Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts

Quilting From Little Things blog tour

December 1, 2011 at 11:15 pm · Filed under Books, Quilts

Welcome to this Quilting From Little Things blog tour stop! Where to start in talking about lovely Sarah and her latest book? Firstly, thanks, Sarah, for having me as a tour stop!

Isn’t the cover beautiful? The insides are just as delectable — and just look at Madam on the front (I hear she has become a bit of a diva what with her fame, as she should). I will admit to being enamored with every project in Quilting From Little Things. I will admit I have hopes and dreams to make every quilt in the book. I will admit that I started my number 1 Bucket List quilt from the book, Hanging Lanterns, with hopes of having it done by the time of this blog tour.

You may recall The 800:

Here is Sarah’s Hanging Lanterns:

Isn’t it beautiful? Yes, it is.

Here it is in repose:

::sigh:: Who doesn’t love a Dresden? But long strings of Dresden “lanterns?” Just knock me over now.

Well, I won’t exactly admit defeat just delay. Here is my progress:

We are to the applique. It is meditative. I have enjoyed every step of this quilt. I will continue to enjoy until this wonderful design of a wonderful quilt is done.

I will admit that I have been less than inspired to creativity lately, but Sarah’s work always inspires me instantly. As other blog tour stops have described, Sarah’s concept for this book is a small project to give you a taste of a method or technique and a larger project once your appetite has been whetted. I appreciate that every project is interesting and lovely AND the larger project is not just a larger version of the smaller project — the larger project expands on the idea and develops it further. Genius, if you ask me.

I will admit that I may be biased because I adore her, but Quilting From Little Things is my favorite quilting book in my collection — inventive, gorgeous, motivational, inspiring — you know, like Sarah herself.

Next plans are to make Night Garden:

I may begin that while I’m working on the applique for Hanging Lanterns — a little machine work, a little handwork.

There is so much to admire about the book and its author. Please don’t hesitate to treat yourself to a copy if you haven’t already (no, really, what are you waiting for?? it is an excellent value!)

And, look:

Get an extra $5 off Quilting from Little Things! Visit Store.MarthaPullen.com and use promo code QUILTLITTLE to get your exclusive savings. Details: Promotion expires 7/31/12. Sale and bonus offers are for “in stock” items only, while supplies last. Martha Pullen Company reserves the right to correct pricing errors.

GASP! Such a deal!

Thanks for stopping and reading and checking out my Bucket List Hanging Lanterns project! Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour and see what other cleverer people have to say about Sarah’s new book.

28 Nov: Fat Quarterly
28 Nov: Amy Ellis
29 Nov: Thomas Knauer
30 Nov: Camp Follower Bags
30 Nov: Ryan Walsh
01 Dec: Happy Zombie
01 Dec: Moda Lissa
02 Dec: Mrs Schmenkman Quilts
02 Dec: True Up
03 Dec: Pink Chalk Fabrics
03 Dec: Pam Kitty Morning
04 Dec: Sew,Mama,Sew!
04 Dec: Pat Sloan

I’m up for a bit more applique now. As with so many things I do these days, small steps and forward motion. Sarah’s book and the Hanging Lanterns project are, of course, more to me now than just quilting deliciousness — they are respite and focus and a record of progress. And I should really say thanks to Sarah for that!

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Wordless Wednesday :: yellow

November 2, 2011 at 1:12 pm · Filed under Everyday Things

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Quilt Uber-Fest :: Block 5

October 4, 2011 at 7:23 pm · Filed under Fabric, Quilt Uber-Fest

Welcome to the fifth installment of Quilt Uber-Fest, which is the brainchild of the uber-talented and uber-busy Scott Hansen of Blue Nickel Studios. I was thoroughly bedazzled when Scott asked me to participate. I am thoroughly grateful that he has been uber-patient with me and thoroughly grateful to have had a nice tidy deadline to meet. Baby steps. Many thanks, Scott!

Before we get to my block, you can check out Scott’s post about the Quilt Uber-Fest right here and see the line-up of block designers.

Essentially, during Uber-Fest, you can get a free block pattern each day from 16 different designers. Scott asked us to use two design elements to make the blocks cohesive: log cabin construction and half-square triangle blocks. The possibilities were endless. We also used fabrics from Nel Whatmore’s Sleeping Beauty collection from Free Spirit along with a Kaffe Fassett stripe.

I always like a good house block, so my block is called Homes.

Nothing too complex, easy pieces — exactly what I’m up for right now. I hope you enjoy it. You can download a PDF of my Homes block right here.

Be sure to check out the Quilt Uber-Fest Flickr page — already lots of fantastic blocks showing up over there.

Finally, don’t miss October 6 on the Quilt Uber-Fest tour as Ryan Walsh will have a fantastic block to share with you.

Thank you again, Scott! Have fun, everyone!

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Thank you and events

September 24, 2011 at 12:36 pm · Filed under Blogger's Block of the Month, Everyday Things, Quilts

First, your kind words have touched me deeply. I appreciate all of your comments and your support. Thank you. We are doing OK here. Having a school-aged child has kept us moving through the routines and schedules of school days. I am grateful for the structure.

Before the big change in our lives, I happily committed to some online quilting adventures. I am a little late at keeping up with the goings on but am still happily committed to participating and hope you’ll join along in the fun. First up is the Blogger’s Block of the Month quilt-along put together by the fabulous Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quilt Works, and it features original blocks by 14 amazing and diverse quilters from some of our favorite blogs.

Because this is a monthly program it’s a great long-term project. And with only a single 8″ block each month, it’s TOTALLY manageable for us time-starved quilters.

Here is the packet of beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabrics that Jackie sent to each of us to design our block … though, of course, you can use whatever fabrics you choose for the quilt-along.

The quilt-along kicks off tomorrow on Sherri McConnell’s blog, A Quilting Life, and each new block is posted on the 25th of the month. And since it’s a monthly program, have no fear if you don’t have your fabrics together yet — you’ve got plenty of time to catch up. This is also going to be a GREAT stash-buster project, so why not just pull out some of your favorite leftovers from your other projects?

You can learn all about the Blogger’s Block of the Month program (and grab your very own blog button!) on Jackie’s blog post. She’s even set up a Flickr group for everyone to post their blocks and progress. And here’s the full list of block designers, along with the month their block will be posted:

September - Sherri McConnell – A Quilting Life

October - Vicki Welsh – Field Trips in Fiber

November - Stephanie Dunphy – Loft Creations

December - Pat Sloan – The Voice Of Quilting

January - John Adams – Quilt Dad

February - Amy Smart – Diary of a Quilter

March - Allison Harris – Cluck, Cluck, Sew

April - Amy Lobsiger – Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts

May - Cathy Underhill – Cabbage Quilts

June - Pam Vieira-McGinnis – Pam Kitty Morning

July - Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Bumble Beans Inc.

August - Amy Ellis – Amy’s Creative Side

September - Sarah Fielke – The Last Piece

October - Jackie Kunkel – Canton Village Quilt Works

Hope to see you along the way in the Blogger’s Block of the Month. I’ll be back soon with info on the other quilty event I’ve joined in. And again, thank you all so much!

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Great sadness

August 29, 2011 at 12:28 am · Filed under Everyday Things

As his world was so much bigger than mine, I feel he would not mind and it would be a fitting tribute to share the news that my dear husband passed away today. It has been a hell of a year. He was diagnosed with ocular melanoma in 2008. It is a vicious disease that returned in 2010. The end of the summer was agonizing for him and for those who could only stand by.

He showed me how to behave through it. I tried to follow his lead. It will be hard to have no one to laugh at my asinine jokes, “listen” to my running narrative of everyday annoyances, and to help make parenting decisions, but I believe he would not have left me incapable. Our separate interests meant that parts of our lives did not always intersect. I am getting by today on the love and support flowing abundantly from his world and from our families.

And I thought my world would get smaller.

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Waiting, waiting, waiting

August 9, 2011 at 7:58 am · Filed under Books, Quilts

While we (I’m assuming I’m not alone) wait for the new Kaffe Fassett book, Quilts in Sweden, we can take a drool-worthy look at the quilts via Gloriouscolor’s Quilts in Sweden fabric packs (so, SPOILER ALERT, don’t look if you’re patient enough to wait for the book).

To further give us something to do while we wait, we can download a poster for the book (duly downloaded….wondering if I have any laminating sheets so I don’t get drool on my printed copy).

Very, very excited and I already see some quilts I’d like to make (the cover quilt, for example…and the barcode quilt….and the beach quilt…and…).

UPDATED TO ADD: Go get it over at Glorious Color!

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But who’s counting?

August 6, 2011 at 11:10 am · Filed under Books, Dollies Online, Fabric, Great Quilt Patterns, Quilts

So. Where were we? Or where was I? You thought I disappeared, didn’t you? It felt like it there for a while. Lest you think I’ve been lounging on a beach or resting on my laurels, I have some things to show for my time.

I’m especially excited to have a quilt in issue six of the most awesome Fat Quarterly. Against Traffic is a foundation pieced kaleidoscope-y quilt using two shades of grey and all of Marcia Derse’s prints from her Third in Line fabric collection. I grew extremely fond of these prints while I sewed. And we spent a considerable amount of time together, so I think it says A LOT for Marcia’s fabrics that I still love them after all that togetherness.

Love those fabrics!

I also wanted to show you the latest Dollies Online quilt for July called Mass Appeal:

I saw a vintage quilt with orange peel blocks on point in two colors and my head went boing. Speaking of the Dollies Online, you can now purchase the downloadable patterns individually over at Sarah’s lovely web site. Mass Appeal will show up there shortly as well. I didn’t mind sacrificing that blue sewing themed Suzuko Koseki print for this quilt. It seemed a worthy use.

I’ve also been keeping up with the Farmer’s Wife blocks. Got a little behind when we lost power for three days. Here are some recents:

I’ve been digging through some of my old Kaffe fabrics and scraps of old projects. Going down fabric memory lane.

Last but not least, a step by step by step project, indeed… Sarah‘s Hanging Lanterns pattern. First, cut 800 (or more in case of goof ups…ahem), fan blades and sew them.

And turn them.

And press them.

And sew them together into arcs and get them ready for the next step.

As Sarah has reminded me, she did all of this already and I should not complain. No complaints. Just noting for posterity and recordkeeping and goal setting.

I’m also dabbling in the Japanese Boxes quilt from issue 81 of Quiltmania. I saw this quilt over at the gorgeous Facile Cecile blog. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. And then I re-drafted it ever so slightly so I didn’t have to cut anything in 1/16ths of an inch (sometimes my laziness instead makes my brain hurt a little more) and could use a rotary ruler. These are a little on the addictive side and very easy to sew on the machine.

So, that’s some of what’s going on here. I’ve missed you.

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Two by two

June 27, 2011 at 5:25 pm · Filed under Fabric, Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt, Quilts

Two blocks a week for the Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt. I got my blocks done early this week.

Block 9 – Box

Block 10 – Bowtie

Last week’s blocks:

Block 7 – Birds in the Air

Block 8 – Bouquet

I just now realized that the blocks are in alphabetical and numerical order. At least the way I’m doing them. Who knew?

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Random Japanese + and X blocks

June 22, 2011 at 1:11 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

You’d think I could have made one more block before posting this picture. Alas, this was progress as of yesterday and I had to suspend fun operations to get back to more serious projects. With deadlines.

My One Block Over bee members made some of the blocks. I made some of the blocks. I’m so appreciative to have had the bee members sewing for me in May. It really gave this project a jump start.

I have a lot of cutting done for this but I NEVER have enough X fabrics cut. I have a hard time picking fabrics for the X part. Don’t know why.

After spending some time admiring the blocks over at the Japanese + and X blocks Flickr group, I think I’ll add some more colorful backgrounds and some more light fabrics for the X part. I don’t know, these are awfully addictive……

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Put a bucket on your head!

June 16, 2011 at 1:50 pm · Filed under Everyday Things, Fabric, Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt, Quilts

School’s out for summer!

School friends seemed to be going down memory lane today, so I thought I’d join in. She’s gonna kill me.

Speaking of joining in. Trying to keep up with the Joneses by joining in The Farmer’s Wife Quilt-Along being led by Amanda and Angela. Katy predicts I will last until sometime in July. Sounds about right. So far I’m just making in numerical order and I think I’m going for slightly understated colors. So far.