ABCs of Quilting Blog

Long ago (and my children would probably be quite happy to tell you that was in another CENTURY)when I took my very first quilting class, I was introduced to the concept of :  Light, Medium, and Dark fabrics. 

Of course, since I am horrible at following the exact information, I thought I could just pick out the colors that I happened to like and want in my quilt.  My instructor thought differently and to be fair, what I picked out was more like a light, dark and another dark.  BUT, it worked — and that quilt is still on of my favorites!!!

Now I teach Beginning Quilting and I always tell my students to select the colors they like and that becomes our starting point.  In fact, I usually let them wander around the shop picking out the fabrics they love regardless of where it is  located.  

As a result I get to see new color combinations  and quilts that contain batiks, nursery colors, civil war and novelty fabrics.  And, they are all GREAT!!!  In fact, some of these color combinations are so wonderful that I make a quilt for myself out of them, too!

What’s my message?????  Pick out the colors you like!!  Dont’ be afraid to try something new and most important:  LOVE THE COLORS OF YOUR QUILT!

Happy Grandchildren with new pillowcases!

Well, here is it — the end of the year and we all know what that means:  New Year’s Resolutions.

I have decided that this year I am going to try to differentiate between a ‘resolution’ and a ‘goal’.   I am pretty goal orientated, so who knows, I might even get some of these accomplished!

Here we go:

1.  Resolution:  I will use my scraps for BACKINGS.  I know this doesn’t sound like much but I just cannot toss any scrap unless it is less than 1-inch.  That means my scrap bins are out of control.  In 2011, I am going to use up this little hoard of fabric by incorporating the scraps from the project and scraps out of the bin to make my backs.   Of course, this could be subject to change….

2.  GOAL:  I will complete one wedding ring quilt.  This has been an on-going goal, but 2011 is going to be my banner year to get one of these quilts done.  I love the look, I love the method I will use (paper-piecing) and I will post the photo when I get it done.  Oh yeah, that will probably be sometime in December!!

3.  Resolution:  I will clean up my diet.  No more bags of chocolate on my sewing table.  I am switching to red licorice!!  That will save some calories, right?

4.  GOAL:  I will continue to buy fabric!  I know some of you are concerned about the size of your stash.  However, I know that I love to look at it, love to touch it and love to create with all of  it.  Now, I could use some of the stash with the fabric, but I am not going to hold myself  to that concept!!

5.  Resolution:  I will visit at least ONE quilt museum.  This could be tough, but since I plan to drive to quilt market  this spring, I might have time to stop in and visit the museum in Lincoln, NE.  If I keep this one, I will post tons of photos for you!

6.  GOAL:  Attend at least 3 quilt retreats in 2011.  I love these things and, boy, can I get some of those back-logged projects done when I am there!  This is a win-win goal!!!

And, my last thought for you, while you are making your resolutions, is keep them simple and fun!  There are no resolution police and 2011 is going to be a great year for being creative and having fun!

Happy New Year!!!

http://www.abcsofquilting.com/kits.html

Well, we have finished cleaning the kitchen after another Thanksgiving and now it is time to really begin the whole process of getting ‘ready’ for the Holidays.

It is daunting, isn’t it?  When I was a little girl all that consisted of was making sure my stocking was hung up, bugging my parents about ‘…when are we getting the tree…..’, sneaking cookies as Mother made them and, of course, searching the house for any gifts my parents were foolish enough NOT to wrap before putting them away!

Well, payback is interesting and I am in the thick of it now!  However, a couple of years ago, I revolted and have trimmed down the stress level considerably!  And, just to insure that I don’t feel guilty, I have come up with my own logic to justify my new ways!

I only make a couple kinds of cookies – one kind per person and the person has to LIVE with me!  Ha!!!!  That means Doug — who is probably salvating as he reads this because he gets the spritz cookies!  And,  since Nate is in town, he will get his favorite Chocolate Truffle cookies — which are the messiest cookies to make known to mankind — figures, doesn’t it?

Minimalistic decorations!  Okay, this means I have a little tree that I leave the decorations on when it goes back into the attic.  Don’t get excited — it is a very nice little tree and my new method really saves me TIME!!!  Did I mention the stress reduction theory????  Plus, I have several pillows I made using Holiday Fabric (if you have a Holiday block left over from a block exchange, it will make a FABULOUS pillow) that I toss on the sofas, chairs and even tuck into the corners of the room.  It makes for a very nice look.

 Use your  tablerunners and placemats.  I love to have my dining room table ‘set’.  I get out all of the little decorations I have accummulated (napkin rings, etc) and set the table.  It looks GREAT!   All of those placemats, lovely dishes, and candles all come together and makes for a very inviting look before the Holiday.  I suppose I should mention this works better if you don’t use the dining room every day — we eat at the bar area in the kitchen.

Now, just in case you don’t have a lot of placemats and tablerunners, find a pattern that is quick and easy and have some fun.  Yes, I make a couple new tablerunners every year and, of course, we need new placemats for the table — let’s face it:  the fabrics are just too wonderful to pass up!  Plus, this gets me into my sewing room doing what I love to do — create!!!!

My final project is the Holiday Letter and this is one tradition that remains the same.  We love to hear from all of our friends and relatives and I hope they love to hear from us.  I mean, they do want to hear from us, don’t they???  As our children have aged, the news in the letter has evolved to just Doug, the dog, and me.  Wow — it never occured to me how boring our lives have become until I try to remember IF we did anything noteworthy during the year!! 

Have a great week and enjoy your time with friends and family!!

A Day at the Park Kit -- http://www.abcsofquilting.com/kits.html

Most of my posts (hey….it rhymed!) have been quips about my life as a quilter or about upcoming events.  I have tried to keep them lighthearted and upbeat for you but this is one time, I am going to be  serious — or as serious as I can be!

Have you ever noticed that the pattern instructions are somewhat lacking when it is time to add the borders?  If not, I certainly have.  And, I have to be honest and tell you that the borders can make or break a quilt top.  So, here are a few little tips for you:

 After you have put all of the blocks together, you are going to need to measure through the MIDDLE of your quilt.  This means you need a place to lay out the top — and, please use some place other than your BED!  Why?  Because your bed is soft and it is difficult to get an accurate measurement to say nothing of having you crawl all over the top of it trying to get the measuring tape across it.

Read the pattern to see if you are supposed to add the SIDES before the TOP and BOTTOM borders.  If it is the sides first, measure THROUGH THE MIDDLE from the top to the bottom of the quilt top.  As I am typing this, I have a pattern in front of me.  For this particular quilt, it says “….cut your left and right inner border 2 1/2″ by 62″.  This is BAD!

Why????  Well, what if your top is actually 61 1/2″???  Or 63″???  Your inner border needs to be the size of your quilt.   I have been quilting a long time and I try to be very accurate.  But, there are many times when my size is 1/2″ different from the pattern.  I don’t think the Quilt Police are going to show up and yell at me and I know if I give the quilt to you it won’t make any difference.  But, if the borders are wavy or stretched to fit, you will notice it.  And, then I would feel badly!

Once you get the first section of the border attached, you need to MEASURE THROUGH THE MIDDLE again.  So, if you just added the sides, you would measure from side to side to get the correct measurement for the top and bottom borders.  

 Think you are done measuring???  NOPE!  You need to measure every time you add another border.  I know it sounds logical that if you just added 2″ borders to your quilt, you should be able to add 4″ (two inches per side, etc) to your first number.  BUT, that is just an assumption and one that can get you into trouble.  I am always amazed that my measurements are either less or more than those 4 inches!  I mean, it certainly couldn’t be that my idea of a quarter-inch is off, could it??????? 

Oh yes, one other BIG tip:  keep a calculator near your cutting table.  I have a drawer in mine and I put it there.  Why???  Because I now have the memory skills of a gnat!  I measure the quilt top and then write down the measurement.  Since I don’t have a ruler that is 62″ long, I need to fold the fabric in half ( I tried doing fourths once and that didn’t work –I cut the border into little sections…..) and do the calculations with my nifty little calculator!  Yes, I used to try to do the math in my head but, believe me, the calculator is faster and even more accurate. 

Now, there seems to be a trend out there from Pattern Designers who want you to cut the borders and add them.  Then they advise to, “cut off the excess”.  This doesn’t work!!!!!!!!!!  In fact, I will challenge you to cut two pieces of fabric 42″ long and without pinning just sew them together.  The bottom ends will not match.  It is some Murphy’s Law thing.  Plus, how do you get your quilt back to ‘square’ when you don’t have any measurements for a guide? 

Okay, you are probably wondering why you started to read this by now, and I apologize for the length of it.  But, it is really, really, really important to take a few extra moments when adding the borders.  Your quilt top will look so much better, will hang correctly, and you will be extra proud of your work!

Life's A Hoot!

It dawned on me while reading a blog by a relative (have you noticed that women more than men seem to keep these….but that is another day) that this could have been a BAD thing when I was little! 

Think about it! 

What if Mom would have been able to tell everyone in cyberspace  my grades????  Some of those were pretty bleak (I could have excelled in napping during science but that wasn’t a class apparently) and I tried to keep that info a ‘top secret’.

And, of course, she would have been able to compare me to all of her friends children, too.  Through no fault of these children I grew to actually dislike them!  Renae always won the award for the wool sewing contest, Susie was the National Merit Scholarship winner, Vicki got a full ride scholarship to a private college, Jill always looked “….soooooo well dressed……”, and on and on and on.  At least, I was the only one who knew these things.  Well, okay, my entire family got to listen to this stuff during dinner.

And, what about facebook?????  My brothers and I could have had half the world knowing the grief we caused her.  I guess the good news is that more people would have understood why she just said, “…Oh?” whenever we presented a new idea to her but once again our secrets would have been revealed. 

Don’t get me wrong — I want you to read MY blog, say you are a friend to my FACEBOOK ( abcsofquilting)page, but I am just saying in my youth this could have been interesting!   Oh my gosh, what about my in-laws???? 

YIKES!!  I knew I should have just eaten those veggies when they were passed to me at Thanksgiving!!!

Have you ever really thought about the number of times you go to the grocery store each week?  I mean in our house we don’t even say, “…I am going to the GROCERY store, we say, ‘…I am going to the STORE…’ “.  How pathetic is that?   After my five trips to the STORE last week, I have decided that buying fabric versus food  is better and here is my rational:

1.  When I get home with FABRIC, all I need to do is toss the bag into my sewing room.  Yes, I mean TOSS!  Half of the time, I don’t even look at what I bought until much later.  Now food is another matter:  you have to UNPACK it right away, stuff it into the fridge, and  try to put it on the already crammed shelves!

2.  My fabric is happy to be cut into little pieces and if I need to toss the scraps (in my life, that means anything LESS than 1″ wide….), I don’t have to feel guilty about it.   You can certainly cut up some of your food items, but you can’t just toss away the ‘scrap’s without hearing your mother’s voice telling you about hungry people somewhere!

3.  Fabric ‘leftovers’ don’t spoil!  You can have fabric scraps that date back to your birth and no one will care.  Sometimes, you can drag out a really, really old piece of fabric and it suddenly ‘works’ in your latest project!  Oh no, not with food!!!!  If you start actually cleaning out that fridge (a job I prefer to put off as long as possible), the only benefit you get is using your creativity to figure out what it was when you put it in there!  Who knew that lettuce could look like that?????

4.  Fabric doesn’t make you gain weight!  Yup, no matter how much you buy, how often you use it in a single day,  or just sit and enjoy the colors and patterns on the fabric, your body stays the same!  Food????  We all know the answer to this one!  Some days, I just have to think about that brownie and I can feel my jeans getting tighter.  

5.  Fabric left over from one of your projects is not considered WASTEFUL!!!!!  Leftover fabric is considered an insurance policy should you ‘accidently’ make a cutting error.  Food leftovers are a challenge!  I think I am the only person in my family who actually eats them much less remembers they are in that mold-growing thing called a refridgerator! 

6.  Fabric purchases are fun and there are always new colors, designs,  and patterns to help you use your skills and creativity.  Food purchases are the same old, same old things each week:  milk, butter, bread, eggs, meats, blah, blah, blah.  BORING!!!!!!!

So, what is my  message??????   I have come to the conclusion that I would much rather buy fabric, go home and sew than trudge to the STORE and get more food that  I have to COOK, then CLEAN it up and STORE the leftovers so I can throw them out when I clean the fridge!  Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t need to EAT??????

PS.  The above comments about food do not pertain to that little bag of candy sitting on my sewing table.  THAT is a sewing essential!!!

A 12 1/2" square ruler is one of the essential quilter's tools.

Gingher Rotary Cutters are available in both left and right hand versions!

24″ x 36″ cutting mat by Olfa

When your fabric starts sticking to the top of your cutting mat, it is a clue!!

It dawned on me that while I love to buy new fabrics, search for interesting patterns/books, am obsessed with having every color of thread, and love new gadgets, it is rare that I think to replace my most used tools:  rulers, rotary cutters and cutting mats.

Don’t get me wrong — I buy plenty of tools for my quilting addiction, just not the ones I use the most.   When the fabric was ‘sticking’ to my cutting mat, I attempted to remember when I had last purchased one.  Hmmmm…….I would have to say about five years ago and it certainly has gotten a workout since then!  So, buying a new mat falls into the NEED category!

My mainstay rulers are the 1 2 1/2″ square and a 6 1/2″ by 24 1/2″  rectangle.  For almost every project these two rulers are on the top of my work surface and used constantly.  Of course, when I notice the poor condition of the cutting mat, I thought I should take a moment look at the rulers.  Yup, my rulers now have ’rounded’ edges.  And if you look at yours, you will probably find them in the same condition.  All of those cutting projects take a toll on the edges.  Of course, dropping the ruler on the floor probably has an impact, too, but I really don’t want to discuss that!  Rulers can sometimes fall into the ‘WANT’ category. 

Last on my list is the rotary cutter.  I do try to remember to replace the blade and I  admit that I probably don’t do it as often as the manufacturer would like but I try .  Usually, I don’t realize just how dull the blade had gotten until I replace it.  Then I notice how much nicer the fabric cuts!  DUH!!!  Replacing the blades???  That’s a need, fellow quilters!  Buying the new Gingher rotary cutter????  Is something you DESERVE for all of the wonderful quilts you have made for all of the people who are important to you!

This has to be the mantra of every woman in the world! 

As you know the Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop is in full swing and I mentioned last night to Doug that somehow we needed to get some laundry done so I would have something to wear!  Of course, I did nothing about it except complain and then went to bed!  I know, I know that wasn’t really fair….

Then this morning I got up and decided to at least ‘sort’ the laundry and get one load done before I left for the shop.  And, while I was doing it, I thought, “hmmmmm…..what happend to all of my clothes!”  However, I just kept at it and went to the laundry room.  When I  opened the washer  there was entire load in there waiting to be dried.   Next I  opened the dryer — yup, another load all ready to be hung up and worn.  Boy, did I feel small!!

My wonderful husband had done the laundry last night while I slept so that I could have something to wear this morning.  What a guy, huh?   Now I will have to be certain that I don’t complain all week — you know, give the poor guy a break??

Have a great day!

I was minding my own business this morning and Shannon annouced to one of our customers that Quilt Minnesota begins next Friday.  After I picked my jaw up off of the floor, it dawned on me that like any BIG event, I am not quite ready!

I have the packages with the pattern, the tip, and the fabric in them.  But, I do not have the gift basket back from the ‘arranger’ person, the table for check-in is still just a thought in my mind and I won’t even get into staffing issues!   YIKES is all I can say at this point.

However, like most BIG events in my life, everything seems to come together at some point so by next week when you arrive at the shop, we will have the BIG Basket (our shop prize) ready and on display, our table runner will be kitted and actually have a pattern, there will be a check in spot, Doug will be back at the register methodically helping you, there will be someone here during our extended hours each day and we will have great fun seeing all of you again!

I love Quilt Minnesota and I look forward to seeing you beginning next Friday, July 30th!!

Pedal Pushers - what a great summertime quilt!

As many of you know, I grew up in the Black Hills area (Rapid City to be exact) and, believe me, there are No cornfields there!!  Rocks, trees, big horn sheep, buffalo, lovely sunsets, beautiful views but no cornfields. 

So whenever I see a cornfield, I think of the song that has the line, “….knee high by the 4th of July…..” and of course, I equate summer with it.    However, I have never stood in a cornfield and actually measured it and found out if it is true.

Now you would think that since I married a man from Iowa, that I could have had that experience, wouldn’t you????  NO!!!!!  In fact, last Sunday as we were driving to visit one of his relatives, I spied some corn growing in Minnesota.  I mentioned that I would like to jump out and measure the the corn to see if it is up to my knees.  Hmmph!  Doug just kept on driving.

So, last night I went down to see my neighbor.   She wasn’t home and I looked over at her garden.  CORN!!!  YIPPEE!!!!  I hurriedly walked over to the garden.  A big giant fence surrounds it to keep the deer out and I was starting to feel a lot like Rapunzel envying someone’s garden so I just went back home.  No measurement once again.

I have three days left to find a cornfield, race out there and get this done once and for all.  If you happen to see a woman standing in a cornfield, honk — it could be me!

Have a great 4th of July, enjoy all of the fun, the sun, the family and friends and, of course, some time quilting!

Linda

PS.  You can find the Pedal Pusher Quilt on our website at http://www.abcsofquilting.com/kits.html