The Finish Line

I want to finish my series on finishing today. 

Completing a project is such a liberating experience.  It lets you move on to the next adventure in quilting without feeling bogged down with another UFO on the shelf.  Most quilters have, on average, three projects underway at the same time.  Finishing one of those certainly opens up more options for more fabric, another pattern, another opportunity to try something new.

What I would like to challenge you folks with today is a new view on the next project.  We’ve sort of taken the process apart in earlier blogs, but now I would like to encourage you to look at a new pattern with fresh eyes.  Far too often we quilters usually find a pattern we like and fall into that “I have to make this quilt.  It’s the most amazing/darling/cute/beautiful quilt ever,” category.

And the next thing you know the pattern is in our shopping cart and we’re purchasing fabric for it like there’s no tomorrow.  So if you come away with anything from this series, I hope it’s this:

Slow. Down.

Take the time to look at the entire quilt.  Pull the directions out and read them. Ask yourself the following:

1.     Why do I want to make this quilt? 

2.    Is there a block/process here I really, absolutely do not like to do?  If there is, is there a way around that block/process that would make your quilting life easier?  Could you change the directions to suit yourself?  For me this issue is Y-seams.  There are no bones about it – I hate Y-seams.  But if I can wrangle the pattern to use half-square triangles, I’m all in. However, if you find there's just no way around the block/process you really dislike, then it might be a good idea to shelve the pattern -- no matter how much you like the quilt.

3.    How much actual time do I have to devote to this quilt?  If your schedule is slammed full, then it may be a good idea to go ahead and purchase the pattern.  Put it on your "to do" list and opt to find the time to start at another date.

4.    Is this quilt above my skill set?  A quilt that’s too hard can be discouraging. If it is too far above your skill set, is there a class you could take to improve it before you start the quilt?  Maybe there’s a class that’s being offered at your LQS on that very quilt that you could take.  That’s always fun and you meet new quilters. Are there You-Tube videos or blogs on the technique or quilting friends that could help you?  If it’s not too far above your level of expertise, are you up to a new challenge at this point in your life?  New challenges are always fun, but they do take time to master.  Look at your entire life, not just your quilting time. 

5.    How much will this cost me?  It’s really, really easy to get excited about a new quilt.  Believe me, I know.  But don’t throw caution (or your debit card) to the wind and purchase all the fabric at that moment.  Buy the pattern.  Take it home and shop your stash.  You may be surprised at what you find and what you don’t have to buy.  That stash is not there for insulation, it’s there to use.  Use it.  Then go purchase what you need.  That fabulous fabric you saw at the LQS or on-line will be there tomorrow.  Trust me. 

I want to emphasize this because a quilt is more than just a quilt.  It’s an investment of your time and  money.  If lots of fabric is purchased to make a new quilt, and the quilter hasn’t counted the cost of her time, the pattern, and her skill set, then that fabric is going to sit in a bag or box in the quilt room and not do a thing.

And investments don’t need to remain idle.  They need to be productive.

Quite honestly, I struggle with all of this.  If a group of my quilty friends are making a quilt, I want to jump right in there with them.  New challenges inspire and stimulate me.  I love new patterns, new fabric, and new classes.  But I have found if I slow down, it does make life easier for me all the way around.  I feel like I’m managing my projects instead of them managing me!

And that’s liberating.

Love and Stitches,

Sherri

Where Everyone Knows My Name

I already had an idea picked out for the blog this week, but last night I got some news that blew that idea out of the water. I received a text from a friend at 6 p.m. telling me that all Hancock Fabric Stores are going out of business. 

This friend lives in Winston, so I assumed she had been at the Reynolda Road store and got the scoop.  It didn’t take me but a minute to grab my keys, pocketbook,  and cell phone and head for the door.

“I’m going to Hancock’s,” I hollered over my shoulder to Bill.

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“But you can’t need anything….you just got back from Lancaster.”

Men.  Do they ever need a new golf club or fishing rod after just going to the sporting goods store?  Yes.  So why are you asking me about fabric?  Duh.

“They’re going out of business.”

“Oh.”

He knew this was more than a pursuit of that perfect background fabric for my next applique project.  This was the beginning of a long good-bye.

For those of you non-quilters/sewing enthusiasts out there, you have to understand the place that fabric and quilt stores hold in the quilter’s/sewing enthusiast’s heart.  It’s more than a store.  It’s kind of like the bar on Cheers (that’s an old TV show – if you don’t know what it is, please google it).  It’s a support system. It’s a classroom.

It’s a place where everybody knows your name and most of your business.

I started sewing in 1986, shortly after the birth of my daughter.  The only game in town at that point was Piece Goods.  I shopped there and even worked for them on occasion when they needed extra help or was doing inventory.

Then Hancock’s opened.  I tried to divide my time and dollars spent between the stores, but Hancock’s was literally five blocks from where I lived and Piece Goods was all the way at the mall.  For a young mom with two toddlers, Hancock’s tended to win in the end.  They knew me, knew my kids, and became a part of my life.  After Piece Goods declared bankruptcy and closed, Hancock’s was it as far as real fabric and notions went.  I wasn’t quilting at this point, but I was making all of my children’s clothes and most of my own.  Soon I was teaching clothing construction and French heirloom sewing for them.

In 2001 I signed up for their block-of-the-month class and that’s when I met Ellen  and really learned out to quit.  For several years I belonged to that bee as a member and then became the leader when Ellen retired and moved to Shallotte.

So that Greensboro Hancock’s store became my lifeline in many ways.  When I needed a break from kids or grading papers or life in general, I’d head for Hancock’s.

They knew me there.  They’d greet me when I came in the door and point me to the newest bolts.

I held my breath in the mid-2000’s when they went into Chapter 11 the first time.  The High Point store fell victim to the first round of downsizing, but the Greensboro store was good.  I held my breath again this past January when they went in for their second round Chapter 11 and was relieved when the Bridford Hanock’s store manager told me that the Asheboro store was shuttering, but the Greensboro store was good – however the company had to find a buyer by March 31.

That didn’t happen.

Word must have spread pretty quickly last night.  By the time I got to the Bridford store, I met two quilters in the parking lot and five more folks I knew in the store.  The store manager greeted me by name and we hugged.

It’s the beginning of the long, slow goodbye.

I know retail establishments of any kind aren’t living, breathing beings, but they house them.  And if we’re lucky, the relationship between them and us transcends more than dollars and cents and debit cards.  We learn their children and they learn ours.  If we have a question, they can answer it.  If we have heard about a new technique and haven’t had the courage to try it yet, someone in the store (customer or employee) may have and they’re willing to share it with us.

It’s a place where they know us and we know them.

This is why it’s so, so very important to support your local fabric and quilt shops.  It may be chain store, but they employee our neighbors and friends.  Online shopping is wonderful and you can do it in your jammies and it’s well and good that we buy from them. 

But the relationship with them is not the same.  They’re not going to smile and greet you by name when you open their web page.

Liquidation begins at all Hancock’s today.  No coupons will be honored. Everything is back to full price with 20% off the top – the Great American Group and lawyers are setting the rules now.  No 10% off for guild memberships or teacher’s discounts.  The bottom line is what matters during this process.

In about two months, a place that has occupied a fairly significant part of my life and heart will be shuttered and darkened.  It’s a prime location, so I imagine Ollie’s may expand into it or it will become something equally  depressing.  And I will have to find somewhere else for my bee to meet and somewhere to buy sewing machine needles at 7 p.m. on a Friday night when I break my last one. 

I hate goodbyes.

Please not that the Hancock closings do not include Hancock's of Paducah.  That store is independently owned and operated and will stay open. 

Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt

I’m back from Lancaster…

It was a wonderful trip, filled with too much eating, spending too much money, and so much laughing.  I think if you told any non-quilting person that 52 women could be on one bus for hours on end and all get along just fine, they’d never believe you.

The vendor show was wonderful – lots of new gadgets and sewing machine feet and rulers and machines, as well as batting and thread.  As a general rule, I don’t buy fabric at vendor shows, since no guild or bus discounts are given.  I came away with some awesome long arm rulers that I’m learning to use on my domestic machine, lots of thread, and other notions.  The Lancaster quilt shops are worth the trip alone.  I came away with a suitcase worth of fabric – mainly staples.  Greens for stems and leaves, neutrals for applique backgrounds, and a couple I just had to have because they go with some of my stash.

Now for the quilts – and a little camera history.  For several years I have carried a 35-mm digital camera for photography.  I love it, it takes wonderful pictures, but when you’re hauling around shopping bags at a quilt show, the camera gets a little bulky.  So several months before the show, I purchased a Sony digital that takes terrific picture and is the size of a credit card.  I got it home, downloaded the pictures and now I can’t find where the computer put them.

But trust me the quilts were awesome.

I did manage to get a picture of my favorite quilt.  It’s called “Breaking Wind” by Peggy Kragnes.

It’s a sweet Sunbonnet Sue quilt.  And I just love Sunbonnet Sue! Sue has washed her quilts and is hanging them out to dry on a very windy day.  If you look closely at the mini-quilts, you see not only perfection….

But a mini-copy of the very quilt you’re looking at.

And even smaller versions of the mini-quilts in the mini-copy.  Truly it’s a quilt within a quilt.  Bonus prize is we finally see Sue without her bonnet, only to have her hair covering her face.

I love whimsical quilts!  They always stand out in my mind!

It was a wonderful show and probably the best news of all was that the rumor that AQS wasn’t coming back to Lancaster was just that – a rumor.  They will be back in Lancaster next year, so there is a show on the East Coast.

Meanwhile, I’m still getting things straightened out from my trip.  I came back to find I had a book case for my new sewing room and that most of the housework had been done – including laundry.  The bad news is my Crockpot (the kind with the timer) passed away in my absence. 

Have a blessed Easter season!

Love and Stitches…

Sherri

I'm Leaving on a Bus....

This is a reminder that there will be no blog from me this week.  I’m leaving for Lancaster, PA for the AQS show Wednesday morning.

Until next week!

Sherri

Judged and Juried.....

 Ribbons and fabric…

Sounds like I’m making a little girl’s dress and not a quilt.  However, a part of quilting does involve ribbons, and that’s a  judged quilt show.

I’ve found there are two camps of quilters out there – the ones who bravely go forward and enter their quilts in the judged quilt shows and those who could  care less about what some quilt judge thinks of their quilt.

And honestly, I’ve found both groups a little snooty towards each other. 

I have sat on both side of the fence.  For years, I never even contemplated entering a judged quilt show.  Then I had someone explain to me why it was important for a quilter to enter one of these things – and while winning a ribbon is a good goal, it’s not the only one.

To prep a quilt for show requires a whole different level of expertise.  Different quilt shows require different procedures for sure and “professional quilt shows” are even more different.  If you’re entering a quilt in a show at the state or local fair, chances are the judges will be quilters, but may not be trained in judging quilts.  The same thing goes if you enter some guild shows.  Those judges will definitely be quilters and quilt teachers, but may not be trained judges.

Who are these “trained judges?” These are the men and women who have undergone the rigorous process of learning how to judge quilts from the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges.  This certified quilt judging program used to be under the auspices of the National Quilt Association, but the NQA disbanded in October  2015.  The NQA judges then started their own organization, not only to maintain the high standards the NQA originated, but also to continue to education and promote other quilters to become judges.  The process is rigorous and takes a couple (or more) years to complete.

And these judges are completely wonderful and helpful and just terrific people. All of the national, international, and in most cases, guild shows, will have one or more of these judges at their shows.

I wrote all of the above to say this:  it really isn’t all about the ribbons.  At these judged shows, the judges will give you a critique on your quilt.  Notice I said critique and not  criticism.  The critique will let you know what you’re doing right and what needs improvement.  It will help you become a better quilter.  Don’t take the comments personally, but use them to become a better quilter.  Even the quilter who takes home the “Judges’ Choice” ribbon will have items on her critique that he or she can improve.

Which is what it’s all about anyway.  And that’s why I think every quilter needs to enter a judged quilt show several times during his or her quilting career.

Prepping a quilt for a show will help you become a better quilter, too.  There is a marked difference between a “show” quilt and one you’re making to go in your home.  While with both, a quilter is selective on a pattern and color choice and piecing and appliqueing, knowing that the quilt will go in a judged show brings it to an entirely different level. 

First, the quilt needs to be “show ready.”  In other words, you can’t just take the quilt off the bed and take it to judging day.  Make sure the quilt is impeccably clean – no stains, lint, spots, pet hair, or odors.  Make sure all threads are buried and none are dangling.

Then there’s technique.  Most quilts are judged against each other in respective categories.  Read the show’s rules carefully to make sure the quilt is entered in the correct category.  And whatever technique you’ve decided to use on the quilt, make sure it’s your very best work – every stitch.  No dangling thread and no cut off points.  If you’ve hand appliqued, make sure your stitches are invisible.  If it’s machine appliqued, make sure the stitches are even and appropriately sized for the pieces.  Make sure your seams are consistent.  Pay close attention to the basics of construction and do your absolute best work at all times.

Make sure the quilt hangs straight and the edges are plumb.

Make sure it will lay flat.

Make sure the borders don’t wave.

The quilting is considered separately most of the time.  Whether the quilt is  hand quilted or machine quilted, the stitches should be consistent and even.  If you didn’t do the quilting, credit must be given to the quilter on the label and in the paperwork.  Make sure the quilt markings are gone.  If you hand quilted it, be sure that the stitches are even sized on the front and back and that the starts and stops are not visible.  If it’s machine quilted, make sure the tension is even and there aren’t obvious stops and starts – and no thread nests!

Binding is very important.  There should be no gaps, no parts where the binding is empty, corners must be sewn closed, and the size should be consistent.  The stitches should be invisible and the batting should not be seen.

All of these techniques should be paid attention to in every quilt, but even more so in a quilt that is destined for show greatness.  This is why it’s important to have a quilt judged.  Working on these techniques makes you a better quilter.  And a critique will tell you in what areas you’re excelling and the areas you need to work on.  Judges won’t have the time to tell you how to improve these areas, but you will know where to start looking. 

Aside from the techniques, the judges will also be looking at the design elements of the quilt.  Those taken into consideration usually are:

 1. Visual impact of the design – is it eye catching?

2.    Originality and creativity

3.    Color and value

4.    Balance and integration of design (scale, relationship, and arrange of quilt components, including the borders)

5.    Overall appearance

6.    General construction and workmanship

7.    Level of difficulty

8.    Special techniques (if used)

9.    Machine or hand quilting (and these are usually judged separately as each has an entirely different skill set)

10. Quilting design – is it appropriate and is the density of quilting consistent

11. Finishing – binding is secure and even, square corners with no dog ears

Before entering a show, be sure to read the rules over several times.  Make sure you’ve placed the quilt in the correct category.  If you have questions about that, ask them. I’ve seen wonderful quilts completely disregarded because they were placed in the wrong category.  Make sure the paperwork is filled out completely and accurately.  Make sure you have the correct sleeve on your quilt so that it can be hung.  If photographs are required, make sure you’ve carefully followed directions on that aspect.

Some shows are particular that the quilt has not been shown on social media.  Keep that in mind if you are contemplating making a show quilt. 

Be respectful of deadlines.  Some judged quilt shows are juried.  That means that your quilt is looked at weeks before for the show and a committee decides if it’s good enough to enter the show.  This primarily takes place in really large quilt shows like those put on by AQS, where there may be hundreds of entries and a limited show space.  Most judging is actually done a day or two before the actual show.  So read, read, read the rules and deadlines carefully to determine when you have to submit your quilt to be judged  and how  you should submit your quilt.  Some shows require that you submit it in a pillowcase with your information on it.  Some don’t.  Almost all require that the quilt have a sleeve.  Most shows use the AQS standard sleeve, but again, read through everything to make sure. 

Above all, enjoy the process.  You will meet other quilters, many who will be much better than you are.  Learn from them.  Learn from your critique – don’t take it personally.  Use it to make you a better quilter.

Because after all … that’s the goal.

Love and Stitches…

Sherri

The Dilemma of National Quilt Shows

I am still in the middle of cleaning out my quilt room.  And I have determined either I am a reader with a quilting issue, or a quilter with a reading issue.  I have three stacks of books still setting in the middle of the room.  One stack I will keep, another stack will be donated to my guild, and the third – and largest stack – will be taken to Good Will.  Those books have nothing to do with quilting.

Soon – in thirteen days to be exact – I will be leaving with about 45 other quilters from this area to go to what is probably the last AQS show in Lancaster, PA for a while.  The AQS folks officially announced yesterday that Paducah, Kentucky will be the site of two yearly quilt shows, one in the fall and one in the spring.  Since I have heard they have also cancelled their contract with Chattanooga, this means that there is the possibility there will be no major quilt shows from them on the Eastern Seaboard.

I’m not sure how I feel about this yet.  I’ve been to Paducah twice and it’s wonderful.  I fully intend to go back again.  But AQS has a huge membership from all over the nation and the decision to locate two of the major shows in one place means that it’s difficult for a lot of members to get there.

There are  good reasons for AQS to do this.  First, Paducah is used to hosting one of the largest quilt shows in the United States. And they do it well.  Some cities do not react well to the throngs of eager quilters arriving in their city limits.  Charlotte, NC was one of them.  The show received mediocre attention at best and the city poorly promoted it. 

Paducah has it down to a science.  Homes and churches open their doors and the city rolls out the red carpet for us.

Second, I imagine that behind this knowledge is the manpower to host the show.  It takes time and muscle to pull this off.  And then there are facilities.  Once you’re at the show, you’re in walking distance of numerous quilt shops and the National Quilt Museum (which in itself is another reason to host shows in Paducah).

In short, they have their act together.  But then again, so did Lancaster, and it’s in the heart of Amish country.  That means lots of Amish, Mennonite, and other quilt shops.

It biggest disagreement I have with this decision is that it may limit quilters’ ability to get to the show.  While Paducah is located more towards the center of the United States, having several shows at other locations definitely makes it easier for lots of quilters to have the opportunity to attend an AQS show. 

However, the business woman in me also knows that it was probably the bottom line that facilitated that decision.  The National Quilting Association shuttered its organization last year, siting financial difficulties as the reason.  Hedging the bottom line is always a good idea.

I would like to encourage all quilters to try to attend a national quilt show.  I know there are lots of local quilt shows that go on in every state, but national quilt shows are a bit different. 

First, you will meet quilters from all over the place.  Trading ideas and patterns is a hoot and you learn so much.  And the best quilts and quilters are there.  So much inspiration and knowledge in one place!

Next are the vendors.  The cream of the crop are at the national shows.  All those wonderful on-line stores you order from?  Most of them have a booth at an AQS show.  Also worth mentioning are the top-of-the-line, hot-off-the-assembly-line, newest sewing machines, mid-arms, and long arms.  Add to that the fact that most of those vendors have show specials that are running the duration of the show (and they usually will ship free to your home so you don’t have to lug it back in your car), and it’s a win/win situation.

Third are the classes. Fantastic classes with nationally and internationally known teachers are available for an additional fee.  I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to take classes with the likes of Sue Nickels, Harriet Hargrave, and Cindy Williams. Somehow those teachers can take a large class and make it feel like a one-on-one sewing session.  And yes, I know that on-line classes are available through AQS, Craftsy, and other organizations.  But seeing these women and men in person pushes it to another level.  Plus they take the time to walk around the classroom and you actually get to  meet them.  It’s kind of like the red carpet at Oscar night.

And to me, the most important aspect of traveling to a national quilt show is the fellowship of the quilters.  I couldn’t drag my husband to one of these things if my life depended on it, but I can get a group of my friends together and take off to parts unknown with a GPS and a shopping list.  And fun and mayhem invariably ensue.

I would strongly advise any quilter to plan to attend at least one national quilt show in their lifetime.  It’s well worth the effort (and money).  There’s just no other experience like it.

Until next week…

Love and Stitches…

 

Sherri

Still Flipping Rooms....and thanking God for IKEA

Happy Weekend!

I’m still working hard on my quilt room.

I’ve nearly completely cleaned out my old quilt room bagged and tagged four bags of trash, stacked books into three piles – keep, give to my guild, these gotta go to Goodwill.  See this?

 

I’ve discovered I have a thread fetish as well as a ruler fetish.  And these are all either piecing or machine applique thread spools.  I don’t have nearly as many spools of quilting thread.

Here’s how my new room looks so far…

Yes that would be a wine glass next to the computer...it's been a hard week.

I’ve still got to hang some quilts and I need to purchase a portable design wall thank God I’m going to the Lancaster AQS show in three weeks. 

The fabric that was a yard or less has been wrapped and pinned around comic book inserts thank God for Amazon.com.  The yardage that is over a yard  has been flat-folded.  They’re all sorted by color, except for the Feed Sacks and the Thirties Reproduction fabric I have.  It’s been sorted according to color and put in boxes by themselves – keeping the real Feed Sacks separate from the “fake” ones. 

I’m not ashamed to admit, I have almost five hundred pieces of fabric that have been folded around the inserts.  My stash is tame by some folks I know.  Storage is now the issue, and I did see some closet organizer that popped up on my Facebook feed that would work perfectly.  Each section has three baskets that pull out  and each basket would hold three rows of the inserts.  I believe a trip to IKEA is in my near future so what if we just went last weekend?  And if I can’t get there, they do ship. As soon as this dilemma is taken care of, I will post more pictures of “the room.”

In the meanwhile, I’ve still managed to get a few things pieced.  Here are some more blocks for my Farmer’s Wife Quilt.

 

And here’s the first block of Purrfectly Pieced.  I still need to add the buttons for the eyes and some whiskers.

 

I can only clean out so long before I have to work on my quilts.

Love and Stiches….

Sherri

...and Sam