News From The Nest

February 7

Hello Friends,

Do you ever have one of those days, where you know you are working at top speed and getting things done, but you feel like you are getting farther and farther behind?  I’m right there.  My list keeps getting longer, and I’m not marking a bunch off.  I need to walk around the block and clear my head.  I just told Mary, I need to start coming in earlier so I can get more done, that or stop sleeping at night.  Maybe I’ll just clone myself.  

Do you have a bucket list?  I have a bucket list of quilts that I want to get made, someday.  One of which is a landscape quilt.  Last year when I went to the Paducah Quilt Show, I took pictures of all of them, close ups and distant.  I studied them and discussed them with my husband.  I was just in awe.  My problem is, I do not have an artist’s eye.  I can choose colors pretty good, I can piece pretty good, and I can quilt pretty good; but an artist I’m not.  I don’t see what needs to be shaded or the the perspective correct.  It’s just beyond me.  I don’t know if that is something you are born with or something you learn.  Anyway, with that handicap, it creates a problem making a landscape quilt.  WELL, I read an article this week in the March 2012 American Quilter magazine.  Flower Photo to Fabulous Art Quilt by Melinda Bula.  I’m sure you could apply her technique to landscape quilts also, as long as I had a photo to work from.  She broke down each step for me and I think I could do this.  I don’t know if I would have to do the same process with each quilt, or if I could learn to do it without all of the tracing and copying, but it gives me a place to start and a process I can handle.  It’s worth the read. 

In the January 2012 McCalls Quilting magazine there is “A Mystery in Three Parts”.  4 quilters from the staff of the magazine are making this quilt.  You only need 4 fabrics and the skill level is confident beginner.  The quilt finished to 88 1/2 x 88 1/2.  Would anyone like to make this quilt along with me?

I did finish the Stonehenge fabric quilt this week, well the top is pieced, it’s not to my longarm yet.  The pattern is called Williamstown Stroll and went together pretty easy.  

About 6 months ago, I saw the book “Four Seasons at Minglewood” by Debbie Roberts.  It is a drop dead gorgeous sampler quilt.  34 blocks.  I chose all of my fabrics and cut out the first 4 blocks.  I really wanted to teach it this year, but didn’t get much response.  So I put it away to make at a later date.  Well, I had an hour or two extra on my hands this week, and really felt like piecing, so I pulled the project out.  I was able to make four blocks.  I had made good notes, so I knew what fabrics I had cut for certain pieces.  I noticed I had a #2 at the top of each page, but had no clue what that was for.  It finally dawned on me, I have to make 2 of each block and 3 of one of them.  I’m really anxious to make it, hopefully it won’t be another 6 months before I can work on it again.  

Mary and I belong to a small quilt group in Posey County.  I might have mentioned it before.  We call ourselves Loose Threads.  We usually have a block of the month project going on.  This time Mary has chosen basket blocks.  Here is mine for this month.  (This just started this month and I’m real good at first, hopefully I can keep up with this one)

I have started on Mary’s and my design.  I have it all drawn up, blocks, figured, and have started piecing some.  Thank goodness I’m making it first and am catching all of my mistakes.  This one I’m keeping under raps until it’s done.  So stay tuned for the big reveal, just don’t hold your breath, it might be a little while.  

Thank you all for your comments about this blog.  I really am enjoying writing it.  Till next week,

Holly

January 31

Hello Friends,

Isn’t this crazy weather we are having?  In the 60’s yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.  But I am prepared, I have sewing projects all ready to go, now food is another story.  

Well, we had the second of the triplets birthday party on Sunday.  Lauren’s birthday was January 26.  She was the perfect hostess, she let all of her cousin’s play with her toys and share her favorite foods.  We had chicken alfredo, spaghetti, and garlic bread. Her cake was adorable and she enjoyed eating it as you can see.  Do you notice all of her hair.  She has had that since she was born, in fact her mom has had her hair cut twice with at least 3 inches cut off each time.  She has gorgeous highlights, that we all pay for.  

This week has been a week of finishing projects.  I finally got the borders on my BQ and the backing made, so it’s at home waiting for me to load it on the long arm, which I believe is my project for tomorrow.  

This quilt top is from Bonnie Blue Quilts in conjunction with Cotton Club block of the month.  The picture showed it in pink/brown.  Obviously I didn’t want to use those colors.  It is also at home waiting to go on the long arm.  I see a lot of binding in my future, maybe I can get some done during the super bowl, if I’m not shouting too loud at the Patriots.  My LEAST favorite football team.  I root for any team playing the Patriots.  Go Giants!!!

This little wall hanging will hopefully bring Spring time a little sooner.  I raw edge appliqued it this morning.  Still have to bind it.  (OK, my binding list is really getting longer)  I mentioned raw edge applique last week.  For those of you who don’t know what that is, let me explain.  I fuse my individual pieces to the background with steam a seam lite.  Then I sew around each piece with matching thread, about 1/8” in from the outside edge of each piece.  Raw edge is wonderful to use if your piece is not going to be laundered.  I don’t think I would ever use it for a bed quilt.  

OH, remember my problem with the “Spring Wagon”, you couldn’t see the wheels.  It finally dawned on me, while I was taking a shower (I do my best thinking there), thread paint.  That’s how I’m going to fix the wheels.  Hopefully I will get to finish that project real soon, because……….wait for it……….Mary and I have designed a pattern that I am so excited about I can hardly stand it.  It has piecing and applique and I want to start it.  I told myself, “self, get all of your current projects out of the way, so you can devote all of your attention to this”.  So I’ve been working real hard to try to catch up.  Then we got some new fabric in, that we have really been looking forward to.  Stonehenge by Northcott.  When we ordered it, we also ordered 2 patterns, Mary would make one and I would make the other one.  Well, the fabric arrived, Mary’s pattern arrived, darn mine was back ordered.  OK, I can catch up and begin on our own design here shortly.  Wrong, the pattern arrived in the mail yesterday.  So now I have this quilt to make.  I have this block completed, and I have to make 5 more of these.  There are some 4 patches and then another block, I’ll show you the completed top next week.

When I have this one done, I AM making our design.  (I love my job, but sometimes it’s very frustrating)  I really have to come up with a name for it.  Maybe we’ll have a contest to come up with a name for our quilt.

I think I’ve rattled on long enough.  I’ll talk with you next week, after the Giants beat the Patriots.  (I really don’t like the Patriots)

Holly

January 24

Hello friends,

My granddaughter’s first birthday party was great, except most relatives were unable to attend.  We drove up on 65 with no problem, but as soon as we got off, pure ice.  I didn’t know if I could make it from the car to the house without falling.  I figured the grass was better to walk on than the sidewalk.  Steve carried the cupcakes in for me.   We had pizza and cupcakes from the Pacetre.  If you haven’t had their cupcakes, they are wonderful.  They made a jumbo cupcake for Addy, the birthday girl.  She loved it.  Her older brother, Will, had one also.  (Note to self, don’t give 2 year olds cupcakes)  Will was bouncing off the walls.  Addy loved her present, of course it makes noise.  It’s wonderful being a grandparent and giving your grandchildren toys that make noise.  Our sons never knew toys made noise because before they received them, their father had taken care of the noise makers.  

We had ordered two new Edyta Sitar patterns that came in this week.  I really like her patterns, and she is just as nice as she is talented.  They are both wall hangings.  I have drawn the pieces out on steam a seam lite, and adhered them to the back of the fabrics  that I had chosen.  Four hours later, I was done cutting them all out.  Then I spent all day yesterday laying them out.  I really like Milk Jug.  I am an autumn person so Milk Jug just seems to fit right in.  (Am I supposed to be making spring things now?) You will be able to see more detail once I raw edge applique it.

Spring Wagon was turning out great.  I used a lot of hand dyed fabric from my stash to make the tulips.  I hung it up to take a picture of it and Mary and I both said at the same time, you can’t see the wheels.  I was so disappointed.  The fabric I had chosen looked like old rusted out metal.  Well, I had 4 choices.  Remake the whole thing (my least favorite choice), try to reheat the steam a seam and peal the wheels off which means peeling the grass off also (not real crazy about that), apply other fabric on top of it (maybe a possibility), or paint.  Aha!!!! I have paint sticks at home.  So I was practicing last night with my paint sticks, since I have never taken them out of the package.  I thought I would raw edge applique it first, then try painting afterwards.  That’s the plan anyway….I’ll let you know how it works out. (Sorry the picture turned out a little blurry.  I’ll take a better on after it’s all done)

Last evening I began making a BQ quilt.  A BQ quilt is great if you need a quilt fast or if you have a large focal fabric.  I had a piece of fabric that had animals on it, and if I cut it up into pieces, I would have parts of animals, unless I fussy cut it.  For those that don’t know, fussy cutting is having a specific part of your fabric centered.  I didn’t really want to take the time to do that, so BQ it was.  I have the center done, just have to add the borders.

This coming Thursday night our Posey County group, Loose Threads, is going to visit the New Haven, IL group, Piece by Peace.  I am looking forward to it, great group of ladies, and very talented.  We are to take show and tell with us, which is always fun and inspiring.  I’ll take pictures and show you next week.

Well, off to mark some new fabric that came in.  I love my job….

Holly

January 17

Hello friends,

I hope all of you have had an interesting productive week.  Mine has gone pretty well.  I have finished two small wallhangings and have a twin/full size quilt on the long arm.  I had been working on a quilt where each block has over 100 pieces in each one.  It’s not a particularly difficult block, but it has to be precise or you lose the pattern.  So it was time for a break.  

I saw this table topper/wall hanging on another blog.  I don’t know whose pattern it is or who made it originally.  I certainly don’t want to take credit away from the designer.  I drew it out from memory (mainly because I couldn’t find the blog again) and made it up.  I raw edge applique, so it goes pretty quickly.  I enjoy the look of raw edge applique, but if a quilt is going to be laundered often, it probably isn’t the right project to do it on.  For those of you who don’t know what raw edge is…I lower my feed dogs, have a darner foot on, and use gripper gloves.  You sew as close to edge of the applique piece as you can, without going off the edge or fraying the edge of the fabric.  I usually use steam a seam lite to adhere my pieces in place.  If I am layering quite a few pieces, I do trim the middle of my steam a seam out before ironing it to the back of my fabric.  That way my piece isn’t so flat or stiff.  A good time saver…have all of your pieces ironed in place and your borders on, layer your quilt with batting and backing, then raw edge.  You are quilting and appliqueing (is that a word?) at the same time.

After I finished that, I moved on to my next project.  Sometimes you kinda slip a project in that wasn’t in the plan.  I had been walking by some new fabric we had gotten in for a couple of weeks.  Everytime I walked by it I pictured a rail fence pattern.  Well, the only way I was going to get it out of my system was to make it. I started cutting and sewing and before I knew it it was done.  It’s now on my long arm.

This is the third project I finished.  We had gotten this really sharp looking sunflower fabric in.  I had to do something with it.  I appliqued a sunflower to the back of a denim shirt, but that just didn’t make it.  So this is what I came up with…let me know what you think.

Since I have those 3 projects done, I guess I will go back to my 100+ pieces and put some more blocks together.

This weekend we have the first of the triplets birthdays.  Last year we had 3 granddaughters born within a 6 week period.  (3 different sons.  You would have thought they all could have planned this a little better  LOL)  So this weekend is Addy’s first birthday party.  I’ll post pictures next week.

Have a wonderful week.

Holly

January 10 -

I guess I will start at the beginning.  I am Holly, and I am the co-owner of the Quilter’s Nest in Evansville, Indiana.  My business partner and I have owned our shop for about 4 years.  I have been quilting for 25 years and it’s a passion that I dearly love.  I never have enough time to complete or even begin all of the quilts that I would like to make.  So I have developed the philosophy to enjoy the one I am working on. 

My husband and I have been married for 35 years and we have 4 sons, 4 daughter’s in law, and 11 grandchildren.  Here is a quick run down of my family, so when I refer to them, you will know who I’m talking about.  My husband’s name is Steve and he works for the CSX railroad.  Our oldest son Stephen, his wife Bobbie, and their 6 children; Ashley, Emily, Kaitlyn, Audrey, Will (our only grandson), and Addy.  Chris and Amanda and their two daughters Lyla and Lauren.  Nick and Jerisa. Tim and Miranda and their children Rosie, Dehlia, and Jazzy.  

My favorite statement is, “it’s your quilt, make it the way you want to”.  I try to instill this in my beginner quilters.  A pattern is just a jumping off point.  You are able to totally change the “look” of a pattern, by your choice of fabric.  Add to or delete is always fun to.  When you are choosing a pattern, try to picture it in alternate color waves or with a different border.  I’ve seen some patterns where the fabric choices for the sample were not the best, but the basic pattern was great.  Remember, you are the creator of your quilt, it’s so much more fun when you like what you have chosen.  I’ve made a few quilts where I tried to step out of my box and choose fabrics that are not in my “normal” color palette.  It wasn’t easy at first, but I loved the finished product.  

With this blog, I will try to keep you updated on what I am working on and hopefully it will inspire you or spark your imagination.  I look forward to your thoughts or suggestions on my projects or if you are looking for help on your own projects.  

Happy Quilting,

Holly

My first blog…