Finishing School Friday · Something to Think About

Finishing School Friday

Elizabeth E.2 Comments

No, not THAT kind of finishing school, but the kind where you get something done–something that won’t be UN-done, and say “Yay!  I finished something!”

I told my husband that I needed to go to Finishing School today, and so I did.

You’ve heard of Northern Lights?  Well meet Southern Brights–as in the southwest section of our nation.  We like brights, and this bundle from Fabricworm was so fun and cheery that I couldn’t resist adding a few more to make a Bento Box quilt.

This fabric, Round Robin, reminds me of the digital game Angry Birds, with their little round birds flying through the air.

I took it to the quilter today, so I could say: I finished a quilt top, sewed up the back and got it to the quilter!

What have you finished, this fine Friday?  So often in our listing of Works in Progress (which I love reading, by the way), we focus on the incomplete, those tasks that still remain heaped around our shoulders like heavy stones.  And if you’re like me, you might tend to interpret every new fabric stash purchase as adding more weight to that burden.  So I think it’s nice to be able to say–DONE!–even if the quilt itself isn’t done, this part is.

Here is a page out of a terrific book I have that is not used enough.  (And yes, I know where it is.)  It has a column of little pink boxes along the left side of the page, lines in the middle and drawing space–blank space–on the right.  The pages are perforated in case the user wants to tear them out.  It’s called Project Planner and it is made by Pen-Tab.  I did a Google search on it (couldn’t find it), because while I am a totally digital sort of person and can make loads of computer-generated To Do Lists, there’s something so cathartic and lovely about writing down a list of steps to do next to cute little pink boxes.  And there’s also something so lovely about being to put checkmarks in those cute little pink boxes.  The above page is for my daughter and son-in-law’s quilt that I made them for Christmas a few years ago.  I like looking at this page on those days when I feel surrounded by the Undone and feel like The Undead as I try to muster up some energy to clear the desk.

So, what can you point to this Finishing School Friday (FSF)?  Decided on a quilt?  Chosen some fabric?  Completed a block?  Or two?  Stitched a few of them together? If you are so inclined, leave a comment with your blog address showing what you’ve finished, even if it is so little as “doodled up a quilt sketch during a meeting.” Celebrate the Completed.

Creating · Quilts · Sewing

Red & White Challenge

Elizabeth E.9 Comments

Yesterday I wrote about Temecula Quilt Co and how the owner has a Red and White Challenge going on. {Details are •here•}  Bring your Red and White Quilt into the shop by September 15th, or if you are too far away, send a photo.  Head to her page for more info.

BUT I WANT TO PLAY!

Do you? While I was there I purchased six fat quarters of red and six of Kona Snow white from her (she graciously wrapped them up for me in cute little papers).  I’d like to share with you, so we can get started on a quilt to show in October.  Sheryl has more red and white available on her website, but if you live far away–or already have your own stash–any of the deep reds will work for this exchange.  And yes, I prewashed all the reds for you.

So, I’m organizing my own little way for you and I to play together, no matter where we live.  What I propose:
• leave a comment in order to get a free fat quarter of red and a free fat quarter of white.  By signing up, you agree to finish your block and get it back to me by August 1st.  Pinkie Swear you will do this–please don’t sign up if you won’t complete it by the first of August.
• make an 9″ block (should measure 9 1/2″ so as to include the seam allowances) using only red/white fabrics; you may select your block pattern from the blocks below.  I’ll include the pattern when I send it to you.
• make another block for yourself (if you want)
• send me my block by AUGUST 1ST!!
• And as a thank you, I will send you a block in return.  So you get two free blocks for making one–and for taking the red and white challenge with me.  This should get you started, so you can participate in the Quilt Challenge. I only bought six, so don’t waste time!

About the blocks: I looked through a lot of quilts that were hanging up in New York City, and chose a few.  I drafted them using my software (I use QuiltPro), and have printed them out, paper templates included.  Choose the block you want to make and it will be in your little package of fun that will be coming your way.  Be honest with yourself.  If you are just a beginning quilter, choose one of the easier blocks.  I don’t mind if we have duplicates.  If you want something fun (you only have to make two), try one of the more complex blocks.

I will be making a 9-patch based block for you–a surprise!–but it will coordinate with yours.  If I have no takers by June 20th (because you are all traveling, or having a baby, or don’t feel like a red and white, or just want to relax this summer), I’ll withdraw the challenge.

I’ve already had some replies:
First participant: Rhonda, making Jacob’s Ladder
Second participant: Sara, making Churn Dash
Third participant: Leisa, who hasn’t said yet which block she wants (Flying Geese Nines?)
Fourth quilter is Lisa G, who wants to make Swirling Star
Fifth quilter is Sue, who has her eye on Double-X
Sixth quilt is Katie H, who wants to make Shoofly.
Thanks all–looking forward to seeing your blocks in a couple of months.  I’ve got my design all planned out, and hope to start slicing into the red/white fabrics tomorrow.

I took the Swirling Star block from this quilt.  It looks amazing all made up and put together, doesn’t it?
P.S.  I’m sure most of these have other names; I looked them up in Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.

Quilt Shops

Temecula Quilt Company, California

Elizabeth E.2 Comments

Note: if you are looking for the Red/White Challenge, it is the next post!

Monday.  A very pretty Monday at that, just the thing for a little field trip.

Intrigued by their Red/White Quilter’s Challenge, I headed south to the Temecula Quilt Company.  They give very good directions on their website; it is located in a newer section of Temecula, more suburban than the Western-themed downtown Temecula.

Our Quilters Run begins at the end of June and this shop is getting ready.  They’ve divided up our large Southern California area into four sections, and each section has a season.  This area is Winter, and their cute winter quilt is displayed on the table at the front door.

I obtained permission from Sheryl Johnson (above), who owns the shop, to take some photos.  So here’s my little tour.
First up, notice the little mini quilts hanging behind here.  More on that later, but you’ll see them throughout the shop.

Temecula Quilt Co. is orientated around Civil War Reproductions, with fabrics predominantly in the creams, tans, and deep tones of the color wheel.  Sheryl has lots of great displays everywhere to entice the quilter into diving into the creative process of making a quilt.

On Monday mornings, they have a sewing group that meets, and by paying a small fee, you get the expert advice a fellow quilter.  I love how the quilts are displayed on the wall–lots of inspiration to keep the machine humming along–or at least that’s what I assumed, since the quilters were really going to town.

They have their own line of quilt patterns.  A “Monthly Mini” program exists that allows you to receive a kit for a mini quilt, and get the pattern too.  I think mini quilts are a good way to try out designs and techniques without investing in huge amounts of time or money.  When I used to take a lot of classes from designer quilters, I finally learned to make a mini quilt, which guaranteed that I would finish the quilt more often than I did when making the bigger (even wall-sized) quilts. You can always learn new things from field trips, I think.  Another good reason to break out of the sewing studio routine once in a while and hit the road.  Here are some more pictures of her shop:

More quilts arranged over a rack (I was taking this from the back, so that’s why they’re upside down).

Detail.

She has a Red and White Challenge going on. {Details are •here•}  Bring your Red and White Quilt into the shop by September 15th, or if you are too far away, send a photo.  Head to her page for more info.  And come back tomorrow for my own little red and white challenge!

Creating · Quilts

Cross and X Quilt Block

Elizabeth E.9 Comments

In my last post I talked about Zombie Quilt Night.  Well, at least that’s how I felt.

So, in exploring my really overwhelming list of blogs in my Google Reader, I began to see this block appear:

and

These two are made by a quilter in London, and these photos are from her blog.  I found the Flikr pool if you want to see some more.  I like these blocks because it’s obvious you can use scraps and whatever, so long as you use a bland background and differentiate the cross fabrics from the X fabrics.  The blocks together look like this:

and

These are from Stawberrylicious’ photo stream, but couldn’t locate her blog (I admit to being dumb untutored about Flikr, yessirree). It’s nice to feel some enthusiasm for a new idea–that always gets my hands into the fabric.  There’s lots of potential for novelty fabrics and word fabrics, and cool prints.

(Update: I found her blog.  You have to be invited to view it.)

This interest in an old block by Nancy Cabot was apparently generated by Setsuko Inagawa’s quilt:

Somebody with a blog named Badskirt has developed a tutorial for this, and although the pictures are spot on, I am doing some wondering about the measurements. See below.

I kept looking at the blocks on Flikr and noticed that the angled wedge didn’t always line up properly into the cross in the middle.  I drew it up on my quilt program:

I realized part of the trouble many of the blocks I found on the web seemed to be a 7″ block.  But this is a five-segmented block, so the measurements are more true if they are done in units of five: 5″ block, 7.5,” 10″ block etc.   So, I checked her measurements–they are fine–so what I saw constructed may have been others not being careful, or using incorrect measurements.


For a 10″ block, the templates (with seam allowances included) look like this, with that long center strip 2.5″ x 6.5″, the square measuring 4.5″ and the other small blocks 2.5.”  My program prints out the snowball blocks as two triangles, which I cut out and tape together to get the measurement.  Or–just just cut squares 2.5.”  I’ll probably stick with the 7 1/2-inch blocks because I like the repetition of the small blocks.

I wonder if anyone else is like me–that even when you’re working on a project, you need a spark now and again to keep interest.  I heard an interview with Andrew Zuckerman on Swiss Miss’ Creative Mornings series and he said “I hate every project three months in.  I’m exhausted.  I’m questioning whether it’s any good.  I’m unhappy.  [But] that’s just the process.  You have to get through that.  You have to commit. . . there’s no pulling out–it has to work.  And then it works out, because of the commitment.  There’s always failure when you don’t see it through fully.”

Just knowing I have Cross and X block possibilities in the back of my mind, will help me get through the Lollypop Trees process.  I hope.