Quilts, Etc.

Bakery Sweets?

If you overheard a couple of quilters chatting, you might think they were talking about sweets from a bakery. “I used two Jelly Rolls to make this.” “Honey Buns make great log cabin blocks.” Or “I have a Layer Cake I want to use up–do you have a great pattern using Layer Cakes.” Huh? What are they talking about? Well, in the quilting fabric world these sweets are names of very popular precuts sold by Moda, a giant among the various companies that mill and market fabric.

Precuts are a marketing tool allowing the consumer to use all or most of the fabrics in a certain line. An artist will design a line and the manufacturer will create up to three dozen different prints and color ways.

For example, this collection is called”Lavender Market, 3Tiles” by Deborah Edwards, Northcott, manufacturer.

If I wanted to make a quilt using all these different fabrics, it would be costly and difficult to find a source of all the fabrics. Precuts to the rescue!!!

Precuts, prepared and bundled by the fabric manufacturer, will use all the fabrics in a line but in a predetermined size or amount. This allows the quilter to use all the different fabrics without having yardage left over–not a bad thing, but an expensive thing!

Fat quarter bundles are the largest precut packages. A fat quarter is 1/4 of a yard but cut 18″ x 21″ instead of 9″ x 42″, giving more useable yardage.

One yd. of 42” wide fabric cut into “fat quarters vs. cut into regular ¼ yard.

18” x 21”	18” x 21”
18” x 21”	18” x 21”

9” x 42”

Fat quarter bundles can vary in number of quarters included, but in my experience, there is more than enough fabric to make a couple of large tops. Of course, they are the most expensive of the precuts. Most manufacturers have also created “fat-eighth” bundles also.

Jelly Rolls are the most popular of the precuts. A roll consists of forty two 2 1/2 ” strips of one line of fabric.

All you must do to make this pattern is to cut each 42″ strip into the correct length. Well, there is a little more to do, but the strips are already cut exactly 2 1/2 ” wide.

Purple Haze is for sale. It measures 59″ x 68″ and is for sale for $150.

Honey Buns are junior versions of a Jelly Roll. They are 1 1/2 ” wide.

Two plus Honey Buns were used to make this log cabin full size quilt top.

Charms are fun–and just like the charms girls would collect and wear on bracelets–these precuts are just fun to collect and admire! A charm pack is a 5″ square of all the different fabrics in a line.

There are entire books and websites devoted to patterns using charm packs. Charms make fun gifts, or a souvenir from a visit to a new quilt shop.

Batik charms were used to create half square triangles for this Christmas theme quilt. It measures 58″ x 61″ and is for sale for $150.

All these were made using charm packs. Mini Charms are a collection of 42 squares that are only 2 1/2 “.

Layer cakes reminds me of my new favorite cake–Hummingbird Cake with at least three layers of cake with delicious cream cheese frosting between the layers! I gain weight thinking about it, but so worth it! I digress— Layer cakes are 10″ squares– with each fabric in a line being used.

I have this treat waiting for me to use this fall. I have not decided what pattern to use, but there a many options.

This would quick and easy!

Most all of the manufacturers besides Moda have precuts–they just call them by different names. Wilmington Prints calls their precuts Karat Crystals–5″ or 10″ squares. Cotton+Steel offers precuts, simply calling them 5 ” or 10″ squares. If you are interested in creating a quilt top, precuts are excellent choice with which to begin.

So, if you see a photo of a quilt top and it is described as using a couple of Jelly Rolls, you will know exactly what was used. It will not be a sticky mess!

Island dreaming…

My son and his family are spending Spring Break in Hawaii—again. This trip is much easier to do if one lives on the west coast! Their photos this year are showing me a different side of the islands . If it wasn’t for a few glimpses of the ocean and beach, I would think they were somewhere in the southwestern states. I am learning Hawaii has a lot more to offer than sandy beaches, palm trees and aqua coves. But I still think of all those travel poster scenes when I dream of visiting Hawaii.

Maybe because Hawaii is on my mind, this quilt made me think of the Islands. The colors are the blue/aqua of the ocean and the white of the sands of the beach. The floral pinwheels suggest the breezes and the tiny flowers are in the blocks and the borders.

The back of the quilt is a batik fabric with a tropical leaf print. The backing is so attractive it could be used as the top for a change.

The machine quilting is very relaxed which allows a great drape.

The binding is a “split” binding–two different fabrics were used for an accent.

The quilt measures 84″ x 96″ which would fit a queen size bed but could be used on a king. It is for sale for $450.

For now I will enjoy Hawaii second hand via photos and stories. And I will continue to dream of aqua water, white beaches and ocean breezes.

Check out the photo gallery post for other offerings.

Log Cabins

My cousin likes to say, “Abe Lincoln and I were both born in a log cabin!” Eighty nine years ago she was born in a rustic log cabin in southwest Missouri. She was the first child of a very young couple starting out in the middle of the Great Depression. I would have been fascinated by it, but it was gone by my teen years.

I did see the replica of Abe Lincoln’s at the approximate location of his birth site. Log cabins represent something very “American” and in some form will always be present.

My favorite quilt block is “log cabin”. I suspect the pattern was the result of quilters using fabric scraps that were very narrow and short. This pattern utilized every bit of their precious fabric.

This is the basic pattern. Any different sizes of strips may be used as long as they follow the formula. The center block (red) is a square–the size will determine the width of the remaining pieces. Another square of the same size is sewn to it. The next piece is the same width as the original square but the length of the two squares sewn together. Continuing in a circular pattern (left to right), the next piece is the length of the center square with the addition of the first rectangle. This pattern continues until a quilt block of a preferred size is completed.

Some log cabins are “paper pieced”, especially when using very small strips of fabric. (Paper piecing is a topic for another blog post!). I paper pieced this table runner. It is14″ x 26″ and $30.

Most log cabin quilts use color to emphasize the design. In the example above, dark colors were used on the right, light colors on the left. But traditionally, the center block is always red to symbolize the hearth of a home.

The simple, basic log cabin block can be layout in many patterns–it is fun to play with the blocks, but I often agonize over the “best” design for my blocks.

Log cabin is a very traditional block, but modern quilters have adapted it to suit their vibe.

Traditional blocks made the original way is my favorite. Log Cabin blocks can be very soothing to make. A good afternoon is sewing together strips of fabric while listening to an audio book!

Sandy Klop, a big name in quilting world, designs a line of fabric called American Jane. To quote the website it is “an upbeat, happy look rich in primary colors”. American Jane fabrics suggests the vintage fabrics of the 30’s and 40’s, but has more intense colors versus the pastels of that period. I chose two jelly rolls of “Hop, Skip and Jump” plus some coordinating solids and low volume prints to make this log cabin quilt.

The quilt measures 60″ x 80″ fitting a twin bed or full size well and serving as a topper on a queen size bed.

It looks great on this queen size bed ( with the iron head board) and wrinkly embroidered pillowcases).

Bound in a solid red to match the center of each block, the quilt is backed in a tiny floral geometric. The quilting pattern is “Baptist Fan”, a long-arm side to side design, copying an old-fashion hand quilted design.

This quilt just makes me happy! It is for sale by Quilters at First for $300. Leave a comment please, if you are interested.

Do you see the “other” pattern?

I am fascinated by drawings that upon a second examination, a new design or face or animal appears. The drawing becomes much more complex than it first appeared. After you have discovered the more intricate design you will never see original the same way again. Some quilt blocks are designed so that when they are sewn together a secondary design appears. For example, this quilt photo I pulled off Pinterest is a great example of a secondary design forming.

This simple two color quilt top has one block pattern, but half of the blocks are with a white center and half of the blocks are with a red center. The basic block of this top looks like a stylized flower.

When the blocks are sewn together in alternating colors, another design appears- it is a circle, and the circles overlap. This could be a puzzle on Facebook, “How many circles do you count?”

The following top is an example of two different block sewn together that create a third design.

The top block is a “sawtooth” star, very common in quilt patterns. The lower block is one version of “puss in the corner” made up of four simple four patch blocks.

But when the two blocks are sewn together in an alternating pattern, a third pattern appears.

A modified “Irish Chain” appears. Of course the use of color is very important in creating another pattern. But even with the one color, a secondary design can appear.

Can you tell which design was “the” block for this quilt top?

Was it this block made up of a green center block with “flying geese” radiating out and the half-square triangles in each corner?

Or was it the “Shoo Fly” block with “Flying Geese” used for the sashing?

We don’t know—this quilt top was made by an unknown artist. A member of Quilters at First found this completed top in a thrift store and I quilted it and added the binding from the fabric that was sold with it. I would like to meet the person who pieced this sweet top. The points are perfect. (when the top is machine quilted on a domestic machine, the quilter sees every inch of the top!) Every corner of the half-square triangles and the flying geese is present–none were cut off.

Reproduction fabrics of the 30’s and 40’s were used masterfully. The green corner stones make the coral shine. The background fabric is a vintage looking cream color.

The quilt measures 45″ x 60″ and for sale for $75. If you are interested in this quilt, please leave a comment or DM me on Facebook.

Perhaps now you will start looking for bonus designs or patterns in quilt tops–or in the tile on floors or walls!

Please enjoy it now!

Each time I place this saucer in front of my husband for his dessert or salad, he protests. He doesn’t want to use it because it was my Grandpa Van’s saucer and he is afraid he will break it. I have explained over and over that if it has lasted well over 100 years, it is unlikely he will break it. And if it is broken, that is OK–I can not believe my children will want it. It isn’t conventionally pretty and it is chipped, so even though my friend who knows about these trends says Ironstone is “hot stuff” now, it has no monetary value to me. I keep it because I remember my Grandpa pouring coffee out his mug into the saucer to cool and drink. If the saucer breaks, I still have the memory. And by using it every day, it is a tangible link to my heritage-and a man who was very practical, hardworking frugal and a believer in education.

Too often, I hear people express this same sentiment about a quilt or hand embroidered towels or some other handcrafted item. The item must be carefully saved so it won’t get worn or damaged. When I give a baby quilt to a new mother, I want the baby to be wrapped in it, or crawl on it on the floor or used later as part of a quilt fort the child makes. My grandson’s first large quilt is quite faded now since it has been on his bed for over 15 years and therefore had to be laundered multiple times. That makes me happy.

True, I have been guilty of “saving” items away in a box. My grandmother’s wedding quilt is safely stored in an acid free box for my daughter, but my mother continued on the preservation that her mother started, I can’t stop the practice. But more and more, I display the quilts or keepsakes in my home so I can admire and enjoy them.

My mother-in-law once said to me “Are you saving these for your husband’s second wife?” But when we were going through her things we found many items that had not been used. So I think everyone pays homage to the “enjoy it now” belief but just can’t bring themselves to use some items for fear of damaging them.

Finding quilts at auctions and at antique shops has become a treasure hunt for some folks. Who doesn’t like to brag about a heirloom found for very little money? I found this beauty at a relative’s estate auction. It isn’t a family piece according to the owner, but one they had purchased. I would have paid much more than I did to have this pastel grandma’s flower garden in my collection.

The Quilters at First will have a Vintage Corner at the annual Quilt Sale in October. We will have donated quilts, aprons and table linens. Lucky for us, most of the items are in great shape, they just need a new home.

Ida donated this vintage butterfly quilt. We are not certain about the quilt’s age, but the butterfly motif was popular in the 1930’s and 40’s. The fabric is certainly of that period—the simple tiny prints and the solid yellow.

Prairie Points surround the quilt, adding color and a feminine look. The quilt measures 65″ x 74″.

The hand quilting is exquisite. There are 10 to 12 stitches to the inch. This stylized butterfly in stitching into the solid blocks and there is stitching around each appliqued block.

The quilt is being offered for $200 and you may buy it before the sale. Please leave a comment if you are interested.

National Quilting Day

Happy National Quilting Day! The actual date jumps around but it is always the third Saturday in March. Interesting that is just before the start of official spring. Winter and quilting go together in my world. Of course, I quilt year around, but in spring, summer and fall, I must give up time from my sewing room to work in the yard and the flower beds. Some quilters have a passion for gardening. I don’t–I do enough so that I don’t embarrass the neighbors. But I am off track. I want to share some of my favorite quilts (random photos that don’t correspond to the text) and the reasons I am an obsessed quilter.

I love the Log Cabin block. I love American Jane fabric. I love the Baptist Fan quilting design. I guess this makes this about my favorite quilt.

Six reasons I quilt/sew:

I love to sew and for years made most of my clothing. I sewed for both of my children–shorts and shirts for my son and most of my daughter’s clothing plus some very clever Halloween costumes. I made dresses and tops for my Mom. But, the children were easy to fit and my Mom wasn’t very particular. I hate to buy fabric, cut and sew together and THEN discover it just isn’t a good match of fabric to garment or fit to my body or I just didn’t like it. As fabric became more expensive, I swore off making garments and never wearing the item. I embraced quilting!
I taught Family and Consumer Science(Home Ec.) for 32 years and made the circuit of foods, family living, home decor, child development and consumer science but discovered that sewing classes were the most fun. (In the beginning classes the projects didn’t require much fitting, so there!). The pride a student felt after making their first “learn to sew bag” was wonderful to watch. I am still in awe of some of the quilts my upper class students created. They proved the saying “They did it because they didn’t know they couldn’t”.

Sometimes I have a pattern, sometimes I don’t.

3. I love making something out of scraps; that knowledge that some saw it as a pile of leftovers but I created a useful item. I will admit I have spent enough money on fabric to pay for a small vehicle, but I save every scrap. I have made aprons out of thrift store finds. I made table runners out of leftovers from a quilt top. I have made a queen size top with 2.5 inch square saved over the year.

Made from 2.5 inch blocks saved from scraps

4. I love to create. I can’t paint or draw. I am not a musician. My flower bed evoke pity from my friends—but I can quilt really beautiful quilts, and who needs a pattern! Plus the object of my creativity lasts. Cook a meal and it gone in minutes. My great grandmother made a quilt, and I still enjoy it.

Made by Grandma Claudia around 1900

5. The quilting community is a great support system. Every Wednesday I join a dozen other women to sew from 11 am to 5 pm. I could get a lot more done if I stayed home. But as Susan said to me once when I complained about only getting one border on a top, “that isn’t the reason we come together”. The first hour or so each week is an informal session of “what do you think” questions…do you think this quilt needs a border? do you think this print is too large for the block? do you think I need to make the top bigger? Husbands are not known for giving very good answers to these sort of questions, I need these people.

I enjoy novels set in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Makes sense I would enjoy sewing with reproduction fabric.

6. I do realize the last reason is rather flippant–I mean no offense. But many a time, I have said “it is better to quilt, than to murder!” Sewing/quilting soothes my soul, calms my nerves, lifts my spirits—-and to be honest, gives my self-esteem a boost when I am falling into that trap of feeling inferior.

Realistically, not everyone is going even like quilting….my son in law is a football fanatic. I do not see the point! Fishing? no thank you. Collecting fine art, ok but collecting quilts is better.

I would rather hang quilts in my house than any other art medium.

Happy National Quilt Day!

Happy Birthday, Miss N

My youngest grandchild, Miss N turns 10 years old tomorrow. I will never forget the week she arrived–my strong, intelligent, independent mother left this life and my strong, intelligent and will be very independent granddaughter entered this life. Tears of grief and tears of joy

My Mom had one granddaughter for whom she made girly dresses, bought her baby dolls and books. They shared a bond that was different than the bond she had with her three grandsons. Not that each one of them wasn’t special to FaMa..the oldest was her first, the second was named for his grandfather and the third shared the beautiful brown eyes my mother gave as the reason she married my father. She was so delighted I was to have a granddaughter.

According to my Mom, birthdays were there to be celebrated! No matter the circumstances—financial constraints, physical distances, or your age. When Mom turned 80 we had a huge party, new dress, relatives from far and near, flowers, balloons, cake and hundreds of photos. She loved every minute of it.

One important part of birthdays is the traditions that each family has that belong to just you that day. Growing up, the angel food cake was BIRTHDAY CAKE. When I learned others thought of a different cake, I truly felt a little sorry for them. My husband had burnt sugar cake; my grandchildren get to choose an ice cream cake, my bro-in-law chose German Choc. What?

Some families have a special dinner plate for the birthday person. One friend’s mother used a particular cake plate for just birthdays. My son’s family wear those pointy cardboard birthday hats…no matter how old. In one nephew’s family, the birthday person gets all the doughnuts they want and can eat for breakfast. We have lots of little presents to unwrap. A phone call with a loud rendition of “Happy Birthday”–it is important to have these anchors.

If you are just starting out or know a family making their own traditions, Janis made a quilt for you. Pull it out just for the b-day week. Drape the quilt across the special person’s bed. Use it as a table topper underneath the cake and presents.

The quilt measures 46″ x 48″ and is machine quilted. Spill punch on it–throw it in the washing machine. Quilts get better with love and laundry.

The colors are bright and happy and gender and age appropriate. It is a party on fabric for $125.

Leave a comment if you are interested. Check out the Photo Gallery Post. Lots of new items.

Nostalgic for Lucy

Did you grow up watching “I Love Lucy”? We didn’t have a TV for much of my childhood, so re-runs and the iconic grape stomping and candy assembly line scenes was my introduction to this much loved comedy.

“I Love Lucy” is one of the images that comes to my mind when I get nostalgic for the fictionalized America of the 1950s. The comedy is part of the cultural history that identifies a person as US baby boomer..ouch.

Amazon Prime Video has two videos at present featuring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez–One is a original documentary, Lucy and Desi and the other is Being the Ricardos.

We just watched Being the Ricardos with Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. “During one productions week of “I Love Lucy”–from Monday table read through Friday audience taping–Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a series of personal and professional crises that threaten their show, their careers and their marriage, in writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama.” —Amazon prime video

The real people were complex, powerful and innovative—-much more than the one dimensional characters they played. Although the plot jumps from the present to the past to the present, I would recommend watching it–it is worth the 2 hrs 12 min.

Probably due to the release of these two movies, the nostalgia for the past and the interest in “mid century” furniture and home decor, I Love Lucy fabric is available everywhere.

Phyllis S. made a full apron with her Lucy fabric. It is pink and grey–very fifties! She even used ric rac.

The apron will fit anyone –it just covers more the smaller you are. There is a potholder and skillet handle holder also. The set is only $30. Domestic bliss can be yours!

If there is a particular type or style of apron you would like to see, please leave a comment and we can talk! Also check out the Photo Gallery for more aprons and items.

Bunnies!

I just love bunny rabbits. Yes, they ate my lilies outside my sewing room window…and the cone flowers… and the special Kansas wild flowers I babied. Pre-Taka, we thought that the bunnies would not want to live in a yard owned by a dog and that they would move on and our flowers would be safe. But the dog and the rabbits declared a truce and have accepted each other. With this truce, we have actually named them and feel some responsibility for them—and planted flowers in raised beds and tall pots!

But my favorite bunnies are the pastel porcelain bunnies I bring up from the basement storage every spring to “play” in my living room and dining area. They live on the sideboard……

On the mantle….

On small tables….

Once friends discover you collect bunnies, they are generous in their gifts. My sister-in-law brought me little white bunny salt and pepper shakers that will be introduced to the “fluffle” this spring. (A group of rabbits is called a fluffle—a perfect name for bunnies!).

And last week this air freshner showed up on my door step from her!

My theory is that in this crazy world, you can not have too many things that bring a smile to your face. Janis R, the quilter in our group that does wonderful appliqué, agrees.

Peter Cottontail is nattily dressed in a plaid vest with a bow tie that matches his ears! Molly is hiding behind that Easter eggs. Because it is only 6″ x 22″, it would be perfect for many places in your home.

Molly and Peter Cottontail would love to help you welcome spring. Leave a comment and I will get back with you.

Wearin’ or Decorating with the Green

According to my Ancestry.com’s DNA analysis I am only 7% Irish, but on St. Patrick’s day I will boast of my Irish roots. St. Patrick’s day is a fun day of wearing green, sporting a shamrock, drinking green colored beverages, and greeting others with “Erin go Bragh”. St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17, commemorated the saint’s death in the fifth century, and like many other Christian days evolved into a holiday that is a blend of many different factors—Celtic folklore, Irish political events, the huge migration of Irish to the United States and the Catholic Church. The day has become a day to recognize the contributions of the Irish to our nation–and to have fun!

Green is the color we associate with St. Pat’s day–in fact most of us learned very early to dress in green to avoid a pinch at school or from siblings. Green represents the Emerald Island, Ireland’s other name. Green is supposed to make one invisible from leprechauns! Another story is that leprechauns pinch those who are not wearing their favorite color, green.

Most of us who have passed the pinching stage decorate our home with green in March. It is usually the next color used after the red and pinks of Valentine’s Day are put away. Green also promises the winding down of winter and the the early signs of spring. Green table runners and placemats offer a spot of green that can remain out after the 17th.

Perfect for a side board top or down the center of the dining room table, this runner measures 14″ x 36″. The back side is a light speckled green that would work with Easter. It is $40.

Six placemats are in this set. Each mat measures approx. 15″ x 18″. They are backed in a dark green and the set is $55.

The runner is made up of 4 inch log cabin blocks. It is 14″ x 26″ and $30.

The Shamrock has become the symbol of Ireland and of St. Patrick’s Day. According to legend, St. Patrick used the three leaf clover to teach about the Trinity in his quest to convert the Irish to Christianity.

What could be more lucky than four patchwork shamrocks? Is is 14″ x 41″ and is $30.

These two wall hangings do not take much wall space but they add a festive mood to your home.

I can just see a leprechaun tipping his hat to me and wishing me the “top of the mornin’ “. He must know the pot of gold’s location–look at his hat buckle and his shamrocks! 17 1/2 ” x 17 1/2″ and $40

Janis appliqued these symbols of St. Patrick’s Day on wool with a blanket stitch. The muted colors are great for those who like a quieter celebration. It is 9″ x 35″ and $50.

So, if you are 7 % or 70% Irish–“Erin go Bragh”– Ireland to the end of time.