Nothing but blue skies do I see...

I've gotten some more quilting done on "All Around the Town" (Sue Garmon).  I was trying to think of some quilting motif to fill the whale weather vane with, then it hit me...FISH!  There are probably some fish in a whale, even if only by accident (I didn't know how to quilt krill).

After quilting the sun's center and the sun rays, I started filling the sky with swirls and movement.

Here's my flag...I only quilted one star on the field of blue (we were one state, even if only for a minute, before we were 50 states, right?!?).

This twirly stuff in the sky is pretty fun, especially now that I've started to relax a bit.  It does not do for me to free-form quilt when I am uptight.

I'm listening to the fabric of the cat to tell me how to quilt it.  Oops...I now see two circles I missed...

I received more of my 30's UFO blocks back from some Bee Balm quilters Vivian and Sue (thanks for the pattern, Sue - I love Country Threads projects, especially using log cabin blocks!).

Thank you for the bonus blocks - your fabrics blend PERFECTLY with mine!

Thank you to everyone who jumped in on the post-before-last with an opinion on commercial block-of-the-month (BOM) programs.  I've been administering one (with Ola and Mary J.) at my LQS for the past 12 months.  I've tried to be organized and have worked very hard to provide the original fabrics with no substitutions, which customers were pleased with.  I've been at odds with the shop owner, though, in general, concerning BOMs - LOL.

Call me crazy, but when I get lured into buying something, I want the thing in the form that lured me in the first place.  I also want to have enough material to make the object of my desire.  I was saddened by all the comments talking about being displeased/dropping out or buying/never making...or worse...comments and emails talking about never going back to a certain store due to the hard feelings.  Wow.  It's hard to build up a loyal following at a quilt store with that going on.

The BOM I was just involved with was one by Marti Michell, called American Beauty.  It looked like this (sample made by Mary Jones of Manchester, MI and machine quilted by Rhonda Loy of Dexter, MI - no blogs).

We offered it with either a black or white setting (the blocks and fabrics were the same for either).  Participants had the option of using Marti's template set, which made the blocks go together beautifully or making their own templates from the patterns each month.  Blocks were ordered from easiest to hardest so that even someone with not very much experience could achieve success.  Mary Jones, who made the samples, taught the block and basic quilting techniques each month.  This program was written for a specific fabric line (Wild roses by Maywood).  I think people expected to get what they saw, and rightly so. 

I'm not likely to do a block of the month myself...I tend to want to change things too much.  Besides, I have a stash and should be putting quilts together from that.  I've been known to buy old BOMs (patterns only) in a grouping.  I also wash my fabric before I cut it (due to sensitive skin), and there is usually not enough fabric to do that in BOM kits.  I think they are a great idea for someone who doesn't have much of a stash or when both pattern and fabric are simply irresistible.  Also, since we taught the block each month it was an excellent way to learn new skills.

Wow...there's enough on this subject to debate forever...

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

Stumbling through the town and the batting debate...

I have finally moved past just outline quilting the applique shapes of my "All Around the Town" quilt (Sue Garmon).  The outlining is pleasant because it requires no marking and very little thought.  That kind of mindless quilting was perfect while I was sick recently.

This weekend I started adding texture and personality to the actual applique shapes.  The outline quilting makes the shapes a little puffy (which I'm not crazy about), even though I use a minimal loft cotton batt.  I add quilting to tame that effect (and it also further anchors the applique pieces).  I like to hide little quilting motifs that reflect my personality (see the peace sign on the brick building?  it's a subtle message...).

I love trees and nature, so I decided to reflect that by filling the trees with hearts.

It's also fun to let the fabric tell me how to quilt something.

When I use architectural fabrics on buildings, I challenge myself to quilt them with little filler motifs that "match," like these roofing fabrics.

 I am also adding fill to the large grassy lawns of each house.

Some of the little features get a few quilting details.

I decided to quilt the borders before quilting the sky.  I guess I'm saving the sky for last because I think that will really make things "pop" (kind of like saving the outlining for last when doing counted cross-stitch).  It doesn't snow up very well on the border fabric I used, and I'm a poor photographer (which doesn't help).

I'm a little disappointed in my batting choice.  I like to make as small of stitches as possible when I quilt, especially when I am trying to add tiny detail to tiny pieces.  But it is a trade off.  The greater the batting loft, the better the stitches are displayed, but with greater loft it is harder and slower to make tiny stitches.

I found this to be a problem with my Civil War Bride as well.  On that quilt, I chose a light brown quilting thread which compounded the problem.  With minimal loft and matching quilting thread, it is hard to see the stitches.  My "ta-da!" moment was lessened because I spent all that time doing a lot of pretty good quilting, and it wasn't even visible.  Major bummer!  The border has double piano key quilting behind all the applique and it doesn't even show up!

There's a better picture of one of the quilted corners here on the Civil War Bride Blog where the quilting shows up pretty well.  Susi of Susi's Quilts used a loftier batting on her finished Bride quilt, and her beautiful quilting is shown at a good advantage, as seen here, also on the Civil War Bride Blog.

The low loft of the cotton batting doesn't quilt with enough dimensional contrast...there's no shadow, not enough cool 3-D effect.  When I look at the pictures, I even doubt that it is hand quilted, and I quilted it!  All that work and effort on hand applique and hand quilting, and I blew it on my batting choice!  When it was hanging in a show last year, I overheard someone comment, "it's not even quilted..."  I died right then and there...

That is one reason I decided to use natural colored quilting thread on this quilt which has so many dark fabrics.  I used a low loft batt again, but wanted to stitches to be seen.  I'm still not happy.  When I made "Home Sweet Home," I used an heirloom wool batt.

It was a little harder to make tiny stitches, but I managed to do it.  It had enough loft for my quilting to really stand out.  It also has a beautiful drape.

The wool was a little more expensive, but I think I've finally learned my lesson.

If you are a hand quilter, is there a particular batt you like to use?!?

Thank you for all your input on Block of the Month programs (see my last post if you would like to wade in and post an opinion).  As this post is SO-O-O long, I will talk about that next time.

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

Survey on a controversial subject...

Thanks to everyone for all the "well" wishes!  After 10 days of a nasty virus, I can honestly say that I feel a bit better today!  Woo Hoo!!  I started on antibiotics yesterday for a suspected secondary infection.  I felt good enough to put a few hand quilting stitches in as I processed through the huge mountain of laundry that accumulated in my decline.

Weasely was sad to see the fabric jungle gym go away, but we were just about down to our "barrel apparel," if you know what I mean.

I would love to pose a question and get your opinions about "Block-of-the-Month" programs offered by local quilt shops and mail order quilt connections.  There seems to be a rumble of controversy on the subject here locally, some people being attracted by the pattern, others attracted to certain fabrics.  Here's the official question:

"When you sign up to participate in a Block-of-the-Month program, do you mind if the stores substitute fabrics and deviate from the sample, or do you hope, expect to get what you see??"

Feel free to let it all hang out, baby!

In stitches (and on the mend!),
Teresa  :o)

cough-cough-cough...sigh

Just look at this FABULOUS quilt made by my friend, Mary J. (no blog).  The inside twelve blocks are made using Nancy Halvorsen's lastest book shown below, "Count On It."  It is machine appliqued, machine quilted and measures about 56 x 70.

Mary, Ola R. and I designed the outside border using the alphabet letters featured in the book, a lyric line from a Christmas song (sung and provided by Mary), and various motifs from Nancy's previous books (we each have a large collection of THOSE).  We tried to use all Nancy Halvorsen fabrics (by Benartex) from various lines...Tried and True, Garden Song, some of her Christmas lines...they all blend beautifully together.  It was fabulously machine quilted by Rhonda Loy of Dexter, Michigan.

I love being surrounded by talented people!

I am home from my trip to the sunny south (back in the frozen north...ugh).  I came home sick...again.  Thank you for all the well wishes for my Mom.  She seems to be recovering from her fall, broken hip and subsequent surgery.  She remains heavily medicated and comfortable.  She was not really ambulatory before, so that is really no different.  Between the dementia and the meds, I'm not completely sure she knew we were there.  She didn't seem really "there" herself.  But she is being taken care of very well by her nursing care facility.  Additional visits with my Dad and Stepmother, Aunt, 5 of 6 siblings, niece and nephews were fun but all together too brief.

We went from daffodils to standing snow in one day as we drove north to Michigan.

I am happily hand quilting on my "All Around the Town" quilt.  I will show some of that progress on the next post.

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

What does THAT have to do with quilting?!

Have you noticed how narrow the rolls of toilet paper are getting?  I was putting in a new roll before leaving for Alabama and was struck by all the extra room on the spindle right now.  (nice quilted pattern, though...)

There is room for one of Weasley's favorite cat toys (he always thinks he has to be in there with me anyway)...

There is even room for something else on the spindle...like this extra wide roll of masking tape.  I'm just saying...

Maybe it's going to keep getting narrower and narrower until it is no wider than this roll of tape.  Then it really could be called 'fanny ribbon.'

So what does this have to do with quilting?  I've been contemplating the plight of recent cotton crops and the reality that the price of 100% cotton quilting fabric is going up, as well as 100% cotton clothing.  New stuff in the shop where I work part time is being priced at over $10.00 a yard now.  (I realize that our quilting friends down under are already paying much more for a meter of fabric than we pay.)

I've already noticed that some fabrics are getting narrower on the bolt.  This was made painfully clear to me a couple of years ago when I was purchasing some fabric for a quilt backing.  I usually don't check the width and figure that I will get at least 42 inches of usable fabric from selvage edge to selvage edge once I wash and remove the selvages.  I figured if I made a vertical seam I could get by with two widths of fabric. 

I washed, removed the selvages, pressed and dropped off my quilt, batting and backing with my friend Marilyn for her beautiful custom machine quilting.  How embarrassing when I got the call that my backing wasn't wide enough.  I felt so bad that she had gone to the trouble of trying to layer my stuff and there wasn't enough there!

I went back to the store to purchase more fabric and measure the bolt.  It was little more than 40 inches wide!  Wow!  As someone who works to kit BOMs at the shop, we always estimate yardage needed based on 42 inches of usable width of the fabric per yard.

Are the fabric mills going to start making fabric narrower?  It is worth paying attention to, I think.  When I first started sewing as a teen, fabric really was 45 inches wide on the bolt.  I still have an old piece.  I think I will keep it intact for historical reference!

I look forward to getting home at the end of the weekend and catching up with all your blogs!  I managed to sneak on my Dad's computer long enough to post this draft.  Now it's back to work!

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

The winners!

A huge thanks to everyone who left a comment on either Stash Manicure or Fabric Therapy!  I am still out of state, but am trying remote posting so that I can announce the winners (please bear with me...I can barely pull this technical stuff off on my own computer at home...LOL). 

I was overwhelmed by the number of comments on both sites...thank you for all your kind words and interest in quilt documenting.  I love reading historical diaries of any kind...maybe some day people will be reading a bunch of quilt diaries from 2011 and beyond!  

I decided to add two prizes to reduce the odds a bit!  So without further blah, blah, blah, here are the 5 winners.  Please email me at trawson@comcast.net with your full names and snail mail addresses so that I can send out albums/extra pages the first week of March.  (if I get home and find that you have not emailed me, I will contact you by email)

The winner of the large, 12 x 12 inch album (on Fabric Therapy) is Knitnoid of Quilting and Stuff By Knitnoid.

 

The winner of the medium, 8.5 x 11 album is (on Stash Manicure) is Jackie of Jackie's Stitches.

The winner of the small, 7 x 7 album is (from Stash Manicure) is JulesQuilts of JulesQuilts.

A bonus winner of a small, 7 x 7 album (from Stash Manicure) is Mary L of Quilting in OZ.

A bonus winner of a small 7 x 7 album (from Fabric Therapy) is Brenda of Quilting Along Life's Way.

Congratulations!

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

Quilt archiving and a give away in honor of guest posting on Stash Manicure...

Hi friends!  It's that time again...another opportunity to have a peek at my obsessive-compulsive grasp on life in my quilt cave.  Thanks to the gracious Madame Samm of Sew I Quilt, I am guest posting over at Stash Manicure again today (Saturday, Feb 19). 

Yes...here it is again...the 'wall of stash.'  Apparently this has made many, many husbands feel better about their own wives' fabric buying habits, and for that, YOU ARE WELCOME!  Who knew that I would be responsible for totally uninterested husbands reading an entry on a quilt blog?!  It's all in good fun, I suppose...

Every time I guest post over there, I ponder what, if anything, I can possibly share about my quilting habits that someone would be interested in reading.  Mostly, I've talked about organization...of stash, scraps, patterns...all the debris that collects around what we do.  I don't handle chaos very well, at least not long term.  Creativity is just messy, darn it, but I seem to need a system for dealing with it all between projects.

Well, I have a system of lightly documenting my quilt projects.  I wish I could say I've done it as long as I have been quilting, but I was young and stupid when I started (22).  And maybe it's a good thing some of those early efforts weren't archived.  :o)

I've really been trying to get pictures of my quilts since the late 1980s and keep a scrapbook.  Thank God for digital photography, which seems to be an equalizer, of sorts, for those of us who are 'Ansel Adams challenged.'  I used to have a crappy Kodak 126 Instamatic 35mm camera...oh, and a disc camera...remember THOSE??  We've come a long way baby!

Anyway, here are some pictures that aren't on Stash Manicure for Saturday, February 19.  If you would like to be eligible for a give away here and there, check things out there as well.

This is the kind of album I use.

I used to sell Creative Memories Scrapbooking stuff (in a previous creative life).  I love these kinds of albums because the pages are heavy (can't see through them), and you can glue and write right on the pages.  There are many kinds of scrapbooks, even some lovely published quilt diaries where you just adhere a picture and make simple notes.  Also, you can upload pictures to a commercial picture site (like Shutterfly, Snapfish, Photoworks, etc) and make a digital, bound book (nice enough for the coffee table).  I like the scrapbooks because I like to glue in swatches of fabric. 

At one time, I considered having a little swatch book where I just glued in pieces of favorite fabrics.  I REALLY love fabric...

Anyway, I insist on archiving six main things about my projects:
1)  QUILT NAME
2)  QUILT RECIPIENT and/or OCCASION
3)  SIZE
4)  DATE STARTED
5)  DATE FINISHED (this can be REALLY interesting...)
6)  DESCRIPTION (hand quilted? pattern name? who machine quilted it? details of design, motivation, etc.)

I don't get all weird about the quality of my writing...I just write.  But, I am weird about appearing in the picture with my quilts, and that has to change...this one is 20 years old (before I got old and fat...er).   If I don't start appearing in pictures, some day it will be like I never even existed...

This simple quilt was made with my (now) husband 20 years ago.  It was his first...and last quilt (sigh).  But I admire him wanting to make one with his girlfriend to see what was involved (see why I married him?).  Now he knows what I mean (sort of) when I talk about my projects, and he is at least understanding and supportive of my habit...especially since I don't move all the furniture anymore to baste or pin a quilt on the floor!  We still use this quilt as an extra in winter...even with his huge hand quilting stitches in it...which, incidentally, we can't locate anymore (for all of you afraid to try hand quilting because you think you will ruin the quilt...).

It is good to archive stitchery, cross-stitch and knitting projects, too.

The entry above shows why I save fabric swatches...the color in my pictures is awful most of the time...not true to the fabric at all.  I need to work harder to take my pictures in good light.  The photos makes the quilt look down right UGLY.

This entry reminds me of making this quilt shop BOM sample with my best friend, Ola.  It is an American Jane pattern called "Play Time."  Ola did most of the machine applique (because I'm not good at it...hopefully you can't see these close enough to pick mine out!  LOL!) and I pieced.  We ended up donating it to the Mott's Children's Hospital quilt auction when we were through with it at the shop.  It was fun working on this with my partner in crime.  The large, blank pages allowed me to insert lots of close-ups of the blocks.  I want to make this one again...with hand applique...sometime.

Your description can be really brief or long and detailed...remember to show close-ups of features you want to remember, that define your personality as a quilter.

I used my husband's Grandmother's antique buttons on this Advent calendar wall hanging.  By archiving the quilt, I've archived the heirloom buttons. 

Taking a picture with both the quilt and the recipient is a great idea (unless I am the recipient...ha-ha).  When I designed my daughter's Harry Potter quilt, she was a snaggle-toothed little kid...so fun to see her in all her glorious goofiness with her favorite quilt at that age.

It's OK to make mistakes...your quilting diary/scrapbook doesn't have to be perfect.  I forgot to save room for the fabric swatches on the same page with the quilt, so I just put them on another page...no big deal. 

I think the quilt on the top of this page is hilarious.  I spent all this time drafting a quilt block that looked like a 5-1/4 inch floppy computer disc to make a wall hanging for my husband.  No one even recognizes this shape anymore!  It's all documented in my quilt scrapbook. 

Your project scrapbook will also chronicle the availability of retail quilting fabrics and kits.  Remember these commercial kits that offered wholecloth quilt tops stamped with a cross-stitch or embroidery pattern?  I once was hired to quilt one of these and managed to get a picture or two.

And the quilting fabric available in the early eighties was just plain sad.  Boring little calicoes and some polka dots.  I used a few cotton/poly blends in the beginning.  I remember the day I saw the first Jinny Beyer fabric line that offered something special for quilters.  I wish I had saved more of those early fabric swatches.

By archiving our quilts, we can't help but archive not only our lives, but the lives of the people we've made the quilts for.  I've done anniversary quilts for both my in-laws (50th) and my Dad and Step-mother (25th).  I drafted original blocks in both quilts that told their stories.  By archiving these quilts, I have also documented my journey through trying to introduce original design into my quilting.  I have learned to draft my own blocks for things I could not find commercial patterns for.  That has been a great learning tool and it is fun to look back through my efforts from time to time as I try to branch out and learn new things.

It's a little scary, but very freeing when you first discover that you can draft your own designs! Who cares what other people think of your original efforts? Sometimes I think we are afraid of 'putting ourselves out there,' taking a leap, doing our own thing, because we are afraid of the criticism of our peers.

Just wad up some of those tiny scraps you've been saving, cram them into both ears, and take the creative plunge!  I, too, am just learning that the water is fine!!

Ready to start your own album?  I am giving away this large 12 x 12 scrapbook that contains 15 pages plus a pack of 15 additional pages.  This should last you a while! 

Leave a comment by midnight, Sunday, February 20 to be eligible, then go over to Stash Manicure and enter there for a chance to win an album of another size (medium or small).  Two chances to win!

I will be out of email range for a week...I am going to Alabama to check in on my Mom who fell, broke her hip and had surgery, in addition to seeing the rest of my relatives.  I will be monitoring my give aways and announce winners, but won't be able to respond to your questions and comments until I get back to Michigan.  Maybe by then, spring will be springing!  There's just something about making it through February that gives me hope.  It's in the 40s here today, but I heard we are getting more snow after I leave for Alabama...hee-hee-hee.

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)