Tag: quilts (Page 9 of 13)

Traveling Quilts

May 30, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Table of contents

Traveling with quilts is part of my life.

Technically, I’ve had one traveling quilt in an actual show that toured the AQS circuit for a year. That was exciting!

Mostly, I’m talking about taking quilts with me when I travel.

First, do you travel with quilts? Guilty! I take quilts on vacations, retreats, and even short hotel stays. I like to have them around for warmth and beauty. Maybe I’ll take one along to bind, to photograph, or to just enjoy.

Putting my own quilt on a strange bed makes me feel more relaxed.

Image of Car Sign
Click Here for Website

This wasn’t my idea, though. A long time ago, I roomed with a friend at quilt retreat who always brought one of her quilts along. I loved seeing which quilt she’d bring to decorate her bed. When I started bringing quilts, I found I rested easier the first night, because I’d claimed that bed as my own with my signature quilt. I decided Donna had a great idea; I never apologized again for packing a quilt!

Traveling quilts hit the guild meeting circuit!

I have the pleasure from time to time to share my story and quilts with quilt guilds during their membership meetings. These trips usually require about 50 quilts. In addition to the large trunk show, I integrate a power point presentation to make sure everyone has a front row seat. It’s lots of fun. Most especially, I like meeting all the new quilters and watching how each guild operates.

One such pleasure was with the PUPS (Pickin’ Up the Pieces) Quilt Guild in Cordova, Tennessee (near Memphis).

I find it fascinating to see the differences between different quilting groups. Size alone can change the dynamics of a group. Meeting location is another factor. Personalities of the members can change how a guild operates. What seems to be constant, though, among all guilds is that the love of quilting, creating, and discovering new opportunities outweighs any of the challenges brought to a group of women (with a sprinkling of men).

Below are a few memories from my visit with the PUPS guild.

Show and Tell

Image of Traveling Quilts
Image of Show and Tell Quilts

The large auditorium allowed the quilts to be on display on the floor!

As you can see in the photos, this was a fantastic way to get a close-up view of each work of art! And just look at those fantastic quilts!

Interestingly, the guild had a master list of projects that the members had registered earlier in the year. When a show and tell item from that list was completed, that quilter got credit for the completion and was entered into a drawing for retreat funds (money)! How cool is THAT?

Look at all this SHOW AND TELL from only 22 members present!!! I really liked being able to go around and look at each quilt closely during the break!  However, I did later find out that this particular meeting was their LAST CHANCE to complete those projects and that may have contributed to their prolific quilting!

Talk about traveling quilts! These quilters put on one heck of a show and tell!

Image of QuiltsImage of Patterns

Block-of-the-Month

Myself having been in charge of Block-of-the-Month for my guild in the past, I was surprised when their quilters showed up with their blocks dutifully completed for that month and laid them in a pile on a table. This guild had a different way of handling their BOM program. The PUPS gals collect those blocks and make them up into quilts for their community. It’s a really nice way to help the community while quilters  learn new techniques.

Virtual Retreats

I thought this sounded like loads of fun! You just pick a weekend (pretty far in advance for planning purposes). Choose your projects, your favorite jammies, and snacks and have your own retreats at home – but shared with pictures and videos on the guild Facebook page!

Prep for traveling with quilts.

Finally, though I try to be over-prepared, I’m always a bit nervous before giving a presentation. While everything went off without a hitch, I was thankful that I didn’t know who they had just hosted! Thankfully, I didn’t know before I got to town that I had SUCH BIG SHOES to fill.

Marie Bostwick had spoken the month before. Had I known that, I would’ve driven there a month earlier! Thankfully, it didn’t sink in until the next day that I was following that awesomeness. I’m pretty sure Marie and I would be besties, if she actually knew me!

You’ve got competition, Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman! (Click here to learn how to have Ree as your best friend!)

A big shout-out and thank-you to the PUPS Quilt Guild for their hospitality!

Wondering about the 50 quilts? Click here for my Etsy Shop!

Image of traveling quilts
Sally Quilt Pattern

Enjoy traveling with your quilts and enjoy your quilting journey!

Check out Spooky Quilts-A-Brewing for some bubbly quilt class fun!

Visit Home Sweet Home to see class projects on display where I was raised!

See Heartland Quilts for more class projects.

Image of Quilt by Pool

OKLAHOMA! Backroads in South Dakota

May 21, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

Oklahoma Backroads is a great quilt for someone in OKLAHOMA! or South Dakota!

In 2014, I made this Bonnie Hunter quilt called “Oklahoma Backroads” (click here for pattern link) for my daughter’s graduation from high school. The quilt had the dual purpose of commemorating her role as Laurey Williams in the musical, OKLAHOMA!. Image of Quilt

First, like most Bonnie Hunter designs, this one had lots of pieces.

Secondly, I used lots of scraps (as one does in a Bonnie Hunter quilt). I LOVED that many of these scraps were from my late mother-in-law’s stash. One of those fabrics was from matching colonial dresses she had made for Jacquelyn and her and their American Girl dolls, Felicity! See the Felicity tea pot quilt HERE. Additionally, I used fabric and lace on the borders which were used on Jacquelyn’s costume for the role of Laurey. 

Image of Quilt Label
Notice I named Jacq’s quilt using all caps with an exclamation point – as the musical is named –OKLAHOMA!.
Image of OK! Poster
Image of Dancer Spinning
Image of Quilt by Pool
Image of Scene from OKLAHOMA!

As a college graduate with a major in musical theatre, Jacquelyn was excited to land a real job, straight out of school!

When she accepted a three-month run in South Dakota, I was happy to know she was taking her quilt with her. We were all excited that she’d landed the role of Laurey Williams for Black Hills Playhouse! As you might guess, our vacationed to South Dakota for opening night!

Image of Theatre
Image of Theatre Inside

I love that there are meaningful fabrics in the quilt she’s packing for her first time so far from home.

We’ve never been to this area of the country. In addition to seeing the beautiful new landscapes, I gained a quilt shop featuring my patterns! Click here to see The Quilt Shop.

Back to the Oklahoma Backroads quilt…and value.

When I made this quilt, I separated my scraps into lights, mediums, and darks. However, I really hadn’t discovered that the values change, depending upon what values surround them. I would have achieved more defined primary and secondary patterns had I paid attention to that. Discover the nuances of value as you learn to audition BOTH sides of fabrics for my own patterns! Click here. I’ve learned a lot with #usebothsides quilts when it comes to VALUE!

Image of Buffalo Moon Quilt
Buffalo Moon

Enjoy YOUR quilting journey!

Image of Orville Wichern
Orville J. (Willie) Wichern 1926 - 2018

The Tie that Binds

May 1, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Table of contents

Blest be the tie that binds.

There are ties that bind us within our families, within our interests, and within our world. Additionally, current events, a world away, tie us all together.

Personally, this has never been more apparent to me than with the loss of my dad.

Image of Orville

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above.

We pour our ardent prayers

Before our Father’s throne.

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,

Our comforts, and our cares.

We share each other’s woes,

Our mutual burdens bear;

And often for each other flows

The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,

It gives us inward pain;

But we shall still be joined in heart,

And hope to meet again.

John Fawcett, Wendell Kimbrough

Memories of Dad

I think some of you will know exactly what I mean when I say that my heart is sorrowfully heavy and full of joy–all at the same time.

The ties that bind joy and sadness.

I lost my 91 year-old father.  I’m sad that our family doesn’t have pictures of the times I remember most from my childhood. These ties that bind seem silly. But the memories are vivid in my mind. Some are simple, like my dad in our garage, fixing the brakes of my bike so I could ride to the pool. Moreover, I remember my dad pulling our boat around for the hundredth time to try to get me up on skis. Did he know the life-long memory he was making? Couple that memory with one of him hitting the throttle and telling me when to pull the plug as we drained our boat. It’s strange, these ties that bind. Finally, I have a not-so-happy memory of dad directing me and my sisters to help put up our tent on a hot afternoon. We were NOT happy campers AT ALL.  But these memories are precious.

When the struggle is over.

In these last 13 months, while he struggled with his health, my sisters and I got to see Dad again–the witty, silly, playful side of him. He was an endearing man who softened the hearts of his caregivers and doctors, especially when they figured out he was constantly messing with them.

The peace which passes all understanding.

Moreover, I am full of joy and forever grateful that my dad had great faith, even when it hurt him tremendously to keep it. However, in his final moments he asked, “Where am I?” and answered himself peacefully, “Heaven”, as he passed. Ultimately, this is the only tie that binds that really matters. Few of us get such confirmation at the end of our loved one’s life.

In conclusion, when I start to focus on the doubts and questions of what could have been, I remember that incredible “God Wink” gave us upon Dad’s departure from this world.

Instead of Quilting Analogies to the Tie that Binds

This is supposed to be a blog about quilting. Actually, there are many analogies I could make that use quilt themes to describe family and loved ones and friendships. Instead, I’ll leave a few pictures of the man I called dad. And thank you, friends, for allowing me to share him with you.Image of Willie with QOV

Image of Willie
Dad acting silly with his cap.
Image of Dad and Mom; ties that bind.
Image of Willie and WWII cap
Even in illness there is the tie that binds.
Image of my dad and the tie that binds.
Orville J. (Willie) Wichern
1926 – 2018

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Image of Jacket

How do YOU Quilt Week?

April 23, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

Quilt shows are like Disneyland for us.

In which land of the quilt show park do you like to hang?

Quilt show lands.

Firstly, do you map out a plan for conquering the whole “quilt park”? Secondly, do you stick to your plan? Or are you more of a “go with the flow of people and see where we land” kind of quilter?

Quilt show park passes.

Overall, here’s my generalizations of the types of visitors to quilt shows.

  • The quilt study. This quilter’s priority is to carefully see and study each quilt entered, reading the program notes as they go.
  • The land drover. This quilter needs to see each section, floor, and adjacent activities within the entire city hosting the show.
  • The vendor supporter. This quilter must hit all booths and find all new tools of the trade!

How do you conquer the quilt show challenge?

Initially, our little group starts with a plan. In the same fashion, we often change our plans!

Individual priorities.

That said, some of us are students, some are shoppers, some want to see it all!

Against the crowd.

Apart from our differences, we generally agree to go against the crowd. By that I mean, we first go to the furthest “lands” in the park. Once the crowds have cleared from the park entrance, we go see the mainland (winner’s circle).Some years we really study the quilts. There are some years that we REALLY shop the vendors.  Other years we’ve taken classes. Some years we throw our plans  out the window and just go!

This was a big quilt show year for me.

At the time of this writing, more than 10 of my quilt patterns and quilts were featured in Hancock’s of Paducah for Quilt Week in Paducah, Kentucky. Needless to say, I spent a good deal of my park time in this establishment!

Free pass.

Moreover, to celebrate, any friends who posted their photo with one of my patterns or quilts and #usebothsides was entered into a drawing for a free pattern of their choice.

And the winner is…

(drum roll and scroll down)

Quilt Show Week in Hancock's of Paducah
Rose, Pepita, and Emily hang in the distance.
Image of Quilts Hanging for Quilt Show Week
L to R: Sally, Kate, Lily, Belle, Phoebee, Something’s Brewing, and Fiona hanging at Hancock’s of Paducah!
Karla Kiefner with patterns at quilt show week in Hancock's of Paducah.
That’s me looking at Phoebee and Pepita patterns hanging in Hancock’s.
Image of Hancock's Post
Fiona was a featured quilt in Hancock’s of Paducah Facebook Promotion.
Image of Honey Pot

Finally, all the names went into the honey pot and the winner is Cindy Spaeth! Congrats, Cindy! Pick out your pattern, girl!

 

SHOP more than 50 quilt patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides of fabric HERE.

Learn how to use both sides HERE.

Image of Cauldron Quilt
Something's Brewing

Yakity Yak – Let’s Talk Backs

March 26, 2018 /

Quilt backing doesn’t have to be boring.

Lots of quilters use leftover fabrics from their stash to piece together a quilt backing. Initially, that was my intention with this pieced backing. I needed to add enough random fabrics to “stretch” the gray Stonehenge backing!

Afterthoughts.

By and large, quilt backing is an afterthought for me. Until now, all of my excitement and energy is focused on the quilt top. My brain can’t handle more decisions while I’m mastering the creation on the front of the quilt! However, when the top is finished, I want to quilt it immediately.

Something’s Brewing

Incidentally, such was the case with Something’s Brewing. This quilt features a huge cauldron that has bubbles and steam simmering over it’s sides. Also, there’s a crooked broomstick and, my favorite, honey buzzard claw feet. Moreover, one focus fabric makes all of these things, plus the binding! That is to say, it is made with both spooky sides of one focus fabric! See How to Use Both Sides for more info!

image of something's brewing quilt

Various spooky background fabrics.

Furthermore, notice the very VARIED background fabrics in this quilt. This background is made from eleven radically different fabrics, including batik, Stonehenge, glitzy plaid, spiderweb, and more. Moreover, there’s even a fabric with William Shakespeare’s Macbeth! It’s such spooky fun!

Why should the front have all the fun?

Although I had pieced my quilt backings before, it had never dawned on me to “instant bargello” my backing! While searching for a single Halloween print to add to my yardage, I found numerous smaller cuts of very fun fabric.

Image of Quilt Back

Instant Bargello to the quilt backing rescue!

Instant Bargello by Susan Kisro is one of my favorite quilting books.Image of Book I’ve made several fun and fast quilts using this book as a guide. I decided this technique would allow me to use small pieces of fabric to make a fun quilt backing. I grabbed some scraps and did three little columns of that technique which gave me enough width for the backing. It was fun and fast!

Prairie Point Hanging Method

Even the Prairie Point Hanging Method got a splash of Halloween fun! The two brown ones have tiny candy corn on them. This was some old Debbie Mumm fabric which I’d inherited from my mother-in-law. I love using little bits of her fabric in my quilts.

Label Fun

Finally, when preparing this quilt to hang in Hancock’s of Paducah for AQS Quilt Week, I brewed up another little cauldron for the label. Incidentally, this cauldron was made from the REVERSE!

 

Have fun with your backs!

To summarize, if you have to make a quilt back, why not make it fun?

Enjoy YOUR quilting journey!

SHOP more than 50 quilt patterns that use both beautiful (or spooky) sides of fabric!

Quilting Journey

Seven Ways to Use Both Sides of Fabric

March 19, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

Get inspired to use both sides of fabric!

First, get a glance at seven (of now more than 50) quilt patterns made with both beautiful sides of fabric, right here, right now! Fun announcements included below!

The girl who started it all…Phoebee.

Learn how Phoebee inspired the start of using both sides of fabric HERE.

Image of Bee Quilt
Phoebee Quilt Pattern

Firstly, Phoebee’s focus fabric has a lot to say! However, it doesn’t completely define this quilt! Look at that eclectic group of background fabrics! It’s all about value. I love how Phoebee gets her life and vibrancy from the very flowers (REVERSE) she’s pollinating.

Belle and Lilly join the party.

Image of Butterfly Quilt
Image of dragonfly quilt made with both sides of fabric

Soon after Phoebee was born, Belle and Lilly came to life. In the same fashion as Phoebee, these two gals were made with both sides of floral fabrics. Their contrasting genre of fabric give them each a unique style.

Additionally, I taught numerous classes of this Colorful Wings collection.

Image of Three Quilts on Fence
Phoebee, Belle & Lily

Value is key when you use both sides of fabric.

Read Mysterious Values.

Rose was the first pattern in the Colorful Petals series.

image of both sides of fabric for Rose

Interestingly, I found Rose’s focus fabric in Branson, Missouri, as I raced through the shop. I quickly pulled out bolts to look at the reverse sides of fabric, while my husband waited in the car. This fabric by Red Rooster was an instant winner! Notice the secondary scroll design that shows on the vase? It’s gorgeous on the REVERSE.

Both sides of floral fabric for more bouquets.

Image of Three Quilts
Colorful Petals Quilt Patterns

Creative Bee Studios Etsy Shop

Launched, Fall 2017

More fun with both sides of Sally fabric!

Image of Seahorse Quilt with both sides of fabric
Sally Quilt Pattern

Eventually, I began shipping patterns all over the United States and to Canada!

Creative Bee Studios use both sides of fabric quilt patterns have been featured in AQ Magazine, Hancock’s of Paducah, Connecting Threads, Nancy’s Notions, and quilt shops across America!

Learn more

In conclusion with this overview of the past year, thank you all for your support.

Enjoy your quilting journey!

Image of River for Flock of Geese Block

Month Three BOM Mystery Quilt

March 12, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Table of contents

The Flock of Geese block is Month Three!

The Flock of Geese block has to be a part of our River Heritage Mystery Quilt. Geese are seen throughout the year flying near and over the river.

Image of River for Flock of Geese Block
Month Three – Flock of Geese Block

Pictured above is Tower Rock (Grand Tower) on the frozen Mississippi River. Tower Rock is impassable except when the river is extremely low or frozen over.

This photo, taken by Jake Pohlman in January 2018,  shows people crossing the frozen river to the landmark island and rock formation usually only accessible by land during extreme drought. 

Tower Rock

Tower Rock is located in the Brazeau Township, Perry County, Missouri, near the town of Wittenberg, Missouri, and across the river from Grand Tower, Illinois. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Jacques Marquette, a French explorer, mentioned this island in 1673 when he passed by this formation. Tower Rock has been known to instill both fear and poetry in river pilots due to the force of the whirlpool effect the water hitting the formation creates.

Flocks of geese are common near the river.

A flock of geese is a common sight in our area, especially in the fields adjacent to the river line. Therefore, it is fitting that this Flock of Geese block be a part of our River Heritage quilt!

Image of river in flock of geese block

Flock of Geese Block

Welcome to the third month in the River Heritage Block-of-the-Month Mystery Quilt!

Flock of Geese is made with two easy components but, as with Railroad Crossing, it can be used to make a stunning quilt by itself or with a secondary block.

As I mentioned in the introduction, I am making my quilt blocks very scrappy, so where it calls for one large dark and one large light square, I make two to achieve a scrappy look. I toss my extra squares in my BOM scrap bin to grab for future blocks.

Check your values!

The Flock of Geese block uses dark and light fabrics. It is an easy block made with two four-patches of half-square triangles (HS) and two large half-square triangles.

Flock of Geese Block Printer Friendly Version

Image of Flock of Geese Block

Chain Piecing for Four Patches

To speed up your process, use a chain piecing method for the four-patch units.

Image of Flock of Geese Block

Finally, share your Flock of Geese using #riverheritage on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

River Heritage Month Four

 

SHOP more than 50 quilt patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides of fabric!

Image of Quilters' Hands

Quilt Retreat Checklist

March 5, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Table of contents

Get your retreat packing on!

Image of Quilters
Read HERE about this Jonas Bluffs Retreat!

Here’s a quick quilt retreat packing list to make your prep easier and your quilt retreat fun!

Firstly, one must remember the basics.

You need friends, fabric, food, and laughter on the top of your packing list.

Here’s a quilt retreat checklist from a cabin called Lady of the Lake.

Secondly, it’s important to anticipate your particular retreat needs. The accommodations, schedules, and cabin mates can make a big difference in your experience and your packing list! Therefore, I’ve decided to share the list as one example of how we do quilt retreat at Kentucky Dam Village, Lady of the Lake style!

Lady of the Lake Cabin Style Retreat Packing

Mostly, we would have eight lovely ladies in one cabin. We each set up our work station, stitch a lot, eat a lot, share a lot, and laugh a lot. We schedule our meals and each person provides in some way, either meals or supplies.

As the years went on, we learned we didn’t need to prepare to great detail as we did in the earlier years. For example, planning only one large meal a day and allowing the later days in the event to be determined made our packing and planning much easier. Not only did we not have nearly large amount of food to pack, we had less to get rid of at the end of the retreat.

Additionally, less meal planning allowed us to change our plans as the week went on.

Quilt retreat packing list.

Hope you get some use from this list and a little insight to dynamics of the Lady of the Lake gals.

  • Sewing machine with electrical cord, foot pedal, manual, extra light bulb, bobbins, Q-tips for cleaning lint.
  • Seam ripper, scissors, Seam ripper, scissors, rotary cutter and blades, rulers, cutting mat, iron, pressing surface, tables, electrical cords, extension cords, extra lighting, fabric spray, pins, hand-work supplies, guild directory, ¼” guide and 3M removable double-stick for guide on machine.
  • Personal Items: pajamas, preferred drinks, snacks and food for meals not planned, rice bag for sore muscles, massager for neck and shoulders, comfortable clothing, walking shoes, jeans for shopping trips, jacket/sweatshirt, overnight bag/products, Advil, pain relief lotion.
  • Additional: paper, pencil, electrical strips, charger cords, tape, table cloths (for design boards), cleaning wipes, pest strips.
  • Snacks, drinks, paper products, coffee and filters.

Supply List Printer Format

SHOP more than 50 quilt patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides of fabric!

Image of Four Grace

Simple Designs for Stunning Quilts

February 26, 2018 /
Image of Grace Quilt Pattern

Introducing…Grace, a simple design for a stunning quilt.  First, take a mason jar shape. Next add a broderie perse bouquet. Finally, construct a fun, scrappy background to make a sweet quilted wall hanging.

You first pick your floral focus fabric for the mason jar (reverse), bouquet, and binding! Add scrappy background fabrics and you’ll be set. 

You’ll discover the nuances of value as you learn to audition BOTH sides of fabric! Each #usebothsides patterns teaches you how to audition your fabrics. Value is the key to success! Learning to measure value is a skill you can apply to all your future quilt projects.

Your focus fabric determines the style of your bouquet. 

I’ve had a large room full of quilters make this design at their annual retreat and the results were, well, stunning! Each quilter had a guide for how to choose both focus and background fabrics before the retreat. They also brought extra fabric for last-minute changes. This pattern is a great classroom or workshop project because the results are incredibly different. Even if two quilters choose the same focus fabric, their background fabrics and bouquet arrangement makes their quilts unique. It truly is a simple design for a stunning quilt.

How do you know if a fabric has a great reverse? You learn through the auditioning process. After looking a few reverse sides, you’ll soon have a good feel for those fabrics you can audition. It’s also a great conversation starter at quilt shops when they see you looking at BOTH sides. Some of my friends say they never look at one side of fabric anymore. In a way, it’s like doubling your stash without losing any space!

 

Learn more about modern Broderie Perse! 

SHOP HERE
Image of Simple Design Stunning Quilt
Image of Four Grace Bouquets
SHOP Creative Bee Studios Quilt Patterns HERE
Image of Kate's Bouquet Simple Design Stunning Quilt
Kate’s Bouquet is another way to use BOTH sides of fabric!https://www.etsy.com/listing/720564306

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Image of Cat on Quilt

The Quilting Forecast

February 19, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

An interesting quilting forecast abounds when raindrops on Rose, quilted umbrellas,  and Mary Poppins connect.

This quilting forecast is looking good. Fortunately, rain doesn’t usually dampen a quilter’s spirits. In fact, a little forced inside time can do wonders for sewing production, right?

Traveling to my home town to introduce my patterns to the local guild, I am careful to keep the raindrops off of Rose! I’ll be teaching a large workshop for the Memory Makers Quilt Guild soon. This is their first look at what’s ahead!

The Quilting Class Forecast

Image of Quilt
Rose Quilt Pattern

Six or more quilt designs are the choices for the large workshop.

The quilters get to choose from a number of designs, including Phoebee, Belle, Lilly, Rose, Kate, and Emily. The quilting forecast for this group is creativity!

The Memory Makers may have a small membership, but they are large on participation and creativity.

A memory maker for me.

Born and raised in this small town, I have fond memories of simpler times. We rode bikes all over town (sans highway 61- not allowed). I worked summers at the swimming pool, start as “bag girl”, becoming a life guard, and even managing the pool one summer. As teenagers we “rode around”. There were homecoming snake dances around the square in route to the big bonfires. The cracked sidewalks and uneven pavement I rode over and over seem etched in my mind.

Moreover, I am honored and fortunate I can go back to my home town to share my quilts with friends.

However, with the wet weather forecast for this week, I’ll be doing my best to keep the raindrops off of Rose and all her friends!

Umbrella Table Runner

It seems fitting to break out the umbrella table runner today with the forecast of a rainy week ahead. This quilting forecast is CUTE!

Image of Quilted Table Runer

Undoubtedly, this is a fast, fun project. We are talking about a single background fabric, just a few cuts of scrap Kaffe Fasset fabric, and the Accuquilt umbrella die! Coupled with pebbled quilting and you’ve got a perfect table runner for a wet forecast. See Raindrops on Roses to see a few of my favorite things from the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.

Furthermore, umbrellas always remind me of a favorite book, movie, and musical:

Mary Poppins, of course! Like shifts in the wind, the music, the magic, and the meaning of this beloved story is a favorite. The umbrellas in the runner above seem like they could be pulled right out of Mary’s carpet bag!

Quits and Musicals

Our youngest daughter, Jacquelyn, played the role of Mrs. Banks in her final college show. Apart from the Mary Poppins show, I’ve made a number of quilts to commemorate her various roles in musical theatre. One such quilt was for her role as Laurey in OKLAHOMA!, shown below.

Image of Quilt
See OKLAHOMA! Backroads in South Dakota.

Click HERE to see  “Sweet Dreams…of You” and the quilt commemorating Jacq’s role as the legendary Patsy Cline and  Click HERE to see “One…Singular Sensation” which features a fantastic quilt binding tip and Jacq’s role as Cassie in A Chorus Line.

SHOP more than 50 quilt patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides of fabric!

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