Show and Tell

 Today I am showing work from friends and students. I love to see what people are working on and how they are progressing on long-term projects.

The Sunday Sew and Sews never cease to amaze me. Take a look:

Joan finished her Afternoon Delight top:

Judi did this sampler with a kit from Fat Quarter Shop--she has impressed herself with how much her skills have improved over the years:

Holly showed off her finished Raindrops quilt, a Judy Niemeyer quilt: 

Holly also made a Kool Kaleidoscope--so hard for her because she likes to plan every fabric before beginning--that isn't the way this one works: 

Linda brought this gorgeous top--my colors all the way! Pattern is Solar Flair by Tula Pink:

Once a month I lead a class for those working on Color My World, the 2021 Block of the Month quilt for The Quilt Show. Progress is being made:

Mary-Louise, despite some health challenges this year, is on a roll:

Cyndi is always right on target, I always love her fabric selections:

And Cyndi is an uber-planner, just like me: 

Sally is creating an evening World, lovely dark sky background:

For those of you who are members of The Quilt Show, both these groups have seen photos of the 2022 Block of the Month, my current secret sewing I cannot show you yet. They all LOVE IT! 

Let's quilt,

Barbara

Traveling Experiences

I used to fly somewhere at least once a month, to teach quilting at shows and guilds. The last 18 months that has mostly stopped. Recently, I flew to Dallas to tape The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. Here are my thoughts on that trip.

One of the differences this year is how many times Delta has changed my flight schedules on the four trips I have scheduled this Summer/Fall. Sometimes, big changes--like my 7:30 am departure moving to 5:20 am. Sometimes, the changes are only  a few minutes different. All airlines are doing this, even Southwest, so I just have to roll with the punches.  If they make a big change you don't like,  you can call them (expect a 3 hour wait on Hold) and can move to a different flight, even a different day, without a fee--if you call them to make the change. 

This flight was a 7 am departure from Huntsville, a 30 minute drive from my home. I got up at 4:15, we left the house just after 5 am and I was all set at the gate just before 6. Boarding at 6:20. On time departure.

I always have a photo of my checked luggage on my phone in case it gets lost so I can show it to the Baggage assistance people if needed. No problems this trip, my bags made the trip with me. Having the Delta app on my phone means I get a notification as each bag is loaded on each flight, so I knew they were on my plane each flight. That is reassuring.

                                                 

Masks are mandatory at all places in the airports and on the flights, worn correctly, covering the mouth and nose, as frequent reminders are played over the PA. "If you forget, we will gently remind you". And they did, with those who "forgot". 

TSA screening at Huntsville: "Remove all electronics larger than a cell phone from your carryon". And shoes and jackets, too, unless you are lucky enough to the TSA Pre-check on your boarding pass--I didn't this trip. In Dallas, on the return flights, two days later: "Do not remove any electronics from your carryon". Different equipment, different rules.

All four of my flights were full or very close to full. And all were on time, departures and arrivals. The employees were professional and the passengers all behaved themselves, well, mostly. 

Many food vendors in the airports are closed, even in Atlanta and Dallas. Labor shortages are probably the reason since passenger counts have greatly increased. Long lines for those who wanted Chick-fil-A or 5 Guys--I come prepared so no problem for me. 

Once in Dallas I used LYFT to get to the hotel--I am still a little skittish about getting in a stranger's car. They have a very helpful safety feature I use--I text my ride to my husband who can watch the ride in real time--and he knows the vehicle and driver who picked me up. It was only 15 minutes to the hotel. After unpacking my clothes, I used LYFT again to go to the Studio, about 2 miles away, to deliver my quilts. They decorate the set the night before for the next day's taping, since we hope to start taping about 9 am. 

This yellow and white quilt was made by Alex Anderson. We have a garden party theme and it filled that space nicely:

This is one of my early quilts, made with a group of 6 quilters at a retreat in 1994. It has not been out of the storage closet for 20+ years. Beautifully  hand-appliqued and hand quilted (by a woman who used to do a lot of hand quilting for me). As my best quilts are all currently in Houston for My Joyful Journey Special Exhibit, this one got to come out and shine. It is queen-size and it was used on my bed until I made something less precious to replace it:

Again, I had to scrounge for set decoration pieces--these small wallhangings are from the mid-1990's also, workshop pieces that taught me a lot, both completely  hand made:

Hidden behind the blue curtain--the 2022 Block of the Month Quilt designed exclusively for The Quilt Show by... I can't tell you, and I can't show you:

A big hint is the designer lives in a country from which she currently cannot travel. So I am the fill-in. The Quilt Show folks call me "the BOM Whisperer". I test the pattern--my sample quilt is on-set too but I can't show it yet either. I update/enhance the written instructions. I figure out "Optional Alternative Techniques" where appropriate--there is always more than one way to do anything--so I offer a variety of techniques when appropriate. 

Throughout the year, I write monthly blog posts to supplement the instructions, do a video most months, and a Facebook LIVE broadcast. We really provide a tremendous amount of  extra help and information for our Star Members who choose to make the Block of the Month quilt--the pattern is FREE to them as an added benefit of membership. 

The only problem for me on set is the heat from all the lights. Here the cameraman is behind me as we practice the sewing demo part--I was mortified to see how wet my hair is. The AC was turned down, I mopped up, and we started the taping: 

A bit of fun as Justin does the "cold open"--remember, it's a garden party: 

It takes hours of preparation to make one hour of show go smoothly. I had about 5 hours of phone interview time with the  producer, beginning in June. I write a "script", what I want to convey in the 10 minutes/segment allotted and then practice, practice, practice, to get it all in within that time frame. I  edit, edit, edit, and remember, this quilt is the Star of the Show. 

I thought it went well, and Alex and Ricky did too, after each of the 5 segments we did. But when the amazing producer, Shelly Heesacker, who I adore, came to me after we were done and said simply:  "This exceeded my expectations" I knew we had a winner. Producers have high expectations. She is a top-notch professional who knows how to do her job. I was so happy she was  happy. 

Here we are just before I left the Studio:

A wonderful added bonus was time I got to spend with friends I hadn't seen in a while. Dinner at an authentic Tex-Mex style, non-chain restaurant was great and the visit was a personal highlight of this trip.

All too soon, it was time to pack the luggage and head back to DFW, for the first flight to ATL, and then finally on to HSV. No issues at all on both days of travel make me a happy camper.

Home sweet home. My husband was waiting for me, we grabbed my luggage and went out for a nice dinner:

All in all,  this was a fantastic trip I thoroughly enjoyed. I am eager to show the quilt--in October sometime will come the big REVEAL.  And the show will air in early January, 2022, FREE for all to watch all year. I'll be sure to remind you.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

COLOR MY WORLD--MONTH 9-- TALL BUILDINGS # 4

We've come to the last of the Tall Buildings--# 4 is here and it is the tallest. 

These 8 Tall Buildings # 4 will go on either side of the 4 Skyscrapers, Left on the left, Right on the right.

These are big and there is lots of sewing. The seam allowance that joins the lower portion of each Tall Building is very important, so the Shadow fits properly.

My friend Pam is doing a great job sewing each month ahead so I have pieces for my demos. Here they are finished: 

Here is the Right Side, ready to be sewn together. There are 6 small sections that need to be joined so the Shadow can be sewn on the right side. If those 5 seam allowances are off a few threads EACH seam, the shadow will be too short or too long:

I know the question that is sure to come--What SIZE is this supposed to be? Measuring the paper patterns, they are about 17.75" Finished--that is when sewn into the quilt. With seam allowances, they are about 18.25" on the LONG side when UNfinished.  The top angle is steep so the seam allowance to the very top  will be longer than the usual .5" 

The numbers are "about" because these are  hand-drawn patterns and there is a little variation. There is also variation due to each person's seam allowance, skill with precise paper piecing, even the thickness of the thread used. As long as they are close to that measurement, things will be fine.

I say each month--I never once tried to measure these units when making the quilt last summer. I had  accurate paper patterns, sewed accurately, and used 60 wt. and 80 wt. thread. It all fit together just fine.

TIPS FOR SEWING THE TALL BUILDINGS TOGETHER:

If you haven't started to join the Tall Buildings together yet, now that all 32 are done, it's time. On the Left side sew TB #1, #2, #3, and #4 from left to right.  On the Right side sew TB #4, #3, #2, and #1 from Left to Right.

IMPORTANT SEWING TIP: Be Sure to backstitch at both ends of the seams joining the Tall Buildings. They will ultimately be part of the outer ring that will be a complete circle. The Upper Road center circle will be joined to this outer ring. There is much  handling and pinning and time under the needle to make that final circular seam. Having secure seams at both ends will help A LOT. 

It is important to align the seam correctly. Because the outside edge is an angle, the top of TB #3 will stick out from the top of TB #4. 

You want the seam to be exactly 1/4" wide. If the two buildings aren't aligned correctly, you won't have an even edge across the top, where the border fabric will ultimately be sewn. This is how the outside seam should look: 

I pressed the seams open here. I think on mine I pressed the seams toward the Shadow--it's slightly easier to press and creates a real "ditch". As I knew I was quilting mine and would have lots of "stitch in the ditch" quilting, that was part of my thought process. Do whichever you prefer: 

Left Side, Back 

Left side, Front

You will know you are doing it correctly as you see the outer edge forming a straight line. This is the outer edge, where you will join a border during the quilt assembly--that comes in Month 12. 

It is fun to see the progress many of you are making. Please post your photos on the Forum, under the Topic Tall Buildings -- Show Your Progress Here  If you have trouble uploading photos, there is information to walk you through the process: Uploading Photos Step by Step

In Month 10 we will make the 4 Little Houses in the City--they sit at North, East, South and West.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Hummingbird Hollow is Finished

 Happy to have this one done and on the wall:

I got the fabrics for it from my friend Janet Noever's Estate Sale, after she passed away in 2020. She had the brilliant idea to make Afternoon Delight WITHOUT all the applique blocks. 

Afternoon Delight was the 2020 Block of the Month for The Quilt Show. Designed by the late Sue Garman, this pattern was on my bucket list for years. When it was selected for the Block of the Month,  I would finally get to make it. I had help--the Sunday Sew and Sews made the 40 applique blocks and a lot of the pieced blocks. Here is my finished quilt:

quilted by Lois Kindley

Janet liked the basic pattern design, but not applique. The fabric she found has hummingbirds in a floral design that fits the pattern nicely, with the addition of a 1" finished border around each motif. All the fabrics needed were stored neatly in a craft box--Janet loved her craft boxes! 

Just  a tiny sample of things sold at the sale--search Estate Sale to find several more posts about  this:

Denise was thrilled with her purchases

A drop in a very large bucket of project boxes sold--at least 400 were sold

Back to Janet's Afternoon Delight. I got the top made pretty quickly, then quilted it. Here are some detail shots of the quilting designs I came up with:

Shown from the back. After I looked at this photo, I saw the missing diagonal line in one block. Do you see it? I will go back and fix it when this comes off the wall next month: 

The label: 

Now it's time to start another quilt. And quilt a few of those waiting their turn under the needle. 

Let's quilt. 

Barbara

On the Road Again

 This week I head to Dallas to tape The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. Even though it's my fourth time as the "Guest Artist", there are still butterflies. 

The show will air at the beginning of January as we start the 2022 Block of the Month. The quilt is wonderful, I LOVE my sample quilt made with my own fabrics and think a lot of people are going to love this one.

Here is a teaser--it's still Secret Sewing so I can't show you much:

This is the BACK--of course. When I showed this back fabric some weeks ago, there was a run on the fabric at The Quilt Show store. They got it back in and I see they have run out AGAIN. If you want it, let them know by clicking "Notify Me"--you will get an email when it is back in stock.  108" Quilt Backing 

It has nothing to do with the front of the quilt, it is just great fabric about friendship. Since 9 of my best friends helped me make the sample, it was perfect.

It takes a lot of time and effort to prepare for taping so that the show will look like it took no effort at all. Here are my 3 Segment bags, with everything I need for each Segment we will tape--showing how to prepare, create, and enjoy making this quilt pattern:

I have had four phone conversations with the producer, Shelly Heesacker, for a total of about five hours. She is superb at her job, really knows how to make the shows cohesive, interesting and FUN! She is a delight to work with and I am eager to see her again. 

Clothes are planned--what to wear for the taping is a major thing. Too flashy and all people see is what you're wearing. Too bland--that's no fun. Where will the mic go? No buttons, necklaces, scarves, etc, that can bump against the mic and cause problems. Everything is washed and ready to get packed. 

Here are the set decoration quilts I am taking: 

As I will be in Dallas less than 48 hours, this is my luggage--assuming everything fits. I never know until I start filling up that big purple suitcase. If I have to, I will add an additional smaller piece of luggage for my clothes. Quilts take up more room in luggage than you think:

The quilt is likely to be revealed in October, as usual, so I still won't be able to show it to you until then. It will be a challenge to take photos on the set I CAN show you when I get home.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

Masks Again

 I thought I was done making masks. But with COVID cases rising and my state woefully under-vaccinated, my husband and I  have started masking up in public again. And avoiding the public as much as possible.

Those in the front are made with my favorite pattern. It is "3-D"--meaning it stands away from the mouth. I wrote about it some months ago, find that post 3-D Mask..

International Quilt Market and Festival announced this week that all attendees, exhibitors, faculty, and staff will be required to wear a mask at all times to attend. Depending on what happens in the next few months, proof of full vaccination and/or a proof of a negative COVID test MAY also be required.

This is so sad. We were so hopeful people would be eager to get the vaccine to protect themselves, those they love and their fellow countrymen (and women). To see grown adults screaming at school boards that their children should not be required to wear a mask is beyond my comprehension. Those kids are not protected. 

I wish my grandchildren could be protected by not coming into contact with any unvaccinated person but I cannot be sure of that. 

We will protect ourselves as best we can, and hope those dying in ICUs, who chose not to get vaccinated and are now begging everyone else to not make the same mistake, will have a beneficial effect on those who have not yet done all they can to get us past this pandemic.

While this is only slightly about quilting, in that I used my precious quilt fabric to make something I wish I didn't need, if you disagree, I encourage you to just move on by. We won't change each other's minds. Arguments are not welcome. 

This is my blog, about my life and my thoughts and my journal of what is happening in my world. 

And now, let's quilt.

Barbara

Hummingbird Hollow

 This quilt is the brainchild of my friend, Janet Noever, who passed away suddenly from a stroke in February 2020. One of the original Sunday Sew and Sews, Janet had a tremendous love of quiltmaking and an amazing stash of works in progress. Her Estate Sale is one for the record books. I have written about her and that sale before--use the Search box in the upper left to find those posts.

I got this--she came up with a simple way to make Afternoon Delight. Instead of many applique blocks, she found this fabric with large  hummingbird floral motifs that fit nicely in place of  applique blocks. Cut 7.5", and adding a 1" finished border to each motif made it fit with 9" finished Double 9 patch blocks. She had all the fabrics gathered in a big tote box and I was eager to make her vision come to be.

Now I am quilting it. Lots of ruler work, stitch in the ditch and scalloped borders with feathers. 

First pass, diagonal lines across the quilt top, in both directions:

It was clear that was not enough support quilting before any fancy work. I added stitch in the ditch, on all vertical and horizontal lines and around the yellow sashing on each floral motif. Much better. Then I added pumpkin seeds to the solid blocks in the Double 9 patches: 

In the floral motifs I first did a simple curved line in the corners and then swirls in the center of the flowers. I didn't care for that, you can't really see the stitching on the busy print so I revamped that idea to sort of continue the pumpkin seed idea. See how nothing quilted in those flowers will show:

Here is the back, showing both the rejected design on the floral motif (left side) and the revised one (right side). I am leaving the rejected design until September when I am giving a Ruler Work/Free Motion Quilting Demo class at a local shop. So students can see why the first choice isn't always the best and sometimes you have to change directions: 

Next up is the borders. First, I used variegated thread on the solid narrow inner border for a leaf vine I use a lot. It's one I am very comfortable with so it is easy to accomplish. I also love variegated thread BUT it is hard to use successfully. Since the narrow inner border is made from many solid colors, I thought it actually worked pretty well here: 

I have just begun the outer border on the print fabric. I changed back to the cream thread used in the body of the quilt and have gotten the two scalloped lines done all around the border. Next I will use straight lines on the outside of the scallop and feathers on the inside.

I watch lots of videos from great quilters. Natalia Bonner of Piece n Quilt is one of the best--her work speaks to me and it's the kind of quilting I want to do. 

Let's quilt.