Patchplay with Me!

Movin' On Up

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:20:00 +0000

Thanks to all of you who have followed my blog here for the past year or so. I'm not done blogging by any means, but my blog has now been moved to our quilt pattern website, Patchplay. Lori and I are thrilled to finally have it up and running. Come by and visit. Read the blog, look at the patterns, and have some fun with us as we continue our adventures in the world of quilting.

Once again the new blog is at Patchplay Quilting.

See you there!

Podlistening

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:44:00 +0000

While I may not be blogging about my quilting life, that doesn't mean it is non-existent. I am working nearly every spare minute I have on some very exciting things, including patterns for Patchplay and other places (soon to be revealed!). I am crossing things off a very long list and making great progress, and I know one of the things helping me is that I often listen to quilting podcasts while I quilt. Lately I have been catching up on the Sew, Stitch, Create podcasts by Brye Lynn. She always has a specific quilting topic to talk about, which I enjoy, and she does a lot of research to make sure she's conversant with said topic. I highly recommend her podcasts, so if you haven't listened yet, give them a try.

By the way, do you ever say to yourself, What did we do before we had the Internet? I love it for keeping in touch with people and for learning new things. It's one of the great things about living in the 21st Century. Thanks, all you podcasters, for all you do to keep us informed and entertained!

Come Join the Block Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:35:00 +0000

For those of you still thinking (maybe erroneously) that you have more free time yet to spend, you might consider joining the Block Party.

Every quarter Alissa and Kristen, the hosts of the Block Party Quiltalong, will post a tutorial on how to make a specific style of quilt block. They will show you the options for the different ways to make the block. Then you make the block, put your own spin on it, and post pictures of your project on their Flickr site.

Alissa and Kristen are in the process of writing a book for C&T Publishing about the online modern quilting community, and how virtual quilting bees are promoting a sense of community online and enabling quilters worldwide to be part of a circle of quilters, much like early quilters experienced in their church groups or communities.

Check it out, and if you like what you see, then join the group. They are also hoping this group spawns its own spin-off quilting bees, which you can choose to join as well. I say anything that helps us connect with fellow quilters is a very good thing!

Christmas Quilts

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:14:00 +0000

I remember reading about a woman who made Christmas quilts for every bed in her house and put them on the beds for a few weeks during the Christmas season. Ever since then I have set that as a goal, but as of right now I don't have a single Christmas quilt for any bed. But all that is about to change. My next project is going to be a Christmas quilt I have designed called Christmas Ribbons. The pattern is designed, the fabrics are purchased, and all I'm waiting for is a tiny bit of freer time so that I can begin. I will give you a little teaser here and post a picture of the fabric. They are from the City Girl Holiday line by Kitty Yoshida for Benartex Fabrics, and it should surprise no one who knows me that every single one of the fabrics is etched with gold.

The Zen of Embroidery

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:19:00 +0000

I've been doing some hand embroidery on my table runners this week, and I have rediscovered that doing embroidery with a needle and thread has a unique pleasure and rhythm to it. I haven't done any serious handwork for many years, and though I still do not want to start piecing an entire quilt together by hand, there's something very rewarding about making even stitches with your own hand rather than by machine. When they turn out good, you immediately feel the reward, and when they turn out bad, you can easily remove them and make them good. It's as though the bad never existed at all.

It's quiet, too, sewing with needle and thread, a good time to be alone with your thoughts and watch the pattern emerge slowly, slowly, like a leaf unfolding or a butterfly emerging or a baby growing. And holding something in your hand makes it possible to see details you never noticed before. There's an intimacy about fabric and needle and thread all within a foot of your eyes that reduces the world to a very tiny, very manageable space, even if only for a short time.

I think I may put aside some time every day for some embroidery, even after the table runners are completed. It's better than yoga for relaxation and cheaper than flying to a beach somewhere and, dare I say it, nearly as good as chocolate!

Bedazzled!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:07:00 +0000

I am a HUGE fan of the bling: sparkles, jewels, beads, buttons, glitter -- everything's better with glitter -- metallic thread, studs, eyelets, charms. Well, you get the idea. I am, like monkeys and raccoons and ravens, hypnotized by shiny stuff. I was at Michael's looking around for some things to embellish my table runners that I am designing, and then I saw it. It was big and sparkly and had every color of the rainbow. And I had to have it. The picture shows three, but, honest, I only bought one. Who's excited to bead some things!

Variety is the Spice of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0000

I've listened to a few podcasts lately of interviews with famous quilters like Elly Sienkiewicz, Mimi Dietrich, Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran. While I admire greatly the work that Elly Sienkiewicz does and am in awe of her vast store of knowledge about Baltimore Album quilts, I feel more in sync with Gwen Marston and her eclectic style. I'm not really an art quilter, but I do get bored just doing one type of quilt all the time. That's why I'll never be an expert on any particular style or technique, but that's okay by me. I figure the day I stop having fun quilting is the day I stop quilting.

I've been working on a series of table runners for Patchplay that have applique on them, and while I have enjoyed making them, I'm more than ready for some piecing, just piecing. If I had to do only applique for the rest of my life, I fear I would soon feel like poking a needle in my eye. Yet, having said that, if only piecing was available to me, I think the same eye-poking instinct would set in.

So here's to variety in quilting and in life. Thank goodness for experts who find their niche and stick with it, but I will continue to flit around until I have tried every technique or style intrigues me.

A WIP is Finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:40:00 +0000

I've been listening to Allison Rosen encourage us to finish old projects and make new ones from all those piles of magazines we have been collecting for years, so I decided yesterday to reach into my box of unfinished projects and clean up some of them. The first one I came to was this lovely wallhanging, which was nearly complete, only needed some finishing touches to the quilting and binding. I bought this as a kit in Whitefish, Montana, at a fun little quilting shop there, but I can't remember the name of it. It's a McKenna Ryan pattern, who, I found out, lives just down the road apiece from the quilt shop where I bought it. It reminds me of so many great visits to Waterton Lakes in southern Alberta and a few trips to Glacier National Park in Montana, and if you know me at all, you know that I am a mountain girl, so this wallhanging makes me smile every time I walk by it. And part of the reason I smile is simply because IT IS FINISHED!

Back Again and Better Than Ever!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:19:00 +0000

It's good to be back in the blogging world. I took a break thinking it would only be for a couple of months, but things are dragging on longer than I had hoped, so I decided I'd get back to my sort of weekly updates. As hinted in the last post, big things are coming for Patchplay. Lori and I are working hard and hope to have a big announcement by January 2010 at the latest. It's taking a long time to do all the work we have to do simply because we still have to work at regular, boring, non-quilty jobs in order to eat and pay the mortgage and the utility bills. So, like the famous duck, we may look calm and unruffled up top, but underneath the water we're paddling like mad!

While I can't show you pictures yet of what we are working on, I can tell you how excited we are to finally be developing our own designs into patterns. It's been a very rewarding process so far, and if we never make a penny, still the personal growth and satisfaction will have been worth it.

As far as my private quilting life, there hasn't been much of it, but I do have a new kit that I bought in Jasper to work on, some lovely wildflowers by McKenna Ryan, and so it will be added to the ever-growing pile of kits. I sometimes think I like the idea of having a kit more than making a kit. And I did recently help my daughter-in-law make her first quilt, a gift for a friend's new daughter, so that was fun, and hopefully we have made a new convert!

Stay Tuned for Coming Attractions

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:47:00 +0000

I know many of you thought I had given up on the blogging world, but, no, that's not true at all. It's just that Lori and I have been very busy lately with some extremely exciting things involving us and the quilting world. You will have to be kept in suspense for a while longer yet, but I'll just say that we are working toward a fall launch of something new and fabulous. I think it will be worth the wait.

Clothes for Carmen

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Sat, 09 May 2009 14:49:00 +0000

I've been wanting to post this for a while, but I was worried my daughter-in-law would see the pictures before the baby shower, so I waited. I have been busy sewing baby clothes and it has been so fun. I made a cute little romper and some baby booties, but by far my favortie is the sailor dress I made for Carmen, complete with a sailor hat (which is, unfortunately, still too big for her). For some odd reason, particularly since I have always lived in a land-locked part of the world, I have a great love for the sailor outfit. All of my kids had one, and so when I saw the pattern for this particular sailor dress, it very loudly called out to me and I was helpless to resist.

I wish I had a picture of Carmen wearing her sailor dress, but since I do not, I will also attach here, for your viewing pleasure, a picture of her in her blessing outfit, the same dress worn by her mother when she was a baby. It is hand-crocheted and gorgeous, and she looked like the angel she is in it.

Oh, by the way, the sign that says "Carmen" was made by my daughter, Denise. Isn't it fabulous! It was the hit of the shower.

A Plethora of Podcasts

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:43:00 +0000

It all started with Annie Smith's Quilting Stash, the first podcast for quilters. I remember when I first discovered the podcast in 2007, I went back and listened to every single show, clear back to 2005. I was listening to a recent Quilting Stash podcast the other day and found it unbelievable when Annie mentioned that there were still some quilters who had not heard of her or her podcast. She's practically an icon, people! She has interviewed virtually every well-known personality in the quilting industry, written articles for Quilter's Home magazine , has her own line of patterns, and hosts a twice-yearly quilting retreat in Cambria, California.

Alex Anderson started her podcast, Quilt Connection, in 2006. While the frequency of new podcasts has slowed down considerably since The Quilt Show started, she does still post new episodes every couple months or so. Alex knows practically everyone worth knowing in the quilting industry, so her podcast is full of name-dropping and news of the upper eschelons of the quilting world.

Within a Quarter Inch, Allison Rosen's podcast, was the next podcast I discovered. She started broadcasting in 2008, I think. Sorry if I got that wrong, Allison. Listening to Within a Quarter Inch is like listening to a good friend talk about her day. It's highly entertaining and full of anecdotes from her home and work life, as well as a lot of really excellent quilting information.

Since around the end of 2008 and into 2009, there have been several new quilting podcats started. Patchwork and Pacifiers, by Jennifer Ruvalcaba, The Pioneer Quilter, by Kelley, Sew-Stitch-Create, by Brye Lynn, and The Quilted Cupcake, by Jean. It's great to see so many new people willing to share their quilting knowledge and personal quilting journeys with all of us. At the end a long, hard, very non-quilty day, I love to listen to them and be inspired and reminded of why I love quilting so much.

Looky What I Found

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:46:00 +0000

You have to admire the crocus, especially the Canadian crocus. They come bursting out into a world of brown and white, reminding us that spring really will come again. I love this little guy, because even though he is white, he is an alive and growing white. Oh, you have given me hope, Mr. Crocus. So good to see you again!

My Granddaughter

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:03:00 +0000

She's here! She's finally here! Carmen Reese Garner arrived at 11:29 a.m. on Wednesday, April 8, weighing in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces and 20 inches long. It had been a long time since I held an hours-old baby in my arms, and it was so special. She is, of course, the most beautiful baby in the world, but what amazed us most was that the entire two hours we were there visiting in the hospital she was awake and happy. I tried to have a little soul-to-soul conversation with her as I held her. Carmen would look at my face with that unfocussed newborn look, and when I would talk to her, she would turn towards my voice. I know she has things she could tell us if only she could talk.

Carmen, we love you already. Welcome to earth, and welcome to our family. You have wrapped yourself around our hearts already, and we are yours to command.

And Now for Something Really Important ...

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:15:00 +0000

Much as I love quilting (and I do so love it!) this weekend has, once again, reminded me that while there are many pasttimes in my life that are fun, creative, even uplifting, there are even more important parts of my life that are eternal and worth spending so much more of my time, talents, and energy on, and those things are all relationships -- relationships with our Heavenly Father, with his son, Jesus Christ, with our families, friends, and other people, and with ourselves.

Looking forward to more eternal perspective today from General Conference, and really looking forward to seeing the grandbaby soon, soon, soon! To all my friends and family who read this blog, I love you all. You are the most important things in my life.

Fancy Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:02:00 +0000

So as mentioned in the last post, my dilemma about whether to finish an old project or start a new one was easily solved by, of course, starting a new one. I have been longing for spring since December really, and now that it's April (tomorrow) my longing has become almost painful. Spring is taking her sweet time, and while it is marginally warmer, it is not sunny most days and there certainly is no green around.

Therefore, in my quest for spring I decided to make a wallhanging for the kitchen that is totally, 100-percent, unabashedly spring-like, so may I present for your quilting pleasure Fancy Spring, so named because the flowers on this wallhanging are decidedly fancy and because, well, I do fancy spring.

It's already brightening my home. Here's hoping it brightens your day as well. Spring, please come back. We miss you!

Heartwarming

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:25:00 +0000

I have finished quilting the grandbaby quilt, just in time. I think it turned out fine. I chose hearts for the main quilting motif, hence the name of the quilt, Heartwarming. The blocks with the 50's kids in them are quilted with hearts in the corners, framing the kids in the center of each block. The small striped blocks, of which there are five, are quilted with large block letters, H-E-A-R-T. Too, too clever, right? The large striped blocks are quilted with a large heart with cross-hatching. The quilting shows up really well on the back, not as much on the front, which is fine. I think the fabrics need to be the star of this quilt.

Along with the quilt I made three coordinating crib sheets, which I really, really hope fit. I got the pattern off the Internet, after checking out many patterns that all had about the same measurements. If they don't fit, the fabric is still mostly intact and could be used for something else, I suppose, but I hope the Internet doesn't let me down and that the sheets fit perfectly.

Now that the grandbaby quilt is finished, what to do next? My options are finish the pile of WIP's waiting completion or start something entirely new and fun. Of course, you all know which way I am leaning. Bring on the new!

To Snob or Not to Snob

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:08:00 +0000

When Connecting Threads first came out with their $5.96 a yard quilting fabric, I was quite excited about it, but since then I have sort of changed my mind. It may be inexpensive, but it's not very inspired or inspiring, at least to me. I realize for that price they may be limited in what they can do. Maybe it's not possible pay fabric designers, so maybe they are just using more "stock" designs. Perhaps they have fewer color selections available to them, and maybe even the size of motifs they can print on their fabric must be scaled back. At least, it seems to me that most of their fabrics have very small prints on them. Kudos to Connecting Threads for at least attempting to make quilting more affordable. For right now I'll just use the stash I have until I see something from them that wows me more.

I will give Connecting Threads full marks, however, for their quilting thread. I have a Voyager 17 mid-arm quilter, which is all I will ever need. It's a great machine, pretty basic, but I love it. You can get a stitch regulator for it, which I have not done yet, maybe won't ever do. Anyway, I digress. My point is the Connecting Threads quilting thread is very inexpensive and runs on my machine with very few, if any, breaks. It's sort of linty, but who cares? I clean out the bobbin area every time I change a bobbin anyway. I use a size 18 needle and have very few issues with breakage or tension. A spool with 1,200 yards costs only $1.99, less if you buy it in a set. I bought every color they have. It's a really nice selection of colors, plus they also have some variegated thread. (I am a variegated girl.) You can also buy a cone of 5,000 yards for $7.99. I have a grey cone that I use on my sewing machine for piecing. Fabulous!

So is someone who loves expensive fabric or expensive thread a quilting snob? I think if you're buying the name-brand fabric or thread simply to have the name brand, then you are guilty as charged. If, however, you honestly believe that the quality offered by those more expensive companies is justified, then I say not a snob. I believe I'm a mixed bag. I do love to find a bargain, and I am happy a lot of the time with "lesser babka". (Obscure Seinfeld reference alert!) I'm perfectly content to quilt all my quilts with Connecting Threads thread. But, oh, there is a such a sensual pleasure in running your hands over really high quality cotton quilting fabric. When the quilt is important, I spend the money on the fabric.

Yet Another Baby Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:06:00 +0000

Look at me, being all quilty. This is honestly the most I have quilted in months, maybe in more than a year. I love making baby quilts. First of all, a baby coming into the world is a wonderful event. Second, baby quilts are quick to make because they are small and usually not too complicated. Third, even if you don't do such a great job on a baby quilt, people are usually too happy to notice. Fourth, baby quilts get washed a lot, so imperfections will soon be lost in the general malaise of a well-loved quilt.

This particular baby quilt, called Puppy Love because of the fabulous doggy fabric it showcases, is for a friend in our ward who just had her fifth child. She's a wonderful mother, but so quiet and self-deprecating that I fear she often gets overlooked. I figure if you've gone through pregnancy and childbirth five times, you and your fifth baby deserve a quilt.

The quilt is made from a block on EQ6 called Left and Right. I don't know why it's called that. I liked the fact that it made secondary blocks when put in columns and rows. I quilted it with a simple all-over meandering (Remember, Lori, when we talked about how we were going to make more gift quilts and simply meander them? Done.)

Let me know how you like it. Thanks for the suggestions on how to quilt the grandbaby quilt. That's this week's project.

Piecing Complete

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:15:00 +0000

I have finished piecing the grandbaby quilt top. Jen and I did a little bit of tweaking to the pattern, deciding that we wanted to showcase the cute kids on the fabric, as well as the fabulous stripe that Jen loves so much. It's a simple pattern, but so effective with these fabrics. Right now I'm trying to decide how to quilt it. Arggh! That is my least talented area of quilting. Honestly, I'm a little afraid to even start. Any suggestions?

We Have Lift-Off!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:54:00 +0000

I have all the pieces cut out for the grandbaby quilt, but I have hit a bit of a snag. I have decided that the background off-white I have is too much white and not enough off, so I think I'll have to go to the quilt shop (boo hoo!) and buy something a little more on the beige, ecru, tan, latte whatever you want to call it side. I also still have to decide on appliques, but the rest of it looks pretty cute. It's not too girl and not too boy. I think we have struck the perfect balance. Any ideas for some simple generic appliques? The pattern uses hearts, stars, and flowers, which are too girly. Stars would be okay, but any other suggestions for shapes that would be good for a boy or a girl are welcome. Pictures coming soon!

Tada!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Today I finished the baby quilt for Emily Dawn. I think it turned out pretty darn good. I had a few issues with the quilting machine tension, but once I got that sorted out, the quilting went smoothly. I quilted it with, you guessed it, my signature loops and hearts and flowers, but it's a fast and easy pattern for a baby quilt, and I still like how it looks. In the borders I quilted the baby's name, Emily Dawn, over and over. I know! So cute! I tried to take a picture of it, but it doesn't show up. I hope the parents notice it.

So here is a picture of the completed quilt top and a closeup of the quilting. Tomorrow's project is to start on the grandbaby quilt. Hooray!

My Favorite Quilt Shop Is ....

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Today I thought I'd tell you about my favorite quilt shop. This shop is not in Lethbridge, so I don't get to go there often, but when I do it's like going to Disneyland for Quilters. Everywhere you look there is something fun to see and do and, well, buy. My favorite quilt shop is in Canmore, Alberta, in the heart of the amazing Canadian Rockies. It's called The Sugar Pine Company. It's been featured in Quilt Sampler Magazine and won local awards for business of the year. Here are a few of the many reasons why I love this quilt shop.

1. The setting. You can't imagine if you have not been there the beauty of Canmore and the Canadian Rockies. Truly breathtaking. I know that's not really something a quilt shop has control over, but if you can place your shop in a town where you have fabulous 360-degree views, I highly recommend it.

2. Kits, kits, kits. I adore a good kit. I love having the fabrics chosen and cut and placed in a bundle or packet. It's like candy for quilters. Sometimes the bundles are so pretty I don't even want to open them up to actually make the quilt. The Sugar Pine Company has over 100 kits ready and waiting with samples sewn of every single one. It's spectacular!

3. Huge selection of fabric. For a small store they pack in an astonishing amount of fabric, about 8,000 bolts. I honestly don't know how they do it, but kudos!

4. Cute patterns. The Sugar Pine Company has a lot of patterns designed by Alberta designers, many featuring the beautiful Rockies or prairie scenes. One of my favorite designers is Joan Statz of Joan's Own Designs. Make sure you check out her beautiful landscape quilts.

5. Friendly staff. The last time I was there was with my sisters. The sales lady could not have been more helpful in assisting my sister to find a particular quilt kit she wanted. She was patient and went the extra mile to make sure we were satisfied customers.

6. Downstairs gift shop. The fabrics and kits are upstairs, but downstairs is an amazing gift shop, complete with many quilty notions, including a great selection of unique buttons.

Oh, I wish I was in Canmore right now!

My Own Private Quilt Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:21:00 +0000

So My Week has finally come. I am off work this week, free of other obligations, and I am quilting. It's my own personal quilting retreat because I'm home alone most of the day and nobody interrupts me. For company I have been catching up on past podcasts from Annie Smith's Quilting Stash. It's like having a quilting friend in the room. She's been driving cross-country and visiting quilt shops. Who among us hasn't had that fantasy?

Today I have been piecing a quilt top for my son's best friend and his wife who had a baby on February 4th, a little girl named Emily Dawn. It's a pattern I have made before called Hugs and Kisses done in 30's fabrics in shades of yellow and pink. I couldn't decide whether to put up a picture of just the quilt top or wait until I have done the quilting. I guess I could do both. Okay, done. Sorry the colors are a little dark. I have a dark house. Maybe I'll take a picture of it outside when I'm finished quilting it if I can find somewhere without snow.

I plan on writing every day this week, just letting you know what I'm up to, sharing my week of fun with all my quilting friends and family, and just generally adding to the quilty theme that is this week. Enjoy!

Grandbaby Quilt!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaye) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:28:00 +0000

I finally have all the fabrics I need to make the quilt for my son and daughter-in-law's first child and our first grandchild. They have decided not to know the sex of the baby beforehand, so it's been quite a challenge to come up with fabrics and a design that would work for either a boy or a girl, but I think we've done it.

Jen selected a pattern combining piecing and applique from the September/October 2008 issue of Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting magazine called Hopscotch. The focus fabric is from American Jane by Moda, from their Recess line. It's a fabulous print of 1950's children playing. To go along with it we have a selection of fabrics with various sizes of polka dots, a sassy coral, Polka Dot by April Cornell for Moda, a fabulous green, Dorothy by P&B Textiles, and a golden yellow, Windsong by Avlyn. Tieing them all together is a really amazing stripe from the Jitterbug line by Andover fabrics. There's also a basic off-white blender to show off the appliques.

Here is a picture of the fabrics. Cutting begins soon. Watch for the completed quilt top in the next few days. I plan on pouring every ounce of love I have for my first grandchild into this special quilt and hope it will be cherised by him or her for a lifetime.