December 23, 2011

Week 52

Hard Things

It's been a hard couple of days. And that seems to be the way life goes, sometimes we're asked to do hard things. A sister in my ward is dying from breast cancer. Kris has been fighting the battle for a few years, with its good and bad times. I am not a close friend, but I love and admire her courage and her spirit. She was a Relief Society teacher when I was moved into the ward. A few weeks ago my friend and new RS President Pam Price asked me if I could help her make a simple quilt for Kris from the Relief Society. I said okay. We were planning to do it next week--after the Christmas rush. When Pam asked, I immediately thought of a quilt top I made several months. I thought about Kris as I sewed it, and wanted to make it for her but I let my fears of not really knowing Kris and worrying what she'd think of me stop me from doing what I felt was right. I was sad that I didn't make a better choice, but I let it go and hoped I'd do better in the future. Now I was being given an opportunity for a second chance to follow the prompting from this summer and I happily offered the quilt top to Pam.

I was blessed. Second chances don't come very often.

Pam called Wednesday saying Kris was in the hospital, doing really poorly and may not make it to Christmas. Pam wanted to know if we could get the quilt done immediately. She bought 4 yards of backing fabric and delivered it and the top to my house. I cut and sewed the back pice together, pressed it and the top, cut batting and finally spray basted the layers together. Pam tied the quilt overnight, then brought it back Thursday morning. I squared it up then made and attached the binding. Pam picked it up after lunch and was going to deliver it later that day.
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My angel was Jenna Patchett who came over and "babysat" my puppy Taffy which kept the pup away from dangling iron cords and fabric that she loves to chew. While I put Taffy in the kennel whenever I leave the house, I haven't put her in the kennel while I'm home since she's been potty trained. I didn't want to hear Taffy whine and cry as she heard me moving around the house--that would be way too distracting. Taffy and I sure do love Jenna!

The quilting wasn't hard. The emotions were. I thought of my grandmother who died from breast cancer December 20th over 30 years ago. I can remember that Christmas so clearly. And I remembered giving a different tulip quilt to my mother less than a week before she died. That was almost 20 years ago, but the tears still fall on days like today. I quilted my hope that Kris receive comfort and peace. I quilt my love for my mother and grandmother and Diana Jergensen and Shelley Horman Fuller and so many other great and nobel women. I quilt my knowledge that life is going to change for Kris' family and it will never be the same but somehow they'll find a way to get used to it and be happy again. And mostly I quilted my testimony of Jesus Christ that He keeps His promises. Families are forever. And then I cried some more. The tears do stop and the joy of living returns. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

It was a hard thing. It was a joy.


Weeks 28 to 51

To meet the goal I established with this blog I needed to:
create a quilt item each week,
take a picture,
transfer the picture to my computer,
sign into the blog and
write something witty, or at least spelled correctly,
post.
During this year I have been challenged by each of these seemingly simple steps. Here's some of the projects from weeks 28 to 51.
















July 14, 2011

Week 27

I had six of these 3 fabric strips in my scrap bin. I love the colors. These must have been leftovers from something--not really sure what they were supposed to be.
I saw the pattern for a quilt titled, "carnival". It's in my friend Wendi's May 2011 Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine. I thumbed through the isse, thought of these peach colored scraps, and borrowed the magazine. Wendi is back from Hawaii and is going to want her magazine returned, so I made this quilt this week.
The process of making this quilt reminded me of a parable included in Luke 14: 28-30. My comments are in parenthesis.
"For which of you, intending to build a tower (sew a quilt), sitteth down first, and counteth the cost (measured the fabrics in my scraps and stash), whether he (that would be me) have sufficient (compare fabric on hand to the materials list on the pattern) to finish it? Lest haply (perhaps), after he hath laid the foundation (cut six fabrics), and is not able to finish it (two unsuccessful shopping trips to match an apparently discontinued fabric)? Lest haply (frustratingly), after he hath laid the foundation (sewed all those little pieces into bigger units and from bigger units into blocks and from blocks into a quilt top), and is not able to finish it (even making it much smaller than the pattern I didn't have enough fabric to finish the corners), all (that's you) that behold it begin to mock (laugh at me) him, Saying, this man (silly woman) began to build (make a quilt following a pattern), and was not able to finish."
In other words, a little bit of planning at the beginning of the project would have saved me hours of frustration near the end of the project. The amazing grace of the week--I love how it looks, even without the corners.

Week 26

I acquired a new book recently. It's "the biggest patchwork issue ever!", or so it claims. It's better, it's so much better! I have read it, and read it, and turned down the corner of pages to mark favorites (tntc--too numerous to count) and practically sleep with it under my pillow.
For my first project from my new book, I made the first patchwork project, a scrappy composition notebook cover. I used my scraps, so it looks different than the picture in the book. Then I made a second one without a pocket (pockets are a pain!). And then I made another notebook cover to see if I could make it quicker.

Turns out my new book is pretty fantastic! And that's simply the first project.

July 10, 2011

Weeks 24 & 25


My "creative" energy these two weeks was spent finishing other projects. I did start these two different star blocks--one each week.

Weeks 16, 18, 20 and 23

Week 16 I started a baby quilt for Meg Irish. When I make a quilt, expecially a baby quilt, I like to think about the things I love about babies. I sew my love and cuddles and tickling their tummies into their quilt. I sew a comforting arm around her when she's sad and I make sure there's a soft place to wipe her eyes and dry her tears. She may never know the story of her quilt, but I believe she will feel my love when it's wrapped around her. Every baby deserves to be loved.

Week 18 I realized I had a problem with Meg's quilt. It was going slow. Really, really slow. The baby wasn't due for a couple weeks, so I had a little time, but I couldn't seem to get it done. I had a long, heart-to-heart talk with myself and realized the problem wasn't Meg's quilt, it was Addie, Grace and Kate--Meg's older sisters. Those little girls are sweet and adorable and in need of a new quilt as much as the baby. And why should the baby be the only one to get a present?

Solution--make three more quilts!



July 2, 2011

Week 22

I have an abundance of something you may politely call self-confidence, but I'm afraid it's pride. My pride is the kind of pride that says, "not only can I do that, but I think I can do it better."
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I watched a quilting show on tv showcasing the Dresden Plate design. I'm sad to admit that during the show I was consumed by my pride and could hardly wait for the show to end.
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Out came templates. Out came fabric. I "played" with fabric selection for more than 3 hours before I finally picked fifteen. I cut out the pieces and spent another hour arranging them in a circle and changing them around until I was satisfied. It took less than an hour to sew together.
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Naturally, I think it looks great!

July 1, 2011

Week 21

This is Tamar's fault!
I needed gift bags.
She said, "Why don't you make bags?"
No good excuse. So I did!

Week 19

I made a cute and cuddily quilt using 5" squares. The fabrics were flannels and homespuns and cute masculine prints in tan and brown. It's a fun quilt to touch. A baby would love to spend some tummy time here. Does this sound like the perfect baby gift?

I thought the Huffaker's were having a baby boy.

Turns out I was wrong!
I thought Adelaide might like a pink and denim feminine quilt a little bit more.

Week 17

A simple applique block in pastel batik fabrics. The center is a cute button.

Week 15

Quilt made for Josie Manning.
A doll for a doll.

June 6, 2011

White on White

In January, 1995 I was living in Salt Lake City in a one bedroom apartment with my brother Matt. Living space was tight and my sewing stuff was contained in two boxes, one supplies and one fabric, plus the machine. I had made maybe half a dozen quilts at most, including my first quilt that fell apart before the second washing. Back then I wanted to create a showcase quilt, but I knew it wasn't the time for the big project that I imagined. And I really wanted it white.

I started my white - on - white quilt one block at a time. The first block was an embriodery design. I have completed cross - stitch designs, applique, pieced blocks and even a shadow technique I learned in a decorative arts class in high school. My sister made a sketch of an airplane to celebrate my coming for visits and I stitched and beaded that block. I have hand quilted and painted and textured and loved almost every minute creating this quilt. When it's done there will be 49 blocks, seven to a row.

I have a drawer full of blocks. They're squared up and ready to go. I've had the diagram of where the blocks will be placed since Julie and I laid them out on the floor of her parents' house. I have learned a few techniques for sewing pre-quilted blocks together. Everything is mostly ready.

Except me.

I love the white quilt.

I want to keep making white blocks.

I see where my heart was all those years ago. And I wonder what I will learn and who I will be in 5 years.

Weeks 12 & 13


One of my favorite places to look at fabric on-line is Keepsake Quilting. I like that they group fabrics into fat quarter bundles. Their catalogs are fabulous! Anyway, I saw a bright, colorful bag on their site I loved. It came as a kit, with the typical disclaimer that the fabrics they send may not exactly match the picture. I love the fabrics they sent with the kit, but I immediately wanted to use them with other projects and making the bag felt like a "waste" of good fabric. And I wasn't even sure I would like the bag--since I bought it based on fabric and not the pattern.

So I made a bag using the pattern from the kit. My bag is made from scraps from my curtains and old jeans. I liked the pattern. You can't see the detail of the quilting in the photo (and I don't take better pictures, I'm afraid) which is words and phrases from hymns.

I liked the first bag I made so much, I made a second bag. This bag has a gorgeous batik flannel scrap and 3 pairs of old jeans donated by my friend Lisa Hunt. I even used jeans pockets for pockets.

I should probably give this bag to Lisa--although it doesn't have any M&Ms on it. Now, if I only had a friend with an embroidery machine. . .

Week 11

Elaine Macie Player
baby shower on March 19, 2011

These are 3" squares, stitched together
one at a time.

May 24, 2011

Week 10



I also made this block--I'm calling it a Crazy Chicken. I think it's going to be used to make a cover for my sewing machine, or maybe the toaster oven. This crazy chicken makes me smile.

Laugh today!

Week 9





I have an entire drawer full of 8" blocks made from scraps. This is what I did with the Lewis quilt scraps.


Week 8

This week's project pieced the back of week 7's quilt. See here:
Here's the front. This was made for Ashley and Gabe's wedding.

February 23, 2011

Week 7

This week's quilt project was made using a jelly roll fabric collection of reproduction 1930s fabric. The fabric reminded me of the quilt my Grandma Cornwell and I made together.

I inherited the quilting gene from my Grandma Cornwell. She was an incredibly talented seamstress who relaxed after work by listening to the Suns games on the radio while sewing. She could sew anything from a teddy bear to underwear and make it beautiful. She taught me to sew when I was little but died from breast cancer when I was fourteen. I must have learned something from her, because after a few years (and one summer of sewing lessons from Cyndi White and a patient mother who really, really didn't like to sew) I was sewing soft sculpture dolls, then skirts and jumpers, a Christmas tree skirt and unfortunately, my finger.

My Grandma Cornwell did not see anything that I sewed, including the quilt we made together.

In the early 1990s my sister Jamie and her family drove from San Diego to Nebraska. They stopped in Phoenix at our Great Aunt Esther and Great Uncle Dave's house. My Aunt Esther had almost magical closets filled with treasures--everything from Star Wars collectables and an elaborate Dickens village/metropolis to perfume bottles and clothes her twins wore as children. I have fond memories of Aunt Esther's fabulous show and tell. On this trip Aunt Esther showed Jamie a pile of quilt squares my grandmother, her sister, had sewn years before and asked if she wanted them.

She did not.

Jamie did not sew. She did not want to learn to sew. She also inherited Grandma Cornwell's Singer featherweight sewing machine, but that's another story.

She took the eleven quilt blocks for me. They went to Nebraska. And home to California. She wouldn't mail them to me in Utah, because they were too valuable. She wouldn't let me put them in my checked baggage because they were too valuable. And she laughed when I moved those quilt scraps (and everything else) to Arizona in 2000. The quilt scraps were back in Arizona where Grandma made them.

In 2003 I made a quilt. To be honest, those blocks my Grandma made before she married were a huge challenge for me. They were different sizes and orientation (some pointing to the corners and some pointing up). The fabric was a multi-colored spectrum of color and scraps from what looked like pajamas and feed sacks and anything else she had lying around in the late 30s and early 40s. And what do you do with only eleven?

I made a circle. And to honor Grandma's hand applique and piecing, I hand quilted it.


February 8, 2011

Weeks 5 & 6


Pinwheels were week 5's project. There were enough scraps for the beach houses during week 6.


Fabric is from Moda and called Happy. I agree!




January 29, 2011

Wool Ewe...?


Do you ask questions? Why? Do your questions ask for information or do they inspire action? Which questions are the most important? Which questions are the most powerful? Which questions changed your life?


January 22, 2011

Week Three

I planned to make 4 different applique blocks this week using the same pastel batik fabric scraps as last week. There's a big difference between what I thought I could do and what I actually accomplished. Somehow in my quest to satisfy one goal of starting new quilt projects I forgot that I also wanted to complete some of the UFOs. And sometimes I want to do something else entirely, like read a book.

I did make one new block.


This is a friendship circle pattern that I love.



I wandered around my house and found this quilt block on a table runner (left photo) and a pillow (right photo).



It's also in a wall hanging (left photo) and an UFO (white on white quilt project).

January 16, 2011

Week Two

My friend Wendi let me borrow her book, "Schnibbles Times Two" by Carrie Nelson. The book explains how to make several different quilts from either 5" or 10" pre-cut squares, commonly called charms and layer cakes. Unfortunately I used a set of Christmas theme charms for the first quilt I attempted from the book. That little bit of space junk (not quite an UFO, not yet anyway) has been occupying the top of my pool table for several weeks. It's easy sewing, just lots of little pieces to manage.



I wanted to try the author's technique for making a flying geese unit (a three triangle rectangular unit) and I loved her star quilt. But I didn't know if I'd like it enough to commit to the quilt project in the book. My solution--use layer cake size scraps and make a few sample blocks. There are 4 flying geese units in each block.


Note to self: measure twice, cut once--NOT cut too small, measure, cut again.