Do you know how old the Yo Yo is? Amazingly, the little round disc most likely originated in China but was first described by the written word in Greece about 500 B.C. according to Valerie Oliver of Spintastics Toys.
Come forward about 1420 years when Mr. Duncan popularized the toy Yo Yo in America and you begin to see Yo Yo quilts popping up, mimicking the toy during it’s rise of popularity in Read the rest of this entry
The children sat quietly squirming on this quilt at church. Kim brought her beautiful, unique, and durable Cathedral Window quilt to gather the little flock. Made of denim and flannel, Kim admits she didn’t realize how much she had bitten off when she started the quilt. Fortitude and determination are notable character traits that blossom and grow when quilting (perhaps this should be posted on the door frame of every sewing room.)
Denim Cathedral Quilt by Kim
Close Up of Denim Cathedral Quilt
Ever wish you had more sewing time? How about alone time? Perhaps the two combined would be a euphoric experience. Looking through some old Quilter’s Newsletter magazines I came across an article describing one woman’s experiences in her sewing space.
Note: You need not resubscribe to magazines if you keep your old copies long enough That’s because you’re likely to forget everything you read more than 2 years ago. It’s like getting a new magazine with every old issue!
On to Alison Bolt’s writing. Hope you enjoy these excerpts from “The Joy of Being Sew Alone” p. 22 Quilters Newsletter July/August 2008.
“Last week, as I listened to the radio . . . I heard the repetitive strains of a familiar oldies tune, “One is the loneliest number . . . ” I thought to myself, no wife or mother Read the rest of this entry
Liz shared her passion for color and quilts at our last meeting. Inspired by Anna Maria Horner (see her website here) we learned about choosing prints and colors. Anna Maria compares buying clothes to buying fabric and if you know what you like then you should trust yourself . . . sort of. If you’re not totally confident in your own sense of color or want to try something new then follow some of Anna Maria’s recipes as presented by Liz:
First figure out if your fabrics are in the Cool Color Family (blues, greens, purples and teals) or Warm Color Family (reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, rusts, and warm browns).
Warm and Cool Color Families
Triangle Quilt Using Related Colors by Liz
Williamsburg is a fascinating place. Full of history and design elements that we don’t see very much anymore. Here are a few designs that could inspire future quilting and quilt design.
What do you choose when making a baby quilt for a baby and don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy? Well, this young quilter picked out a very cute aqua fabric of bunnies designed by Frederick Warne for Quilting Treasures. The Cotton Tale Patch panel is surrounded by a prairie point border.
The baby quilt has lots of batting because it was designed to be a floor quilt. A combination of tying and big running stitches with knit cro-sheen was used for the quilting.
Shortly after finishing the quilt, this young lady found out she was going to have a baby sister! I think baby will be pleased.
The “Sisters Keeper” project was boosted with donations of blocks during the retreat. This is an ongoing project and block donations are accepted at any time. It’s a good way to use your leftover fabric and provide a service. Read the rest of this entry
A recent study found that seniors who stimulated their brains with learning might just offset Alzhiemers. The top two activities with the most benefits were QUILTING and PHOTOGRAPHY. The news article “Brain Games That Could Pay Off In Retirement” by Elizabeth O’Brian tells the story. Click here to read the entire article. Perhaps the author Elizabeth O’Brian is a quilter too.
An oldie but local. Be careful about who you let wheel and deal your quilts. Lucinda Franklin from Gee’s Bend, Alabama accused Mat Arnett, an art dealer from Atlanta of taking her heirloom quilts and holding them hostage for two years. Who would you trust? Read the full article here.
Jenny Doan from the Missouri Quilt Company has grown so much that she made her way from YouTube to the nightly news.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Food assignments for the retreat included everyone bringing an ingredient to go into our “Stashers Stew” and “Sister Salad” for dinner. The night came alive with a skit by Kim and Amy. They wrote and sang these lyrics to the tune of “Never Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift:
Kim and Amy Perform A Skit About Stashers for the Retreat
So, you want to make a 12 inch block and found a great pattern but there’s a problem. The pattern is the wrong size. Guessing at enlargement can be a frustrating and inaccurate experience.
Here are two ways to a speedy conversion: Read the rest of this entry
Stashing Sisters 