Category: Quilting in South Carolina

The Cobblestone Quilt Show

Cobblestone Quilters Guild is the regional in my area here in South Carolina–I live within the greater Charleston County. Right now I belong to Cobblestone, to one of its “splinter” groups named Patchwork Gals, and the Charleston Modern Quilt Guild (which is separate from Cobblestone and is tied to the Modern Quilt Guild).

Cobblestone has a quilt show every two years, and this was the year. About 200 quilts were displayed, and the show was very sweet. I so enjoyed it. Some of the quilts shown were made by members of the Charleston Modern Quilt Guild.

I took some pictures–but only those that particularly called to me. There is no rhyme or reason really to these pictures I took–it really was just whatever moved me at the moment.

Here is “Fractured Color Wheel” by Cathy Beemer, who is a member of the modern quilt group and whose two quilts I have shown you recently. One hung at Houston recently (2023?), and the other hung at QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh, NC, in February.

I took this picture for my Maine friend Lynn V, who has made several animal quilts for her grandchildren. This one is “Zoo Family Portrait” by Jennifer McFadden.

I’ve never met a house quilt I didn’t like. And I really, really loved this one, with its neutral background and quiet strips of diagonal grey blocks (look closely) and it’s Bishop Fan quilting and its red binding. It’s “I Live in a Red House” by Katy Sheehy.

ANOTHER house quilt that I liked. It’s “Duck’s Quilting Group of Summerville at PPQ” (which is the People, Places, and Quilts quilt store in Summerville, SC).

How colorful and fun is this quilt? How could we NOT use irons in quilting. This quilt is “Irony,” by the modern group member Susan Brandt. I love the name too.

This “eyes” are the result of a challenge. And how fun is that? I love this idea.

I’ve been intrigued by “house top” backs for a while now. And look at the use of lines of small scraps in the quilt and in the binding. This quilt is part of the series challenge some in the modern group did. This one is by Hope Reed and is the number 2 quilt in her series of three.

I loved this quilting–there is so much energy and movement. I didn’t take a picture of this quilt’s name, who made it, or who quilted it. Bad!!

Here is another quilt by Cathy Beemer. Cathy writes that this quilt is the first in her SECOND series of three quilts. This one, for me, is a real inspiration as I’ve been drawn to these small crosses for some time. A leader ender project with solid strips? Probably that will happen.

And that’s it, folks.

I can’t wait for the next show, and I’ll do more to help next time, now that I have a better “lay of the quilty land” in my new adventure.

Two Quilts Finished

I’ve finished two of the quilts in the 1920-1930 reproduction series–two of four in the series.

You all are probably tired of seeing pics of this quilt, but it is finally totally done. I called it “Vintage Feed Sack Wedding Rings.” I am intrigued that these vintage reproduction fabrics lend themselves to modern-looking quilts.

I used a pattern called “Modern Vintage” that I saw in vol. 16 of a Better Homes and Gardens book called Quilt Lovers Favorites (pages 86-89). The pattern may be available elsewhere by the designers Camille Roskelley and Bonnie Olaveson. Also, this block is actually a traditional single wedding ring block and is easy to find online.

Expert longarm quilter Wendy Currie recommended the pantograph “Garden Frills Too,” among others, and I loved the texture.

You can see the wonderful texture on the back as well.

For the second quilt in the series, I used the round part of the wedding ring block and the squares. I called this quilt “Bubbles,” as I wanted to see bubbles rising upwards on the diagonal. It’s 48 by 48, so a perfect baby quilt size.

I used the pantograph “Circle of Life” by Patricia Ritter.

I like how this pantograph turned out as well.

Meanwhile, I had a timing issue on my Innova, so I had to wait for the nearest repairman to come help me, and that happened Thursday. Jimmy Hernandez and his friend came from Greenville, NC, which is 3.5 hours away and where Jimmy and his wife Dale own the Carolina Quilt Studio. Jimmy was AWESOME. He fixed Innova’s timing, which was off (remember when I sewed my finger?) and replaced a part that needed replacing, and was so helpful and fixed some other issues.

So, this week I will put the third quilt on Innova and finish the 4th top. And then, I promise, whatever fabric is left will go into the stash!!!

Vintage Feedsacks Quilted

It still doesn’t have a name…

But I’m sewing on the binding now. But I’m really happy with how this quilt came out. The panto longarm quilter Wendie Currie suggested is just providing awesome texture–the muslin back is so, so pretty.

The pantograph is “Garden Frills Too.”

It’s hard to get consistent light in this room where the longarm lives. I have great light on the quilt when it is on the machine–from a light bar–but not in the rest of the room

I had a very busy weekend–which included the Cobblestone quilt show that they do every 2 years. I took random pics, and will show those soon.

An Improv Quilt?

The last block in the Tara Faughnan online class “Blocks” is called “Wheels.” I made 4, and the last one is this little guy below. This block draws on other blocks we explored: the curves in Serpentine, the lines in Lines, and the 6-minute inset method of Squircles.

Here are the other three “Wheels” blocks. The aqua and red “Wheels” used the inset method, and I hand appliquéd the lavender block as I was a little afraid to try on of the big blocks with the inset method first. I do prefer the inset method, having tried both, and it proved to be quite easy.

Here’s where my design wall is now. I only had one triangle block that didn’t want to play here–and it can become a big table-top hot pad gift for someone’s kitchen I think.

Is this arrangement going to be an improv quilt, or shall I break it up? When I chose what colors to use in a new block, I often did that while thinking where the new block would go in an improv quilt and what it would be near.

I have a light grey Kona in my stash–so maybe I’ll start to link up the blocks on the upper top left using it and just see how that goes.

This class was–and is–so much fun. I have really enjoyed the time for play and creativity–and an improv quilt would capture this 6 months of my life.

Meanwhile, I bought a whole cabbage and cut big slices out of it and roasted them in the oven. There were some beautiful dark green outer leaves, so I blanched those and cut them into thin strips. And with the smaller ends of the cabbage, after cutting the thick slices, I made a fresh salad–by pounding the finely cut pieces with a bit of salt to melt out the juice.

A grilled flank steak, some refrigerator “asset” roasted peppers and carrots, and some potatoes smashed with raw butter rounded out this delicious meal. I did, however, overcook the flank steak. I do like it much more rare. It’s hard to tell sometimes with flank steak just how done it is–and they do have thick and thin areas.

The Series is Done

Well, the tops are all done. Now I have to longarm quilt them.

To back up, I’ve been on a mission to use up fabrics in my stash. So, some months back. I pulled out a collection of 1920-1930 reproduction “feed sack” prints I bought when a local store in Maine went out of business over 20 years ago. Along my quilty way, I moved more to the modern side of quilting, so I never used those fabrics.

Of course, LOL, I had to buy a few more prints to round out the color families I had. That’s the way this “using fabric issue” goes, right.

Anyway, I started with a pattern I saw called “Modern Vintage,” by Camille Roskelley and Bonnie Olaveson, which I saw in Vol. 16 of Quilt Lover’s Favorites (Better Homes and Gardens)–which used a traditional 10-inch block called “Single Wedding Ring.” (Thank you Joan Herrick for that information.)

Then while attending my local Charleston Modern Quilt Guild, I saw the “series” quilt challenge that some members did and showed–a series of three quilts that riffed off of the first original quilt they had made. And I was inspired–especially as I still had MORE of this fabrics.

“Bubbles” happened next, at about 48 inches square:

Yesterday I finished the “Pinwheels” top–it’s about 60 inches square. And Lordy Mercy! All those half-square triangles–but I have wanted to make a quilt with the intense use of lined-up half-square triangles for some time. Breaking up the lines in the center seemed a fun thing to do.

I still have some fabric–probably enough for a small baby quilt.

I don’t know…

Maybe I’ll donate it or play with a few blocks with the leftover half-square triangles or cut squares.

Meanwhile, the last block of the online Tara Faughnan “block” class is here, so I’ll take a break from the reproduction fabrics regardless.

Well, I do have to start longarm quilting them–and with longarm quilter Wendy Currie’s suggestions, will try out a few new pantographs.

My First “Sit and Sew” in South Carolina

I spent Saturday morning with some of the Charleston Modern Quilt Guild members at their monthly Sit and Sew at the very fun fabric store Five-Eighth Seams (quilt fabrics and much more) over in North Charleston.

Cathy Beemer started teaching us how to make an incredible scrappy block that she is also making. Cathy is a MASTER piecer and quilter. This block is 30 inches square, and she will be making a quilt that is 90 by 90 with her scrappy blocks. Each block quarter piece will be scrappy and different.

Here’s an alternative center she showed us.

And a purple “lollipop” pattern.

More strip pattern ideas here–I could have taken more and more pics as Cathy showed us how to start off.

Cathy loves quilter Maria Shell’s work, of course. But she very much does her “own thing” too.

This quilt hung at Houston–I think she told me. And she has at least one quilt in this year’s QuiltCon, going on right now in Raleigh, NC.

I came home to the rest of my seafood chowder–cooked in the oven and made the day before.

And I keep meaning to show this picture of roasted veggies, just because they are so pretty. And, were delicious.

I’ve already color sorted my solid fabric strips and have cut out pieces for my first center. I’m going for the pinwheel!

But first, first…the last 1920-30’s reproduction quilt in the series of 3. It’s coming along.

“Triangles” Blocks

I’ve been having so much fun playing with the 5th of 6 block studies in my online class with Tara Faughnan.

This month Tara taught us a foundation piecing method where one does not sew INTO one’s paper pattern. I learned this method from Tara some years back, but then she used freezer paper. However, today’s freezer paper does not hold its “stickiness” for repeated use past 5 or 6 uses–so Tara figured out how to print a pattern onto regular printer paper and to get the needed “stick” with some glue.

I could not make my Sewline pen’s glue stick strongly enough–so I’m using the washable Elmer’s glue that is purple, but dries clear. I use the SMALL stick, not one of the larger ones. And it does not take much glue at all to get the result I need. Too much glue makes the paper stick to the fabric so that it’s hard to get the paper separated from the fabric–which results in the destruction of your paper patter.

Anyway, here’s my design wall now–after I spent days playing with three different sizes of triangles. I made big ones, medium ones, and smaller fat ones. And I put some around two sides of the “Lines” 9-patch block, which was fun.

The blocks won’t stay this way on the design wall of course. And the final, 6th block coming March 1 will alter things again. But I’m seeing that I do have three big pieces that can anchor a possible improv quilt.

Time will tell.

How Cute!

Budgies, as created by a pattern by Bethanne Nemesh and shared on one of the Aurifil thread posts–see link below. These posts are always inspiring and fun to see. I like seeing them each week.

And you all know I love that “Love” fabric and use it a lot–Carrie Bloomston, “Newsprint.” These budgies are made by @ladydisews, or Diana Z on Instagram.

Screenshot

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I am admiring from a distance as I already have enough projects going and planned.

Bits and Pieces, January 31st, 2024

Good morning all!

Tomorrow Block 5 in Tara Faughnan’s “Block” class will arrive. It’s “triangles.” How fun is that?

I’ve walked 5 miles in the past three days–2, 1, and, yesterday, 2. What will today bring? It’s rainy, so whatever will happen will happen when things dry out a bit. But it is cool and that makes for wonderful walking. I play music and sing along some of the time.

I finished this top yesterday, and I love the secondary patterns. There is a feeling of, I don’t know, lace, in this top. I’ll back and bind with the neutral–so next I have to put together the backing and put her on the longarm to be basted so she stays straight while being quilted–and so I don’t have to worry about the needle apparatus catching wrong in a loose edge. I have no idea what pantograph to use on this quilt.

I would not choose to buy these 1920-30 reproduction fabrics today–but as you know, I’m on a mission to use up fabrics in my stash. And I do think these fabrics have worked well in this quilt.

I have a fair amount of fabric left over in all the colors I have–so, I’m playing with blocks on the design wall. When I attended my first Charleston Modern Quilt Guild meeting last week, five or six members showed their 3 quilts each in a challenge to “riff” on fabrics and layout choices in a series. Is that what is playing in my head? Maybe… Those series of 3 quilts were really fun and inspiring.

BTW, the talent in this modern group is fabulous. One member has two quilts accepted into the big modern QuiltCon meeting in late February, held this year in Raleigh, NC. And, she had quilts in last year’s show as well. This member is a MASTER quilter–and it was so, so fun to see her work. Plus, she is so generous with her time with fellow members–and has a suggested project for our next Sit and Sew for an upcoming Saturday morning. I can’t wait.

I never get tired of seeing bright vegetable colors combined in a pan and ready to be roasted.

Here’s my main meal yesterday–which I didn’t get to until about 2 pm.

The potatoes with dill, salt, and drizzled with the nuevo olive oil from Organic Roots were leftovers and are now gone. So today I have to cook something starchy to go with the roasted veggies and chicken. Maybe French Fries in the Air Fryer. Now, there’s a treat! But maybe only if I walk 2 miles.

And, later, I’ll play more upstairs with those developing blocks. And still later, I’ll finish season 5 of Fargo and hand quilt on “Happy.” I’m assuming most of you know Fargo is funny, funky, and can be violent. It’s the Coen brothers and Noah Hawley, so be warned.