Let's Talk About Making Do!

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without

As creator of the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle, I spend a lot of time reading and thinking about life in the nineteenth century.  The phrase shown above can be applied to many aspects of the lifestyle of those who lived in America long ago (early American life).... and not so long ago (WWI & II for instance).  It has a lot to teach us in today's world too, but it's the impact this lifestyle had on antique quilts that so intrigues me.



As many of you know, I am passionate about Make-Do quilts!  (Truth be told, that's an under statement.)  I'm on a mission to educate the quilting public about Making-do, to share my love affair for the old Make-do quilts, and encourage you to "make-do" as well.  But first, you have to know what a Make-do quilt is!

There is a difference between a scrappy quilt and a Make-Do quilt.  A scrappy quilt can have Make-Do elements in it, but for it to truly be a Make-do quilt you should be able to spot a theme within the quilt's design.  The theme indicates there was an ordered plan to the quilt in color, fabric(s), blocks etc, and for many reasons, the quiltmaker had to deviate from the theme and "make-do" with what fabric she had available to finish the quilt. 



As we look at this antique doll quilt, we can easily spot the theme.... simple Four Patch blocks made of dark blue and pink patches.  Yes, it's also a scrappy quilt using many fabrics, but you do see the theme in the color. The two Make-do blocks are also easy to spot.  I'm fairly certain that the quiltmaker would have preferred to make all of her Four Patches with the dark blue and pink fabrics, but she substituted......Made-do....with the light blue in place of the pink within two blocks.  What about the red binding?  I love the red binding!  If you were making this pink and blue quilt today would you have chosen red fabric for the binding?  Probably not....because we are so used to coordinating everything...but the red binding is wonderful on this quilt.  That begs the question....was the binding a Make-Do or was it her choice?  Remembering that beauty is in the eye of the beholder....often we can only speculate about Making-do.

Why am I so passionate about Make-Do quilts?  The reason is very simple.  As quilters, we love a quilt pattern or block...it stirs our creativity and we want to make a quilt.  We plan...we choose just the right fabrics....we labor giving our time and talents....we know every fiber and stitch in that quilt and work to make it the best it can be.  What if we then realize that we can't finish the quilt as we had hoped and planned?  Sometimes, in order to finish the quilt, our quilting ancestors had to make substitutions and use what was available to her either with her own scraps or those from a fellow quilter.  She "make-do" with what she had.  Was she disappointed?  I think yes, because she had a theme...she wanted the quilt to turn out a certain way....but on the other hand, they were quite used to making-do in all aspects of their lives.  Nonetheless, she completed the quilt and no doubt loved it.  It kept her family warm...it still held her love in every stitch.  I think all of these qualities are wrapped up in the old Make-Do quilts and that's why they are so endearing to me.

I find most every antique Make-do quilt charming although some are...well....homely.  Ok...those homely quilts kept their family warm too, but I don't necessarily want to make one just like it!  However, I do love adding Make-do blocks into my quilts, and by doing so, I honor the women who didn't have all of the choices we have today, but who worked very hard to create beauty when they truly didn't have much.  I hope that you will come to love and appreciate the art of Making-Do as I have, and remember, if you create Make-Do blocks in your next quilt, you'll be honoring our American quilting heritage.

I'll be writing and showing you lots more about Making-Do in the future.  Remember....I'm on a mission!

Making-Do in AP&Q!!

If you are regular reader of my blog, then you know that I am on a mission to educate and share my love of Make-Do quilts with all of you.  Well....my mission just got a huge boost!



In this, the June 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine, you will find my article called The Quilting Tradition of Making-Do! 

I am so proud to have worked with the editors and staff at AP&Q magazine on this article and thank them for all of their help!  They're always a dream to work with.  Together, we hope that you will come to love and appreciate the Make-Do tradition.  If you are one of the many quilters whom love to replicate nineteenth century quilts, then at least some of your quilts should have "make-do" elements in them.  After all.... that's how so many nineteenth century quilts were made!

If you would like to know more about the "make-do" quilting tradition or how to authentically "make-do" in your quilts, join The Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club at a quilt shop near you.  The PWSC club features lessons in making-do, American history, and stories about what daily life was like in the 1800's, and much, much more each month! 

Starting in 2012, I have a brand new lecture presentation & workshop, not surprisingly called The Quilting Tradition of Making-Do.  The presentation educates quilters on all aspects of a make-do quilt and how to spot make-do elements in all quilts.  I also bring a trunk show of my Make-do quilt collection, including those featured in the magazine article.  The workshop is a fun, interactive way to practice the art of making-do in a small quilt project.  Email me if you'd like more information about my lectures/workshops. 

Forgive me....as I say tongue in cheek.....

Quilters of America and the world....go forth and Make-Do!

Have a great day!  Pam

A Stitch Here ~ A Stitch There

For the past month or so,  I've been setting my alarm to wake up really early so I can spend some much needed time with my sewing machine.  You'd think that since my job is all about quilts that I'd be piecing and sewing all the time.  Wrong!  Make no mistake, I love my job and I'm lucky and grateful to get to do what I love, but I really don't get to sew much anymore.  I've been missing it terribly.  I know that many of you work, take care of the house, the kids, hubby, and often extended family members, volunteer, etc, and don't get to sew much either.  There are loads of reasons why we don't get to sew as often as we'd like.  I really wanted to change that....to find some time to sew, and it seemed that getting up a zero dark thirty was the best way to make that happen.  (I'm a morning person, so that's what suits me.  I can't stay up late.)  Do you do that, too?  

I wanted to make a few small quilts as gifts for Christmas.  There are several people on my list whom I know would appreciate them.  So, in the early morning hours, when the house is quiet, I've been spending time in my sewing room piecing.  J*O*Y!!

I don't piece a thing unless the fabric has been starched sized first.  I'm a big, big believer in sizing or starching yardage.  It helps ("helps" is an understatement of epic proportions!!)  in all aspects of piecing from cutting, to sewing, to pressing. (I have lots of tips and hints all about this in my Heartspun Quilts Hints book, including how to starch fabric in your washing machine!) I have lots and lots of scraps.  You, too?!!  

I keep my large selection of scraps organized in several ways, and one of them is to keep a big (unorganized!) bag of pre starched sized scraps handy, so I can be ready to sit and sew when I have a few minutes to make units, and blocks, and in this case, little quilts.  

This morning, I put the last border on the fourth (and final) little quilt I'll be giving as a Christmas present.  I'm feeling on top of the world, not only because I've been piecing, but also because I made the four little gifts I wanted to make.  Win, win!!  I'd like to show you what I made, but the recipients are regular readers of my blog.  

I think we can all say we never have enough time for all the things we'd like to do.  There's a never ending amount of tasks we have in any given day, and if we don't make time to do the things we love, and that make us happy, then we live to work, not work to live.  

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you may remember that at the beginning of the New Year (2013), I set two goals for myself.  The first was to find good soup recipes and make more soups.  I love to eat soup, but I didn't have many really good soup recipes.  I'm happy to report I've done a fair job of making some good soups this year.  The other goal was to learn to make pies from scratch, especially pie crust.  I haven't been successful at this....having found no time to even try, and here it is November.  

All this "not having more time to do the things I love, and that make me happy" got me to thinking how quickly time flies by, and if I (read "we") don't make the time, then what?  This quilter ain't gettin' any younger!  Hence, greeting the crack of dawn at my sewing machine.  So, a few weekends ago, I decided enough was enough.  It's apple season and I wanted an apple pie!

Here's my first attempt at pie crust and apple pie filling from scratch.  Not bad.  Not good either!  Teehee!

It looked pretty as a whole pie and as a slice, but it wasn't all that great.  My family doesn't agree as they scarfed it up, but I know I'll keep searching for the perfect crust and filling recipes.  I am very happy that I took the time to play....to try.  It was very good for my soul.  

So, the moral of the story is, let's try to find time to do the things that make us happy.  That lift our spirits and fulfill the soul.  A cup of soup, a slice of pie, and a stitch here and there!

Prairie Wovens, Dobbies & Chambray

The purging and re-organizing of my fabric stash goes on......and on......and on.  I can't spend all day working on this (and quite frankly, my mind would go numb!), so for a few hours every day, I whittle away at it.  Seems I'm not the only one as my dear friend, Gloria Parsons (Olde Green Cupboard Designs) is doing exactly the same thing!  She moved into a new home, so that's why she's going thru her stash, and she said in her last blog post, she's finding fabric from 10 years ago!  So nice to know I'm not the only one!!

Yesterday, my sorting and purging was interrupted (thank you, FedEx!!) with the delivery of two boxes of sample yardage of my new fabric lines!!  That delivery will never get old.  First up are the new wovens line called Prairie Wovens, Dobbies & Chambray.  When Marcus asked me if I'd like to do a wovens line, I jumped at the chance.  I asked if dobbie prints and a chambray could be included and they were delighted to oblige.  It's very common to see a mix of wovens, dobbies and chambray paired with cottons in antique quilts of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, especially in scrappy quilts, and this gives us all a chance to work them into our reproduction Prairie and Civil War era quilts.  Let me show you an example.

Antique doll quilt and the inspiration for At Mama's Knee pattern in Journey One of the Prairie Women's Sewing Circle club.

This is one of my favorite antique quilts.  Not only is it just the cutest thing, it's an excellent example of a "Make-Do" quilt.  (Click here to read about the difference between a Make-Do and Scrappy quilt.)  I believe that a child made this quilt, and it has a make-do backing, too!  Notice the blue woven, the pink and white dobbie, and the pink chambray fabrics.  

The combination of the cotton prints and the textures from the wovens is just luscious and makes the quilt all the more interesting, in mho!

Here's a photo of the back showing blue chambray, more wovens and dobbies mixed with cotton prints.  
Using what she had, she pieced the back, no doubt from scraps of home goods, shirts, and cotton prints perhaps from dresses, aprons, or drapes.  Sweet!

The  palette in this quilt is mostly pastels, of course, but my Prairie Wovens, Dobbies and Chambray are not.  They, along with my Pin Money cotton collection are colored in my eight favorite (darker) colors: red, blue, green, plum, brown, black, gold and dusty pink.  These are the colors I use all the time.  

String Stars quilt in the Spring 2013 issue of Primitive Quilts magazine

Not sure how all of those colors would play together?  Take a look at my Star Strings quilt photo above.  All eight colors were used in the creation of that quilt.  Would you include the pink?  I 
L O V E the pink in there, so long as it's dark and dusty, and not bright.

I'll post more examples of cotton prints and wovens pieced together when I share photos of another of my antique quilts.  This spectacular make-do quilt was published in American Patchwork & Quilting magazine a few years ago....so stay tuned.

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May I offer a friendly reminder to email me your Pocket Patchwork Orphans & Scraps quilt photos!  You have about 3 weeks to send them to me.  Remember, it doesn't have to be quilted or bound.  Wait until you see the wide variety of ways quilters from around the world creatively set the blocks!  

Please email your photos, along with your name and the city and state (country) where you live, no later than April 1st.  Then, be sure to visit my blog shortly there after for the official.....

Airing of the Quilts

(aka Show-n-Tell)

Thanks for visiting with me today!

Pam

Celebrate With Me!!!!

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to visit my

NEW WEBSITE!!

There's a lot of new stuff that has never been available before! 

You may remember in past blog posts', I've talked about how I love to prepare all of my fabrics with starch before I cut into them. How it yields awesome results in cutting, piecing, pressing and accuracy!  Wanna know how I save time and money by starching in the washing machine?  Read on.....

In previous posts', I've also shown you how I make my quilt labels using my computer and framing them with fabric.  This easy technique is quick, your label is sewn to your backing fabric before quilting, assuring that your labels can't be removed, and all your important information will be there forever!

Would you like to know exactly how I do it?

All of the How-To's about starching, and my labels are in my Heartspun Quilts Hints Book!

This book has never been available thru my website before!  In addition to the chapters on starching fabrics and quilt labels, this 60+ page book is full of tips, secrets and hints on a wide variety of everyday quilting subjects!  Read a full description of the book on the website. 

Check out my new lecture and workshop offerings!

I've added a new lecture,  Making-Do~Honoring our American Quilting Heritage , where I discuss identifying Make-Do quilts and elements, and features my collection of

antique Make-Do quilts. 

In addition to my most popular workshops, I've added a new "Make-Do" workshop to accompany the Making-Do lecture.

 Over the years, I've been asked to offer several mini-workshops based on popular classes I've taught at quilt shops over the years, so I've created a Mix 'N Match grouping of 2 hour

workshops on a variety of techniques!

Presently, I'm booking dates in 2012 and 2013.

I've saved the best news for last!  In celebration of the new website...

 

I'm having a sale! 

From now until Midnight, Saturday July 2nd, everything on the new website is

20 % OFF!!!



Blueberry Pie





All Large Quilt Patterns! 

Sweet Rosie

All Charm Quilt Patterns!

And....yes.....even the Heartspun Quilts Hints Book is on sale!!

Click here to browse my website and place your order.

Tell your friends, too!

Thanks for visiting today! 

Pam

Sugar Mountain Freebie Pattern!

My Dear Quilting Friends~

Today I feel like Rocky when he reached the top of the stairs in Philly, pumping his arms in the air!  Why?  Because I'm not a computer whiz by any stretch of the imagination and usually have to fumble thru new tasks.  Today, after several hours of trial and error, I conquered my task....to make my freebie pattern Sugar Mountain available to you all just by saying.... Click Here !!  Actually, you'll be able to get the pattern from the next posting above.



Sugar Mountain ~ Copyright 2011 Pam Buda

Sugar Mountain was a lot of fun to make.  The simple Friendship Star block is jazzed up a bit with the addition of pink squares showing the block on point.  Naturally, I added a few Make-Do blocks in there.  Not surprised, are you?

While the color theme of the quilt are pinks and blues, I added one cute black print Friendship Star block because black prints are common Make-Do substitutions for blue prints and vice versa.  I love the way it looks!

Can you spot more Make-Do blocks? 

I chose a simple blue border to frame the quilt.   Sometimes.....simple is the best.  The Farmer's Daughter version does have a pieced border...but for now...that's all I can say!

I have a collection of antique pink and blue quilts and will welcome this little quilt into the mix.  Once it's quilted and bound, I'll be sure to post a photo.  Speaking of photos.....if you make Sugar Mountain...please email me a photo.  I'd like to do a show-n-tell post one day.

Thanks for stopping by!  Pam

P.S.  I've received several comments and dozens of emails requesting more information about how I make my labels.  I will post more about this in the near future.

Wishing You All The Best in 2014!!

Here we are about to say good-bye to another year and welcome a new one.  2013 wasn't really a bad year for my family, but honestly, it could have been better.  That said, it depends on what criteria you're using for judging a year.  If I'm really taking stock, we were all together and healthy through the year, and as my Gram always said, "if you have your health, you have everything!"  Here, here, Gram.....then 2013 was a good year, indeed.

My New Years post from January, 2013 spoke of how I don't make resolutions so much as set goals.  Every year I decide on some things I've always wanted to do, and try to make those goals a reality.  Last year, I wanted to focus on making delicious soups, becoming a scratch pie maker, and to be a more gracious person to others.  I guess my 2013 goals were heard loud and clear by my family and friends as I received these cookbooks for Christmas!  L*O*V*E!!!  I did pretty good on the soup front, and not as well on the making-pies-from-scratch front...but that's about to change, so stay tuned!  (Fun story you won't want to miss!!)  As for being gracious...well....we don't hit the "I'm gracious enough" mark ever, so that's just something I'll always be working on. This world can always use more grace from everyone.

So, here we are with a New Year and new goals.  I've been thinking about this for a couple of months now.  I'd really love to learn to speak Italian, but honestly, I don't have the time to really devote to it right now.  Maybe another year.  I've always wanted to learn to drive a stick shift, which my husband tried heroically to help me with for my last birthday, but we just couldn't make that happen then.  Hhmmm.....what to do?  

Then, it hit me....what I really, really want to do is......find more time to do.....

What Makes Me Happy!

What Makes Me Joyful!

Now, I know this sounds kinda dumb, but honestly, most of the time, I get caught up in the "must do's" of life, and not nearly enough time to do the things that make my heart sing.  I love my work, but it feels like work a lot of the time.  I'm talking about sewing more, planting flowers, reading more, playing....just playing.  So...that's my main goal for 2014.....to.... 

MAKE time to play and enjoy myself!

I'm also gonna try to explore Instagram to see what that's all about.  Well, who knows what else my playtime will bring?  

So, I hope this New Year brings you good health, much happiness, and lots of time to do the things you love and that make you happy.  And, thank you so much for visiting my blog.  I enjoy it so very much, and you, dear reader, are the reason why.  

Time for more Show-N-Tell

Hi everyone!  I have more photos to share with you of Prairie Women who are attending the club meetings at shops in Indiana and Minnesota.

First, let's visit the Shades of the Past Quilt Shop located in Clara City, MN.   

The morning group of Prairie Women are busy working on their Yo-yos as they journey to the past listening and talking about life in the nineteenth century.  Looks like they're enjoying some goodies, too!

Their first show-n-tell is of the third quilt in Journey 1 called At Mama's Knee. 



At Mama's Knee ~ Antique quilt



This quilt was inspired by the antique quilt that I own, pictured above.  I chose to replicate it exactly as it is because I thought it was so sweet and perfect the way it was made so long ago.  While I don't know for certain, I'd like to think that it was made by a child, or was someone's first quilt.  Isn't it charming?

It's also a perfect example of a Make-Do quilt.  In a Make-Do quilt, we always look for a theme.  In this case, the theme is of a quilt made with shirtings and Four Patches of pink and dark blue.  The Make-do blocks are the two blocks where light blue was substituted for the pink. 

At Mama's Knee ~ PWSC Journey 1

Here's my version using today's fabrics.

As a designer, it's wonderful to see quilters make a quilt just as I designed it...it really is.  It's also fun to see the same pattern made with completely different fabrics. 

Here is Betty's version of At Mama's Knee

Here is Cindy with her version

And...Phyllis with her quilt.

I really like them all!

This is Susan.  The quilt she is holding is a smaller version of Heartland Crossing which is the second quilt in Journey 1. Ladies....you all did a great job!

Let's shop hop over to The Back Door Quilt Shop in Greenwood, IN

There are two large groups of Prairie Women who meet at The Back Door Quilt Shop and many more who participate by mail.  The staff keeps them well informed with an email and photos of the club meetings.  Another lovely verision of At Mama's Knee!

These ladies are showing off the first quilt in Journey 1 called Leap of Faith.  I'm loving how each quilt is just a bit different and how they made the quilt their own - their way!

What an awesome collection of Heartland Crossing quilts.  The quilt on the left was made just as I made mine.  The quilt in the center is a bright and playful version!  Love the scrappy border on the quilt at the right.  Kudos to everyone! 

Hope you enjoyed it, too!

Stash Diving

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

More Primitive Threads

Primitive Threads quilt and fabrics designed by Pam Buda ~ Heartspun Quilts
for Marcus Brothers Fabrics

As promised....I wanted to share more of what inspired my new Primitive Threads fabric collection and more of the prints in the line that I hope you'll be asking for at your local quilt shop.  

One of the perks of fabric designing is having a collection of antique quilts and this one sure is a cutie!  

It's hand pieced and hand quilted and loaded with Make-Do blocks....which to know me it to know I love Make-Do quilts!!  (Read more info about Make-Do quilts here.)

A closer inspection of the patchwork reveals this super cute little star flower....perfect for Primitive Threads!

This little print is made in three colors....a neutral, a brown and blue multi-color print.  So super sweet!  (Truth is...I would have loved it in every color!!)  I call this print Star Flower Toss.

As you might imagine....you can't find everything you want in antique fabrics.  Sometimes, you have to design them from scratch, and that's the case with the star print above.  I love the old iron stars you see on the outside of old buildings and used that star as inspiration for the print above called Starry Skies.  (Another print I would have dearly love in every color!)

Having a collection of folky~prim neutrals was important as well, and I recolored this print (an absolute favorite of mine) in a warm beige background and super soft taupe.  It looks prim and vintage and is called Picotage Petals.  (Picotage is the name for all the tiny, fine dots you see in the leaves and stems, and is a common design element in vintage fabric.)

The last print I want to share with you is another print I designed from scratch.  I have long wanted to have a fabric like this and Primitive Threads was just the right collection for it!  This print is called Primitive Linen.  Produced in two versions of beige background, it gives just the softest crinkle-y vintage look to patchwork.....oh so yummy!!!  I wanted a fabric that would give patchwork a wonderful aged feel.  The crinkle pattern is so subtle, and yet the fabric does not look flat like a solid or muslin would.  Playing with it in sample blocks.... it made the other fabrics in the block look even better!  I am so happy to finally have Primitive Linen - I'm doing a dance of JOY on the front lawn.  (Well...not really because it wouldn't be pretty.  Just sayin'!)

I hope you have enjoyed seeing a little of the fabric design process in these two posts about Primitive Threads and you like what you see!!  My sample fabrics will arrive soon and I'll post some sewing progress while making the quilt.  Watch Facebook and Instagram for some photos, too.

Primitive Threads should arrive at your LQS in April!!  Click here to see all of the Primitive Threads fabrics.

Counting the days until Spring arrives!!  Be well.....stitch happy.  

Scraps of Time ~ Scraps of Fabric

The Quest:  Find at least 15 minutes each and every day to sew.  Sew something or prepare to sew blocks!  Make progress everyday!  No matter what.

The Usual Outcome:  Good intentions that usually don't result in patchwork derailed by a thousand other tasks more pressing.  Sigh.....no pun intended.

I mentioned in my last post that I'm already working on my next BOM program with Marcus. At the moment, I'm fortunate to be working with brand new fabrics, a new design, and I'm sewing!  Wonderful.  Most of the time, my day isn't like this.  No complaints....honestly!  Well, kinda.  I never forget how blessed I am to have this job, so I'm not complaining about that....but, as a quilter, I long to piece patchwork everyday.  Get my fix....feed my soul.  You know!  You get it.  But like most of you, our busy schedules don't always allow for that precious time spent with fabric, needles and sewing machine.  

As I was sewing yesterday where I do my best thinking, I'm feeling pretty good and loving it.  I have a bag of 1" scraps pinned to a bulletin board just behind my sewing machine, and another with tiny Nine Patch blocks I make with those 1" scraps.  The scrap bag is bulging.  The Nine Patch bag is pretty empty.  I L*O*V*E tiny Nine Patch blocks.  I want to make them by the thousands.  I have about twenty....because....no time.  

As I'm sewing and thinking, and say to myself...oh come on....can't you find 15 minutes each day to prepare the blocks and sew them?  A little time?  There's got to be 15 minutes somewhere that you can do this!  YES....I know there is, and you know what will make me find the time?  Being accountable.  When you sew with friends, you're more accountable to keeping up so as not to disappoint them, right?  Works for me, anyway...and it's a whole lot more fun.

So....as I'm sewing and sewing, I'm thinking and thinking, why not ask you all to join me?  We can find Scraps of Time to sew Scraps of Fabric a little everyday.  What do you think?  Are you game?

Here's what I propose.....we make a commitment to each other....nothing official, no blood drawn and smeared with an official oath or anything, just a cyber pinky swear that we're in it together.  We all sew what we want a little everyday.  I'm not asking you to make a thousand 1.5 inch Nine Patch blocks with me...no, no.  Prep and sew whatever fills your heart.   You can be accountable to me, and I will be to you.

Once a week, I'll show you my progress and report how I'm doing.  I'll post on Instagram and Facebook as well....if there's something fun to show you.  I won't bore you with how many scraps I cut today, but updates here and there, which are necessary for the accountability part of my commitment.  

If you're feeling like this is resonating in your heart and want to join the fun, post photos of your accomplishments to #ScrapsofTimeScrapsofFabric where we can all see what we're sewing.

Here's what I accomplished yesterday.  Probably not thrilling for you, but I'm very happy! Today I'll just prep more Nine Patches to sew the next day.  I sure hope this works!  And I'd love to hear from you.  How do you squeeze a little time to sew everyday?  Maybe you're like me and want to make the time...I'd love to hear from you as well.  

I feed my soul with the stitches I sew......truer words were never spoken!

Tiny Nine Patch Quilt Finished!

A few weeks ago, I posted a photo of this little Nine Patch quilt when I completed the top.  Now that it's back from being quilted, I wanted to share a photo of the finished quilt.  I love it!!  

There's something just so wonderful about scrappy quilts.  I love the process of digging through my scraps to find just the right fabrics to pair together.  We all have those prints that are our favorites and I'm no exception.  Seems those favorite fabrics make it into every scrap quilt I make!  Do you find you do that, too?  That's our love, if not obsession, with fabric, and why we  never have too much of it!  

Presently, along with working on my super secret scrappy project early every morning, I'm also cutting and sometimes piecing the parts of five other scrap quilts at the same time.  Because scrappy is so labor intensive, I am making the most of the opportunity when I choose, starch and cut each piece.  Why dig through your scraps and stash again and again?  So, with that in mind, I have a little list of what to cut for each quilt.  I must be organized and make the best use of my precious sewing time.  More on this subject when the super scrappy secret project is revealed later this year.

The Nine Patch blocks in the quilt above finish to 1.5 inches.  My next teeny, tiny quilt will be a simple Four Patch, with blocks finishing to 1 inch!!  

That has me wondering....what is the smallest Four Patch block you are willing to make?  

Notice I didn't say "comfortable" making....I know bigger is more comfy.  So, I want to know if you set out to make a little scrappy Four Patch quilt, what is the smallest size finished Four Patch you will make?

I have a poll on the side bar of my blog where you can cast your vote....and please do!  It will be fun to see the stats.  Click here to see the poll.


And....if you leave me a comment about the smallest size and/or how many scrappy quilts you might work on simultaneously, I will choose a few people to receive my newest.....

Tokens of the Past: Two Color Classics 

pattern, which features small blocks from 2 inches to 3 inches finished, FREE!

Friends reading this post living outside of the US are welcome to comment as well.

I'll choose a winner or two over the weekend.  

Off to dive into more scraps!  

Quilt Archaeology ~ Old Fashioned Christmas ~ Week 1

Let's get started!   Read all my hints and tips below before cutting.

From your light print: Cut (9) 2 7/8" squares.  Cross cut them once diagonally.
Also cut (14) 2" squares 

From red print #1: Cut (7) 2 7/8" squares.  Cross cut them twice diagonally.
Also cut (14) 2" squares.

We have only one block to make for our little quilt.  It's a pieced Flying Geese unit, and as with all Flying Geese, the accuracy of the block will depend on accurately cut and sewn pieces.  The angles will make or break your block.  So...I'll walk you through all my hints to make those blocks the best they can be.

Before you begin cutting and sewing, I highly recommend that you starch or size your fabric yardage!!!  The benefits are many for the time you invest.  You can read all about how and why I spray my yardage with sizing before beginning every project.  Click here to read my blog post all about starching/sizing fabric.


Our first task....making Half Square Triangles.  We're making them larger so they will be trimmed to the perfect size.  I do this for each and every HST I make and have been for more than 15 years.  You can't beat the results!  This is my favorite way to make HST's.  If you prefer another method, go with it!

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the (14) light print 2" squares.  Match each with a red print 2" square.  Sew 1/4" on both sides of the drawn line.  Cut apart; press to the red print.  You'll have (28) HST.

Trim your Half Square Triangles to 1 3/8" square.  (Photo is before trimming)

My preferred method of trimming HST down is with a Bloc-Loc ruler.  The cut-out channel in the ruler accommodates your seam allowance so the ruler "locks" on to the seam to keep everything tight and the ruler does not rock back and forth.  It's easy to read and makes trimming super fast. You can read more about them and order one here.

Accurately crosscutting squares diagonally once or twice is far more important than you may think.  This applies to any task where you crosscut squares like setting and corner triangles.  It is VERY important that you cut perfect pieces.  The Creative Grids ruler above, which is one of my all time favorites (3.5 x 12.5), is my go-to ruler for crosscutting.  In the photo above, note the black arrows pointing to the 1/2 inch gritty area on the ruler.  That 1/2 inch of grip really holds the fabric in place so you get a very accurate cut.  The 1/2 inch grit is on almost all of the newer Creative Grid rulers, so while you may not have this particular size, look to see if you have a square ruler with this wide grip.  Anything you can do to keep the ruler in place while you cut is important.

Position the ruler so it's on the very point of the square.  These are the angles I referred to earlier that are so important for success with your block.  Be certain that you cut the 2 7/8" square to a perfect 2 7/8" square.  Position the ruler on the very tip of the points.  Press down on the grit of the ruler to hold the fabric in place and cut. (Press hard on whatever ruler you're using.)  I can't emphasize this enough...crosscutting has to be perfect!!!  Personally, I never stack fabric when I crosscut afraid things will move underneath.  If you'd like my favorite Creative Grid 3.5 x 12.5 non-slip ruler for yourself, you can order one here.

If your ruler moved and you have a tiny 'squared' tip (see arrow above) - my advice....do not use any piece from this square.  The angles of all of the triangles are not correct and your block will likely be imperfect.  This is the main reason for trouble with pieced Flying Geese.

Arrange (3) Half Square Triangles and (3) red print triangles as shown above.  

Piece the units into rows; press.   I pin my pieces with my Fine Patchwork pins to keep those pieces in perfect alignment.

Because I treated my fabric yardage with sizing before cutting, I can spray starch or sizing anytime in the piecing process.  I do this as I press each unit and block.  Stiff fabric/units/blocks give much better control which is always welcome, but even more so with these small pieces.  I use Best Press with the fine mist pump while piecing.  Read more about it here.

Sew the units together; press.

Take good care and crosscut the light print 2 7/8" square once diagonally.  

Sew (2) light print triangles to the previous unit; press to the light triangle.  

This is where the Seam Align Glue and Fine Patchwork Pins really help a lot.  Just add a tiny dab of Seam Align Glue to both the light and red triangle points to keep them together as you sew!  (See white arrow in photo above.)  It will help to sew slowly and take your time.  Sew a nice, straight perfect 1/4 inch seam.  You will be rewarded for your effort!  

Repeat these steps to make a total of (9) red print #1 blocks measuring 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished.

Done until next week!  So....did you pick up some helpful tips?   Taking the time to starch/size your fabrics, cut them accurately, check and double check measurements, and use all the tricks you can will help you not only with this pieced Flying Geese, but with everything you do.  You can find a lot more of my favorite tips, tricks and hints in my Hints Book.  Read all about it here.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your support and for your business throughout the year.  Now that I won't be traveling as much, I have more time to do fun things with you!  Sounds good to me.