It Has Finally Happened

I am ecstatic!!!!!  After a long time of waiting and saving I bought a new sewing machine on Friday.  It is the Bernina 770 QE and I LOVE it.  I've been playing with it every free minute I've had this weekend.  Christmas definitely  came early this year.

The newest project in my sewing room is a modern paper pieced quilt.  I like the graphic look and the complicated block made easy by paper piecing.  Following is a picture of some of the blocks parts.  I am loving Alex Anderson's and Florianni's new print and piece paper.  I don't have to tear it out after sewing which makes me happy.  You can leave it in and when the quilt is washed it pretty much disappears.  It is very soft and pliable.  Love it.

May all your days be filled with new delights both big and small.

Dee

Trends

Trends come and go and a few stick around for the long haul.  Lately, in my life, I have noticed a trend or a desire to learn the different methods of appliqué.  What I have found interesting is that requests are so diverse.  Quilters want to appliqué for children, try out wool appliqué, make quick felt decor for the home, reverse appliqué for art quilting, etc....  I thought I would outline briefly the six methods of appliqué I am aware of and use periodically in my work.

Raw Edge - I find this best for small projects but can certainly work for any project.  It is sewing without turning or finishing the edges after fusing the motifs to your project.

Fused - This is a form of raw edge with machine top stitching using a decorative or blanket stitch.

Reverse - A type of layering fabrics, stitching on top and then cutting away sections to reveal fabric below.

Machine - Satin stitch or blanket stitch over raw edges.

Felt - A clean edge stitched on by hand or by machine.

Hand - Using needle and thread and a blind stitch to attach turned under motifs.

Applique quilts are such a beautiful works of art.  May you be inspired to tackle one in the near future.

Here is a file from Laura Wasilowski on fusing tips that you may find helpful.

file:///Users/dceduo/Desktop/Preview%20attachment%20Fusing%20Tips%20from%20Laura%20Wasilowski.pdfFusing%20Tips%20from%20Laura%20Wasilowski.pdf214%20KB.webloc

Changing Days

Fall has arrived here in Michigan.  The leaves are beginning to change colors and fall from the trees.  The cider mills are in full swing which means there are apples everywhere.  The chrysanthemums adorn nearly every porch and every town has a fall festival.

I love apples and all the recipes that go with them.  My all time favorite would have to be apple crisp though and so I thought I would share one of my recipes for it with you today.

Apple Crisp

Apple mixture

3 pound bag of apples, peeled, cored and sliced. I always use Gala or Macoun apples.

(the recipe calls for 10 cups of apples, but the 3 pound bag was perfect...no measuring!!

1 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

Topping

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter (one stick), melted

Directions...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced apples in a 13x9 pan. Mix white sugar, flour and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples and coat them well. Pour water in pan.

In a separate bowl, mix all topping ingredients together. Spread crumble mixture evenly over apples.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Enjoy these beautiful fall days!

Dee

Ahead of Our Time

Everyone seems to be jumping on the new adult coloring bandwagon.  There are numerous coloring books on the market now for adults as well as the Zentangle books.  It's fun, releases stress, relaxing and a great way to let your mind rest from all the activities and worries of daily life.

As I was perusing a few coloring books the other day in the store it struck me that I have been doing this for quite a few years now when I create or start a new pattern and color it in to see what fabrics I might want to choose.

I returned the book to the shelf and went home and took out my colored pencils.  

If you haven't  previewed different colors by copying your pattern and then coloring it in to make sure you are on the right track for purchasing the fabric then I would highly recommend it.  Besides it is a whole lot of fun.

It's looking and feeling a lot like fall in my part of the world.  Enjoy your days and make the most of what you are doing.

Blessings,

Dee

Take Care of that Cutting Mat

That I have been Off-the-radar-screen is certainly an understatement.  Preparation for my California retreat and vacation took up the first part of the summer.  The trip to CA was wonderful, starting with meeting and seeing old friends, hugs and greetings from Leslie, Melissa and Carson, the retreat was excellent, and the time spent with my children was a precious gift.

While in CA I picked up a stack of beautiful and bright fabrics.  I am in the process of turning them into a pretty wild drunkards path quilt.  Can't wait to finish it!

My cutting mat has been through a lot with me and I have appreciated how well it has held up through the years.  Part of the reason for that is the wisdom of the woman I bought it from many years ago.  She shared with me how to care for my mat so that it would give me many years of use and she was right.

Your mat needs hydration from time to time.  She advised that I soak it in warm water and use a little dish detergent and a soft brush and scrub it.  I try to do this once a year, but more often I'm sure wouldn't hurt.  In between I use a damp cloth and wipe it down.

After each time I use it I have a piece of leftover batting that I wipe it down with to get the fabric particles out of the cut marks.  This helps it to self heal as it should.

Her last bit of wisdom was to keep sharp blades in my rotary cutter and avoid sawing back and forth on my mat.  I could do better at this one.

Let me know if you have learned additional ways of caring for this sewing room workhorse.

Blessings,
Dee

3D Flying Geese Tutorial

The next three posts will be showing you how to make three dimensional blocks with the first one being the flying geese.  Any size will work but we will use the following dimensions for this tutorial.

Fabrics needed;

Two 3 1/2" squares of the background fabric
One 3 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangle that will become the triangle portion of the block. 

Fold the rectangle in half short sides together and wrong sides together.  Lay the folded rectangle on a background square with raw edges to the top, folded side down.  Lay the other background square on top right sides together and stitch down the right side.

When you open the sewn unit it should look like this.  Turn the block so that the folded side of the rectangle is to the top.

Place your finger into the opening of the rectangle and spread it open.  This will give you the flying geese unit.

Press flat and there you have it.

The next post will be the three dimensional pinwheel.

A Little bit of Starch

When we moved to Michigan my camera went AWOL and my phone is not wanting to send pictures I take to my email or anywhere else for that matter.  Therefore, no pictures until I either buy a new camera or a new phone.

Last month I taught the quilt group how to make a lone star block.  What beautiful projects came out of that class.  There were also questions that I hope I can answer if you decide you want to tackle this issue.  To get the block to come together without the distortion and lump in the middle there are a few things you can do that will help the process.

When you make the strip sets and iron them use spray starch or Best Press to give them stability with all of the bias edges.  I also use it again after I have sewn the strip sets together to make the diamond shape.  For me this makes all the difference in how the block turns out.

This is one of those patterns where cutting, piecing 1/4 inch seams carefully and pressing with starch creates a more successful outcome.   In fact, any block where you have bias edges and need to be extra careful in handling it, starch or Best Press helps tremendously.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Happy Memorial Day!

To all who serve or have served in the military, Thank you!  Today my husband and I remember and are thankful for his father and six of my brothers who served in the military.

Recently I have joined a newly formed group of artists and quilters.  I am really looking forward to learning from each of them and forming new friendships.  This is something I have wanted to do for a  while now.  I think it is important to learn from others and be stretched in new ways.  I have found that I've been in a rut lately and this is providing new energy for me.  Organizing myself to work on different aspects of art and textile work throughout the week has also been so helpful in getting things done.  Each day starts with Bible Art Journaling and then I am either teaching, working on some form of art work or piecing the next quilt.

Steve has completed another year of teaching and administrating at the University level.  Yay!  He is enjoying a little more relaxed schedule.

LeAnna and Brett are both winding down another year of teaching.  I am so proud of both of them.  LeAnna had an opportunity to teach in Phoenix but decided to stay in San Diego and remain at the school she has been teaching in.  Brett was named Coach of the Year in the League he coaches in.  What a great accomplishment.  He and his new wife are moving into an apartment this week in Livermore as he sold his house in Stockton.  Lots of things going on and all good.

May your days be blessed!

Dee

Fabric on the Bright Side

It is wonderful to hear the birds, listen to the frogs across the road (they are noisy), and see the hint of green on the trees.  I do believe spring has finally come.

With spring the desire to work with bright happy fabrics has taken hold of me as well.  With my monthly quilt group I have decided to work with Kaffe Fassett fabrics in my Sampler.

The LeMoyne star is one of my all time favorite blocks and here is my latest version of it in the Lone Star block for the sampler.  I'm starting to think that one block may not be enough and I just may need to make a whole quilt of these blocks.

With all of our piecing we need to pay attention to accuracy and especially with the Lone Star.  If you are cutting carefully (measure twice-cut once), sewing with a true 1/4" seam, and you press, not iron you can make this block with relative ease.

This afternoon I am off to play with paper and watercolors.  May your day be filled with a new adventure.

Dee

Scrap Quilting

In my quest to eliminate scraps in my studio I have been diligently working away on several piles the last few days.

This pile was completed yesterday and replaced with a new pile that has disappeared today.  I am a happy camper with 20 new scrappy blocks completed.

May you find great joy in your work and play!

Dee

Retreat Countdown

Over the last three days I have taken a Major League break from quilting.  One of our son's best friends that he played baseball with since they were little leaguers made his Major League debut as a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins this week.  My husband and I were priveleged to be able to host his parents and see him throw his first ever pitch in the big leagues.

Now it is time to get back to work and get myself prepared for my spring Michigan quilt retreat.  We are going to have a blast with some very different projects and of course tons of sewing time.  Please check the retreat buttons at the top of the blog for information about the summer retreat in California and the fall retreat in Michigan.  I hope to see you at one of them.

I would so love to hear from you on what has been your most memorable moments on a quilting retreat.  Mine has always been watching new friendships blossom and grow.  That is one of the reasons I keep doing them.

Have a blessed and productive weekend.

Dee

Quilt Show Inspiration

This past weekend I was able to attend the Chicago International Quilt Festival.  What a treat this was.  I was looking for new ideas, wanting to learn new techniques and of course shop in the vendor mall.

I took an all day painting class and learned some very innovative ways to use paint in my quilting.  I cannot wait to put my new found knowledge to work.  Cindy, our instructor, creates beautiful and amazing quilts from painting fabric alone and beautiful quilting.

The vendors are always tempting me with beautiful fabrics, chotchkies (sp?), threads and tools.  Yes, I succumbed to a few items.

However, the most wonderful part was looking at the amazing quilts and seeing the talent men and women have in textile art.  WOW!  The "Wicked" challenge quilts were fun and oh so creative.  It was very hard to pick a favorite.  Following are a couple quilts that caught my eye;

If you have opportunity to attend a quilt show I highly recommend it.  Take a friend(s) along, wear comfortable shoes, carry a lightweight bag with you for all the goodies you will be buying and find the foot massage people for a pick me up when the feet start getting tired and achy.

Happy and Blessed Easter everyone!
Christ is Risen!

Dee

Half Square Triangles

There are about six projects in progress in my studio right now and several of them have half square triangles involved in some way.  Making them is a pretty basic quilting technique.  I would like to share a few of the ways I tackle them.

Putting two squares right sides together and marking on one your sewing lines and cutting line makes the square come out well.  I also oversize them and cut them down after sewing them which really gives me great accuracy.

Using my easy angle ruler, especially when I need to save fabric, is another way I enjoy making the half square triangles.  With this ruler you don't need to add the 7/8" to the finished size but cut strips adding only the 1/2" seam allowance.  Put the strips right sides together and follow the directions with the ruler and sew.  Be careful as you sew not to distort the bias edge.

Using these Star Singles papers when I have a lot of half square triangles to make is probably my most favorite method.  They sew up quickly and I get great accuracy and it makes the job less daunting.  The paper comes off quite easily, especially when I run the back side of my seam ripper down the stitched line the paper practically falls off.

My retreat in California was wonderful.  I so enjoy being with the ladies that come and I certainly relished the warmer weather and beautiful sunshine.  I am now preparing for the upcoming retreat in Michigan.  It promises to be fun and productive.

Enjoy this first day of Spring and its promise of good things to come.

Blessings,

Dee

Early Spring

I do hope you each had a wonderful Valentine's Day.  My husband and I usually don't do a whole lot for Valentines Day.  This year was a little different for us.  It was snowing like crazy here and we made an effort to stay in and keep warm.  I spent the better part of the day in my quilting studio preparing for my upcoming retreat.  I asked my husband to join me and help me with my projects which ended up being the perfect way to spend the day.  He was entertaining as well as helpful to me.  He chose fabrics, arranged things, designed some of my Lucy Boston blocks among other little things.  For me, it was the perfect way for him to say, "I Love You".  He was happy not to spend the day grading papers and doing work he had brought home from the office.   I fixed him one of his favorite meals and we topped the day off with a shared movie.  Absolutely wonderful day!

At the end of this week I will get to experience an early taste of Spring.  I'm off to CA to lead my retreat in the Sonora area.  I am excited to thaw out and be warm for a few days.

Have you come up with any ideas about the fabric or color of courage?  Let me know your thoughts please.

What would be the color of the sun?  Is there a fabric out there that would meet that criteria or would you have to create it?

The Color of....

Over the last couple of weeks I have done several classes on color.  It is only moments into the class before the students understand that color is secondary to value.  After all, color is a preference.  This is pretty much true in choosing fabrics for our quilts, or at least I think it is.

On a very different level color is important to us and speaks to us in a very individual way.  One of the students in my class stated that she needed courage to pick out her own fabrics for her quilts.  She has to this point only purchased kits or relied heavily on the employees in the quilt shop.  Since that class I have been wondering, what is the color of "courage"?

Courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.    In looking through my stash to see if I could find a color or fabric that speaks of courage I realized what was easy for me might be courageous for someone else and vice versa.  I also realized that I often need the right mental attitude to choose fabrics for the next project.  I've challenged myself to look closely at the color of things in nature, especially all the varieties, shades and nuances of that particular color and see if I could find the color of courage.  Tree bark, for instance, is not one color but many many colors.  I was amazed.

What is your color for courage and what fabric would you choose to put a little courage into your next quilt?

Busy! Busy!

It seems that the people I hang around have been getting things accomplished.  It is inspiring me to get busy myself.

The picture shows several of the projects I've been working on.  Strip sets for my upcoming retreat in Tuolumne, CA. , 40+ star blocks for a quilt pattern I'm working on, finished putting a binding on a quilt, and here are a couple of my most recent Patchwork of the Crosses blocks.

Training is also well underway to run a 5k with my daughter in February.  We will be doing the San Diego Color Run with a number of her students and their families.  I'm excited to be a part of this.

Blessings to each of you as you get "things" accomplished.

Dee

Long Time

It is hard for me to come to terms with how long it has been since I've written anything.  January has zipped by again.

It has been a busy month getting ready for my winter retreat in CA and spring retreat in MI.  I feel pretty close to ready with everything for California and well on my way to getting things together for the Michigan retreat.

I missed a week with a stomach bug that knocked me down hard and now my husband has his socks knocked off with a miserable cold.  He has been wanting comfort food each day.  I have made the chicken and dumplings, various soups and tonight it is meatloaf.  Do you have favorite comfort foods that make you feel better?  What are they?

For myself I have started the Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses Quilt.  It is english paper piecing and quite a lovely quilt.   I'll share pictures of the blocks with you soon.

Have a wonderful week and try something new!

Dee