Yep, Tuesday! Tips will be short and sweet. I’m in Lakeland and getting ready for the opening of the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo on Thursday. Then we’ll head to Branson, MO for the AQS Quilt Week there. Can you say miles to go??!!!! I’m looking forward to teaching and vending at OSQE (Booth 507) and vending in Branson (Booth 1103). I hope to see some of you here and there! Come by my booth and see me! I’ll be doing binding demos and talking hexies.
#1 – Go to a Quilt Show…..fun, informative and inspirational!
#2 – Wear comfy shoes and drink plenty of water <grin>!
March came in like a lamb, but busy happenings here at Wendt Quilting! As the title says, next up (as in next quilt show) is Original Quilt & Sewing Expo in Lakeland, FL. I’ll be teaching 2 classes and 2 lectures. I know there are some spots left in each. I hope you help with filling up my schedule and take a class or take a break and listen to a lecture!!
My very newest lecture Just One Stitch will have its show debut on Saturday, March 18th from 12:30-1:30. I’ll be sharing how…“A simple running stitch is used in many countries around our world. The Big Stitch, Kawandi, Kantha and Sashiko/Boro are among those stitches. The basics of the stitch are the same but executed differently to create their own unique style. Join Debbie as she shares samples and stories that will bring these simple yet beautiful stitches to life.” Examples below!
Look for all my classes on the OSQE website. You will find them under class descriptions.
I just got back from our Granddaughter’s baby shower. I’m going to be a Great Gr’ma!!! Aka – G.G. Debbie!! I made….what else….a quilt! It is flannel and I’m happy the parents-to-be like it! Awaiting the arrival of baby Leo in just a couple weeks.
ALSO, I’m going to be a Great Aunt! I sent….you guessed it….a quilt! My niece and her husband love the great outdoors. This quilt is flannel and it was fun to make something “baby” for the arrival of their “little buck”.
Notice how I used the gray and white check as the binding. It was cut on the bias! A great tip (#1) for using a fabric from the quilt. I did not want a dark binding. I wanted to keep the edge light and give it a “soft” look!
I often suggest to you press seams open when making a flannel quilt….and always pre-wash flannel! (2 tips for #2) Both quilts got washed after they were bound. I have a tendency to be heavy handed when I machine sew a binding. By washing it [after the photo 😉 ] it gave the binding edge a softer finish and shrunk up the wave I created. I promise it looked better! And a little bonus….call your quilts for babies FLOOR QUILTS, they will use them!!!
Thank you Daytona Beach attendees and students!!! I had a great time in the booth and classroom. I even did a Learning Center talk about Tools and Patterns to Bust a Move on Your Stash. Much success!
My booth photo is below. The names and words are from my new book Hexie Speak – Say it with Hexies!
My first class was Done by Three with Fat Quarters. Every student went home with at least a few blocks made! They had to bring their Fat Quarters to class. A great tip from a couple students was to roll their FQ on a pool noodle to keep the wrinkles out after they had pressed them at home.
And here are a few blocks with a fun focus fabric! I’m looking forward to seeing some finished quilt tops and quilts very soon. A tip discussed about the owls…. Don’t worry about them looking in all different directions. It adds to the whimsy of the quilt and saves a lot of time in cutting and sewing. Let them be where they land!
My second class was Hexie Flower Garden. We had flowers in every color imaginable with backgrounds in black and whites, creams, newsprint fabric, dots and “plain old” white and many others. I’m happy to report that they also got a great start on their quilts. Several rows completed by each student!!! Again a nudge for them… send me photos so you can see the “WOW” that I witnessed in class. I missed getting any photos, so students…please send me some!
A solid hour of Bindings: A World of Options rounded out my teaching. Many samples, quilts and tips were shown and given. I LOVE talking about binding! If your guild ever needs a lecturer, look me up. I’d be happy to share binding tips!
Thank you Daytona Beach participants. I’m still smiling about your wonderful success in class and great comments!
If you are participating in the Classic Cars Block of the Month Color Challenge, hop right over to patterns by jen to get this month’s block (today is the last day for the Feb. block).
Happy Valentine’s Day to those still celebrating in your time zone. Belated love if Valentine’s Day has passed your time zone. That would be here in MA. Better late than never! I spent a long weekend on the Cape at my Quilt Guild Getaway. I love this time with my quilt friends. Time to sew, eat, sew, talk, sew…..you get the idea! PLUS a huge shout out to my KC peeps, family and CHIEFS fans — A great Super Bowl WIN for my hometown. I’m so proud of the determination to never give in!!! I watched the game at the hotel restaurant where we had the Getaway, Sea Crest Beach Hotel. They let us rearrange tables so we could watch the game. We even stood for the National Anthem!
Thanks to Margaret and Cathy for watching with me until the WINNING end of the game! I wore RED the entire weekend and continued the red right through Valentine’s Day.
This was me announcing our Getaway activities and showing off my red CHIEFS attire!
When I got home from the Getaway my latest AQ (American Quilter) magazine was waiting for me. I’m excited to share that my Hexie Speak – Say it with Hexies book is featured in Fabulous Finds! Take a look on page 18!!
As I said in the title, I’m feeling the love!
#1 – Bring Chocolate and snacks to a Getaway. (I think this one has been mentioned before!)
#2 – Drink plenty of water, hotel air is dry. We ran my diffuser with water only! No perfumes or oils just in case someone has a sensitivity to them.
Not really a tip but it happens…..Sew, sew, sew….you can sleep when you get home! Wink!
If you are in the Daytona Beach area, I hope to see you at the show next week. There are still a couple spots in my classes, Done by Three and Hexie Flower Garden and my lecture Bindings: A World of Options. Class registration is still open at AQS Quilt Week HERE.
Don’t forget to check out the Monthly Color Challenge at Patterns by Jen (PBJ). This month is Aqua. Check out her blog for all the details. Classic Cars Color Challenge.
I can’t even begin to count how many projects that I have in progress, in process, in bags, in my sketchbook, in my head. The mind is swimming! The start of a new year brings many quilters trying to sort out what to finish. I’ve been thinking about this and it raises the question…”Do I NEED to finish them all????” Well, the promised gifts and upcoming baby showers are a must! Then rest…if I am not in love with them, theey may just need to go away. No, not in the trash but gifted to another quilter who might enjoy them. Or “break apart” that kit that might never happen and use the fabric in other projects.
#1 – Just because you bought it doesn’t mean you have to finish it.
#2 – A wise friend once told me….”you may have learned all you needed to with making one block.” Who says you have to turn it into a quilt?
Here is my stack of some of the Hexie Speak quilts from new book. It took a while to finally finish. It was worth it! May your stacks be heavy on the DONE and light on the in progress!!
Have you noticed the uptick of emails about Quilt Shows? I sure have!! Exciting times to start planning for shows for 2023. As I have mentioned, I’ll be vending and teaching in at several shows in the first half of the year!
First up, AQS Quilt Week at Daytona Beach is February 22-25, 2023. I’ll be vending and teaching two classes including Done by Three with Fat Quarters on Wed. from 8:30-11:30am and Hexie Flower Garden: Hexagons on the Machine on Sat. 8:30-11:30 am. In between, on Thursday from 3-4 pm is my lecture Bindings: A World of Options. Classes are filling up, go HERE to find out more about the show and to sign up for my classes and lecture! Done by Three and Hexie Flower Garden shown below.
Have you gotten your free January pattern for the Classic Cars Monthly Color Challenge by Patterns By Jen? The quilt block is free until the end of the month. Check out her blog Patterns By Jen for more information.
My Blackstone Valley Heritage Quilters Guild Getaway is in a couple weeks. I’m in charge, eek! It has been fun planning this Getaway. My tips for this week are about preparations to go on a Getaway or Retreat. At the top of my list is to prep as many projects as possible before I go. Then I can sit and sew, sew, sew! Also, I like to have a variety of projects to work on. When I’m tired of sewing/piecing, I like a hand project to work on for a break. I enjoy walking around the room as seeing what everyone is working on. A cushy for your tushy is so important for those hours at your sewing machine. And chocolate, always chocolate!
Most importantly…
#1 – Don’t forget to pack your foot pedal and cord for your sewing machine!
#2 – Take along your favorite sewing chair so you are as comfortable as possible while you sew.
As promised last week, I have taken photos of the steps for making these cut felt flowers for holding clips. I love using clips when I do my bindings. Much easier to use than pins. I don’t get stuck!
I used felt. The cheapest I could find in a color I love!
Begin with cutting 2″ strips from the longest edge. The felt “square” was 9″ x 12″. My strip was 2″ x 12″. Use a longer strip for a lager flower or use two strips end to end. Fold the strip in half lengthwise and stitch about 1/8 – 1/4″ with a long running stitch. I left the threaded needle in the end of the folded sewn strip to use for the finishing steps.
Start rolling the sewn edge into a spiral. Double check to see if you like the center.
Continue rolling to the end of the strip. Take a stitch to keep the swirl together.
Run the needle and thread through the bottom edge of the swirl, back and forth to hold the swirl together. Finish with a stitch and knot.
Check the flower and FLUFF the felt flower. Add your clip(s)!
A great simple project to hold your clips instead of a plastic container. Fun to use while using clips to hold your binding in place to finish the mitered corners and stitching!
Tips #1 – match your thread to your fabric or felt to better hide your stitches for a nice finished look. In the photos, it is always best for me to have a contrasting thread for you to see my stitches.
#2 – Add your felt flower to a wrist strip for a “wrist clip cushion” (instead of pin cushion)!! Or add a magnet, or attach to a base to use while you use your clips.
Bonus Tip: My husband just had shoulder surgery…his tip for the week…learn to use both hands (your non- dominate hand) for doing simple chores like brushing your teeth. Those skill will come in handy. (pun intended!!)
I’ve been playing with ideas to hold my Wonder Clips. I found these cut flowers made out of felt. The petals will be what the clips “hold” onto. The video I watched used hot glue….ouch! I wasn’t about to burn my fingers as (I’m sure) we have all done at one time or another. So I got our my needle and thread instead. I tried their suggest size of felt strip (1 1/2″ folded in half) and cut slits (about 1/4″ apart). The flower is really cute, but small and the slits lined up too evenly (bottom left). So on to another 1 1/2″ strip and wider cut slits. (bottom center) The other versions are 2″ wide strips….top left, the slits were cut between 1/4″-3/8″ (my favorite!) The top center was 1/2″ slits, a bit floppy. The angle cut slits (top right) is pretty but not as easy to clip the Wonder Clips onto.
These were fun to try. I’ll post the steps next week!
#1 – Why use hot glue when a needle and thread are close at hand. Plus it will hold better!
#2 – Play with options. If you don’t like it try again. I see this a lot in when people make quilts. If something isn’t working for you, STOP! Change it up, take another look at colors, or even other block or border possibilities!
The years keep moving along. How is it already 2023? Time you say, yes! I welcome a new year for new projects, finishing some old projects and discovering some new quilt designs. Plus revisiting some designs I worked on last year. I spent a lot of time last year doing the Quilt Block Remixes. I will be participating in some but not as many. A new project has come to my attention and I’ve jumped on board. Patterns By Jen (Jen Shaffer) is doing a Monthly Color Challenge. This year her theme is Classic Cars. I fell in LOVE with her photo for the challenge!
How can one not be a part of this challenge?!? Jen’s introduction post to this year’s challenge can be found HERE. She has listed the colors for each month. I will be her guest designer in November and the color is green. The first month’s color is pink. The instructions for the block is free through January. January can be found HERE. Each successive month’s color will be announced in her blog and each block in only free for that month. If you miss a month, you can still get the block for a small fee. The guest designer for January is Raylee from Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting. I’ve highlighted her business so you can read her blog post. I’m looking forward to all Jen’s colors, car colors and the cars she has chosen to represent each color!
Since I am giving this introduction, my tips are based on this challenge.
#1 – If you participate in this challenge, keep track of the blocks and follow along!
#2 – Collect your fabrics early.
#3 – Sign up for the Classic Cars 2023 Monthly Color Challenge Blocks to be delivered directly to your email.
#4 – Make your blocks as we go, then you’ll be ready to put it together as soon as it is revealed.
A heck of a mess out there in many parts of the USA. I hope you are warm and well wherever you may be! In sunny Florida, it is sunny but not so warm. I’m not looking forward to uncertainty of our upcoming flights, so fingers and toes crossed all goes well for calm travels!! Wishing you a QUILTY New Year and the start of many quilting projects or a goal to finish those projects already started!!!!
Here is my latest Kawandi! 12 wt. cotton thread for stitching instead of perle cotton. Not quite as straight and I’m okay with that!
#1 – Try different threads for hand stitching your Kawandi quilts.
#2 – “Done is better than perfect.” (Another sample for my Just One Stitch lecture!)
More tips coming your way and please share any “I want to know how to _____” in the comments. Wishing you all the best for the NEW YEAR!
DebbieWendt's Blog 