Lots going on lately

We have been busy as usual at the Cottage.  Some of the things that have been going on are -

Saturday, 20/27 was our pajama sale.  It is so much fun to wear pajamas all day - I am almost tempted to make that our shop uniform!  You can rely on the quilters to participate in something as fun and silly as this, especially when it means getting a good bargain on fabric.

On Thursday, 11/8, we had quilters visiting from Spain and Hungary.  Rosario owns a quilt shop in Spain, and traveled to the US for quilt market.  When she came to market she brought 7 quilters to Lancaster, and they stayed a week to tour the area.  While they were here they wanted to take a quilting class, so they came to our shop to learn how to use the strip-tube ruler.  It was a really neat experience to be with quilters from across the globe, with a completely different culture and language, and to be instantly connected through our love of quilting.

Friday, 11/9 was our last meeting of the Contemporary Quilt Club for this round.  The show and tell sessions throughout was amazing, and the sharing of ideas was very inspirational.  The group has decided it wants to continue, so it will resume beginning in January.  There is room for more members to join the group, so please sign up if you are interested in contemporary quilting.

We had our final session of the Crowning Achievers UFO club on Thursday, 11/15.   The group had such a great time, and got a lot of sewing done, too.  They requested that we have another session of the UFO club, so it will continue in 2013.  The same quilters are coming back, so the group is already full.  We may need to consider having another UFO club in the future...

We published a post on facebook last week that we were collecting quilts for victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Here are photos of the quilts we received so far.  We will continue to take quilts - they can be new or used, any size, any style.  We hope these quilts would brighten the lives of people who are terribly distressed.

Quilt made by JoEllen Myers

Quilt made by Melinda Sheppard

Quilt made by Beth Reese

Quilt made by Joan Fischer

Quilt made by Sarah Campbell

Quilt made by Sarah Campbell

Quilt made by Susan DiClemente

Quilt made by Susan DiClemente

Quilt made by Barb Motter

Quilt made by Joan Shafer Gavigan

Shop sample quilt made by Diane Fitzgibbon

I Love Presents

Here are some photos of a quilt I am working on for a shop sample and kit.  It is called "I Love Presents"- there will be sashings and corner stones in between the rows.  Is it cute, or what?
I will post another photo when it is done.

Helpful Hint -
When I am making a quilt and have blocks or units to sew together, I lay them out on my living room floor.  I can go upstairs and look at them from a distance to see if I want to change the arrangement.  It is a good way to determine what areas may need to be re-arranged for a better distribution of color, etc.  Another way to view your layout is to take a picture - especially if you do not have the space to layout your quilt and stand far enough away from it.
Before - My sewing room is upstairs, so in order to sew the blocks together correctly I would pin a label (or sticker) to each block in the corner, 1-A, 2-A, etc.  Then I would pile the blocks together to take upstairs to sew.
Now -   Instead of labeling my quilt blocks, I refer to my picture.  I use my phone to take the photo because it is super handy, and easy to view the photo as I am sewing the blocks together.  It saves time, and the little labels are not in the way when I am pressing my seams.
When I was assembling a bigger, more complicated quilt, I printed the photo of the layout on paper.  I folded the piece of paper to show the row I was working on, then I drew a line through it when I had it stitched together.  This was a major time saver because there were so many blocks and it would be easy to get them out of order.  Think of a Blooming 9 Patch for example...
I love my phone and having a camera with me all the time.  If you haven't tried using your camera on your phone you are missing out.  Just try it, you'll see.

Here We Go

I feel like I am standing at the top of a very long, very fast water slide.  A little scared, a lot excited.  The thing is, once you start there is no stopping.  You just have to ride it until you hit the bottom and slow down before you can finally get off.
That is Quilt Odyssey week at Quiltmakers Cottage.  We have been climbing the ladder to reach the start of this ride for a few weeks.  Right now we are standing here ready, waiting for the final push, then down we go.
We love this week at the shop, and look forward to seeing everyone who stops in to see us.  We love being part of this wonderful quilting event, and feeding off the excitement it brings.
Please enjoy the show, stop in to say "hello", and enjoy the ride.

UFO'ers Unite!

Hi All of you fellow UFO'ers.
I know you are out there and that I am in good company.
So far this year I have finished 3 UFO's - to me, finished means the binding is complete.  I have also worked on a lot of UFO's that are further along on the road to completion.  So far, so good.

Here's the thing about UFO's, though.  I keep starting new projects!  I just can't help it! An idea pops into my head - Ooohhh, that pattern would look so good in those fat quarters, or, I love that different color combination, or, I want to make a quilt for so-and-so.  I just have to get started, and I tell myself that it won't take too long.  Then once it is started I have a commitment to the quilt.  I can't help it, and I am not going to apologize for it.  I LOVE to sew and make quilts, and I enjoy every minute of it.

To those of you "I only work on one quilt at a time and finish it" people, I admire your discipline.  But I am not going to be you, and I am not even gonna try.

I am still going to set my goals to get UFO's done - this year I want to complete 12.  But one thing is for sure... as long as I am able to quilt, there will be UFO's.

Please share your comments on your UFO status.

Keep stitching, Beth

Here are two of the finished quilts.  The top one is made with flannel, and it is a Thimbleberries pattern called "Tree Farm Throw".  The bottom quilt was made using a jelly roll and fat quarters I had, and I came up with the design.  

Who are YOU?

Inspiration from Pat Sloan

It’s OK to be you - that was the inspiring message from Pat Sloan when she visited our quilt guild last month.  That leads us to the question - Who are you?  

Pat described how she took numerous classes to make any type of quilt that was being offered.  Especially if her friends were taking the class.  She made a lot of quilts and learned a lot of skills and techniques.  After a while she realized what she enjoyed most about quilting was different from what she was doing.

Pat took the time to analyze and define what she liked about quilting - asymmetrical designs, unusual color combinations, seasonal themes, etc.  She decided to pursue quilting in her own way and developed a completely unique style... with the added bonus of enjoying her quilting more and more.  Her folk art style, her wild print choices, and her comfortable attitude make her quilts so cheerful.

Premise - the act of quilting makes us happy.  Conclusion - we stand to gain even more fun and fulfillment from quilting by defining our likes and dislikes.  We need to concern ourselves less with what other people are doing, and put our time and efforts into what excites us.

Here are a few questions to help you along the way - 

What are you most drawn to about quilting?

The colors, the types of fabrics, certain styles, embellishments, small quilts, bed quilts?

Do you love taking classes, going to retreats, quilting with a group?

What are your favorite parts of the process?

Choosing the fabrics, figuring out how to make the quilt, cutting, piecing, pressing, applique, hand quilting, stitching binding?

What is your “holy grail” quilt?  The one you always wanted to make?

Do you love a new challenge?

So often we look toward the outside for ideas, but the best information may come from within.  Take the time to answer a few of these questions and allow yourself to quilt your way.  If you want to use that big bold print on the border of your quilt, by all means do it.  If you love traditional two-color quilts, focus on making them.  

In summary, define what it is you love about quilting and do what you love - the joy will shine through and the quilts will be even more beautiful.

Beth 

Table Runner Idea

Hello Quilters!
We get some really good ideas from our customers.  So often we are asked about things we have not heard about - a pattern in a magazine, a new technique, a handy gadget, etc.  Well, this happened Saturday when two of our customers, Dawn and Lynn, came to the shop to purchase fabric for a table runner.  The table runner takes 5 fat quarters, and the directions are a video on Nancy's Notions website.  I love the contemporary style of the tablerunner, and it looks like a lot of fun to make.  I don't know if I can resist trying it.  I think you could take the idea and turn into a quilt.  hmmm.....
Here is the link - Crazy Quarter Table Runner
Let us know if you make one.
These fabrics just happened to be in my stash - think they might work?

Bright and black and white fabric

Here is a sneak peek at some of our new fabric...
can you picture a black and white quilt with one of these as the border?  Fabulous.
Today is such a beautiful day, we have been a little quiet at the shop.  On days like this we get to work on some new samples and kits.  We have a chocolate-themed quilt in the works, which will become a kit.  It will be yummy!

Starting our Blog

Today we are starting a Quiltmakers Cottage Blog!
A blog is a commitment of sorts - it only works if we update it on a regular basis.  Time can slip by before we know it, and snap - a week, or a month goes by.  Hopefully we will have lots of ideas to share and photos of what is going on at the shop.
It is a beautiful day, and we have had several ladies in so far.  There were 2 visitors on a cross country trip from California stopping at quilt shops all the way - what fun.
We received some new fabrics, which is always exciting.
Stop back here often to see what is new, and we will do our best to keep you informed.