Tag: Quilting

Weary from car shopping

November 20, 2024

Finding a new vehicle should not be this difficult. We bought our current vehicles in 2014 and 2016. COVID and inflation sure have changed car shopping. Reports of $50k as the price for the average new car are spot on. You definitely don’t get as much for your money and quality doesn’t seem to be the same. All one has to do is look at the recalls on 2020-2023 models.

I found models from Toyota, Honda and Subaru that meet my criteria. Availability in the trim levels and colors I prefer is a concern as many units sell as soon as they reach the dealer’s lot. Considering a used car? Previously owned models (2022-2024) aren’t priced that much less than a 2025 model either.

Basically, I need a smallish SUV that is nimble enough to get in and around Atlanta for therapy dog visits, plus have enough cargo room to carry my sewing gear to different events. I drive a lot, so AWD, good gas mileage and a comfortable ride are important to me. Enough legroom for hubby, a heated steering wheel and heated front seats are also must-haves. The desire for leather interior puts the Honda and Subaru products at the top of my list.

Then there’s one additional constraint. Due to the way our garage is configured, one parking spot is a bit shorter than the other side to accommodate stairs leading from the garage into the kitchen. Vehicle length is something I have to take into consideration. Anything over 190″ in length is out. After seeing the Honda Passport next to my current vehicle at the quilt show on Saturday, I’m questioning if it might be too big, even though comes in at 189″ in length.

My current ride is starting to act a little flighty again. Given all that is coming in 2025 with teaching bi-weekly classes at the SQTM and weekly therapy dog visits, I’d like to get the new vehicle purchase finalized before Christmas.

Photo by Antoni Shkraba on Pexels.com

Quilty Fun on Saturday

November 16, 2024
Stopping by to see Charlotte, one of my CRAFTLab students, at the Smyrna Mini Handmade Market

Quilts from the Etowah Valley Quilt Show in Cartersville, GA:

Tula Hexies
Jen Kingwell (I think)
Photo Collage
Alaska Quilt
Flea Market Flowers
Cute Pumpkin Quilt

Today was fun. Sadie and I stopped in to see Charlotte’s booth at the Smyrna Mini Handmade Market and took a leisurely stroll around the nearby lake. After dropping Sadie off at home, I braved I-75 on a Saturday and drove an hour north to see the Etowah Valley Quilt Guild’s biennial quilt show. It was a small show, but decorated very well with sewing themed vignettes and fall decor throughout the exhibit hall. There was a vendor mall offering vintage machines, handmade sewing accessories, quilt kits, FQ bundles and some sewing books. I picked up a weighted 7′ square tailor’s clapper made by a local woodworker for $20.00. This will be so handy when pressing blocks!

I took the backroads home to avoid traffic and stop by Kohl’s to look at jeans. I found one pair that fit me perfectly! That made an already great Saturday even more awesome!

Experimenting with EQ8

November 12, 2024

Now that Yellowstone’s new season has begun, several iterations inspired by Beth Dutton’s infamous quilt have shown up in my social media feeds. It’s essentially an alternating 9-patch block design set on point in a red, black and gray color scheme. I saw quilts in 6″, 8″ and 9″ finished block sizes with numerous layouts in all sorts of different sizes. Intrigued, I booted up EQ8 to see what I could come up with. Note: this is not a tutorial or pattern. I merely wanted to highlight what’s possible with EQ8 and share.

I wanted a throw size quilt that would use up my scraps (mostly leftover jelly rolls) for the 9-patch blocks. I prefer the floating look that a thin border provides, so that’s why I added a 1-1/2″ finished border before binding. Always remember: you are the boss of your own quilt. Make a quilt the way you like it!

Meet Rustic Retreat II (55″ x 64″ based on 6″ finished blocks)

Here are the essential components needed to make the quilt pictured above:
(42) 6-1/2″ red & black 9-patch blocks
(30) 6-1/2″ grey squares
(22) grey side setting triangles
(4) grey corner setting triangles
(6) 2″ x WOF grey strips for border
(7) 2-1/2″ x WOF grey strips for binding

The way you make the 9-patch blocks will depend on if you’re using up scraps or cutting yardage. Since this is based on 6″ finished blocks, your 9-patch components will be made from 2-1/2″ squares and/or strips.

Very loose fabric requirements (calculated by EQ8):
Black – scraps or yardage – about 1 yard
Red – scraps or yardage – about 1 yard
Grey – 2-1/2 yards
You will also need about 3.5 yards of backing fabric and a twin size package of quilt batting.

This quilt is essentially a simple alternating 9-patch design that is set on point. If you’ve made one or two quilts, you can make this one. There are numerous YouTube videos that describe the “set on point” process in great detail. Missouri Star, A Quilting Life and Fat Quarter Shop YouTube videos are good places to start. Here’s a blog post you might also find helpful from Diary of a Quilter.

You will also need to figure how to cut your setting and corner triangles. American Patchwork and Quilting has a reference chart you can download for free.

Being able to take a basic design that inspires me and customize it to meet my needs and preferences is one of the reasons I love using EQ8. Yes, I still have to do some math to figure cut sizes and how to put it all together, but I’m willing to do that. It’s a real confidence booster when the project you’ve created turns out exactly how you envisioned.