The 2011 Thumbstall Raffle Quilt top is finished!  It’s been a a year of organizing and stressing over color choices, pattern adaptation, distributing blocks, follow-up – but definitely worth it!  A group of us got together a couple of weeks ago and put the blocks together.

Unfortunately some of the star point tips were a little short. May shared a tip that helps preserve most of the points.  She called it pivoting the point.

Quilt Tip:

The first step is to insert a pin in the star point vertically,

and then eyeball the quarter inch of the facing block.

Then pivot the remaining fabric resulting in a near perfect 1/4 ” seam.

Julie and I added the borders and now the quilt is in the hands of a guild member who is a long arm quilter. She will custom quilt the top proving that ‘quilting really makes the quilt!’

There's always time to quilt!

It seems that I’m not the only one who has reaped the benefits of quilting with friends. In a recent post on the designwall in the Feb/Mar 2011 issue of Quilters Newsletter, Helen Kelly was quoted  as saying that in the early 1970′s she spent most of her quilting time in her studio alone. She soon realized that she was missing the many benefits of working and learning techniques from other quilters.

After my first quilting class, I knew that if I wanted to continue on this journey, I needed to be in the company of others who knew how to quilt. I asked the staff at Patchwork Plus, where I had taken that first quilting class, if they knew of a local quilt guild  I could join. Not only did they tell me about the Thumbstall Quilt Guild that meets in the western suburbs of Syracuse, where I live, but most of the staff at Patchwork are also members. In addition the shop owner, Judi West, is a founding member of the guild.  It didn’t take me long to realize the benefits of becoming a guild member.  It was definitely the best decision I ever made.

Not only have I profited from their combined years in quilting, but I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve ever known!    The members have a variety of quilting experience, from novices to award winning quilters.  Someone is always willing to give hints and help when needed.  They are an invaluable resource to help you improve your own quilting techniques.  We all know that quilting techniques, with the exception of the 1/4-inch seam, are not an exact science! Many quilters have developed ‘a better, or easy solutions to common quilting pitfalls.

In addition, I have found unequal camaraderie with members of the guild.  I have gone on quilting retreats, shop hops, bus trips, etc.  and never fail to have a great time, come home with new quilting knowledge and stronger friendships.  I treasure the experience of being part of such an creative group!

There's always time to quilt!

One of my favorite things about quilting are the friends that I’ve made over the past 10+ years.  I can’t think of a better way to spend a day than quilting with these friends.

Last Sunday, Mae and Lisa and I got together to begin a Double Wedding Ring Quilt for Mae’s son who will be getting married next year.  She and her future daughter-in-law decided on a double wedding ring pattern using a variety of reds and blues for the rings that will be sewn onto a white-on-white background

Mae decided to use the Quiltsmart technique – It’s not only a very accurate way to make the wedding ring pattern but is quite a time-saver too!  For each arch just sew together 8 trapezoids.

Sew the Quiltsmart arch to the right side of the fabric arch and turn.

Turning the arches right-side out could be the most tedious part of the whole process.  Mae had brought a tool that is supposed to make the job easier – The fabric tube turner.  And it certainly did!

Using the tool turned out to be so easy:  just insert the hollow tube into the fabric tube that needs to be turned;  catch about 2 inches of fabric with the plunger and turn the whole fabric tube right side out.

I had bought one of these tools to make a tumbling block tube table runner some time ago.  I was intrigued with the pattern since it looked so easy- but the project somehow keeps getting pushed to the bottom of my pile of things I want to make.  So not only the kit but the ‘tool’ has sat in my storeroom, unused,  for quite some time.

What could be easier!

We had a few laughs as we tried to figure out how to use the tool.  I guess that it was just so easy that we made it hard to use!

Using the design wall we were able to get a glimpse of the final quilt.  I’m sure the newlyweds will love it!

There's always time to quilt!