Quilt Show Part Two - Kathleen Mayo

My friend Patty and I were in junior high and high school together.  The ink wasn't dry on her high school diploma when she made tracks for Florida - I had gone into the military by that time and we lost touch.  A few years ago, I found her on classmates.com, and found out that she had lost her mom.  I loved her mom.  So sweet, so gentle, so loving....and after we had lost touch, she'd become a quilter!  How I wish I had known her then.

She was an amazing quilter, and she was a big part of this quilt show for many years.  Patty and her family come up every year for it, and bring her quilts to put in the show.  This time, one of her quilts was donated to the church - it's called How Great Thou Art, and it is the most amazing work of art.




I'm sorry that my stupid cell phone took such bad pictures of it.  Although there's no way a picture could do this quilt justice.  The amount of hand work in it is mind-boggling.








The quilt will hang in the Children's Ministry, to teach children the stories of the bible.  What a blessing!

The other quilt is called Claude's Navy Quilt, made for her husband to commemorate his service.  Only two of my pictures turned out at all - the quilt was laying on a table, and the lighting was less than ideal.  It was no less amazing than the bible quilt.



I wish the close-ups had turned out on this.  It was jam-packed with information about his service, the top right border was all hand-drawn mermaids and oh it was splendid.  The back was equally amazing.



That ship was HIS ship, in WWII.  All the signal flags, as well.  When I say she was a quilter, I really mean she was an artist of the highest caliber.  You could look at these quilts all day and not see everything, they're so detailed.  All the silks and laces and hand-drawn details - the exquisite workmanship in the applique and quilting - just magnificent.

Seeing her work really makes me want to be a better quilter!  Thanks for coming to the show with me, I am sorry about the quality of the pics - next year I'll do better, and that's a promise to me AND to you!

Happy stitching!!

How About A Quilt Show?

Taken with my awful phone camera - in dim light.  Honestly, I'm choosing my next cell phone by how good the camera is.  I should have taken my son's phone, it takes great pics, or my good camera....but hey.

Today was the Festival of Quilts at First United Methodist Church in Dearborn, MI.  I have a friend from high school, who's mum used to be a huge part of this - she's gone now, but they still hang her quilts, and my friend comes up from FL every year for it.  It was great catching up with her.  And I'll show her quilts, but first, the others.  Descriptions are under the photo.


Tiny vintage quilt made from yo-yo's.


All the pews had quilts on them.  These two were hand cross-stitched.


Pretty wall quilt.  Loved the colors.


This was just gorgeous, hanging high from a branch.  A tribute quilt to their show horses that had passed.


The sanctuary.


Beautiful quilt hanging by the altar.


Trip Around The World quilt - I'd never seen an edging done like this.  I think it was vintage.


Lovely pew quilt.


This was gorgeous.


Another vintage quilt.


Pretty.


The vintage quilts were on loan from the Dearborn Historical Museum.


Quilts of Valor were there - mum and I signed blocks.


This won best of show, it was all pieced.


This was an amazing 3D quilt.


Hand appliqued, hand quilted.


Also hand appliqued, but machine quilted.


This was in the story quilts section.


This was too - with 3D ears on the elephants.


Pretty.



So - those are some of  the other quilts, I'll do another post for my friend's mum.  A few of my favorites didn't turn out - I was so bummed.  It was lovely to see all the handwork - there were some machine embroidered quilts, and machine quilted, but TONS of ones done by hand.  I'll see you tomorrow with more!  I have to go make some microwave rice bags - we got down below freezing last night, with another freeze warning for tonight, and we need them!

Scrappy Harvest First Applique Block, The Apple

I finished the first applique block, and I'm having so much fun - I hope you are too!  Here's a short tutorial and link to the block.

The three [so far] applique blocks are going to be stitched on neutral log cabins, except for the last four logs.  So make your block with all lights, but don't add logs 10-13.  The last four logs will be added after you do your applique.

Make your block, with logs 1-9.  [I had to unstitch my last four logs - some teacher, eh?]



Trace your applique shapes, using the REVERSED pattern on your printout, onto fusible web.



Cut them out, leaving at least 1/8th inch all around, then following manufacturer's directions, fuse them to the wrong side [back] of your fabrics.



Once they've cooled, cut them out on the line, and lay them on your fabric following the picture as a guide - there is a layout diagram in the pattern, but you don't have to get it exactly.  I laid out my branch and apple, then stitched them down, then added the leaves wherever.  There's no layout diagram for the leaves.




I used a blanket stitch on my machine.  Don't look too close - it's been so long since I've done this, I had a mess!



I just scattered the leaves wherever.  There's no right or wrong.  And I know that one tree doesn't have multi-colored leaves, that's ok, we're going for the spirit of autumn here.

After you stitch down the leaves, you're going to add the last four logs - in darks.



And that's it!  Your applique block is done.  I'm not sure if I'm going to add this one to my quilt, it may become a table runner, I really want to do needle-turn applique on these.  I've never done it before, so rather than making you wait for the applique blocks for a year or two, I thought I'd go ahead, fuse them, and have them ready.

Here's my first three blocks:



I have no idea yet what kind of layout these will have, but I kind of like this!

The applique is a free download in my craftsy shop, click HERE - happy stitching!

First Block Made And A Short Tute

Yay!  I spent most of the day cutting and pressing.  Remember that tv tray I got to sit next to my machine, so I could conveniently stitch and press?  Well, my son found me something better....

The ironing board lifts up, it's on wheels [and has brakes], the baskets underneath hold my scraps that I'm using on this quilt.  I LOVE IT.  The ironing board on top is so firm and flat, it's just perfect.  And he found it at Aldi, of all places.

So.  Today I pressed and cut, cut and pressed, and after an hour long search to find my quarter-inch foot, I commenced to sewing.  I'm doing my blocks according to the old log cabin pattern - lights and darks, with a red hearth.  Here's how I did it.

Forgive the bad pics taken with my phone, in the dark.....

Logs 1 and 2 are the same size.  Mine are 2" square.  Stitch them together and press seam open [I always press mine open, you do what works best for you].

Block 3 uses the same fabric as block 2 - following the diagram*, stitch it to your first two blocks, trim and press.

And you just keep going around, trimming and pressing as you go.  I've numbered a pic of my block, so you can see in what order I stitched the logs.

I did a google image search for a log cabin template, and I believe I already posted a pic of it; I printed it out and put it on my design wall where I can reference it constantly.  It's really easy to get turned around with these blocks, but with that reference you won't go wrong.

My block finished at 10.5".  I think that's a good size.  As you can see from the pic, each block uses 3 darks and 3 lights, and you'll have two logs of each fabric, except for the center.  So - logs 2-3 are the same light, 4-5 are the same dark, 6-7 same light, 8-9 same dark, 10-11 same light, 12-13 same dark.  

I'm also working on the applique patterns.  The blocks for those will be strictly lights - pieced the same way, but with neutrals.  I wanted to see what size my blocks would be before finalizing the patterns.  Stay tuned for those!

I'm saving the trims off the logs - as long as they look big enough to make a leaf, they're going in the border.  My border is going to be tons of autumn leaves.  I really want to use up these scraps, lol!  I did say this wouldn't be a fast project, didn't I? *smile*  Happy scrappin'!!!

*Diagram that you found on google - or follow my finished block picture

Scrappy Harvest At The Cabin Stitch-Along

I'm so excited - I'm almost ready to begin stitching.  I've been getting all my ducks in a row for this project [because they have to be lined up just right] and have cut almost all my strips.  I just have this much left to cut....



And then I'll begin stitching.  That pile has some large pieces in it which I won't cut up completely.

So - I started getting my ducks in formation by setting up my design wall again.



Which meant rearranging the entire room, sigh.  This is a 4x8 foot piece of insulation board, very lightweight, and I covered it with a flannel sheet.  I like it because I can stick pins in it, but it also holds the blocks without pins.  For a project this big, I need it.

I also picked up a bargain at Walmart.  I've been seeing people using wooden tv trays for small ironing boards, to set next to your sewing machine so you can press your blocks as you go - and Walmart had one for a little over $8.  I got a $4 ironing board cover, and stretched it over the tray, folded it under and pinned it in place.  I could have made a custom cover but I'm lazy and I'd rather be quilting.



Oh my goodness I love it.

Then, I went to google images and printed off a picture of the order in which to sew my logs.  I'll do a quick tutorial when I make my first one, but this will help me keep those ducks in order.



Jean from All Points of the Compass is going to be joining me, her strips will be 2.5 inches, as they're leftovers from another quilt.  My strips are two inches, which means I'll need more of them.



How many?  I have no idea.  This project uses scraps, you can make it as big or as small as you want.  Make a potholder, or a bed quilt.  It just depends on how many scraps you have.

I'm not cutting my strips to length before I add them - I'll trim them as I stitch them.

As far as how big to make the blocks, I'm thinking 8" - I still have to draw up the house block and see if it will fit.  I don't want the house pieces too tiny.  I won't be doing sashing.  The applique will be done on backgrounds of log cabin blocks, that are done in all neutrals - not the normal red center, light side dark side style.   You can choose to leave it out if you wish.

This really is a stitch-along, I don't have a firm plan in place, I'm doing it just for fun and because I want to.  I'd love to have you join in - no rules but plenty of encouragement!

So - for now, get your scraps, start cutting, and print off a diagram of how the block goes together.  There are tons of them on google.  I'll do one myself very soon.  Ready, set, SCRAP!!!


Jocelyn from Canadian Needle Nana, could you please email me at allieoopsdesigns at gmail dot com?  I can't get in touch with you and I'd like to.

Mending.

Finally!  This cold has really knocked me for a loop.  I'm not congested anymore, hardly coughing, but apparently I coughed so hard and so long that I damaged my voice box - my voice is coming back very slowly.  My family doesn't mind.

Monday I got some interesting news, and decided I needed to get out of the house - so mum and I went out to eat.  She says "hi" and dinner was yum.



I haven't been doing much, not even reading blogs.  However, Jenny convinced me to try Instagram - and now I'm hooked.  Very fun.  Jenny made my Loaves and Fishes pattern, want to see?  I LOVE what she did with it!  That girl blesses me so much.

Did you see the super blood moon/lunar eclipse the other night?  I was watching it out my sewing room window, but it was so cloudy - then suddenly the clouds parted and I got to see it!  It was beautiful, wish I had a camera that would really capture it.  This shot was through the window - too darn cold to go outside.

Let's see what else is new - I've started a new project!  A long-term project.  And it involves piecing, yikes.  

See all that fabric on the ironing board?  What do you mean, what ironing board?  Well, I started cutting and cutting and cutting into it - all 2" strips.  I'm starting a log cabin quilt!

I'm not sure why my red squares look kind of pink there.  Anyway, I'm using up all kinds of scraps, this is going to be so much fun.  I seem to have way more darks than lights, so I hope I can balance it out ok.  There's going to be three applique blocks too, and tons of autumn leaves in the borders.

One thing I'm learning already on this quilt.  I always thought I was a terrible piecer - my points never match.  Which is strange, because my very first quilt was perfectly pieced.  But I used a cardboard template, and cut the pieces out with scissors, and hand-pieced.  I thought my sewing skills had deteriorated, but now I'm thinking it might be my cutting!

For some reason, my ruler slides when I cut, no matter how hard I hold it down.  I noticed it when I was cutting out my red squares.  My ruler has little sandpaper dots on it, that I put there....

But I used them on the top side, because if you move your ruler with them down, you end up  moving the fabric too.  Today I tried putting them on the fabric side, and they worked like they were supposed to - perfect cuts!

I just have to be careful when I'm laying the ruler down to measure my cuts, so I don't move the fabric.

The name of this quilt will be Scrappy Harvest at the Cabin.  I'm intending to bust as many autumn-colored scraps as I can - and I'm using the biggest variety of fabrics ever!  Batiks, animal prints, homespuns - everything but brights, and blues.  If anyone would be interested in scrapping along with me, maybe I could do a stitch-a-long.....the applique patterns would be freebies.  Mine will be bed-sized, and depending on how many scraps I have [tons] I may make an extra one for a Christmas gift.  Let me know if you'd like to join me, ok?  I know there are tons of stitch-a-longs out there already, but hey, what's one more.  LOL!

Ok, must get busy....these scraps won't cut themselves, you know....