A Quilt With a Purpose… I Think

 

This quilt was made for a reason.  I just don’t really know what it is.  The quilt isn’t finished, but you can read about it here.

 

 

 

Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! 2010

Ipod Disaster Remedy

Have you ever had your computer crash, and lost your iTunes in the process?  My hubby’s died last November.  We had to take it to the computer doctor (to whom we will never go back) who proceeded to wipe it clean of everything, and oh, forgot to save his iTunes library. 

Today, we finally restored his iTunes to his computer, half a year later.  The songs were on his iPod, so he could still listen to them (all 28 days worth), but he couldn’t add any new music to it. Should you ever have this problem, I strongly recommend using iGadget software, which you can download from the Internet.  It was SO easy to use!!!

I finished the August calendar block today, and I love it!  It just might be my favorite so far!  You’ll see it in a few days… I’m working on the directions.

Hope you had a great weekend! 

Puzzle Time: "Bars With Stars"

Don't you love doing puzzles? Here's a great one for a Saturday morning!

BarsWithStars1983B

If you have fun with this, there are more puzzle quilts here!

Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! 2010

It’s almost time to ASK!

Be thinking of some questions you have about quilting!  On the 10th of every month, Michigan Quilts! will post a Question and Answer session featuring questions YOU have about quilting.  Your hostess, Caron (that would be me) will try to answer the best she can, but will hand off to other experts if need be.  So between now and July 10th, send your questions to Caron by emailing her at:

Caron Mosey at gmail dot com

Take out the spaces and put the symbols where they go in the email address

Two Different Styles of Quilt Teachers: Which Do You Like Best?

Ask yourself this question:

Why do people take quilt classes?

Is it because they…

A) Like to learn new techniques to help them become better quilters

or

B) Have a desire to be around quilty people and be entertained?

Before I begin, let me get this out in the open so that it is already discussed and we can put it past us.  I firmly believe that it is possible to want to do both.  And I believe that a good teacher… a really good teacher… is capable of teaching new techniques effectively in an entertaining manner.    There.  That’s done.

Now, really, think about it.  If you go to any quilt class you will see people from both sides of this discussion.   You will see A) people who really are serious about learning a new technique and want to incorporate that learning into their quilting, and B) people who really don’t care what they learn as long as they are entertained by joking, laughing, giggly, goofy quilt instructors. 

Are you a quilt instructor?  If so, it’s important that you understand that within your classroom, wherever that may be, you WILL have people attending who seriously are there to learn.  They have paid good money that they may have saved a long, long time, and they are serious about their financial commitment.  They will have a notebook with them to take copious notes.  They may sit as close to you as they possibly can, so as not to miss a single word you say.  They will have their camera at hand to take photos of you demonstrating techniques.  They’re probably not as likely to take cute photos of classmates or hand their camera to someone else to get their picture taken with you.  Their goal is knowledge, and you better give it to them.  Lots of it!

Also in your class, you will have students who really believe you are a comedian.  That’s what they want when they come.  They love quilters and anything quilty.  They want to talk fabric, four-patch quilts, and whatever “flavor of the month” pattern is circulating around the Internet and LQS (Local Quilt Shop).  They expect jokes.  They expect silliness.  They are counting on you to be on your best performance in the classroom.  They have a bag of sewing supplies, but their goal really is a good, funny, social atmosphere for their day/evening/week away.  And you better give it to them. Lots of it. 

I’m going to sneak one other person into the mix, just because.    Just because, while you will have both the serious learners and the giggly girls in your group, you are almost always guaranteed one person in the room who knows more than you.  That person will keep you hopping.  S/he will explain to everyone other techniques that might (in his or her opinion) work better than the one you are demonstrating.  S/he will talk about different types of fabrics, where to buy them cheaper, what the other teachers’ philosophies are, and yank your conversation out from under your chin before you can even say “whole cloth trapunto quilt.” 

If you’re a quilt instructor, spend some time before your next class planning for these two-plus-one more scenarios.  A good teacher always prepares well in advance, not just for the lesson itself, but for possible behavioral issues that may arise.  Behavior problems aren’t exclusive to children.  Adults are just children with more practice. 

Too much preparation is a very good thing.

Caron Mosey, Ed.S.

Caron is a former K-12 classroom teacher, elementary principal and university instructor.  She has taught quilting nation-wide, including several years at the AQS shows in Paducah.  

Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! Copyright 2010

Make the most of your time

Do you have problems being productive?

I'm amazed when I surf through blogs and see the amount of projects some people are able to accomplish.  Here are some suggestions to boost your productivity and squeeze more into your day.

• Get up earlier and start working.  Author Nikki Arana http://www.nikkiarana.com/ and I emailed back and forth a few years ago, and I learned that she is up before the birds, sitting in front of her computer writing.  By the time her husband and family are up, she's put in 3-4 hours of undisturbed work time.  This doesn't work for everyone, but you can see the dedication she has for her writing. 
• Keep a list of your projects.  I keep my list on iGoogle.com,  but you can keep yours anywhere that works for you.  I find that by really limiting my list, I stay more focused.  I will not let myself add a new project to the list until something that is already on the list is completed and crossed off.  This really seems to work for me.
• Prepare ahead.  During the last year of my mother's life, I spent a lot of time by her side.  I had prepared ziplock bags ahead of time.  Each bag had precut pieces for one scrappy Bear’s Paw quilt block.  I made sure I always had a bag with me, and
• inside the bag I would tuck a smaller ziplock bag with a few pins, needle, thread, thimble and  scissors.  Whenever I visited mom, at home, in the hospital or later in her hospice room, I could sit and sew while we talked.  Whenever I'd finish a block, she wanted to touch it, look at it, and rub it on her cheek.   That is a special quilt for me now that mom is gone.
• Establish goals for yourself.  I wanted to force myself to try new things and be more productive, so last fall I decided to do the Block-of-the-month calendar.  That decision has forced me to produce something new every month for one year. While it's been stressful at times, it has also helped me complete something every 30 days. 
• Don't watch television without something to do on your lap.  It doesn't matter if it's a sewing or knitting project or a laptop computer... if you're going to sit in front of the T.V., multi-task!
• Keep your main sewing area neat and tidy.  Do as I say, not as I do.  If mine were neater, I would get more done.  Trust me. 

How do you stay productive?  Share your ideas with us by leaving a comment below.

 

Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! 2010

A little of this, a little of that

Karen Ann Buckley has a beautiful post on her blog that includes photographs from her trip to Charlevoix, Michigan.  She even has a photo taken on the channel of the condo my parents used to own.  I love the Charlevoix area… and all of northern Michigan.  If it weren’t for the tons of snow in the winter, you could easily persuade me to move up there.  Thanks for the pictures, Karen! 

Would you believe I have never taken a quilt class before?  Oh, I’ve taught lots of classes, but never TAKEN one.  I had an opportunity to take a class with quilt portrait specialist Aniko Feher on Monday, and I loved it!    She taught us the basic methods of shading, positioning, shading with watercolor pencils and so much more.  I learned a lot and brought my little sample home to finish it.  I’m going to do a second portrait using my mother’s photo, and I’m excited about that.  Thanks for the class, Aniko!

Don’t forget about the giveaway at Michigan Quilts! 

The drawing in July 4th, so you have a few weeks left to enter.

Medallion Quilts: Lots of Links

I have always loved medallion quilts, but until the last year, never attempted one.  Until “Wedding Medallion in Blue.”  There is a good description of medallion quilts on Womenfolk.com that provides lots of details.

I have a lot of respect for the makers of medallions.  As described on Womenfolk, “Although the centers of many medallion quilts were exquisite, just as fascinating are the numerous styles seen in the multiple borders on these quilts.”  While I loved doing the design and appliqué on the center of the quilt (the focal point), it was the borders that took the longest to make.  Each border had to be measured precisely, and the blocks designed to wrap the corners perfectly.  One little goof in the math and you’re done!

I should mention the center portion where the appliqué is.  I wanted something feathery, yet didn’t know exactly what.  Then one day at work I was looking for a piece of clipart for something I was writing and came across these feathers.  In clipart form, they measured about 1.5 inches long.  But with a copy machine you can blow them up to any size.   I enlarged them a little, then adjusted the pattern the way I wanted it.  When I had the design I liked, I then blew them up even larger.  Voila!  Patterns for the appliqué’ were made, and the stitching began.  I love how they turned out!

Moral of the story:  Microsoft can be a designer’s best friend.

Here are some links to other medallion quilts:

Mariner’s Medallion

Antique English Medallion

Washington Medallion Quilt

Flower Basket Medallion Quilt

American Eagle Medallion Quilt

Hedgehog’s Medallion

Have you made a medallion quilt?   Share a link to a picture of it.  We’d all like to see more!

Wedding Medallion in Blue

 

“Wedding Medallion in Blue”

60 inches square

Hand applique’, machine pieced, hand quilted 2009-2010 by Caron Mosey as a gift for the wedding shower for Margaret Carson and Loren Mosey.  Shower held at Domino Farms, Ann Arbor, MI, June 12, 2010.  Note:  Shower entertainment included belly dancers and lessons for the ladies in the bridal party!  Lots of fun!

Setting Up Your Own Quilting Business

Have you given any thought to setting up your own quilting business?

Whether you are thinking about setting up a small business for a machine quilting service, a business featuring your own quilting designs for sale, or a shop that sells quilting fabric and notions for sale online, there are so many different factors to consider that it can make your head spin.

There is no short supply, either, of home-based quilting businesses.  All you have to do is open any of the many quilting magazines and look at the back section of advertising to see the vast array of business owners trying to make a living in the quilt world.  And, with each business goes thousands of hours and even more dollars invested.  Before you invest any money, invest your time doing the research.

When I think of a quilting business,  I think fabric.  Fabric is the life-blood of the quilter.  Without fabric, where are we?  There are so many online fabric shops – yet the one that I always seem to turn to is eQuilter.com. eQuilter has grown from a small business to now having a 15,000 sq ft warehouse full of fabric.  15,000 square feet!  That’s huge! To get some idea of the workings behind the scene, visit their About page and do some reading.

Are you thinking about selling quilting patterns?  Whenever I think about looking for quilting designs, I go to Quilter’s Cache. Quilter’s Cache is a great, free site with hundreds of patterns for quilt blocks that are free.  There are also patterns you can purchase, and it is the advertising and sale of patterns that helps her make money from Marcia’s site.  Because the site is a gift of love, Marcia has set up a donation button to help fund the free patterns.

Any home-based quilting business will require:

• initial financial stash
• advertising and promotion – good photos are critical, as is someone to design your marketing for you
• a good website designed by someone who knows what they’re doing
• product – what are you going to sell?
• labor – who will do the work?  If you pay others, you need more money.  If you do it yourself, you need more time!
• Space – will you work in your basement, dining room, attic, spare bedroom or do you need to buy or rent real estate?
• 48 hour days

The main thing you need to be successful in any quilting business is time for research.  Do your due diligence.  Here are three sites to get you started:

• Quilt Professionals
• Start Your Own Quilting Business
• Long Arm Quilting Machines

It’s a GIVEAWAY at Michigan Quilts!

I asked, you told what you wanted, and I listened.  Here it is!

Quilts, Coverlets, Rugs and Samplers by Robert Bishop

and

“Bag ‘o Fun”- a large ziplock bag full of precut 3 inch squares, just itching to be put into a quilt!

Here’s what you need to do to get your name in the drawing:

1. Leave a comment below telling something you know about the great State of Michigan.  A little trivia never hurt anybody!
2. Tell what state YOU are from (sorry, only United States entries will be accepted).
3. Add yourself as a Follower to Michigan Quilts! It's at the very bottom of the page.  Keep scrollin'!   If you are already a follower, let me know that in your comment
4. Mention the giveaway on your own blog.
5. In order for you to win, I must be able to see your blog AND you must have your email on your profile or on your blog so I can contact you.

The drawing will take place on July 4th!  You can remember that date, right? 
Let the entries begin!!!

What do you want to know about quilting? ASK!

No matter who you are or how long you’ve been quilting… we all have questions.  On or around the 10th of each month, Michigan Quilts! will have a question and answer session called
“ASK.”
You post a question in the comment section… Other people will chime in and respond. 
Your questions might be about fabric:  “How many yards do I need to buy for a backing for a queen size quilt?”
They might be about thread:  “I’m hand quilting and don’t know what kind of thread to use that won’t tangle.”
They might be about batting:  “What kind of batting is easiest for hand quilting?  For machine quilting?”
They might be about needles: “What needles do you use for applique?”
The possibilities are endless! 
Go ahead… ASK us something!

Becoming a Rockstar Quilter

I refuse to purchase a quilt kit. 

 

 

When I wrote my first quilt book back in the early 1980’s, my editor at the American Quilter’s Society asked me to include some patterns in the book.  I said no then.  America’s Pictorial Quilts features individual quilts made by individual quilters.   No two quilts are alike, and you’d be hard pressed to find a duplicate anywhere that is exactly the same.

I believe in individuality.  One of the reasons I enjoy quilting so much is that there are thousands and thousands of colors and patterns of fabric available to choose from.  You don’t look like me (for which you should be grateful).  Your house doesn’t look like mine.  Why should your quilt look like mine?

I understand that there are patterns available for quilts.  I have drafted patterns myself, and offer patterns free on this site for the Block of the Month Calendar project.  But you will never, I repeat, NEVER see me offer a pattern AND the exact same fabric to make a clone like mine.  I don’t believe in clones.

When you go to a quilt show, look around at the BEST quilts you see.  They are usually not clones.  They were designed by a quilter, sewed by the quilter, and painstakingly worked on to create the beautiful item you see hanging before you.  Chances are, that quilter has made many quilts before that are just as unique, and will continue to make unique quilts after this one is taken home and tucked away.

We are amazed at the phenomenal quilts by Caryl Bryer Fallert.  Why doesn’t she have quilt kits for her work?   Because it takes away that which makes her work uniquely hers.  And why would we WANT a quilt kit for anything she has made?  In my opinion, the clone is never as good as the original.  If I bought a kit and made a clone, it would be a pathetic attempt at best.  I’d rather drool over Caryl’s work and own a book that features her quilts than try and replicate one myself!

I remember when I went to my senior prom, I was upset because my mom had made my dress.  Nobody I knew had their mom make their dress, and it embarrassed me.  Not that mom wasn’t a good seamstress, because she was, and the dress was beautiful. But it was home-made.  Several gals had on identical dresses in the same color from the same store, and they all looked alike.  They were angry that someone had worn THEIR dress!  I didn’t have that worry.  Nobody had a dress like mine!  I was unique! 

I encourage you to keep creating quilts that nobody else has made.  Take a traditional pattern if you wish, but do something cool and jazzy with it that puts YOUR spin on it.  Or make up a pattern of your own and run with it.  Do something different!  Do something YOU!

I realize that kits are made for people who might not otherwise make a quilt on their own.  I know they serve a purpose.  But I don’t have to like them.

How do you feel about quilt kits?  Have you ever made a quilt from a kit?  Did you like it?

Chime in with your two cents.   Leave a comment below, or send me a direct message on Twitter.

Michigan Quilts! Comment Policy

Why does a quilt blog need a policy on comments? Geesh!

Michigan Quilts! Loves it when readers leave comments. It lets me know that what is put on the website is actually being looked at by human eyes. The pictures are seen, the words are (hopefully) read or skimmed over. Most of the comments that are left here are good and greatly appreciated.

So what can you do with the comment section on this blog? More than you can on some other blogs.

Here are some things you can include:

• Responses to an article that agree or disagree intellectually. If you like a quilt, tell WHY. Say more than just “very pretty.” Tell WHY you think it’s pretty.
• If you read an article in Michigan Quilts! that shows a technique and you have a different technique that you like, it’s okay to share, just don’t make us look stupid.  Please.  With sugar on top.
• If you like something and leave a comment, can you tell someone else? Share the article with a friend, or forward a link to a new quilter.
• If you read the blog and like it, tell us, then click on the FOLLOW button so you can come back for more.
• If you want to share a link with the Michigan Quilts! readers, feel free! (Some blogs object, but I don’t.) Just be polite and don’t self-promote and spam yourself all over the Internet via this blog. Once in a great while is fine. Just be kind.

What you can’t do in the comment section:

• Go off topic. If an article is about Amish quilts, don’t tell us about a great knitting pattern you just published on your own site for $19.95.  That will get you a wedgie.   A big one. 
• Be rude. Don’t be rude on Michigan Quilts! If you’re rude, I’ll send my evil elf to your house to unorganize your stash big time! Threads will be cut. Bleach will be used. Rotary cutters will have their blades bent. It won’t be pretty.
• Post racist or obscene comments.  Come on, people… be kind.
• Violate trademarks, copyrights or intellectual property rights in your comments.  I have sued for copyright infringement before.  I know how it’s done. 

What you do that ticks us off:

• Leave comments with no possible way for us to send you a splendidly nice email saying thank you. Before you leave comments, please make sure that you have enabled your email address so that we may reach you.

A Quilt for Multiple Sclerosis

I work for a specialty pharmacy in Mid-Michigan and had an opportunity to help raise money for Multiple Sclerosis by making a quilt block representing our company (top right corner).  The block is our company logo.  The quilt is now “on tour” around the country, and I just received this photo of it in its finished glory.  Love the colors!

---

This is a Mayan incensario that I appliqued and embroidered last winter.  It is now part of a FINISHED quilt called “2013: Mayan Tree of Life Lives.”  Wish I could show it to you, but the exhibit isn’t until September, and I can’t show the whole thing until then.  


The Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational exhibit opens September 10, 2010 in Flint, Michigan.  
Mark your calendars – hope to see you there!

Sometimes it’s so hard…

Making something and waiting to give it to the recipient… and not wanting to let the cat out of the bag lest the surprise get ruined.

This time next Saturday… I can show you.

Not until then.  And it’s driving me CRAZY waiting!

Our little bunny… waiting in the grass

July Block of the Month

Who doesn’t like to go to the beach in July?  And watch a sunset?

Going to the beach in the summer is one of my favorite things to do.  Whether it is a lake, ocean or even a river, water has always stolen my heart in summer. 

This is a simple block to make.  The sun is paper pieced, the letters are fused… though you could needle turn applique’ them if you choose. 

I chose to do simple quilting, very close together, in horizontal squiggly lines.   I chose an orange for the quilting on the top portion of the block, and blue for the bottom.  I love how it turned out! 

 

Hint:  If you trace the lines on the paper piecing sheet with pencil, you can leave the paper right in when you quilt.  It gives it a crisp finish, and nobody will know they are there.  This is likely not to be washed, and even if it does, it won’t hurt anything.  I never do that with a quilt, but often do on small wallhangings and get good results.

The pattern is located here.