Quilting Mania

Ever since I organized and held the first Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat here in August, I have quilting on the brain!!!

Am getting myself organized to where I can begin quilting again in earnest!

My daughter just moved  into her own apartment to be nearer to her job. Bittersweet, but definitely time for her to make the move - and, in an attempt to assuage my sorrow, redirect my mind, get rid of the clutter, and ward off the effects of empty nest syndrome, I took over her basement bedroom and bath to turn into my sewing studio.

Of course, the room will always be known as "Katie's room", just like a lovely almost vintage truck we bought from a friend is always referred to as "Bill's Truck" !! We should get a license plate for it, that says Bilstrk !!!

Anyway, the room transformation is almost complete. I would like D/H to put the flooring down that was never installed (D/D preferred painted cement floor!) and put the molding up around the window frame (another incomplete project of his!)

I won't show you a "BEFORE" of the room -D/D would never approve of that (!)- but here are several stages of the "AFTER"!

Entry way (with a cute flower basket wall hanging by Karen Bush)

My older model Pfaff, sitting on a vintage refurbished barn wood farm table

   Note the Pat Sloan baskets to the left of the table, quilt top done by Pat, finished and hand quilted by me, eons ago......

Then, I had to add a cute little vintage hutch scored at a local thrift store- great storage for quilts, fabric, and my ever growing pin cushion collection

Hanging on the wall, above one of my quilts, is a custom horseshoe I had created for Mountain Meadows Quilters, by local talented artist, Deborah Sherwood. I have many of her pieces- check  out her website - it's not just for horse lovers!!!

                                      If you are on FB, please check out Deborah's FB page - Rhythm-n-Beads
                                                        or her company website


A little Featherweight, purchased at a yard sale in Waterford, Va, about 15+ years ago, has FINALLY emerged from its case, to be put into use!! After seeing the several Featherweights at Pat's workshop, I was hooked!!! It seems to be working fine!! I am amazed! The sewing machine, in case, with all the accessories, attachments, table,  and original instruction booklet was purchased for $40 !!! Even back then, not knowing all I do now about Featherweights, I knew it was something I should NOT pass up!!!

Except for possibly needing some cleaning in the inner workings - it appears to sew smoothly. Got to read the instruction manual and get busy!!!

For those of you on Facebook, I would love for you to join and follow along with Mountain Meadows Quilters - I try to post interesting links and daily info, and welcome members to post pix of their quilts- a kind of cyber show and tell!!!

For those of you not on FB, I will try to post some of the info here in the blog, so, I hope you continue to follow and share my blog with quilt-y friends.

 Facebook has become a kind of blogging shorthand for me - I have been remiss about blogging regularly here  - but promise to do better!!!

Let me leave you with one of the many cool links I find and post on MMQ FB page- if you love origami, or have even just been intrigued by the process - here is a tutorial on making a 3D origami block - reminiscent of a napkin folding technique I once made! I may just have to make one of these origami quilt blocks now !!!!

Here is my post w/link below..........

I LOVE origami - how about this tutorial for an origami quilt block!!! Found this link on the Quilting and Sewing Enthusiasts FB wall. I think I have made something similar to this before - a table napkin from a booklet on napkin folding. This makes a VERY cute 3D quilt block!
http://mypatchwork.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/block-20-origami-flower-textured-quilt-sampler/

 

beautiful origami block created by Teresa Down Under- please visit her link above for instructions and more!!

 I will end here, with an FYI- Pat Sloan will be making a return appearance and teaching another of her wonder-full workshops on August 10, 2013 at Mountain Meadows, and we are in the process of setting up a workshop with another well known quilter in the spring. Saturday Sew Ins will be happening thru out 2013 also!! Think about coming!!! We'd love to have you!!!

Just a Quick Note....

If any of you are on Facebook, please drop by and follow (or become a "member") of Mountain Meadows Quilters.

I would love to have you!

After having a VERY successful first workshop with Pat Sloan in August, the quilting ball is rolling!

Starting again next year, we will have another quilter/teacher workshop  in the spring (teacher TBA), and, hopefully, have Pat return in the fall to teach another workshop, and  schedule a Saturday Sew In every now and then!!

The Facebook page is way to keep in touch, keep people up to date, and to post interesting links, quilts we are working on, and news from the quilting world!

Here is the FB link

For those of you not on FB, I will try to post Mountain Meadows Quilters updates here, as often as I can.

Would love to see you join us at a workshop sometime!!!

Hussif, Hussif, Who's Got a HUSSIF....?????

                                        


                                    Does anyone know what a HUSSIF is?

                                           I may be in the minority, but I sure didn't!

This morning, I saw a FB post by famous doll maker extraordinaire, Patti Culea- about an intriguing "hussif" she created. Here is her link.

I love hers, having dabbled a teensy bit in doll making myself, years ago..........her creation is the best of both worlds- it's a doll, and it serves a purpose in sewing organization!

In researching what a "hussif" was,  I found this blog - a hussif  is, simply put, a needle case. Could be a roll up, could be fashioned in almost any shape to suit the sewer's needs for whatever  needs to be  stored and/or carried.

  You know how it goes - one link leads to another, then you find the wee hours have slipped away (literally- I was up at 3:50am today!) - all spent in the cyber space! This 2nd blog (link below) gave me the definition of the word HUSSIF.

Its origin is Olde English - meaning "housewife". A word that appears to be coming full circle, from the days of women's lib (when it was a bad word!) to the present, where alot of women (including myself) appear to be  embracing the back to basics and relearning the skills (and they are skills!) of housewifely "drudgery" combined with the arts of fine handiwork- sewing, knitting, spinning, weaving, etc..Altho', I must admit - I do NOT categorize washing dishes as an art!! That is still drudgery - unless I can escape to an imaginary world in my mind, while gazing out the window, and mindlessly scrubbing pots!!!LOL..... 

You can read about the definition of the word Hussif - here

Curiosity just got the best of me - I could see what it was that Patti Culea created - and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE  it- but did not know the origin of the word she used to describe it! Now, I do!

So, as always, GOOGLE to the rescue!!!!!

I also found photos - click here
 
                                                  Oh sooooo many photos!!!



I have made several needle cases over the years- and have swapped needlecases online. I have a ton of them - well, maybe not a TON- but I have alot!!! What I need to create now, is an artsy storage case of sorts, to hold all the needlecases in a semi organized way!!!

blogger decided it looked better this way! My own wool envelope- I love the teeny pewter basket pin cushion!Lined with  vintage feedsack.

(Obviously having another photo placement blogger issue again today.......sigh)

One hussif  that I do NOT have is a larger roll up style, similar to Patti's creation..

I do have several wool applique envelope styles - 2 or three of these inspired and created while in The Woolie Nuts group with Pat Sloan, Lennie, Judy, Ann Weber, Debbie, Joanne, Patty, when we did some round robins. I admit being only a sporadic member, as work and kids allowed! Now distance separates...

Woolie Nuts- late 1990's ?- from left, Judy Post , Lennie Stimpson, Pat Sloan,Ann Weber, Deb MacDougal Conway, and me (on the floor)photo probably taken by the ever elusive Patty!!!

 This is one of the needlecases - mine- from the Woolie Nuts Round robin. I think my base wool was one hand dyed by Patty.www.bitze.wordpress.com, back when she was into that sort of thing!! She created the best wool colors ever!!!

sideways pic - but you get the idea- each person in the round robin added another wool applique

back view

Others are small folder or book styles - created and swapped in an online group with Judy and several others.

this is the outside of Judy's- all recycled fabric - the outer is from her dad's old sweater, I believe - how sweet!

and the inside

a gorgeous burnt fabric method- needlecase by London artist Rosemarie McLavy for the online Art4Mail swap in 2011

After seeing Patti's wonder-full creation, I have a feeling I need to create a fantasy roll- up. Maybe borrowing the from the theme of  Pat Sloan's  recent workshop at my Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat,  and use up the rest of my stash fabric to put together a new all encompassing hussif !

If you have made any hussifs - and I am SURE you all have - under a different name, perhaps ????- leave a comment - share a link with a picture of your creation!

                               I'd love to see them!! As would we all!!!! We can all become hussies!!!LOL

                                                   Inspiration comes from sharing!!!

Quilters' UFO's

As if I don't have enough UFO's of my own, I was quite happy to inherit someone else's!

Yesterday, a friend gifted me with a bag full of quilt blocks. She had bought these at an estate sale or auction 10 years ago.
They were done by a woman in the next town, who was going into a nursing home.

The colors are, for the most part, a little drab- but, almost all the blocks are hand pieced!!!

I could never do this - nor would I have the patience!!!

I am most in love with the 45 star blocks! The muslin is stained in some places. On one here and there, the center point might be a bit off, but they look pretty perfect to me!! All that work - and never finished!!!

My question is- do I clean the blocks before I put them together? What would be the best way to do that, AND, would this fabric hold up to being a bed quilt? My thought is it would be best as a decorative bed cover in a guest room, or hung on a wall. Machine quilting would hold it together, but am not sure the fabric would withstand much washing.

The fabrics look like a combination of feed sacks and old shirting and dress materials. Exact date or origin unknown.

Any thoughts from you quilt experts out there?

These were hand pieced, and it looks like she started to put the blocks together in two rows. Of course, there is no more matching fabric to continue the rows. 40 blocks in all

                                                        These stars are my favorite!!!

45 hand pieced blocks- unbelievable!!!

Some of the squares are not perfectly square, with points very close to the edge, some staining/age spots - but, overall - impressive!!!

Hand stitched - every one!!!

These odd pieces look like she was practicing paper piecing (?) by machine. All stitched on to a fabric back.

I just put this on the floor in a random pattern

Dark blue is the backing fabric

reverse side

these all seem to go together- but what to turn them into is my question?

The stars are a little rough, but pressing them might make them look better - all this hand pieced too!!! Amazing!

back view

I guess I better get busy and start putting some of these together! I have some other old feed sack blocks that may even match these. I will have to pull them all out and see what I can create - maybe (?) even in time for my  Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat      with Pat Sloan on August 25th!!! Wishful thinking.......LOL


And, here I am, "artfully" posing for an upcoming newspaper article on the quilters workshop. This was not the best shot, (a bit fuzzy) so probably won't make the cut - but we took a few!  The requested pose was of me quilting, and not looking at the camera! Pretending (sshhh!) to work on one of my vintage Dresden plate thrift store finds.....

Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat 2012

Only 4 months to go before the first Annual Quilters Retreat on Saturday, August 25th!!!!

We have the wonderful Pat Sloan teaching a 6 hour workshop!

Master rug hooker Donna Bleam will be showing her works of art!

Tasty boxed lunches available for pre-order from Turner Ham!

3 baskets of goodies will be given away to some lucky workshop attendees (including a wonderful "locavore" basket!)

Quilters' tea at Broadway's Julieanna on Friday afternoon, August 24th- Susan and Julie put on a tea you won't want to miss!!

Bring a chair and drop back Saturday evening for a bluegrass concert by the fire with Thompson Store Revival!

Limited reservations left- Pat's class will be no more than 25- to allow individual attention to all! This class is beginner on up- how to turn your stash and "trash" into beautiful quilt blocks!

Pass the word and make your reservation- I will get your info packet in the mail to you!!!

Here is the website link for further information:

Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat 2012

Looking forward to seeing you there!!!

Tea on Tuesday

This morning's libation......... (libation to me, because tea brings the intoxicating calmness that wine brings for others- with no hangover!!LOL)
.......... comes in a quirky little mystery cup and saucer, designer unknown.  I just love its off kilter style- which describes most days in my life!!LOL Filled with a red rooibois, I feel like I should be sitting at the table with Alice, for the Mad Hatter's tea!!!! 




Since Easter is almost upon us, with spring definitely in the air, have a look at the treasures brought home from my foray to a local garden shop's opening day.......

         Frost, frost, stay AWAY, so the seeds and I may come out to play........

I did not bring her home, but this killdeer decided to hollow out her nest in the gravel underneath the plant tables at the nursery. Her cries to ward off intruders, did not stop people from shopping, but the store owners will be cordoning off the nest site, so she can brood her eggs in relative peace and safety. Usually, the killdeer's significant other will run around acting out the broken wing ploy, to lure predators away from the nest. I don't know where he was that morning, maybe out getting breakfast- but mom was left to defend her nest with voice only, never rising from the eggs. When her babies are born, fully feathered carbon copy miniatures of herself, they will be off and running (literally) within hours of hatching.

 Old fashioned coleus, cyclamen, and begonia for my grandmother's indoor vintage rattan planter

Future garden residents.......forgive me for not recalling all their names this early in the morning!!!

                                                                 gerbera daisy

                                                    mandevilla vine (I think...)

 

 

                                                      pansies- just love their little faces!!!

 

faux black eyed susan vine

ice,ice, baby......love these little vibrant ice plants to fill in the rock crevices

I may have to wait 'til next week to plant, altho' some friends are telling me to wait until mid May. I CANNOT wait that long!!! Will hold off 'til next week, and then, in the ground they go, with blankies at the ready, if frost shows up for a night or two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BTW, check out the workshop that Pat Sloan is going to be teaching at my Quilt Retreat in August-
                                         here's the link!
Plus, she's gets to go  to South Africa to teach this same workshop  - how cool is that!!!

There are still just a few openings for my retreat in August- would love to see you there!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drop by Patty and Kim for a list of other tea lovers- see you next Tuesday for tea (and see you during the week for other things!!! Please stop by often!)

Tea on Tuesday

                                                First -

                  I must show you the happy, happy, VERY happy mail I received the other day!!!!
                                                       
                                                                From Gene Black -

This happy little embroidered block, that I happened to notice in one of his posts, and admired- ended up in my mailbox!!! Woohoo- thank you, Gene!!!!
He created it from a free download with his Brother(?) machine.After much thought, I think I am just going to frame it.
                                           LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!
                                          And, it is perfect to show off on Tea on Tuesday!!


This morning's tea, at the crack of early, yet again, is one my friend Teresa sent me from her trip to New Zealand.
                         NZ Breakfast tea (made by Twinings) , with some local VA wildflower honey.

Here is the little group of teas that "T" mailed me - the Black Adder is licorice, and boy, you can almost smell it from across the room!!!!

I am working up my courage to try the hawthorn tea! We have some hawthorn trees on  the property, and I attempted to dry some berries this past season, none too successfully. I am told hawthorn is good for the heart- I will test taste some and report back one of these Tuesdays!!!

Last night, I attended a fabric trunk show at J&B's Country Store/Ben Franklin, in Broadway, Va. Very interesting, and some really cool fabric. Of course, I ordered some.........!!!

 

Here are some of the quilt tops created from some of his fabric lines:

 

Some of the samples - I think I ordered the lime green with black swirls below.

OOPS! My friend Bobbie timed walking in front of me just right, I see!!! LOL

**(I had some of my fliers for the upcoming Mountain Meadows Quilt Retreat (August 25, 2012 with Pat Sloan!) printed - so did a little networking and passed them out at the trunk show!!

As soon as the website is up and working, I will let everyone know - so you can make your reservation- class max is 25 students! And, you know, you don't want to miss out on becoming an official "Sloanie"!)

Please join us every Tuesday for tea- drop by Patty and Kim's blogs, for a list of other tea fanciers!!!

Tea on Tuesday.......

......will be short today!
Only 33 more days 'til Christmas, and only 16 days 'til Julieanna's 2nd Annual Holiday Teacup Exchange. I am making the little commemorative ornaments for the exchange- and am in a hurry to finish!! Will post a pic when they are complete!

I had my roobois tea for the morning, and now am enjoying a glass of homemade grape juice - from the end of summer harvest of our one huge  vine of vintage Concord grapes.

I keeping with the tea theme - here's a quick peek at Julieanna's tea tasting this past Saturday.
The construction of the tea room is coming long - the walls are painted, the window frames are a work in progress. The room is useable, and hopefully, come spring, the tea room will be ready, and the customers will be a steady flow.

 

Julie and her granddaughter at the gift wrapping station

 

I met 2 friends, Judy and Bobbie, at the tea tasting. The pic I took of them caught them mid bite into a delicious cookie - so, I better not show that!!!

We had a lovely time, and did a little brainstorming about my upcoming quilt retreat.

(where- BTW- Pat Sloan will be teaching a workshop, and local rug hooker Donna Bleam will be doing a show and tell)

Well, back to the ornaments!!!!!!

Be sure to stop by and visit Kim and Patty for a list of other tea lovers