Saturday Lists, Stash, & 150 Canadian Women

The Day of Big Lists 

and Why You Should Have One

More than any other time of year, this is the Craziest (with a capital "C") for most of us. There would be no other opportune moment for me to plug the value of making lists than today, one week before Christmas and Hanukkah. My current lists are:

Santa's List

Shopping

Home and Holiday Budgets

Calendars: His, Hers, Theirs, Yours

Menus

Travel Itineraries

Studio Work/ Holiday Sewing

Scrappy Dresden Baby Quilt

No Pressure Quilts

Can I tell you what I love most about making baby quilts?  I love that when someone looks at this quilt, it's only going to be for a moment before their eyes go back to the new baby. They aren't going to see the little imperfections you and I might pick apart with our eyes. This is about the baby--not the quilt! No pressure. But for the sake of letting you in on what I learned, I'll pick apart the process. 

Mish Mash Monday: Piecing, Projects, & Partnerships

A Little Bit Sweet

Oh, Sweet Monday! Through the wonders of air travel, I woke up in foggy Florida, and was back in a snowy Ohio by lunchtime. I was travelling very light, and my computer was stashed at home--not my choice. My little phone had such a workout to stay connected, but with big limitations for me. Can I please do a quick catch up for you?

Last Friday morning I started a quickie project with 2.5" strips, and a Creative Grids ruler. I turned out this Dresden Plate early in the morning, then used the rest of my free time before my trip to blanket stitch it on to a low volume background. I added a few spunky borders to round it out to a 36" square, and it was ready for something I'd never tried before.

Give Away Days at Sew Mama Sews

Give Away Time At Sew Mama Sew!

It's Here! It's Time! Are You Ready?

It rolls around just once a year now, and it's fun for everyone involved. Let's just say it feels like Christmas comes early for quilters.

I'm going to make this short and sweet. I'm giving away a new tool I've found, and am over-the-top thrilled with. I used it cutting out triangle for this lovely flying geese quilt, and anytime I have stacks of fabric to cut through. 

Cutting HST with Directional Prints & Studio Goals List

November's Bee Hive Block

This pop of color was No. 6 on last week's To-Do List. It's the next-to-last Bee Hive Block to complete for the year. Blossom Heart Quilts organizes the Hives every year, and the blocks made for it come from a free archive of block tutorials hosted there. 

Blossom Heart Quilts Bee Hive Tutorials

This one was presented with a technique I wasn't comfortable with, but Alyce gave her modified version, which simply uses all HST. I was using 2 directional prints for the star tips, and want to show you a hint to make this work.

Vintage Quilt Block Finds & My List

Vintage Star Blocks: 

Depression Fabric and Feedsack

I'm SO curious! Please tell me if there 

is a special name for a Morning Star 

block in a hexie setting!

This past weekend was Small Business Saturday, but I carried it over to my Sunday excursion. I wasn't shopping for quilt blocks, but one of my favorite little stores had a package of 69 blocks in a bin. I hemmed and hawed, but in the end decided I'd kick myself if I didn't get them. Little did I know at the time their full beauty. It took my breath away as I went through the blocks at home.

Piecing Accurately by Cutting Larger

Low Volume Four Patches for 'En Provence'
A Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt Along

This wasn't the post I intended for today, but I've learned a technique that rocked my Quilt World. I've got to share it because it was so easy I'm almost ashamed to tell you--but we're all friends here. Right?

The Nasty Scant Quarter Inch Problem

The Secret to Making Lists

People have different ideas about which day starts their week. You'll notice calendars are split between which day is first at the top--Sunday or Monday. Many people make their To-Do Lists on Monday morning. It may be unusual, but Saturday morning is when I mentally set up my coming week. My weekends are more or less unstructured so I am free to sew if there aren't other commitments, and that means an extended time instead of a few minutes or hour here and there. Using that time wisely takes strategy, and I set up the rest of the week while I'm at it. I'm a serious list maker.

Black Friday: Things to Consider

When you are a quilter, and anticipating Black Friday to Cyber Monday sales, tell me what honestly goes through your mind? Great deals, gorgeous new fabric, the fresh smell? Oh, me, too! I love to shop for quilting supplies, but I have only once experienced a Black Friday in a store. It involved walking in with young kids in tow, and dropping my jaw. You had to be kidding! Where did all those people come from? I turned heel, and drove home. I know what things cost, and how most pricing structures work. That chaos is not worth the stress. Give me a comfy chair, and a lap top!

Antique Quilts & A Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is more than a feast for the belly. I have another one here for the eyes! This is one of my earliest posts, but I was reminded of it when I searched for a turkey post to link up with Val's Archives this week. I am thankful for so much in my life, but health, people and quilts top the list. Allow me to share a few special family quilts and their stories with you to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to each one of you, 

and remember on this day of thanks...

Above all, be kind.

All the quilts shown here belong to my husband's family. They were on loan awaiting a cloudy day to photograph. It gave me time to get to know them, and fall in love with this one most of all. I love every inch of this quilt! It has a lurid history that we are too proper to get in to here, but let it suffice to say, I think it's to die for. It's the ultimate Eye Candy. There's no firm date, but the family history puts it around the 1930's, and it appears to be made without a batting layer.