Did you know?

I mentioned some last week about feeling a connection between the Pioneer women and myself - through the knowledge of quilting.

The history of quilting is fascinating to me. Perhaps I find it most interesting because I feel a part of it.

Did you know that ...

... quilting can be traced back as far as Ancient Egypt?

... quilts played a role in helping the Abolitionist raise money to further their cause?

... African Americans, Native Americans, Hawaiians, the Amish, Mexican Americans and the Chinese Hmong all have their own distinct quilting traditions?

Here's a great site that has tons of history - Womenfolk: The Art of Quilting

There's Nothing Like a Good Education

I've mentioned already how amazed I am that when I sat down at the sewing machine, it all came back to me - like I didn't even have to think about it.

Well, that is sort of true. What really happened is that I sat down at the sewing machine and as I started to sew, I heard the voice of Cheryl, my first quilting instructor, telling me how important the 1/4" seam was, and how to check to make sure your needle was still positioned properly.

I heard her telling me to think ahead to which direction the seams would be pressed, so that when you put your pieces or rows together, the seams would nest together.

I hear her voice every time I cut the fabric - one smooth motion with the right hand, culminating - always - in sliding the blade closed.

When I had to reload the bobbin, I heard Cathy, who taught me how to use my machine, telling me to hold the thread and bobbin so it looked like a number six before sliding it into place. Works smoothly every time.

As much as I am an advocate of learning how to do things on one's own - of trial and error - in the end, nothing can beat an education.

I was lucky enough to live near an awesome quilt shop - The Quilter's Attic in Pine Bush, New York. I took a lot of classes there - and it's the tips and tricks of my instructors that I hear when I sit down to quilt.

I learned how to quilt from those women - and then I moved to Texas. I can't find a quilt store that compares. There are some lovely ones in the area - but none of them have everything I'm looking for - either they don't sell the thread I like or the classes don't interest me - or I don't like their fabric selections.

What I've thought about over the last several weeks is that I, unknowingly at the time, was taking part in an old and familiar rite of passage - being taught how to quilt by the more experienced women, before heading west and going it alone. I know - sort of a leap. But at the same time, sort of empowering. There's a deep history - a long chain of women who learned how to quilt out of necessity. Pioneer girls would work on sampler quilts before they were married - not just to decorate their new home, but to carry the knowledge of how to sew each of the blocks with them. It was their virtual instruction manual. They pieced quilts, not just because they enjoyed the design - but because there was no money for an expensive long length of fabric. They saved every scrap they could lay their hands on, in order to make blankets for their homes.

And I've become another woman in that chain, and hopefully some day I will pass it on to someone else.

In the meantime, let me pass this on: if you are anywhere near the Hudson Valley in New York - check out Quilter's Attic. They have great classes, fantastic fabrics, and all sorts of other goodies. Seriously -- go!

February's Project - Star Chenille Quilt

This project was a class I took based upon a pattern for a raw edge or rag quilt by Back Door Quilts.

It is the quintessential cozy lap quilt, made with homespun flannels (softer than regular flannel, usually in more primitive, "homey" colors and prints). A rag quilt is one that is sewn with the raw edges/seam allowances exposed, which is then cut to form a soft fringe. The combination of the soft flannel and the fringe gives it the "chenille" name. It is EASY to put together. Super, super easy. If you are looking to try your hand at quilting, this is an excellent project with which to start. (Although it's really unlike actual quilting and piecing, so maybe I'm wrong on that one.) Your quilting is done as you go, so once the rectangular blocks are sewn together, and you've cut the fringe and washed it - you're done!

Construction is this easy: Fabric is cut into rectangles, two of the same for each square. At the same time, you cut your quilt batting into rectangles. Layer the fabric and batting so that you have a sandwich with the right side of each fabric facing out, and pin together. Quilt your square (the pattern calls for a primitive star, I used a simple "X"). Lay out the quilted blocks in the pattern you want, then sew them together with a 1/2" seam allowance. Instead of opening and pressing the seam, you keep it together and have it all exposed on the front of the quilt. Once your blocks are all together - cut the seams to make a "fringe." Wash and dry a few times and you have a finished quilt. (Warning: can wreak havoc on washer/dryer, so if you aren't confident in yours - laundromat?)

I'll admit, I chose this one first because I thought I'd be able to finish it quickly. I was totally throwing myself a softball.

Then I started ... and remembered why I stopped. The blister on my right ring finger.

The sewing on this one is complete. To finish it - I just have to cut the fringe and wash/dry it a couple of times. In order to avoid more blisters, I could buy a bigger and better pair of scissors. Or I can do what I have been doing and just do a little at a time. I'm finding it's good to do it while I'm watching tv. Believe me, it's enough to get its own month devoted to it.

In the end, though - I will have a completed quilt. Woohoo!

January Project - The Christmas Quilt - Complete*!

*If we call the completed top for the Christmas quilt a "completed project."
(You can click on the picture for more detail.)

The truth is: to finish this quilt, I'll need batting and a backing fabric - and I just don't have it in the budget right now to buy either. So I'm calling it done, and giving myself a pass on the technicality.

But I think I was successful - I was able to complete the quilt top. I remembered what I was doing. I discovered that everything I'd learned about piecing a quilt top, well, it's not so much that I remembered it as I realized it's just all still in there. It was like my fingers moved to do things before I could think about the next step. What I did remember was the satisfaction in looking at all of those little pieces of fabric, pulled together to make something beautiful. (Well, I consider it beautiful).

I mentioned, when I introduced the project, that I had chosen a fabric for the lattice (the longer strips surrounding each block) that was proving difficult to cut. My solution? I finally just chose another fabric. Such an obvious solution that it eluded me for 4 1/2 years.

In the end, an enthusiastic thumbs up on this quilt pattern, too. Thimbleberries is always good, and the directions on this quilt are no exception. It went together quickly and rather simply. And it did accomplish what I wanted for this fabric - the overall affect is 100% "Hi! I'm a Christmas Quilt!" The fabric I fell in love with is highlighted, but blended. And I've got my whimsical little Eiffel Towers on display.

As this project *technically* isn't "finished" - you'll be seeing it again. This looks like a project I'll be able to machine quilt myself (I'm not so good at the machine quilting - but this has a lot of straight lines to follow). And I'll add a table runner for the table underneath where the quilt will hang. Or maybe a Christmas tree skirt for the tree I keep imagining I'll put in the foyer and decorate differently than the tree in the living room. I don't know ... it's February already - I guess I have to stop thinking about Christmas for awhile.

On to February's project!

Toddlers and Quilting Don't Mix

(Cross-Post)

In case there was any doubt - toddlers and quilting don't mix.

This doesn't mean I'm giving up already, it just means that I'm already anticipating the problems and finding solutions (like the Super-Mommy I am ;) Well, thinking of finding solutions - none found as of yet.

Sitting down at the sewing machine last night, I had a flood of memories. A FLOOD as in "I actually wound up in tears."

Back when I was taking all of these classes and quilting so much, I wasn't a Mom. In fact, it hadn't been all that long since we'd found out about our whole "No Babies" status. It was the time somewhere after the debilitating depression days and just at the beginning of the hobby-and-travel escapism days.

I had an office just off the living room, with my computer and my sewing desk. I didn't have to pick things up at night, or after nap time, because there were no little hands to drop the magnetic pin cushion or figure out how to slide the rotary cutter open on his first try. It was my command center, and it was all MY space. I could sit there for hours at the sewing machine and lose myself in the order and the symmetry, the math and the rules. I think I liked it so much because it was something I could control. Cutting, stitching, pressing - creating something beautiful out of these little pieces of fabric was actually something I could *DO* - and a substitute, for a little while, of what I couldn't. And it was fun, too.

These days - instead of an office, I have a den/playroom that is N's space. Sometimes, I get to watch tv in there, but mostly it's just Sesame Street. I don't get to sew in there. Instead, I'm at the dining room table. I most definitely have to pick up the needles and scissors and rotary cutters when I am done. And I don't have the luxury of sitting there for hours at the sewing machine and getting lost - my time is limited.

I bet you think I'm going to launch into a trite-but-sweet sentence or two about preferring things this way. Well, yes, of course I do - but what I've really been thinking about last night and this morning is that I have to remember that it's okay to pursue these other things I love, too. I've missed quilting. Somehow, for some reason, it's the art form that speaks to me and satisfies a part of my soul. I'm thankful I found it when I did, that it helped me pass the time until I was meant to become a Mom. In the grand scheme of things, I think N will be better served by a Mommy who has her soul fed by her passions occasionally than by a Mommy who forgets about all of the things that make her, well, her.

Now - off to design a toddler-proof sewing basket.

A Quilting Glossary

I found this great glossary of quilting terms, apparently out of Australia. There are a lot of glossary listings out there - but this one seemed the easiest to navigate. If you're ever not sure of a term, this is a great site to bookmark and use as a reference.

Australian Craft Wiki Quilting Glossary

I particularly like their definition of UFOs (which is how I started this whole blog):

"UFO Shorthand for UnFinished Object. A project you started but have not finished yet. Doesn’t count if it’s just an idea on your mind or a pattern on paper. Some people tend to attract UFOs, and some repel. Most quilters have at least a couple. UFOs are a NON-GUILT-ITEM. You are obviously letting them age (like fine wine) while your creative mind is developing other projects."

Strip Sets and the Shape Cut Ruler

The pattern I chose for the Christmas quilt utilizes "strip sets" in the construction of the blocks. It's a great pattern for not-so-experienced quilters - you simply cut your fabric into strips, sew the long strips together, cut those strips into pieces (sets) and then sew those together. Without the need for any complicated techniques, you have several completed blocks. If you can manage to sew two strips of fabric together, you can make this quilt.

These directions for making the Nine Patch Block shows you what I'm talking about. A typical beginning quilt is the Rail Fence quilt, which is an exclusively strip set-constructed (or strip pieced) quilt.

The pattern I used - Harvest Patch - is constructed of strip sets that are off-set (at an angle) and then paired with triangles in the corners to create a square.

First, here is a sample of a strip set - and the piece cut from the strip:


Here you can see how each of the pieces cut from the strip had a cream triangle added to each end. At an angle, they create the block:

The two red fabrics were one strip set, the triple-green in the first photo was another, and the third strip set was the cream fabric with the green on either side.

One of my absolutely favorite tools is a cutting ruler called the Shape Cut Ruler by June Tailor. There are lots of other things you can do with these rulers, but if the only thing it ever did was make strip piecing so easy, it would still be worth it. Basically, it's a ruler that is a mat with slots at 1/2" or 1/4" intervals. When you lay it over your fabric, you slide your rotary cutter into each slot, cutting your fabric into strips.

What this really means is this: you have a long piece of fabric, and you need to cut it into six 3 1/2" pieces. You can lay the Shape Cut ruler over your fabric and cut all five of the pieces at once. (It's only an 18 inch ruler, so the sixth is done on its own.) You start with your rotary blade at "0" - then cut at the 3 1/2" mark, the 7" mark, 10 1/2" and 14" and 17 1/2" - and you have five of the six pieces you need. (Tip: until you get used to doing the math quickly, it's very helpful to write down the points where you'll need to cut.) In a very, very short amount of time, you've got all of your pieces - and you haven't had to move your fabric, so your edges should still be squared.

Here's what it did for cutting my border strips:




Just like that - five of the six border strips I needed from this fabric!