April | 2010 | Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts

Archive for April, 2010

It’s official!

April 27, 2010 at 1:57 pm · Filed under Dollies Online, Everyday Things, Quilts

My, it’s quiet around here. Are you all off reading Fat Quarterly? I am proud to say that I purchased my subscription first thing this morning AND we made it to the bus stop on time despite that fact. It took a lot of discipline.

Well, I invited you back today because it’s the “official” day of my third year blog anniversary. You could all come over and we could celebrate with brownies and banana bread and coffee, but that might not work into your schedules.

So, I’ll just offer a small something as a giveaway to express my appreciation for your kind comments and visits. Things seem to be moving pretty fast these days in this virtual world and there’s a lot to look at on any given day, so I thank you all for coming by and checking in whenever you can!

One of the highlights of the year has been the launch of Dollies Online. If it wasn’t for this virtual world, that wouldn’t have happened. It has been such a treat! In fact, I was keeping my head down today and trying not to curse at Illustrator (or my lack of skill therewith…), trying not to read all of FQ, so I could finish the directions for the logo quilt which is a bonus for subscribers.

Subscribers can look for this in their email boxes shortly.

In honor of the blog anniversary and the dollies, I’m sharing a wee dolly quilt with one of you this year.

This is my version of Sarah’s Grandma’s House quilt, the most recent quilt in the program. It was a fun little quilt to make, very liberating!

If you would like a chance to win this quilt, just leave a comment on this post. I’ll take comments until 11:59 pm EST on Friday, April 30.

Thank you all!! I very much appreciate your visits here!!

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Fat Quarterly winner!

April 26, 2010 at 4:51 pm · Filed under Quilts

Thanks for all of your comments and good wishes on my third blogaversary!

I hit up good old random.org to pick a winner of the first issue of Fat Quarterly:

If my counting skills are holding up, that means that Beth of Wee Pereas is the winner! And, oh my goodness, if you are having a bad day and want a pick-me-up, go over to Beth’s blog and see her tiny shoes and the wee babe in her photo shoot. OH MY!

All righty, so congratulations to Beth and a big THANKS to the Fat Quarterly crew for helping me celebrate!

And now I’m going to go sit in front of their store until they open. 🙂

OH, after you read your copy of FQ tomorrow, don’t forget to come back for my official blogaversary day. There just might be another giveaway…

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Three is a magic number

April 23, 2010 at 8:38 am · Filed under Quilts

April 27 will be my three year blogaversary! Hmmm, something else is happening on April 27…. What is it?

OH YES! Silly me! That’s right! The first issue of Fat Quarterly will hit the virtual newsstands!

So, in honor of my upcoming blogaversary, let’s have a little giveaway of the first issue of Fat Quarterly, shall we?

Leave a comment on this post to enter the giveaway. Comments will close at 5 pm EST on April 26. One winner will receive a free copy of the first issue of Fat Quarterly via email on April 27.

Aren’t you excited?! OK, but don’t forget to come back HERE on April 27 too — you never know what might happen.

Thanks to the great Fat Quarterly kids for helping me celebrate!

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Have you heard?

April 21, 2010 at 10:16 am · Filed under Quilts

I’m crazy excited about the launch of Fat Quarterly! The first issue will be available on April 27. Six cool kids are putting together this new quarterly e-zine which will feature quilt patterns, interviews with top fabric designers, previews of upcoming modern fabric lines, and more.

Fat Quarterly is a collaboration between Kate Dixon (One Flew Over…), Katy Jones (I’m a Ginger Monkey), Brioni Greenberg (Flossyblossy), Tacha Bruecher (Hanies), Aneela Hoey (Comfortstitching) and John Adams (Quilt Dad).

As I’m told, the introductory issue will be packed with exciting and original content including six brand new patterns for modern quilts and other sewing projects, designer interviews and previews of six upcoming fabric lines, book reviews, a report from the British Quilts exhibit at the Victoria & Albert museum, amazing giveaways of some of the fabric and books featured in the magazine, and much, much more.

You can get sneak peeks of the first issue’s projects over at the Fat Quarterly blog. The projects look great — Katy’s Fat Geese quilt in French General fabrics is heavenly!

I’m going to mark my calendar, set an alarm and use my milk up by the sell-by date! Issues of Fat Quarterly will be available at the Fat Quarterly Etsy shop. See you there!

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Cross plus blocks

April 16, 2010 at 9:33 am · Filed under Fabric, Quilts, Tutorials

I caught the fever from Joan as you know and thought I’d share with you how I made my cross/plus/what have you blocks. There are many variations depending on your plans, hopes and dreams.

If you need several blocks from the same fabric, maybe Tia’s directions are for you.

If you want to cut your crosses and “backgrounds” from the same fabrics, maybe Carla’s liberated cross blocks are for you.

Kelly McCaleb also offers a pattern PDF on Etsy that is lovely and is another variation. Her sample quilt is sumptuous!

I had a specific need to conserve my Hope Valley fat quarters. And a desire to use some lovely Essex linen (in sand) acquired from Jackie.

So here’s what I did.

To make the most of my 18″ x 21″, I decided to cut approximate 6″ squares from my fat quarters. Three was the magic number. I also though, wanted to make some matching blocks with the Hope Valley fabric as the cross part, so I cut two strips approximately 2″ wide x 18″.

Should have chosen a defined fabric to show as my example:

That’s it! That’s all I’m willing to part with of these fat quarters for this project. I also had to kind of squeeze to get three 6″ blocks. Some of the blocks are more like 5 7/8″, but I figured I could work with that.

I also cut some insert strips for the crosses. Here you see the Essex linen blend. Cut approximate 2″ strips. You can cut them down as you work with each individual block…angling them and so forth:

So, take a 6″ square:

Cut it in half — angling it slightly is fine, off center is fine:

Cut an insert strip slightly longer than the cut edge:

Stitch the strip to half the block:

Press (out, open, your preference) and trim the strip even the “background” fabric before adding the other half of the block.

Add the other half of the block:

Press.

Now cut the block in half approximately perpendicular to the inserted strip:

Again, slightly angled or off center is fine.

Cut another insert strip slightly longer than the cut edge:

Sew it to half the block, press and trim the strip even with the “background” before adding the second half of the block:

Add the second half of the block and press:

Trim up your block. I’m trimming mine to 6″ square:

Depending on the width of strips you’ve inserted, you will have some flexibility in the “wonkiness” of your squaring up. Go crazy!

Voila!

Fun, fast, easy! And, I will confirm, addictive.

EDITED TO ADD: Nearly forgot that I wanted to mention Karen Griska’s Asterisks quilt in the May/June 2010 Quiltmaker mag. LOVE IT!

Which then leads me to mention Busy Bee’s Victory Garden quilt pattern. I’ve been saving this one quietly for a while because I LURV it so much. I had to put it away because I start squealing every time I see it.

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New wave

April 14, 2010 at 8:02 am · Filed under Fabric, Great Quilt Patterns, Quilts

Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Fransson! offered a cute free pattern back in March for her New Wave Quilt. Elizabeth’s quilts and designs are so fresh and modern. Hmm, I remember when “new wave” music was fresh and modern. And now I am no longer fresh and modern. I think that’s what that means.

ANYWAY, wonderful pattern, exceedingly fast to put together.

Now I just need to decide whether to machine quilt or do some perle cotton big stitching. I think I know which one would get done sooner.

Oh, and I’ve said this before… if there is a rotary cutting template I can adapt for something, I will (read: LAZY). Instead of using Elizabeth’s pattern template, I cut the wedges using Nifty Notions 22.5 Degree wedge ruler…cutting from the fat end, if you will. I know some of you own this since it is a favored Dresden wedge ruler. Mildly different angle to my wedges.

So, fun and fast pattern! Thanks, Elizabeth!

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You can look in the bag

April 12, 2010 at 2:07 pm · Filed under Books, Treats!

Just don’t touch anything.

Jan had a chocolate emergency recently. Well, I considered it an emergency. She is so sweet that she sent me some SALT caramels. I did not know it but I was having a caramel emergency. These tasty treats resolved that situation — toot sweet.

Jan also must have known of our fondness for pigs and donuts around here too. Cute card! Mmmm, I’m getting hungry just looking at those caramels. Then again, I’ll take a look at the pig in her undergarments. Yeah, I’ll stop eating the caramels for today.

I’m excited about something else today. I picked up the March/April issue of Selvedge magazine yesterday and I can’t seem to put it down.

It’s the quilt issue! Over here, Borders and Barnes & Noble carry Selvedge — I’m sure it’s available other places as well. It is pricey ($25 a pop) so I may indulge once a year. I figured this would be the issue for 2010. It’s beautiful. Really beautiful. I plan to savor this one but can’t seem to get past the first few pages without rushing to the computer to look up a new-to-me something.

Yesterday’s “discovery” courtesy of Selvedge was the Liberty wonky log cabin made by Lynn Jones. You can see it at the Calico and Ivy store blog. Magnificent.

Anyway, if you run into this issue of Selvedge, I highly recommend taking a gander. It is a quilting feast!

Hey, get your hand out of my caramel bag!

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I just can’t cut it

April 10, 2010 at 8:28 am · Filed under Fabric

How long has Hope Valley been out? I’ve had these fat quarters that long. I haven’t been able to find the “perfect” project, one that was worthy of them.

And then I just decided to cut into them.

I wince every time I cut into them.

I’m attempting to play along with Joan and Heather in their delightful plus/cross quilt madness. 😉

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I thought they’d never leave

April 6, 2010 at 4:35 pm · Filed under Books, Great Quilt Patterns, Quilts

Do you ever have anxiety dreams about your quilts? I had one last night. I had a dream that while I was quilting the Going to Market quilt, I irreparably messed it up and somehow all the happy colors drained out of it. I woke up to this sinking feeling that the quilt was not so much ruined as it was now a giant disappointment.

I really think the dream was caused by poor circulation due to all of the SITTING I did yesterday while trying to finish the quilting. And I still had quilting to do when I got up this morning. I thought it would never end. Of course, if I didn’t feel the need to quilt it within an inch of its life. But, really, once some areas get all nice and flat, ALL of it needs to be nice and flat. To me. I am choosing to ignore the littlest baskets. They have been stitched in the ditch but no extra quilting. They puff out just a little. La la la, I can’t hear you, little baskets…

And then I didn’t think I had enough black and white stripe for the binding. Sorry, nothing else would do. The binding is comprised of many lengths of strips. Now to stitch it down and keep working on another project. Time’s a’wasting!

Before I leave, I’ve been remiss in not posting the March “in be ‘tween books” list. Books were indeed read in March — March being reading month around here. Quite apt that the in-house reader was born in March. So: