Heartspun Quilts ~ Pam Buda

Paper Piecing the Cross X Block

2012-03-05T14:29:00.000-06:00

Just as I promised, here a pictorial on just how easy it is to paper piece the Cross X block. Here we go....

We start with our paper piecing pattern, one square that will be become the four triangles, one center square, and four rectangles. It is ssooooo fun picking out the fabrics for each block!

Start by cutting the large square twice diagonally to yield four triangles. Notice how all of the shapes are the same as the paper piecing pattern! Difficulty, confusion, and frustraion can happen when your paper piecing pattern is made of many oddly shaped pieces....like many diagonals, although they often make the most amazing blocks!!

For the Cross X block, there aren't any diagonals, and straight forward shapes like this make for easy piecing!!

Here are the components after piecing and before trimming. There's plenty of extra fabric to work with.

The next step is to trim the blocks with a seam allowance. It's already looking so cute!

Once the segments have been trimmed, we can remove the paper. I highly recommend using Carol Doak's Foundation paper, available at your local quilt shop.

Voila! The three sections of the block are sewn together to utter perfection! No need to worry about the bias. I'm thinking it turned out great, (if I do say so myself!) and think I'll make another. That wasn't so hard, was it? Do you think you'll give it a try? Stay tuned for news about when my American Gothic pattern (which features this block) is released.

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I'm still in the depths of the pre-quilt market frenzy, with what feels like a thousand things to do everyday.

Slowly, but surely, Deb and I are making progress. Although most of my thoughts are consumed with projects I already have in the works, that doesn't stop me from dreaming up new things, which is exactly what happened over the weekend. Sunday afternoon I began scribbling and doodling, getting excited about something new we can do together! I'm calling it....

Pocket Patchwork

I hate to be a tease, but I'm still working on all of the particulars. Any guesses what Pocket Patchwork is going to be?? Be sure to stay tuned. I'm anxious to get started, so I don't think you'll have to wait for long!!

Pam

In Love With Cross X

2012-03-01T10:07:00.000-06:00

I need to know....am I the only one who falls in love with quilt blocks? Do you see a block, and feel something stir, that then compels you to make dozens of that block you love? That happens to me more than you would think! I don't really question it, I just go with it. I'm just wondering if I'm the only one?

For today, my attention is on the Cross X block. It's a traditional, old block, which makes it all the better for me! I think it does great things in a quilt....creates a lot of movement and interest without being overwhelming. The construction of this block is quite simple. The math for this block can be a nightmare... but there's a simple fix for that! Paper piecing. Now, I now that paper piecing can be nasty words in some of your vocabularies, but trust me, this block is made for paper piecing!! Knowing that many of you make the sign of the cross at the mere mention of paper piecing, I have included rotary cutting and piecing directions for the mighty Cross X, with.....normal, everyday fraction sizes. The problem with this cutie is that, depending on the size of the block you want, those normal fractions become nightmare fractions. Those scary fractions disappear if you're willing to paper piece the block!!

I have two new quilt projects using Cross X. Wanna see what they are?

We've produced a large pile of Cross X blocks and I just love them!! These blocks are for a new, large quilt called American Gothic which will be released at quilt market in May. The pattern requires 90 blocks and we're almost there! I can't assemble it just yet as I've chosen to use a new fabric for the setting that won't be coming out until April, but at least the blocks will be ready and waiting. What do you think? Are you loving Cross X yet?

This little cutie is a new quilt for Journey Four of the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club! I just adore this quilt!! Didn't I tell you the Cross X block mades for a graphic presentation? I hope you like it, too!

For those of you who aren't fond of paper piecing, I'll show you just how easy this block is to paper piece in my next post...so hang in there with me, won't you? I'd also love to hear if you're madly in love with a block you want to make. Perhaps I'll get hooked on it too!!

Pam

Paperwork Purgatory

2012-02-27T06:56:00.000-06:00

It seems like I've been lost in paperwork purgatory for the last week or so. It's tax time, don't ya know, and it seems like I have a lot more tax prep work to do this year. BORING! I only have one more calculation to do and I'll be ready to see the accountant. Gosh, I'm always so happy when my part is over. I just hope I'll be happy when his part is over! Enough whining about that!

I'm also deep into writing new patterns this past week. Some are my patterns, and one that I'm working on is a pattern for a ginormous project for Spring Quilt Market ~ a brand new sampler quilt pattern that 15 designer friends and I have worked on creating together!!! It's been a wonderful experience. All of us are well-known Civil War designers who started collaborating on this project before we even left the convention hall at last Spring's market in Salt Lake City! I can't say anything more right now, but don't worry.....I'll be posting a lot about this project in the coming weeks, so please stay tuned.

Thankfully, paperwork isn't the only thing happening around here! I recently asked a friend of mine, Debbie, to come and work with me since I have big plans for many new patterns, am also working on Journey Four of the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle, and have a few other surprises brewing for market, and just can't do it all myself. Ya think?? Thank goodness for girlfriends!! So...Deb and I dove into the pile of fabric above, which became this.....

While I'm finishing my paperwork, Deb has been working on piecing 90 Cross X blocks for a new quilt. I adore the Cross X block so much that I've designed two new quilts with it. I'll show you our progress in my next post. In the meantime, I'll get back to my paperwork and hope that soon I'll be able to spend some time with my other good friend, Bernina!!

So nice to spend a few minutes with you today!

Pam

Just For Us Prairie Girls

2012-02-20T09:06:00.000-06:00

I thought we'd talk books today. I found a copy of this sweet little book while on my last visit to
Mill Creek Settlement Retreat, and, as a bonafide Prairie Girl, just had to own a copy. It's quite delightful. It's a fun little read about how you "may not have to truss a turkey or embroider a pillowcase on a daily basis, however, it pays for a modern girl to posses the skills of a pioneer woman, especially in a challenging urban landscape"! The book contains all kinds of advice and how-tos on a variety of subjects relating to life. Some of my favorite parts of the book are how to speak the "old-time slang", such as using the saying "huckleberry above a persimmon", which means 'a cut above', used as follows: "Sam thought Minnie's pie was a huckleberry above a persimmon, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her so." Would you like to know how to spin yarn? Make a rhubarb pie from scratch? Lace a corset? Do you need to know how to braid you hair to fit in any bonnet? Well...this book is for you! {Grin} It will bring a smile to your face. I bought my copy thru Amazon.

Ok....before you head over to Amazon, I wanted to share more historical fiction book recommendations with you:

Here's a trilogy by author Nancy E. Turner -

These is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901

Sarah's Quilt: A Novel of S.A.Prine and AZ Territories, 1906

The Star Garden: A Novel of S.A. Prine

Come Spring by Ames Williams

The Independence of Miss Jane Bennet by Colleen McCullough

(a fictitional follow-up to Pride & Prejudice)

Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander

Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund

Pilate's Wife by Anbinette May

The Old House at Railes by Mary Pearce

And a series by Vilheim Moberg

The Emigrants

Unto a Good Land

The Settlers

Last Letter Home

One of my favorite historical fiction books is The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks

And, I don't think we can ever go wrong reading the

Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder!

My thanks to all of my readers whom shared their book recommendations with me. My blog readers are a huckleberry above a persimmon, to say the least!

I'm knee deep into the construction of another quilt for my Vintage Stitches series. This quilt features the Cross X block, and I'm madly in love with that block. I've loved it for a long time and have designed two new quilts using it. I'll have pictures in my next post - so please stay tune - and I hope you have a most enjoyable day!

Pam

Tussy Mussy

2012-02-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

Meet Tussy Mussy. The name comes from the 17th and 18th century and is another name for a
Nosegay bouquet. Women often received a Tussy Mussy from their gentlemen callers. Each flower in the bouquet had meaning and the women referred to a book called The Tussy Dictionary to decipher the floral message her suitor was conveying! I just love that!

Since I chose the traditional Nosegay block for this quilt, Tussy Mussy seemed a natural choice for the name!

This is a terrible photo of the quilt. I almost didn't show it to you, but I promised that I would....and I keep my promises. The color is all washed out for some reason. Very frustrating!! I'm not a great photographer, as you can see, but trying to get better....so please forgive the atrocious photo.

The quilt measures approximately 33 x 40. It was great fun piecing it. I hope you like it. It's off to the quilter now! That's such a good feeling, isn't it? The pattern should be available sometime in March.

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I've had several emails in the last few weeks asking if I am willing to visit quilt guilds to give a lecture or workshop, and I most definitely do!! If you'd like me to visit your local guild, please pass my website along to the program's chairperson. You can see the full list of my lecture and workshop offerings and contact information by clicking here.

Another terrific source for speakers is The Quilt Trade Association. They have a wonderful list of teachers and you can peruse the list by state to see who may be close to you. Check out the Speakers Forum - new speakers are added often!

Next week I'll be starting a new quilt and will have more photos to show you. (Hopefully, they'll turn out better!!) As always, thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day!!

Pam

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Join Lynne Hagmeier and me as we cruise to Alaska on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away! Click here to find all of the details!

Nosegays

2012-02-13T11:06:00.000-06:00

I've always adored the Nosegay block and finally got around to designing a quilt featuring this traditional and stunning block. It looks alot harder than it is.....really! I've included two piecing methods for the cone unit. One is Connector Corner style and the other paper pieced for sure-fire perfection. The rest of the block is made using modern piecing techniques we all know. Hopefully, in a day or so, I'll have a photo of the completed quilt. Gotta run....I can't wait to sew it all together!!

Making Progress

2012-02-10T10:34:00.000-06:00

I'm still in pre-quilt market crush, but am making progress. That's a good feeling! I'm excited about the quilts I've designed and am creating, but hate the pressure of the deadline. Does anyone like deadlines? I hear some people say they like them because they're forced to complete the work, and therefore, feel more productive. I don't need the deadlines to make me finish.....I finish most everything I start. For work, that is. Now, I don't want anyone out there to be thinking that I don't have any UFO's sitting around here! No, no, no! Oh, I've got UFO's but they're my personal "wanna-do's", and it's because I finish my work that I don't finish my other stuff. Sigh.....ya know what I mean??

Well, enough of that....on to more interesting stuff!

Last week, I spent four days with all of the fabric in my stash pulled out of the closet and spread all over the place. It was a lovely mess and so nice to get reacquainted with them all. I was choosing fabrics for four upcoming quilts. Here are the fabs I chose for the quilt currently in production. It's funny how often you just don't have enough of a certain green or pink or..... Feed your stash!! There's always a need for more fabric!!! (Despite what non-quilters may think.)

I chose to use one of my newest favorite neutral fabrics. I'm crazy in love with this fabric. It was designed by my pal, Lynne Hagmeier (Kansas Troubles for Moda) and I can't tell you how much I love it!! Well....so much I had to have a whole bolt!! The photo about shows how great the print looks, but isn't a good representation of how lovely the color really is. You see the color better in the first photo.

Anyway, it's from Lynne's Cattails and Clover collection in stores now. The things I love about this fabric are the picotage leaves, the black on the warm beige, and the multi-colored dots. Picotage (which is the effect of creating a motif from a bunch of tiny dots) softens the look of the leaves, and I think that coloring them black makes this fabric the perfect mate for country folk art and Civil War quilts alike.

All of the blocks have been sewn and it's up on my design wall. I just love it when you can put the blocks on the design wall and you get your first real look at how the quilt is coming along. So far, so good. I'll give you a look at the blocks in my next post, and hopefully, the finished quilt soon thereafter!

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Oh....also....a whole lot of you have been emailing me with more historic fiction novel recommendations to add to my reading list, and I will be sharing them with all of you as well. So, stay tuned, and as always, thanks for taking a moment to stop by here today!

Pam

PS. Lynne just launched a brand new website! It's wonderful!! Click here to check it out!

Quilty License Plate

2012-02-06T10:01:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, I asked for photos of quilty license plates. I see them around town and they bring a smile to my face, knowing that a kindred spirit rides in that car. Is she on her way to her favorite quilt shop? Is she on a fabric mission? I smile and nod...been there....done that.... many times! Here are photos from my sisters-in-quilting, showing off their passion in license plate form!

This plate belongs to Carol M. The QLT obviously represents her love of quilting, and the MEMA is the name her grandchildren call her. How cute is that?

Linda from California sent me a photo of her plate - which says it all, doesn't it?

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Maureen wanted to send me a photo of her plate, QLTR99, but she can't because she's in AL and the car is in IL! She says she added the 99 because she can easily remember what year her car is for all of those pesty forms that ask for that info. Great idea, Maureen!

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Kathy L's license plate covers a bevy of needle-love! She knits, works counted thread embroidery, and quilts. For the last 24 years, she's been living in Texas, but part of her heart is still in Illinois, hence the Bears plate frame. Love it!

Fellow quilter, Jean T. sums it up nicely, don't you think?

As does the plate on my good friend Tara Darr's (of Sew Unique Creations) SUV.

The next time you pull into the parking lot of your local quilt shop and see a line-up like this, I know you'll smile and nod...knowing kindred spirits are inside, and you're exactly where you belong!

Hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for taking a moment to stop by.

I have many new projects in the works and will post my progress, so stay tuned!

Pam

P.S. If you're in the Chicagoland area, I will be teaching my most popular workshop class, "Practice What I Preach", in Steger, IL on Saturday, February 11th. If you're interested in attending, please email me and I will put you in touch with the folks at the Pieces 'N Patches Quilt Guild who can get you signed up.

Chicken Tortilla Soup and This 'n That

2012-01-31T10:24:00.001-06:00

It's tax time. Ugh. Paperwork abounds. It's boring but necessary. Millions of us are singing the "paperwork for taxes blues". Well, I don't want to whine about here, but it serves as my explaination for not having something a lot more fun to blog about! I think I see the end of the calculator tape!! I have a beautiful pile of fabrics chosen....just sitting there waiting for me to dive in to begin a new quilt. My Bernina is calling my name. Hopefully by tomorrow morning......

I do have a wonderful recipe to share with you. My friend, Sandy, gave me a Crock Pot recipe for very easy Chicken Tortilla soup a few months ago. It was delicious, but I wanted more veggies and spices, so I researched several other recipes, took what I liked, and gave the new concoction a whirl last night. OMG! I think I have a real winner here! My husband said it was the best Chicken Tortilla soup he's ever had....and I think I agree! Best of all, it's made in the Crock Pot and is a "dump it in - walk away" kind of recipe. Click here for the recipe if you'd like to give it a try for yourself.

Oh.....and last call for anyone who would like to send me a photo of your Quilty License Plate!

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit with me today! Next time, I should have something a whole lot more fun to share with you!

Pam

(Side Note - if you click on the recipe link and see black lines, you will most likely need to update your Adobe Reader)

Prairie Women's Sewing Circle Show-n-Tell

2012-01-25T17:34:00.000-06:00

I'm completely in sewing and designing mode these days. I feel the pressure of Spring Quilt Market bearing down on me already. It will be here before I know it. My to-do list is long and the days seem so short. I have many fun things planned this spring and they have been ruminating in my mind for quite awhile now. I think this phenomenon happens to all of us, no matter what we do for a living. There's just always so much we want to do and so little time. I think if you love the needle, then it's part of your life....this want (sometimes need) to make many projects. So what if we'll never live long enough to complete them all! It's a life of happiness with never a dull moment! I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Presently, I'm getting ready to start another quilt, and I'm not quite ready to take pictures to share with you......so, I thought I'd share some wonderful quilts that are done, finished, quilted and bound.

The Quilting Gathering ~ Journey Two

The Prairie Huswyfe ~ Journey Two

Prairie Huswyfe ~ Journey Two

Elizabeth's Prairie Garden ~ Journey Three

Heartland Crossing ~ Journey One

Lockridge Mill ~ Journey Three

Scraps From Home ~ Journey One

Heartland Crossing ~ Journey One

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Don't forget to email me a photo of your Quilty License Plate!!

I'll be posting the photos very soon.

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Join Lynne Hagmeier and me as we cruise to Alaska on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away! Click here to find all of the details!

Little Red Schoolhouse

2012-01-21T08:22:00.000-06:00

Ta Da! Here's the finished schoolhouse quilt. Just four blocks and some Flying Geese. When paired with great fabric can really make a graphic statement. Simple is good. It was great fun to make and went together easily. I decided to name it Little Red Schoolhouse. We have a Little Red Schoolhouse petting zoo not too far from here, and its been there for as long as I can remember. I do recall going there on a grammer school field trip - which was a very long time ago! We'll just leave it at that! The top is now at the quilter and I have no idea what designs she'll be doing. When it's finished, I'll post another photo. The pattern will be available soon.

Oh, and by the way.....for all of you Prairie Women out there.....this block will be featured in a Journey 4 quilt, so stay tuned!

New Blocks

2012-01-16T13:20:00.000-06:00

Here are the four blocks for the new quilt I'm making. Yup - just needs four blocks! I love a schoolhouse block. I designed this one to be very simple - no templates needed - no Y seams! I think they're so cute in red, but would be lovely in any color. Hhhmmmm.....perhaps blue?

I'll post a photo of the finished quilt as soon as it's done. It is not part of the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club, but will be a new Vintage Stitches pattern. I haven't decided on a name just yet. Any suggestions??

Check back soon and enjoy your day!

Pam

New Year ~ New Project

2012-01-13T10:27:00.000-06:00

Now that all of the Christmas decorations have been put away and the house is back to normal, it was time to start a new quilting project! Do you feel the same way, too? I have several "in the works", and chose to start with the one using The Cotton Club fabrics by Paula Barnes for Marcus Bros.

Aren't they just as yummy as can be? Check back with me in a few days to see what I'm doing with them!!

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In my post about reading The Kitchen House, I asked if any of you could recommend other good historical fiction books. I wanted to follow up with you with all of the great book recommendations you shared with me. Thanks to everyone who commented, giving us more great reading material!

The Change and Cherish series by Jane Kirkpatrick (http://www.jkbooks.com/)

Book 1 - A Clearing in the Wild

Book 2 - A Tendering in the Storm

Book 3 - A Mending at the Edge

Betsey Anne by Diana Buckley

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Schaffer & Annie Barrows

The Forgotten Garden, House at Riverton & The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

The Wagons West series by Dana Fuller Ross

If you know of other historical fiction books you'd like to share, please comment or email me.

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Don't forget to email me a photo of your Quilty License Plate!!

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Yesterday, Lynne and I talked with the folks at Quilting Connections, our quilt cruise travel agent, and they report that we have more than 40 quilters, girlfriends

and husbands joining us!! We're absolutely delighted!!

Lynne and I are brainstorming ideas and have fun plans for you!

It's not too late to sign up! We'd all love to have you join us on this fun adventure.

And....we're planning more cruises for 2013!!

Join Lynne Hagmeier and me as we cruise to Alaska on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away! Click here to find all of the details!

Framing & Finishing Quilt Labels

2012-01-07T08:02:00.002-06:00

Ready for more quilt label ideas?

I really like framing my label with fabrics from the quilt top. You can scrap them up, or just use one...the choice is yours. Often, I make that choice after seeing what's left over. I also take into consideration what fabric I'm using for my backing. I definitely want the frame to stand out in contrast of the backing fabric.

Sew strips to the top and bottom, then the sides. You can also sew them Log Cabin style, too.

I have an easy and precise method to turn the edges under, which gives the frame a fold and a nice finish, and keeps the corners nice and square. At this point, you can sew the label by hand, or by machine. I prefer to sew the label to the backing by machine.

With this method, we don't have to piece the label into the backing, which is a lot more work! It's easily sewn on top of the backing, and the folded finished edge looks great. It will be quilted right into the quilt, too. If you have finished quilts without a label, this technique works beautifully for that as well, because you can prepare the label, then hand stitch it to the backing.

All of the details about this technique are in the Heartspun Quilts Hints book, including the strip measurements for two different sized labels (large quilts and small quilts), the turning technique, label placement, and machine stitching hints and recommendations...all with step-by-step instructions and graphics. To see a full description and/or purchase the Hints book, click here. To purchase the heavy duty freezer paper, click here.

Here's a few photos of how the labels look once the quilt is finished.

You can certainly use the framing technique with a label you've created by hand as well. The sky is the limit as to the creative things you can do with your label. Add things like pieced units in between the label and the frame, signatures, and trace designs from other sources.

Most of my quilt labels are short and sweet, containing only the basic information about the quilt, but sometimes, your labels can be full of details and tell a story. The label above was made for a quilt called Scattered Leaves, which was featured on the cover of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine (October 2009). (The quilt was originally named Waltzing Leaves, but was renamed for publication.) When making this quilt, I enlisted the help of two of my best friends (and their fabric stash!). We each made enough blocks for one quilt, and then exchanged blocks, which also gave us a wider variety of fabrics. Always a good thing! I wanted to tell the entire story on the label, and embellished it by tracing pumpkins and leaves in keeping with the fall colors and motif. The label was featured in another issue of AP&Q as part of an article all about quilt labels (December 2009).

No matter what technique you use, it's important that each and every quilt has a provenance. It's our opportunity to say to our future generations.....Remember Me!

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Don't forget to email me a photo of your Quilty License Plate!!

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Join Lynne Hagmeier and me as we cruise to Alaska on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away! Click here to find all of the details!

A Word About Quilt Labels

2012-01-03T09:58:00.000-06:00

If you own even one antique quilt, I'm sure you wish you knew all about who made it, where she lived, and what year was it created. Was it made for someone special? What inspired her fabric and pattern choices? Oh, if only those quilts could talk!

It is our duty to be sure that our quilts can talk for us long after we're gone, by making sure we have attached a quilt label. I know this is hardly breaking news to you, but so often, we just don't get around to seeing to that last detail.....right?

About five years ago, I made a commitment to attach a label to every quilt, which is especially important for the quilts I create for my pattern company. Often, those quilts travel in a trunk show to shops all over the U.S., so it's important they have a label. It's equally important that the label be quilted right into the quilt, making it nearly impossible to remove, not just sewn to the back after it's been quilted. The only thing is......once the quilt top has been pieced, I just don't have it in me to piece a label into the back. I know I should, but I just don't. So...I came up with the following solution.

Here's an overview of how I create my labels. Complete step-by-step instructions are available in my Hints Book.

I create the label itself using my computer and ink jet printer. (Do not do this if you have a laser printer!!) It's very important to me to be able to create the label using fabric that matches the other fabrics in the quilt. I don't care for the pre-made label fabric sheets you can buy for this purpose because they rarely match the quilt, and are rougher and thicker than the beautiful cottons we piece with.

I have a stash of assorted tone-on-tones just for labels. The fabric needs preparation and freezer paper before going thru the printer (info in the Hints book). I have used ordinary freezer paper, but of late, I prefer freezer paper sheets. They are already 8.5 x 11 inches, and are much heavier that kitchen freezer paper, so they hold up better in the printer.

Once the fabric is prepared, we're ready for the printer.

I create my label as a Word document. Use assorted fonts and clip art to dress things up. (This technique is not for photo transfer!) If you're creating small labels, you can fit two on an 8.5 x 11 sheet.

Once you're happy with the label information, load the fabric in your printer, take a deep breath, and hit print!

You'll find lots more infomation about label fabric preparation, setting the ink, trimming your labels, etc, in the Heartspun Quilts Hints Book, which is loaded with lots of good hints, tips and tricks about everything quilting! To see a full description and/or purchase the Hints book, click here. To purchase the heavy duty freezer paper, click here.

My next post will give an overview of how I frame and finish my labels, with photos of several completed labels quilted into the backing, including one that was featured in American Patchwork & Quilting magazine!

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Don't forget to email me a photo of your Quilty License Plate!!

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Join Lynne Hagmeier and me as we cruise to Alaska on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away! Click here to find all of the details!

Welcome 2012!!

2012-01-01T06:00:00.001-06:00

I sincerely hope that the New Year will bring good health, prosperity

and happiness to each and every one of you!

Methinks it is a token of healthy and gentle characteristics, when women of high thoughts and accomplishments love to sew; especially as they are never more at home with their own hearts than while so occupied.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1859

Quilty License Plates

2011-12-28T12:28:00.001-06:00

I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas holidays with your family and friends, and that Santa was good to you! We had a great time. Thank goodness no one was ill like last year!! The weather was unseasonably warm, which unfortunately meant we didn't have a white Christmas, but that also meant that no one was driving in ice and snow either!

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Every now and then, I spot a car sporting a quilty personalized license plate. Truth is, I (sort of) have one too. If you have a quilty license plate (or know someone who does), I thought it would be fun to ask you to send me a photo of your quilty license plate, and I would feature them in an upcoming post. Sound like fun? If you are a quilter, pattern designer, long-arm quilter, or have a quilting related job, I'd love a photo of your quilty license plate, or one the has the name of your quilt company.

Email your photo, and the state or country where you live, to pam@heartspunquilts.com. I'll post them at the end of January for all to enjoy. Please help me and spread the word to your friends!

Merry, Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T06:00:00.004-06:00

Wishing you all a wondrous Christmas holiday!

The Prayse of the Needle
To all dispersed sorts of arts and trades.
I write the needles prayse (that never fades).
So long as children shall be got or borne,
So long as garments shall me made or worne,
So long as hemp or flax, or sheep shall bear
Their linen woolen fleeces yeare by yeare,
So long as silk wormes, with exhausted spoile,
Of their own entrails for man's gaine shall toyle,
Yea till the world be quite dissolv'd and past,
So long at least, the needles' use shall last.

John Taylor 1620

Pam

A Little Something Merry for Me!

2011-12-21T12:06:00.000-06:00

Do you have a place in your home where you put things so you know you can find them later? A place that holds all kinds of treasures that you can't find?!!! That special place is holding many of my favorite things hostage, or playing a wicked game on me, because I can't find things I've deposited in that special place! Namely, a favorite Christmas tablerunner, that, for the life of me, I cannot find this season!! I sure wish I knew where it was! I've been looking for weeks. It's not packed with all of the other Christmas stuff because I remember having the wise idea that (because I love it so much) I'd like to get it out first thing next year...meaning this year, and so I put it in the "special" place so I could get to it easily. Hmmmm. That will teach me. I'll probably find in in July.

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I bought myself a little something for Christmas and thought I'd share it with you.

1862 Battle Hymn

The wonderful fabrics you see in the photo are from Barbara Brackman's newest fabric collection (for Moda) 1862 Battle Hymn. I'm just loving the prints, the colors....well everything. The photos show some of my favorites, and I'm itching to cut them up and work with them. I bought a few charm packs so I can cut them into hexies and tumblers right away. I thought that you might like to see them, too. To see the entire line, which is due in quilt shops in January, click here.

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On another note, if you're like me, then you like to read about what life was like in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, both fiction and non-fiction. I'm reading (actually listening) to a wonderful book of historic fiction called The Kitchen House, written by Kathleen Grissom. It tells the tale of a little immigrant girl who became indentured while making the voyage to the United States, and was brought to a plantation to work in the kitchen house in 1790. She is raised by the women who work at the plantation. I won't give any more details away so as not to spoil it for you, but know that the book is full of rich detail about what life was like back then. Word on the web is that this book will be made into a movie!

If you like historic fiction, then you may enjoy The Widow of the South, a fictional book about the true life Civil War battle that took place in Franklin, TN.

I've been told that the Wagon's West series by Dana Fuller Ross, is also wonderful historic fiction, although I haven't yet had a chance to begin reading those.

Do you have any recommendations for historic fictional books? I'd love to hear from you!

Almost Ready

2011-12-17T14:54:00.000-06:00

The decorating is finally done, and we've been enjoying the house with twinkling lights, in all its red and green glory. Our son, Ryan, has totally taken over decorating the outside of the house. Did I mention his idol is Clark Griswald (of Christmas Vacation fame)? If we let him have his way, our house would illuminate the entire neighborhood!

Our daughter, Nicki, has taken over the cookie making, and the house smells delicious every day. She's becoming quite the baker. I love to bake, and the problem is, I also love to eat it all. It gives me great joy to see our kids enjoying the season, and taking over some of the jobs my husband and I no longer wish to do. Passing the torch, if you will.

I promised some pictures of the house all decked for the holidays....

These little red stacking tables are in our family room and I enjoy changing them with the seasons. You may remember seeing them filled with wool strawberries over the summer. The framed cross stitch piece, called Blessings be Thine, is one of my all-time favorites from Blackbird Designs. I made the two snowmen on the floor, what seems like eons ago, when my kids were still little, and I was vending at craft shows. You may not know this, but I made thousands of dolls like these over the ten years I did craft shows, and had a different pattern business featuring my original doll designs. Seems like ancient history now.

I love collecting old dough bowls (this one's a reproduction) and filling them with all kinds of goodies. I have three or four of them around the house. There's just something warm and wonderful about filling these bowls! Am I weird, or what?

I love collecting the Jim Shore Christmas Santas. This was a new acquisition in the after-Christmas sales last year.

We have three Christmas trees in our house. This is the largest (its not really that large, but the others are pencil trees, so ergo its the largest.) I let my kids decorate this tree. They forgot to dress the tree with garland this time. Oh well....next year!

Question....am I the only one who buys wrapping paper that matches your home? I think because the presents sit under the tree for weeks, that the paper should compliment your home decor. I found really wonderful folk art style paper at Target this year. They always have stuff I like. Hhmmmm....I've got to move that bright blue gift bag to a different location....its messing with my color theme. I know.....I'm anal about these things and I'm totally OK with it! Teehee!

Of course, Christmas quilts have a big presence in the house. The gingerbread girl is another doll from my dollmaking days and is one of my favorites. She is sitting on top of my quilt design called Small World. The two quilts in the crocks are also my designs; Winter Retreat is on top, and No Place Like Home is in the foreground - both made with wonderful Kansas Troubles winter fabric collections.

I want to thank all of you whom offered advice on what to do with my quilt label. I decided to add a footnote to the label that says pieced in 2008, and quilted in 2011. That's its story, after all! I know how busy everyone is this time of year, so I thank you for visiting!

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Join Lynne Hagmeier and me as we cruise to Alaska on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away! Click here to find all of the details!

Odds and Ends and UFO's

2011-12-09T09:56:00.000-06:00

I've been enjoying a kind of catch-up, purge, and clean phase amidst the Christmas decorating (which is still not complete) and shopping. With the completion of Journey Three, I can allow myself a few weeks to do some things I have put on the back burner for a very long time. Yes, very exciting things indeed, like tackle the piles of fabric that I pulled for possible inclusion in a future project, do battle with the enormous dust bunnies growing under my sewing machine table, and wrangle the various papers I have in a holding pattern waiting for file folders.....yes, exciting. I just don't know why I waited so long to do this?! It does feel pretty good to get things in order. I'm an organizer at heart, and the rest of the house is maintained daily, but my studio....well....enough said.

Jingle All The Way by Renee Plains for Liberty Star patterns

This quilt went with me to the Mill Creek Settlement Retreat a few weeks ago as a UFO, and came home a UFO as well. Sigh. Initially, I cut fabric for four of these quilts, and made three right away, giving them to friends and family as Chistmas gifts......in 2008! My blocks were sewn, but never put together. That's what I did at Mill Creek. I intended to finish the quilt there, but failed to notice that I didn't have my border fabric in the box, so back home it came, still a UFO. The borders went on this week and it's finally finished. Exhale! While the quilt is red (smile), green, and black, you might be thinking Christmas quilt....but no....it doesn't have a Christmas print in there. These are the colors of my family room, so it will be a fine addition to the cuddle quilts available to the family for the coming snowy Chicago winter.

There is an interesting dilemma with this story....of good intentions...and real life. When I made the three other quilts (in 2008), I made the backings for all four quilts (that's the good intentions part, thinking I would piece mine right away), and promptly put labels on all of them. That means that the backing for my quilt has been ready long before the quilt top was completed (that's the real life gets in the way part). Here's the dilemma....do I use the backing with the label, dated 2008? Or, should I remove the label, replacing it with a 2011 date? Or should I be creative and alter the 2008 label? I thought perhaps I could add a c. - circa symbol? Or should I add another label, and addendum, if you will, telling the world my woe begotten story? Hhmmmm. What do you think? Who knew quilting could be so complicated??

Thimbleberries

Another UFO that's even older is this Thimbleberries quilt. I think I made this top in 2003....had it quilted in 2009, and its been waiting for binding since then. Shameful!! It now has its binding! Yay!

Gee, that feels good. Has this happened to you, too? Oh, I hope so....I don't want to be the only one with quilts waiting for their binding for years!!

I addition to sewing a few UFO's, I've worked on several new quilts for special projects that are coming up in the spring. In the evening, I've also been working on cutting more Tumblers for my on going work-in-progress (not UFO!) Tumbler quilt........and.......

Lots and lots more of these cuties! Yes...I'm already working on Journey Four! My Prairie Women's Sewing Circle class has been trading hexagons, thus increasing the scrappiness of our quilts. For me, sharing our hexagons, and fabrics, like the Prairie Women did centuries ago, makes the quilt very special and meaningful!

In the meantime, between cleaning and sewing, sorting and purging, I'll be celebrating the reason for the season. Once I get everything all done and cleaned up, I'll share a few photos with you. I'm not sure its all that great to look at, but I know how much I love seeing other people's homes decorated for the holidays, and am happy to share an idea or two.

Thanks again for taking a few moments to visit with me, and don't forget to leave me a comment about my quilt label dilemma, if you're so inclined!

Pam

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Join Lynne Hagmeier and me as we cruise to Alaska on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away! Click here to find all of the details!

Boxes, Boxes Everywhere

2011-11-30T08:59:00.000-06:00

Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. It seems the very moment you put the leftovers in the fridge, and say goodbye to your company, that preparations for Christmas begin!

We packed up the Thanksgiving decorations in record time this year, immediately hauling out the many boxes of Christmas decorations (I won't confess exactly how many!) to begin the holiday ritual of Decking our Halls. A funny thing happens at our house during this time. It kinda looks like we're moving. Boxes are everywhere. There are big empty spaces where nic nacs and quilts used to be. Our little dog, Bella, wanders around looking a bit unsettled and confused. She's not the only one.

Years ago, I organized our decorations in separate boxes, one (a-hem.....or more) for each room. I try to tackle a room a day. We also have our respective jobs to attend to, so.....sometimes it's a room every couple of days. My focus isn't on getting it done in record time anymore, I really want to enjoy the ride, lingering over the things the kids made when they were little, or a Santa I made years ago while sewing with my friends.

Then there's the discovery that while unpacking these boxes, I don't like some decorations anymore. I want to pare down. What to do with this stuff? The kids want me to keep it...."we've had it for years, Mom. It's part of my childhood!" Sigh. It was something that Great Aunt So and So gave to us. I never liked it all that much! I was only being nice when I displayed it all those years. I don't display it anymore and can't get rid of it, so back in the box it goes.

Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to Christmas shopping at the mall with my kids, who are now all grown up. I might steer them in the direction of Santa, and see if they'd be willing to sit on his knee again. Good memories and funny pictures. My goal is to have the house decorated by Sunday.

So, what does all of this have to do with quilting? Nothing...except it's what is keeping me from sewing and having something more interesting to talk about. It's what we all do this time of year, and no doubt, some of you are doing it, too! Are you making Christmas gifts this year? Planning special get-togethers with friends? What special traditions do you celebrate? How is your shopping and decorating coming along? Any advice on what to do with those old, unwanted decorations?

Hope you enjoy decking your halls! Pam

Counting My Blessings

2011-11-24T04:00:00.001-06:00

Every day, I am so grateful for the many blessings that are bestowed upon my family, friends, and of course, myself. I try not to wait until Thanksgiving to count them and appreciate them. I think there's a whole lot of truth to the addage that living a grateful life is a happy life!

As I stated in my last post, I have my share of troubles, challenges, and worry like everyone else. Through it all, I try to keep my humor, and learn lessons from the experiences. I don't always like it, but I try!

Thankfully, the blessings and good things are more plentiful than the unpleasant stuff. I love my family and they are always there with and for me. I am so blessed to have the very best friends in the world, and I know I'm lucky to have a job I love. Working and living in the quilting world has enhanced my life in countless ways. Piecing brings me peace of mind, heart, and soul. It's a wonderful outlet for my creativity, and has brought me the best quilting pals, and work I truly enjoy, allowing me to meet other kindred spirit quilters.

It is my sincere hope and wish everyone reading this will have a blessed Thanksgiving holiday. May your life be filled with people you care about, good health, and the little trials and tribulations that come along be few and far between.

Each one of you, dear readers, are among my blessings! I thank you very much for taking the time to visit with me today.

Happy Thanksgiving & Happy Stitching! Pam

A Little Work ~ A Little Play

2011-11-22T14:07:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, about a week ago I experienced a nightmare problem with my computer when Windows 7 did an automatic update leaving me unable to access any files on my computer for about 5 days. Many of you left me very supportive and hopeful emails which really helped!! Microsoft was very good with their tech support, and worked with me to resolve the problem.....I thought. I did get a good four days work in, and was able to finish Journey Three before it happened again last Wednesday! Different problem, but still no working computer. I must have a computer gremlin in here somewhere! Ugh.

For better or worse, I was scheduled to leave home early Thursday morning for a two day trip, so I sent an email to tech support at Microsoft, and packed the car, resolved I would handle my computer problems when I returned home. I'm so glad I had the diversion of the trip to take my mind away from the frustration!!

I headed to Ottawa, IL, a destination not too far from home, to meet with one of my bestest quilting pals, Lynne Hagmeier (of Kansas Troubles fame!). She drove a whole lot farther than I did (thank you, Lynne!!) so we could meet and catch up on quilting news, family stuff, do some work together, and have some fun. We spent the entire day Thursday antiquing, and boy did we find some good stuff!

Here's my favorite find from our day of shopping....this sweet red doll quilt!! The very simple design is quite striking, don't ya think? The blocks are hand pieced and it's hand quilted (it doesn't have any batting.)
It was just sitting there waiting for me! My hubby was happy to find out that I did his Christmas shopping for me, too! Thanks, sweetie....you knew just what I liked!

That evening, Lynne and I met with our Alaskan cruise director over dinner. We heard a lot more about the awesome destinations we will visit, what fun excursions are offered, and we shared more about our project ideas with her. She loved what we have planned so far, and gave us new ideas and tips for how to proceed. We're very excited and happy with how things are coming along.

The remaining hours of the evening were spent in our pajamas, drawing sketches, and tossing fabrics around, continuing to design our joint project. We're loving how it's coming together and its been a real kick working with Lynne!

We still can't believe that we're headed for Alaska next summer. I remember when I was a kid... thinking about Alaska, and how it seemed such a far off, exotic place where Eskimo's lived in igloos, and where the sun could be out 24 hours, or never be seen at all. Not only has Alaska been a bucket list destination for hubby and me, it's also a requirement of another bucket list item I have....to have stepped in all 50 of these beautiful United States!

Lynne and I would sure love to share this experience with you! If Alaska is on your 'want to visit someday' list, please think about joining us on our "Great Girlfriend Get-Away" aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's ship The Pearl (although my kids and I would really love it if it were the Black Pearl!! Teehee). Click here for cruise info.

Friday, Lynne and I said our good-byes, and she started her trek home. I spent the evening with the lovely ladies of the Illinois Valley Quilters Guild. Quilter's are the best people to hang out with any day, any where (like on an Alaskan cruise!), and the IVQG ladies were no exception! They all gave me a warm welcome as we shared a meal, and at the guild meeting as well.

Saturday brought a return to reality.....unpack the car and face computer problems. With help from my family, we unpacked the car. With continued help from Microsoft, which took 2 more days, they helped me solve the computer problems. Life is full on all kinds of trials and tribulations that come and go. While it felt like the weight of the world was on me with the second round of laptop troubles, it was great to leave it all behind, and have some fun with Lynne and the guild ladies. All is well now (I hope!), and I can hear those words my mom says all the time...."this, too, shall pass".

As we all approach our day of thanks, I focus on what I have to be grateful for. I hope I can say, over the next many months...that I'm grateful that my computer problems didn't return. Only time will tell! Keeping good computer thoughts!!

Pam

PS....I'd love to visit your guild! Click here to see my lecture and workshop offerings.

Retreat to Mill Creek Settlement

2011-11-14T09:55:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been to a quilting retreat? If not, you owe it to yourself to experience the wonderful gift of spending time with your girlfriends, in a beautiful setting, where you can quilt the day (and night) away! If you have, then you know all too well what I'm talking about! And... have I got a place for you to retreat to!!!

About a week ago, my friends and I packed the cars and headed for Wisconsin (the Madison area), to the Mill Creek Settlement Retreat, owned by Theresa & Ross Halverson. What a wonderful time we had at their totally awesome country home! And....I do mean country home!!

This turn-of-the-century house is located on 67 acres of land, situated at the top of a hill, and surrounded by farm fields, livestock barn, chicken coop, and grain silos (although there were no livestock or chickens at the moment!). Theresa & Ross restored the house themselves, where it initially was a Bed & Breakfast, and is now (lucky for us!) a retreat home.

The Halvorsens are very talented at restoration! Their workmanship is masterful, and creative, making the house comfortable, warm, and inviting!

You truly feel like you've taken a step back in time to how the house may have been in the early 1900's.

I'm a Prairie Woman at heart, so I spent a lot of time walking thru the rooms imagining what life would have been like then.

The house is full of antique furniture and fixtures.....

.....along with beautiful reproduction pieces, and country, primitive things from......

.....The Halvorsen's primitives store called Yore Primitives (as in....days of Yore!).

Yore Primitives is located just a short distance from Mill Creek, and you know we all went there and bought lots of goodies for our homes!! It was wonderful!

Theresa has decorated the house with lovely vignettes......

......giving us lots of creative inspirations everywhere you look!

Mill Creek Settlement has five bedooms......

......with enough beds to accomodate 14 retreaters.

There's only one problem.....

.....deciding which of the 14 beds you want to sleep in!

Is this not the lovliest old-fashioned bathroom you've ever seen?

The house also has several sitting rooms where you can read, or chat........

...curl up to watch a movie.....

....or do some stitching.

The work space is large and comfortable with excellent lighting. I brought several UFO's to work on and completed a few. My friends were very productive as well, in between bouts of "Patchwork Sing-a-longs" and other fun activities that I just can't talk about. You know how it is....what happens at the retreat, stays at the retreat! Vegas....eat your heart out!

Some meals are included at Mill Creek Settlement, and the warm, make-yourself-at-home welcome is free of charge! Theresa and Ross made sure we were happy, comfy, and well fed, and we thoroughly enjoyed their company!! We've already booked two return trips next year!

If you'd like to know more about the Mill Creek Settlement Retreat, and/or view pictures and get more information about it, click here! I think when we find good things in life, we need to share them, and Mill Creek is a very good thing!

Thanks for taking the time from your busy day to spend a few minutes with me!

Pam

Faithful Circle & Elizabeth's Prairie Garden ~ Journey Three

2011-11-11T11:54:00.000-06:00

It bears repeating that I thoroughly enjoy reading your comments!! Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to comment these past few weeks. In my last post, I asked about what skill level you look for in a quilting pattern, and found your answers delightful and familiar.

Like so many of you, I love a challenge, and try to expand my quilting horizons each year to learn or make something totally out of my comfort zone. Generally, I look for a more complicated block, but love the easy classics, like a Nine Patch and Churn Dash, just the same. I'm totally a traditional quilter at heart, and enjoy the entire process of piecing, no matter what the block may be.

Getting to the important part of today's post....I give you the winner of the Frontier Foundations pattern! Being that today is 11-11-11....I just had to choose comment number 11...... Lesley!!

Lesley wrote....

Pam, Frontier Foundations is gorgeous. You are so talented! I have been quilting for over 30 years, and would consider myself intermediate skill level...I'm not too willing to create anything new, but I can follow most patterns. I hand quilt, but not very fast so I try to keep a few projects on the go...one to piece, one to quilt, one to embroider, and projects to cut...of course, that just delays me from finishing one, but it keeps life interesting! I would love to win this kit!

Congratulations, Lesley! Please email your address to me and I'll get your kit out to you.

On a side note, I have major computer problems here. Yesterday, I opened my laptop to find that Microsoft Windows 7 did an automatic update to my computer (even though it was completely shut-down!), and in so doing, wiped all of my documents, pictures, EQ drawings, and iTunes completely clean! My computer sits here as if it were brand new and never used with absolutely nothing on it. Needless to say, I'm devastated. (Sob, sob, sob) I know what you're asking....did I have a back-up? Yes, but it's from September (which is waaaayyy better than nothing!) I've been working very hard writing the patterns and shop guide for Journey Three, feeling the pressure to get it done, totally forgetting to back-up all of that work!! A mistake I promise I will never make again. Thankfully, all of the Journey Three patterns were saved to a flash drive!! I took the patterns the printer that way, so those I can install again (Sigh!). Not so lucky for the shop guide, although I did make hard copies of part of it so I could proofread them. That's a little something, too!

The reason I share this with you is two fold....to emplore you to do whatever is necessary to save your work! Don't be so busy that your back-ups are not a priority! (I say this more to me than you, while I shake an index finger at myself!) The other reason is that all of my professional Journey Three quilt photos are gone, too (temporarily - I can get those again!) ....so I quickly took a few pictures with my camera to show you the last two quilts from Journey Three.

Quilt Six ~ Faithful Circle

Faithful Circle is another quilt that features the Churn Dash block. This classic block can really change its look depending on where you place your fabrics, which is so fun! Simple, scrappy, and easy is what I had in mind for this quilt. Like Frontier Foundations, I chose the border fabric first, and then pulled the block fabrics from that palette. You can go crazy with scrapping this quilt up, add lots of Make-do's, or choose to make it from just two colors. Lots of possibilities and a quick quilt to make!!

Elizabeth's Prairie Garden

Elizabeth's Prairie Garden is the bonus project for Journey Three. When last you saw pictures of this quilt, it was waiting for the applique design. After playing with several ideas, I decided on this little flower motif. It doesn't overwhelm the light blooms, and adds "just a little something different" to the quilt, which is exactly what I was looking for! I chose to make the applique flowers with wool for the added texture that wool gives, which I love, and because it's so easy to work with! I chose wool that was not overdyed, and found just the right colors that work beautifully with Civil War reproduction fabrics. You can order a charm pack of these luscious wool colors from my website by clicking here. I'm very happy with how the whole quilt turned out, and smitten for life with hexagons!!

I am very happy with how Journey Three turned out, and thoroughly enjoyed writing six new stories about life for Prairie Women in the 1800's. As soon as I'm able to get the last of my work finished for Journey Three, I'll begin work on Journey Four. I want to thank all of you for your continued support of the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club! Without you, I'd just be stuck in the 21st century dealing with computer problems!!

In my next post, I'll show you the photos of my recent trip to Wisconsin, and a brand new, absolutely wonderful retreat home. (Thankfully, those photos were still in my camera!) Until then, enjoy your weekend, and send me good computer thoughts!

Pam

Frontier Foundations ~ No. Five from Journey Three

2011-11-07T16:37:00.000-06:00

I so enjoy reading all of your comments!! Reading thru them all told me we love our lap and throw sized quilts the very best!! I am in total agreement. You can never have too many throws. Most of you enjoy making the doll size or wall hanging quilts, too. They give us a chance to play with blocks and fabric without a heavy investment of time and money. Since we are drawn to making so many different blocks, and there's a never ending supply of lovely fabric, the doll size quilts seem to be a perfect match!

Please help me congratulate Heather Potts! She's the winner of A Light in the Window quilt kit! Here's Heather's comment....

I love a bed size quilt. I want to be able to wrap myself in it! There is something soothing about being wrapped in a quilt. Heather Potts

Heather is in my own Prairie Women's sewing group at The Quilt Merchant and happens to be one of the founding members! Heather has possibly made all of the PWSC quilts and does a lovely job! (In case you're wondering, my husband, Ed, chose the number for the give-away...so it was all on the up and up I assure you!!)

Quilt Five ~ Frontier Foundations

This little quilt combines two of my favorites....the Odds & Ends block, and that oh-so-wonderful red border print that is one of my all time Judie Rothermel favs!! I had a blast creating this quilt, pulling the block colors from the feature fabric in the border. I think it will be really cute made in two or three colors, and all scrappy fabrics as well. To me, it's just a happy quilt. As with all of the other Journey Three quilts, the block is tiny, but easy to make, and there is an alternate pattern to make the block and quilt larger for those who are looking for that.

This is your last chance to win a Journey Three kit. To enter, please leave me a comment about the hardest difficulty level you feel you can acheive in a quilting pattern. That is to say, generally, would you tackle a beginner, confident beginner, intermediate, or advanced pattern? What is the quilting skill you most want to learn?

Three words about my weekend retreat. OMG! It was just over-the-moon wonderful!! I took gobs of photos. It may take me two postings to show it all to you. I'll be writing about it at the end of the week, so......stay tuned!

A Light in the Window ~ Quilt Four of Journey Three

2011-11-02T11:50:00.000-05:00

What fun it has been to read all of your comments about your favorite color combos! So many of you love red...all girls after my own heart!! While I do so love red, it's not the only color I love, and like you blue, green, and black are among my other favs. Many of you are very fond of cheddar, and I'm really trying to get there! Thanks again for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts.

The winner of the Lockridge Mill quilt kit is.........(drum roll please!)

Sally from Ca....who said....Since it is fall, I enjoy working with a brown and gold combination of colors. I'm making a scrappy one right now, with cheddar thrown in. It kind of depends on what season it is as far as what colors I like to combine. For year round, though, I love red and white. I absolutely love your colors in Lockridge Mill and would love to win the kit!

Congratulations, Sally...please email your address, and I'll get your kit in the mail next week.

A Light in the Window ~ Quilt Four

A Light in the Window combines two more of my favorites......a quilt made of blue and green fabrics, and a Churn Dash block. Playing with the values of the fabrics and putting the blocks on point made this simple quilt a bit more interesting. The blocks are itty bitty, finishing at 3 inches, and cuter than heck. Did you crinkle your nose when you read 3 inches? Not to worry...remember....the pattern now has cutting instructions for a larger size block & quilt!

I so love the combo of blue and green that I decorated my living room with it and I love it very much. For me, it's very restful and soothing.

Our "conversations" about what blocks you like, and what color combos are your favorites, has me thinking about other things I want to ask you. What size quilts do you make most often? Do you like runners, wall hangings, table toppers? Do you make quilts for your bed, or a lap/throw size for your favorite comfy chair? Do you have a preference regarding rectangular quilts, or are square quilts OK, too?

If you're interested in winning a kit for A Light in the Window, comment about all the quilt sizes you prefer. Post your comment by midnight, Sunday, November 6th. I'll announce the winner on Monday.

Tomorrow morning I'm taking off on a road trip, headed for what I call the 'holy land of quilting" (tongue in cheek, of course!) I'll be visiting my favorite away-from-home shops in Illinois & Wisconsin - The Quilter's General Store, J.J. Stitches, and The Country Sampler - and retreating with girlfriends at a brand new retreat destination that looks to be just over-the-moon wonderful! I'm gonna try to post lots of pics on Facebook, so you can follow along with me on my adventures. That is IF Facebook and Wi-Fi Hot Spots cooperate!! Don't worry if you're not on Facebook as I plan to post photos on the blog in the next week or so.

Until then.....enjoy the extra hour of sleep, or use it as a bonus hour of sewing!! And, as always, thanks so much for taking a few moments to visit with me!! Pam

Continuing with Journey Three

2011-10-30T11:02:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment! I loved reading about all of your favorite blocks. It turns out they're mine too, as they were all the traditional blocks with the good 'ol Nine Patch taking the lead as most popular. There's just something about this classic, simplistic block that we all love.

Running very close seconds were any type of star block (who doesn't love stars??!), Four Patch, Churn Dash, Log Cabin, and Basket blocks. I adore basket blocks, too, and have been very enamored with the Odds & Ends block of late (which I used in the 5th quilt for Journey 3). I have to admit that, lately, I'm very drawn to anything that presents a piecing challenge. Some of my friends and I signed up to take a Dear Jane class, and I love that because it combines two of my favorite things....a sampler quilt, and small blocks (finishing to 4.5 inches!). Dear Jane allows me to use a bevy of quilting skills, and the opportunity to learn new ones. For instance, I stitched my first hand pieced Dear Jane block this month. Here's a photo of how it turned out.

Hand piecing is wonderful...not nearly as hard as I had imagined. Not surprising, it's all about the hints and tips that make the job easier, and you get those hints and tips from attending classes!! Never stop taking classes!! (Are you surprised I chose to make a red and light print Dear Jane??)

On to the important news.....the winner of the Windy Hill Farm quilt kit is.........Karen W. who says...

My favorite blocks are the Ohio Star, Churn Dash and 9 Patch. Love, Love, Love Journey 3. Thank you so much for all your hard work and creativity! I look forward to reading your blog every day. Karen W.

Congratulations, Karen W!! I'll send you an email and get your kit out to you right away!!

Quilt 3 ~ Lockridge Mill

I love the simple design of the Lockridge Mill quilt with it's bands of Flying Geese. Like the Nine Patch blocks we love so well, there's something wonderful about how graphic and stunning those triangles are, all "flying in a row". I think this quilt, made large or small, is a "must have" in the collection of a traditional quilter. I really love the border fabric (Cocheco Mills collection by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Bros.) as it looks so very vintage to me, and am very happy with the way it turned out. While I was making this quilt (which took only 3 hours), I thought it would look great made with a variety of scraps too, so I'm sure I'll be making another one. When? Hhmmmm.

Hoping you like the Lockridge Mill quilt with its Flying Geese and red ~ green fabric combination, and if you do, please comment for a chance to win a kit of the exact fabrics I used. Tell me what fabric color combinations you love the most, and post your comment by midnight, Tuesday, November 1st. I'll post the winner on Wednesday and show you quilt number four.

Until then......Pam

P.S. Cathy left a good comment asking for clarification about what the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle is all about. I apologize, Cathy! I get to thinking that everyone already knows! My bad :-(

The PWSC is a monthly club, best experienced at a quilt shop. Each Journey lasts for 6 months and Journey Three is about to be released. While attending the club, you do a little hand sewing of either Yo-yos or hexagons, depending on what Journey the shop is running, receive anecdotal stories about what life was like for American "Prairie Women" in the 1800's, and receive monthly patterns for do-able, affordable quilts that also teach you about Making-Do. Many shops offer the club through the mail. If you would like more information about the club, visit my website, and/or email me for a list of participating shops in your state. Better yet, tell your favorite shop owner about the club. A lot of them don't know anything about it!!

Take a look at Journey Three!!

2011-10-28T09:10:00.003-05:00

At long last!!!!! I am ready to show you the quilts for Journey Three!! It feels soooo good!! (Pardon my over use of exclamation points, but I really needed to do it. Teehee!!)

There are two big changes to Journey Three and I hope you like them.

First, we are changing our hand sewing project from Yo-yos, which I still adore, to hexagons, which I absolutely love!! I wanted to keep things fresh and fun, and boy are those hexagons fun!! To buy a Hexagon Starter kit, including a finished sample hexagon, click here.

Secondly, I am adding alternate sizes for all of the quilts. In my own Prairie Women's group, we talk about how some of us (me included) love small blocks....but not everyone does! I don't want anyone to feel left out, so I decided to offer alternate sizes, giving options. In this way, I hope there's something for everyone.

Quilt One ~ Contrary Wife

We start our Journey with this quilt called Contrary Wife. This is a replica of an antique quilt that I own. I've always loved the reel block and thoroughly enjoyed every moment making this quilt. There are three alternate patterns for the Contrary Wife (two with no applique)! This is the only lap/throw size quilt in the series. The quilting on this quilt is stunning. I can say that 'cause I didn't quilt it!

Quilt Two ~ Windy Hill Farm

I never get tired of the classic double pink and indigo blue fabrics! This is an easy quilt to make featuring our most traditional blocks - the Nine Patch and Pinwheel. I love the motion the

Pinwheels give the quilt without over taking it. I had a great time choosing the fabrics for it, too.

And when I did....I cut a kit one for one lucky quilter to win!!

As promised, it's time for our Journey Three kit contests to begin!!! Yay!!

To enter, leave me a comment about your favorite blocks, and/or your least favorite block, and why. It is very helpful if you include your email address in your comment. Be sure to comment by midnight, Saturday, Oct 29th. I'll choose a winner for the Windy Hill Farm kit (which includes the Windy Hill Farm pattern) on Sunday.

There will be three more kits coming, so visit often!

Good Luck!! Pam

P.S. Lynne Hagmeier and I have received news that our quilting cruise to Alaska is beginning to fill nicely! We'd love for you to join us on The Great Girlfriend Get-Away!! Don't forget to check out our cruise brochure.....click here!

Loving Scrappy Quilts!

2011-10-25T09:29:00.001-05:00

Do you love scrappy quilts? I'm crazy for scrappy quilts! I think it's because I love fabric, and making scrappy quilts gives me the opportunity to include tons of the fabrics I love. It also allows me to play with fabric I'm not so crazy about.....dare I say "ugly" fabric. In the mix of scrappy heaven, you can use an "ug" here and there, and then it's not so bad. I'm trying to warm up to using some of the reproduction standards that I'm not so crazy about, such as poison green, chrome yellow, and cheddar. I've begun using cheddar, although I'm choosing pieces that aren't very bright, prompting my friends to say that, techinically then, it's not cheddar at all. Sigh. I'm trying! I did make a few cheddar, poison green, and chrome yellow hexagons, but in the end, I only used a few of them. Baby steps...OK!

For those of us madly in love with scrap quilts...have I got a book for you!

This awesome book contains patterns for 29 quilts, chosen by the editors of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine as their favorites! There's a wide variety of styles from some of your favorite designers. I'm very partial to many, whom I am very lucky to call my friend, such as Julie Hendricksen of J.J. Stitches, Kathie Holland of Inspired by Antique Quilts, and pal Tara Lynn Darr of Sew Unique Creations! Oh...and I'm very honored to say I have three quilts in this book!!

Many of the patterns in this book were only available in the original magazine issues in which they appeared....until now! That's true for two of my quilts....

Mix It Up, made in 1930's reproduction fabrics, features one of my favorite blocks, Jacob's Ladder. It's such a simple block to piece, and puts on a big show! Depending on how you postion the blocks, you get very fun secondary designs! I'm also very fond of the playful border!

Scattered Leaves made the cover of American Patchwork & Quilting and has remained a favorite of quilters all over the world. It's a favorite for me as well, not only because it was my first "Cover Girl", but also because two of my best friends dug into their fabric stashes and helped me piece this quilt! It wouldn't have been the same scrappy-wonderful without them!

Color Rich is a new version of my quilt Blueberry Pie. The Color Rich version is constructed in the same way, but uses a palette of warm earthy toned fabrics, which are quite lovely! Blueberry Pie, which is also pictured in the book, uses a wide variety of blue fabrics.

So...take my word for it.....if you're a scrap quilt lover, you'll want to add the Better Homes & Gardens Scrappy Quilt book to your library!! Look for it at your favorite quilt shop, or you can order it from me by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by!! Pam

Show-n-Tell from Me!

2011-10-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I wrote about my recent visit to a quilting retreat, and told you how I brought three projects with me - quilts that I've wanted to make for myself, for our home. In other words - no "work" projects for Heartspun Quilts. The truth is, I brought a lot more than three projects....in case somehow I got to sew'n at the speed of light. What could be worse than being at a retreat with all kinds of time to sew and nothin' to work on, right? God forbid. All in all, I was pretty happy with the progress I made with my Tumbler quilt, which is about half way finished now. I have to trace and cut more tumblers before I can finish it, which will take some time. That's ok....I rather like the journey of finding just the right fabrics. I starch and iron the scraps, then while I'm watching TV with the family, I trace and cut them. It's really relaxing. Anyway...I digress.

Both of the quilts I finished in Wisconsin were small quilts. The first one was a quilt I just recently saw in the August 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting, called Sweet Carolina, designed by Annemarie Yohnk (of Quilts Remembered). The moment I saw this quilt I wanted to drop everything and make it NOW! Has this ever happened to you? Well, unfortunately, I couldn't drop everything to make it right then and there, but I didn't have to wait all that long!

Here's how my Sweet Carolina turned out....not bad, right. Well, as I was piecing it together, I began go hate my fabric choices for the pieced and applique stems. The leaves were a good choice, but the other greens were too weak. I placed it on the design wall and began to work on the next project, but the more I looked at it, the stronger my feelings were. I began to voice my concerns to my friends. Actually....I voiced my concerns a lot. I decided I would have to make another one...I just wasn't happy. One of my girlfriends, truthfully I'm not sure which one, suggested that I spray the quilt with Instant Antique spray (by Primitive Gatherings) to darken the fabrics. I thought that was an excellent idea! What did I have to loose? I had already resigned myself to making another one!

We went outside and I laid the quilt on the grass and began to spray....

and spray, and spray, and spray.......

I kept spraying until the fabrics were completely saturated. I let it dry outside a bit and then pressed it with an iron to dry completely.

Here's how it turned out! On the left is the before, and the right is after. The Instant Antiquing spray darkened the greens just enough that I'm very happy with them now. If I wanted to make the fabrics darker still, I only need to repeat the process, and apply the spray again. I thought perhaps you'd like share this experience with me, so if you're ever in the same pickle, you have an option. I know several quilt shop owners, designers and friends who use this product regulary. It's very easy to use and permanent, too. Contact Primitive Gatherings if you'd like to buy Instant Antiquing for yourself.

The second quilt I finished is this little cutie called Stepping Stones, designed by Phyllis Paul of Cozy Quarters. This quilt measures 11 x 14 inches with the blocks finishing at 3 inches. It was such fun to make! I wanted to make it to use in my summertime display of assorted folky strawberries! I love how it turned out. I think I'll try to quilt it myself....or not. We'll see.

Over the weekend, my friends I attended a Feathered Star workshop with world reknown teacher, Marsha McCloskey. This was my first attempt to piece a feathered star. I was able to finished my block before the workshop ended, with 15 minutes to spare, and am very proud of how it turned out. Marsha's techniques were awesome! If you ever have the chance to take a workshop with her, do it!!! You won't be sorry.... I learned so much.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Well, that's it for my non-work show-n-tell. Stay tuned for the big reveal of all of the Journey Three projects. The quilts are on their way back from photography, the cover will be at the printer, and I'm putting the finishing touches on all of the patterns.

Don't forget, there will be several contests to win the pattern and kits

(containing the exact fabrics I used in the

quilts) of some of the Journey Three quilts...so stay tuned!!

And as always....thank you for taking a few moments to visit with me today!
Pam

Visiting Primitive Gatherings Quilt Shop

2011-10-19T05:30:00.001-05:00

A few weekends ago, several of my girlfriends and I visited Lisa Bongean at her guest home, and at her quilt shop, Primitive Gatherings. What a great time we had!! Check out these quilty accomodations!

The house is decorated with lovely touches throughout!

Each guest bedroom has a theme.....

One more lovely than the next!

Knowing just how much hand-stitching Lisa does, it was no surprise that she

outfitted the family room with comfy chairs, perfect for curling into

with a wool project, or for binding a quilt.

With every meal, I became more and more enamored with the quilt on the wall.

It's red-with a house after all! How could I resist??

It was made for Lisa by her employees a few years ago....a Christmas gift.

The pattern (Welcome Home from Blackbird Designs) is no longer available except on eBay,

which is how I found my copy.

It wasn't long after our arrival when we unpacked our projects and got busy sewing.

I packed little quilt projects that have been on my personal to-do list.

In other words, no sewing for work!

One of the projects I brought with me was the little tumbler quilt from Tara's

book Simply Charming. I thought it appropo since Tara was there with me...and since

I've never made a tumbler quilt before, if I ran into problems, she'd be right there

to help me! Coincidentally, guess what project Tara brought to work on?

She's making another tumbler quilt, but with much larger tumblers this time.

I made a whole lot of progress on my little tumbler quilt (on left) and I'm loving how it's turning out.

Tara made a whole lotta progress on her quilt as well, especially when you consider that she

nearly did so with one hand tied behind her back. Notice her left hand is bandaged.

She was recovering from minor surgery....and still produced all of those rows (on right)!!

When we're on a retreat....we're on a mission to power sew!

The tumbler quilt was one of three projects I worked on that weekend. I'll show you the

pictures of the other two in my next post. You'll want to check back with me

because I have an interesting story to tell!

Until then.....feed your soul with the stitches you sew!

Pam

PS...if you haven't looked into cruising to Alaska with Lynne Hagmeier and me

please do by clicking on the Cruise icon at the top of the page!

We'd love for you to join us!

A Visit to Ye Olde Schoolhouse Quilt Shop

2011-10-15T08:17:00.004-05:00

A few weekends ago, my friends and I stopped at Ye Olde Schoolhouse, a wonderful quilt shop in Cedarburg, WI, while on our way to Primitive Gatherings in Menasha. The shop resides in an authentic schoolhouse built in the 1800's and is the perfect setting for loads of fabrics and gorgeous quilts. I thought you'd like to see for yourself just how wonderful the shop is!

Here' shop owner, Jeanie Rudich, who's a real sweetie!

And my shopping pals Karen and Tara Darr (SewUniqueCreations). We found lots of goodies. Check out these pictures...

From there, we made our way to Menasha, where we stayed at Lisa Bongean's guest home, sewing for the weekend, and shopping until we dropped at her quilt shop, Primitive Gatherings. I'll share those photos with you in my next post.

Thanks for stopping by today....Pam

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad.

Hexagon Tutorial ~ Part Four

2011-10-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

Finishing Tips

Now that you've been busy making hexagons, no doubt you have a wonderful assortment and want to begin sewing them together. This was a delightful task for me as it was so very satisfying to play with them. I loved choosing the fabrics I wanted to sew together as I began to see how the quilt would look. Because hexagons are so perfect and precise, they go together like a dream!

Do as I say, not as I do!!

Because I was designing the quilt as I was sewing, the photos will show my progress as I worked on the quilt from the center out....not fun. I knew I wanted to have the five light print blooms in the center but wasn't sure how big I wanted the quilt to be. I had the design in EQ, however, it really didn't help me with a feel for the size. Remember, this is my first hexagon quilt ever! Please, don't start in the middle if you don't have to!! Follow the pattern just as you would read a cross stitch pattern, meaning that you would count how many darks make up a row, sew a row together, then add them to the quilt one row at a time.

As soon as a hexagon has been sewn on all sides, remove the paper. It will make handling the quilt so much easier, especially on your hands! I waited to remove hexagons, and in so doing, made it a lot harder on myself. It was way easier to continue sewing once all of those papers were gone! Just remember...do not remove the papers from the hexagons on the outside edges until you're finished piecing them all together.

Notice how the hexagons on the outside edge are wavy and popping up. This is very normal! This happens because you folded and bent the papers to get them out of your way while sewing.

The center hexagons lay perfectly flat once the papers are removed.

Once the papers have been removed from the outer hexagons, they lay nice and flat as well.

Because of the way I basted all of the seam allowances, they lay perfectly flat. I can tell you that my quilter was very happy about this!! Had we basted thru the papers (ouch) we would have had to remove all of the basting stiches (ugh) to release the papers and.....our seams would have been popping up going in every which direction creating lumps, bumps, and bulk (yuck).

As for finishing the quilt, I added my borders by aligning the border fabric with

the top of the inside row of hexagons. The borders were sewn to the quilt top

and then I removed the top half of the remaining hexagons.

There are many other ways to finish a hexagon quilt. Perhaps we'll get around to trying them all!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Elizabeth's Prairie Garden is the name of my Journey Three hexagon quilt.
It's quilted and I'm now adding the finishing touches. Once it's bound, I
promise to show you how it all turned out!

I sincerely hope you have found this tutorial helpful. Hexagons were intimidating
to me for a very long time. Once I took the plunge, I soon found there was
never any reason to be fearful.
I hope that with these photos, instructions, and hints that you will give English Paper Piecing a try, bringing hexagons into your quilting arsenal!

As promised, I 've added a Hexagon Starter Kit to my website and
assembled the basic tools I recommended in my tutorial.

You can find it on under the Notions tab or
Click here to check it out!

Until next time.....have a great time sewing hexagons and let me know how you're doing!

Pam

The Great Girlfriend Get-Away!!!

2011-10-05T06:00:00.003-05:00

It is my pleasure to announce……

The Great Girlfriend Get-Away Cruise to Alaska!!

I invite you to join me and my dear friend & fellow designer

Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters

on a fun filled quilting cruise to a “bucket list” destination……Alaska!

Sound like fun? We’re planning the cruise of a lifetime filled with good times, fabulous port destinations, gourmet cuisine, and three quilt projects!

š August 19^th ~ 26^th, 2012 ›

Our quilting adventure on Norwegian Cruise Lines will begin in Seattle and we’ll cruise to 5 ports-of-call:

Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan & Victoria, BC!

During our three days at sea, you’ll be sewing three different projects while learning all of the tips, tricks, and hints we can think of to make piecing your projects a breeze!!

š You’ll spend one day at sea with Lynne, piecing her quilt Spare Change, using Kansas Troubles precut fabrics& her unique raw edge applique!

Stillwater Creek Quilt

š Then, you’ll spend a day with me, working on one of my newest quilt designs called Stillwater Creek, made with Indigo blue, bubble gum pink, and sage green prints using the Civil War Reproduction/Prairie Style fabrics we all love! This throw size quilt will be made from a very special, brand new fabric line that isn’t out just yet.

š On the third day, we’ll both be with you for an exclusive Girlfriend project (machine & hand piecing!) that we designed together just for the cruise, using Kansas Troubles fabrics and wool!! We’re working on this design right now, and loving how it’s coming along so far. Stay tuned for more news on this exclusive, special wallhanging project!

We have all kinds of ideas and surprises in store for you while you sail the seas of Glacier Bay and explore the great state of Alaska! So, grab your girlfriends and join us! And….well….if your husband happens to be your cruise partner….we understand. Our husbands didn’t want to miss out on this trip either.

The cost of the trip includes the use of a sewing machine onboard and all three project kits. To see all of the cruise information, click here to download our cruise brochure. Space is very limited….so give those girlfriends a call today!

Want to see Lynne’s quilt Spare Change? Click on over to Lynne’s blog for your first look at her awesome quilt and news about the Girlfriends cruise! And remember….visit our blogs regularly to keep apprised of cruise news thru the year!

Come along with us on

The Great Girlfriend Get-Away

cruise to Alaska! It won’t be the same without you!

Hexagon Tutorial ~ Part Three

2011-10-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

Sewing Hexagons Together

Are you addicted to hexagons yet?

Once you've made a pile of hexies, you can begin to sew them together. I highly recommend that you alternate between making the hexagons and sewing them together so as not to overly stress your hands. Believe me....I speak from experience here!

Ideally, you are striving to make a lot of tiny stitches
that will be unseen on the front of the quilt.

To aid you with this, I recommend using the John James Gold 'N Glide needles (or other thin needle as explained in Part One) and silk thread. Some thoughts about working with silk thread......

It is very thin (therefore more likely it won't be seen on the top) ....rather slippery....and thus slips out from the eye of the needle, all too often making it frustrating to work with. It can have a tendency to twist and knot as well.

But....there are hints to make these issues less of a problem.

* Use Thread Heaven on your silk thread!!! It will give body to the thread and will all but stop it from twisting and knotting.

* There is a way to make a knot at the top of your needle that will stop your thread from coming off! Yes...at the eye of the needle itself! This knot will not catch or cause a problem!! Oh no...it solves this problem beautifully!! (My friend, Tara Darr of Sew Unique Creations , sent me this link - girlfriends are the best!!)

Click here to watch a You Tube video on how to make this awesome knot.

Pin two hexagons right sides together. Bring the needle under the seam allowance

and out at the point on the right side.

Ideally, you are taking your stitches in the fold of the fabric without stitching into the paper.

Pierce the points of the two hexagons to align the corners.

Take two stitches and add a loop knot to secure them.

Whip stitch many tiny stitches as you work your way to the left corner. I add several loop knots as I work my way across. With the knot at the top of the needle now securing the thread, the loop knots securing your stitches, and the pin keeping the two hex's together, you can put your stitching down anytime without it becoming un-done which is kinda nice! (If you prefer to stitch from left to right, you certainly can.)

Remember, your goal is to insert the needle in the fold of the fabric, not in the paper. Inevitably, you will likely pierce the paper from time to time. It won't hurt anything (but dulls your needle quicker) so long as it is close to the top of the paper and the fold.

When you reach the left corner, pierce the two hex points to align them, take two stitches and knot several times to secure.

Here's the results those tiny stitches will give you!

At this point you have several options. If your stitching is complete you can clip your thread and be done. If you have another hexagon to add, you can move your needle over....with basting stitches.....to the next corner. That way, you don't have to cut the thread and knot the needle again....saving some time.

Pin the next hexagon and continue stitching as you did before, matching points, tying loop knots often as you work your way to the left point.

Pierce the left point taking two stitches and knot. Remove the pin.

Two seams sewn.....now for the third seam.

Bend the hexagon on your right side in half (on the left side as well if applicable, and any others that may be in your way). This will help you keep the two hexagons you're sewing nice and straight. (This is the big reason why I like the paper hexagons as opposed to reusable plastic!) Pin them together once they are properly positioned and sew the seam.

Looking pretty good!

Do not remove any papers until all six sides of the hexagon are sewn,
or until you're ready to finish your project.

In my next post, I'll cover the steps to finish your quilt.

I've received many email requests asking me to offer a basic hexagon sewing supply kit on my website. I think this is a great idea! I hope to have this item ready for you in a few days, and will include this information in my next post.

Until next time.....Pam

Hexagon Tutorial ~ Part Two

2011-09-29T04:46:00.000-05:00

Sewing a Hexagon

Now that you have all of your tools ready, we can begin making a hexagon!!

No matter what size hexagon you decided to make, cut a piece of fabric large enough to give yourself a generous 1/4 inch seam allowance! Be sure to punch a hole in your hexagon paper

before you begin stitching.

Pin the paper to your fabric and cut a generous 1/4 inch seam allowance. Err to more seam

allowance than less. It doesn't have to be precise or accurate
at all, so eyeing it is perfectly fine.

A smaller seam allowance can work, but it can turn an easy job into a difficult one.

I didn't start out with these applique pins....with the nice white glass head.

I started with these little applique straight pins. They work, but as time went on they

began to hurt my fingers. I splurged a whole $6 on the better glass head pins.

Money well spent!

I've also seen some people use paper clips instead of pins.

I tried it but decided I liked the pins much better.

Truth be told, you don't need pins, but they really make the job easier,

in my humble opinion. Try these options for yourself and do

whatever works well for you!

Use a single strand of general purpose thread no longer than 18 inches or so.
Run the thread over the Thread Heaven, thread the needle, and tie a knot at the end.
A thread longer than 18 inches will likely just get caught on the pin
and/or the hexagon corners.

Fold the top seam allowance over the paper and mitre fold the seam at the left so it fits the corner snugly. Bring your needle under the seam allowances and up thru the fabric

near the point of the hexagon.

Hints:

*You may find it very helpful to pin the top seam allowance in place. I do this because it makes for a tighter seam and...after making lots and lots of these... releases the stress of holding the fabric from your hands. This gets to be a very real concern! After I made dozens and dozens of hexagons my hands began to hurt from the pressure of holding everything in place. Save yourself the hurt and use the pins!

* Don't bring the first stitch too close to the point of the hexagon because you'll get a wonky dunce-cap kinda point from it. Better to begin a bit lower!

Take two stitches at the top of the seam. With the second stitch,
I catch the loop to make a knot. This will stop the thread from releasing the stitches
so you don't have to constantly maintain pressure on the folded seams.

Bring the needle down a bit further and repeat with two more stitches,

catching the loop on the second stitch as you did before.

Rotate the hexagon and mitre the next seam to the left. Take one or two running
stitches to bring the needle across to the next point. Do not pierce the paper! These basting stitches should be made in the fabric only.

Stitch as before taking two stitches near the top, loop knot, then two more stitches
a bit further down with another loop knot.

Continue until all six seams have been turned. Knot the thread and cut!
You can remove the pin.
I didn't need to use my thimble when making the hexagons, but if your
fingers get sore, you certainly should.

One down.....that wasn't too hard, was it? They are just too cute!

You may feel all thumbs at first, but hang in there!! The thread will get caught on the corners
of the hexagon or the pin. It just will. If you get frustrated, write me a note....I will
sympathize with you! Just keep stitching!

Prepare to become addicted!
(And yes....you can blame it all on me!)

In my next post, I will cover how to stitch the hexagons together.
Happy hexagons! Pam

Hexagon Tutorial ~ Part One

2011-09-26T14:40:00.001-05:00

Hexagon Supplies

I am very happy to report that my hexagon quilt is now in the hands of Ronda, my very talented friend and most excellent quilter. Before I took the quilt top to her, I did take a quick photo so I can show you how it's progressing. Drum roll please...........

PWSC J3 - Elizabeth's Prairie Garden

This is the first project I've ever made using hexagons and I have to say that it is something I know I will do for the rest of my life! Those hexies are sooo cute and addictive!! Nearly every fabric I encounter I think would make into an adorable hexagon, so I have a constant running pile of fabric squares ready to work on. It takes only a few minutes, once you get the hang of making them, and before you know it, you've made enough to begin sewing them together. And.... just as everyone always says, they really are the most portable little project! A small bag of fabric squares, hexagon papers, needle, thread and scissors equates to many hours of sewing time.

So...let's get you started making hexies!

English Paper Piecing

Here are my recommendations for basic supplies:

Fabric swatches, hexagon papers, needles, general 50 or 60 weight sewing thread, silk thread, applique pins, Thread Heaven, thimble, needle threader, and either tweezers or hemostats.

There are lots of opinions about the "right" supplies to use. I will share my favorites with you and why they work well for me. You may have a different choice and that's just fine.

Hexagon Papers
I looked into many of the available template & paper hexagon options and chose to work with pre-cut papers by a company called Paper Pieces. There are many great options here and like so many quilting techniques, all are good....you just have to decide which is the right one for you. I didn't want to spend my time cutting my own papers...I wanted to spend it sewing. I chose to buy mine from Paper Pieces because they came in a wide array of sizes and pieces in the package and are very affordable. When choosing yours, one thing I would make sure of is that you can fold the sewn hexagons in half.  This was crutial for me when piecing them together. More about that later.

Hexagons come in a wide variety of sizes and the size refers to the measurement of one of the six sides of the hexagon, not the width. I chose to work with a 1 inch hex, which measures about 1 3/4 inches across.  The size was large enough so it would be easy to handle and shows a nice amount of fabric. I also punched a hole in the center of my hexagons (before sewing them) so it would be easier to remove the papers when it was time....glad I did that, too! Paper hexagons are available at your local quilt shop and at http://www.paperpieces.com/

Fabric
It's no surprise that you'll want to use 100% cotton fabrics, but depending on the size of the hexagon you're making, and the project itself, you may want to choose certain types of prints. If you're making really small hexagons, then you'll want to choose small prints. When making my quilt, I stayed away from tone-on-tones that read one color and looked for fabrics that had a cute print or multiple colors. If I were making a large super scrappy quilt, then I'd probably use anything and everything.

Regular readers of my blog know that I love to starch my fabrics before cutting them, but I don't recommend using starched fabric when piecing hexagons. I did piece several with starched fabric and it was harder to push the needle through the fabric. Not so bad when you're sewing one or two, but awful when sewing a couple of hundred! I got great results without the starch.

Thread
I recommend using two different threads - one for making the hexagon and a different one for piecing them together.

When sewing your hexagon around the paper, use any regular or unwanted (rarely used color, etc) 50 or 60 weight thread! All you're doing is basting the fabric to the paper (thus takingon the hexagon shape) so the thread will never be seen. It won't be removed either. So...empty your bobbins, use odd colors, buy whats on sale.

When sewing your hexagons together, I highly recommend using silk thread. Silk thread is strong and very thin. Your stitches sink into the fabric and are nearly invisible. This is very important as you don't want your stitches to be seen on your quilt top. I use it for needle-turn applique as well. I like using YLI silk thread (although there are many good brands out there) and have it in two colors, although it's available in a variety of colors, but I don't think it's necessary to purchase lots colors. My favorite colors are taupe #235 and black # BLK. I pieced all of my hexs together using just the taupe color and it worked just fine. Silk threads are a bit pricey, however, a spool lasts a long time. For example, I made 72 needle-turn basket blocks and pieced more than 200 hexagons before I emptied one spool. There are some pitfalls to be aware of when sewing with silk thread and I'll help you thru those in future posts.

Use a single strand of thread when sewing the hexagons around the paper and when piecing them together.

Needles
When you're sewing the hexagon around the paper, use whatever needle feels comfortable to you. At this point it's not as important to pick a particular needle. For general use, my favorite needle is an embroidery needle, size 8, by Piecemaker.

When sewing your hexs together, it's very important to have the proper needle. Choose a small needle (small in diameter not necessarily length) that will pierce a small hole for tiny stitches and work well with the silk thread. There are many types that will do this.... straw needles, milliners needles, and my personal favorite.... an applique needle, size 10 Gold'nGlide (gold eye) by John James. Try them until you find the right one for you!

Once you find a needle you like, I do recommend buying a package or two because your needles dull from use against the papers. You'll notice when it's a bit of a struggle to sew and you'll want a new sharp needle.

Thread Heaven
Thread Heaven is a wonderful helper with any type of thread. (It's the little blue square in the photo.) It's filled with a substance that coats your thread so it's less likely to knot and tangle. I use it on most every type of thread, but it's very important to use it for the silk thread which wants to twist and tangle more than cotton thread. I've never had a problem with silk threads tangling since using Thread Heaven. It's very inexpensive (about $4) and lasts a very long time.

Applique Pins
These pins are very short pins made to stay out of your way when appliqueing. You can use a regular size pin when sewing your hexagon around the paper, but the shorter applique pins lessen the chance your thread will become hooked on it.  Another inexpensive tool that will last many years!

Thimble
I'm not a person who sews with a thimble very often, but I guarantee you will need a thimble when piecing the hexs together!! I tried sewing without one for awhile and had a nice hole in my finger to show for it. Invest in a comfortable thimble. That doesn't necessarily mean lots of money. My favorite (and only) thimble is the leather one shown in the photo (the other one is an antique). It's soft, nicely broken in and costs around $5.

Needle Threader
This is an optional notion. Technically, you don't need to have one, although you probably have several lying around. We will use this when I show you a great hint about working with silk thread.

Tweezers or Hemostats
We'll use either of these to easily remove the papers from our hexagons.

Gather your supplies and get ready for my next post where I will teach you how to sew the fabric around the hexagon. Please ask for all of these supplies at your favorite quilt shop! They are usually happy to order whatever items you need.

If you have an alternate method of making hexagons and would like to share your technique or a favorite notion or hint/tip you use when making hexs, I invite you to leave a comment! That way, we can all share in your knowledge!

Oh....and one more thing.....my hexagon quilt isn't quite finished! No, I'm not talking about the quilting! I'll still be adding a thing or two, so stay tuned and thank you for visiting with me today. The next step in making hexagons is coming soon.

Pam

Subscribe by Email!

2011-09-22T08:14:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say that you can now subscribe to my blog via email! Just add your email address in the box to the right where it says - Follow by Email - and you'll receive my posts in your email inbox! It's that easy!!

As of this morning, I have four more hexagons to sew to the quilt center!!!! I have errands to run today....you know the exciting kind....post office, dry cleaner, grocery store (I may sneak a stop at Starbucks for my favorite drink - Cinnamon Dolce Latte....yum!). When I get home, I'll sew those last four hex's and do a happy dance!!! I'll have to choose the border fabric, sew it on, then off to the quilter! I look forward to that moment (sigh) as I'm really happy with how it has turned out!

Hope you get some stitching time today! Pam

Designing by Day ~ Hexagons by Night

2011-09-20T08:50:00.001-05:00

Hello to all my quilty friends!

I need to fill you in on what's been cooking here in my studio. I've been working on a lot of projects these last couple of months. Four major projects that have all had September or October deadlines. All are very exciting, and yet very frustrating because I've been sworn to secrecy! Now... I can keep a secret, no doubt about that, but that doesn't mean I want to! I think about what I want to write in my blog all the time. I'm busy doing these fun and exciting things, yet I can't tell you about them right now! So frustrating! I will have loads of fun stuff to write about soon....some of my news I can share with you in the spring, but what about now? The reason I'm sharing all of this with you is to...well.....explain why I haven't been more of a chatty Cathy. I've been designing all kinds of things by day, and working on my hexagon quilt at night.

Speaking of the hexagon quilt, I really thought I'd be finished by now. It's holding up the release of Journey Three! I have one more round of hex's to stitch....then I can work to complete the quilt, and so that's what I will be doing today. I picked up a new audio book from the library yesterday so I'd have something good to listen to while I'm sewing and a stitchin'. I just have to have this quilt finished in the next few days!!

You have all been very patient, too! Hanging in there with me while I try to get all of this stuff done for Journey Three. The minute the hex quilt is finished, I'll take a photo.....not a teaser photo....a photo of the whole quilt and post it. Then, as the other quilts are bound, I'll show ya those too!

Every hard working quilter needs some time away with friends, don't ya think? Well, this quilter is looking forward to going on a retreat!! Next week, I'll be headed to the retreat at Primitive Gatherings, Lisa Bongean's shop, along with my designer pal Tara Lynn Darr of Sew Unique Creations, and several other of our best quilting buddies. We'll be shop hopping along the way, too! Now that my iPad is up and working for blogging, that means that I can share all kinds of goodies with you. Hey, maybe there will be a photo from one of the shops of a project that grabs your heart? No...that's not a bad thing, that's a good thing!!

Well....I'd better get started with my hexagon quilt. It's been nice spending a few minutes with you! I hope you enjoy your day.....Pam

My Favorite Red Fabric!!

2011-09-12T10:29:00.000-05:00

Do you remember when I talked about this lovely blue fabric and that it's one of my all time favorite fabrics ever?

And how I knew it came in red, and I didn't think I had any until......

I found that indeed I owned it and forgot!

I vowed I'd use it in a quilt for Journey Three.....and I did!!

Here's your last preview of a quilt for Journey Three.

The red print will be a border, blue print is sashing, and the light is the background.

The blocks are made from an assortment of blues....

....reds.....

.....greens......

....and butternut golden browns.

Just what did I make with my fabrics?

For many months I've been making lots of hexagons? I mentioned this in a prior post

when I was talking about managing my stash and how I love to display the hexagons

where I can enjoy them as I work to make enough for the quilt.

They are so cute and soooooo addicting. In Journey One & Two, we've been hand piecing Yo-yos and the bonus projects have used the Yo-yo's we've made. Well....changes are coming in

Journey Three! Hexagons will replace Yo-yos!! I'm so excited!! I've been having such fun

making hexagons. Lots of hexagons! When I look at a fabric I can't help but think about

whatit will look like as a hex. Just whip one up! If you love fabric, then you'll love making

hexagons from them! Very soon, I will have a complete tutorial on how to make a

hexagon sewn the English paper piecing way. I have designed a small quilt using the

hexagons as the bonus project for Journey Three. I've been working on it

in the evenings and I'm almost finished. I can hardly wait to show you!

Until next time.....feed your soul with the stitches you sew!

Pam

Safely Back Home

2011-09-07T17:26:00.000-05:00

Well, our trip to San Francisco has come to an end. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. The highlight was our hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley - a thrilling first time for us both! Now, of course, it's time to settle back into our daily routines.

I wanted to share another Journey Three sneak peek with you! I love the combination of blues with greens.....here are the fabrics I chose.

These are all of the fabrics I used in my quilt.

The border is the navy with little green leafy twigs on it. Love that fabric!!

Also.....a better look at the assorted lights.

The green background fabric in the photo is for a little border and setting squares, along with a close-up

of the blue prints I used.

Then....the green prints.

And just what did I make using these fabrics?

I'm getting ever closer to revealing all of the new projects for Journey Three.

All of the quilts have been pieced and are being quilted, bound and photographed.

Once they are all done, I can begin to show them to you. Believe me, I

can hardly wait!!

I'll give you another sneak peek in my next post.

Here's another tid bit......during the big reveal, I have a kit for nearly

every Journey Three quilt and will be raffling them off,so please

hang in there with me and stay tuned!!

Thanks for taking a moment to be with me today!

Pam

Laci's of Berkeley, CA

2011-09-04T11:41:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning, we set out to visit Laci's located in Berkeley, CA. I heard about Laci's many years ago and once I knew I was coming to the bay area again, I just had to check it out.

Laci's boasts a huge inventory of lace making supplies from all over the world. They also have a museum with rotating exhibits on a wide variety of subjects from vintage lace, ribbons, nineteenth century foundation garments and dresses, and sewing tools. Unfortunately, the museum was not open
as they were in-between exhibits. That didn't matter...they had tons of good stuff there. Since I don't work with lace, my attention went to the vintage sewing items which were so fun to look at and admire.

They had a wonderful library of all kinds of pattern books and informational books on every subject related to needlework. Here's a look at the books I found.

You can visit Laci's for yourself at www.Lacis.com. Guess what? I posted this from my iPad! Feeling like I'm the Geek of the World!!!!

Location:Stevens Creek Blvd,Santa Clara,United States

San Francisco

2011-09-03T20:47:00.001-05:00

On Friday, I stepped away from my everyday life for a few days to get some rest, have some fun, and visit my favorite American city, San Francisco! We rode the cable car to Fisherman's Warf, the went on to Napa Valley where we enjoyed a dinner on the Wine Train which travels thru the Napa Valley vineyards....wonderful!

Serendipity struck yesterday morning when my hubby and I were dining at a local breakfast spot downtown, when who got seated next to us but my cousin Pennie and her husband, Dave! They live in southern California and we don't get to see each other very often. We had no idea they were coming to San Francisco and they didn't know we were either. We were and are still stunned that we not only ended up in the same city, but in the same area of the city, with hotels one block apart, eating at the same restaurant at the table next to us!! It's truly a small world!! They joined us on the cable car and our visit to the warf. So fun!

I plan on visiting Laci's - a shop in Berkeley that I heard of many years ago that specializes in vintage fabrics, laces and antique sewing tools. I'll let you know what I find.

I am still struggling to post to my blog using my iPad which is the whole reason I bought one. I am determined to get it working! In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying the long Labor Day weekend doing something you love.

Thanks for stopping by....Pam

Words to Live By

2011-08-29T10:54:00.001-05:00

Several times, I've posted about my wish for more hours in a day, more time to do the things I need to do, and more to the point, want to do. I know I share this wish with many of you. We all have busy lives.

When we think of the people who lived in the nineteenth century, we think they had simple lives, and perhaps they did, but I'm certain they were busy, too! From sun up to sun down they worked farming, caring for live stock, growing and preserving food, making bread, hauling water, washing clothes, keeping house, and caring for one another. I suppose that list is a simpler one than the one we have.

Our modern conveniences have allowed us to turn a faucet for water, load the dishwasher, push a button to dry our clothes and ride a lawn mower, not to mention walking into a grocery store to choose from the food not only in and out of our own season, but from the world over. Those tasks are much simpler that our ancestors....and yet, we are decidedly as busy. There just never seems to enough time to do all of the things we want and need to do.

I subscribe to a wonderful magazine called A Simple Life , which focuses on American life in the nineteenth century. You know how I love reading about this time period! I was struck by the note inside, written by publisher/editor Jill Peterson, about her busy life publishing a magazine, always looking to the future for content in upcoming issues. Jill writes "often times if we are thinking of the next task, the next event in our lives, we rush through our days thinking....when that is done, or this is over, I will...... Suddenly that event is over and we are immediately looking at the next trial. One day we look up and we are another year older and time just passed us by."

Sound familiar?

Jill goes on to write " we must try not to let our days become so busy and full that we forget how precious and fragile our days are, and how one day they will all be gone. Don't allow yourself a missed opportunity that each day has to offer by rushing through time trying to accomplish the next task on your list. Each day may bring about an opportunity that only comes around once and then is irreplaceable."

I'm gonna try to keep Jill's words in my heart. I'm happy to have the opportunities I have coming my way, lucky to have work I love, a full life with my family and friends, and yes, lucky for a busy life. I haven't been bored since 1985 and grateful for it! Still...we all need to take time to smell the roses.

Look for copies of A Simple Life at your local quilt shop and book seller!

Thank you for taking a few moments in your busy life to visit with me!

Pam

A Little Time to Play

2011-08-24T17:55:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I took a bit time for myself to play with this little quilting sensation called the Lil' Twister. The template was designed by Marcia Bergren and there's been a bevy of fun quilts made in a variety of arrangements. While I admired the quilts I saw, I wasn't moved to make one until I saw this little cutie!

Primitive Pinwheels made by Susan Laity Price

This 1930's quilt was made by Susan in my Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club. She brought it for show-n-tell and I was instantly smitten. The pinwheels are 2 1/2 inches. Love those tiny blocks.

It's not only the size of the pinwheel....the layout really got me!

So, I set about making two identical quilts.... one for myself and one for a friend.

Here's how the first stage looks......

....and here's the finished quilt.

Same quilt, different fabrics. Oh, and it can be made smaller, too! The Lil' Twister templates and patterns are available all over the place. To make this quilt, you will need Susan's instructions, which are included free with the purchase of the Primitive Pinwheels pattern by Primitive Gatherings. Susan's instructions are available free, but only from The Quilt Merchant, in Winfield, IL with the purchase of the pattern. Click here to go to The Quilt Merchant's website.

It was loads of fun to make! Have you made a quilt using the Lil' Twister?

Thank you for dropping by! Pam

The Kentucky Quilt Project Documentary

2011-08-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

Celine Perkins, of Perkins Dry Goods, recently blogged about a wonderful new documentary, created by Shelly Zegart, called Why Quilts Matter; History, Art & Politics. I watched the trailer for the documentary and was nearly moved to tears. It promises to be a very meaningful film, telling a national audience what quilting means to us all, the many reasons why we make quilts, and their intrinsic value to our communities and country far beyond keeping our families warm at night.

Click here to see the trailer and learn more about the Why Quilts Matter documentary, and when it will air on PBS.

Just had to share this with all of you. It's a good thing! And remember.....to assure this truly American art form lives on.....each one must teach one!

Pam

The Sewing Gathering

2011-08-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of getting together at The Quilt Merchant for a day of sewing with the ladies from my own Prairie Women's Sewing Circle group. It wasn't a work day for me (not that any of them feel like 'work') but a day to sew and enjoy their company. We are in between Journey Two and Three and thought it would be a fine idea to get together to catch up on our projects!

We worked on Journey projects as well as other UFOs.

Did some hand stitching.....

....and some by machine! Gotta love those Featherweights!

Sharon J (left) and Sharon C (right) with Heartland Crossing.

This group of ladies are a very talented bunch! The quilt in the photo above is Sharon C's version of the Heartland Crossing quilt (Journey One). Sharon chose to make her quilt

smaller and added a different pieced border. We all loved her interpretation!

Prairie Huswyfe ~ Journey Two

Some of the ladies wowed me with a bevy of show-n-tells. They have been hard at work.

I asked them for permission to take photos to share with you.

Scraps from Home ~ Journey One

Mill Girls ~ Journey Two

Seneca Falls ~ Journey One

Sewing with quilting friends is one of my favorite things to do. When you have time

to spend together doing what you love, something wonderful always happens!

We shared all kinds of ideas, of new-found things in the quilting world,

gave encouragement and inspired one another. What could be better?

I hope you have a chance to gather together, just as the Prairie women did,

and share the unique bond we have with other quilters.

It does such good for the soul!

Iowa Fun

2011-08-16T07:53:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, I traveled to Des Moines, IA for a bit of R&R time with my pal, Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles. As you know, Lynne lives in Kansas, and I live in Illinois, and Des Moines is the half way point between us. As often as time allows, we try to meet for that oh-so-valuable girlfriend time.

One of our favorite things to do is to go antiquing. We spent a few hours scouring thru booths to see what treasures awaited.

We were successful, both finding antique quilts for design inspiration, and along the way, we also came upon two really neat sewing related antiques I thought you'd enjoy as well.

This spool cabinet was a merchant display for Corticelli threads, a brand I'd never heard

of before. It was in wonderful shape!

The front threads stood vertically making for a very attractive display behind the glass while the thread inventory lay horizontally in all those little divots. So cool!!

Neither of us had ever seen a Clarks spool cabinet like this one! How awesome is this?

The threads were inserted in the top of the display and rolled down those channels, much like a soda vending machine.

At the bottom, you slide the little roll-top-style doors upward to choose your thread. How great is that?!! The workmanship on these spool cabinets is unbelieveable!! We thought both of these spool cabinets would make the best end tables......and we were very tempted......until we saw the price tags. $2,195 each. OK....we can admire them and be happy!

Antiquing isn't the only thing we did while visiting Iowa. Besides staying up late gabbing, and enjoying great food, we did log some serious sewing time. I worked on a magazine submission project, and Lynne literally whipped up a lap-sized quilt in less than a day. Really! I was a first-hand witness to this marvel. She made it from her new Flannel Days collection.

This flannel is oh-so-soft and wonderful! If only the photo could convey just how luscious this feels!

Well, you'll have to take my word for it. Anyway......

Lynne cut and pieced this quilt, called Puzzled, in just a few hours! If you need a quick quilt for any reason, this is just what you're looking for! And here's the best part.....for a very limited time, the pattern is free with the purchase of a kit ($50)! To find out all of the details, click here.

I returned home full of creative inspiration, renewed energy, and a deep sense of well being in large part because of Lynne. She is an awesome friend.... a kindred spirit - which is so rare. I am blessed with a wonderful family. Twice blessed with the best friends a girl could ask for! We're already working to make plans to get together again soon.

Hope you have the chance to spend time with the great people in your life, too! Pam

WANTED: 6 More Hours A Day!

2011-08-15T09:49:00.000-05:00

Please excuse my very long absence, Dear Reader! I hesitate to give you the reason for not posting regularly of late because I'll sound like a broken record.....but it's the truth none the less......TIME! "Life" kept getting in the way of a lot of things. Oh how I wish for more time in a day, a week, a lifetime. Hoping you'll forgive me as I'm almost certain you can empathize!

As I look back to my last post, we enjoyed some of the new fabrics coming soon from Marcus Brothers. Today, I want to finish up with two new collections coming from Windham.

Indigo by Windham

First, take a look at Indigo. These lovely prints in blues and neutrals will be a wonderful addition to your collection. I so love making two-color quilts and there's some real winners here, don't ya think?

To see the full collection click here!

General's Wives by Nancy Gere for Windham

These are the fabrics from the General's Wives collection designed by Nancy Gere. I have been a fan of Nancy's collections for a long time and she has done it again! They sure do have that classic vintage look, don't they?

Truth be told, there are a couple of prints missing from the photos as I've already used them in a two of new Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club ~ Journey Three quilts. They were so perfect for what I needed! I want to buy yardage of quite a few of them, and anxiously await their arrival at my local quilt shop. Perhaps you'll see a few you can't live without, too! To see the entire line of the General's Wives click here.

Last week, I met my dear pal, Lynne Hagmeier (Kansas Troubles Quilters), in Iowa to sew a bit and spend some good girlfriend time together eating, antiquing, and catching up. I took some fun pictures and I'll share them with you in my next post. I promise it won't take me as long to post again!

Thank you for visiting with me (and for not giving up on me!) ......Pam

New Collections from Marcus Fabrics!

2011-08-03T14:18:00.000-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how many new and wonderful fabrics

are created in a year's time. If we only had money to buy them all

and a space big enough to give them all a home!

A girl sure can wish!

I recently received fabric samples of some of the new upcoming lines and wanted to share

these collections with you. Perhaps some of these fabrics will make their way into your stash!

First up are the fabrics from a new collection by Judie Rothermel called

Civil War Journals. I super sized the photos so you can get a good look

at these lovely prints.

Sorry that the pictures aren't all the same size. I just wanted them to be as big as they could be so you could really see the prints.

Civil War Journals will also be offered as a Block of the Month created by the talented ladies

of Homestead Hearth. To see the BOM click here. The fabrics will be available

in November.

Next up are the fabrics from Judie's new collection, Nineteenth Century Backgrounds.

These fabrics are in stores now. If you love shirtings, don't miss this collection!

****************************************

These luscious fabrics were designed by Paula Barnes for her new collection

called Country Manor.

I don't know about you, but I'm lovin' some of these prints - big time!!

Country Manor is due out in October.

***********************************************

Admittedly, I saved my favorite collection for last.....Paula Barnes' Cotton Club.

Why is it my favorite?? It has R-E-D in the collection!!

Red and lovely browns, too.

Mary Ellen Robison & Paula Barnes of Bonnie Blue Quilts

You may remember that I raved about the Cotton Club quilt in May when we were at Quilt Market. This quilt is so gorgeous, so unbelievable in person,

you can't help but have to have it! I love Blocks of the Month, and like you, am too

busy to make them all, so I've tried to resist. But sometimes.....

a quilt just grabs you.....ya know? This quilt grabbed me, alright!

And I'm smiling all the way!

Here's a super-sized look at the wonderful fabrics of the Cotton Club collection.

Click here to see the Cotton Club BOM......or better yet, ask for it at your favorite quilt shop!

The collection is due out in September.

You really must see all of these collections and prints in person. Even super-sized,

photos just don't do them justice. There are plenty of fabrics from these

collections that I will be wanting to buy lots more of.....and the creative wheels are

working overtime inspiring me to make new quilts. The wide variety of prints among

the collections will undoubtedly create gorgeous quilts and I can hardly wait

to begin piecing with them!

A big, giant THANK YOU to the folks at

Marcus Fabrics for their generosity.

I hope these fabrics will inspire the creativity in you as well.

Thanks for visiting with me today!

Pam

Fabric Interruptus

2011-08-01T15:53:00.000-05:00

I know I promised everyone that I'd be posting photos of the new, yummy fabrics I received from Windham and Marcus Brothers, but have had a few things derail my day today and won't be able to post the photos as I had planned. I'm sooooo sorry!!! I will post them the very first chance I have.

Stay tuned....sorry for any inconvenience!! Pam

A Fun Fabric Week!

2011-07-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, I posted about how I love red fabric and showed you the fabrics I chose

for a new quilt for the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle ~ Journey Three.

I had a great time making that quilt and am over the moon happy with how it turned out!!

I can't wait to show it to you, and oh.... I hate to tease you, but

must ask you to bear with me for the big reveal coming in September.

Now, I don't want to be a big meanie....after all.... don't I have the words "Be Kind"

at the top of this page??!! So, here's a hint of what's in the quilt....

When I went stash diving last week, I pulled fabrics for four quilts altogether. What fun!!

I'm on to the next quilt which will be a bit scrappier.

Here's a look at the fabrics I chose for this quilt.

Another reason I had a fun fabric week is because I received two boxes of new,

upcoming fabric collections....coming soon to a quilt shop near you!

One box was from Marcus Brothers, and the other was from Windham!!

I'll post photos of these luscious fabric lines on Monday.

Until then, I hope you can escape the summer heat, but feel warm and wonderful

playing with fabric over the weekend!

Thanks so much for visiting!! You all keep me going!!

Pam

Madly in love with Red

2011-07-26T09:19:00.000-05:00

If I were a famous painter, someday the world would look upon this era in my life

as my "red" period. I'm truly, madly, deeply in love with red fabrics.

I love almost every red piece of fabric I find and I have no idea why this is happening.

I don't question it....I just buy it! Teehee!!

That doesn't mean that red quilts are all I want to make....I just want more of them.

During my recent stash invasion, I pulled fabrics for several quilts. These are the

fabrics I'm using in a new Prairie Women's Sewing Circle ~ Journey Three quilt.

I blame it all on the red fabric at the bottom of the photo. It's from the Cocheco Mills I collection by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabrics and I think it's divine!!

I wanted to use that fabric and designed the rest of the quilt around it.

I hope I've picqued your interest a bit. You'll see the finished quilt sometime

in September along with all of the new Journey Three projects.

Sewing this little quilt is what I'll be doing today.

I hope you're doing something you enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by to visit! Pam

Stash Diving

2011-07-22T13:50:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I mentioned that I was about to embark on a serious digging expedition into my stash to choose fabrics for several upcoming projects. Well, I did just that. For two days, I scoured my stash making quite a mess. My son came to talk with me, and standing at my sewing room door, gasped at the sight of me and my creative fabric mess, asking me "exactly what happened in here? Is this what you wanted or did something terrible happen?" As you know, he's now a firefighter trained to look at disaster scenes, and I think he thought it was death-by-fabric. (What a way to go!) With a big smile on my face, I answered that all was well, and that I was quite fine and very happy. Has this happened to you, too? I wasn't brave enough to take a photo of the scene Ryan witnessed, but here's a picture of the my ordered, neatly stacked stash ready to go back into the closet. (One of my favorite quilts hangs on the design wall.....Union Sampler, design by my friend, Evonne Cook of Clothesline Quilts.)

Non-fabric lovers just don't see the love! I probably spent a lot more time digging than I needed to, but I enjoyed the time I spent, getting reacquainted with some fabric pieces I've forgotten about. Then, there are those fabrics that you are madly in love with.....that will always be among your all-time favorites. Perhaps you bought a fat quarter, brought it home and thought ...gee...this is really wonderful! I think I need more of this....so you go and buy yardage - enough to last your lifetime because you never want to run out. I confess....I do this. NOT ALOT, but I do.

So....there's this fabric, you see...I really love it. I have it in blue and love it in blue. It also came in red. I bought lots of the blue. I pine for the red....I adore red fabrics & red quilts. I want to make everything from red fabric....but I digress. Every time I go to design something on EQ, I choose that red print for a border (at least I own a digital picture of it!) I torture myself with this fabric, because I love it so much, and have none! I'd hate to confess how many years I've pined for this fabric. (Perhaps I shouldn't be confessing that I pine for fabric at all! Oh well...I do!) It's several years old and long gone. A dear designer friend used this red fabric in one of her scrappy quilts. Oh, it was so lovely....could she spare a scrap? Don't go there....I told myself....a quilter's stash is sacred!!

York County by J. Rothermel for Marcus

Well....guess what? While emptying my stash closet I made the most amazing discovery!

I don't remember buying this fabric and here I've owned it all along. DUH! And...I own yards of it!! Yahoo!!!! Where had it been hiding all of this time? Well, I had pulled it along with several other "favorite reds" for a quilt I intended to make several years ago and set it off to the side. In the meantime, new purchases (just a few) were stacked on top, in front, and buried my favorite red, and I forgot about it.

Guess what fabric is going to be the border on one my new projects?!!! Maybe now, I'll get it out of my system and move on. Geesh, Pam....nothing like being obsessed!

Tomorrow, Saturday, July 23rd, I'm going to be at the Countryside Village shop in Braidwood, IL. Please come and visit the shop and say hello if you have time. I'll be there from 10am to 1pm and we'd love for you to stop in the shop, browse all of the shop goodies, and the fabrics of course! I'll be giving my lecture, Making-Do ~ Honoring our Quilting Heritage, all about the history of Making-Do in quilting, and will be bringing all of my antique Make-Do quilts with me!

I hope to see you there! Thanks for visiting with me today....Pam

A Weekend Away

2011-07-19T08:36:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed a wonderful weekend away from home with a bunch of terrific ladies at Farm Fest, the summer quilting retreat sponsored by The Quilter's General Store in Rockford, IL.

This year's theme was "Camp WannaQuilt" and boy, did we quilt!

Several quilters produced finished quilt tops before they went home!

Everyone accomplished so much... it could be because we were fed so well.

After all, you need energy to quilt! We didn't want for anything.

Shop owner, Deb Peterson, always serves

the most yummy meals and goodies and takes great care of us.

I've made many friends over the years that I've traveled to teach

at The Quilter's General Store, and love seeing them when we

reunite at Farm Fest each summer.

Isn't it the best way to spend a weekend, catching up with everyone,

sharing stories, and learning new things? I had a great time!

Deb has a large group of Prairie Women in her club. Some of the ladies brought

show-n-tell for me that I want to share with you!

Heartland Crossing - Journey One

Mrs. Olson's Hatbox ~ Journey One

Scraps from Home ~ Journey One

Heartland Crossing ~ Journey One

The Quilting Gathering ~ Journey Two

Prairie Huswyfe ~ Journey Two

Practice What I Preach ~ Heartspun Quilts Hints Book

Today, I will be digging deep into my stash, pulling the fabrics I want to use for several

new quilts. I love choosing fabrics! I'll have my EQ drawings pinned to my design wall for inspiration and I'll play my "prairie" music....it really takes me to the 1800's and just sets the perfect mood while I go thru piles and piles of fabric,

sorting and digging until I find just the right pieces!

Maybe I'll be brave and take a few pictures of my creative mess.

Stay tuned and I hope you have wonderful day away from this scortching summer heat!

Pam

Very Berry Delicious!

2011-07-12T06:45:00.000-05:00

My heartfelt thanks to Pat Sloan and everyone at

American Patchwork & Quilting magazine for inviting me on

the radio show yesterday! It was great fun!

Also, thanks to all of you, my quilty friends,

who tuned in and listened, and

for the many, many emails I received afterwards!

Your kind words and encouragement always touch me more than you know!

Beginning Friday, I'll be teaching at

Farm Fest, hosted by The Quilter's General Store

in Rockford, IL. There are still a few spots open and it's

not too late to sign up! We'd love to have you join us.

I'll take pictures and post about it next week.

But....for now, I just had to share this with you!

Summer brings my favorite fruits in plentiful supply....

Berries! I just can't get enough of them, and

when the prices fall, they're even better!

Very Berry Fruit Pie

This pie is so easy and so super delicious,

I just had to share the recipe with you.

It's loaded with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries & raspberries.

The beauty is that you can mix and match your favorites.

Click here for the recipe.

Thanks for stopping by! Pam