30’s and 40’s Vibes

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Remembering their Service…

Memorial Day Weekend—as many meanings and memories as there are readers. Memorial Day, or as many of us grew up calling it Decoration Day, was created immediately after the Civil War to honor the Union soldiers who gave their lives to preserve the Union. After World War I the federal government declared the day was for all who had sacrificed their lives in service to their country.

Memorial Day has become the “official” start of summer with pools opening, car races, trips to the lake, cook outs and Memorial Day sales on everything! And even though I shop the sales and serve hamburgers, I do spend time remembering the lives and services that allowed me to enjoy my lifestyle.

My paternal grandfather suffered from the effects of mustard gas in the French trenches during World War I. My father landed on Omaha beach during D-Day and was injured in the hedge rows by German shelling. My son was on some of the very first flights over Afghanistan post 9-11. I will always remember their service. But I will also honor those who persevered here—a great-grandmother that strapped my grandmother to her chest so that she could continue the work of her dead husband on their prairie homestead. Or the grandparents that survived the 1930’s on a rocky Ozark farm but make sure their children were feed and educated. My grandmother who did not hear from my father or the army for six weeks after D-Day but had received a package of his personal effects in the mail. I will honor my mother who washed dishes at night in a cafe to pay for her college tuition and my father who read grown up books to me after a day in the fields.

My parents honored our families by decorating their graves with flowers from our yard. Peonies buds were cut during May and stored in the refrigerator, wrapped in newspaper for Decoration Day. Honeysuckle was gathered and put in chipped mason jars. We traveled only a few miles to the cemetery with the flowers and jugs of water and divided the flowers among the graves. I may not be able to honor them today by placing flowers on their graves but I am grateful and they will live forever in my memories.

The time between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July has become the “red, white and blue” season. The strong colors of our flag are used everywhere! We created a red, white and blue showcase in the halls of First United Methodist.

Obviously we like this color combo –these were pulled from our stash that we have preparing for the October Quilts Etc. Sale.

These placemats were made later.

The placemats are 12″ x 16″ and could be reversible. They are machine quilted and the binding features a faux flange. They are machine washable. $40 for 4

More quilts from our cupboards that could be in this theme of red, white and blue that are for sale. And of course, these would be a great addition to your home anytime in the year!

We just keep adding items to our cupboards–here are the latest additions.

Made from cozy flannel squares, the quilt is lap size, 45″ x 54″. It is machine quilted with a machine applied binding. The backing is also flannel—perfect for snuggling. $100

This soft flannel set for the new mother to be is gender neutral. The set included a bib, drool cloth and drool big. $20

Project bags–the orange and pink and green one have clear plastic on one side, the green print one has green mesh. Use them to keep a pair of scissors, embroidery floss, marking pin etc . $10 each

Ready for Halloween –Heather made two versions of a spooky table runner. One is 13″ x 23″ for $30 and the larger one is 14″ x 30″ for $40. Those little witches don’t look to scary!

Elaine contributed these two utilitarian bags from pre-quilted fabric.

Use these for shopping bags, pool bags, —they are sturdy, washable and $15 each.

Enjoy a hamburger–make that a cheeseburger, for me this week end. And remember that each of us are enjoying this life because of the many people who gave it their all —

Go ahead and use it!

I have an iron stone saucer that belonged to my Grandpa Vanslyke (Van). Yep, it has a chip in it.

I have no clue when or how he came to own this common ironstone china. I have looked up J & G Meakin and discovered they were one of the largest pottery companies in England. They were located in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent—the hub of the wider potteries area. This piece can be dated between 1891 and 1912 due to the addition of England to the stamp on the back.

All that history is interesting, but what makes it important to me is that every single time I use it, I think of my Grandpa Van. He would pour steaming hot coffee out of his mug into this saucer to let it cool and then drink from the saucer. Not sure why he did this, but to my teenage self, it was annoying. Now I just remember what an remarkable ordinary man he was. He only finished the eighth grade, but for many winters after the crops had been harvested he would return to school to read the school’s books and teacher’s personal books. He kept reading all his life and was a champion of education. He served on the school board for years during the depression and encouraged my mother to get her college degree in the late 1930’s.

My husband believes I should not use the saucer. He wants me to keep it safe for my children. I continue to use it. My children did not know my Grandpa. They don’t remember him reading Zane Grey books, or chewing tobacco or hoeing row after row of sweet potatoes. They don’t remember the angel food cakes we had on Christmas Day to celebrate his birthday. But I do remember this man who had a small part in shaping who I am. Therefore I will continue to use the saucer to hold carrot sticks or catch the spills when I carry my coffee cup out of the kitchen and I will remember him each time. And if it breaks, it breaks. One less thing for my children to decide the fate of.

Why did I tell you about the plain saucer that belonged to my Grandpa Van? Because I feel the same about quilts, especially quilts I made. If I gave you a quilt, use it. And perhaps think of me and all my quirks (even those I am not aware of having!). Use it and remember the event for which it was gifted. Was it for your first baby or a graduation? Did you really, really like it, and wasn’t just being polite- and I noticed and said, “here take it”. Pull it out on movie nights or make tents on the living room floor. Pile it on the bed when it is single digits out side or wrap it around your shoulders when you a suffering from a cold. And if you spill tea on it or the new puppy chews it, that adds history!

Of course, I am not advocating mistreating a quilt, but normal wear and tear tells me it is serving its purpose in life. Some the quilts we are gifted at Church are in pristine condition. These vintage quilts have been kept stored away and they do bring a good price. But some quilts come to us “well loved”. They are no less important. And most of them will continue to serve a “Quilty” purpose–on a porch swing in the spring and fall, made into a coat (very popular now) or perhaps an art project.

This is where my husband will tell me for the hundredth time to put labels on all my quilts. And he is right–labels on quilts let future owners know the when, who and why. We don’t put labels on the quilts we put in the Quilts Etc. Sale unless requested by the buyer. We do encourage new owners to record when the quilt was purchased and why.

Many Etsy shops have pre-printed labels that can ironed on or sewn in. Pre-printed cloth labels may to found in quilt shops or it can be as simple as writing on the binding with a permanent ink pen.

Enjoy your quilts. The quilts made from new or newer fabrics are strong and can take a lot of use. The family heirloom quilts need to be treated differently. But that is another blog post.

For the first time in months, we had no new projects brought to quilting this past Wednesday, therefore no new photos! But remember this one from last fall. It has been in the Valentine Showcase.

The quilt measures 35″ x 66″. The backing is a soft pink Minky. The custom machine quilting makes these pinwheels stand out. $100

This quilt like most of our quilts is just waiting to find a good home and to be used–it is very washable and the Minky is very cuddly.

I am going to go make a cup of tea and use my Grandpa Van’s saucer and wrap my Holly Quilt around me while I watch the Lincoln Lawyer. Enjoy!

Getting There!

I don’t have any finished quilts to show you, but I do have two quilts “getting there”. Some quilts tops just take more time to make. I am not a very patient person and I prefer quilts tops that are quickly pieced but STARLIGHT seemed the perfect pattern to use the blue with white print fabrics I had been collecting for a couple of years.

Remember my fat quarters from the Quilters’ Christmas party?

This is the Starlight pattern designed by Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life Designs. She used one her fabric lines, which gives a very coordinated look. But I saw the pattern made up in a scrappy yellow version, so I gave myself permission to make it in scrappy blues.

The pattern is not difficult–just time consuming. Each block is composed of sixty-four 2.5″ squares! Sixteen blocks make up the top–that is a total of 1,024 two and one-half inch squares! Half of those blocks are “half-square triangles! For each half-square triangle, one must mark a diagonal line on a pair of three inch squares right side together, sew two seams along the diagonal line, cut along the line and trim each triangle to be exactly a two and one-half inch square and then press it open. So …half-square triangles take a lot of time but they are so versatile!

My next step was to sew the two and one half inch squares into rows. The block has eight rows but row #1 is the same as #8 just up side down. Same for the rest of the block, #2 and #7 are the same, etc. The rows are pieced but not pressed. Less thinking to do all of one row before starting on the next.

I listened to two audio books during these steps. Phone calls were made while trimming half square triangles.

This week end I found some time to assemble one block. I really like it!!

Assembling the blocks will also take time–after I select the rows to be used for each block, I press the row of squares so that the seams go in alternate directions. (I borrowed a diagram from Carolyn Gibbs Quilts to illustrate this technique.)

I pin at each seam in the row so the seams match–aiming for perfect corners. After sewing the rows together I press again so the long seams all go the same way.

The block is not a perfect sixteen inch square but when it is assembled with sashing it will be great.

I purchased this fabric for the borders and binding. It and the white background fabric are the only fabrics I bought for this 76″ x 76″ quilt top -so far.

Of course, I will be showing off the top when it completely pieced and again when it is ready to sell. No promises when that will be –this is a test of my patience!

The hand quilters reached a mile post this week also. They have been hand quilting this top for approximately forty-five weeks and that is not counting marking the top using stencils, sandwiching the top, batting and backing, basting and loading it on the frame. The hand quilters only meet once a week from 9 am to 3 pm to quilt with plenty of stretching breaks and lunch.

Usually “whole cloth” quilts, such as this one, are made from one large piece of fabric and are designed to show off the quilting. The hand quilters at First have made several “white on white” whole cloth quilts and in fact won ribbons at the State Fairs for their excellent work. But on this quilt, they went one step further and used colored thread to hand quilt sunflowers and mockingbirds. (The Kansas state flower and bird–very appropriate!)

Colored thread on white is very brave! Each stitch stands out! Yellow, brown and blue threads were used. Some of the hand quilters chose not to work on this quilt–too stressful! (I apologize for the poor photos–I was in a hurry on a cloudy afternoon.)

The backing is a mottled gold-beige. The true test of the quality of hand quilting is stitching on the backing.

This week they took it off the frame–a much anticipated event!

The basting threads will be pulled out and the binding sewn on. The binding will be white with a blue flange.

The quilt is a king size. It should become a family heirloom, especially if you have ties to Kansas! I will be showcasing this treasure when it is completely finished.

Often I won’t attempt a recipe, or write down a family story or piece a quilt top, because it will just take too much time. Maybe I should take to heart this quote by Earl Nightingale, a commentator and author in the 1950’s–

Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.

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What do we have new?

Placemats straight from a kitchen of the 60’s. Machine quilted and washable, these 12″ x 16″ retro placemats would add a touch of whimsy to your table. $40

Create a new family tradition–give the birthday person a special placemat on their day. Or you could hang it on the person’s door to remind the world why you are celebrating! The multi colored print letters are machine appliquéd. $30

Ahh, if life were really that simple! The cute wall hanging would be a perfect gift for your favorite quilter –and that favorite quilter might be yourself!! The pincushion is embellished with tiny buttons for pin heads. The attention to detail is signature Janis! Machine quilted and machine appliqué –$50

Give yourself a valentine this week–give yourself permission to do something you would like to do but are afraid it would take too much time.

Steps and Stitches

I miss walking outdoors with my dog! We have had 6+ inches of snow on the ground since last Sunday. We have had a couple of days with temperatures above freezing in the afternoon with a little melting…but with temperatures dipping at night, the melting snow turns into sheets of ice. And Dog and I don’t like ice. I call him my “ice hound”. He sees ice before I do and will pull me over in the grass or dry pavement. But we miss our morning walks!

After a week plus of not walking, I am feeling the effects. During the winter, I dread putting on multiple layers of clothing and covering all exposed parts of my body, but once I am out there and have warmed up–my walking companion has to spend the first few minutes of the walk accessing his surrounding–I am glad to be out. We don’t walk fast and take a lot of “smell” breaks, but I always feel better, physically and mentally at the end of the route.

Yes, I know I could go somewhere indoors and walk but my walking companion doesn’t like new places or new people. So we are waiting for the “above average” temperatures the weather people have promised to melt all the ice and snow and to start walking again.

Speaking of walking, did you know quilters have a special tool called a “walking foot”

A walking foot is an attachment, also called an even feed foot that was designed to pull the fabric through the machine from the top as well as the bottom.

This is a regular presser foot. It is lowered after the fabric is inserted between the foot and the feed dogs to insure even stitching.

Normally, when the pressure foot is lowered onto the feed dogs, the movement of the feed dogs pulls the fabric past the needle and allows the stitches created from a top thread and bottom thread to be consistent.

When sewing two pieces of cotton fabric together, a walking foot is not needed…the tension from the presser foot on the feed dogs keeps the stitches even and there is no puckering. But when you are sewing with slippery fabrics such as satin or velvet or sewing through several layers–machine quilting a top, batting and backing– a walking foot is a must!

The walking foot has an extra set of feed dogs on top creating equal pressure on the top and bottom. Therefore the walking foot eliminates puckering and fabrics sliding apart.

The major disadvantage is that it can be difficult to attach. The hook on the walking foot must be slid over the needle clamp. I struggle with this maneuver. But it is doable.

I watch Elaine use her walking foot to quilt these fun summer placemats. If you look close you can see the cross hatch stitching on the print center. There isn’t a pucker in sight and it was very important with this pattern that the batting and fabric remained evenly layered.

The summer picnic placemats are backed with the blue fabric that creates the binding. There are 12″ x 16″ and can be yours for $40.

Vicki finished a wall hanging that is perfect for the current season.

Cardinals in a snowy winter forest–This wall hanging is 36″ x 40″ and $75. This recognizes the beauty of winter without the danger of slipping on the ice!!

In closing–some of you may have seen this on Facebook or Instagram with a cute cartoon of an elderly lady.

“A long-running study from the University of Helsinki found that women who regularly engage in traditional “grandma hobbies” such as knitting, sewing, crocheting, and gardening tend to live up to eight years longer on average.”

Much on social media isn’t exactly true, so I looked this up. The link below takes you to a very detailed scientific paper about a study in Finland that lasted 36 years. Yes, it is true–with a lot of other factors. So now when I spend hours at my sewing machine I can say I am doing it for my health!!

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11046842/

Snow time is Sew time

Brrr it is cold outside! Temperatures – not the “feels like wind chill numbers” were in the low single digits yesterday. We didn’t receive as much snow as predicted but the 6-7 inches we did get is beautiful. I say this as a retiree with no place I must go. Hats off to those who must go out–first responders, medical staff, service personnel, and those who will lose their job if they don’t show up. I am grateful I have a warm home, plenty of food and good company.

So what did I do with this mandated stay home time? Correct on the first guess–I sewed while listening to an audio book and watching the latest episode of Shetland. I am still on my quest to use up the tubs of fabric in my sewing room and closets. And even though I really wanted to start a new quilt, I am determined to take three scrappy tops to the long arm quilter this next week. The last one I need to finish is a string quilt I started last fall.

These are examples of string quilts (the photos are from on line). String quilts are scrap friendly and utilize leftover fabric strips an inch to 2.5″ wide. The strings are sewn on a foundation, either paper or muslin. The blocks are trimmed to a specific size and sewn together. The blocks often have a focal point, either the middle string is the same or in the same value or the corners are sewn with a similar fabric. This gives the quilt more of a pattern. The blocks can be “on point” (the photo on the right) or in straight rows (the photo on the left and in the middle).

Some string quilts use solid spaces to create an entirely different look-less scrappy.

I used 10.5 inch muslin squares. Bonus points in scrap busting, the muslin was clean, used fabric I had saved from curtains, etc

The first strip is either a 2″ to 2.5″ strip of dark blue solid or print or black. It is placed diagonally, extending from corner to corner. A second strip is place wrong side up on one edge of the center strip.

Sew along the raw edges–sometimes I pin, other times I don’t.

Press open, either with iron or fingers. I prefer to use the iron.

Repeat on the other side. Just like other piecing, it is best to have a mixture of dark, light and medium colors and a mix of prints and solids.

The block is trimmed to a 10″ square–I try to put the 90 degree angle (corner of square) in the middle of the focus strip. Trim from the muslin side, much easier.

I now have a stack of 48 squares and my strip tub is still full. But by using a foundation square and having several seams in a block, the pieced quilt top is heavier than a normal quilt top of the same size. So, I don’t think I want to make a full size quilt; it would be too heavy with the addition of batting and backing.

Which layout should I use?

The first photo looks more organized to me, so I will go with that layout.

The best part of this quilt is that I used scraps that I just couldn’t toss. I am a craftsperson, not an artist, so I appreciate methods that are quick and easy.

Watch for the finished quilt this spring. Machine quilting and binding always add to appeal of a quilt. Recognizing this quilt will not be everyone’s choice, I look forward to meeting the new owner, who ever you are!

What new projects came to the quilting room this past week?

I Spy a Unicorn and a puppy and a teddy bear. This child’s quilt is a learning tool as well as a fun nap quilt. “I Spy” quilts keep children occupied on long car trips and when they need quiet time on their own. The quilt, 46″ x 48″, is the perfect size for tummy time. The quilt is machine quilted, with a machine sewn binding making it very washable. $75

Batiks are a special group in the fabric world. This 46″ x 60″ lap quilt is all batiks–even the backing. The neutral batiks used in the sashing allowed all the vibrant colors to shine. The binding is hand sewn. $150.

The fabrics in this table topper are from the Kansas Trouble line. It is a 17″ diameter. The design is machine appliquéd with hand sewn buttons. Perfect for a small end table. $30.

Here is a cleaning “hack”! Hand embroidered on 100% muslin. $10

Stay warm and make sure your chocolate supply is adequate!

So,You want to learn to Quilt?

Just since the holidays, I have had three opportunities to help someone learn to quilt or sew. The director of the agency where I volunteer is having a new grand baby and wants to make it a quilt. A young Church member has quit her full time job and has time on Wednesday to join us at quilting. My precocious great niece reminded me that I promised to help her learn to sew last summer so I really must this summer. And after decades of teaching sewing/quilting to high school students you would think this would be a breeze. But I am a bit apprehensive about each situation. Helping a peer is very different than the teacher/student role of a formal classroom. My very smart great niece is still very young and I am not sure she can even reach the pedal on my machine and I certainly will wait a few years before introducing her to the rotary cutter! So how do I start? After many dog walks–I do my best thinking then–I came up with six guidelines.

Discover what the person knows and go from there. In the formal classes I taught, we had to all start at the very beginning no matter the experiences or skill level. Twenty four students in a classroom required conformity at first–so I had some bored students and some students struggling to complete the first assignments. Our new quilting member has sewn costumes before so I start with the differences between sewing garments and patchwork, for example, using 1/4 inch seam allowances instead of 5/8″. My niece will start with “safety” first!
Provide tools that help make the process go smoothly. Dull scissors–cheap ones or heaven forbid, paper scissors will cause the most motivated person to throw in the towel. I would rather loan my tools than have a want-to-be sewer/quilter purchased new but cheap ones that will ultimately frustrate them. I have hundreds of dollars in rulers, shears, rotary cutter and mats etc, but one really only needs four or five items to start–shears, pins, acrylic ruler, rotary cutter and a mat. One of the advantages of joining an established group is that most established quilters have multiples they are willing to share.
Start with a goal–making a quilt or bag–but something real. Again, in public school classes all the students had to make a “learn to sew” bag which was met with huge differences in enthusiasm. Personally, I am willing to re-do and perhaps re-do again on something I will gift or plan to use than on something that is just a practice piece.
I am a firm believer in “She believed she could, so she did”. Attitude is everything! I had a student who created the pattern for a Parisian theme quilt as her second or third project. I really had my doubts when it was presented to me as her Senior project, but she was confident she could do it in nine weeks. Granted she was a very talented person with an artistic eye but all these years later, I believe she made the quilt as planned because she had faith in herself.

This the quilt at the Prairie Quilt Guild Show in June, 2010. (I really appreciated the Prairie Quilt Guild leadership that year–they recognized and encouraged high school quilters.)…..and as a side note, this young lady has traveled all over the world; to all those places she dreamed about in high school.

For the instructor, it is a balancing act between being realistic and letting the student dream. Dreams shouldn’t be squashed but as the saying goes, “don’t bite off more than you can chew” which can discourage one from ever trying again.

5. Both mentor and mentee should have fun…sewing/quilting allows creativity , creates a sense of pride, a feeling of accomplishment and overall it is a stress reliever. Now, that is not to say, occasionally, sewing can be so frustrating that bags of M&Ms are consumed and naughty words are used. But oh, when you have conquered that curved seam or your points match, what a feeling! Also, sewing/quilting takes your mind off some of those world issues that you have little control over–a mental health breather.

6. Most importantly, your passion may not become their passion. Just because one wants to make a baby quilt for a new family member does not mean that they want a new hobby or interest that consumes their free time! If my niece learns to operate a sewing machine and sew straight seams it might just be one more ability she adds to her arsenal of life skills. At another point in someone’s life, sewing may again become an interest or it may not. Either way, sewing is there for them and you both were successful.

These guidelines could be used for almost any new venture–learning to cook or gardening, using oil paints or photography. It is a new year , a perfect time to learn a new skill or share one of your skills.

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We had a full house at quilting Wednesday but very few finished projects to share.

Embroidered tea towels-$9

This appliquéd kitty masquerading as an Easter Bunny would be a fun addition to your spring decorations. The wall hanging is 16″ x 20″, easy fit in most homes. $40

The backing could serve as a table topper also.

Since we all are busy getting quilts ready for the long arm quilter or sewing on bindings, I thought I would re-introduce you to one of the quilts we have hanging on our walls, ready to go home with someone.

Muted floral and geometric prints from one layer cake (forty 10 inch squares from one fabric line) were used to piece this “plus + square” quilt. It measures 68″ x 68″ and is $160. The soft colors would fit right in many color schemes. The binding is a black and white stripe with the slightest hint of blue, but it too has a muted feel which is perfect for the over all quilt.

Stay warm and enjoy your passions.

Catching Up

I look forward to January as much as I do to the holidays–just in a different way. January is a time to catch your breath, finish a few tasks and re-group. This past week I have been playing catch up so I can start enjoying these brief weeks of January and February.

I put away –in a mostly organized matter, the Christmas decorations. And we bravely put the wobbly reindeer and faded sled in the trash. I boxed up half a dozen mugs so I no longer play Jenga with them when emptying the dishwasher. They are boxed and ready to go to Re- Store with some other treasures. After receiving more reading glasses for Christmas- my family’s go to gift for me, I took a bag full of glasses with “what was I thinking?” frames to my volunteer site and they were gone in an hour!`And this morning we filled a trash can full of expired over the counter medicines and first aide supplies. This afternoon I catch myself going to the cabinet to admire how organized it looks! Now if I can just keep up this momentum.

I finished a top I had started last fall! It is a lap quilt size top made from a package of strips I bought at a garage sale for $4! Want to keep this trend going also.

I have one more postponed “holiday” gathering to host and then the dining room table is devoted to jig saw puzzles. Can’t wait to get started on this one. This was a gift from a friend who knows me well.

We had our first Wednesday together in the Quilting room. We did get some sewing although it had been almost a month since we had been together and there was a lot of news and photos to share! Best of all, we welcomed a new member!

We always report on any new quilt/fabric shops we have visited–here in Kansas or where ever our travels take us. I shared photos of Quilt Mayhem. My Washington daughter in law had heard of this shop from a patient. For Christmas she gave me bit of cash to spend at the shop (remembering my fabric diet) and the promise to explore it together. She caught the bug we were passing around so my husband and I went to Snohomish, WA one morning and “oh my goodness!” It is biggest quilt shop I have been to excluding Missouri Star Quilt Co. which is an entire town and Hancocks of Paducah, KY.

This entire building is Quilt Mayhem. The fabric store is about a third of the building. There is a huge show room full of long arm quilting machines, embroidery machines, sergers and high end Bernina and Baby Lock machines. Plus there were six or more large retreat rooms, of which most were full of quilters happily sewing. They also had long arm machines to rent. A service center and professional machine quilting services is available They have all the quilting bases covered! The fabric shop was full of customers spending their Christmas gift certificates and retreat members looking for the fabric they forgot to bring with them.

I was going to purchase this apron pattern but discovered it was panel that had been completely sold out. I ask if I could take a photo –usually a big no-no in a fabric shop but the staff person was so gracious and encouraged me to take as many as I wanted.

I did walk out with a small hand full of fabric.

Most of the Quilters at First were busy with holiday events since we last meet or haven’t finished their projects completely in order to show them off. Shirley did have one “show- and- tell” for us.

This 66″ x 66″ quilt is so fun! Pinwheels spinning through space–but should it go this way? Or this way?

I believe I like this way best. The bold machine quilting adds to the feeling of strong movement. We have nothing else like this in our collections. It is for sale for $200.

Shirley also brought this quilt in early December and in the excitement of sharing our monies with the TV Ministry and the Religious Nurture Center, I forgot to show it off.

The quilt is a mix of traditional and modern. The small floral prints are usually used in more traditional quilts. But this pattern took the fabric to a different level–not your grandma’s quilt style, but a very modern look. The machine quilting is geometric which complements the pattern theme. It is 54″ x 68″ and $150.

We also received two pre-owned table runners from a former quilt group member who is down sizing.

This “Route 66″ table runner is 16″ x 48” and is $30. Would look great in an RV or on a deck picnic table.

This one is looong! It is 20″ x 76″! The colors look great against the neutral background. $30

Both table runners are in great shape–made and taken care of by a master quilter.

I really appreciate the opportunities I have to sew and to bring order to a pile of scrap fabrics. When the world out there is crazy, there is something so soothing about creating and sharing the results with you. So thank you, you make the entire process more rewarding.

Merry Christmas

The sewing room has been quiet these past few weeks. “There has been parties for hosting and marshmallows for toasting”..and trying to find gifts for teen age boys! But the Quilters at First–Machine group did find time for our annual holiday/end of year wrap up lunch/party.

For years we have had a baked potato bar with all the trimmings plus yummy desserts and great appetizers. The hostess, me, has it extremely easy. Just coat potatoes in olive oil and sea salt and throw them in the oven.

For our entertainment we exchange fat quarters (FQ) for there is nothing a quilter would rather do than exclaim over and pet fabric. Each of us that wants to participate, chooses and posts on the white board a theme, or color scheme of FQs we would like to receive. Some of us have a future project in mind. Some look at their stash and see what color or prints are missing.

I have as much fun shopping for the different fabrics as opening my gifts of FQs. Since I am on my “fabric diet” I don’t go into fabric shops much. The temptation is too great. So to “need” to peruse the entire shop for different fabrics is a treat!

The rule is one fat quarter per person since the prices keeps inching upwards but everyone usually adds another tiny something. Several of us add a few pieces of candy which is added to our “candy stash” in our sewing rooms. It is a proven fact that a piece of Christmas chocolate in March helps calms one after discovering the last seam sewn was without a bobbin thread!

Some add a sewing notion–little fold up shears, a notions bag made from selvages or gifts bags for the FQs. One quilter found quilt block ornaments at a garage sale in the summer and saved them to share with us in December.

Each quilter passes out her gifts, so we all open Peggy’s or Judy’s gifts at the same time. We love seeing all the different fabrics purchased given the requests. The room is filled with “oh, how pretty!” or “where did you find that?” or “this is perfect for the quilt I am making!”

Here are some of the collections. We had two members that couldn’t attend due to health issues.

Elaine wanted brights–plain or print.

Vicki requested pinks for a great granddaughter’s baby quilt. The clippers on the right side of the fabric are a wonderful gift for a quilter. You can never have too many.

Peggy ask for orange prints to fill out her stash. So many different shades and tones of orange.

Judy received bold solids. Nothing is a repeat.

Heather and Shirley wanted black on black prints. The print adds interest vs a solid black. This is Heather’s.

These are Shirley’s. I should have used the lighter background for both.

Diane is our resident creator of ETC’s–gift bags and envelopes, quiet books, small birthday banners, shopping bags. She needs lots of different interfacings and fusibles.

Can’t wait to see what she imagines for this coming year using these supplies!

I chose blue and white –not cream, prints, again this year! I have a star quilt pattern that I was going to make last year but….These are beautiful additions to my collections of prints for the quilt.

This is Janis’ fabrics!! And you may very well ask..What was her theme or request? Hmmm, nothing really goes together, does it? She surprised us with ” I really like this fabric” request. She wanted a FQ of something you liked but had no idea what to do with it. I would like to say each FQ reflected the quilters style, but no. I would never be able to match the quilter with the fabric. I choose the light blue with the butterfly–sorta my vibe.

We won’t gather in our room at Church until January 7 so no new projects until then. But I am positive most of us will sneak in a few hours in our home sewing space, if only for a little “Me Time”.

Again, thank you for all the support you gave the Quilters in 2025. You are appreciated more than I can express. I wish all of you the best Christmas and may your bobbins never run out!

A Huge Thank You!

We had a party yesterday because we had lots to celebrate! The quilters ate lunch together and presented each of the representatives from the Religious Nurture Center and the TV Ministry a check for $11,000. We are so proud of ourselves, and so thankful for all those that contributed to this year’s success.

**Delanie Hartman-RNC rep., Paulette Dibbern-hand quilt rep., Nathan Putter-TV Ministry rep., Rev. Amy Lippoldt-Sr. Ministor, and me-Judith Oswald- machine quilters rep.**

See how happy we are….but we know there are scores of folks who are also responsible for this gift to our Church.

(I was so excited, I didn’t take very good photos–but these are some of the people that made this happen.). But there are so many others we don’t have photos of to share.

So here goes–

To every quilter that made a quilt, table runner, set of placemat or book mark and used her own supplies and paid for the materials needed and the long arm quilting out of own budget with no reimbursement; all this happened because of you!!!

To every friend of FUMC that donated quilts, vintage and brand new, thank you! We sold almost every “gently and not so gently used” quilt you gave us. The new quilts added a flavor we didn’t have before.

To the “husbands of quilters” who moved tables, strung twinkle lights and banners and stayed through the three day sale collecting the cash and credit card sales, thank you! And most of all, to these men who know what it is like to live with a quilter..occasional late dinners due to “just one more seam”, threads on almost everything, and detouring to quilt shops on trips.. we give our love and thanks.

To the Church Class Friends who made items for us and helped set up in Meredith Hall, thank you! Meredith Hall was a new location for us and we might have changed our minds a few times about the location of tables and racks! Marty made a beautiful quilt rack that will find its owner soon and George took a photo from a 4-H fair and made two large display racks for smaller items.

To the Church Staff who promoted the Sale on Sunday mornings and in electronic communications, a huge thanks! Rev. Jeff and Kane were super sports and gave us 2.5 hours of their time to be filmed making a quilt–that Nathan then boiled down to 3+ minutes to share on a Sunday morning. Our graphics were designed by Evan who was new to FUMC but helped us get the word out to the general public. And thanks to Noah and Cy, we were able to participate in Wichita’s Art Crawl –on a Friday evening and to extend our sale hours past their regular hours.

To the Coffee Shop women who created a cozy place in Meredith Hall to enjoy coffee and a homemade sweets. This added touch helps make the Sale special.

To our supportive fellow members of FUMC–they came out on a rainy Friday evening to attend our first time participating in the Wichita Art Crawl, you are so appreciated! They came to our Quilt Sale and bought graduation quilts, holiday table runners, stuffed toys for their grandchildren and rag rugs for their porches. They brought their friends who are not members of First to see what we had to offer.

To our new friends that read about the sale or saw a flyer and came to Meredith Hall; we enjoyed visiting with you and hope to see you again.

To the many personal friends of each quilters–you came and supported our efforts and you have remained our friends even though some times we bore you with our quilting adventures!

To anyone who has purchased something from Quilters at First this entire year, you are greatly appreciated! We are delighted that shopping with Quilters at First is not just a three day sale–it is a year around opportunity to buy quality items that catch your fancy via Facebook, the showcase on 1B or on the blog.

We are so grateful that we can use our talents or passions or interests to help our Church. And we are in awe how it has become a church-wide effort.

But what is most gratifying to me personally is that real, live people read what I write! Blows my mind. So to all of you, from my heart, thank you, thank you!

Now we have a new goal! We are a rather competitive group, so this year’s total is a challenge. We will do our best to top these numbers in 2026!! Hang on tight for the ride.

Patience

How good are you at waiting? I am better than a two year old toddler but not near as good as my Grandma Ella was. I have been doing a lot of “waiting” the past few days. I waited several hours in an airport for the connecting flight–which I planned so I wouldn’t miss a flight–and I successfully made it to VA but I entertained myself by eating. Saturday I waited for a couple of long hours for my daughter to be finished with her appointment and again, it is on me. I forgot to take a book and the internet connection was so weak I couldn’t read off my phone. I waited this morning, never far from my phone, to hear that a family member’s surgery was a success. At six am this morning in 42 degrees with a strong wind, I was impatiently waiting for my grand-pups to do their business so we could go back home.

Amazon next day delivery has spoiled me; it is very difficult to wait for an order to arrive in regular mail. If I text a friend with a question, I have a tendency to expect an immediate response and quickly assume something is wrong if it takes a while! I have an habit of skipping to the end of a book to see how it ends. When I take a finished pieced top to the long arm quilters to “make it a quilt”, I can’t wait to get it back–even though it might have taken me months to make the top!

Some times my patience or lack of patience comes into play when I am selecting a quilt pattern. I know me well enough to know when to select something quick and easy and when I will enjoy a longer process.

Quilts that can be randomly pieced are quicker than ones that are fiddly.

This is one of my favorites, but the rows of blocks had to line up correctly or I would had weird multi-colored stars. I remember ripping a bit.

Something like this–a simple Irish Chain made from nine patch blocks is easy-peasy…quick and easy..little thought.

The Maggie Pearl pattern was made with me in mind.

I made many sets of placemats for our October Quilt Sale. Did you guess that most of them were “quick and easy”? I chose fabrics to attract your attention rather than complicated patterns. (These two sets are still available)

But sometimes I want time consuming–to help with the “waiting”. Hand appliqué is a slow process. But when I know I need to keep my hands busy for a long time, I will choose a pattern with an easy appliqué. The one on the left was started during the early weeks of COVID lockdown. The yellow and blue one helped keep me sane when my mother was in and out of the hospital towards the end of her life.

This is an “Orange Peel” pattern–hand appliquéd peels on 6 inch squares. This is my go to “traveling” project. I have made two Orange Peels quilts and I am working on my third this trip. I don’t care when I get it done–it is perfect for those periods of waiting when visiting family or on baseball tour buses.

But sometimes I choose a pattern that I know will take a longer time than usual because of a special person or special event.

At my final retirement recognition, I was ask what my plans were. I answered that I wanted to win a ribbon in the Prairie Guild Quilt Show. This is it! I was willing to spend hours making tiny saw tooth star blocks for this quilt. And it received a red or second place ribbon! Marked that off my bucket list.

My daughter did not stay away from more complex patterns. But after cutting about half of the pieces 1/2 inch too small, I was the lucky recipient. After pondering for six months or so, I decided to finish it. It is smaller than originally planned but I think my pride forced me to finish it. True Blue is still one of my all time favorite quilts!

Some people are just more patient! Janis spends hours carefully machine appliquéing masterpieces. She says she doesn’t have the patience for hand appliqué. Remember this beauty?

So very glad we all have different strengths and differences! This treasure is still for sale.

This past week we were all ready for quick and easy…small projects that didn’t take much brain power.

Microwave bowl are perfect for soup weather! $8 each

Potholders made with Insulbrite (protects your hands and the table).$8 each

Heavy canvas totes with a bright print–do you know someone who loves to ride? $10 each

This 14″ x 29″ table runner is perfect for this transitional time of the year. Machine quilted and hand bound, it is $30.

This table runner is slightly longer but the best part is that it is reversible! One side is a winter bird print and the other has holiday reindeer.

The scalloped edges is just the right touch. Machine quilted and hand bound. $40

Last week I finished another tea towel–I smiled when I realized I would include it is this post about being impatient.

I have been told all my life “good things come to those who wait”. Ok, –but I say, always have a book or a hand appliqué project in your bag…it helps with the waiting!

Quilt Season

It is “officially” Quilt Season. Friday night we handed out candy to approximately two hundred very polite and cute trick or treaters. Yesterday we flipped the calendar over to November–with the cutest photo of a Shibu pup. I found places inside for my house plants that spent the summer on the deck. This morning we set the clocks all back one hour–except my sewing room clock; it is just too difficult to change. Baseball is over for the year after a long seventh game in the World Series. There was “frost on the pumpkin” on our early doggy walk. So, check and check; it is “officially” Quilt Season.

All that is not to say we won’t have very warm days yet. There will be days I start with several layers and by dinner I am down to a short sleeve tee shirt and the windows open. But come evening, when we slow down and watch an episode of something, I will be dragging out a quilt to wrap around my shoulders.

We like to sleep in a cool room so a quilt will be folded at the end of the bed for those early morning hours when it is just a little too cool. Those smaller quilts–large lap or twin quilts work well for the end of the bed. It is probably too early to add a larger quilt to the normal bedding.

Oh by the way, those pumpkins aren’t Halloween pumpkins, they are Thanksgiving pumpkins!

We are still catching out breath after hosting the Quilts Etc. Sale in October, but Tammy B. did make a baby quilt that isn’t as girly as her last two.

The nautical theme quilt is 50″ x 50″–see the anchors, whales and the boat wheels? Flannel makes it extra soft and cozy. It is closely tied, ensuring it can be laundered. The binding continues the red and blue color scheme and is hand sewn. $50.

A friend requested a needle case, so I made several so she could have her pick. The simple quilted case stays closed by either velcro or a button loop. Four pages of felt will hold all your needles and pins that you need when traveling with some hand appliqué or embroidery.

Vicki finished another table runner for the up-coming holidays.

The runner is 14″ x 42″ and is machine quilted. The back is the same deep red as on the front. $40.

This table runner and other holiday items will be for sale at the annual all-church Thanksgiving dinner on November 23 at First United Methodist Church. We will have a couple of tables offering items guests may purchase.

These are photos from last year. Of course we will have different items but these photos give you an idea of what will be offered. A mimi-holiday market!

Friday I leave to help out my Virginia family for a couple of weeks during and after a scheduled surgery. My main role will be caring for my two feisty “grandpups”. So in-between walks, I will have lots of free time. Thus I am packing an optimistic number of tea towels to be embroidered and cut out “orange peels” to hand appliqué for a quilt. I am also loading several novels on my iPad, so check with me later to see what I get done!

This past week I returned home from my morning doggy walk, and saw this by the garage door. Can you guess what they are? My family guessed everything from candle holders to centerpieces, coins to armadillo shields -I think she was trying to be funny or just tired of my games!

Here is a hint: we were having our roof replaced due to hail damage.

Winter will be here soon, so I am enjoying Fall and its cozy vibe. I hope you have a cuddly quilt in which to wrap up! If not, I know where you can get one!