Quilting with a Passion Previous Newsletters

September 24, 2006

Quilting With A Passion! Newsletter

Volume 1, Number 3

September 05, 2001

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 WELCOME
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Welcome once again!

I sincerely hope that this newsletter finds each of you doing well. And for those of you that celebrated Labor Day this past weekend, I hope you had a great three-day holiday. I know I certainly did! Shopping, cleaning, and Q U I L T I N G!!! It was wonderful!

I have been very busy and I'm happy to report that YOU are definitely going to benefit from my "busyness". :)

As always, feel free to spread the news in regards to this newsletter. I'm hoping that you take something away from each issue that you can use. I know I learn from you!

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 MYSTERY PROJECT
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The Mystery Quilt is still plunging forward! The interest is high and I can barely contain myself to keep from telling you what the end result is going to be! I think I can safely say that you're going to be surprised and pleased with the final product, though. As of tonight, I'm making three of these: One for myself (Christmas), one for my sister's birthday (Christmas), and a butterfly one that I have no idea why I started or what I'll do with it. Have you ever done that... made something out of fabric that you love just because you wanted to cut the cloth up and sew with it? Well, hello butterflies!

There are many samples of fabric selections that can be found at http://sregora.com/quilting/mystery.html. My butterfly fabrics are Sample 1 under the Cutting section (Lesson 2). My Christmas fabric is sample 1 found under the Fabric Selections section (Lesson 1). And last, but not least, the birthday present I'm making my sister out of Christmas fabric is Sample 40 under the Fabric Selections section.

I'm still receiving pictures of your choices and uploading them. It's never too late to let us see what you're doing!

Also, a few pictures of the sewn half-square triangles (HST) are coming. You can see those under Lesson 3. One is even humorous, so be sure to check it out!

The MQ should be finished sometime during mid-late October. I can hardly wait to send out the next lesson... which (drum roll, please) will be sometime between September 9th and September 12th. That should give you plenty of time to get those HST done!

If you haven't joined and would like to, it's never too late! Just send e-mail to sregora@sregora.com with MYSTERY in the subject area. And please make sure that you send your subscription request from the address you wish the subscription to go to!

You're doing a terrific job! I hope you're still as hyped with this project as I am!

Watch for details in upcoming issues of the QP Newsletter about two new MQs coming up in late December (MQ 2) and early January (MQ 3). MQ2 will run for about 6-8 weeks and MQ3 will be a one day mini-project marathon on New Year's Day (beginning New Year's Eve). And if you love a good mystery and want more, be sure to read the Block of the Month (BOM) section. It's a month to month mystery with clues!

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 FREE PATTERNS
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I've added over 250 free patterns to QP over the past two weeks. Mostly paper-piecing, but also in other categories. To see what's available, begin at http://sregora.com/quilting/freepats.html.

If you have a favorite that I don't have listed, send me your suggestion, please?

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 PATTERN OF THE MONTH
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If you like paper-piecing and you love butterflies, do I have the pattern for you! It won't be up long, though, because the owner only offers them for a short period of time for free. Be sure to take a look at the Paper Panache site located at http://www.paperpanache.com/. She has a totally awesome butterfly pattern that she's featuring for a 2001 Butterfly Challenge. I was amazed at this block. It's gorgeous. If you get the pattern or enter the Challenge, be sure to tell her that Sregora sent you! I'm hoping I have time to do it myself!

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 PROJECT OF THE MONTH
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Do you like paper-piecing? Do you have a favorite pet (cat, dog, or anteater)? Do you spoil your pet? Then I have the mini-project for you!

I found this project while surfing the Web one day and immediately knew I was going to make it. My daughter-in-law's birthday is at the end of September and she has a doggie that is her baby. She coddles little "Jonesy" like there's no tomorrow. That pooch has it made! Anyway, back to my pattern of the month.

The pattern is called Doggie Mealtime Mat and can be found at http://www.nmia.com/~mgdesign/qor/freepatterns/doggiemat/doggiemat.html. It's adorable!!!!! I purchased doggie fabric today from Hot Diggity Dog (I kid you not!) located at http://www.hotdiggitydog.com/. They not only have doggie fabrics, but they also have cat fabrics. I'll be sure to let you know how this project goes and I'll snap a picture of my final mealtime mat. Oh, I'm also going to draft some little alphabet patterns and paper-piece the dog's name in the center section. Should be really cute.

If you decide to make this pattern, be sure to let the owner know. I'm sure he/she would appreciate knowing! Tell them Sregora sent you. LOL.

As a sidenote, I ordered the fabric today thinking I was sure she had a dachshund... well, I was wrong! She has a chihuahua. Anyone need dachshund fabric cheap?? :) Actually, I'm going to try to catch the fabric shop early in the morning before they ship it out. Hope I can change it!

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六     SUGGESTIONS
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I'll keep this short and sweet. I welcome suggestions!   I want you to enjoy reading this and look forward to each issue.

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六     OPINIONS and/or REVIEWS
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In the last issue, I asked for opinions and reviews on sewing machines and also the Alto Quick Cutting system. Here's what you had to say about sewing machines:

"You asked for input about sewing machines: I have ten (10) machines. I love my Bernina 930. It is not computerized, I believe it was the last one before they went to computers. It does everything I need, it is dependable, easy to use, beautiful stitches, great selection of stitches and most of all I love the Patchwork Foot which I use all the time. I quilt and piece and also do a lot of curtain and drapery sewing. That foot is perfect in that in helps to maintain a nice straight stitch. That was my BIG purchase. The others were purchased in garage sales, some are duds and some are wonderful. I have an old Viking that I use almost exclusively for free-motion quilting. My latest was the Elna Supermatic and I have been enjoying learning all the things that one does too. I hope you don't think I am wacky, I bought these to help with my sewing group and their projects. I am addicted to sewing and sharing too." -- Arlene

"I just bought the Juki TL98E, cost 800$ and I bought it direct in Tucker Ga. I have the address and phone if anyone is interested. It is the fastest and most comfortable machine to use because of the thread cutter. No tails, no tangle when you start a new piece. Free motion is awesome as you can move your piece with ease because the arm is high and deep. It just does straight stitch but that is all you usually do with just quilting anyway. I love it." -- Jeannie in Florida

"I wanted to share about my sewing machine. While it is not a new machine, I consider it my very best friend and in case of fire, I would grab it before clothing (Oops!)----I'm sure you understand. Clothing may only last a day, sewing machines provide a lifetime of clothing and QUILTS! My machine is a Viking 6430, and approximately 26 yrs. old. Even though it is aging, it will stay with me until the day I die, whether or not it still sews. It has sewn ALL clothing that I, my (sorry, ex.) husband, and my two daughters plus unlisted others from day one. It has sewn those horrid blue jean seams, Carhart coveralls and jackets, heavy winterweight horse blankets and other unconventional demands. Always with the utmost grace and ease. It has paid for itself so many times over, I cannot count. I have made coats, garment bags of all styles, drapes and sheers, and QUILTS. At last, it's main function is quilting with an occassional (very) garment sewing. I have retired it from the heavy Carharts and horse blankets and refrain from blue jeans if at all possible. My love for this machine is not "idolatry" as I wish for the good Lord to keep blessing it, not to think that it is in competion with Him. But it does pretty much rank up there with my love for my daughters, granddaughters and parents. (And not to forget my most valuable companion, my dog, Cassie who is always by my side---even at the sewing machine!) I would sincerely like to obtain another model just like it, as the newer machines just do not compare with the "strength" of this particular make and model." -- Janet in Indiana

"I have a new sewing machine, but am not sure I can say I absolutely love it, and I think other quilters should know about those too! I am new to quilting, I know how to sew, but have never really liked to, really I hated sewing LOL. But I wanted to quilt, which I find is entirely different from sewing. My first machine (one I wanted) was the Singer Featherweight, which I really liked to take to classes, but it has nothing but forwards and backwards, and as I grew more proficient I needed more from my machine. So I started looking around my small town and decided on the Janome because it can do sooo many things (many I haven't even figured out yet or needed to figure out). My machine is a Janome 5700 machine (cost $2,000), but you can get it cheaper on line or if there are lots of shops in your area (this is not the case in my small town). I didn't want to go the on-line route, so I bought local then I could go in and bug the shop owners when I had trouble (which I have done). It's an easy machine to use, but the instructions just don't go far enough when trouble arrives, or explaining how stuff works that I am not familiar with. I had a problem 3 weeks after I bought this "brand new machine". The Bobbin bounces out of it's casing and I have had it in twice to adjust and it still persists when I sew fast. This seems to be a problem with the Janmoe machines in general, which I found out after I bought it. I have tried to contact the company with NO success, just to get some advice, and this was via their e-mail line set up specifically for this purpose. I love the embroidery features, but again the instructions are not very helpful if you have not previously used this feature on a machine. It started making a low whining sound and the book says this is normal, but WHY and it comes and goes. The embroidery cards cost the earth so I am searching the web for sites to find them cheaper (That would be a good article for you to put in the news letters, where to find sewing stuff cheap on the web). The thread gets gummed up after sewing for long periods of time and you have to stop and re-thread, but not all the time." -- Jane (Appreciate your honesty, Jane! As quilters, we want to hear the bad along with the good so that we're better shoppers!)

No news about the Alto Cutting System, but here's what one reader had to say about a new "toy", the Clover Iron:

"i have new "gadget" i love. the clover iron. you know, the little iron that looks like a shovel you use in potted plants. it is wonderful for the quick pressing you do while creating your blocks and for applique, well, it save many burned fingers when trying to turn under those little edges. it is one of the handiest items i have in my sewing room." -- Windjammer in California

And last, but not least, here are a few comments in regards to the last newsletter:

"I am new to quilting and I just love your site. I will be doing everything that you put up on it as I have a lot to learn and I feel with you putting all this stuff on it that a newbie like me will learn from the beginning I have no place around me that sells or teaches quilt stuff. Joannes and walmart are my only means for buying stuff so I depend on the internet for a lot of things so if I start out with you and you are leaning to it will make quilting a lot more fun." -- Patt

"I just got finished reading and copying the newsletter and instructions for part 2 of the MQ. I really enjoy reading your news letter. You have an easy going writing style and make it very clear you want input from us, and that we are important; I like that. I like the idea of you sharing your expertise and creative talents. I also like the fact all of your projects are not tied to swaps and I can do them when and if I want. Not to say I am not a swapper, but I like the ability to be part of a group without having to swap. But again not to say I would not be interested in swapping. I think it is important for your subscribers to give input and like that you encourage this." -- Jane (Jane, thank you! You are so right! All of you are important and keep me motivated. I love your input; good and bad. If I can improve on something, I want to. I'm not in this as an ego trip; I'm in this to help others. I love teaching and knowing that something I share might make a difference, no matter how small, in someone's life. And if you have fun, to boot, color me happy!)

"your forum/e-mail name is one that has really intrigued me...care to share how you came up with it?" -- Lisa (Well, I pointed Lisa to my personal home page where it explains exactly how the totally unique name of Sregora came about. It's not a word in any language anywhere in the world and is my trademark. If you want to read all about it, check out http://sregora.com/sregora.html)

Do you have an opinion or suggestion you'd like to share or a topic you'd like to see information about? If so, let me know! Your voice counts!

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 SREG'S BLOCK OF THE MONTH (BOM)
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First, thank you for the great response I had to Twinkle Twinkle last month. If you haven't seen the finished quilt samples, please take a gander at http://www.sregora.com/quilting/bom/aug2001bom.html. I've added many layouts for this quilt.

Second, the next five blocks are going to be in a series. Let me explain. At the end of the five blocks (before Christmas), you will either have a great wallhanging gift for your child's favorite teacher OR you'll have a very cute baby quilt. "How can this be", you ask? Easy, the blocks I'm designing are versatile and I'll give you options to fine-tune your wallhanging. You'll not only have the option to make either a teacher's quilt or a baby quilt (or both!), you'll also get to decide whether you want it to be set on-point or put into a regular layout... and if you've never done a quilt setting that was on-point before, this is your chance to grow! A learning opportunity; woo hoo.

These next five blocks are going to be fairly easy, so if you're new to quilting, these are great for you. If you're a veteran, then these will make great quickie projects for you to either keep or give away as gifts. We all know how giving quilters are!

I'll have fabric requirements, cutting directions, and the first block ready for you to see this Sunday, September 9th. You'll find a link to it at http://www.sregora.com/quilting/bom/. Let me know what you think!

As usual, insert the necessary copyright notice here.

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 FEATURE ARTICLE
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Did you keep a diary or journal growing up? I think most of us did, at one time or another.

Well, when I began quilting back in 1993, the first thing I did was begin a quilting journal. In this journal, I recorded details about every single quilting project I did; whether it was a small pillow or a king-sized quilt. I'm now on my second binder and it's fun to go back and look at all of the things I've made... and gave away.

Here's what you'll need to make your own journal:

A binder,
Paper,
A hole puncher,
An ink pen or pencils,
Marking pens,
Camera (digital or regular),
Glue, tape, and/or stapler.

First, the binder. I like to use a large, three-ring binder, that has the clear plastic sleeve on the outside front. I print off a cover sheet and put it there to show what it is. This can be personalized in any way that you wish, of course.

Next, the paper. You can either hand-write all of the information about your quilt on paper or you can type it. The information can vary, such as your name, the name of the quilt, the size of the quilt, where you purchased the fabrics, a drawing of the block(s) used, fabric swatches, a picture of the project and more. Or if you're not crazy about designing your own, I've designed one for you. All you need to do to get my 咋uiltSheet is send e-mail to sregora@sregora.com with QUILTSHEETS in the subject area. Again, insert the typical copyright notice here.

Punch holes in your paper (or mine), complete the information, add a picture (tape it, print it off on the paper, glue it, or whatever), file it in the binder and you're set.

I think you'll be glad you did this! For complete details, read the full article on the Web at http://sregora.com/quilting/sregora/diary.html.

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 NEW STUFF
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Do you find yourself trying to find a calendar when you're sitting at your computer? Well, I've created a quilt calendar that you can save as your wallpaper. I have it on all of my computers (duh) and love it. I give instructions on how to make it your wallpaper at http://sregora.com/quilting/wallpaper.html. I plan on making a different quilt calendar each month; hope you enjoy it!

Do you sometimes wish that you could read these newsletters on the Web and just click on the links to get to places? Some of you only have text e-mail software, so you don't see all of the links as links. Well, I'm now Webbing all of the newsletters. You'll find them at http://www.sregora.com/quilting/newsletter.html, but note that the current issue won't be listed for about a week. I give the subscribers sneak previews. If you want to see this issue, point your browser to http://www.sregora.com/quilting/V1N3.html.

Do you like quilt-related trivia? If so, be sure to read Quilt Trivia, located at http://www.sregora.com/quilting/trivia.html. I bet you can find something useful there!

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 SUBSCRIBER GALLERY
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As you finish MQs and/or blocks, please send me pictures so that I can add them to the gallery. http://www.sregora.com/quilting/gallery/ is where you'll find them, but it's empty (and so lonely!) right now.

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 IN THE WORKS
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Watch for more updates on the free patterns, the Mystery Quilt progress, BOM instructions, and more!

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六 IN CONCLUSION
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I can hardly believe it's time to close again. As usual, I had a lot to say. Hope you found at least a tiny bit of it interesting and useful!

May each of you have a pleasant week and happy quilting. Until next time!

Take care,
Terry

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六
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Quilting With A Passion!
http://sregora.com/quilting/

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咫誑咫誧咫誑咫誧咫誑咫賓六市六
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