What's New Pussycat?

Back from Portland and there is a new project:  rearrange the studio to accommodate the Bernina Q20 sit-down longarm that will be arriving soon.  Mostly, I just look around the room and say "oh, my, where do I put this stuff?"  It's time for a major purge again...

Instead I worked on this:

This is a replica of an antique top I bought at Spring Market in Minneapolis, read about it here. I think I will make twenty more blocks and add a border.  Time will tell.  It's going on the back burner for now.  Patches gave it her seal of approval.

And I worked on Smitten:

This is not the final layout, just a grouping of the blocks I have done.  Some are hand-pieced, some machine-pieced. The pattern is by Lucy Carson Kingwell--I first saw it on Instagram.  Most are doing this by English Paper Piecing.  I am using Marti Michell's Perfect Patchwork Template Set H--cutting out for regular piecing, either by hand or machine.  This, too, is now going on the back burner...

What I have to do right now: 
       1.  prepare a Power Point Presentation I am giving in early September--I'll be much more relaxed when that is in the can

      2.  Figure out the 3 garments I have to make for Houston now that the fabrics and patterns have arrived

 

 

Great manufacturers donate fabrics each year for the Education Team to make garments--we wear specific garments on specific days.  This helps make us visible as Staff, people able to help and answer questions from the many hundreds of folks we see each day, and makes it easier for us to plan our wardrobes for 1-2 weeks living out of a suitcase.  This year we have Vintage Made Modern by Amy Barickman for RJR, Zen Chic from Moda, and Shimmer by Jennifer Sampou for Robert Kaufman Fabrics.  In addition, Indygo Junction has graciously allowed us to select patterns to make our garments.  Part challenge, part wardrobe manufacture, it's fun but time-consuming.

      3. As co-chair for our guild quilt show October 9-11. 2015, there is much work to do in the next 6 weeks.  Five of us met for 6.5 hours yesterday planning the quilt layout for 201 quilts, an exhibit of Inspired By Gee's Bend quilts that are for sale, and a big Silent Auction.  I've been heavily involved in most of our 14 shows, in charge of 3 of them.  This will be the last I plan to be in charge of.  If you're involved in a volunteer organization, you cannot thank the people who make things happen enough--most members simply have no idea what it takes to pull off an event like this.  By the way, our show will be FABULOUS--it's a not to be missed event in the Southeastern US. Information on our website:   Heritage Quilters of Huntsville.  Here is the raffle quilt--you are not too  late to get tickets:

Celtic Solstice Fanfare  94" x 94" pattern by Bonnie K Hunter, used with permisson

Time to get to that Power Point--let's quilt!

Barbara

Off to Portland

I'm headed to Portland, OR this week to work at the Quilt!Knit!Stitch! show--the summer International Quilt Festival event.  As usual, the days before one of these trips is filled with laundry, lists and making sure I have everything ready to pack.  And checking the weather:  Portland, 80's and dry, home 90's and humid.  Nice time to go to the Pacific Northwest.  If you are in the area, don't miss this show!

Here are the Smitten blocks I have done--I've prepped/packed several of these to hand piece on the plane, if I have enough room to do that.  This pattern is by Lucy Carson Kingwell and I found out about it on an Instagram post of someone doing the Smitten Quilt-Along, #smittenqal

Many people are doing these blocks by English paper piecing: wrapping the fabric around paper pieces and whip-stitching them.  These I've hand and machine pieced, much faster and more accurate for me.

A friend whose blog I follow, Lori of Humble Quilts, is going on a mission trip to Bolivia this fall.  She recently asked her blog followers if they might be willing to make little sundresses/pillowcase dresses she can take with her.  The response was overwhelming:  read her post here.  She gives links to several patterns.  I made these two this week, very fast and easy.  I will be MEETING HER for the first time in Portland--I'm very excited about that, we've been following each other for quite some time now.  She lives in that area so I can put the dresses directly into her hands:

While I was making these dresses, from yardage, not pillowcases, I learned we are doing a similar service project in Houston this Fall.  So I'll make several more when I get home.  It's a great way to use up yardage I am ready to part with. 

I also got my Stars in a Time Warp blocks done for this past week.  We are working with Floral Trails-type prints.  As I was making the small dress above I realized that fabric was a floral trails reproduction so it became the background of one of my blocks:

In Portland I'll be working at our Open Studio demo area on the show floor, demonstrating String/Crumb piecing.  Here are a few samples:

I wrote about the String Swap Block Challenge in this post.  The 8 pointed star is 12" finished and I really like it so I'll be making several of those during the demos.  I also suggest lots of other ways you can use leftover pieces to make great string blocks.  This is a free event, four different sessions are going at the same time, for two hour sessions and people come and go as they please.

In addition, I'll be teaching two sessions at Make It University, again on the show floor.  This is a one hour class that costs $10--for that, the student gets a kit with everything they need to make the project being taught.  Here are my offerings:

Hand Piece the 8 Pointed Star, this is 6" square

Hexie Stars:  English Paper Piece OR Hand Piece, students choose which they want to do

 These events are in addition to my other duties in the Education Office--it's a fun and busy time.  It's also great to reconnect with my Education Team friends who come to help run the show.  Good times!

I may not have time to post this week but I'll take lots of photos for the next time.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

Baby Love + Smitten

We made a quick trip to St. Louis to visit our grandgirl, Stella, and her folks, our #2 son, Andrew, and his wife Lauren.  The trip there took 9 hours as we used the "streetlight way", less than half the trip was Interstate.  A little less stressful than high speed traffic, lots of trucks, etc., but that's a long time to sit.  The trip home was Interstate all the way so we could visit our #1 son, Joshua, in Nashville.  It took 8 hours to get home, there was some stopped traffic in the Nashville area.  We loved seeing Stella and her parents, but it was a long trip for 2 days with them.

BTW, if you are in St. Louis and want a fine dining Italian meal, you can't miss with Charlie Gittos on the Hill --oh my, what a delicious meal!  Save your pennies and splurge for a special occasion there. 

Every grandparent thinks theirs is the BEST, and we're no exception.  She sure is cute.  She was 2  months old on August 2.  Here are more photos of my scrumptious Princess:




Grampa is SO happy

My Favorite shot

We are so proud of the job our kids are doing as parents and feel confident the next generation is in good hands.  It's amazing to see my "baby" as a daddy--he's a natural.  When Lauren returns to work later this month, Andy will be the full-time caregiver of his precious little girl.  What a special time for them to share. 

Just so this has some quilt connection, I took 3 Smitten blocks with me to hand piece and finished them all, some sewing in the car, most while we babysat Stella so her Mommy and Daddy could go to a movie.  Here they are along with the two blocks I machine pieced last week:

Now it's on to the next block design.  These finish almost 12" across so they go together pretty quickly.  I'll prep several blocks for my trip to Portland, OR next week for Quilt!Knit!Stitch!  Lots of airplane time on that trip. 

Let's quilt!

Barbara AKA BB

Progress and the Ugly Quilt

I've been working on a few projects, as usual.  Here is the top for Kisses + Hugs, also known as the Japanese X and + blocks:

I added 3 more rows to the top I had prepared for my Quilt-In class and am now declaring this top "done".  Some simple straight line quilting, a binding and a label, and it's finished.  Very bright and cheerful. 

Last week I quilted both Box of Wine and the Ugly Quilt, with free motion and straight line quilting.  They turned out all right.  That free-motion process takes lots of practice and I just haven't put in the time yet to improve beyond "OK".  More tops, more practice, more classes, I'll get there.

Box of Wine, class sample for Color College

 I'll be teaching a series of classes about color, using the wonderful new book by Becky Goldsmith, The Quilters Practical Guide to Color.   I wrote about that here.

The Ugly Quilt

This will be donated--it's just weird enough to appeal to a young person, I hope.

This is my Tumbler Leader/Ender project.  Bonnie Hunter does an annual Leader/Ender challenge, learn about this one the 2015 Leader/Ender Challenge,  There are four rows of 60 tumblers laid out, not sewn yet, no rush.

New start, Smitten by Jen Carson Kingwell.  I saw this a couple months ago on Instagram, most people are doing the blocks with English Paper Piecing.  Some are hand piecing, some machine piecing, and some are doing the hybrid method, some of each.  There is a set of Marti Michell Perfect Patchwork Templates, Set H, that has all the pieces necessary for all the blocks so I am using them.  I machine pieced this block, Y seams and all, and will keep going with that process.  No rush on this one either. 

What are you working on this summer?  It's too hot here to be outside much so quilting keeps me cool.

Let's quilt!

Barbara

Simply Moderne--A New Magazine

There is a new magazine just out from the folks who publish Quiltmania.  It's called Simply Moderne and the focus is on the world of Modern Quilts. 

Here is the Premier Issue, No. 1:

 

 

 I've been asked to review this new publication for you.  First, I must say, as with all the Quiltmania publications, this one is just beautifully done.  The images are clean, clear, colorful and very inspiring.  There are 128 pages of inspiration, ideas, new patterns, quilts with traditional connections, all the things that make the Modern Quilt Movement fresh and exciting.  Advertisements are not obtrusive and are just as beautifully created as the articles and photo spreads.

 

There was a big spread with photos from QuiltCon 2015 in Austin, TX,  The photos occupy the space while  the captions off to the side make each easy to identify.

 

There was a spread of local shops in Austin, fun and funky--places I'd like to visit.

 

There is a very well-done feature of Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Modern Quilter, author, all-around great person. 

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Following Victoria's story, there is a photo spread of her favorite NYC shops, those not to be missed when you make a trip to the Big Apple.  A great way to follow up her personal story.

 

There are 12 complete projects you can make, with exceptionally clear photos and instructions, with measurements in both inches and centimeters. 

 

One of the projects that caught my eye, along with the terrific saying on the Contents page. 

 

 

 

While I am more of a traditional quiltmaker, I am all about anything that keeps our industry alive and brings more people to the art of quiltmaking.  Big pieces, bright colors, simple machine quilting, smaller quilts that can be done in a week, not a year, all of these things are attracting the next generation of quilters and that's a good thing. 

 

There are four issues a year and subscription information is available here.   NOTE:  the US portal will open August 17, 2015.  It will operate from Georgia, which will make shipping faster for US customers.  If you want to subscribe before that go here.  The magazines are available in print and  you may bundle your subscription to include other Quiltmania publications as well.  These are not magazines you flip through and discard--they are keepers. 

 

I hope you will take a look at this new publication and see if it inspires you to create. There are many more wonderful articles and photos here than I have shown, something that is sure to speak to every quilter.

 

Let's quilt!

 

Barbara

Quilt-In and My Ugly Quilt

Our guild did a "Quilt-In" on Saturday--I was one of the 6 teachers.  After teaching my 3 hour class in the morning, I had free sewing time in the afternoon and early evening.  It was wonderful!  As the weather is very hot and humid, being indoors with my Featherweight and my friends, was a great way to spend the day.

I taught Kisses and Hugs, also known on the internet as the Japanese X and + Scrappy Quilt.  It is really just an old Nancy Cabot pattern from the 1930's, made modern with bright colors.  Here are the blocks the 15 students made during the class:

 

They had fun, most learned a few quick tips they didn't know, which they can use on all their future quilts, and their blocks really could all go together.  Very scrappy, very bright.  This would make a great baby/kids quilt and it's pretty fast.  Here are 4 blocks Mechelle did after class, during her free time sewing:

During my free time sewing I made 8 additional blocks for my replication of the top I bought in Minneapolis, I wrote about that here.

On the left are the blocks I just made, on the right is what the quilt looks like with sashing and cornerstones.  They are about as different from one another as two quilts can be--I love both the old 1800's fabrics, and the new bright fabrics.  It's all good!

The Quilt-In did not get enough guild support to go on next year and that's a sad thing.  We had 37 people out of a guild of over 200.  And of those, at least 20 were on the committee or teachers.  Some people said $50 was too much.  Here's what we got for our $50:

Up to 7.5 hours of classes: two 3-hour classes morning and afternoon, and a 1.5 hour evening lecture/demo class. 
Light breakfast with fresh fruit, sweet rolls/cakes, orange juice/coffee/water
Time at lunch to go to the 3 area quilt shops that all provided discounts just for Quilt-In attendees, ranging from 15-25%
A great dinner catered from Carrabba's with a delicious salad and 3 decadent desserts
Each person present received 3 door prizes, with the top prizes being a brand new Rowenta iron and a large brand new Ott Light.  I got a new binder tool, a bottle of Retayne, and a $10 gift certificate to a local quilt shop. 
A notions grab bag that went to one lucky winner--filled with lots of notions people brought in, including a Sidewinder bobbin winder
A fat quarter basket filled with well over 40 fat quarters people brought in, that went to one winner.
Two people won sets of scrap blocks that people brought in, more than a dozen of each block. 
A day full of fun and friendship with like-minded quilter friends, old and new.

This was the second year for this event and we hoped it would really grow.  It's just too much work for so few participants. 

If you're involved in a group, try to support the events that are planned.  As co-chair of our upcoming quilt show, I know just how much work is involved in making a great event happen and how we have to beg for helpers to get all the jobs done.  And, after all, we are ALL just volunteers trying to provide a service for our quilters and our community.  Stepping down from my soapbox now...

A couple weeks ago I read a blog about a swap someone was doing with a few friends.  It sounded fun so I thought I could get a group together to do the same.  It involved making a 20.5" block, basically like a Log Cabin, then cutting it in quarters.  The group I read about was using very similar modern fabrics.  So I thought I better make a few first before going forward and used fabric from my scrap shoeboxes--totally scrappy.  Well, after spending more than 3 hours, more or less, to make 4 of these blocks, I declared this idea a "no go" and am now calling this the Ugly Quilt:

It was improved a bit with the addition of 1" finished black solid sashing.  But not by much.  This is going to be a practice machine quilting piece.  The plan at this point is to use four different free motion designs across the surface, to practice quilting and to finish this.  It's 44" square.  I hope quilting it, improves it yet again, I really don't think it can hurt it any.  And it saved me from starting yet another swap project...

Stay cool and let's quilt!

Barbara

Big and Little

I've been working on projects Big and Little:

Big Stitch quilting on my Antique Rose Star quilt:

Making a miniature Churn Dash quilt:

Block size 1.25".  Quilt is about 8" square

 

Yes, I know some of the points are "hidden"--sometimes, finished is better than perfect.

I recently taught a Lone Star class by special request and this was the project I used for my "step outs" in class:

The center of the star is about 18" and the piece is about 22" square.  I'll hand quilt it when the Antique Rose Star is finished.  I found a bundle of 5 fat quarters when I searched my closet for things to sell at our guild yard sale later this week--they were perfect for this project.  The outer border is the size it is because that is ALL that was left of that fat quarter.

Here are a few shots from class:

 

Janie adding a corner square

JoAnne making the points match

Mary cutting quickly with her strip cutter mat

Sharon completed her block.  The book is All-Star Quilts by Helen Young

Another class project, this one hand pieced

Lois wanted to learn the Antique Rose Star so I taught her privately as the others sewed on their Lone Stars

 

Four of the six students had driven up from South Alabama for the class.  They stopped at many quilt shops along the route, taking 12 hours to cover what is normally a 6 hour drive.  It was Row by Row time so they planned their route to hit participating shops.  I was so pleased to have them request this special class and make the time to come "up North" to spend time with me.  Great ladies and it was fun!  Hope to see them again.  And the two local students were happy to have this class too.

This week I am determined to get all 50 of my kits made for Make It University at Quilt!Knit!Stitch! in Portland next month.  More than half way there so I'll make it. 

Let's quilt!

Barbara