Friday, March 30, 2012

New Tool Fun

At the late Spring 2011 New York and Western Massachusetts annual Shop Hop, I acquired Kim Templin's Double Diamond Ruler. What a hoot I had creating the following pieces in a quick and easy manner!


The technique involves fusing two fabrics together (in the above piece- the green background and the orange and in the photo below- the green background and the red), then using the tool to cut angled slots which make the triangles which you then turn out to leave empty space below. That space is filled with backing fabric (purple above and the yellow below). Instructions and an entire gallery of ideas for how to use the Double Diamond Ruler can be found at Kim's Website and this link: How to Instructions.





This piece, which I call "Christmas Tree" Quilt #8769 is for sale at the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative Website (AAQI) under my $1000 Promise page.

 
Kim Templin's own donation, "Christmas Star" Quilt #9220 (seen above),  will be featured in the April AAQI Auction.  It, and all the other auction quilts can be found at the AAQI website: AAQI Auction  
Profits from the sale of all AAQI donated quilts go to fund Alzheimer's research projects. Since January 2006, the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative has raised over $704,000 for Alzheimer's research. The projects funded by the sale of these small quilts (all 9 by 12 inches or smaller) are detailed under the Research Tab on the AAQI Website.
Happy Bidding!


Sunday, March 4, 2012

Change


“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.”
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/change 
Leap Day every four years has a special place in my "decade plus" diary. It has a whole page and there are only three entries. Leap Day 2012, however, was not a great day for me. I learned that our beloved local quilt shop partners, Jim Helms and Bob Silverman, had left The Joyful Quilter for the adventures of caring for family and for whatever the quilting universe has in store for them. Susan Pettengill, store owner, continues to bring all that The Joyful Quilter is and has always been to the area with, yes, JOY!



(Photo lovingly borrowed from Facebook.)

Bob (on left) and Jim (on the right) were more than partners of my favorite store, they were always friendly, kind to my omnipresent and not exactly quiet children, willing to offer an idea, a "Really?" when needed, and just good kind men who share my passion for quilting. As teachers Jim and Bob offered something for all levels of student and will continue to lecture and teach. They already have a pattern and template line available on the internet. Check out Jim's (and Bob's) Quilting when you have a minute.

So, my Leap Day was one of change. Change is something I abhor! I can do crisis. I can juggle children, husband, in-laws, parents, school, life and swim lessons, but CHANGE, I detest! 
Where do I manage to funnel this negative energy which change brings upon me?
Have I taken up drinking? Smoking? Shopping? Excessive romance novel reading? Too much time on Facebook and Pinterest?
No, instead I quilt.
Here is my latest tribute to change using the Twister Tool from CS Designs that Bob sold me the last time we met.
 

Using 10 inch squares, of lovely batiks from The Joyful Quilter, I arranged them in this way.
Then I bordered the piece with a sunny batik patterned fabric.


After pressing well, naturally, I cut the following squares using the Twister Tool.










Finally, I squared up the blocks, resewed them together in rows............


 ..............and the end result is this beauty!



May the pinwheels of change be kind to you Jim, Bob and Susan!
All my best, 
Lynn, 
This Quilting Mama