Feedback

This is one of the projects I have been working on for awhile.  I've spent way too much time looking at it and rearranging it so I am asking for your input.  Any Suggestions?  Of course I haven't sewn in any of the background fabric and won't until I am satisfied with the layout.

Looking forward to your comments and suggestions,

Dee

Welcome Summer

The calendar says it is summer by the date and the weather heated up at the same time to welcome in those long lazy summer days.  We are enjoying some hot weather without too much humidity.

This past week was a busy one.  I am checking off my retreat "to do" list.  Had my art class again this week and learned ways to embellish your quilt with some unusual products and methods.  Loved it!
Another shop hop that took us to the Canadian border and through the countryside.   It is interesting and fun to see what each shop is doing and promoting that is unique to them.  This time around I saw a lot of hand embroidery as well as machine embroidery on the quilts and applique.  The modern look was prevalent in each store and I think it is a trend that will be around for awhile.

There are so many cute lines of fabric on the market right now and Moda is making solid color charm packs which makes it easy to pair those great lines of fabric charm packs with solid packs.  Here is an easy way to use some of those charms.  This could make a quick and cute baby quilt or several charm packs would make a quick lap quilt.

Take a charm pack of a favorite designer and a Moda solid charm pack and create an adorable pinwheel quilt.

Put a solid and print charm right sides together.  Next, sew a quarter inch seam around all four sides of the squares.  Then you will cut the squares apart diagonally twice to reveal your four half square triangles.  Sew them into a pinwheel and you are on your way to one cute quilt.

May your summer days be enchanting and filled with laughter.

Dee

Giving Back

This morning I helped a group of ladies make memory quilts for Hospice families.  What an inspirational time and great project.  My job was to iron on doves to the quilts for someone else to machine applique.  When I accomplished 234 of those my next assignment was to cut out an additional 144 doves and press them on to the next bunch of quilts.  I was a bit flighty and inspired when I left.  If you have the opportunity to help with such a project, please do it.  You will find yourself to be blessed tremendously and you will be a blessing to others as well.

In the afternoon I met with a group of quilters for some hand sewing time and fellowship.  I enjoyed it tremendously.

Yesterday was the start of a new beginners class for me and we worked on cutting and the same questions keep surfacing with every class so I thought I'd pass on a few thoughts on conserving your mat and cutting for accuracy.

1.  Press your fabric before starting to cut and make sure it is flat and smooth as you line it up to cut.      This will help eliminate the problem of rainbow curves in your strips.

2.  Start off the fabric as you start to cut and keep your blade against the ruler at a slight right angle.

3.  Cut with the rulers measurements and not the mat's.  Repeated cutting along the same lines on the mat will etch permanent grooves that will not heal and keep you from cutting accurately.  I find that turning my mat over and using my ruler only eliminates that problem completely.

Delight in each day.
Dee

Longarm Quilter's

Started working on this today.

A beautiful peony that smelled heavenly at the MU Arboretum.

It rained most of the night and a good portion of the day.  It made for a good day to sew and get some much needed planning done.    First, I had to clean up last week's mess in the studio so out came the feather duster and vacuum.  It feels good to get out a new project and have a clean surface to work on.

I've been looking for a new longarm quilter.  It seems strange to go to anyone other than Faye.  As I was talking with the one I met with today she had a few suggestions about taking care of the backing before bringing it to her.

1.  Make sure it is 3-4 in. larger than the top of the quilt on all four sides.

2.  If you piece the backing try not to run a seam from top to bottom down the center of the quilt.  This is due mostly to 

     folding the quilt after it is done.

3.  If piecing your backing take as much care in sewing and measuring as you do the front so there aren't any wrinkles 

     or wobbles in it.

4.  Use the same quality of fabric on the back as you did the front.

Those seemed reasonable and things I had heard before.  Do you have any suggestions to add to her list?

Our niece Molly graduated from Whitney High School in Rocklin, CA this past week as well as our niece Katie from Erie, PA High School and a nephew from Lee's Summit, MO High School.  Congratulations and blessings to all of them.

May you find plenty of pieces to stitch into beautiful works of art.

Dee

Peony Heaven

The T-shirt quilt is done.  Hallelujah! Praise the Lord and pass the potatoes!!!  As you can tell I am pretty happy to have this project completed.  Normally you cut the t-shirts so that they all equal multiples of 4 or whatever number you choose.  This one didn't quite work that way.  Some of the designs wrapped around the shirt or ran into seams, etc. so a bit of finagling had to be done.  I hope the woman it belongs to is happy with it.  Now I need to get my son's completed.

Today was primarily spent working on favors for the participants at my retreat in July.  I find this to be one of the most fun parts of the planning process.  I think of each lady individually and try to pick things they would like.  I've really enjoyed going down memory lane with each of them today even if it was only a one sided conversation.

I spent my lunch time on the deck watching my tomatoes and sugar snap peas grow.  It was a thrill to finally get a few things in some pots.  I am trying pot gardening now since I do not have an actual garden in the lawn.  Should be interesting.  Roses do not really grow well in MI of which I am disappointed being the rose fanatic that I am.  However, the peonies are spectacular.  The Arboretum has about 4 acres of every variety and kind of peony.  It takes your breath away.  I have even found a pattern for appliqued peonies by Edyta Sitar.  I'll be stitching away soon.

May you find a few minutes in your day to stitch.

Dee

The Designer Within

In quilt club we have been talking about designing and how to set your quilt blocks.  It was agreed by all that it can be a complicated process.  Blocks are arranged in various traditional and now very untraditional ways to achieve different effects.  With the right setting even a simple block becomes interesting and exciting in the right setting.

For samplers sashing is often used to calm or control the collection of blocks.  The simplest way to arrange your blocks of all the same kind is straight setting.  This can also provide wonderful optical illusions.  Alternating between plain or applique blocks and pieced blocks is a good way to reduce the amount of piecing you need to do.  You can also add posts between sashing.  They can be a small pieced block that works well with a pieced sashing or just a plain square.  Last but not least for today is the "on point" design.  These rows are sewn diagonally and have setting blocks on the sides and corners.  It is helpful to sketch out your design on graph paper to see what you like best.

As you plan your design you might want to keep these concepts in mind:  repetition in block design, shapes or fabrics, symmetry in design such as rotating blocks around a center, repeating blocks or mirror imaging, link patches or blocks so they appear as a single pattern, and blocks that are connected by the same visual properties.

That should give you a little to think about.  It certainly makes my head spin.

Spent the day with 9-11 yr. old girls making chalkboard fabric placemats.  They were not crazy about topstitching so I sang very badly made up songs about topstitching in an effort to make them either laugh or groan to make it go down easier.  They all turned out very cute.

Enjoy singing your way through the tough parts of piecing,
Dee