Passionate Paisley

August 25th, 2014

Shall we make a pattern? Many quilters either pick a pattern and get the fabric to make it, or have fabric and then pick a pattern that matches the amount of fabric they have. So, I’m the quilter who just wants to make up my quilt based on the fabric I have. When I pick fabrics, I start to design a pattern in my mind. I have a hard time sticking with a pattern from a quilting book. Of the four quilts I’ve made, I designed three and modified the other. With my paisley quilt, I didn’t even try to find a pattern that would work. I’ve realized that, when it comes to quilting, I just need to design my own quilts and do my own thing. After a few quilts, I decided to try a more complex pattern, but not one too crazy.

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For Passionate Paisley, I decided I wanted to showcase the fabric, so I chose to do squares. One thing you have to decide is whether you want your fabric to be the focus of your quilt, or if it’s all about the pattern.

While making my quilt blocks, especially the nine-patch squares, I had to keep seam allowance in mind. This means a quarter inch is taken off each edge for the seam on every piece of fabric. That was the most difficult part of the design process because of the math.

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I learned when making my featured quilt, Passionate Paisley, sometimes you just have to make do with what you have. Don’t let it frustrate you into quitting, be flexible. The fabric for my backing wasn’t quite long enough, so I added a strip of another fabric to make it big enough. Now it’s one of my favorite parts of the quilt. Making your own design is satisfying, you should try it!

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Quilt facts:

The binding is corduroy, which adds just a little fun.
There are thirteen different fabrics in the quilt.
It’s made up of more than five unique blocks.

Margaret

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MY QUILT CACHE

August 22nd, 2014

My family and I recently moved after living in one house for nine and a half years. As I was feeling overwhelmed with a new baby (#6) and packing, a few things helped me pause to be grateful for this new, exciting change and adventure. One was simply how many quilts I own! I have so many and I only made one of them myself! (Probably a bad thing to confess as a contributor to this blog.) I have bought only one comforter and that was when my husband and I first got married 14 years ago. All the other baby quilts, snuggling quilts, kids’ bedspreads, my bedspreads, picnic blankets, movie quilts, and so on, are all from the amazing talents and generosity of my mother and my mother-in-law.

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I’m so grateful they supply my family with these quilts that bring wonderful memories into our home. There’s the picnic blanket made from our old jeans, with the song stitched into the edges, “Going on a picnic, leaving right away, if it doesn’t rain we’ll stay all day…” We have the kid’s quilts that I have based their whole room decor around: space for the boys and vibrant flowers for the girls.

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Each child has a snuggly quilt made with love in the form of minky from Grandma (my Mother).  Another quilt made from my deceased father-in-law’s old work shirts will be used in the kids’ future fort we’re building in the new backyard, with love from Grandma (my husband’s mother).  And many, more–too many to name, but each bringing with it the love of our mothers, and fun memories for our family.  What do you do with your quilts?  Happy Thursday!

JQ1Jessica

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Blankets from Clothing

August 13th, 2014

I have made many quilts out of clothing in my quilting “career” and throughout that I have learned a thing or two about quilting with clothing. Here are a few thoughts and photos for all to see.
CQ1 Last year my dad retired from teaching religion for 20 years. Throughout his teaching career he wore a suit, white shirt, and tie 6 days each week. These were often cheesy cartoon and holiday ties. I’m pretty sure his students loved the ties. They really go with his humor in the classroom. When he retired we (Mostly me) decided that it was time for him to also retire some of his ties. Suits wear out pretty easily when you wear them so often, so we had to get rid of those too. He has always worked so hard to support our family of nine and I decided as a retirement gift I would make him a quilt. I had made t-shirt quilts before but my dad wasn’t a t-shirt wearer. This tie, suit and white shirt quilt was as a t-shirt quilt for MY dad. He’s like a real life super hero hence the superhero backing and sashing. It was a fun quilt to design and create. A thought on this quilt is that quilts can be personal.
#1. They can be very special and sentimental.I don’t know about you but I really like and have strong feelings for some of my clothing. I’m a person who will wear a favorite t-shirt until it is too hole ridden and thin to pass as clothing. Those soft worn clothes can be the perfect fabric for a cuddly quilt. Using them in a way that makes them “last” makes me happy. CQ6
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All other clothing quilts I have made also hold sentiment and they have taught me a thing or two. Such as…
#2. Not all machines are made to handle jeans or many layers. Both the jean quilt and the suit quilt had parts that were very thick or many layers. Make sure you invest in the right needles and that your machine is made to handle such tough fabric and or multiple layers of fabric. The jean quilt was not machine quilted because I chose to display many pockets and zippers and buttons. These don’t do well on a long arm machine with out outlining and “cutting” around each thing. And even then you have to be careful about when the arm is traveling that it doesn’t catch or run into the objects. The suit quilt was long arm quilted and I should have been more diligent in getting rid of the interfacing on the ties and some suit pieces… Next time!
My mother saved our jeans my whole life… or at least as long as I can remember. We all wore hand me downs and when a pair was unwearable any more (they didn’t fit, they got a bleach spot or a hole, or they just got old) it went into a bag up in the attic. I was so grateful for this stash one day when I decided I wanted to make and then subsequently designed a jean quilt. I then climbed up into the attic and pulled out two large trash sized bags of jeans. I cut and sewed and quickly made that quilt. At the age of 16 I would never had saved enough of a variety of jeans on my own to make a quilt. Thanks Mom.
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So I live in Mesa, AZ which may be the only city on earth that cares what high school you attended even into your eighties. There is a lot of school pride in this city and beyond that I am one of seven kids, our parents graduated from the same high school, six of us seven siblings graduated from the same high school and my husband also graduated from that same high school. I was very active in sports and extracurriculars and so I had LOTS of t-shirts… what else to do but make a quilt. From this quilt I learned…
#3. don’t stretch or pull the pieces. Clothing fabric and T-shirt are fun and easy to work with as long as you are careful. clothing fabric is different to your typical coating quilting fabric because it often has more stretch to it. When stretched these fabrics change shape and curl on the edges. Not good. So you have to be careful not to pull of fold these fabrics too much. T-shirt is fun because it sticks to itself. Because of this, when working with it the pieces can just be laid on top of each other without pinning. And when I can avoid pinning I do. Then just allow the sewing machine to feed the fabric through itself holding softly.

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#4. There are endless possibilities. No one is going to have the exact same clothing to put into a quilt and so there are no two alike. When you decide the clothing you would like to use there are SO many designs that you can create. I made another t-shirt quilt and it is very different from my high school t-shirt quilt. This one (below) is made of Harley Davidson Motorcycle T-shirts that my father-in-law had accumulated over years. It is backed with fabric that I ordered from Sturgis, South Dakota. My father-in-law and my husband and his brother attended The Sturgis Rally together years ago. And to make it even more motorcycle themed, I quilted it with a motorcycles stitch. I love how it turned out.
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There are SO many fun ways to quilt with clothing! Get designing and you could make your clothing into something great! Happy Wednesday!Stephanie

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Fruit Market and Swirly Stitching

August 11th, 2014

In August, 2007 I bought my long-arm computerized Statler Stitcher quilting machine and that was the beginning of great relationship between creating and quilting. The more I quilt the more I enjoy quilting on my machine.  Every day I learn something new from quilting on my Statler! I have begun to feel proficient using my Statler, and I enjoy quilting almost every day~it’s addicting! There is lots of excitement picking out the pattern for the quilting, choosing the color of the thread, and figuring out how to make the quilt unique.
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I named the quilt that I’m highlighting today “Fruit Market” after the original pattern I used. “Spice Market,” a pattern designed by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, was featured on the cover of the April, 2007 American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, and I fell in love with it on sight. At the time, I was using lots of bright colors in my quilting and wanted to make my quilt out of some of my favorite colors. So I did.
The pattern went together fairly quickly.  Sewing the individual strips together was fast, cutting them, and then laying them out so that there were no repeats was not quite as fast.  
MBQ5It made my head spin trying to make sure that I hadn’t used the exact same combination before.  Although I tried and tried, I still had some places where the same fabrics were together. Even so, I still love it and the bright colors make me so happy!
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When I did the machine quilting for this quilt, I chose the pattern “Sticky Buns” by Anne Bright, because I wanted the machine quilting to contrast with the straight lines of the quilt. The swirling lines of Sticky Buns created just the right amount of distinction between the quilting stitch and the quilt. The result was just what I was looking for.  I find that when I am doing an all over quilt pattern, I am happiest when it varies from the design of the quilt. Straight lines with curvy quilts, and vice versa.
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Bright quilts still make me very happy. Even though I make quilts in other color ways, I think my heart will always be with bright colors!  Hope you enjoy seeing my first Statler machine stitched quilt! Happy Monday!Jaime

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Easy Flannel Baby Blanket

August 6th, 2014

Get ready for the cutest, easiest flannel baby blanket ever! I love to make these, and moms love to have them!

The requirements for this blanket are simple~you just need two one-yard pieces of complimentary flannel and a spool of white thread. The measurements for this quilt are approximations, and if you have less fabric it works just as well.

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1. Lay the fabric out wrong sides together, matching the edges, and pin loosely.

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2. Use a erasable or Fusion pen to mark the sewing grid: 2 lines longways at 12 and 24 inches, and 3 lines across marking by folding the fabric in half and in half again. After marking the lines, pin along the sewing lines making sure that the fabric is as smooth and flat as possible.  (We just drew this grid on top of the picture to illustrate the lines~the blanket really needs to be flat and smooth.)  Or, if the fabric has a grid pattern (the pink blanket), you can use the lines on the blanket as your sewing lines.

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3. Using either a straight or decorative stitch, (I like this wavy stitch shown in the picture of my sewing machine above.) sew along the lines ending roughly one inch from the edge of the fabric. Be sure to keep the fabric as smooth as possible so as not to get tucks when you sew across the previously sewn lines. I sew the two long lines, from top to bottom first and then I sew the three lines across the blanket.

4. After sewing the grid lines, lay the flannel sandwich out on a cutting board and rotary cut around the edges so that both pieces of fabric are even.

5. Finish sewing down each edge of the fabric sandwich approximately one inch from the edge. (I use the edge of my throat plate as a guide on my machine.)

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6. The sewing is done!  Now take a pair of sharp scissors, and cut a 1/2″ inch square in each corner of the blanket. Then clip along all edges of the blanket, and you are done!

7. Wash the blanket before using or giving it away and the edges will fray nicely.

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This is a fast and comfy blanket, especially handy for last minute giving! Happy Tuesday!Jaime

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July Journey-ing

August 3rd, 2014

This past month has been jam packed with family, fun, and travel. June 20th we took off for Oklahoma where our son and his wife live with our beautiful granddaughter, Kayli. We had fun times with them at the zoo, and then took off for parts unknown (to us).
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Arrived in North Carolina two days later to help our son Darryl and family move around the corner to a new house. Even moving just a few hundred feet takes SO MUCH WORK! We had fun helping them move and now I can picture where they are living!  Great times in North Carolina, visiting Duke campus, and generally hanging out with our four grandchildren in NC. Then on to Virginia to help our daughter and her family move! It’s been a moving summer! Jessica and family have been in Fairfax for 9 years, and have moved south near Charlottesville where her husband will be working at the University of Virginia. We had so much fun with our six grandchildren in Virginia, and loved seeing their new home. So exciting for them to move from their townhouse bursting at the seams to a beautiful, large home on half an acre. Trip2
When we got back to Midway, Marg, Hilaree and I got to work on getting my studio into tip top shape, and I’ve been sewing and quilting ever since.  Alex, Jeff’s daughter, saw the fish with lips fabric and had to have some pj’s using the fish fabric!  The last four days in Midway I have managed to get five quilts long-arm quilted as well as sewing on three other quilts. It’s been lots of fun, and great to get back to quilting, sewing and long-arm quilting!   Trip3

More moving this weekend, as we helped our son, Jeff, and family move to Midway for the interim between college and job. And back to Mesa on Monday for us!
Happy Saturday!Jaime

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Quilting Romance

July 30th, 2014

It all started when I saw a “Boyfriend” quilt at the American Quilting store in Utah. It was love at first sight! This quilt was just a basic square block quilt. I was excited and decided to make it. I have always loved plaids and gingham and so I decided to give it a western theme. I then renamed the quilt my “Cowboy” Quilt, and decided that my future “tall dark and handsome” could maybe be a cowboy. I mean really who doesn’t like tight jeans and boots!!? When designing my quilt I also added more rows as well as added borders. This quilt was the easiest quilt to make. It’s simple and straightforward. The hardest part was laying it out. It is my favorite quilt I’ve made so far.
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I often joked that this quilt was for my future husband, which was very forward thinking of me since I didn’t even have a boyfriend at the time. however, whomever he was he was going to become the lucky owner of a very cool quilt. That was back in 2010.
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Three years later I met Dan and we started dating. He is tall dark and handsome but no cowboy. When we started to talk marriage I told him my cowboy quilt would be his if we got married. (I think that’s what sealed the deal.) After visiting his family for Christmas we went on a drive together. He drove us to a scenic view, said I had to stand up, and gave me a pillowcase with something inside. Not exactly the ring box I was hoping for! To my surprise inside was a quilt he had made with his mom. A quilt asking me to marry him. The quilt says “Margaret will you be my eternal cuddle buddy? Y/N ~Dan” I circled the “Y”. It was very original and pleasantly unexpected. Dan, with the help of his mom and sister, came up with the idea to do a quilt because knowing how much I like crafts, Dan wanted to do something crafty. It was the first quilt he’d ever sewn. He chose the fabric well, it’s cute and completely made of Minky, the soft, plushy material perfect for snuggling with. (So of course I said yes.)
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Now we are living happily ever after in our apartment and finishing our undergraduate degrees together. And we often use these quilts for cuddling and watching movies together. It’s great because we’ll have these quilts, and eachother other, forever. Happy Wednesday!
Margaret

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Eeny Meeny Miny Moe…

July 26th, 2014

Which one to use I just don’t know. Eeny meeny miny moe.

Choosing fabric can sometimes feel like a difficult task. You are about to spend tons of time on creating this work of art and once you start cutting out and sewing together you are pretty stuck with your choices. There are things to do that can make the process easier.
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When I am choosing fabric for a new quilt I try to think about a few things including; the quilt pattern ~ meaning the size and shape of the pieces and the way they will fit together, the fabric print & aspect ratio ~ so if it is a huge print or a polka dot that is spaced very far apart (in my opinion that print is wasted on a quilt with very small pieces). I think about color ~ I sometimes want a range of colors and sometimes I want the colors all in the same family, Lights and darks ~ some patterns are highlighted better by the use of lights and darks and some are beautiful when more monotone in hue. The majority of these choices are determined by the feeling and purpose I want my quilt to have. Do I want it to be; Sweet? Edgy? Peaceful? Bold? Fun? Scrappy? For picnics? For reading? To cuddle? For holiday fun?

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There’s a lot to think about when planning a quilt. One of the easiest ways to decide is just find a line of fabric that you love. The designers usually include big and small prints, lights and darks, patterns and solids in each line. Sometimes a fabric line that I love has inspired a quilt. Another helpful tool in choosing fabric are great programs that give you the chance to put colors and fabrics together and into the actual quilt pattern. These give you a better idea of what your quilt will look like. However always remember that, whether coloring it on paper or designing it on the computer, The real quilt will look different and more raw than a rendering.

I am currently in the process of making a quilt. Surprise!
So, I’m really excited to start this project. The quilt I am working on is a charm quilt (which means that every piece of fabric is different). There are 480 different pieces of fabric that I have accumulated over the years. I planned the quilt and then changed the plan. Once the plan changed I decided to add sashing (that’s when there are lines of fabric separating the blocks). For a while I was thinking white sashing to make the colors stand out more… or at least that was the idea. I got this awesome white on white fabric and when I put it next to the squares it looked SO BORING! So, what was I to do?
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My life since having children has been crazy and much more full of color. The color and life are bleeding into my style. I am in love with pattern and color. I began going through my fabric stash to find a sashing idea. I found two fabrics that I thought would be fun… a polka dot and a striped fabric. Harley was helping me decide. He was laying out his favorite squares and the backing he chose was the polka dots… My preference also. I took photos and texted them to my sisters for more opinions. I laughed when all four of us liked the same one. Polka dots! Great minds think alike… sometimes.
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I love polka dots. I am excited for the outcome of this quilt. Let me know… What are the things you think about when choosing your fabric?Stephanie

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5 steps to get excited to quilt! How I did it!

July 23rd, 2014

5stepsCompared to my sisters I was late to the quilting game. All my sisters had already made quilts of their own before I even considered the idea. I had the desire to quilt after seeing their end results, but lacked motivation. I didn’t quite know where to get started or how to get excited. I decided what the heck, let’s quilt, and found a sure way to become a quilting lover! There are a few steps that got me through my first quilt and I think they apply to every quilt!
1. Love your fabric. If you don’t like the fabric, you won’t like the quilt in the end. I chose 30’s inspired fabric that fit my personality.
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2. Go for simple. I used a simple strip quilt design and picked my fabric that was already matched and cut into strips (I used a jelly-roll). First quilt, Sew,cut,piece it together, sew the sashing and borders, but for sure make it simple!
3. Have help! There are so many resources for quilting; quilting blogs, stores, classes, the internet! I had my mother and sisters, I got lucky. HQ4

4. Enjoy the work (probably the most important step). Focus on what you enjoy. I love to design quilts and then piece it together. I don’t enjoy cutting fabric, so I got pre-cut strips of fabric that skipped that step. Also, I liked to listen to music as I sewed. I recommend John Taylor and Neil Diamond!HQ2

5. Professional finish. It’s worth it to hire someone to professionally quilt your finished top. Looks clean and polished. Again I was lucky, I had my mother and her long arm quilter, this massive machine in her garage that makes quilts look put together!
HQ3I am so proud of my first quilt. I loved making it! Follow these steps and you’ll love quilting too!

Happy Tuesday!
Hilaree

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Quilting Studio Move

July 20th, 2014

Earlier this summer we decided to move my quilt studio and its been a eye-opening experience.

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For starters, moving can be a long drawn out process, and I have been unpacking for a week.  I’m still only a quarter of the way through my fabric stash.  Before the move, I stored my fabric in plastic bins (open, of course), but I decided to sort my stash by color in the new studio.  Except for the fabric for the twenty or so quilts that I have designed already in my head, I’m stacking.  And this is just the beginning.

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Scraps are one of the things that slow me down sometimes, because I have so many.  Every time I make a new quilt, I create more and more scraps. One of the things I’m excited to do once I’m all moved in, and have the fabric all sorted is to get those scraps organized and usable.  I’ve dreamed of the day that I would FINALLY be able to get a  quilt done fast, fast, fast.  That day is coming, thanks to  Bonnie Hunter’s Scrap User’s System from Quiltville.  Another post for another day~Happy Saturday!
Jaime

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