I’m not sure this is exactly what they meant when the guild asked if I’d do a string quilt trunk show… but, I’m ready! 😉
I’ve numbered the quilts and re-folded them. I want to undo them so they’re in halves, making it easier for volunteers to show the quilts.
The numbers let members note which photos they want, so I can email or text them. I plan to speak for half an hour, so I need to discourage picture-taking to keep things moving smoothly.
I tested loading my cart so I’d be able to move them from my car to the building in two trips and ensured there was space in the car for the cart, covering it to keep the quilts clean.
I also practiced the main points I want to mention, clocking myself each time to make sure I can stay on schedule. The packets to pass around each table include sample blocks, wood picks for paper removal, and Walmart bags for trash. Living in hot, humid South Florida, I prefer paper foundations that are removed rather than adding an extra layer with a muslin or old sheets that stay in the quilt and add extra weight.
My goal is to show how easy it is to remove the paper while I talk and display the quilts, just as I do while watching TV to show how achievable it is.
The toughest part has been narrowing down the quilts to 25. Now that I’ve made that decision, I’m excited to share my love of string quilts with my friends.
Wish me luck!
Someone asked me why my signature says “Pat E.” when my last name starts with an “S”. The reason is two-fold: my middle name starts with “E”, and I was nicknamed “Patty” (Pat E) when I was young. My siblings and friends still call me that, but most people know me as “Pat”. 🙂
There is one thing I know to be true… and it’s this:
If you learn how to quilt and enjoy it, you’ll never be bored again. Ever.
Even when I’m driving or waiting for an appointment, I’m thinking about quilts. 🙂
I spent most of the day working on a quilt block. Yes, I said “a” quilt block. Almost the entire day and I have only one block to show for it. 🫣
I’ve had this string quilt by Bumbleberry Stitches on my mind for a while now. Actually, almost 7 years to the day. It’s from the 2019 String Blog Hop.
Today was the day to work on recreating the block. I’m using solids for the strings and pieced neutrals with black for the contrast.
After several attempts, I finally have a cutting template for the center section that works.
I also made a mess, actually three messes, because when you’re working with strings, one mess is never enough!
The block is done and trimmed to 9 1/2″.
Do you see the two red circles on the block below? It took me a couple of tries to make sure I left that 1/4″ seam allowance on both sides so the points won’t get chopped off when the blocks are sewn together. Normally, I don’t worry about perfectly matched points when I’m making string quilts. These types of quilts are often a little wonky and that’s half their charm.
This time, I decided to make an exception. I’ll find out when it’s finished if it was worth the extra effort.
I was pretty busy this week but I don’t have any finished quilts to show for it.
The quilt I finished today is the 7th guild quilt since Thursday. I’m glad to see our Community Outreach nearing the completion of the 400+ quilts that were in storage when the current chairwoman took over. To say I’m impressed she was able to handle such a big task is an understatement.
On Saturday, I have a quilt trunk show at my guild, so I’ve been laying my quilts on the guest room bed, one at a time, for the last two weeks. I lightly spray the top of each quilt with water and smooth out the wrinkles. Once it dries, I add the next quilt. They won’t lie completely flat but closer to it and, they’ll look better than if they had been folded for months without this extra step.
This week, I made the 80 string blocks I’ve wanted. Members of the Heartstrings Quilt Project regularly create rainbow string blocks. I loved this one by Stephanie from 2020. She’s an Australian member who shared her tips to help me recreate her layout. I enjoy seeing her quilts and wish I could see them in person. The work of all group members is so inspiring! I get excited to go to my sewing room every time a new photo is posted.
I’m starting to think our cat, Rocky, enjoys string blocks as much as I do! These were made with paper foundations that I still need to remove, and I’ll have to iron that top pink block better. 🫣
I’ve been organizing my sewing room and that’s the reason my small cutting mat is on this table. I did manage to whittle the pile on my cutting table from it’s original 2′ to only 1′ tall now. More work ahead but, it’s not insurmountable.
This small basket of scraps and the second one I’ve already started had me stumped all week. Today, I made a plan.
I’m cutting kid-friendly fabrics into 4 1/2″ and 6 1/2″ squares to create Mary’s Happy Blocks or perhaps her twisted version. I’ve made happy block quilts before and love how adorable and quick they are. I also have Sharon Craig’s book Twist ‘N Turn and have used its method for making cats and dogs on the beach blocks. I’m looking forward to trying it starting with smaller squares like Mary’s version.
I plan to cut the non-kid-friendly scraps into 2 1/2″ strips and add the narrower pieces to my strings. I don’t want to create more storage for scraps that I’m unable to sort by color. I know that if I do, they’ll just sit unused until I find them years later. I have enough fabric for adult quilts, so I don’t need to save small chunks.
The scraps are sorted by color, but I don’t use black scraps often enough for them to warrant a dedicated space to store them. Instead, I’ll use the small basket they were in for the strips I’ll be cutting.
The 2 1/2″ strip size creates fun, quick quilts to donate. Keeping them visible will help ensure they get used!
I’m using the black scraps I had been saving to make a scrappy binding for my next quilt that includes black in the design.
I may have shared this before but, this is how I sort my strings. Most of the drawers contain strings sorted by color, but a few are organized by type: batik, patriotic, kid-friendly, and adult.
My husband riveted sheet metal to the backs of both string carts to stabilize them. It stops them from being wobbly when I roll them to my sewing machine to start making blocks. We used an old street sign he found in a ditch. He dislikes waste and is always thinking of ways to make the discarded things he finds into something useful. I can’t count how many times he has brought home exactly what I need. ♥
I planned this one before Christmas and I finally got around to working on it. I’m really happy with how it turned out.
Instead of using sashing with string blocks, I used string sashing with pieced blocks. I began with a dozen 10″ x 12.5″ string rectangles (the blocks in the lower left corner of the photo below).
I chose not to use the blue and red stripe fabrics I originally considered because I just didn’t want to deal with trying to keep the stripe pieces all positioned in the correct direction. 😉 I also substituted the flag print for the center of the star after making the first block. I realized it was too busy and decided to use this star print on white instead.
I cut the string rectangles into four 2.5″ x 12.5″ pieces and used them for pieced sashing units. I’d considered mixing up the all the 2.5″ wide pieces but decided to keep them in pairs when I made the sashing.
I purchased a bolt of bleached muslin from Marshall Dry Goods to use as backing for NICU quilts that I plan to make for future donations and decided to test it on the back of this quilt first.
It was soft right off the bolt and better quality than I expected at the price. I washed it first to check for shrinkage and how it would feel after the sizing was washed out of the fabric.
The muslin did not shrink at all, wasn’t too thin, and felt like a nice soft bed sheet. I’m really happy with it and the cost makes it very affordable!
I’ve been thinking a lot this week about our nephew, a Senior Master Sergeant in the US Air Force, and praying he doesn’t get deployed to fight in a war.
Then on Friday, my husband noticed the poor stock market performance while watching TV, and we spent the evening discussing how to move more of his retirement money into a bond fund for safety. We’ve experienced recessions and bear markets before. As we age, we realize we don’t have as much time to recover from them as we used to so we hope we’re making wise decisions.
When I first woke up this morning, I saw the little quilt I finished binding last night draped over the arm of the couch. It’s made with expensive quilt shop purchased fabrics so I’ve been trying to decide “do I save it for the next time I need a new baby gift or, should I donate it?” I’m lucky I have that choice, but it’s disheartening to see the rising costs driving many people away from the craft altogether.
I felt a bit of melancholy, and starting my day an hour later because of the time change didn’t help. I didn’t feel like going for a walk, not one bit! An angel on my shoulder said, “Nothing gets better by not taking care of yourself. Just do it.” So, I got dressed and put on my sneakers, then stepped outside.
There was a light breeze and enough clouds in the sky to make the heat bearable. One of the first things I noticed when I began walking was the rose bush at the front of our home. My husband rescued it from a house in a neighborhood that was being demolished for airport expansion over 25 years ago. We have no idea how old it already was when he dug it up and transplanted it. A year or so later, we moved to our current home, and it was relocated once again. Today, it’s absolutely covered in blooms, and that gave me reason to smile.
After my 2.5 mile walk, I drank some water and sat down to schedule my Shingrix vaccine booster. With the walk finished and scheduling the booster shot both out of the way, I decided to take that little baby quilt outside for a photo before I folded it up and put it away.
Those few small actions have changed my whole mood. I started getting more ideas for little NICU quilts that I can work on at my Thursday quilting bee. I feel like doing stuff rather than planting myself in front of the t.v. which is how I woke up feeling.
I realized there are things I can’t control, like foreign wars, but I can take actions to improve my health and safeguard our financial future. I have to force myself to do them, especially when I don’t feel like it!
Burying your head in the sand is never a good thing and it’s important to be informed, however; when the news is depressing and I can’t seem to shake the feeling I need to remind myself that there are things I can control – like making quilts to donate. They help me feel better and, hopefully, the recipient too. It may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things and if I’m being honest, it is. When my choices though are to worry about things I can’t change or, to do something small. I’ll choose to do something small.
On tough days, it helps to Believe There is Good in the World and Be the Good.
Time to Quilt 