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 ..... 

New list of finishing goals ....

Here is my current top ten (plus 2) list of projects that I aim to finish by the end of September....  All have indeed been started and yet are lingering too long in this unfinished limbo state.

1) bind my first Red-n-White quilt (& label)

2) bind my Oopsie Daisy quilt (& label)

3) finish my cross stitch ABC Words of Wisdom

4) buttons and buttonholes on peach plaid shirt

5) stitch up rayon peach top

6) quilt "Dream" quilttop (or will it be a pillow? or pillow case?)

7) quilt "Geometric USA" then finish into mini quilt or pillow

8) finish assembling 2015 Row-by-Row (water theme)

9) finish piecing, quilting, binding & label the latest Thangles pattern

10) dress and garnish my first spirit doll (maybe more than one)

 11) bonus:  quilt and finish my original Instagram logo mini-quilt (and finish an identical twin for a future swap ...) pattern by Lori Holt (IG: beelori1; her website: www.beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/)

12) might as well go for an even dozen:  finish any old UFO that I re-discover in the next two months .... (hee hee hee - there are many that I've forgotten about!)


This is my official list for the Finish-Along group effort -- teams of fellow finishers are wonderful spirit-boosters!  Check out this link or this one for more information and join (if you act fast .....).

Thank you to all the Finish-Along hostesses and prize donors and participants for inspiring me to get things DONE!

I am happy to report that I am linky number 87 for the 3rd quarter of 2017 Finish-along fun.

Sharing a little comfort

I love to sew.
I love to quilt.
I love to make things.

And I practice random acts of kindness

... so I've put these together and now I make blocks and quilt blocks to give to a number of charities or whenever a call goes out following a tragedy.  My favorite is to make blocks (or entire tops) and immediately send them off to the latest drive.

The first quilt blocks I remember making for survivors of a tragedy were stitched over 20 years ago.  Perhaps you remember April 19, 1995, the day a truck-bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people (including children) and injuring hundreds more (for a few more facts about the Oklahoma City Bombing, click here).

The shock in the aftermath was intense and there was a call for nine-patch blocks to be made, one for each who lost their life ... the blocks were so numerous that they included both those who died and those who were injured.  The loss of children was hardest of all to accept, and I saw a call online
(perhaps through the Quilters Forum on America Online - AOL) for small angel quilt wall-hangings (mini-quilts) to be made for each child who died.  So many people participated that there were quilts for every family who lost someone that sad day.  As more quilts came in, everyone injured also received an angel quilt.

I made nine-patch blocks and an angel quilt.  I love how quickly quilters step up to make something comforting to share with anonymous people, trying to ease their pain and loss.  I also made a second angel quilt that I kept for myself (wonder where that small quilt has gone to?  It was on my sewing room wall for ages!) to remember this outpouring of love through quilts that I took part in.

Since then I have made block and entire quilts for a large number of charitable calls -- the biggest impact on me was the call that came after the Memorial Day Floods that devastated Texas in 2015.

"Flood Texas with Love" was the name given this drive which originated on InstaGram, such a fabulous way to reach out with love to those in need. Social media is an effective way for such drives.

Here's a few of the tops that I helped piece, finish into quilts and then gift away.  Each would have a label with our special logo for this quilt drive.

This drive called for 15" blocks made using the color slab technique explained in Cheryl Arkison's first book Sunday Morning Quilts (read more here).   We had Cheryl's blessing and she even sent blocks for our drive too.   I originally planned to stitch a few blocks but ended up being the Houston Contact Person.  Quilts and blocks landed on my doorstep and I was in charge of distributing them.

I landed this role as sadly I had many many friends that were flooded in Houston.  One family lost loved ones as well.  My friends were surrounded by neighbors who also flooded.  To this day, many are still recovering from these devastating floods -- in part because they have flooded again and again .... but that's another story for a different day ..... (click here to see some of the quilts from this drive).

Meanwhile, the shooting in Orlando at the Pulse nightclub happened (June 12, 2016) and a new call for blocks Quilts for Pulse (this time colorful heart-shaped blocks) was made also via InstaGram by Alissa Lapinsky.  Once again, I made blocks and this time they were sent to Florida.  In fact so many quilts and quilt blocks poured into Orlando that quilts were given to families who lost loved ones, survivors, first responders and many more.  Quilt Con in Savannah (Feb 23-26, 2017) had a special exhibit to say thank you to the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild and the worldwide quilting community who participated.  Share the love!

Then today I saw another call for quilt blocks from Leanne on her blog http://devotedquilter.blogspot.com/ and I've made five new blocks to send off, sharing more love and providing comfort and peace to strangers in need.

Click here to learn more about this most recent quilt drive and feel free to send a block or two.  Or wait as sadly tragedy will hit somewhere else and another call for quilts and quilt-blocks will be made.  I will be contributing again too .....and I hope you'll join me.