Sometimes I just don't think!

I answered a request from a fellow online quilter for a block representing my state. Then the world turned upside down. I brought all the supplies with me to my Mom's and yesterday I got to work on my Kansas block.

So, after working all day, here it is!

Then I went to the message board to contact her and send her a preview picture before mailing.

OMG! Her original request was for an 8 1/2 inch block.

I made a 12 1/2 inch block.......

So, I went to the cutting mat and trimmed it down.. I could only get it to 9 inches without trimming off the petal points, dumb, dumb, dumb....

Then, after trimming it, I realized that my orginal design was going to have the sunflower offset anyway, where only part of the flower was on the block and the inking on the lower corner, but...too late, I already trimmed it centered.. I could just kick myself today.

Any suggestions on how to fix this?

Sewing on the Go!

When my Mom got sick, I decided to move to her house to care for her. This is a big decision as it's impact on my own life is still becoming real to me.

I am leaving my own home and moving from Kansas to California for a very extended period of time. This was an easy decision for me. I looked around my house and packed up my car with all sorts of projects to do. Quilt tops that were already cut out, applique projects that had fabric already chosen, knitting projects (new). And threw into my car everything that I thought I might need in order to keep "Sewing on the Go".

The list included my Singer featherweight sewing machine, scissors, thread, needles, rotary cutter, a small cutting mat, my applique thread carrier....

So, I got out to California and the one thing I didn't pack was FABRIC!

How could I have been so dumb. I have an online fabric shop, so I have no shortage of fabric. Until I left home. I have NO fabric. NO Stash. I can't live like this.

The first week I was too busy to care, going to the hospital every day was enough. But as time went by I began to realize that I was having fabric and sewing withdrawal. I looked up the local quilt guild and paid them a visit. Perfect timing! They were having a bazaar. And there were ladies selling fabric. Vintage fabric (oh I love those), fat quarters, new fabric on the bolt. I borrowed some money and brought back my first stash in my new digs. Now, where am I going to store a fabric stash in my Mom's house? Well, that doesn't matter, just GET IT.

I'll share more about that later.

So, it is getting closer to time bring Mom home and projects start running around in my mind.
I have been asked to make and display some art quilts for sale in a small Califonia community put on by their Art Council. Yep, I have projects, but NO FABRIC. Well, just in time, an online quilting friend is having an open house to sell FABRIC. I take a break from the hospital and drive 45 min. to have the priviledge of buying FABRIC. I picked out a nice selection, purchased it and headed back to hospital. Im feeling better, I have FABRIC.

But I need more, so I call my good friend in Kansas.. "How would you like to do me a favor?"
"Well, of course, what do you need?" "I need FABRIC" My wonderful friends went to my house and spent a whole Saturday cutting me a nice FABRIC stash, put it in a box and mailed it to California. It arrived in two days and I am happy!

But getting to the point of this story, we arrived home from the hospital and I have fabric and I have projects. I thought I brought all I needed in the way of supplies, so let's get sewing.

My first project is a Bow Tucks purse for my good friend to give as a gift for Christmas. She included the fabric in my box, so it's all good. I start setting up a place to sew...Hmmm. I'm used to my nice sewing room at home where I can have everything at hand and I don't have to put it away between sewing sessions. Not so here.

I brought a small cutting mat, but when I start looking at it, I can't cut across the width of the fabric on that. A quick trip to JoAnns with a 50% off coupon and Im in business again.

Well, the dining room table is the sewing place of choice. I'm getting set up to make the little purse. Get out my featherweight, get out my little travel iron; "Mom, where is your ironing board?" "Oh, I haven't ironed anything in years, I got rid of it" Now, my Mom doesn't get rid of ANYTHNG! Except the ironing board.

Well, we are a "make do" family. Here is my little sewing area with the "make do" ironing station. Two towels on the table, so I don't scratch or mark the table, a nice big board I found in the closet, a sheet over the top of it all. I can put the cutting mat on top of the sheet when I need to cut and remove it to iron.














I was also a little worried about just how much I could sew through with my little featherweight.


Here she is!

Well, she breezed right through all the layers of the purse without a hitch. All it needed was oil, oil, oil. Im thinkging it hadn't had any in quite a while. She drank it up. She is purring along now, quiet and strong!



Here is the first of my projects made "On the GO". It's going in the mail tomorrow. Hope it arrives in time for Christmas!

The Quilt Pattern Magazine Blog Tour Countdown!

Win a free subcription!!!

I am participating in a Quilt Blog Tour to introduce as many quilters as possible to a new Online Quilt Magazine. It's called "The Quilt Pattern Magazine" and a one year subscription is only $11.99. The premier issue is all ready and will be published in January 2011.

I was first introduced to this magazine by an opportunity to submit an applique technique or pattern to be included in one of the first years issues. I was unable to submit, due to a family emergency.

I love the fact that this magazine is willing and interested in promoting new designers and teachers and I hope to be able to submit some of my designs and tutorials in the future.

However, I am excited about the opportunity to introduce the magazine to you.

Check out the preview of the new online quilting magazine by clicking on this link. Then come back and post a comment on my Blog to be entered for the free subsciption!

When the Blog Tour is over, I will be selecting one winner from the posted comments to receive a free subscription to the magazine for one year!

Watch this Blog for the announcement of the winner!

Some of my WIPs

While I am not getting a lot of projects finished right now, I do have a few Works in Progress (WIP). So until I can get some more blocks ready for you, please enjoy these few.

Fancy Princes Feather

This is one of Mrs. Danners patterns. I have redrafted it and will offer it as a published pattern when complete.

There are nine of these blocks plus a border for a beautiful modern version of an antique quilt made in 1825.

This is the beginning of a block of the month from my quilt guild back at home. I was so going to keep up with this one this time.

I am making two of each block and making them 12 inches. So, I think it will make a nice size bed quilt. But alas, I am already behind due to the interuption in my life. Put it in the UFO pile!

I have a good friend at quilt quild that is getting my patterns for me while I am away, so I WILL get back to it and complete this one.

Thanks Helen!

I actually have started making this quilt twice now. I originally bought it as a block of the month from a very nice quilt shop in Golden, Colarado. Part way through, I lost my home to a fire and all my quilts too. So, one day I came across a new line of fabric that looked a lot like the fabrics used in the original BOM. So I searched out the pattern online and began again. This is done with needleturn applique and piecing is done by hand. I also plan to hand quilt this one.

And here is one that I actually did complete recently.. It usually hangs on my living room wall.

Do you hang your clothes on the line?

I was hoping to get a lot of patterns loaded up here by now, but my Mom suffered a stroke and I have moved to her house to take care of her. This dramatically limits my available time for quilting. So, in the mean time, I will share a few rememberances with you.

My Mom does not have a clothes dryer. So here I am in December having to wash at least two loads of laundry a day and HANG THEM ON THE LINE!

I was in the back yard doing just that and my mind began to wander. The act of hanging the clothes brought back some very long fogotten memories.

The first one that hit my senses was when my daughter was a new born. I too didn't have a dryer. Boy the memory of hanging all those wet diapers on the line in the winter time came over me hard. Hands red and freezing by the time I came in. But along with it came memories of her as a baby and all the great times we had then.

Next came the time when I was just a little girl. I remember my grandmother hanging clothes on the line in Mississippi. I remember dancing all around her singing a little song... now what was that song? Nope, can't remember the song...OK, speed up to the next day, again Im hanging out the laundry..OH the song! It was "Where is thumb man?" Anyone remeber that song.. I think I sang it until everyone was ready to pack me off for a while. Get through all the fingers and then, start over again with thumb man..

Where is thumb man, where is thumb man,
Here I am, Here I am.
How are you today sir?
Very well I thank you,
Run away, Run away

Where is pointer, where is pointer.....

OK, back to the clothes line. I remember clothespin bags that would hang on the line. You were supposed to put the pins in the bag so the line was free of pins the next time you hung out clothes. It would slide along the line so to be convenient to put the pins in or take the out as needed. Well, those have long gone by the wayside.

Now the pins are all lined up on the line at various positions. And there is invariably one in the way of where you need to pin or too far to reach when you need it.

Ouch, I got a splinter from the clothes pin! And one snapped and broke apart.

As I was in this little part of my Mom's yard hanging out my undies, I recall too that she once told me there was a law against hanging your undies on the line in this town. Now when did THAT happen? I mean really...

I am thinking that I love my mondern day conveniences. They help us get a lot of stuff done in a much timelier fashion. But, when you have time, hang a few clothes on the line.
Boy do the sheets smell good when you make the bed with line dried sheets and pillow cases. And you might just bring back a few memories of your own.

Ladies Art Company

I chose the Ladies Art Company as my drafting project as it is one of the earliest quilt pattern printing and distribution companies. While I am learning to use my drawing programs to get the first pattern posted, I thought I would give a little history on this pattern company. And once I learn the process of drawing and publishing the patterns, they will come at a faster pace.

The Ladies Art Company was most likely the first commercial mail order quilt pattern company. They were located in St. Louis, Missouri and established in 1889 by H.M. Brockstedt.
The patterns were printed full size on heavy cardboard along with full size templates of the pattern pieces. They were hand colored and put in an envelope that was numbered to match the catalog.

The published catalogs that I have documented are as follows:

Diagrams of Quilt Sofa and Pin Cushion Patterns

1st Edition When was this edition published? At this time I do not have a copy of this edition nor any reference to when it was published.

*Fourteenth Edition with no copyright date (possibly 1906) containing 450 designs.

Miniature Diagrams of Quilt Patterns

*Second Edition that is dated 1897 containing 400 patterns.

Quilt Patterns, Patchwork and Applique

Published in 1922.
*revised in *1928 with 530 designs including 40 Applique patterns.
revised in 1934 with 531 designs
*Undated Edition that states the company was established in 1889.


* indicates that I own a physical copy

If anyone reading has any Ladies Art Company original patterns, catalog copies or other information on this company, please contact me.

What now?

Ok here is the short term plan.

I am going to start drafting and writing directions for the over 400 quilt blocks published by Ladies Art Co. starting in around 1898. I will post each one on the blog for free pdf download to you all with any information that I can find about each one.

Once each one is published on the blog, I will create a link index to keep on the blog so that they will always be available to you. All I ask is that you use them for your own personal use. Please do not publish or sell them.. Give them away, share them with your friends, but please do not sell them for profit.

If you make the block, I would love to post a picture of you effort on the blog to give others inspiration. Also, you may comment on your experience, or add any information you have about the block that I may have omitted.

Where will this go? We must be patient and wait and see.

I will be working on the first one soon, so please check back often. I hope this journey will be fun and interesting to us both.

Judy

Why blog?

I belive in signs and some life changing events were happening to me.

First of all my Mom had a stroke and I relocated to help her. That means no access to my stash, quilting machine, etc.
Second, I happened to watch the movie "Julie and Julia" which was playing free on my TV. This put the blog idea in my head.
Third, I received the following emails in my inbox. I didn't read any of the content, but the subject lines kept appearing, one after the other:

Now What - 10/2/2010?
It's Easier to do what's expected of you when the rules and limits are well defined
Judy, You've always had high standards
Judy, Your determination is formidable
The Secret to setting realisitc goals
The world of design awaits you

I have had a quilt documenation and design project twirling around in my head for some time now and these signs seemed to be telling me it was time to do something about it. So was born MyQuiltBlog.