Boutique Preparation

The Columbus Star Quilters Guild biennial show is coming up next week.  If you're within driving distance, plan on visiting us on either Saturday October 6 from 9 - 5 or Sunday, October 7 from noon - 5 p.m. at Donner Center, 22nd & Sycamore Streets, Columbus, Indiana.  If you're from out of town, let me know you're coming as they'll be doing railroad track repair on IN-46.  I can give you a shortcut into town rather than the official detour which goes a few miles out of the way.

Anyway, Lisa, Lillian, Carol and I got together this afternoon to price the collection of items we have for the Quilter's Boutique.  There are lovely quilts, purses, credit card wallets, pillowcases (scads of them - in fun fabrics), jewelry keepers, pin cushions (again - scads!) and several unique items that will be for sale.  All proceeds from the Boutique will be used to bring top notch speakers to the guild for our monthly educational programs.

Can't write too much more now - have to go piece a backing for a quilt I'm entering in the show.  Then to quilt it and attach the binding.

Cheers!

Lisa & Lillian hard at work.  Carol kept records of items and recorded our recommended pricing.  Me - I flitted around but finally was put to work packing things up so they could be transported to the show next weekend.  Come check it out!

Margaret

Sue Nickels visits the Guild

Last week was full of fun quilting things - primarily Sue Nickels.  I had taken a workshop she led last year and was impressed with her teaching techniques.  I also learned lots about stitched raw edge applique and have successfully used her technique several times.  We were fortunate to get her as a lecturer for our Wednesday morning guild meetings and for a Thursday workshop.

First - Show and Tell...

Dottie showing two Christmas stockings she made for a soon-to-be inlaw & spouse (grandson's wedding, if I remember right)

Susan moved - but this is a quilt for her new granddaughter!   Since their family runs high to boys, this girl baby was somewhat of a surprise.  Look for lots of pink things from Susan in the future.  There's not much pink fabric in town these days.

Looks like Lillian - the quilt is for her daughter, a school nurse.  What a fun welcome sign this is!

Anne models this bonnet, which can also be used as an apron with just a quick unbuttoning .

 Then it was on to Sue's presentation on the history of Machine Quilting.  She and her sister, Pat Holly, collect antique quilts with machine applique or machine quilting.  She had slides of several of their finds and they were elegant examples of early machine quilting.  A few of the things I found interesting (Sue had lots of other information to share about the history and development of machine quilting - get her to come to YOUR guild - you'll be fascinated) ...

• Quilted petticoats circa 1870 are relatively easy to find.  Sue opined that this might be because they were small enough for beginners to quilt using the sewing machines of the times.
• Free motion quilting on applique makes its debut circa 1900.
• Sue theorized that as sewing machines became more affordable in the early 1900's,  machine quilting fell out of favor and hand quilting became desired way to have quilts finished.
• Harriet Hargrave's book Heirloom Machine Quilting was responsible for bringing machine quilting to the forefront again as she explained how to successfully machine quilt.
• Machine quilting is more readily accepted today (it took several years for this to happen) as there is a better understanding of the skill level required to successfully machine quilt.  If you've tried to machine quilt, you'll understand that it does take substantial skill to quilt beautifully - just as it takes substantial skill to hand quilt beautifully.

Sue then shared several of her quilts and talked about the evolution in her quilt designs and the collaboration she has with Pat on designing and making quilts.  An interesting process.  I helped hold the quilts so don't have pictures (sob) but you can see them on her website - www.sue-nickels.com. 

Here are Sue's quilts (including the small quilt on top of Pat's) available for closer inspection at the conclusion of the guild meeting.  What vibrant colors they are - something I didn't really notice until looking at this picture.

 Thursday was our workshop with Sue explaining the Stitched Raw Edge Applique technique.  Her book explaining this is excellent and I've referred to it many times.  It also has lots of other good tips relating to threads, needles and general sewing techniques.

Quilters are busy working on some aspect of the stitched raw edge technique.  This was the first time I've had the room set up with tables angled this way - worked well.  I'll have to remember it for next year.

Sue (in white blouse at right) explaining how to take one quarter of the pattern and manipulate it to create a full size pattern for the block.

Don't they all look happy?  This was taken at the end of a fun day with lots of learning squeezed in.  What a great group! 

Now we'll look for more projects with stitched raw edge applique as one of the techniques.

Cheers!

Margaret

Fabric Foray

One of my favorite quilt shops is having their Labor Day Sale - loads of bolts at $3.99/yard.  Pohlar Fabrics is a wonderful shop and if you're ever near the Richmond, Indiana - Cincinnati, Ohio area, it's worth a detour.  The scenery is lovely, it's near Brookville Reservoir and Pohlar's has tons of fabrics, patterns, sewing machines, threads...you get the idea.

I invited some friends to go with me as it's a good 1 1/2 hours away and I love having company.  Both Jeannette and Carol originally said no but changed their minds.  We got a somewhat late start but finally made it to Pohlar's around noon.  I made a beeline to the sale fabric and found two fabrics immediately.  I also noticed two tables of flannel - so took a picture and sent it to one of my quilting friends who loves flannels.  Couldn't get my phone to accept a message to text with the picture so I ended up calling her with the details.

I'm not sure what Carol was getting ready to say - but here she is standing in front of the flannels .  I'm not a real flannel enthusiast but these were lovely flannels.  Almost bought some for a backing for a quilt.  Almost...but not quite.

 We spent about an hour or so looking through the fabrics.  Carol was looking for binding to go with the quilt she's holding in her hands.  I think she's planning to take that quilt to Beaver Island in two weeks so she was pleased to find a good binding fabric for it.  She also found some thread to do some machine quilting with on another quilt.  Success!

Jeannette bought some fabric to make some of her fabric bowls.  She's making a few to include in the Quilter's Boutique for our Guild Quilt show in October.  I helped select the fabric so know that I'll like the combination!

After getting checked out, we searched for a restaurant I knew about that overlooks the Brookville Reservoir.  I couldn't remember the name (it's Ainsley's Cafe) so I missed the turn so we drove to the Quakertown Recreation Area and saw three original log cabins.  The gate attendant laughed at me - I was way far north of where the restaurant was located - and gave us directions.

We ate outside on the porch overlooking the marina and lake.  You can see the clouds  but no rain...yet.  Carol & Jeannette refused to turn around - I still asked them to smile when I got ready to take their picture!

We also found a short path leading to this overlook.  See the sailboat in the background?  Lots of boats on the lake today despite the forecasts for rain.

 We did drive through some rain on the way home but it was mostly dry.  It sprinkled as I dropped Jeannette off at her house and then again when I arrived home.  Looking out my window now, I can see lots of blue sky through the clouds.  Indy got several inches but it doesn't look like we got that much here.

Look at the luscious fabrics.  The red and white circles are the start of a new color collection.  No more collecting black and whites.  The ghost fabric was on sale and is for pillowcases for the Quilter's Boutique.  Colorful fabric on the white background is because I like it.  I actually like ALL of these fabrics but don't have a project for this particular piece.  The Black fabric with the swirls and the solids are for an upcoming quilt project.  I was tickled to find them as they fill a gap in my stash.  I realize I've been collecting batiks for several years but don't have very many blender type fabrics or solids.  So I'm getting a start on that!

The other thing I realized is that there are three condos at the edge of the lake - a perfect site for a quilt retreat!  There's a big meeting room under the restaurant - perfect for setting up sewing machines - and the condos come in 1 and 2 bedroom configurations.  With the lake just outside the door and Pohlar's down the road, what could be better?  Check it out - The Sagamore Resort.

Pohlar's sale continues next week.  If you've got the time, it's worth a trip.  Ainsley's Cafe will be open on Labor Day and closed Tuesday, reopening on Wednesday.

Cheers!

Margaret

Beach Quilting

It's been a busy summer - quilting, traveling, quilting, working, quilting and, believe it or not, mowing the grass!

I just got back from a visit to see my parents in Maryland.  As a part of this visit, we went to Rehoboth Beach to stay with my sister and her family for a few days.  In addition to playing in the surf on the beach (I'm the fun aunt that goes into the water with my niece, Diane!), we were regaled with evening concerts.  Diane has improved so much in the past year - it was truly an enjoyable time of music.  Keep it up, kiddo!

My sister, Mary, and niece, Diane, playing for the family during the evening concert.

 I borrowed Kathy's Accuquilt to make a kit of the tumbler blocks to take with me.  My niece, Diane, was able to lay out the blocks that were cut and she assembled them into a lap quilt sized top.  I brought that home with me so that she'll be able to quilt it when she next visits - hopefully some time in the coming year.

Here's the basic quilt.  I tried to use fun fabrics in cutting the blocks.  Diane laid them out with help from her Dad.  It's a colorful quilt top...still needs a border but we have the material picked out for that as well as the binding.  Now all it needs is for Diane to make a trip to Columbus to add the border and do the quilting.  I'm pulling for the winter break she has - think she'll come to Columbus then??

While at the beach, we also went to Funland - a Rehoboth Beach tradition.  Diane got me to go on the Sea Dragon (never again - I'm becoming a wimp in my old age!) and the Haunted Mansion ride.  Just look at the fun we had!

We knew they were taking pictures and Diane had planned all sorts of different poses we could use.  Trouble was, they took the picture some place we weren't expecting it to happen - what a reaction!

Of course, there's the obligatory family photo.  Here it is!  Diane with her parents and grandparents.  Good looking bunch and a fun group to spend a few days with at the beach.

 So...a fun time was had by all.  Now we need to get Diane to Indiana to finish this latest quilt!

Cheers!

Margaret

Baby Books

I mentioned the baby book material I found at the Quilters Hall of Fame Celebration 2012.  It was too much to resist - had to make them!  They are cute but since I don't have any friends that are expecting babies (none that I know of anyway), they may end up at the Quilters Boutique at the Guild's upcoming show.  Put our October 6-7th show on your calendar!  Donner Center at 22nd and Sycamore Streets, Columbus, Indiana!  Y'all come!

Interesting that they are two different sizes.  

The Veggie Tales story is about the creation of the earth.

Not sure of the point of the Pillow Pals story but the colors are bright and the pictures are lots of fun.

 The other quilting tool I inherited recently is a pin picker-upper.  I'm sure that's not the name of it but Dad had two of them so I snagged one.  There have been times when pins fell beneath my longarm and I had to get down on hands and knees to retrieve them.  With this handy magnet on a pole, just wave it over the pins and ... Zap!  they get picked up.

I'm sure this is available at your favorite hardware store - magnet on a stick!

Cheers!

Margaret

The Quilters Hall of Fame

It was about time I made the trip to see The Quilters Hall of Fame (TQHF) in Marion, Indiana.  So I signed up for 2 lectures during this year's Celebration 2012.  There was time in the middle of the day to see Marie Webster's home which now houses TQHF with quilt displays and items that Marie used to design her quilts.  Marie was a prolific quilt designer from 1911 - 1940 or so with her designs published in the Ladies' Home Journal magazine.  She began making quilt designs around age 50!

This quilt wasn't labeled and I'm not familiar enough with Marie Webster designs to know what it is.  I'll have to research it...unless one of you knows the name of this pattern.

Wind Blown Tulips is the name of this design.  I love the applique along the border and especially the corner.

Eleanor Burns is the latest inductee into The Quilters Hall of Fame.  One of the first quilts I made was from her Irish Chain in a Day book.  I made several baby quilts using that book and loved them.  Still have that book so may make one for me some day.  It's on my list of quilts to make.

I made time to see the exhibit of Eleanor's quilts in the Marion Public Library and was able to stay for a portion of her "Walk Thru" where she talked about the inspiration for many of her techniques.

Here's Eleanor in the Library with the quilts.

 One of the lectures I attended was Eleanor talking about the quilts in her latest book, Tales of the First Ladies.  She puts on a very entertaining show and even got audience members to participate - one as Martha Washington, another as Dolly Madison and a couple as Mary and Abraham Lincoln!

There was also time to walk around the quilt display.  There were some modern quilts as well as some vintage quilts.  I love two color quilts and this orange and white Robbing Peter to Pay Paul was particularly striking.

Of course, I also took a stroll through the vendor mall.  Even found some fabric to buy!  In Stitches, a favorite quilt shop of mine in Rushville, Indiana was there.  I had a few minutes to catch up with Cathy and her mom.  Cathy had some panels to make into fabric books - something my friend Wendy made at a quilt retreat a few years ago.  I've been looking for those types of panels ever since and was delighted to find two different panels in Cathy's booth.  Thanks, Cathy!

Now to sew!

Cheers!

Margaret

Aurifil Thread

Sharon introduced me to Aurifil thread for piecing at a quilt retreat a few years ago.  Since that time I've come to appreciate the improvement in my piecing accuracy as a result of this thinner but very strong thread. It was only this year that I inquired about using it in my longarm and found that there are those who do use Aurifil thread in their longarm.

I gave it a try and it was wonderful!

Large cone of Aurifil thread purchased at MQS this year.  Found I had a smaller spool of thread so I used it to wind the bobbins.

It was the perfect color thread to use in an all over pattern on Earlene's bargello quilt.  Her piecing is superb and I love the color runs on this quilt.  She has it entered in the Bartholomew County Fair this year.

Try it.  You'll like it!

Cheers!
Margaret