While on my annual quilting retreat this weekend,  I realized just how much I actually rely on my design wall. While putting together a quilt top  set on point,  I soon found  just how hard assembly is.   I normally place blocks on my design wall as they are completed.  But of course can’t when on a retreat .   And it goes without saying that it would be impossible to carry a large design wall when traveling anyway.

Lisa came up with the obvious solution in this case:

Lay the blocks out  on the floor     

Voila!  Perfect block placement.

When I got home however, I just couldn’t resist displaying it on the design wall to get a good look at it.

I also went online and found a few other suggestions for portable design walls at Quilters Diary.

“Portable Design Walls”

‘These design walls are great because you can lay out your blocks, then roll them up with the blocks in place and take everything with you.

• Flannel fabric. You can find these very cheaply at a thrift store, or buy some flannel yardage on sale at a fabric store.
• Vinyl tablecloth. Get one with soft white cottony backing that will cling to your fabric pieces.
• Quilt batting. Use a thin cotton or bamboo batting in a neutral color.
• Acrylic or wool felt fabric.
• Grid-quilted design wall. You make this just like a regular quilt, with a layer of flannel on top and a layer of batting behind. To create the gridlines for placing your blocks, mark the fabric every two inches vertically and horizontally, then stitch along the grid lines to make a square grid that covers the design wall surface.
• Large pull-down roller shade. Give the shade a clingy surface by covering it with flannel or batting. Unroll the shade when you want to lay out blocks, then roll it up with fabrics in place when you want to put the quilt away.’

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

Deciding on fabric placement

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.

Quiltsmart Arch

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!

Perfect Wedding Ring Arch

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!

Putting it all together!

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

Last month I went to a meeting NYS Consortium meeting hosted by the Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Elmira, NY.  Members of our state guilds and businesses meet quarterly to share ideas, knowledge, & network .

The host guild always tries to come up with a unique gift for each one who attends the meeting.   The members of Piecemakers came up with one that is exceptionally handy:

A sewing caddy that cleverly uses a mug as its base and holds those ‘tools’

that you always need to have handy, but always seem to have to hunt for.

Mine now has a permanent home next to my sewing machine.  No more frustration searching for those necessities that make your quilting life easy.

Well the “worst” of the storm is over.  Officially we received 18″ of snow.  That measurement was taken at the airport (about 20 miles from our home).  I think we actually received closer to 2′  here.  I can hardly my deck.

The sun came out on Friday – there’s nothing more beautiful than a blue sky with the sun shinning on newly fallen snow.  The snow  “crunches” as you walk on it and is definitely perfect snowman snow.  It makes me wish my grandchildren lived closer so that I’d have an excuse to be outside playing in it.

Instead I spent the day working on my Simply Charming miniature.

The applique pieces are all cut as well as the circles.

My favorite tool for making circles:  Circleese

To make prefect circles every time:

• Place template on wrong side of fabric:

• Spray fabric on front and back.  Iron both sides until dry.  Let set before removing circle from template.

• Trim.
• Remove circle template.  Press on both sides using additional spray starch as necessary so that circle holds it shape.
• My other must have for preparing applique pieces is the Clover Mini-Iron. The multi-attachment version has two mini-irons, which are prefect for pressing applique pieces.
• The applique pieces are ready to be attached to the background by needle-turn applique, using an invisible applique stitch.

We ended a perfect winter day with a dinner in Skaneateles.  Skaneateles Lake is one of the beautiful lakes that make up the scenic Fingerlakes of Central New York.  The main street consists of buildings dating back to 1796 that house boutique type shops, restaurants, an inn, and bed and breakfast.

We love walking around the lakeside community – no matter what the weather.  Last night we were treated to lightly falling snow and mild temperatures as we window shopped after dinner.  Driving home we ran into a whiteout about 3 miles from our house.  The only reference we had to make sure we were on the road was the piled up snow along the highway.  Winter can be a challenge here  – but we’re Central New Yorkers – we can handle it.

I’m working at keeping my New Year’s resolution to complete some of the UFO’s that seem to grow in my storage area overnight.  The first month of the year is just about over and I have at least completed some of my list  (I started with the easiest):

• Watson mystery 2007 and 2009 quilts- binding  - Done!

• Seasons wall hanging -

quilting patterns chosen and practice pieces completed

• Autumn Pennies table topper from a class by Kim Diehl  and

• organize my stash!

- And now to the more challenging:

Today I did some practice quilting for my Seasons Wall Hanging.  I decided to try out my new Clover Mini Iron II “The Adapter Set”. (A Christmas gift from my son.)  One of it’s accessories is a hot knife tip that works beautifully when making stencils.

Cut stencils

Next I practiced some free motion quilting on some 15-inch muslin sandwiches.  Now I’m ready to start the actual quilting on my quilt top.

Practice

Goals for next month are:

- UFO’s – finish the quilting on this top as well as the binding

- New:  guild projects – fat quarter quilt and sample block for 2011 raffle quilt.