The 3 R's of Quilting

"Reduce. Reuse. Recycle." is a well known mantra of modern society, but quilters have long been advocates of these "three R's." Quilts have been made from cast off clothing and fabric scraps of all kinds.

In my continued efforts to implement the three R's in my own quilting, here are some of my recent activities.

Reduce. I've been trying to reduce my stash considerably, especially the pile of flannelette that I have accumulated from the remnant bins of a local fabric store. Making baby quilts is a joy and was the logical choice for using these fabrics.

I have to admit that I did purchase some new flannelette for the backing, but I've made nine baby quilts so far which will go to local charities. ( See the photos for some of them.)

Reuse. Among the pile of flanelette were some used pillowcases. These I trimmed off the seams and opened, then stitched together to use as cosy backing for the baby quilts. I also stitched together left-over pieces of batting, using a wide zig-zag stitch, to make one larger piece for a quilt. In the best quilting tradition, narrow strips were pieced into blocks and borders.

Recycle. Long pieces of thread used for basting, when removed from the quilts, were wound onto an empty spool or bobbin to be used again in another project.

Even with all the using up, there was still waste from the the trimmings. One of our guild members uses the selvage edges trimmed from fabrics to make knitted rugs. So these go to her. I found a great idea for using the rest of the trimmings on the internet at http://www.quiltinggallery.com/ courtesy of Sue of http://www.quiltedescapes.com/ Here it is:

Here's a great way to throw out your scraps without feeling guilty. Using an old pillowcase line a garbage bin with it. While you are sewing throw your scraps of fabric into it. When the pillowcase is 2/3's full, sew it shut and take it down to the local anmal shelter. They make great beds for cats and dogs. they are 100% washable and nice and soft for the animals! ... the shelters love it because they fit in the cat cages perfectly and the bed can go home with the animal, so it's something comforting for them while they adjust to their new home.

Thanks to Sue and happy quilting!

EDQG 30th Anniversary Quilt

This quilt was made to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Edmonton and District Quilter's Guild by the seven members of the 30th committee, of which I was proud to be one. Guild members were aked to submit the names of their favorite quilt blocks and the committee chose the top 30 to use in the quilt. At the end of the year of celebrations, in June, the names of all the members were included in a draw for the quilt. The lucky winner was thrilled to have the quilt as it celebrates a special milestone in the guild's history.

October

This month’s blog is late in coming because, once again, I’ve been traveling. My husband and I were in Washington, DC, doing research for a book he is writing. I would love to be able to report that I did some fruitful quilt related research as well, but, alas, that’s not the case.
Before we left home I checked on the internet and found out that The Smithsonian Institute in Washington has a large collection of quilts, which I hoped to be able to see. What I didn’t know, was that the collection is not open on a regular basis, and tours are given only twice a month. By the time I discovered this information, I had missed the latest tour, and so was quite disappointed. I found out that there are a few other quilt collections in DC (at The National Trust for Historic Preservation and The Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, for example), in addition to the one at The Smithsonian, but as we had left our sight-seeing time to the end of our visit (work had to be done first) I was unable to see any of them.
Oh, well, that’s life.
Apart from that disappointment, Washington was lovely. The weather was warm and sunny, ideal for being out and about. We did spend a few days taking in the beautiful sights. Memories of the magnificent architecture of the public buildings, the visit to the Lincoln Memorial, the beauty of the Mall with its lovely reflecting pool; the treasures of the Smithsonian (but no quilts!) and the friendliness of the people we met, will stay with us for a long time.
A week spent in Mesa, AZ on the way home was extremely hot ( 95 -104 deg. F) which meant we were pretty much confined to air-conditioned places. On the bright side, that meant a few fabric and quilt stores where I picked up some of my favorite travel souvenirs: fat quarters!
Now that I'm back home and the laundry is done and put away, it's back to the real world of quilting.
My next big project will be a memory quilt in honour of my nephew David, who passed away in September after a courageous battle with cancer. More on that next month.

Happy Quilting!

September Song

"It's been a long, long time from May to December

"And the days grow short, when you reach September..."

Contrary to what the well-known song says, it doesn't seem all that long, to people who live in a climate where winter seems to occupy nearly eight months of the year. Summer just seems to race by and is never long enough. But the days are definitely growing shorter here. The sun rises a little later each morning (and so do I!) and there are no more long, light evenings. Looking on the bright side, however, quilting guilds and bee groups are meeting again and providing inspiration for those of us who are trying to decide on our next quilting project and have been missing the pleasure of getting together with other quilters.

I include myself in both those categories.

I've just finished my trio of disappearing nine-patch flannelette baby quilts which were a pleasure to make (see photo above of one) and am eager to get back to one of my "fishy"UFO's. I have some new fabrics (and lots of "old" ones, also) to try out and see what develops.

In June I purchased several packages of cards suitable for inserting fabric art pictures. I made a few of these several years ago and enjoyed the process so much that I've decide to "have another go."

Our guild will have its first meeting of the guild year this month and, as always, it will mean greeting old friends, perhaps making some new ones and catching up on the latest trends in quilting, as well as being inspired by the always amazing "show and tell" and the interesting speakers who share their quilting experiences and expertise with us all.

Soon there will be a call for charity quilts, which I always enjoy making, and that will be another project for the autumn months.

Being a quilter, means always having something to look forward to.

Happy Quilting!

Dog Days?

August days are generally known as the "Dog Days" of summer. That expression conjures up lazy images of just lying around in the sun, doing as little as possible, eating and sleeping and eating some more. At least that's what the dogs in our family seem to do most of the time, not just in August.

But for us this year, those images don't apply. August was a comparatively busy and productive month, although not solely in the quilting line.

We are blessed in Edmonton and area with excellent farmer's markets, and market gardens, U-pick farms and acreages are within easy driving distances. At this time of year they are a treat to visit and we did just that several times this month. In the markets, in addition to fruit and vegetables, preserves and baking there are stalls selling unique arts and crafts, including jewellery, woodwork and, yes, quilts.

It was the vegetables and fruit which interested us most. My quilter's eye and love of colour were captivated by bright orange carrots displayed alongside fresh green broccoli, red cabbage, green and yellow zucchini, newly harvested and scrubbed white and red potatoes, pearly onions, juicy red and yellow tomatoes, dark red beets... and the list goes on.

And the fruit! My mouth waters just thinking of it: sweet, juicy BC cherries (the best crop in years), blueberries, blackberries, red and yellow raspberries, and apricots to mention just a few. Who could resist such bounty? Not us.

We had already brought home 30 lbs of apricots from our earlier trip to BC and these we either made into jam or froze for later use in pies and puddings. From the farmer's market we purchased 20 lbs. of beet to pickle. This was in addition to the 10 lbs we had already received from a friend's garden.

Next came the saskatoons (for those who are unfamiliar with them, they are blue berries that

grow on a shrubby trees and their unique flavour is a treat in jams, jelly or pies). We went to a U-pick acreage on a beautiful sunny day and spent two hours picking to our hearts' content, coming home with three gallons of these delicious berries destined for jelly and the freezer. Another day was spent with friends at their farm, where we enjoyed a visit and a delicious meal and came home with two more gallons of saskatoons.

Lucky for us both, my husband enjoys berry-picking and is equally willing to help out with the preserving when we get home. So our freezer is getting full (Did I mention blueberries?) and our cold room shelves are laden with colourful, bottled preserves.

In the depths of the winter to come, we will enjoy the "fruits of our labour" and a taste of saskatoon pie will be a welcome reminder of warm, sunny August days.

And, yes, I did manage to do a little quilting. I have another "fish" to add to my collection and have totally fallen in love with the ease of making baby quilts using the "Disappearing Nine-Patch" pattern. Attached you will see photos of "Hotlips" (above) and a colourful little DNP baby quilt.

That's it for this month.

Happy quilting!

Summer At Last

After a prolonged and cool spring, we are finally enjoying some warm summer days. There's not a lot in the quilting line being accomplished by me, but I have managed to complete another fish wall hanging and have another one in the works. After completing "Grandfather Cod" I decided to make something very different; much less subdued. Hawaii is about as much a contrast to the North Atlantic as you can get and so "Wahini Cod" (below) was the result.


Our little neighbourhood quilting group has suspended operations for the summer, but at our last session, I managed to get a flannel baby quilt put together, when one of the ladies asked me how to tie a quilt. I had the top and backing ready, so we speedily layered the quilt and then with five sets of fingers making the ties, it was quickly done. I sewed the binding on soon after but haven't yet stitched it down on the back.


A ten-day trip to the Kootenay region in BC with our son, daughter-in-law, and three grandsons (3 yrs, and twins who are 19 mos.) was lots of fun. I haven't spent as much time in playgrounds and at the beach in years! The scenery in the Kootenays is spectacular and we enjoyed the whole experience.

We returned with 30 pounds of fresh apricots, most of which have been turned into our favourite apricot jam, with some frozen for future pies and puddings.

I decided on the spur of an unguarded moment to learn how to do hardanger embroidery. I've tried many different types of handwork over the years but have never done hardanger. Armed with a beginner's book and materials to make a simple doily, I figured I could learn it on my own. I thought in terms of having a nice relaxing occupation while watching TV. I have discovered that I certainly can learn it, but usually after making all the mistakes possible and much frustration, picking out of stitches and re-doing.
Relaxing, it isn't. It is impossible (for me, at least) to watch TV and embroider at the same time. For one thing, I find it easier to see with my glasses off(!) and for another, counting threads requires close concentration. Hardanger is well named!
But I am persevering. If I live long enough I may actually complete the doily.


That's all for this month. Happy quilting!

June

This has been a landmark month for Edmonton quilters and it's barely half over. This year the 30th Anniversary of the Edmonton and District Quilters' Guild coincided with our bi-annual quilt show and we went all out to make it special. It was held on June 13/14 and we called it "Quilted Expressions."

In addition to the quilt show (200 quilts) there was a merchant's mall, quilters' boutique, and demonstrations of various quilting techniques, as well as a display of hand-cranked and treadle sewing machines. For those of us involved in the preparations and operation of the various areas, it has been a busy time, and although physically tiring, it has been mentally stimulating for us all to see the beautiful work that has been done. The whole event was a great success. And although I'm still recovering, it was a pleasure for me to work with so many talented, creative people, who were willing to do all that was needed to make it happen.


I entered a few items for sale in the boutique, and two of my fish wall-hangings found homes. One was a new one I had just completed called "A Close Call." (see photo).




When I came home from the show on Saturday, my body needed sleep, but my brain was on sensory overload. Sleeplessness had a positive side as it produced more ideas for future projects.
Now I'm working on a few more fish. I can't seem to get fish out of my system. Perhaps it's my maritime background! Stay tuned for the next one to make its appearance.