Vol. 2 No. 7 Online Quilt - Online Quilt Magazine.com
Transcription
Vol. 2 No. 7 Online Quilt - Online Quilt Magazine.com
Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Online Quilt Magazine.com Quilter Profile – Australia’s Sarah Fielke Have Fun with a Sudoku Quilt BONUS PROJECT How To Beginner Free Motion Quilting Project Design Your Own Clamshell Quilt! Quilted Patchwork Table Runner © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved Pa ge |1 Vol.2 No.7 – July 2011 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Online Quilt Magazine Table of Contents Beginner Free Motion Quilting Project ……………………………………………………………………………………….Page 4 Quilter Profile – Australia’s Sarah Fielke ……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 9 Designing a Clamshell Quilt …………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 12 Hints and Tips from Brannie ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 15 PROJECT – Quilted Patchwork Table Runner ……………………………………………………………………………….Page 17 What’s New From The Fat Quarter Shop …………………………………………………………………………………….Page 23 Quilt Canada 2012 in Halifax ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 27 Have Fun With a Sudoku Quilt ………………………………………………………………………………………………….….Page 31 BLOCK OF THE MONTH – Square and a Half Block….........................................................................Page 34 Today's Tips.......................................................................................................................................Page 36 Quilters' Horoscope...........................................................................................................................Page 37 YES – We Want To hear From You.....................................................................................................Page 38 Cover Photo from “Quilting: from little things” courtesy of www.sarahfielke.com © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 2 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Letter from the Editor Jody Anderson Hi! What an exciting month we’ve had!! We had a ball at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair, and were thrilled to meet so many of our readers there. By all accounts everyone had a great time at the Show too. Another big move for us this month was the release of THREE new sets of our popular patterns on Cd-Rom at the Show. They are so easy to use (on PC or Mac), post and store, and we’ve found we can fit many more patterns in each set and still keep the price down! Who can ask for better than that? Thanks to all for the fantastic feedback, and keep an eye out to grab your copies as they’ll be rolled out in order over the next month or so….!! This issue of our Online Quilt Magazine is jam-packed again with all sorts of goodies for you to read, learn and try. We have a profile of Australian Quilter Sarah Fielke (and a great cover quilt!), as well as more useful ‘How To’ articles from Leah and Penny, and another fab quick project from Rose. There’s more goodies to check out from the Fat Quarter Shop, and wait until you see what Brannie’s been up to whilst we were at the show! While the cat’s away…??? Take care, and have a great month, Enjoy! Jody © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 3 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Beginner Free Motion Quilting Project By Leah Day from www.FreeMotionQuilt.blogspot.com you‘ll still end up with a beautiful quilt, and you’ll be finally ready to tackle those UFO quilt tops in your closet. Get ready to chuck your walking foot and put up your checkbook, it’s time to learn how to quilt your own quilts in free motion on your home sewing machine! Let’s get started! Here’s the materials you will need: Do you want to learn how to free motion quilt, but feel scared about actually trying it on a REAL quilt? It’s time to overcome your fears! The only way you’re ever going to get good at free motion is if you actually try it and start quilting your own quilts. But rather than start out on one of your pieced or appliquéd quilt tops, let’s get started with the simplest quilt top possible - plain fabric - and turn it into an excellent learning project. In the end, - 4 yards of printed or plain fabric - Choose a big, bold print that interconnects so you can practice stitching along the printed lines of the fabric. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 4 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 - Batting - For a beginner, cotton batting really is best because it will help hide your mistakes! After you wash it, the batting will shrink slightly, causing your quilting stitches (and any mistakes) to become hidden within the wrinkles of the quilt. YOUR project so make it as big or as small as you like. Step 2 - Baste this quilt top with your batting and backing fabric using your preferred method. Step 3 - Now load the quilt into the machine. Squish the quilt inside the arm of your machine until you reach the center. Don’t roll your quilt as this can make it very difficult to move and position. - Backing Fabric - This can be the exact same fabric as the top, or something different, it’s entirely up to you. - Thread - Choose a thread color that contrasts with your fabric color. This will allow you to see what you’re doing clearly so you don’t get lost in the design. Also make sure to use the same thread in the top of the machine as you use in the bobbin. (My preference is Isacord Polyester thread) Instead just squish it in, and try to shift the bulk of the quilt so it is either behind or to the left side of the machine. Step 1 - Slice the 4 yards of fabric in half, then stitch the two pieces together lengthwise along the selvage. This will create a full sized quilt top. Note - If you don’t want to practice on such a large quilt, you can always use less fabric. This is © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 5 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Step 4 - Start free motion quilting following the printed pattern on the fabric. Don’t worry if you stitch off the line or if the quilting isn’t perfect. Just focus on moving the quilt through the machine smoothly and evenly. Focus on finding a balance between the movement of your hands and the speed of your machine. This is key for free motion quilting. Stitch from the center of the quilt along the printed pattern to one edge, then travel stitch along the edge and quilt back into the center following another line in the fabric pattern. Step 5 - Once you get back into the center of the quilt, quilt down to another side, again focusing on following the pattern printed in the fabric. Stitch back to the center along another line, then repeat with the other two sides of the quilt. This has broken your quilt down into 4 quadrants and has finished the hardest area of the quilt to quilt - the center. It all gets easier from here! © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 6 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Step 6 - Now quilt each quadrant of the quilt, stitching along the printed patterns until each section is complete. You’ve just quilted your first quilt in free motion! Here’s a small wall hanging that’s been quilted using Lollipop Chain. See how the quilt has been broken down into 4 quadrants first? By the end of this quilt, you will have mastered stitching on the line in free motion and will now be able to stitch your quilts in the ditch to finish them! Of course, not everyone wants to only stitch in the ditch or quilt along the lines printed on fabric. After completing your first practice quilt stitching on the printed fabric line, try another practice quilt using plain, solid colored fabric to practice your favorite free motion filler design. Covering your quilt with All Over Quilting works the exact same way as before, only now you’re working from the center, stitching a 4 inch row of your chosen design. Interlocking more rows to fill each quadrant evenly fills the quilt so you don’t stitch yourself into a corner, and results in a beautifully quilted quilt. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 7 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Learn how to quilt Lollipop Chain and many other awesome beginner level designs at the Free Motion Quilting Project: www.FreeMotionProject.com About the Author: Leah Day is the author of the Free Motion Quilting Project, a blog project dedicated to creating new free motion quilting designs each week and sharing them all for FREE! Leah is also the author of From Daisy to Paisley - 50 Beginner Free Motion Quilting Designs, a spiral bound book featuring 50 designs from the project. www.daystyledesigns.com © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 8 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Quilter Profile – Australia’s Sarah Fielke www.sarahfielke.com Sarah Fielke has been a passionate stitcher ever since her mother first taught her to sew 30 years ago. It was when she was pregnant with her first child years later that her sewing skills became a career. She made little gifts for her friends' new born babies and decorated her son's nursery, and began selling what she made and teaching her friends to sew. Sarah's passion for quilting and fabric continued to grow. Having taught quilting and sold quilts for several years she co-opened her first quilt shop, Material Obsession in Hunters Hill in Sydney, Australia, where she could work and teach her passion every day, surrounded by inspirational and colourful modern fabrics. Challenging her students and customers with new ideas for using fabric, colour, design and sewing techniques, Sarah inspires quilters to be more creative, find their own style and to step outside their comfort zone. Breaking down "quilting rules" was the highly popular theme for her first two co-authored ground breaking and successful quilt books, now published in four languages - Material Obsession One; Contemporary Quilt Designs, and Material Obsession Two; Shared Inspiration. Her first solo book, Quilting: from little things, published in March 2011, is a journey of discovery. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 9 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 dolly quilt - so-named because it is small enough to cover a doll - and a larger quilt made from the techniques learned in the construction of the dolly. As an avid fabric lover (and owner of a considerable stash!), Sarah started designing her own fabric collections. She launched her first fabric collection with Lecien, Japan called "From Little Things" in October 2010, which is in quilt shops now. This collection is all about the start of inspiration from little things, big things grow. Sarah has always loved to draw and use colour, and it is from the seeds of her childhood doodles that this fabric collection has grown. She hopes it will inspire quilters to grow their own quilts from her colourful and whimsical ideas. It can be challenging to master the many different quilting techniques and this book provides an accessible way to try out new colours, textures and methods, and in the process build upon quilting skills. The ten pairs of quilts featured are designed to be like little lessons: a Sarah's second collection, St. Ives, will be released worldwide at the International Quilt Market in Houston, 2011. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 10 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Sarah continues to publish patterns for magazines around the world including Down Under Quilts, Quilters Companion, Quilting Arts and Quilters Newsletter magazine. She appears regularly in quilting features in high profile home magazines worldwide. She is also the Creative Editor of www.sewn.net.au<http://www.sewn.net.au/>, a website for all things sewn. You can find her at her popular blog, www.thelastpiece.net<http://www.thelastpiece. net/>, and see her fabrics, patterns and books at her website, www.sarahfielke.com © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 11 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Designing a Clamshell Quilt By Penny Halgren from www.How-To-Quilt.com with lines for quite a long time before I ever started coloring in the spaces. I'll admit that for years, I looked at quilts that used a clamshell pattern and just stared wondering how to sew them together - let alone design one. When I finally finished drawing and coloring, I was pleased enough with the design, that I actually decided to make the quilt. I thought it would be much too difficult for me to stitch together, so I didn't even consider buying a pattern and following someone else's design. What was the point? Then I decided to go to a quilt camp, and since I was going to have uninterrupted time, I decided to take a class about sewing with clamshells. After all, what did I have to lose? From the beginning, I was in awe of the quilts the teacher showed, and then when she handed us a design grid, I'll admit that I stared at that paper The quilt is made using clamshell-shaped pieces. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 12 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 For some reason, when I started coloring in the spaces, these little fish popped out. print out on your computer and possibly use for your design. While I could have made them all lined up, I decided to make them facing each other - as if they were kissing. Using several hand dyed fabrics in bright colors, this turned out to be a fun quilt to make and have. The bodies of the fish are solid fabric, and their tails are marble-dyed fabric that I had made just the day before in a different workshop. This quilt presented several challenges - the design, making sure that all of the pieces were sewn in the correct place, sewing the curves, and what to do about the border. I ended up making squares with the same curved shapes as the fish tails. But, how much more interesting would the quilt have been if I had finished it with curved edges? The first step is to take a grid that has been marked with an overall clamshell design. Ah, a design idea for another quilt. As you can see, this can be a never-ending design. In the meantime, here are some basics of my process. I have made larger images that you can Click on the image above to get the larger version. (You may need to hold Ctrl+click) © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 13 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 The next step is to color in the shapes in order to create your design. By dividing the clamshell this way, I was able to create the fish tails. The thing that is cool about this basic shape is that you can sub-divide it further. Once you draw your grid, just use your imagination to color in a beautiful quilt design. Click this image to see a larger picture. About the Author: If you look closely at the next picture, you can see how the clamshell design (in the dark black) was sub-divided into sections that look ovals with points on the end. Penny Halgren is a quilter of more than 27 years, and enjoys sharing her love of quilting with others. Sign up for her free quilting tips, quilt patterns, and newsletter at http://www.How-to-Quilt.com © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 14 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Hints and Tips From Brannie By "Brannie" Mira-Bateman Dad and I caught a mouse! My Mum and Dad went away for a few days and left me on my own. Uncle Ken came in to feed me, but it was a bit boring without all the pats and games. I pulled the fabric sausage thing away from the door to the garage to see if I could smell Mum and Dad coming back. Then I could smell mice in there! The sausage thing wouldn't go back. When Mum and Dad came home, it didn't take them long to see mouse bits around. Mum went to Quilting one morning and I sat at the office door and said,"Meow-ss" to Dad. He was a bit slow catching on. "What are you looking at?" he asked me. "Meow-sss", I said. He didn't take any notice. A bit later, when I was still sitting staring at the boxes on the floor, he suddenly realized what I meant. He peeked over the top of the boxes and saw the mouse. He went out and came back with a long piece of wood from the shed. He lowered it down behind the box and went "PONK!", then showed me the mouse. "Good girl," he said. "Here you are." Well I didn't want it! Yuk!! It wasn't going to play anymore. I did have to check behind the box to see if it had any friends in there and he had to clean the carpet before Mum came home from Quilting. We told her how clever we had been while she was away. I don't think she realised the intensity of the teamwork that went on in her absence. She was too busy telling us about a new quilting idea she had....... © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 15 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 They Laughed When I Said I was Going to Make a Quilt with Curves Because They Knew I Had Just Barely Learned How to Quilt But Their Laughter Turned to Amazement When They Saw My Beautiful Quilt With Its Perfect Curves Brannie adding more fur to the seals….. The idea of making a quilt for quilting daughter, Stephanie's Sunday School teacher was mine. But, it wasn't my idea at all to make a quilt that had all of those curves in it! (We couldn’t resist including this photo too… We had our new “Swimming With Swirl and Eddy” quilt out for photographing to add to the range at www.QuiltBlockoftheMonthClub.com and SOMEONE just couldn’t help herself…. – Ed) After all, I had been quilting for only a few years, and was still trying to master sewing straight seams with perfect quarter inch seam allowances. Now you can avoid all of the stress of figuring out how to sew quilts with beautiful curves! Our brand new Secrets for Sewing Perfect Curves in Quilts DVD Mentor includes an amazing amount of information to make your curved quilting even easier than if you simply attended a workshop. Check it out: http://www.how-to-quilt.com/quiltswithcurves.php © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 16 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Quilted Patchwork Table Runner By Rose Smith from www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk This quilted patchwork table runner has squares turned on point giving a diamond effect. It is very easy to sew and makes a great beginner quilting project. The finished size is about 60" tip to tip and about 11.1/2" across. You could make it bigger or smaller by using more or less strips of fabric. I used 4 fabrics for the patchwork top and a different one for the backing. Requirements: Light fabric (yellow): 10 squares 4.1/2" The other 2 main fabrics: 9 squares 4.1/2" Triangles down the side: 8 squares 4.7/8" Binding: about 130" at 2.1/2" wide Backing and wadding: rectangle 60" by 13" © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 17 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Cut two 4.1/2" strips across the width of the fabric in each of the 3 main colours (yellow, brown, green). Sew the strips together (1/4" seams) along the length in 2 lots of 3. Have 2 strips of the same colour either side of a strip of the yellow fabric. Trim the end if necessary. I often leave trimming the selvedges (the edges of the fabric, sometimes a different colour) till this stage. Cut the strips across the width at 4.1/2" intervals. This should give you 9 panels from each strip of 3 fabrics. (This is actually more than you need for the table runner, but it is so much quicker doing it this way. You can always use the leftover fabric for quilted patchwork table mats. There is a separate pattern for these on my website. You will also need 2 additional squares for the top and for the bottom of the quilted table runner. These can be cut separately or you can use 2 of the squares from one of the strips of 3 that you have just strip pieced.) Cut a 4.7/8" strip of the 4th colour (orange) and cut across the width at 4.7/8" intervals to make squares. Cut these along the diagonal to make triangles. You will need 8 squares giving 16 triangles. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 18 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Sew 1 triangle to each side of 6 of the strips of 3 squares (3 of brown and 3 of green). Look carefully at the photo: you are sewing one of the short sides of the triangle to the edge of the square and on the left hand side the other short side is in line with the bottom of the squares while on the right hand side the other short side of the triangle is in line with the top of the squares. For the top of the runner you will need a yellow square, green square and orange triangle in one row. The 2nd row is made of 1 brown square, 1 yellow square, 1 brown square and 1 orange triangle. Sew these 2 rows together as shown with the sides of the squares lining up on the right hand side. For the bottom of the quilted table runner do the same but with yellow square, brown square, orange triangle in the first row and green square, yellow square, green square and orange triangle in the second row. Sew these 2 rows together with the sides of the squares lining up on the left hand side. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 19 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 You are now ready to add the 6 strips, alternating the colours, to fill up from the top to the bottom of the table runner. Flip the top row over on to the row beneath it so that right sides are together. Pin at each seam across the row so that you can be sure that the seam allowances go in different directions - it makes a really bulky seam if the seam allowances face the same way - and also so that you can be sure that each square is directly in line with the one above it. Note that the yellow square in one row will not be directly beneath the yellow square above it: it will be to the left of the one above. If you want a longer table runner than 60", add more strips at this stage than I have used. So that's the top of the quilted table runner complete. Lay the backing fabric right side down, lay the wadding on top, smooth gently and lay the patchwork top on top of that. Baste all around the edge and trim the excess wadding and backing. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 20 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Using the 2.1/2" strip, bind the edges as for a quilt, the only slightly different aspect being that the corners are not square as they would be in a quilt. The method is the same, though: Fold the binding back in line with the edge of the next seam, then fold down to follow the edge of the seam. An attractive addition to any table. You can vary the colours for any time of year or special occasion. About the Author: Rose Smith was born and brought up in Zambia in Africa. She moved to the UK when she was 18 and now lives in Shropshire, indulging her passion for quilting and sewing. She has sewn all her life - ‘anything that stood still long enough’ in the words of her children - but now finds that patchwork and quilting have taken over her life. She indulges this passion by posting patterns and tutorials on her website for all to share. www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 21 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 It’s Time to get Ready for Christmas! What's Christmas without all those lovely handmade goodies? This set of 10 Different Christmas projects on CD-Rom has something for everyone. There’s a gorgeous appliqued (8 person) place setting and table runner for your Christmas table, redwork napkins, a table topper and tree skirt, as well as a couple of different bags and stockings, and ornaments to hang on your tree. And all of these make great gifts by themselves too! Featuring simple applique, piecing and embroidery techniques, these festive projects are suitable for everyone, from Beginners to Experts. This set also includes our Christmas Bonus to you - a Second Complete Table Setting with 8 Different Placemats and another Tablerunner to match! Grab your copy NOW at JUST RELEASED! www.Quilts-n-Bags.com © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 22 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 What's New from The Fat Quarter Shop by Kimberly Jolly from www.FatQuarterShop.com We're pleased to be able to bring you a selection each month of the Newest Fabric Releases and the new season fabric "must haves". Who couldn’t use a few extra hands while stringing the lights on the tree? These little reindeers are more than willing to lend a hand – or in this case a hoof. In no time at all Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen will have your tree looking like the tree at Rockefellar Center. Coordinating Christmas prints and candy cane stripes in traditional Christmas colors of red, green, cream and navy will be just what you need for all your Christmas projects. Reindeer Games by Sandy Gervais is available in fat quarter bundles, fat eighth bundles, jelly rolls, layer cakes, charm packs, yardage and our Done Quilt Kit. Check it out at: Reindeer Games by Sandy Gervais for Moda http://www.fatquartershop.com/Reindeer-GamesSandy-Gervais-Moda-Fabrics.asp © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 23 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 colored lamps and pottery. Available in three colorway fat quarter bundles and yardage. Enjoy! View this range at: http://www.fatquartershop.com/Grand-Bazaar-PattyYoung-Michael-Miller-Fabrics.asp Grand Bazaar by Patty Young for Michael Miller Take a trip to a far off place with Grand Bazaar by Patty Young! This collection was inspired by the colors, textures and aromas in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s largest and oldest covered markets. You can almost smell the exotic spices, feel the silkiness of the Persian rugs and take in the bright Meadow Friends by Deb Strain for Moda © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 24 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 The fun of being a child comes back to life with Deb Strain’s latest collection. The fun of searching for frogs, turtles and bugs comes to life. Remember a day when chasing butterflies, and picking flowers was an all-day affair. Meadow Friends captures the whimsical and fun days spent outdoors with all the "critters" that little boys and girls love. Available in fat quarter bundles, jelly rolls, layer cakes and yardage. Relive your childhood with our exclusive Forever Friends Quilt Kit! See this collection at: http://www.fatquartershop.com/Meadow-FriendsDeb-Strain-Moda-Fabrics.asp Flannel Days by Kansas Trouble Quilters for Moda Look forward to the crisp, cool Flannel Days of fall with Kansas Trouble Quilters. Autumn days are filled with the sound of leaves crunching under boots on long walks. Take in the tempting aroma of slow simmering soups and stews and the beauty of fiery sunsets. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 25 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 It’s time to layer on flannel shirts by day and flannel sheets at night to chase away the evening’s chill. It’s time to stitch up simple quilts with beautiful, brushed prints that warm the body and soul of family and friends. Available in fat quarter bundles, fat eighth bundles and yardage. Find this Collection at: http://www.fatquartershop.com/Flannel-DaysKansas-Troubles-Quilters-Moda-Fabrics.asp © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 26 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Quilt Canada 2012 – “Seams Like Home” in Halifax From Karen Henry of www.KarenHenry.ca It's been sixteen years since Quilt Canada last took place in Nova Scotia. Our excitement is building with the prospect of welcoming quilters from across the country to our home. Halifax will play host to quilting enthusiasts from May 29 to June 2, 2012 and the line-up awaiting them is dazzling! Quilt Canada 2012 will be held on the historic campus of Dalhousie University, one of the oldest and most beautiful universities in Canada. Thirty teachers will offer 110 workshops over four days with new techniques, new patterns and opportunities to experience something exciting and different. For a sneak peek at the workshops being offered visit the Quilt Canada blog at http://quiltcanada2012.ca for the list of teachers with links to their web sites. Classrooms will be closely located with easy access via elevators on the Dalhousie campus. On-site accommodations are available in nearby university residences at bargain prices. Meals will be arranged for those with busy workshop schedules. The Merchant Mall, with more than 80 vendors expected from all parts of the country, will offer lots of shopping opportunity and fun. Special events include the Opening and Closing Banquets, the Opening Reception for the National Juried Show and a down home Kitchen Party. What's a Kitchen Party, you ask? Kitchen parties are a well-known Maritime tradition where family and friends gather, for any excuse, and have a © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 27 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 rollicking good time. Plan to join us in our “kitchen” and enjoy some Maritime music, laughs and good food with your new quilting friends. It's quite fitting that the theme for 2012 is Seams Like Home. The theme was proposed by international award winning quilter, Anne Morrell Robinson, of Kingross Quilts in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. When asked for the inspiration for the theme, Anne told us, “One of the things that makes Nova Scotia (and the Maritimes) special for visitors is the hospitality of the people and their willingness to open their homes and lifestyle to visitors. People from other parts of the country or world always comment on how comfortable they feel here, just like home.” She also comments, “For most quilters if you are surrounded by beautiful quilts and fellow quilt makers who are happily stitching and learning, then you have the comforts that ‘seam’ like home.” and become an honorary 'Maritimer' while you attend the conference and take in all the sights. Halifax, right on the Atlantic coast, is an exceptional place to visit. The city is dominated by Citadel Hill, a historic site that overlooks on one side the downtown area with the harbour and on the other side the Halifax Commons. The waterfront features a boardwalk where Haligonians and tourists alike enjoy the ships, rest stops, shops and restaurants. Picturesque stone buildings and century homes line narrow streets that radiate up from Water Street. There is a hustle and bustle of this port city that creates an atmosphere of yearning and adventure. Quilt Canada 2012 is an exciting reason to come 'home' to Nova Scotia, or visit us for the first time © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 28 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Nova Scotia is an explorer’s paradise with oodles of variety in day trips from Halifax. Only a short distance from the city lies the world famous Peggy's Cove and lighthouse, an icon of the Maritimes. Less than an hour from the city, the South Shore drive boasts the quintessential towns of Chester and Mahone Bay, with quaint main streets lined with shops, and beautiful water views. We would like to offer you an early taste of our Maritime hospitality - over the coming months, the Quilt Canada 2012 blog will highlight 'down home' family recipes from our Local Organizing Committee and quilting community here in Nova Scotia. Visit the blog at www.quiltcanada2012.ca and look for the Recipe Box. The first recipe comes from Karen Henry, Chair of Quilt Canada 2012. Karen is a well-known Maritime quilter, CQA Teacher of the Year for 2008, and CQA quilt judge. Some of you will remember Karen's speech at Quilt Canada in Newfoundland as she taught everyone her technique to get attention at her quilt guild. Her method? Picture your grandmother on the other side of a field, yodelling “Yoo Hoo” in a high pitched voice! Karen comments, “Listening to 350 quilters (mostly women) yodel 'yoo hoo' back at me is a memory I will never forget! I smile every time I think of it!” This recipe was a favourite birthday cake for Karen and her twin sister: © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 29 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 You can get to know Karen, at her website http://www.karenhenry.ca/ Chocolate Cream Squares Ingredients ½ cup butter 2 Tbsp icing sugar Directions These squares have 3 layers. For the bottom layer, mix the butter, icing sugar and flour well; press in square pan and bake at 350' for 15 minutes. Cool. For the middle layer, cream the melted chocolate, white sugar, eggs, soft margarine and vanilla and spread over the bottom layer. Prepare the Dream Whip according to package instructions and spread on top. Refrigerate until serving. Enjoy! 1 cup flour 2 squares melted semi-sweet chocolate ¾ cups white sugar 2 eggs ½ cup soft margarine 1 tsp vanilla 1 pkg. Dream Whip (Cool Whip or Whipped Cream) Don’t forget - get out your calendar and mark the dates – from May 29 to June 2, 2012 - plan to be “home” in Halifax. Registration information for Quilt Canada 2012 will be coming soon. Stay tuned to the CQA/ACC web site at www.canadianquilter.com and subscribe to the Quilt Canada 2012 blog at http://quiltcanada2012.ca (This article was reproduced from the Canadian Quilter newsletter with kind permission of Karen Henry.) © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 30 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Have Fun with a Sudoku Quilt By Pamela Davis of Patchwork Quint-essential Whether you find Sudoku addictive or infuriating, there’s no denying that this quilt will put a smile on your face, and give years of joy to the young person who receives it. Based on the idea of the Sudoku number puzzles, each row has nine different fabrics, each column has the same nine fabrics but in a different order. And each of the nine gridded blocks contains the same nine fabrics! It’s a puzzle which leads the eye on a journey of visual excitement. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 31 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Patchwork Quint-essential has chosen Bali Bright animal prints, and a sudoku solution chosen for a Special Day. Black homespun is used to define the grid and the quilt is edged with a rainbow of stripes. The cheeky Bali Bright animal prints are chosen from a smorgasbord of pre-cut packs, each containing nine 5½ inch squares of the same fabric. When you have made your design (81 squares), simply complete each nine-patch square, and use the quilt-as-you-go method on the resulting 15½ inch square. To enquire about purchasing any of these Quick Start Quilt Packs, contact Pamela Davis of Patchwork Quint-essential on patchquilt007@gmail.com Then join the nine 15½ squares with 1” strips of black homespun in a 3 x 3 grid. Define your resulting square with a 1¼”black strip of homespun and add a border of black for a strong contrast on the edge. You can read more about Sudoku quilts in a bright and happy book, “Sudoku Quilts” by Cyndi Hershey, published by That Patchwork Place. Or phone Pamela on 0262 923 727 or 0448 232 647. Please leave a message! Remember to book your Patchwork Party Plan timeslot; there are only so many opportunities to play with new fabrics, hear stories about them and have fun with your friends over a cup of tea. Get in early! © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 32 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Or you can look up the pattern in 'It's Puzzling' in the Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine (Vol 17, No 2), which is based on a Sudoku puzzle. Patchwork Quilt-essential has Sudoku packs (nine 5 ½ inch squares of the same fabric) in Bali Bright animal prints and colourful Japanese fabrics. And coming in August, an unusual range of pinspots in great earthy colours for the man in your life. Because it is such a quick quilt to make, you could even get the 56” x 56” quilt finished for Fathers’Day!! LUDLOW QUILT AND SEW Discover new and exciting projects to quilt and sew each month with clear and easy to follow instructions. Visit the website and subscribe to Ludlow Quilt and Sew’s free monthly newsletter now. www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk About the Author: Pamela Davis has been an avid sewer since she was 10 years old. She has always been interested in colour and design, and came to patchwork by happy accident. Pamela’s business – “Patchwork Quint-essential” is based in Canberra, Australia; you can visit Pamela in her studio, or it is quite possible that she can bring 12 boxes of exclusive Asian fabrics to you and your patchworking friends. Just contact her on 0448 232 647, or 06292 3727 or email on patchquilt007@gmail.com to organize a Patchwork Party. Please leave a message, if she is out Party-ing!! Don't keep this Online Quilt Magazine all to yourself – it's FREE, so share it with your Quilting Guilds and Friends! Don't wait - Invite them to www.OnlineQuiltMagazine.com to Subscribe and receive each New Issue as soon as it's Published! © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 33 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Block of the Month This month’s Block is a lovely pieced star block that will look great in one of your new projects! Try changing the colours or mix and match plains with prints and see just what you can come up with! To make this 10 inch block as shown, you will need four different fabrics and once you have rotary cut the pieces according to the Cutting Diagram, you can piece them together as shown below. © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 34 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 35 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Today’s Tips: This following little poem took our fancy, and we wanted to share it with you too - This month, Julie sent in a great tip for ironing your quilt blocks: “Use a vodka / water mix instead of spray starch when pressing your quilt blocks. Mix 1/3 vodka to 2/3 water in a spray bottle for a cheap and very effective alternative. It works beautifully and there’s no smell of alcohol at all as it evaporates with the heat! You can also add a couple of drops of essential oil (like lemon or lavender) if you want your ironing to smell nice as well….” Weaving Life's Design As a knot appears unexpectedly in a thread, so disappointment blocks the smoothness of life. If a few deft strokes can untangle the skein, life continues evenly. But if it cannot be corrected, then it must be quietly woven into the design. Thus the finished piece can still be beautifulalthough not exactly as planned. And from Barbara: “I save my scraps to stuff smaller things too. Even the smallest are great to stuff toys, small pillows or even Christmas Ornaments.” --Author unknown Thanks ladies! © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 36 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 Quilters' Horoscope By Pauline Rogers from www.QuiltersWorld.com.au A humourous compilation of character traits of quilters according to their zodiac signs. Compiled by a quilting tutor with over twenty years experience teaching patchwork and quilting but zero years writing horoscopes. Cancer - June 22 to July 22 Cancer makes quilts to please themselves not to showcase. They do appreciate compliments on their work but being timid they aren't likely to enter a quilt in a competition. They want their quilts to be practical and comfortable and aren't likely to hang one on the wall, but actually use them on beds. Being cautious they are most likely to stick to the traditional designs. They are not likely to add decorative touches, such as trims or whatnots. They believe that quilts are naturally beautiful and do not need embellishments. They love to use dark rich colours in their quilts considering these as more practical. When they discover a quilt shop they like, they become lifetime, loyal customers. Cancer design from the "Quilting With The Stars" quilt from the www.QuiltBlockoftheMonthClub.com © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 37 Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 2 No. 7 YES, We Want to Hear From You! "Quilt-y" Sayings… Quilting with a friend will As our Online Magazine continues to grow each month, we need your feedback in order for us to continue to improve our publication for you. keep you in stitches. Friendship, like a wellmade quilt, stands the test of time • We want to know how you liked it. • We want to know the topics you're interested in. • We want to know if you have any suggestions, Hints or Tips of your own that you'd like included, or if you know anyone we should include a story on! Please send me an email with your Testimonial, Tip, Suggestion or Enhancement – I'd love to hear from you! If you'd like to submit an Article, or a Project for Publication, or take advantage of our Very Very Reasonable Advertising Rates, please email details or queries to Jody at jody@onlinequiltmagazine.com . Send all emails to: jody@onlinequiltmagazine.com © Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 38