Quilt with Jane

Pears, Bananas, and UFOs

2011-02-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to get motivated to finish my current UFOs, but our guild has a challenge going, maybe that will help. I have even been procrastinating about making up the list of projects. It's probably too long for comfort. Instead, I seem to start new stuff. But at least I finished something.

I tore apart my old, well used and stained mixer cover this weekend and made a sparkly new one. I had this fabric in my stash, bought to make curtains for my kitchen, thinking it was a great combo for my counter tops. It makes a better mixer cover, I am so glad I didn't make those curtains up. It's even reversable, with the batik of the pocket as the inside. Gee, I have banana fabric, too. Maybe I will make that up and it will be my summer cover. But then, I would have to change it back to pears when Pete and Nicole visit, as he is allergic to bananas (lol). Hmmm, maybe I will make reversible curtains, pears backed with bananas, to suit my mood and my houseguests.

I have a bed sized quilt to finish up to send as a gift, and I need to do it soon for my MIL who needs cheering up. I am going to try the basting method that Aunti Nicole sent me a link to the UTube video, with two boards to keep the top and back straight. I will let you know how I like that method.

Happy quilting!

Family Fun

2011-01-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ok...I know the ski/snowboard picture doesn't relate to quilting, but it does relate to my other favorite hobby, spending time with family. GDaughter Megan attended Snowboard camp over the Christmas holiday. She is the one standing closest to me. Her twin, Marisa, and brother Mason are also hamming it up. GrandDaddy was taking the picture. We all had fun going to the slopes several times, and we all progressed on our skill levels. I promise to post a quilt related picture of me soon, but I just got tired of looking at Willie and Me in my jammies. I hope Nicole will help me get a few worthy pictures next month that I can change up for my posts.

Today I have Quilters by the Lake meeting (every Monday from 1-5). I love this friendship group, and I get so much done concentrating on a project and not worrying about phone and other household stuff. I am working on a blue quilt for my MIL and have made significant progress since purchasing fabric at Christmas time. I will be sewing rows together today, maybe adding the borders. I will post a progress picture when I get a chance. I may use Nicole's double piped binding method, as I want to bring some hot pink back into the frame. You can find the tutorial for that at Aunti Nicole's Corner blog, there's a link on my home page.

The New Year is in the Bag!

2011-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Shasta Lily Quilt Guild met yesterday, and I led a workshop to make an easy/peasy Fat Quarter Bag. We were all so glad to see each other, it's amazing we got anything done for the chatter in the room. I think fun was had by all, and most of us came away if not finished, with at least the confidence to complete the project. There were some dynamite combinations. It also looks great with the lining turned out to make the handle casings. Delores was working on her third bag, and hers was a Monet Beauty, with piecing AND pockets. Excellent work, all of you!

The Shasta Guild now has a website too, it's great! No more searching thru my messy desk for the last newsletter to tell me where to go or what I need when I get there! Thanks, Wendy! My friends can go to http://www.shastalily.org/ to check it out. The Guild is off and running in 2011, we have such great plans!

For all my followers (all 8 of you) I promise to post to my blog more often this year, now that I can remember how to log in.

Quilt Show Frenzy

2010-09-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

My Mt. Shasta Guild, the Shasta Lily Quilt Guild, is hosting a quilt show this busy Labor Day Weekend. We are busy buttoning up the last minute details, and will set up the show this afternoon (after the High School lets out) in the Mt. Shasta HS Gym. Expect to be up until midnight, but it should all go pretty smoothly, we have had a good team working on it.

Here is a picture of one of the quilts I have entered in the show. I finished it last month, and I don't ordinarily do asymmetrical OR modern design, but this kind of took on a life of it's own. The poppies are 3 dimensional, and I like the finished look. Forgive the edges of the picture, haven't figured out how to crop the picture yet....another lesson, another time.

Oh No, another UFO!

2010-07-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

This lovely block is just one of 25 I won at the June 2010 First Saturday gathering at Tater Patch Quilts. It's another UFO for my closet, but the good news is I don't have to make any more to set a quilt, just maybe get borders, back and binding. Just as I thought I was getting caught up with my list. I have put it away for "later", as I am in the middle of machine quilting something for the Labor Day Quilt Show in Mt. Shasta. But, I did play with my camera and settings. The simple block makes a great secondary pattern when set with every other one rotated 180....See?

The bag is sitting in my UFO drawer (thank you Nicole for helping me organize my quilt room). It will probably finish up sometime this year. I think I know a home for it already. All I need is time.

First Saturday - June 2010

2010-06-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was First Saturday at Tater Patch Quilts, Merrill Oregon. It's a monthly party to find out what's new in the shop and the quilt world. We drive from Weed and Mt. Shasta (~70 miles), but it's well worth it. We laugh, admire and sometimes buy new fabrics and tools, and spend a day with 80 or so of our closest friends (even if you don't know all their names).

The Show and Tell portion of the meeting is always so inspirational, it buoys my spirit and energizes me. I think that's my favorite part of any gathering of quilters. I had been in kind of a funk as far as inspiration for a couple of weeks. I want to make two small auction quilts for my two guilds upcoming events, but I couldn't quite get with it. Yesterday at First Saturday, I found the missing inspiration for the Shasta Lily Guild silent auction piece for the Labor Day quilt show, and the Flying Geese Quilt Guild bi-annual auction event that is happening soon. I got all the fabric I need and will cut them out today, sew them together tomorrow at Quilters by the Lake, and get ready to prepare the applique part. I will tell more about this project later in the month when I have something to show you.

Anyway, sometimes it takes outside stimulus to get you back on track and I am charged up again. What is your "trigger" to inspire you on new projects? I really want to know.

Birthday Blocks - Woo Hoo!

2010-05-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

Seven Birthday blocks arrived in the mail this week! They are pictured here. My EZQuilter friends in Southern California are doing a birthday block exchange for each birthday girl in her month. The blocks are maker's choice, finishing to 8" and we will all finish our own quilts. Since there are 18 of us, there may be more than one due in a month. May is for Peggi and Jane. I finished the rest of mine today (June-Feb), they will be in the mail to Nicole to hand out as the months come. I can't wait for the rest of mine to arrive to put together the quilt for 2010.

Thank you to Lori, Sandra, Mardell, Jamie, Helen, Mickey and Nicole. They are wonderful! The two Churn Dash blocks are ones that I made and decided not to pass along, I have rescaled the block and the next ones the EZQuilters will be seeing are a little different. For Lori, Donna, Melinda and Peggi, and the blocks I have already given, I can make you new ones if you like. Just send yours back to me and I will re-do them. I will use the ones you send back in my quilt, or re-do each block at the better scale. Today, I officially have one more UFO off my list for the year. Double Woo Hoo!

Bloggen Fargenugen, Oy!

2010-05-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

This blog thing is a whole new experience. You can get trapped on the computer for hours just looking at the choices in design and not make any changes. For my faithful followers (all 3 of you), please bear with me and this learning experience. Do you like the purple background? Did it stick? That's the extent of my online creativity for today. Thank you to Nicole (check out her blog, see link on my page) for creating a whole new hole to throw my time into (smile). I'm off to a quilt show meeting this morning. Shasta Lily Quilt Show, Sept 4, 5, 2010. Any vendors out there interested in a spot?

Guild Retreat is spelled FUN!

2010-05-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have been missing in action for two days. Here is why. Our Shasta Lily Quilt Guild held a two day retreat this week and finally, I was able to attend both days. Like day camp for quilters. We all brought our own projects and got lots done. Some of my To Do items got knocked off my May list, hooray!

I put buttons on a baby sweater I just finished...now I have a gift for the next baby shower I go to. I am in the process of making the matching socks before I box it up. I like to knit at night when I am relaxing, it keeps my hands limber.

I finished the pillowcases I wanted to make. The main fabric is a map of France, this may be the only way I get to travel to that country. I actually chose it because I like the colors and it matches my new sheets. The map is the bonus. Thanks Joanna Figueroa from Fig Tree for such beautiful fabric.

I also finished making the top for the EQZ block exchange from 2004(?), my basket blocks. The area with the white vertical strip will get a chunky stem, and 3-D flowers and leaves once the quilt is quilted. This was my stretch toward asymmetrical. I plan to machine quilt it so I can show it at the Labor Day quilt show up here in Mt. Shasta. Helen C, I found your block in a bag in the box, it is featured in the upper right hand corner border. I almost missed it, my sample block will go on the back for a label. Thanks girls, I love it now! I can't wait to finish it.

I also got some other little tasks accomplished, too numerous to mention here..Ahhh, such a sense of satisfaction. Good times, good friends, and pizza, what could be better?

2010-05-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

This is Julie and Dustin Andolsen's wedding quilt, Circles of Love. I enjoyed making this quilt and may even make another using this pattern. With the templates, it was pretty easy. I was honored with a ribbon for piecing at the Flying Geese Quilt Guild show in 2009. The quilt is hand quilted.

Little Ol' Art Quilter Me, Really?

2010-05-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is the art project in which I am currently participating. It's a reproduction of a photograph by Jeremy Franklin of the Sprague River (OR). There are 7 panels, each done by a different person. Mine is the fourth from the left, there are two "slices" missing from our 5/8/10 get together. This is a mixed media type of project and anything goes. It is amazing how well they are fitting together. We turn them in for binding in August, and the project will circulate for 2 years to shows and galleries, etc. This work is a stretch for me, Yoga for the mind, I guess, so it's a good thing.

Just Get To It List

2010-05-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

I might as well own up to it, I have ASODD (adult-shiny-object-distraction-disorder) too, must be where Nicole got it. I have a hard time working on just one thing at a time. I am always preaching “just do it” to friends and family when they have a hard time working thru a task. It’s time I practice what I preach, and since I know I do better with deadlines, or accountability, here is a current list of ACTIVE works in progress, which I would like to finish this month and what’s left to do on the project.

Pillowcases for my new set of sheets (cut, sew)
Quail Hill quilt (machine quilt)
Linus Project Kite quilt (finish top, machine quilt)
Baby sweater (knit one more sleeve, hood, lapels)
Slice of Life art project (not sure what’s left, I’m learning)

I have other projects in the works which are too many to list, but I will add them to my Just Get To It list as soon as some progress is made. As these are finished up, I will post pix and post a new list next month. Wish me luck!

Finishing Up...

2010-05-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

The label shown here is one I made recently for the Shasta Lily Guild Opportunity Quilt for 2010. It is shown against a black background, but I sewed it on the white back of the quilt today at the meeting. You can find a picture of the quilt online if you Google "Sunshine Rose Garden" or "Kathy Nakajima." Mind you, I don’t always do such a fancy, labor intensive label such as this, but I at least try to document the important information. This quilt is really special and we will be sorry to give it away at our quilt show, we just hope that one of us is the lucky winner. But, back to the importance of labels on your quilts. I have a beautiful Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt I inherited from my Grandmother Jane. Since I had not yet been “schooled” in the history of quilting (it was just something we did to keep busy), I never asked her about it’s origin. It has a great pink border and the hand quilting is superb. Was it something she made herself? Was it a product of a quilting or church group? What year was it made. I wish I knew! That’s why, even if it’s not an “heirloom” quality quilt, I always try to put a label on it when I am done. Pertinent information you should always include is 1) the quilt’s name or pattern; 2) the maker’s name, and include the quilter’s name if you send it out; 3) the date the quilt was finished; 4) whereThe label shown here is one I made recently for the Shasta Lily Guild Opportunity Quilt for 2010. It is shown against a black background, but I sewed it on the white back of the quilt today at the meeting. You can find a picture of the quilt online if you Google "Sunshine Rose Garden" or "Kathy Nakajima." Mind you, I don’t always do such a fancy, labor intensive label such as this, but I at least try to document the important information. This quilt is really special and we will be sorry to give it away at our quilt show, we just hope that one of us is the lucky winner. But, back to the importance of labels on your quilts. I have a beautiful Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt I inherited from my Grandmother Jane. Since I had not yet been “schooled” in the history of quilting (it was just something we did to keep busy), I never asked her about it’s origin. It has a great pink border and the hand quilting is superb. Was it something she made herself? Was it a product of a quilting or church group? What year was it made. I wish I knew! That’s why, even if it’s not an “heirloom” quality quilt, I always try to put a label on it when I am done. Pertinent information you should always include is 1) the quilt’s name or pattern; 2) the maker’s name, and include the quilter’s you live; 5) add some inspiration or words of wisdom to personalize. What you might think is not important or not so special may be a treasure to someone a few years from now, and once a quilt leaves the first “owner’s” hands, the history is easily lost without a label.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First Post!

2010-05-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

I attended the "First Saturday" get together at the Tater Patch www.taterpatchquilts.com in Merrill, Oregon this morning. It's a day to meet up with your friends, be inspired by Show and Tell, have lunch out. It's a long way to drive (70 miles), but you take your fun where you can find it. It's always fun, inspiring and the shop owners, Diane and Robin are so inventive. It occurs to me that my obsession of "Quilting" offers so much variety, it's no wonder it's difficult to really peg what I like (I like it all...or most all), and what I am going to do next.

This year, I have tried to concentrate on getting some of my UFO's finished (Un-Finished Objects). I got out all my projects (yikes), figured out what I really wanted to finish, and gave away some that have fallen out of "favor". Some class blocks I just put away to admire again some day. I know I will likely never finish some of those projects, but it's nice to look back. The ones I decided to tackle this year have a note on my bulletin board. I have actually finished 3 Linus project Quilts, and two Block of the Month projects (I stopped at 4 blocks on one, but the mini quilt is finished so that counts as a project completed). I have two other projects at the machine quilting stage, and one queen size swap block quilt I am hand quilting. Two knit projects are done, a scarf/hat combo and a kimono vest. Also since January, I created a complicated label for the Shasta Lily Quilt Guild Opportunity Quilt, Sunshine Rose Garden, by Kathy Nakajima. It turned out so well I will post a picture and some simple instructions soon, as I am quite proud of the quilt (made by the whole guild, can you believe it?) and the label.

My guilds, friendship groups and kids keep me inspired and help me grow. What inspires you? Could you use some encouragement? I have found that my quilter friends are, for the most part, generous in spirit and deed.

I am fortunate to have quilting friends who inspire me, both close to home, and long distance.

I'm off to sew!