Star Blocks

As usual I didn't know what to take with me to sew. I took star blocks. Made lots of blocks and even more half square triangles. I must admit half square triangles are not my favorite to make, so sewing them in the company of my friends was a plus.

January and I'm Off on Retreat!

We moved in

I looked up Retreat in the dictionary: a place of privacy or safety. And I guess that is what it is to me. A place to get away from my normal world, sew, eat, laugh and most importantly be with friends!

Making Star Blocks

I want to make the blocks for my quilt as scrappy as I can. Making 8 at a time not only makes them scrappy but makes the math easy, 8 half square triangles are needed for each block.

Start by cutting 2 squares (for 2 1/2" finished blocks I cut 6" squares). Draw diagonal lines in both directions.

 Place one marked and one un-marked square right sides together and sew a scant 1/4" from the drawn lines.








Press flat

Cut on both pencil lines and vertically and horizontally. Using a small cutting mat if you have one, makes this step easier.

Pressing half of the seams to the pink (dark) and half of the seams to the yellow (light) makes for easier sewing later.







Trim all squares to exactly 2 1/2".

A mock-up block

Scrap Quilts

Lemonade - my current quilt

I finally decided to start a new quilt for our bed. Double bed sized quilts are just not working on the queen sized bed. And since my favorite quilts are made from many scraps, it is logical that I'll make another scrap quilt. The bedroom is pink and yellow so the color decision is easy. Pink and yellow with a hint for turquoise to liven up the party.

I have lots of fabric in my stash and I am going to use as much of it as I can.  But how do I decide how much is enough?

I have tentatively decided to make 8"stars. That means for a quilt 100" square I'll need about 170 stars if I set them block to block. I doubt that I'll set them block to block, so I have  decided to make about 100 blocks.





I like all these yellows.

I'll need about 400 2 1/2" squares. If I count and weigh 100 of them, then I can weight as many as I need without counting all 400.


Follow along for the next few months as I sew my new quilt.

Zipper Foot

Melody’s Tip: Do not use with the center needle position.

Zipper Foot
This narrow foot is designed to slide easily along the edge of the zipper but hold it firmly for stitching. This makes it a good option for piping, snap tape and similar types of stitching. It is also used for attaching trim to the outside of sewing projects.

   

 
Zipper
Top stitching
Piping:
Double Piping
Triple Piping
Couching

Piping

Top stitching

    Melody’s Tip: Paired with a seam guide, the zipper foot allows you to easily see when
    top stitching.

Guest Artist - Peggy Baldwin-Clayton

From Peggy "I want to share this little sample I made.  It is for a vintage challenge the guild is having and I thought it would be fun to follow up on your amazing vintage work! Thank you again for a wonderful, mind expanding day."

Antiques Roadshow Feature - Monday Night on PBS

Rosalie Sayyah, the “Rosie” of Rhinestone Rosie

Tune in to see my favorite Vintage Jewelry person Rhinestone Rosie on the new Antiques Roadshow PBS episode, airing Monday night at 8/7cPM on your local PBS station!

The Color of the Year

For the first time Pantone introduces two shades, Rose Quartz and Serenity as the PANTONE Color of the Year 2016. Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times.

Decorative Threads for Quilters

For me, decorative threads (for hand and machine embroidery and for machine quilting) include the rayons and metallics, and anything else I can get through a needle. One way to preview these threads

is to browse manufacturer web sites. Take some time to explore the sites -- most have educational resources to help you choose threads, and they often suggest appropriate needles and other supplies that are required for specific jobs.

I prefer to try out the thread myself. I am a thread junkie, so I have lots to choose from. Rather than buying an assortment, you might try getting together with a few friends and share!

Entire books can be written about thread and its uses, and the selections are constantly expanding.

•     Ask questions about thread -- your local quilt guild and staff at quilt shops are excellent resources. Don't be afraid to experiment with thread, because experimentation is one of the best ways to learn about any product.

Once you have sewn with several different threads, you'll have a much better feel for future selections.

Check out my book Quilt Toppings, there is a whole Thread Play chapter!

I Just Love Show and Tell

Evergreen Piecemakers meets the second Monday of each month is a business meeting with Show & Tell and our Program afterwards. The fourth Monday of the month is our Sew-In night. Twice a year the Guild has potluck dinners, summer time and at Christmas. They meet at the First Christian Church, 11707 SE 240th Ave. Kent, WA 98031. There is a short business meeting, and a great program. Sometimes I think the best part is Show and Tell!

Here is Susan Kelley, one happy quilter with a bunch of FINISHED UFO's!

Edge Stitch Foot

Edge Stitch Foot

One of the most versatile feet. This foot is designed to allow perfectly placed top stitching along edges and seams. Use it for any form of stitching where a straight guide is required. This foot will easily join two pieces of fabric, lace or trims evenly and neatly. Center the needle for in-the-ditch stitching. Adjust the needle right or left and use the vertical blade as a sewing guide when top stitching, sewing narrow hems, and making tucks.

Edge Stitching

Decorative Edge Stitching

Binding

Stitching-in-the-Ditch

Top Stitching

Tucks: 

Single Tucks 

Twisted Tucks 

Plaid Tucks 

Lace Trimmed Tucks

Top Stitching Trim, Braid or Ribbon

Joining Edge to Edge

Stained Glass

Edge Stitching

Top Stitching

Decorative Edge Stitching

Joining Edge to Edge

Evergren Piecmakers - Great Program by Nancy Goldsworthy - Oh My!; Flat or Fluffy? A Beginners Guide to Battings

If you ever get the opportunity to listen to Nancy share her expertise, grab the opportunituy. Nancy knows it all - about batting, needles, thread! Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Nancy has been sewing since she was a child.Her love of sewing lead her to a career in apparel manufacturing.In 2001, after more than 30 years in the industrial sewing industry, Nancy left her corporate job to follow her love of quilting She set up her longarm machine and started Nine Patch Quilting in the loft over her living room. Now, as an award winning quilter and author, Nancy travels the country teaching and sharing her love of quilting. Look for her books: Needles, Threads and Bobbins, Oh My!; Flat or Fluffy? A Beginners Guide to Battings, and The Quilter's Guide to UFO's (Un Finished Objects).

The beautiful work of Andrea Brokenshire

Exploring the beautiful work of Andrea Brokenshire. 

Portlandia on My Mind

A Passion for Purple

That View

Showcasing the Mediterranean-style architectural roots of its namesake city, the Sorrento Hotel provides European ambience.

I am so enamored by these buildings there must be a quilt in here somewhere! Hummmm

A trip into Seattle on a Cold Winters Day

It isn't often that you get a birds eye view of a building like this one. It is so big, I wondered what it was, so I Googled it, there wasn't much to learn, except it is not a private residence. It is the University Club.

It looks so much smaller when viewed from the street!

Happy New Year!

Civilizations around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia. Today, most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January 1 (New Year’s Day). Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the new year and watching fireworks displays.

In the United States, the most iconic New Year’s tradition is the dropping of a giant ball in New York City’s Times Square at the stroke of midnight. Millions of people around the world watch the event, which has taken place almost every year since 1907. Over time, the ball itself has ballooned from a 700-pound iron-and-wood orb to a brightly patterned sphere 12 feet in diameter and weighing in at nearly 12,000 pounds.