Pumpkin Parade Shop Hop

Sorry for the late notice, but I just found out about the Wasatch Front Shop Hop, September 27 - 29.  This year's theme is The Pumpkin Parade.  Each participating shop will feature a demonstration on some sort of pumpkin project as well as share a pumpkin recipe.

The following quilt stores will be participating (from South to North):

• Corn Wagon Quilt Company, Springville
• American Quilting, Orem
• Stitching Corner, Orem
• Broadbents, Lehi
• Thimbles and Threads, Draper
• Quilts Etc., Sandy
• Elaine's Quilt Blocks, Cottonwood Heights
• Mormon Handicraft, Midvale
• Pine Needles, West Jordan
• Piper's Quilts and Comforts, Sugarhouse
• Quilter's Haven, Bountiful
• Village Dry Goods, Brigham City
• My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe, Logan

Pre-cuts with Janine & Brigid

Can you believe all the projects you can easily make with pre-cut fabric?

Janine and Brigid showed multiple quilts and runners (you've got to use those leftovers, after all!) they made using charm packs, layer cakes, and jelly rolls.  Remember that new fabric lines are introduced every few months, so quilt shops often have the out-going lines on sale or clearance.

Using one piece of a layer cake (a 10" square) and a few jelly-roll strips, Tooele County Quilters had fun making a table runner called Monster Munchies.  Although the pattern instructions from McCall's Quilting Magazine were for Halloween fabrics, a few quilters decided to use Fall or Christmas fabrics with fabulous results!  A couple of changes/tips Janine suggested include:

• Use any size square for the center and adjust the strip lengths accordingly.  The pattern originally called for a 10 3/8" square, but Janine recommended using a pre-cut 10" square from a layer cake.
• If using a 10" starter square, the pattern then called for two 10" strips, two 12" strips, and two 2 1/2" squares.  Janine reminded us that the strips didn't need to be quite 12" long because you will be trimming off quite a bit at the end of the project.
• After sewing the strips and squares to the center piece, the pattern instructions said to cut off the jagged top and bottom edges (1/4" away from the top and bottom corners of the center square).  Janine likes wider binding, so she recommends cutting more than 1/4" to allow for that.

Janine also shared two of her favorite books.  The books contain a plethora of patterns that call for pre-cuts.  The books are available in our Tooele County Quilt Guild library for check-out.  Or, if you'd rather purchase the books for your own library, here are the links (just click on the picture to go to amazon.com):

Be sure to bring your finished projects for Show and Tell next month!

Deseret Foundation Donation Quilt

Tooele County Quilt Guild participates in the Intermountain Research and Medical Foundation (formerly Deseret Foundation) bi-annual quilt show and auction.  The quilt show and auction has raised funds for medical research and specialized medical equipment since 1983.  The next quilt show will be in 2013, and we are planning and preparing for the event now!

We will be piecing and hand-quilting the Apple and Bee Orchard quilt, designed by Stephen Seifert and Liz Schwartz (published in The Foundation Piecer, "A Bountiful Harvest," pp. 18-19).  Instead of using a "feature print," we will be hand-embroidering Utah-themed blocks, such as a Sego Lily, a Golden Spike, The Arches, etc.  

Fabric Needed:

• 2 yards blue print
• 2/3 yard medium red
• 1/2 yard brown
• 2/3 yard light amber
• 2/3 yard dark amber
• 1/2 yard beige
• 1/4 yard each of the following colors:  black, burgandy, cream, moss green, forest green, midnight blue, navy blue, and light green.

Here's how you can help:

1. Donate fabric in the color scheme shown above AND Utah-themed embroidery patterns  (by JANUARY).
2. Help make block kits to be distributed to Tooele County Quilters (date TBD in JANUARY).
3. Paper piece or hand embroider blocks (from the distributed kits).
4. Help sew the quilt top together.
5. Help hand quilt and bind the quilt.

Crystal is the chairperson for this quilt project.  Please contact her at 841-0712 if you have any questions or suggestions.

  

Eagle Project: Call for Help

Zachary's Eagle Project is to collect quilts for a local children's hospital and distribute the quilts to the children at the hospital to make their stay more comfortable.  We all know how wrapping up in a quilt feels like a warm and comforting hug.  What better way to help a sick child than to wrap him or her in a quilt made with love.

Quilts may be any of the following sizes:

TWIN: 72x90

CRIB:  54x80

BABY: 45x60

Please use cotton or flannel fabric, but do not use red as the color tends to bleed when washed.  Quilts should be tied or quilted at 4" intervals.  Due date is October 16 at our next Quilt Guild Meeting.  If you have any further questions, please contact Zachary at 850-9248.

Using Pre-Cuts

Ever heard of layer cakes, jelly rolls, and charm packs?

image from sew4home.com

These pre-cut packs contain coordinated pieces from one fabric line and come in many different options.  Layer cakes are 10" squares, jelly rolls are 2 1/2" x WOF (width-of-fabric) strips, and charm packs are 5" squares.  Many companies also package fat quarters into bundles.  Many current patterns call for pre-cut packs, which is convenient for several reasons:

1. It "cuts" down on cutting time, so you can get right to the fun part. . . sewing and piecing!
2. It's an economical way to collect many different fabric lines; if you buy one charm pack or jelly roll, you get a little piece of each fabric in the entire line!
3. It simplifies color coordination because the colors are already coordinated for you!

If using a pre-cut, you should NOT pre-wash the fabric, which would distort, misshape, or wrinkle the fabric.  Sometimes, you may need to trim the pre-cuts to a smaller size.  Heather Mulder Petersen, a designer and publisher of quilt patterns who loves to use pre-cuts, has a multitude of tips for using pre-cuts at her blog, Anka's Treasures.

Would you like to learn to use pre-cuts and complete a project within a couple of hours?  If so, come to Tooele County Quilt Guild's September 18 meeting (9:30 a.m.).  Janine Manzione, one of our very first quilt guild members, will be teaching us how to make a table runner.  Be sure to bring your sewing machine and basic sewing supplies to the meeting.  Print and review the instructions here:  McCall's Quilting.

See you there!