Man down!!! Man down!!!

Woman, in this case. Actually machine but she’s female so there.

I can attest for all of you that this is the saddest moment of my quilting career. My machine bearings need to be fixed. So I can’t quilt on her until she’s sent out and come back to me.

Technically I can quilt because of a very good friend that has offered use of her machine for me to finish my clients quilts, but this feels like losing a friend. I know that ultimately she’ll be ok, even better than she was. But considering that she is vital to my business and my sanity, I think this is a moment to bow our heads.

So to keep myself entertained whilst she sits quietly aside, I have made the conscious decision to finish some UFO’s (un-finished objects). I finished my rag quilt (yes, the one I started 6 months ago).

I finished the 9 patch variation top I was working on at retreat last summer. I don’t like how the middle border looks, but I’m not so dissatisfied that I’ll take it out.

A few months ago I had some time and inclination, so I cut strips and squares and matched fabrics to patterns or photos I saw in magazines. I had just spent more than a few Franklins at the quilt shop, so I figured I’d better get to using all that beautiful, colorful eye candy. Then I got busy quilting and my piles have been awaiting me since. So I started working on those again yesterday as well. I really like how this one is turning out. The border will make it, with some really cool cornerstones.

Not sure what will be next after that… maybe the cats in boxes…

maybe the Halloween quilts (I cut fabric for probably 3 of these):

or the black and red skulls that seem to be so popular…

Maybe more flowers

or this cat fabric

maybe I’ll get to Amy’s cupcake applique pattern (probably not),

or the Tree pattern I got from my mom (with precut strips, you’d think I’d go for the easy first).

Then there is this thing… I really like it because of what it represents. It’s the earth – water and land in a squarish spiral. It includes oil swirling in the water, flames roaring through the forest, flowers and waves. Still needs to be finished.

I started to cut 1″ squares and strips for this Scraps of Life quilt, from work shirt material..

and these are 1.25″ strips of scraps I was going to just sew together in rainbow fashion to see what I ended up with.

These are spare squares for another random patchwork quilt:

oh and then the quilt I was going to make for Amy from this photo… haven’t gotten very far.

Ooooh forgot about these! Dots and hearts:

and these little turquoise blue birds!

I also picked out these fabrics because they looked so good together. Haven’t decided the patterns yet…

shucks, here’s the fairy frost I cut squares and strips for!

ooh, and the fabric and pattern I set aside to make this bag:

so I guess I should just stop panicking and get to work on these. I feel a little overwhelmed now with so many projects to choose from! I think I’ll start with finishing the diamond quilts borders. Happy quilting (or quilt making!) my friends!

the helpers

I’ve been writing more lately, but not necessarily quilting or happy thoughts. So I thought today I would share some fun. I’ll tell you right now, if you are not a fan of cats, then you can read at your own risk.

I have 4, all of which were ‘rescued’. I have almost always had cats around, but when I got divorced I didn’t have any. And then Fred came along. We found him in the Walmart parking lot at dark as we were leaving. He was a kitten with a scuffed paw, black and gray (white but he was SO dirty)!

He still gets dirty like that when he climbs into the fireplace, looking for the birds chirping from above.

Kaela implored me to get him, so I did. Not for one moment have I ever been sorry for that decision. He’s a total mommas boy. He’s fat and half dog. Before he lays down to sleep he has to circle three times. He lays on the floor with his legs out behind him,

he licks the shower door when I’m done, and taught the other cats to do it too.

He lays on his back sparing no one’s vision of that big white belly.

I love him, even when he awakens me at midnight for a headbutt and some scratching.

But Fred got lonely when we left town for the weekend. I knew because when we came home he was super lovey and then would wrestle with my arm and play mean. And when he climbed the ladder he shot lasers out of his eyes at me.

So we decided to get some friends for him. We found Iris and Kelley at Petsmart during their Saturday adoptions. Kelley was fluffy with incredibly bright eyes,

Iris was angry looking and her tail looked like she had lost some fur.

They are supposedly sisters, but Iris has this motherly prescence, and Kelley has this needy LOVE ME PET ME PICK ME persona. She still chases her tail. They drink out of the toilet together. I have proof. What’s really funny is to watch one come sauntering out of the bathroom like nothing is new, and a few minutes later the other one comes out. Mhm.

They also drink out of any glass or vessel possible. Most often that would be the water glass next to the bed. Much like Fred taught them the fun of licking the shower, they taught him the art of getting water out of a glass his head doesn’t fit in.

If you scratch Iris just right in her ears, she drools. Scratch right above her tail and she licks like there’s no tomorrow. I mean, licks whatever is in front of her (like Kaela’s computer). When Kaela is gone for the night, Iris goes up to her room and drags down her assorted belongings. We’ve found socks, bras, undies, shorts, tank tops, blankets and TONS of barbie clothes.

Because of this instance, we thought for a while that it was Fred, and then I caught Iris in the act.

These two look like Russian Blues with long hair. After they got comfortable in the house, Kelley lost her weight playing Nascar all night on the stairs, and Iris fattened up and regrew all her fur. Sometimes you can’t even tell them apart.

Iris is playful sometimes, like around 10am she goes to the 2nd stair and sees something that makes her bolt. Then she sneaks back over, back twitching and attacks the side of the step again. Sometimes she plops down to lick herself, throws her leg up and just sits there. Other days, we’re lucky enough to catch her sitting on the couch like a true couch potato.

Iris has the most amazing amount of fur. I call her the nappy ho. In fact, she doesn’t know it yet, but she’s getting shaved week after next. This should be interesting.

And then theres CJ.

Kaela brought him home from their dad’s neighborhood the weekend we were in Galveston. CJ stands for Captain Jacks, which is where Joe proposed to me that weekend. CJ was a handful at first, with bad diahrea for the first month and trying to mark. He also hadn’t been fixed, so I took him to the vet and resolved these things. I had to take him back again because he had some allergies that needed treatment. sigh, high maintenance little guy.

Once he was fixed, he turned into a total kitten.

He playfully attacks every other cat in the house, feet under covers, awakes me with a wet nose on my arm in the middle of the night, or bringing his crumpled paper toy up on the bed to play with… His favorite toy is a blue bow he stole off a gift Amy had wrapped. He’ll play with it, then pick it up in his mouth and carry it somewhere else to play with.

He also meows incessantly sometimes. He will do that and go by the back door if he wants to go out, or by the pantry door if he wants baby food (stops the diahrea). Sometimes he just sleeps, for hours and hours and hours…

Most of the time he, um… sings? It’s like a trill and meow and brrrrrrrrpppp with TONS of tonal fluctuation. Like he’s really singing or saying something different to you. And then sometimes it’s just whining.

My cats are a great source of happiness and entertainment. I feel a great bond with Fred, and when I’m not well, he curls up next to my head for the entire time I’m down. Some people prefer dogs – I don’t know what to do with them. But I know how to make a cat purr, and I appreciate that little bit of attitude they give sometimes. Maybe because they’re like me.

I’d have 20 cats if I could. But I’m pretty sure Joe wouldn’t have that. sigh. I just love them all so much!

the fun of baby quilts

Let me start by saying that my baby is 10, and my other baby is 14. I’m still working off the baby fat, but I’m ok with that. We all have our own timelines for these things. Regardless of the absolute concrete rock-solid plan to have no more diapers grace this loving household (unless Kaela is babysitting…), baby quilts are one of my FAVORITE projects to complete!

First of all, the fabrics are always adorable! Tougher to find boy-oriented cutesy tootsie fabrics, but oh well.

Secondly, THEY ARE SMALL. This means the amount of work to complete one is exponentially less than completing a large bed quilt. Trust me on this one.

Third, they usually come as a result of celebrating a special event = an addition to the clan.

Now there are drawbacks. Minky, ultra-soft, fleece, whatever soft cuddly fabric you choose, it is A ROYAL pain to work with. That stuff shifts, stretches, waffles… I swear I could do without the fallout from cutting minky for eternity. And trying to get it out of your cutting mat is like trying to get the spaghetti sauce stain out of a tupperware dish after it’s microwaved to the boiling point. I call it: permaminky.

Despite the nasty nuances that tag along with working these fabrics, they really are soft and cuddly. In fact, the quilt below was made with all fleecy softy fabric for a friend of mine that just graced the family with a boy:

I quilted it with a triangular meander, which is pretty boyish and went along with the angles in some of the fabric. I found this fabric as a sample pack from a vendor and matched the back, which all worked out to be in his room colors! No pattern used, which made it pretty exciting; I just figured I would use the panels as a start and make squares and rectangles to fit around them. I added borders to enlarge it a bit and voila!

Unfortunately not all quilts are destined to grace a new baby’s crib. The one below was made in memorial to the mother, for this Mother’s Day. It is a gift from her wonderful circle of family and friends, as are the materials included in the quilt. A special onesie is embroidered on the front with her name and birthdate and a label on the back in homage to her support group. It is sad to share, but it will always serve as a beautiful reminder to her of a member of her family awaiting her in heaven.

I felt very special to be included in this project. I quilted it with all over hearts, and I think it couldn’t have turned out better.

Felt like quite an honor. OK I have to move on to something a little lighter…

This one was more fun – I found out my cousin brought home a new girl so I matched fabrics to the ladybugs and copied a pattern from a magazine. I put it together at a retreat one weekend. The loopy quilting matches the round shape of the ladybugs and the white on white fabric. So cute:

I made this cutie just cuz… the center fabric was on clearance at the shop, so I used it as the main focus and matched all those border blocks to make a simple but sweet little quilt! I quilted it in rainbow fans because they are in the fabric and, it just looks cute.

These two I made at the same retreat mentioned above. I had left over Peter Rabbit fabric, so tried two different patterns to use it up. I like the 9 patch best, but they both went to good homes. The blue bordered quilt was quilted in feathers and curls, and the nine patch (yellow border) has hearts all over it (which is the pattern of the yellow fabric).

I have actually made MANY quilts like these, but the ones below are made from CHILDREN’S CLOTHING. They have more of a purpose, because the child has outgrown these clothes, sometimes 16 years ago (seriously). But I like to be involved in preserving someone’s memories in such a special fashion.

Each quilt has it’s own unique purpose, for a different person, for a special reason. Each quilt is one of a kind, beautiful in it’s own right, no matter to whom it belongs.

Happy quilting my friends!

Fabric Choices

OK, this is quite a subjective topic, and can be one of much contemplation and discussion. I can tell you without bias that there are most definitely different levels of quality fabric to begin with. On top of that, the dying process differs, so sometimes you may have a stiffer fabric that looks deeply colored, but once washed it becomes soft and the color bleeds all over your other fabric. Some fabrics are made with threads already dyed, so they will give you less trouble.

Let me begin by saying that if you shop at a craft store, you will get craft store quality fabric. If you shop at a sewing store, you will get better quality fabric. If you shop at a quilt shop, you will most definitely get THE BEST quality fabric available. Ever notice how expensive the fabric is in a quilt shop? THAT IS WHY! It tends to be higher thread count, new or prevalent lines and popular fabric designers. Don’t trust me? Go to the three types of stores and buy a fat quarter and test it out – feel it out. There will be a difference!!

The source for their fabric is very reputable and you can often find it online, but online you can’t touch and see in person what you are looking at, which can make a difference if you need that particular color for a project. I have fabrics bought online that I love, and some that the color seems weird when it arrives and I’m not really sure what to do with it.

But some online shops you will come to trust, knowing that they ALWAYS have fabric that is good thick quality, soft and supple. You’ll just have to ask around or order samples until you can be sure.

The fabric I am showcasing below is what I believe to be high quality fabric, but brings another point to attention. Fabrics are dyed by different means; they have always been treated differently. Some you can tell by looking at the back of the fabric if the dye soaked through or the threads were dyed prior to weaving, if it was surface coated or how much of any pattern on the fabric is showing on the back.

As an appraiser, oftentimes we look to the seams or any tears in the quilt for information on color fade – whatever is inside the seam will not have faded.

 This particular fabric came to my attention when I began to quilt it, and the fabric seemed to pull. I changed my quilting needle, but the result continued. Once I looked at the back of the fabric I realized what was happening.

The needle punched through the fabric as I quilted it, and when that happened, some of the threads in the fabric turned just a bit, causing the white of the undyed portion to show through on the top. It didn’t happen at all in the green, which was dyed through the fabric.

Once washed, this quilt top will probably tighten up and the white portion of the threads will become less noticable.

There are really two lessons here:

1. If your quilter returns a quilt to you that has white striations in a certain fabric, realize that it may just be due to the method by which the fabric was dyed. You can always ask if they used a new needle on your quilt (that answer should always be yes).

2. If you don’t want the possibility of this occurring in your quilt, check the fabric back prior to buying it.

Custom Projects

The last two quilts I have worked on have been custom jobs. The last one was very exciting for me, as it was a small Judy Neimeyer pattern in turquoise and purple. I have a ton of purple thread, and love to work with purple quilt fabric, but have not a stitch of purple in my house or wardrobe. Go figure.

Anyway, now that the first project is complete, I am completely focused on this second quilt. It’s huge – king size, alternating nine patch on point, desert colors with an appliqued border. It’s beautiful, and it will be raffled by a quilt guild to raise funds. I am so pleased to be quilting it, but it is definitely a lot of work.

My original intention was to do something quite different than what is turning out. But much like the purple quilt, I wanted to really make the quilt have a texture to it, enunciated by the quilting. I knew what I was going to do in the borders and that I’ve done. But at this point, even after stitching in the ditch of every stinkin diagonal set block, I’m still not exactly sure what I’m going to do. Whatever it is, I’ll be doing it today.

I did draw over the weekend, and came to a conclusion about what I wasn’t going to do, and what I think I want to do. But sometimes my best work is that spontaneous last minute decision, so we shall see!

Whatever project you are working on, happy quilting my friends.

 

my first quilt

Some people quilt because their mother taught them how, or their grandmother brought them to a bee when they were little. Some people take it up as a new hobby to try when they have some extra $ and time. I learned because of a wonderful woman named Stacia. For the life of me I can’t remember her last name, just that she’s in Silverdale WA somewhere.

Our daughters attended the same preschool at the local lutheran church down the street, and we began to chat one day when we were picking the girls up. I think the conversation began because my daughters name is Kaela and her daughter is Mykaela. The next day she invited me over. She lived across the street from the church.

I was working overnights, so I slept in the morning after bringing my daughter to preschool, and then spent the time with her during the day, so that next day I went to Stacia’s house with my daughter to play.

We lived sort of in the boonies. No sidewalks, no streetlights, no HOA’s. Lots of trees and overgrown grass and large lots. She had chickens running all over, and a big yard and garden. The house she was renting was old, built in the 1910′s. We chatted in the small kitchen for a while, getting to know each other. She told me about her hobbies and daily activities. She stayed at home with her 10 year old special needs child, her preschooler and baby girl. She told me about making quilts and canning the food from her garden and local markets.

I was intrigued. The next time I went over to Stacias, she started showing me how to do these wonderful things. That year I won a blue ribbon for my strawberry jam in the Kitsap County Fair, and my canning days were cemented in my yearly routine.

She also showed me how to make quilts, “country style”. What I mean is, she didn’t worry about squaring things up perfectly, or trimming or ironing between piecing to ensure everything was square. She sewed quilts for the comfort of her family and personal joy. And that’s what she showed me. Before we got into actually making a quilt together, she persuaded me to take a class at the local Joann’s, called Quilt In A Day: Delectable Mountains. Let me assure you this quilt is not made in one day.

So that was my first quilt, and here it is!

After that she showed me how to piece log cabin quilts, and patchwork quilts, which are pretty simple. She showed me how to sandwich and tie my quilts (which technically makes them coverlets, because quilts need to be quilted together), and how to bind the edges.

About a year later, I bought a new machine. I had been using my grandmothers dinosaur and I think the timing failed. Regardless my little machine from Sears has held up just fine for the last 10 years. I began to focus more on the 1/4″ seam allowance (I was closer to 1/2″, which made my king size quilt actually measure queen sized).

I found a little one block pattern at Joann’s while I was there for the class and decided that was my next task. The funny thing is that I have yet to finish this quilt! The binding is attached to the front but not the back. I tried quilting it on my little sewing machine with nylon clear thread and decided partway through that I was done with that. The girls used to play with it all the time with their dolls, not caring about the condition. It has obviously been washed a few times…

My point in this story is to share that we all come from different backgrounds in this hobby; we learn in different ways and we have different skill sets and preferences. I love to quilt the way I learned (with a few improvements), rather than precision and paper piecing. I have my own style and it is far from perfect, and I’m good with that.

So happy quilting my friends, whatever you are working on!

Latest Quilt Of Valor

I love working on Quilt of Valor projects. They are randomly assigned, and when they are, I get an email and communication begins with the quilt maker. It has always been positive, and simple, and lately it seems like the quilt maker just wants me to provide batting and quilt it, then send it back to them for the finish. That’s fine by me .

When the quilt arrives, I am eager to see what the quilt maker has chosen as far as pattern and color. It is often red, white and blue, but not always! There are a variety of patterns and degrees of difficulty to these quilts, which means I need to carefully choose the quilting stitching I want to use. One style will not work for all.

But I also know that this quilt was made with a veteran in mind. And I quilt it with that reverence. I am so proud to be able to give back in this manner.

I was super excited this time, despite being completely unsure of how it was going to turn out when I first opened the box. Once I took the quilt out I noticed that near every square had more than one fabric with stars in it. But I think stars need to be WITH something to look good. I’ve done a meander with stars, loops with stars, but those didn’t seem just right for this quilt.

And then it came to me. The blue fabric has shooting stars. I have quilted a flame-like meander. I thought, I should combine those because the streaks would make this look like shooting stars!

OK, now to select the thread. Well, when I have QOV’s that are red, white and blue, I like to use my variegated thread in those colors. Sometimes that can prove difficult. This quilt had more of a cream color to the top, and a plain white muslin back. Hmmm. Wait! Variegated thread in the bobbin is easy, so if I use that for the back, and then a cream on top, I will satisfy my color requirements and not have to deal with thread breakage issues!

So I got to work, and quickly finished. I am very pleased with the result!