Quilting Bees, Outside Quilting Projects
|
 |
| The finished top for the t-shirt quilt. |
Take a few minutes to create a small fabric postcard this week for a soldier in the Middle East. A few scraps of fabric is all it takes, and by making one a week - or every few days - you can brighten the life of our troops.
Just a few minutes is all it takes to create one of these small treasures and send it to Diane for shipment abroad. The letters and emails she gets back are remarkable and tell just how much these little treasures mean to the soldiers over there.
You'll find all the information below. This month I'll be sending additional information, including patterns and instructions for making these tiny quilts.
For those of you who own quilt shops or have an online business, I have just finished my newest information package that is sure to boost your sales.
Whether you already have an online quilting business or are wondering what you can do with your website to generate some serious revenue, this resource will give you the resources you need to jumpstart the online portion of your business.
This is as simple as 1, 2, 3 to learn and do. And it can be done in less than about 45 minutes each week.
The first investors in this system will be able to participate in live telephone training. The first session will be next week.
Learn about the Online Quilting Business Success System.
 |
In about 45 minutes a week, you can generate tons of online sales using my Online Business Success System. Tested and proven to work - this is the system I use. |
And now for the rest of the news - -
Happy Quilting!
Featured Product from How-to-Quilt.com
They Laughed When I Said
I was Going to
Create
a Stack and Whack Quilt using the
Quilt as You Go Technique.
But Their Laughter Turned to Amazement
as They Watched
My Beautiful Quilt Go Together
One Block at a Time
Using this fantastic quilting resource, you'll get two skills in the same compact package, and your quilt will be fun and easy to create.
Learn how to stack your fabric squares and whack them into patches the easy way - no templates or careful measuring required.
Then once your fabric is "whacked" sew the patches together one block at a time, adding sashing between the blocks and surrounding the quilt top with a fun and easy border.
Using layer cake fabric squares, your quilt or wall hanging will be inexpensive and finished (!) in no time at all, including the quilting.
No hassling with the bulk of the quilt as you sew, no worrying about careful matching of the seams in your patches. This is intended to be a fun and easy-to-make quilt.
Plus, these instructions are so easy to follow that in less than the time it takes to read the morning paper, you'll know exactly how to sew this quilt.
I'm excited, tell me more - - -
Quilting History - Quilting Bees
 |
| In 1823 Noah "Bud" Ogle settled this place they called "Junglebrook" outside of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This typical log cabin probably was the site of many quilting bees. |
Another interesting aspect of quilting is the history of the quilting bee.
The quilting bee of years past served many purposes.
It was an opportunity for a party. When pioneer women began hosting quilting bees in their homes, it was after being cooped up inside all winter. Now, the pioneer women used their winter time wisely.
That’s when they pieced their quilts. Since heating a home was an issue back in those days, most houses kept one room warm with a wood burning system. There’s no way one room could keep the family warm and have room for a massive quilt frame.
So the quilting began in the spring. Around this time of year, pioneer women would spread the word of their quilting bee, inviting their neighbors to help quilt. This gave the women a chance for fellowship. They used their quilting bee time to catch up on the news and gossip.
The hostess used the bee as a chance to show off her entertaining skills. The quilters generally tried to finish the quilt before dinner time. The women and their husbands and families were treated to a nice dinner cooked by the hostess.
The finished quilt was celebrated after dinner with music and dancing. Sometimes they sang their favorite songs. Other times, they joined in a square dance to live fiddle music.
You know, the pioneer women had the right idea. With a little help from friends, they got an entire project quilted in just one day. They approached their quilting as work, but they had fun doing it. At the end of the day, they had enjoyed fellowship with others, a good dinner with family and friends, and a party to boot!
Plus, they had a finished quilt to help keep their family warm the following winter when the process started all over again!
Quilting Tips - Projects for the Outdoors
The air gets a little warmer and the sun shines a little longer beginning in April. It’s a month that tends to draw us outdoors – even us quilters who are perfectly happy sitting in front of a sewing machine most of the time.
 |
| This cushion cover is a Storm at Sea pattern and uses simple machine quilting - stitch in the ditch style. |
Why not enjoy a little outdoor time along with your quilting? I’m not talking about a Quilt as You Go project (which, incidentally, isn’t a bad idea). Instead, why not use your quilting talents to make some new outdoor chair cushions?
Since you will need to work with a heavy duty outdoor grade fabric, it will be hard to actually quilt your cushions. You can, however, piece the seat cushion in your favorite quilt pattern. Select the quilt block pattern you like and adjust it as needed to fit your outdoor seat cushions.
Make coordinating throw pillows to accompany your new cushions. This little extra touch can really complement your outdoor space…plus, you get to piece more projects!
Take your quilted look outdoor decorating a step further by creating a floor cloth. You’ll want to use waterproof cloth for a project like that. But, you can still piece it in the quilt block pattern of your choice. Use it along with your seat cushions when you host an outdoor patio gathering.
If you are not sure which fabrics to use for your outdoor needs, talk with the sales clerk at your local fabric store (or phone your online fabric store for advice). Don’t forget to ask for help selecting the right needles to sew through your fabric, too. If you decide that the fabric you like is too thick for a cushion project, just buy some ready made solid color cushions and dress them up with the throw pillows or floor cloth.
The perfect finishing touch for your outdoor space would be a decorative flag. If you plan to leave the flag outside most of the time, construct it out of waterproof fabric, too. If not, use your favorite cotton solids and prints. You might want to use your quilted flag to display on a front porch or even on your mailbox.
Postcard Quilts for the Troops
July 4th Roundup Next - Deadline JUNE 5!
The 4th of July in Iraq or Afghanistan is just another day unless it becomes something different by virtue of quilters' intervention!
I wanted to do something to let the soldiers in the Middle East know that there were hundreds - even thousands - of folks here in the US who appreciated what they were doing.
Our first Penny's Posse Rounded up more than 139 tiny postcard greetings for the soldiers in Iraq for the 4th of July 2006.
Those fabric cards were sent through Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California, and pictures of fabric postcards sent in the first Roundup are posted on this site.
You can read the first webpage with the original idea here.
After the first Roundup, Penny received emails from several quilters asking if she would please do another Roundup so they could participate. And more Roundups were added.
As quilters, we know what those postcards mean to the men and women who recieve them. Some who get them receive no other mail from home. And for all of them, it's a reminder of the wonderful freedoms they are fighting for and the comforts they will enjoy when they return home.
Still others have fond memories of their mothers or grandmothers creating quilts to keep them warm and safe as children.
The 4th of July Roundup is in full swing - the deadline is June 5!
It's not too early to start making patriotic cards for our 4th of July Roundup. This will mark our 4th Year!
Check out the postcard patterns on www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com I will continue to add designs, and patterns for the fabric postcards are always free.
To make the 4th of July deadline, get your cards to Diane by June 5
Please send your cards to:
Diane Malaznik
14215 Westmore St.
Livonia, MI 48154-4149
Diane is doing a fabulous job keeping the pictures updated, and if you have sent cards in, let your friends and family know that they can see pictures of them here: www.Fabric-Postcards.com
Remember you can get FREE postcard patterns at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com
These free April quilt block patterns will make your St. Patrick's Day full of quilting fun. Most of these are 9 patch quilt blocks, and some are 9 patch quilt blocks.
Click here to download your April FREE quilt block patterns
 |
 |
 |
 |
Barn |
Carpenter's Square |
Chicago Geese |
Diamond Cross |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Eastertide | Family Tree | Four-Four Time | Homespun Block |
 |
 |
||
| Rolling Pinwheel | Totem |
Click here to download your April FREE quilt block patterns
Hundreds of quilt block patterns to choose from. Patterns include full size templates and rotary cutting layouts. Click Here
|
