Light Table

Posted by Becky

A few years ago I got rid of my big light table/drafting desk because I just wasn't using it enough to justify the space in my sewing room. I recently started making the applique blocks for the Civil War Bride quilt and couldn't imagine doing all that on a window. thecivilwarbridequilt.blogspot.com

My answer is the redneck light table. I bought a piece of 18" x 24" plexiglass at Lowe's for $10. They have it in various sizes and will even cut it for you. This size was perfect for my blocks that are 13" x 16".

Items needed:
Plexiglass
2 folding tables (You could use something else)
Household lamp (I tried several and found this little lamp on a box gave me the perfect light

The table height was very comfortable as I sat here and glued my applique pieces to my background fabric and used the table tops to hold all the stuff I needed. (I cleaned it off for this picture, and the lamp is turned off).



This is Block 2 of the Civil War Bride quilt.

Everything is glue basted and ready for stitching.

 

 

 

I'm using the starch and glue method to make these 20 blocks and finding the process very enjoyable. I'll be happy to do a little workshop in the Fall for anyone that wants to give it a try. Just let me know and we'll set an applique date.

 

Now that I've got this block ready to stitch I think I'll go back to my machine and work on my Veteran's Mystery Quilt.

 

 Happy sewing to each of you!



June donation block

Each month we have a block pattern to make and bring to the next meeting. I'm going to try to remember to post information about the blocks here on the blog for anyone who missed the meeting.

The pattern for the June meeting is a framed I-Spy block and you can download the directions here. Carolyn provided the I-spy blocks at the June meeting and we are to add the borders. It's really simple and quick to make these blocks. If you missed the meeting you can use I-spy fabric from your own stash. Bring your finished blocks to the July meeting.

Veteran's Mystery Quilt - Clue 2

If you survive clue 2 then I know that you will make it through the whole quilt! This clue isn't difficult, there's just a lot of it. Don't sweat it. You have a month so take your time and do it in bits.

Clue 2 is really simple. You are going to make a lot of half square triangle blocks. Each block will finish at 2”.

You are going to make 64 blocks in each of these color combinations:

Fabric  1 with Fabric 4

 Fabric 2 with Fabric 4

Fabric 2 with Fabric 3

You can make these blocks any way you prefer. I like to foundation piece mine using Triangulations. Triangles on a Roll is another great tool for making these blocks. If you use either of these you will need foundations for 2” finished squares.

If you are cutting individual pieces, cut 2 7/8” squares and cut once on the diagonal. You will need 32 squares in fabric 1, 64 squares in fabric 2, 32 squares in fabric 3 and 64 squares in fabric 4; all cut once on the diagonal.

Here’s  a good online video tutorial for 3 methods for making half square triangle blocks. In this video they are making the 2” block that we are also using in this project.

I pressed all of my seams open.

Here are the blocks for my 2 quilts.

Please share your blocks in our Flickr group:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/2170899@N25/

Batting Scraps

Does anyone in the group use batting bits for dog beds or pillows? I always have a lot of batting bits and strips left over from trimming quilts. I no longer make the dog beds but would be happy to bring someone a bag of bits if you can use them.

2013 CSQ Show Entry Form for Montpelier Center Exhibit

 

The exhibit at the Montpelier Center is fast approaching.  Click here for a PDF copy of the show entry form.  Entry forms must be submitted to Estelle Porter no later than August 13, 2013, the regular meeting of CSQ.  We suggest that you make a copy of the PDF file.  Complete your entry form for each item.  You can email the PDF entry forms along with a digital picture of each entry to Estelle at quiltwrks@aol.com, or give her a “hard” copy of the entry form along with a picture.

As a reminder, all quilts entered must have an appropriate sleeve and a fabric label, with the owner’s name, address and phone number sewn or safety pined on a lower back corner.  If you have a hanging rod, please bring it with your name attached.

All quilts for the September show will be hung Monday, September 2^nd.  You may drop off your quilt from 9 – 10 AM at the Montpelier Center.  The show will be dismantled on Monday, September 30^th at 10 AM.  You can pick up your quilt(s) from 11 AM – Noon.

We hope that all members will participate in this exhibit. 

Elsa Brooks

 

Volunteers Needed at VQM

I received the following email from the volunteer coordinator at the Virginia Quilt Museum.  They need some help next week, June 11 - 15, 2013.  If you've always wanted to volunteer but couldn't do it on the scheduled times for CSQ, maybe you might be interested in helping during the week.  Also, for non-VQM members, you get to see the exhibits at no charge, and get a 10% discount in the museum shop.  Also, you might have time to go to the quilt shop in Dayton....Patchwork Plus.

Elsa

Hey Volunteers,

 

These are the shifts next week that we are still needing coverage for:

 

Wednesday  1-4, we need 1 person.

Thursday 10-1, we need 1 person.

Friday 10-1, we need 2 people

Friday 1-4, we need 1 person.

 

Any of these that any of you are willing to cover, it would be greatly appreciated.  You can sign up in the online system, email me back at rob@vaquiltmuseum.org, or call me on my cell phone (540) 810-1865.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Robb

Friday Sewing

I always look forward to Friday and Saturday sewing. This weekend my Mom (Glenda) is visiting and I made her come with me. Here's what was happening in Montpelier today. We had Kitty, Carolyn, Nancy, Becky, Betsy, Estelle, Glenda and me. Elsa stopped by for a couple of hours to meet with Estelle about our show in September. I didn't get photos of everything that was worked on but here's a bit if eye candy for you.

Becky planned the layout for our May blocks. She has enough for 2 veteran's quilts. She's going to put the tops together and I'll quilt them.

Betsy is basing a veteran's quilt. She will quilt it tomorrow.

Carolyn gave us a sneak peek our June block and showed us her challenge quilt.

Estelle is working on the mystery quilt.

This quilt will be a test for members. If you recognize it you have been with CSQ for at least 12 years! It's a long story that we will explain at the meeting Tuesday. In short, after 12 years I finally got it quilted.

Glenda worked on the June clue for Judy Laquidara's Back to Square One mystery.

Peg finished the binding on her challenge quilt. It's ready for the show!

For me, this weekend is all about binding and today I finished these 2 veteran's quilts. 

The bottom one was a top donated to me by a friend.

We are looking forward to more sewing tomorrow!

10 Questions - Peg Shealy

I want to start a new blog feature that will help us get to know each other better. I'm calling the series "10 questions" because that's what this is: a 10 question interview. It's not all family and background. I'm hoping that we can learn some new and fun things about each other. Peg Shealy has agreed to be the first "honoree" .

Peg also sent along some photos of her creative space and of the quilt on her bed. I hope you enjoy getting to know Peg better. I bet you didn't know what she studied in college.....

1. If you live in Hanover (or the area), how many generations of your family have lived here and how did they come to settle here? If you moved here, where are you from and what brought you here?

I'm not from Hanover. We moved here from northern Virginia in 2001. We wanted more land than we could find in Fairfax County, and we wanted to live in a quieter place where we could have a big garden and room for the kids to roam. We looked all over the northern half of the State. We found a piece of land that was exactly what we wanted and we built our house. I love it here. I'm originally from Massachusetts, and my husband was born in Richmond but grew up in Delaware.

2. When you were young what did you plan to be when you grew up and what happened with those plans?

The only thing I remember planning to be was an archeologist. I don't remember when or why I changed my plans. In the first few years of college I considered majors in English, Home Economics, Geology, and several other things, but nothing seemed quite right. I've always loved maps, and when my mom suggested I study cartography, I realized it was the perfect choice. I switched schools, changed my major to geography with an emphasis on cartography, got a job as a cartographer after college, and worked in the field for more than 25 years. It was a great fit for my interests and talents.

3. What are your favorite local restaurants?

We don't go out to eat much. I like Yokozuna Sushi in Ashland (but I never eat their sushi - I like the other things on the menu) and the Virginia Barbeque Company.

4. What hobbies do you have other than quilting? Where do you do them?

I like lots of different kinds of needlework - knitting, crochet, garment sewing, embroidery, etc. I used to do a lot of counted cross stitch but not so much any more. I like to garden, and we also do a lot of dancing - mostly ballroom, contra, and Scottish country dancing. I learned the Scottish when I was a teenager and got into the other dancing from that. And I like to cook and bake.

5. As a child what was your nickname and how did you get it? Do people still call you by that name?

I guess you'd say Peg is a nickname, because my legal name is Margaret. My family called me Peggy when I was little but I switched to Peg when I left for college. I've never been called Margaret - that was my grandmother's name and everyone called her that (only people who didn't know her called her Mrs. Rawson) so it would have been confusing if I was Margaret, too. But it was always a special bond between us, that we had the same name.

6. Is your sewing machine(s) named? If so, what is it and why?

No. I sometimes name my cars, but never any other equipment. :-)

7. Show us a photo (or photos) of where you create.

I need to clean it up first! I have a room that's known as "the sewing room". It has all my projects in it, along with my desk with the computer. Lately a lot of non-project things have been stashed in there which means I don't have much room to work, so I spill out into the living room, front hall, dining room, or even the kitchen. I like to do rotary cutting at the kitchen counter because it's the perfect height. I carry projects around with me, especially my knitting, and do them wherever I happen to be. (I'll take a picture of the sewing room but it will probably be a few days....)

8. Show us a photo of the quilt that’s on your bed right now.

(How many members remember seeing this one when Peg finished it a few years ago?)

9. What quilt is your worst quilt. Not necessarily the ugliest but the one that you liked the least or struggled with the most or just plain hated making. Why did you choose this one?

If I really struggle with a quilt or I hate making it, it usually doesn't get finished. Shortly before we moved here I made a mystery quilt that I didn't like once it was done. If I'd known what the pattern was I would have made different fabric choices and I might have liked it better. It was a wall hanging and I gave it to an auction at my church. I don't have a picture of it.

10. What is your all time favorite quilt and why.

That's a hard question - I like lots of things but I don't really have a favorite, either of my own quilts or of ones made by other people. I usually make relatively traditional, pieced, scrappy quilts, but I really appreciate the more modern quilts made by members of our group, and I love seeing great applique quilts (partly because I know I'll never make one.) I like the quilt that's on my bed right now, and I'm excited about a couple I have in work.

Thank you Peg!