Patchwork of the Crosses

I did a guild program this month on  Lucy Boston, and Patchwork of the Crosses at one of the local guilds.  So much fun to see the enthusiasm for this type of piecing and especially for the excitement over the beautiful blocks.  As it turns out, several of the members are already addicted to POTC and had some of their blocks to share, too!
Of course, one of the things everybody loves the most about paper piecing is that it's so portable.  Our discussion soon turned to the sewing cases we carry our supplies in.
I have two favorites!

At Christmas time, the Little Quilts staff always does a project exchange.  Several years ago I was the lucky recipient of this sewing case made by Mary Ellen.  It's made with wool (something I don't sew with much), vintage fabric, old buttons and an antique quilt block so it's very special to me.

The inside lining is a vintage Little Quilts toile fabric - also very special, but the best part is all the little pockets.  The big pocket in the back is just the right size for one of the small cutting mats and I keep a small rotary cutter in one of the smaller pockets - both are perfect for cutting around the honeycomb acrylic templates.  The rest of the pockets hold the remainder of the supplies I use for English Paper Piecing:  pencils, markers, scissors, tweezers, needles, etc.  This is usually my "go to" traveling bag!  Call the shop (770-578-6727) to order the pattern for this Travel Case.
While at the guild meeting, one of the members shared her very clever sewing case with the group.

Over-sized eyeglass cases are so popular right now!  I received one a few months ago as a gift and have been using it for my sunglasses, but I think I just found a new use for it!

It turns out they are the perfect size for holding everything you need for paper piecing.  And they fit easily into your purse so they're very convenient to carry!  What a clever idea!  As you can see, my sunglasses have already been booted.

This is another of my favorite carry-alls.  I made it very easily from two fat quarters and a little ribbon.  Right now it's filled with another hexagon project.  Email me a picture of your favorite carrying case or a picture of one of your Lucy Boston blocks at littlequilts@mindspring.com and I'll send you the directions for this cute bag!
Collecting  sewing cases is almost as fun as stitching the blocks!
Check the pinterest board regularly for new blocks that are posted.
Need more paper piecing supplies?  Check the website here.

Revival of an Age-old Technique

We were so excited to have a very creative group of Rug Braiding teachers in our classroom today. They get together regularly to share ideas and plan new projects for their classes.  Of course our Rug Braiding instructor, Anne Caldwell (her back is to the picture), was part of the group!  We thought you might enjoy seeing some of the amazing things you can do with braiding.

 Both the hat and the shoes were totally braided.  The boots are just like something straight from L.L. Bean right down to the bottom soles and boot loops!

One of the instructors just finished this beautiful tote bag. Amazing how she created the design.

Our instructor, Anne, made this darling purse - it's currently on display at Little Quilts

Most rug braiding is done with wool, but this table mat was braided from a jelly roll of batiks.  We loved the picot braided edging used for the outer border of this mat.

Rug Braiding edging also looks fantastic on rug hooked projects.  The velvet braided frame on this wall hanging was made from an old velvet evening gown.  What a fantastic finish to an already great wall hanging!

These wool braided table runners are samples of what you can do in our rug braiding class.  The class teaches the braiding technique that is used for all the projects pictured.  Call the shop to find out more about our rug braiding classes - a revival of an age-old technique!

Patchwork of the Crosses

It's time to start Block 22... if you've been keeping up with the blocks you're over a third of the way through with the quilt!
I actually did two blocks this month.  You will recognize the blue stripe fabric from the January kit.  I had some of  the same striped fabric in my stash, but in the green colorway, and decided to make a block with it, too.   As you can see, the stripe in each block was cut a little bit differently to give each block a slightly different look.

The fabrics I used are pictured below.  You should have plenty of the blue stripe fabric left-over from the January kit...

The other two fabrics are in  the February kit...

Compare this block to last month's block using the same stripe and see how different the blocks look.

If you have any stripe left over, I hope you'll experiment with it and see what kind of interesting blocks you can design!

Keep up with blocks that others are making by checking out our Pinterest Board.

If you need additional paper piecing supplies, check out our website here

Bringing Second Saturday Sampler Show and Tell to you.

I hate that y'all cannot get to LQ for the monthly Second Saturday Sampler event...it is so special.  The project/blocks, you can buy on line. The customers bring a show and tell for "parking lot entertainment" while customers wait to attend the demo portion of the event. That is what you can't see. Here is the photo version.

  We’re starting to see previews of the finished quilts from the 2014 Second Saturday Sampler.  This quilt was made using 6” blocks…make several each month and it makes a large quilt!

 Delores used our setting for her 6” Saturday Sampler blocks for this traditional wall hanging.

 Delores also resized the Second Saturday Sampler patterns to make 3” finished blocks for this tiny doll quilt.  Excellent job, Delores!

These beautiful kaleidoscope blocks were made from a single fabric using the One Block Wonder technique.  Stunning!  Join the One Block Wonder class here at Little Quilts to learn how fun and easy this technique is.

Sue decided it was time to use up some of her 30’s fabric stash.  We love the charming row quilt she came up with and  think fabric from Little Quilts “Little Darlings” line made the perfect border!

 Sue also used the “Little Darlings” fabric for the back of the quilt…such a cute idea to frame some of the scenes to make a pieced back

Patchwork of the Crosses

Are you up for a challenge?  Mary Ellen found this "vintage" fabric in her stash and thought it would be perfect for Patchwork of the Crosses blocks, so she brought it in and challenged me to see what I could come up with.

From the selvage, it looks like this is a Judy Rothermel fabric most likely from her first Sturbridge Village line - not sure of that, but I can't wait to start making blocks with it!

Since I've been challenged, I'm hoping you'll be up for the fun, too.  Look in your stash...way back in the corners... and find a fabric you'd like to work with.  Stripes work well, but so do paisleys or floral prints.  Look for something in your favorite colors because you'll find the design process easier if you're using a palette you're used to.  Design an original block with your fabrics and send us a picture at littlequilts@mindspring.com.  We'd like to share your designs with others so we can all get unique ideas for block designs.  I'll post the blocks I come up with in a few weeks!

Have fun designing!

Check our pinterest board  to get ideas for great fabrics to use or for ideas for designs.

Go to our website to reorder paper piecing supplies.

Patchwork of the Crosses

This week we have another fun stripe to work with.  Stripes offer so many different opportunities!    

These are the fabrics I used:

Cut out pieces from several different sections of the stripe and just play with them to find a unique setting for your block.  Be sure to save some of the fabric though - we'll be using more of it again next month for another interesting block!

Need more paper piecing supplies?  Click here to order from our website.

Check the pinterest board to see a fabulous finished quilt (not from one of our customers, but it has an added border and is gorgeous)!

Exquisite Small Applique Project

Jean finished this little pillow from a design in Yoko Saito’s “Bags” book.  So beautiful!

February 14th - Grand Finale - 2014 Second Saturday Sampler debut of 2015 first block

Have a look at all the finished quilts for Saturday Sampler 2014. The program ended in January and we are on our way to Saturday Sampler 2015, titled “Special Memories”. 

We will have our original Reproduction blocks and the alternates will be: Red and White, Batiks, and Neutrals. Join us for the fun beginning Sat. Feb. 14^th from 9:30 – 11:00 at our classroom. No registration required.

 “ Star Celebration” Reproduction made by Wanda is 69” x 83”

  “Rhapsody in Blue”, the blue and white alternate made by Linda R. is 72” x 91”

 

 “The Patriotic”, Red, Gold and Blue alternate made by Linda W. is 82” x 87"

 

“Thoroughly Modern Muriel” by Muriel is 67” x 85”. 

                                            and the 6" blocks of the original

Patchwork of the Crosses

Did you know...

Historians believe that the hexagon pattern might be one of the oldest pieced quilt patterns?

Pieced hexagon quilts had roots in England as far back as the 18^th century.  It is thought that the mosaic patchwork was most likely fashionable among upper class women who not only had the time to spend on the intricate hand work, but also had access to paper.  Also, many of the shapes were fussy cut suggesting that the quilters had the luxury of  wasting fabric to highlight a specific part of a print.

Immigrants soon brought the hexagon pattern to America.  Templates for these quilts have been found that were made around 1770.  The earliest known American made hexagon quilt is dated 1807 while an English hexagon quilt is dated even earlier.  Most likely they were made for years before that time, but quilts back then were often not dated and few of the quilts from the era have survived.

One of the oldest Hexagon quilts from England

 Godey's Ladies Book, founded in 1830, published the hexagon pattern in 1835.  It is thought to be the first pieced quilt pattern published in America.  All things English were emulated by American women during this period and making hexagon quilts was very popular in England.

 During America's pioneer days, “paper” quilting became very popular.  Interestingly, paper was scarce in early America and women often saved letters, newspaper clippings and catalog pages to create patterns.  In many cases, paper templates were not removed from the quilt – the paper served not only as a template, but as extra insulation.  These paper templates have become important pieces of history both preserving first-hand glimpses into pioneer life and also serving to help date the quilt.  It may be that the challenge created by the lack of paper was responsible for the increase in popularity of the standard quilt piecing techniques that the U.S. is known for.

Quick Piecing tricks - show and tell....

Double Wedding Ring made by Sherry. She used the preprinted fusible interfacing from Quiltsmart to make the quilt. 

 Faye completed a quilt using the blocks from our Buck-A-Block program. She made a really cute pieced back and machine quilted the quilt herself. She fell in love with Thangles after making this quilt and bought more while she was here to make a table topper for her next project.

Cheery Tabletopper

We loved the simple, artsy table topper that Laura shared. She used leftover Kaffe Fassett striped fabrics and a bag of wool circles from Little Quilts for a great, contemporary look. Love those mitered corners!

Patchwork of the Crosses

Time for an easy block!  I love the William Morris look of this one.

 The fabrics I used are shown below.  There are lots of ways to cut the fabric to get a different look.

I thought you might like to see some of the blocks one of our customers brought in to show us.  She's using all the pinks and browns from her stash to make her blocks and is using a variety of shirting prints for her backgrounds.  She has about 35 blocks completed and they were lovely.

I think Lucy Boston would be so excited to see all of our variations of her quilt!

Need additional paper piecing supplies?  They're available on our website.

Check our Pinterest Board often to see new blocks made by all of you!

Precuts...big time savers

Jane finished putting the binding on the table topper she finished in our Charm School class. This was a great quilt-as-you-go project that was so quick and easy the students were able to finish it before they went home!

If one is good, two are better...

Susan stopped by to select fabric for another purse. Her “winter” purse, pictured is made from the “Mini Bow Tucks” pattern by Quilts Illustrated.

Very Mysterious...

“M is for Mystery” is a block of the month mystery quilt that began in January of 2014. The participants just received their last packet in December. What a surprise when Diana came in last week with this quilt top completed and it is a huge quilt, something like 120” long. This is what you can accomplish if you keep up every month! A fantastic job, Diane!

   

 

Patchwork of the Crosses

The holidays gave me a little time to catch up on my reading, so I was able to read the fourth book in the Green Knowe series by Lucy Boston, "A Stranger At Green Knowe."  It was very different from the other books in the series with a very unusual start.

In this book, the Chinese refugee boy from the last book, Ping, returns to Green Knowe to stay with Mrs. Oldknow. During a visit to a zoo in London prior to his arrival, he was fascinated by the giant gorilla, Hanno... as a refugee living in an orphanage, he seemed to develop a special sad bond with the caged animal.  When Hanno escaped from the zoo and made his way to Green Knowe, Ping secretly befriended him.  Obviously, England doesn't have a lot of gorilla hangouts, so the thickets and overgrown gardens at Green Knowe were an obvious hiding place for the gorilla and the story develops around Ping's efforts to keep the gorilla free while trying to keep him fed.  The early chapters of the book detail Hanno's life as a young gorilla in Africa and the trauma and cruelty of his capture.  It's a very odd and different start from the rest of the books, but is handled very compassionately. 

The book struck me as a very personal statement and almost a comparison by Lucy Boston about the tragedy of life in a zoo for animals and life in an orphanage for children. I found it to be a great book - fun in some ways, very thought provoking, and sad, as well.

The book was awarded the Carnegie Medal in 1961, and  has been considered by some as the greatest animal story in English children's literature.                                                                                                                                     

Have any of you been reading this series of books?  I'm able to find the entire series in my library, but the books are also available at a reasonable price on Amazon.  Let me know how you like them!

Click here to check out our Pinterest board with pictures of blocks from our customers.

Click here if you need to order additional paper piecing supplies from our website.

History can "cover you"!

Little Quilts has a FabricMaker Fabric Printing System which can print in rich, vibrant colors on good quality fabric with washable inks that retain their colors. Amanda brought in several postcards that she wanted printed to use in a quilt for her mother. The postcards are from the 1915 Panama Exposition in San Diego. She used a template from the EQ7 program. This is the awesome quilt that she made, which I am sure her mother loved. Way to go Amanda!