Just Call Me “The Bag Lady”

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Quiltmouse

Don’t know when it started, but I like bags – tote bags.  I’ve been to classes or conferences where the goodies include a tote bag stamped with the title of the event.  I’ve been sight-seeing and find a tote bag.

In the past year or so, grocery and other stores have been ‘going green’ and offer re-usable bags and even some of them will give a discount of 3-5-cents if you provide your own bag.  Soon a law will go into affect which requires the use of re-usable bags or you will be charged a fee.

So now I have an excuse to use some of the tote bags I’ve been collecting.  Or maybe I have an excuse to get some more tote bags.

Or maybe, I have an excuse to MAKE some tote bags……

In the past several years, I have made a number of bags – Simple bags, zippered bags, Baby/Diaper bag, purses, quilt bags, quilted bags, and lunch bags.

 

This past week, I made three bags – one for the daughter of a neighbor and two for my cousins in Florida. I had some left-over fabric, so I made matching ‘Humbug’ bags & travel tissue cases.

 

I also made a ‘Humbug’ Bag for another cousin, and a Camo-Tote Bag with matching ‘In Training’ Vest for Triton, the 3-legged dog we’re training to be an assistance dog for a Marine.

Triton-Bag-VestIn Training Vest

 

 

Another project I’ve done this past week is to add Velcro to some patches – Kim had some embroidered patches made for the dog backpacks & vests, which I added Velcro to the patches & vests/backpacks.

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Tips for Successful Cutting

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Quiltmouse

I started quilting in 2007 by surfing the Internet for everything Quilts.  I still find time to do research or learn a new trick.

One way I learn more about Quilting is to follow and read a number of Quilting Bloggers. Sometimes they share a free pattern, or maybe some fabric finds, or a tutorial or just some basic hints.

This week, one Blog I follow: Quilty Pleasures Blog, is hosting a Back to School Quilt-along Project.  This Blog is hosted by Quilt Maker Magazine.  I may not actually do it right now, but I will keep copies and may do my own later.

Today is the start and in their Blog Post, Quilty Pleasures Blog gives some Tips for Successful Cutting.  Back to School: Tips for Successful Cutting | Quilty Pleasures Blog

Rotary Cutting has been part of Quilting since the mid-1980’s.  Not exactly how your Mother use to cut fabric for quilts, but definitely lends itself to quick cutting and straight lines!

Happy Quilting!

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Reward for return of missing quilts that were taken from the Salt Lake City’s Spring Market

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Quiltmouse

There are “Market” shows throughout the country at different times of the year.  These are not ordinary quilt shows.  They are where fabric vendors, quilt designers & publishers gather to share ideas & showcase what’s new and coming out in the next year.

i heart fiber art newsletter

A lot of work goes into these “Markets.”  C&T Publishing posted today a plea for help from the Quilting Community.  Their Booth at the Salt Lake City’s Spring Market was decorated with quilts made with expertise, time & love by their authors.

Unfortunately things happen, no matter how careful they are.  When unpacking the crates after returning from the Salt Lake City’s Spring Market, it was discovered that 3 Quilts and a Table Runner were missing.

They did all they could to try and find these items, but to date have been unsuccessful.  I know my blog doesn’t have a large following, but if you are in the quilting world and as you wonder and look at quilts on display, keep your eyes open.  Click this link to see pictures of the lost items and more information about the $4,000 reward:  Reward for return of missing quilts

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Quilt made of mission patches holds 3 decades of memories of shuttle launches | FLORIDA TODAY | floridatoday.com

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Quiltmouse

 

Quilt made of mission patches holds 3 decades of memories of shuttle launches | FLORIDA TODAY | floridatoday.com

Just had to share this link.  Quilts can be made to cover a baby or a bed or bring comfort.  Quilts can be artistic works of ‘art’ that hang on the wall.  Quilts can be made to commemorate an occasion (like a wedding) or in celebration of a life-milestone (like graduating college).

Some Quilts have very special, life-long meaning.  Vicky Turner started working with the US Space program in 1979.  At that time she started collecting mission patches and just kept them in a shoe box.  Two years ago, as this portion of the US Space Program winds to an end, Vicky decided to do something with all those patches.

She was not a quilter, but after this project she can definitely say that she is a quilter.  The nearly finished quilt is 7’ x 8’.  Each patch is displayed on a square of sky blue fabric & framed with royal blue.  Special blocks play tribute to the astronauts that have lost their lives serving this program.

Wouldn’t that be a marvelous quilt to have at a Quilt Show!  Vicky hopes that it will be on public display at a museum or the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.  It would be a very nice addition to the Smithsonian Aero Space Museum!!

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4 Days, 14 Hours = 1 Quilt Top

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Quiltmouse

You have a holiday weekend and what do you do?  You QUILT!!

I was just curious, so this past weekend I kept a log.  I was interested in seeing just how long it would take to make a Quilt Top.  Not just a baby quilt, but a grown-up, adult-size, almost bed-size Quilt.

Now, let’s be honest, this is not a Quilt.  It is just the ‘Flimsy” pieced top which will one day become a Quilt.  I have the backing.  Because of the size of the quilt – 65” x 74.5” I will have to stitch together two pieces of fabric to make the back (you see, fabric comes about 45” wide, although you can find extra wide fabric – but that’s a topic for another blog post.)

Also, before it can become a Quilt, I have to buy some batting.  All the quilt batting I have is for baby/children quilts and this is a bit larger.  Guess that means I need a road-trip to Purcellville, VA, to visit Web Fabrics and do some shopping! Open-mouthed smile

OK, back to my weekend.  To begin with you must have a quilt pattern & fabric.  Some people design their own patterns, but I’m guessing that will not be one of my activities.  I do fairly well following directions, and am happy when someone else has assembled the fabric/colors.  So, I pulled out one of the Scrappy Fat 5 Quilt Bundles that I had recently purchased from Fabric Café – Fabric Bundles (Thanks Donna, you guys have Great Prices, Fabric and Patterns!)

So, Pattern & Fabric in hand, Excel spreadsheet set up, Food for Mel to Grill for meals, and Sewing Studio ready (ok, the Ironing Board, Cutting Table & Sewing Machine/Table were somewhat clean), I set out to make a Quilt Top.

  • Sort Fabric
  • Iron Fabric
  • Cut Fabric
  • Sew Cut Fabric into Strip Sets
  • Iron Strip Sets
  • Cut Strip Sets into Segments/Blocks
  • Arrange Segments/Blocks in a pleasing pattern to create Rows
  • Sew Segments/Blocks into Rows
  • Iron Rows
  • Sew Rows together

Do you happen to see a Pattern developing?  There is a lot of Ironing & Cutting in addition to the Sewing that makes up creating a Quilt Top!

After the pieced rows are together then you get to (you guessed it!):

  • Measure/Iron/Cut/Sew Border #1 pieces
  • Sew Border #1 on Left/Right sides
  • Iron
  • Sew Border #1 on Top/Bottom
  • Iron
  • Measure/Iron/Cut/Sew Border #2 pieces
  • Sew Border #2 on Left/Right sides
  • Iron
  • Sew Border #2 on Top/Bottom
  • Iron

TaDa!! Four days, 14 hours later, you have a Quilt Top!

 

 

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