Cool Tools

I'm so excited!  All sorts of things went right this past week and it's so nice when that happens.  On top of that, we had a few snow days that cancelled several meetings I had so there was that much more time to work on quilts and quilting projects.

First, I have several quilts for customers and one customer wanted a single cable design in the borders.  I know that there are ways to make cables using tracing paper for hand quilting but haven't yet found a good way to make cables for machine quilting...until now.  Although not a perfect system it works very well for single cables and I've even drafted some double cables with it.  Triple cables (and I'm talking about the number of stitching lines) are somewhat more tricky.  Anyway, the tool is a template called the Sweet Set Curve designed by Pat Barry, another longarmer.  The template is designed to provide a nicely and evenly spaced undulating design around which other motifs can be quilted.  But I used it for these single cables.  Nifty!

You can see the cables in the yellow borders.  The corners are the tricky part but I was able to use the template to swoop into the corners on one pass and to round the inside corner on the return pass.

I think I had mentioned using acrylic sheets before, an idea gleaned from another longarm quilter.  She was using it to audition quilting designs on quilts and I've used it for that as well.  But there's another way to use it...

Another use for the acrylic sheet - to temporarily modify designs on a pantograph.  One of my customers liked the overall panto but didn't like the fish tale in the center of the feathered circle.  Easy to modify and then move the sheet along as I quilted.  Slick as a whistle.

 The week's biggest triumph, however, was getting my embroidery software loaded on my new laptop so that I could take the laptop down to the basement rather than having to lug  my sewing machine upstairs when I needed to embroider something.  It only required downloading a few Windows patches (to a new computer - pretty scary) and a few updates to the Bernina software that drives the embroidery. 

Here it is - laptop and embroidery module all working together nicely in the basement!  For me, this was thrilling!!

Cheers!

Margaret

Holiday Museum Tour

My quilting and singing friend, Carol, invited me to accompany her on a leisurely drive to St. Petersburg by way of New Orleans.  Not quite the direct route but a very interesting one.  We left December 21st and headed south, stopping in Hartselle, Alabama.  Hartselle has several antique shops and we found some treasures there.  Mine was a nice thimble but Carol's was a quilt top.  She was initially drawn to the colors and construction of the top.  What made it even more interesting was that it was paper pieced using newspaper - with quite a bit of the newspaper still present.  And when we looked more closely, it was a newspaper from Gadsden, AL, dating from 1953 - about the time that Carol and her family were living in Gadsden!  So, what could she do but buy the quilt top??? 

Carol with her paper pieced quilt top.  Interesting construction technique and layout.  The question is, what to do with it now so that the paper doesn't deteriorate further.

After an overnight stop in Tuscaloosa, we made it to New Orleans in time for lunch at Herbsaint.  Delicious!  Meg, the daughter of my friend Diane, had suggested we consider the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.  It was an interesting museum, showcasing many artists from Louisiana and surrounding states.  It provided a great view of the city from the fourth floor terrace.  Following that, we enjoyed walking buying pralines (pronounced prah-leenes in New Orleans) and being tourists enjoying the revitalized French Quarter.

Margaret & Carol standing on the plaza overlooking St. Louis Cathedral.

The next morning after a quick stop for the traditional beignettes (delicious and covered with loads of powdered sugar), we headed east across US 90, a road that runs right next to the Gulf of Mexico.  Carol had gone on a mission trip a few years ago to assist in rebuilding a church devastated by Hurricane Katrina.  She was much encouraged by the rebuilding that had taken place.  While there were still many empty lots, there were also many new homes and businesses.  



Our museum of the day was the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, recently opened in a building designed by Frank Gehry.  The museum had been under construction when Katrina hit and was levelled.  Designed in modules, it is now about 80% completed and there was only one major pod that was still under construction.  The museum featured the pottery of George Ohr, a native of Biloxi and a prolific potter, and included a special exhibit of Andy Warhol paintings.  Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area not only for the pottery on display but also for the center's unique architecture.

These pods are constructed as mini-galleries.  Quite an interesting design for a museum.

We arrived at St. Petersburg on Christmas Eve and enjoyed a wonderful dinner and evening with Carol's friends.  That was the beginning of a pleasant stay in St. Petersburg.  While there, we went to The Dali museum - a wonderful collection of Dali's paintings and drawings.  If you plan to go, they'll be in their new location a few blocks away in a new building built to withstand hurricane force winds.  What made the museum even more interesting for me was that I had read a book on Carol's bookshelf about Dali prior to visiting the museum.  It helped me understand the symbolism in several of his paintings and I was able to see images in some paintings that I might have missed otherwise.

We also visited the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts and had a delightful lunch in their atrium that overlooks the bay.  They had a special exhibit of American Impressionism 1870 - 1940 that was quite interesting and peaceful by comparison to the Dali paintings.



I was intrigued by the design - it would make a great border on a quilt!



The final museum was the recently opened Chihuly Collection, just two short blocks from Carol's condo.  That was an interesting look at the variety of glass sculptures coming out of Chihuly studios.  Just as interesting to me were the paintings done by Chihuly in preparation for the glassblowing.

This is the display outside of the Chihuly Collection.  It's plastic, not glass, but is still a stunning display.

On New Year's Eve, we had a great time strolling around downtown St. Petersburg during the 1st Night Celebration - a party with lots of family friendly artists and activities.  It included two sets of fireworks - at 9 p.m. and midnight - to help ring in the New Year.  

Just one of the fun activities for kids of all ages.  The goal here is to get to the top rung on the ladder without falling off.  What you can't see is the guy at the bottom who turns the rope ladder over to help you fall off!

So - back home again in Indiana (I'm singing this in my head) and with lots of quilts lined up, I need to get to work!  I hope you had all had a Happy New Year, too.

Cheers!
Margaret      

Road Trip Review

I just returned from a leisurely driving trip down south and around east.  The initial reason for the trip was to spend Thanksgiving with my good friends, Tom and June.  I arrived in Ft. Myers Beach Tuesday afternoon and found Tom, June, their daughter Joan and grandsons Jake and Josh playing in the sand.  We had a great time catching up, wiggling our toes in the sand, and walking along the beach to dinner. 

Tom and June waiting for sunset before heading in to the Gulf Shore Restaurant for dinner. 

Joan and the kids left early Thanksgiving morning as they had come about a week earlier.  For a change, Tom, June and I had breakfast at the Gulf Shore Inn (a long time favorite restaurant) and dinner at Nervous Nellie's.  Eating out on the patio overlooking the back bay, listening to pleasant, live music and eating our respective favorite meals (Tom had ribs, I had crab, and June had the traditional turkey) was a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Tom's cousin Cindy, her son Matt and new daughter-in-law Carmen, came for the weekend and we all enjoyed the videos of Matt and Carmen's wedding - including their special wedding dance.

Heading home, I stopped in Jacksonville to visit Peggy and Pat.  I loved seeing how Peggy had decorated their home in black and purple - I know it sounds very dark.  But aside from the black couches, purple and black were primarily the accent colors.  Very nicely done.  Don't know why I forgot to take pictures but I now have a visual in my mind.

The next stop on the trip home was to visit my cousins Susan and David and Aunt Janet and Uncle Clyde.  Although my Dad has done a good job of staying in touch with his relatives, the cousins haven't really stayed in contact.  They were all very welcoming and it was wonderful to have some time to talk with them.  Susan has recently purchased a new house and her house is beautifully decorated.  Her talent as an interior designer was much in evidence.  And the vegan chili she served for dinner was delicious.  Chili's my favorite dish and hers was superb.


David and Susan in Susan's house. Susan collects needlepoint Christmas stockings - and they were lovely. David has my Dad's hairline - that's how I know we're all related!

In catching up with Aunt Janet and Uncle Clyde, I discovered that Aunt Janet also has one of her grandmother's quilts.  And guess what pattern - my favorite!  Hers is a Triple Irish Chain that is in the postage stamp style - squares that are about 1" finished. 

This is Aunt Janet's quilt - it's in excellent condition.  The pieces in the Triple Irish Chain are about 1" - very tiny and very nicely done.  You can actually see the quilting design in the white spaces quite well.

I also discovered that Aunt Janet has the same quick wit my Dad has and is well matched with Uncle Clyde's dry humor.  The conversation was lots of fun and touched on all sorts of topics.  And to top it all off, I found out that Uncle Clyde lived for a time in Princeton, Indiana!

From there, I headed up to Chevy Chase by way of one of my favorite places - Replacements, Ltd.  I first found them online several years ago and had stopped by the showroom on an earlier trip.  This time, I stopped and was able to connect with Jeanie as I knew she wanted some additional pieces of her china.  Mission accomplished.  If you're ever near Greensboro, NC, take an hour or so to visit their showroom.  It's a wonderful display of china, crystal and silver that is a feast for the eyes.

On to Chevy Chase, where my brother had just arrived from Texas.  We had a few hours to chat while waiting for dinner, and Mom, to arrive.  I also got a sneak preview of the coming family calendar - a gathering of photos that is a collection of photos showing kids and grandkids involved in their favorite activities, growth of the family through weddings and births, and is a much awaited Christmas gift to us all.

Snow in the backyard through the kitchen window.   Next time I'll raise the screen! We eventually got about 2".

Finally, home to Indiana just ahead of the first snowfall of the season.  Waking up this morning to the ground covered with snow was a treat - knowing that I didn't have to DRIVE through it.  So now it's back to work on those quilts I received from several friends and customers just before leaving that are going to be Christmas presents for some lucky individuals. 

Cheers!







Applique Group - 1st Meeting

Today was the first day of our newly formed Applique Group.  Susan, Rosie, Carol and I met for an enjoyable two hours to discuss potential applique projects.  It's clear who the expert is (Susan) and who should probably consider trying something less challenging (me!). 

Susan has a table runner project all picked out.  Rosie has some thoughts about a project, perhaps using a pattern she bought from Ginny Keiser at the CSQ Quilt show last month.  Carol has worked on her applique pieces started at the Beaver Island Quilt Retreat.  And I have grand and glorious ideas about either a Baltimore Album quilt or a Hawaiin quilt for my masterpiece!  Now all I need is lots of practice before I start either one of those projects.  Perhaps a small wall hanging first?

Rosie and Carol talking about potential projects.  See the fabric and books scattered across the floor?

Susan brought books to look through.  Carol brought project ideas and managed to rule a few out.  Rosie brought a quilt to bind - don't think she got even one stitch done.  I had books checked out from the CSQ library, a wonderful quilting resource thanks to our Librarian.

A selection of books, Susan's table runner pattern on the left, a calendar from the Victoria & Albert museum with wonderful designs and Carol's clippings for potential projects just below her shoe.  Okay - I need to work on the layout when I take pictures but you get the idea.

In the midst of all the books, I dragged out my collection of SewBatik fabrics and we found one that would work with Carol's project in the works.
 

Susan found the perfect SewBatik fabric for one of her projects.  The Color Blend Applique book on the table has wonderful patterns for flower applique blocks.

A tip from a fellow longarm quilter made Susan's day.  Harriet had suggested using a piece of plexiglas and a dry erase marker to audition quilting designs prior to quilting them out.  Susan jumped on this as a way to trace a current quilting design that she loves from an heirloom quilt.

I only have a small piece of plexiglas - need to get a larger piece for it to be really useful.  But you see the idea.  You also see the hair clips that Rosie uses to keep the binding in place in preparation for stitching it down.

We also talked about tracing applique patterns.  A fairly standard technique for tracing patterns is to place a light source under your dining room table, pull the table apart as if you were going to add a leaf,  and lay a piece of glass across the gap with the pattern on top of the glass.  Then with your tracing paper on top, you can follow the lines as the light shines up from below.  Rather than use glass, which has a tendency to break in my hands, use a piece of plexiglas.

It is strongly suggested that you tape the edges of the plexiglas and write TOP on the tape of one side.  When using the plexiglas to trace patterns or for testing designs on a current quilt top, the tape is a visual clue that you're nearing the edge so you don't draw on the quilt and also prevents the plexiglas from snagging the fabric.  Identifying the TOP of the plexiglas keeps you from laying a previously used side next to the quilt.  Even though you've wiped the dry erase marker stuff off, there are likely still remnants of the color left.  Finally, a way to use those small scraps of batting - as erasers!  Use them a few times and then you won't feel guilty about pitching the used scraps as more will have accumulated in the meantime.

All in all, a wonderful afternoon sharing tips, techniques and dreams.

Handbell Workshop

How does a Handbell Workshop fit with quilting?  Quite easily, as it turns out.

Four members of our church handbell choir went to a workshop in Greenwood yesterday.  We listened to a short concert by the Joyful Sounds, a community handbell choir that is quite good.  It was interesting to hear the bells from the audience side to see how some of the special techniques sound to the audience.

There was a music vendor there and here's what I bought from them:

Although they're great for ringing handbells, these will be my White Glove gloves for handling quilts at shows!

After the concert, we broke up into groups for three separate workshops.  Each workshop lasted an hour and we rotated from session to session.  After two sessions, and after talking with my fellow ringers, I decided to skip the third session and go to what I thought was an antique shop just down the street,  I walked in, walked around quickly, and walked out.  Since it was a beautiful but chilly day, I continued walking.  I knew the Greenwood library was close.  Just inside the front door of the library was their used book sale area. 

Guess what I found...

We're starting an Applique Group so I was intrigued by the patterns in the Treasury book.  I've always wanted to do a Watercolor quilt and the Dancing Quilts has some wonderfully interesting patterns and techniques.

At great prices!  So I bought them.  Now all I have to do is cut, sew and quilt!

Cheers!
Margaret

QOV Fall Display

The Columbus Quilts of Valor (QOV) group is quite prolific.  There was a display of quilts this past May and this weekend is another display of 221 quilts that have been completed since then.  Flossie, a 92 year old member of the group, is one of the most prolific but she's slowing down slightly.  Recently, she's been piecing about 4 tops a month, down from her previous 4 tops a week.  Either one of those figures beats my record any day!

There are so many quilts, they are folded in thirds and drape the front of the dais and the side of the sanctuary.  This is just one side of the sanctuary!  They are also draped and hung across the back of the sanctuary.

The quilts are on display at the Community Church of Columbus and can be seen in their sanctuary this Sunday or Monday morning.  Be forewarned:  if you show up on Monday, you might get to help take them down! 

Carol happened to show up while I was there.  She's in front of one of her favorite quilts. 

Ken made the two quilts hanging in the center of the front display.  He also made several others scattered around the display.

Go Colts!  Even in quilts, we express our team spirit.

Cortland Elementary kids worked on four of the quilts on display.  They used crayon to color squares that were then alternated with fabric for a very touching display of patriotism.

Here's one of the squares up close.  Each block had  an expression of thanks and appreciation along with each child's unique drawing.  I like this Statue of Liberty, don't you? 

It's always interesting to see a collection of quilts and this is no exception.  While several of the quilts are patriotic in their design and colors, others are just wonderful collections of colors and patterns.  I was also looking for quilting patterns and saw a few that were new to me.  Who knows...they may show up on a quilt in the near future.  I've already tried some of them on today's newspaper - my informal sketch pad.

Cheers!  And my deep gratitude to all who serve in our armed forces.

Margaret 

Sew for Riley Day

Wednesday was the monthly meeting of the Columbus Star Quilters Guild.  Despite the Guild's quilt show just a month ago, there were lots of Show and Tell items. 


I had just finished quilting this for Rosie.  She picked out the fabrics on a quick trip - wish I had her eye for color.  It's gorgeous.



One of five quilts for Rosemary's granddaughters.  I love the lime green color - could well turn out to be my favorite color over the next few months.

Another quilt for one of Rosemary's granddaughters.  The turquoise and brown are beautiful together.  Now I know what to do with all of that turquoise in my stash.  But I'll have to buy some browns to go with it!

See - another lime green.  Isn't this a stunning quilt??  I could whip up the background in a flash.  The applique might take a little longer.

Mary called this quilt Communion Cups.  Mary is also wearing a quilted "pillow" necklace which has tiny, tiny pieces.  Mary specializes in using tiny pieces in her quilting - all very nicely done.

I had a hard time getting Anne to hold still.  This is her son's Hallowe'en costume.  With the Daffy Duck tail and him waddling around the neighborhood, he was a hit.

 Kay also had a great way to make the Attic Windows block.

Kay demonstrated a slick way to make the attic windows design using three half square triangles.  Just sew one of the folded triangles into the seam and then open it out.  A little bulky with the layers of fabric, but alot faster than the traditional way of piecing this block.

And here's the quilt made from using that attic window tip.

Strips laid out and ready for sewing into long lengths.

 It was a Sew Day for Riley Children's Hospital. Several members brought in 2 1/2" strips to create colorful quilts. Others had baby quilt panels and still others were working on smaller quilt sizes to be used to drape over NICU incubators. Even smaller quilts are used inside the incubators. Because these smallest quilts are without batting, they technically aren't quilts but so what - they surround a newborn with warmth and extra love.

There were sewers and there were pressers and there were cutters.  I was a flitter - I flitted from one place to the next, pressing, cutting strips and more pressing, until I got caught to go through some old treasurer files.  Much more fun being a flitterer.

Another group working on a variety of quilt projects.  This guild is a great group of women.

Cheers!
Margaret