Tag: quilts

Scenes from a quilt retreat

May 6, 2024

Last week, I attended the JK Quilts Spring Retreat at The Riverside Hotel in Boise, Idaho. I had a ball! This marks my second retreat with the JK Quilts girls and as usual, I came home with a lot of swag. The retreat was a combination of BYO projects with daily mini projects led by shop staff. It was a chance to learn about new products like iron-on EPP templates that dissolve in water (see tea towel project above) and try-out newer versions of items like the add-a-quarter rulers I already own for paper piecing.

Many of the retreat attendees were local, but some came from Southern California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Minnesota. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We did a mini-quilt exchange (see quilt photos above bottom right) – mine went to Southern California. It was a stash quilt using a free tutorial I found online. I think it turned out really cute. Tip: paper gift bags for wine bottles work well for wrapping mini-quilts, too! 🙂

Retreats are always about swapping tips and tricks. A fellow attendee shared her secrets for making a DIY ironing table to take to retreats. It’s made using a $12 folding wooden TV tray from the big box store! I found some videos to reference on YouTube. It shouldn’t be too difficult and will make a nice addition to sew days and retreats where I travel by car.

At the retreat, I focused primarily on sewing my own projects. I was able to complete ALL the pieced blocks for my 2024 Middle Georgia Shop Hop quilt, plus the four main blocks for a Christmas themed quilt using the Layer Cake Shake pattern from FQS. Three retreat projects were presented: a tea toweI with EPP hexies, a table runner and a small FPP flower quilt. I made one of each unit for the FPP project and prepped all my hexies for the tea towel while at the retreat. The table runner is a very simple design. I’ll be able to complete all three projects at home.

Hubs and I had such a nice time in Boise. We were able to spend time together and do things we each like to do. Will I return in October for the fall retreat? If I lived closer to Boise, I certainly would!

Instead, I’ll take a closer look at retreats offered by ATL area quilt shops and some quilt retreat groups I follow online. Of particular interest is the fact that Sew Sew Studio recently opened a second location in Duluth (northeast ATL suburbs). Their Bogart/Athens location is fabulous and I frequently stop in whenever I go see my parents. Fingers crossed they offer the same type of events at the Duluth location, including retreats!

A fun quilt pattern to make with your ‘tween or suitable for a quick charity quilt

April 20, 2024

Take a look at the Layer Cake Shake, a free quilt pattern offered by Fat Quarter Shop.
The FQS video tutorial for this pattern may be found here.

Why I like it:
1) Great way to use up leftover layer cake (10″) squares
2) Simple piecing with fewer match points
3) At 56-1/2″ square, it makes a perfect size quilt for a ‘tween

This variation of the Friendship Star block lends itself to all sorts of creative interpretation. Be as scrappy or as matchy-matchy as your heart desires. If you need to make it a little longer, consider adding a row of 8-1/2″ Friendship Star blocks or colored strips across the top and bottom of the quilt before adding the borders.

Hint: The quilt center consists of 4 large blocks. Before sewing all the rows into the four 9 patch blocks, lay them out first and decide which block is 1, 2, 3 and 4. Seams on blocks 1 & 4 will be pressed alike and seams on blocks 2 & 3 will be pressed alike. This makes a difference when you sew the blocks together.

This quilt is also very easy to work on in chunks. When I was still working full-time, this was the exact type of project that kept me sane. By working on it for an hour or so each night, I would have a completed top by the following weekend.

And more more advantage to this pattern – it’s a good size to practice my FMQ skills. Can’t wait to see how my free motion quilting plan for this quilt turns out!

Why I volunteer

April 12, 2024

Her smile says it all. Big Girl is so happy to be back in “her” library doing what she does best – spreading some Sadie sunshine among the staff and patrons – in addition to listening to elementary kids read to her. Most of the time, you never know the impact your volunteer efforts might have, This week I did.

Six years ago, a rising 8th grader began reading to Boomer. She was new to the U.S. and spoke no English. We worked with her from late spring through the following winter. This week, her little brother came to read to Sadie. Mom recognized me and thanked me for helping her daughter so much all those years ago. Her daughter graduated high school and is now now working to save money for college.

Most of my personal sewing time is spent making things for others. Much of it is donated through the East Cobb Quilt Guild’s community service outreach. Yesterday was a “charity sewcial” where a large group of us gathered for fellowship and to work on charity projects. I pieced blocks for my bee group’s charity quilt, put together the sashing strips and sewed the rows together for another charity quilt made from last year’s Middle Georgia Shop Hop blocks, plus sewed pillowcases that will go to nearby children’s hospitals. I returned home with additional pillowcase kits and fabric to make even more blocks for my bee group’s charity quilt(s).

Charity quilt layout using blocks collected from 2023 Middle Georgia Shop Hop

If you’re in a guild or group, don’t let a lack of fabric (or the funds to buy fabric) keep you from participating in charitable sewing endeavors. If you have a sewing machine and are willing sew, there are plenty of materials available at no cost to you to create projects for donation. Reach out to a sewing friend or fellow guild member to ask if materials are available or let folks know you’ll be happy to take fabric scraps and excess stash to make items for charity. My guild’s current community service team has been diligently processing the influx of fabric donations to create themed kits and curated collections for charity sewing volunteers. They’ve done a great job! A few members of the guild have a challenge where they create quilts using only donated fabric and whatever current free pattern they’ve agreed on. Two of the ladies sitting with me yesterday were feverishly working on their charity challenge quilts. It was so much fun to see the action and listen to the banter as they sewed.

P.S. If you are a quilter with a large stash, consider leaving instructions with your estate documents to donate any remaining machines, fabrics and supplies that your heirs don’t want to a local quilt guild, quilt museum or pet rescue group with a resale shop. Your donation will make a world of difference.