What Can I Use Now?

I used to love this Stick-n-Stitch product! I bought it whenever I found it at some of the large quilt shows and, at one time, had a nice little stockpile of these sheets in my supply cabinet. It was a soft, fiber sheet with a paper-release sticky backing that could be used over and over again. I would trace quilting shapes onto it, cut them out, and place them on my quilt to hand quilt* around before peeling the shape up and moving it to another block, I never had to mark the quilt and the adhesive never left any discernible residue. Somewhere along the line I learned that this product is no longer available. Online searches proved that to be true. Stick-n-Stitch is gone like the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, my hoarded supply had dwindled down to one, single, piece. Over lunch the other day with my trusted confidante and advisor, Quiltkeemosabe, I asked her if she knew of anything else I could use that would serve the same purpose. She suggested machine embroidery stabilizer, the sticky-back, tear away, variety. Bingo! I had a roll sitting right under my nose; don't you just love a dual-purpose product? I tested it out, and she was right; it works... brilliantly!

Life is Good!

*hand quilt: the act of quilting through all three layers of a quilt, 

with needle and thread, by hand... almost gone like the dinosaurs.

A Turn At The Wheel

 Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, VA last week was all that I expected it to be... and more! 

Quilts! Classes!! Vendors!!!

I drove the 300 miles up there on Wednesday and traded in my steering wheel for a wheel of a different type on Thursday morning. I was enrolled in Augusta Cole's "Wheel of Fortune" class; here's my first completed block. This will be a great stash-buster quilt. By no means is this a block that I can mindlessly skate on through, though...piecing  it takes vigilant monitoring of every single piece. Augusta recommended, at the outset, that we label 5 ziploc bags and keep our individual cut pieces in their own designated bags each and every time we handled them. She couldn't have overstated that directive! Ask me how I know. This block is worked in quarters and those two wheel background pieces are not the same. I made the same mistake of switching them at least three times before it all began to sink in; I get it now. Once home, in the quiet of my own sewing space, I was able to concentrate and get the components of three more blocks together. I'll be adding in some more white background fabrics and chose not to stitch the blocks together quite yet, as I want to scatter the backgrounds and incorporate them into the mix.

Here are four blocks laid out together, I love the secondary pattern that emerges where the corners meet. These colors remind me of jelly beans, I may be naming this one "Starburst Spin" in honor of my favorite brand of jelly beans, the tropical flavor assortment that usually hits the store shelves at this time of year.

I don't have much of a Festival report this time, I will pass along my observations, however. One trend that I did notice, and found interesting, this time at the Quilt Show was the presence of more hand quilting than I have seen in years past. Of course, the phenomenal machine quilting and embellishments on the "big winner" quilts only gets better and that bar is raised higher.  Another trend that's going away, I would say based on my observations, are quilt "kits" from the vendor's booths... there were still some, certainly, but not nearly as many as I have seen at  past Festivals. Specialty rulers of all sorts utilizing quick cutting techniques for block accuracy couldn't be missed, they were everywhere; as were longarm machine vendors, there seem to be new manufacturers popping up overnight! I did my fair share for the economy in the booths, picking up mainly essentials; a few of those rulers to combine with my cutting dies for setting purposes followed me home. I was also able to collect quite a few black and gold FQs to make a Boilermaker quilt (in the future) for my Purdue alumni husband; that happy hunt took up most of one day without doing too much damage to my wallet... oh, a few low volume FQs may have jumped in my shopping bag too. As always, it was an energizing and inspiring time away; I can't wait to start planning my trip for next year! 

But for now, it's back to those wheels.... 

they're in motion and I can't lose momentum!

Life is Good!

Stick To It!

It's been a long time since I sat, evening after evening, devoting focused hours to hand quilting. It's extremely therapeutic, being caught up in nothing more than the rocking rhythm of the needle in my hand and the thimble on my finger. Once I settle in and get under the hooped quilt, with my steaming hot cup of blueberry tea beside me, the last thing I want to do is jump up to retrieve some forgotten item. It's taken some time, but finally I have defined exactly what I find necessary and contained it into one small basket to keep beside my chair. The obvious items are thread, needle, thimble, scissors and marking tools. The needle threader and the beeswax candle (I shove the needle into it from time to time to reduce drag) make the task so much easier; but, a short strip of double-sided tape attached to one side of the basket has proved to be the handiest item of all! Those pesky little thread ends and, sometimes, even a bent or broken needle are placed onto the sticky surface and held there to be disposed of later. I can clean off the tape for several evenings in a row before the tape loses its adhesive properties and needs replacing. Whatever your handwork is, and however you keep your tools, consider adding a strip of double-sided tape to your area to work more cleanly and effectively. It's a simple little trick that makes a big difference... just stick to it!!

Life is Good!

Everything Old...

Blueberry Tea ~  60" X  76"

...is new again! There's a revival going on at Chez Goodneedle; a renewed interest in long-ago abandoned projects, and it's all good. While documenting all of my UFO's that were boxed, in various stages of completion, I decided that it was hypocritical to prioritize those while ignoring those that were hiding in plain sight! Namely this almost-already-vintage quilt that needs nothing more than hand quilting attention and another neatly-folded-on-the-shelf, partially hand-quilted beauty, in need of the same thing. I'm not focusing on how long they've been in this stage of undone-ness; not at all, only on seeing them become the finished quilts they were meant to be!

Every evening, while watching television, I have been quilting one of the basket blocks. It feels good to get back into the rhythm of handwork. I've always believed that in order to know where we're going (quilt-wise) it's important to understand not only where we are but how we got there, based on foundation and history. This is how I got to where I am now: hand quilting; one, single, stitch at a time! I brew up a cup of Blueberry Tea (this old quilt gained a new name!) and settle in for my new, again,  favorite pastime!

I hand quilt with a miniscule size 12 'Between' needle. A renewed enthusiasm for hand quilting is no match for the eyes of my youth though, I'm lucky Mr. Goodneedle saw to it that a new needle threader was under the Christmas tree this year. This threader is worth its weight in gold! I assure you that I receive no compensation from Clover, but I do believe that this needle threader is a must-have. It threads those size 12 needle eyes with 40 wt. cotton thread in a split second, I am amazed every time! These aging eyes had their annual check up today. I ordered new glasses; but just lenses this time. I'm having them put into my old (time before last) frames; I just loved the way those fit: it's a theme... eveything old truly is new again!

Life is Good!

Why We Quilt... And Yet, One More (But Not The Last) Reason

If you've been following along with the last few posts you'll find the theme of "why we quilt" a continuing one.  Today I would like to touch upon those who have gone before us and how inspiration has played a big part in why we quilt, and continue to, to this day.  As a new quilter back in the mid 1980's I recall being inspired, and nurtured, by the established quilting community within my own local Guild. These ladies were all highly competent, gifted quiltmakers in their own right who, seemingly, had all the time in the world to guide a wide-eyed, ready to learn young woman in the proper quilting direction. I quite literally sat at the feet of some of these quilting masters soaking up every tidbit they had to share! Here is one, Vera Bell, these photos were taken at a Guild show back in 1992, she was 77 years old. I am particularly interested in both of these photographs because I just so happen to be piecing both a sixty degree diamond quilt and a tumbler right now. As you can see, Vera was an accomplished, and stylish(!), quilt artist; a lovely lady both inside and out. She was no stranger to winning ribbons and the colorwash beauty, hand-quilted of course, on the right won her the Best of Show that year. I recall falling in love with a most stunning Carpenter's Wheel quilt that she made for her son's home. He lived in a converted barn and she leaned heavily on a silver-gray color palette  incorporating a few, choice, bright accent colors to complement the rustic two-story barnboard wall where he planned to hang it. I can't see a Carpenter's Wheel quilt today without remembering Vera.  Does this lovely lady inspire me still? Yes, she does!  Looking at these photos reminds me that I can always go that extra mile, do a little bit more, challenge myself. That sixty degree diamond quilt as well as the tumbler that I am currently piecing I had planned to trim up straight and square along the edge. Now I am thinking about appliqueeing them to a border, capitalizing on the shapes and not destroying the integrity of the pattern, that's exactly what Vera did. We quilt because we love it; we're nudged to be our best by those who have gone before and encouraged us along the way, those who recognized that spark and had the good sense to breathe life on our fledgling attempts, thus igniting the flame and passing the torch!  I will always be grateful for that inspiration that has fueled me and drives me still... it's why we quilt.

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Vera E Bell 1915 - 2005 was a member of the Bell family. Vera was born on April 24, 1915. Vera died on February 17, 2005 at 89 years old. Vera E Bell's last known residence is at Winston Salem, Forsyth County, NC 27103.

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Life is Good!

Buyer's Remorse?

 I did a lot of bragging about Quilted Threads after visiting there back in June. Since I've been home I was haunted by the memory of a precious baby quilt hanging up in that shop; I couldn't get it out of my mind! On a whim, I called them to inquire about the pattern. The woman that I spoke with on the phone was knowledgable and friendly, she not only immediately knew what pattern I was referring to but informed me that they had that quilt kitted up, too. Of course they did! I am not normally a kit person at all, I far prefer to make my own fabric selections and individualize whatever I choose to work on. So, I was inclined to turn down the offer of the kit and stick with the pattern that I had called to inquire about; that is, until she mentioned free shipping! They're good salespeople at Quilted Threads, she had me at free shipping. I chastised myself all week over making that impulsive decision and, admit to, suffering from some over-the-phone buyer's remorse; that is, until the package arrived. With a deep "what have I done" sigh, I ripped open the shipment only to be tickled beyond belief, I LOVE this! Thanks, Quilted Threads, you've pleased me all over again! Now, do I have a plan for this quilt? Do I need one? I hope not.

The "big surprise" quilt has been removed from the frame and is waiting on presentation, once that occurs I can reveal it here. Here's a peek at what I've been quilting since then, "Scaredy Cat" is loaded now, just in time for fall. Sundance and I have been having fun with woodgrain, swirls and stars while watching season #1 of Downton Abbey on DVDs. My plan is to hand quilt, big stitch style (with perle cotton), the countour lines of the wool pumpkins and only machine quilt the background details, I'm happy with this one. 

Life is Good!

When I Started Out...

... making quilts there was no other way to quilt than by hand.  After a few years of quilting in a hoop Mr. Goodneedle lovingly crafted me a floor frame which became a permanent piece of furniture in our home through the mid 1990's. Suffice it to say, this trusty scroll style frame hasn't seen much use in the last few decades. This week the borders went on the Centennial Quilts and I went ahead and prepared the first one for hand quilting (by them, this was their choice!) by thread basting the layers together, I fell immediately into that old, familiar, rhythm of the running stitch; I'd all but forgotten how peaceful this process was. Once the basting was complete I worried that I might not even remember how to properly load the quilt sandwich onto the  frame for hand quilting; so, decided to give my memory a quick workout. I was relieved to discover that my worries were unfounded, loading the quilt was like riding a bike; some experiences are ingrained. I'm not old, I've simply lived long enough to accumulate a vast cache of skills; they come in handy every so often. Today these quilts will be passed on to, and remain in, the capable hands of the church's members!  I can collect my frame when they're finished; there's no rush, it was only standing idle in the closet, but at least I'm happy knowing that if, and when, that time comes I can load 'er up...

just like when I started out!

Who's that peeking out from under the quilt?

Life is Good!

Three Excellent Adventures

Quiltkeemosabe and I had excellent advenure #1 on Friday. We took off bright and early for the Capital City for our scheduled volunteer stint monitoring the Carolina Longarm Association's booth, and selling raffle tickets, at the Got To Be NC Festival. We reconnected with old friends there and made some new ones too; we made a few sidetrips along the way, and stopped for a late lunch on the way back home; all in all it was a wonderful day. We always have fun together, it doesn't matter at all what we're doing; we can be stopping at the grocery store or going on a weekend roadtrip or retreat together, when Quiltkeemosabe's along it's a great time. Over the last 21 years we've been through many advenures together, I am thankful for this friend who's always there for me and with me; a friend who's ever ready and willing to listen to my problems or complaints, or there to cheer me on, a friend who'll take a stand on my behalf or happily jump in the car and go along for the ride wherever it happens to be headed!  Here's to you, my friend; thanks for your friendship through the years and here's hoping we have many more adventures side by side, you help to make my life's journey a joy-filled one!

Saturday saw excellent adventure #2. Working with the saints at Bailey's Chapel and seeing not one, but two, quilt tops become reality!  With a small crew assembled, including their Pastor(r), everyone worked tirelessly all day long amid the hum of sewing machines and easy conversation until that last stitch. I will meet with them again to baste the tops together and get the first quilt loaded on a frame for hand quilting. 

Excellent adventure #3 could also be called the joy of discovery... or rediscovery as this case may be. While looking for a bin in which to transport all of the pieces and supplies for the previous adventure I emptied the contents of a large container that resided beneath my cutting table to find the beginnings of this quilt top from 1998. Along with the mountain of scraps and this assembled pinwheel section were my handwritten notes detailing my plan to set these 6" blocks together (with 1.5" sashing) 14 across and 15 down to create a king-sized quilt for our bed that would measure 116" X 108.5".  My first thought yesterday was "yeah, right; I'm not sure I want to spend the rest of my days cutting HST's...".  But then, a lightbulb went off... "I wonder" I thought, if I happen to have a the right sized die. Oh, yes, I do; Accuquilt to the rescue!  Then and there this one passed the "can I reasonably finish this?"and "is it worth finishing?" test in my own mind. Meet my newest project: "Light of Day". The name represents what this fifteen year old, instantly vintage, quilt has had shined upon itself, it has stood the test of time and is ready, at long last, for the Light of Day! This one is going to become my R.A.W. (Row A Week)  project, look for a completed top summer's end. What a wonderful weekend this one has turned out to be!

Life is Good!

From my notepad Note Quotes for Quilting Friends:
"A messy house is the sign of a happy quilter."

The Power Of Persuasion

It all started innocently enough; I was doing well staying on task and adhering to my  Christmas "to do" lists; I never saw it coming. I was blindsided by this folded fabric star and powerless to fight off the urge to drop everything and make one. Call it the power of persuasion, the strength of suggestion or the danger of distraction; whatever it was, it attacked me. Last week, while attending my monthly applique workshop a fellow student pulled two of these stars out of her bag for "show and tell"; another class member offered a website with this online tutorial, that's all it took. I am weak; I plan to work on my resolve, later. This is now hanging on my tree! (I substituted fabric strips, bonded to poster board, for the book pages in the above referenced tutorial. My strips are 1/2" wide and 7" in length.)

Our instructor then showed this incredibly gorgeous Wandering Foot quilt, 
hand appliqued and hand quilted! This time I had to hold onto the table top in front of me, 
I was swooning. "No, no, no" I told myself. "It can wait!"
It will have to wait, I've already veered too far from the path and am losing all focus.
I did look up this pattern for it though, there was satisfaction in doing that much... for now!
Life is Good!

Quilting Quadrathlon

For the morning warm-up: a few laps of machine quilting...

 It dawned on me last evening when I settled down to hand quilt on my  Crumb Baskets quilt project that I had been working on FOUR different quilts yesterday; yep, count 'em,  four!  According to Wikipedia:
a quadrathlon (or quadriathlon) is an endurance sports event composed of four individual disciplines. All four disciplines are completed in succession and the lowest overall time decides the winner. 
Okay, so maybe I'm not competing for the lowest overall time, or fully completing each event, but my quilting endurance consists of four individual disciplines performed in succession!

Before lunch all the squares were trimmed and placed in position, some design work...

A machine appliqué block springs to life in the afternoon...

Cooling down... after a full day of various techniques,
some hand quilting to end the day, for centering and balance.

Yes, I'm a quadrathalete alright, one of the quilting variety!
Life is Good!

Quilting... What's New And What's Not

I got the quilting finished and the binding on this baby quilt for our nephew's new addition this week. My husband and I spent the day in the car yesterday, a day trip to Weaverville, I managed to get all the handwork completed. Now with the binding whipped into place it is ready for mailing. Quiltkeemosabe gave me a tip a few years ago regarding binding... she hand bastes hers into place before the final step! Ever since she made this suggestion I have been basting my binding, it is such a pleasure to work on finishing a quilt that has no pins or clips to deal with, especially in the car! 

Quilt binding basted into place and ready for finishing by hand.

What's new? Superior's MonoPoly on a 10,000 yard cone. Joy!

What else is new? This book, at least it's new to me. More self-imposed homework!
How old is this quilter/author anyway? Twelve??  The book and instructions are simply wonderful.

What's NOT new? This Crumb Baskets quilt. While demonstrating hand quilting last week to one of my students I heard myself telling her how relaxing hand quilting is; I'd forgotten that. This quilt, basted for hand quilting since 1998, was easily accessible and has become the object of my own relaxation sessions!


Life is Good!