It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas?

I started a new quilt!

I know, I know...I need to finish up some of the ones already in progress.  But seriously, A Southern Album Quilt only has one more unquilted border and and the third one is over half-way done.  Dear Jane is just going to take more time.  I've only got one more row of the center blocks to do and then the wedges.  So we're looking at about another year on her.  At Piece with Time will be finished within a year and I've only got days to go on my Indian Summer.  So...yeah.  I started a new quilt!

The quilt is called Peppermint Place and it's a Christmas quilt that is just adorable.  It's a wall hanging that's embellished with embroidery, buttons, pre-printed signs and scenes.  It's a little challenging to piece and it's machine applique (which is still kind of new to me), but it's so cute I couldn't say no.  Here are the first two blocks:

Aren't they just too cute for words? I love the details that are in this quilt so far....

I know it may be a little hard to see in this block, but underneath the "snow" there is a thin layer of batting that makes the snow look puffy and stops the red fabric beneath from showing through.

And then here you have running stitches for the smoke coming out of the chimney.

This little guy has got a ton of details to be no bigger than he is.   A tiny, French knot for an eye and little paperclips for the blades in his skates!  Not to mention he's seven separate pieces before you put him together and applique him down.  The pattern calls for really, really small circles for the tops of hats, but I don't make little circles well.  If they are much smaller than a dime, I'm really all thumbs.  So I'm using little buttons in place of the little circles.

The devil may be in the details of most things, but the details make this quilt!

Next week I'll be in Paducah for the AQS Show, so no blog next week.  But the following week I will back with pictures and a run down of what went on.  I can't post pictures of the quilts that are in the show.  That's against AQS rules.  But AQS does post a few of them on their webpage and on their Facebook page.  Take advantage of that because the quilts there are truly breathtaking!

See you after Paducah!

Sherri

So I've Had This Virus...

What a week....

I'm busy getting ready to leave my family for five days in Paducah at the AQS Show.  And then the fabulous Pizza Girls were at the High Point Guild on Thursday night.  Those of you who are aware of my "real" life know that getting ready to leave to go anywhere for longer than a couple of days takes the stealth and precision of a successful Black Friday shopping trip.  I'm in charge of accounts payable and accounts receivable and payroll and a thousand other things.  If I'm out of the office more than a day or two, I really have to work hard to make sure all my bases are covered.

It's a little like tap dancing on the head of a pin...

The guild had a wonderful time with Patty and Cindy at a afternoon workshop and a show and tell that night.
I had a busy week and had scheduled a busy weekend.

Aaaaannnnnnnnnddddddd then the stomach flu hit Friday morning.

I. Did. Not. Have. That. On. My. Agenda.

From Friday morning until midnight Saturday night, I lost everything I put in me.  I have been looking for a successful weight loss program, but honey, this wasn't what I had in mind.

That said, this blog has no pretty pictures and no updates on anything I have done.  I had planned to post some pictures of a new quilt I'm working on called Peppermint Place.  I haven't taken the pictures.  I haven't wrote the copy.

So instead, I am borrowing (with permission) a blog from someone I follow (Lori -- who has a blog called the Inbox Jaunt.  If you haven't checked her out, you need to get on that.  She is awesome!)  In this blog she lists the twelve essentials of successfully making a quilt.  So read and review.  See how many of these skills you're successful in and what you need to work on.

I do feel better.  Hopefully next week's blog will have pretty pictures and stuff that I'm working on!

Love and Stitches,

Sherri

THE ESSENTIAL TWELVE

1. Sewing Machine Knowledge–Every quilter must learn the basics of using their own sewing machines.  Necessary skills include oiling, threading, changing a needle,  adjusting stitch length and adjusting tension.
2. Read a Pattern-The quilter must have a basic understanding  of terminology, abbreviations, cutting and sewing instructions.
3. Cut accurately with a rotary cutter-This skill includes how to read a ruler, how to square the fabric, where to cut.
4. Stitch an accurate 1/4 inch seam consistently-This is a skill that must be learned and rechecked periodically.  Inaccurate seam allowances cause distortion (and headaches)  when piecing any block or quilt.
5. Chain Piece – This method allows for increased quilting efficiency and accuracy. Using “leaders and enders” is helpful here as well.
6. Pressing Techniques-The Quilter must understand how to press (not iron) to avoid distorting the quilt block.  This skill also includes understanding which way to press each seam and why.
7. Square-Fabric, blocks and quilt tops  all require “squaring” before cutting to prevent distortion of the entire quilt.
8. Add Borders-The quilter must learn to cut and stitch borders correctly in order to prevent distortion of the quilt.
9. Create the Quilt Sandwich-layering techniques to prevent folds and ripples
10. Straight line quilt–Basic quilting using straight line quilting with feed dogs engaged. (What? no Free Motion Quilting?–While I consider FMQ “Essential”–it is possible to create a beautiful quilt using only straight line stitching!)
11. Bind a quilt- The finishing touch to any quilt.  Should include a mitered corner.
12. Label-The quilt isn't finished until it’s labeled!

Life is Short....

I'm not ready to share the completed Churn Dash quilt block yet.  I'm still working on the applique.  However, I did get my friendly, little scarecrow completed.  He and his friend the crow will go into a box and wait for the next Round Robin at Guild.  This pattern is by Kelly Mueller and it was in the September/October 2013 edition of Fons and Porter Magazine.

I added the mouth and the eyes and the buttons on his coat.

Over a year ago I started another applique quilt called Hop to It.  The pattern is by Edyta Sitar.  I love her patterns.  I have another one, Spring Bouquet, that I want to start as soon as I can.  Hop has been slow-going.  I bought the fabric and have become increasingly frustrated with my color scheme.  It's just really "not me."  However, I have too much money invested in the fabric to change it now.  As a result, I'm still winging my way through the blocks and one day it will be done.  This project is the one I throw in the car for Sit and Sew or when we take a road trip.  Here are the blocks I've finished.  There is a LOT of white space in these blocks, but they will be cut down before I add the sashing.

Life is too short to get frustrated with a color scheme.  I'm just going to go with it.  Life is too short to get frustrated with a lot of things.  Remember that.  In the past few weeks we've heard about a plane full of people that simply disappeared and folks in Washington state that were buried in a mudslide.  Those are two things I've never thought much about.  It has heartbreakingly shown me that life is just too short to hold grudges or not be passionate about the things and people that you love.  None of us are really guaranteed the next hour, let alone the next year.  Do what you love with part of your life.  I hate my "real" job, but I am passionate about quilts, quilters, and quilting.  And I'm lucky that so far that has worked well.  Spend time with the people you love.  Avoid the ones that are a real pain in the rear.

Without passion, life is truly short-changed and ill-lived.  Most weeks I find myself just hanging on until Friday and spending most of Sunday dreading Monday.  I need to learn to be thankful that I have lived to face another Monday.

Hold on to the passion you have with quilting....be thankful that you've lived to quilt another day...

Love and Stitches...

Sherri