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Lockdown Wrap-Up

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Quilters quickly found a way to stay connected during the pandemic! Most of us had plenty of fabric to keep us busy for several years, but let’s not do that again. Here’s a wrap up of my covid quilting time.

April 2020: We dove right into Bonnie Hunter‘s Unity mystery. My quilt top is still waiting to be quilted.

Patchwork medallion-style quilt in blues, greens and reds on a cream background.

Unity

June 2020: Scrap Snap for the win! These super fun and quick blocks from Quilts for the Making cleaned out my bin of cool-colored scraps. Kari was very gracious in allowing me to lead Ninigret Quilters in making blocks during a Zoom sewing day in September. It was a great way for us to test out the tech before hiring a teacher (and before I started getting paid for teaching on Zoom!).

Patchwork quilt made of squares and rectangles in blues and greens.

Scrap Snap

October 2020: Ninigret Quilters continued our “Rake up your Scraps” theme with Diane Harris teaching her Tango pattern. You can read more about mine on my old blog here.

Patchwork quilt made from African prints.

Safari Tango

November 2020: Heather Kojan presented her Improv Log Cabins to Ninigret Quilters. I really want to return to this project and make more.

Improvisationally pieced log cabin blocks

Improv Log Cabins

November 2020: Narragansett Bay Quilters Assoc hosted a foundation paper piecing workshop with David Sirota. I think the only way to get his Scrappy Chevron Stars pattern is through a class. Worth it! I have 16 blocks done of the 30 I have planned and cut out. Each block takes me about an hour to piece. I’ll finish it someday!

Patchwork star blocks in assorted solid colors.

Scrappy Chevron Star

December 2020: I took a whirlwind of a class with Jo Avery via The Festival of Quilts in the UK. She didn’t have much time (only 90 minutes), but she did an amazing job of effectively presenting each step of her Dandelion Clock block. I managed to get one block done and I love it!

Patchwork quilt block, improvisationally pieced in the New York Beauty style.

Dandelion Clock block

January 2021: A celtic applique class with Scarlett Rose led to two other projects that I designed myself. You can see my completed shamrock table runner here.

Celtic style applique quilt block

Celtic applique

January – February 2021: My friend Sharon and I designed a medallion mystery quilt for Ninigret Quilters. Talented members offered various technique demos as we released a new clue each week. We were thrilled by the number of members who participated and can’t wait to see their quilts hanging in our show in October!

Medallion style patchwork quilt

Medallion Mystery designed by Tina Craig and Sharon Dziekan

February 2021: The Interleaves workshop with Mel Beach opened so many possibilities! Read more about my little wall hanging here.

Patchwork quilt with interwoven striped effect.

Interleaves

April 2021: I was lucky to get into a Kawandi class with Sujata Shah. I have completed one more round since this photo was taken. It’s really a lovely, soothing process.

sewing room scene including a kawandi quilt in progress

Kawandi

June 2021: Last week, we learned Karen Eckmeier‘s top-stitched curves technique. I turned my blocks into a table runner so I could finish something for a change! I’m amassing quite the collection of table runners. I’ve never put one on the window seat before, but it works.

quilted table runner with alaphabet blocks spelling out the word zebra.

Zebra table runner

I think that’s everything for now! It looks like virtual live quilting workshops are here to stay. If your guild is looking for a teacher, either in-person or via Zoom, please pass along my name. And my on-demand EPP class is available on CourseCraft for individual quilters!

 

Riley’s Birthday Quilt

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Small boy standing over his quilt

I think temperature quilts are great fun! If you aren’t familiar with temperature quilts, the concept is to record the temperatures for every day in fabric. Makers create their own rules beyond that. Some considerations include: 

  • Pattern/block design: pieced or appliqued
  • Include high and low temps
  • Precipitation- part of the block design or embroidered
  • Month markers
  • Special days
  • Additional text: pieced, appliqued, embroidered, inked

Take a look at #tempquilt or #temperaturequilt on Instagram for a plethora of inspiration.  

Riley’s quilt is the third temp quilt I’ve made, but the first one I’m blogging about. The first two represented the high and low temperatures for every day in 2018 and 2019.

colorful quilt

#tempquilt2018 – 96″X96″ – 10° color ranges

colorful quilt

#tempquilt2019 – 36″X32″ – 5° color ranges

When we were waiting for our first grandchild to arrive in 2020, I decided to wait until he was born to start. Here are the choices I made:

  • High temps only.
  • Pattern: I think the block looks like those toys with the beads that slide around. It takes two days to make a bead.
  • Each row equals a month. Riley was born on the 22nd, so there was a lot of negative space to fill with the pieced text.
  • A half-drop block arrangement creates the zig zag look of the rows.
  • Analogous color palette of blues and greens. Color changes every 10° Fahrenheit. 

blue shapes

I used the My First Alphabet pattern by From Blank Pages for the pieced text.

Words pieced into quilt read Riley's first year

Text on quilt reads Riley's first year

When it came time for quilting, my beloved Bernina was in the shop for maintenance, so I had to use an unfamiliar machine. I couldn’t get the stitch right for free motion, so I had to stick with straight lines with the walking foot. I had fun with some point-to-point work. I’m happy with the resulting texture. 

detail of quilting stitches

detail of quilting stitches

The label had to include the temperature ranges so I used some extra units to piece a big block. I pieced the back with leftover fabric from the front and a big piece of leafy print that I thought I might add as a border. I’m glad I left it off. It’s big enough for our little guy.

quilt label

back of quilt

Without a print border, the binding needed a little something extra, and I do love a flange!

detail of binding

Full quilt front hanging on a fence

Riley’s 1st Year
47″ X 60″ 
started April 2020
completed April 2021

Three Tree Skirts and a Baby

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Welcome to my new website! Isn’t it great?! Holly Knott put it all together for me- from logo through web design- in record time. I have big plans for the new and improved Seaside Stitches. Be on the lookout for a giveaway coming soon! Please subscribe to my newsletter so you don’t miss any of the fun.

When I launched my old blog back in 2009, my first post was about a Hawaiian plane crash! You can read it here.

Thankfully, I have no additional airplane drama to report. This weekend, my family is in South Carolina for a wedding. After the past year of pandemic life, I’m sure most of you can relate to how wonderful it feels to have my family together again.

Seaside Stitches family

So where do the tree skirts fit in? This one is a wedding gift for my nephew and his new wife, Dan and Cecilia. It’s my third and favorite so far. I used the Peppermint Swirl tutorial by Heather Kojan* on Moda Bake Shop. I adapted it slightly to use yardage I had, rather than Heather’s scrappier version. I’ve gotten a lot better at working from my stash during Covid and only had to buy the two white prints.

*Quick tangent: I’ve been using this tutorial for years but just “met” Heather last Fall when she presented a lecture and workshop to my local guild via Zoom. She’s great and your guild should hire her, too!

My first tree skirt from this pattern was for Dan’s sister Haley when she got married in 2017.

And the second one was for my son and his girlfriend in 2017. They didn’t love it so I’ve been using it in place of the one I made in 1990.

Pete & Allie got a much prettier one in her favorite color made from a different pattern the following year. That brings us to four tree skirts and my movie reference in the title is blown.

I’m heading back for more family fun time. Riley is enjoying his birthday gift from Uncle Pete and Aunt Allie.

Be honest. Did you skip right to the baby?