Meet the Wee Bee Quilters

As you know I am a member of UHURU Quilters Guild and also I am in a quilt bee called Wee Bee Quilters.  I am also one of the newsletter editors for our group and I would like to introduce you to the members.  I will feature some of the members once every month until I get them all in.  I call this Quilters Impossible (think of this in the tune of Mission Impossible).

Carolyn Burgess - Code Name Lady Scrapbag - Duties: WBs Vice President, retreat and exhibit planner thinks out-of-the box, and cake baker.  She is starting up a web page soon and I will let you know.

 

Patricia King - Code Name: Socialite or Flower Child - Duties: Taking notes and pictures, making Psychedelic quilts. Caution: Needs to be watch, sometimes forget things. Watchers: Charlene Marshall and Felicia Few, they also need to be watched, they have memory problems also.

 

Charlene Marshall - Code Name: The Teacher - Duties: Teaching everyone new quilting techniques, sending e-mails on quilting events and information. She is also known as the “Driver” – (taken Pat and Felicia to meetings, shopping and bus trips).

 

Felicia Few - Code Name: The Comedian - Duties: Newsletter reporter, story teller, blogger, obsessive vampire reader and thinking of things like this to do. She also has meeting with Pat and Charlene in the car.

 

 

The Wee Bee’s meet was last Saturday and I forgot my camera and did not get a picture of my cake that Carolyn made for my Birthday.  Luckily, Linda from Eat, Sleep, Quilt (www.eatsleepquilt.blogspot.com) was there snapping away with great pictures so go visit her blog to check out the meeting pictures.

I just finished another book off my Kindle “Lothaire” by Kresley Cole, another vampire book (if you have not read one, try them, they are not all blood it is romance).  We of my other reading buddies, gave me her Nook so I can catch up one of my other authors. 

I like to give a shot out to by reading buddy, Robin from Livin’ Blue Quilter (http://livinbluequilter.blogspot.com/) who just got back from the Hampton Virginia Quilt show (spending money of fabric no doubt).  She helped me out by suggesting that I wet the paper form that star that I was plucking the paper from.  It worked beautifully.  The paper came right off.  Thank you Robin.

I am working on several quilting projects at a time so, you might not see a blog from me every day.  Since one of my quilting projects I cannot talk about that I am working on for the Wee Bee Quilters Family Day at the center.

I am also thinking about following the NYB paper piecing quilt along with Sew Sweetness, starting March 5- May 7 check out the web page www.sewsweetness.com see button below.

Well has you can see I will have a lot on my plate, and I will try my best to get everything done before the end of the year.

So Happy Quilting

The Slow Quilter (If I get all this done I might have to change my name to the fast quilter).

What Did I do Before Quilting?

The other day at work, I was wondering what I did before I became a quilter. I have been quilting now I guess about 10 or 12 years (my birthday was yesterday and I cannot remember dates well). My hobby before quilting was reading and reading a lot, still do, no change there. I hung out with my girlfriends (had 4) shopping for clothes and household things, cleaning the house, cooking dinner and just hanging out. Now I have many more friends and we shop for fabric and eat out a lot. My wardrobe is lacking, my household needs to be updated, I don’t cook half the time, and dame; this house could use a good dusting.

I did not travel that much out of town, now I am going to quilt shows and fabric shopping trips at least 4 or 5 times a year. Even when I go out of town for my job, I am always looking for a quilt shop to visit. I purchase more quilt books and magazines then I do romance novels (yah, right, my book bill is over a thousand dollars).This is not me, but I fell like her.

But one thing I have gained since I started quilting is more friends. Quilters are the best people to know, no matter of race, color or creed. When you go to quilt shows or quilt shops, you can always find someone to talk about quilts with a smile. I really love my quilting sisters, we a different in every way. There are hand quilters, machine quilters, art quilters, traditional quilters and the out of the box quilters. We might not see eye-to-eye on all things, but we always seem to work things out. It’s kind of hard at times, for a group of women to agree on things, but there is always a solution to all disagreements. I am glad to be in the company of such talented women and know that I have a little talent of my own.

Well Just Thinking

The Slow Quilter

The Other Side of Quilting - Teeth

 

Since I do not have any thing about quilting to talk about today, since I am work on several projects, I thought I would share a little story about me.  This is true, it really happened.  For those of you who are sporting partials, false teeth, or what ever you want to call them, here is a short laugh for you.

I have been having problems with my upper partials, two of my own teeth cracked from where the partial was fitted around, so I did not have a good hold on them. I had to chew on the right side, and had been eating nuts, and this side had become tender so I was not able to chew anything hard and it became swollen. I only remove my uppers to clean them, I sleep with them on. The one night, the right side of my mouth was a bit sore so I could not really eat anything so I just went to bed. In a sleepy haze around 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning I went to the bathroom and realized that my teeth were not in my mouth. Too sleepy to worry about it, (thinking I might have taken them out and but them on the nightstand) I crawled back into the bed and went to sleep. I got up around 6:30 to get ready for work, and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and remembered that my uppers were missing. Well I went back to the bedroom to check the nightstand, looked in the draw and even checking the bed and could not find them. So I had to wake up Thomas and ask him, “Honey have you seen my teeth?” I had to repeat myself several times before he rolled over and handed me my teeth. This surprised me, so I asked him how did he get them, and he replied, “They were biting into his back, must have fell out of your mouth.” At the time this was funny to me, but I did call a Dentist to make an appoint to have this matter attended to, before one of my friends got hit with my flying teeth.

I am sporting new partials and do not have to worry about loosing them in the bed any more.  You can stop laughing now.  Get off the floor.  Stop rolling around.  Whap the tears from you eyes.

Happy Quilting

The Slow Quilter or Teeth will travel

Still Picking Paper

Since Yesterday was a Holiday (President’s Day), I did absolutely nothing.  I tried to go down stairs and work on my block exchange, and started picking paper from that star, put it just would not hit me to do it.  I am having some heating problems so since it is warmer in my room, I took one of my sewing machines up stairs and started on a new project (I’ll tell you about that one later).

 

This is the star that I am still picking out paper.  It is driving me crazy, because I am afraid of pulling out the stitches, put I am working on it a little at a time.

This one was also foundation piece, put the stitches were short and easy to take the paper off.

Last night I started on a new project.  Which will is part of a challenge for my Wee Bee Quilter group for Family Day.  I will not be able to show you or tell you what block I am doing because it is a challenge for the members to guess who did it.  Family Day is not until June, but being The Slow Quilter, I need to get a start on it.  We usually do art quilts, but this year we are doing traditional quilt blocks.  All I can say, is that it is a block I have never did before.  It will be machine stitch and appliqued.  I have all ready finished up 6 pieces or the block and still have more to go, so while I am watching TV I will start on the rest of my blocks. 

I did take some time out for myself this morning by washing my hair, giving myself a facial, and getting my cloths together for work tomorrow.  No dinner for me tonight, do not feel like cooking.  I’ll just eat a sandwich and get to sewing.

Blog with you Later or Picking paper again

The Slow Quilter

True Quarter Inch Seam?

 

It is Sunday, and I had not planned to do a blog today.  Although Sunday is a day of rest, I always seem to have work around the house to do.  I have cleaned my room, and I needed to clean out my computer of old e-mails dating back to 2008.  As I was doing this I ran across this YouTube video that Charlene sent back in 2010, on “True Quarter Inch Seam”. 

Well I am totally confused here, can some-one help me out.  In the video, she is saying to get a true quarter inch seam that you have to sew a scant quarter inch seam.  Help me out quilters, as quilters do we do a true quarter each using the guide on your foot, or do we get it by doing a scant?  I really want to know, I need to know, have I been sewing the wrong way?

Not sure what I am sewing anymore

The Slow Quilter

Do I Feel Lucky?

In the words of Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) –you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? Yes Harry, I do feel lucky.  I have had the luck of the Irish this week. 


I won this lovely set of fat quarters from Char at Cloth  Stitched http://clothstitched.blogspot.com/ .  She even sent me a handmade finger pincushion .  It came in the mail today.  The colors are gold and gray and is the newest line by Denyse Schmidt, Aunt Edna which I think can be purchased at Joann.  Thank you Char.






If was the first meeting of the year for my quilt guild, UHURU. We had a lot going on, and this is what I won for a door prize, name picket out of a box. So I am very lucky.




We had visitors from Faithful Circle Quilters www.faithfulcirclequilters.com, Nancy Meier and Carol Roberts, who stop by to sell raffle tickets for this lovely quilt “Stars in Bloom.  This quilt will be featured on NQA’s home page (on line) in April.  Is this not a great quilt, look at the quilting.  It was quilted by Maria O’Haver.

Look at the detail quilting on this.  I am sure if you want to get a ticket for this quilt that you can contact Faithful Circle Quilters on their web sit.  The drawing will be held on April 28, 2012.  They will also have a quilt show called Whimsy, Opulence & Wonder April 26-28, 2012 from 10:00-8:00 at the First Presbyterian Church of Howard County, 9325 Presbyterian Circle, Columbia, MD 21045.  So if you have time please stop by and get a raffle ticket.  I already got my 6, I feel Lucky.


We also had a workshop demo -  by Charlie Fogg on Fracture Quilts from the book Fabulous Fractures by Brenda Esslinger.  It was a great demo, but I feel you will have to have a lot of concentration when do this fracturing.  And this is why we also have so many UFOs, we also stopping what we doing to try new things.  This is already on my list to do as soon as I get the book.



We also had a show-n-tell, put I was not able to take pictures because I was the MC.  O.K. that should not have stopped me, I just forgot to take pictures, maybe next time.



We will also be doing a block of the month.  I know you can not see this clearly, but it is from American Patchwork & Quilting, December 2009 issue Illusion in Neutrals.




This block is also demo on YouTube where you can find just about anything on quilting, call Magic Squares.

Magic Squares

I like to also thank all of my friends and quilters who say that they enjoy my blog, and I hope that I can bring you info, laughter and anything else I can think of.

So Do You Feel Lucky?
The Slow Quilter

Foundation Piecing

We all know how to do foundation piecing if you are a quilter, also known as paper piecing, they can make your point sharper and your blocks precise.
This is a star block that was part of the block exchange which was paper pieced by Gwen Jackson.  The focal fabric is in the center, see how nice the points are.


This star is paper pieced, it is a really good job, even the center seam is flatten out.  The only problem is that the paper is a little thicker then I would use, I like more over a light weight paper like vellum or blank newsprint.


Also, it is harder to take a heavier paper off.  This is not the only reason, when doing paper piecing you need to use short stitches.  With shorter/tighter stitches, the paper is perforated and make it easy to remove the paper.


With the longer stitches you can rip the stitches open as you can see here.  Since this was pieced in segments, I will be able to sew that part back, put will have to be careful near the star outlines so I will not rip the seams.  I can not put those back together.

So I guess I better get to pluck out the paper on this one, because I have another one to also pull of the paper.  I have not check this one yet, but I hope it is easier or I learn something after pulling the paper for the star.
I also am still putting pictures together for a picture quilt for a friends mother for Mother’s Day.  Lucky I have a long weekend.  I might not get anything done on Saturday since I have a quilt guild meeting and usually I do not get home to after 7 or 8 if we go get something to eat.  We might even get home early.  Then I have church Sunday, the day of rest, yah right, I might get some rest.  So I have Monday and Tuesday to finish both of these projects before I have to go back to work.
So Happy Weekend Quilting to All
The Slow Quilter

Back in the Sewing Room

O.K. I took a little break from my blog, I am back.  I finished the book and only have one to go, but I will not stop it from getting back the the sewing room. 

One of my UFOs is a block exchange from the Sweet Treat Retreat with Scrapbag.  As I told you about the scant quarter inch seam, these are triangle blocks using that scant quarter inch.  We were all give 1/2 yard of focal fabric to make seventeen 12-1/2” blocks.

This is the focal fabric.  We could used any other fabric we wanted to.  As you can see,(or maybe you can't) we all know each other, so you can image that we also shop at the same quilt shop and we seem to almost choose the same fabric to bring out our blocks.

 

These are the blocks I laid out 3 across 5 down (I might change that to 4 across).  I have two block that are the same that I did not but in this group (I think someone owns me a block and still have not give it to me).  I will will use the other two in something else, maybe a pillow case.  As you can see, my cat Louie thinks he can help by laying on my blocks.

Two of the blocks were paper pieced and this is one of them.  The other was a star.  One thing I have to say about paper piece is that please people use a light weight paper not copy paper.  It is hard to pull off.

 

 

After the layout, I get to sewing. I decided not to but sashing between the blocks (a first for me), I think it looks good.  As I put my rows together and put it up on the design wall I see that my point on this on is way off.  So I will have to pull this one apart.

 

This is the star with the paper pieced copy paper.  I will have to take this one off and take the paper off of it.  Since it is late I will do that tomorrow.  Hopefully I will get it finished, find a backing for it.  I don’t think is will need a overall quilting, may be stitch in the ditch.  What do you think?

 

Taking it apart

The Slow Quilter

Successful R&W, Too Exhibit

The Red & White, Too Exhibit reception was a glorious success.  There were over 100 attendees, from as far as Ohio, North Carolina and Richmond, VA.  This could not have been any more of a happy event for the quilters and Lady Scrapbag, Carolyn Burgess.  It was also her birthday, look at the cake that Marlene present to her.

Here is Shirley Royal from North Carolina by her Kimono quilt, and Adrienne, Charlene Dean and Cynthia York who also have quilts in the show.

Here is Emma Mixon by her hand quilted umbrella quilt, and Charlene Marshall and Lady Scrapbag.

Here is Pat King and Sandra Early from sista stitch alot blog taking a rest from the crowed.  Also Lady Scrapbags’ Aunt Bobbie and husband Lai.

There were so many people and I am sorry I could not put everyone's pictures on this blog, but if you would like to see some great layouts of the quilts, please check out this web site, http://art-enables.org/off-rhode/.

The Slow Quilter

How To Sew Scant Quarter Inch Seam–Part II–Lesson Learned

Well, I told you why you needed to use a scant quarter inch seam, so here is how to achieve it.  But before that let me tell you a story about my lesson learn on this most important seam.

Last year I attended a retreat (Lady Scrapbag – Sweet Treat Retreat) , which required we pick from a list of quilt blocks 12 1/2” all about triangles.  These blocks were picked from a very popular web site Quilter’s Cache by Marcia Hohn’s (http://quilterscache.com).  We had at least 17 blocks to do for an exchange with a 1/2 yard of focal fabric to work with (I will show you the block and focal fabric later this week).  Most if not all of her instructions require a “scant” ¼” inch seam. As I was talking about my block, I said that all of my blocks were not 12-1/2” as was required. Well hell, I was embarrassed when a couple of ladies who were attending the retreat told me they wouldn’t accept a block that was not the required 12 1/2”, and suggested that I check my blocks and redo them if they were not. That was a tall order since I was just about 4 or 5 blocks away to finishing them. One of the young ladies suggested that maybe I would benefit in taking a beginners quilting class to understand the art of piecing. As I thought about this, I agreed that I could most likely benefit from some lessons. She was most helpful in working with me in redoing the blocks (Thank you Shirley Hodges-a great quilter).   Even though I had to take apart all of my blocks and redo them, I am happy to say that the blocks came out to be 12 1/2” and I was proud to exchange my blocks with everyone.

This is my lesson learn. If the block requires that “scant” ¼ inch seam I will do it especially if I am exchanging blocks with someone. Otherwise if the quilt is just for my use or for someone who does not know any better, I most likely will use a ¼ inch seam allowance.  Stop being so shocked, it happens.

So with that said.  Here is another YouTube video on how to achieve the scant quarter each seam.  I did try to take pictures of my scants, put they did not photo well, so again I turn to YouTube for my demonstration.

How to sew a cant quarter inch seam.

As quilters we are perfectionists. Our work is our calling card that will be passed down in our lifetime. Always do your best, because if you don’t you will be talked about. Have you learned your lesson?  I have and I respect the scant quarter inch seam.  Will you?

I hope you enjoyed this walk on the seam line.  There will not be a Part III like I thought, so you are free to get back to the sewing room and test your skills with the “scant”.

Scanting along

The Slow Quilter

Ranting about the Scant 1/4” Seam Part I

This will be a two part blog or maybe even three. I don’t what you to have to read too much at one time, you have other things to do, like quilt, read other blogs or write you own, and even cook dinner for a change. So I hope you will come back and read all about the scant ¼ seam.  Comments are welcome.

A scant, scant here and a scant, scant there, here a scant there a scant everywhere a scant, scant (sing this in the tune of “Old McDonald had a Farm”). This song has been playing around in my head for weeks. Why you ask, because I am a victim of the “scant” ¼” seam. Yes, people I have been victimize by that “scant” ¼” seam that most of us in our quilting life must at sometimes use to achieve the perfectly pieced block.

Sometime in our quilting life we will run into instructions that require you use a scant ¼” seam to piece a block together. Most of us (newbies) will ignore this most important instruction and just do the ¼” seam as always. In the end we discover that our block is a little tab off the size we were trying to achieve by maybe a whole ¼” or more. Is that such a tragedy? No, because it’s your quilt and you can put any seam you want in it. The person you will be giving the quilt to will not know if you used the right seam allowance or not. The quilt still looks good so what is the big deal, right. But if it’s a block you are exchanging, it might be important to the person you are given that block to. (Block exchange I will discuss in Part II or maybe III if there is a Part III.)

What is a scant ¼ inch seam? It’s a seam allowance that’s just a thread or two less than a quarter-inch. Why must we use it? Because quilt blocks shrink slightly every time you press a seam open after sewing, when the top layer of fabric is folded over to one side. To compensate for this slight shrinkage and make sewing blocks come out exactly the right size, you’ll need to use a seam allowance of just a hair under a quarter-inch.

Since you can find most anything on YouTube, here is a video to better understand why you need to use the scant 1/4” seam.  (They make a better video then I do, and it would take me too much time to take pictures.  Hey what every will makes my blogging more easier right.  I do have my quilting to do too.)

Why use a scant 1/4” seam

I hope this video helped most of you understand about the “scant”.  Tomorrow I will show you how to achieve this most converted seam allowance, and my lesson learned from it.  Off to the sewing room I go.

Scanting Along the 1/4 Inch Seam
The Slow Quilter

Quilting & Reading Not A Problem Is It?

I just got home from work, and before everyone comes in look for food (which I do not plan to cook), I thought I start my blog early so I can get downstairs and see what is wrong with my sewing machine so I can finish my Chevron Block and redo  the Wonky Pound Sign.

As I stated in my bio I love to read and sometimes this keeps me out of the sewing room, but I plan to work around this.

A friend at work gave me this book in a series that we are reading, this is before she got a Nook this Christmas, as you can see this is a very big book (I love my vampires), and I do not see myself lugging this around with me on the bus to read (before Kindle I did). I have already started to read it, put will save the read for when I go to bed tonight. I usually can finish a book this size in 4 days, my record is 2 (I’m cutting back).

I am also reading The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins on my Kindle (non-vampire), my friends Pat and Charlene suggest it and also the move will be coming out this summer. I will read this on the bus going to and coming home from work and even at work if work is slow so I should finish this by the end of the week. Book vs. Kindle which would you rather lug around with you.

I also got this book in the mail today that I ordered from Amazon.com, Casting Shadows by Colleen Wise. It is about creating visual dimension in your quilts. This book was $26.00 I got it for $14.98. I will skim through it tonight, carry it around with me and see if there is anything I want to try.

See, I am managing this well.  I know on my last post I was going to give you my views on the scant 1/4” seam, put I will do that tomorrow. 

It has only taken me less then 45 minutes to complete this post, I really love this Windows Live Writer, I am not waiting for my pictures to download.  So off I go to the sewing room.  It is 6:00 no one is home yet, so I will have no distractions.  My cut off time in the sewing room is at least by 10:00.  I have a DVR so all my shows will tape and I can watch them some other time (when they cut off the cable).

Reading & Quilting I am manging

The Slow Quilter