SECOND SHOT OF QUILT

I decided to try and post a second photo of Lincoln's Platform because, for some reason, no close up comes when you click on the previous picture. I hope I didn't change a setting because I will never find it again! Some of you noticed the circles that appear in the design. That is because I added a few lighter squares in key places. It was quite by accident that the circles appeared, but I like them. I used red for all the corner squares and navy for the center posts in the sashing. As you can see, this photo has the quilt mounted on my design wall. Unfortunately, I cannot get a clear shot in that spot. I moved my sewing machine off the table, etc. I really need to find a good spot for photos! Libby's backyard?

STASH PROJECT: LINCOLN'S PLATFORM

Here is the lesson that I learned from the Hour a Day quilt project: I am not an hour-a-day quilter! I really enjoyed making the project; I just can’t work one hour a day. Some days I spend the whole day sewing, some days I am forced to do other things. I spent several hours yesterday and today sewing the borders. I decided I wanted to make it a little longer, so I added a little saw tooth strip on top and bottom. I think it gives it that Patchalot look! The navy border is a Thimbleberries print trimmed off another quilt from a few years ago. I just had to cut the strips to size and sew them together. You don’t see the seams at all in that fabric. It is such a thrill to be able to complete a quilt from what we have on hand. Great project! Thanks Judy! I won’t be able to join in the leaves project, but love the setting. Judy has a gift for adding a touch of elegance to her designs. Did you see the American Quilter magazine this month? Judy mentioned that she had a quilt in it and so I looked for it, and saw her quilt featured. It is beautiful! So fun to see a “friend” featured in a magazine! (OK, so we have never actually met). Very nice, Judy!
Good news, I got my sewing cabinets! I am in the process of organizing fabric and when everything is put away I will take pictures and show off. I am excited!

CHARITY BLOCKS AND STUFF

The local quilt shop here is doing the Quilt Pink thing, so I made a couple blocks to turn in. Then Hedgehog mentioned that she was making red blocks for Clare in France for leukemia, so I thought I would make a couple more to send to her. In an effort to avoid making decisions, I just made them both from the same patterns. They are eight inch blocks. I think the Sister's Choice is my favorite. I saw it in a Terry Atkinson book called 9-Patch Reunion. She likes to make blocks a little large so they float, and the corner's never get sewn off. Nice method, especially for beginners. It worked nicely here because I was able to trim it to 8-1/2". It is nice to be able to make a few little blocks for a good cause. I give a lot of credit to those that are doing all the organizing! What a lot of work. New paragraph. I have been doing some stitching on my Sister to Sister quilt as well. You may recall when I got it back from my quilter recently. I kept looking at the border and wondering if it needed a bit more quilting. I DO NOT machine quilt, so finally decided to do some hand stitched viney things. I couldn't find any blue quilting thread, but saw some topstitching thread that I thought I would try. It actually turned out kinda cute. (Not easy thread to quilt with, by the way). Look closely, it is there!

GOD BLESS AMERICA

COPYRIGHT ISSUES

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at What’s Your Stitch ‘N Stuff, our local quilt shop, where I teach classes. They had an open house to promote fall classes. I always enjoy those because I am able to see what other teachers are doing, meet friends and promote my classes, etc. (Plus, they have refreshments!) One gal, Bobbi Case, brought in a couple quilts she made from my patterns. I will picture one of them here, because I just showed you my version a couple days ago. Scroll back and see Quilt Jam, or click http://patchalotmore.blogspot.com/2006/09/quilt-jam.html You may have missed it because I wrote it, then saved it, then posted the Lily entry, then edited the Quilt Jam entry. So when I posted it, it came up before the Lily entry, and was dated the same day, when, in fact, I posted it on Friday, 9-8. Ah well. So—isn’t Bobbi’s quilt beautiful?! All pinks and browns-it is luscious!
I am writing this in Word and hoping I can copy and paste it into my blog. Behold, I get paragraphs!
All this talk about copyright issues- Finn mentioned it again. I just want to add that I agree with her, in that I think most of us are in it because we love it. And I don’t know about the quiltmakers and designers that are “big time”, but I can tell you, I feel good if I cover my expenses, and I NEVER could get compensated for my time. It is just like making quilts—you know how people always ask how much you charge for a quilt? You couldn’t pay me what it is worth to me, but if I love you, I will give it to you; or donate it to a good cause, as so many do. Even though I design quilts for classes and so forth, I buy plenty of books and patterns by other designers. There is sooo much talent out there! And, like I mentioned about Sally Schneider in my earlier entry, I bet most of them are just like us and happy to share. Has anybody ever heard of a lawsuit regarding quilt designs? Stay tuned for your next episode of LAW AND ORDER!

CAROLINA LILY

Fons and Porters Love of Quilting Magazine has a great column in it called "This Old Quilt", by Gerald E. Roy. Have you seen it?In every issue he shows old quilts and discusses them. The Oct. 2006 issue has a beautiful Carolina Lily quilt that he says is a baby quilt. I really love it. I keep threatening to make a Lily quilt, but have not as yet. A few years ago I saw one that I loved at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. This is an old quilt also. I love the fabrics, the design, everything! There are lots of variations of this block, and some I like more than others. I don't know what this one is called, but thought you might enjoy taking a look at it.

QUILT JAM

Yesterday I actually got the BB geese completely sewn together! I think I will add a small border to frame in all those goofy geese, then I will post a picture. The day before, I actually got all the sashing and rows sewn together in our Stash quilt from JudyL. So I only have borders left on that! Wow, progress! I love it! Plus my mind is always swimming with new ideas! I don't know why starting projects is so easy and finishing them can be so difficult that we have to force ourselves to do it. Would someone please tell me why I can't begin a new paragraph on blogger? So moving to a new topic, Bonnie has had problems with someone using her designs again, and claiming them as their own. Bonnie always comes up with such great ideas. But to claim-jump them as your own copyrighted material --wow, what cave does that person live in? We live in an on-line world and there are no secrets! Having said that, I want to show you a quilt that I "designed" and used for a class. The quilt, pictured here, I call Quilt Jam. (Because you can jam so many fabrics into it! Yes, I love word play.) I printed patterns, etc. The blocks are made using a method created by Sally Schneider. Guess what? She gave me permission to use her method in my pattern! Many of you have probably used this method before and love it as I do. I really appreciate Sally's creative mind AND her willingness to share. I do think that after we spend hours and hours working on a quilt it "feels" like it is our own. In that way it may be difficult to separate ourselves as the quilt creator, from the quilt designer. I have posted several quilts on my blog that are my own design. I would be upset if someone claimed them as their own and published them. But I love sharing them with you! Now here is the funny part. I went to Sally's web site to make sure of the address before I created a link to it and while I looked at her patterns, I saw that she has another design that is very much like one I have printed. Now I am really feeling awkward! I e-mailed her and told her the situation. I told her I would remove mine from my web site if she felt it was a problem. She e-mailed me back and told me it was fine and I can continue selling it. Whew. Really, so many designs are so similar. But I don't want to make waves. I just want to sit like a duck in a puddle and splash a little!

SUNNY SHORES

Well, summer is over! Today is September first. We had quite a storm today. The "not quite a hurricane" called Ernesto swept through with tons of rain and 65 mph winds. Some people lost power. Luckily we did not. We really needed the rain, but not to the point of flooding! Our house is at the end of a street that slopes off the beach road, so all the water runs into our yard. We had several inches of water sitting in our yard for a while. Our yard is primarily sand, so eventually it soaks all the water up without a problem. It is kind of exciting to watch a storm, as long as it is from a dry, safe spot. I am grateful that it wasn't a bad one. As a tribute to the summer that is now gone, I am posting pictures of a quilt I call Sunny Shores. I completed this quilt two years ago. I like to make quilts with fun borders, and as you can see, I had fun with this one! Towards the end I was really digging through my stash for yellow and the right shades of blue to complete the quilt. That made me happy because I really had a lot of yellow and blue. I still have plenty, but the stash took a hit with this quilt. The Delectable Mountains are Delectable Waves, in this case. However, I think I like my little bouncing stars the best!

ROTATING PROJECTS

My computer crashed and I didn't know what it all meant, so I had my "guy" come to check it out. He didn't find a problem, and all was back to normal. So I had him load a new background for my blog. Hmmm. It may be a little too bold! I will try to mess with it some more when my computer is not revolting. Computers are so weird. Right now there is a slow delay showing what I type. Go figure! I just had a new AC for the zone that cools my sewing room and office. When do I get to sew??? Ok, so I have made some progress. Here is a photo of a corner of my room. BuggyBarn geese on the wall, and Stash project on the floor. Maybe I did get an hour in yesterday. But you can see I am rotating projects. It seems like I spend too much time rushing to get it all done. I really enjoy the process of construction. It never bothers me to work with small scraps. It takes longer to cut and piece, but I like the end result. So I guess to me, rushing is still a slow process. But an enjoyable process.
I keep trying to pull from the bottom of the stash for Judy's project, but still end up with some fresh stuff in it. I think I will end up with another quilt that I don't want to give away. Is that bad of me? You all donate so much. I admire that you are able to let go. I just sent a quilt that I loved to a relative and still haven't heard back from her, and I know she likes it. It has been six weeks. I want my work to be appreciated. Do I worry too much if someone is "quiltworthy"? Does anyone ever realize how much goes into the making of a quilt (other than another quiltmaker) ? OK, I will quit whining and get back to the sewing room. X>)

REAL HUMILITY

I am embarrassed to say that I never noticed the block that got turned until a few of you mentioned it in the comments. At first I thought you were noticing that one block is missing the blue center. But someone said "yellow block" and I thought, "WHAT"? Ahem. Yes, let's say that makes it uniquely mine. Ha! Well, that's better than calling it a reject! Thanks everyone for your very kind words. :-P

ANOTHER BABY QUILT

I thought I would post a quick entry, and while
I am at it, show another baby quilt I made this year. It is a Mary Hickey design. She does darling things, I think. I had all those 9-patches left over from a previous project from TEN years ago. I was quite delighted to find a use for them!
I have decided that I cannot commit to a schedule of one hour of sewing a day. I just have to do it when I do it. I spent all day Friday working on Judy's project, and got quite a lot done. Well, all the Shoo Fly's are done, and the scrappy borders are on four blocks. They look darling. I will try to get more done and then post a picture. Most of you are miles ahead of me, and have great looking quilts. I have always been a bit of a turtle I guess. But a happy turtle!
In the meantime, I spent two days working on directions for my Sister to Sister quilt, posted earlier. So I feel good about that! Still miles to go --ugh! But it is not like someone is forcing me to do it, right? I choose to put myself through this. Patti asked why do we quilt? Because we must. And aren't we lucky that we have something that we love to do. And it doesn't get us into that much trouble, really. I won't elaborate, it would be the never ending story. Lots of other bloggers have made very good points on the subject already. Plus, Patti has said it sooooo well! So I just say, "I'm like a moth to the flame". Love it, love it, love it! Bye for now!

REVERSE SIDE OF CHINESE QUILT

I really don't know if there is a right side to this quilt, as it is reversible. Both sides tell their own story. I think I will find a place to hang it using those cafe curtain clips. Then I can switch it around from time to time. My sewing room is still a mess. I am having cupboards made to store fabric and the guy has taken three months. It is always something. I have been waiting for years to have these, so I guess I can wait a little longer. It is just that you begin to wonder if he really intends to deliver them. I gotta get back to work--I have deadlines! Catch you all later!

CHINESE QUILT

My daughter brought me home a quilt made in China! Go figure. She must think I like quilts or something. Well, it is interesting. It is very bright and most made of solids in nylon or poly or something. I know it isn't silk. The workmanship is questionable, but this is the stuff of souveniers. I would love to see what a really talented craftsperson would make. I know they have them. Anyway, this quilt is enjoyable and very Chinese in the symbols, colors, fabric, etc. It is not really "quilted", but it is pieced. It is reversible. One side shows dragons and pandas and frogs, etc. The reverse is all pineapple blocks with a stuffed insect decorating the center. Scorpions, spiders, etc. I presume there is some symbolism there that I don't understand. I do love the colors! I haven't been aware of any Chinese bloggers out there in QUILTLAND but I would certainly enjoy and appreciate any comments.

CHINESE QUILT CLOSE-UP

This is just a teaser. I will post the whole quilt later!

I wanted to post a close-up of the workmanship on this quilt. I can't decide if they don't know about matching seams or if they are into that wonky look. What do you think? Note that the center of each block holds a little stuffed insect. Yes, we have spiders, tarantulas and many unidentifiable bugs. I think I will just love this for what it is and not try to understand it. I had trouble with Gee's Bend also. I am having touble catching up on everyone's blogs. There is so much going on out there! Also, I am having trouble finding time to work on Judy's project. I have 12 Shoo Fly blocks done without the little border of squares. I want to put it on my design wall, but that is full of the goofy geese project. So I spent today sewing those blocks together. I can't wait to get it together and move on. I think it is turning out really cool, I just need to finish the top and move on. There will be a photo soon! I have classes scheduled for fall and need to write supply sheets and pattern directions! Ugh! It is such a pain! Making the quilts is the fun part. Teaching is fun. Writing the directions is not fun. I just need to focus. Wow, my head hurts just thinking about it.

ON MY WAY HOME

I just had to post this photo to show you how good the other shots really are, all things considered! I am packed and on my way to spend the night at my Dad's before leaving in the morning to go home. My daughter says she will drive me through Rogers, MN so we can stop at Quilted Treasures. Yay! It is a great shop. I have been on involuntary quilt shop deprivation for three weeks. Luckily for me I can get a fix by going to all of your blogs to see what you are doing. What a concept!
I was able to spend time yesterday going through my daughter's scraps and did some cutting for Judy's project. Lots of four inch squares and two inch strips. This will be fun. I decided to make it in blues and browns and some red, since she had a nice selection of those. I think it will be very nice. It is fun drawing from someone else's scrap pile. I LOVE scraps. I think that is why fat quarters are so appealing to me--just because they are small!
I have another project started at home that has the same size Shoo fly blocks in it. I started it last spring while at my son's house. I haven't had a chance to work on it since then. The colors will be smilar to the Pioneer Trail colors. At least while here I did get all my stars and geese finished for the Buggy Barn quilt, so I can set that aside until I get a chance to sew the blocks together. I am making progress! More later from Virginia!

SISTER TO SISTER and PIONEER TRAIL

My granddaughter tried to help me get photos of the two quilts I just got back from my quilter. They are not bound yet, as you may see. It was quite breezy today, but sometimes photos that aren't quite perfect look more interesting to me.

The quilt on the left I made for Lisa, the Hong Kong exchange student. I hope she likes it. I am having second thoughts about giving it away! I came up with this design plan using the Sister's Choice block with a simple applique border and 9-patches in the corners. The medium blue is that Jo Morton print from Little Women with the faces on it. Then for the vine I used the reverse side of the fabric so it shows solid, and allows the color to match. I named it Sister to Sister, which is a play on words with the Sister's Choice block and Lisa and my granddaughters becoming like sisters.

The quilt on the right is one I brought out of the closet a couple weeks ago and decided it had seasoned long enough, so I added the borders and sent it off to be quilted. I named it Pioneer Trail. The Shoo Fly blocks reminded me of wagon wheels and the zig zag setting gives the impression of winding roads--well, at least to me it does! My quilter made the "trail" look like washboard roads, with the illusion of ridges. She did a great job! I think I will use this one as a class this fall. It always feels so good to get my quilts back quilted and ready to love!

TWINKLE TOES QUILT AND KATIE

I wonder if I write a post today if my last post will show up? It popped up on bloglines right away, but has never shown up on my blog. Go figure.
So here is my little darlin'. I tried to pose her in front of the quilt I made her, and this is the best I could manage. She loves her books and pretends she is reading. She has learned new words since her mom is gone. Daddy took her to Urgent Care today because she woke up with a fever and has ear infections when teething. Sure enough-both ears! Poor baby! She doesn't much like the medicine either. My wonderful quilter finished two quilts for me and I had her mail them here because I couldn't wait to see them. I will get a photo posted soon.
I changed my ticket so I am staying until Aug. 19th. My luck I paid $100 to change it and the next day the airlines is letting people make a change for free due to those stinking terrorists. I would gladly throw my money in a pot that offers free one way tickets for terrorists. We get to pick the destination! Bye bye!
By the way, I never agreed to stop buying fabric for the month. However, I have hardly been out of the house this month, let alone quilt shop hopping. :-(

MORE BIRD SALIVA INFO

Can anyone tell me why this post shows up on bloglines and not on my blog??? Does it show up for you when you look at my blog? Also, are comments blocked on my blog? They are not supposed to be. Hit me with your best shot and let's see if I get anything. Thanks! OK, I am re-publishing this same entry.
I am still getting a few comments on the bird saliva from my previous post. I appreciate having people share their knowledge with me. In case you missed their comments, I am re-printing them here.

THE CALICO CAT SAID:
She was telling the truth about the saliva... & They pay a premium for it! It generally comes from birds nests that are harvested (after being abandoned) from inside caves - where people risk their lives to collect them, the saliva keeps the twigs together...
More info in the birds nest soup: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird's_nest_soup

RUTH CROCOMBE SAID:
I really enjoy reading your blog, and I really like your spools quilt. I am a bit shy commenting on people's blogs, but have been prompted to comment regarding bird saliva:

There is a species of birds (swallows I think) that live in caves in the mountains. Their nests are made of saliva and they are high up in the caves. People climb into the caves (with very little safety equipment) and collect the nests (this is done after the birds finish nesting). The birds' nests are made into bird's nest soup and is one of the most expensive dishes you can buy in China/Taiwan and Hong Kong

My daughter in Hong Kong said they told her it is very expensive and they think that it keeps skin youthful, but you must eat it every day. The Chinese have certainly come up with amazing cures and techniques in the past, so who knows??? Maybe they have something there! I always say it is an amazing world we live in! Thanks for sharing!

SPOOLING THROUGH SCRAPS

Before I came to my daughter's house I pre-cut this project. She never has time to do the prep work for making a quilt, but she can do some sewing while the baby naps. I figured I may as well cut for two quilts and have her make me one, but then I got started and made quite a few blocks for myself. I will leave hers all ready to sew when she is able. It is good to have a project to work on while away from home. It feels like stolen time sewing. This spools project is from a Black Mountain Quilts book by
Teri Christopherson. They are 9-1/2" finished and I will set them 5 x 7. Everyone who loves to sew should have a spool quilt! There are so many cute variations. I love blocks with lots of different background fabrics. This is where a good stash is really an asset. I am making 35 blocks and making two blocks each of the same background. None of the spool fabric is the same. One lady told me she hates using the same fabric in several quilts. She finds it boring. I find that odd, as I take such joy in seeing them making themselves useful. They show up different in each quilt, and always with a few newer pieces. They are like old friends! I have a dear friend who gave me some red civil war scraps and every time I use them in a quilt she is so delighted to see that they found a nice home!
On another note, Calico Cat commented on my previous blog entry that bird saliva is indeed a delicacy in China. What an amazing world we live in. People make use of everything. Do you think it now comes in a can? My grandson thinks that they probably hold birds in cages and taunt them with food til they drool. Really, it never occurred to me that birds had saliva.
I am reading Sarah's Quilt by Nancy Turner. It really isn't about a quilt, but life on the Arizona frontier in 1905. I read her previous book, These Is My Words, and it is one of my very favorites. This one is proving to be just as good. The main character, Sarah, reminds me so much of my grandmother and the stories she would tell of growing up in Alberta, Canada in a similar environment. They really faced the elements back then. I am so thankful for the strength and tenacity of my ancesters. I have often thought I would like to have lived with them, but in reality, I am not sure I would have been tough enough. So I live vicariously though these good books!

TREES AND CHICKEN FEET

I haven't had much time for blogging as I am still at my daughter's in Minnesota. She has gone to Hong Kong with her oldest daughter. Last school year they had a girl from HK living with them as a foreign exchange student. Now they have the opportunity to go visit her family and see the sights. She says they are non-stop eating. especially dim sum, which the Chinese love. It is actually like little appetizors so you get to taste many things. When I spoke to my granddaughter yesterday she said, "We thought we had eaten Chinese food before. We hadn't! They offered us chicken feet and bird saliva...". I know they eat chicken feet, but she may have been joshing me on the saliva. Then again... They also ate lots of wonderful food and came away stuffed. The HK family is showing them a wonderful time.
The quilt I posted is a Debbie Caffery pattern that I made a couple years ago. It is from Open a Can of Worms. All 2-1/2 inch strips, remember? Daughter has it hanging, but it was hard to get a good shot. It was quilted by Becky Kraus of Bellevue, WA. She did a grest job. I tried to arrange the trees so that the ones that looked snow covered were on the top of the mountain, so to speak. I ran out of background fabric when it came to the setting triangles, so substituted something else. A carpenter once told me that if something doesn't quite work out the way you planned, you make it look like a detail that you intended to incorporate. Great advice!
Meanwhile I am enjoying the baby-15 months and sooooo cute! She says lots of words, tho lots of times you have to know what she is saying. I was holding her and pouring a diet coke. She was watching it fizz and said "Wow". Such sweet simple things bring such pleasure!
I am trying to catch a couple blogs each day, but will have so much to catch up on when I get home. You all offer such a wealth of information and inspiration. I want to clean-up and clean out and sort and stack and scrap and stash and create and make Tonya's designs and make Judy L.'s scrap quilt and make an Ostrich, plus make all the quilts that Patti showed us, and on and on and on..... I want to do it all! Don't feel bad if I didn't mention you, I want to make whatever you are working on also!

BOYS CAN TOO!

My 9 year old grandson gets in the act! Of course he gets pretty goofy when the camera comes out, but he is actually doing a good job sewing. This will be an on-going project for whenever I come to visit. We started it last trip. We had one block completed! He is already doing better than previously. Little boys are just as interested in this as their sisters. One time I was here he wanted to embroider and he actually sewed a Scoobydo picture in big outline stitches. They just need the right topic! Today we are working with cowboy fabric.
Sweet P commented on a shop nearby named Grubers. It is a fabulous shop! It is in St. Cloud, MN, about 30 minutes from here. They were in one of the top shop magazines a couple years ago. Another shop that I really like is 30 minutes in the other direction, in Rogers, MN. It is Quilted Treasures. They were also named a top shop not too long ago. These are the two shops I always visit when I am here. They are the closest, and fortunately, really good! Lots of choices and friendly staff. There are many other good shops if you can travel around a bit, but with grandchildren to tend to, our time for shop hopping is limited. Still very hot here, but the AC got fixed in the van, so yay!

MINNESOTA GROWN

Just a note to answer comments. Thanks to Pat for the border advice. My quilts usually come out pretty square, I just am overly aware that they hang straight because so many of them go on display. When you measure, do you lay the quilt flat on the floor? Since fabric is so flexible, the measurements never seem true, no matter how I measure. But they look pretty good in the end.
My plane got into Minneapolis an hour late last night. My brother was there to pick me up. Spent the night at my Dad's in St. Louis Park. Daughter and family came to get me today.
The AC is out in their van and we drove to their home in Buffalo with the windows open and 102 degrees heat! But we are still kicking! Hard to complain when so many have it so much worse. I mentioned the locations to answer the questions of Mary and Sweet P. Although I was born in New York, my husband is a true blue Minnesotan of Swedish descent. We raised our family here amidst lots of cousins, etc. I come here about twice a year for family visits. It is a great place to live, I think. Mary, I hope you will like it here. You look to be about the age of my daughter, I bet you would enjoy each other. Great quilt shops abound!

TAKE A BIAS CUT FROM VIRGINIA TO MINNESOTA

One more little bloggie before I am off to Minnesota. While daughter J. was here I came across a top in my closet that I did two years ago. It needed a border, but never got it. So it hung in the closet jammed between other unfinished works. After I brought it out to see the light of day again, I decided I really liked it and so I put on the previously planned red border. Then it looked boring. I messed around on EQ and like the simplist border the best. Yay! So I added two inch strips of various colors around the red border. They ranged in length between five inches and seven inches. Now I love it again. Funny how just a simple little detail can add so much. As I was attaching borders I realized that sewing those big lengths together is my least favorite part. I always worry that it will ruffle or not hang flat. I am so careful, but it is always a concern. I always try to cut border strips on the vertical grain line for less stretching. You need to buy extra fabric to do this, but it is worth it to me. As I cut the small strips for the border, I made an effort to cut them on the vertical grain line also. This method is one that I like to pass along when I am teaching. Probably most of you are already well aware of the difference the grain line can make, but since it was on my mind, I thought I would pass it along. I got a backing together and that baby is off to the quilters! I admire so many of you and the fine work you do with your machine quilting. That is not my thing, so let me tell you that your work is greatly appreciated by those of us who love to piece the tops and need you to bring them to life! In the photo you will see my wonderful quilter! She is working on someone elses quilt, but I let her do that sometimes.

MORE 30'S

Thought I would pop in another baby quilt for show and tell. This was made using up some 30's scraps. I love the good old Churn Dash block. It looks good in any fabric style. I hand quilted this just to keep my hands busy. It is a poly batt, so the quilting was easy going. This weekend has been gray and overcast. Feels kind of nice, actually. It looks like it should be cool out, but it is not. My daughter is here and we spent time working a a big block quilt for her that used up lots of pastels. She is happy with that. It is supposed to be a summer quilt for her bed, but if it gets finished for this summer, I will be surprised. It is nice to have something to work on together, although while I am working on hers my mind is drifting to my own projects. There are projects in process that are haunting me.

GOOFY GEESE

I have been working on my Buggy Barn Goose Chase Quilt. It is soooo fun! Most of you probably know the method: stack a pile of squares or rectangles, lay a freezer paper pattern on top and cut through the pattern. Methodically mix up the various pieces and sew them together. I haven't done the stars yet. But the rest is looking oh-so-cool on my design wall! I am giving you a sneak peak, because I will be tied up fopr a while. Tomorrow I have an all day class to teach, Christmas Kisses, from my Patchalot Patterns. The shop is doing Christmas in July. Should be fun! Then my daughter arrives from Atlanta for the weekend. I leave for Minneapolis shortly thereafter to stay with the family of my other daughter and take care of the 3 kids that will be home. Daughter and Granddaughter are going to Hong Kong! They are going to visit the exchange student that lived with them last year, Lisa, and her family. I don't know how much posting I will be doing between now and then, or even if I can post from their computer. We shall see. Luckily I am flying for free because last trip I got bumped and earned a free ticket! I am becoming convinced that one only needs to buy one ticket these days. The airlines overbooks so much that you could potentially get bumped from every flight and never buy a ticket again! It is like a sour dough starter: buy one and take another off of it each time. We shall see how that works. :0))) Just to let you know-I figured out the system for adding a name onto the blog title listed in bloglines. Click on "edit", then scroll down to a name, click one to identify it, then double click. Now you can edit the title. I went through and added names after the titles just to help me remember who is who. You can also alphabetize the titles, so I did that first, then added each name. When you have completed that task you can go back to the top and click on the tab that takes you back to the names list for opening. It gave those directions at the bottom of the page, I just didn't scroll down far enough. :p

1930's BABY QUILT

The quilt that Cathi at http://crazedquilter.blogspot.com, is working on reminded me of a baby quilt I did last year in a similar design. It is mostly 30's repros. They are always so cheerful. When I first got into quilting, these are the fabrics that I searched for at quilt shows, etc. I like the busy little prints of any era, actually. The block for this quilt is from a Debbie Caffrey book called Open A Can Of Worms. All the quilts are made with 2-1/2" strips. It is a great book and I have made many of the quilts in it. A rare thing, I assure you! Just a quick blog post today. I have to catch up reading what the rest of you are saying! Oh, by the way, Linda, the quilt behind me in the photo is not one of mine. The picture was taken at a quilt show at the Seattle Center! Ha! Figures you would ask!

BLOGOMANIAC

It's official. I have become a blogomaniac! This Bloglines thing is great because you get notified of all the new posts. But I can't keep up! I add new blogs to the list every day, and then try to keep up with everyone. Most of you have lists of blogs that you visit and that has been fun for me to explore. But I haven't taken the time to learn how to add a list to my blog; and at this point, I probably won't. I don't want to leave anybody out and I try to follow as many of you as I can. Now my problem is trying to remember who is the author of each blog title. Is there a way to add a name to the title on the bloglist?

Have you wondered what I looked like? This is me six years ago. I don't think there is a good picture of me since then. And this one looks really good to me now because it was six years ago. Sadly, now I have an extra chin and am more cheeky. But my hair is still remarkably blonde! If only all of life's problems could be cured with a bottle of Nice N Easy!

MOCKINGBIRD

The Mockingbird: To kill or not to kill? Have you ever seen a Mockingbird? It is a rather non-descript bird that I never learned to recognize. We can all identify the Robins and the Cardinals; Oriels, Blue Jays, and the like. But no one ever said, "Oh, look, there is a Mockingbird!" At least not to me. Then a couple of years ago my Dad spotted one on the railing of our deck. If he hadn't mentioned it, I never would have known that this bird lived around here. I hadn't given it much thought until we began walking down to the beach house to sit on the deck. Every time we go down there we hear this bird making all the noise he can. He perches on the high peak of the roof next door and sings his heart out. For a long time I kept looking around for a cardinal, then a robin--the two birds whose calls I can recognize. But the sound always came from this grey bird on the neighbor's roof. I looked him up on line, and sure enough, he is a mockingbird. HE NEVER QUITS! I wonder if he doesn't have his own song, or if he just likes the songs of others. Or does he listen to the other birds and think, "I can do that better than he can"! (Now he is reminding me of my grandaughter, Becky!) I am not sure if I should admire him or be annoyed at him for making me look for a pretty red cardinal in the trees. My daughter-in-law reminded me of that scene in the move Failure to Launch, with the mockingbird. Now I get it!!!
On a similar note, there must be baby robins hatching. I saw blue egg shells in the driveway this morning. Seems kind of late, doesn't it? I took a walk this morning and turned down a path to the beach. I always seem to be surprised to get there and realize it is so close to home! I don't do that enough. If it wasn't for all the people parading past our house every day with all their beach gear, one would never suspect it. On the return I walked up the path and over the dune, where I sat on the deck and caught my breath for a few minutes. That is where the Mockingbird entered my day! Have a happy day!

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

I came across this picture in an old book of US presidents. It was copyrighted in 1924. I was hoping to find a picture of Abe to copy for my Civil War Diary Quilt, so it was a lucky find! There are a couple blocks in the book that have his picture in them. I hope this picture comes out well so that any of you who would like to may also use it. I probably could have found a picture on line, but this one is pretty neat. On another note, the chicken I mentioned in the last post can be boneless or not. I prefer it with bones. I cook it in a gas grill, wrapped in foil with the lid down, for about 45 minutes at around 400 degrees. It is nice and juicy! Who else has an easy recipe to share? I stress EASY!

OFF ON A WILD GOOSE CHASE

I spent the whole afternoon yesterday cutting up fabric for a quilt class I signed up for. It is a very scrappy Buggy Barn design from their book Certifiably Crazy. The name of the book says it all. We really are, aren't we? I searched through several boxes looking for the right combination of light backgrounds of appropriate size, scale and value. Cut-cut-cut, stack-stack-stack. 16 of this pile,12 of that pile, etc. By dinner time it was all I could do to drag myself to the kitchen and cook something. Fortunately I had some chicken breasts thawed and I wrapped them in foil with potatoes, carrots, onions and Lowry's seaonings and put them on the grill. Then I sat down! My husband said the chicken really tasted good. This is a meal I rely on a lot during the summer season. Now this afternoon I need to find all the dark fabrics for the quilt. Yesterday I mostly cut lights! I don't usually cut the whole quilt at once, but for their techniques you must. It is exhausting! No chance to sit and stitch a bit in the process. (Patti, don't lust after my sewing room. I know you want to clean it!)

PATCHALOT PATTERNS

If you have read my profile, you know that I teach quilt classes, and design and sell my own patterns. I love quilts and I enjoy the patterns and designs of many popular quilters. I also love vintage quilts and draw lots of inspiration from them. My purpose in creating this blog is NOT to advance my pattern sales. I do show my designs on this site because that is what I have made or am working on. I enjoy seeing what other quilters are making and I enjoy sharing my stuff with you. I will always try to identify the quilt designer when I display a quilt. I want to give credit to them. I may not mention it if I am the designer. That feels awkward to me. I am not a good self-promoter, but that is OK. I am happy where I am, doing what I like to do. If you would like to look at my patterns, please go to my web site, www.patchalotpatterns.com. Most of my designs were made with classes in mind. They are not difficult, and they are based on traditional patterns. If you want to try your hand at one of my designs without buying a pattern, go for it. That is what quilters have been doing for generations. If you want to show it on your blog, I will feel complimented! If you want to otherwise publish it, then I will be ticked! Having said that, My Happy Place, and those patriotic quilts that I posted are my designs. Buy 'em or try 'em, if you want to. Any questions, you can contact me at patchalotpatterns@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading this. I know it is more fun with pictures! I'll post some later!

WAVE THE FLAG

I LOVE patriotic quilts, and so I have to post this quilt for the Fourth of July. It is a Pat Sloan design. My friend, Joan, and I worked together to select fabrics from both our stashes to create two of these quilts. One for each of us. We finished it in time for the 4th in 2004. It was such a fun project to do with a friend. It is a calendar quilt and has a block with a flag for each month, except for the eagle block. I do think that is the cutest eagle I have ever seen! Terry Clothier Thompson also had a nice one on Simply Quilts this morning. You can check their web site if you missed it. Maybe I will try that one too. My problem, of course, is that I want to make EVERYTHING! Have a happy holiday!

PATRIOTIC QUILTS

Here are a couple more of my red, white, and blue quilts that I love to decorate with in July. The smaller sized quilts hang on the deck railing so nicely. We really don't need to wrap up in anything big around here in July! I enjoy just seeing the quilts and their colors. To me, they add a welcoming touch. I am really enjoying all the quilt blogs and also appreciate hearing your comments on my blog and others. It will take me a while to remember who is who, but it is fun to start recognizing some of you! Have a wonderful weekend!

QUILTER'S HOME MAGAZINE

Who is this funny man? I picked up a new magazine the other day called Quilter's Home. I started flipping through it from the back, as I always do (?). After reading some off-the-wall comments, I had to flip to the front to see who the editor was. Mark Lipinski! Obviously I am not on the inside loop of what is going on in the Quilt World. I have seen some of Mark's quilts in magazines, and maybe I should have realized through his quilts that he is a funny man, but I am not psychic. Apparently Mark does have psychic friends, however. Yes, in fact, there is an article in the magazine where he interviews Jane Stickle, of "Dear Jane" fame, with the help of a psychic. And Jane says she loves Mark's quilts and is totally behind his new magazine endeavor. How is that for paranormal support! Talk about a "higher power"! I am not being skeptical, I am one of these people who thinks anything is possible. I am just needling Mark, but it's just a little needle (say a Between #8). I am enjoying the Premiere Issue of Quilter's Home Magazine, I think you will too.

6" CIVIL WAR BLOCKS

I am hooked. Now I can't stop making these darling little blocks. I made these six more in the past two days. There are enough in the book for a huge quilt. I don't know how far I will get, but a nice sized wall hanging is OK with me. I like to change wall hangings around from time to time because--what else? I have a short attention span! Which is why I keep starting projects. I do finish a few along the way. I missed the whole Dear Jane frenzy. How big were those blocks? Anybody, anybody??? The fun thing about making these little blocks is digging around and finding that you have just the right little prints for each block. Really, does anybody love our stuff as much as we do? I really doubt it.

TOILE BLOCKS

Esteemarlu asked about the toile quilt pattern. Here are the two blocks. One is a Snowball block and the other is an Evening Star with Pinwheel (according to M. McCloskey's Block Party book. They are 12 inch finished blocks. The corners of the star block and the center pinwheel are a blue print that is different from the toile. The background of the flying geese star points are toile, so they blend into the Snowball block and make it appear on point. The Snowball corners and the star points are an indigo print. The pinwheel center is a different navy print. They actually could all be the same blue. or even a scrappy variety. This was in a McCall's Quilting Magazine, December 2002. Theirs was red on white toile and called Holiday Elegance.

LITTLE FLAGS

As the Fourth of July draws near we like to bring out our red, white and blue quilts. This is one I made a couple years ago. It is from the book, Patriotic Little Quilts, by the Little Quilts ladies. It is so easy to make that my daughter and I made several for gifts. She gave them to teachers for an end of school present. In the photo you see it hanging on our deck. Isn't it funny that each year we celebrate our independence from Great Britain, and now they are our greatest ally?

RAG BAG

I was just looking at Tanya's blog and saw the rag bags in her photos. My neice in Bellingham, WA sent me one that she made and embellished with a little fish and some shells. She lined it also. I have been carrying it around for summer. Doesn't it look beachy? It is only about 8" x 11". The handles are stuffed.

CIVIL WAR DIARY QUILT

Have you seen the book CIVIL WAR DIARY QUILT? A local shop is starting a class series using this book. There are stories and six inch blocks that go with each story. It should be fun. I jumped the gun and made two of the blocks. Many of the blocks are very strange and look tricky. I tried easy ones! I have been playing with scraps today. I had half-square triangles left from my toile project (below) so am trying to use them up in a tote bag. I think I have just enough fabric left to do it. I will post it later when completed. (Isn't that opptimistic of me?)

MY HAPPY PLACE

I designed this quilt a couple months ago after spending the day with friends at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival here in Virginia. I had so much fun creating this. I mostly used orphan blocks for the border and made a few others to fill in spaces. It is to hang in my sewing room if I ever get it back from the quilt shop here in town. They keep a nice supply of my designs and samples. Most quilters hardly need a pattern for this though. It is just bits and pieces of things on hand. Can you tell there are three little faux American flags? Also left from another project. :0)) Oh dear, is my double chin showing?

CLOSE-UP

I am once again trying to upload a close-up photo of the Oceans Away blocks. They are very scrappy and I know how quilters like to examine and identify what fabrics are contained in scrap quilts. Where is the photo? This is frustrating!

Finally! The blog repair crew got this program working again! Are we having fun yet?

Lovely Lisa

Here is our lovely Lisa all dressed up for prom. Her graduation from high school was last night, plus the all night party at school. I know she is excited to go home to Hong Kong and see her family and friends. She will be missed here in America where she has endeared herself to us all. Best wishes for a wonderful future to Lisa, wherever she may be!

#3. Blue Toile

#3. Blue Toile

#2. Oceans Away

2. Oceans Away, 10 inch blocks, really scrappy. Will have another border added.

#1. Sister to Sister

1. Sister to Sister, 10 inch blocks.

Blue Quilts

Wow, I am getting so creative. Lisa wanted a blue and white quilt and I can't decide what she will like so I have been working on two of them, plus I had one in the closet not yet quilted. Lisa is a foreign exchange student that has been living with my daughter and her family for the past school year. Everyone loves Lisa! She is peaceful and serene and non-judgemental. All very good qualities to have when moving into a wild American family. Wild as in "normal". I know, normal is relative, like everything else. Lisa has brought an element of dignity to my daughter's house. Everyone trys a little harder to be better because they don't want to be a disappointment to Lisa. Lisa will leave next week to go back home to Hong Kong. I want to make her a quilt and she said she would like a blue and white one. It will not be completed before she leaves, but she is coming back in the fall to go to college. Yea!!! So one of them will be ready for her by then. I am letting her choose her favorite. (1)The Sister's Choice blocks I am calling Sister to Sister, because she has new sisters from America now. To me it looks like the blocks are hands reaching to one another. It will have machine appliqued flowers all around the order. (2)The Stars and Flying Geese Log Cabin I named Ocean to Ocean, and it is very scrappy. One of the blues actually has little whales on it! (3) The one in toile is from a magazine and is very pretty. All blue and white and all very different. Which one will she choose???