skinny bias demo night

We had a lively evening tonight. It was my favorite type of demonstration, where we looked at the pros and cons of lots of different methods and different gadgets or products. I like for the audience to contribute their prior successes or failures . Leslie B gave me the best hint of sewing the thicker bias bar in the tube with a zipper foot attachment and getting a perfect seam allowance.

Hopefully we’ll see the bias makers by Clover used to their full potential now.

I was asked tonight to define what a blog was . This weekend I hope to define it for all of you and give you some links to my favorite blogs with some of the best information. In the meantime have a look on the right and see Alice’s excellent blog with some very good tutorials and thought provoking comments.

Nina

Stocking Stuffer Workshop – December 6, 2008

Hello everyone!

Are you ready for a fun filled day! I know I am.

Here are the items you will need!

General Supplies:

• Rotary cutter, mat and rulers
• sewing machine, accessories and foot pedal/cords
• Walking foot or a free motion foot for quilting
• Scissors: paper, fabric, thread snippers
• Pins: basting pins, straight pins
• Sewing needle – hand
• Thread – neutral or to match your project

Small Journal/Notebook

This workbook is 6½” x 4½”. You can use plain, pieced or embellished fabric. Beading, cording and trim are not recommended as it may interfere with writing on the pages.

• 12 Sheets photocopy paper
• Cotton batting – 7½” x 10½”
• Lining – 7½” x 10½”
• Quilters cotton, or pieced/appliqued/embellished rectangle 7½” x 10½”
• binding fabric strips

Luggage Handle Cover - Eleanor

• Feature fabric: one 6″ square
• Backing: one 6″ square
• Batting: one 6″ square
• Velcro: 4¾” (Suggestion: Velcro in the same colour as the backing fabric works well)
• pointing tool

Basket - Alice (PLEASE NOTE: There were some errors in supply requirements in the original handout. This is the corrected supply list.

• 1 strip 2” x 16” Fabric A, B and C (or twenty-four 2” squares of your choice) -You will need twenty-four (24) 2” squares. You can go completely scrappy with twenty-four different squares, or the following combinations: (Twelve squares of two different fabrics, eight squares of three different fabrics, six squares of four different fabrics)
• 1 strip 6” x 9 ½ ” Fabric D
• 1 piece12” x 9 ½ ” Fabric E
• 1 strips 2” x 10 ½” of two Fabrics each (These could be any combination of A, B, C, D or E)
• Batting – 14” x 12”

Microwave Mini-Pot Holders - Sharon

• 9″ square of heat resistant batting
• 1 Fat quarter

Log Cabin Chicken - Val

• 2″ square red ultrasuede, wool, felt (for comb)
• Twelve (12) – 1″ x 6″ fabric strips (6 light and 6 dark)
• Two (2) – 1″ squares of red
• One (1) – !” square of yellow (beak)
• One (1) – 2″ square of medium colour (tail feather)
• One (1) – 3″ square of dark colour (tail feather)
• Two (2) – 4mm black beads (eyes)
• 1/2 cup rice or craft pellet
• handful of fibrefill

I don’t know about you, but I am sure looking forward to seeing all the wonderful projects everyone will be making! -Alice

quilt show countdown

OK let’s see…………124 days, 18 weeks, 4 month plus 1 week, whatever way you look at it , it’s time to get our quilt tops together, find those bindings we cut out and put aside, find the applique pieces that we cut out and put in a ziplock baggie for safe keeping, start the list of what we want to accomplish in this time left, cross off what’s not realistic and have some GOALS. And remember those workshop pieces that could be hauled out and be turned into something new and different from the teacher’s concept.

As you’re filling out your entry forms, remember to tell us the pattern name, or the workshop teacher. I am busy trying to remember where my inspiration has come from on several pieces as there’s bits from here and something from there, and of course I can’t remember where I found it online, or what book I used for the color zing. But while I search my inspirational bookmarked websites, I’m getting even more ah ha moments for new projects – not a waste of time if it stimulates the brain cells.

 

I’ve been clearing years of memories from my parents home and many things have found their way to my home for safekeeping. Our decorating theme of the show is centered around Jennie’s challenge of aprons, and kitchen, memories of Moms or Grans mixing, fixin,feeding and nutureing, I’ve found much inspiration for my apron in the pantry shelves of my mom’s home. Hope you too are enjoying the “research” and memory stimulants as much as the process of making your apron entry.

Whoops!

I phone Shirley and asked if I could borrow her supply list for the Dec workshop , turns out she had neglected to pick it up off the program table, just as I had forgotten as well.

So I email Alice and guess what? She also had been so busy talking about quilt show that she does not have a list.

So our apologies if you too did not get a copy of the supplies and were depending on us – nope won’t happen until Monday .

We can tell you that there will be 5 projects and each could take about an hour to complete.They are all suitable for stocking stuffers or little gifts for friends and neighbours.

There is a chicken pin cushion made from mini log cabin blocks, a small notebook journal,  a shopping bag constructed from 2 tea towels and some plastic tubing, a pair of mini pot holders for the microwave and my fav is going to be a fabric basket with 2 little handles, just right for holding small treasures. All construction is easy, all supplies should be very easy to obtain and you can make lots of these for gifts or keep them all for yourself(grin).

Meshwork Handbag Workshop

Meshwork Handbag Workshop taught by Jennie R:

Six handbags were completed at the October 4th workshop by Kathy O, Kathy P, Coral E, Eleanor S, Barb McC and Wanda S. Two girls were unable to attend and soon will be or are now making their handbags.

Once the fabrics were selected, everyone was asked to make their bias strips and weave these strips before the day of the class as it would be difficult to fully complete the handbags in one day. Samples that would later be sewn into two handbags had been prepared to make it easier to follow the assembly process. The original pattern was completed by hand stitching but we used our sewing machines instead. This free pattern is available on henriettashandbags.com and if you need help please contact Jennie.

It was a busy day, everyone diligently committed to having their handbag completed by the end of the day. Barb McC had arrived with only half of her meshwork completed and proceeded to finish her handbag a good hour before the rest of the class. Barb McC and Kathy O exchanged handles because they best suited their handbags.

I took individual photos of girls and their handbags at the end of the day. At the last quilter’s meeting during show and tell a photo of some of the handbags was taken and is available here.

Fabulous Meshwork Handbags

I structured the workshop thinking about how I like to be taught and I hope everyone enjoyed the day.

After the workshop I finished making the two handbags that I had used for samples. They went together quickly and I have used both of them. Some of us took our handbags to Hands Across the Water and showed them off. I had a lot of compliments on my green handbag.

Jennie

NOTE from Alice: Thank you Jennie, for submitting the write-up for your workshop.  I was unable to attend, but it looks like I missed out on a lot of fun!  All guild members are encouraged to submit articles and/or photos for publishing on the blog.  After visiting Henriettas Handbag website, I am impressed with all the different sorts of handbags, that can be made at home. I think I may just have to try a few of those… some day. There are free patterns, goto the bottom of the page, and click on the link. There are also bags/purses to purchase as well as patterns to purchase. -Alice

Retreat Weekend

It’s nice to see the Texada Retreat as popular as ever. I see that it has evolved into a bit more sophistocated sleeping accomodations, a excellent meal at the Tree Frog Bistro and of course time to get lots of sewing projects completed. We’re all looking forward to the next Show and Tell .

Now some of us are in retreat mode – even if we’ve stayed home.I have 4 days off and besides going to vote tomorrow morning, I will be heading to the craft fair,THEN I am hoping to get caught up on lots of blogging input, as well as all my samples for next week’s demo class. I hope you have your supplies ready and will enjoy learning some tricks to make bias stems,vines and celtic spirals easier.

November guild happenings

Our quilt show planning meeting was cancelled last night. Our Show convener and several members have been conversing via email to get some particular problems solved.

There are 2 areas that need a lot more manpower or the few who are working will be burned out quickly.

problem #1 is that enormous work for public relations and advertising. Here’s a list and maybe you can fill in for some areas:

repainting street signs, making some new street signs, finding tools and manpower to install in 6 places around town, then removing and safely storing these away.

Following a list ( and making additions to list) to post posters in businesses and offices, public places around the community. We need a blitz of several people with tape, thumbtacks or stapler.

A group to stuff envelopes and mail posters and flyers – address list provided.

All of us will be asked to handout flyers/bookmarks/businesscards to all our friends and keep a pocket full for impromptu meetings.

Volunteer to sell LOADS of raffle tickets, especially in the Mall to gain extra visability for the show and the CatScan raffle.

Problem #2

Coordination of Set up Day. ………yes, I know that you ALL will turn out to help with loading props,quilt stands,rubbermaid bins and quilts into the hall, then you ALL will stay the WHOLE day to set up the stands, and hang the quilts, and then you ALL will stay to the bitter end to get it all taken down again ………BUT there is a great deal of work to do in coordinating all the jobs, all the people and keep things running smoothly without loosing it. You were asked to volunteer at our last business meeting and no one came forward. Do I see anyone timidly waving their fingers??