Swapping books and more with new friends . . .

Recently, I joined my first swap in ages. I confess I was a little nervous (having been burned in long ago swaps). But I had such fun planning what to swap, making my gifts, then packing, mailing and eagerly anticipating, then receiving my own package.

"Fall into Reading Book Swap 2022" was hosted on InstaGram by @wwarner27 (aka Wendy). She matched participants into one-to-one swap partners. Everyone in the swap filled out a questionnaire including favorite book genres and other interests. My partner and I were able to chat via emails while deciding what to send to each other. 

Here's a peek at the books I soon purchased for Mandi  ...  My puzzle now is which one (or two) to send to her .... or maybe send more?  

See any titles below that intrigue you? 

 

 

Wondering where I purchased this stack of books? Why, at one of my favorite independent book stores! I am lucky to have two located near me. If you're in Houston, be sure to visit "Murder By The Book" on Bissonnet and "Brazos Bookstore" a block away also on Bissonnet. While I frequent both, the books above are entirely from Murder By The Book. Now to decide which books to send to Mandi....hmmm....

Meanwhile, the swap includes sending small gifts. Mandi and I are makers and crafters, so I wanted to make something special for her. But time was short and I needed to whip something together quickly. What could I make for my new book-loving-&-crafting-friend? Inspired by the name "Fall into Reading", I looked through my unfinished blocks, pulling two made in fall colors. I decided to finish both.

 

The first block is a variation of the classic Jacob's Ladder quilt block. 

It was originally headed for a Sampler Quilt, a quilt never came together.

I confess, I enjoyed quilting this block into a little quilt.

 

The second block is called "Leaf Love Wreath." It is an original design and paper-piecing pattern by Kristy Lea (aka Quiet Play). 

The pattern is currently available on her Quiet Play website. For your ease, click Leaf Love Wreath pattern for a direct link to this pattern. Click Quiet Play patterns to see all of Kristy's wonderful patterns. To learn more of my creative quilty friend Kristy who lives in the Land-Down-Under (aka Australia), take a look at her website: https://quietplaydesigns.com/ 

I finished this sweet leaf wreath block into a small quilt too.

Both quilts are finished and ready to go to a new home .... as soon as I decide which to send or whether to  to splurge and send both quilts to my "Fall Into Reading Book Swap 2022" partner .... What would you do?

Send BOTH of course!

... along with three books and more gifts which filled the package nicely.

 

 

All have arrived safely and best of all,

Mandi is pleased! Yea!

 

I love my package that she sent to me too!!!

This was a fun swap & I look forward to swapping again.

Wendy mentioned hosting the next swap in February (possibly?)!

Have you joined any internet swaps lately?
If you have, I hope they were as delightful as this book swap was!

Another ending ....

It is that time when summer is beckoning .... schools are winding down, teachers and custodians are cleaning classrooms, bulletin boards are being disassembled ....

But I took a break from the cleaning and final lesson planning to make a small gift for my 10 young students this year.  Each child selected the colorful zip-pouch they liked best and then picked out a new pair of sunglasses to tuck inside. I love sending them off with a little something made by me and specially for this class. They are my first class back at the preschool where I first discovered my fascination with working with this unique age group, their parents and their families (siblings, grands, cousins, etc).

 

What a year it has been ... but we (my co-teachers, students & families) safely navigated the full year of in-person school during a pandemic. While I and some of my families did test positive for covid at some point during the year, and our class closed for a single day, we never spread it to other classmates! I am extremely proud of that (and very thankful too). This class came with an awesome group of parents!!!

Happy summer to everyone! 

 

Have a fabulous time whatever you do and wherever you may wander.  Me? I'm excited to have a renewed passport and am ready to wander .....  See you in the fall!

 

still stitching ....

Months have passed...
Time moves ever forward ....

and covid19 still rages across my city, my country, my world.

So I focus on the little things as I take each day, one at a time, as it comes.
I am still stitching here.

It is soothing to be creating something with my hands.

And moments scattered in-between, I make masks.

Stay safe.
Stay home.
Wear your masks.

My current wanderings ....

Currently, the world is awash with a fast traveling coronavirus causing a worldwide pandemic. 

Sadly, it has reached my home town ....  

I've been safely self-quarantining and am hopeful others will do the same soon even thought it is not mandated by any government official... yet. 

Will social distancing and self-quarantining help to successfully flatten the curve experts are concerned with?

I have no idea. 

Time will tell.

While this is a Hawaiian block made of my own design, it is giving me pause .... 

should I try to make a another that resembles covid19? 

I'm just not sure .... what do you think?

Meanwhile my current wanderings have been around my neighborhood and also across the keyboard of my laptop. I am learning new digital skills - how to make and share YouTube videos (perhaps I'll create my own station too?); how to set up and post information into my Toddler classroom on Google Classroom; how to create a private group on WhatsApp for my current toddler class and how to establish an account for ZOOM cloud meetings. In fact, I have three meeting meetings (or is it four?) scheduled for tomorrow?

Busy busy me.

Soon a new normal may set in --  I am hopeful that it will be a new normal that allows solid blocks of time to sew, to create, to daydream and possibly even to nap now and again.

Stay safe everyone!

Keep socially distant ..... 

let's hope this corona virus, covid19, passes by quickly and leaves us for good. 

See you there - in the future when we can hug and be together in gatherings of many sizes.

I hope to have numerous  completed projects to show you then too,

 ... once we are on the other side of this pandemic.

Super Simple Sampler in Blue

My final finish for 2019 is this Super Simple Sampler in Blue quilt.

 

I pieced it in early 2017 when this pattern Simple Sampler by Thangles was brand new.  I can indeed verify that this is a super simple pattern to stitch together, especially since it uses the Thangles method. The pattern and Thangles to make it are available for purchase by clicking here. As you can see by their sample, that I reversed the colors: using white in the blocks and a blue batik for the background. I love it!

While the piecing was fast and easy, it took another year (or year and a half!) to deliver it to a quilter. First I had to decide on a backing fabric, opting to stitch one made of a patchwork back of blues from my fabric collection (P. S. I am a quilter who loves to quilt-by-check any of the large bed size quilt tops that I stitch up).

In summer of 2018, I had this quilt quilted by one of the local long armers whom I frequent. Jenn Saxena did a wonderful job at quilting this top using a doodle flowers pattern.  .... then at long last in December of 2019, I stitched on the binding. Now it is complete!

Oh, wait, I may still need to add a label to it!  Guess it will be officially finished in 2020?

So many tiny log cabins

 

Stars and Stripes by Amy Pabst

One of my favorite quilts on display at the 2019 International Quilt Festival is this one.

Stars and Stripes is an original design using 5,480 individual pieces.

There are 100,000 pieces in this series.

signage from the 2019 Quilt Festival

Sawtooth Star by Amy Pabst

 Love this red-and-white log cabins in this quilt.

Sawtooth Star is a design from Log Cabin Star by Elaine Poplin.

3,600 pieces in this quilt.

Ultra Violet by Amy Pabst

Ultra Violet's design is Baby Quilt #5 by Ann Brooks.

3,600 pieces 

 

   

Marching Elephants by Amy Pabst

Marching Elephants is a design from an unfinished quilt top dated 1881.

2,750 pieces

 

Milk and Honey by Amy Pabst

 Milk and Honey has 8,700 pieces.

Fever Dream by Amy Pabst

 Fever Dream's design was inspired by the quilt Japonism by Yumi Hatori.

6,411 pieces in this one.

Off-Center Barn Raising by Amy Pabst

 Off-Center Barn Raising is a design from Four Patch Charm by Kathy Schwartz.

2,730 pieces.

A Long Way Home by Amy Pabst

A Long Way Home is a design from Classic and Cool by Caroline Wilkinson.

3,024 pieces

Barn Doors by Amy Pabst

Barn Doors is a design from a log cabin quilt, circa 1880-1910.

3,000 pieces

Absolutely beautiful!

These intricately pieced quilts are all small in size.

Every log cabin is teeny-tiny

Mini Log Cabins pieces with tiny tiny tiny slivers of fabric.

Wow!

I wonder if Amy went cross-eyed after awhile? 

Amy Pabst is from El Roy, West Virginia.

My quilt family

I love seeing my Quilt Family at our annual gathering in Houston for the International Quilt Market and Quilt Festival.  This blog post features a few favorite quilts made with Thangles, created by MB Hayes, who I met at Quilt Market maybe 1,000 years ago.  I plan to start one of these soon ....

I love this Orion Star quilt.  If you are familiar with Thangles, you may recognize this best selling pattern which is always on display in their booth at Quilt Shows and Markets -- but in a cooler color way (purples, blues and greens).  I plan to make it one day, possibly in reproduction prints ....  The project pack is available online (directions and Thangles included!) by clicking here.

This one is called "Gemini Stars" and is one of newer Thangles patterns.  You learn how to make the "tulip" block when stitching this one together.  It simply sparkles, don't you agree?

I love this StashBuster pattern!  It is very similar to the current 2014 StashBuster pattern that is the free bonus sent out with all online orders placed that year.  I hope they bring back the Stash Buster patterns one day....

This is a variation of a pattern called "Stash Balls" -- such a fun what to use up your colorful fabric stash! Thangles are so easy to use when stitching up patterns with half-square triangles. 

The blue and white quilt below is one of the older designs and possibly one of the first Thangles patterns that I ever made.  This one is similar to a pattern in the Dress Your Table collection. There are now two Dress Your Table patterns, both feature quick-to-sew small quilts (great for making and gifting to friends and family).  They are "Dress Your Table" and "Dress Your Table 2" (scroll down the page to see the second pattern).

To watch a demo on how to use Thangles, click here. 
To learn more about Thangles, explore their website https://thangles.com/
You can also connect to Thangles via a variety of social media links, including: Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook.... All links on the Thangles home page.

An easy kitchen gift to make

I've learned how to make a new gift item for family and friends.  The supplies are easy:  

a kitchen towel (can be a special holiday towel, or any kitchen towel that makes you smile), 

a coordinating potholder with a loop to hang it by, 

a large decorative button 

and matching thread.

To make this easy-to-sew kitchen gift:

First, gather the supplies listed above: a dish towel, coordinating potholder, decorative button and matching thread.

    

Hint: Use a potholder with a loop as the loop becomes the buttonhole, but I am getting ahead of myself.  The loop can be placed in the center of one side or located at a corner. 

Then, follow these 5 simple steps:

1)  Using a long gathering stitch on your machine, stitch on along the center of the towel.

2)  Fold pot holder in half (you will be stitching towel to this midline).
 

3)  Gather the towel until its gathered width matches that of the potholder.
 

4)  Stitch towel to potholder by stitching its gathered lines to potholder's marked midline.
 

5)  Add a decorative button of your choice. Tah-dah!  You've finished!

You can use a shank button (pretty options available!) or a button with 2 or 4 holes. 

Pick a button that pleases you.

As you can see, my button basket is overflowing 

with a variety of buttons.

I need to make a few for myself.  

I am thinking of using this fun & fruity theme.

 

What do you think?

Patience to Raise the Sun

detail of Machann Twal Yo

One of the smaller exhibits tucked along the back wall of the George R. Brown during the recent International Quilt Festival was this gem, Haiti PeaceQuilts: Patience to Raise the Sun.   The quilt festival program explains that a Haitian proverb says, "you must have patience to raise the sun." In the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, this is a truth well understood by the Haitian women who made these quilts.  The quilts in this exhibit provide a look into the rich island culture of Haiti.  I will share the artists' words as displayed at the festival - words which tell stories of both joy and heartbreak.  It was a small and yet very powerful exhibit.

Machann Twal Yo - Our Fabric Market by Imma Hyppolite

Machann Tal Yo - Our Fabric Market was created by Imma Hyppolite.  She says the fabric market nearby is her design source, going to say: "This is the market where I sometimes buys (sic) fabric.  I love to see all the different colors and designs, but most of it is synthetic.  Cotton is very hard to find."  What's true for Imma in Haiti is true across the globe.  Quilters everywhere enjoy the hunt for the perfect fabric to add to their stash, to use in their quilts and the hunt is the sometimes the greater part of the quilt-making process.  Another truth: many of us, the quilters in the world, do prefer lovely cottons above all other fabric options.

Se Si W Ki Site Bwa W - Wood Sawing by Natacha Estavard

As with most of the quilts in this Haitian exhibit, they listed these techniques: hand-appliqued, quilted, embroidered and embellished, pieced on a treadle sewing machine.  My favorite -- that they were pieced on a Treadle sewing machine!  Sewing on such a machine is now on my bucket list, before now, I've mostly seen them in museum exhibits as props, or in someone's home as part of the decor.  But to use one, to use one to create quilts .... wouldn't that be awesome?

Back to the above quilt - it's design was inspired by "typical workers in Haiti".  Natacha Estavard, the quilter of this piece, goes on to state:  "Wood is scarce in Haiti because people have cut the trees down to make charcoal for cooking their food.  But people still need wood for many things, so they buy it from vendors along the side of the road or in nearby towns.  In this quilt, the men are cutting planks for people."  Home Depot, Lowes, and other lumber yards which are common here in the states, are non-existent in Haiti.  This quilt is a humble reminder of the basic differences in our world in the USA and their world in Haiti.

Tout Mon Ap Kontample Environment Haiti - Everyone Contemplates Haiti by Nadege Florian 

"The life and environment that all Haitians know and love" provided the design source for Nadege to create this lovely quilt.  She states "the center of this quilt is the tree of life, important because Haiti has been largely deforested.  Around the tree are tap-tap buses.  Each one represents a different state in Haiti.  The outside band represents the sea.  There is a Haitian flag celebrating our independence from France in 1803."  This quilt is full of important meaning to Nadege and any who know Haiti. Did you know that there were 10 states in this small island country?  Quilt shows are truly educational in so many different and often unexpected ways.



I had walked past by this exhibit of Haitian quilts several times before, and barely gave it half a glance, but when walking by on a later day, this is the quilt (below) that pulled me in.  Along the dark back wall, this bright and colorful dancer bid me to come at take a closer view.

Vini Danse Avec Mwen - Come Dance with Me by Sr. Angela Belizaire 

Vini Danse Avec Mewn translates to mean "Come Dance with Me".  Inspired by her own love of dancing, Sr. Angela Belizaire, the artist who created this lovely quilt, states: "Haitians love to dance, and even though I am a Catholic nun, I also dance on many occasions.  I sew my own costumes, select the music, and follow the movements of traditional Haitian dances.  In this quilt, I am inviting everyone to dance with me.  I decorated the border with cow horn buttons because Haitians make beautiful things out of almost anything, including the horns of cows."  Sr. Angela, I heard your invitation and loved my dance through this exhibit.  Beauty abounds everywhere ...

And Sew It Began...Pieceful Stitches

I have recently had the pleasure of spending a wonderful weekend at a new quilting retreat place in La Porte, Texas.

And Sew It Began is a remodeled 1913 Sears kit home -- upstairs is three bedrooms each with their own full bath.   

 

The bedrooms are beautifully decorated with different themes and there are sewing and quilt-y antiques throughout the home.

The Red & White themed room has three twin beds:

The 30's Reproduction themed room sleeps four individuals:

  

The Bluebonnet Patio is the only single room:

 This sweet bluebonnet quilt is one of my absolute favorites!  I think I love everything about it!!!

There is a full kitchen in the house too.  We took turns cooking each meal.  The workspace is well-lit, with a kitchen area, ironing and cutting station and a bathroom.  Best of all there is a lovely quilt shop next door in case you needed another background fabric or were ready to begin new project ....

More photos to come ....

Testing patterns

I love paper piecing and I had no idea that I did .... that is until I volunteered to be a pattern-tester not knowing that the patterns were all paper-pieced ones!

Here are two from recent pattern testing gigs ....

This Geometric USA pattern is due to be released later this month by Quiet Play (aka Kristy Lea in Australia).  Check her many patterns on Craftsy (www.craftsy.com/profile/quiet-play-s-pattern-store ) & Payhip -- or browse thru her awesome posts on Instagram  ....

I finished the USA on July 4th, so added (digitally only right now) the "Happy 4th of July" across the top.  I'm pondering doing a paper pieced red-white&blue USA to put there but haven't decided.


I also tested this amazing lighthouse pattern, also by Quiet Play.

The model sailing ship was hand crafted by my dear Papa Herb (may he rest in peace).  I stitched up the sails for him and the ship is named for his sister Edna (also of blessed memory).  Papa Herb is/was my father-in-law and I still miss the quiet times we shared -- we were the two craftsy people in the family at the time.

The Geometric Lighthouse was released this spring and a bonus pattern to the "Release the Kraken" block of the month that Quiet Play and Gnome Angel are hosting.  These two creative Australians have teamed up as "Quarter Inch of Quirk" for this block of the month (I'm guessing it is the first of more that will come).  Check out hashtag: "release the kraken b-o-m" on IG for more of their joint block-of-the-month quilt (there are mermaids, sea creatures, and much more!).  By the way, the website for Gnome Angel (aka Angie) is www.gnomeangel.com and the website for their joint venture is www.quarterinchofquirk.com/




An important reminder (or lesson, or tip) is to ALWAYS be sure to double check your "printer settings" before printing your paper piece patterns. 

Most every pattern will have a test square that (once printed) will measure to be an accurate 1" square.  Print your patterns at 100% and then be sure to measure your test square.  When you do this, your finished paper-pieced block will end up the size as stated on the pattern (ask me how I know?  and no need to ask how many times I forgot to measure my tester square before piecing the entire block...)

Look carefully above -- my 1" square is SMALLER than the 1" ruler markings -- this is not a good sign.  If they do not match, go back and carefully examine your printer settings .....