Join the Club!!!

A vintage Crazy Quilt Block from my collection

Tomorrow is our monthly Crazy Quilt Club meeting.   Tuesday was our Handstitchers and Stumpwork Club meetings.      Our Block of the Month club meets on the First Saturday each month.      These groups are centered around a particular type of needlework, and are a less formal and more social way to learn and do new projects.       Although we have been running clubs here for more than a decade,   I thought it would be a good idea to remind you of what a great thing they are.

 

You don’t need to make a big committment,  you simply pay dues per meeting,  You could join for just one project,  or to try a new technique.   Or, if there is a project within the groups parameters bring it and maybe we will all like it.   If not no big deal, there is no requirement to do what the rest of the group is doing.     If you don’t get to work in it between meetings that is also OK.    Our clubs will go as long as I am around to run them so take your time and enjoy the process.     There is more information on our clubs and their various projects on the Club News Page.   We would love for you to try out one or more.

This semesters showcase project is coming along wonderfully,  I am having a great time with the curvy triangles.     I cut a bunch of them to see how it went before getting into the improv and string versions and it is fun.   The curves are gentle enough that

 

 

 

 

 

they are easy to sew,  and it gives a sense of swirling motion that I am loving.    I have also sewn and cut a bunch of the improv versions,  and hope to get a few String pieced with the honeycomb frame on them today.  When you make yours, you may use any or all versions of this block,   You could also use a simple equilateral triangle and eliminate the curves.   But these are so easy I don’t know why you would.    I hope to have my top together for you to see next week.

Speaking of Next week,  I will have to close at 2 pm on Friday,  I have to take my daughter to an appointment.         Have a wonderful day and Come Join the Club!!!

 

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A Crazy Idea

Back to school season is a great time for new starts,   and as a new semester begins here at the Shoppe I want to share with you the new structure for our classes and workshops. Each semester we will focus on one thing to Showcase.   Samples in the store, posts on the web and social media will add more information on the subject,  when appropriate merchandise specials,  and a workshop or two that will all support the same feature.   This semester our “Showcase”   is string, crazy and improv piecing.

Can I be the feature?

There are two new pages on this site,   one for the Showcase , with the exciting points, photos and details of some of the in store displays,  and any information on workshops that may go along.    This semester I have finally gotten to a project inspired by my string pieced Hexagon quilt from the 1930’s.   I will give you more details on that next week.

String pieced Hexagon from the 1930’s

As I said the Fall Showcase is all about string, improv and crazy patch.    It is a phenomenon that has been part of the quilt world for a long time.     The crazy rails quilt below has silks and velvets and all manner of fancy fabrics.     No batting but it is sewn on a foundation, it has a yellow backing and is tied.   Crazy rails in this manner work very well with men’s ties too.    Contact us if you would like to do a project of this nature.   You will need one session, 3 hours.      More info on the Showcase page.

Crazy rails,  possibly as old as 1900.

 

The other new page is our updated workshops page.   The new Skillbuilders workshops  are technique based projects that are scheduled by appointment.   We can do them for one to 6 people at a time,  and all the information needed to schedule is there.   These are some of our most popular classes, the ones we run over and over.    I will let you know as I add a few more,  ( several requests were made for a workshop to learn mitered borders/ inset seams,   and a good one for binding  so they are in the works.  )  We still also do private instruction on projects of your choice at an hourly rate.

It is my hope that this new workshop structure will allow more of you to join us on this amazing quilting adventure.     Please share your feedback,    Have a wonderful day.

Did you like to play with Blocks?

Block # 10

I did,  and I was SOOO jealous of my cousins who had lots of Legos.    I got a set of imitation “interlocking building bricks” and they just were not the same.   Didn’t stop me from spending hours with them.     Watching my nephews get excited now over the Lego movies I wonder if we have lost something in the imagination of our youth when it is all spelled out.

 

Tomorrow is our Block of the Month meeting,  and we will be doing three blocks this time around because they are so

Block #11

similar in construction.     Having spent lots of time taking things apart and building them up again may have been play time then,  but now it is how I make a living.   SO here’s to playing with Blocks!!!

Block #9

 

Watch for some exciting announcements as early as next week regarding our fall semester schedule of events!!!     And if you haven’t done it already, like our Facebook page for more fun and photos.    find us at:    Facebook/ Village Fabric Shoppe.

Two things

It is back to school time again.   Where did the summer go?    With cooler temperatures this week and good sales at the office supply stores my mind wants to do two things.   First, get organized,  and second start some new projects.    Maybe because I used to teach in the public school system, but I get excited to organize things more at this time of year than any other.     It is not something I am naturally good at so I have never underestimated the value of a new pretty binder and matching folders,   or some new pens and pencils.    If you have not noticed, I like to write with colored pens and my need for mechanical pencils is almost obsessive.     I also like to stock up on all manners of paper for the computer and drawing pads,  and every few years I need to get a new

You can still get this year’s Row by Row

multi pack of water soluble glue sticks.  ( keep them in the fridge to extend shelf life by a great deal )  Back to school sales are fun.

Then it is time to tackle the fabric in the studio.   That part is harder because I seem to get side tracked with new ideas every time I try to clean and stack.    With limited time for such activities my home sewing room is usually a hot mess.   Customer work and other duties at home mean that a truly organized space is probably out of reach.     I have come to accept that,  and understand that it is much more important to be working and creating than to have a spotless studio.   There will always be stacks of fabric on just about every flat surface other than the cutting table,  and my two design walls will always be full.     I have accepted that functionality and organization may not be the same thing.    As long as I have maintained function in my studio it remains my happy place.   It is the place where all my ideas go to brew.   I always have things ready to go.    I am itching to get to work by the time I have put away anything.

 

At the shoppe, we are getting ready for the fall season too,   I am excited for some new things that will be happening.     That is all I can say at the moment,  but watch this space for all the news.

Miss Manners

Last evening my family went out for dinner to celebrate the one year anniversary of my big surgery,  and to spend a nice evening with my daughter and her boyfriend before he headed off to college this morning.      As we were going in a lady was coming out and so we held the door open for her to pass.     This small act of courtesy seemed to surprise her and she thanked us well beyond what was necessary.      It got me to thinking about manners and how much they are sometimes lacking.     I believe that until you prove me wrong, there is good in everyone, and that you should treat others the way you would like to be treated.    ( remember the Golden Rule??? )     Perhaps if we returned to those simple acts of respect for other humans there would be less hate in the world.

We are coming into quilt show season,   there were a few locally last weekend, and the Dutchess County Fair starts this week, and there are lots more.    So you may be wondering what this has to do with my plea for us all to treat each other reasonably.     Most quilt shows are judged, which means competition and that judgement often spills over to the attitudes of the audience.     Now, there is nothing wrong with recognizing excellence,  and identifying places where there could be improvement,  this is called learning.     However,  rudely stated opinions that are unsupported,  ( Things like,  ” I hate that fabric, she must have been really desperate to finish this quilt if that was the best thing she could find for the border ”  ) are not OK.    They are just plain mean,  and it is entirely possible that the maker of that quilt was standing right behind our rude commentator.      I witnessed this exact scene once and the quilt maker went from being a happy proud woman to a deflated husk, and in talking to her later she swore she would never enter a show again.  Her quilt was very well constructed, including piecing applique and lovely quilting.    It makes me so sad.     It turns out the fabric in question was chosen by the very sick young person who was to receive the quilt after the show.     I never saw that lady again,   I hope her young friend found the healing in it that she intended.     It seems that Ugly is as much in the eye of the beholder as is beauty.      As you go through your days this quilt season please remember to be kind and use your manners.    Little acts can have a big ripple.

Mommy said to be nice —   can you give me some nice treats???    Please!!?   

Crazy Quilt Club will meet tomorrow.   See you then.

By Hand

This morning we had a wonderful Big Stitch Quilting workshop.   Once class was underway and everyone was stitching we got on to some very interesting conversation topics.   The creative process,  taking ownership of your own work,  the hand of the artist and “personalization”  were covered.    It was wonderful to watch creative women who had only met this morning connecting on a deep level.      As the last class member was leaving she brought up the question of hand-made gifts,  complaining that some people she knows would rather have a gift card than a custom-made for them hand made gift.   Although it makes me sad,  it is better to just take those people off the gift list.    I don’t have the time to teach them why a hand made gift represents a deeper level of love and caring than some off the rack at the grocery store ( you know it’s true ) gift card.

It’s still summer, this was in my yard this morning

However,  the opposite is true also,  If you have loved ones who are supportive and truly appreciate the value and joy of a handmade gift, then it is the season to get started.    I know you don’t want to hear that,  but once the school year starts you know what happens to all the time you thought you had.        We can help you get going on good projects that can be done production line style if your gift list is large.   Just let us know.

Castle wall Block – by hand

 

This Tuesday is the Castle Wall by hand workshop, there are still spaces so if you are interested let us know asap so I can have enough patterns made.  See the Classes tab for more info and a supply list.   Also next week is Crazy Quilt Club.    It will be a fun and creative week.

Friday Night Lights

Tonight is the monthly Friday Night Lights event in Red Hook.   it means that we will be open till 9 pm,  so if you normally have trouble getting here by five,  tonight is the night to come and get the beautiful fabrics that you need for your next project.       This month the event is themed around old cars,  so if you ( or your partner ) like vintage vehicles you have even more reason to come into town.    For my part I have my good guitar with me and will play for anyone who wants to hear,  and I am working on restoring a quilt with a neat connection to vintage cars.

It is made of mens wool suiting, with a madras plaid on the back, no batting, but with the wool it would be plenty warm.    Based on the style and materials it is from the 1940’s and the fact that the owners found it in the rumble seat of a 1940’s car they purchased to restore only reinforces the date.    I don’t have good photos to share  – it is tricky to get the dark colors to look true and nothing I took even comes close.    So you’ll have to come by to see it in person.    I am mostly closing up small moth holes, and it will get a new binding and a good cleaning.    But what a fun accessory for your vintage car!!   I love it.

Tomorrow morning we have our Block of the month,  with block number 8.  9 am.   I know you will like this one.  This Tuesday is hand stitchers and stumpwork clubs   Also coming up on the 11th, which is next Friday,  is another session of Big stitch quilting.    Details and supplies are on the classes tab.  There is room for a few more so call to register.