Chatterbox Quilts Chitchat

Book Review - Exploring Embellishments and Sew Embellished!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:19:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Do you ever have those ~~days~~ weeks when you are less than inspired and can't seem to find the get-up-and-go to do anything? Oh yes, the meals get made, the laundry is done, but when it comes to quilting... I've been having one of those ~~days~~ weeks. I have so many patterns and projects on the go and deadlines to meet that I don't know where to start. I guess you would say that I'm overwhelmed. At least this is the excuse that I am currently using! What to do? Anything! Once the first step is taken, everything seems to flow along and obligations don't seem quite so burdensome.

So, in keeping with this philosophy, I am starting to catch up on some of my book reviews. Today I'm looking at two books, both dealing with embellishing your projects. I'm not really an art quilter, but I do love collecting embellishments - buttons, trims, lace, doilies - and never quite know what to do with them. These books have given me many ideas.

Photo courtesy of Martingale

First, let's look at Exploring Embellishments: More Artful Quilts with Fast-Piece Appliqué by Rose Hughes. The six projects in this book use various types of embellishments and use Rose's "fast-piece appliqué" technique in constructing the background. This method is similar to reverse appliqué in that you layer the fabrics and then cut out certain areas to let the base fabric show through. This method can be applied on any size project. In addition, Rose uses couched yarn to delineate the cut out portions. See, you need to collect more fabric and yarn for projects like these!

Excerpt from Exploring Embellishments
Photo courtesy of Martingale

Rose includes information about setting the mood through the colour choice of your fabrics and embellishments, as well as discussing various types of embellishments beyond the usual buttons and beads (which she talks about too).

The Truth about Cats and Dogs
Photo courtesy of Martingale

I found the fast-piece appliqué technique intriguing and liked how you could create a complex background with only two fabrics. Each project uses different embellishments, so you can try something new, such as lutradur or wool roving. This book has lots of photos so it's easy to understand Rose's process.The section on creating your own design from your personal photos was also informative.

Photo courtesy of Martingale

Another book, Sew Embellished! Artistic Little Quilts, Personalized with Easy Techniques by Cheryl Lynch, has smaller projects, loaded with embellishments. Cheryl's projects are more personal and would make great mementoes to celebrate special occasions. The projects are a combination of machine and handwork and would be great "take along" pieces due to their small size.

UFO Fun! from Sew Embellished!
Photo courtesy of Martingale

Cheryl provides information on using polymer clay decorations, which I found interesting as my son is big into polymer clay and I've often thought these would be perfect additions to wall hangings. She also deals with buttons and beads, and, like Rose, declares that "if it has a hole, you can put it on your quilt". Now, the hardware section will be as appealing as the fabric store when searching for embellishments! A section on various methods to put words on quilts and fancy ways to finish the project edges are covered.

Wearable adornments from Sew Embellished!
Photo courtesy of Martingale

Both of these books provide inspiration for creating your own art quilt, whether you want a wall hanging based on a holiday photo or a smaller personalized remembrance.

Do you consider yourself an art quilter, and if so, what are your favourite embellishments?

Studio Set-up - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Another Monday, another video premiere! This is the third episode in the Studio Set-up series. In this video I'll be discussing the tools that you need in your studio: not all the fancy bells and whistles that you can buy, but the essential tools that you'll need.

Studio Set-up - Episode 3 - Tools for your Studio

I hope you'll let me know if you have other tools that you consider essential to your quilting - and that you can't ~~live~~ work without.

Do You Have These in Your Studio?

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:28:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

It's Monday already and time for the premiere of another video episode from the Studio Set-up series.

This video delves into the fascinating subjects of lighting, design walls and fabric and notion storage. If you've ever wondered what works for me in my studio, you'll have to watch this episode.

Studio Set-up - Episode 2 - Studio Additions

As always, I'd love to hear your comments about the type of lighting and design wall that you have, as well as your storage ideas. I'm always interested to hear about all the different set-ups that quilters have in their studios.

Studio Set-up - new video series

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

I've finally gotten all the bugs and glitches out of the videos in my latest series. It's taken a little longer than I would've expected, but now Studio Set-up is ready for release.

Whether you're quilting on your dining room table or have an entire room devoted to your ~~hobby~~ obsession, you'll find lots of helpful ideas in this series for setting up an efficient and organized quilt studio.

If you have any specific questions about how to set up or improve your quilt studio, I hope you'll leave a comment for me. I do try to respond to everyone. If you're brave enough to send me a photo of your quilt studio, I'd love to see it.

I'm also looking for comments on the ideal quilt studio. Please leave a comment letting me know what your perfect quilt studio would contain.

Happy quilting!

Back to Earth!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:23:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Wow! It's been almost a month since my last blog post and it's definitely time to get my head back to quilting.

As some of you know, I was away for the kids' spring break. This year we decided to try out cruising and spent a week on the Carnival Liberty, stopping at Cozumel, Belize, Roatan (Honduras) and Grand Cayman. Fortunately for us, we had amazing weather and smooth seas.

Carnival Liberty - our home on the water for a week

A view of the pool area on the Lido deck

As we were first-time cruisers, we weren't sure what to expect, but I certainly didn't expect to be pampered as much as we were. I was a bit nervous about the cabin size, but found that our unit was very spacious and well appointed. I wish my house - and my quilt studio - were this well-organized and efficient!

Relaxing in our room the first day.

There was ample room for our clothes and toiletry items in the bathroom as well as soft, luxurious bathrobes to wear. We had two rooms - one for my husband and I and one for our two kids. This turned out to be perfect! We had connecting balconies and were able to go back and forth between the rooms via the balcony. It provided us with a great view of the ports of call and allowed us to see the late stragglers coming back on-board!

Our secret entry into the kids' room!

The only disappointment of the trip was that I didn't find any quilt shops at our stops. I'm sure my husband viewed this as a blessing as it helped to keep our expenditures down, but I was hoping to bring back at least a little bit of cotton. Oh well, I did find jewellery and other items to console myself :)

Ready for our first elegant night in the dining room.

I love embarrassing my teenagers!

Now that I'm back I am working on some more new patterns. I've just published my first AccuQuilt GO! and GO! Baby friendly table runner pattern called "Tweet-Heart". I had a lot of fun working on this one and it came together very quickly. As a matter of fact, I have several samples of this pattern as I couldn't stop at just one! I have to thank Ann Marie for helping me test this one out. I certainly appreciated her comments and quick reply to my request for testing out this pattern.

I've, I mean, my husband, has been putting the finishing touches on my next video series and I will be releasing the first part of it soon. We had a few more technical issues with the last video in this series, so it took a bit longer to complete, but it's now ready to go.

Before I get back to finishing more patterns and working on the video release, I'll leave you with a few final images of our Caribbean vacation.

Cozumel

The beach at Mahogany Bay, Roatan Island

Time for a Pina Colada

AccuQuilt's Third Annual Barn Quilt Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Can you believe that it's been almost a year since AccuQuilt last hosted the Barn Quilt Contest? Well, it has and that means that it's once again time to start working on a new block to enter.

Here's the scoop:

The contest entry dates are from March 16 until April 9, 2012, with the winner being announced at the AQS Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, KY (April 25-28). The winning block will be unveiled on June 22, 2012 during the AccuQuilt Let's GO! Quilting Retreats. The winning designs will be proudly displayed on AccuQuilt’s new home office.

One lucky winner will be chosen to receive a $1,000 AccuQuilt Shopping Spree along with a trip for two to Omaha, NE, to visit AccuQuilt’s new headquarters for the public unveiling of the winning barn quilt design. In addition, the runner up contestant will receive a $250 AccuQuilt Shopping Spree.
How do you enter? It's easy:

No purchase is necessary to enter; just click on the AccuQuilt Barn Quilt Design Contest badge on the right hand side of my blog to be taken directly to the entry site.

Prizes:

Grand prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of:

- One (1) $1,000 AccuQuilt Shopping Spree ($1,000 value)
- Round trip airfare for themselves and a friend from winner’s home and transportation to Omaha, NE, for an unveiling ceremony for their design on the AccuQuilt offices.
- Two (2) tickets to the 2nd Annual Let’s GO! Quilt Retreat in Fremont on June 20-21, 2012 for themselves and a friend.
- Three (3) night hotel stay (one room for three nights).
- Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for three days.

One runner up prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of:

- One (1) $250 AccuQuilt Gift Certificate
- One (1) ticket to the 2nd Annual Let’s GO! Quilt Retreat in Fremont on June 20-21, 2012.

The top one hundred (Top 100) quilt block designs will be selected by a panel of AccuQuilt’s management from among all eligible entries received. Each of the 100 winners will receive a prize package aggregate value of $25 consisting of:

- One (1) $25 AccuQuilt Rewards Points ($25 value)

Who wouldn't want to win an AccuQuilt shopping spree, not to mention having your block on the side of their corporate headquarters? So, get out your pencils and paper - or should I say, AccuQuilt GO!, GO! Baby or Studio - and start designing.

Good luck!

Pre-Spring Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:45:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

It's been unseasonably warm in Calgary this past week, but with the warm weather comes westerly winds. They've caused all kinds of havoc in town from items blowing around the backyard to pieces of buildings falling off downtown structures. Luckily my quilt studio is in the basement, so no fabric has blown away! Although that is a good excuse to purchase more fabric!

This type of weather ushers in what my co-worker calls "pre-spring" and since this calls for "pre-spring cleaning", I wanted to let you know about a change I've made to my blog. You'll notice that I've added a new tab at the top for my book reviews. This should make it easier for you to find the reviews and to see if you might want to add one of these books to your library.

I sometimes find it difficult to remember what books I actually own (not that I have too many, of course!) and use librarything.com to help me keep organized (too bad there isn't a lifething.com!). If you haven't tried out this free resource, you might want to look into it. In addition to keeping track of the books in your library, you can view other member's book reviews and even get advance copies of upcoming books to review.

You'll also want to view my other tabs for free patterns and tutorials, as well as my videos. New videos are being uploaded almost every week and I'd love to hear your comments on them, as well as any suggestions for future videos.

Happy quilting and stay on the ground!

Setting up a Quilt Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

The past few weeks I've been busy working on the latest video series and polishing up the final product for you. The new series is almost ready for public viewing and here's a sneak peek of what you'll find in the latest video series from Chatterbox Quilts - Studio Set-up.
Enjoy!

Book Review - Modern Basics and Make it Sew Modern

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Have you heard about these Modern Quilt Guilds that are springing up all across the country? While I initially didn't like some of the "modern" quilts that I was seeing being created, I've slowly come around to realize that there is something to these modern quilts. I'm enjoying seeing the larger prints and simpler styles that are being used to create these contemporary projects. I can see how these would appeal to those quilters who have a young outlook, as well as quilters who have little time to pursue their hobby and want to get a quilt done fast. So I'm changing my viewpoint on contemporary quilts and other items that are similar in style, such as bags and pillows. Luckily for me there are more and more books that have "modern" designs in them and I have two to review today.

The first one, Modern Basics: Easy Quilts to Fit Your Budget, Space, and Style, by Amy Ellis, has 14 different quilt designs, mostly pieced.

Photo courtesy of Martingale and Company

These are excellent projects for beginner quilters, who will appreciate the easy, yet effective designs.

1, 2, 3 from Modern Basics - photo courtesy of Martingale and Company

More advanced quilters will also enjoy the geometric patterns, several of which create optical illusions with their fabric choices and careful placement.

Knotted Squares from Modern Basics - photo courtesy of Martingale and Company

These patterns lend themselves to the large "home decor" prints that are so popular today. There are also several projects in the book that use solid cottons, which are also seeing a resurgence in the marketplace.

Modern Maze from Modern Basics - photo courtesy of Martingale and Company

Amy gives advice on basic quiltmaking with explanations of the various tools involved and the process from cutting to quilting which would be essential for beginning quilters. I especially like her safety advice about rotary cutters - one of my bugbears (close that cutter!).

Make it Sew Modern: Gather, Twist, Pleat, Texture, by Vanessa Christenson of V and Co. is more of an accessory book, both for you and for your home.

Photo courtesy of Martingale and Company

The book is divided into four sections: Ruffles, Twisting, Gathering and Pleats and includes several charming projects in each section using these techniques. There are patterns for everything from bracelets to wreaths, purses to pillows, all with a simple, modern aesthetic.

Twisted Fabric Bracelet from Make it Sew Modern
photo courtesy of Martingale and Company

Many of these projects, dare I say all, would be wonderful as gifts. The projects are elegant and feminine and give the impression that they are more intricate and difficult to make than they actually are. I'm always looking for patterns like this! The instructions include diagrams and photos to aid in construction.

Cascading Spring Scarf from Make it Sew Modern
photo courtesy of Martingale and Company

I enjoyed the fresh feel of these designs and was thrilled to discover the Appliqué Doily Quilt pattern since I have a collection of doilies at home and now have the perfect pattern in which to use them. I can even do the quilting that they show on this project - it's one of my specialties!

Appliqué Doily Quilt from Make it Sew Modern
photo courtesy of Martingale and Company

Vanessa includes a section on Tips, Terms and Techniques specific to the projects in the book to help you complete them successfully.

Both of these books would be great additions to your library if you're looking for modern quilt patterns and contemporary decor and accessories.

Fabric Fundamentals - Episode 5 - Washing Your Fabric - or Not!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

I know that this video is a day late, but that's because it was a holiday yesterday here in Alberta, so I took the day off. My husband and I were hard at work doing some filming in the extra few days that we had this week-end, so expect the next series of quilting videos to be available in a few weeks' time.

This is the last video in the Fabric Fundamentals video series and it's all about that controversial subject of whether or not to wash your fabric before you piece it into your quilt. Watch my video to learn all about your options so you can decide for yourself.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to view all of my quilting videos and ensure that you receive all future ones as well.

I'd love to hear whether or not you pre-wash your quilting fabric and your reasons for doing so - or not!

Fabric Fundamentals - Episode 4 - Fabric Pre-cuts

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Have you heard about layer cakes and jelly rolls? No, I'm not talking about pastries; I'm talking about fabric pre-cuts. You'll want to check out my latest video in the Fabric Fundamentals series to learn all about these already-cut-for-you fabric bundles.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to view all of my quilting videos and ensure that you receive all future ones as well.

Fabric Fundamentals - Episode 3 - WOF

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Thanks for all the positive comments about the previous 2 videos. I'm glad that you're enjoying them and have even learned a thing or two.

This week we'll be continuing our exploration of fabric and investigating that mysterious "WOF" or width of fabric. This is an expression that you'll hear and see over and over again in patterns and classes, but how much do you really know about it? Well, after viewing my video, you'll be an expert.

I'm currently working on another video series regarding studio organization and set up, so if there's a specific topic that you'd like me to cover, please let me know.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to view all of my quilting videos and ensure that you receive notification of future ones as well.

Free patterns for Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:59:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

It's February already and according to Wiarton Willie we can expect an early spring - yay! Except for a cold snap a couple of weeks ago, we've had a surprisingly mild winter here in Calgary, so I expect that we'll be seeing some more snow and cold temperatures before spring actually arrives.

With February comes Valentine's Day, which is fast approaching (doesn't it seem like we just celebrated New Year's?). To reflect this upcoming romantic holiday I've changed the background of my blog to something more appropriate - and also because I love the colour red.

While I'm not working on a Valentine's Day project myself, I do have several free patterns available which are perfect for this holiday.

You can find the tutorial for Vintage Hearts under the AccuQuilt GO! Fun tab on my blog or on my Youtube channel. It's an AccuQuilt GO! friendly pattern so you'll be able to make it very quickly.

Vintage Hearts
FREE pattern from Chatterbox Quilts

Vintage Hearts detail

If you don't have enough time to make a wall hanging, you might have time for a small pincushion or shelf sitter. Again, the AccuQuilt GO! cutter comes to the rescue. You can find instructions on making these little projects here. While I used recycled fabric to make mine, you can choose any type of fabric that you have available - preferably in a red or pink shade.

Pincushions using AccuQuilt GO! cutter dies

If you enjoy hand embroidery, I also have a FREE heart-shaped pincushion or shelf sitter pattern available. The Flourishing Heart pattern can be found here.

Flourishing Heart pincushion or shelf sitter
FREE pattern from Chatterbox Quilts

I didn't realize that I had so many heart-related patterns! I hope that one of these will be exactly what you need if you're looking for that perfect Valentine's Day project.

Fabric Fundamentals - Episode 2 - Selvedge, or is that Selvage?

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Wow, Monday is here again already and you know what that means? Time to release another video in the Fabric Fundamentals series.

This week I'll be addressing that tricky Jekyll and Hyde of fabric, Mr. Selvedge - or is that Selvage?

Grab your popcorn or favourite sweet treat, pull up a chair and let's learn all about him, er, it.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions for future video episodes.

Fabric Fundamentals - Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

I'm thrilled to introduce a new feature for Chatterbox Quilts - videos! Each week, I will be exploring a specific aspect of quilting and will be posting a video about that feature every Monday. I'll be starting with the basics and then moving on to other points.

While I have many ideas, I'm always eager to hear what you'd like to see, so if there is something that you've always be wondering about and would like to see a video on that subject, please leave a comment below.

So, without further ado, let me present my first video in my Fabric Fundamentals series - fabric grain. In this video I will be looking at fabric grain and how it affects our quilting. I learned some things about fabric grain that I wasn't aware of before I did this video and hope that you will pick up some information as well.

Please subscribe to my Youtube channel so you won't miss out on any future episodes.

Happy viewing!

Fabric Fundamentals - Episode 1 - Fabric Grain by Chatterbox Quilts

Chatterbox Quilts' New Project

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

I am so excited to tell you about a new project that I've been working on - videos! My husband has been working very hard at helping me with some quilt videos and you'll soon be seeing these on my Youtube channel. Did you know that I had a Youtube channel? Well, I do and you'll be able to see all of my videos there.

While we don't have a video studio, Gary's been able to transform our basement into one with the help of a few panels, props and the right lighting. It's surprising how much more there is than just make up and dialogue to produce a video! To start, you have to have a photogenic and talented host, but since we couldn't afford one, I'm it:) Then, once the filming is finished, there is the editing and post-production work, which is Gary's job. My work, being the talent, is done while his is just starting and this can take much longer than the actual filming.

Here's a sneak peek at what we've been doing. While these aren't quite ready for primetime yet, I hope to be releasing these on a weekly basis soon. Subscribeto my Youtube channel to be notified when these are released.

I'm always looking for new video ideas, so I hope you'll leave a comment below with your suggestions.

New Year, New Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Happy New Year!

Yes, I know that January 1 was a few weeks ago, but, as is often the case, I'm a bit behind. I've found myself under-motivated and distracted lately due to some family issues. Everything is great now, but I'm finding it hard to "get back on the horse", so to speak (actually, getting back on the horse would be easy as I love horseback riding). It's much easier to work on patterns and do blog posts when you do it consistently. If you're away from it for awhile, I find that it takes a bit to get back to work, but, as Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "He has half the deed done who has made a beginning", and I'm determined to make a beginning!

I'm determined to take all of the pattern ideas that I have been working on and finish and publish them. I have several embroidery patterns, some stuffed toys and many quilt patterns, just dying to make their appearance. I also have book reviews that you'll be seeing on my blog soon as well as some giveaways.

Poinsettia Pinwheels

Blossoming

Stick friends embroidery

Posh Pets

Blossoming (detail)

Tweet-heart table runner

Hoot embroidered stuffy

Screech and Whoobie embroidered stuffies

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions for 2012, however I've resolved to do better this year. Whether it's exercising, creating patterns or finishing UFO's, I'm going to try to do better this year and accomplish more.

I hope you're working on your 2012 resolutions and would love to hear what you hope to accomplish this year.

A Pressing Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

I don't know about you, but I find that it's sometimes difficult to press my fabrics on my ironing board. It's just the wrong shape. It should be rectangular and long enough so I can open up my fabric and press across the width of fabric, not the funny recta-triangle shape of a typical ironing board. I could, of course, purchase a specialty ironing board, but I really don't want to spend that much money on one. So, I decided to make one myself.

If you'd like to make yourself a portable pressing board, you'll need:

Piece of OSB or melamine in the desired size (I used melamine and it was 24" x 48")
Cotton batting (don't use a poly blend, just good old cotton batting, such as Warm and Natural)
Cotton fabric
Gripper shelf liner
Staple gun

First, I cut out two strips of the gripper shelf liner, wide enough to cover the width of the melamine (24" in my case) and about 10" wide and then stapled one strip to the top part of the melamine, on the back, and the other strip to the bottom of the melamine, on the back. This will help keep the board in place, on your counter, on your cutting table, wherever you decide to put it.

Close up of gripper shelf liner

Gripper shelf liner strips attached to back of melamine board

Next, I laid the melamine on the floor and measured and cut out batting in a size sufficient to cover the right side of the melamine (the side that you'll be ironing on) and wrap around to the back on all sides. You don't need too much overlap, but enough so all the sides will be covered and the batting should overlap the gripper shelf liner slightly. I then flipped the board over so the batting was under it and stapled the batting to the back of the melamine, mitering the corners as I went.

Batting measured and partially stapled to back of melamine board
Note that the batting covers one raw edge of the gripper shelf liner

Detail of mitered batting corner

Okay, so far, so good. I then did the same thing with the cotton fabric. I used an older fabric that I had in my stash and probably was never going to use in a quilt project, but it was perfect for this.

Batting all stapled down; cotton fabric being measured

I wrapped the fabric around the "right" side of the board and then stapled it to the back of the melamine. Make sure that you pull the fabric taut when stapling it.

Cotton fabric stapled to back of melamine board

Detail of mitered fabric corner

Wow, that was easy! Now I had a perfect ironing board: long enough to allow me to iron the fabric across its width and portable so I could iron anywhere in the house. I really liked how the gripper shelf liner kept the board in place without shifting when I was ironing.

Finished pressing board, already in use!
Notice the sad, not-used-anymore ironing board in the background

If you need a new pressing surface, this project can be completed in less than an hour. The best part - it cost less than $20.00 and cleared out more of my fabric, which is always a good thing!

A Tale of Two Quilts

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

This is a tale of two quilts - one for a celebration and one for healing.

If you know me, you'll know that I can drag a project out for a very long time (you only have to count my UFO's to know this), but give me a deadline and I'll have a quilt whipped up lickety split.

A few years ago - 6, to be precise - I started to design an anniversary quilt for my parent's 50th anniversary. I had lots of time - almost a year - to finish it. Piece of cake! Well, the designing took longer than I thought (boy, did I learn a lot during this process!) and then I had to put it together and, well, I think I was actually in over my head on this one. Needless to say, I didn't get it done in time for their 50th anniversary. I did get most of it finished in time for their 53th anniversary, but was stuck on how to quilt it. Again, I was overwhelmed. Finally, I tackled it and it turned out not too bad. Then, I was hung up on doing a continuous bias binding, which I had never done before. Again, I eventually got to it and finally the quilt was done. In time for their 55th wedding anniversary. Well, actually the quilt was finished a couple of months prior to this and I was able to give it to my parents when they were out visiting me this fall.

Mom and Dad with their 50th anniversary quilt

Just after their visit, my father had a heart attack and so another quilt needed to be made. I used my Chock a Block pattern since it's quick and easy. I was under a deadline on this one as I was flying back to Ontario to see my Dad and wanted to take the quilt with me. So, I bought the fabric Thursday afternoon, started cutting and stitching on Friday, finished the top on Saturday and quilted it on Sunday (thanks, Cathy!).

"Out of the Rough" from
Chatterbox Quilts' "Chock a Block" pattern

Back of the quilt flipped to the front to show pieced top

So, what did I learn from these two quilts? Well, a few things. First, most projects aren't really as difficult as I think they are. Second, I can finish a quilt in just a few days when I put my mind to it. And third, I need to spend more time quilting and less time thinking about the quilting!

Media Excitement

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

There have been so many things happening lately that I almost forgot to tell you my exciting news. I'm doing a happy jig about this one! I've had another pattern published in a magazine! This time, it's my wall hanging, "Baaack in Black" and it's featured in the fall issue (issue 15) of Irish Quilting.

My inspiration for this project came from the AC/DC song of the same name (although spelled a little differently) combined with the image of the "black sheep" of the group. This quilt features fusible web appliqué with a little hand embroidery thrown in for embellishment. A black sheep, some fluffy white friends and a few shamrocks thrown in with one four leaf clover, and you have "Baaack in Black".

I have to tell you that I was sweating a bit about this project as I had a narrow timeline on it and there was a postal strike going on by the time I completed it. This would normally not affect me too much, however, as I had to send the quilt to Ireland for quilting and photography, I was a bit worried that it wouldn't make it there on time. Thanks to Purolator, it arrived before the deadline and all was well. It's now safely back in my studio and has the distinction of travelling to a country that I have not (yet) visited. It wouldn't say if it kissed the Blarney stone while there, but I have a suspicion that it did!

There are many other beautiful projects in this issue, so I hope you have a chance to pick one up at your local quilt shop or bookstore and give it a browse.

I'm back!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Wow, it seems like forever since I've published a blog post - or at least a few weeks! I must apologize for disappearing for awhile, but sometimes life takes an unexpected turn and throws you off your regular routine. I have lots of quilting items to share with you in a future post, but this one is personal, so I beg your indulgence while I explain what's been happening in my family's lives.

This September was busy with the start of a new school year for me (September and June are the busiest months for school office staff) and new schools for both of my children: Jamie in junior high and Sarah in high school. Throw in a visit from my parents, who live 2,000 miles away from us and it made for a busy September.

Mom and Dad September 2011

My parents love to drive and drove from Ontario to Calgary to visit for a few weeks and then left on my Dad's birthday, September 19, for home. Rather than the 3 days that they usually take to drive home, they took an extra day, arriving home in Bracebridge on September 22 - I suppose that the fact that my Dad was a bit more tired than usual should've been a warning of what later happened.

Dad celebrating his 78th birthday September 19, 2011

On September 26 - a week after his 78th birthday - after washing the car and only 3 holes into his regular game of golf, my Dad went into complete cardiac arrest. Fortunately, one of the grounds crew was trained in CPR and the course had a defibrillator, which he used to restore my Dad's heartbeat before the ambulance came. By the time my Mother arrived at the local hospital, he had already been put into a medically induced coma, cooled down and was being prepped to be taken to a facility in Newmarket, Ontario (two hours south of their home).

I was on the way out the door to work when the phone rang that morning. I can't describe the shock and fright I felt when I heard my Mom's voice on the other end of the phone telling me what had happened. I don't wish that feeling on anyone. Several phone calls later, I was able to determine that my Dad had arrived at the Southlake Regional Health Centre and was in the Cardiac Care Unit there. Over the course of the next few days, he was gradually warmed up and brought out of the coma. Thankfully, due to the immediate attention that he received at the golf course and the care he received in the hospital, he didn't suffer any brain damage. Next came an angiogram, where it was determined that he had several blocked arteries and needed a cardiac bypass - or CABG - as it's called. He underwent a quadruple bypass on October 11 and was released from the hospital on October 18.

My brother lives in Ontario and had been looking after my Mom, visiting my Dad in the hospital and generally handling things, while still working (thanks, John), so I flew out a few days prior to Dad's release date so I could drive him home and help my Mom with household items. It was a busy week, but we managed to take care of many items and I left them with a frig and freezer full of healthy food. Dad's doing well - walking and eating lots to regain his strength.

John, Mom and Dad October 23, 2011

I flew back home on Sunday night and am now back into my "normal" routine. I'm grateful that my Dad is still with us - things could've been so different - and appreciate the excellent care he received in the hospital. The nursing staff were very caring with Dad (who had never been in the hospital and really didn't want to be there) and always took the time to speak with me when I called from Calgary to update me on his condition. I'm also grateful to the staff at South Muskoka Curling and Golf Club who helped my Dad when he needed it the most. Dad works there part-time in the summer and I know how concerned everyone there was about him. My parents are fortunate to have many close friends and I appreciate their visits to him in the hospital (often driving several hours to see him), their calls to the house and the cards we received.

I also appreciated the phone calls I received from my friends who were concerned about Dad, and me, as well. I have to thank my quilting buddy, Cathy Keevill, who generously let me use her machine to quilt my dad's quilt on a Saturday afternoon (he loved it, Cath). You truly discover who your real friends are when an event like this occurs.

"Out of the Rough", the quilt I whipped up in 3 days for Dad
Thanks to Cathy Keevill for the use of her machine to quilt it.
The pattern is "Chock a Block" by Chatterbox Quilts.
The quilt is folded back at the top to show the pieced top of the backing.

Most of all, I have to thank my husband, Gary, and my two children, Jamie and Sarah, for managing the household while I was back east. Between the three of them, the house was clean, laundry was done, food was made and in the freezer and they even managed to put up all the Halloween decorations - indoors and out. Did I also mention that they all came to pick me up at the airport on Sunday night? I'm not sure what I've done right in my life to have such a wonderful, caring family, but I'm truly a lucky girl to have them. Thanks, guys, you are the best part of my life!

Sarah and Jamie September 2011

Gary on his birthday October 13, 2011

So that's I've been up to over the past few weeks. I'm gradually getting back to my quilting and blogging, which has been on hold since September, and have lots of exciting quilty-related items to tell you about next time.

Hope that you're enjoying a good fall and all is well with your family.

Fall in Muskoka 2011

Winner of the My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

Just a quick note to let you know that the winner of the FREE My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software is Pam (comment #3).

Congratulations, Pam! I'll soon be sending this wonderful prize off to you.

For those of you who didn't win, remember that you can still use coupon code STMMMS64292 (copy and paste it to use it) to get a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite version 2 scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - a $20 value! What a great deal!

Thanks so much to My Memories for providing this software to me as a giveaway to one of my blog readers.

Pam, I know you'll enjoy using this software and I'd love to see what you create with it.

Free giveaway - My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

I was recently approached by My Memories to try out their digital scrapbooking software. Now, as you know, I'm a quilter, not a scrapbooker, but digital scrapbooking appealed to me, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I could play with my photos, without having to purchase card stock and embellishments (as if I'd actually have anywhere to store scrapbooking items in addition to my quilting stash!). Not only did My Memories provide me with my own review software, they were generous enough to give me another one for one of my blog readers. Yes, you could win your own copy of My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software! But before we get to the "how to win" part, let's take a look to see what this software can do.

Using My Memories Suite you create digital photo albums. You choose a theme, the desired number of pages and then personalize your album by importing your own photographs. You can leave the pages as they are or change the backgrounds, add embellishments and add text before you put your selected photos in the placeholders. In addition to photos, you can create slideshows, videos and add narration to your album. You can export your finished album as a Quicktime movie, burn it to a DVD or actually print it out (how old school!).

Toil and Trouble kit by Just So Scrappy available at My Memories
Photo courtesy of My Memories

I wanted to see how easy it would be to use this digital scrapbooking software, so I decided to make an album of my daughter's recent birthday. I chose a theme, deleted a few of the pages, added text, changed the background slightly and imported my photos. Bang! There was my album. Done and ready to be emailed out to the grandparents. I could've played around a little more with it - changed colours or added embellishments, but I really wanted to see how quickly I could create an album. I found My Memories Suite to be very easy and quick. Here's the album I created.

Word art, embellishments and text added to the photograph

Added embellishments, text and the photograph

A few more flowers and a photo, of course!

One more photo, some text and a couple more flowers and it's done!

Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software provides many options to allow you to personalize your album. If the embellishments and backgrounds included in the program aren't enough (and there are lots of them), you can download more FREE items from the My Memories website. Digital scrapbook pages can also be purchased to use with this software.

The I’m Falling for You Combo Pack from designer Meredith Cardall includes 15 different background papers, 61 page elements,and monogram set of 46 characters (a total of 107 digital embellishments)and,

best of all, it's FREE to download from My Memories

Photo courtesy of My Memories

Now for the part you've been waiting for - how to win your own copy of My Memories Suite Scrapbook software! There are just three simple steps:

Go to My Memories website
Browse through their digital scrapbooking kits
Tell me which one is your favourite in a comment to this post.

See, I told you it was simple!

The contest starts today and will run until September 27 at 8:00 p.m. MST. I'll be announcing the winner on September 28.

Even if you don't win the free software, you can use this code STMMMS64292 (copy and paste it to use it) to get a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite version 2 scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - a $20 value! Just go to My Memories and enter the code when you're checking out.

Good luck to everyone and don't forget to check back on September 28 to see if you're the winner!

Let's Get GO!-ing

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

In a previous post I mentioned that I would be teaching a class, Let's Get GO!-ing, about the AccuQuilt GO! cutter at Bow Bench Retreat in October. I'm so excited about this class and I know it's going to be lots of fun. In case you aren't on Facebook and haven't seen all the details, here is what you need to know.

WHAT: Let's Get GO!-ing class

WHERE: Bow Bench Retreat, Carseland, AB, Canada

WHEN: October 15, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

One of the pattern choices you'll have at the class.

WHAT'S INCLUDED: Instruction, Chatterbox Quilts pattern, use of GO! cutter and dies,
lunch, refreshments and fun!
WHAT'S THE PRICE: $75.00
WHY: Because we're GO!-ing to have a great time!

In this class, you'll:

Learn about the AccuQuilt GO! cutter
Use the AccuQuilt GO! cutter and dies
Make a fusible web appliqué table runner and personalize it by cutting appliqués with the GO!

AccuQuilt GO! cutter, die and mat

If you've always been curious about this fabric die cutter, this will be a great opportunity to find out all about it. I'll answer all your questions and you'll have the opportunity to try out the machine yourself. But be careful - once you try it, you'll be addicted and the fabric in your stash won't be safe!

I hope you'll join me this fall for a great day of instruction and fun.

Where is Chatterbox Quilts?

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Jamieson-Hirst) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone:

I was recently reflecting on how many fellow quilters and fabric enthusiasts I've met through my blog and my Facebook page. I've enjoyed making new friends on-line and appreciate the support that you've given me. I've also found that it's a great way to keep in touch with existing friends across the country.

It occurred to me that while some of you may know where I am on-line, there are probably others who aren't aware of all the places Chatterbox Quilts is on the web. So I thought I'd bring you up to date. Are you ready? Here goes:

You're already following my blog, so you know I'm here.

Manga Kitty appliqué template by Jamie Hirst for Chatterbox Quilts

Did you know that I have a personal Facebook page, as well as a Chatterbox Quilts fan page? I try to keep my fan page for quilt related items.

I'm on Twitter as CBQuilts, if you like to tweet.

I have a Youtube channel, although there is only one video there - yet!

Learn how to make Vintage Hearts from my Youtube video

I also have an Etsy store, where you can find both my epatterns and my paper patterns. I also have appliqué templates, embroidery patterns and stuffie patterns there.

Frog face appliqué template available at my Etsy store

I have a website where you can find out more about me as well as listen to some of my earlier podcasts.

Hoot appliqué template available at my Etsy store

If you're a quilt shop owner, you should know that you an order my patterns wholesale from The Pattern Peddlers.

You do know that I have some free projects available, don't you? You can find them on my blog and on my website.

FREE Flourishing Hearts pattern - available on my blog

Whew! I think that's it - at least for now.

I hope that you find something entertaining, interesting or educational wherever you find me on-line:)