :) Sewing is much more rewarding...at least the end results last a long time, unlike cleaning. Sometimes all it takes is 5 minutes for someone to mess up what you've just spent a 1/2 hour cleaning!
Speaking of cleaning house, please go to my website: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com. All my patterns are on sale thru Labor Day. Check it out!

"Home"

2010-07-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

I had such grand hopes of getting lots of sewing done while away for the month of June! But Grammy duties definitely got in the way of that! Plus, I was using my daughter's sewing space and her sewing machine. It just didn't feel like "Home".
After new baby had been home a while, I was able to get away for a few days and go to visit my mom and dad in Wisconsin. I took several sewing projects along with me. Since it was going to be MUCH quieter there, I knew I'd be able to accomplish a few things.
What fun it was to sit down at the 1950-era Singer sewing machine on which I learned to sew. It still runs and sews beautifully. And I LOVE the knee pedal! I felt right at home there. My wall quilt project went together in no time and I had fun reminiscing about the other things I'd made on that machine.
It definitely feels good to be back in my own home, though--sewing whenever I want to, in my own space, and using my own equipment! Nothing like it! I'm sure you will agree.

Grammy Duty

2010-06-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Not much sewing has gotten done this week. The new granddaughter arrived earlier than expected, so I have been doing Grammy Duty, taking care of baby's big sister. At almost 2 1/2, she's having a hard time adjusting. Hopefully each day will get better as she realizes that she has to share the attention.
I've been doing a bit of hand applique each night, just to unwind. I'm not used to all the noise and activity! As a break, I went to a couple of fabric shops today. What fun to discover my book for sale at the local Hancock Fabrics! I just HAD to point it out to the clerks and tell them all about it! :)
Got to get back on duty now...

More from Iowa

2010-05-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

We couldn't leave Kalona, the Quilt Capital of Iowa, without visiting their local museum. Especially since someone at the quilt show told me that they currently had 30's quilts on display!!! I discovered that they also have a room dedicated to Amish quilts, not only from Iowa, but also from other Amish communities around the country (Indiana, Ohio, etc.)
I actually enjoyed seeing the quilts at the museum more than I did the quilt show. They were displayed so nicely and one could really appreciate them from afar, as well as up-close. My pictures aren't the best because the lighting was low and I couldn't use flash. But they help me remember what I saw, nontheless.
One little 30's quilt was amazing...it had prairie points all around the edge that were no bigger than 1/2"! I don't seem to have the patience to do that little, detailed work anymore! (Although making those tiny prairie points would be a great way to use up LITTLE scraps!)
I have another new pattern ready...check out the latest on my website:
http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com

Kalona quilt show

2010-05-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

I'm finally taking last month's pictures off my digital camera. I didn't realize I'd taken so many! And when you don't keep up with it, the downloading takes a long time!

Our trip to Kalona, Iowa was exciting, not only for the barn quilts, but also because that was the weekend for the annual quilt show sponsored by a local antique shop. The advertising stated that there would be over 300 quilts on display, all HAND quilted! How could I NOT go to that one? What I didn't realize until I got in the show, was that all the quilts were for sale, too.

The little gymnasium where the show was held was PACKED with quilts! The show was laid out like a maze--you worked your way through the quilt displays, sometimes being literally nose to nose with a quilt! There were new quilts, there were old quilts. There were big quilts and there were little quilts. And it was refreshing to see all the hand quilting. And people were definitely "shopping" for a quilt!

The star of the show was hung right when you walked in the door. It was an amazing quilt, both because of the hand quilting, but also because of all the stuffed work. (What looks like stuffed quilting in the white areas is actually stuffed applique!!!!) My pictures don't do it justice, of course. This quilt was already sold, and if I remember correctly, it went for $1200. To be honest with you, if I spent that much time and energy creating something this gorgeous, I would not be able to part with it! I hope the new owner truly appreciates all that went into the making of this quilt! I know I do!!!!

Carol
http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com

Finally!

2010-05-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

Today I took my niece's quilt to the quilter. FINALLY! Remember all those Thangles units that my friends helped me with? They all got made into 9-patches which then got made into Country Roads blocks--20 of them! I added sashing between the blocks and two borders. One morning last week was set aside for finishing that top. I had it all done before noon that day!
I'm always a little afraid to machine piece a quilt top where the basic blocks have lots of pieces. The blocks don't always turn out to be the same size. But this time all the blocks were pretty close in size. Amazing! And I like the way it turned out. Hope my niece does, too!
I've completed a couple of other quilt tops in the past two weeks. I've also purchased setting fabric for 3 more sets of blocks. Guess I'm in a "get them set" mode!
Don't forget to check out my website: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com. New patterns show up there from time to time! :) I'm working on one right now! (along with lots of other projects! New ideas keep popping into my head! Guess that's a good thing, right?)

Barn Quilts

2010-05-08T17:18:00.001-07:00

Before we left Iowa two weeks ago, we took a side trip. I knew that we were close to the Amish area and I'd done a bit of research on the computer ahead of time. The county just south of the Cedar Rapids area had barn quilts, so I planned our route. It was fun to seek them out--I just had to make sure that my husband was driving slow enough that when I shouted "There's one!", he didn't have to back up too far for me to get a picture!
Barn quilts seem to be all the rage right now! I just saw a new book by Eleanor Burns all about barn quilts/quilt blocks. My daughter sent me a news article about a barn quilt project being started in her Illinois county--I think they were involving school kids in the making of them. And the other day I heard that there are several counties in Michigan that have barn quilts! Sounds like another road trip is in the future!

Fortune

2010-05-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend at Quilt Camp was wonderful, as usual. A chance to do non-stop sewing without having to worry about fixing meals, doing dishes, cleaning, etc. I really accomplished a lot!
The day before I left for Camp, I was noticing the cobwebs that have accumulated around the house. I told my husband that it looked like I needed to do some serious Spring cleaning!
But, a fortune cookie favor I received at Camp might change my plans...the slip of paper in MY felt fortune cookie read: "Quilting Forever, Housework Never"! Sounds good to me!!!! :)
The weeds in the yard are calling, but I'd really like to put the finishing touches on the projects I worked on this weekend...Hmmm...how do I decide?

What's Important?

2010-04-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I was in Iowa with a group from church. We went to Cedar Rapids to help homeowners still recovering from the flood of June, 2008. We spent 5 very rewarding days working on houses that are almost ready to be called "home" again. We did a variety of things: installed a deck railing, door knobs, and siding on a garage. Some installed windows and drywall. We taped and mudded drywall and did some painting. Everywhere we went we heard "Thank you so much for coming!"
Can you imagine 7 feet of muddy water in the first floor of your house? I can't! And the homeowners only had 3 hours notice to evacuate. What do you try to take with you, knowing that anything left behind will be totally ruined? It really makes one stop to think about what is important in life...Would those bags and boxes of fabric scraps matter? Would I take any of my quilts? Probably, but only if I had time to grab them after pulling together all our important papers and pictures. I truly hope I never have to make that decision! And I admire the courage and determination of the homeowners who decided to come back to their flooded neighborhood!

Quilt Adventures

2010-04-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

I had more quilt adventures this past week. On Sunday, I attended a lecture given by Beth Donaldson (from MSU) on quilts of the 1930's, specifically quilts that were being made in the Detroit area. She showed pictures of a collection of quilts that the MSU museum acquired from a local quilting family, told the details of the quilts, and spoke about sources for the patterns for the quilts. Several of the quilts are on display at the Lorenzo Cultural Center (central campus of Macomb Community College) until May 8. They are beautiful--so meticulously made! And the reason for that is that the maker was a professional tailor! My favorite is the floral quilt shown in the picture here. The pattern was a series in the Detroit News and was titled Memory bouquet or Flower Garden. I have a collection of old patterns from the newspapers...need to see if I have this one!
I had a "duh" moment after the lecture...for some reason when I think 1930's quilts, I think scrap quilts, assuming that during the Depression years money was scarce so the ladies used what they had to make their quilts. Not everyone, tho. Some people remained affluent (there were doctors and lawyers in this particular family) and could purchase fabric and kits to make their quilts. "DUH"
On Monday I traveled to Battle Creek to do the program for Cal-Co Quilt Guild. I spoke about how my new book, Start With Scraps, came to be. I was warmly received and many members now have the book as part of their quilting library.
Please take the time to look at the book at www.clotilde.com, and don't forget to visit my website: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com. Happy Quilting Adventures to you! :)

Old Quilts #4

2010-04-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

The detail that our quilting fore-mothers put in their quilts never ceases to amaze me! Look at all those tiny triangles making up the center of these Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks! But they certainly make for a spectacular quilt, don't they?
I have to admit that this is one pattern that really confuses me. I do fine making the basic blocks, but when it comes to putting them together, that's where I get lost. I know that other quilters have had the same problem--I have some misshapen old quilt tops in my collection that prove it! :)
PS...please visit my website: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com

Old Quilts #3

2010-04-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Before I move on to the 30's quilts, I need to show you this beauty of a crazy quilt. It is in amazing condition for having been made somewhere between 1880 and 1900! The silks and taffeta have not started to shred, as is typical of fabrics in old crazy quilts. What fascinated me most about this quilt is that it contains not just beautiful embroidery designs, but also painted flowers, birds, etc. Was this a group project or was the maker multi-talented?
During her talk, Donna also showed a little doll quilt made from cigarette silks. She dates this somewhere between 1890 and WWI. That's the time period when cigar flannels and cigarette silks could be had as "premiums".
Do any of you have a crazy quilt made from wool suiting fabrics? These quilts were made in the early years of the 20th century. I have two of them, made by a farm woman who lived in northern Indiana. I love them for their simplicity!
If only these old quilts could talk! The stories they would tell!!!!

Old Quilts #2

2010-03-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Donna had some great quilts on display before her talk at the quilt guild. This little one is from 1850. It is made from red and tan calicoes and the piecing is wonderful! All those diamonds and flying geese!
I chose a seat right in front of this quilt so I could enjoy it all during the meeting!

Old Quilts

2010-03-28T14:02:00.001-07:00

This is one of the first old quilts that my new Oklahoma friend, Donna Skvarla, showed during her presentation to the Central Oklahoma Quilt Guild. Being a fan of mid-19th century red/green quilts, I immediately fell in love with it! Each block is amazing, and it turns out that the blocks are PIECED, not appliqued as one would assume! Donna says this one was made around 1840. Another unique feature of this quilt is that it has a woven twill binding. This type of binding was manufactured on the East Coast. The next picture shows a close-up of one of the blocks.

The hand-quilting on these old quilts is amazing, too! Such close quilting and such tiny stitches. Stop and think about the tools they had to work with back then and the lighting they had! These old quilts were truly labors of love!

Since being home, along with getting lots of sewing done, I've also created a website of my own. I hope you will pay it a visit: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com. Bookmark it so you can visit it often, and please tell your friends! Thanks! Happy scrap quilting!

Charity Challenge

2010-03-21T17:51:00.001-07:00

I just finished a charity quilt. This one began as a mystery and was a challenge! A friend at Curves told me about Downy.com and their "Quilts for Kids" project. (Check it out at www.quiltsforkids.org.) I looked at the website and volunteered to help. Within 3 days I received the kit to make a kid-size quilt! Inside the kit was the pattern, complete instructions, fabric for the quilt top, fabric for the backing, and a label for the quilt. I just needed to supply the batting and return postage.
So why was this a mystery and a challenge? I had no idea what kind of fabrics I would receive. From the picture you can tell that these fabrics were BRIGHT! And the theme was race cars. (I have all girls in my family...I haven't made many quilts for little boys!) Also, the quilt had to be machine quilted; it could not be tied. I normally do not do machine quilting--another challenge! And I decided to use Warm and Natural batting--something else I normally do not do. I figured, why not? All in all, I was pleased with the results.
One reason I enjoy making charity quilts is that I get to try new techniques and practice my skills. It was fun to work with fabrics that someone else had chosen (I now have some bright leftovers to add to my scrap bag!), and I'm getting a little better at machine quilting. It warms my heart to know that a child will enjoy this finished quilt. Why don't you take the challenge???

Taggie Blankie Update

2010-03-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

While in Oklahoma, I was able to view the Taggie Blankie "in action". First of all, I am happy to report that it has been washed many times and is holding together nicely! Nothing is pulling apart on THIS project! :)
It was fun to watch how it was being used. It is a great quiet toy during church! My daughter always has it stashed in the diaper bag on Sunday mornings. It is a great soothing toy when it is naptime! And it is great for playing "Peek-A-Boo" by placing it on Granddaughter's head. She loves to pull it off and giggle! And she seems to have a favorite tag on the blankie, one that she plays with more than the others. She likes the wide, turquoise ribbon that has lots of embroidery on it! (Lots of texture to that ribbon!!!)
My daughter and I ran across a whole line of taggie items while out shopping one day. There are board books with tags, small blankets with tags, and a variety of stuffed toys with tags. They are marketed under the "Taggi" name--designed by a mom who noticed that her little ones always played with the tags on things! Cute and clever, but the variety of tags was disappointing. Only satin and grosgrain ribbons were used, in solids and prints. All seemed to be the same width, too. By digging through my box of trims in the process of making my Taggie Blankie, I came up with many more-interesting-to-the-touch tags!!! Hooray for scraps and leftovers! :)

Baby quilt update

2010-03-03T11:57:00.001-08:00

I've been in Oklahoma for a week and the time has flown by! Great to spend time with my daughter and family here!!!! Granddaughter has changed just since Christmas!!!
Everyone is off to work and Granddaughter goes to daycare. But I'm not bored. I brought along a hand piecing project that I want to really make progress on. (so far, so good!)
One of the first projects I tackled tho was the baby quilt that pulled apart. I started in on it with a seam ripper. Since I was limited to what I could bring along, I did not bring batting for the new quilt. I was hoping I could reuse the batting from the original quilt. As I was doing the "rip-it" stitch, I was impressed at how well I'd sewn the binding on! It took a while to take it all back off!!!
I was also amazed at how that one particular fabric really frayed and pulled out at the seams. Made me wonder if 1/4" seam allowance is big enough for a quilt that will be washed a lot? I also came to the conclusion that I'd not put enough ties in the quilt to begin with--perhaps the quilt top was allowed to move around too much during washing?
After the ties were removed, I began to separate the 3 layers. I found that the fraying seams had intertwined with the batting and things weren't pulling apart very easily. I was also surprised at how the batting had pilled. I can't remember if I used Mountain Mist batting or Fairfield, but one thing was for sure--I wasn't going to be able to reuse this batting. With all the pilling, it didn't even seem good for stuffing, so it went into the trash.
I went out and bought a crib-size Fairfield Traditional batt. And this time, I put lots more ties into the quilt. It is all bound and once I get the label sewn on today, it will be ready for Granddaughter to use! I've decided that the old quilt top will be cut up and scrappy pieced back together to make a doll quilt for her. If I get started on it soon, it will be ready for Christmas!

Gettng the Word Out

2010-02-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

Slowly, but surely, I'm spreading the word about my book. I did a couple of book signings this past week. One of them was at a quilt guild meeting. I'd given a program and workshop for this guild about 15 months ago, so it was fun to revisit them and hear from some of the members how they completed their workshop project and what they eventually did with it. From the workshop, they were familiar with the scrappy piecing technique explained in the book and were delighted to see what else they could do with their scraps using the technique.
The other book signing was an impromptu one. A friend's Senior church group was having its monthly meeting. She suggested I come to the meeting and give a little talk along with showing my book. I didn't have much time to prepare what I was going to say and I knew that there would be men in the group. So, I began my talk by asking people to share quilt-related memories. I took along some of my 30's scrap quilts to talk about, and showing those brought up even more memories! Both men and women told about quilts that their aunts or grandmas or mothers made. It was fun to listen to their stories!
During each book signing event, I love to hear and see people's reaction to the book. So many of them get so excited for me, having been published! That makes my day! :)

Snow Day

2010-02-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

We finally had lots of snow yesterday into today. I measured about 6"-8" when I was out shoveling this morning. Schools in the area are closed so that means my usual Wednesday activities are canceled. Yippee! More sewing time for me! I'm celebrating by working on a scrappy snowman block. Perfect, don't you think?

Making Progress

2010-02-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

I'm hard at work on my niece's quilt, and I'm really making progress. The nine-patch blocks are going together quickly, now that I have the Thangles squares all done. The quilt contains 20 main blocks and each block uses 16 Thangles squares. That's a LOT of Thangles squares! Sewing the Thangles and cutting them apart is easy. Removing the paper and trimming off the corners always takes a bit more time.
For three days last week, my quilting buddies and I were on a "retreat". We met at one's home each day for concentrated sewing, good eating, and lots of laughs. (Her husband was off golfing where it was warm!) The first project I wanted to accomplish was removing the paper and trimming the corners on my Thangles. As soon as I pulled them out and started tearing paper, I had 3 friends there helping me! Made quick work of that job! Isn't it great to have quilting friends???? But now they expect to see a finished quilt top the next time we get together!

Back to Stitching

2010-01-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

I'm finally back to my stitching! After more than two weeks of concentrating on income tax laws and tax software, it took a little time to get back to my sewing. You know what helped? Touring a few quilt shops and picking up a few new pieces of fabric for my current projects. It also helped to spend an afternoon with my quilting buddies!
I'm back to working on my niece's quilt. See my posting titled "Final Day of Camp" for a picture of the basic block. The block contains Thangles units, and I have made all of them. Now to tear off the paper and trim them up. After that is done, I should be able to piece the blocks quickly.
I'm also working on a Sunbonnet Sue baby quilt. I'm hoping that it will be my next pattern in my "Thanks, Grandma" series.
And I'm making a new little quilt top for my granddaughter. Check out the quilt that she is sitting on in the taggie pix. My daughter called after Christmas to check to see how to wash that little quilt. Seems granddaughter had a touch of the flu and the quilt got the brunt of it! I told my daughter to use cold water and the delicate cycle in both the washer and dryer. She did, but when the quilt came out of the dryer, several of the seams in the quilt top had pulled apart. (See picture above...) Talk about disappointed! I chose that fabric because of the cute frogs on it--the nursery is decorated with frogs, ducks and chicks. But, the fabric came from Wal-Mart and was not especially tightly woven. The fabric for the new quilt top came from a local quilt shop...hopefully it will wear better! Stay tuned for a picture of the new little quilt.

The Taggie Blankie

2010-01-19T13:08:00.001-08:00

Maybe by this time, my granddaughter has had time to really "get to know" her taggie blankie. These pictures were taken when I first gave it to her. It is light-weight enough that she had fun flipping the whole thing around, not necessarily by any tag. Grammy made it into a hat for her--she didn't seem to mind! She has certainly learned how to pose for the camera!

Withdrawal Symptoms

2010-01-15T04:55:00.001-08:00

I am suffering...I haven't worked on a quilt project in a couple of weeks! I have been immersed in INCOME TAX LAW! I've been teaching the refresher course for the AARP TaxAide volunteers locally and every night I've been studying just to keep ahead of what I'm teaching the next day. BUT today is the last day and I'm definitely planning on getting the sewing out for this weekend! Stay tuned...I'll let you know what I'm working on. (And, I finally took the Christmas pix off my camera, so you'll soon see granddaughter with her taggie blankie!).

Holiday Wrap-up

2010-01-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks have been busy ones! We thoroughly enjoyed having the Oklahoma kids visit for a few days before Christmas. I was able to have lots of cuddle time with the 9-month-old granddaughter during those days! Priceless!!!!
I didn't wrap her taggie blankie--I wanted to witness first-hand her reaction to it so I gave it to her before Christmas. She wasn't sure about it. So she didn't immediately pick it up and start playing with the tags. I guess she needed some time to get used to it. I received a Flip video showing her playing with the taggie blankie once she was back home. She was flinging it all around, from one hand to the other, sometimes holding onto the tags and sometimes just grabbing the blankie part. A hit? I'm not sure, but I had fun making it for her!
Christmas found our whole family in Illinois, visiting our other daughter. It was fun to see the two granddaughters playing together. From there we drove to visit my parents in Wisconsin. One of the first things my mother asked about was my book...she was very anxious to see it and was very impressed with the finished product! Glad I could make her proud! :)
My applique projects went along on the trip...was nice to have some needlework to do. I accomplished quite a bit! That's the great thing about hand sewing---it is VERY portable!

Clean-up

2009-12-19T05:35:00.000-08:00

Company's coming. That means I have to clean the house, especially the dining room. My dining room has been my sewing area, so the in-progress projects and my sewing machine have been packed up and put away for now. (In the new year, I hope I remember what I was doing on those projects!!!!) Before cleaning up, though, I took the time to pull together the pieces for a couple of hand applique projects. I know that I won't be able to go a couple of weeks without touching a needle and some fabric! There's just something comforting about stitching!
Merry Christmas!

Taggie Blankie

2009-12-11T19:16:00.001-08:00

According to my daughter, my 8-month-old granddaughter LOVES to play with the tags on her toys more than playing with the toys! My daughter put a "taggie blanket" on her Christmas list. So I started creating...I dug out some pieces of flannel leftover from previous baby projects. I got out my box of trims and ribbons. I looked for variety in size and texture while trying to use up some of the small pieces in the box that might not be useful for anything else. I cut the trims to ~4" lengths, folded them in half, and placed them randomly in the seams. I made sure to stitch over the ends of the trims several times to secure them. There are definitely LOTS of tags on this blankie...it will be fun to see what my granddaughter thinks of it! (Things like this are my favorite kinds of Christmas gifts!)

Stash Comes in Handy!

2009-12-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

A week ago today I was very glad that I have a stash of fabrics! I was preparing to be Mary in a skit we were doing at our church's annual Advent Tea. A search through the costume box at church resulted in "kid-sized" costumes and accessories, but nothing to fit an adult. Time to improvise! An accolyte robe would work for Mary's robe, but I needed a head covering. So I dug through my box of blue fabrics. I found a piece of solid Williamsburg blue that measured about 3/4 of a yard. One end was jagged--not a problem! Instead of trimming it straight (and wasting a bit of fabric!) I simply folded that end under and it became the front edge of Mary's head scarf. A rope belt around my waist and sandals on my feet and I was ready to go!
The skit went very well...the entire evening was a wonderful, peaceful way to begin the Christmas season, and a reminder of what the season is truly about! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

No Longer in Suspense!

2009-12-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

My books arrived the other day. What fun to open the box and see the finished product! The book is beautiful--I am so pleased with the way House of White Birches presented my idea and my projects. If you have been wondering what to do with your scrap collection, why not give my "scrappy piecing" technique a try? At $8.95, the book is VERY affordable!!! Ask your local quilt shop or bookstore to order Start With Scraps for you, and be prepared to have fun!

Keeping Me in Suspense

2009-11-24T03:43:00.000-08:00

I ordered a supply of books last week. I found out yesterday that I will probably receive them early next week. I can't stand the suspense! I would really like to see a finished copy of my book! Everyone is asking me if I am excited about the book...I think I'd be more excited if I knew what it looked like! Guess I expected that, being the author, I would receive one of the first copies off the presses! I'm learning a lot...just have to be patient! In the meantime, I have lots of sewing projects I need to be working on! Better get back to my machine! :)

It's Official!

2009-11-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Today is November 20th! As of today, I'm a published author!!! My first book, Start With Scraps, came out today!

It is showing up on various websites...as far away as New Zealand and Japan. Fun to see that!

I haven't yet received my copy of the book...I can't wait to see it! Remember, you can go to www.clotilde.com and order your copy. Encourage your friends to do the same! The scrappy piecing technique explained in the book is fun and the projects are easy. I know you will enjoy making them!

Happy Scrappy Stitching! Carol :)

Planning Ahead

2009-11-15T04:52:00.001-08:00

For the past week, the radio station we wake up to has been playing Christmas music. They actually waited a little longer to begin this year...usually it starts right after Halloween. I'm sure you noticed that the stores didn't wait until after Halloween to bring out the Christmas merchandise! That seems to start earlier and earlier each year as the merchants vie for our $$. Soon "Christmas in July" will be just that! Actually Christmas is my favorite holiday...I love everything about it. And I shop for Christmas year round.

I also sew for Christmas year round. I'm sure you do, too. The quilt projects we make take time, so we need to start early on them! Are you making anything special this year? Do you need anything new to decorate your walls? My "Scrap Nick" wall quilt is fast and fun. It uses the scrappy piecing technique that is explained in my new book--but this project is not in the book. I designed it after the book proposal was sent off...The wall quilt measures 16" x 20". (It would be a great gift for someone special, too! ) If you are interested in the pattern, send me an e-mail: cloessel@yahoo.com.

Happy scrappy quilting for the holidays! Carol :)

Have You Seen It?

2009-11-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the December issue of Quilter's World magazine? Right there on pages 24 & 25 are instructions for two little projects designed by ME! :)
If you have been following my blog, back in June I was telling about all the deadlines I had that month (see the Sunday, June 14th blog, titled "Deadlines"). One of the deadlines I had was for a BIG project...that big project was finishing all the projects and instructions needed for the BOOK that House of White Birches is publishing for me!!! It is coming out on November 20th. The book is called Start With Scraps, and features projects that can be made using my scrappy-piecing technique.
If you go to www.clotilde.com and look under the new book section, you will find my book listed and will be able to see a preview of some of the projects. I have not seen the book in its entirety--have only seen what you will see there. But I love the photos they took and I really like the way they wrote up the projects in Quilter's World magazine, so I can't wait to see the entire book.
I hope you will take a look and think about adding Start With Scraps to your quilt book collection! You can order it from clotilde or if you'd like a signed copy, you can order it from me! But remember, it will not be available until November 20! (Hey, that's less than 2 weeks away!!!) Happy Scrappy Stitching! :)
Carol (cloessel@yahoo.com)

Back in Business!!!

2009-11-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

You don't realize how much you miss the Internet until you don't have it! We had a power outage on Saturday (Halloween) and when the power came back on, I had no Internet service.
After doing some of my own diagnostics, I suspected that something had happened to the modem. Of course AT&T doesn't have techs that work on weekends, but I called in the problem anyway, the first chance I got. A work order was written up and I was told that I'd be called Monday morning...great! I had to be way across town at a 2-day workshop all day Monday and Tuesday! I followed all the instructions I'd been given, and kept my cell phone on, but got no phone call. When I got home, I again called AT&T. This time I was told that the work order was for Tuesday, and that someone would come out late in the day Tuesday, at a time when I told them I'd be home. When I got home Tuesday, there was a flier on the door that, indeed, someone had been there!!! (But obviously I wasn't!) So I called the local number that was on the flier and left a message. This morning I called that number again. I got the local service manager who sent someone out within the hour!!! I was right---the modem had "blown" with the power outage. New modem, new passwords, and I'm back in business. The tech laughed when I let out a big "Hurray!" :) And after that exclamation, he didn't believe me when I said that I resent the time I spend on the computer. I didn't tell him that I'd rather be quilting!
Hope you have a good stitching day today. I hope to get back to some sewing, after sitting in income tax refresher classes for two days!!! Yes, I'd rather be quilting!

Final Day of Camp

2009-10-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning was a misty one, but that only added to the beauty of the trees across the lake! The night before, I'd left this finished block of my niece's quilt lying on my sewing table. Taking a fresh look at it Sunday morning, I was pleased. I think it will turn out just as I had it pictured in my head! That is a good thing! :) (Unfortunately I haven't done anymore on it in the few weeks since Camp! Too many other projects to work on!)

After breakfast I packed up my sewing machine and cleaned up my sewing area. I spent the morning working on the embroidery project I'd taken along (Christmas ornaments). I also walked around to visit with others and see the progress they'd made on their projects. And I took a tour of the wastebaskets to see what others had thrown away. Amid the banana peels and apple cores (euuuuw!) I found a whole collection of clean, dry 1/2 square triangle pairs. Those will be fun to work with! I didn't find much else, though. Either others have started saving their scraps or my table-mate got there before I did! I learned that she collects and saves even more than I do! She's got a big box full of teeny-tiny cut-off points and is dreaming of someday doing a "snippets" project!!!! Not for me. I'll gladly let her have THAT stuff!

There were to be several hours of sewing yet after our noon turkey dinner, followed by show and tell. But I knew that I had a long drive ahead of me, and I wanted to stop at a quilt shop on my way home (that closed at 3pm). So I reluctantly packed up and told everyone good-bye. Another wonderful Camp weekend had come to an end. I can't wait to do it all again the end of April!

Second Day of Camp

2009-10-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is what we woke up to on Saturday morning! Sooooo beautiful! I couldn't resist taking pictures.

After breakfast I was all set to put together those quilt blocks. There were 9 of them, with sashing in between--piece of cake!!! I had my layout all set and they went together beautifully. As I was showing off my project, I realized that I had sewn them together completely backwards! What to do? They didn't look right the way they were, so I began to un-sew!

By the time I got them unsewn, laid out the correct way(again), and then carefully sewn together(correctly, this time) it was mid-afternoon. (Yes, it took that long. Had to do some visiting with others to see what they were up to, had to have lunch, had to press the blocks again, etc.) This project wasn't supposed to be so stressful! The completed top is pictured below. It is my scrappy interpretation of Birds in Air. It needs some applique yet, but I hope to finish that now that I'm home.

Since it was a sunny day, I decided to go for a walk to work off some of the stress. I'm glad I had packed my winter jacket because it was windy and chilly. The walk around the camp grounds turned out to be very refreshing--just the thing I needed.

Now I was ready to tackle another project. This time the shop model. It only needed some blanket stitching on it and a bit of applique, so it didn't take me long to complete that.

Later in the evening I started on my niece's quilt. I stitched some Thangles blocks--enough to piece at least one block of her quilt. I knew in my head what I wanted it to look like, but would it look that way in real life? (I also had a chance to teach the friend next to me about Thangles, and how easy they are to use!) One block was completed before bed...I left it out to look at it the next morning with a more critical eye.

Except for the un-sewing, I was happy with what I'd accomplished that day!

Off to Camp

2009-10-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to Quilt Camp--a quilting retreat at a campground. I have been going to Spring Camp for years, but this is the first time I have gone to Fall Camp. I knew that it would be an unstructured weekend, with nothing to do but sew, sew, sew, from 4pm Friday to 4pm on Sunday.
I had hopes of getting LOTS accomplished. So I packed a UFO (a small quilt top for my daughter that was all cut out and ready to sew), the fabrics for my niece's quilt, the parts for a pattern I've been wanting to make for quite some time, a hand-applique project, an embroidery project and a shop model that I am making of one of my patterns. I wanted to have a variety to choose from. Whatever mood I was in would determine what I would work on!
I arrived ~4:30. Most of the women were already there with their sewing machines buzzing. It looked like they'd been there all afternoon! I was told that no, they just got there at 4. Obviously they were on a mission, too!
Once I got settled in, I chose to work on the UFO. By the time I was ready to call it a night, I had all my blocks finished, ready to put together. That would be tomorrow's project.
Quilt Camp is wonderful...no meals to plan and prepare, no dishes to wash, no phone calls to interrupt your work. Many great quilters around you, lots of different projects being worked on, lots of inspiration. As an added bonus, camp is set on a lake and the trees surrounding the lake were in brilliant color last weekend! What more could a quilter ask for???

In the Works

2009-10-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I got out the pieces for that little old quilt. Time to finally put it back together! The nine-patch blocks went together fairly easily. Some pieces had originally been cut on the bias, but they were small enough that they didn't distort when put together into the 9-patch blocks. After pressing the blocks, I laid them out on point.

The alternate blocks in the original quilt were indigo fabric. This fabric felt very thin to me (very much like cheese cloth!), but I decided to use it anyway. I cut the squares of indigo down to fit the 9-patch blocks, cutting both alternate squares and side set-in triangles.

The quilt top pieced together fairly quickly--all the pieces seemed to fit. The outside triangles were a bit oversized--on purpose so that I could square things up when all pieced together.

Time to cut the borders to fit. These, too, were the same thin indigo fabric. I measured the quilt top through the center and cut the borders to this length. But when I pinned them onto the edge of the quilt top, I had an extra inch at each end!!! Back to measuring again, and sure enough, the quilt top measures much bigger through the centers than it does along the edges. Being put on point, the alternate squares end up on the bias. Because of the thinness of the indigo fabric, they are very stretchy.

I've vowed that this project is not going to get put away again. This time it is going to be finished! I plan to omit the borders and use the border fabric for binding. And I have a new admiration for the quilters of that time period who had to work with these fabrics! We are so lucky to have quality fabrics to use in our quilts!!!!

Finally, a start!

2009-10-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

At least 15 years ago, in an antique shop in Ligonier, IN, a little quilt top spoke to me. Judging by the indigo blues, deep reds, and other fabrics in the top, I could tell it was old (circa 1900). It was also tattered and a bit faded in places. But I thought it had potential and the price was right. I bought it with the intention of re-working it, just to play with the fabrics.
The little scrappy 9-patch on point quilt top sat in a corner of my sewing room until last year. It was time to do something with it. I took it along on an "up-north" quilting retreat as a "no-brainer" project. One afternoon I started taking it apart. Because it was hand-pieced (and a lot of the seams had already pulled apart), it wasn't too bad a job. One of my friends sat down to help and we quickly had it all in pieces.
The next step was to sort. Which pieces were too badly damaged to save and which ones were salvageable? Many of the pieces went in the trash (yes, I admit I did throw them away). The rest were pressed. This gave me another chance to examine them to see if they were worth putting back into the quilt.
I measured the squares from the 9-patches. I knew that I wanted to trim them down to have fresh edges to piece together. Once a good size was determined, and the squares trimmed, I then had to count them to see how many 9-patches I could make from what I had. The original quilt had 20 9-patch blocks, but I decided to only use 16 in my new project. I needed a few more little squares, so I cut some from my collection of old and reproduction fabrics.
Everything was cut, ready to go, and I had a plan. But it all got put away. Guess some other project was more important at the time. That happens to me a lot!!!

Fall Color

2009-10-01T11:52:00.001-07:00

I just got back from a walk. On the days I don't go to Curves, I'm trying to get in at least 30 minutes of walking. On a day like today, it is easy! The sun is shining, the sky is bright blue and the air is cool and crisp.

I LOVE Fall! And I'm sure it is because of the gorgeous colors! On my way to church for Bible study this morning I couldn't help but notice that almost every color imaginable is out there for us to see right now, and around here, the colors are only going to get better! Just look at the bushes, trees and flowers! Amid the green, you'll see red, orange, yellow, gold, purple, blue-purple, pink, white, you-name-it.* An unknown bush, out in the middle of nowhere on church property, is brilliant today--green leaves, but fuchsia stems and berry sprays. Awesome! (My picture does not do it justice!)

God must love scrap quilts too! :)

*The quilt I'm making for the niece who graduated from college in May has this color scheme. I'm using the block "Country Roads". The main fabric is green, the background is light blue and scrap squares of the colors of nature run through the block. I'll show you a block soon...(I'm just in the "cutting out" stage.)