Inside Quilters Newsletter

A LITTLE BIT CRAZY

Susan E. Geddes — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:19:45 +0000

It’s 80 degrees in Golden today and my photographer and I are just finishing the last of the photography for the Quilters Newsletter Christmas special, Best Christmas Quilts 2012. It’s a little crazy to set up and decorate a Christmas tree this time of year, but that’s what I like about this job. We had 8-year old Olivia help us out by shooting for a feature in the upcoming issue, Decorating with Kids. She did three fun, easy projects you can do with your kids. We’ve also got lots of big and small patterns for adults to tackle, several pages of gifts to buy and a fabulous fabric giveaway.

After I post this blog its back to laying out the patterns and features. I think I’ll leave the tree up in my office to keep me in the mood.

QN’s Best Christmas Quilts 2012 will be available on the newsstands or at your favorite quilt shop in late August or available on the Quilt and Sew Shop website.

What a Difference Color Makes

Lori — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:10:27 +0000

I’ve been thinking a lot about color the last few days. It started on Friday when I noticed on my drive to work the gray clouds hanging over the foothills. I won’t say that it was gloomy but it certainly wasn’t as cheerful as sunshine and blue skies.

Pink Christmas Cactus

On Saturday, I got a lovely flowering plant from one of my sons and his family. It was what I know as a Christmas cactus but the flowers were a beautiful pink. I always think of a Christmas cactus with red flowers. The change in the color of the blooms made it a perfect plant for Mother’s Day instead of Christmas.

On Sunday, another son gave me a black viola. It’s a simple flower really but what a dramatic

Black Viola

difference when the blooms are black.

Then I moved on to thinking about color choices as I quilt. One of the first series of quilts that I made was four different 9-patch quilts. My aunt Alta gave me a huge amount of polyester double-knit fabric and I turned it into quilts. It was amazing to me the changes when I varied just one or two things. The first quilt had white and one other color in each block and was set together with yellow sashing. The second had two shades of one color in each block and was set together with green sashing. They were both pretty quilts. The third was all shades of blue. Two colors of blue in each block set together with gray blue sashing. Ugly is the only word I can think of that adequately describes that quilt. The fourth had blocks with navy, green and burgundy with ivory sashing.

Even though the fabric is not something that I would use today, I learned some good things with those four quilts. I still have two of them. The yellow one is one of my favorite quilts to this day because it was in the frame when we had a family get together and I conned the four of our five children that were there that day and one daughter-in-law to quilt a little on it. (Yes, I hand quilted it.) I call it Almost All My Children.

My best advice about color is that it’s a good thing to preview your fabric choices. Lay them down together in the middle of the dining room table for a day or two. Then make one block and look at it for a day or two. Does it convey the mood that you want? What happens if you change just one fabric? Is it better? Or worse? The time that you spend choosing fabrics and being sure that you like them together is time well spent.

Happy quilting.

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Spring Market Inspiration

Joli Hines Sayasane — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:31:21 +0000

I can hardly believe it. International Quilt Market (Spring) is next week in Kansas City. I was just at Fall Market 2011, wasn’t I?

“Well I might take a plane, I might take a train. But if I have to walk I’m going just the same. I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come.” Fats Domino may have been looking for love, but I’m going for the love of quilts.

This is the first time I’ll be attending Spring Market as an editor for Quilters Newsletter. Oh, I’ve been to Spring Market before, just not in this capacity. I’m looking forward to finding new products, seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I can’t wait to see the quilt exhibits. I always get so inspired, I feel like I should have a sewing machine set up in my hotel room, so I can go back every night — to design and create until the wee hours of the morning.

Market is always an overload experience for me. So much beauty and creativity– and the brilliant execution of that creativity. That is part of what moves me. I might be able to dream it… but to see it through to fruition? That’s where I struggle.

But who knows what I’ll find… the next workshop, upcoming designer, the newest gadget or –dare I say it? – The next Quilters Newsletter Cover Quilt!

Are you going to Kansas City? (The show is open to the trade only.) If so, look Quilters Newsletter up! We are part of Creative Crafts Group and when you stop by that booth, you just might see me there. Kansas City, here, I come!

It’s unusual and the colors won’t fade

Kath Wagar Wright — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:25:20 +0000

My three older brothers and I all took tap dance lessons growing up. Based on the photos I’ve seen, they must have been fairly good at it – at the least they looked charming. I remember practicing on the kitchen tile but I finally dropped out. I didn’t have the live performance gene.

Several years later when I turned thirteen, my gift was the choice to take either piano lessons, like my brothers did, or art lessons. I chose art and started studying with Wilma Cymbala. One of the many things she did was the art of Ukrainian Easter egg decoration (pysanky) which like batik, involves a wax resist method of dying. Many of the designs were very similar to applique and geometric quilt designs and the dye colors were rich and intense.

We held a demo at the local library, Wilma showed how she drew the designs and applied the wax to make beautiful intricate designs while I covered eggs with watered down Elmers and torn tissue paper collage. But something about seeing that process – those designs and colors – grabbed me then and still hasn’t let go. I just love batiks.

My thoughts about where I first learned about batiks were inspired by our list of quilting trivia dates for 1955 on the Design Wall in the June/July issue of Quilters Newsletter. Take a look and let me know what inspires you.

Whew! Is the weekend over?

Lori — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:02:09 +0000

Whew! I had the kind of weekend where I couldn’t wait to come to work on Monday morning so I could rest!
My weekend started on Friday afternoon with a trip to the Denver National Quilt Festival VII. It was wonderful. I’d only been there about 15 minutes when I asked someone if they didn’t hear their sewing machine calling. I know that I heard mine calling me. Seeing all the quilts truly inspired me.
Some of the special exhibits were especially interesting. I loved some of the work in the Jewelry Quilt Project. The quilt artists represented jewelry from all different parts of the world, all different cultures. There is a short news clip on YouTube. It’s a French news program but even if you don’t speak French, there are some lovely images.
And the Rambling River Project – a collaboration of 15 artists from Missouri, all making just one section of the river – was so amazing. Given the blue fabric for the river and specific dimensions for the width of the river as it entered and exited their 18” x 22” quilt, the artists did not see each other’s work until they were ready to assemble the sections. You can view it here, just scroll down to near the bottom of the page.
Then I had the long drive home. I stay in Denver during the week then go home for the weekend. It’s a three hour drive but I always enjoy those three hours. My brain goes faster than my car; writing stories, designing quilts and planning projects.
Then it was time for household chores. I spent Saturday and part of Sunday working in the yard. I really enjoy gardening but with my new job I am not home to spend a while in the garden each evening, so I will have to revamp the gardens. As I said, I enjoy gardening but that kind of project is just plain hard work. I finished two beds but I have a long, long way to go. We did get the tomatoes, peppers (3 kinds) and eggplant, as well as the annuals for the planters in the patio planted.
Of course, I did spend a couple of hours quilting. My weekend feels like a failure if I don’t spend time sewing.
Somewhere in there, with all the busy-ness, I finished a book. I am an avid reader so I’m always looking for new books to read. I found the book Ties That Bind by Marie Bostwick (published by Kensington Books) at work amongst the new products and books. The story is set in the present day and includes a quilt shop, a new-to-town female pastor and the women who are the core of the quilting community in New Bern, Connecticut. It’s a fun read, as well as thought provoking. I’m going to have to see if I can find some more of Bostwick’s books.
Wow! What a busy weekend. Now I need to get to work.
By the way, if you don’t already follow us on Facebook, be sure to do so. That’s where we announce our giveaways and post fun tidbits about the quilting world.

Sometimes Inspiration is Everywhere You Look

Joli Hines Sayasane — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:38:47 +0000

For the last week I’ve been on vacation. You know how that goes. Spend 10 days working frantically on assignments, just so your desk won’t be completely buried when you come back! Then spend most of a week catching up again. If it wasn’t for my wonderful co-workers, I’d probably never get to go.

Wouldn't this make a beautiful landscape quilt?

And yet, I can’t get away from thinking about quilts. Inspiration is everywhere, even pool-side at the Tropicana Casino and Hotel.

But back to my vacation. Las Vegas! …Sin City. “What happens here, STAYS here.” And hey, I’m on-board with that — I took the oath. The only thing I will say is my husband and I had a great, relaxing time. 5, count ‘em, 5 days of excess.

We walked the strip one night… I saw quilts…

Fairy-tale castle

Sin City never sleeps

Ooh-la-la!

Even in my room, I saw a potential quilt. I’ve never done a still life, but maybe…?

Possible still life?

And yes, it was delicious!

…and now, back to reality, with all these ideas bouncing around in my head. I’m so glad I’m going to live to be 250+ years old….. I’m going to need that time to bring all my projects and vacation inspired dreams to fruition!

A LITTLE PEEP AT QUILTMAKER’S 100 BLOCKS, VOLUME 5

Susan E. Geddes — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:09:28 +0000

Quiltmaker, a sister publication to Quilters Newsletter, has released their latest 100 Blocks, Volume 5.

I have been invited to contribute blocks and have had three previous entries. Some of you might have recognized my Egg Trilogy. The Egg Trilogy was supposed to end with the Volume 4, hence the name trilogy. Well, many you remarked that the end could not be at hand. So the chicks are back by popular demand. One chick anyway, Little Peep. She’s so egg cited.

Little Peep

If you haven’t seen one of these 100 Blocks books, they are a great resource for block patterns and quilt ideas. Leave a comment on my blog by Tuesday, May 8 and you will get a chance to win Volume 5, Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks. By the way, there will be one more block in the Egg theme, look for it in the upcoming Volume 6.

King’s Crown free block pattern & giveaway

Susan E. Geddes — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:00:14 +0000

The June/July issue of Quilters Newsletter is out now and it is full of wonderful features and quilts. With this issue we are introducing a new web extra for our readers. Our Staff Picks pages have always shown you products, books and fabric lines. We’ve always sewn a block with some of those featured fabrics to give you an idea of how they can be used. Over the years, we’ve had readers ask where they can get patterns for some of those blocks. So we’ve listened. QN is adding a free block pattern chosen from one of the four blocks in Staff Picks. It is available on our web site under the web extras pulldown. Just download the pdf and make sure your printer is set to 100%, NO SCALING.

[Please note: This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Wanda H, winner of this gorgeous collection!]

The June/July 2012 issue features a 12″ block called King’s Crown made with fabrics from the Emperor’s Garden collection by Maywood Studios. The generous folks at Maywood sent us 26 Fat Quarters from this collection to give away to a lucky reader. Leave a comment by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 6, for a chance to win. One comment per person, please. Open to those who haven’t won something from Quilters Newsletter in the last 90 days.

Labels???

Lori — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:35:45 +0000

My grandmother, Ella Brown, was an amazing woman. She was a prolific quilter in a time before rotary cutters and rulers. She drew templates on cardboard, usually from a cereal box, drew around the template and cut the pieces for her block one patch at a time. Grandma made 10 to 15 quilts a year. Her quilts weren’t fancy. They were made from leftovers from my mother and my aunt’s garment sewing as well as the “good” fabric from worn out items. Grandma was also a generous woman. She gave quilts as gifts: wedding, graduation, baby, etc. If a family in the community had a house fire, Grandma would give them multiple quilts.

I still live in the same small rural community where my grandmother spent most of her adult life. When I go to auctions with old quilts, I find myself looking at the fabric to see if there is a fabric that I recognize. I have no way of knowing whether I am looking at one of my grandma’s quilts. When she was quilting, she didn’t label her quilts. Her quilts were to be used until they were worn out.

Our thinking is different now. As quiltmakers, we are artists. It doesn’t matter if we make bed-sized quilts or wall hangings, art quilts or more traditional quilts … we are artists! I name my quilts and I label them. When my children and grandchildren find something in 50 years, I want them to be able to tell if I was the quiltmaker.
My labels have evolved. Older quilts have purchased label fabric with the information written with fabric safe markers.

As I got a little smarter with my sewing machine, I used the built in alphabet stitches. Notice also the row of decorative stitches on the contrasting fabric.

Now I embroider my labels. I have dozens of fonts and sizes to choose from.

There aren’t rules about size or shape or what you have to include. A bit of whimsy is not a bad thing.

I keep a spread sheet in my computer where each quilt is identified by name, month and year completed and if it was a gift, who I’ve given it to. I photograph all of my quilts, usually front, back and label.

How do you label and track your quilts? If you have an idea you’d like to share, leave a comment below.

On another subject, our sister publication, Quiltmaker, is doing a blog tour this week to celebrate their new Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks – Volume 5. Check it out here. It looks like great fun!

Kaaterskill still missing

Mary Kate Karr-Petras — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:42:54 +0000

It’s been one year since Kaaterskill by Janet Atkins was lost in transit. We featured Kaaterskill as our June/July 2011 cover quilt. It’s 81” x 81” and is entirely hand appliqued and hand quilted. We continue to hope that this beautiful quilt will be recovered in good condition. If you’ve seen this quilt or have information leading to its whereabouts, please contact Janet Atkins at RAtkins@aol.com.