| Last Updated: 05/03/03 |
NEWSLeTTeR
GREETINGS!!!!.... But
Baby It's Cold
Outside!!!
This is my latest project keeping me warm....... |
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Close Up
If you're at all like me, January is one of my least favorite months. I am not an Eskimo, and I'm sure if you check my genealogy, I'm not related to one either. I've been after my husband for the last 20 years to move to Arizona. He thinks I'm kidding.
We've actually had a mild winter so far here in OK. Like the weather box I added above? (Editor: See current ongoing newsletter) Got that from a website called: http://www.wunderground.com. But I still find myself not wanting to go anywhere until Spring. So, I've been spending time quilting, babysitting, quilting, computing, quilting, eating......etc.
This little project above came about from some inspiration a nice group of ladies gave me on the scrap quilting forum. The subject was being a "frugal" quilter. I remembered all these sample books someone had bestowed upon me. So I was inspired to get busy. So far I have made this lap quilt from the satin samples, and I have made a doggy door out of the clear upholstery vinyl that comes as a cover on the sample books. How "frugal" is that? So now I'm warm, and my doggy is warm, too.!
The lap quilt is made from 6" squares and a triple border of 2" pieces. I used a flannel backing and low-loft batting. Instead of tying it. I used some antique buttons that once belonged to my grandmother and also added four tassels on the corners. Using the "birthing" method so I wouldn't have to bind the edges. (Since recently retiring from the machine quilting business, I'm really burned out on bindings).
I'm still quilting on my Christmas wall hanging. Almost done with that. By the time you read this, I'll most likely be started on the beading.
Hey, let's talk about forums while we're at it. I've just recently given 'em a try. Known about forums for ages, but didn't feel led in that direction. Honestly, the idea of block swapping scares me. Why, I don't know. The idea just sounds like a whole lot of work and commitment, when I'm trying to simplify my life. And then I start thinking about all the trips to the post office - nah! But, you know, you don't HAVE to swap things if you don't want to!!!
Just the comradery, inspiration, information, advice, humor, sympathy, empathy, on & on, makes the forum thing worthwhile. There are sooooo many, too. There's the Quilt Arts Forum, The About.Com Forum, the AOL forums, the Quilting Passion Forum, the Scrap Quilting Forum. I can't name them all. Seems like almost every website, except this one, has its own forum. (No don't plan on it). So my advice is TRY IT, You'll LIKE IT.
OH YEAH, I almost forgot---I'm taking a class (free) at Quilt University.Com! I'm taking a 2-part course on border treatments from Carol Miller. I found time to read the first part last night (in my jammies, at my leisure) and I've already wondered if I should redo my Easy Eights pattern to make a different border treatment! They have some wonderful classes coming up quick, don't miss 'em. I'm thinking about taking a class on making blocks with crayons, Christi Ross teaches.
WHICH
REMINDS ME----I did venture out one night last week to the Tulsa Green Country
Quilters Guild, Night Group meeting. Boy, was I surprised to find out who
the speaker was when I got there.
Fran Iverson Gonzalez, designer
extraordinaire, author of EQ4 Simplified. Fran is also on
the faculty at Quilt University. She is doing a series on designing with
EQ4 (but it's already began for this session). She gave a good
presentation trying to encourage us quilters to use the computer as a quilting
tool. I think she had most of them convinced. I bought the last book
she had with her and I've scanned through it and now I'm getting really psyched
up. Just itchin' to get some design time in and try out some new patterns
and new tricks with EQ4.
Here's
a Winter Ice Breaker for You:
http://www.hawaiianjamz.com/
Go here for a winter break and play some Hawaiian music. Pick "Hula
Heaven" from the music archive on the selected player you have (I use
Windows Media Player). The music will download and play as long as
you're on the web surfing until you close it. Or go here while you
have the music on and watch a Hawaiian beach slideshow:
http://www.all-hawaii.com/hotmedia/lanikaibeach-slide1.html
Who knows? Maybe you'll feel like creating a Hawaiian quilt? Ha!
(After I wrote this I found out quite by serendipity that my satellite service
(Dish Network) has a Hawaiian CD Music Channel that plays nothing but Hawaiian
songs 24 hrs/day! Even better!!!)
What's
New?
PAYPAL!!!! Have you noticed in January we added the PayPal shopping cart
service? This makes a world of difference to you. Now you can use
your credit cards securely to order online. You can still mail order with
the order form if you prefer. PayPal is more convenient and is really
becoming a popular mode of payment online. My DH and I have used it to buy
on auctions, send money, and it's secure!
CONNECTING THREADS!!!! Now you can buy your fabric from a link on our site to Connecting Threads. We are now an official affiliate of theirs. Since I don't sell fabric on this site, this is a convenient way for you to shop for your fabric that you need to make my projects with. And their selection of fabric, books, and notions is top notch. And it helps me out, too. Think about it when you print out all those FREE blocks of the month. Why not purchase the fabric from a link here too. Look for the link on our Index, Block of the Month, Newsletter, Links, & Pattern pages.
New Free Block of the Month: Starting this month is the Heart Trio Table Runner. This is an advanced appliqué project. It consists of 5 blocks and measures 22" x 34" in Red/White/Green. This also would be attractive in Blue Willow colors, I think. The heart blocks are only 6" blocks, so it is recommended for advanced quilters.
Update 2/5/02: New PATTERN!---I'm proud of "PROUD MAMAS"! This is a new crib quilt pattern hot off the press. It measures 54 x 60, so it's plenty big for big or little babies. I'll put my pieced top on the gallery page. This is a 11-block pattern set. Some are 6", some are 12". No template piecing and one is foundation piecing. You could also use either the top half or the bottom half of the quilt for a wall hanging to match the crib quilt. Here's a pattern pic:
And don't forget Granny's Tip of the Month for February!
May you always have a quilt in the hoop, I try to.
Cya,
Claudia
January 31, 2002
ARCHIVES:
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
(Copyright © 2001, 2002 Claudia E. Plett, all rights reserved)
home........free
BOM.......tip of the month.........patterns........misc
4 sale........
long
arm patterns........links........order
form........ask
granny........gallery
