Random Acts of Stitching

More Scrappy Valentines

2012-02-10T13:30:00.003-05:00

These hearts are a fun way to mix and match leftover fabric, ribbons and trims, buttons or beads. I have also made individual hearts to send as valentines to my granddaughters.

Scrappy Valentines

2012-02-09T12:48:00.002-05:00

This is a great way to use up odds and ends of fabric just in time for Valentine's Day. Hearts do not need to be red or pink! This project came from Two-Hour Mini Quilt Projects by McKenzie Kate. This can be adapted to any size.

Alexander's Quilt

2012-01-26T20:05:00.002-05:00

Some very good friends have a new grandson so, of course, he needed a quilt. Unfortunately, his mid-November birthdate was a time challenge until I went to a quilt shop in Lafayette, LA. I had been told his room was being decorated in a jungle theme. This quilt shop had a wonderful wide stripe of jungle animals. There was also a coordinating leaf print. Anya had shown me this simple stripey quilt and I knew I had a winning combination!

Sewing Outside the Line

2011-12-19T05:30:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, a new group called the "Out-of-Line Quilters" came into being. We're just seven stitchers who wanted to get together as a group to help each other stretch our artistic quilting skills. As our first project, we decided to challenge each other to create something beautiful out of what some of us might consider to be "ugly" fabric. Of course, "ugly" is in the eye of the beholder.

We drew names and then gave the other quilter four fabrics that were out of her usual comfort zone. A recognizable amount of at least two of the fabrics had to be used in the final project. We were free to add other fabrics and embellishments as we saw fit. The only other limitation was that the quilt could be no longer than 16 inches on any one side.

What you see in the above photo are six of the seven finished pieces. The seventh piece didn't make it to the photo shoot because the creator was kind enough to stay home and not share her cold germs with the rest of us. But you can see and read about the seventh piece on Susan's blog here. And be sure to read about Madalene's on her blog here. Anya shares the story of her quilt on her blog here. Perhaps non-bloggers Peggi, Dori, Nancy, and Louise can be talked into writing about their process here on this blog.

We all agreed that this was a great way to start off with our group and our creative minds are already working on our next project. What will that be?...We'll let you see the results in a couple of months.

"The Perfect Iron" saga continues...

2011-10-28T21:33:00.002-04:00

Seems like everyone has been blogging about their search for the "perfect iron". Most, like me, have a graveyard of old castoff irons. We've tried every brand available, including the expensive so-called "best" ones on the market (we won't mention any names). Still, they spit water all over our fabric, leak from places they shouldn't, and fail to heat up like they should. And so, the search goes on...

I'm here today to tell you about my latest purchase (and this is just my own individual opinion - no one has encouraged me to post this, so please take it as such and make up your own mind.)
I just bought (or rather, my dear hubby bought it for me as an early Christmas gift) a Reliable V50. I first read about this iron on the IHAN blog and it sounded too good to be true. An iron that pumps out lots of steam, but doesn't leak??? Yeah, right - I've heard that before! I was hesitant to try yet another iron, but Kelly assured me that they really are as "Reliable" as their name says, so I decided to give it a try. I have to tell you that so far, I'm really amazed! Because this iron has an internal steam generator, you can get steam at any temperature - and without spitting! You can also operate it dry, but just have to push one button to start the steam flow, then push it again when you're done and the steam stops. So simple! And talk about steam!!! Besides quilting, I also make bags and purses and need lots of steam to shape these bags. This iron sure does the job! (Just make sure that you only turn on the steam when you need it, because if you leave it sitting and steaming, you'll go through lots and lots of water - might even steam up the windows in your sewing room!)

And like most quilters, you probably hate the auto-off feature on your irons. Every time you get up to press a seam, the iron has turned itself off (again!) and you have to wait for it to re-heat. Well, Reliable has taken care of that problem too! You can override the auto-off function by holding the steam button down for 8 seconds. Now the auto-off function is disabled until you unplug the iron. It's the best of both worlds!

If you'd like to read Kelly's review on the IHAN blog, you can find it here.
Happy Ironing!

2011-10-19T19:38:00.003-04:00

The Eye of the Quilter- Houston

One of the features of the Houston International Quilt Festival is a photographic exhibit called "The Eye of the Quilter" which shows how quilters look at the world. Many of us use our photos in our quilts or make quilts inspired by our photos. Last year the exhibit theme was 'Reflections' and I submitted a photo of a zebra in a water hole which was accepted into the exhibit. This year the theme was 'Friendship' and I sent a photo I took in Tanzania last year when a Maasai herdsman took my husband by the hand to inspect his herd of animals. I just got word that it will be in this year's exhibit in Houston. Neither of these images has led to quilts yet, but I might need to consider the possibility!

Come One, Come All

2011-09-11T18:27:00.002-04:00

Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild member Gretchen F. plays one of the lead roles in this wonderful play...
Check Hamilton-Gibson Productions' website for details on tickets.

I hear there are quilts on stage....

Grace and Glorie from Hamilton Gibson on Vimeo.

Scrappy Linus Quilts

2011-08-06T22:09:00.005-04:00

I used green and yellow scraps to make two quilts for the guild's Linus Quilt Outreach.
The top quilt was made with leftover blocks from the lower quilt. I found that pattern in an April 2008 McCall's Quilting magazine, designed by Holly Holderman.

Another UFO Takes Off!

2011-07-07T15:17:00.003-04:00

Just finished this little quilt to give to friends moving away from Wellsboro. We'll miss them and a quilt might remind them of us. It's a good example of why quilters need a stash! I bought this nice floral stripe several years ago, thinking of some sort of simple and traditional layout. Then I took Dianne Kuhns' class at the lake house on the machine made Cathedral Window blocks. In my stash I found a background that's more golden than it looks here, and two each of green, blue, yellow and rose, taking the colors in the stripe's flowers. The center of the four patch is made using the Cathedral Window technique, so it 3D. I found enough beige for the background and inserted two floral strip pieces to make it wide enough. Nice to have another project out of the closet and on its way.

Great Opportunity

2011-06-02T08:37:00.001-04:00

Well-known art quilter Laura Wasilowski will be presenting a program at the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild's meeting on Friday June 3rd at 7PM in the fellowship hall of the First Presbyterian Church on Main Street in Wellsboro, PA. The meeting and Laura's program are free to the public. Come for what is sure to be a very enjoyable evening! Visitors are always welcome! There may even be a spot or two available for her workshop on Saturday.

You can learn more about Laura on her website or blog.

Many Hands Make A Cool Quilt!

2011-05-05T09:39:00.001-04:00

Edited: The squares in the individual bingo blocks were made and arranged as shown in this link.

This WIP is a joint effort by members of the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild here in north-central Pennsylvania. These 20 (or maybe 24 -- I can't remember) blocks were made by guild members for a quilt bingo game at a guild meeting a couple of years ago. After the meeting, all the blocks were collected and put away for a future charity project. Some were made into placemats and table toppers, but these remained.

A couple of weeks ago, at a guild charity sewing day, Barb and Lynn sewed the blocks together into rows, Peggi then added the black sashing and border and now Angie is working on the quilting.

Once the binding is on, the quilt will go to someone in the community in need of comfort. And all those involved in making it can feel good about what they've accomplished. Nice job, ladies!

2011-04-30T18:47:00.006-04:00

Lynn's New Barn Quilt

2011-04-18T12:18:00.002-04:00

After many many months I have successfully completed my first barn quilt, which my husband promised me it would be on my garden barn by May 1st. Due to the weather this spring the quilt was completed on my dining room table! Enjoy

Eye Candy -- Jane Stickle Style

2011-04-12T10:52:00.000-04:00

Want to see these and more in person? Here's your chance if you're anywhere in the Wellsboro, PA area on Monday April 18th.

This month's program, "An Evening with the Laurel Janes", at the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild meeting will be presented by the "founding mothers" of the MLQG Laurel Janes, Nancy S. and Dori S.

The Laurel Janes group was inspired by a quilt (based on a Civil-War era quilt by Jane Stickle) seen by guild members at the March 2008 Quilters Heritage Celebration show in Lancaster. Nancy and Dori will take you on a journey through the history of the original quilt and the Laurel Janes group, sharing many photos of the group's gatherings and work. Many of the completed quilts or works in progress by the group's members will be there for all to "ooh" and "ahh" over in person. It promises to be a very inspiring evening, even if you have no interest in ever making a Jane Stickle quilt of your own. But who knows, by the time the evening is over, perhaps you'll find yourself wanting to join the group as well!

The meeting starts at 7PM on April 18th at the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center located at 134 Main Street in Wellsboro.

The guild meeting is free and all visitors are welcome.

If you would like to know a bit more about the Laurel Janes ahead of time, check out the "Mini-groups" link on the MLQG website (mountainlaurelquiltguild.org).

Easter Welcome Banner

2011-03-29T18:54:00.004-04:00

I made this Easter Rabbit on a speckled egg background to use on my Changing Seasons banner. This is a pattern/kit from Cotton Ginnys that comes with changeable designs for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I want to create designs for other seasons of the year and am drawing on 35 years of making bulletin boards for my elementary classroom to give me some simple designs to use.

Baby Quilt

2011-02-18T11:33:00.002-05:00

This quilt is for my first grandson who is expected to arrive in March. The pattern is from Debbie Mumm's Project Kids book and features ears and bowties that stand out from the background. All the fabrics except the bear border print came from my stash.

Quilt Scraps

2011-01-25T12:55:00.005-05:00

You may remember the "Black & Tan" quilt I blogged about last month. The colors and design of this quilt really appealed to me so I decided to take it a step further. First, I jumped on the "Mug Rug" bandwagen and made one as a little gift for my hubby. At least he can't say I've made a quilt for everyone but him now! It looks so much better next to his computer than the old paper napkin he was using...

I had so much fun with that little quilt that I just kept right on going, cutting more scraps, and made an 8"x10" mini-quilt. I've decided to donate this to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative for their quilt auctions. Susan has been blogging about this for a while now, and I finally decided to give it a try.

If you haven't made a little AAQI quilt before, I highly recommend it. It's so much fun working on such a tiny scale, and it's a great way to use up those scraps. This quilt cost me nothing except an afternoon of my time, and it was so cold yesterday (14 below zero here) that you can bet I wasn't about to go outdoors! Much nicer in my warm cozy sewing room!

I hope it does well in the auction...

Guest Speaker

2011-01-15T19:34:00.003-05:00

The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild of Wellsboro, PA welcomes Kelly Jackson of the online store I Have a Notion as our guest speaker on Monday, January 17th at 7PM at the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center on Main Street. Kelly will be showing us some of the newest quilting gadgets on the market and will also have some items for sale after her presentation. Visitors are welcome.

Last Minute Christmas Gift

2010-12-15T20:27:00.006-05:00

Some might think I'm crazy, but last Thursday I decided I needed to make one more quilt for Christmas. One of my stepsons is a bachelor, and he's the only one in the family who doesn't have one of my quilts. I decided to make him something warm and cozy that he can snuggle under while watching TV on these cold winter nights in northern PA. I started cutting on Friday, and finished the binding Tuesday evening. I think that's a record for me! Of course, I chose a super-simple pattern, but it turned out awesome. I used a pattern that I bought at Needles Quilt Shop called "My Guy" designed by FunQuilts.
The top is pieced entirely with blacks & dark browns on a tan background, and it's backed with a lodge print flannel for the "cuddle factor". I quilted it with double rows of straight stitching with my walking foot, in a pattern I like to call "railroad tracks".
So if you need a last minute gift, this quilt can be made in a matter of days! And it's fun!
Hopefully my stepson won't read this blog before Christmas! Merry Christmas to all!

For Those Who Are Interested

2010-11-03T16:09:00.001-04:00

This is a slideshow of the Viewers' Choice winners at the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild 2010 Exhibit in Wellsboro, PA. If you have trouble viewing it here, try viewing it directly on YouTube.

Enjoy!

Enjoy the Show!

2010-10-12T06:01:00.004-04:00

Take a few minutes to enjoy the slideshow of the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild Exhibit 2010 held in September at the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center in Wellsboro, PA.

If you have trouble viewing it here, try this link directly to YouTube.

Late summer dyeing

2010-09-26T15:25:00.005-04:00

I took advantage of the warm days of last week to dye some more fabric, trying to use up most of the stash of PFD fabric. I had enough fabric to do four step gradations in red and purple with 1/2 yards of Pimatex cotton and cotton sateen. Again, the Pimatex produces sharper colors, but the sateen has a wonderful hand, soft and silky. I threw a piece of cheesecloth into the darkest color pots of both colors.
I also dyed a few random colors using formulas in a book called Fabric Dyer's Dictionary by Linda Johansen. She has directions for doing gradations of single colors or for going from one color to it's complement, like purple to yellow, by varying the ratio of one dye to the other. So I picked out a few colors I liked and made them. My colors aren't exactly like hers, but relatively so, and they're pretty and usable.
I saved just a few yards to do some snow dyeing this winter if the snow falls as expected. I hope I won't have a broken leg this winter, so I can gather the snow myself instead of sending Bill out to get it!
Now to get some projects underway!

Last Chance!

2010-09-19T11:09:00.004-04:00

If you haven't been to the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild's exhibit yet, you have one week left. It's at the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center located at 134 Main Street in Wellsboro, PA. The gallery is open 2-5PM every day through Sep 26th. Free admission.

Click on the photos for a larger view, but better yet....come see it in person. You won't be disappointed!

Anybody Want To Go To A Party?

2010-09-01T12:23:00.003-04:00

On Friday, September 3rd, from 5 to 7 PM, the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild is hosting a gala opening reception for its 2010 Exhibit at the Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center in Wellsboro, PA. There will be door prizes and refreshments, as well as a chance to see all of the approximately 100 quilted items put on display by guild members. Everyone is invited and admission is free. The photo shows some of the wonderful door prizes made by guild members, including bags, mini-quilts, potholders, change purses, and lots of other wonderful goodies.

If you cannot make it to the opening reception, the exhibit will be on display at the Gmeiner from September 4th through September 26th, again with free admission. Gallery hours are 2-5PM daily.

Please join us!

Eleanor's Neck Tie Quilt

2010-07-24T22:31:00.002-04:00

Isn't this quilt beautiful? They are neck ties and Eleanor made this great gift for her son.
I thought everyone would enjoy seeing this neat idea!

MJ

Coverlet-Inspired Quilts

2010-07-12T10:38:00.004-04:00

If you're in the north-central part of Pennsylvania this upcoming weekend, you may want to check out this quilt show at the Muncy Historical Society.

How should I quilt this?

2010-06-15T08:41:00.004-04:00

This is a quilt-in-progress that I'm going to donate to the Friends of NRA for their annual fund-raiser banquet on Sept. 23rd. I haven't made a final decision on what to call it yet, but so far "Eagles Watch" is on the top of the list. The piecing is done and it's ready to baste, but I'm struggling on how to quilt it. I do my own quilting on a sit-down domestic machine. If anyone has any quilting suggestions, please share your ideas! Thanks!

It's a Colorful Day!

2010-05-20T15:01:00.003-04:00

While prepping my stuff for our class with Carol Taylor on Saturday, I decided I needed more purple fabric. The weather report looked promising for today, so I mixed my dyes and spent the morning playing in the driveway. Here's my new stash of fabrics, including some nice purple, drying in the sun before they head to the washer.

Anya's HQ16 Setup

2010-05-20T09:02:00.003-04:00

The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild has a sub-group of machine quilters (we're Armed and Dangerous!) who meet monthly to share info, ideas, and inspiration. Members are encouraged to post photos of their machine and frame setups, as well as projects that they're working on or have completed, here on this blog. I'll start.

This is my HQ16 made by Handiquilter. It's a little over 4 years old and has a stitch regulator with the Portable Professional Frame. It sits on an 8-foot wood table that my husband built for me.

Handiquilter no longer makes the HQ16, but some dealers may still have a few remaining to sell. I believe that the PPF has been replaced by a different frame. The HQ16 has been replaced by the 18" Avante. They also have a new Fusion which is a 24-inch machine.

I encourage other MLQG Armed and Dangerous members to post photos of what they quilt on...

Corning Quilt Show This Weekend

2010-05-14T08:44:00.001-04:00

Corning Quilters' Guild Spring Quilt Show
Friday May 14th Noon - 6 PM
Saturday May 15th 10 AM - 6 PM
Sunday May 16th 10 Am - 4 PM

Admission $3.00

Raffle Quilt, guild sale booth, quilts of all sizes, wearables, several antique quilts, displays of guild programs.

Questions or more information, email psmith@stny.rr.com

Directions:
From East of Corning, take I86 to exit 46. Turn left on to Rte 414.
From West of Corning, take I86 to exit 46, Turn right on to Rte 414.
From South of Corning, take US 15 to I86 E, to exit 46 (see above)
From North of Corning, take Rte 414 south to Corning.

Turn right from Rte 414 on to Pulteney Street at the red light. (The Corning Museum Of Glass parking lot will be on the right).

At the next red light (parking garage on right), turn right on Baker Street.

Take Baker St almost to the end, VFW will be on the right. Watch for the giant American flag.

Finally finished!

2010-05-04T21:22:00.003-04:00

My Dear Jane quilt "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" is finally finished. I've never worked so hard on a quilt! I used 1930 reproduction fabrics, in a trip around the world pattern. I finished it on my HQ 16 and am very pleased with the results. I'm a better quilter as a result of taking on this project, which seemed impossible at times. I didn't think I could applique, but I learned that I can. I didn't think I could make so many #@*& triangles, but I did. Special thanks to the Laurel Janes for their support and encouragement over the last two years!

Everybody Loves a Sale!

2010-04-26T18:57:00.002-04:00

The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild will be having its first-ever Quilt/Craft/Stuff Sale on Saturday May 1st, 9AM until 2PM at the Tokishi Building on NYPUM Drive off of Route 6 in Wellsboro, PA. The turn is near Truck-Lite.

Twenty-two guild members will be selling fabrics, sewing machines, notions, accessories, books, patterns and other craft supplies as well as finished works such as quilts, table runners, pillowcases, etc. The guild will also be selling baked goods.

Admission is a canned good or a cash donation. The bake sale and admission proceeds will benefit Tioga County food pantries.

Come early to get the best selection. Bargains galore!

Pre-Teen Fabric Choices

2010-04-21T19:13:00.003-04:00

What do you do with fabric chosen by an eleven year old granddaughter? It wasn't quite to my taste, but I wanted to use it so I could tell her what I did with it. There were enough fat quarters to make two small quilts. One went to Project Linus, which my granddaughter thought was pretty cool. The other went back to her this weekend. She thought that was even cooler! Granddaughter #4 seems to approve of it, too.

Carol Taylor Is Coming

2010-04-09T18:20:00.002-04:00

Renowned quilt artist Carol Taylor will be a guest lecturer at the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild's meeting at 7PM on Friday May 21, 2010 at the First Presbyterian Church on Main Street in Wellsboro, PA. The lecture Sew Many Quilts, So Little Time will be a retrospective of Carol's quilting career showing how she produced over 500 quilts (many of them award-winning) since she began in 1993. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The following day (May 22, 2010) Carol will be teaching a full-day workshop called Sensuous Lines and Curves. The cost of the workshop is $50 for MLQG members and $60 for non-members. A few spaces remain in the Saturday workshop, so if you are interested in signing up or if you need more information about the workshop, please visit the MLQG's website and use the "Contact Us" link.

You can see many of Carol's quilts in the gallery section of her website. And be sure to go to her Biography page, then scroll to the bottom and click on "Behind Closed Doors in Carol's Studio" to see a quilt studio that IS TO DIE FOR!

Guerrilla Knitting

2010-04-01T18:42:00.005-04:00

I'm waiting for someone in Wellsboro to start this on the gaslights along Main Street...or perhaps on the ironwork around the Wynken, Blynken, and Nod statue on the Green...

Is there anyone among us who is brave enough?

New Pillowcase Maker Trained Today

2010-03-30T15:48:00.003-04:00

My grandson, Jonah, age 8, came to visit today. We went to Needles Quilt Shop and he picked out a nice blue fabric to make a pillowcase. We auditioned fabrics from my stash to find a cuff. I think he chose well. He used my digitizer to design his name in old English font which we stitched in red. He likes it and so do I. We enjoyed doing it together.

Quilt Show Season Begins

2010-03-04T08:42:00.003-05:00

If quilt shows are starting to show up, that must mean that spring is here in north-central PA!

This upcoming weekend, the Susquehanna Valley Quilters will be having their show at the Hughesville Firehall. Click here for more info.

The photo above is of their 2010 raffle quilt.

A great way to get out and enjoy the sunshine the weatherpeople promise us...

Snow Dyeing

2010-02-27T15:09:00.002-05:00

A major topic of discussion on the QuiltArt email list this winter had been using snow to dye fabric. After soaking your PFD fabric in soda ash solution, you put it in a large container and pack it full of snow. Then you pour or squirt dye on top and let it sit for hours until the snow melts. Before the current snow started to fall I soaked my fabric and arranged it in tubs. Bill put the tubs outside the night before the snow started, so the fabric froze in its arrangement and was then covered by the snowfall.
Having the fabric frozen made the dye reach the fibers very unevenly as the fabric thawed and the snow melted. I think the resulting designs in the fabric are wonderful! Now I need to think up domething wonderful to do with the fabric.

A Quilting Challenge

2010-02-26T18:21:00.003-05:00

Three Creative Studios is hosting a year long challenge --www.threecreativestudios.com-- in which they post a word and quilters respond with a small quilt inspired by the word. The word posted in January for quilts to be finished this week was 'puzzle'. Here's my quilt. My first thoughts ran to jigsaw puzzles but pondering on the choices to be made I decided every quilt is a puzzle of colors, shapes, design, lines, threads...

So I took some bits of fabric trimmed from a batik quilt, some shapes of hand dyed fabric, tiny bits of embroidery thread I've been stuffing into a jar instead of the trashcan and layered them under tulle. Then I quilted them into place. Fun! I wonder what the next word will be.

It's not too late to join the challenge.

Make-a-Blanket Day

2010-02-18T10:37:00.005-05:00

Members of the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild will be participating in the Project Linus "Make-a-Blanket Day" this Saturday, February 20th. Members will gather at the Masonic Lodge in Wellsboro to make quilts for children in need of comfort. The workshop is full; however, if you are not signed up for the workshop but have a Linus quilt to donate to the cause, feel free to stop by (even if you are not a guild member) to drop off your work with the Tioga County Project Linus coordinator, who will be at the workshop. We'd love to see your quilts and you can see what we've accomplished. Stop by any time inbetween 9AM and 3PM.

If you're a guild member who has made Project Linus quilts but can't make it to the workshop in person, we encourage you to post a photo or two on this blog. If you need help with that, just contact Susan or Anya.

Hopefully, we'll share some photos of the completed workshop quilts soon...

More Broken Leg Work

2010-02-12T19:16:00.002-05:00

When it snowed Tuesday night, my plans to get to the lake house to join the quilting fun were dashed. It's hard to keep your toes warm in the snow when wearing a cast! I had cut fabric for 12 pillowcases and had it ironed and ready to serge. I had two Linus quilts with binding to stitch down. I was ready to play! Oh well. I worked on them off and on Wednesday and Thursday, but it wasn't nearly as much fun doing it at home by myself!
In case you can't tell, my 11 year old granddaughter picked out the fabric I used in this little quilt. Not exactly my taste, but that's okay!

Broken Leg Accomplishments

2010-02-04T14:00:00.003-05:00

There are a lot of things you can't do with a cast on your right leg-- even a sunny yellow on like this! While I've sat or reclined for the last two weeks, I've kept my hands busy crocheting. My Godmother Libby Cochran taught me to crochet when I was about 14. My Nana started a wool afghan for me that year which I finished because she died before it was done. Every year I need to crochet something just to keep the muscle memory in place. This came in handy during my current confinement. Nancy used my new Edge Perfect blade to poke holes in 4 pieces of soft cream fleece in my stash. Susan brought me five colorful pieces of fleece, all cut and ready to decorate the edges. So now there are nine finished blankets for the Guild's Project Linus contribution. It sure was nice to have something to do besides watch old movies! Now I'm tired of crocheting and ready to get back to sewing. My left foot is doing okay!

My First Art Quilt

2010-01-24T10:03:00.001-05:00

Join In The Fun!

2010-01-13T10:35:00.003-05:00

As some of you may know, the annual Quilters' Heritage Celebration in Lancaster, PA has folded. However, the American Quilter's Society (of Paducah fame) has scheduled a new show in Lancaster in March of this year. It will be held at the new Lancaster County Convention Center and other nearby venues.

The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild of Wellsboro, PA is sponsoring a bus to the new show on Friday, March 26, 2010. Signups are now open for non-members. Here are the details.

Cost -- $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers (this may be reduced if more than the minimum number of people sign up). The price includes round trip transportation from Benedict's Bus Service in Whitneyville (in between Wellsboro and Mansfield, PA) or the community center in Covington, admission to the show, and gratuity for the driver. All other expenses are extra. Lunch is on your own at the show and there will be a dinner stop at Country Cupboard in Lewisburg on the return trip. The bus will leave Benedict's in Whitneyville at 6AM with a stop at the community center in Covington and arrive at the show at approximately 10AM. We will leave the show at 4PM and arrive back at Benedict's sometime after 9PM.

Please note that according to the AQS website, there is currently a $15 shuttle fee for those who wish to use the AQS shuttle to the different venues. It is not included in the MLQG price. However, AQS may decide to lower or even eliminate the shuttle fee. If so, it will be on the AQS website.

For details on the show itself, check out the page on AQS. If you would like to join the MLQG on this trip to the exciting new show, please email Anya (click on her name for email address -- it will be on the left side of her profile page) for info on how to sign up.

And don't let the picture at the top of this post scare you...we won't be taking a school bus! It will be a very comfortable coach provided by Benedict's.

Finally Finished!

2009-12-29T13:57:00.002-05:00

Last year my daughter-in-law gently hinted that they needed a new quilt and that she liked the blue and brown combination so popular today. Fortunately, my stash was filled with blue fabrics and enough brown to make the necessary blocks. There are 6 rows of blocks. I assembled them in three sections of 2 rows each. I added border segments to each section, sandwiched, and quilted each section individually, leaving about 2 inches unquilted along the joining edges. After folding back the batting and backing, I stitched the top sections together, trimmed, and hand stitched the batting and backing. Then I completed the last 2 inches of quilting along the seam. This method allowed me to quilt this on my Janome machine. Each section was 32-36 inches by the width of a queen bed; not easy to handle, but doable in a simple design. This is the biggest quilt which I have completed totally by myself! Fortunately, we didn't see this part of the family on Christmas Day, so completing the binding last night was okay!

Party Time

2009-12-22T12:14:00.005-05:00

The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild in Wellsboro, PA recently held its Christmas party and a good time was certainly had by all. Click on the photos is you want to see a larger version.

Check out some of the lovely presents waiting to be chosen during the gift theft (I mean, gift exchange)...
Some of the yummy desserts...

And the good-looking crowd...

2009 was a very productive year for the guild and 2010 will probably be even better!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Yarn Addicted Quilters (YAQ)

2009-12-13T10:03:00.004-05:00

Are you a quilter who not only has severe fabric addictions, but suffers from a yarn addiction as well? Recently it was discovered that many of us quilters are closet knitters and crocheters and keep this addiction to ourselves. Well ladies, it's time to come out of the closet!

We are planning to get together once a month to celebrate our yarn addictions. If you live in the Tioga County area you are invited to bring your latest yarn project and a bag lunch to "the lake house" on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 9:30 and spend the morning knitting or crocheting with your other yarn addicted quilting friends!

Feel free to pass this invitation along to any other yarn addicted quilters that you may know!

Please note that we will not meet if the Wellsboro School District is canceled or delayed because of weather conditions. As we all well know, the weather in the Tioga county region can vary substantially from one neighborhood to the next. Only you can decide if conditions in your area will allow for safe travel. Please use your own best judgment regarding travel conditions in your area.

Ann and Raggedy Ann

2009-12-06T14:57:00.002-05:00

Ann made this Raggedy Ann for the Tuesday Quilt Group's Open House this weekend at my house and it was a big hit all dressed in a Christmas outfit and of course, sold right away. Our group had a great time being together and buying each other's handmade items. This got me in the holiday spirit and the snow really made it feel like Christmas. Now it is time for me to think about Christmas and get my act together for our travels to see our children and a new Great Grandson that should be born this week.

Mary Jane

Going Green (and White)

2009-12-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

The senior class at Wellsboro Area High School will be selling raffle tickets for this quilt tomorrow (Dec 5) at Wellsboro's Dickens of a Christmas festival. Be sure to stop by their booth outside of Carson Finance on Main Street (across the street from Needles Quilt Shop) to buy a ticket or two. The seniors will also be happy to sell you some hot chocolate to help you stay warm as you enjoy the day. Thanks for your support!

Santa at Open House

2009-12-02T10:30:00.003-05:00

This beautiful handmade Santa was created by my friend Eleanor for our Tuesday Quilt Group's Open House on Dec. 4th from 4-7 pm and Sat. Dec. 5th from 10-3. The gals have been sewing, crafting and baking the last few weeks to have Mary Jane's heated garage full of wonderful gift items for Christmas or any time of the year. Mary Jane will have her latest red and green applique quilts on display so drop by for a look and refreshments.

A Worthy Cause

2009-11-30T06:15:00.002-05:00

Earlier this year, Ami Simms visited the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild in Wellsboro, PA for a lecture and workshop. After Ami's delightful lecture, the guild surprised her with 30 donated quilts for her pet project, the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. Ami was quite touched by the gesture.

A number of the quilts were sold at auction on Ami's website and some others went with her to the Houston Quilt Festival in October, hopefully to be sold to raise some money for the charity as well.

A quick check of the website shows that a good number of the quilts were sold! Take a minute or two to check them out on the AAQI website -- the numbers start in the 3870 range.

Nice work, MLQG!

Dear Jane Quilt

2009-11-20T13:41:00.005-05:00

My Dear Jane top was
done in June and the hand quilting is now underway and about 50% done. Sore quilting fingers and other fall and Christmas projects have slowed progress but I'll be back on track after the holidays.

Eye Candy

2009-11-18T12:50:00.002-05:00

The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild had a special visitor earlier this week. Bonnie McCaffery was our featured speaker on Monday and workshop teacher on Tuesday. Here are some of the wonderful quilts that she brought with her to show... They were even better, of course, in person. Thank you, Bonnie, for visiting and sharing! (and thank you to the guild members who have lovely hands...)

Come Join the Fun!

2009-11-12T07:50:00.003-05:00

If you are a member of the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild, you are welcome to join the Laurel Janes at a mini-retreat at the lake house on Friday and Saturday, November 13th and 14th. We will start at 9:00 and finish up each day in the late afternoon. You don't have to be working on a Dear Jane project in order to join the party. Come see what the Laurel Janes are working on and bring your own sewing/quilting/stitching projects to work on. Come for an hour or come for all day.

Bring a dish to pass and a contribution of $10 for one day or $15 for both to help pay for the utilities in the lake house. For more info, call Nancy S. or Dori S. or Moddy M. Check your roster or newsletter for their contact info.

Hope to see you there!

Applique class at the Lake House

2009-11-07T20:29:00.002-05:00

I had a wonderful day sharing my knowledge of applique with 14 great gals at the Lake House. I forgot that I had my camera until it was just about over but we still had some die hearts that stuck it out to the end. What a wonderful place to stitch, great light and plenty of room to spread out... thanks to Moddy for opening her home to us quilters. I got to know three new gals that belong to our guild but hadn't met them and they were delightful. Take a class or get involved in a committee as you never know when you will meet that special friend.

Mary Jane

Monsters for Linus

2009-11-05T15:31:00.005-05:00

I have a piece of fabric that was supposed to sew up into a fabric book. It has cute monster jokes on it, so I bought 2 panels for my grandkids. However, the jokes were for 6-8 year olds, who don't need cloth books, so I never made the books. This week one of the panels turned into a cute Linus quilt top. Probably won't get quilted until 2010, but at least it's off the shelf!

Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight

2009-11-01T15:40:00.008-05:00

Ever since I saw my first "Storm at Sea" quilt, I just knew I had to make one for my dad, who's been an avid sailor all his life. It's done in the traditional Storm at Sea setting, but I manipulated the colors to resemble a sunset over the water - hence the name "Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight". It will make the perfect Christmas gift for Dad this year!
The most exciting part was trying to find the "perfect" fabric to use for the sun's reflection in the water. I finally found a light periwinkle/blue fabric that looked like it had gold dust lightly brushed across it, and that gave exactly the effect I wanted. It faintly suggests the sunlight dancing off the water.

I used John Flynn's acr ylic templates to cut all the pieces, and quilted it on my domestic machine using John's "dot-to-dot" design that he uses on his Storm at Sea quilts. I'm sharing it with you all because so many of you have been a part of the planning of this quilt (and Susan insisted that I post it on this blog), but you have to promise to keep it a secret! After all, Christmas is still 2 months away and I wouldn't want Dad to find out about it early! Thanks to all who offered their opinions and support!

Circle Stitcher

2009-10-31T21:05:00.005-04:00

I've gotten a couple of questions about the circle stitcher I used in my Quilter's Crossroads post last week. I learned about it from Libby Lehman at the Ricky Tims Super Seminar I attended with Nancy C last summer.

For my Janome machine, which has a bobbin that is flat under the needle, the circle stitcher takes the place of the bobbin cover to attach to the machine. From that bobbin cover, an arm extends to the left about 6 inches, is adjustable in length, and ends with a sharply pointed thingy like a tack on the teacher's chair.

You layer your circle inset (with stabilizer) under the quilt top into which you want to insert it. You then center the circle and its top fabric on the tack, after setting its length to the radius of the circle you want to stitch. Using a straight stitch, you stitch the circle and assist the fabric to spin around the tack. This would be hard with a big piece of quilt top, I think. Next you carefully cut out the top layer of fabric inside the circle, very close to the stitching. Then you use a decorative stitch to enhance your inset circle.

Of course, you could just stitch circles without insets, using interesting threads and varying your circle size. Maybe I should try that next!

The attachment cost about $40 at Mickey's.

Quilt Show Season Continues

2009-10-31T18:40:00.005-04:00

If you're up for a road trip with quilting friends, the Kenan Quilt Guild of Lockport, NY will be having their show on Nov 6, 7, and 8 from 10AM until 5PM in Lockport's Kenan Arena (click on the link for more details -- scroll down the page to the info about the quilt show). Vendors, demos, food court, door prizes, boutique, 300 items on display. $5 admission.

There are several quilt shops on the way...

(clip art courtesy of The Sewing Box)

Quilter's Crossroads

2009-10-24T16:40:00.002-04:00

Last summer we spent two days in my driveway mixing fabric dyes and pouring them on various pieces of fabric including our undies and socks. I dyed one half yard piece in rainbow stripes from red through to purple. When it was dry I cut the two halfs of the rainbow apart and then into strips with I converged ala Ricky Tims. Then I used my new circle stitcher to insert circles from the back with decorative stitching. This was fun to make-- a good practice piece! Pardon my toe!

Raffle Quilt WIP

2009-10-23T18:31:00.003-04:00

This lovely Christmas quilt (approx 72" x 72") was recently made by several Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild members using fabric that had been donated for charity projects. As soon as the binding is finished (cheery Christmas red), it will go to the Northern Tier Children's Home Thrift Shop in Whitneyville, PA for a fundraiser. If you're in the area, you should be able to get raffle tickets there soon. Don't miss it!

Dear Jane is Done

2009-10-19T07:19:00.003-04:00

My Dear Jane quilt is finished, hand quilted and even have a sleeve sewn on the back... on to other things in my brain. After looking at the photo I would have set the blocks differently, they run together too much but done is done! It was a nice experience to sew along with the other Laurel Janes and see how different fabrics interpret the original quilt. Tonight is the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild Meeting so I am prepared for Show & Tell.

Another Quilt Show!

2009-10-15T10:13:00.003-04:00

If you're in the area this upcoming weekend, check out this quilt show put on by the Tiadaghton Quilt Guild in Williamsport, PA.

Don't let the snowy forecast scare you away!

Great Grandson's Baby Quilt

2009-10-12T19:45:00.002-04:00

We are expecting a great grandson in NC on Dec. 15th and a shower is being given on Oct. 25th. I can't be there but at least I got his quilt done and it will be in the mail this week. The pattern is from Fons & Porter's Easy Quilts, Fall 2009. Of course I had to hand quilt it but it would have been much faster to machine quilt.

Quilters' Eye Candy

2009-10-05T19:56:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago, the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild gathered at a "Sew-La-Tea" event for local quilters. One of the highlights of the afternoon was the display of quilts (both completed and in progress) by members of the guild's Laurel Janes. The members of this group have been meeting for the last 16 months or so to make their own versions of Jane Stickle's famous 1863 quilt. Here are some that were shown -- (apologies for the bad photos -- the lighting was not the best) --

This is Nancy S. with her completed center made with 30s reproduction fabrics. She is now working on the outer triangles.

Rita made 40 blocks (hand-pieced) and set them on point with some cream-colored squares. She is now in the process of hand-quilting.

Betty M. made two small wallhangings. This is her first one.

And this is her second one (she was inspired by the Empire Quilters' 2009 raffle quilt).

Dori made 25 blocks and decided to make a small wallhanging. She is now in the process of adding some applique in the border. When she finishes with this, she plans to pick fabrics that she likes better and will work on a second quilt.

The batik blocks above Dori on the design wall were made by Anya. She has 20 more of the center blocks to finish and then plans to add the outer triangles.

Perhaps we can encourage some other members of the Laurel Janes to show photos of their work on this blog soon...

MLQG 2010 Raffle Quilt

2009-10-01T19:50:00.003-04:00

The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild's raffle quilt top is finished and was basted today. It will be handed quilted by one of our members and we are on our way to having a beautiful quilt for next year's exhibit.

More Quilt Shows

2009-09-29T11:16:00.004-04:00

This weekend brings more quilt shows to the Twin Tiers (northern PA/southern NY). Check these out.

Airing of the Quilts in Tunkhannock, PA will be held on Saturday, October 3rd. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather, although there are indoor activities as well as outdoor. When you go to the website, be sure to check out all the gallery photos from past shows.

The Tompkins County Quilters' Guild will be having their show on Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th, in Dryden, NY (near Ithaca). While you're there, be sure to stop by Quilters' Corner on W. State Street in Ithaca to check out the Brazieres for a Cure exhibit.

Once again, today's clip art comes from Dawn's Quilting Clip Art.

Upcoming Quilt Shows

2009-09-21T19:00:00.002-04:00

Are you ready for some fall quilt shows in the Twin Tiers (southern NY/northern PA)?

The Endless Mountains Quilt Guild of Sayre, PA is having a show on Sep 26 (10-5) and Sep 27 (10-4) 2009 at the Lynch-Bustin Elementary School in Athens, PA. $5 admission.

The Ladies of the Valley Quilt Guild of Addison, NY is having a show on Friday Sep 25 and Saturday Sep 26 (10-5 both days) at the Addison town hall, 21 Main Street. The show will be part of Saturday's Pinnacle Fall Festival in Addison.

The clip art on this post came from Dawn's Quilting Clip Art.

MLQG Reminder

2009-09-18T10:35:00.004-04:00

Attention Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild members...don't forget to bring 6-8 2 1/2" (width of fabric) strips to Monday night's guild meeting! The strips can be all different or there can be some duplicates, but they should all reflect your quilting style. I have no idea what we are going to do with them, but I am sure that our new president has something fun up her sleeve! See you all Monday night!

Sew-La-Tea Photos

2009-09-16T18:52:00.006-04:00

Just a few photos from the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild's Sew-La-Tea held last Saturday. There were many lovely quilts displayed and lots of friendly conversation with other quilters.

The closeups at the top of the post are of quilts made by the "founding mothers" of our guild -- Mary Jane's is the red applique and Madalene's is the Celtic knotwork.

Friendship Star Quilt

2009-09-14T22:57:00.002-04:00

I won these friendship star blocks at our guild's quilting retreat 2 yrs ago and have just finished putting them into this quilt. It turned out so lovely, I've decided to give it to a friend who has had a very bad year. I hope it cheers her up.

Juried Into a National Show!!

2009-09-14T20:45:00.004-04:00

This week in the Philadelphia area is the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza. I was delighted to have two of my quilts juried into the the show! It's the first time I've entered a national show. The Majestic Mountains quilt is a miniature block based on Bonnie Hunter's technique. It was made for a challenge for an online quilt guild called Our Quilting Beehive. Roses Converging is a Ricky Tims convergence quilt and uses a hand dyed chartreuse fabric to highlight the leaf colors in the Benartex Flower Shop roses. There are additional roses appliqued on top and quilted with gold thread.

MJE with "Ponctatoula Oak Leaves"

2009-09-11T12:26:00.003-04:00

Quilt on exhibit at the 2008 Hershey show. Needle turn applique and hand quilting was the technique I used to make this quilt from a Leisure Arts pattern I purchased in Ponctatoula, LA

You're Invited!

2009-09-09T20:01:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the new blog authored by a group of stitchers from north-central Pennsylvania. We'll be posting photos of our projects, asking for advice, and generally sharing info about stitching-related topics. Feel free to join the discussion by using the comments option under each post.

What you see in the photo are some of the door prizes to be given out at the Sew-La-Tea that will be hosted by the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild in Wellsboro, PA this Saturday, September 12th from 2:00PM until 5:00PM at the Presbyterian Church on Main Street (next to the Green Free Library). There will be quilt displays, door prizes, refreshments, etc. A local group of Dear Jane quilters will also be on hand to talk about and display their projects. Please come join us -- there is no admission fee.