Patterns on sale at QuiltWoman.com

December 9 – 15 quiltwoman.com is giving a free pattern with every online retail or wholesale US order.

The pattern is Playful Pinstripes by Barb Sackel.  The pattern is AccuQuilt friendly!

December 16 is a free shipping day at quiltwoman.com on US retail or wholesale orders online or by phone.

 

 

 

QuiltWoman.com carries four patterns that I designed

Gradations – the pattern uses Shades ombre fabric from Clothworks.  I have kits and yardage of the Shades red, orange and green available.  Contact me by email at institchesquilts@gmail.com.  The pattern and kit makes 1 tablerunner and 6 placemats.  The placemat is pictured here.

 

 

 

 

Diamond Surprise – a great pattern for children or adults.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whimsey- an I Spy type of quilt that uses novelty prints.  It is fun to collect whimsical prints on one subject to use in the quilt.  I have kits available in crib and twin sizes for cats, dogs, frogs or cowboy subjects.  Contact me for more information and ordering through email at institchesquilts@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

and Forever Friends.  All of the patterns are fun and easy to make! 

Piecing with Flannel

As the weather gets warmer and spring finally arrives, I am in the sewing room working with flannel.  I have found that large, fairly simple patterns work well with flannel.  I have been writing the directions for a local quilt shop, Quilter’s Haven, for this pattern.  It is fast and easy to put together and flannel would make it really comfortable.

I pulled some fabrics from my stash and thought they color coordianted well.  As the blocks came together, and I stepped back from the design wall, I discovered that the green corner sqaures of the inner frame do not quite fit with the other brighter colors.

Flannel is easy to work with.  The local quilt shops have a wide selection of beautiful colors and well woven flannels.  It is worth the extra cost to purchase the heavier, better made flannels from the quilt shops.  Thin flannels will wear much more quickly over time and they also pill more easily. 

I do prewash my flannels and have not had a problem working with them.  Flannel will stretch a bit more than 100% cotton fabrics, making it easier to match points but is also something to be aware of.  I also really like using flannel for backings on all of my quilts.  It is softer than 100% cotton and it makes sense to me to have a soft fiber on the side next to your skin.  Flannel machine quilts easily either with a walking foot or a darning foot for free motion quilting.

Marseille White Corded Quilting IQSC Symposium

  The International Quilt Study Center (IQSC) in Lincoln, NE hosted a symposium on April 1-2, 2011 on Marseille white corded quilting.  The quilting was exquisite.  Kathryn Berenson has collected and donated many of her pieces to the IQSC which became the focus of an exhibit and the symposium. 

A highpoint of the symposium was having Kathryn conduct the tour of the exhibit.  The work is just amazing and definitely worth a visit if you are in the area!  The exhibit will be in place through May 22, 2011. 

Basically corded quilting is the marking of a pattern, sewing channels along the pattern lines using the back and running stitches, and inserting fine cording into the channels to create the design in relief.  Professional ateliers in Marseilles created many pieces for international trade beginning during the Middle Ages.

I went to the symposium hoping to meet fellow classmates, my program advisor and learn about quilt history.  I was very successful and also met many fellow quilters, five of which shared many laughs over wonderful dinners.  Quilters from CA commented on how friendly everyone was.  They were also very friendly bringing to mind the thought that a mean spirited quilter must not exist.  At least I have yet to meet one in my twenty years of quilting, visiting shows and being a guild member.  Being a quilter says a lot about a person.

                                  

The International Quilt Study Center is a beautiful building in itself.  We received behind the scenes tours of the storage areas and were able to admire a 16th century quilt up close.  All of the quilts were amazing.  I was able to see one of Nancy Crow’s pieces from her Guadalupe series.  I had written a research paper on her work and it was great to see the actual quilt.

On the drive to NE, I had to stop by the Mississippi River to see the view.  The Iowa welcome center has a sign that reads, “Northeast Iowa is a patchwork quilt of stories … the personality of the landscape, the richness of the soil, the history of farming, the dreams of the folks who live here.    Silos and Smokestacks is the connecting thread in this colorful fabric of agricultural experiences.”

  What a wonderful to greet visitors into the state! 

  The scenery was mostly tan hills with just the slightest tint of green.  Spring is on its way.                              

Rhapsody of Quilts

In the midwest, we are subject to the mid winter snow storms and thaws.  For two days, the city was shut down as we shoveled out from under 2 feet of snow (not as bad as New York but bad enough).  The very next week, we had temperatures in the 50′s and most of the snow has gone.  It was amazing to feel balmy spring winds in February.  While we patiently wait for the real spring to arrive, it is great weather to be quilting!

   Of course in cold weather, it is nice to cuddle up with a comfortable quilt.  The pets enjoy them also! 

   The winter season is also a good time to get the creative juices flowing.  Review photographs for inspiration and find quiet time to contemplate and just let the ideas flow.  Doodling is a good exercise to get into a creative frame of mind, to relax and enjoy the process.  Doodling is also a good way to limber up before free motion quilting.

With the cat banned from the sewing room, I have fewer distractions and can focus on preparing for upcoming events.   March 5 and 6 is the “Rhapsody of Quilts” show in Princeton, IL, presented by the Covered Bridge Quilters Guild.  It is a judged quilt show with a merchants mall, silent auction and a quilt raffle.  The show is open Saturday, March 5 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday, March 6 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.  I am working on three new quilt patterns and hoping to debut one of them at least.

Quilt and Needle Arts Walk, Genoa, IL

A New Year with many exciting projects on the horizon and the sewing machine insists that it is time to go into the shop for a cleaning.  When the machine speaks in this manner, I must listen. 

I am starting out the New Year with a display in the store window for Cutter’s Family Hair Care in Genoa, IL.  It is part of Genoa’s Quilt & Needle Arts Walk January 24 – 29.  It is a week full of activities, demonstrations and exhibits.  Quilts, embroidery, knitting, weaving, lacework, needlepoint, rugs, handmade dolls, and more are displayed throughout downtown Genoa, IL.

   The 2011 walk is sponsored by Basketcases Unlimited of Clare, IL.  Activities include displays including Quilts of Valor and Home of the Brave quilts honor US military.  Local artists Shirley Gylleck and Dorothy Laing will be doing presentations.  I will be doing a demonstration of the quilt and tear paper on Thursday, January 27th at 1:30 pm.  For a full schedule of activities, go to www.genoamainstreet.com.

Placemat Brings Exciting News

The Gradations placemat pattern has been put on a promotional flyer for Clothworks Shades fabric line.  Very exciting news!

Other news is the development of a new pattern.  This one is based on rectangles.  This coming weekend will be a fun filled, busy quilt focused retreat in Lake Geneva, WI.  The new pattern will be tested during the retreat so I have been busy pulling the fabrics together as well as the sewing machine and other supplies.   Of course, something is usually forgotten when getting ready for a retreat.  Usually a very crucial something that is not remembered until at the retreat!   To avoid this problem, the sewing room is full of lists.

Gradations placemat pattern finished

  The Gradations placemat and tablerunner pattern is quilted and finished.  I used the quilt and tear paper to transfer a quilting design by Ann Bright. It worked beautifully!  I used a variegated thread which brought out the pattern nicely.  I was very pleased at how quickly the quilted pattern was transferred.

Gradations pattern is being carried by www.quiltwoman.com.

I was able to get the Shades fabrics on the bolt from Clothworks.  I was able to make kits for the pattern and have them available through my email institchesquilts@gmail.com.  The ombre fabric was fun to work with and provides a perfect blend of colors.   

DeKalb County Quilters’ Guild show

The DeKalb County Quilters’ Guild is hosting a quilt show October 2 & 3, 2010.  It was a busy week prior to the show getting last minute details taken care of.  Once at the show, set up went pretty quickly.  The show itself is a showcase of the amazing quilting talent in DeKalb County. 

The show continues Sunday, Oct. 3 at the Sycamore Middle School in Sycamore, IL from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

American Quilts Exhibit

I was fortunate to be able to see the “American Quilts: Selections from the Winterthur Collection” at the Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee, WI.  The exhibit is open until September 6th. 

The quilts dated back to 1760 and were excellent examples of Indian Palampores, chintzes and patchwork. I was so excited to be able to see the Indian chintzes up close.  I needed to see the actual fabric to understand the sheen that has been described.    The quilts were exhibited as fine art within a special gallery.   My favorites are still the Marseilles corded quilting.  The intricate details are exquisite! 

Sorry, no pictures.  Although we were able to use magnifying glasses to examine the fibers closely (without actually touching), we could not take any photographs.

Design Board Project

I have been on haitus and yet busy with quilt related activities!  I was a vendor at the Batavia, IL quilt show July 16-18 and saw many incredible quilts!  The coincidence was the quantity of marvelous historic quilts on display as I am also taking a History of Quilts class through the University of Nebraska.  Many of the antique quilts in the show were styles that we were discussing that week in the class!

The project currently on my design board is a new placemat that uses Clothworks new Shades fabrics.   It uses a Rail Fence block to highlight the gradations of the fabric.