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January 20, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Have you visited the Craftsy site? You really ought to. Although it is free to join, you don’t have to be a member to visit much of the site. There are all sorts of goodies to explore. As a crafting addict I have supplies for more crafts than I’ll ever be able to complete in several life times. I’ve tried so many things. I think I can name the crafts I have NOT tried in a shorter list–stained glass making, pen and ink drawing, sculpting, glass blowing … Right now at Craftsy I am taking an online class taught by Anita Grossman Solomon, who was our national seminar teacher last fall. I was only able to take one class of hers during seminar and I really enjoyed it. Haven’t finished the project of course. The block I made in seminar, the pineapple block, is one […]
January 17, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen back. I love scrap quilts. I’ve made several-4 or 5 large ones, and many minis. I love the interplay of the seemingly unrelated patterns, the focus they put on values rather than individual fabrics. I can’t say where this interest comes from. Although I do come from a long line of needleworkers–my first quilt was made for me by my great-grandmother–all of those quilts in my background were planned fabric assortments. The really early ones are made of solids. The current episode on Quilters Newsletter TV (a free video compilation) is an interview with Pepper Cory about her feelings on the importance of scrap quilts in helping to maintain our history and quilting tradition. It’s about 10 minutes long. Pepper has been a “name” in quilting for quite some time. Back when I began quilting in earnest, in the 80’s, there were only a few “names” […]
January 16, 2013
Hello all, ME again. The half square triangle is really a quilting work horse. So many designs, from simple to complex, incorporate the HST. I ran across this idea today for taking your HSTs up a notch. It’s kind of like putting a piping or flange along that diagonal seam. This definitely is an idea to file away for future reference, but if you’re like me… don’t forget where you filed it! Here’s another classy HST. She calls it a cathedral window remix–let’s say it’s a hybrid of the two. Again an idea to remember for those times when you want to make a basic block look snazzy. It’s time for me to get off the computer and go get some work done. TTFN!
January 15, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Wouldn’t a quilt like this be a fun group project? The next raffle quilt? No, I don’t think so! Read all about it at this blog. (Jan. 11 entry) I think this rainbow idea is very nice, but wouldn’t it also be fun to try to choose a fabric to represent each state? What would be good for NY? First thought was apples, or Statue of Liberty but those are more for New York City rather than the entire state. I suppose this idea might also be difficult to execute–getting enough contrast between bordering states. So many of the comments at the original blog post talked about making the quilt for kids-maybe this could become a quilt for courage kind of thing. Anyway, I love this quilt.
January 13, 2013
Hello again, Mary Ellen back. As quilters we are surely in tune with the newest fabric colors each year. Even if we don’t buy a lot of new yardage, we enjoy going into the shops and looking at the latest fabrics. Here’s the color of the year for 2013: Emerald. “Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.” Whether you’ll see emerald in our stores soon probably depends on the store’s buyers and their inclination to jump in before the public reaction can be gauged. Those of you who frequently travel to the “big city”, like Toronto or NYC, have perhaps already seen Pantone’s influence. You might enjoy the slideshow at the Pantone site, which will show you all kinds of consumer goods in this new shade. If you visit other parts of their site, you will see how much […]
January 13, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Do you watch the PBS show Sewing with Nancy? I used to be a true follower, never missing or skipping an episode. I find that now I sometimes delete them from the DVR if I am not intrigued by the title. I’m glad I didn’t do that this week. Tula Pink is a self described hippie quilter. She’s one of those younger women who has, shall we say, a very free fashion sense. Kind of like the kids you see on Project Runway. Well Tula is the guest on Nancy’s show this week, and was in the first episode of the series last week. Her quilts are very modern looking, but are based on traditional blocks and techniques, granted very loosely based on them. As I watched the episode, I became intrigued with her houndstooth quilt and thought how tremendous it would look as a […]
January 12, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Odds and ends found while blog hopping: Pat Sloan, our 2013 seminar national teacher visits a NYC group: click right here. If you are a knitter and a Downton Abbey fan as well, you may enjoy these free knitting patterns: click here. Stopped at Wegman’s today for a few items not to be found at my small neighborhood tops and almost fell prey to all of that extra “stuff” in the seasonal aisle. That’s why I’ve pretty much sworn off Wegman’s for the basics. I did pick up a new magazine from the Fons and Porter group called Quilting Quickly. It is full of patterns from Jenny Doan and the crew at the Missouri Star Quilting Company. If you are an avid fan of Jenny’s videos on YouTube, be forewarned that many of the patterns in the magazine have already been featured on Jenny’s channel. […]
January 9, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Only had three comments on the post last week offering blog candy, so each comment had a pretty good chance of winning. I counted the first comment (judged by time stamp) as number 1. As usual I used the internet random number generator to decide the winner. Kit Willey was our second comment. I’ll award the prize at our next guild meeting. Been sewing up a storm of late-making more four patches from my scraps, and am working on a strippy hexagon quilt, using the 60 degree triangle ruler. Also have dug out 2 UFO’s. I’m hoping that sharing about that here, will keep me on track to finishing them. I’ve got a plastic grocery bag of assorted christmas/winter scraps in a variety of sizes which needs a good home. Let me know if you would like it. First response gets the scraps. Gone! TTFN.
January 6, 2013
Hello all, Mary Ellen again. How do we find the time to quilt? I do it by neglecting my housework! (LOL, no I’m not kidding. There are surfaces in my house that haven’t felt a dust cloth in months! I should be ashamed to admit that I guess, but…I’m not. The important, frequently used, rooms are clean and clutter free, but don’t go in the spare bedroom!) Here’s my philosophy-If you drop in unannounced you get what you get. If I know you’re coming, I’ll make a decision. For friends and family I do my best. For acquaintances I may or may not. For strangers-who cares? One of my other vices is an addiction to paper crafting . I love to use scissors, tape, glue, markers, paper… This blog is one that I visit nearly everyday. I thought her post about finding time for stamping could perfectly work for us, […]
January 5, 2013
Hello again. Mary Ellen back. When talking with quilters at the demos and classes I present, the topic of free motion quilting often comes up. I consider myself proficient at FMQ but certainly not an expert. As I tell those who ask, the concept of free motion quilting is very simple but the practice of it is not. There is a long learning curve for most of us, requiring lots of time spent stitching to build muscle memory. I have never met a quilter who mastered FMQ right away. One of the websites I visit frequently, when in FMQ mode, is the one maintained by Leah Day. Lots of ideas for designs, well explained. Her blog gives guidance and encouragement. I’m sure many of you have visited her at one time or another, if FMQ is a goal of yours. This year Leah will be approaching FMQ from a different […]