Quilts that Express Statements, Quilt Journals
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| m. mouse waiting for his turn on the computer keyboard. his buddy, jackson, was nice enough to keep him company while he waited. |
Greetings Quilter -
m. mouse, the official www.how-to-quilt.com diabetic siamese kitty, here - wishing you all a happy mother's day yesterday!
at least all of you moms here in the US.
we had quite a celebration here at the how-to-quilt.com house.
quilting daughter, Stephanie, and her fiance, Cam came down to wish us all a happy mothers' day - even though i'm not a mother. not even a father, either.
they had some yummy meals. jackson and i enjoyed our savory kitty food. but when quilting daughter, stephanie, is here, we don't get any fish. oh well, a small price to pay for having here her to rub my back and head.
my mothers' day present to penny was to write this update.
penny is making progress on her bali pop / jelly roll quilt. me, i'm having fun batting at the strips of fabric that are hanging on her flannel wall. since they are pinned to the flannel, i can't drag them around the house, so i'm left with just batting them as they hang there. it's still fun.
i'm really enjoying seeing the colors and interesting prints on the fabric.
penny is still working on the quilt block choices for the quilt.
some of the choices include:
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| 9 Patch Plaid Quilt Block | Light and Shadows Quilt Block | Cats and Mice Quilt Block |
because the fabric is already cut into 2 1/2 strips, penny is trying to find quilt blocks that use only squares and rectangles.
of course, she could use a block that has half-squre triangles - like my pointy ears - but, i think she wants to make it an quilt that is easy to make, yet looks kind of cool.
frankly, i like the idea of the cats and mice quilt block - for some pretty obvious reasons. but, i still haven't figured out how it got that name.
anyway, hope you all had a fun mother's day. i'm going back to my nap now.
oh, i've left the information about the quiltblocklibrary, where penny keeps looking for the right quilt block pattern for her bali pop / jelly roll quilt:
For that part of the project, I'll head on over to the QuiltBlockLibrary.com to check out a huge collection of quilt block patterns. We had some trouble with the site, but everything is up and running now, and you can get tons of patterns - free ones as well as ones for purchase.
Each pattern comes with a picture of the quilt block showing the placement of dark, medium and light fabric, as well as full size templates and rotary cutting instructions. When you make your selection, simply purchase credits and download your pattern immediately.
Your downloads will stay in your History so you can get them any time.
And, all fabric postcard patterns are FREE!
Fabric Postcards for Penny's Postcard Posse
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.
And now for the rest of the news - -
Happy Quilting!
Last Call!
 This brand new quilting resource will make designing a quilt fun and easy. |
Here's one last chance to reserve your copy!
just because i'm a really nice guy, i decided to extend the deadline for you to reserve your copy of this fantastic quilting resource.
but, really, tomorrow is the day when we need to get our order in to our friends at the book publishing company.
penny keeps telling me that she is really looking forward to getting the information in this brand new resource.
she has been drawing her quilt blocks since before i can remember. i really love to watch her draw - she always ends up with some little bits of paper for me to chase and chew on.
plus once the quilt block pattern is done and the templates are cut, i can count on a brand new quilt to cuddle up on - that's the part i really like!
penny is sure you will love this new resource, too, since you will be able to make any quilt block you want - in any size you want.
and - even though you might think that drawing your own quilt blocks is hard - it is really easy. i've seen penny do it a bunch of times, and all it takes is a ruler, pencil, and paper. the paper with the little squres printed on it is the best.
i think she calls it graph paper, but i'm not really sure.
anyway, if you haven't already reserved your copy, click on over and let us know. tomorrow, bright and early the order goes in, and you'll have to wait for months before you see this in your quilt shop - or available online.
tell me more about Quilters' Academy, Vol. 2 - - -
TheQuiltingCoach.com provides answers to your quilting questions; tips, techniques and shortcuts to make your quilting fun and easy; quilt block patterns with step-by-step instructions (including photographs of what to do); quilting projects; and tons more.
Beginning Quilters or more experienced quilters, we're anxious to have you join our community!
For this month, you can join for a special rate that will give you access to everything online in TheQuiltingCoach. You'll find hundreds of free quilt block patterns as well as quilt projects - including the new Jelly Roll / Bali Pop Quilt.
Visit: www.TheQuiltingCoach.com for more information. Click on this link for the special rate: Special Deal for TheQuiltingCoach.com
Quilting History - Quilts Express Statements
We know quilts in the past have been used to raise money for causes. For instance, the Drunkard’s Path quilt was often raffled by Prohibitioners in the United States. Quilts from America’s past have represented political parties and have reflected the concerns of the nation. This is true even today.
Quilts remain a popular raffle (or depending on the laws in your state, perhaps an auction) item to raise money for a favorite cause. Some quilts don’t raise money, but do raise awareness.
A large quilt was made in the late 1980s as a memorial to AIDS victims. At the time, little was known about the disease except that it was devastating. The AIDS Memorial Quilt that is shown in many communities throughout the country, brings much needed awareness to the illness. The quilt is so large that only sections of it are sent around the country for displays.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt continues to grow in size. Quilters who have been touched by the disease submit “patches” that are added to the quilt. If you’d like to submit a patch, visit the website here. You can also find a schedule on the website to find a location near you that will be hosting an exhibit of the quilt (or at least pieces of it).
Quilters used their craft to express themselves again in the early 1990s as they made quilts either in favor or opposition of the Gulf War.
When terrorist attacks hit home on September 11, 2001, quilters joined forces to express their emotions again. September 11 quilts are the focus of another quilt exhibit. Stories from the quilters and a gallery of the memorial quilts they created can be seen here.
If you’d like to use your quilting skills to make a statement, how about making fabric postcards to send to our nation’s soldiers? Penny’s Postcard Posse makes a statement that reflects the times and our communities. When you make time to quilt a postcard to send to our soldiers, you are letting them know they are not forgotten. They are special, and you are recognizing them by sharing your talents with them.
You get to enjoy the craft of your choice and brighten the day of a soldier who may be missing his/her family terribly. The soldiers and their families sacrifice so much in their service to our country.
Quilted postcards are fun to make and can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Design your own or use a traditional quilt block design sized to fit the fabric postcard size. If you’re interested in Penny’s Postcard Posse, click here.
Quilting Tip - Quilt Journal
Journals help people plan. That’s why bridal consultants have their clients keep a journal of things they like and don’t like in order to help plan a perfect wedding. It’s the same with building or decorating a home. We are advised to keep a journal of our likes and dislikes to help us identify our tastes and sometimes to serve as a point of inspiration.
Why not do the same thing for your quilting? A quilt journal is a handy way to organize your likes and dislikes, along with designs you hope to someday get around to making.
Start your quilting journal with a three ring binder and some clear sleeve pockets. You can also use a photo album for this, but the binder plus clear pocket route is generally cheaper and allows for growth.
When you see a photo of a quilt in a magazine that you like, tear it out and put it inside a clear pocket in your binder. If you don’t want to cut the magazine, try punching holes in it to add it directly to the binder without the pocket.
Use the clear pockets to hold scraps of fabrics you like (or don’t like), advertisements for notions and equipment you want to buy, etc.
The binder can be a great source of inspiration, too. If you see a photo that creates an idea for a quilt, slide the photo (or a copy of it) into your binder. Jot the idea you have on an index card and slide it into the clear pocket as well. Keep the inspirational photo with your notes together and you will be more likely to create your vision in the future.
You can find inspiration in just about anything – post cards, magazines, children’s books, newspapers, etc. The difference between a passing whim and true inspiration often lies in the ability to recall the moment or thing that seemed to inspire you. Putting together a notebook for quilt ideas will help ensure those ideas remain inspirational.
How detailed you make your quilting journal is up to you. Super organizers like lots of details. If that sounds like you, you will probably want to add dividers, page tabs – the works – to get a journal that represents your organized personality. You might decide to split your quilt journal into several categories: patterns I want to make, quilt designs I love, helpful articles, quilting tips, etc.
You could really break categories down and get specific in your quilt journal. For instance, you could have a divider labeled as “Quilting Tips.” Within that folder you might have several sheets reflecting different topics, such as seam allowance advice, thread choice, battings, etc. There’s really no end to how detailed you can make your quilt journal. Just don’t let the organization of it take too much time away from your quilting!
On the flip side, you can also compile a simple, easy journal of your quilting likes. Stick everything in a separate clear pocket folder, add a note regarding your thoughts on the addition, and viola!
Even easier is a quilt inspiration box. Buy a large plastic tote with a lid and drop the things you like inside the box. No organization needed at all with this method. If you see something you like, or something that inspires a quilt idea, open the box and drop it in. It’s that simple.
If you choose the box method, you might still want to jot a note or two down and staple or tape it to the object you put inside the box. Otherwise, you might forget the idea later!
To add to the fun, create a fabric cover for your binder or box. That way, your quilt journal can be an inspiration even when it is just sitting on the shelf.
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 May quilt block patterns will make your summer quilting fun. These quilt blocks include easy blocks as well as some that are a little more difficult.
Click here to download your May FREE quilt block patterns
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Buried Treasure |
Fish in the Dish |
May Basket |
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul |
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| Rock Garden | Spirit of St. Louis | Stepping Stones | The Pinwheel Quilt |
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| Wild Goose Chase | Wisconsin |
Click here to download your May FREE quilt block patterns
Hundreds of quilt block patterns to choose from. Patterns include full size templates and rotary cutting layouts. Click Here
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