Episode 164: The What do I do now? episode

Welcome to Episode No. 164 of the Off-Kilter Quilt Podcast (Where a Straight Line’s a State of Mind). My name is Frances, and I’m your hostess.

Download this episode (right click and save)


Big Star! Big finish! (Click for a better look at the quilting)

big star--finished!

Basket block!

basketblock

Basket Block tutorial courtesey of Jaye, the Artquiltmaker:

http://www.artquiltmaker.com/blog/2015/03/sampler-quilt-basket-pt-1/

http://www.artquiltmaker.com/blog/2015/04/sampler-quilt-basket-pt-2/

Half-square triangles tutorial courtesy of Jaye, the Artquiltmaker:

http://www.artquiltmaker.com/blog/2011/09/triangle-technique/

A great interview with Mary Fons:

http://www.whyquiltsmatter.org/welcome/discussion-guide-qa-with/why-quilts-matter-question-and-answer-with-mary-fons/

Check out Hip to Be a Square Pam in this great video:

https://vimeo.com/126226767

11 Replies to “Episode 164: The What do I do now? episode”

  1. Love the star! It is so balanced and your quilting really brings it together.

    You are very right about what you said. You (and your friend Annie, but I call her Annie Smith) are right that I am practicing for my next quilt. I am currently working on a quilt for the kiddos to use in the back of the van. Something they can spill on and eat on and I won’t care. It is all remnants and clearance fabric. I call it my “Ugly Quilt.” It is a bento box pattern. I will definitely free motion quilt it, as my first attempt at dropping the feed-dogs and putting away the walking foot.

    You are welcome to check out pictures of the ugly quilt on my blog. 🙂

    Thanks for the inspiration.

  2. Love your Big Start Quilt! Love the quilting as well. Listening to the podcast now while I’m supposed to be working, well I am. Enjoy all of them.

  3. I have not listened to episode 164 yet, but while I am thinking about it I am going to write.
    For 2 ½ months I had to put away my sewing to make way for baby chicks. As they get older the dust is horrible and gets onto everything. Now they are outside in the coop and I can sew once again.
    Today is Saturday, my favorite day to sew and I get to catch up on your podcast. It is a wonderful day for sewing and listening to you. (SERVICE, SERVICE, your going to get your machine SERVICED). Laughing as I listen to your podcast as always.
    This comment/letter is going to go in all different directions so enjoy the ride, lol. I am writing as I listen to the past 4 episodes. Sorry for being tardy.

    I love how you set the goal to make a Dresden Plate quilt sometime this year. I too set a goal for this year and that is to make a Landscape Quilt. I have started collecting bits of fabric here and there but as far as a pattern I don’t have one. I have never made one before but I feel the creative mojo flowing. I figure I would take a piece of muslin as a canvas, then let the colored fabric ‘speak to me’. It might turn into an epic fail, but how do I know unless I give it a whirl.

    I have kept a Journal/Day Planner for years. You are right. It is harder to sit down and remember what you did two days ago then if you just jot it down on the day. I have several days that are blank because for the life of me I can not remember what the heck I did. I find that if I go back onto Facebook and see a posting that might jog something or if I look to see if I took any pictures that day. Hey, that is an idea. Everyday just take a picture of something that your doing as a reminder! I am going to try that and see if it works. Great idea Francis, I knew I listened to you for a good reason. (oh, if you haven’t caught on I do like to joke around a little) (insert chuckle here). After listening to your last pod cast introduction, I know you have a good sense of humor too.

    For the first time I am working with Kona fabric on my current quilt and I must say you are correct about the fabric. It is a beautiful color but not always pleasant or forgiving to work with. I looked up the ‘American Made Brand’ on the internet. There is a quilt store up north from me, about 25-30 miles away, that carries that brand. I don’t always go to that quilt store because of distance but when I do I have a list of items I want to look at. I put American Made Brand on the list

    When I see a quilt in an antique shop or yard sale and someone is selling their Grandmother’s quilt, I look at the stitching and see mistakes. They can be big or small mistakes but for us who dabble in quilting we can spot them off straight away. The husband or my friends are totally blind to it so I don’t point them out because I think it should be a trade secret. In fact I look at this quilt and no matter how old it is or who made it the person was not perfect just as I am not perfect and that is what makes quilts so special, they hold secrets. If you wouldn’t have talked about the handle on your beautiful basket, I would have never seen it and when I went back to look at it again, I still could not see it. I looked at the block as a whole. Not tear it down piece by piece as the ‘police’ do.

    Well, you are busy and so am I. It is now Monday and I get to sew for a couple of hours since it is raining outside again. Here is my sign off, ‘Ladies, start your sewing machines’…..and now I wave the green flag.

  4. I just loved everything from this podcast. Especially the rain and birds. Especially the rain.

    The pattern on the Big Star binding works perfectly for the quilt and frames it so well. I also think the handle on the basket block looks great. I have made them using a bias bar but it has been awhile.

    It is always so great to listen about your work regarding the author life and also your work for your volunteer life as well as the quilting. Have a good, good NC week.

  5. Your basket handle looks fine!

    One of my sisters taught me and two other sisters how to weave real baskets a few years ago. It got pretty intense, and I felt like I needed another arm. It was hard to hold everything in place. I am much better at quilting than I am at basket weaving!

    I make my HSTs the way you mentioned, but I trim them with Eleanor Burns HST trimmer. With that ruler you trim before you press open, so only two sides get trimmed. I think it is a little faster than using a regular ruler.

    Glad to hear your friend liked the quilt you made her!

  6. Your basket looks great.

    The Big Star is a big hit. Great textures in the quilting and I love that bold binding.

  7. Big star is gorgeous, so many things about it that work so well. I would have felt torn giving it away, but that’s what we make quilts for right? To be loved, and not hoarded.

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