And, Finished

When I said I'd have it finished on Saturday, it was more of a hope or a wish, than a fact, but it was, indeed, finished on Saturday, and it's already on its way to its new owner.

I'm "going out to play" for a few days, in search of quilt shops, fabric shops, fine restaurants, possibly the odd bottle of exquisite wine, and some serious R&R, so for the Monday Oldie this week, here's a pattern called The Contrary Husband from the Kansas City Star (1938), in honor of those husbands who are being left at home!

Happy Quilting

Maggie

We Love Our Problem (Quilt) Children

This little quilt was a problem child, right from day one. Maybe it was because I used some of the fabrics I inherited from my mother, who didn't want me to be a quilter, and who definitely didn't want me to inherit her fabrics. (She left them to my cousin, who took one look, and passed them on to me.) Maybe it was just one of "those" quilts. Anyway, it had issues. You don't even have to look close. Check out the cute little wave in that inner border! Then I decided to take it on vacation as a hand quilting project, and the problems continued. It got squashed in the luggage. I used orange washable marker to mark it - don't ask my why I picked orange - but it rubbed off, and on to my hands, and back onto the quilt. If you look really close, there's still some of it there. It got orange juice spilled on it. It got coffee spilled on it. Three days into the vacation, I came down with an awful cold, and spent the rest of the trip feeling horrible - and not quilting. The quilt got squished back into the luggage and brought home. At some point later on, I finished it, and packed it away. Every so often I haul it out and look at it, and what pops into my mind is not its problems, but sitting on a balcony in Florida, little quilt in my lap, celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary with Mr. P, and because of that it's one of my favorite problem child quilts.

I've been working on an order for a lap quilt this week; I keep distracting myself with vacation plans and other interesting diversions, but it will be finished by tomorrow! Really!

For today's Friday favorite, I found a fellow quilter on Etsy: http://www.serenstitches.etsy.com/ She's from West Virginia, and my favorite of her quilts is "Oriental Fans". I wonder why . . . . hmmm.

Have a great weekend, and happy quilting!

Maggie

Monday Oldie and Smiles

Last week I promised happy people and polished chrome pictures in Monday's post; we were a day late getting home, but here we are anyway.

Mr Patchmaker and I were at the Atlantic Nationals Car Show in Moncton, New Brunswick. Friday was a beautiful day to drive over the Cobequid Pass:

There were almost 1800 cars at the show; that's a LOT of polished chrome! This was one of my favorites:

I think Mr. P was more into this (which I kinda liked too!)

If cars can smile, check out the grin on this one:

or this one:

I rather like this one too! (Who am I kidding - they're like kittens - I'd take them all home if I could!)

Our car even made a new friend:

Anyways, it's a new week now, so here's the Monday pattern. It's the June Butterfly from a 1931 Kansas City Star (same age as some of these cars!). If you'd like a pdf of this pattern, leave me a comment with a way to contact you, and I'll send you a copy.

Happy Quilting!

Maggie

Friday Favorite One Day Early!

Life is colliding with my quilting for the next few days, so I'm posting the Friday Favorite today. I promise lots of pictures of happy people and polished chrome in Monday's post!


My Friday favorite for this week is a very talented quilter and bag maker over at http://www.etsy.com/. Her shop is http://www.uniquelynancy.etsy.com/. I'm a real fan of Mariner's Compass Quilts, and she has a lovely blue/green one for sale, along with an interesting collection of quilts and bags. She also has a vintage shop at http://www.thevintagewarren.etsy.com/, and if you're in need of a vintage pattern, you may find it there.




I had to throw in a quilt picture to add some color. This one is currently for sale on Ebay. My ID is Whitewillow.



For my 10 Things List today, here are 10 things NOT TO DO if you're making a New York Beauty quilt top:

1. Iron that block flat; squish out all the seams; shove the edges out! (This will totally distort your blocks, and consequently, your quilt top.)

2. Trim those blocks; if they're too big, cut them down! (This can leave you with no seam allowances, and points coming out to the edges.

3. Start off on the most detailed block pattern you can find! (New York Beauties are tricky to sew; start simple and grow.)

4. Avoid contrast in colors; pick lots of similar shades! (Your quilt will just look flat - go with lots of variety instead.)

5. Stretch those fabrics to sew the curves! (You could, but they may not stretch back; notch instead.)

6. Ignore grain lines when cutting the center and the outside ring! (If you do, your block may never lie flat.)

7. Quarter Inch seam allowances don't matter! (The block may not finish at the size you were hoping for.)

8. Use cheap fabrics. (But good quality ones will behave much better!)

9. Sew really fast. (Okay, but you have a lot more control if you sew slowly.)

10. Obsess, obsess, obsess. (If you must, but why? In the end, it WILL all work out.)


Enjoy your weekend!
Happy Quilting
Maggie

Monday Oldie

Happy Monday! (Actually, Monday is my favorite day of the week. As Anne of Green Gables would have said, it's a fresh week with no mistakes in it yet!)

I haven't posted an old pattern for a while, so here goes. This one is from the Kansas City Star, published in 1931, and they called it an "ideal pattern for work on summer days". I think it would be lovely in blue & white, with maybe a little yellow. (If you'd like a .pdf copy of this, post a comment with a link to you, and I'll send a copy.)


Also, one of the blogs I follow regularly, Karen's Quilting, is having a giveaway for a set of Marti Michell acrylic templates; check it out at http://karensquilting.com/blog/ These templates are great; thanks, Karen! While you're there, have a look at her Christmas Baltimore Album work-in-progress. It's beautiful!

Happy Quilting!
Maggie

Lists, Fabrics, & Friday Fave

It's Friday again! Yay! I've been surfing around looking at quilts for sale again this week, and my favorite this week is from http://www.andrusgardensquilts.artfire.com/ This lady has a background in horticulture and it certainly influences her quilts, which are lovely.

I've been following the podcasts offered at ArtFire.com under Inside Handmade on Blockhead Radio. There is awesome information there about running and promoting a handmade business, and they've been talking about the benefits of sharing information about our crafts/talents, so I'm putting together a few lists of favorites and how-to's. Stay tuned over the coming weeks for other ideas. These are things that work for me:

Ten Totally Unconventional Tools in my Workroom, and Where to Find Them
(in order of the amount they get used)

1. Dental Pick - makes an amazing stiletto for poking & pushing fabric into tiny places under the presser foot of my sewing machine, without sewing fingers. Salvage stores and dollar stores have them - or you can sweet talk your dentist.

2. Empty Coffee Cans - for collecting scraps and threads as you sew. (You know where to get these, I think.)

3. Door Peep Hole - to use as a reversing glass - i.e. things look bigger. Check out the hardware store for this one.

4. Stubby Screwdrivers - the tiny ones with regular blades but handles only an inch or so long. Great for unscrewing sewing machine throat plates. Again, the hardware store.

5. Your own tool kit - pliers, screwdriver, hammer, tape measure. Good for everything to pulling stuck needles, to measuring packages prior to mailing, to flower pounding. Again, the hardware store.

6. Empty Cereal Boxes - the really sturdy ones from the bigger club packs. For making templates. Really. And free, as opposed to buying template plastic. And recycleable when you're done with them.

7. Parts cabinets. The ones husbands use for little screws and nuts and bolts. They also work very well for extra needles, bobbins, thimbles, buttons . . . . . Hardware store - or put it on your Christmas list.

8. Empty Baby Wipe Containers - excellent for holding pieces if you're cutting out a large project. Stick a post-it on to label what it holds and your pieces will be organized next time you work on that project. Stack them when not in use. Generally can be found around a baby - or so I'm told.

9. Empty Soda Pop can - great for holding broken needles, bent pins, anything sharp. When it gets full, securely tape off the opening, mark it "sharps" and toss it.

10. Grandma's horseradish spoon. Honest. My grandma's has a tiny spoon at one end and a gentle pointer/poker at the other. I use the spoon for measuring embossing powder, and the poker end to turn points. You'll need a grandma, or a garage sale, to find this one. (Today's brides just aren't that into horseradish spoons!)

My fabric stash was getting very low, and rather depressing to work with, so I've been over to the Fabric Shop in Avonport, http://www.avonportdiscountfabrics.com/
They have a terrific sale on right now; I came home with 48 meters - if you're gonna go, go big, right?


Have a great weekend!


Happy Quilting
Maggie

My New Best Friend (with apologies to Mr. Patchmaker)

Did you ever sell something, and a while later seriously wish you hadn't???? Lately I've been bemoaning the fact that I sold my 1970's Sears Kenmore sewing machine. When I got it, I wasn't quilting yet; I took an occasionaly try at dressmaking (still not my thing) and that poor machine and I didn't get along at all. In hindsight, the machine was terrific; I was a lousy sewer! Anyways, I traded it in for a low end machine that only lasted about a year and has been followed by a succession of others, that latest of which is a Janome/New Home which is now 6 years old, and very tired. I don't suppose it was meant to be used 8 hours a day. And I have been regretting not keeping my Kenmore.

I will admit, I have a passion for "rescuing" old sewing machines. Yesterday was Mr. Patchmaker's day off and we were out "exploring"; I remembered a second hand store in Brookfield, and there, way in that back, among the used furniture, Mr. P. spotted a foot control, and followed its cord to unearth a sewing machine, a cabinet model, complete with cabinet. I wrote down the model number, intending to come home and do some further research, and we left. We got about 2 km. There was a widening in the road. My Jeep (totally without my influence, I swear) turned around and started heading back. Mr. P said "it's up to you". Decision made. So back we went, hauled the machine out from under all the things piled on it, had a look, and what did we discover but a sister to my old Kenmore! Complete with accessories! And cams! For $40.00.

So we loaded her up (of course it's a "her") hauled her home, only to discover that she worked perfectly, has virtually no wear, not even dust. The bobbin winder was seized - did I mention Mr. P is a wizard at fixing such things? He also spent a couple of hours this morning building her into my sewing room counter, and here she is:

Sometimes you get what you wish for!

Moving on to other things, my Friday pick for this week is a quilter I discovered on ArtFire. She does small quilts that are really nice. She's at
www.amydesigns.artfire.com

Have a great weekend!

Happy Quilting
Maggie