Uncertainty is Wisdom in Motion

February 12, 2024August 30, 2025 Elizabeth E.16 Comments

This phrase intrigued me. It came from a podcast I listened to while out walking, so I’ve been thinking about what happens when we try to learn something new. Or lean away from “what we’ve always done.” Or have to hang out in the middle of a decision, not knowing the best way forward (the temptation is always to force it to a conclusion, apparently, limiting new possibilities). These ideas on uncertainty are from Maggie Jackson:

“Neuroscientists are beginning to unpack what happens in the brain at the uncertainty of the moment, when the realization that you don’t know that you’ve reached the limits of your knowledge instigate a number of neural changes. Your focus broadens and your brain becomes more receptive to new data and your working memory is bolstered. So this kind of rings a bell: you’re on your toes and that’s why uncertainty at that moment is a kind of wakefulness. In fact, Joseph Cable of the University of Pennsylvania said ‘that’s the moment when your brain is telling itself there’s something to be learned here.’ So by squandering that opportunity or retreating from that discomfort, we’re actually losing an opportunity to learn. Your old knowledge is no longer sufficient.”
–Maggie Jackson on the podcast The Grey Area, with Sean Illing

So what does this have to do with quilting?

I recently finished up my pattern of the New York Beauties (more on that in a minute) and decided I wanted to make each block in the quilt in regular intervals, but many of those above are multiples of the same block. So I thought I’d test out using freezer paper, instead of my usual parchment paper, and see how I liked it. (Besides that, my regular 17 lb. parchment wasn’t being made anymore–only the 28 lb. Time for an update!)

And the verdict? I like it!

First, start with this: ChicWrap’s 18″ aluminum foil dispenser. It comes with foil, but I put that back in the kitchen, and slipped in my 18″ roll of freezer paper.

You don’t thread it through that slit, but instead, lift the lid, to set up the paper for cutting.

Pull it out so you have at least 11″ of length. Fold it in half (it will measure about 9″ in width), then take it to your cutting mat to trim it up to 8 1/2″ x 11.” Now you are ready to feed it through the printer. If you don’t have a printer that will allow you to feed it one sheet at a time, you can tape the freezer paper to a piece of heavier paper or cardstock (trim the freezer paper down to 8″ x 10 1/2″) and send that through.

I read about buying sheets of freezer paper already cut, but most of the commenters said it was no sturdier than the stuff we use from our rolls, so I just cut it from the roll, and went with it. After printing, I cut it out around the outlines of the piece I was using. You can experiment with this technique by downloading my free New York Beauties single pattern from PayHip:

Even though I’d already printed out all the regular parchment papers, my brain was saying “there’s something to be learned here.” So here we go:

After cutting out your shape from the printed freezer paper, fold on the first line, and press just this section (Ray 1) to your first piece of fabric (picture 1: muted lavender). Then lay that on top of your second color (picture 2: orange).

Later on, I figured that I should make a crease on all the lines of my section, but for now, I digitally outlined the rays in orange dashes to help you see the shapes.

Make sure there is enough of your second fabric underneath your first fabric. Pin, or clip. Head to the sewing machine, and sew next to that folded edge.

Now to the ironing board. Press, smoothing the fabric away from the seam. Iron only on the next section (Ray 2). Fold back along the line between rays 2 and 3.

At the cutting board, align your ruler for a scant quarter-inch seam, and cut off the excess. If you need to trim at the end of the piece, open up your paper, so you know you aren’t going to cut off something you’ll need later on. Use the edge of the paper as a guide, but rough-cut off the extra. (See picture 12, below.)

Fold back alone the line between sections 2 and 3, revealing the shape of the next ray (shown here in dashed orange lines). Place on your third fabric (picture 5: blue-green). Stitch along that folded edge. Iron Section 3 paper onto the blue-green fabric, smoothing out the fabric underneath.

Fold on the line between sections 3 & 4 (Ray 4 shown here in orange dashed lines). Place until on next fabric (picture 6: tomato red).

Again, stitch along folded edge, shown in pictures 7 & 8. You can also see how I pin — just in that seam allowance. Did all my fabrics have a straight edge, making it easy for me to align (as in picture 6)? No, not always. If not, I would place, trim…and then pin and sew.

You know the drill now: press just that section (Ray 4), then trim at the cutting table, as shown in picture 11.

In picture 12, I show how I open up my paper, so I can cut off the excess at the base of the B1 section. Then I fold it back down and trim that scant quarter-inch at the crease of the paper (between Rays 4 and 5). In picture 13, I fold it back down, and lay it on the next fabric, using the shape of Ray 5 to check you have enough fabric. Those orange dashed lines are a visual guide: I do have enough. Stitch along the folded edge.

Yep–you know: press only the Ray 5 section of freezer paper onto your fabric. Back to the cutting mat to trim at a scant quarter-inch, then repeat with your final ray (picture 15: a happy orange for me). Press that freezer paper to your final ray. It should look sort of like the image in picture 16. Set aside, and start on B2.

Following the numbers, and using the same technique, stitch all the rays for B2. Trim carefully around the edges of both, neat and clean (picture 17). Peel back the papers for those edge-rays with wrong sides together and pin, aligning lower and upper edges of B1 and B2. Take to sewing machine. I found I had to peel back even a little more. Stitch, then carefully peel off the freezer paper. When you take it to your ironing board, press that last seam the same direction as all the rest (you’ll figure it out).

Charging right ahead, press a center mark in the A Outer Corner, the B1/B2 piece, and the C Center. Don’t press down through the whole piece — just the tip of your iron is all that’s needed. Pin the outer edges of the A Outer Corner and the center marks, and head to the sewing machine.

In picture 22, I sewed the A Outer Corner to my rays, PUTTING THE LARGER OUTER CORNER TO THE BOTTOM. This is different than you usually see. Please take it slowly, no rushing, keep aligning as you go from pin to pin to pin (there are only three).

In picture 23, after putting in my three pins, I sewed the C Center to the rays, WITH THE RAYS TO THE FEED DOGS. Again, take it slowly, and keeping aligning the fabric. You can pull it toward you a little as you stitch, because those curves are bias. By elongating them (by stretching them out), it may help them to line up a little easier. But not a big pull, not a big tug. Little adjustments. You are the tug boat, getting that steamship into port — little by little. (Okay, enough bad metaphors.)

Press. Usually you are pressing away from the rays.

Now to trim up. I gave you extra on the A Outer Corner so if your block went askew, it wouldn’t be a tragedy (just another way I show my love to you in my patterns — I make the mistakes so you won’t have to). Align the corner of your ruler so the 1/4″ line is right at the Outer Corner fold, as show in picture 24.

Then check the opposite corner, lining that 9 1/4″ mark at the folded edge. It’s not rocket science, meaning that it most likely won’t be exact. Get as close as you can. Trim, then turn the block, lining up the 9 1/2″ line with the trimmed edge, and slice off whatever is left (not much on this side).

Done! Wild Sunflower block is complete. Now, if you are going for the full quilt, the pattern says to make a total of three. So will the freezer paper keep sticking?

Ray Two is finished, and I’m plowing again into Ray Three, and yep — it’s still sticking. For one of the blocks you make it five times. I’ll be interested to see how that goes. And overall, I felt like using this method is faster, always a plus.

Just like I used a weekly goal to help pull me out of my sewing slump last summer, I’ll be using these New York Beauties to get me going for this year. If you want to follow along, I have a coupon for you to use, if you want to purchase the pattern. (I’ll probably do this every two weeks, so don’t panic.)

Just head to my quilt pattern shop, and when you check out, type in this code (note the three capital letters at the beginning). You’ll get 20% off the pattern. It expires on Leap Day! (February 29)

All of this can be found on the Master New York Beauties page, on the tab above. When the coupon expires, I’ll take it down, but a listing of the blog posts will be linked there, if you want to refer to them.

What we ate for the Super Bowl (no, we did not watch it): Homemade Focaccia

Just before kick-off, Camryn and Landon (he, of Focaccia fame) stopped by to visit, then took off again to their Super Bowl party. Later that night, we blanked out by watching the movie Dune on Netflix, understanding about 60% of it. If you’ve seen it, what was your percentage?

300 Quilts · Patterns by Elizabeth of OPQuilt · Temperature Quilt · This-and-That

This and That • January 2024

January 14, 2024August 30, 2025 Elizabeth E.18 Comments

Sometimes the title for these posts can nudge toward the trivial, but the first thing I want to talk about was anything but trivial.

My family.

Our four children do not live near us, for some, the far-away is very-far-away, and for others, it’s a bit closer. My husband proposed taking me out to dinner for my milestone birthday, but to “prepare for photos.” And “maybe don’t wear your sneakers.” We went to our local Fancy Dining Place, The Mission Inn, which was still decked out in holiday lights. When I rounded the corner to our table, the kids were all sitting there. Oh, My! I was quite touched that they would come to celebrate with me, and they spent the next day with us, too. Quite the loveliest of birthday surprises. By Sunday, they had all gone home, and the house was very quiet.

When an opening became available, I rejoined the Gridster Bee. It was one I’d started several years ago, but I’d bowed out last year. Patti, ever capable, took over and has been a steady hand in keeping it going, as many bees dissolve after a short time. We had our kick-off Zoom call at the beginning of the month (one positive from the 2020 pandemic is this technology):

I loved seeing Carol’s Christmas quilt, one done in an earlier iteration of this Bee.

I finished this. It’s a free pattern, here on the website (keep reading). I’d started writing it ages ago, but who knows where time flies? Inside is the color key for both this 2023 (softer) version of Painter’s Palette fabrics, as well as the (bolder) version used in 2019:

I haven’t yet finished the 2023 quilt; for one, I’m still embroidering the temperature range numbers onto the Circle of Geese block that I’ve used for a key.

And about this geese pattern. It was originally made by Kelly Liddle of JelliQuilts. If I could find her again, I’d link to it. She seems to have vanished without a trace, and it’s a pretty good pattern for this sort of thing. I’ve even written to the last email I have from her, when I paid for and downloaded the pattern: Zip. Nada.

Which brings me to the podcast I listened to this past week, where Ezra Klein and his guest, Kyle Chayka, talk about how the internet isn’t fun anymore. Boring, too. And part of it is what Chayka calls the SEO-ification of the algorithm. Everything resembles everything else, as we use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to get a wider reach. While this can have benefits, Chayka and Klein argue that we seem to be homogenizing our world, as every website looks like another as the robots send you to whatever you’ve liked before, and assume you will like again.

I’m fine with that, especially when I do a search on Temperature Quilts on Instagram. But I’m also not fine with it as it seems to have flattened out what we see. Like hashtags used to be an interesting way to get a range of images, from temperature quilts that began as crocheted blankets to the most recent version of houses, leaves, and birds. Now we just get the “TOP” images. Are they the top “eye-ball-getting” images? The most colorful? The most interesting? And how will we ever know what the robots, aka: algorithm, have come to choose what they are showing us.

Chayka says he misses the curated web, where various people wrote random things, like a writer went flying through a rainbow and put the colors up on a blog. A blog!?! Who writes those anymore? Well, I do. Maybe that is why I also write about quilting, but also more-than-quilting, trying to avoid being boring, and maybe to avoid having to clean up my sewing room:

(*from 2020, but it still looks the same*)

One more thing: this week is Road to California, a local, national quilt show. I’m signed up for two classes: one from Lori Kennedy (FMQ on Monday) and one from Annie Smith (Design Your Own Appliqué on Thursday). I’ll also go one more day, Saturday, so I can stay to get my quilt that is hanging in the show: Aerial Beacon.

I would take a closer photo of this, but it will have to wait until next week, when I get some pictures of it hanging in the show. If you are headed there, find me and say hi!

Here’s the Temperature Pattern download. It will stay here on my website for a bit, then move over to my Pattern Shop on PayHip. Enjoy!

UPDATE: The pattern is now over on PayHip, so head over to my Pattern Shop to download your copy.

300 Quilts · Patterns by Elizabeth of OPQuilt · Publications

Santa’s Night Ride • Quilt Finish

November 26, 2023August 30, 2025 Elizabeth E.14 Comments

This quilt has been on quite a ride. A Santa’s Night Ride, to be exact.

It has flown over to France, to the QuiltMania people, who publish three fine magazines: QuiltMania, Simply Moderne and Simply Vintage.

It has flown home.

And it will be making its debut in one of the QuiltMania magazines: Simply Vintage!

I know my friend Carol will like the Corgi on the bed. I do too! My quilt, Santa’s Night Ride will be in this issue, Number #49, which should be out about now. For those of you not aware of the THREE Mania magazines, let me introduce you to this one. While it says “Vintage” on the top, you might instead think of it as more traditional than vintage. It has a lot of our favorite quilt designs, as well as some new ones. I’m just pleased as punch to have my quilt published, and you can buy it from them directly here. Just click on the newest issue, with the Corgi on the front.

The center blocks are Foundation Paper Pieced (FPP) and they go together quickly.

I also made the border with FPP, and here you see my favorite roller. Instead of running to the ironing board, just use this tool, an automotive tool, with ball bearings — I prefer it to the old wooden one I used to use, and it’s $cheaper$.

I always print out a light version of my quilt and map out my quilting. Then I will often use a disappearing pen to transfer my ideas to the quilt.

I even sewed on the binding by machine. It seems like every December, when I’m deep in the Christmas season, I get the bug to make a quilt, but I always finish it up in January. Not this one! This is Quilt #272 in my Quilt Index.

Some tips on using scraps: Keep them in similar values for the center blocks. All my blocks are different, but they “read” the same because I used the same red/white for the inner triangles, and while I used four different greens for the large triangles, they are distributed evenly throughout each block.

Go for one fabric for the light background for both the center blocks and the outside little tree-triangles in the border, as it helps tie the quilt together. You can see above all the different fabrics I used in the outer tree-triangles: cut loose and cut from your scraps.

This has been in the works for nearly a year, so while you may have had a glimpse or two of this small quilt, I was waiting for the day when I could share the happy news, of this publication.

Happy almost December!

Other QM published quilts:
Riverside Sawtooth (in QuiltMania)
Elizabeth’s Lollipops (in QuiltMania: a photograph from a quilt show, but I’m counting it!)
Crossroads (in Simply Moderne)

During the pandemic, I agreed to let them share my blocks with readers of the QuiltMania newsletter. The patterns have now come home to stay, and most are free (see tab, above).

300 Quilts · Patterns by Elizabeth of OPQuilt · Something to Think About

Crossroads

July 9, 2023August 31, 2025 Elizabeth E.12 Comments

What is the difference between achievement and accomplishment? asked Adam Gopnick. That question has set me thinking about it ever since. We quilters work hard to get our quilts finished, our patches pieced and all the little scraps of fabric marching in order toward our vision. Are we achieving? Or are we accomplishing?

“Achievement,” writes Gopnick, “is the completion of a task imposed from outside — the reward often being a path to the next achievement. Accomplishment is the end point of an engulfing activity we’ve chosen, whose reward is the sudden rush of fulfillment, the sense of happiness that rises uniquely from absorption in a thing outside ourselves.”

“Our social world often conspires to denigrate accomplishment in favor of the rote work of achievement,” write Gopnik, and many of us are “perpetually being pushed toward the next test or the “best” grammar school, high school or college they can get into.” The result of this is that we drive the young (and maybe ourselves) toward achievement, toward “tasks that lead only to other tasks.”

Our Guild recently handed out their yearly challenge fabric, chosen by someone who loves purple:

While the challenge (due in September) is divided up into four categories (wallhangings/runners, quilts, wearables, bags/totes), for me the real challenge was working with this fabric.

Challenge accepted. When I was in Utah, I stopped by The Quilters Lodge and they helped me pick out some hues not readily observable, as well as a bold and sassy turquoise polkadot. Was this merely another task that led onto a task, “the point of it all never made plain,” as Gopnik asks?

I remember that Bonnie Hunter, master of the scrap quilt, always said that if a fabric is ugly to you, then you haven’t cut it up into small enough pieces. I didn’t find the fabric ugly — no Philip Jacobs fabric ever is, to my way of thinking. But the colors were definitely a challenge. So…I cut it up small. I chose one of my older patterns that I’d had previously published in Simply Moderne to be my guide through this. It has never been published as a stand-alone pattern, and I knew it was really versatile and strong enough to handle any fabric thrown at it. And it was fast and easy…also a requisite for this Guild challenge, to my way of thinking.

This could have been a series of exercises, dictated-from-the-outside, as so many guild challenges are. I’ve seen some so constrained that it really is ridiculous: how many of you have done the “crayon” challenge, or the “scraps in paper bag” challenge, or the “page number in a magazine” challenge? (However constraining, I happen to like that one.)

But on the other hand, says Gopnik, we’ll head towards accomplishment by looking at this big self-assigned task and “breaking it down into small, manageable tasks” that later lead to the final result. This experience of breaking down, then building up can also inform later professional work, even leading to a vocation. And my guess is that Gopnik meant these as self-directed tasks, with enough time and little enough direction, so that we can roam far and wide and back again in order to find that accomplishment.

“Self-directed accomplishment, no matter how absurd it may look to outsiders or how partial it may be, can become a foundation of our sense of self and of our sense of possibility. Losing ourselves in an all-absorbing action, we become ourselves.” (from here)

I spent the better part of a day cutting, arranging, sewing, finishing the top in a short amount of time. I recognize that I now have the opportunity to do that, and the support of my family. It was not always so easy, and when I was in graduate school (can we say “outside task” to “outside task” to “outside task”?) trying to get a degree so I could launch my professional life, I didn’t sew or quilt for two years. But I returned to it, and when I retired from teaching, my days of quilting — coupled with my education — allowed me to move into teaching Guilds, and writing this blog (“inside” tasks).

“Pursuit of a resistant task, if persevered in stubbornly and passionately at any age, even if only for a short time, generates a kind of cognitive opiate that has no equivalent. There are many drugs that we swallow or inject in our veins; this is one drug that we produce in our brains, and to good effect. The hobbyist or retiree taking a course in batik or yoga, who might be easily patronized by achievers, has rocket fuel in her hands. Indeed, the beautiful paradox is that pursuing things we may do poorly can produce the sense of absorption, which is all that happiness is, while persisting in those we already do well does not.”

So what is achievement? What is accomplishment? Maybe the words don’t fully articulate the slender difference, but we know it when we push through something hard, to end with something beautiful. We know it when that pursuit doesn’t end, although we may leave and come back to it after a time. We know it when we finally finish the quilting or the binding or the label, having worked our way through color choices and fabric choices and design and cutting and stitching, and hang up that quilt and stand back to look.

We most certainly know it then.