Here is a link to an interesting short film – about 6 minutes. It demonstrates in a unique way how the same block, when placed in different patterns create completely different images.
Synopsis: A tribute to the unique and long-established art form of patchwork quilting, this abstract animated film uses computer and experimental techniques to choreograph quilt motifs and designs to music.
Quilting is Fun. Quilting is Creative. Quilting is a great way to share Hugs & Kisses.
I make Quilts for family & friends. I also make quilts for Charity & the local NICU. I think everybody enjoys getting something special just for them, especially if it is a one-of-a-kind, made-just-for-you sorta thing. Quilts fit into this category.
So, here is my January 2011 Project. A little fellow who was born in August 2010 has been in & out of the hospital. He sounds like just the person who needs some extra hugs & kisses.
I had a quilt top that I had begun and it needed assembly & quilting. It is a smallish quilt – 24″ x 30″. I figured this would be good when just a little quilt was needed.
Quilt for Simon - Jan 2011
Then on our trip to visit Aiden in January, we stopped by School House Fabrics in Floyd. [A great place with 3 floors of fabric!] So we picked up some cheerful fabric. I’m still not too great in calculating fabric & estimating the finished size of a quilt. It just kinda grows (and grows!). The name of the fabric is “Peek-a-Zoo” so I named the quilt Peek-a-Zoo and it became 52″ x 60″ – a bit bigger than crib-size.
January 2011 - Quilt made for Simon
Quilting can result in left over fabric, so I kept sewing….
Standard Pillowcase – Can also be used to store the Peek-a-Zoo Quilt when not in use.
Standard Pillowcase - Matching Peek-a-Zoo Quilt
Then, additional left over Peek-a-Zoo fabric was made into a Travel-size Pillowcase.
Peek-a-Zoo Travel Pillow
Well, there is still left-over fabric, and I just kept making things. Plus, I had a kit for a fabric A-B-C Book and some cute seahorse fabric that made into soft stuffie toys.
Soft Toys for Simon
So there is a bit more than two quilts to go into a box to be mailed.
January 2011 - Simon's Stash
Now, off to wash everything & check for pins, strings… and then find a box. Planning to get it into the mail tomorrow!
Welcome Day #3 of the New Year! Colder but bright & sunny. Now that I am no longer a ‘beginner’ quilter I am hoping that this year I will now try to be a bit more organized about it. 😉
I now have a substantial stash (fabric collection), scrap piles, notions (rulers, pins, mats, irons, etc), and a work area (which needs MAJOR organization!). I’ve aquainted myself with LQS (Local Quilt Shop) and know where they are and what they offer. I surf the web for stores, and have developed my list of favorites – both in prices & fabrics. I have multiple reasons to quilt: New Grandson!, local hospital NICU & Charity (Quilting for Good/Mary’s Center in Washington, DC), as well as family members.
I have attended a number of Quilt Shows, and have a number I want to return to this year and a new one I want to check out. I have a Quilt Camp I enjoy attending and a Quilt Retreat and a Cabin in the Mountains which will become an annual event.
I follow a number of Quilter Blogs, and have my favorites. It almost seems that you know them personally, and they are from all over. It is fun seeing their quilts, stash and hearing of their quilting adventures. They are friendly to their unknown followers and many share patterns, tutorials, links & have give-aways.
I will share a few links:
One Blog that I follow is entitled Jaybird Quilts. She lives in PA, and is considerably younger than me, but has more quilting experience. Today she is offering a Give-A-Way on her blog. The closing date is midnight, Thursday, 1/6/11 and the prize is a Quilt Kit: Crimson Burst, which is sponsored by Lisnaweary Quilts from Ireland.
This brings me to a new blog I will be following – Lisnaweary Quilts. This quilter is in Ireland. I think she will be my first International Blog that I am following.
Now, off the computer and into the Sewing Room to organize!
The Digital World keeps spreading and we need to keep learning. I had a new experience grocery shopping yesterday. I took our daughter with me to help figure out ‘that new-fangled contraption!’
The Giant Food Stores in MD/VA/DE have added something new to their Self-Checkout Experience. They now are offering SCAN-IT Technology. (Ok, it’s not exactly new, but I wanted someone with me when I first tried it out.)
Giant Food Scan-It Device
When you enter the store you sign-in using your customer card and receive a hand-held scanner. Using plastic bags provided or your own re-usable shopping bags, you start shopping. As you shop you scan each item and place it in your bags. The device shows the item scanned and total spent/saved.
We experienced a bit of problem in the produce section. You pick your item (bananas) and place them on a special scale, select the item from the menu and it is weighed/priced. You then select ‘print’ and a priced bar-coded sticker is printed. The problem we had was a bag of apples – we could never get it to price it correctly. We didn’t find anyone to help, so we switched to another type of bag and it worked fine.
It took a bit longer to shop – of course, it had a learning curve. But we arrived at a self-check-out kiosk, logged in our shopping number and woosh! everything was downloaded, and we checked out.
Pros – No double handling the goods. Touched the items once and bagged them. The scanner kept a running total of the bill as we shopped, so we knew how much we were spending. Very fast checking out. Items were bagged with like items – don’t you hate it when they throw in cans with the bread!?!
Cons – Took a bit longer to shop. It didn’t give me credit for my re-usable bags (only $0.15, but every penny counts!). No ‘human’ contact – some checkers are pleasant and fun to talk with at the check-out.
Conclusion – I will give it a try another day.
Well, it is the last week before Christmas. We’ve had two snows, so far. One was just a dusting and the 2nd one didn’t accumulate enough for the county to get their plows out. They will not start plowing until 3-inches fall, but they did get the sand & salt trucks out. Thankfully they have checked their formulas. Earlier this month they put out the ‘pre-snow & ice’ road treatment, but got the formula wrong, and ended up creating a slippery mess – about 10 nasty accidents on the beltway which was caused by the mixture!
So, now off to making my list and checking it twice…
December 16, 2010 Snow Experience
QuiltMouse 