Odds and Ends

Wow, Thanks for all the love on my last post. I didn't anticipate getting compliments on my smile as well as my quilt! I heard from old friends and total strangers from as far away as France! Well, guess who's grinning even wider now? How gratifying it is to connect with others who enjoy quilmaking as much as I do.

Several people wondered if Milly Churbuck’s hand-dyed fabrics were still available. I'm sorry to say she is no longer dyeing cotton fabric. Following the trend for wool applique, rug hooking, and needle punch, she now works exclusively with wool. She is also semi-retired and only vending at a limited number of quilt shows. 

Regarding the Hourglass blocks in my August 14 post, some readers wondered how I pieced those tiny blocks with such accuracy. Here's how:



I use this technique to construct Hourglass blocks. Normally, I’d start with squares cut 1 ¼” larger than my desired finished size, but when working with small, fiddly pieces, I add an additional"fudge factor" of ¼” to ½”.

After sewing the block, I trim it down to size (in this case, 2").use a seam ripper to pick out a few stitches where the seams intersect. This frees the seam allowance so you can press it in opposite directions, eliminating bulk.

Press the block gently with steam.


Finally, trim each block precisely to 2” (1 ½” finished) using a bias square ruler and rotary cutter. As you pin blocks into rows, match carefully where blocks intersect. I probably alternated the direction in which I pressed seam allowances for each row. However, if you want to eliminate more bulk, press seam allowances open. If doing so, shorten the stitch length on your sewing machine to make seams more secure.

Hope this clears things up.

Smile for the Camera!

When Designer Quilts Magazine asked for photos to accompany their feature on quilting with MS, I called my friends for help. Sheila Lewis and Kathy Smith, both accomplished quilters, convincingly played themselves as my neighbor and professional photographer Sherry Simonetti snapped away. et the stage for the photo shoot and also posed for the camera.

Now that I no longer go upstairs to my sewing room, I work at the dining room table. It's become a dumping ground for fabrics and quilt projects, as well as anything else my family doesn’t quite know what to do with. Before we could take photos, the table had to be cleared, a stunt quilt located, and various poses discussed and rehearsed (so much for spontaneity).

Even thou the scene was staged, our laughter and smiles were authentic. 

The quilt that hangs in my dining room is a deceptively simple one patch, made from Milly Churbuck’s hand dyed cottons. The assorted 3 ½” squares came precut, in swatch packs Milly used to sell, featuring various color ways of her fabric. For a small price, I got plenty of colors, with scraps to spare for another project. 

What I tried to emulate were the simply pieced yet elegantly quilted comforters of Provence, France. CLICK TO ENLARGE the photo below. As you scroll around, you’ll see the borders are each hand quilted with a different motif. The date appears in the lower left corner.

Readers have often asked if Milly Churbuck’s hand dyed cottons are still available. They are not. However, I can recommend Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabric or Vicki Welsh Hand Dyed Fabrics.

Final Issue

A few months ago my friend and editor, Julie Golimowski, asked me to write about my experience as a quilter with MS. The article is part of a feature on Multiple Sclerosis in the summer issue of Designer Quilts magazine.

Since hiring me as a pattern proofreader four years ago, Julie has shown concern about my health and the impact of MS on my life and work. Does the stress of deadlines increase my muscle tension and fatigue? YES. Is my ability to concentrate good enough to check math, diagrams, and wording for ten quilt projects an issue? MOST of the time. Am I able to climb stairs to get to the computer where I do my work? NOT ANY MORE!

Over time, her questions have become more specific. What was my first symptom? NUMBNESS and tingling. Am I in pain? SOMETIMES. What kinds of medical tests confirmed my diagnosis? MRI and SPINAL TAP. What medications do I take? DAILY INJECTIONS and PILLS for everything from muscle spasticity and incontinence to anxiety and depression.

Julie’s interest became more than concern for a good friend when she herself was diagnosed with MS. She revealed her condition to her readers in this latest, and last issue of the magazine. Her husband Joe writes:

Designer Quilts Magazine (formerly Designers’ Quarters) has ceased publication. In 2006, Julie, the editor of Designer Quilts Magazine and my wife, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. MS is an incurable disease that attacks the central nervous system. Lesions in the brain and on the spine cause a variety of symptoms from blindness to the inability to walk. Julie has relapsing and remitting MS which means that her symptoms come and go without warning and it is no longer possible for us to publish our magazine. Sincerely, Joe Golimowski Publisher, Designer Quilts Magazine

There's no predicting the path MS will take for either of us. In spite of that, Julie and I maintain good attitudes. That's half the battle in managing this debilitating disease. It's been an honor and pleasure working with Julie on Designer Quilts Magazine. Now, if we could only edit MS out of our lives. 

Summer's Last Hurrah

During the heat of summer, quilting is the last thing on my mind, but when a pile of scraps presents itself, what's a quilter to do? I couldn't resist whipping up an hourglass block or two, until at last i had enough to make this little quilt. It's not my usual way of working, but that's precisely what made it so fun!  

Who could resist these luscious colors when they look like summertime itself? The colorful assortment of scraps reminded me of popsicles, and icy fruit sorbet. vibrant colorful  from these hand-dyed cottons

Once again, these are Milly Churbuck'sd  (sadly no longer available). 

They were perfect for making small quilts like this Hourglass with 1 1/2" (finished) blocks.

The border and binding plaid is an early Kaffe Fassett fabric that came from a friend’s stash (Thank you, Helen!). Several of our quilt friends have chosen to “pass on” their fabric after they’ve passed on. Using it in our own quilts is our way of honoring them.

Summer’s Last Hurrah

17" x 22" 

Diane Burdin, 2003

Wrinkle Free

The creators of Downy Wrinkle Releaser undoubtedly had teenage boys in mind when they invented a product that not only eliminates the need for ironing, but in a pinch, can stand in for laundering as well. When James went off to college, we sent a bottle along with him. Judging by the piles of laundry lying on his dorm room floor, he had ample opportunity to use it.

William just came home from a week at camp. Naturally, the last thing on his mind was the status of his laundry. When he needed a clean uniform for work this morning, I heard him grumbling as he rummaged through closets and dresser drawers, looking for the requisite plain polo shirt. Apparently, the one he found was wrinkled.

First, I heard it…a telltale spritz, spritz, spritz…spritz… spritz, spritz… spritz, spritz, spritz…SPRITZ…SPRITZ, SPRITZ, SPRITZ. He must have nailed each individual crease in the shirt!

Then I smelled it: a fresh, clean scent wafting down the stairs. Let’s see, would that be the “light freshness” or the “vibrant freshness“ variety? Actually, it was the nose burning, eye tearing, headache inducing freshness and an hour later, I can still smell it. I wonder what his poor co-workers and customers are experiencing right now!

I give the boy credit for caring about his appearance and smoothing out a wrinkly situation on his own, but I’ve got to introduce him to an iron!

A Rompin' Stompin' Cowboy Quilt

Our son, Will, adored cowboys as a kid, so I wasn't surprised when he pointed out these retro-style cowboy prints at the quilt shop and begged me to make him something. He was ready for a "big boy" quilt anyway, so why not?

I started pulling fabrics -- blacks, browns, reds, checks, stripes, and paisleys. Yee haw, this was going to be fun!

Choosing a quilt design wasn't as easy. Standard blocks like nine patch, log cabin, and churn dash left me uninspired. I wanted something unique, something to really showcase the fabrics, something quintessentially COWBOY!  It took months, but I finally came across this "Cowboy Boots" pattern in a magazine. Yippee ki-oh ki-ay!

The most fun I had was mixing and matching fabrics for the blocks. Fussy-cutting the sashing and cornerstone was more tedious but well worth the effort considering how much interest they added to the quilt.

Believe it or not, the "barbed wire" border was an afterthought. I'd seen it on a quilt somewhere and thought it would be a great way to use up those precious scraps.

A year later, while vacationing in Montana, I found the perfect backing fabric. It's a Native American-style blanket print by Alexander Henry. He must have designed a whole western themed collection because it coordinates with another fabric I bought for window valances. 

More time elapsed at the machine quilters: Stover Quality Quilting, Stover, Missouri. 

All in all, it took three years to finish the quilt and decorate Will's bedroom. Guess what he had to say when he finally received the quilt. “Mom, I don’t really like cowboys anymore!” 

 

And here's the room he'll be sleeping in until he heads to college! 

Wandaful Quilts!

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Have you ever visited my friend Wanda at Exuberant Color? If you have, you’ve been treated to daily posts of color-drenched inspiration, like the photo above (Wanda's little quilt, photographed in my lilies). If you haven’t, today’s the day to visit and enter her anniversary giveaway. She’s offering six fabulous prizes and you get to choose your favorite!

Wanda has been quilting for 50 years! In that time, she’s owned her own quilt shop and managed others. She’s sold everything from sewing machines to her original fiber art. She’s transformed her cozy home into a studio with sewing spaces and fabric collections even professional quilters would envy. After thirty years of teaching beginners and advanced quilters, she can explain how to do almost anything related to quiltmaking.

Wanda has a penchant for batiks and machine embroidery, gardening, photography, and computers. She absolutely loves color and is “driven to create with it.” Fortunately for us, she’s driven to share all this through her blog, Exuberant Color. Thank you, Wanda, for your generous spirit and daily doses of inspiration!