WWQP Bulletin Board

Follow-up

2009-11-10T11:18:00.001-05:00

Forgot to mention in previous post that I put 2 color-catcher sheets in the bathtub with the quilt and of course they turned red, red, red! NancyH

Help - my quilt faded!

2009-11-10T11:09:00.002-05:00

I'm hoping someone can help me out here.....about 7 years ago I made a queen-size stack&whack quilt using dark reds as background and a floral print with a cream background for the stars. I pre-washed all my fabric. Now, 7 years later, I decided I needed to wash this quilt, which has been living on my bed. (I've tossed it in the dryer on "air" numerous times but never really washed it). So I put it in the bathtub and used a mild shampoo with cold water. The water looked like a scene from Psycho! But I didn't realize until I hung it outside to dry that the red bled into the cream background................and not, mysteriously, onto the bleached muslin I used for backing! It's not hideous, but I sure would like to have that light background in my stars back again. Right now it's kind of a light-medium pinkish color. Is there any way that I could only work with these stars (there are 12 of them, 12" square) to get some of that color out? Thanks! I haven't posted in a while on this board, but I read it all the time and enjoy seeing all the pictures and reading your stories! NancyH

Why you'll want to prewash those fabrics

2009-11-08T13:24:00.001-05:00

I don't post on this page often, but I need to remind everyone about prewashing.
I recently bought some 1/2 yd. cuts of Benartex and Moda Xmas theme fabrics from a local (independent) shop for a project. In the past few years I've recently gone back to pre-washing my quilt fabrics, and here's a good reason why:

I tossed all the fabrics into the same Warm wash/ Low dry cycle. One of the Benartex fabrics came out 39" wide. Back at the store, on the bolt, the difference is not very noticeable. When I took the fabric back to compare it to the unwashed on the bolt, the fabric had shrunk up two inches in the width.

Most quilters buy X amount of fabric for specific projects. If this had been my case, I would have had to buy more fabric, and hope it wasn't sold out by the time I returned. Fortunately for me, I had "bought long" and won't be hurt by this. Benartex will be hearing from me, though.

It really does pay to prewash.

Oops- sorry - meant to post this to Chat Page

2009-11-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

sorry about that, no caffeine yet this a.m.

Doris

Pedigree Dogs Exposed

2009-11-05T08:55:00.002-05:00

For those of you who receive BBC-America TV channel and are dog lovers, you'll want to watch this documentary that was first shown in the UK:

"The fallout from this documentary led to the BBC dropping its coverage of Crufts, the UK's equivalent of the Westminster Show. Pedigree Dogs Exposed premieres Tuesday, December 10, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT "

I watched it on YouTube a few months ago, and it was very educational, and quite shocking at times.

It's About Time or Thankfully, It's Done!

2009-11-05T07:24:00.009-05:00

Well, ladies, it took me two years to make this quilt...not that I worked on it full-time. Quilting has evolved from a "passion" with me to "handwork to pick up now and then".

I pieced this quilt on my trusty Singer 403, circa 1960, about a year and a half ago. In the closet, high on a shelf, sat several batts (we quilters all buy in quantity, right?). One of those was a Hobbs wool batt that I had been yearning for years to try. I'd heard so many comments that for hand quilting it "quilts like butter". I'd previously used Hobb's Heirloom 80/20 as well as Dream Cotton's "Request", both of which hand quilt very nicely. But I had a yen to try the wool. So I purchased the wool batt...about ten years ago and there it sat. On the shelf. Unused for ten years. (call me a procrastinator)

Well over a year ago I layered my latest shirt quilt using the wool batt. For a backing I used a name brand cotton sheet that I found at the department store for 75 percent off. Ralph Lauren brand??? Can't remember. And I began hand quilting using a saucer, a cereal bowl and a cup from my dinnerware for the "templates".

This poor quilt has had numerous hiccups along the way. Last January I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, had debulking surgery followed by six sessions of chemo and numerous neupogen shots to boost my lowered white blood cell count. Talk about a roller coast of an adventure...not as exciting, of course, but certainly a lot of ups and downs. Needless to say, I had no motivation to quilt. Hah! My preferred activity was lying on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, thinking I really should get up and do SomeThing! Then rolling over to the other end of the sofa, and staring some more. It's easy to look back on it now and think, "It wasn't so bad!" But it was. Not as bad as some have it, but bad. And before I (and you) get maudlin, I want to add that all went well, I finished chemo in July, and I feel better now than I did a year ago before my diagnosis. God grant me that this continues.

Another hiccup was that, forgetting that my dishes were my templates, I gave away that particular set of dishes and put my old set back in the cupboard. The next day I went to mark another block to handquilt, and remembered that my templates now resided next door! Do you think I went next door and asked for a plate, a soup bowl and a cup? No, I couldn't bear to confess and instead dug around in the cupboard until I found dishes that were "close" in size. Betcha can't tell by looking at the quilt. (big smile)

Aw, got to wandering there. I started to say that during those months of chemo I picked up this quilt a couple times and forced myself to quilt a block or two. But progress was slow. Then in August, after treatment was done, I began quilting in earnest again and I finished the binding just yesterday! It's a largish sofa size nap quilt.

I told a friend yesterday I have no inclination to make another quilt. Instead of quilt pox I now have quilt lethargy (even though I myself am not lethargic). But that's not quite true. I'd love to recreate my Y2K quilt in smaller form. My DD loves that quilt and would like to hang it in her home. But the thing is huge! About 80x90 inches! And she doesn't have a wall large enough for an appropriate display. So I'd like to recreate it using 2-inch squares instead of 2.5 inch pieces. I have a rubbermaid box full of 2.5 inch fabs, cut from my stash long ago. I'd have to trim them down and I'd like to sew them on my treadle which was fondly named Elizabeth Redeye by its previous owner.

And...ladies...did you know that when you type a post you can add a "label" at the bottom (you'll see the space do do that at the bottom of the "create a post" page. You will notice that I've added labels of "shirting quilts, shirt quilt, shirt fabric for quilts". Click on "show all" and it will bring up all the labels previously used by those of us who post here. Use only "your" labels and not someone else's. That way, if you click on any of my labels, for instance, the WWQP will bring up a view of all my posts that include that particular label. Click on one of my labels and check it out.

I've had my coffee this morning, but not yet my oatmeal. Coffee makes me jabber. Whether in your ear or on this blog. The oatmeal is in the microwave...time to eat. And if you want to check out my WhiteStone blog (separate from the WWQP-BB, click here. Love to see you there.

Threadcapades

2009-10-31T20:06:00.001-05:00

Judy what memories you must have uncovered searching for the thread. I try to look at these dithering moments as positive events - what else can I do at this age? My black thread story deals with trying to replace my poly covered cotton at JoAnns. I had no idea thread had changed so much while I was engrossed in quilting cottons. I am still not sure what thread to buy in order to hem my rayon skirt. Judy I have followed your health adventures on your blog and glad you are well and taking time to enjoy quilting again.

Trying Very Hard to Sew

2009-10-30T12:52:00.005-05:00

Jane, I'm quilting again, too. Slowwwwly hand-quilting a quilt I began two years ago. Got interrupted with chemo! Yikes! The quilt is almost ready for binding. Anyway, that is not what I was going to write.

What I was going to say is that this morning I needed a spool of black thread. Enough thread to hem a full skirt. I was certain I had a spool somewhere but couldn't find it. Found a bobbin already wound. But no spool. I looked in all my sewing machine drawers (I have more than one vintage machine) and even in the drawers of my Singer Treadle. Nada.

I fear to tell you how much time I wasted, dithering here and there, investigating the contents of a large wooden sewing box, dillying in the treadle drawers admiring the attachments, putting back a spool of buttonhole thread that simple wouldn't fit the bill. Once I begin to dither I do it well. And here I am, in front of the computer, dithering again!

Finally....as I looked around one more time I spotted the one and only spool of black thread in the house...right in plain sight...on my cutting table.

Too bad hubby is not home or I'd have someone to blame.

JudyPete

I'M QUILTING AGAIN

2009-10-27T19:47:00.002-05:00

After a long time of thinking about it but not doing it, really since the accident 1.5 years ago, I am actually working several hours a day on a quilt project and having a wonderful time doing it. As you may recall my DD#2 was married in August and I had promised her a quilt. Well, I intend to make it for their first anniversary. It's a CA king size so it's a very large project. I've spent a fortune on batiks and am making a double Irish chain. I think, I hope, that it will be gorgeous. DSIL stated a preference for purple and she likes green. I'm planning now to have the purple blocks go diagonally from one side to the other and the green the opposite, but haven't got enough of them to start laying it out. I finally threw out the pricey block butler after two replacements from the makers. That stuff just doesn't cling to the wall as advertised; not over one night. I'll just use some cheap batting and tape it up. When I get a bit further down the road I'll test my planned layout and if I'm satisfied I'll post a picture. If I'm not satisfied I'll jump off a bridge.

Jane

QUILT SHOW

2009-10-19T21:49:00.002-05:00

Please take note. I published the wrong dates for the quilt show below. It is to take place in Franklin, NC on August 19,20,21.

Jane

finshed

2009-10-19T17:09:00.002-05:00

Do you remember when I started this thing? I thought I'd never finish. It took me hours to pick out the variety of prints that it called for. It should have been bigger but I gave up!

I got the picture on without the comment so you'll have to put the two together.

Finally

2009-10-19T17:00:00.002-05:00

Do you remember when I started this? It should have been bigger but I got tired of picking out fabrics.

I Met a Famous Quilter and We Giggled Together!

2009-10-13T07:53:00.002-05:00

I could fill a long page with a rambling story but I'll try to make it brief. Went to a very small quilt show in gallery in Columbus, Ohio. Found a small painting on fabric for sale in the gift shop. This painting was by Susan Shie, a quilter I have long admired for her somewhat obsessive style of covering every square inch of fabric. (Can't say I admire her subjects but her technique fascinates me.) As I was paying for my purchase (and getting ready to leave the gallery) I was startled to see Susan Shie and her husband walking in ... turns out they were on their way home from Susan teaching a class in Tennessee and they stopped by to see the exhibition. I was thrilled at the chance to meet the woman whose art I had just bought and after I introduced my DH to her DH (mine's a woodworker, hers is a leather and woodworker) she and I had about twenty or thirty minutes of chat time together. She was tickled to meet a delighted fan and we both moaned about carpal tunnel problems and such. What a thrill to meet someone I've admired for years!! And I now have my own "St Quilta the Comforter" piece to hang on a wall in my sewing room. But Susan says I must take it out of the plastic frame and quilt it ....

Judy in Ohio

QUILT SHOW

2009-10-12T20:54:00.002-05:00

Heads up ladies. My guild's biannual show is to be August 12, 13, 14 2010. We are aiming for 300 quilts which is probably optimistic but we can try. I promised the publicity chair that I would solicit entries from my cyber friends from all over the world. It would really be neat if you Canadians and Dugs were willing to enter something. I will post the entry forms as soon as they are available. A lot of the chairs of committees are a new bunch. I will just show up and be a worker bee this time. One of our board ladies won a ribbon and a beautiful basket of wonderful qulting goodies last time. Was it Mary in OR? Sara entered one as well and even attended. Do any of our European members still lurk? We haven't heard from Stripey Bear in quite a while. Anyway, anyone who is interested please let me know and I'll be sure to send you the appropriate information which will be available soon. The quilt may have been in the works since the dawn of time but finished in 2008 or more recently. It's time to get those UFO finished up. The guild is hoping to raise some serious cash for the top prizes at least but the goody baskets are wonderful.

You can contact me at jbrown1861 at hughes dot net of course substitute the usual at symbols and close the spaces.

Jane

Photos From USAF Museum

2009-10-05T17:06:00.003-05:00

Okay!! Here are my DH (on the right) and DD in front of the 20' x 20' quilt plus I've added one close-up photo of a few of the quilt squares.

This was truly a jaw-dropper to gaze at ...

Judy in Ohio

The Largest Group Quilt That I Have Ever Seen

2009-10-05T08:01:00.003-05:00

P.S. I'm adding a P.S. at the top of this post because the Google Bulletin Board will not let me add my photos this morning. I'll come back later and hope the "Add Photo" feature works.

Last week my DH, DD and I went to the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. My DH served in the Air Force in the early 1970s and our daughter was born on an Air Force base so we were all ready for a trip through history ... and we were awestruck by the huge 20' x 20' quilt that greeted us shortly after we walked through the door! (My daughter is a quilt maker who makes only baby quilts.)

Here's what the museum's website has to say about the construction of this quilt which was created in honor of the United States Air Force's 50th anniversary:

In January 1997, the 50th Anniversary Office received approval for the creation of a special anniversary commemorative quilt. Production of the project was funded through the Air Force Services sponsorship, and all 85 Air Force installations worldwide responded to participate in the project. Guidelines were established to ensure size, material and color were standard in each square. Dependents, volunteers and various individuals associated with the Air Force assisted in making the squares. Contests were held in some locations for the design and theme of the squares. A "Grand Quilting Bee" was held in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1997, where quilting students and volunteers could contribute the final touches of the quilt.

This distinctive quilt, "Fabric of the Air Force," was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United States Air Force. It contains 100 hand-made squares from virtually every Air Force installation throughout the world. Each installation provided a 16-by-16-inch custom-made square reflecting its mission (click here to download a key). The quilt center features a 36-inch Air Force seal and is surrounded by seals representing each major Air Force command. The four corners of the quilt are dedicated to installations that have closed in the continental United States, Asian Theater, European Theater and other worldwide installations. The top border is embroidered with the Air Force core values and flanked by the 50th anniversary logo of stars and wings. Measuring 20-by-20-feet, the quilt contains more than 180 yards of Air Force blue material. Thread used to join the squares together was flown aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its Sept. 22, 1997, mission.

Final assembly of parts and pieces took more than three months to complete. The hand-embroidered lettering took more than 500 hours. After its unveiling on Dec. 5, 1997, "Fabric of the Air Force" was placed on display at the Pentagon before its transfer to the National Museum of the United States Air Force."

Judy in Ohio

2009-10-02T15:03:00.001-05:00

new quilt book?

2009-09-27T19:31:00.002-05:00

Hi, it's good to see posts from people other that the "regulars" here.
Book question--
I'm racking my poor brain for the title to the latest quilt book from Nancy Smith and Lynda Mulligan. Something like fusible quick quilts. It has an abstract tree on the front cover.
I want to ask DH to buy it for me for my Birthday next month. I need more info than I have to give to him.

Lots of looking at the local quilt show this past weekend. OH, my there was lots of hours spent in lots of diferent directions. Traditional, hand, machine, kids quilts, etc.

Thanks for any help.
Sara in Fla.

Uproar and Hullaballoo at Mark Lapinski's "Quilter's Home" Magazine and "Quilt Out Loud" on QNN.TV

2009-09-25T14:43:00.003-05:00

Mark Lipinski has sent out emails to members of his Pickle Road Studio Yahoo group announcing that he has quit his job as editor in chief of his magazine "Mark Lipinski's Quilter's Home" and also quit his association with Jodie Davis on their "Quilt Out Loud" netcast show on QNN.TV.

Things are afoot at New Track Media, the large company that owns his magazine, because Jan Magee, the previous editor of Quilter's Newsletter magazine who replaced him as editor of Quilter's Home has now (this week) quit as the editor of Quilter's Home. New Track Media owns many quilting businesses (Fons & Porter, Keepsake Quilting, etc.) and evidently there is some sort of turmoil going on behind the scenes.

You can read Mark's blog at www.marklipinski.com if you are curious enough to keep track of what is going on. Of course, since it is Mark's blog there is some "rough language" among his fans so don't say I didn't warn you.

Judy in Ohio

BACK TO QUILTING

2009-09-19T21:27:00.003-05:00

I hope to get back to the sewing room tomorrow. As you can see by my posts recently on the chat page, I've had an unexpected distraction lately. Still haven't returned to the wedding quilt. Going to a retreat in Toccoa, GA in November and I've signed up for "sew on your own" rather than a class and plan to stick to business when I get there.

It will add to the cost of the retreat which I attend every year because I will board the new addition to my family. He's too wild to leave with the neighbors who always keep Shadow as they both work and Rufus might dismantle their garage which they keep open just enough to let their dogs have access to outdoors but shelter from sun or cold.

As soon as I have enough blocks to start arranging I'll send a picture. I'm really anxious to see it arranged.

Jane

Pink Monster

2009-09-15T20:35:00.003-05:00

I had to laugh at that wild quilt being "too blah"! The buttons are a cute idea, though. Don't think I'd be ambitious enough to tie on that many. Either idea is good for the name.

Kathi

Naming The Pink Monster

2009-09-13T19:50:00.004-05:00

When I was a child I had what was called "carrot-top" hair color and so I never wore pink clothing. I have never owned a pink or lilac garment in my life.

During recent years I have participated in a wallhanging challenge sponsored by a guild in Bunbury, Western Australia and this year's theme fabric is a pink, orange and lavender print with squares which gives me the shivers. However, I decided to overcome my phobia about pink and made a 28" x 31" wallhanging which I have been thinking of as "The Pink Monster" while I've been working on it. (That's the theme fabric behind the close-up photo with only a few buttons.)

When I had pieced "The Pink Monster" I started doing some free motion machine quilting and it really was too blah, too boring for words. I thought to myself, "This thing needs something to spice it up, to add some kind of kick, to give it dimension .... " And then I thought of buttons.

I have tied on 235 buttons thus far and have about thirty more to go. My working title now is "Can You Find Your Magic Button?" or maybe "Can You Find The Magic Button?" Which do you think is the better title .... or can you suggest a new title of your own? I'm eager for suggestions and I have until February to mail this creation "down under".

(Edited to add: The theme of this year's challenge is "Magic Moment" which is why I came up with the idea of "magic button". I don't know how the ladies of the Bunbury guild looked at that piece of pink and orange print fabric and came up with "Magic Moment" .... must be something in the drinking water down there. LOL)

Judy in Ohio

Thanks for the minki advice

2009-09-04T06:13:00.002-05:00

But--I didn't take it.
Actually, I already had the minki basted onto the back of the quilt.
Decided not to be so lazy and do some basic quilting on it myself. So far so good. Worked on it several hours yesterday.
The long arm lady said it was too stretchy, and that she could not guarantee that it would be OK.
It is a red and white "chinese coin" type quilt that I'm making for myself for Christmas. Just a top and back, since it is heavy, and warm I figured that was OK for Fla.
Off to the shower.
Sara in Soggy Fla.

Minki fabric for backing?

2009-09-01T14:57:00.002-05:00

Ya'll were so good in giving me info. on the back thingy, here's another question. Has anyone used Minki for backing? I have it basted to the back of a twin size quilt and now I'm feeling lazy and don't want to quilt it myself. There is a long arm quilter that just does basic quilting and I could take it to her to m.q. Is this a good idea?
Thanks,
Sara in Fla.

Back thingy

2009-08-31T16:54:00.001-05:00

HI, I'm back home and need help finding a thingy for a back support for quilters. Some people in my guild got one at Jo-Anne's but they no longer sell them. It has straps over the shoulders, and a weight in the small of the back to help with lower back support.
Surely someone out there knows where to get one.
Thanks,
Sara in Fla.