Stay Safe This Weekend

If you are traveling this weekend to celebrate Labor Day, don't drink and drive. If, like me, you are staying home, don't drink and quilt -

 

See what can happen??

Honest, all I had was 2 cups of coffee this morning . . . . Probably should have stopped at one.

 

(My husband tells me that I shouldn't fix it - that the person who gets this block in the signature swap is a lucky duck. Might be worth something someday.)

 

To my friends in the U.S.  - Have a Happy Labor Day

 

Some of us will be laboring away this weekend, trying to finish those 120 "What Was I Thinking" signature blocks for 2 swaps -

 

 

Others, not so much:

 

 

(In her defense, it's a thankless job chasing squirrels and chipmunks and just looking so darned cute all day long. But somebody's got to do it.)

 

No chores for me this weekend. I've had a busy time of it recently launching my daughter (no, not to the moon, although some days I thought about it . . . . ) off to school. I already told my husband he's on Home Duty. I'm taking time off for good behavior -  I did not kill or maim any members of my family (who shall remain unamed) this summer. Moms, back me up here!  

 

When things get too tough at the sewing table I plan on taking a break and doing some reading this weekend as well.

 

 

Funny how a good crime novel nearly always fits the bill.

 

Have a good weekend! 

Old Signature Blocks

Some of you who have been reading my blog for a few years may remember when I wrote about the signature blocks I received.

In 2011 I gave a presentation to a guild in Peoria, IL. Someone there had brought in 28 signature blocks made by the founding members of the guild that were hand pieced and not only signed, but signed with embroidered letters. At the meeting, they offered them up to anyone who wanted them and no one in the group did! So, Sentimental Me, I took them home. I couldn't bear for them to be tossed out or thrown away.

 

My collection of 28 signature blocks, signed by women from the recent past I do not even know, LOL - 

The embroidered signatures are just lovely.

Along with the blocks was a newspaper from 1984, which is around the time I assume the blocks were made, so no, they are not that old. An article in the Arts section contains photos of some of the women who made the blocks. Quilt blocks from 1984 certainly do not qualify as antiques, but many of them are so nice and do have an older look.

My Yahoo group is working on signature blocks for 2 different  signature block swaps right now. I've had a very busy summer and have been preoccupied with family and home stuff and so still have to sew quite a few of the 120 blocks I committed to making. Slowly but surely . . . .

 

I will not be embroidering my name on any of the blocks I'm working on now (Whew! Can you imagine??), just using a Pigma pen to sign them. The geese are finished . . . now I just have to sign the centers and put the blocks together. And then finish the other 60 odd snowball blocks for the other swap . . . They go pretty fast if I can only get enough time to work on them at one sitting without interruption - Hah! Not as easy as that sounds in my house.

 

The finished blocks will look like these. This quilt is very special to me - it's the Friendship Quilt from my last book The Civil War Sewing Circle, signed with names of some of my friends in my Yahoo group from all over the world (the pattern is in the book). 

I've blogged about my fascination with signature quilts from the past before so these old blocks were right up my alley and I was glad to receive them. Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with them. You know how good I am about finishing unfinished projects . . . . especially ones that are not even mine. Sharon, Rosalie, Betty, Pat or Shirley - if you are still alive and reading this and want your blocks back and promise to make them into a quilt, they are all yours!

 

 

See more about the history of friendship quilts and signature blocks here

 

P.S.:  Notice anything especially cute in this photo below? Yes, I had my own Sentimental Quilter mug made up and I am working on making them available for purchase very soon.  If I can figure out shipping and handling that doesn't cost an arm and a leg (or more than the mug) you may soon be able to have one for your very own too.

 

 

 

Playing Around

After a couple of busy weeks I am finally getting back to working on some signature blocks I started for an exchange in my Yahoo group Small Quilt Talk. There are 2 swaps/exchanges going on simultaneously and I signed up for BOTH. So, yes, I am making 60 blocks for each swap = 120 signature blocks total. I know I am nuts. I can't imagine what I was thinking. All I can say is it sounded like a good idea at the time. When we were planning this I reminded people that if they organized themselves and paid attention it would be easy. Hah. Not that I am struggling, mind you, or stressing yet, but seriously -  120 blocks??!!  I have only 45 blocks finished so while I'm on my way to meeting the deadline in September that still means I have to get cracking.

 

 

 

I had pieces cut for a few blocks and so sat down and made a few last week. I was really getting into the swing of things but then had to stop on the weekend to clean and cook for a fondue birthday party we gave for my son's girlfriend.

 

Remember fondue? Does anyone still do this? I know at  my age I don't need to eat that much cheese so we also cooked beef and shrimp and vegs in hot oil. Oh sure, that's so much better than cheese, who am I kidding? LOL. But my kids always loved it when they were young and so it was fun to get the family together and bring out the old fondue pots again.  I never actually get too full from fondue. It always takes forever, eating one morsel at a time, and so the best part was just being with family and socializing a bit. 

 

 

On Sunday, I made sure I had  a little time to make some progress on my signature blocks. I even bought a pretty new project box so I can keep all the pieces together and close it up without losing anything if I need to work on something else.

 

 

The tool everyone in the group has been using for making Flying Geese units -

 

 

I have to admit I've never been a "tool" freak or buyer of every gadget  that comes out. This Quilt in a Day Flying Geese ruler sure came in handy though. I love using it so I also bought a few more in different sizes.

 

 

 

 

September will be here before you know it.  Why is it something always comes up to take me away from my sewing routine?  I hope to get some more finished today. But right after I finish writing this and then play with the dog. Since she lost her companion she's been awfully lonely and clingy and follows me around everywhere. I'm her companion now and she doesn't understand why I can't spend every waking minute playing. When I sew, she's always at my side and just sits there and stares at me until I get up to go outside with her.

 

 

It's lonely being an only . . . .

 

C'mon, Mom, throw the ball. You know you want to.

 

 

Playing with my dog. Much more important than sewing some days . . .

 

 

 

Fabric Giveaway Winners

Thanks for entering my giveaway and leaving a comment. You made this so much fun with your amusing posts. I wanted all of you to be winners.

 

 

Here are the 15 winners of the Linen Closet charm packs designed by Renee Nanneman for Andover Fabrics:

1.       Ann in PA - quiltfeather at yahoo.com

2.       Char - char5 at centurytel.net

3.       Christa - Christahallaert@yahoo.com

4.       Christine in WI - czarnsy@gmail.com

5.       Karen S. - meandyou1974@sbcglobal.net

6.       Kathy K. - kelley.farms@frontier.com

7.       Leslie - lesquilts@gmail.com

8.       Liz B in England

9.       Lori - lwright@spchs.org

10.   Marsha Bohling - quiltmeister55@yahoo.com

11.   Mary Miller - mmiller138@aol.com

12.   Maymewyns at yahoo dot com

13.   Sally - jmurray@ctaz.com

14.   Sandy - srowe1948@gmail.com

 

15.   Vicki - treasurednotions@gmail.com

 

Many of you came up with some great answers to the question: What's in YOUR linen closet?

 

Some of my favorites - a Christmas cactus, canned goods, candy, a black lace corset that reminds [her] of the carefree years past, 12 ceramic santas, old photos, a basket full of pennies, a slow cooker, a little potty, tupperware, 2 electric guitars, Christmas paper, home brewed beer, a toaster oven, a Mr Wonderful doll, scuba equipment, swords, almonds, Easter candy, a washer and dryer . . .

 

When I get the chance I will check - I may have some of these same things in my linen closet too. (Only one electric guitar though, no beer, and NOT the black corset, in case you were wondering.) And thanks to some of you now I know exactly where to hide the Swedish Fish . . . .

 

Winners: If you will please contact me and send me your names and addresses I will compile a list and forward it to Andover and they will send you your charm packs. I will need to hear from each one of you before I send them the list, however. (Click on my profile at the top of this blog for my email). Again, thanks for entering the giveaway and better luck next time if you did not win today.

 

Hot Summer Fabric Giveaway

 Wow! It's HOT here. But there's good news. Today and through the coming weekend 15 of you will have a chance to win a charm pack of Andover fabric designed by Renee Nanneman - from her "Linen Closet" collection - that I used to make this sweet summery pillow. (Along with some pink and brown prints from her "Villageware Toile" collection that just came out.) This should cool you off a little.

 

 

If it weren't so darned hot I'd be out here lounging on my pillow, sipping an iced tea . . .  

Linen Closet fabrics.

Just looking at these light and airy prints almost makes me feel cool in this heat wave we're having here  . . .

All you have to do is follow the instructions below and leave me a comment to enter. There will be 15 charm packs given away in all. Make sure you leave your name and a way I can contact you if you win.

 

Okay, in keeping with the theme of this fabric, here's the trick to winning - tell me what's in YOUR linen closet that doesn't belong there, something that isn't exactly like linens or isn't even close. If your closet is anything like mine, it needs cleaning out terribly but you're waiting for some of those cute wicker baskets or shelf dividers you see in magazine linen closets to be on sale before you take everything out and get it organized once and for all. And buy some new sheets and towels too.  Maybe this August. Do they still have the August White Sales??

 

If what you keep in your linen closet is your darkest secret, I promise I won't tell a soul. You can trust me! I am not prepared to show you a photo of my linen closet right now but I can tell you it probably contains some things I either just can't bear to part with or had no other place to throw them. Not linens.

 

 .

Don't you love the bees?

 

So leave me a comment here - see instructions above - and your name will be entered into the giveaway. If you left a comment yesterday or the day before on the other post I wrote, it will not count - to have a chance to win, you have to post your comment on the giveaway post that's dated July 18. Comments will close sometime on Sunday and I will announce the 15 winners on Monday. Make sure you leave your name and a way for me to contact you if you win. Good luck!

 

I know that Andover Fabrics would love it if you visited their Facebook page and thanked them for the chance to win some of this wonderful fabric. (Tell them you like the free pillow pattern too!)  Oh, yes, you can download the free pattern for the pillow here.

 

 

 

 

Northern Illinois Quilt Show

Love visiting quilt shows? If you live in northern Illinois, I will be giving a presentation at the Batavia Quilt and Textile show on Sunday, July 21.  The annual show is held at the Batavia Park District’s historic Eastside Community Center, 14 North Van Buren Street, Batavia, Illinois.  The show will feature over 150 beautiful quilts made by local quilters (including a special reproduction Civil War quilt exhibit), a vendor hall that features new products and fun demonstrations as well.  Here's the info.

This show looks like it will be a lot of fun. I'll be talking about quilts, showing off some of my quilts and selling and signing books and patterns (maybe some jewelry too?).

 

Last year I had a booth at the Galesburg, IL,  Quilt Show.

 

 

Quilt shows are soooo much fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're in the area, please come by and say Hi!

 

- + - + - + - + - + - + -  + - + -

 

Also - stop back here on Thursday, July 18. I will be holding another cool Andover Fabrics Giveaway on the blog. See what I made from some very pretty fabrics, then leave a comment and perhaps you will win something.

 

 

(FYI - Comments left today will NOT count, only AFTER  Thursday's giveaway kick-off. )

 

Quilt Fest Chicago - Part 2

More photos of the International Quilt Festival that came to Chicago last week.

 

 

 

 

 

Cozy Quarters

 

In addition to vendor booths, the International Quilt Fest also had an exhibit of wonderful quilts. Some of  the  photos  did not come out as good as I hoped they would.  Here are a few of my favorites -

 

 

Milady by Sheri Hohman

 

 

Flower Quartet by Yasuko Sugaya, Japan

 

 

Hand pieced, hand embroidered, hand appliqued and hand quilted.

 

 

 

Crosses by Ikuko Yeno, Japan

 

 

Sorry that these also came out a little blurry but I wanted to include them anyway.

 

 

The Candy Shop by Miyuki Hamaba, Japan

 

 

These next few are photos of a  quilted yurt  created by Linzi Upton of Scotland. So cool!