Vertical Quilting Curve

I was surfing through the Internet last night and I happened upon an article about a quilt show in Maine. I was thinking what a nice place Maine would be to attend a nice little quilt show put on by the statewide guild. Then I read the guild, Pine Tree Quilters Guild Inc, has over 2000 members. Yes, that is 3 zeros behind that 2. And, not only that but they have chapters (72 of them) throughout the state. Wow!

I’m guessing that if you’re a quilter and you live in Maine you probably belong to this group. I’ve been a member of statewide guilds before but the numbers were never that large. I’m really impressed and a little jealous. Some may say it’s because Maine has such long winters and they get more quilting done than those of us out enjoying the long, hot summer days by the pool with the kids.

I’ve never been to Maine but it’s on my list to go see and now I think I may have to move it a little closer to the top. They just had their 30th annual quilt show with workshops. I’m going to put that on my calendar for next year but just for fun. If I don’t get my daughter to Disney World I may never see another quilt shop again.

Question of the day: Hey, does anyone know if Stephen King is a member? I bet he would make some interesting quilts!

quilt show, quilting, quilt guild

If you haven’t checked out Etsy.com yet you should definitely get over there especially if you like supporting crafters. Etsy is a growing community of artisans and crafters trying to either make a living or earn a little extra cash from their hobbies. You can find original paintings, prints, photographs, one of kind clothing and even supplies.

Some of the quilting shops on Etsy I found with some nice pieces were:

On This Nose!: This shop has quilts, one of a kind pictorial quilt blocks and quilt blocks.

Quilts by Daria: Wall hangings and quilts both traditional and contemporary.

Pat Winter Gatherings: Hand-dyed ribbons, crazy quilt kits and original hand-crafted items.

Mark K. Hopkins Quilts: Wall hangings and full sized quilts and even a cute patchwork bear.

You can find fabrics, books and even items with quilt motifs such as jewelry and home decor. It is quite addictive to browse the shops and you will soon find favorites. One of mine is of a young artists who has a more Tim Burton and Edward Gorey quality and loves Alice in Wonderland. Her etsy store is theblackapple and she also has a hip blog about her art and life, Inside a Black Apple.

So, if you are looking for a unique gift or want to window shop some great items just click on over to Etsy. It’s like having your own personal gallery on your computer screen.

Etsy, quilting

While at CHA I stopped by a couple of publishers booths to see what they are up to and here are some of the books which caught my interest that will be released soon:

Simple Start Stunning Finish by Valori Wells (C&T Publishing, August 2007) - Use circles, squares and rectangles to make hip, quick to make quilts. Quilts are very geometric and look like contemporary art pieces.

Blendable Curves by Peggy Barkle (C&T Publishing, September 2007) - Here is a book that will let you take big blocks, cut in some free-form curves and end up with a quick work of art. Description from the new release catalog says “Quilts you can piece without matching seams or corners…curves you can sew without pinning or hash marks…a quilt that looks good enough to hand in a gallery, but you put it together in a single weekend.”

The Painted Quilt by Linda & Laura Kemshall (David & Charles, August 2007) - A new book about painting textiles. Catalog mentions instructions with easy-to-understand step-by-step photographs and that will deal with the application of color to the already quilted surface.

Simply Silk, Creative Designs for Quilting, Sewing & Journaling by Mary Jo Hiney (KP, December 2007) - Catalog description says this will help you tame silk for a variety of projects. Learn how to use fabric transfer, machine-stitched wording, rubber stamping and other techniques.

Living the Creative Life, Ideas and Inspiration from Working Artists by Rice Freeman-Zachery (North Light Books, September 2007) - Learn about creativity from 15 full-time artists. Includes creative jump-starts and excercises from the artists. Includes different mediums but sounds like a great source of inspiration.

CHA, quilt books, quilting

Although CHA didn’t have that much quilt stuff, I did get a couple of publishers lists of what quilt books are brand new or will be released the rest of this year. I also saw a couple of cool gadgets. For a non-quilt related article, you can view my CHA update I did for Craft Critique. I’m saving what little I found related to quilting to discuss here.

But, I am still recovering from CHA and also trying to finish my Harry Potter book. How I wish I was a kid again where all I did was read and could stay up all night doing it. I’m so jealous of those who were able to finish it in the first 24 hours. I saw a few people taking breaks at CHA to sneak in some reading time.

Question of the Day: I wonder how many blogs mentioned Harry Potter over the weekend? I know that on some of the crochet lists I’ve been a member of, it was always mentioned every time Mrs. Weasly was seen knitting or wearing some form of knit/crochet clothing.

I’m so excited! Today I will be at the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show in Chicago. I’ll get to see some of the new products that will be in stores soon. I’ll let you know if I see anything quilt related.

Craft and Hobby Association

Recently, I wrote an article about wire-edge ribbon for Craft Critique including a tutorial for making a ribbon rose. It proved to be very popular so I thought I would share it with you. You can also check out the article in its entirety by clicking here.

Second, roll the pointed end to the inside as seen in the next photo.
Next, fold the long length of ribbon down as shown. Then begin turning the small end toward you.

Continue to fold the ribbon down as you continue to turn the flower. When you reach the end pinch the bottom to temporarily secure the rose. Most instructions I’ve found say to use floral wire to secure but I find it stays better if you take a few stitches with needle and matching thread through the bottom.

quilting, ribbon, ribbon rose, ribbon flowers, tutorial

This is an easy update because I haven’t started yet. I have been enjoying learning some new things, reading, and traveling this summer that I haven’t been able to get started. It’s a good thing I have this blog to remind me I made goals.

I originally made my challenge in May which was to find a project from the stack of magazines I have been hoarding. I finally chose my endeavor in mid June. It is to do a work of fusible applique using a mosaic style. I was supposed to get started by the end of June but I have been keeping so busy it just hasn’t happened. Now, it’s the middle of July, almost the end of July!

I guess I better make this project a seasonal one. Some designs I am considering are a poinsettia, a Christmas tree or maybe something for the fall like a collection of maple leaves. Well, at least I’m brainstorming. I could also do something for someone as a Christmas gift. That definitely would take care of a couple things at a time.

Okay, now, hopefully I will have something to show by next month of what I have actually decided to do. Then maybe I can inspire someone to join me in the challenge.

fusible applique, quilting, quilt challenge

After attending the Batavia Quilt and Textile Show, I stopped by the local quilt shop, Prairie Shop Quilts. This shop is full of gorgeous fabrics and they have something for everyone. Unfortunately I’m one of those people who loves almost everything because I can see projects in almost every piece of fabric.

The selection covered feedsack/thirties print fabric, Asian influenced prints, plenty of novelty prints and one of my favorites - batiks. As you can see I chose 5 fat quarters of the gorgeous batik fabric to add to my collection for doing the grandmother’s flower garden.

A couple of more things I enjoyed about this shop was the long list of classes that are offered and the long arm machine rental. A few classes that caught my eye were Flower Pounding (using real flowers to color your fabric), Hand Piecing - Mariner’s Compass (one of my favorite patterns), and Dog Gone Fun - Needle Felt Dogs (the sample, which was very tiny, was the cutest darn thing). The long arm machine rental is very intriguing. I haven’t heard of a shop doing this although I haven’t really investigated the availability. You can get a look at the machine on the store’s website tour.

If you are in the area I would recommend stopping by. You are sure to find something you are looking for or at least something that is looking for you.

quilting, quilt shop, quilts, batiks, quilt classes

The cool thing about going to small, local quilt shows are the wonderful quilts that seemingly ordinary people can make. You know, the ones that don’t either make it to the big shows or don’t want to make the big quilt shows. These are people who love what they do and what a special thing it is when they share it with the rest of the world and let us have a peek. It is also a great way to get inspired.

A couple of the quilts that stood out to me were quite different. One was a millenium quilt that Laurie K. made with 2000 different fabrics she collected from the Internet. One of the neat things she did was take the letters that came with some of the fabric, photo copied them and printed them on fabric which ended up pieced to make the back of the quilt. See the photos of the traditional front and creative back.

The other quilt caught my eye for the design and color selections as well as the technique. It is maded using the frayed edge applique method. Once I read the story
of the quilt I was even more impressed. Rebecca H. was only 10 years old when she created this awesome gem.

There was a vendor marketplace. One of the vendors was a local quilt store which gave out discount coupons to use at their store. Of course, I had to stop by the store on the way home. I will give you more info on them tomorrow.

I also got to see the Ground Zero quilt up close. It was eerie to see the faces of those who lost their live on that tragic September 11 day. One thing is for sure, quilters can make powerful statements with their art. All in all it was a very good day. The Windmill City festival was also going on in town so we rode a few rides, ate a funnel cake and drank a fresh lemonade. Definitely a great family weekend.

quilting, quilt show, quilts

While surfing the Internet I found an article about sewing rooms on a Maine newspaper website. “Sewing Room Making Quiet Comeback” makes the argument that builders need to start putting the sewing room back into houses when planning them. The author also discusses what many of us sewers/quilters/crafters have already been doing. Her observations of the creative spaces of various women sounds very familiar.

We creative types will find almost anywhere to put a sewing machine, design wall and hordes of supplies. I grew up in a very small house with a creative mother who grew up during the depression. The house was not equipped with a sewing room. My mom set up her machine in her bedroom, basket of yarn in the living room and her cutting table was the kitchen table (we didn’t have a dining room). When I had a house, I had an extra bedroom that was my sewing/craft room. Now, I live in a condo and I use what is supposed to be the dining room (we eat in the kitchen like I did when I was a kid).

I have only met one woman that designed a house with a sewing room which was the size of many garages. She had kitchen-type cabinets, a huge cutting and sewing table in the middle of the room which had more storage under it, and a custom pressing surface. It is one of my dreams to have such a place. What about you? Do you have such a place or do you use the multiple spare corners of wherever you can get?

quilting, sewing room, sewing space