Cherry House Quilts

Quilting Season is upon us

Quilting season is upon us - Fall and Spring Market - we live by this schedule.  Fall Market is two weeks early this year, and it seems as if the entire industry is scrambling to fit so much work into two weeks less time. 

I've literally just finished these two quilts, and shipped them to Lizzy for a photo shoot, and pattern covers.  They couldn't be more different stylistically; one is very contemporary, and the other is completely traditional.  The patterns will be out soon...just in time for Market!

 

I Do Too...I love this Moda Authentic fabric soooooo much!  If you love it too, I recommend buying it early, I have a feeling it will fly off of the shelves.

 

Best Wishes using Moda's Aster Manor with amazing quilting by DeLoa Jones...love it!

FAQ update & LizzyDish Print giveaway!

FAQ Update:  Cheryl asked some great questions, so I'll give you all of the info that I have...

Where to buy SHOUT COLOR CATCHERS?  I purchased a box last night from Target, you can get them at the grocery store, etc.  Look for them in the laundry aisle, near the dryer sheets.  Beware, the boxes are the same size, and look as the dryers sheets, so they are kind of easy to overlook.

Where to purchase HOBBS HEIRLOOM FUSIBLE BATTING?  I normally purchase mine from HobbyLobby, when they have the 40% off coupons.  Try Google, there are tons of places to purchase the product if you are not able to find it locally. 

Quilting on the Aurora 440...There is a Bernina Aurora Yahoo Group which would probably be beneficial to anyone with machine questions.  I do have to say that I learned machine quilting on a Brother 1500, which I love so much!  I used the Brother to machine quilt for many years.  It's a straight stitch machine, with no bells or whistles.  The BSR is great for consistent stitch length, etc, but there is still a learning curve in regards to machine quilting.  If you are new to machine quilting, be sure to give yourself time to practice on a regular basis...don't be too hard on yourself, or your machine if it's not perfect the first time (or second, or third, etc).  Click here to read my sad little tale of a quilting mistake.

If you have any more questions, let me know; and I'll try to find the answers; or I'll make something up that sounds like a real answer (ha ha)

FABRIC DESIGNING: Is anyone interested in designing fabric?  If so, I think you will really enjoy this piece that Lizzy has written in regards to her adventures in becoming a textile designer.  Read about it here if you have dreams of designing a line of fabric yourself!  As her Mom, who was along for the ride, I can honestly say that it has been quite a journey.  She covers the technical, as well as the emotional aspects of creating her first line of fabric called LizzyDish.  As a bonus, she is having a drawing for 2 of her original prints; leave her a comment to be entered in the drawing.  Here's a peek of what LizzyDish is all about!

For the love of all that is... Part 1

Unique:  Here are some cool/unique finds from Market. 

Okay, this first one is really about Portland, not Market, but I love this business card from Cupcake Jones.  Whenever I see a font that I love, I save it for Lizzy, to ask the name of it.  If ever there is a game show called "name that font" Lizzy would surely be the champion. 

Seven Islands Fabric...nothing fancy, but that fabric is adorable!

Late Bloomer Quilts...I had to save this...M&M's with QUILTS written on them.  I'm so sad they got crushed.

Me and My Sister Designs - isn't this box wonderful?  The box is full of Tic Tacs...perfect!

Andover Spring 2008 Free Quilt Patterns...this is brilliant, all of the free patterns for the new fabric lines are available on this disk.

Key Fabric from Bunny's Designs.  I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I just fell in love with it, and bought all the fat quarters they had.

Time Consuming: Every quilters dilemma

When I was preparing to quilt City News, there were so many choices to make...so many that I could have used a flow chart.  Easy or Challenging?  Easy - do an overall design, with a single color thread.  No  Challenging - Variegated thread, overall design?  No.  Variegated thread, two unique types of quilting?  No.  Individual threads to match the background fabric?  Yes.  Monofilament for the B&W fabric?  Yes.  Quilted all the same, or directional?  Directional.  I ended up purchasing 18 different colors to match the fabrics in the quilt...I thought I was never going to get the quilting done.  After seeing the quilt at Market, hanging on Robert Kaufman's wall...I'm glad that I made the decisions that I did, it was worth it.

A Tutorial plus some really good news!

First of all I got my new iron - it's a Panasonic Cordless Iron...so far, so good.  I previously had a Maytag Cordless Iron - not so good.  When removed from the base the heat lasted for only a couple of minutes, but the Panasonic seems to stay heated for at least 4 or 5 minutes before having to be returned to the heating unit.  It also has a great burst of steam for the those tough wrinkles that seem impossible to tame.

On to Hobbs Fusible Batting...

This is process I use for a large(r) quilt:

Lay down the quilt back, wrong side up, then layout the batting to remove any wrinkles, and give it a chance to breath.  The texture of the batting is like a cotton batt, but slightly stiffer, due to the fusing I imagine.  After laundering the fusing is completely removed, and the texture is that of a 80/20 batting.

After both layers are smoothed out, I add the quilt top, and trim away the excess batting/backing - leaving 4 to 5" extra

Next lay the quilt top and batting across the ironing board at the center of the quilt.  Start pressing the top/batt, pressing towards yourself.  When the exposed portion is completely pressed, lift and move the top/batt away from yourself to expose the next unironed section.  This will allow you to keep removing any bubbles or gaps until you have reached the end of the top/batt.  When you reach the end, pick up the top/batt and flip around on the ironing board, and repeat the process. 

Next I lay the pressed top/batt on a flat surface (my bed) and add the quilt back, carefully positioning over the top/batt.  Depending on how large your quilt is, gently fold and carry the quilt to your ironing surface.  Repeat the process that was used on the top.  Be careful to make sure that the top/batt are flat on the ironing surface, and don't get crumpled, or wrinkled. 

Next, start quilting!  I hope this helps...A couple of concerns I had, I'll share with you - in case you are wondering too.  Does the fusing stick to the iron if the iron touches it?  I haven't experienced this - I was careful, but not that careful.  The fusing doesn't react like fusible web.  Also when pressing the top & batt, the batting did not stick to the ironing board.  It is repositionable.  I'm very sensitive to chemicals (asthma), so I was initially cautious/worried, but I haven't had any trouble with fumes - unlike with sprays.  Also unlike the sprays there was no residue on the sewing machine, or the needle.

If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to send you a 12" x 12" sample until I run out.  Just send a 7.5" x 10.5" SASE (.97 cent stamp).  Email me, and I'll give you my mailing address.

Drum roll please - for the best news of all!!!

Did you see Lizzy's blog, and her super good news!  She has a fabric line coming out - it is amazing!  I know I'm her momma, and I know I'm prejudice, but I know great fabric, and this is like nothing else on the market right now.  I'm so proud, she is a great daughter, and a great designer! 

 

 

city park

To purchase City Park, click here.  Or visit our Pattern Store for all of our available patterns

My Idaho Winter

The first winter that I dropped Lizzy off at school was a sight to behold.  From her discription I think this year is about the same.  Everything is white...the sky is white, the ground is white, the trees are white...or so it first appears.  I was fascinated by beauty of starkness, and I decided then that I would make an Idaho Winter Quilt.  The realization that I came to after several days there - was that the white was really a mirror for the shade of the sky, the glare of the sun - the snow could be purple, or pink, or have a kind of glow.  Once Lizzy told me about coming out of class when the sun was shining, and it looked like everything had been covered in glitter (and that meant a lot to my girl who adores glitter). 

My tribute to Idaho...

   

Making Waves

   Once again I'm down to the quilting on our newest pattern City Park.   How to create waves, and rippling water on the flat surface of a quilt?  Achieving depth and motion while using solids has been my personal challenge this time around.  I'm happy to say that I'm gaining greater respect for, and mastery of monofilament.  Often lately it seems to be the only solution when the fabric needs to be the star of show, and the quilting is only a supporting character. 

The pattern is ready to go, and the quilt will be finished in the next few days.  It's good to be back to the  business of quilting again.  For the last month everything was focused on Christmas, finishing gifts, cleaning the house, and waiting for the girls to get home.  Well the girls are back at school, I've reorganized my sewing area, and I'm planning my quilting schedule as far as I can see down the road. 

Check back soon - both the City Park, and Animal Crossing patterns will be available shortly.

Did you see the new banner?  Not only is Lizzy a great daughter, but she's an amazing designer too! 

What's New?

Here's a peek at what's new at Cherry House Quilts, our latest pattern!  Once again the cycle repeats itself, the quilt is done, winging it's way to Lizzy to be photographed, and prepare for publication.  We hope you will love the pattern.  Be prepared to marry your biggest florals, and solids in a surprising way.  The name of this latest offering...i do!

Binding Time

It's binding time...the machine quilting is all done on the new quilt, the binding is made, attached, and I'm down to the hand sewing.  Normally when I'm sewing, or machine quilting I face away from the TV, so I do lots of listening, but during binding time I actually get to watch TV.  Stella does feel that it is her opportunity to hide under the quilt, and steal my thread, scissors, and needle threader.  That's okay though, she's my girl.

Let's see, this is what I've been able to catch up on...

• Shakespeare in Love
• Sophie's Choice
• reruns of Frasier (I love David Hyde Pierce / Niles)
• reruns of Simply Quilts

DVR is a fabulous thing don't you think?  I have another night of hand sewing, so tonight I think I'm going to watch something with Robert Redford (sigh) what a dream!  Maybe Three Days of the Condor...great movie.  A couple of other great movies I love to sew to are Long Hot Summer (Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward), and Next Stop Wonderland (Hope Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman).  I'm working on a series of quilts for a book, and I've sewn all of them to Next Stop Wonderland.  I can't hear the music from the movie now without thinking of those quilts.  It's interesting isn't it how sounds, and smells are like a time stamp in our mind. 

Happy Sewing!

Technical difficulties

I'm working on the latest pattern for Cherry House Quilts, which I am really excited about!  It combines big ol' Kaffe Fassett florals, geometrics, and solids in a surprising way.  Using the walking foot for this quilt is a great option, but sewing around my cat Stella is proving a little difficult.  It's a good omen if Stella likes my quilts, she has excellent taste, and so her laying them, in my mind is sort of an honor.  But while I'm in the middle of quilting, that is a bit much.  Definitely not the first time though.