Did You Know?

I have I Tunes downloaded on my computer to buy music for my Ipod or to download onto the computer to make a CD to listen to in the car. Did you know that on the I Tunes store page is a section called I Tunes University and in that section are 46 lectures from the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska that are FREE. (Just put in International Quilt Study Center in the I Tunes search box and they will all pop up.) Some of the lectures are the thesis of students working on their Masters degree in Textile History/quilt studies, a degree unique to the Quilt Study Center and the University of Nebraska, and some lectures are by quilt teachers we all know and have heard of. It has become my habit if I am sewing or cutting out lots of fabric to bring my little laptop computer into the sewing room and listen to a lecture while I work. There are probably other quilt related lectures from other museums and univerisities that I have not yet discovered on I Tunes U but for now I just thought I would share what I have found so far.
Happy Stitching All

New Projects

Despite my resolve to get the two album quilts I have going completed (although there has been some great momentum on them recently) I have a couple of new projects to start. I have a friend who does not sew and has asked if I would make and quilt the Faith, Hope, and Love quilt by McKenna Ryan for her. I have a small long arm quilting business, but assembling this quilt for her is just a favor for a friend. She bought a wonderful kit with all very generous fabric cuts and the patterns and I get to keep all of the left overs! The pattern displays the 9 blocks in the wall hanging done separately and stretched over canvas frames. My friend would like this to be a whole quilt so we will have to see what I come up with.

My second project is new electric quilt software.

I was browsing thru ebay and saw this software for designing Baltimore Album Blocks. Since I know there is a future Baltimore Album quilt in me somewhere I thought this software sounded like a good idea. After a little research I found that Electric Quilt had three different applique software programs: 1920s & 1930s blocks, Folk Art Blocks, and The Baltimore Album Blocks and I decided to get all three.

Now all this ebay shopping was a little bit of putting the cart before the horse because I do not have Electric Quilt. The applique software is no longer made so it only works on the electric quilt programs from a few years ago, number 5 to be exact.

Sooooo, a little more ebay shopping and I came up with an Electric Quilt version 5. I borrowed some help books from a friend and we will see what I can teach myself. I also have one more resources, I am a member of QNN TV, an online website that has both new and old quilting TV shows for viewing. There is a 10 show series called "Do You EQ" and version 5 was the current software when this show was recorded. I just need to buckle down now and use my resources and learn.

These are my new projects, today is my day off work, I guess there is nothing left to say.

Happy Stitching All,

The Mess Continues

It does not seem like I have accomplished very much this week. I still have Kaffe Fassett fabrics spread all over my sewing room in colored piles of reds, blues, greens etc. I am trying to get all of the blocks for Roseville Album prepped. My Kaffe fabrics are looking like Swiss cheese from all of the fussy cutting and the fabric stash is noticeably thinner. So no pretty album blocks to show, just little stacks of applique pieces ready to cut out and iron on the blocks for eventual machine applique. Each little stack is a block and there are 8 stacks, so something has gotten done...Have a good weekend all!

Ardis James

Living in Nebraska I am just a few miles from the International Quilt Study Center and Museum at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. I remember several years ago when we first heard of John and Ardis James donation to the the university at a quilt guild meeting. The story of how the initial donation of 1000 quilts were moved in a special semi truck from the east coast to Nebraska and the accompanying security is fascinating.

Ardis James passed away on July 7, 2011. The New York Times had a lovely article about her love of quilts and donation to the university.

As a Nebraskan I am so proud of this quilt treasure and it is with sadness that I acknowledge the passing of this wonderful lady.

Quilting Taking Over The House

My husband came home from work today to the above scene and the first thing he said was "two rooms in the house are not enough for the quilting?" We are empty nesters so quilting has taken over a bit. One of our bedrooms is my sewing room with cutting table, fabric storage, and sewing machine. Then a year or so ago I started a long arm business and took over the lower level 12 X 28 foot family room for that. Today however I was going thru all my bright fabrics and pulling out pieces for Roseville Album, most of whose applique pieces are fussy cut and I got hooked on this old movie we had recorded. The television with the DVR recorder is in the living room so...I just moved the whole project out there. I did work this week on Lorrie's cute little spring quilt. She wanted some custom quilting done like I had done on the Civil War Bride Quilt, stippling with a few little dragonflies and other creatures mixed in:and a bit of stencil work in the borders:It was a fun little quilt to work on and has looked very cute in my spare bedroom waiting to be picked us this weekend.

I also got this much anticipated book in the mail this past week. Yea, International Quilt Festival class catalog! I have been pouring over all the classes and finally decided to take long arm quilt classes. We always time a fall trip to visit my son and his family in Houston during the quilt festival.

I am going to get back to my mess in the living room. You know what else my husband asked when he came home? What's for dinner...could he not see I had been working?

Happy Stitching All,

Cheri

I do love my sister

I saw this little quilt kit (bloominminds.com) at a recent quilt show and it was SOOOOO right I could not believe it.
Happy Stitching all,
Cheri
PS: I do love ya, Dawn!

Happy Birthday, Happy 4th of July

No sewing at this house this week, cutest grandbaby in the world was in town! We celebrated an upcoming birthday. Uncle Rick taught him a new trick with the birthday cake..

Great pool weather this week...

silly string craziness...
again, courtesy of Uncle Rick...

even getting Grandma with the silly string was funny to him...
And all to soon we had to say goodbye

The silly string is gone, the toys are all picked up, the little fingerprints are off the windows and TV and coffee tables. Our home feels empty. We will see you soon when we visit you in Texas this fall.

Ladies of the Sea

I have pulled out the Ladies of the Sea (Sue Garman pattern) and all of the sudden gotten a little momentum on this quilt. It seems like it has been all prep work on these blocks but finally I am over the hump and getting some blocks finished.
I think one of the things holding me back was the ship rigging. I started penciling them in and then I sew them on the machine with a 12 wt thread. Trimming the blocks to the final size has been a trial, the applique fills the blocks and barely leaves the 1/4 inch seam. But trimming applique blocks is always the scariest for me, I don't want to wreck it after all the work is finished.

At the quilt show last weekend I noticed this cute Alexander Henry Halloween fabric at some vendors booths and this week I got a quilt in to quilt on the long arm that uses this funky little fabric panel.

The pattern, Bouncing Borders (beancounterquilts.com) is a perfect little pattern for large scale prints or to use a panel and comes in two sizes to finish a quilt.

Happy Birthday USA and have a good weekend all,

Cheri