Rollerskating in ye olden days.

Back to Quilt Stuff!

So yesterday was an all day quilt day!!! Well, at least for me it was. I went down to the LQS in Centerville and we had our 2nd Going to Pieces Quilt Club meeting. We have a morning group and an evening group. I took my "family give away quilt" because it needed to be bound and I was determined to have it done before I came back home.

Our morning group was small, but we had fun with Marilyn and Illene. We had to tweak our kit a bit because we don't have all the fabrics yet and a couple things got substituted, but all in all it went great. Check out the slideshow up top to see all the fun quilts everyone brought to show and tell. The heart runners were the project from January (I had to miss cuz of the 2.5 yr old's viral pneumonia). I was happy to see so many runners finished!

I promised the ladies that I would put a Nifty Notions ruler tutorial up here on my blog in case they can't remember when they get back to cutting etc. . . You know how it goes. Other non-important stuff just crowds out the important how do I assemble my block information. Niquie and I took a class 2 years ago from Kaye England and we're in love w/the NN rulers.


I have my 2 1/2" strips layed out, right sides together. I'm making half square triangles, 1/2 is black and 1/2 is white. The black is on the bottom. Make sure your NN 1/2 square ruler is right side up. You can read the Nifty Notions. Using the lower right corner of the ruler. Line up the squared edge of your strips w/the 2 1/2" marks. Cut along the diagonal line.

Now flip your ruler. Lift the right angle left corner. Let the diagonal edge stay on the table and lay the right angle down so it's now at the upper right. Line the green line across the lower point along the cut edge of the bottom of your strip. Line up the diagonal edge of the ruler w/the diagonal cut edge. Make your cut along the straight edge on the right.

Now to make the quarter square section of a flying geese. I have a 2 1/2" strip. And since I'm going to end up w/a pointy cut in the beginning. I just like to cut off a point w/the 1/2 square ruler. Yep it's extra, but I'm sure I'll find a place for it.

Then I put the 1/4 square ruler upside down, the 2 1/2" line along the upper edge of the strip. Cut the Right side diagonal line. Now I have to flying geese sections.

If you need more flying geese. Simple flip the ruler and cut another set. Continue flipping back and forth along the strip til you have all the flying geese you need.

If you have questions, please post a comment and I'll get back to you ASAP

Happy QuiLtInG!!

Cyber Fyber Exchange

Here's the beautiful fabric postcard # 78 and Artist Trading Card #111 (ATC) I received from artist Susan Lenz in her Cyber Fyber art exchange. She made more than 150 postcards and 130 ATC's to exchange with artists and she will show our art in an exhibit in January 2009. "The focus of this exhibition is to highlight the influences of Internet access for today's fiber artists." There are still a few postcards and ATCs available to trade so hurry if you want to join in on the fun.

Both of the cards I received were made by cutting up previously made artwork. Don't know if I could cut up completed work but I definitely think it would be a good way to use UFO's (unfinished objects). Susan was able to make many pieces out of her old work and they are being seen around the world. Now I need to make my small artworks to send to Susan.

All's Well That Ends Well!

I heard back from Lark Books today, (see my post from February 7th). My baby quilt, shown here, was not selected. I think I knew in my heart all along that it wouldn't be. It's a lovely quilt. And very well made. But I knew that they originally approached me, asking if I would submit a design, based on my small art quilts. And I knew that the energy of this larger quilt wasn't the same. (Nor was my attitude in making it. Despite how much I wanted to succeed.) Throughout the whole process, my shoulders were hunched and I swore like a longshoreman who'd been away at sea way too long. Not very good mojo to put into a baby quilt!

I have always enjoyed expressing myself on a small scale. It suits me. It's my language. I understand it. But have me work on a large scale, and I lose my vision. I feel like I am sitting in the front row, looking at a mega sized screen. I can't take it all in, my body hurts, I want to move away.

Ahh, but it turned out there was a very nice, and unexpected twist. The good people at Lark Books said that they liked my small art quilts so much, that they decided to add some smaller scale wall quilts to the book. They have requested that I send them my "HoJo Space Spores", ( see post from February 14th) and have asked me to make two more quilts based on two of my other designs, and done in the HoJo colors! And by the way, they were kind enough to offer me another go at making a larger baby quilt, based specifically on one of my designs in my etsy shop. I really appreciated the offer, but respectfully said no thanks, and they graciously understood. I have decided that life and art are just too precious to me to try and force myself to fit into a mold that I just don't feel comfortable in!

Thanks to everyone for their encouragement and good wishes! The book is due to come out in the Spring of 2009, I will keep you posted on any more updates!

Space Spores in Search of a Neapolitan World

Another "Space Spores" embroidered art quilt! The colors in this one were inspired by my girls favorite type of ice cream, Neapolitan. (Personally, I am a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, type of gal.)

I'm Back in the Studio!!

I took my MIL Rosy to the airport this morning. We had fun with her. She's such a character. She came for her winter visit, so she could see Joshua when he got home.

So maybe I'll get back to real life and get some quilting done! The return missionary and son #2 are sharing the room I cleared out of a month ago, and they cleared out all the miscellaneous leftovers and where did it all get dumped? Yep in Mom's studio! So I've got to work on organizing and clearing that stuff off my table and floor.

Niquie is coming over this afternoon and we're going to actually get sewing on the Going To Pieces quilt! YEA! It's been a process gathering the fabric for this quilt, but we're pretty sure we have all the pieces we need to get started. Then we can get the ladies in the club started on their first blocks for the quilt. We're using Holly Holderman's LakeHouse Dry Goods fabric La Belle Rose. We love it, and it's been tought getting it, but we can't wait to see the finished project. Here's what one of the blocks looks like.


Happy Quilting! Lauri

We're HOME!!

Well, our trip to Canada was GREAT! Even though it was COLD! Actually most of the days weren't any colder than being in Utah. The last 2 days were FRIGID. The temperature dropped to -19 Celsius and the wind picked up which made it feel like - 30.

We had a great time living the missionary life w/Joshua and meeting other missionaries and people Joshua had worked with. We visited some great sights and participated in Winter Fest in Quebec. We learned some French and Quebecois.

It was an awesome trip.

Here are some pictures from Canada.

HoJo Space Spores or Where Have All The Howard Johnson's Gone?

What in the world is a HoJo Space Spore? They are the fragmented memories of my childhood, where Howard Johnson's Restaurants feverishly dotted the american landscape and were never more then an exit away. Whatever happened to the familiar orange and blue roofed eateries? I imagine they are now little orange and blue space spores, floating through the galaxy, in search of new frontiers and gastrointestinal tracks.

It all goes to show that inspiration for art can come from anywhere, folks!

Scrappy Color Play Miniature

September 2005 Journal Quilt 8.5 X 11 inches

Journal Quilt Project - Special Exhibit Houston International Quilt Show 2005
Made as a sample for my sister Donna’s class, her paper pieced pattern called for 3 inch squares but I reduced them to 2.75 (eek) to fit this project. It is a mix and match sampler; there are 6 pairs of blocks with the same pieces but each twin looks different based on color placement. See if you can find the match for each block. Quilt awarded 2nd place in Miniature category at 2007 Utah Quilt Guild Annual Meeting (QuiltFest). The ribbon was much larger than the quilt. I gave this quilt to my sister for Christmas 07 so I guess I need to hand it over to her now that I have it scanned and posted. There is a pattern available.

It's Packing Day!!!

OK, Who would think I would be posting today!!! I know but I've got to let it out somewhere! We're packing! OK so I have to pack the 2 yr old to go to play w/Niquie, and pack myself and do the laundry and get the kids staying home squared away. But we're almost done!!! Thankfully DH travels and is really good at packing himself!

Don't you hate getting everything packed, but you can't pack the make-up and hair stuff cuz you still have to use it in the morning when you get up???? I hate that! I want to have everything in the suitcase and close it and be done. I guess I need a second of everything, but since I don't travel that much it doesn't make much sense.



We're taking 2 extra suitcases so that Josh can bring home stuff that he's collected for the past 2 years. DH made Platinum Medallion level w/Delta Airlines last year cuz he traveld SO MUCH. He gets certain privileges and one of them is being able to bring extra bags w/o cost. We also get to go through the shorter security lines! I guess you gotta get some benefits from being on their planes so much. He really racked up the miles flying to and from Boston almost every week for several months.



I've been debating whether I want to take any quilty project. So far I've decided to just read!! I purchased two of Jennifer Chiaverini's books (The Quilter's Apprentice and The Runaway Quilt). It has been SO long since I read a novel. I'm looking forward to reading all I want and not worrying that I should be quilting a customer's quilt or looking after the 2 yr old, or running to get a kid from school. I let you know what I think of the books when I'm back.



Now it's back to packing! I doubt I'll post (unless I figure out how to do it from DH's laptop) until we get home! Happy Quilting! Lauri