How-to-Quilt.com

April 2008 Newsletter

This issue includes:

1)  A Tidbit of History – “I’ve begun on my set”

2)  Tools, Tricks and Quilting Tips – Bohin Mechanical Chalk
   
3)  Featured Block of the Month – Kitty Corner Quilt Block 
   
4)  Recipe for Quilters – Frozen Plum Pudding
   
5)  Newsletter News – It’s not too early to start end of the year Teacher Quilts

6) Newsletter Special - Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation Collection and Red Hat Rag Quilt DVD Mentor

7)  Quilter’s Trip – St. Jacobs Quilt Show

8)  Fabric Postcards for the Troops – Round ‘em up and send ‘em in before June 8

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my La Mesa Rotary Relay for Life team to benefit the American Cancer Society.

If you haven’t yet, there is still time. The Relay begins Saturday, April 5, and goes for 24 hours.  To learn more about the event, go to:

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/quilterpenny

1) A Tidbit of History – Have you ever heard the phrase - “I’ve begun on my set”?

I hadn’t. According to Ruth E. Finley in Old Patchwork Quilts, when a quilter said that, it meant that the finished blocks were being joined to for the whole quilt top. A completed quilt top was “ready for the frames.”

And “I’m on the third roll” meant that quilting was being done on the reachable space of the quilt after it had been rolled on the frame for the third time.  Usually 5 or 6 rolls were enough to complete the quilt, so naming the roll was a measure that was commonly understood – at least by quilters.

When a quilter “took out,” it was a cause for celebration, since it meant that a quilt had been removed from the quilting frame, and was ready for binding and use.

The names may change, but the cause for celebration doesn’t – at least here. I know that there is much celebrating when I finish a quilt.

2) Tools, Tricks, and Quilt Tips – Bohin Mechanical Chalk

As a hand quilter, I am always in search of ways to mark my quilting design on fabric.

As we heard from Dierdra McElroy on our Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation, we should be looking for something that will reliably wash out when we are finished quilting.

In addition, we need something that will continue to make a relatively thin line so we know exactly where to quilt.

And let’s not forget that we need to be able to mark many different colors of fabric.

Dierdre suggested chalk products as a great solution.

A recent “find” that fits all of those criteria (including the chalk part) is Bohin Mechanical Chalk.  This chalk comes in several different colors (as you can see in the package), plus a bunch of white chalk sticks.

These chalk sticks are relatively thin to begin with, yet also included is a sharpener, so you can continue to have a pointed tip on the chalk.

Push the yellow button at the end opposite the chalk, and more chalk comes out! Nice. No wooden shavings as you sharpen, because the chalk is protected by a plastic coating instead of wood.

3)  Featured Block of the Month

Kitty Corner Quilt Block

This quilt block dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, and is also known as Puss in the Corner.

Interestingly, remnants of a quilt made using this pattern were found. The quilt had a cross-stitch legend: “Mehitable Clark – 1811 – Tic Tac Toe.” Possibly Tic Tac Toe was yet another name for the pattern.

April Quilt Block Patterns

4) Recipes for Quilters – FROZEN PLUM PUDDING

     2 pint cans of condensed milk
   1/2 cupful of seeded raisins
   1/2 pound of sugar
    24 almonds that have been blanched and chopped
     2 ounces of shredded citron
   1/4 pound of candied cherries
     2 teaspoonfuls of vanilla
     2 tablespoonfuls of sherry
   1/2 pint of water
       Yolks of four eggs

Put milk in a double boiler over the fire, and stir until the milk is thoroughly heated; add the yolks of the eggs and the sugar beaten together, cook until it begins to thicken, take from the fire and strain. When cold, add the citron, raisins, the cherries cut into quarters, the almonds, vanilla and sherry. When this is perfectly cold, freeze as directed. Do not repack or allow the mixture to stand in the freezer more than a half hour.

Serve plain or with Montrose Sauce.

One quart of good rich milk may be used in place of the condensed milk.

This will serve twelve persons.

MONTROSE SAUCE

   1/2 tablespoonful of granulated gelatin
   1/4 cupful of sugar
   1/2 cupful of milk
     1 pint of cream
     2 tablespoonfuls of brandy
     1 teaspoonful of vanilla
       Yolks of 3 eggs

Cover the gelatin with milk, let it soak a half hour, and put it, with the milk, in a double boiler over the fire. Beat the yolks of the eggs and the sugar together, add them to the hot milk, stir about one minute until the mixture begins to thicken, take from the fire, and, when cold, add the vanilla and the brandy, and, if you like it, four tablespoonfuls of sherry.
Stand this aside until very, very cold.

5) Newsletter News – It’s not too early to start end of the year Teacher Quilts

Each year when my kids were in elementary school, their teacher received an end-of-the-year quilt.

The design varied, depending on my mood and how much either or both of my children wanted to be involved in the design of the quilt.

When engineering son, Bubba, was in 5th grade, we decided to make this quilt. The design was simple, as you can see. The apple was machine appliquéd onto a piece of muslin. The saying in the center of the apple is “A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind and touches a heart.”

The border surrounding the muslin has rounded corners, making it look like one of those hand-held white boards.

It was hand quilted, with parallel lines running across the center of the quilt. In between each of the lines the children’s names were quilted.

As simple as this was, it was quite a hit with the teacher and her students. A variation might be to have each child in the class write his or her name on the quilt top with permanent marker.

Although that can be somewhat messy, and imperfect, you will find that most teachers appreciate having the work of their students on a memento such as this.

6) Newsletter Special - Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation Collection and Red Hat Rag Quilt DVD

My accountant really wasn't kidding when he said I needed to sell off my inventory!

I have several Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation CD Collections. There are 8 recordings of the best Conversations with quilters as well as industry experts. If you purchased the CD recordings individually, you would have paid $24.97. These are value priced so you get the best information to make your quilting easier.

Also, there are several Red Hat Rag Quilt DVD Mentors available at a great price.

Until Friday, April 4, you can take advantage of these excellent values to make your quilting easier.

7)  Quilter’s Trip – St. Jacobs Quilt Show – May 27 – 31 – Ontario Canada
QUILTS FOR THE WORLD - At St. Jacobs Mennonite Church
1310 King Street North, St. Jacobs,

Guest Artists: Elmira Needle Sisters ~ Quilters' Guild
PLUS many other talented local quilters. The Mennonite Relief Sale quilts on display will be donated to the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale for auction on Saturday May 31, 2008. Daily demonstrations and gift shop. All proceeds go to support Mennonite World Relief.

8)  Postcard Quilts for the Troops - 4th of July

Penny’s Postcard Posse is Flying Again.  It's hard to believe that we are almost at the 4th of July once again!

This will be our third 4th of July. Let's make this one the biggest and best ever!

Send your cards in to us at:

How to Quilt
7723 Tyler's Place Blvd. #327
West Chester, OH 45069

http://fabric-postcards.com/

Have a fabulous Month!

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.How-to-Quilt.com
www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
www.Fabric-Postcards.com

©How-to-Quilt.com 2008

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