| Last Updated: 02/28/06 |
GREETINGS!.......
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I love black!!
Of course, you know me, I'm always using black fabrics in my designs because of the deep contrasts it creates and what it does to the colors next to it. (PLEASE don't say the words "pop out". I am so sick of hearing that phrase I could choke saying it--you can think it if you want, just don't say it!) I like to say it "enhances" or "optimizes" the colors.
This pattern developed from a block "scramble" on our forum. A very lucky gal named Jane received all 188 blocks that were submitted for the drawing.
You could imagine what it would look like using striped fabrics, with the stripes strategically and directionally placed, or your favorite vibrant batik fabrics. The size of the rectangles make the pattern a very good candidate for your "I Spy" fabrics or any kind of "charm" quilt fabrics. Another suggestion is a black and white color scheme. Use all the beautiful black-on-white prints that are available now. The pattern is especially suitable for GUYS' quilts--perhaps in plaids even!
As far as the quilting goes? Either hand quilt or try machine quilting in a geometric way. My quilt was machine quilted by Mary Covey. Black thread looks very good. She used a very geometric meandering, very simple, and there are other possibilities--such as looping triangles, or straight lines, or random rectangles, etc.
This pattern is now available on the pattern page for only $6.95, shipping included. Add it to your collection of my nickel patterns, ok?
Speaking of my nickel patterns, I just finished another Baby Nickels quilt (also available on the pattern page for $6.95). This is #8. We just learned that our family is expecting another grandchild - an unexpected miracle! We are all hoping and praying for a girl this time and I'm making all kinds of pink things! My friend, Regina Mann, (Regina and I ran a machine-quilting business together for about 10 years) purchased a new Ken-Quilt machine recently. Our friend, Mary Covey, came over to share some tips since she uses the same machine. Needing something to "demonstrate" and "experiment" on, I supplied this top for them to play with. I sat down at the cutting table around 10:00 pm. I had the top finished by 12:30 am! (Nighttime is the best sewing time--no interruptions--and then you'll sleep like a baby!). And they had great fun!
Claudia's Baby Nickels #8
Machine quilting by Regina Mann & Mary Covey
What Am I Working On?
People ask me this question almost as soon as I see them (well, quilters do anyway). Right now, I have a striped bricks on the back burner, a fancy appliquéd star cluster just for me, a project for a client involving antique basket blocks and Glenna Hailey's "Fun with Feedsacks" (by P&B Textiles) prints, an "apple" themed collection of blocks given to me is on the design wall waiting, my husband's mourning quilt is ready to start, and fabrics gathered for a donation quilt for the library. But first I have Christmas presents to finish for obvious reasons.
The Quilt Shoppe Forum News:
The fall forum block lottery drawing was won by Tish (Mocha Momma)! Congratulations, Tish! Irish Karen is starting a "Phantom of the Opera" theme swap. Char's flannel swap is winding down and she has started the "A" Train (A is for Appliqué). The Antique Tile Scramble drawing for 31 lovely blocks is tonight! Tish (tbloomn1) won the Monthly Mystery Member prize for November (she must have been "charmed" this month!). Lots of activities! To join in go to: http://forums.delphiforums.com/quiltshoppe
Site-Seeing
http://www.myquiltblog.com/ From our friend, Kim, at Block Central. Go here to register and start your own new quilting blog!!! (FREE)
http://www.superlaugh.com/cmas/porky.htm Poor Porky.
http://www.dailykitten.com/ This is great for cat lovers. AWWWW....
http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_smm/smm_cam.asp?bhcp=1 Monterey Bay shark cam....
http://www.josleys.com/geometryindex.htm Fractal Image Gallery by Jos Ley.
Tag Line of the Month
I don't feel old. I
don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
~Bob Hope
May you always have a quilt in the hoop,
Claudia
December 1, 2005
ARCHIVES: (Please note that some of the links on past newsletters
on the Site-Seeing Categories may have expired and are no longer available--in
other words--It's Not My Fault!!)
August,
2001- Premiere Issue: Explanation of Website Categories, Picture
of Author
September, 200l - Eden
Mennonite Sewing Society, Oklahoma MCC Relief Sale Link, New House Hunting
Pattern, New Ozark Mountain Night Pattern, Call for Guest Gallery
October, 2001 - Plett's Plot,
Sewing Society Follow Up, New Quilter's Alphabet Pattern, New My Stars &
Bars Pattern, Free Block of the Month Project - House Hunting
November, 2001 - HenryCat, My
Stars & Bars Free Block of the Month, New Easy Eights Pattern, Granny's Tip
of the Month
December, 2001 - MCC Relief
Sale, Enid, Oklahoma; Quilter's Corner, Auction Bay, Featured Quilt, Other
Quilts, 10,000 Villages, Twilling, Finished Simply Amish Quilt, Free Block of
the Month - Easy 8's, New Heart Trio Pattern - Appliqué
January, 2002 - New Year's
Resolution; Website Reviews: Bead Creative, Quilting with a Passion,
Webshots, Lancaster Gen. Store, others; Quilters Mall Crawl; Free Block of the
Month - Calendar Blocks
February, 2002 - Grandma's
Buttons Lap Quilt, weather box, Quilt University.Com, Fran Iverson Gonzalez,
Hawaiian Ice Breaker, Paypal Added, Connecting Threads, New Pattern - Proud
Mamas, Free Block of the Month - Heart Trio Table Runner
March, 2002 - Twilling Quilt
Update, Quilt Car, Worm Song, Alex Anderson's Chat Room, Out with Henry, In
with Frosty, Free Block of the Month - Simple Scrappy Pleasures.
April, 2002 - Finished
Shadow Quilt Top, Yoyo Site, equiltessence.com, Snoopy Dance, What Muppet
are You?, Free Block of the Month - Proud Mamas, In the Works - Train Quilt
& 9-Patch Wonders
May, 2002 - Nite-Nite Express Quilt
& new pattern, Mr. Skunk, Frosty Update, End of the Internet Site, Sewing
Genie Review, Ground Zero Quilt Site, Internet Bumper Stickers Site, What
Simpson are You?, Crazy Horse Site, 9-Patch Wonders new pattern and free BOM,
New Logo
June, 2002 - Eden Mennonite's Broken
Star, Stack & Slash Tutorial, Gauge your Age, T-Shirt Quilts, What Storybook
Character are You?, Holiday/Birthday List Link, Vacation Notice, Quilt Index.
Com Mall Crawl
July, 2002 - Our mention in Quilters'
Newsletter Magazine, Diana's 9-Patch Wonder Recipe #3, Diana's Simple Scrappy
Wall Hanging, Fractal Quilts Link, What Vegetable R U?, Smiley Reference Link
August, 2002 - Homeland
Pride Quilt, Winsome Wildflowers Quilt, Gag Gifts Link, What's Your Inner
Flower?, Quilters' Survey, Fireworks Link, WWQP Pattern Search Link, Funny
Valentine Link, Kansas Trouble Quilt Pattern
September, 2002 - Simple
Scrappy Pleasures Finished Quilt, Sharon Caligan's Simple Scrappy Quilt,
Friendship Basket Exchange Block, Nickel Cobblestones New Pattern, Kansas
Troubles New free BOM Project, Mini Munchkin land Link, Useful Items Link, Quilt
Costs Link, Useless Quiz Link, Jeanne Prue's Guest Gallery Link, The Mom's
Dictionary Link
October, 2002 - Book
One--the First Collection, Basket Luncheon Set, Friendship Basket Swap, Baby
Cobblestone in Progress, Site-seeing, 3 Barns Kansas show
November, 2002 - Cobblestone
Finished, Another Nite-Nite Baby Express Finished, Jungle Lone Star Finished,
Site-Seeing Links: Kaleidoscope toy, Funky Chicken, Quilt Lid Boxes,
Telephone Game, Which Villain Are You?, Weird Eyeball, Pickup Truck Cover, Quilt
Block Design Interactive, Movie Physics; Simple Scrappy Wall Hanging new
Free BOM Project; Bird Hunting and Pieced Flowers In the Works.
December, 2002 - Thirteen
Flowers Finished, 4th Nite-Nite Express Finished, Pat Katnik's Nite-Nite
Express, Site-Seeing Links: Quilts Stolen, Paint by Number, Sarah
Mylchreest, Snowmen, Giggles, Mugshots, Canon Cards, Twelve Flowers New Free BOM
Project, Snowball Poem
January, 2003 - Bird
Hunting Pattern and Quilt done, Site-Seeing Links: Google View Search
& Bill Coleman's Photographs. Addition of Guest Gallery, Beaded
Egg, Scrap Quilts in the Works
February, 2003 - Nancy
Adams' quilt, Juliana Winegarten's quilt, Tulsa Volunteer Blocks, Site-Seeing
Links: 71 Reasons to Buy Fabric, FBI Watching You, The Weedeater Quilt
March, 2003 - Just
Quilt It! Feature Story; Site-Seeing Links: 12 Flowers Block Swap, Quilt
Judges, & Where words come from; Plaid Mad in the Works, & Peacocks in
the Works
April, 2003 - Pretty-Boy
Peacocks Finished; Site Seeing Links: Owl Cam, Eagle Cam, Old-Fashioned
Living, People/Dogs, Armed Services Banner; What's New Decisions/Decisions
May, 2003 -
Muskogee Quilt Show, 2003; Site Seeing Links: Leather Thimble, Evil
Squirrels, The Weird Chronicles, Iraqi Information Minister, What's New Ducks in
a Row, My Stars & Bars free block of the month.
June, 2003 - Penguin
Quilt, Site Seeing Links: QuiltMaker program, Baby crib quilt racks,
Quilter signs, Carjacker raccoons, Avoid alien abductions, EQ4/5 Tutorials,
What's New Lone Star Basics Pattern
July, 2003 - Darcy
Ashton in T-Town, What's New Caddo River, Appliqué Wall Hanging Top,
Site-Seeing Links: Easy Circle Cathedral Window, Falcon's Bird Cam,
Snowflakes, Lunch Boxes, Invisible Thread Review
August, 2003 - Lone Star Appliquéd quilt, Site-Seeing
Links: Classic Couches, Digital Clock, Singing Horses, Stress Test;
What's New: Shopping Cart, ShortnScrappy Pattern, Picture Frame New BoM
project, Buster Licking
September, 2003 - Precut
Kits, Other Kits, What's New Toy Box Baby quilt coming up, Site-Seeing:
Fly Swatter, What Kind of Storm Are You?, Interactive Kitty
October, 2003 - Eden
Mennonite Church Fall Country Festival, The Spellchecker Paragraph, Site-Seeing
Links: Wrap them in Love, EtchASketch, Marie Webster Story, Interactive
Shapes Board Site, Car Handbags, More Fractals, Urban Legends Detector Site;
What's New Toy Box Baby Quilt Pattern free, Patches/Scrappy Photos.
November, 2003 - Short
& Scrappy Photos, Site-Seeing Links: Test Results of Fusible Web,
Terrell Designs, Clean Your Sewing Machine; What's New Baby Steps
December, 2003 - The
Buttonhole, Sew Natural, Henfeathers, Site-Seeing Links: Marsha McCloskey,
Porky Sings Christmas, Daily Devotional Site, Which Biological Molecule Are
You?, Nice Christmas Card
January, 2003 -
Bandana Quilt, Site-Seeing Links: Dancing Paul, ZeFrank.com, Chicken Purse
February, 2004 - Absolute Beginners' Series, Fine-Toothed Comb,
Site-Seeing Links: Color Trends, Quilters' Husband, Hand Quilting Frame,
Hypnotizing Balls
March, 2004 - Absolute
Beginners' Series completed, Site-Seeing Links: Kameleon Quilts, Note Pad
Graphics, The Original Laughing CAT; Christine's Cat Scan..ner
April, 2004 - Mary
Covey Feature, Site-Seeing Links: Fling the Cow, Owl Cam is Back, Tomato
Pincushion, Paint a Wall quilt
May, 2004 -Muskogee 2004 Quilt Show, Site-Seeing Links: Batting in
a Can, Many uses of Freezer Paper, Senses Test, Chiseled in Cloth. com, Boy
Scout songs, Pass the 3rd Grade, The Wedding Dress Guy; What's New:
Mystery Free
June, 2004 - Pups N
Pails, Site-Seeing Links: Serial Quilter, John Flynn's Backing Formula,
Are You As Old As You Feel?, Computer 101 Lessons, Office Supplies Attack,
Snoopy Happy Dance; What's New? Mystery of the Half Moons
July, 2004 - Quilt
Frame Corner Stands, Site-Seeing Links: Marvin the Martian, Organizing
Tips, Scouts Crafts for Summer, Baby Shade Tent, Liberty Fireworks
August, 2004 - Nine-Patch
Wonders II, Site-Seeing Links: Bargello Design Program, Freezer Paper
Project, HP Fabric Printing, Cow Tipper Game, Penguin Game, Paper Snowflakes,
Timed Typing Test, Penguin Slapping
September, 2004 - Inola
Independent article, Big MOVING day arrived, Site-Seeing Links: More kids'
craft projects, Every Cat Picture that Ever Was, Quilting Stencil Super Site,
National Quilting News Site.
October, 2004 - Workroom
curtains; Missing Scrappy Cat; Mystery Solved; Site-Seeing:
Curtains 101, Craftgard products, Curtain Instructions, Photo stamps, quilt
index ORG.
November, 2004 -
Site-Seeing: Handkerchief Magic, EQ challenge album, Amish Country Lanes
quilts for sale, Quilt Bus Halloween quilt story, The Boring Site
December, 2004 - Christmas
Cactus quilt top; New Starlight Sampler in the works; Site-Seeing: Mt. St.
Helens watch-cam, Bizarre Star Dance site, Painted Barns, Hummingbird nest;
Whitehouse Pan-cams; Carola Forsberg's Webshots Album
January, 2005 - Home
Sweet Mobile Home; Starlight Sampler 2005; QI Mall Crawl; Site-Seeing:
Lost Frog, the Real Story about the Frog, Super Stencil Site, quilt fiction, hieroglyphics,
colorful eye candy
February, 2005 - Carola's
Square Dance; New Mystery--Granny's Road Trip; Forum news; Site-Seeing:
Cat Screen-saver, Interactive quilt design creator, Dianne Johnston products,
Home projects site, Little Village Eye Candy, Road to California Show Winners,
Club Q's Star Challenge Entries, More Painted Barns
March, 2005 - Dutch
Blues; Quilting By the River, 2005; Forum news; Anilee's Mystery Travelers;
Site-Seeing: Paducah game, Wild Salmon on Parade, Patches the Horse,
Granny's Road Trip Online, Kona Coffee Contest, EQ's January Challenge
Results
April, 2005 - Baby
Hearts, Quilting By the River 2005, Forum news, Site-Seeing: New
Quilting Channel, Penguin Cam, Dover Weekly Sampler
May, 2005 - Nickel
Nines, Forum News, Favorite Things, Site-Seeing: Pretreated Fabric by the
Yard, the Dark Room, Buzzwhack, Shaken Faces, Po'boy Long Arm, Bubble Wrap, AQS
2005 Winners
June, 2005 - Sisters
In Stitches, Jenks Quilt Show Link, Forum News, Site-Seeing: Normal Test,
Bear Pyramid, Photo Stamps Again, Genuine Smile Test, Skunk Formula, Mercury
Template, Country Music, AQS Contest.
July, 2005 - Memorial
August, 2005 - Jenks
Quilt Show Pictures, Site-Seeing: Interactive Dancing Skeleton, Excuse
List, Texture Color Wheel, Men In Coats!, Duct Tape Clothing, Dog Humor Links
September, 2005
- Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts, Site-Seeing: Ice Cream Quiz,
Find the Real Penny, Hoffmans 2005 Challenge, Goodwill Auction Site
October, 2005 - Eden
Day in the Country, Uncle Sam & Regina, Site-Seeing: EQ Contest;
Fractal Katrina Images; HP Learning Center; NOAA Satellite Imagery; Forum
"netiquette"
November, 2005 - Eden
Mcc 2006 quilt top, Site-Seeing: Claudia Hieber's QNN Episode; Aunt Grace
Challenge 2005 Winners, Interactive Pumpkin Carving; Hurrican Name Facts.
(Copyright © 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Claudia E. Plett, all rights reserved)
home........free BOM..........patterns........misc 4 sale...........links........order form........ask granny........gallery
