Quilt Show Take-Aways

Vendor Hall
It really did look like this.

I went to the show knowing I'd find gobbs and gobbs of fun, wonderful quilt stuff.  And, I was not disappointed.  But, I also had a budget (my money tree has not started producing yet.)  My strategy was to visit the booths, and yes we do look in every one...mostly, and mark down on the map what I liked and the booth number where it was found.  It actually worked pretty well.





I only came away with two things. But, I still managed to go over my budget. (sad face goes here)

The Oregon wall hanging pattern speaks for itself.  As I am a Portland girl, I just could not pass it up.

Before I talk about my other purchase, 

I need to give you a bit of background.

The first two quilts I ever made were QAYG **.  One, a simple 4-patch and the other  a BOM* from Cool Cottons in Portland, Oregon.  Back then I knew so little about quilting that when the group was talking about sashing I thought they were saying slashing!   I thought that was a bit strange, but oh well ...  the group did eventually correct me. Imagine my embarrassment.

I  did not like the finished result of QAYG at all. They looked sloppy and wonky.  I've never done one since.  But, I did not think I would EVER pay to have someone else quilt them, either...too expensive.  That, of course, changed because if you don't QAYG and you don't send them out the only thing left is to tie them.  I have tied a few....functional but not as pretty as quilting. (You could quilt them yourself on your domestic machine...I learned a whole new vocabulary quilting them myself.)

Simple 4 patch for my son.
QAYG

BOM that I gave to my friend, Peggy.
QAYG

Enter Mr. Flynn.  At another quilt show (I think it was Paducah)
 I met Mr Flynn and purchased the Flynn Method for free motion quilting.

Think of it as the poor-woman's answer to a sit-down quilter, like the Tin Lizzie or the Handi Quilter Sweet 16.

It looked so easy!  I was so motivated!  It is still in the box 10 years later!!!

Every show I attend I stop and talk to Mr. Flynn, as I did this year.  I promised him THIS year, I would take it out of the box.  And I will keep my promise.

Now, back to the present time:  as we were perusing the vendor booths (I'd only purchased one item so far and feeling pretty proud of myself)  I happened on a booth with a sign "THIS METHOD FOR QAYG WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE."   Being the smart-aleck that I am, I scoffed.  But, I gave her a few minutes of my time.

IT DID CHANGE MY LIFE....AND TOOK ME OVER MY BUDGET! I bought her kit.

All the Instructions

All The Tools

I could not possibly describe how this works, so here is a link to the website with videos on how this works.
Here is a link to a very short  demo video.

The process in a nut shell.
The last circle is the finished sashing.

The result is very attractive, looks really easy and I  think I'm going to liked it very much.

One more post tomorrow to talk about some Honorable Mentions.
Things I would have purchased if I hadn't already run out of money.

Ciao.




*BOM = Block of the Month
**QAYG = Quilt as You Go

Once Upon A Time....

...in a city far, far away (Portland, Oregon) a sad woman (a non-quilting, sad woman) at the encouragement of her quilting Auntie joined a Block-of-the-Month group at a local quilt shop (Cool Cottons). After a bad break up with a boyfriend, she needed something.

The first BOM lead to another and the adventure began.  But now she had a stack of blocks and too many other ideas she was anxious to try -- the blocks were set aside.  (Her very first UFO.)

Then, a few years later at the siren call of "The Babes" (grandsons) there was a big move to another state. While many household items were left behind, not much left behind was from the sewing/quilting room. (And by now there were more UFOs.)



Fast forward 5 more years: American Patchwork & Quilting issued a challenge for 2018....complete 12 UFO projects this year.  The now-happy woman signed up. (Read January 8, 2018 and February 10, 2018.)

 

Each month a number is published on their Facebook  page. That number corresponds to the number on your UFO list. That is your assignment that month.  May was #6.

Here it is July, but FINALLY, my #6 is ready for the quilter.

The layout is not any particular pattern.  My quilting friend, the "other Charlotte", has a computer program that will figure out layout and fabric requirements.
Quilt Pro.

How cool is that!





Recognize the triangle setting blocks and the outer border fabric?  I've used this fabric in other projects, one being my Nephew's Tee-Shirt Quilt.

You just can't beat a good blender! I did have to search the internet to find more of this fabric.  The original yardage was purchased in Portland at  Fabric Depot a year ago.  

That is why it is always a good idea to keep the a piece of the salvage with fabric information.

The result is both BOM blocks combined

 
This will be for my sister; for her birthday later this month.  She mentioned a few years ago she wished she had a quilt big enough for her bed....this should do the job nicely; 80" X 124.

I realize it is pretty long.  I didn't pay attention to the layout...oh well, it is long enough to go up over the pillows when (if ?) she makes her bed.

Because I didn't pay attention, I ended up with two blocks left over.

Quilters do not make mistakes, they make variations...and pillows.

Happy Birthday, Peanut.

National Quilting Day

It is National Quilting Day... So, do YOU quilt?  No?  Do you want to?  Don't know where to start?

I've only been quilting about 5 or 6 years.  I started after a bad breakup with a man... I was sad and had a lot of time on my hands.  My Auntie invited me to her house for a visit...she is a quilter.  I remember she took me to a quilt show at The Buggy Barn.  I was awestruck!  How on earth did they make such beautiful creations!

I bought my first "kit" that day and in true quilter fashion, it is still in my UFO stack to this very day (she said, sheepishly.)

My next step was to join a Block of the Month (BOM) group at Cool Cottons.  I was hooked and have not looked back...even when I moved from "the city of bridges" to the O.C. three years ago...I ditched a lot of stuff from my house....but not much from my sewing room.

To get started, join a BOM group at your local quilt store, and/or join a local quilt guild.  Pick an easy pattern and start sewing... it is that easy.  Go back to day 2 of this blog and read about getting started.
Watch videos from Missouri Start Quilt Company...Jenny makes it VERY easy (and fun.)
Even my 9-yar-old grandson is making his first quilt.  It is a simple pattern, just 5 inch blocks all sewn together.

You can do it!