Need A Quick Gift Idea? Follow Me ~

For any age, this pencil tote should fill the bill for a quick gift to yourself or a special friend.  I whipped this one out in no time this afternoon....all five x 12 inches of it is just perfection. 

Bags come in all sizes and shapes and Anna Graham aka Noodlehead always has a free pattern ready for me to grab for a quick gift and even more ready for purchase.    What I love about her instructions is that they include photos of each step. 

I'm on a pencil totin' tote  roll.  Go get your free download and roll with me.


Marty Mason

Getting organized for the weekend ~

Getting organized is probably the hardest part..   The what-do-I-do-this-weekend question must first be answered.   Here's how I do it ~

1. I know I'll be doing a thread-sketching demonstration for the modern group here in the Monroe/West Monroe area and have put off until the last minute getting the final prep work done.  That in itself is so unlike me....I've always told folks that if I'm not early, then you can bet that I've forgotten!!!
2. I know I want to start my gift-making for the kids in my life for their little bit of Christmas cheer from their Auntie Mart.  Isn't starting Christmas in July a good thing? 
3. And, finally, I  know I have just a wee bit of quilting to do to finalize my part in a July demonstration. 

There you have it - my to do list.  Now to get organized so the fun can begin.   First things first.


Thinking about what I want to accomplish in the thread-sketching demo:

• Get the participants inspired will be my number one goal.   That means we'll keep it easy and very doable for even the non-artist novice at the sewing machine.  My thread-sketching style is very free-flowing, abstract and a little bohemian. 

• This demo is not about being an artist....it's about being whimsical and fun.  Just to relax the group, we'll be doing a bit of sketching then we'll  take it to the sewing machine. 

• Finally, I'll show the group how to  put the finishing touches on their thread-sketching once they get their work of art home.

Here is "Collette" finished and framed ready to display on a bookshelf.














I've found the pattern so now can get the fabric organized to make those pillowcase gifts. 

• I have 3 boys and 7 girls in  my family to make for this year....ages 3 to 17  and each child gets a style of his own.  And my housekeeper has the most precious 5 year old that I enjoy adding to my gift list.  Do you see why I like to start my Christmas to-do list in July! 
• Each pillowcase requires 3 fabrics so that will require a lot of fabric pulling, sorting and auditioning from my stash.....no running to the quilt shop today. 

• I'm hoping to have time to get all 11 pillowcase fabrics cut to get even more organized.  This will probably be my next quilting retreat project and I don't want to haul all that fabric with me.  Come July, I'll be ready to sew. 

That's a lot to do in one weekend, so I'll just save the quilting on the July demo for another day.  Whatcha think? 

Marty Mason

Let's call it "Be Careful Which Book You Buy"

Oh, yes....let's be very careful!  Do you have your favorite book?  A fiction - the one you've read over and over?  Well, how about your favorite quilt book?  The one you keep going to to make just one more quilt before you pass it on?


I have several on my shelf that are my go to look books and I've just found another one while browsing this morning.  Next stop Martingale/That Patchwork Place for Rock Solid by Karen Burns.

So, how about it....Let's talk about our favorite quilting books.  Let's get some comments going so we can all see what  other quilters are loving.  
How about we comment here on the blog....remember our Facebook group is private and only QGA members can see.   I envision the blog going public....very public so we can grow interest in quilting and our love thereof. 




Marty Mason

Quilt Show Spotlight - Mississippi

And are you ready for this....the second annual Old Man River Quilt Fest.  It's a judged quilt show and membership is not required to enter your quilt.  See the list of teachers and workshops and sign up now before they fill.  And, check out the list of vendors.  What an array of merchandise they should have for us. 

 

 

 

 

• When:  Open to the public August 23-26...yes, that's Wednesday - Saturday to give us plenty of time  to view all those quilts and shop 'til we drop!
• Where:  Vicksburg Convention Center          1600 Mulberry St.          Vicksburg, MS

 Save the date and I'll see you there.

Marty Mason

 

Quilt Show Spotlight - Louisiana

You  know how busy we get as the year marches on.....well, here's your notice to save the date.


Red River Quilters is gearing up for their annual quilt show in conjunction with  Red River Revel Arts Festival. 


When:      Friday  September  29,10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday, September 29, 11 a.m. 6 p.m
                 and Sunday, October 1, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Where:     Riverview Hall, 600 Clyde Fant Parkway
                 Shreveport, LA
Cost:        $5.00


Red River Guild member Andrew Love, designed the poster used to advertise this year's quilt show theme, "The Great Cover-Up."



The quilts of guild member Jerrie Thornton, will be featured along with more than 200 quilts and quilted items made by members for this annual showing.  Of special interest will be  hourly demonstrations, door prizes, a silent auction and of course, the merchant mall.  Old but loved quilts will be displayed in a special exhibit.

I'm saving the date and hope to see you there. 


Marty Mason

Triangle Wheel Block by Alyssa Lichner

What's better than a free quilt pattern?    How about free with templates included with a how-to tutorial....not even going to mention that an invitation is extended to contact the pattern writer if there are any questions. 


Here's Alyssa's Triangle Wheel Block and  her foundation paper piecing tutorial. 

and her free Triangle Wheel Quilt pattern

Love, love, love Alyssa's Pile O' Fabric modern sewing blog.


Marty Mason

No. 4 - Free Quilt Patterns ~

What a great idea......a free pattern day.  A favorite blog, Quilt Inspiration, has dedicated a blog post giving us links to  free flying geese quilt patterns.  Quilt Inspiration always has a sidebar chock full of links to free patterns.  I've downloaded and made several.   




More of my favorite free patterns: 

• Art Gallery Fabrics   
•                  I've just downloaded "Crescent Moon" 

and finished "Llano Street" a few months ago where I blogged about it here. 

Enjoy your free patterns and please let me know if you enjoy and I'll find more....lots more for you.


Marty Mason

No. 3 ~ Fabulous Quilt Guild Activity

"Ferris Wheel" designed by Karen Griska.  Karen says this is a fun way to make a fan quilt, and I couldn't agree with her more.  It finishes at 65" x 81" and is very scrap friendly.  It's not too complicated for one just learning to quilt and not to simple that one more advanced would be bored with its construction.   


Karen instructs us to cut strips  2"wide but I fudged another 1/4"  and had no regrets.  I'd rather waste a bit of fabric than struggle to make a strip fit into a tight mold.  That 2 1/4" strip of fabric made life grand.  An 8 1/2" square ruler is also  highly recommended.  I'm not one to just go purchase a ruler, but a dear friend had a spare and how lucky am I.  It really saved the squaring-up-block-day.

I just finished my quilt top and with a little bit of searching, I'll have the back ready and on the quilting machine in no time. 


Karen's Ferris Wheel quilt  pattern is priced fairly at $5 and is at my fingertips downloaded to my computer.    Not into that scrappy look?  Then, check out the two color block in her 2014 blog post.  Is that not a stunner? 


It's a great group project quilt.....don't we all have different strips of fabric, so there is no look-alike in the group. 




Marty Mason

No. 2 ~ On The Web ~

Agonize no more!  While I'm not the real matchy-matchy quilt maker, I know how important it is to get the color palette right and to get the color tones and shades in sync.
 
 Let's say you want to make a quilt for your guest's bedroom and you want it to be perfectly coordinated with the elements within the room.  Not sure what color choices to make?   Simply take a picture of the room and save it to your computer. 


If you've never, then do so now.  Go to Moda blog aka Moda Cutting Table.  Click on the Palette Builder tab and follow the instructions to load your picture, move and change colors then save to your computer for future reference.  Let the magic begin:  simple as one, two, three.


Here's my  picture - simply chairs.   

The Moda Palette Builder worked its magic

Whether you want more or less, the choice is yours....right at your fingertips in the Moda Palette Builder.   Moda's blog,  now that's a good thing.


Marty Mason

No. 1 ~ Thrift It ~ Quilt it

Who knew a thrift store find could give so much  pleasure.  It was wonderful to have Sue Welton here at Quilters' Guild Acadienne for meeting presentations  and workshops.  It was all about thrift store shopping finds put into the most delightful quilts. 

It was all about plaids and stripes and a few checks too.  It was all about men's shirts and a little bit of Ralph Lauren sheets.

Sue took the tiniest left over strings to complete one of my favorites - a string quilt. 

Sue is quite the stage performer, keeping us all alert for her next quip, while stunning the room with just a sampling of her quilts.

Sue took our imagination to the next level as we learned how to 'de-bone' a big man's shirt. 

\

We all came away inspired to rethink where we make those fabric purchases and how we use what's on hand just hanging in the closet waiting to be re-discovered.

Sue Welton made our weekend a happy one with her enthusiasm and energy.  Thank you, Sue....and do come back. 




Marty Mason