Category: Quilting

Midwest Yarn Iowa City- Guest Blog

Joanne writes from Iowa today….

“Just like my friend Ruth, I search out yarn shops when I travel, hoping to find local yarn.

I’m visiting my daughter in Iowa this week and made a quick visit to the Home Ec. Workshop.

Located in a lovely old red Victorian-style home, the shop offers supplies and inspiration for quilting, crafting, sewing, and a full selection of mostly natural-fiber yarns for knitting and crochet.

It was fun to visit and chat with the owner Codi Josephson, who shared that the shop was recently featured in Better Homes & Gardens Quilt Sampler magazine (Spring/Summer 2022 issue). I came away with a few treasures …. a fabric project bag and some fabric to make a few more. And I found a locally dyed yarn called Ewe & Lea. I loved all the colors, so ended up with five skeins …. wonder what projects I’ll be knitting up!” —Joanne

P.S. You can shop online, if you aren’t headed to Iowa City anytime soon. I bought some sock yarn (on sale) for a friend. -Ruth

The fabric- teacups, teabags and colorful buttons
The yarn by Ewe & Lea
Jen Hewett Project Bag holding the Punkin Head hat Joanne is knitting for her grandson
(click for Tara Thomsen’s free pattern)
This emblem was on their website!
by Categories: knitting, Photography, QuiltingTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

Birthday T-Shirt Quilt a Hit!

Happy Birthday Mark

Thanks to FedEx, the Pittsburgh themed T-shirt quilt arrived this afternoon. Right in time to celebrate my son Mark’s birthday on the 26th. Happy Birthday Mark.

I knew you’d love it! I was excited when you FaceTimed me as you opened it up. And of course your second call, showing me how Henry the Airedale was sniffing the quilt, looking for grandma.

My granddaughter Maura took the photo of her Dad with his birthday gift. Thanks for sending it Maura.

I took the shirts Mark gave to me and added a few so it was a row longer, scouting a thrift-shop, the closet here in my home, and ebay for the vintage Gateway Clipper T-shirt, where Mark worked when he was in high school.

Henry getting a scent from the new quilt.
Airedale approved.

I learned how to back the shirts with interfacing so they were flat and stable when they were sewed together. Thanks to Lisa S of Storm Sew for her tutorial and for her professional long-arm quilting services. Lisa can create a t-shirt quilt from start to finish, or complete your own sewing efforts like she did for mine. The quilting pattern was called Broken Glass. As soon as I finished handstitching the binding, I boxed it and drove to the main FedEx shipping center. He received it less than 24 hours later.

It looks gray in the light but it’s actually black flannel 108” wide backing with gold stitching
by Categories: Photography, QuiltingTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 13 Comments

Colleen’s Day in Nova Scotia -Guest Blog

Colleen sent a few photos of what she is doing at her home in Nova Scotia. Our friend Joanne in Florida thought it would be interesting to see what people are doing as they  “shelter in place.”  if you’ve followed this blog for six years you might remember Colleen’s cookbook collection post.  Thanks Colleen what a colorful and beautiful quilt.

What are you doing today?  Send photos.

 

by Categories: Guest Blog, QuiltingTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

Colleen and Her Love of Colorful Quilting

This is a collaborative guest post by two wonderfully creative women who have been friends since forever.

Colleen and Joanne hail from Nova Scotia.  Joanne, living in Florida, collected the photos and good information about Colleen and her love of colorful quilting.

Get to know Colleen and her colorful quilts-

Fabric Stash
A pretty bundle of fabric to quilt
Colleen shops for colorful quilt fabric

 

Colleen says “I have a huge stash of fabric that I like to look at for inspiration.  Some I have had for many years and almost everything was purchased in the US.  I order online occasionally but it gets expensive with taxes, customs and shipping and delivery to Canada can take a long time – so much for instant gratification!  Currently Florida is my “go to” shopping locale because I’m there at least once a year.  Found a great quilt shop in St. Augustine” http://www.beesquiltshop.com 

Here is Colleen, looking to the sun.

Colleen’s cookbook shelves were featured on the blog about five years ago
by Categories: Fiber Art, Guest Blog, QuiltingTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments