quiltology...

 

 

Wanna see some fun pictures of quilts?  Silly question—of course you do—which is why we’re adding our new “show-and-tell” section.

 

Admit it, if you’re like me you’re probably spending a fair amount of time noodling around the internet.  I check out the new fabrics, see what my favorite bloggers are up to and ooh-and-ah at all the pretty quilts I find along the way.

 

So many great ideas—so little time.  Open a bottle of wine, and if it’s a school night, mark a line on the bottle so you don’t overindulge—then sit back, sip responsibly and check out the eye candy!  

 

First up--Katie's hot little baby quilt she made in Jan's paper piecing class...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finishing up a quilt project is always a great "Feel Good" moment.  Afterall, if we didn't like making quilts, we probably wouldn't be making them, right? But for me, the very best part of making a quilt is not just the finishing of it--but wrapping it up and giving it away!

 

First, you get to see the look on someone’s face when they realize that you’ve spent all this time making something special just for them, their home or their new baby. Then time passes--and we get to see how well loved and much appreciated this quilt becomes--a member of the family.

We work hard to make these quilts—to make these memories—so we earn the right to enjoy this moment. Don’t pass it up—don’t mail it, don’t send it with your cousin who’s going to be driving back home for the shower—no! Giving someone a homemade quilt is personal—so make it personal and do this yourself. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

Recently I’ve seen some really cool (and finished!) baby quilts. Check out Theresa's fabulous stack-n-whack for her daughter lady Z! 

 Fun, colorful, highly inventive—no cows jumping over the moon for these new moms! So here’s a little show-and-tell for you—a little eye candy, a little inspiration and a whole lot of “wow"!

baby "Twister" pieced by Kate--

baby "Posh" -- a new Blue Underground Studios pattern pieced by Amy Walsh with Kaffe's cobalt paperweight and backed with orange minkee!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

baby "Gum Drops" another fun BUS pattern -- pieced by me as a shop sample.  (We'll be teaching this one as a Saturday project class in Sept--stay tuned for more details!)   Okay--I've had emails asking for the dates of this class.  We'll be doing this 4-patch class on Saturday mornings Sept 6, 13 & 20 @ 10a to 1p. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cusoon,

In the spirit of remembering—renewing—and recycling—we’re offering a new series of classes at Quiltology—memory quilts!

Just what is a memory quilt?

A memory quilt can be made to commemorate one of life’s major celebrations like a wedding, new baby, graduation or special anniversary—to honor the memory of someone we’ve loved and lost—or as a special gift to ourselves. Typically they’re made with clothes and material possessions that have a special meaning for us. You can use bits and pieces of clothing from a loved one who’s passed away—baby clothes long outgrown but too special to part with—t-shirts and jerseys from school, sports, concerts and/or travels! (GO CUBBIES! Am I asking too much to want to see the Cubs win the world series in my lifetime?)

Check out a little show-and-tell from Christine—here’s the photo quilt she just made for her grandmother’s 70^th birthday. The picture doesn't’t do it justice—Christine had a center block embroidered with a song her grandmother used to sing to her as a little girl—“you are my sunshine!” Embedded in the quilt’s blocks and borders are pictures of the two of them together--from baby pictures to photos from their African safari--a collage of color and memory.  Christine already gifted it--but took it back to finish the binding.  (Now her grandmother is worried she might not get it back!)

And so--the class schedule.  First up in July—T-Shirt Quilts! We’ve all bought tons of them—and saved many—memories from the schools we attended, the teams we’ve cheered on, the marathons we’ve run and the far away places we’ve been lucky enough to visit. T-shirts are easy enough to acquire—but so difficult to part with because they represent our personal history—they tell our stories and remind us of where we’ve been, what we accomplished and the fun we had along the way.  This is a perfect opportunity to turn those treasured—and can we admit—tired?—old shirts into a wonderful new memory quilt. Make it any size you want—how many shirts do you have?

Don’t worry about piecing difficult shapes—we’re keeping this class easy so it’s beginner friendly—but you do need to know how to use a sewing machine and figure a little math—nothing hard mind you, but some basic arithmetic so the pieces all fit together nicely.

Q101.5—Beyond the Basics—T-Shirt Quilts will be offered on Wednesday nights July 16. 23 & 30 @ 6:30p to 8:30p.

And then coming in the fall—we’ll offer memory quilt classes for piecing projects with baby clothes and photos. 

Stay tuned....

cusoon,