Category: Turkey Tracks: My Life in Maine

Our Life in Maine, My Craft Projects, Quilting, Recipes, Book and Media Reviews

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 2

Turkey Tracks:  October 24, 2017

The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 2

Here’s our space at the Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunkport, Maine.

This time the FGH located us in the gym as another larger group had been there just before us.  So, we had space, ironing boards and irons, tables, and design walls to spare.  The entrance is across the room from this picture.  And we had access to a nice kitchen with both a microwave and a convection oven.  We brought food and bought food.  A group has to have 15 in attendance to get FGH ood served.

Additionally, Jan Kelsey and crew sought out nearby quilting stores this trip.  There are more than the one very small one just down the street.  Sanford sewing is about 20 minutes–and they have been so supportive of us during our retreats, including fixing machines we’ve dropped off there while we are at the retreat.  There is a nearby Marden’s.  And there is a store called Wool Camp that the girls who went on this expedition loved.  Who knew?

From left to right, Deb Hazell, Heidi August, and Deb Torre.  That’s Tori Manzi in the background.

Vicki Fletcher.  Don’t you love that smile?

Mac Saulnier.  Mac and Jan Kelsey went to college together and have stayed in touch.

Mary Bishop, with the quilt she designed and the jacket she made at the October 2016 retreat:

Vicki Fletcher and Sharon Flanagan with Sharon’s quilt:

Jan Kelsey with a baby quilt.  This fabric is interesting because I made a quilt for a grandson with this fabric and put the remnants into our last fund-raiser auction.  Jan bought it, not realizing that I had donated it.  I like what she did and am so happy that someone else was using the fabric.

I did not get a picture of Jan Corson (!!!) or myself.

And I went back into old files to find what I did with the fabrics Jan Kelsey has above:  it was quilt No 43, made in 2009.  I’ve come along way baby!  As has technology.  The pics are from a camera that distorted the “rectangle” of the quilt, for instance.

I would definitely put cornerstones if I were making this quilt today.  The panel details are so cute though.  They remind me of the Japanese designers who are making fabrics with these “retro” motifs.

Turkey Tracks: The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 3

October 24, 2017

The Coastal Quilters’ 2017 October Retreat, Part 3

The Work

Wow!  Look at this fun quilt Deb Hazell is making:

Here the pattern:

Deb H. also worked on this yummy wool blanket that is meant for “ownself.”

The blanket is yummy, but look, too, at the nifty portable sewing table Deb has.  The top has a clear acrylic piece that fits exactly around your machine.  I think the brand is Sew Eaze???  They are not horribly expensive either.  To her right is one of the portable tables that let you put your cutting board or ironing pad and iron right at your fingertips.  I got one at Amazon and can’t imagine what I did before I had it.

Tori Manzi is a master foundation piecer.  She finished the side sections of this quilt on this retreat.  There is a big plain section that goes between the arrow points.  And see below that the arrow head and some of the stock are elaborately foundation paper pieced.

Tori has a lot of the components of this quilt done now.  I think the little stars on the right will go into that middle section.  My goodness!!

I love this quilt Jan Corson is doing.  Blue and neutrals, stars and log cabins, what’s NOT to like??  She got the top done this trip and all the blocks trimmed up so the quilt will lie true.

Next, she made these little pouches for her daughter’s wedding in July–gifts for the bridesmaid’s.  Four done!

The inside of each has a different, charming fabric.  If these pouches run away from home, Jan, you could start looking at my house.

I am living vicariously through Deb Torre, who is just moving into the most beautiful farm house with a BARN and outbuildings.  Animals are coming in the spring.  I voted for chickens.  Hubby has a new tractor.  Deb is making this “star” quilt to go with the new bedroom’s colors.  She made great progress during the retreat.

In addition to her star quilt, Mary Bishop also made this Halloween table runner.

Mac Saulnier worked on these log cabin wreaths.  If I understand her correctly, they will be put together back to back to make a hanging for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.

Jan Kelsey worked on two Christmas funky block log cabin quilts.

But her big project for several retreats now has been this quilt that uses old postcards saved by her grandparents during their travels.  She copied the cards and printed the copy on to fabric.

Clever!  And, a lovely way to capture family history.

Vicki Fletcher got borders on her “disappearing 9- patch” quilt.  From a distance, this quilt looks so lacy.

I got the last 40 Tula Pink blocks done, from TP’s book 100 MODERN QUILT BLOCKS.  I used all Cotton + Steel fabrics and will set the blocks in this “city” setting.  Mary B. said the blocks remind her of old-fashioned comic book pages, all colorful and each page different.  Yeah!  That’s the look I wanted.  Now I am looking for C+S setting fabric.  The ones I like are virtually sold out.  I really liked the sparkle/Stardust fabric in grey.

I relaxed by making some Wild and Goosey blocks with my teeny scraps–a pattern from Bonnie Hunter.

I’ll set them with black and white strips and will set the blocks with wide sashing grounded by a small-block 9-patch.

I made two of the big star blocks (16 inches) that I designed after taking Amy Friend’s improv workshop.  Her book on this method is IMPROV PAPER PIECING.

It was a productive retreat.

Turkey Tracks: “En Provence” Quilt Finished

Turkey Tracks:  October 23, 2017

“En Provence” Quilt Finished

Bonnie Hunter’s 2016 mystery quilt.

This quilt is BIG.  And, very graphic.  Like all Bonnie Hunter quilts, the “bones” are really good, so that it is easy to substitute for color as long as one pays attention to VALUE (darks and lights).  I have never substituted from Bonnie’s color plan, but many do, and all these quilts come out really beautifully as long as value is kept constant.  I may start altering color plans.  You never can tell.

I had all the units for this quilt made by New Year’s 2016.  I’m not sure why it took me so long to finish it.  I had too many projects ongoing, for one thing.  And I am mostly caught up now.  More or less.  As “caught up” as I ever get.

I quilted with a lavender thread, which matched the backing, and it worked beautifully.  The pantograph is “Arcadia” from Urban Elements by Patricia E. Ritter.

I used a light cream binding–because what draws me most to this quilt is the neutral border with the beet-colored stars.  Would love to see a quilt made with just that combination.

The quilt is beautiful:  intricate and complex.  And, scrappy.

Thanks Bonnie Hunter.

The Bonnie Hunter 2017 mystery quilt color scheme will come out any day now.  Bonnie is in China, so probably when she gets home again.  And, after attending a family funeral.  Go gently, Bonnie!

 

Turkey Tracks: Fall Chores

Turkey Tracks:  October 16, 2017

Fall Chores

Look at this empty porch!

All the wind chimes and flower pots and hanging baskets are down and stored.

The bags you see are full of daffodil bulbs and garlic–and as I write, they are all planted.

Is this the last mow?

Time will tell.  The mower is actually useful to mulch up fallen leaves.  That is much easier than raking or blowing them.

Look how the light has changed now.  I took this picture around noon the other day.

The Blue Hubbard squashes  are harvested and are living in the garage for the moment.  They are small this year, due to the drought, but I hope good.  Even small they are a LARGE squash.

The Cosmos keep blooming…

So beautiful and cheerful.

But the garden is all cleared out now–which was not true when I took this picture.

Betsy Maislen told me that one could strip out all the basil leaves in the fall, pack them in a jar, cover them with olive oil, and enjoy them all winter.  She swears they stay nice and green.  If basil works, why not mint??  So I picked mint tips too.  At the very least, the oil will be great for flavoring and salads.  I LOVE a hint of mint in sautéed veggies.

I still have mint in the garden I want to dry for winter teas.  And maybe I’ll try some rosemary dried for tea and freshly covered with olive oil???

I am off to a quilting retreat, so that will have to wait until I get home.

Still no hard frost at my house.

Turkey Tracks: Another Top Made, Another Outfit to Wear

Turkey Tracks:  October 15, 2017

Another Top Made, Another Outfit to Wear

I love this top!

Don’t ask me what the material is because sewing clothing is a whole new learning curve for me, and I don’t know the fabrics.  Yet.  But this fabric is so soft.  You just want to hug it.

I’m wearing it now over a t-shirt and an LLBean jean skirt–and with navy leggings.   Next summer I’ll wear this top all on its own–no t-shirt.

It’s “100 Acts of Sewing,” Shirt No 1.

I love the patterns that are out there today as many of them show you multiple ways to sew a garment and make some attempts to teach beginners.  Since I have not made clothes in 40 years, that’s a good thing!

I’ve mastered threading the serger now.  The above fabric was very prone to raveling, but I made French seams instead of trying to serve the seams.  Next I have to experiment with setting the tensions for various fabrics.  I love learning curves!

Turkey Tracks: Camden Juried Craft Shows

Turkey Tracks:  October 15, 2017

Camden Juried Craft Shows

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I rounded a corner of a grouping of booths in the Camden Juried Craft Show a few weeks back.  The booths spread out over the library amphitheater and on the green hill that overlooks our beautiful harbor.  This booth was tucked into a grouping of booths in the amphitheater, and close-by were two other booths I really liked.

My dad used to make his own fly-fishing lures when I was a little thing.  He grew up fly-fishing out west and tried to teach his three girls how to fly fish as well.  We used to practice on the grass front lawn.  My dad loved all sorts of fishing, and he married a woman whose family all loved fishing too.  Family vacations–that was back when people could take month-long vacations–always included fishing.  We fished lakes, swamp bream beds and bass holes, streams, rivers, and bays and oceans.  If it was wet and had fish in it, we were all in.

So, these beautiful handcrafted lures made me catch my breath and long for an idyllic time long gone.  John and I thought we would fish up here in Maine, but the fish are tainted by mercury or no longer exist in places where we would have looked for them.  We soon gave up the fishing idea.  People do fish the lakes and streams, but…

Heirloom Lures, handcrafted by Christopher Augustus, Seal Cove, Maine

heirloomlures.com

 

Kathleen Farnsworth, Searsmont, Maine

Sewing A Notion, sewinganotion@fairpoint.net

Kathleen makes beautiful handcrafted items:  from fiber to buttons.

These little goodies are jewelry holders.

See?  The colors are delicious!

There is a button story which you can read on her blog.

Look at this beautiful little bag.

As you all know, I love bags of all sizes and shapes, so I stood and admired these for quite some time.

Very high quality workmanship here.

 

Jennifer Butts, Brunswick, Maine

Scenic Fabric Collages, Maine Hill Studio, mainehillstudio.com

My pictures did not come out too well as my camera picked up reflections in the glass.  Jennifer has a good gallery of her many beautiful products on her web site though.  Take a look?  There are some great gifts here.

I am awed by her beautiful work–these pictures are not cut from paper.  She cuts fabric to make her collages.  I can only think that she has tiny, tiny scissors to make such beautiful sharp edges.

Clever, clever artist here.

Turkey Tracks: Mt. Battie Modern September Show and Tell

Turkey Tracks:  October 6, 2017

Mt. Battie Modern September Show and Tell

We had fun at our September meeting.

It was fun to see Joann Moore, who worked all summer.  She brought two quilts with her.  She’s a new grandmother, so there is a fun baby quilt.

And her version of a quilt in Amanda Jean Nyberg’s book NO SCRAP LEFT BEHIND called “Happy Rails.”  Love her use of the blue background and the bright fabrics with it.

Vicki Fletcher has been working on this English Paper Piecing large hexagon quilt.  She is enjoying this project and loves the old-fashioned fabrics.  They are special, and so is she.

Tori Manzi showed us a new bag she acquired from an internet “swap” friend.  Wow!  Great bag.  We examined it in detail as we are, most of us, bag crazy.

Paula Blanchard showed us this small quilt from Amy Friend’s Improv workshop with us last spring.  Amy’s blog is “During Quiet Time,” and the method is in her book IMPROV PAPER PIECING.  This is a “wow” quilt, isn’t it?

Karen Martin has her Tula Pink blocks not only done, but put into a top.  Didn’t it come out gorgeous?  These blocks are a challenge for Coastal Quilters, but Karen is the first person among us to finish a quilt top with the blocks.  We finish making the blocks in December.  I have about 40 more to go, but will catch up soon.  The book is 100 MODERN QUILT BLOCKS, and they are all about the fabric.

Love the sashing fabric with the different intensities of black dots.

Here’s Karen:

Mt. Battie had a challenge to make a “minimalist” quilt, from directions and discussion in the MIGHTY LUCKY QUILTING CLUB 2016 WORKBOOK–“Minimalist Improvisation” by Season Evans.

Here’s Becca’s:

Here’s Paula’s:

And here’s mine:

I am enjoying these exercises.  I am making and using bias tape in both quilts and clothing now.  And I’ve found that I’m thinking differently about quilt compositions all at once–along the lines of the creativity that can come with constraint.  It is freeing somehow.

On to the next challenges–which will make the next two months more interesting.

Turkey Tracks: Sewing Clothes And Learning a Serger

Turkey Tracks:  October 2, 2017

Sewing Clothes!

And Learning A Serger

One of the really fun things about sewing is the young women who are making their own clothes these days.  For fun and satisfaction.

They are inspiring!

Leah Ondra of Clementine (Rockland, Maine) was the Coastal Quilters speaker at our September meeting.  She lit a fire under many of us about making clothes.  Including me.

I have not made clothes since my 20’s as a newly married and poor wife and mother.

But…

Here I go.

Linen tunic, which I shortened:

Skirt to go with…

I have no idea what this material is.  I knew when I left the store but I have to learn garment fabric names.  I cut the skirt on the bias, and the material is nice.  I will make this skirt again and make it a tiny bit longer.

On advice, I prewashed the materials.

Together–and best of all both pieces FIT.

Tunic top is 100 Acts of Sewing Tunic No 1

Skirt is Colette, “Ginger”

I can wear a warm t-shirt beneath the tunic for now.  And, tights or leggins with the skirt for warmth.

I bought a table from amazon that I had to assemble myself.  I loved doing it.  Here is just came up from being upside down on the floor.  (Studio Designs:  Comet Hobby Center)

Here it is with the SERGER (Brother 1034DX I also ordered from Amazon.  (Under $200)  Leah Ondra swears by using a serger in garment making and says this one is just fine.  The thread cones (Mettler polyester) came from Red Rock Threads.  The colored thread spools came with the machine, which is fully color coded, which makes it easier to thread.

Sergers are so NOT like a domestic sewing machine.  And they have sharp knives as they trim off the excess material in a seam allowance.  The threading problem seems to be ok what with all the color coding involved here.  Brother is trying to make this easy.  I keep reading the instruction book, watching the DVD that came with it, and patting the machine.  I did sew ONE line of stitching.  But I need to switch out the thread and PRACTICE.  Which will start, maybe, with learning how to disable the knives.  There is no use in letting them get dull, is there?

Next week’s plan:  get comfortable with the serger.  I have a knit top I want to make.

And “En Provence” only needs 2 1/2 passes on the long arm.

And “My Milli” needs to be loaded on the longarm…

Life is fun and busy.

 

Turkey Tracks: September Mt. Battie Modern Traveling Quilts

Turkey Tracks:  October 1, 2017

September Mt. Battie Modern Traveling Quilts

The “reveal” at our September meeting was so much fun!

The quilts are so full of life and energy.

Here’s what Becca Babb-Brott made for the quilt she was working on.

Here’s Becca’s contribution alongside other blocks in this quilt.  The owner asked that someone start to link up the blocks now.

Vicki Fletcher made a village green for Margaret Elaine Jinno’s quilt.  It shimmers with life, doesn’t it?  This block could become a strong unifier for this quilt.  Good job Vicki!

Nancy Wright made this block for Becca’s quilt.

This block is adding a whole new element to this quilt.  Becca wanted to join all the pieces herself at the end.

Tori Manzi added the lower blocks and the color wheel on the right to Lynn’s quilt.  Wow!  This quilt is going in a very interesting direction with the work of Nancy Wright’s sewing machine and Tori’s blocks.

Lynn Vermeulen these words to Joanne Moore’s quilt.  They are PERFECT!  I like the way Lynn used blocks to separate words.

I worked on Vicki Fletcher’s quilt.  I made her a “tree of life” block, and, as she homesteaded in Alaska, I gave her a forest and a cabin in a clearing in the forest.  Vicki has an abiding Christian faith, so I thought the “tree of life” would be nice for her.  The small trees are from Janeen Van Niekerk’s Craftsy shop, Quilt Art Designs, which features her foundation piecing designs.  Other trees and the cabin came from my EQ7 program.

Here’s the label I made for Vicki.  We are each making a label for whatever quilt we worked on.  AND, we are giving ourselves two months per quilt now.

LInda Satkowski added the row of “x” blocks at the bottom of Tori’s quilt.  And the flower on the right–English Paper Piecing, bias tape, and applique leaves.  Tori’s theme is “color,” so we are having fun with bright colors in this quilt.  It is on my design wall now, and I am thinking about it.  Linda’s additions are going to be a hard act to follow.

So, that’s it for now.  I’ll have a separate post on the Mt. Battie Show and Tell.