Making Friends at Quilt Market

Smiley Scrap seems to find her way into my travel bag from time to time. She managed to make it all the way to Houston for Fall International Quilt Market.

At the Robert Kaufman booth, she found some inspiration in the Oh, the Places You'll Go! book and fabric line.
 

So, Smiley set out to make some new friends. These ladies from The Quilting Warehouse in Sulphur, Louisiana had some really cute tag holders. Smiley loves birds!

Smiley even found some hummingbirds to hang out with in the Alexander Henry booth. I'm not sure how much she liked being in a cage!
 

And Smiley likes to find quilting celebrities. Here's Smiley with Deb Tucker of Studio 180 Design!

Mostly Smiley seemed to be seeking out some soft spots. Like here at the Bellagio Enterprises booth. She almost felt like the Princess and the Pea in this huge stack of pillows! 
 

Speaking of softies. This branch full of so-soft birds in the Shannon Fabrics booth seemed a good place to set a spell. I think Smiley may have tweeted this. 
 

Smiley found another nice resting place in the Swirly Girls Booth. I think she really likes their new fabric line Poppy Love from Michael Miller Fabrics.
 

Smiley liked the Swirly Girls so much, she went back to their hotel room for a sleepover one night.

She didn't say much about her sleepover adventures, but I noticed a definite change in her choices the next day. Hmm.
 

No matter what, it's always good to get back home to your very own scrap bin!

Happy Stitching!
Joan

Gab, gab, gab . . .

Greetings from Houston!

I'm getting ready for Quilt Market, the big semi annual quilting industry trade show.

When the exhibitors get together at Quilt Market, we are so excited to see each other. The excitement is sometimes hard to contain, and you can get lost in small talk and chatter. When I saw this video, I couldn't help but make the connection to the excitement on the show floor at Quilt Market and Quilt Festival - or any time old friends get together to catch up . . . see if you agree!

Happy stitching (and gossiping)! 
Joan

Here, There, and Everywhere

Last Wednesday, I headed north to Plattsburgh, New York for a trunk show and workshop at the local quilt guild.

Once I arrived in Plattsburgh, I made a quick stop at Loose Threads Quilt Shop to find gobs and gobs of Snap Sack patterns and samples,
 

and ScrapTherapy patterns and samples,

AND an amazing group of women!

These ladies know how to have fun! I was floored by the talent and extremely flattered by the support for all the Hummingbird Highway products!

After an energetic trunk show at the Champlain Valley Quilters--and a couple of hours fussing with an ill-fated email--Plattsburgh sparkled the next morning with a bright sunshine-y day. Twenty-some quilters enjoyed focused sewing time constructing the elements for the Common Sense Quilt. Look at all the wonderfully scrappy blocks and happy quilters!

Next I traveled to Barrie, Ontario (about an hour north of Toronto) for a quick nap (also known as a short night's sleep!), and an early wake-up alarm to head to Toronto for Creativ Festival. I was guest speaker and demonstrator in the Country Concessions Quilt Shop booth for the weekend. Shop owners Shannon and Cynthia were full of smiles all weekend long!

I had my first taste of Poutine, a north-of-the-border treat that consists of French fried potatoes, cheese curds, and gravy. It's not part of any weight loss program, and doesn't sound very good, but is actually quite tasty!
 

Country Concessions Quilt Shop, a charming destination shop in Cookstown, Ontario, is chock-full of wonderful quilty treats!

 

Next up: Uxbridge and Port Perry, Ontario for a visit with the Port Perry Patchers. A lively trunk show, a quick stop at Quilter's Cupboard Quilt Shop, with owner Sue Carmichael,
 

(love the peek-a-boo window built into the upper floor - it offers a birds-eye view of the activity below - Hi Sue!)
 

and a day-long workshop at the guild.
 

 
Wow! We got a lot done on the Magic Carpet table runner project!

What a fantastic journey! I arrived back home in Syracuse completely pooped-out, but energized by all the smiles and laughs enjoyed along the way.


Happy Stitching!
Joan

GREAT Summer, GREAT Challenge, GREAT Results!

As, September 22, the autumnal equinox, approached, I began receiving quite a few really terrific entries for the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge!

Every single entry was wonderful in its own right. Let me share a few.

Deb started with some half-square triangles leftover from a quilt made from her mom's stash.

She made this adorable wall hanging of pieced spool blocks. The larger half-square triangles became the spool centers, and the smaller ones contributed to the border. Lovely!

Paula needed a quick birthday gift, so the orphan challenge was a good excuse to 'kill two birds with one stone,' so to speak. She found some four-patch blocks in her stash, added some more fabrics and whipped up a really cute table topper, perfectly suited for a special birthday gift! Love it when things come together like that!

Susan found some Bird in the Air orphan blocks in her stash.

With Christmas in mind, she gathered some additional fabrics that coordinated well, and represented a connection to the gift recipient. The result, a sweet table topper, ready for gift wrapping! (Hope I didn't spoil the surprise!)

Not everyone had gift-giving in mind, Lottie Dottie is Jo's quilt entry. She found some leftover orphan rail fence blocks that just had to be turned into a quilt.

I think Jo really likes dots. I really like her project! What do you think?

Jay selected a Winding Ways blocks and used it as inspiration for "Shades of Gray" The trapunto cone flowers create a stunning surprise in her quilted wall-hanging.

Have I properly built the suspense? Would you like to know about the winner?

Our Mystery Judge has spoken:

I was very impressed with the entries in the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge. Everyone had such a fun time, and I loved reading the stories behind the finished pieces.

I saw two criteria for judging: innovation and pleasing. It was very hard to pick a winner as each entry was innovative for the maker. And, I loved that everyone found a challenge beyond just using the orphan blocks.

Drum roll, the winner is Emily. I particularly liked how she learned two new techniques, and the original blocks are still recognizable. Plus I'm a sucker for green!

Congratulations, Emily!

Here's Emily's story.

A new quilter, I joined a Block of the Month group at a local fabric shop to learn piecing techniques and color blending. Some blocks were more successful than others. And a couple color combinations were clearly not working with the rest of the pack.

Since they were already “learning experiences,” I decided to let them stretch me further with two more techniques I wanted to learn: faux chenille and a piped pillow. I cut one block into 4 squares for the chenille-testing coasters, and left the other whole for the pillow. For the chenille, I layered black, olive green, and purple flannel under the quilt blocks to blend the colors and tone down the acid yellow; then stitched and slashed in what I thought might be interesting patterns. I left the center pinwheel on the pillow intact. For my pillow border, piping, and backing I used fabric from the BOM collection. Now, my once abandoned blocks are waiting for the rest of the family to become a quilt and join them on the couch!

Her orphans:

And her winning project:

Emily lives in the Boston area and will be receiving a Prize Package loaded with quilty goodies very soon!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge, including everyone who made a project (or just thought about it!), our wonderful prize sponsors, and a big thanks to our mystery judge!

In my mind, everyone who made something from his or her stash this summer is a winner! You now have something this fall that wasn't anything this past spring. So add those last few stitches, and fix yourself a favorite beverage, relax, and reflect over a sip or two. You've earned it!

Oh, and if you are feeling a little guilty that you wanted to make something, but you didn't quite get it pulled together, well, you are not alone! Remember these blocks?

I had big plans for them. Fall is here and they are still orphans. Eh, well. There's always next time! Who knows, maybe we'll do another challenge next summer. What do you say?

Happy Stitching!

A Different Kind of Tribe

You know, it's funny, I spoke with Kelly Morris on her cell phone. After reviewing several pages of the extensive Morris Tribe website, I was almost expecting something different. I'm not sure what I was expecting, just something more 'rustic,' I suppose. I wasn't exactly thinking the conversation would be done with a couple of tin cans and a string stretched between them, but something along those lines!

How silly!

The Morris Family

When you review the website, the Morris Family is clearly familiar with all of the latest technology, yet Kelly's goal to bring her family toward a sustainable lifestyle - raising their own food, getting off the power grid, living off the land - has many facets. And it's a lot of hard work - especially in the summer when the land is providing. The phone conversation that followed had me intrigued about the sustainable lifestyle concept, and Kelly's passion for her own goals.

Here are just a few highlights from my conversation. I'll let you explore her website for more in-depth information on the details.

I asked her how she got started on this concept. She said, "It's complicated, but I'll give you the Cliff Notes version." It started as a way to get out of debt. As a newly married couple, Kelly and her husband Mark had a small house, a small yard and big bills to pay. But you do what you can to save where you can. It felt good to grow tomatoes in buckets on the tiny patio, or save on grocery bills with coupons clipped from newspapers. But then as the family grew - Kelly and Mark are the parents of nine, ranging in age from 26 to 6 - it became even harder to make ends meet. So one thing led to another, she grew as much produce as she could grow. Finally, the family had the opportunity to purchase a farm, and now they raise their own vegetables, dairy products, and meat. All naturally.

 

She had to learn everything from ‘scratch,’ since she wasn't raised on a farm. And so when she had an idea to raise goats, for example (I'm clearly over simplifying here), she did research, spoke to people who raised goats, and learned what she needed to do to raise goats.

As natural teacher, she felt that others might also be interested in her 'how-to' so the website has become her venue to share her successes and the things she might do differently based on her experiences. 

One really important lesson that Kelly has learned is that a big part of this sustainability concept is 'community.' In other words, you can't do it all. So you depend on your own resources in some areas, and rely on others for resources that fall under their expertise. Bartering can be a big part of the process. Again, I'm over simplifying.

She also realizes that everyone has different levels of, shall we say, 'tolerance' for this stuff. I told her that I almost expected her to say that she lived in a log cabin, with no electricity, no lights, no TV, no internet. With four teenagers, she realizes that this concept doesn't work for anyone if it feels 'forced.' Sunday afternoon television sports are not uncommon in her home. But, if it makes sense, they burn candles or oil lamps, and save some energy, and become a little less dependent on the power grid.

And perhaps the most important thing of all, it has to be fun! None of this would make any sense if she didn't enjoy the journey. It's gratifying. She said, "This isn't for everyone. It's about sustainability that's do-able and enjoyable. And may mean different things for different people. And that's okay."

And here's my big take-away on our conversation: I heard my own inner voice in Kelly's words over and over again. It sounds just like when I talk about my passion for quilting. Can you see the connection too?

 - Community - I like to say quilting is a social sport!

 - Learning and researching - who doesn't like to learn about new gadgets and techniques for their favorite craft?

 - Tackling a project one step at a time at your own pace. If that doesn't describe the process of making a quilt, I don't know what does!

 - And fun! . . . Well . . .Yah!

If nothing else, it's an interesting concept. Myself, I think I'll keep buying eggs at the grocery store. As it is, there's never enough time in the day to quilt! And my neighbors probably wouldn't like the early morning rooster calls. Just sayn' . . .

** Would you like to win a copy of ScrapTherapy, Cut the Scraps!? Click over to The Morris Tribe website and make a comment before October 1, 2012.

Happy Stitching!

PS. If you are looking for the results from the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge . . . Stay tuned, we're still reviewing all the entries.

Fall is Near

"Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." – Spanish proverb.

Don’t forget the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge! The deadline to be eligible to receive the grand prize package is tomorrow, one minute before midnight, east coast time (US).

Our mystery judge is sharpening her red pen. She's a stickler for rules, so make sure you have all your T's dotted and I's crossed (or is that the other way around?) when you send your entry in.

I can't wait to be inspired by your projects. And I can't wait to send the grand prize to the Challenge winner! 

____________________________________________________________________________________
 

Summer's Last Hurrah!

Great Camp Sagamore is one of the Great Camps of the Adirondacks built in rustic style during the Gilded Age of the late 1800's/early 1900s. The Great Camp, built by famous Adirondack developer William W. Durant, later purchased by Alfred Vanderbilt, passed to Alfred's wife when he died on the Lusitania when it was torpedoed on its passage across the Atlantic. The camp, now a National Historic Landmark, is host to a variety of summer programs. A quilting weekend is typically one of the last programs at the camp before it is closed up for the season.

For the last four years, I have been a participant in the quilting weekend event at Sagamore. This year I taught machine quilting on Saturday. Other teachers offered a variety of classes as well. Evenings included introductions, a trunk show, and quiet sewing time. Each year the event inspires me. I'm not sure if it's because of the beautiful, natural surroundings, the people, the food, or some combination of all of the above.  I'll let the pictures tell the story.
 

Guests cross over a small wooden bridge to access the cluster of buildings on a small peninsula on the tiny Adirondack lake.
 

The main lodge is the largest building in the complex. Wrap-around balconies offer breathtaking views.
 

Grab a canoe and a paddle for a close-up connection with the lake. Don't the blues in the water and sky look so inviting!
 

A red squirrel breakfasts on pinecone seeds. Three loons swimming and fishing just off-shore, were also a daily sight.

 The morning mist rises off the lake at breakfast time.
 

Crossing over the wooden bridge one more time, headed home. The leaves are starting to show fringes of the flaming color to come.

Relax and enjoy one last breath of summer . . .

Joan

If You Like It, Put a Border on It!

After a nostalgic look back to summer, this week it's back to quilty business! 

A few weeks ago, I found a box on my shelf full of purple and white pinwheel blocks. Orphans. We got started on making a quilt. Now it's time to finish that puppy! Check blog posts here and here for the back-story.

The last time we looked, that purple pinwheel quilt had a completed center, but needed a border.

So, I chose three fabrics from my stash - a focus print featuring lilac blooms, an accent sage green solid that added interest and picked up the leafy green in the lilac print, and a little swipe of the cream--the same cream used in the pieced center, so the middle of the quilt wouldn't look so much like the center of a target.

Since I'm lazy, instead of adding each border one at a time, I decided to add the borders all at once, and miter the corners.

Find mitered borders intimidating? No worries. They are easy. Watch . . .

First, I like to lay out the quilt top, and then the borders, one at a time. With scissors (nothing fancy) I trim each border so the length is as long as the side of the quilt plus at least one border width extra at each end. Don't be stingy on the length of fabric! Mitered borders require a more fabric than traditional borders do.

With mitered borders, multiple borders can be sewn together first, then all three (in this case) are attached to the quilt center at once. If you have multiple borders, be sure to press seams on adjoining sides in opposite directions so they'll nest at the mitered seam.

Since my quilt is lap size, I folded it in half and then folded the sewn border in half. Lay the folded border on top of the quilt, so the folds align, and the border edge follows along one of the horizontal seams on the quilt, somewhere in the middle of the piecing. Using the quilt top as a guide, place a pin in the border fabric 1/4" to the inside of the quilt edge. Here I'm measuring two borders at once. Turn the quilt, and repeat to measure the top and bottom border lengths.

Open up the quilt, and pin the border in place at the quilt edge, using the pins to mark where to start and stop sewing. To secure it for sewing, I also place pins across the entire length of the border at about 2-3" intervals.

Sew all four borders onto the quilt, one at a time, leaving 1/4" at each edge unsewn, the back of the corner where the border seams come together should look something like this. You can see that I added a couple of backstitches at the end and beginning of the border seams.

Work one corner at a time. Fold the quilt center in half on the diagonal wrong sides together. You don't have to fold the whole quilt, only the corner where the borders come together is important. The bulk of the quilt can be crumpled up on the edge of the work surface while you are working on one of the corners. At the same time, align the edges of the floppy unsewn ends of the extra border fabric onto your work surface, nice and flat. 

Place a ruler on the border fabric (you will have two layers of border ends), so the edge of the ruler aligns with the end of the border seam, and the 45˚ line on the ruler aligns with the bottom edge of the border.  The multiple border seams will nest. Draw a line from the end of the border seam to the edge of the border

Sew on the drawn line, and cut 1/4" away from the seam. I used scissors because they were handy, you can use a ruler and rotary cutter. At this point, some folks like to take a peek to make sure the seam looks okay from the right side of the quilt. Better to check this before trimming. . . in case of any potential do-overs.

Press the mitered seam open (this is one of the rare instances where I prefer pressing the seam open) from the back. 

Pretty. Repeat the last four steps with the remaining corners. Then. . .

Sandwich . . .

Quilt . . .

and bind.

bout 75 orphan purple and white pinwheel blocks disappeared into this quilt. Another 75 or so remain in that shoebox I discovered a few weeks ago. Time to make another quilt!

Happy Stitching!
Joan