Sewing & Quilting Expo

I've been pretty lazy about blogging lately. Nothing much to write about. My daughter is home for Spring Break this week and we've been spending a little time together. We shopped a little, she bought a long peasant dress (they're in style again! Can you believe it?) and then spent time making herself some jewelry to go with it for Spring.

I gave her a turquoise star ring I've had since I was her age (wore it with my long peasant dresses, of course). If I can't get her to quilt, at least she likes turquoise. That's something we can share . . .

I tried to get her to go to the Sewing & Quilting Expo near Chicago with me today. Not a chance. So I went alone and mostly just browsed for a few hours.

Ever since the International Quilt Festival moved from Chicago to Cincinnati last year I've really missed going to a big Spring show. This one was very small in comparison but it was better than nothing. There were a few vendors I was happy to see and there's always something to buy. I hope there will eventually be more quilting booths, especially ones with reproduction fabrics.

More sewing than quilting booths -

 

But still, quite a variety -

Oh yeah, a little something for every BODY . . . Meet Susan the Bra Lady. She does Tupperware parties for bras. See how she can help you look 10 lbs thinner. I was intrigued and took her card. I was NOT going to try on a bra behind a curtain at a quilting show. Puh-leeze!

A few of my favorite booths would NOT let me take photos. Oh well, these will have to do. Stencil heaven below -

  

Here's what I brought home with me -

Just a few fat quarters. I didn't really see too much reproduction fabric I absolutely had to have.

More packages of precuts, yay! (You know what a lazy girl I am.) The ruler is for my Dear Jane blocks. I made a few more blocks by hand last week. I've been using the ruler with yellow lines and it really makes my eyes crazy. I think this one will work much better for tracing the patterns onto the fabric when I hand piece. Also, Jeana Kimball's quilting and applique needles.

A couple of new stencils.

This fabric probably shocks you, huh? But I'm a sucker for puppy prints and I had to have it. I've got something special planned but you'll have to wait until April 5 to see what it is. I'm not saying any more. Just be sure to come back in April.

Antique Charm

While I was in Indiana last week for a workshop, I stopped in Zionsville, IN, on the way home. It's a charming town with cobblestone streets and lots of little shops.

One store had a nice variety of beautiful hooked rugs, made by a local craftsperson (I didn't really want to call her a  "hooker").

As we walked along the streets, I lamented to my husband that it would be nice to be able to drop $500- $1000 for some of the  things I see at antique shops (one rug I adored cost $1200), but we both know that right now that's a little frivolous with 2 kids in college.

I am often asked if I collect antique quilts and most are shocked when I say that I do not. What! A quilt designer who loves antique quilts and you don't have a stack of them?! Again, it would be nice to buy old quilts on a whim anytime I wanted to, but I justify it by saying I don't really ever see that many antique quilts that speak to me strongly or that don't cost an arm and a leg, quilts that I love and have to have and cannot live without. Usually, when I see one I like I just end up reproducing a small quilt based on it and that suits me just fine.

As soon as I said that, we walked into another shop and didn't get far past the door when I pulled this blue and white one out from under a stack of nothing-special quilts. Lesson: ALWAYS look under piles of textiles . . .

For some reason, it spoke to me -  "Oh, look at my indigoes and shirtings!"  But I was pretty sure I couldn't afford it. So I asked the price and then walked away and forgot about it.

We went to a few other shops, saw a few more quilts,

Nothing struck me.

 We ate lunch, stopped at a gallery -

And, wouldn't you know it, all the while I couldn't stop thinking about my blue and white quilt. MY blue and white quilt, she said . . . LOL.

So I went back because by now I know how it goes - I will probably never see a blue and white quilt quite like this one again and if I didn't grab it now while I was here, I would regret it. I'm getting much better at jumping on impulses. The clerk smiled. I offered her a little less than she was asking and SHE SAID YES! Granted, I still think I probably paid way too much and don't even know how old it is - probably more vintage than antique -  or if it was worth what I paid, but I felt okay with that because I really didn't care. I didn't buy it for the investment - I fell in love with it and that's all that matters. Now if only I had a nice place to display it . . . away from prying puppy paws.

Reminds me of Spring!

*  * Another REMINDER *  *

If you are making the small baskets quilt for this month's challenge, your pieces are cut, right? You should put them together this week/weekend. Take it piece by piece and you'll get there. If you don't have time for 12 baskets, make 4, make one, whatever. Still counts as a quilt for this month.

 

Indiana Workshop

I just came back from Indianapolis, IN, where I taught a workshop to make one of my favorite quilts - the Orange Peel Quilt that's on the cover of my book Remembering Adelia. (This is also the book we're using to make this month's quilt. See end of this post and previous posts below).

It was the first time I had taught the class using the starch and no-melt Mylar template method of applique and it was definitely a success. Even those who typically used the needleturn method for their applique tried this one and were pleasantly surprised at how much easier it was to get nice sharp points on their peels.

 

It was a very relaxing workshop -  no machines needed -  all work by hand for a change. I really enjoyed seeing how everyone's peels turned out and the colors they used. 

Christine is using up some blue and light scraps left over from another quilt to make hers.

Workshops are always fun because they give me a chance to connect with some of my fans on an individual basis and make new quilting friends. Plus, they almost always bring cool things to show me -

A sweet bonnet sewing case made by someone's mother (Or grandmother? Sorry, I can't remember.).

Ann joined my Small Quilt a Month challenge and has already finished the quilts for January and February.

Another sewing case that tickled me . . .

Have to make one of these pocket organizers.

It's fun to play with the peels . . .

Gail is making a baby quilt from the pattern and her peels are all pastel prints.

Trish has one block done!

After the workshop, my husband and I stopped for lunch in a small town north of Indianapolis and had a chance to visit a few antique shops. I'm excited to show you what I bought - next time.

*   *   *

Working on your small Civil War Baskets quilt for this month's challenge? If you are doing that quilt with me this month, this is your  reminder that you should have already picked out fabrics for your baskets and cut the pieces, whether you are making the 12 baskets quilt (same as in the book) or the 4-basket quilt (sketch is in the Files section of my Yahoo group). Try to piece a few blocks together this week if you can find a little time.

Before I left for Indiana, I had time to finish one basket block and then surrounded it with sashing and borders. It turned out very sweet - who doesn't love baskets? - and is the perfect small quilt if you don't have time to make the larger one but still want to continue with a quilt every month. Did not take me long at all and now just have to applique the handles and finish.

Such a sweet little basket . . .

 

Wares for Sale

My friend Ingrid and I visited some antique shops over the weekend. Of course I always look for quilts and almost never find any that are in good shape for the price or to my liking. Have you noticed that almost everything these shops carry these days is glassware or dinnerware? Or hankies. At least that's what I seem to find in the shops around here. I would love to see more quilts. Doll quilts, especially, but I'm never that lucky.

Here's some different stuff. I loved these knitted animal hats, LOL. Reminded me of Lamb Chop - remember Lamb Chop??

Aha! They're upstairs!

I didn't love any of them well enough to buy. I  thought this one was sure cute though, even if it was pretty tattered.

I really love to see hexagon quilts. I am wondering if anyone is interested in doing a hexagon challenge or some other type of paper piecing in the Yahoo group this year? We were just talking about it because someone brought it up in the group. Don't worry, it would be a small quilt.

This is going to be a busy week for me, starting with a local presentation tonight a little northwest of Chicago and then a trip to Indianapolis later in the week. Maybe I'll try stopping at a couple of antique shops while I'm there if I have time, if the dogsitter doesn't mind my taking a little side trip, LOL. Don't need any dinnerware, hoping to find some quilts!

Civil War Baskets for March

I think it's such fun to make one little quilt a month from the books many of you say you love so much. What good are the books doing sitting on the shelf?? Bring them out and make some of the projects with me this year. This month, the quilt we will be making is The Civil War Baskets quilt from my book Remembering Adelia.

Seeing the quilts you make from the patterns gives meaning to Adelia's story and makes me so happy I took the time to write about her and create projects I think she may have loved. I wish we had some of the quilts she made, don't you?

 

This quilt may take a little longer than some of the others we've made but you will be so happy with this one when you're finished. So maybe it would be a good idea to get started soon - picking out fabrics and cutting your pieces this weekend if you have time, instead of waiting until later in the month. (Cut the pieces for one block at least, just to try it and see how long it actually takes you if you are planning on making the original 12-block version).

 If the thought of making the appliqued handles for the baskets is stressing you out - don't let it keep you from trying this quilt. Here's a tutorial I did last year on the Sew We Quilt blog for making the curved handles.  They're actually pretty easy.

Adelia's story still touches my heart every time I pick up the book and I am so grateful I stumbled upon her diary a few years ago and had the chance to bring her story to life. In the diary, she presents a picture of life in a small town in Illinois, not far from where I live now, that was torn apart by the war. Women did the best they could to live their lives as normally as possible while chaos swirled around them. One of the things I tried to convey in the book was that they lived in a  close-knit community where people cared about their neighbors and, knowing that all were affected in some way, helped each other through this difficult time in 1861.

Adelia with one of her daughters and her little dog, "Bob" the pug, LOL.  This was taken much later in the 19th century, years after the war was over.

I felt a certain kinship with Adelia as I read through and wrote about her diary. I talked about her a few times on the blog -  here's one post if you're interested in reading more about her.

Have fun making these little baskets. I know some of you have told me that this is a quilt you really wanted to make. If you are in my yahoo group SmallQuiltTalk you can go to Files and see the suggestions for making an alternate version of this quilt. Two versions, actually. I've already started the one-block basket quilt and will frame it with a couple of borders and show you later. It's so sweet!