2011 December 06 — Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Quilts Getting New Homes

December 6, 2011 · by JudyL

I mentioned a week or so about sending quilts to Alycia for QOV but somewhere along the way, one of the quilts got lost in the move. I found it yesterday so the QOV quilts will be sent to Alycia on Wednesday. I forgot to bring boxes home with me yesterday so I’ll bring them today. Others have been sent or will be sent Wednesday.

When I heard last week that my friend from school had lost her home and everything they owned in a fire, I sent her this one:

I talked to her yesterday and she told me she had a quilt but she lost it in the fire. I think she said it was a wedding gift and goodness . . they must have gotten married in 1972 or 1973 . . right out of high school. I hope she loves her new quilt as much as she loved her old quilt.

Sunday I heard about an opportunity to send quilts to a children’s home. A local quilter in AL had been asked to provide quilts before Christmas and could not get them made alone so he asked for help and a friend who knows him sent the request along to me and I agreed to send two. It’s not easy finding quilts around here right now . . so many of my quilts still go with trunk shows or they’re too big to give to a child but I’m sending this one:

And I’m sending this one:

I hope these two quilts help a child feel loved and appreciated and keep them a bit warmer this Christmas.

· Filed Under: Quilting · 13 Comments

Tuesday Morning Sewing

December 6, 2011 · by JudyL

Three loads of laundry are done with the last load still in the dryer. I’m using the smaller stacked washer/dryer that the sellers left in the house and my big washer/dryer will be set up in the shop . . not in the sewing room part but on the other end closer to the sewer and water lines that are for the RV hookup. I call my little stacked washer/dryer “The Barbie Laundry Set” because they’re small but it’s just two of us now and I can put a full size quilt in the washer. I did it to prove to Vince that I don’t need the big washer/dryer hooked up but you know Vince . . they have to be hooked up anyway.

For tonight’s dinner, Pioneer Woman’s Short Ribs with Wine & Cream is simmering on the stove and smells heavenly. I’ve made it before and it’s so good! There was no beef broth here so I added water to two packets of beefy onion soup mix and substituted that for the beef broth. There’s no rosemary here so I used Penzeys Bouquet Garni, which might even be better than adding plain rosemary.

Today is the first day I’ve had a chance to sew on the 301 — all set up in a bedroom. Oh, how I love this machine! The Featherweight is great. My Bernina is great but the 301 is amazingly fantastic. It’s kinda like Dr. Pepper . . or boiled crawfish. The whole time I’m drinking DP or eating crawfish or sewing on the 301, I’m saying to myself . . this is SO good! I wish there was a little diary with all my old machines so I could know about the previous owners and what life was like for them . . what they used the machines for. Did they make quilts to keep warm? Did they make their daughter’s prom or wedding dresses? Were they one of those extraordinary wives who hemmed and mended clothes for their husbands? (I’m not that kind of wife!) Did the sewing machine sit and hardly ever get used?

Yesterday I was asking Vince if he knew where any of our little folding tables are so I could set up a cutting table and get the cutting stuff out of the dining room. When he went to the house, he brought me back a Featherweight table and now I have a cutting table — everything is in the bedroom – cutting table, ironing board, sewing machine! I’m all set now.

It’s low but I’m not going to be doing a heck of a lot of cutting. I know . . I could raise it but it’s fine . . I can roll my chair over there and sit or I can take the cutting back to the breakfast room table if I need to do a lot of cutting.

· Filed Under: Quilting · 21 Comments

Reminder About 2012 Projects

December 6, 2011 · by JudyL

The fun projects we’re going to be doing in 2012 have already been mentioned but I want to remind you and clear up a few questions.

First, and the one I’m so excited about is the Color Palette Challenge. Vicki Welsh at Field Trips in Fiber will be sharing her palettes from photos and participants will make a project using the colors from the palette shown each month. Vicki will be doing lessons in color and whether or not you choose to participate by making a project using the monthly palette, everyone should learn something from Vicki’s lessons. The projects can be anything from a postcard to a tote, to a wall hanging or a fill size quilt. Make a project one month or all 12 months. No one is taking names or keeping track. It’s all for our own fun.

Second, and the one that has made a tremendous difference in my fabric buying and stashbusting efforts is the Sunday Stash Report. Each Sunday a link box is posted and you may share a link to your blog report about your stashbusting (or enhancing) efforts the past week. You can join in for one week, once a month or whenever you like. No one is taking names or keeping track! Sometimes just knowing that I have to report my purchases keeps me from buying just to be buying. This is NOT a “no buy” challenge. If we need fabric or we need a perfect shade of blue, even though we have 50 other blues in the stash . . that’s ok. It would not be fun to bust the stash at the expense of our creativity. Sometimes it really makes me get in the sewing room and sew just so I can have some yardage used to report.

You do NOT have to know how much is in your stash to start with! All you have to do is report your additions and your usage. You can report your usage for what you used that week or you can report it when your project is finished. It doesn’t matter how you report it . . just so you’re reporting it only once. Again, no one is keeping watch and no one is checking up on anyone’s numbers.

The third thing we’re doing is the UFO Challenge again this year. To participate, all you have to do is make a list of 12 UFOs or 12 projects you would like to complete in 2012. Post those on your blog and in a week or so, I’ll ask for everyone to share their list. You can add photos if like or your list can be simply a list. Each month a number will be chosen and that’s the UFO or project you’re supposed to finish that month.

Don’t make an unreasonable list! If you decided yesterday to make a Dear Jane quilt, don’t make “Finishing the Dear Jane Quilt” one of your projects! This is supposed to be fun and rewarding. Add projects to your list that you realistically can complete in a month. Back to that Dear Jane Quilt . . maybe say you want to finish 4 blocks each month. It doesn’t have to be a completed project . . just have 12 monthly goals.

There will be some other projects but these are the three main ones that will happen every month. The Design Wall Monday posts will continue also.

· Filed Under: Quilting · 11 Comments

November Monochromatic Challenge

December 6, 2011 · by JudyL

For those who completed the black, white and one more color project for the November Monochromatic Challenge . . I’m so sorry I forgot to add a link box but here it is.