A Little Sharing

Once in a while I get emails from people who have completed one of my patterns. I don't always get the time to show them all, but I got two recently that I want to share.

 This little cutie was made by Christelle Taquet. I happened to hear from Christelle because I saw another quilt that she made posted on Lynda Hall's blog, Primitive Pieces. I commented on how much I liked it and then heard from Christelle that she made one of my little quilts (Medallion Doll Quilt, above) and is working on another one. Apparently Christelle lived in Virginia Beach for a while and before moving back to France she stocked up on supplies at What's Your Stitch n Stuff, a LQS. Among her purchases were a few of my kits! It makes me happy to think of her in France stitching along on Patchalot Patterns! Thanks for sharing Christelle!

 I also heard from Michelle Condon, a fellow blogger from Quilts and Stuff. Michelle was in Millstone Quilts, in Mechanicsville, Virginia recently and bought a few of my patterns. She wrote to tell me about it, then later sent this picture of Stitchin' Time that she had completed! Nice job Michelle! By the way, Millstone Quilts will be featured in the next edition of the Quilt Shop Sampler magazine by Better Homes and Gardens (the American Patchwork and Quilting people). I always love to see the great shops they feature in that magazine!


On another front, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Colonial Quilt Lovers Guild yesterday in Camden, North Carolina. I had such a great time and really felt welcomed in their midst! My husband asked if I was going to another support group, and yes, it is something like that, except we kind of encourage each other in our addictive habits. I spoke a little bit while I showed my quilts. Heaven knows that is an easy format for me! I also have to say how impressed I am with the good work they are doing in supplying quilts to Project Linus, and baby quilts to a local hospital as well. Quilters just overwhelm me with their goodness and generosity! Thanks ladies for a great day!

The Joy of Reading

I have spent far too much time playing with my Ipad of late and consequently have not read as much as usual. I enjoy my books too much to let them be overshadowed by ever changing electronic gadgets. Not to say I don't enjoy my Ipad. I do! I also enjoy reading books on it, but it is not the same as gripping an actual book and turning the pages. Plus I haven't outgrown the need to peruse the shelves of bookstores, or scan through the best sellers at Sam's Club or Costco. Many times my husband and I read the same books, and then I often send them to my dad or my children. Good books are meant to be shared! 

Recently I finished reading Dreams of Joy, by Lisa See. This is a great book! Fascinating and frightening in its historical setting in Red China. It follows the journey of Joy, the daughter of Pearl and May in the book Shanghai Girls. You really must read Shanghai Girls first! Lisa See is an American of Chinese descent. Her family's history is amazing (On Gold Mountain) and she draws on this history and their experiences in her writings. I often see books reviewed on blogs that I read, and I find that helpful and enjoyable, so I thought I would add my 2 cents worth.

And then there are QUILT STORIES! I love them! I read two good ones on blogs recently. There are probably lots more out there, but I am not straying very far afield these days. Check these out for good reading, I know you will love them:

• Sweet Home Quilt Company by Melisa Morrison
  
• Bunny Hill by Anne Sutton

Please let me know if you see other stories I can add to this collection. 

And here are those darling twins again. Can you believe how they are growing! Coming up on 5 months old!

Summer Progresses

I was perusing Ebay the other day and look what I found! Not only that, I won the bid for it, so I am now the proud owner of a really straggly, well used, deteriorating old quilt! And so why did I buy it? It was advertised as a cutter quilt, for one thing, and I had to save it from that fate! Also I love the old indigos on the pink. A wonderful combination!

 

 At first glance I thought the block in the lower left was a square of dark fabric! But no, it is a shoofly block with literally no contrast! Do you think quilters of old did this just to be playful as we do today? These blocks are 9" squares. I adore the zig-zag setting! Now here is the funny part, to me at least. It is virtually the same pattern as my Pioneer Trail!

 Pioneer Trail done in prairie colors, but the exact same block and setting! And here I thought I designed this pattern! Seriously, "nothing new under the sun", as they say!

 Meanwhile, back in the sewing room there is little to report. Little blocks that is. These are three inch blocks. Simple enough for even me to accomplish without much sweat! A new design in the works!

 

CONTENTED QUILTS

Long time no blog. We all know how time flies so there is no point in bemoaning that fact. I was in Arizona for a couple weeks in July and then had company when I came home. Fill in a little of the normal ebb and flow and there you are--a full time life! So that's a good thing, right? 

I have to confess, I finally got a few more of Barbara Brackman's Civil War blocks done. I know I am way behind many of you, but I am OK with that. I do what I can do. I am not competitive in that way. I am remembering the Carnation Milk commercial from when I was a kid that talked about their milk coming from "contented cows". Does anyone remember that? So I make "contented quilts"! It's good!

 This is a photo of my darling cousin Brenda. I was visiting at her house in Arizona and she pulled out this quilted coat that belonged to her husband's grandmother (I think it was). This coat is so beautifully made! It is a treasure! I just had to share it with you who read my blog. It is museum quality!

Since I am feeling so contented I thought I would show a quilt that I made a number of years ago while living in Issaquah, Washington. The Good Will in Seattle had an auction where they auctioned off any quilts or parts thereof that had been donated. Of course they advertised the event to the local quilt guilds and it was always mobbed. My husband took me downtown and we ended up bidding on a few things. I won the bidding on this stack of vintage Dresden Plate blocks. They were all appliqued onto muslin squares that were really in bad shape. I picked them off this nasty muslin (that I wish I had kept because old soiled looking muslin is all the rage now) and I restitched them onto clean muslin squares. I found the yellow gingham that so closely matches the yellow in the blocks, and happily stitched the whole thing into a quilt! I even hand quilted it, something I never do anymore for lack of time! This summer I placed this quilt on my bed for the first time and am using it! I guess I was too worried in the past to take any chances with it. But this summer I am feeling contented, so I brought it out to enjoy.

Just check out these great fabrics! What do you think, 1930's or 40's?

I know those of you in the US are feeling the heat! This summer has given us record temperatures across the country. Keep cool and contented wherever you are!

Progress

Can it actually be July 21st? I just returned from Arizona, land of heat waves and dust storms and also my family. I have a very nice LA quilter there who finished up three little quilts for me. This one I made years ago and uncovered it recently and decided that my new little granddaughter could use it while she is still so small, then later have it as a doll quilt. It is 30" square, so she will not use it for long, probably. The quilting is adorable and really makes it, so I hope you can view it close up. I hate to see unfinished tops languishing in boxes. The colorful border gives this just the right finish. It makes me smile to have it done!

 Also, thanks to Carol at Brown Quilts, I got going on patriotic pillow cases. After making a couple to send Carol for her friend's cause (distributing to hospitalized soldiers) I decided my grandkids needed them also. You know how easy it is to make several while you are on a roll? I bought some fabric and used up some from my stash. That wavy flag fabric has been around for years! If you would like to use up some of your patriotic fabric for a good cause, hurry and make a pillowcase or two to send Carol.

 My main purpose in going to Arizona in heat that is over 100 degrees was to make some decisions on a house that we own there. Our renters moved out and since we are so close to retirement we are fixing it up for us to move into...eventually, but not immediately. This is what it looks like now. We tore down a wall here and really opened it up. I was trying all kinds of paint colors and I finally chose one that I hope will work. None of those in the photo, however. I seem to know what I am doing with fabric colors, but when it comes to paint I am a disaster. It never looks the way you expect it will and then it changes to different colors as the light changes. I seriously am praying that I picked a good color because they are going to paint all the walls in the whole house that color!

Meanwhile, the twins passed their 4 month mark! We celebrate every day with new pictures on Becky's blog. (Oh right, so today she doesn't have any!)

Most of the country is under a heat wave, so stay cool my friends!  

 

Liberty Belles

No company here today, making it pretty much business as usual. My husband made the astute remark that the only thing that makes holidays worth celebrating is KIDS! Our kids may as well live on another planet. So today we went out for lunch at a less than desirable place, the best one being closed. Then I went to my sewing room to turn this little cross stitch project into a pillow. 

 I worked up this little project during the winter. It is called Liberty Belles (love the name) by Little House Needleworks. I have so many little stitcheries that have not been turned into anything finished, so I am happy to get this one done. I had just enough big rick-rack left from an earlier project to add to the two ends.


It is getting dark earlier than usual tonight and I just heard this huge crash outside and thought maybe someone lit off a stick of dynamite. But no, it is thunder cracking loudly close by. People have been staking their claim to spots on the beach all day long and our street is lined with many more cars than usual. There are always wonderful fireworks at the beach on the 4th of July, and now it is raining. I feel sad for all the people and especially the kids who look forward to this big event. I wonder if the fireworks will get rained out?

Hope all you Americans are having a happy holiday!

It's a Grand Old Flag

I love pictures with flags! This one happens to be my grandfather, I think around 1907. Just guessing by his age. How do you like that outfit? I wouldn't be surprised if he was marching in a parade that day.

 

Wally Winspear, about 1907 

I just was visiting Minick and Simpson's blog and they have a link to Jimmie Cagney dancing his heart out. Honestly, you should go see the video, it is awesome! I remember watching his movies when I was a kid and they had the old movies on late at night. I watched a lot of the old black and whites when I was up babysitting or whatever. Cagney made Oscar winning Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942. Some of those old movies just can't be beat, even in black and white!

This is my darling granddaughter, Danielle, taken at our house a few years ago. Another flag waver! The quilt behind her is a favorite old pattern from Little Quilts!

Here is a quilt of my own design that McCall's published last summer. It is called American Dreamer and Minick and Simpson designed the fabric. They really do patriotic well! I mentioned once before in a blog post how active they have been in providing quilts for the military and funds as well. They are awesome! I can't tell you how much respect I have for them!

You can help too, just click this link for Quilts of Valor to find out more.

So I just wanted to share a little bit this 4th of July weekend! Hope it is a good one for you and yours!

A New Baby and a Quilt, of course

When I was in Utah last month (yes, it was only last month!) I mentioned to my son that the quilt hanging on the wall was looking wrinkled at the top and the rod appeared to be bent. He jumped up and said, "well, this is why!"

Isaac loves to hide behind it and then surprise everyone!

And now look who came home and surprised Isaac! A new little sister! She was born Friday, June 24, and named Eleanor Louise Patch, after my husband's mother, Eleanor, and my mother, Louise. Quite a handle for one so small.

 As you might imagine, I have been working on a baby quilt for her. The above photo shows my favorite spot for pressing pieces as I go. It is right outside my sewing room and very handy.

 And this is the finished top! It would have been nice to have finished it BEFORE little Eleanor was born, but there were too many other things that jumped to the head of the line. I think it turned out sweet tho. I love pink, and already had several pink FQs set aside from a Blue Hill Fabric line called Little Pink Stars. Plus I added another one or two from my stash. Quilt delivery is scheduled for mid-July, after it gets quilted!.

The Great Unwashed

The phrase, "The great unwashed" is a term coined well before my time, and I am using it only in regard to the washing of quilts. You know I love to play with words. 

So tell me, what is your opinion on washing fabric before sewing it into quilts? Or how do you feel about washing quilts? And at which point do you decide they should be washed?

When I first began making quilts I would wash every piece of fabric that I bought. I thought it wise to wash the loose color out of it and shrink it before sewing with it. When I began teaching I always recommended that my students do the same. After we moved to Virginia I discovered that the employees in the LQS were telling everyone, no, they didn't have to do that. It took me a while to adapt to that, but I began to see what they were trying to achieve: they liked the fabric to shrink a little and give the quilt a vintage look. At this point I really began dealing exclusively with Civil War reproductions, and I wanted to achieve that vintage look also. And it was lots easier to not wash and iron the fabric! 

 Recently I made a queen size quilt using 100% cotton fabric and 100% cotton batting. I wanted that bubbly look that a washed quilt sometimes gets. After washing and drying, I placed the quilt back on my bed and was astounded at how much smaller it seemed. I measured it and discovered that it shrank about six inches! I was not happy about that. I guess in the past I haven't noticed any shrinkage, but on this one it was pretty obvious. And I was using 100% cotton everything, so what did I expect? 

The lesson here is an easy one: if you use all cotton be prepared for shrinkage! But more than that, it also made me aware that as a pattern designer I need to adjust the sizes of my patterns. Instead of stating that a quilt is 90 inches square, I need to add "prior to washing". 

I bet many of you have had similar experiences. Am I right?

This morning when I stepped out of the shower I discovered that I had not replaced my bath towel that was thrown into the wash yesterday, making me "the great undried", right? Seriously, I need a caretaker. 
 




The quilt in the photo is Cocheco Gardens, available on my website, using all Marcus Fabrics. Be sure and see their newest Cocheco III line that is all pink and brown! Love it!

And We Have A Winner!

Doesn't it feel good to be a winner? Well, I rarely win anything myself, so I gives me great pleasure to be able to give someone else the thrill of winning this book. You will love it!

 

I know that Tara Lynn Darr worked her little heart out writing this book and making all these darling little quilts! Follow the link below and you can see all the cute quilts in the book. I wish I could give one to each of you! So let me just say this, if you like to make little quilts, you should really buy it!

Everyone except Robyn because Robyn won the book! 

Robyn *Ü* said...

Oh my gosh! Those babies are too cute. I'd love to win one of them :) but since that's not possible I would also love to win one of Tara's books.

Congratulations Robyn! Send me your address and I will send Simply Charming off to you!

Check out Robyn's blog and all the neat things she is making! 

And Happy Quilting to all!

Oh what the heck, why not throw in baby pictures!

Flag Day

 Flag Day was a big deal when I was a kid. In Buffalo, New York, where I attended elementary school, we learned patriotic songs that I still love to sing! We had parades and said the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. I hope they still do that. I have been out of school for a while, so I don't really know. Do you have your flag out today? I do! God Bless America, Land that I Love!

 Of course we American quilters also love our patriotic quilts! This one pictured (that just didn't want to load right side up) is a photo that my husband took while in New York. I can't remember where he took it. I just found it on his I-phone. But it is old and behind glass, I can see that. Maybe one of you out there can enlighten me. Awesome, isn't it?

 We US quilters love to make patriotic quilts as well. This one, called Homeport, is one of the first quilts I ever designed. It has been, and still is, a popular pattern here in Virginia Beach.  

I had the misfortune Monday morning of finding a package on the front steps that must have been delivered late Saturday. It rained Saturday night and also on Sunday, and since we never left the house all weekend this is how it looked Monday morning.

 You know what, these sideway photos both came off the I-phone. Interesting. My camera photos have never done this.
But you get the idea. Box busted open and contents soaked. 

 Here is what it looked like later that morning. 300 some pattern covers all soaked and 5 dozen envelopes permanently sealed. I was mad. Since I know we were home all day, I know we would have heard the doorbell if the postman had only rung once! But I think he is too lazy to climb the steps and ring the bell, he just heaves the box up and leaves. Fortunately I deal with a wonderful printing company, Vistaprint, and they happily replaced the whole order for free. Wow, I am so impressed with that kind of service. Their quality is awesome as well. If you ever need a printing company please check them out!

 And now I must share my new TV favorite! The show is Doc Martin and it is a British TV show that has been off the air, but is now available on Netflix and other places. The link takes you to Hulu.com where they apparently have it. His face says it all! He is brisk and rude and hilarious. He is funnier than House, who I don't find funny at all. The show takes place in this beautiful waterfront village filled with quirky people with whom he gets very frustrated. The episodes are filled with a good mix of both drama and humor. I have crammed all four seasons of the show into the past month and when I am done with the 30 episodes I will probably start over because I am hooked! And-good news! They are filming again this year! Yay!!!


So there is another glimpse into my oh so fascinating life!

A Little More Market

 A little more market never hurt anyone, right? So here is a peek into the wonderful Bonnie Blue Booth. The quilt on the back wall is the Cotton Club BOM that we are seeing all over. It is awesome!

 Pictured above is Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Stoddard from Bonnie Blue Quilts. More nice people with whom I am happy to connect. I really love their quilts!

 The Bonnie Blue booth always blows me away!

  This is my own quilt, Celebration Stars, which, I am proud to say, was hanging in the Marcus Fabric booth!

 This is the darling and talented Kathy Schmitz! Always in the mood for Christmas....

 When we first spotted Kathy it was the day before market began and she was down on her knees painting her floor! What a girl!

 We came across Kathy later while she was visiting her sister, Bonnie Sullivan's booth. Can you tell they are sisters? Bonnie's company is All Through the Night. check it out! Can you believe her booth? It was drop dead gorgeous! Wool applique on flannel. Watch for her new book coming in the fall.

 Here is a cool looking new book on the market by Kathy Brown. Sorry, I don't know her website. But do a title search and you will find her book all over just now!

I had the pleasure of meeting Kathy while in the Sew Unique Creations booth. Also met Granola Girl, Debbie Field. I was introduced as Patchalot by Tara Lynn Darr and told that heretofore that is what I would be known as. Never mind Marcie.

This is the adorable Renee Plains of Liberty Star in her equally adorable booth.

I bought her book, A Bird in Hand, and can't wait to dig into it and make something! I wonder if they call Renee Liberty Star?

Hope you enjoy viewing a few more photos from Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, Utah. For me it never gets old!