Quilting Tip of the Week 5.28.15

If life hands you scraps, display them! Take those smaller scraps and place them in old canning jars/pickle jars picked up at yard sales or your local Salvation Army store.

If you applique, this is a great way to keep those scraps organized and decorate your sewing room at the same time. Decorate the lid with the color inside the jar and feel free to store jars on their side if the mood strikes you!

Quilting Tip of the Week 5.21.15

 

Save your used fabric softener sheets for emergency backing for stabilizing your stitching with machine applique, embroidery or with flimsy fabric.

Scrap Your Stash Fabric Key Ring Tutorial

Need a bunch of quick and easy gifts? Look no further...

Let your imagination run wild--think yo-yos or crazy quilting--bead work or wool--there are no limits on how you can make these. What a great token for your next family reunion!

http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2011/06/scrap-your-stash-guest-post-living-with.html

Recycled Plastic Bags Never Looked So Good!

Quite a while back I posted a link for crochet plastic items. Unfortunately, the available of recycling plastic bag in pleasing colors seems to be lost in the L/A area. All I could find were the white or tan bags with an occasional yellow bag (Dollar General).

Imagine my surprise when Mom came home today from shopping--and toting a beautiful shade of blue plastic bags from Hannaford. Finally, some color that would be perfect to make a crocheted grocery bag! I guess I will have to "forget" my recycled grocery bags for several weeks to get enough to make the plarn (the name for plastic yarn) to make my own bag.

Here is a link from the Canadian Living blog you might want to give a try. If you have one you have made in the past, please email me a photo so we can post it on the boards.

http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/crochet/plastic_bag_craft_two_crocheted_tote_bags.php

Hidden Star Quilt Tutorial by Annie McHugs

Here is your answer to a quick and easy one block quilt--great for beginners or as a leader and ender project. It measures 52" square.


http://anniemchugs.com/tutorials/hidden-star-quilt-tutorial/

September 24th Area 3 Meeting in Bethel

Mark your calendar so you don't forget to join the Cross Country Quilters of Bethel for their fall Area 3 meeting.

The location is the Alliance Church on Rt. 26, 251 Walker's Mill Rd. in Bethel. This is across from the Telstar High School and parking is behind the church at the left of the building.

The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. and lunch will be served. The speaker will be Betsy Cannan from Maine Modern Quilters, who will speak about Modern quilting and give a trunk show.

The ladies will be collecting blocks unfinished 12 1/2" square (12" finished) in any pattern but only red, white and blue for Quilts of Valor. Any donations will be very welcomed!

Below is a link to Quilter's Cache for finished 12" blocks:

http://www.quilterscache.com/BlocksbySizeC.html

Area 3 Meeting October 14th in Poland

Plans are being laid for an upcoming Area 3 meeting on Wednesday, October 14th co-hosted by Classic Quilters of Lewiston-Auburn and Scraps and Patches of Poland.

The meeting will be held at the Ricker Memorial Library, 1211 Maine St., Poland and begins at 10:00 a.m. Light refreshments will be served, so you may bring along a lunch if you wish. With the amount of delicious treats the ladies offer, I find it hard to believe you will go hungry!

The block will be a 12 1/2" unfinished with pumpkins or apples on unbleached muslin. This can be either pieced or appliqued. They will also have door prize drawings.

The guest speaker will be Wendy Caton and a trunk show.

Quilting Tip of the Week 5.14.15

If you fingers are tender from hand quilting or other hand work, try coating your afflicted fingertips with either clear nail polish or New Skin.

It works best if you apply several coats, allowing each one to try completely.

Crafter's Yard Sale in Auburn

There will be a bi-annual Crafters Yard Sale on Saturday, May 30th from 8-3. It will have collections from the stash of three crafters. This is a rain or shine event.

Some of the items will be--

Fabric:  Cotton, flannel, felt, $2 yd.

Fabric: Wool, fleece, upholstery, $3 yd.

Yarn, craft supplies and magazines

Also, many books, household items, ladies clothing (sizes L, XL).

This will be held at the home of Betty Snowman, 116 So. Main St., Auburn

For more information, you can email Betty at www.mycomfortclothes.com

Time for Holiday Sewing!

I know, I know--Spring is just coming into itself and I'm thinking Winter....

We all know that most of the new holiday fabric prints will be coming out in another month or so and you cannot start your holiday sewing soon enough. Inspired by Fabric blog will give you lots of easy and fun-to-make projects to make on those rainy days of summer.

http://inspiredbyfabric.blogspot.com/p/tutorials.html

Tale of Two Quilts (OK, Really Three...)

At our last Area 3 meeting, one of the ladies mentioned she would be making a quilt for her grandson in his favorite colors, green and red. I chuckled and remembered a quilt I made using those colors.

It was several years ago our HGTV Quilting group had a Crayola Challenge. Each participant makes the quilt to the guidelines and mail it to the hostess. Raffle tickets are sold for all the quilts (and we are talking up to 50 quilts!) and all money collected goes to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. I have been the winner of several of these quilts over the years and so honored to have quilts made by my quilting "sisters".

Here is how the challenge works:

The hostess put a large box of crayons into a paper bag and for each person who signed up for the challenge she "drew" out three crayons. The challenge part is that you can only use those three colors and no other--even if you find a print, it must have only those three colors in it.

My three colors? Red, green and lavender. Ugh...the first two colors remind me of Christmas and to throw in the lavender? What was I going to do? No way was I going to find any prints with just those three colors in it. I even tried to hand dye fabric using those three colors, but it was too busy. My only choice was to use tone on tone prints (I'm not a big fan of solids).

Now, to find a suitable pattern. I had purchased "All About Me" by Atkinson Designs. It was really for novelty prints, but I wanted something less busy and with a more modern, clean look. Happily, this quilt really came out great and many of my quilting buddies loved it.

It was won by a friend of one of my quilting buddies--a 13-year-old girl who was thrilled with the color combination! Of all the quilts in the raffle, this is the only one she hoped she would win. I couldn't have been more delighted to know the winner of this randy group of colors found its true soul mate.

 

 

The reason I purchased this pattern originally was to make two matching bunk bed sized quilts for my nephews, Sam and Will. 

 

Sam, at age five, was my shopping buddy and every time we stopped into a quilt shop, he got to pick out a black background novelty print to add to his quilt. At that time, his brother Will was just a baby so I knew I had plenty of time to get this project completed. After many "shop hops" with Sam, we had enough variety in fabric prints to make the quilts. The sashing fabric is from all the same fabric line in different colors at I purchased from Oxford Mill End store.

 

Several years ago, they got their new quilts and a load of matching pillowcases to share. I know I have finished photos somewhere and when I do find them, they will be posted here.

 

 



They were a big hit and I even had enough extra quilt squares left over for a charity quilt. Some little boy is going to be delighted with his new snuggler quilt!

The lesson? Keep an open mind when choosing your quilt patterns. Personally, when I purchase a pattern, I hope to use it more than once. Knowing that I already made four quilts (and have another cut and ready to sew) of this pattern makes me feel that I got my money's worth. Have some larger floral prints? Perhaps Oriental prints? This quilt comes together quickly with a great visual impact.

Area 3 Meeting May 5th-Pine Needles Quilters

Just when you think Pine Needle Quilters cannot top their last Area 3 meeting, they do! We were welcomed to a smiling group of ladies and hospitality bar none. The photos of the vast array of breakfast treats doesn't begin to do it justice. A lot of time and effort when into putting together this event and was enjoyed by all in attendance. Thank you again, ladies, for everything!

Guest speaker, Kim Hamlin of Fiber & Vine, had an infectious sense of humor and enthusiasm for quilting. She gave us permission to start new projects and not complete them (I won a prize for having the most UFO's). If you happen to be in Norway, stop by her shop. Fibers and specialty wines--can you think of a better combination? Allergic to wool, I couldn't stop into the shop, but wish her well with all her future endeavors. Her address is 402 Main St. in Norway.

 Many of us also stopped by Sew Orchid Designs, LLC, one of Maine's newest quilt shops located at 316 Main St. in Norway. Barbara Daige welcomed us with open arms and invites us to stop by anytime. While her shop is a work in progress, I managed to find some perfect lime green fabric I couldn't live without. Don't forget to bring along your PTQG membership card for the 10%  discount.

Quilting Tip of the Week 5.7.15

If you find large holes left from pins or sewing machine needles, try a light spray of water to relax the fabric. For larger projects, you might want to wait until the project is complete and wash the entire item.