What I've been doing

Hello Pieceful Quilters,

First, I would like to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers over the past couple of months. My Dad's illness and subsequent passing were made so much easier by all of you - your kindness, sympathy, and above all, your patience, have been amazing! I can only hope for each of you as wonderful a circle of friends (for you are all my friends) as I have.

Now, in case you were wondering if I have been sitting around and staring into space, well, yes, to some extent you are right, however, I have taken my own advice to so many of you, and turned to my quilting for therapy. There is nothing quite so soothing as sitting at your machine and choosing fabric after fabric to put in a scrappy quilt, and then piecing them through in a long, long string of pieces. So, here are a couple of things I have been working on:

First, the most recent Sarah's Club project. I didn't quite have it done in time for the meeting last month, but it is finished now, and Vonnie has it all quilted. All I have to do is put on the binding and add a label. I am really pleased with it:

Sarah's Patriotic Quilt

Then, I have been working on three great scrappy projects at the same time. Sewing a bunch of pieces from each, then ironing and then more sewing. First is the 1000 Pyramids quilt that I am making from the Charm Squares we exchanged in Sarah Club. I still haven't found the two missing rows that I brought to the shop to show you. I am sure they will turn up, but in the meantime, I have continued to move along. Here is six more rows at the end of my guest room bed:

1000 Pyramids

Next comes the quilt I am working on using the triangles from the exchange. Some of you may have seen part of it at the demo, but here is some more on my design wall. I have started writing the pattern, too, and it will be available free on our website, soon.

Hidden Diamonds - Triangle Exchange Quilt

Finally, I have started my project for the next exchange. If you haven't heard, we will be exchanging 1" x WOF strips to make quilts from Edyta Sitars newest book, "Friendship Strips and Scraps." Information about the exchange is in our current newsletter. If you didn't receive one in the mail, you can download one from our website. I am doing this adorable Courthouse Steps quilt. The one in the book uses slightly bigger strips, but it is working just fine with 1" strips. Here are some of the blocks in progress on my ironing board. Don't they look kind of like they are floating? Hmmm - Magic!

Strip Exchange Project in Motion

So, no need to worry about me. I am doing fine, and getting plenty of therapy in my sewing room. Gosh - I might even finish something! And, if you see my missing triangles somewhere, please tell them to come home so I can add them to their quilt before I finish it!

Happy Sewing Therapy!

Carrie

New Sarah Club Quilt

Hello Pieceful Quilters,

While I was at Quilt Market in Houston, I had a chance to visit the Quilt Show. One of the exhibits was a collection of Patriotic quilts from the collection of Cindy Rennels of Cindy's Antique Quilts. I have purchased a couple of quilts from her, including the pink stars quilt we did in Sarah Club awhile back with the Entlish Paper Piecing. I fell in love with this quilt:

Isn't it a great quilt? Besides being patriotic, which I always love, I loved the way it leads your eyes around and around. Katie & I decided to reproduce it for Sarah's Sewing Circle club. I was sorry to have to miss the club meeting last week, and I had hoped to have more of the quilt done to show you, but it is done now - finally. The picture is below:

I made a few minor changes to make it more symetrical, and a little simpler. Kits are available at the shop. Enjoy!

Carrie

Hello Pieceful Quilters,

I want to tell you about a project that we got involved with. A few months ago, Jim Kreher, Deputy Fire Chief here in Fox River Grove, approached me about doing a quilt to raise funds for a scholarship in honor of the children that were involved in the bus accident here in 1995. As most of you probably know, seven high school students were killed, and many were injured when a commuter train hit the back of their bus, which had not cleared the crossing here at Algonquin Road. I lived here at the time, and it was a time I can never forget, so, of course, I agreed to do the quilt - not realizing just how involved it would get. I thought it would be a lap size t-shirt quilt featuring the local fire departments that had responded. Instead, we ended up with 42 patches and t-shirts from all the fire and police departments that responded, along with various other entities that were involved. It was a little overwhelming, to say the least.

Since we received mostly patches, we decided to do a star quilt with the patches centered in each star. Katie took the lead on the project and cut out all the pieces we needed to assemble the quilt. Then we called in staff, teachers and faithful friends to help us stitch it up. In one afternoon/evening, we put the entire center together! The borders were added, Vonnie quilted it, and all that is left to do is the binding and label!

Here are some pictures of the "sew-in" and almost finished quilt. Please read the end of this post to find out how you can help:

The Finished Quilt Front


And, the back...

How you can help:

I know, the poster is a little blurry, but what it boils down to is that the raffle tickets are available now, and at the blood drive this Saturday, October 23rd from 9-3 at the FRG Fire Station (just over the tracks on Algonquin Road).

We have suggested that they extend the time for ticket sales until the annual Fire Department Poultry Party in November, so we hope they will do that. In any case, I will have tickets here, at the shop, hopefully by tomorrow, for you to purchase. I hope you will consider supporting this worthy cause.

Thanks!
Carrie

Schoolhouse Quilt - Finished!

Hello Pieceful Quilters,

I had mentioned awhile back that I was planning to do a reproduction of the schoolhouse quilt from the International Quilt Study Center in Nebraska, that Jo Morton and Gail Kessler had used to create Andover's Schoolhouse fabric line. I had always wanted to do a traditional schoolhouse quilt! Our month in the recent shop hop was September, so it seemed like a perfect chance. Here is the original quilt:

And, our quilt:

Oklahoma Schoolhouse Quilt

I was determined to come up with a way to do this without templates, so my pattern uses the Tri-Recs Ruler set. The quilt finishes to 70" x 94", but you could easily make it bigger by adding another border or two. We have several kits leftover from the shop hop, and they include the pattern, for $109.99. Patterns are also available seperatly for $8.99. I don't think Katie has had time to put them on our website yet, but feel free to call the shop to order over the phone.
(847) 516-7911

Happy Schooldaze!
Carrie

Hello Pieceful Quilters,

As many of you know, we are starting a new quilt with our ongoing Civil War Diary/Love Letters Club. Technically we are finished with the CW quilts, but some are still working on them, so I will continue to have the kits and handouts until everyone is done.

But - I digress - we are very excited about the Hobo Quilt, and to get us started, Debi Henninger, the author, was here on Saturday to talk about the book and Hobo culture. She brought along the wonderful quilts from the book and more to share with us. Here are pictures of just a few of the quilts she brought with her. This should help club members decide what direction to go with their blocks. We will be doing all 60 blocks in the club, but that doesn't mean that you have to do all of them, or to limit them to just one quilt. There is no reason you can't do several of the quilts from the book with your blocks, or come up with something of your own!

So - here are the pictures:

The crowd listens - why aren't they always this attentive?


The main quilt from the book using all 60 blocks


Cute train quilt using just one block


A small wall hanging or tabletopper using a handful of blocks


A small wall hanging using some of the more interesting blocks


Cute tabletopper - Debi is not happy because another one she had was stolen!

Great setting!


Debi's newest venture - appliqued and embroidered blocks.

Check back here for further information on ordering it.

Our Hobo Club starts this week (September 7th or 8th) and we are really excited about the way it is turning out. Instead of doing regular applique, we are doing wool applique. I think you will find it is much quicker and simpler. Katie has a running start on the blocks:

A few of our blocks - some pieced and some with wool for the applique

We will be doing 5 blocks each month, with the applique blocks fairly evenly distributed. Our kits will consist of snippets for each fabric in each block and wool pieces as needed. The price for the kits will vary, depending on how many fabrics, but we expect them to run around $12-15.00.

There are still a couple of openings in the Hobo Club. You have a choice of the first Tuesday evening of the month at 7:30 or Wednesday morning at 10:30. We start this week, so call right away to reserve your spot.

Hope to see you all there!

Carrie

Sarah's Sewing Circle - Charm Quilts

Hello Pieceful Quilters,

I haven't done a Sarah Club update in awhile, so I thought it was time! First, a little Show n' Tell from last week's meeting:

Mary Zenger with her beautiful Sarah's Broken Dishes Quilt - all in blues!

Julia Thomson with her Sarah's Birds in the Pines Quilt, made from our kit.

Donna Stupple with her Sarah's Star Doll Quilt - Made from our kit (with additions?)

Carol Henn with her version of Sarah's Birds in the Pines

Carol's Antique Find - this block has several names including Devil's Claws and Crowfoot. Isn't it a great graphic piece in the red and white?

Carol was busy - she also completed Sarah's Broken Plate in these great 30's style fabrics. Doesn't it feel like a birthday party?

At this meeting we did our charm square exchange, and talked a little about Charm Quilts. So, what is a "Charm Quilt?" Traditionally, a charm quilt would be one where no fabric was repeated. This style of quilt was first observed in Victorian times, and was thought to have been borrowed from button collectors, who would have strings of different buttons which were called, "charm strings."
Various patterns have been used since then, including, Tumbler, Apple Core, Hexagons and 1000 Pyramids. The quilts below can be found on the International Quilt Study Center website, along with many more!

1930's Hexagon Charm Quilt

1800's 1000 Pyramids Quilt

If you have never checked out the IQSC site, it is a wealth of information and great quilt pix!

So - anyway, we had our exchange and I gave out suggestions for how to proceed. The challenge is to make a quilt, any size, without repeating a fabric. We decided it would be ok to repeat within a block - such as a 4-patch using 2 fabrics. I have already started on my own version of the 1000 Pyramid Quilt. Since I am not a big fan of templates, I wanted to use one of my (many) rulers. I figured out that the Tri of the Tri-Recs Set would just fit on my 5" squares (hanging over a tiny bit on each side). So I set out cutting triangles and sewing them together. Here is what I have so far:

And, here are few more charm squares and cut triangles:

I think I am heading towards a King Size - what do you think? I just can't stop! In the process of cutting my own Charm Squares, I have been busy cutting packets to sell at the shop. This is pretty labor intensive work, so I think our price of $10.99 for 50 (hopefully) different squares is a bargain! What an easy way to get started on your own Charming Quilt!

Join Sarah Club now. The first meetings for the Fall Session are September 28th at 7:30, or September 29th, at 10:30. Katie & I have big plans for this session!

Happy Quilting,

Carrie

Quilt Show Winners - Finally!

Hello Pieceful Quilters!

At long last, I have formatted and organized the pictures of our Quilt Show Winners and their fabulous quilts! So, without further ado:

First Place - Wall Hanging/Table Topper

Lynn Ray - Lone Star -made in our Quiltsmart Club

Second Place - Wall Hanging/Table Topper

Diane Neiman - Voices of the Past

Made in our Voices of the Past Club

Third Place - Wall Hanging/Table Topper

Lynn Walters - Wool Flower Basket

Made in Katie's Wool Flower Basket BOM

Honorable Mention - Wall Hanging/Table Topper

Kim Hartman - Sarah's Stars Doll Quilt

Made in Sarah's Sewing Circle Club

Best Quilt from a Quilt Academy Class

Barb Dale - Star Tabletopper

First Place - Lap Size

Tricia Baldwin - Black Pineapple

Made in Sew Simple Pineapple Class

Second Place - Lap Size

Susan Price - Jacob's Ladder
Many Pieceful Fabrics used

Third Place - Lap Size

Lorraine Tritthardt - Not Everyone Likes Sunflowers

Many Pieceful Fabrics used

Honorable Mention - Lap Size

Katie Reed - Mark's Quilt

From the book, "Simple Comforts," by Kim Diehl

Using Pieceful Fabric

First Place - Bed Size

Marilyn Randall - Washington Medallion

Made in the Washington Medallion BOM

Second Place - Bed Size

Violet Klein - Gene's Flower Garden
"Vintage" Quilt using English Paper Piecing Method
Appraised at PG Appraisal Day

Third Place - Bed Size

Karen Schultz - Give & Take

A Pieceful Gathering kit and design for a Shop Hop

I missed getting a picture of Karen or the quilt at the show, but luckily, she had it quilted here, so we had this picture on file.

Honorable Mention - Bed Size

Tricia Baldwin - I Did it My Way

Made in PG Snickel Club

Most Unique Quilt

Susan Osborn - Birds in Autumn

An original design (?) using Pieceful Fabrics

Pieceful Staff Favorite

Mary Landis - Rancher's Daughter

Made with many Pieceful Fabrics

Last but certainly not least

Viewer's Choice

Violet Klein for Gene's Flower Garden

Hand Pieced and Hand Quilted

Made for her husband, Gene.

Nice Work Violet!

Many thanks to everyone that participated in our show and helped to make it a successful event! I hope you will all consider entering at least one quilt in next year's show, which will be two days, and coincide with the Northern Illinois Quilt Festival. You won't want to miss this!

Happy Quilting,

Carrie