My New Studio

I have a quilt studio in my present home.  For a while, I operated out of my bedroom, but as the years went by and the fabric addiction grew, it quickly became apparent to Bill that I needed my own space.  Luckily (and thankfully?) about this time, my children decided to grow up and leave home.  Quite convenient timing, if I do say so myself. 

So I took one of their bedrooms and turned it into a quilting studio.  I have cubbies along the back wall that hold my stash, an overflowing bookcase full of quilting information and patterns, a center cutting island, thread cabinets, a closet to hang works in progress and a nice, sunny space for my sewing machine (a Janome 7700, affectionately known as "Big Red"). 

My mother-in-law passed away at the end of February.  She lived in a big, old, Southern style farmhouse that has a bay window and 3200 square feet...about 800 more square feet than we have now.  Through a series of events, Bill and I have ended up with the house.  For a while we simply walked around in it and wondered what in the world we were going to do with it.  Fix it up and sell it?  Sell it as is?  Offer it to another family member? 

But as of right now, I think we're going to move into it.  There's some work that needs to be done and it is underway.  By the end of this summer, my address should change and two empy-nesters will try to figure out what in the world to do with all that space.

The defining factor in this move?  Well, for me, there were two.  Once we discovered the original oak floors in the 1930's living room....

And refinished them...

But the deal-sealer was the room that is to become my studio.  Three times as big as my present one, it has space for a larger center cutting table, lots of outlets, a closet for fabric storage (out of the light, no fading), space for a design wall, and plenty of room to move around in...

Where Are All the Quilt Stores?

I am a small business owner.  In my "real life," my husband and I own a demolition and environmental company in High Point, North Carolina.  This means that not only can I tell you what is the best way to piece together a quilt block, but I also can tell you the asbestos regulations for the state of North Carolina.  Chapter and verse.

But as a small business owner, I am keenly aware the threat that "big box" businesses are to the small business owner.  Walmart (God bless them), Barnes and Noble, and Home Depot are the reasons that the neighborhood general store, book store, and hardware store went the way of the butcher shop.  Thankfully, as far as our business goes, we're small enough to be flexible, big enough to maintain a decent payroll roster, and too tiny to be a real threat to any of the big boys in our sandbox.  We're riding out the recession with hopes of selling the thing and retiring in the next couple of years.

I mention all that for this reason.  Last week I was able to take a business trip with Bill to Asheville, NC where we were estimating two jobs.  I Googled quilt shops in Asheville and found a couple I wanted to see.  And Bill was happy to comply as long as I let him fly fish for a couple of hours one afternoon.  So after we looked at the two projects in downtown Asheville, I programmed our GPS for the first quilt shop.  It wasn't too  far, but when we pulled up to the location, the shop was no where to be found.  Another shop (a fish market, of all things) now had the space and the current owner of said fishery told us that the business had shut down months ago. 

"Well, darn..." I thought as I programmed the address of quilt shop number two into the GPS.  Fifteen minutes later, we arrived only to find that the second quilt shop had also closed. 

I was fuming and Bill was chuckling at this run of bad quilting luck.  Then as we turned the corner from quilt shop two, we both discovered why both of the independent stores may have had to close.

Hancock's.

Now I'm a Hancock's shopper.  My bee meets at Hancock's.  I do buy quilt supplies at this store.  However, if I want quality fabric, quilting information, and just some time to hang out with fellow quilting addicts, Hancock's is not my choice.  I go to Dragonfly or Ye Olde Forest Quilt Shoppe.  However, in this case, I'm afraid it was a big boy entering the quilting sandbox that ran the two tiny kiddos out of the playground. 

Small, independent quilt shops are an endangered species, my fellow quilter.  Please, please, please support these wonderful women (and men) in their entrepreneurial endeavors.  If you don't, we may all end up shopping on the web...which is not necessarily a bad thing.  But these stores are a form of support, information, and education for all quilters.  The big stores such as Hancock's, AC Moore,  Hobby Lobby, and Michael's aren't.  The independent quilt shop fills a niche that no other store can.  Shop there.  Buy there.  Go to class there.  Spread the cash and the love.  Keep them open and running.

Mothers of the Bible Quilt

I mentioned in my March 27 blog that the quilting bee I belong to has started a new quilt for the year.  And since I'm "facilitating" this wonderful group of women, I'm in charge of directions...which normally isn't a challenge....except this time it is. See, the directions for this quilt are simply some line drawings with the instructions to "copy the drawing and 1/4 inch to each piece and sew together."  Which sounds simple...except it isn't. 

Some of the blocks go together easier if their paper pieced -- templates just don't work.  The pieces are too tiny to be accurate if you use templates.  And the paper piecing has to be carefully done for the same reason.  The pieces are too tiny.  The big adventure for me every month is to find out which method works the best (and easiest) for each block.  Some of the blocks I've been able to successfully convert to rotary cutting procedures, which makes me (and everyone else in my group) happy.  I'm afraid even the oldest members of this bee are now spoiled to rotary cutting. 

The upside is that a few of the blocks are all applique and the members of this group have quilted and pieced long enough that each one knows which applique method works best for them.  No instructions are needed for those blocks -- thank Heaven!

This quilt is really stretching my abilities as a teacher, facilitator, and writer.  I challenged -- something I really enjoy.  My quilt is jewel tones and will be set on point with black and turquoise sashing.  I've let my love of color run rampant with this one.

 Garden of Eden

 Sarah's Choice

 Wandering Foot

Welcome Hand

Double Cross

I'm working on Lover's Knot.  From this perspective, you can see just how small some of these pieces are. 

Borders, Frames, Setting Triangles, and Quilting....

This is my last "official" post on the SAQ.  From time to time, I'll keep you updated on how the quilting process is coming along.  This is has been a fun quilt...but I'm ready to begin discussing other projects.  I'm currently piecing the Mothers of the Bible Quilt.  The Bee I'm in chose this as our year long project and it has become an adventure and a half.  More on that later, but I am thoroughly enjoying it and have definitely been challenged by this quilt -- in a good way.  I'm also teaching a couple of women to quilt. These ladies are beginners and we just worked our way through a pillow.  We've now moved on to a small quilt.  We're using West Virginia Memories for this project.  It is a great beginner project!  So if you're starting out or are teaching beginners, I really recommend this pattern. If you want to know more about how to order it and who designed it (not me), leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail and I'll fill you in.

Now on the SAQ....

The Fortress Star that you made as the last square is actually the middle block for the center medallion.

You'll add four strips to this block for borders.  Each of the strips is heavily appliqued -- hence my encouragement earlier to work on all the applique as you are piecing all the other blocks.  The borders contain 32 leaves, eight complex buds, bias strips for the vines, and 44 circles that are about the size of a nickle.  Due to the small circumference of those circles, I strongly recommend the quilter either use Circle-Eze (my gadget of choice for this project) or Perfect Circle.  Either will work.  Sometimes circles are large enough you can needle turn them successfully.  These circles are too tiny for that. 

The corners on the center medallion are mitered.  The book contains no directions for mitering, but the pattern is so clearly marked that it does make mitering a breeze, even if you have little experience in mitering. 

The frame around the center medallion is also mitered, but there is no pattern for this, only cutting directions.  The above picture is the center without the frame. Below is the medallion with the frame:

And here is a picture of the quilt with the setting triangles.  I was lucky enough to find a batik at Dragonfly that pulled all my colors together beautifully!

Now, let's talk about quilting.  There are three possible options:  Long arm it, machine quilt it, or hand quilt it.  The option you chose is up to you.  The quilt is assembled in three parts...

so machine quilting or hand quilting are immediate options.  Of course, to long-arm it, all three pieces would have to be sewn together. 

I decided since I had so much "hand time" in my quilt (all of my applique is needle-turn), to put a long arm or a machine to it to quilt it may devalue it.  So I'm hand quilting mine...

Note the really neat variegated thread I found to match everything!  It's King Tut brand and yes, it's for machine quilting but it does just fine in hand quilting.  I purchased the thread at Dragon Fly.

Carolina Lily and Fortress Star

This blog covers the last two blocks in the Southern Album Quilt.  Next week, I'll discuss the applique border around the center medallion, the setting triangles, and putting the whole thing together.  I'm in the middle of quilting mine now, so I will also upload some pictures of how that's going.  Then from time to time, I'll feature pictures of how it's progressing.  I'm hand quilting it, and am anticipating that it will take about a year to complete...that is if my move doesn't take forever and a day.

Yes, I'm moving...and more pictures will be featured of my old "new" house and my brand, spankin' new quilt studio which is three times the size of my present studio.

Meanwhile, back to the Carolina Lily.  I've made this block at least a half a dozen times in other quilts and I would like to say unequivocally that the directions given in the Southern Album Quilt are the most difficult I've ever had to follow.  I redid this block three times before I finally just gave up.  It seemed no matter how on earth I cut out and put this one together, it always came up to be 10.5 inches by 10.5 inches.  All the blocks, except the whole cloth applique, are 12.5 by 12.5 when complete.  To make up the difference, I simply sewed a frame around mine like this...

My advice to anyone is either A) do what I did...follow the directions given in the book and then sew a border around the block to make up the difference or B) use another Carolina Lily block that you've successfully pieced before.

Oy-vey....I was turning cartwheels when this block was done because I was so happy just to have it FINISHED.

Fortress Star is the last pieced block in the quilt. 

This block goes together pretty quickly.  The cutting directions on this one are a little different, but they are written clearly.   Read them completely through a couple of times before putting rotary cutter to fabric.  And it's much easier to sew this block together on the diagonal.

There you go...the blocks are complete.  You should feel really good about yourself.  Now comes the fun part...putting this sucker together.

Cotton and Turkeys and Birds... Oh My....



It's Spring and the temperatures are moderating and the plants are "greening" up.  My pansies are making a great last stand before I have to make way for petunias and geraniums.  Whether you live out in the country (like I do) or in the city limits, birds are also nesting.  The trees are full of nests and if you're a quilter, there's a way you can help our feathered friends and make good use of your quilting scraps. 

All year long, I save all those narrow strips of fabric that you cut off with your rotary cutter when you're cutting out squares or evening the edges of your fabric.  Trim these down to about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch across and 3 to four inches long.  As soon as the birds start making their nests, bundle them up and loosely tie them together with some twine and hang them on a branch. 

And if you love hummingbirds, you're really in luck.  They tend to gravitate towards the brightly colored fabric. 

Now on to the Southern Album Quilt...

The next square you'll be working on is the  Cotton Boll.  This is the last of the whole cloth applique blocks and has more curves and small pieces than the other ones.  However, I do hope that you have been working on the whole cloth applique blocks all along and haven't waited until the last minute to start them. 

Turkey Tracks in Rice Fields is a challenge.  As usual, piece the block first, do the applique and then complete the embroidery.  This is a great block in one way.  You get practice with the "Y" seams and the way Kristin Steiner and Diane Wilson approach those seams is realtively painless.  There are a couple of more blocks in the quilt where their Y seam technique comes into play, so you'll come away pretty comfortable with this technique.

There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind when constructing this block.  First, disregard the insturctions in the book on E and E Rev.  Instead, cut a 1 1/2 inch strip the width of the fabric and then continue with the instructions in the book where it picks up at "cut a strip of fabric 1 1/2 inch.  Second, when you're marking the dots 1/4 inch away from the endges on B, E, and E Rev pieces, be sure to mark them accurately.  Third, look closely at the stitching directions for joining pieces B, E, and E Rev.  Follow them and you won't have a problem.  Do the same when you dot the corner of all the A pieces of fabric and join them to the B/E//E Rev pieces.

Turkey Tracks in Rice Fields is a challenge, but the results are a beautiful block.  This is not a block you can rush through and you may end up taking it apart a few times before it suits you.

Sweet Tea, Pine Trees, and Pretty Stuff....

Sweet Tea Stars is the name of this block and if you're from the South (or Pennsylvania -- which as a surprising number of sweet tea drinkers), you're well acquainted with sweet tea.  As a matter of fact, I'm sitting here drinking a large half-and-half from McAllisters even as I write this.  A "half-and-half" is a beverage that consists of half unsweet tea and half sweet tea.  As much as I love my tea, I've eschewed white sugar for so long, that full-on sweet tea makes my teeth hurt.  The only exception to the white tea rule is my morning coffee -- and God forbid anything or anyone tinker with that.

Again, this is a pieced and appliqued block, so piece first, then applique.  The curves around the tea leaves are tight, so clip the concave curves carefully and work under with the tip of a dampened toothpick for best results. 

Audubon Pines is one of those blocks that looks so simple, you're bound to make a mistake.  If you love to do half square triangles, it's your party time!  As you assemble this block, just be sure that all your colored triangles point in the right direction.  I got this square completely put together and was tucking it away in my box when I realized I had one block turned the opposite direction...and it just had to be in the middle of the block.  So it took another half an hour to take the thing apart and put it back together.  This is one you definitely want to layout, look at, walk away for awhile, and then come back to with fresh eyes to make sure it's all correct.

Now for some pretty stuff...

I finished with all my blocks for this Southern Album Quilt, but still needed the material for my setting triangles, since this quilt is set on point.  I'm also one of these quilters that never buys the triangle material, backing material, or border material until I'm through with all my blocks.  Drives a lot of my quilt friends crazy, but this system has always worked for me.  So when I was ready to cut these triangles, I took the squares and trotted up to Dragonfly Quilt Shop on Eastchester and as usual, those ladies had exactly what I needed...

Isn't it beautiful?  Then, I found this thread to quilt it with:

Yummy....