WIP-it, PIG-it, or UFO?

Happy World Wide Quilting Day!

In honor of such a special occasion, I think my sewing machine and I are going to get reacquainted. I know she's under the pile here somewhere.

Now I just need to decide if I'll drag out a WIP (work in progress), PIG (project in grocery bag), or UFO (un finished object). There are many to choose from...

Who would I have to call to arrange for World Wide Quilting MONTH? Please let me know if you have their number.

Happy Quilting, everyone!

A glimpse of home

Several weeks ago I ended up with a free Saturday afternoon and somehow convinced the men in my life that we should spend it at the Kansas City Quilting and Sewing Expo. We won't mention that I bartered with promises of a visit to the video game store for the two short ones and a stop at Abuelo's (Mexican yumminess) for sour cream chicken enchiladas for the big one. A win, win, win! 

We made our way through the vendors and began looking at the quilts on display. One of the main exhibits was a tribute to old Route 66. It was a 40-50 foot quilt (actually multiple quilts) depicting a map of the route stretching from California to Chicago and the sites along the way. Quilters from around the country then submitted individual miniature quilts to travel with the display. The only requirement being that it represent actual attractions along the route.

I moved along the display to the Texas Panhandle where I began to see some familiar sites. This just happens to be where I grew up. 

Then I saw one submission that was very close to home AND family.

My Dad's Aunt Ruth and Uncle Delbert left their own mark on Route 66. They were an integral part of bringing the Devil's Rope and Route 66 Museum in McLean, Texas to life. Along with Route 66 memorabilia, it houses one of the largest barbed wire collections. Historians state that, "Barbed wire gave us control of the land, and windmills made the land habitable." Barbed wire was chosen as one of the most significant patents to come out of the Industrial Revolution. 

   
If you are ever passing through the Texas Panhandle along old Route 66, this is definitely an interesting stop! And ask if Uncle Delbert is around. He is one of the those true Texas characters everyone should meet.

It really was a neat exhibit and had some amazing miniature quilts.

And of course, here are some of my favorite quilts from the show:

This quilt was made up tiny scraps of all colors of fabric that were raw-edge appliqued. It really was an amazing piece.

And the winner is... CHOCOLATE!

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to work at the Twilight Stitchers' Quilt Show in Blue Springs, Missouri. I even had time to make a few laps and check out all of the quilt yumminess. Here are a few of my favorites:

Called "A Walk in the Jungle" -- loved the giraffe in the blue pumps!

After I got home, I got a call saying I had won a door prize! Thank you, Twilight Stitchers, for this amazing basket of goodies!

Inside I found two ruler racks (one large and one small), a cute little square ruler, a table runner pattern, a box of chocolates (the good kind), and CHOCOLATE fabric! Who knew?! There was two yards of the cutest chocolate fabric with two coordinating fat quarters. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the fabric yet, but it will be something yummy!
 

After I had carefully removed the three pieces containing caramel and nuts from the box of chocolates (I had to protect my assets), I told my boys I had won some chocolate! 

I handed them the chocolate fabric and told them they could have as much as they wanted! (I'm generous that way.)

They didn't quite see the humor in it that I did. So eventually I got the box out. They were pretty excited about this development. Nick was sure these were meant to be shared by the whole family!

Now keep in mind, these two are not usually willing participants when it comes to quilt shows or fabric shopping expeditions. So when I announced that the chocolates were only for quilt lovers, they seemed very disappointed and downright put out at the injustices of the quilt world.

But Mom has a heart and an answer for everything. Anyone who could proclaim their love of quilts would be rewarded with chocolate! And let me tell you, there was a lot of quilt lovin' for the next few hours. My chocolate loving husband even arrived home from work proclaiming his love of quilts before he even made it through the door!

What could be better than quilt love and chocolate?!

Lisa Sipes trunk show

 

Last week, the Missour Kansas Machine Quilters Guild (MKMQG) hosted quilter Lisa Sipes who had a trunk show and shared much quilty goodness. The fuchsia hair, piercing and tattaoos may have been an eye opener for some of our more seasoned quilters, but she was very entertaining and brought some stunning quilting to share. The quilt below won a blue ribbon at MQS 2011 in the embroidery category and features some incredible micro-quilting. This was also the first quilt Lisa entered in a show (and had been quilting for only two years at that point!) WOW! The purple photo below this one is the back side of this quilt. The gold is the quilting.

 

I love the ruler work on these. Those three little lines are only an eighth inch apart. I would have loved to have seen first hand how the heck she did this.

 

I had seen many of these quilts online, but they were just incredible in person. Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your amazing work!

Christmas in July

This past weekend, Quilted Memories -- the shop I'm newly affiliated with -- held a Christmas in July event. There were lots of specials and treats, and the shop was decorated with holiday quilts done by customers. Even though the temperatures were well into the 100s outside, all the Christmas eye candy put me in the mood to get going on those holiday projects. There are only five months!

Shoppers got to vote on their favorite quilts, and this lovely by Rita Hale won the Viewer's Choice award.

Rita is also a member of my machine quilters guild. I told her I would be glad to give it a good home, but she wasn't having any of it! I have seen quilts like this done in red and also chocolate brown, but the navy was really pretty. Nice job Rita!

I guess if Rita won't share, I'll just have to make my own! Pardon me while I go find the end of my future projects list...

Here's the acorn wreath scoop

I have had several inquiries about where I found the pattern for this little acorn wreath table runner. It is from a book called Pumpkin Patch Threads by Need'l Love. I picked it up at Quilter's Station in Lee's Summit, Missouri where they also had a fabric kit for this table runner featuring Jo Morton fabrics.

This top finishes at 22 inches square with the cute little log cabins finishing at two inches each! I paper pieced these and have a nifty paper piecing graphic I designed to print these out in bulk instead of having to trace each of the 48 blocks. Contact me if you would like more information about this. I hand-appliqued the acorns and leaves using the freezer paper and spray starch method. Along the way, I discovered a sweet method for applique piece placement that can be found here.

Now I need to get serious so I can have this little guy quilted by fall. I am so looking forward to that and the milder weather that comes with it. Bring on the cool breezes and rustling leaves!

A scientific experiment & the acorn wreath top is complete!

Last month I went to a trunk show for longarm quilter Sheryl Schleicher. When she was speaking about where she begins the quilting on a quilt, she shared a bit of scientific information: most people, when viewing anything -- art, a building, a photograph, or a quilt -- scan it in a specific pattern. So I am conducting an official scientific poll of my own to test this theory. The photo below is of the little acorn wreath quilt I have been working on lately. It is comprised of four main blocks. When you view the photo, be conscious of which block your eye moves to first and which you go to last. Leave a comment and let me know your findings.

I'm going

to leave

a little

space here

so you

are not

tempted to

look at

the photo

quite yet.

Now, view.

Sheryl gave us a little diagram showing that most people scan from the center to the upper right, to upper left, to lower left, back to center and on the upper right, to lower right, then back to center. Is this what you did?

In Sheryl's talk, she said she would start quilting in the lower right near the center because that is the last place most people look. This gives her a little time to get in the groove of the motif she is using and if there are any less than perfect elements, they are not as readily noticed.

When I set my four acorn blocks together, there was method to my madness. The first block I did ended up being slightly different than the other three. I struggled with appliqueing those deep valleys on the leaves, as you might remember here. And my placement of the applique pieces on the background fabric was a little too free-style. I sent out a cry for help and got some terrific advice, shown here. One of the tidbits that really came in handy was an easy method for accurately placing the pieces on the background fabric. You can check that our here.

I toyed with the idea of remaking that first block. Then my sister reminded me of the Amish rule of quilting: only God can create perfection, so mistakes are okay. This was just the advice this recovering perfectionist needed to hear! So I set these four blocks together with Sheryl's diagram in mind and put that "slightly different" block in the lower right corner where hopefully its uniqueness didn't scream out so loud. I know it is there, so it is the first thing I see. Let me know if you noticed it, or if you had to go back and look at it again.

Scrappy Fourth of July

In honor of the Fourth of July, I would like to share with you a red, white and blue quilt. Except that would have required months of pre-planning and sewing. And I just don't operate that way. The first time it crossed my mind was on the third of July. Oops!

Instead, I'll share with you a project on my "hope to get to someday" list. I've loved this scrappy quilt since I first saw it. The pattern is called Scrap Jar Stars by Amber at A Little Bit Biased. She has a great tutorial here. It is a great stash buster, and I hope to start it sooner than later.

My boys have been itchin' to blow something up since 7 a.m., and I'm not sure if we can hold them off until dark! I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Fourth.

Happy Birthday America!

Origin of "tiny quilt pieces" gene revealed

When I was in Texas last week, my Aunt Dee pulled this quilt out to show me. She knows I have an affinity for small pieces in quilts, and this postage stamp quilt was no exception. It was pieced by my Great-Great-Grandmother Clara Ann Herrin. She passed away in 1938, so it was made sometime prior to that during her lifetime.

Aunt Delores with my Great-Great-Grandmother's quilt

It was mainly stripes and plaids and a few small-scale prints. I love how the red is still so vibrant after more than 100 years. What a treasure! We agreed this is probably where my "tiny quilt pieces" gene originated.

my Great-Great-Grandparents, Alonzo and Clara Herrin

on the bottom row from the right, my Great-Grandmother Otal and her mother Clara

Thanks Aunt Dee for sharing!