Guild presentation

What was I thinking?!  I volunteered to do a presentation at my guild on "things you still have time to make before Christmas."

Almost all were freebie patterns/idea from either facebook or blogs.  I stayed away from bags or tablerunners since we have done those "to death!"  Plus they always take longer to make than the pattern claims...sort of like the chocolate chip cookie package recipe that says it will make 4 dozen cookies...in what universe!!

Anyway...I digress...so here are a few of the things I showed along with some tips I learned while making them...

First, this super easy pin cuff.  Since I know a lot of you also collect shirts and cut them up a-la-Bonnie you may also feel a bit guilty about tossing the cuffs.  Well, attache a bit of wool and a bit of magnet and you have a pin cuff!  (decorative stitching is optional!)The longest part of this project is waiting for the glue under the magnet to dry!


Next I showed a few of the mug heat cuffs...you can use a shirt cuff for this too.  A men's extra large is perfect for a Dunkin Donut's medium cup!

Wrapping a bit of felted tartan with a safety pin around the office white mug helps keep tabs on your mug - a mug kilt if you may!

More using of recycled shirts...a sewing machine cover.

This one I gave to my friend Tari and she nicely loaned it back for the meeting!  My "cheater" on this was using some of the pre-quilted fabric for the inside which was quick and gave it a lot of body.  Since I had a big box of 2-1/2 inch squares this only took a day to make.

Most of you may have seen this leaf potholder around the internet.  I unfortunately gave the pattern away last night so I don't have the pattern designers name.

 I used a layer of Insul-Bright and a layer of cotton batting.  I do that now when ever I make a potholder or table-runner.  (warning Insul-bright cannot be used in a microwave.)  Again this was a quick project since I have lots of strips around the sewing room and even enough left-over binding for a whole tree of these!

Also showed a pillow made using a vintage quilt block with some new embroidery and hand quilting.

This was a great take-along project. Think I did most of this in the doctor's waiting room!

I did show one bag...this one is made from a pair of men's chinos.

Some in-process name tags...

And then I made a casserole carrier...not a really quick project but can be done in a day.

It just takes a 20-inch quilted square with two short straps and one long one.

Well, back to binding quilts for the show!

Lots of Quilt Talk!

The last few days have busy quilting days...well, at least busy talking about quilting...

First, I went up to Seneca, SC to do a program for the Lakes and Mountains Quilt Guild.  They are a really great group of quilters.  I changed up my 100 year of quilting presentation to include how these antique and vintage quilts can inspire modern quilters.  I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did!  It is always fun to take the quilts out for a road-trip....

On the way home I stopped in McCormick S.C. to check out some of the Quilt Blocks they are putting up on local buildings.

The local antique store is where the blocks are drafted and painted.  It looks like a wonderful project...more will be up soon!

Then last night Bonnie Hunter came by so more quilt talk!  She was on her way to Florida and my house was about the halfway point.

  Our friend Paula came by so we sat around the kitchen table and stitched.  Paula and I worked on our Sheep pincushions (mine is the little one with her winter blanket!) while Bonnie stitched down the binding on her bow-tie quilt.  My DH watched the election returns and narrated....

All and all a busy few days.  I still need to put away the quilts but that may have to wait until tomorrow.  Right now it's time for a long nap!

Packing again...

Making one last look at the quilt piles to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  I am off to a guild in South Carolina to do my talk on 100 years of American Quilts.  It is an overview of Quilting history using a trunkshow of parts of my own collection.

                                                                     Lemoyne Star...North Carolina
Can honestly say I haven't done this the same way twice.  First, I don't bring the same quilts.  Choosing which quilts is always a huge deal for me so it would be easier if I just picked a dozen and always used those but what fun would that be?!  Besides, sometimes that quilt may be up on the wall and that is where I draw the line...not climbing up on ladders and removing quilts from display to bring along.  It isn't like I don't have others that fit the same time period...I've always had the "Noah's Ark" approach to collecting (I wan't to have two of each type) so this works for me!

                                                                         Irish Chain with swag border...circa 1840, Marlyand
The second reason is I ask the guild members to bring quilts that we fit into the "timeline."  Sometimes there are only 6-10 and once there were over 50!  Definitely keeps me on my toes!  (Have to admit to being a bit brain-dead after the 50 quilt day...quilt speed dating!)

                                            Redwork, circa 1910, Washington D.C.