Quilts

Totes (Like I Need Another One)

September 10, 2013October 3, 2013 Elizabeth E.12 Comments

My mother used to have a stack of boxes back beside the freezer in the garage. They were mailing boxes, gift boxes, boxes to put your pet turtle in, and boxes that were there because, well, they were boxes.

So this idea, that I just need a place to put more stuff, maybe runs along the lines of the imagined box mountain of my childhood. (I can hear Mom saying, “There weren’t that many boxes.”)

And not only do I have to another another tote or two (what else will I do with that beautiful Keiko Goke fabric?), I have to have pockets inside my totes, to. . . hold more stuff. Enough pockets of the right shape and size, one with a zipper, put me in Tote Bag Heaven.

This pattern was Pleated Tote, from Ellen Lucket Baker, found *here.* I made it exactly as she recommended. Still not keen about the fusible batting on the inside. It makes the tote too bulky, too stiff, not tote-y enough (I like mine loose and foldable). So maybe this is more of a purse-like bag?

This next tote is floppy, roomy, perfect for a grocery store tote.

The genesis came when I visited Cool Cottons in Portland earlier this year, and saw their bag in the front window. I tried to purchase the fabric, but they were all out of it. So I saw some at a quilt show I went to–it’s a sturdy lightweight cotton canvas, titled “Farmer’s Market,” made by Alexander Henry.

I was able to make two totes out of one yard of fabric. Simple things–just a rectangle with longish straps, no pockets, boxed corners to made them easier to put groceries in.

While the Keiko Goke can now join the growing stash of totes in my closet, these two are relegated to the car, to use while grocery shopping. I had intended to include the Goke tote as part of my WIP list, but I persevered and finished it up today.

It’s one of the items on my Finish-A-Long list, so I’m happy to be actually getting stuff done. School started and it always takes a while to recover from all that distraction and get back to the quilting.

But I am in progress on this Facets quilt, designed by Anne Deister, getting it pinned to the backing today.

And the next installment of my Amish With A Twist Two arrived this week, so I’ve plenty to keep me busy. And now we begin the dodging through the school semester, pushing out tasks on weeks of low-to-no grading, dancing around those weeks where papers come in and there are stacks of things to grade and to prep for.

Linking up to Lee’s Freshly Pieced Works in Progress Wednesday.

Quilt Shops

Elaine’s Quilt Block–Salt Lake City, Utah

September 10, 2013 Elizabeth E.7 Comments

Whenever we go to Utah to visit relatives, I try to find a quilt shop to visit. Elaine’s Quilt Block quilt shop is very close to my sister-in-law’s house, which could be verrrry dangerous, as you’ll see once we step inside. Featured in the Quilt Sampler edition of Fall/Winter 2011, the building was built to be a quilt shop, and it is a delightful place to visit. The address is 6970 South 3000 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121, and their website is *here.* Their phone number is 801-947-9100. They are located inthe Cottonwood Heights section of the city, up on the southeast bench of the mountains, if you know your way around, and are just off the 215 belt route freeway.

This is the view as you step inside the front door–bolts and bolts of fabrics, notions, light and bright, tall ceilings, a welcoming staff and so much to see!

Elaine’s has three levels and this is the stairs headed up to the upper level, which I’ll show you in a minute. The lower level is classrooms and I didn’t visit there, but wanted to post this photo so you can see the cute displays they have tucked around the shop. There are many project and quilt samples and they are all such good ideas–I want to make so many of them.

I’m still standing in the doorway, looking to my right. . .

. . . and a little further inside.

At the back of this main room/entryway, they have all their magazines, some more displays and samples. The main room is flanked by two other large rooms with dramatic high ceilings–the better to show off quilts!

Entryway into the left room, which trends to Thimbleberries, Civil War and reproduction-style fabrics. They have a huge selection.

The room to the right is where my heart resides: Kaffe Fassett fabrics, Australian imports, brights, batiks.

There are tables everywhere so you can lay out the fabrics for selecting colors for a quilt. I loved the small decorative motif at the top of the shelving units.

The black and white section.

Rows of batiks.

And underneath the lines of fabrics are folded fat quarters. I had a fun time with those, as I had a limited time and had to pick quickly (note to self: leave more time for Elaine’s in the future).

Upstairs are children’s and sale fabrics and Christmas and I believe, solids.

No, I didn’t have to carry my bolts downstairs to be cut–there is a large cutting table right in the middle of this room, and they cut it for me there.

At the main register, where I checked out, was this board of Block of the Month quilts they are running through the store. I snatched one more pattern to add to my selection of fabrics, because of course, I need another project like I need a hole in the head, but it was the Thimble Creek Christmas quilt Santa’s Village pattern and it was charming (see below).

And that to me is one of the values and advantages of shopping at a local quilt shop like Elaine’s. When you physically step inside, you are energized by all the creativity and samples and ideas that the shop owner has brought to their store. I do both LQS and online shopping, but I feel more inspired by visiting a shop and seeing the fabrics, touching the samples and projects, turning them over in my hand and in my mind. I hope you feel the same!

Quilts

Saturday Check-in

August 31, 2013August 31, 2013 Elizabeth E.13 Comments

We put the Four-In-Art Quilts up above my window in my sewing room. I like seeing them all lined up. I don’t really live in a jungle. It just looks like it from this window, with the mature trees in the background, the silk oak tree on the side, and my wild wisteria vines in the foreground.

I keep putting this off, but I’m desperate for a new skirt for school. Anna Maria Horner’s feathers in linen-cotton need to be sewn up.

Fabricworm is tempting me with their Bundles Sale. I have this in the basket as well as as:

Contempo, Dwellings in the Guest House colorations, and. . .

Tule by Leah Duncan for Art Gallery.

Whether or not I’ll press “purchase” remains to be seen, but it’s fun to look at what’s new and do some dreaming! What are you doing?

Quilts

WIP–An Oldie, But Goodie

August 27, 2013August 28, 2013 Elizabeth E.9 Comments

I made this for my youngest son’s college freshman dorm bed when he went off to school, lo these many years ago (now he’s married, has a job and is getting his masters). I got this far, and he kinda said he wasn’t really happy with it, and could he have something else? So I made him something else, and this has sat for years in the back of the closet. Today was the day to do something, after so many of you wrote so many encouraging things back to me.

It was helped when I folded back the panel on the right to make it more symmetrical. It’s still such a 1990s quilt, though, isn’t it? but I do love the Hunter’s Star pattern.

And wrapped up in the wad of fabrics that I’d stuffed in the cupboard, lo those many years ago, were the outer borders, already cut. I wasn’t going to second-guess my 1990s mind, but I did add the inner yellow border, made up of different yellows in the quilt (and yes, I still have some of those in the stash, too).

So, now it’s off to the quilter’s–my first quilt to go there in probably four months? It was good to see her again, and to hand it over.

I also was delighted to receive my “hang it dang it” quilt rods. It’s basically an aluminum tube which you pull out to the width of your quilt (they have three different sizes), twist the rods to anchor them to that size, then snap the clasp on the center. They have a magnetic clasp and a plastic clasp. I bought one of each, but really, the plastic clasp works fine (and is cheaper). They even have a video to show you how. One nail and your quilt is hanging up, invisibly. No rods show, nothing.

Dot, one of the commenters the other day, in response to my “doldrums” post, referenced me to a carton by Grant Snider, done for Red Lemon Club, a site that caters to the creative type. I spent some time there, reading articles, re-learning about what it means to be a creative person.

Other wise insights that were mentioned:

I think we all find ourselves feeling that way from time to time. It’s called overwhelmed. Something has to go, and it’s usually our hobby time. I find if I don’t sew for a few days I get cranky.
Creative ebbs and flows and sometimes over flows, you’ll get back into the zone soon. In the meantime, follow your bliss, not your list.
It really is hard to find the time to do it all.