In Memory

I have a friend, we'll call her Mary (because that is her name).  She asked me if I'd help her make a memory quilt for her daughter-in-law.  Mary has never made a quilt but her daughter-in-law was very close to her grandfather and now he is gone.  (And we mothers-in-law can use all the points we can get. Is that not the truth?)  Of course, I said "yes."

Miss Mary

We had ONE shirt from "papa"...that's all we were able to get, ONE shirt.  I wasn't too hopeful we could do much with one shirt (and I didn't get a picture of it...I'm still kicking myself.)

But, we started out.  I picked up the key to the Mezzanine room.










Mary ripped apart the shirt.  We picked a pattern.
Then we went shopping for some fabric at a local fabric store, Jenny's Fabrics.
Mary was skeptical when I suggested we pick a red fabric.  (Actually, she thought I was crazy.)

We started assembling.  The pictures sort of speak for themselves.

We'd cut; we'd sew; then we'd lay it out on our Design Floor. Then we'd repeat.
Cut, Sew, Lay it out, Repeat.

We used every single inch of that shirt...including the crumbs.
If you look close ... we preserved the pocket (second row, last block on the right)
and the placket (third row, second block from the left.)

 

 


Does the pattern look familiar?
It's the same one I used to make the baby quilt  for my colleague and his wife
(which I just fetched from the quilter last night... more about that one later.)
Friendship Star from Missouri Star Quilt.
See my posts from September 7 and September 22.

About 10 days later... it's done.  well, kinda.... 

We were both willing to accept the outer border,
but it didn't quite settle with us.

Certainly didn't add any ZING.

 








So, a couple of days later we got together again
and swapped out the border.  





TA DA!  Ready for the Quilter!!!
There'll be a bunch of hugs (and maybe even a few tears)
on Christmas morning.

Love Your Postal Person

Whether by US Postal Service, UPS, Fed-Ex or Special Delivery don't you just want to KISS the delivery person!?  Not even RAIN in Southern California can keep them from delivering your package!!!

Received a box stuffed with goodies from
Missouri Star Quilt Company

Said Goodies.  

They even sent a free treat, 

embroidery scissors.

Using a pattern from this issue of BLOCK,
I am going to make a lap quilt for my sister's grandson.

Holiday Vol 3 Issue 4
Starburst (page 85)








TA DA!  I've never sewn with pre-cuts before.
I may need to do this more....

All the half-square triangles are finished.
Different technique, really fast.

Laid out on my design floor

It was fast and easy.  The layout took a while.

It did not use the entire pack of the 10" pre-cut blocks.  The pattern says to use half, but I wanted it to be a lap quilt and not a wall hanging so I used more.  That is why the layout took a while...


Now I need to sew the blocks together
and take it to my friend to quilt.

Club House Turn

Here we are in the last quarter of the year.  For those of us making quilts for Christmas, it's time to burn the midnight oil.... 

As normal for me, I have been traveling for work.  When I travel I work on my Glorious Hexies in the airports and hotel rooms.  I'm actually making some progress. (And, it keeps me off the street corner.)

Sitting in the Phoenix airport last night, it was interesting to me that other passengers waiting to board the plane who were so engrossed in their iPhones, iPads, Blackberries, Blueberries, Marionberries and the such were "alone."  But there were several people (like me) doing some sort of hand work (knitting, crocheting, etc.) and while they worked, most were chatting with their seat mates.  Actually interacting with people!!  Can you imagine?!

I was chatting with a very nice young woman traveling from Michigan to San Clemente, CA to get married!  Her young man was in the army and just back from deployment.  She was so very sweet.  I prayed a quick blessing with her. 

Finished

Finished these three on this trip.

My neighbor text me while I was away that she picked up a box from my door from Missouri Star Quilt Company.....YIPPIE! 

In it is a "layer cake" that I will use with a pattern from Block magazine (Holiday issue. Vol 3, Issue4) and that will complete my Christmas quilt list for 2016.

I will open it today!

OH, NO!!!

Mary Engelbreit (I love her... click here)

Has this every happened to you?  You're working on a quilt and  "OH NO!" you don't have enough of a certain fabric!!!???

I am working on several quilts at the moment: 

one for a colleague who's wife is about to have a baby; one for a niece who is about to have a baby

and a Christmas quilt for my sister's granddaughter.

I must say, I'm moving ahead very nicely.... until.... DUN--DUN--DUUUUUNNNN

(click HERE) (turn your sound on)

I discover I need more of a certain fabric.

I've been working on this quilt, Spring is in the Air, by Lizzy B Cre8ive. (I've written about this quilt before:  July 4, 2016;  July 14, 2016 and  July 16, 2016.) It is looking so cute.

But, I have a bad habit of making changes along the way.

On this one, I decided to add a pieced border from The Border Workbook.   After I worked on the border for a while (it's pieced....seems to be taking forever to get together) THEN I decided to add another, simpler border of one of the border fabrics.  But I do not have enough fabric of the one I want to use.  What to do, what to do ?????

First I go back to the fabric store where I purchased the fabric...it's local.  No luck.

Then I  look on the salvage of the piece I have for name, manufacturer, lot number, etc.  No luck, I've already removed the salvage.
THEN I REMEMBERED!  I read recently that you should save your salvages and being a bit of a rule-follower, I've started doing just that.  So I dig it out of the scrap drawer.  I get a partial name "CX6220 Mini Chic Chevron."

Another piece of fabric, similar, says Robert Kaufman.  So, that is where I start my google search: "Robert Kaufman"+"CX6220 Mini Chic Chevron."  I find a lot of pretty fabrics, but not the one I'm looking for.








Next, got to the Fab Shop Hop website.  They have a link that allows you to search a lot of different fabric shops for specific fabric.  And what to my wondering eyes did appear????

MY fabric!!  It is not Robert Kaufman.  It is Michael Miller.

Now my only decision is to order it on line from this supplier, or, now that I know it is Michael Miller, continue to search and see if I can find it cheaper.

And, in case you were wondering, the other two baby quilts are finished and ready for the quilter.

Baby Quilt 1 (boy)

Baby Quilt 2 (girl)

National Sewing Month

Apparently September is National Sewing Month.... Who Knew?

I have been sewing quite a bit of late... working on projects with Christmas in mind.

Project Number one is in "add the borders" stage.

Spring is in the Air by Lizzie B Cre8ive

I started this quilt top last month.  (See the post from July 16.) I decided to make it a lap quilt rather than a wall hanging so the borders would need to be fairly wide.  I chose a pattern from The Border Workbook.  My next decision for this quilt is whether to have another border.















I recently became aware that a colleague of mine is expecting a baby before the end of the year.  So, project number two will be completely adorable, but quick quilt with a piece of fabric I found while in Honolulu last month.

I decided on a pattern from Missouri Star Quilt Co BLOCK book from Summer Vol 3, Issue 3
The Friendship Star

Here is what I have so far:

Finally, I'm still working on the Glorious Hexies. Hexies are a hand-sewing project and the going is slow.  But, they are cute.

On The Road

I simply LOVE to talk to people about quilting. It is a good ice breaker that often leads to deeper conversations and sometimes even Facebook Friends.

Recently I discovered a couple of ladies right in my home church (Calvary Baptist Church) who quilt.  We had a small get together for a "show and tell".  It was very fun to get to know these ladies and see their past projects as well as what is under their needle today.







Another thing I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE is visiting fabric stores.  And, one of the perks of traveling for work is visiting fabric stores in various cities that I would normally not have an opportunity to visit.

A few weeks ago I was in Honolulu Hawaii and was able to visit three fabric/quilt stores, all very different.

Fabric Mart

 This fabric store was probably the store with largest inventory and prices were very reasonable.

Very eclectic and quite interesting, this store  had a very large inventory of Hawaiian fabrics.


Kuni Island Fabrics is a very sweet (but small), locally owned, store with a good variety of fabrics, notions and items on display.

While I was browsing, several ladies came in to sign up for classes... the owner seemed to know the ladies very well, asking personal questions about family, etc.  THAT is VERY nice.  While the ladies in my local fabric stores may know me by sight, we certainly have not taken any time to get to know each other on a personal level.

 Kuni Island Fabrics is participating in the Row-By-Row Experience

Here is a completed Row-By-Row quilt. 
If you have not yet discovered Row-By-Row...
check out the website Here.

Kaimuki Dry Goods

This was probably my favorite store. There was a nice variety of fabrics from Hawaiian fabrics to specialty fabrics.  The staff was quite friendly asking about the projects I had planned for the fabric I was buying and the store was bright and open.

They are also participating in the Row-By-Row (see above picture.)



That's all.  If you are planning a trip to the Islands (or any other location) check out the local fabric stores.
Before you go, check out this website for a list of fabric stores at your destination. Quilter's Travel Companion
(One last word, the above-mentioned site is a paid service.  Not every fabric store or quilt store will be listed.  Search Google as well.)

Hand Me That Screwdriver, Please.

April & Carmen Henry of April's 1930s are touring the U.S. this summer and helping Featherweight owners keep their babies in tip top shape.

My friend, Robin, and I spent a couple of days in San Diego with the Henrys and a dozen of our closest friends (who we'd never met before this class...)

First, we took the machines all apart.  The face plates, the belts, the bottoms, the bobbin housing.  It was a bit intimidating and made me somewhat nervous... a lot of little screws and pieces.

 But, we had a good teacher... and a few helpers

And in the end, we were all successful in getting the machines back together again.   A lot cleaner and purring like kittens.

My Miss Ellie
1951

P.S.  My sister gave me her mother-in-laws old sewing machine.  It is not a singer, but it is vintage... I think about 1970s era.  I'm going to try out my new skills on it... :-)

Off to the Mezz

It's getting to be a delightful habit.... meeting in the Mezzanine Room to sit-n-sew...and chat...and eat...and sew.

Today we are working on Glorious Hexies... all hand work... For those who do not know what Hexies are...
English Paper Piecing (EPP).

Charlotte's very first GLORIOUS Hexie.  Isn't she Glorious?  Her name is "Carol."  (as a point of clarification, we are both named "Charlotte."  Pictured above is Charlotte-from-the-East.)

I've done 3 so far, Dolores (Block 6)

 and two Marena (Block 8.)

(You'll understand the names in a moment.)

Here is a picture of Hexies posted on Facebook.  This person is actually keeping up with the Glorious Hexie "quilt-a-long."

Pretty Glorious, if you ask me.

The Quilting Auntie, Nyla, asked me how to get started.  It is a bit of a process so I thought I'd write it all down so you, too, can make Glorious Hexies.

First, join the Facebook page for Glorious Hexies.  Click HERE


Next, buy the book "The New Hexagon"  You can get it at PaperPieces.com or Amazon
(I think it goes without saying, don't buy the Kindle version of this book.)

You will need some EPP papers (and for those of us who had some EPP papers already (Auntie) you can start with those.)  I did get my EPP papers from PaperPieces.com.  It was a bit confusing trying to decide what I needed so I called them.  The lady I spoke with was nice and VERY helpful.  She suggested I start with the pack that has a enough papers for one of each block in the book.  Good Idea. Click HERE to see that package of papers.

The Glorious Hexie Quilt-A-Long is sponsored by PaperPieces.com. There is a link on the website.  Click Here

If you want to participate in the Quilt-A-Long, they will send you papers every month to make three of each of the blocks in the book.  That felt like a life-long commitment to me so I opted for the package of papers to make one-each.  Click HERE to see that package of papers.  I did not buy the second little booklet.  I may later...  I did not buy the acrylic templates, a bit spendy for my budget.  (Many of the truly GLORIOUS Hexies you will see on the Facebook site are made fussy cutting the fabric, including Charlotte's very first pictured above.  If you are going to do a lot of fussy cutting, the acrylic templates might be a good option.  (Auntie, I have a different option for you.))

One word of warning with this package of papers.... when you get the papers...they are ALL JUMBLED UP.  It's just a big pile of papers!  Pour yourself a glass of wine, turn on your favorite trash TV and spend some time separating them.  I put mine in snack-size sandwich bags I purchased from the Dollar Store.

As I start putting together the actual block, I use snack-size bags also and I mark them with a piece of painters tape with the block # and name.  Oh, I almost forgot...all 52 blocks in the book have a girl's name.  Cute.


One last tip....
We quilters have worked hard perfecting our quarter inch seams.  This author suggests 3/8 inch seam allowance.
I poo-pooed that right away. Crow-eating time...quarter inch seams are a bit skimpy when doing EPP.  EXCEPT when using the teeny tiny pieces.

OK.  I think that is about it.  Another excuse to get to your favorite quilt shop and stimulate the quilt economy.  Then, book a flight to Fiji so you can spend some quality, uninterrupted time with your Glorious Hexies.

July 22, 2016:  This just in...more GH information. (This is copied and pasted from the comments below, if you find this too small to read.)

Thank you, Wanda, for this information.

I was under the impression that Paperpieces.com was the sponsor of this quilt-a-long.  But it is really Glorious Color!  Their website IS very helpful.  Click HERE
AND, they have FABRIC and other quilting goodies.

More good reasons to get on board the Hexie train!

Decision Time

It is all put together with  2 inch border.... but now my decision is whether to add more borders and make it a lap quilt, or make a wall hanging.

Putting it All Together

All the blocks are finished and I've started putting them together....It was kind of hard. A lot of little pieces and a lot of changing thread color. I don't think it looks like the pattern picture.  But, I'm happy with it....



Final step...borders and then the quilter.