How Many Quilts in a Lifetime?

Posted on March 26, 2014 by edges

One of the things I hear constantly in a quilt shop is “I wish I had more time.”

Usually someone is walking around a store, inspired by the work of others, inspired by the patterns, inspired by the fabric, just plain inspired. But what is it about quilting that brings out the lament, “I wish I had more time” ?

When I worked in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented job, I never heard those words. Never.

Something about the act of creating makes us wish we had more time. Or maybe it makes us wish we didn’t have to ever make any decisions.

But the truth is, we all make decisions about how to spend our time. Walking around a quilt shop, looking at all the work and beauty that goes into each and every project, we come face to face with the hard reality that none of us will ever be able to do it all. We simply cannot make all the quilts, travel to all the places, have all the adventures, meet all the people, have it all, be it all, do it all.

None of us. No matter how productive, no matter how many sewing machines, no matter how much time we devote, no matter how skilled, no matter how trained or talented, no matter how much balance or non-balance, no matter how hard we plan, or how well we implement the plan, no matter how. hard. we. try.

We cannot do it all.

And every now and then, we look at one another and while we’re in a safe place, we say the words out loud.

I wish I had more time.

On a good day, someone smiles, gives us a hug and replies, “Me too.”

Larger than queen size. Finally assembled and ready to be hand-quilted.

Covering the World in Polka Dots

Posted on February 21, 2014 by edges

The thing about quilters is that they never seem to run out of interesting ways to connect to one another and to further their hobby/obsession.

This year, I am participating in a fun program from Prairie Stitches Quilt Shoppe in Oswego IL. It’s a Worldwide Polka Dot Quilt Fabric Exchange. You still have plenty of time to get involved, you just have to send or bring your quilt fabric to them before March 31. The details of the rules are here in their latest newsletter.

The basic premise is this: Cut 60 – 10 in. x 10 in. squares of polka dot fabric. Could be anything with polka dots. You know you have some in your stash or you can purchase it at any quilt store. The only thing they ask is that the fabric be quilt shop quality (no chain store stuff….we all know their fabric is of lesser quality).

Put each 10 in. square into a business size envelope with your return address in the upper left corner. Mailing address left blank. Bring all 60 envelopes (or ship them) to Prairie Stitches in Oswego. You have to call and sign up with them as they have a fee which they will use for postage and handling, and they’ll need to register your address.

Then just sit back and wait for 60 pieces of polka dot fabric from around the world to be delivered to your mailbox! That’s pretty simple! The fabric will start arriving in April.

What’s even more fun is they have a couple of Moda designers working on some great pattern ideas for your polka dots when they come in. Prairie Stitches says they have participants now from around the world…Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia and across the US.

So tell your friends everywhere to join in. The more the merrier!

Find out the details from https://prairiestitchesquiltshop.com/

The Problem With Starting Projects

Posted on December 11, 2013 by edges

Yeah.

The problem with starting projects…or buying fabric for that matter…is that you have to finish them. You know what I’m talking about. Every single one of you has a project somewhere that has been lurking for, um, years. You’ve lost interest, moved onto something new and exciting. Or maybe you just haven’t had the time.

Well.

I hearby declare January the “Finish a Project” month. And 2014 the “Get Out From Under” Year. If, like me, you have projects waiting patiently for you to complete them, then let’s all agree to get one done in January.

We can’t do it in December and everyone knows why. Even if you will be completing projects in December they are likely gifts and you are under a deadline and those don’t count. We’re looking for the poor, neglected, procrastinated projects. We’re looking for the ones you gave up because it became tedious, or boring or difficult. We want to clear away that ever-growing stack of projects that get sidelined for a “higher priority”. Usually for me, it’s work or classes, or housecleaning, as if housecleaning will be on my list of life’s accomplishments.

Let’s find at least one that’s worth completing. I’m starting with the three shown below. I have no idea if I will be able to get one of them done in January, but I’m certainly going to try. The others will get incorporated over the course of the new year.

I know, without a doubt, that life will get in the way.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t try.

A fun Christmas Baltimore Album quilt. Needs a bunch more blocks put together, but a good January project. No chance I’ll get it done this Christmas, so a good one to work on during Downton Abbey episodes.

Definitely want to get this one done by spring. Problem is that it’s queen size. Won’t be easy to quilt on my machine at home. Dreaming of a longarm.

This is a grown up quilt. complete with instructions and history of each block. I'm ready.

This is a grown up quilt. Complete with instructions, history of each block and reproduction fabric. I’m ready.

Label Your Quilts to Preserve the Moment

Posted on October 24, 2013 by edges

Quilt label for my son’s quilt

I have a confession. I am not very good at remembering to make quilt labels. Yet I know just how important they are and how much character they add to a quilt.

And the thing is, I love to make labels. The one pictured above is digitized (I knew absolutely nothing about digitizing at the time) from a picture of my son when he was 4 years old. He was blowing a dandelion. I made him a quilt that year, from fabric that he loved, and I wanted it to be a remembrance of that time in his life. It includes his name, the date the quilt was finished and of course, “Made with love by mommy.”

Right now, I have at least 3 quilts which need labels. I can no longer remember exactly what year I made the quilts. (Sometime in the last 5 years).

I am especially guilty of not labeling anything that I make for myself or for our house. When giving something away, I am a little better at the labels. A little.

It seems irresponsible to make a quilt, put it out there in the world and not give it a label, an identity, a reason, a meaning.

At work, a customer told me she never puts on the binding of a quilt until after she adds the label. I think that’s a good recommendation. We all know that the last stitch of binding means we’re done. Complete. Finished. Put it away. But making sure that label is in place before the binding is on, is a way to trick ourselves into getting it done.

So let’s agree to make the effort. We never pass this way again. My son will never be 4 years old again. But we can capture that tiny little season, and wrap ourselves up in it with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold October evening.

Singer Featherweight in the House

Posted on September 8, 2013 by edges

Oops I did it again.

I bought a sewing machine.

But this one is cute.

1934 Singer Featherweight

This one has a beautiful straight stitch, comes with its own case and accessories, and similar machines are owned by millions of people.

But this one is from 1934. That’s one year after they started making them in 1933. These crazy little reliable sewing machines were made in virtually the same design from 1933 to sometime in the sixties. They can be looked up by date by checking their serial number on the bottom. Older Singer Featherweights are worth a little more, but a lot depends on the condition. This one has some wear and tear from use, but I would guess that’s to be expected. I have some wear and tear from use and I was not born in 1934.

Featherweights really still hold charm in the eyes of many sewists. Without any gimmicks or heavy duty electronics, these little machines just keep going. And going. Parts for them are readily available on the market. Resale value still holds. Collectors are all still interested. Some things just never appear to lose their value.

Half Way Mark

Posted on June 15, 2013 by edges

We took off today with a goal of only two shops. This seems to keep us from taking on too much. For those of you not already playing along, my 10 year old son and I have been making our way through the entire Northern Illinois Shop Hop – 32 shops.

Today we hit the half-way mark. And I really can’t complain about how long it’s taken, or whether or not it’s been enjoyable. Some days, I feel like my son…just get me out of here. Some days, we enjoy spending the time together. Today, mainly because we have limited ourselves to just two stores, we had an enjoyable trip.

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Gentler Times in Naperville

They are located at a very busy intersection. Your GPS will get you close, but I had to call to find out exactly where they were. They are a Bernina dealer, who also carries fabric and yarn…something I have not seen anywhere along the way on the shop hop. Plenty of fabrics to choose, but we were in and out pretty quick. They did not have a basket made up yet for the shop hop raffle.

What I bought: Fatquarters. I’m becoming predictable.

Reluctant Assistant comment: “Average quilt shop.”

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Our next stop was Wild Birds Unlimited in Lisle.

This is one of our favorite little suburban treasures. We have backyard feeders and love our birds and critters. This is the place to stock up on basics, but we have purchased all our feeders from them as well as all our bird food. They have a great selection of feeders and I highly recommend the Woodpecker blend of food. On to the next shop!

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The Quilt Basket in Downers Grove

A cute little shop in the very heart of downtown Downers Grove. Parking is a little crowded on a Friday at noon, but we found a spot around the corner. Very friendly staff, they suggested that my son could start quilting and might be interested in a book by Joe Cunningham, “Men and the Art of Quiltmaking”. Their basket is a cheery pink sand bucket and matching sand shovel. See below.

What I bought: Fabric (more for the food quilt)

Reluctant Assistant comment: “The ladies were VERY enthusiastic about boys being able to quilt.”

The Quilt Basket in Downers Grove

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Before heading home we found another Egg Harbor Cafe in Downers Grove, right next to where we parked, so of course, that’s where we ate lunch. All in all, a good morning!

A Touch of Sanity

Posted on June 11, 2013 by edges

Third time was the charm. We swung by A Touch of Amish in Barrington once before on a weekday shortly after 4 pm. They close at 4:00. Then we headed in that direction on a Monday. They are closed on Monday.

Finally, my Reluctant Assistant and I agreed we would try again, and call before we go. We also decided that today we would only attempt ONE shop. We would take our time and enjoy their goods. And then go home–instead of trying to cram in more shops along the way.

Barrington, of course, is a lovely town. We did eat lunch at their Egg Harbor Cafe, which is always a yummy place to go. And then, brilliantly, came home.

18 more shops to go.

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A Touch of Amish in Barrington

Their web site boasts that they are the oldest quilt shop in Chicagoland. They also claim to have the most fabric, but I think that some of the newer quilt shops in the area may be giving them a run for their money with that title.

They seem to specialize in traditional fabric, with that being the overwhelming majority. That said, I did find brights and batiks and even some food novelty, which my son has been chasing down. They did not have a giveaway basket made up yet. (Each shop on the Northern Illinois shop hop is supposed to have a basket worth $100 that is a giveaway to a lucky winner who visits their store.)

What I bought: Kaffe Fassett fatquarters, and some raspberry and orange fabric. Not very Amish, I’m afraid. But then, of course, neither are we.

Reluctant Assistant comment: “It’s bigger on the inside then it looks on the outside.”

Craving Structure

Posted on May 30, 2013 by edges

Every now and then we long for the structure of a quilt that requires repetition and precision.

This is such great fabric called Birds and Berries–so appropriate for this time of year.

And it couldn’t be easier to make with one of the Creative Grids rulers. If you have not checked out the Creative Grids website, be sure to visit www.creativegridsusa.com. They feature videos for all their rulers. And more importantly, they are all designed by women who are over 40. So the numbers are BIG. And CLEAR. And EASY TO USE on all fabrics. Even more importantly, they sell only to small quit shops. Be sure to ask your local shop if they have them.

This particular ruler makes it easy to whip together quarter square triangles. Just stitch together a couple of 2 1/2 inch strips (from a jelly roll is fastest!), press and lay flat.

Lay the ruler over the top and follow the angles. The lines on the ruler mark the top and bottom of the fabric and the seam line, so your cut is precise. Cut along the edges of the angles, and move on down the strip. Very little waste.

Before you know it, like me, you’ll have piles of quarter square triangles to assemble.

One of the books recommended by Creative Grids is Strip Smart Quilts by Kathy Brown. Using this ruler she provides 16 different patterns for this one technique. You’re sure to find something you like. And the best part is that the piecing goes really fast.

I’m just loving this, but have no idea what the quilt will look like when I’m done or how to quilt it in the future. For now, I’m making blocks.. lots of them, all basically the same–repetition, precision, structure.

For now.

Edgestitch

Sewing is life. Life is art.

Category Archives: Piecing