One more treasure to share

Of course, you realize when I say SHARE, I mean share visually with you. Of course, I'm not sharing this project with you! 

I seem to be a magnet for UFOs. And I don't mind. It does depend on the UFO of course and while I was prepping for that presentation on log cabin quilts, I came across another treasure that I had forgotten about. This one was donated to me by someone in one of my guilds. I don't think I purchased it. So yes (and NO JUDGING HERE), if you have a cool project that is languishing in your closet and you no longer want it and want to get rid of it (for free - I don't buy these things), then e-mail me and tell me about it. I love scrap quilts, log cabins. I don't need or want any of the current or modern stuff - I have plenty of that. Just saying!

This treasure is also a log cabin quilt called Log Cabin in the Round. I do believe I have a pattern for it in my book collection, but you can tell that this one was started a few years back when those teeny calico prints were in.

I haven't really taken inventory of the box, but there is a lot of strips already cut.

Box of strips for the log cabin in the round quilt

There are some completed blocks - notice that ALL of the seams are on a curve. This is a very unusual pattern.

Some of the blocks for the log cabin in the round

Actually, most of the blocks are done in the courthouse steps setting.

How was the marking done?  There is a muslin foundation for all the blocks and it looks like it was marked with a heat transfer pen.

One of the muslin foundations for the blocks

So you see, there are many projects hidden away in several nooks and crannies. It's obscene. I really need to be working on the ones that I would like to own and enjoy rather than off to do a bunch of other stuff. But I want to do it ALL!!!!

Obviously, that isn't going to happen, but I'm going to have fun while I can.

I've got a sit n sew today and I just had to move everything off the work tables and into one corner of the room. I was hoping that more of it would be dealt with, but that just didn't happen.  But I'm making progress and not too many new things are being added.

It's been a crazy busy week. Not only was I getting the long arm back in business, but I had two evening classes to teach and one more on Friday. These are classes at the new quilt shop in Milton - Oh Look Fabric. Some of the store clientele are new to sewing and new to quilting so the classes are geared as such. That seems to be a bit of a trend for modern quilt shops - people who have never sewed before are coming in to learn.  Let's say that it's exciting to teach someone who has never used a rotary cutter - can you imagine that? or someone who has never used a sewing machine. It's exciting because we may have a new quilter on our hands! But it's also very "scary" - you don't want anyone to injure themselves with the cutter and will they get the cutting, sewing, etc.

The first night we did a table runner. Only one student was able to attend that night which was lucky for her. She got a private class. Never touched a rotary cutter before and in three hours, she had most of the top done. Granted, she was familiar with her sewing machine as she was a garment sewist. There was a lot to learn - chain piecing, strip piecing, but she managed just fine.

Table runner - the top is ALMOST completed

Last night, I taught a couple of people how to make a pillowcase. No experience with rotary cutters or sewing machines!!!  Both of them finished their pillowcase!!!   There's a good chance that if you're reading this blog, that you have some experience with the rotary cutter and sewing machine, but if you know someone who wants to learn to sew and lives in the area - I'm open to teaching anything!!

I had both ends of the spectrum last night from the very easy to the challenging. This was the easy pillowcase. No band, no directional fabric. The pictures don't do justice to the projects, but she did a great job and it looked awesome.

One finished pillowcase

 The second person - same thing - no rotary cutting or sewing machine experience. AT ALL - NONE.  And wouldn't you know it, she brought directional fabric. Not just directional fabric for the body of the pillowcase, but directional for the band as well. Plus she wanted trim on hers.

Two directional prints on the pillowcase

And the directional print for the band and the fabric for the trim were both not long enough so they had to be cut and sewed together!  Oh yes - a few challenges along the way, BUT the pillowcase got done just as the time was up!!!

Pillowcase - DONE with TWO directional prints

 I have written instructions for making the pillowcase using directional fabric (but not for the band - those instructions happened on the fly last night) and making the pillowcase using nondirectional fabric. You can download the directional print for the body only instructions from the Northcott website. If you want the one using nondirectional fabric, perhaps you can get in touch with me and I'll forward to you. The only difference is the cutting instructions. Or you can sign up for the class and make the pillowcase in the class.

It's super exciting to see the students have those lightbulb moments, especially with the way this pillowcase goes together. A lot of fun, but today is a fun day for me. Well of sorts as while I'll be spending the day sewing with friends, I'll be working on stuff for my classes on the weekend.

I'm teaching the double wedding ring on Saturday morning at The Hobby Horse. In the afternoon, I'll be teaching a paper pieced pillow, also at The Hobby Horse. I've got a few new tricks up my sleeve for paper piecing that is going to make things a whole lot easier!! Of course, I'm not going to share them with you here. You'll have to take the class!!!  And then there is the Friday night paper piecing class at Oh Look Fabric but that class is full. Crazy busy - but I love to teach! It's in my blood.

I have one other thing to share with you and that's about Libby. Libby is the app that you can download to manage (and read or listen) to audiobooks/e-books from your local library. I was messing around with my iPad one night and thought I would install the app on that device in addition to my phone. Well, if you use the app from the phone to get a code for the app on the iPad (or another device you're using), the darn things SYNC with each other. So if you're reading/listening on the iPad and then you switch to the phone - it knows exactly where you were. How cool is that!!!!   I learned that one all by myself. And I figured it out all by myself as well. Just make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi when you SYNC - otherwise it won't sync over the cellular network. My phone wouldn't sync until it was connected - there may be a setting to change that.

And on a very happy note, I'd like to say that I figured out how to put that long arm back together again. I'll share the entire story with you tomorrow???  It was a challenge and took several days because my brain just couldn't cope with all those bits. I quilted a small table runner yesterday to check out the basic freehand side of the machine. I have a customer quilt that is urgent to get done. It's loaded and partially completed. Then I'll play with the computer to see how that works. But I'll share the whole story later!!!

Hae a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!