Ottawa Quilt Show

Camp Tuckabatchee has a quilt show every 2 years.  This is the quilt show I went to 2 years ago, and got to be part of the 'Treadle Races' (it's the 2nd quilt show in that post).  This is a fun quilt show in a little town.  They didn't have the treadle races this year, since the lady who owns most of the vintage machines, had a family crisis 48 hours before the show started.  It was funny, as I was buying our tickets, I mentioned the treadle races from the last show.  The lady at the desk remembered me participating.  2 other ladies with this show, also remembered me participating.  I don't know if I'm famous or infamous!  They also remembered that I'd posted about their show on my blog.

I'll show the quilts first, then I'll show the fun things I bought while I was there.  All the Hexie quilts were part of their challenge quilts.  Lots of fun hexies.

by Tara Sheets

by Sue Koppenhoefer (Challenge quilt)

Carol Mitchell (Challenge quilt)

Carol Mitchell

Marianne Perino

 About this time, a lady stopped hubby.  She was looking for 'roses' on the back of programs.  Hubby had one on his program.  He got a free Fat Quarter.  Nice hubby let me pick.

hubby's 'rose' program and free fat quarter (mine now)

by Mary Wakeley (Challenge quilt)

by Carol Mitchell

by Karen Holverson (Challenge quilt)

by Sue Koppenhoefer

by Marcia Obman Gray

by Melanie Weller

by Robin Rapp

by Carol Mitchell

by Tana Sheets

this is the label for the quilt above

by Robin Rapp

by Marianne Perino (Challenge quilt)

by Cathy Glover (Challenge quilt)

by Sue Koppenhoefer

 I liked the story with this quilt.

by Carole Wenzel and Carol Walgenbach

Carole and Carol cut and hand sewed the pieces together, and hand quilted it. We would sit at the quilt frame and quilt, sometimes we would talk, sometimes we just quilted without talking.  We simply enjoyed quilting together.

At the back of the venue, the ladies who ran the show had some fun activities they called 'Stitch and Stay'.  These were two of the activities.

You could make a Fabric Postcard (kit was free).
 

Or, you could learn English Paper Piecing.  Remember, their challenge quilts were all Hexies this time.  I didn't have enough time to stay, or, I would have participated in these.  

by Sue Koppenhoefer

by Carol Mitchell (Challenge quilt)

 I couldn't resist a Bunny quilt, since I'm working on my own guild challenge block.

by Melanie Weller and Tana Sheets

by Tana Sheets

 This is a table runner.

by Sue Koppenhoefer

 This quilt was quilted by the lady (Wendy Yates), who just quilted my Rectangle Island quilt.

by Tana Sheets

This next quilt was quilted by the lady who quilted my son's Graduation quilt, and another graduation quilt for my niece.

by Marcia Obman Gray

 This lady made this quilt so that she could use up some flannels.  She didn't have a pattern.

by Robin Rapp

by Robin Rapp

by Marcia Obman Gray

by Deanna Johnson

by Mary Wakeley

by Mary Wakeley

This was made using tiny strips.  They finished about 1/4" wide.

by Mary Wakeley

Where the treadle races would have taken place, and quilts by the featured quilter, Mary Wakeley

by Mary Wakeley

 Of course, when I see treadles, I have to include some of them.  This is a Howe treadle.  Howe treadles were some of the first treadles sold.  Howe won the copyright for a sewing machine (he did NOT invent the first machine, he was just the first to get a copyright for one).

Howe treadle

foot pedal for the Howe treadle

Wilson treadle

notice the 'feet' for the foot pedal

by featured quilter (shown) Mary Wakeley

 Just a cute display of vintage linens

by Mary Wakeley

 This was started by a lady with cancer.  It was finished by Mary Wakeley.  The squares are about 1/4".

by Mary Wakeley

by Marianne Perino

 This is the raffle quilt.  Yes, I bought tickets (but I've never one a quilt before).

 One of the best parts of this quilt show is the members booth.  Members donate items to be sold, to help cover the costs of the show, etc.  I LOVE this part.  I was GOOD!  I only came home with the following items.  I could have come home with quilt tops, and lots more fabrics, and tons of books/magazines.

a sewing machine bag (only $10)

some stencils and quilt magazines

almost 14 yards of fabric

a huge bag of hexies, some are already basted, all are fused

24 large double 9 patch blocks, with lots of 'extra's in the bag

47 blocks, in different color/fabrics.  Some of these are hand stitched

 On the way home, we stopped in Morris, IL, at The Fabric Center.  I needed some background fabric for more Bunny blocks.

fabrics for background for bunny blocks

 Now to decide which fabric to use for the background.  Your suggestions are appreciated, please.

We're off to the Wild Game dinner at church.  Have a great weekend!

Another quilt top done, etc.

I've been busy since I finished Intertwined.   First, I've been cleaning house.  I was way behind on my cleaning duties.  That has been taken care of.  We will have a house full on Sunday evening, so, I had to clean. 

I have been busy in the sewing room, in between cleaning stints.  I had 15 of the 16 blocks needed to make another Rectangle Island quilt.  The first Rectangle Island is back from the quilters and waiting for binding.  Well, I made the last block, and put all the blocks together, to make a smaller quilt top.  I also made the binding for both of these quilts.  I don't know when the 2nd Rectangle Island will get quilted.  It will wind up a charity quilt, most likely.

another Rectangle Island quilt, smaller than the first one

The first Rectangle Island quilt was 5 blocks by 7 blocks.  After making the binding, using leftover strips and pieces of strips, I'm almost out of this fabric.  Almost all of this fabric was given to me on Freecycle, back in January.  I'll pass what scraps I have left, on to another quilter.

I've also started working on another project.  My little quilt guild issued a challenge.  We have to make a 12.5" square 'Bunny' block.  This is what I've come up with, so far.

Wego Quiltin' Bunny block for challenge

 I still need to stitch the pieces down with the blanket stitch, and applique the bunny's whiskers and mouth on.  The eyes will be buttons.  This is the 'pattern' I'm following.

pattern drawing of Bunny face

Bunny pattern

 I also plan on adding some flowers.  I'm still deciding what material to use for the flowers.  I've already traced the flowers and the flower centers onto fusible.  These bunnies will also be used in my Christmas mini quilts that I usually make every year.  I need more background fabric, but, I have found some great backing and binding to go with these blocks. 

I won't get much sewing done in the next few days (gotta do lots and lots of cooking), but, I am hoping to go to a quilt show in Ottawa, IL on Saturday morning.  Our church is also having it's 'Wild Game Dinner' on Saturday evening.  This is an annual event, where members make foods using 'wild game' (deer, elk, duck, etc).  I'm making 2 desserts and 4 pans of appetizers.  On Sunday evening, the deacons and the ministers and all of their wives will be at our home for supper.  See, I told you I had lots of cooking to do. 

Intertwined, It Just Keeps GROWING!

I wrote about all the Oops! while working on my youngest son's wedding quilt, Intertwined, in my last post.  Boy has this quilt not turned out quite like I planned.  No, it wasn't the pattern's fault.  Jean wrote up a great pattern, and I like it so much, that I may make this again, one day.  All the problems have come from me, redrafting her pattern, and making several stupid mistakes.

Well, I mentioned in the last post that I made the Half Square Triangles/HST's (512 of them) the wrong size.  See, my mistake.  I'd already cut the center strips the correct size.  Oh well, I cut new center strips, to match my HST's ( I was NOT going to trim down 512 HST's).  (Once the HST's are made, the blocks go together very quickly).

The original blocks were supposed to be 9.5" unfinished (9" finished). My new blocks should have come out at 10.5" unfinished, (10" finished) but, they came out 10.25" finished.  How did that happen?  Yes, I have 1/4" seams (I checked).  See, it keeps GROWING!  This quilt top should have finished at 88" x 98" with the borders added.  Instead, it finished at 94.25" x 105.25".  That is a LOT of growth! 

Here is the finished top.  Sorry for the bad pictures.  It was bad weather outside, and I didn't have any other place to put this huge quilt top.  This is on my queen size bed.

finished wedding quilt top

finished wedding quilt top

finished wedding quilt top

As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm using all my 'mistakes' on the back of the quilt.  Well, another 'mistake' was made.  I was planning on using the white on white on the back of the quilt, but, I didn't have enough.  I don't remember where I got that material, and, since I got it almost a year ago, I didn't figure I could find it again, anyways.  I'm in a rush, too, to get this to the long arm quilter, so that it will be finished before the wedding.  Ok, change of plans.  I decided to use the Kona black on the back instead.  Oops!  While figuring out about how much I'd need, I found that I didn't have enough of the Kona black, either.  Hubby and I made a quick trip to Joann's and bought the last of the Kona black. 

Well, if the front of the quilt kept growing, then the backing had to grow, too.  I had LOTS of extra blocks, and center strips from the front of the quilt to use on the back.  I also had a few extra HST's, that I turned into pinwheels (I love pinwheels).  I used EVERY 'mistake' on the back!  I finished the backing last night.  It's HUGE!

backing on my queen size bed

I should have gotten a picture from the side, since you can't see all the colorful strips on the front.  Oh well, I'll get good pictures when it is quilted.  I like the back as much as I like the front of the quilt. 

Oh yea, EVERY STITCH of the quilt top and the backing were sewn on my 1959 Singer Spartan hand crank sewing machine.

1959 Singer Spartan hand crank

This quilt will be delivered to the long arm quilter on Friday.  She has some great ideas for the quilting and the threads for this quilt.  I'll start making the binding soon.  I have great material for the binding.  (Oops, no picture of the binding, sorry). 

Problems and Solutions: A Comedy of Errors!

My youngest son is getting married in a few short months.  He requested a quilt that he and his fiance could cuddle under while they watched TV.  He wanted big and bright! 

Last March, I found a pattern to use for the quilt.  Jean from Jean's Quilting Page had written the pattern, first as a Mystery quilt, then, the pattern was published in McCall's Quick Quilting magazine. 

Jean's pattern that I'm using

The McCall's version finishes at 59.5" x 59.5", which, according to my son, was way too small for them to both cuddle under, as he is 6' tall, and likes his quilts to go from his toes up to his ears. 

Since I was going to have to make the quilt longer and wider, I decided that I'd use 8 different colors in the quilt.  Actually, it has 2 shades of each of those 8 colors, along with black and white.  That's 18 colors. A shopping I went.

fabrics for the wedding quilt

more fabrics for the wedding quilt

I sat down and redrew the pattern to fit the colors I chose, and the size I was looking for.   I renamed this pattern.  As a mystery quilt, it was named Snake Dance.  McCall's changed the name to Twist and Shout.  Since this is a wedding quilt, to signify the joining together of two lives, I've renamed it Intertwined. 

my redrafted pattern

I was going to twist the 2 shades of each color around the black.  Oops!  What I thought was contrasting colors WEREN'T!

the oranges look fine

the 2 shades of aqua look almost the same shade

Back to the drawing board!

newly redrafted pattern

testing the colors, to make sure they look good next to each other

Cool!  This version passed the test.  I had already made 512 half square triangles, and cut out all the strips, ready to sew together, for the middles.

512 half square triangles

strips, stitched together, and,  half sub-cut

OOPS!!!!!!!  See if you can spot the next problem I encountered.

ready to start making the first blocks

See the middle strips?  They are cut correctly.  Unfortunately, the half square triangles are the WRONG SIZE!  Oops!  When I'd figured out what size of Trianglulations to print out, I picked the wrong size.  I needed 3.5" triangles (unfinished), but, instead, I chose 3.5" triangles FINISHED size.  Oops!  My HST's are all 4" unfinished, not 3.5" unfinished.  (can I scream now?!?!?!?)

Back to the cutting mat.  Thank goodness I just bought several more yards of Kona Black, and, that I also bought more material of all 16 colors, than I have needed (so far).  I have about 1/3 yard of each color left.  As soon as I post this, I'll head back upstairs to start cutting more strips, and sewing them together.  I was really hoping to have a complete row of twists done tonight, and maybe more. 

I also have to re-figure how large this quilt is going to be, since all my blocks will be larger. 

PS:  This pattern is really good, and easy to follow.  The problems have all been ME, not the pattern.  I would highly recommend this pattern to everyone to make.  Just don't make the same mistakes I've made.

National Quilts of Valor Sew-in

Saturday was the National Quilts of Valor sew-in day.  Our area had 5 different locations that sponsored sew-ins.  I attended the one at Sewing, Etc. in Yorkville, IL.  Kelly, the owner, lets us use her classroom space every third Tuesday for our monthly Quilts of Valor sew-ins.  Another location was at Prairie Shop Quilts in Batavia, where we have monthly sew-ins on the first Tuesday of each month.  Our local group is the Land of Lincoln Quilts of Valor.  You can find info about all of our monthly sew-in locations on the blog.

The National sew-in was my 2nd Quilts of Valor sew-in this week, since I attended the monthly sew-in on Tuesday, too. 

On Saturday, we had 18 people sewing.  Woohoo!  That is the most that we've had at this location, so far.  Everyone brought something to share, or to go with our sandwich lunch.  Yum!

We had some new people that came to sew with us, including Art, who was just learning how to sew.  The ladies next to Art kept him busy 'strip' piecing blocks.  He was having lots of fun.  We also had several people stop by, to find out when we usually meet.  We are hoping to have several of them start attending our monthly sew-ins at this location, or at one of our other locations.

our banner

some of those in attendance

 We also got to present 2 Quilts of Valor to veterans.  The first went to Mike, who thought that his group was headed out to lunch, and didn't know why they needed to stop at this store.  He was very pleased that they stopped.

Mike, wrapped in his Quilt of Valor

The second presentation, was to Art, who was sewing with us.  Art is a Vietnam veteran.  He didn't expect a quilt, either.  He sure deserved one.

Art, wrapped in his Quilt of Valor

We are hoping that Art comes back and sews with us in the future.  He makes great 1/4" seams!

I finished a top on Saturday.  I started it at the sew-in on Tuesday. 

Quilt of Valor top I finished

What a great way to say a tiny 'Thank you' to our veterans.  If you know of a veteran who has served in a war zone, and has not received a Quilt of Valor, contact Quilts of Valor, and let them know.  Each state has someone to contact, that will make sure that the veteran gets his/her quilt.