Hi Everyone!
                      It's January, and as such we are headed into Spring!  SPRING!  I know...there's still snow on the ground in many parts of the country, but here on Quilt Seeds we are headed for spring!
So from this day forward, I will be posting nothing but "springy" stuff as the leader on my blog.  I hope it helps you point your heart toward spring as well.

         I have been asked to teach a quilt class to a Ladies Group.  Yay!  I absolutely LOVE to share my quilting knowledge with anyone who will listen.  I think I will have 8, maybe 10 ladies.  So I've been working on the handouts and decided to post them on here as well. 

         We are in the midst of selling our home and moving, but I still have some spare time around the paperwork and the packing.  I think posting this Basic Quilting Tutorial on here will be a grand  first step toward my goal for the rest of the year, which is to post many, many more tutorials---for both quilting and crafting.

       So, without further ado, here is the quilt tutorial.  Please keep in mind there are about as many ways of going about quilting as there are people in a good sized Quilt Guild!  So my methods may not be yours.  That being said, I hope that all experienced quilty friends that read this will feel free to offer any suggestions or changes I should consider, as the pages have not been handed out YET and I may have missed something vital!  The class is next week.  So please, feel free to comment! 
                  

Basic  QUILTING Tutorial

      The word “quilt” is versatile.  It can be a verb…”She quilted…” or, “She is quilting.”  It can be a noun…..."She made a quilt..." or, "She is a quilter."   It can be an adjective..."It's quilted."  And if you really want to sound quaint and charming, you could lift your eyebrows, adopt a Medieval French accent and use the term "counterpane." 
      However you use the word "quilt," you should become familiar with some terms associated with the art and process so you can more easily discuss quilting issues.

      A quilt consists of 3 layers:
                The first is the top, sometimes called a “flimsy.”  The top usually consists of various sizes and shapes of fabric sewn together with ¼” wide seams in a specific pattern.
                The second layer is the batting.   This is usually a thin sheet of cotton or poly/cotton blend filaments.  It’s usually graded as “low loft,”  or “high loft,” depending on how thick it is. 
                The third layer is called the backing.  It is usually cotton fabric, color coordinated with the fabric(s) of the top. 
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                  Most of the time, the top  of a traditional quilt is made up of a number of BLOCKS.  This red, white and blue quilt is made up of 30 blocks and some blue and red borders.  You can easily discern the blocks in this quilt.  However, picking out the blocks in some other quilts is a bit more difficult. Being able to define the blocks that make up a quilt will become an important skill later on! 




See if you can discern the blocks in the quilts below. 

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                   There are other quilts that are NOT made with a block method.  Some of these are…

.... this appliqued Hawaiian quilt with the pattern design generating from the center.........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the magnificent shading of this watercolor wall hanging!

 

 

 

 

Compass quilts that seem to move as you admire them....

 
 

....and whole cloth quilts, with breath-taking beauty captured in the quilting lines!

                  The wonderful 3 dimension of Tumbling Blocks.... 

 

 

        ...........and the joy of endless delightful applique patterns!



There's the quick and easy rag quilt.....

The beautiful dimension and movement of Bargello.....

and art quilts that move the SOUL!

There are so many techniques and endless colors and patterns to quilts! 

Each of these quilts uses a different technique, requiring separate classes.  Because you will need to master certain basic skills first, we will approach traditional, block-built quilts in these lessons.

  So far we have learned that traditional quilts are built of blocks.  This is the correct term to use for what a quilt top consists of.  Many people erroneously interchange the terms “block” and “square,” which causes confusion!

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          Most Blocks are made up of a combination of squares of fabric and/or other shapes  of fabric like rectangles and triangles.  These are referred to as units.  When you assemble these units, they become blocks. 

 

       One of the most common and most versatile units for building blocks is called the half square triangle.  There are hundreds of block variations using just this humble little unit!

Another common unit for building blocks is the flying geese unit……..

 

….usually sewn together in rows like this.

 

 

Other units for building blocks can include quarter square triangles.....

And square in a square!

    

Keep in mind that these are the basic few that most blocks are built from, but there are many more.

So far we've covered......a quilt consists of a three layer “sandwich:”

 A top, a center layer of batting and a backing fabric.  The top of the quilt (also called a flimsy),  usually consists of various sizes and shapes of fabric pieces sewn together and called units.  These units are then joined to form blocks.  The blocks are assembled in a pattern and become the top of a traditional, block-built quilt.  There is a wide variety of quilts that are not assembled “block-style,”  as was covered previously.  As you can see, the world of quilting is big and so versatile that you could spend years and years honing your skills in hundreds of techniques!

 

 

MORE TOMORROW!

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Good Day, everyone!
                                    See that beautiful Crock Pot there?  That was one of my Christmas gifts from my better half!  I have two, one big and one small.  And the smaller of the two has seen better days---too many of them!  Lost the lid a long time ago, so I have to use a plate.  And plates don't usually have handles, sooooo.......

       Anyhow, I have a renewed interest in all the things I can do with this puppy!  Was looking up recipes this morning, and I see lots of yummy meals in our future....just what I need to loose weight, huh?  Ah...well.....

      So, I'm also getting a new mop today!  Yay, me!  Which is a good thing, you see, as yesterday I pulled a mostly-full gallon jug of apple juice out of the fridge, poured myself a glass and then fumbled the put-away process.  You guessed it---gravity took over and you just can't drop something that heavy from 2 feet off the floor and expect it to stay intact.  Apple juice SHOT everywhere....most of it SHOOTING under the fridge. 
     And you know, I didn't even get mad.  No frustration....no defeat....no anger....nothing.  I stared a moment at the devastation and headed for the mop.  Realizing I could NOT get it all up, I mopped until there was nothing more to mop, then returned to my ice cold glass of apple juice.

     And I consider that experience a measure of how satisfying it is to finish a quilt.  Not even a shattered gallon of apple juice all over your kitchen floor and a tsunami of apple juice gushing under your fridge can dampen the elation of finishing a quilt.

    Now I'm off to the store for a large size bottle of Mr. Clean......*sigh*

Good day, friends!

          It was a very blessed Christmas and here's hoping the New Year will be meaningful and blessed for everyone!

         I think it will be a quiet one for us.  Sister-in-Law must work....Brother-in-Law will wait at home for her.  Son Matt and Girlfriend Liz may be over for cards, but I always collapse like a deflated balloon on about 10 o'clock.  Everyone makes fun of me, but when my back hits that mattress, it's all worth it!

         We have found a buyer for the house, and we are hoping escrow closes mid-January.  Then it's off to Big Bear for us.  We were originally considering Idyllwild, but circumstances have us pointing our compass to Big Bear. 
         So....the tree is still us, and a few boxes still sit about waiting to be packed with a few Christmas things.  We still have papers to sign and some things to pack, but we hope to have all the boxes into the front room by the time escrow closes so we can get everything out the door as expediently as possible. 

          Well, this is what I worked on today.  I've had this quilt in the UFO pile for far too long.  I used to work on it back when I was working.  When I got off at the end of the day, I had to wait for my son to get through work, as we carpooled together.  So I took it to a local park, threw it over a picnic table under a shady tree, and did the tying.  It was amazing how many women approached me to see what I was doing.  Made a few nice friends this way!  Then life got in the way and I had to box it up for a while.

 But now, Southern California is experiencing a cold snap (if that's possible...*sigh*), so I thought now would be a nice time to finish it.  It's QUITE utilitarian...I tied it, and it has the wrap-to-front binding, stitched  down by machine.  It's about king size, so it will fit the top of our bed.  One UFO down...a few more to go. 

 

I call this my garden quilt.  The log cabin strips are all "ground and sky" colors, and the border is a gorgeous floral.....I think it was a Kaufman.  The back is a solid rust.  So the whole thing reminds me of everything great about a garden.

 

Went to see Lord of the Rings---The 5 Armies---yesterday.  Seemed like one, long battle.  They killed off Smaug too fast, also.  I am a BIG LOTR fan, but I don't think this one came up to the level of the others.  What do you all think?

Tomorrow, friends..................

Santa Ana Sniffles

 

Hi everyone! 
                          Anyone who lives in southern California is familiar with those Santa Ana winds.  They blow warm, sometimes gusty winds from east to west, through the mountain passes. Then they fan out over so Cal,  cleaning the trash out of gutters, whipping dust into the air and leaving palm fronds hanging precariously from tall palm trees.  Where I live, the wind doesn't whip very fast most of the time.  But when you have to go out for shopping and you have to have the window down as you drive, the dust in the air is awful.
         Where is this leading?  I got up this morning after a horrendous night with terrible sinus problems.  Now, I could just play this off with, "Oh, it's just the dust in the air....no need to make my lunch for me, I'm not sick!"  I'd be considered a martyr with my family.  "Oh, Mom, she just goes on and on even when she's sick."  And I'd get small, sympathetic glances all day and have a lot of things done for me that I could do myself. 
        But for those of you who are moms, you know a good thing when you see it.  And you have to pluck the fruit while it's ripe.  So to all family members:  Mom has a COLD.  Yes!  I'm SICK!  I may be hungry, but I'm just toooooooo sick to make myself lunch.  ("Oh thank you.  No, don't go to any trouble.  Oh, weeeelll....if you insist.)  I have to take naps. (Oh....thank you so much for taking care of the laundry.  I felt sooooooo miserable.")  I can't cook because I'm too weak to stand in the kitchen for very long. ("Thanks soooooo much for making yourselves sandwiches tonight.")
      But after a while, the guilt sinks in and you have to start in with...."Okay.  I think I feel good enough to come to the table for dinner. Yes, my strength is returning.  Tomorrow I may feel back to normal."  See, that buys you the rest of the day and maybe tomorrow if you want it.
      For me, this whole thing is the closest I get to a vacation.  I mean a real, bona fide vacation where I actually don't have to do anything but relax.  You gotta make hay while the sun shines.  Strike while the iron is hot.  You get the drift.

        Onward to the day.........yesterday I re-opened my shop with a number of great fabrics. Much of it is David Textiles and Kaufman.  Here's a sample of a few of them.  Pop on over to the shop and see the other stuff.  Remember....if you see something you like, contact me and let me know you read about the shop on my blog and I will sell you the fabric at my cost---$3.00/yd. + shipping.  I can ship next day and I try to ship the cheapest way possible.  This is just something I offer for the friends that read my blog.  Some quilty friends are way out there in remote locations (or Canada, where fabric is expensive), and this is just a little way to help them.  Well, that's all for now.  Have a great day!

 

Hi Everyone!
                        Fall is really in the air!  For so Cal, it's been pretty mild, beautiful and cool at night.  We've had to move the bird cage to the front room because the bedroom get pretty chilly at night.
     
     Well...this blogging thing is a bit new to me, so I'm shuffling things around, trying to find a comfortable place in my blog nest.  I was trying to post in the mornings, but things are pretty hectic and crazy around here in the morning. So I think I will chat with you in the evening when things are slooooowwer and I've got dinner over with and we're settling down for the night.  I can collect the days thoughts in a big pile and sort through everything....like I do my fabric stash now and then! 

     I'm not sure if anyone has had a chance to view my other blogs, but if you like poetry or art, please feel free to check out my other blogs.  I'm not very good at either, but maybe there's something in there you'd enjoy.
   
     Ta for now....will post more later!

         Well, it's the evening.  Dinner is over, and the house has quieted down.  So I'm back.....

           There hasn't been a great deal of interest in the fabrics I'm posting here on the blog.  And I'd much rather post tutorials and ideas, sooooooooooo.............I've decided to list the wonderful fabrics I find on my Etsy shop.  They're still a good bargain, especially for people that live in more remote areas and can't get to a quilt shop very easily!

       So, here's the link to my Etsy shop.  I hope you not only go over there and check out the fabrics I have listed, but compare my prices to the same fabric on other sites.  I think you'll like the bargains!

            I guess that's all for now.....everyone....have a great night!

Popcorn 101

Hi everyone!
                  Oh, popcorn for Christmas...it's not just for eating!  I decorate with it every year.  It has 3 attributes I love: It's cheap, it's easy, and it's light as a feather.  Oh.  And one more thing...I don't have to pack it up after Christmas!
        The thing I like the best about it is the great contrast it makes no matter what I put it on!  On the tree or on an evergreen wreath, the white just pops!  When you buy your Christmas tree and they remove those spindly lower limbs, grab 'em and take 'em with you.  Hose all the debris off the limbs and let them dry outside where it's cool.  If you won't be decorating inside for a while, find a bucket, add water, and set the limbs up in it in a shady spot.  They'll keep for a while!
        Now, back to the popcorn.....
        As I mentioned, I string yards and yards of popcorn to trim with every year, so here's a few tips for you if you want to add this great decorating feature....

       1.   Try to pop the corn with as little oil as possible.  Even though the ultimate thing to use for popping corn is a hot air popper, don't give up!  I've used a little oil in the bottom of a covered pot and just shook the pot over my stove burner until it was all popped.  You might want to get someone to spell you on the shaking, but it works just fine.
      2,   Let the popcorn sit overnight before you begin stringing it.  The white fluff will absorb just enough of the moisture in the air to make the stringing a lot easier!
      3.  Many people say to use dental floss for stringing because it's strong, but I have used simple thread and quilting thread and even embroidery floss (2 ply).  You aren't stringing baseballs, you're stringing something that weighs nothing!  And you won't be using the strings for jump rope, so don't worry about strength very much.
      4.  If you see those lovely strings combining popcorn and fresh cranberries, don't do it.  By the time you're ready to decorate---and especially by the time you take the decos down----those berries are MUSH.  Besides, when you string the two together, the strings are heavier.
      5.  You don't need any special needle.  Pick the smallest needle you have that you can comfortably thread.
      6.  Work with lengths of thread only about a couple feet long.  It's easier to handle.  Why?  Because the best way to do it is to grab a handful of popcorn---3-4 kernels---string and slip them onto the thread, and then grasp the 3-4 strung kernels and gently push them down to the end of the thread, leaving about 6 inches of thread loose.  Repeat.  Don't try to string a long bunch on and then push that long bunch down to the end.  It will sprag and you'll wind up with popcorn crumbs!  Push them down only a few at a time.  When you have a couple down on the end, grasp the loose end of the thread, wrap it around and tie it gently to the last popcorn kernel as an anchor.  Now continue to string and push the kernels down the thread a few at a time.  From time to time you may want to reach down and gently push the kernels downward and together.
     7.  Another reason for working with shorter lengths of thread is that it makes it easier to decorate with.  You can place a length at a time on your tree and tie on additions as you need them. 
     8.  Now here's a little something that many instructions don't tell you:  Insert your needle through the PUFFY part---not into the hard kernel part nor the narrow part BETWEEN the puffy and the shell.  Your stringing will go soooooo much smoother.
    
      9.  If you have kids old enough to wield a needle safely, this is a great "gather round the whatever" and string and munch party!  Put together a few medium large cardboard boxes, and as you string, let the strings fall into the box.  I usually put a slit in the top edge of the box to put the thread end into so I'm not pawing through the strung popcorn for the other lengths.

       A few ideas for decorating....
       If you're having a Christmas party, surround your punchbowl (okay, SOME people still use them!) with the evergreens and sprinkle popcorn over them.  Lovely!  I also make merengue mushrooms every year.  I add a few to the evergreens around my punchbowl and people can munch and sip!
     If you have a mantle over your fireplace, there's nothing prettier than evergreens, a few white taper candles, and mounds of popcorn.  But then, I love "simple."
     If you can suspend anything from the ceiling, popcorn makes great "snow."  String several varied lengths of popcorn onto fishing line and suspend the strings to hang in front of a window, or if you're REALLY daring, suspend them from the ceiling over your dining table for your Christmas dinner!  What a conversation that would start!

     Did you see that beautiful wreath at the top?  That's from this website:  http://www.hometalk.com/695721/popcorn-and-cranberry-wreath  

     I didn't check to see how it was made, but it sure is beautiful!  Unless I was making this for birds, I probably wouldn't put any popcorn decos outside, but over a fireplace...oh yes!  I think if I were to make it, I would purchase a white styrofoam wreath from Michael's and put the popcorn on with hot glue.  It would be together in no time.  I'd probably place the bow first then glue the popcorn on around it.  You could cover the whole wreath or just the front and what showed.  The Styrofoam is white anyhow.

     And last but not least, there's lots and lots of things you can add to popcorn then set bowls all over the house for munching!
     All righty then!  I'm popcorned out!

Turning now to fabric.....

Just letting everyone know....the fabrics I sell on my BLOG are fabrics I get at my favorite fabric store. They have a section of fabrics that are $2.98/yd.(I call it $3.00 for simplicity) and much of it is good quality/good brand name fabrics. Occasionally, I see a particularly nice piece and I pick it up and put it on the blog AT MY COST (plus shipping of course) for anyone that wants it. I'm not making any $ on this, it's just a nice gesture I offer for fellow quilters. If no one is interested in what's here, in a few days I will list it somewhere else for a few dollars more to cover my travel expenses. I just like to offer it first, at cost, to those that read my blog. Many times, it helps people in remote parts of the country to get in on a few fabric deals that they can't get locally. That's the story, and I'm stickin' to it!

here are two new ones I picked up yesterday.....

This first one is a David Textiles...a gorgeous allover horses.  Note:  It's a directional fabric!  If you know a little about David's fabric, you know it's lovely, smooth and buttery.  I have 2 yards of this.  It's $3.00/yd. (+ postage) If you want it, let me know.  I'll leave it up on here a few days and then I'll be putting it on Quilters Virtual Yard Sale, Quilters Classified and my Etsy shop for a dollar more a yard....

The other one I found is also a David Textiles....a beautiful allover eagle heads....also a directional.  Would be great for a Quilt of Valor!  I picked up 2 yards of this.  Again, it will only be here on the blog for a few days and then I'll let it go elsewhere.....

 

Well...that's all for today.  Happy quilting, sewing and decorating!  And for all my quilty friends who are in FMQ mode today.....remember to drop those shoulders!  LOL!