Meet Annette Ornelas of Southwind Designs

 I've cruised and learned with Annette twice now and, man oh man, does it keep getting better!

Last year I went on a quilting cruise through Quilt and Cruise (Dawn Olmstead) with Annette as the teacher. We went to St Maarten, St Kitts, and San Juan PR. It was so wonderful that we booked another cruise for this year - same dates, same cruise line, same terrific teacher - but different ports.

This year - just a week ago actually, I joined the same friends and Annette for another week of sailing and sewing bliss. The ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) were our destination this time.

Most of Annette's patterns use a very clever technique that takes advantage of the bias edge of folded squares and rectangles. After becoming part of a block, these bias edges are then folded back and top stitched down to produce a smooth, gentle curve.

Last year we made "As You Wish" and this year "Mexican Star Dance". Both patterns have this fold and stitch technique that make them really interesting.

Annette also has lots of fun small designs for wall hangings and table runners.  Many of the cute little designs are cruise or inspiring words themed. I'm putting in an order with her so that I can offer her pattrns in my booth are the KC Regional Festivan in June. As soon as I finish Mexican Star Im goihng to start the Flamingo and Victorian Table Runner. There are so many cute ones it's tough to choose! I also just signed up her 2023 Mystery BOM. Can we say excited!

Do yourself na favor and check out Annette's website. If you have the opportunity to take a workshop with her, then please do. I'll be adding a class on one of her pattterns to my workshop list - but its better to get the real deal!

Curiousity on the High Seas!

Cruising and Quilting - Does it Get Any Better Than This?

Me: We should go on a quilting cruise!

Friend: Yes we should. Here is a good one.

Enter COVID and everything got cancelled.

Friend: I think cruises are going again, want to go on this one to the Eastern Caribbean?

Me: Sure Do!

We booked through Dawn at quiltandcruise.com. The teacher is Annette Ornelas of Southwind Designs. The Quilt is cute. I buy the pattern and choose the fabrics, The excursions look good, we sign up for a couple. We wait, and wait. We get vaccinations. We get tested. It's a GO!!!!

I love cruises anyway, but a quilting cruise combines the best of all
worlds. The plan is to sew only on sea days, reserving port days for excursions. We boarded the hugest cruise ship I have ever seen in Fort Lauderdale - Royal Caribbean's the Allure of the Seas. After getting settled, we met in our sewing room on Deck3 and got to know our machines, Jenomes provided by Scott.

We we got to start on our projects the next day. Teacher Annette was amazing. She developed a very cool technique of inserting fabric between 2 other pieces of fabric and then after sewing and pressing, it looks like an elongated flying geese block. Except that it's dimensional and after piecing the rest of the block you are supposed to fold the points up and top stitch them. This results in the cutest little curved points.  Needless to say, I bought several of her patterns to take home. One especially would make a great class project.

Dawn set up a private trip to Caribelle batik factory for the day we were in St Kitts. The site was beautiful, nestled into a little valley, with gorgeous foliage of every size, shape, and color. 

We were able to use stamps dipped in wax to make our designs - I used turtles - and them dye them in purple or a deep indigo dye bath. It was wrapped up in bags and safely stowed until I got home to rinse the extra dye out. I had blue fingers for a day!

Of course we had the opportunity to shop in their store. I bought a poncho thingy that will look great with some brown leggings and a 4 yard piece of fabric that I intend to use as a backing for the quilt I made during the cruise.

The eight days went by way too fast. Some of the 38 quilters in the group finished their tops plus the bonus projects Annette gave us. I got a little over half done. I plan to work on it during a couple of upcoming retreats. 

So I'm back home, having to make my own bed, prepare my own food, no cute little towel animals waiting on my bed, no more rum punch under tropical canopies. I'm dressing in layers because it's 35 degrees outside. But I'm already planning my next cruise with Annette - next April. Saving my pennies.

Come cruise with me!

A New Quilt From Start to Finish - Chapter 7 Curved Seams

I am getting close to being done with California Cat Tails. Check out previous posts in this series - A New Quilt From Start to Finish. In this post, I'll show you how Judy has us sew sections together - especially sections with curved seams.

After doing the paper piecing, you have to trim the pieces on the final cutting line. Sometimes they have a curved edge - a straight ruler really doesn't work too well on a curved edge! So I turn the ruler over so the sticky bits are up (not against the fabric) and I turn the ruler as I cut. It takes a bit of practice but really works great, Judy does it freehand, but I find the pressure of the ruler on the paper and fabric gives me a more accurate cut.

There are a couple of tips that lead to successful curved piecing:

1. Transition Reference Points (TRPs). These are points used to match the sections - much like those notches we cut in our middle school sewing class. On some of the pieces, you sew through the paper and fabric using a basting stitch - when you have one template for each fabric. For the pieces for which you have only one template for a stack of fabrics, you have to mark them first and then sew. I have found the best marking tool is the Sewline Trio. It has a fine erasable chalk lead in 3 colors - grey, pink and white. 

2. Smile over Frown - when you put the pieces right sides together flip them so that you are looking at the"smile". It is much more likely to sew without puckers if the smile covers the frown. 



3. Match and Glue - match the ends (which have been trimmed with "smart corners") and the TRPs. Use a dab of fabric glue pen on these points and then ease the in betweens glueing as you go but making sure not to stretch the fabric, which is usually on the bias.



4.  Double S Curves - sometimes, you have to sew the curves in 2 parts so that in each part the smile is on top. Usually there is a TRP where the curve changes. So you sew from the end to the TRP, then flip the pieces over and sew from the TRP to the other end. Magic, Presto, its done! 

So now I have the 4 quarters put together. I think they are pretty good looking if I do say so myself. Thanks to Quiltster I could audition the fabric before I even started cutting!

Curious about how it will look all assembled and quilted? Stay tuned.

50 Quilts from 50 States - Kansas

My Journey to Kansas

I think it is fitting that my quilting journey through our 50 United States of America should begin in my current home state of Kansas. At this point, I have no idea how long it will take me to make my journey, to design the quilts, to make and photograph them, and write about the journey. But they say that a journey of 1000 miles begins with the first steps. Kansas is the first step.

The first time I came to Kansas was in 1988.I traveled from Germany where I was stationed with the US Army to Fort Leavenworth for a 3 month course. Kansas was not at all what I expected - I guess the Wizard of Oz is not representative on Kansas!

Since it was a long course I got to ship some baggage. I wanted to make something for my young son AJ, so I brought my sewing machine with me. I started an applique transportation quilt - tractors, trains, airplanes, cars, bicycles. I visited the local quilt shop in Leavenworth - which is closed now, and bought fabric. I don't remember where I got the pattern. The result was a disaster. I didn't know to stabilize the fabric when doing satin stitch applique and I couldn't get my stitches even. It was my first UFO - I never did finish it.  But my quilting journey had begun.

Guilds and Shops in Kansas

Kansas is where I was fully launched into the quilting life - helped along by the Kaw Valley Quilters Guild and local shops.  The Generations Quilt Patterns website says there are 33 guilds and 81 shops in Kansas and I happen to belong to one of the best guilds and shop at some of the best shops.

 I live in Lawrence, where we have three great shops: Mea Bernina and Babylock, Stitch On Needlework, and Sarah's Fabrics– each very different from each other. Within an hour’s drive there are 6 more great shops.  I’ve probably been to about 20 shops altogether.

       

Both guilds and shops are great places for information and inspiration. I love taking workshops and closely follow class schedules from nearby guilds and shops.  What a bounty!

The Inspiration
This is my first official foray into quilt designing. For my Kansas quilt I decided to take a bit of a journey back in time and learn a bit about the quilt history of Kansas. While looking through Barbara Brackman's book Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, I noticed that there are several blocks named for Kansas. This encouraged me to dig a little deeper. What about a sampler quilt? Boring. Been there, done that. How about a sampler quilt with a bit of a different setting and up to date fabrics? OK, this is sounding fun.

The Quilt

Kansas Goes Modern – A Modern Sampler. I did this quilt in Grunge by Moda for a modern look. It was beautifully quilted by Sandra Morgan Cockrum, and is  68” x 72”. The pattern is available on my Etsy site.

In addition to learning about and using Kansas Blocks, I wanted to try various techniques in this quilt – piecing, applique, foundation piecing, and English Paper Piecing. I think that makes it a good learning quilt.

Kansas Star

The Kansas Star is a traditional quilt block pattern that's also known as Eight Points Allover.  Quilt historians are not sure, but the name Kansas Star may have been tagged onto the Block by the pattern writers at the Kansas City Star.  What makes it a traditional Kansas Star are the fabric choices and placement.  Traditionally the Kansas Star Block was colored so that an 8 pointed star was clearly visible radiating from the inside of the Block, with a high contrast between the star and the background fabrics adjacent to it.

Kansas Troubles

A bit of History from Barbara Brackman's Blog - http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/2011/01/5-kansas-troubles.html

For years the Kansas territory had petitioned Congress for statehood, but Southern politicians refused to add a new free state in the West. After Southern Senators walked out of the Senate Chamber, the remaining majority finally had the votes to create the 34th state of the Union.

In 1861 as Kansas was being admitted into the United States, Kansans (free white men in Kansas) could vote on whether to be slave-state or free-state, a process that encouraged activists on both sides to use voter fraud and terrorism to advance their agendas. The territory became known as Bleeding Kansas.

This quilt block goes back to the time of the Kansas Troubles, but we have no idea what women called the design then. The pattern name appears in print about 1890. It doesn't matter how many little triangles there are; it's the rotational repeat that makes it a Kansas Troubles Block.

Rocky Road to Kansas

Rocky Road to Kansas was published in the Ladies Art Company and was in print in 1895, and possible as early as 1889,

Occasionally, quilt blocks were names after the time or event when they first appeared, I imagine Rocky Road is such a block. Referring to the period on the late 1880's and the difficult traveling conditions women experienced.

Kansas Beauty
In Quilt Kansas! Jean Mitchell writes that this block was designed by Miss Roberta Christy of Scott City for the Kansas City Star and came out February 22, 1936. Fieldguidetoquilts.com indicates that the instructions specified a white center and alternating light and dark colors.

Kansas Beauty is one of those Blocks that creates an interesting secondary pattern when multiple blocks are put together.

Kansas Sunflower

The sunflower (Helianthus) was adopted as the Kansas State Flower by the legislature in 1903. I found several sunflower blocks patterns that had "Kansas" attached to it, but since I want to incorporate several different techniques in this quilt, I decided to use an English Paper Pieced Dresden Plate type sunflower for this block.

Kansas Dugout
This block goes by many names - Xs and Os, Indian Hatchet, Five Crosses, Lattice Block, and Church Windows to name a few that I found.

This block is a very simple one - just an elongated hexagon and 2 triangles. It's one of those blocks that doesn't look like anything until you put a bunch of them together. So this quilt includes 16 Blocks so we can really see what the Kansas Dugout Block can do.

I found pictures of antique quilts made from the Kansas Dugout Block – some had the middle Block all one color, others had the elongated hexagons in one color. You could hardly tell it was the same Block. Also it looks really different if it’s on point.

This Block can be made many ways. Some techniques call for templates, set in seams, making strips and then cutting out the Blocks. The technique that I am using is the “sew and flip” technique. It does waste a little more fabric than some other techniques, but I think it’s the easiest.

Kansas Dust Storm

Kansas Dust Storm is Block #3596 in Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. This pattern designed by Alva Ryan of Scott City was published in the Kansas City Star in December 1935, during the Great Depression  and the Dustbowl was families needed to make use of every scrap of fabric they had. So this Block is representative of an important era in the history of Kansas as well as the history of quilting.

Kansas Twister

This block seems particularly pertinent for Kansas. There were 60 tornadoes in Kansas last year. Luckily here in Lawrence, we usually get passed over. This block has also been called Texas Trellis or whirligig Hexagon. Here we have another block that looks ho-hum singally and fantastic when put together with multiple Twister blocks.

Kansas

The Bill admitting Kansas to the Union was signed by President Buchanan on January 29, 1861. Today we still celebrate January 21 as Kansas Day. Hearth and Home was a popular farm magazine in the early part of the 20^th century. They ran a series of state Blocks between 1907 and 1912. This is the Hearth and Home Kansas Block.

I used Grunge by Moda in the sample quilt, which was beautifully quilted by Sandra Morgan Cockrum. 

This first quilt in my 50 Quilt Journey was educational and fun for me to design and make. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my journey. If you're encouraged to make Kansas Goes Modern, visit my Etsy site to order either a hardcopy of the pattern, or a download. 

Curious about my Journey? Stay tuned for State number 2!

Curious About Judy Niemeyer and Quiltworx Patterns? Start Here

Judy Niemeyer, her daughter Judel Buls, along with a great staff, run Quiltworx.  I love Judy's designs. I've started 2 quilts and have several more in line. I'm even planning on taking a couple of workshops from Judy and Judel (her daughter) this year. I'm seriously thinking about becoming a Certified Instructor. 

Judy's designs are foundation pieced, very complex and absolutely gorgeous. They are also a little intimidating. Like many things I do, I jumped in with both feet and up to my eyeballs - starting with the Vintage Rose 2017 Technique Quilt, which I'm currently assembling, having finished the foundation piecing already. It looks kind of like a bird of paradise in this picture - this is 1/8th of the design.

So, what is so special about Judy's designs (besides the obvious beauty of them)? Well, mainly it's the process of assembly line piecing (chain piecing plus assembly line pressing and trimming), her techniques for success (using registration points, glue basting and others), and Quiltster - an online tool to design and color your quilt.

If you are interested in doing one of Judy's designs but you're not ready to jump into the deep end like I did, I have a recommendation - Start with these simple, but striking projects:

Stained Glass Window (Quilt or Wall hanging)

               or 

Impatiens Placemats.





And lucky for you, I'm teaching how to make these projects at Mea Bernina and Babylock at the end of the month.

In class, you'll learn how to use Judy's templates to cut the fabric, how to assembly line foundation piece, get an introduction to Quiltster, how to sew curves (Impatiens), and how to do an inside point binding (Impatiens). These classes will give you the skills and confidence needed to tackle some of the more complex patterns, or at the very least you'll catch a little of my enthusiasm for Judy's designs.

I love Judy's designs and I love teaching classes. Come join me! We'll have a blast.

Tile Applique

I have long drooled over the gorgeous tile applique quilts in Carole Jones' book Tile Quilt Revival. So when a sample of a small tile quilt appeared on the wall at Sarah's Fabrics with a sign saying classes were forming, I jumped at the chance to take it. 

Three wows - getting to take a class from Carol, whose work I have admired for years, the class pattern - sort of stylized leaves, and the fabric in the class kit - Kaffe. I couldn't pass it up.

I did have a bit of angst though. I had taken classes and tried four or five variations of needle turn hand applique (needle turn, prepared pieces, back basted) and it never caught on. I did not like hand applique. One might even say it stronger - I loathed hand applique.
But I went into this with a positive attitude - after all it had 3 wows going for it. 

So, what makes this tile applique? The grout! The shapes are basted right next to each other so that when 1/8 inch allowance from each shape is turned under, it looks tile with grout in between.

Carol is a great teacher. The pattern was just complex enough so that I wouldn't lose interest, but not so difficult that I'd never finish. Of course the Kaffe fabrics were a wonderful mix of color and pattern. Her verbal and written directions were spot on - she had us use freezer paper to trace the pattern and cut out the shapes, baste them in place and in no time I found myself with needle in hand, turning under a 1/8 inch seam allowance.

Now just 2 short weeks later, I have one (of four) panels completed and have started on the second. And I am loving it! My grouts are almost consistent, points are pointy, and inner curves are curvy and I'm loving the look of it.

Curious about Tile Applique? Check out Carol's book. It's a old technique but with a fresh new look.

An Idea For My Magnum Opus - 50 Quilts from 50 States

I have imagined a project - epic in scope, my Magnum Opus, my masterpiece. I have even started collecting fabric and writing notes. 

50 Quilts from 50 States.

This project combines my love of quilting, color, techniques, travel and designing. Inspired by the landscape, culture, historical tradition, colors and people of each state. Each one featuring a different technique - well maybe not each one, cause that's 50 different techniques, but lots of different techniques.

One of my goals this year is to start getting these ideas to come to life - getting them out of my head and onto paper and fabric. So I thought my blog would be a great place to start. 

So my commitment is to get at least 3 state quilts designed, written and made this year. I'm not sure exactly where to start as I have notes and ideas for about 12 state quilts. 



I will probably start with Washington - I've already written about my visit and my favorite shop there. Unfortunately my favorite place is no longer there. Island Quilter on Vashon Island is now only an internet store. You can still order great fabrics from them and see them occasionally at shows and expos, but the ferry trip to Vashon to visit in person is sadly not the same. I am planning a cityscape of Seattle from the perspective of the ferry coming in from Bainbridge Island at sunset. Breathtaking!

I'm thinking I should also do New Hampshire. Saul and I traveled there in 2015 and I have in mind to do a bargello quilt with all the beautiful autumn colors. I just learned how to do bargello quilts this year and I think it would be a great technique to include.

The third state I think will be either Arizona or New Mexico. I've driven there several times to visit my Mom and experienced some beautiful scenery along the way. One area that is particularly striking is Antelope Canyon. I haven't seen it in person, but love, love, love the pictures. Can't you just envision small strips of rich batiks, embellished with yarns and other materials?

OK, I've got to get crackin'. Its April already!

Learning and Laughing at Kimberbell Academy

I had a great opportunity last month to go with Mona and Liz from Mea Bernina to Logan Utah. Logan Utah? February? I know!
It was great!
Logan Utah is the home of Kimberbell Designs, a wonderful embroidery design company owned by Kim Christopherson. We were there to go through training so that Mea Bernina can offer very cool embroidery events. So now after the training we are officially a Kimberbell Certified Shop!

Our training was held in the gorgeous, spacious classroom at My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe owned by Kim's twin sister Kris. The shop has wonderful fabrics, including Kim's line of Kimberbell fabrics. I also bought some wool to use on Around the Garden (more about that in a later post).



We made a sampling of various types of projects from four of the main event collections: Pillow covers, goodie cinch bags, zipper bags, flower pins, and mug rugs. All absolutely adorable. What impressed me the most was how ingenious the digitizing team constructed the dimensional pieces - putting in zippers in the embroidery hoop, lining cinch bags in the hoop, using mylar and tule, and adding ribbon hanging loops.  Oh so much fun and so interesting! Our (Mea's) embroidery customers are going to love these projects! But until they are ready, we've got some other great Kimberbell classes. Check it out!




Logan Utah is in the Cache Valley, a beautiful vale surrounded by snow dusted hills. The trip there and back was also pretty cool. I had never been through north eastern Colorado or southern Wyoming before. The landscape was quite spectacular - barren and beautiful. The rock formations were awesome - perhaps they might inspire a future quilt!

Kimberbell rocks in so many ways - as a woman-owned and run business; as a source of sweet, cute embroidery designs (Kimberbell Kute); as a smart, customer-focused enterprise, and as great hosts in Logan.  Overall, a great trip!

Autumn Path - A Confetti Project

Every time I sit down to write about a quilt or project, I think its my favorite! Yes, they are all my favorites - like your kids, you really can't choose. They are each special for different reasons.

Autumn Path is special for several reasons. First, it is my first confetti quilt. Second I learned this technique from Japanese quilter Noriko Endo. Third is that it is the first quilt that I actually sold! My baby is going out into the world!

OK, let's start at the beginning - I was visiting my Mom in Glendale, Arizona in 2014. At that time there happened to be an AQS show in Phoenix. Ohhhh two birds, one stone. 

In our materials list, Noriko asked that we bring a picture that we wanted to recreate in fabric. I found a photo on the internet of a path through a wood in beautiful autumn colors. 

First she had us lay down large blocks of color for the background. Then we sliced up fabric into matchstick size pieces. I used mostly batiks so that no matter what side was up it was the right side. 
After laying down the confetti pieces for the leaves and the path, I covered it all with a layer of black tule. We could have used any color, but I think black worked well. Some free motion quilting on the tule ensured that all the little confetti pieces were trapped under the tule. 

Next came more confetti to give depth and perspective. Finally, before a second layer of tule, Noriko went around the class and added little bits of turquoise, pink, and purple confetti. She said it was the secret ingredient to make our landscapes "pop". A final layer of tule and then some thread painting to highlight some areas and lowlight other areas. I finished it off with deep red piping and black binding.


Autumn Path was hanging at my mini-show at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Founders Hall, and really grabbed the interest of the membership there. It's new home is with E. Jay Hilty. I'm glad he will be enjoying it.

If you ever get the chance to take a workshop with Noriko, run, do not walk, to sign up. She is a great teacher and a beautiful artist. Her book is a good reference, but nothing beats the real thing!

Curious About Confetti?