February 23, 2010 – Going to the Quilt Show!
Tomorrow morning I will be heading off to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. I will be traveling with quilt friends, of course! There will be four of us piled into my car. We plan on making a day of it, stopping off in Fredericksburg to check out a quilt shop and have lunch, before making our way to the hotel.
This year I have signed up for one class on Thursday and I will be tending our raffle quilt on Friday. The rest of the time, I will be shopping and taking photos of all the great quilts in this year’s show. As I walk through the show, I find it hard not to take a photo of each and every quilt. It seems as though each one is prettier than the last. I have been taking photos of quilts for over 20 years, and I have quite a collection. It is easier now we have gone digital. At least the photos are organized on my computer and in a format that is much easier for viewing. When reviewing the photos…even just two or three days after the show, I am always surprised at how many quilts I have already forgotten. But that is probably just a result of my aging and memory loss!
We are looking forward to a great girls weekend away, much shopping and fabric purchasing. I will have my computer with me and I will try to get a post up each evening, if I can get an internet connection.
Happy Quilting!
Betty Dietz
February 22, 2010 – Freedom Star Block #8 – Gold, Silver and Bronze! Star Block
I am still glued to the TV watching the Olympics. Can the Hockey team repeat the Miracle on Ice like they did 30 years ago? And the Short Track speed skating. WOW! Wouldn’t it be a thrill to go down the Ski Jump or the Bobsled track? I would like to celebrate all of these talented athletes…not just the Gold Medal winners. So today I am posting the directions for a traditional block, the Silver and Gold quilt block. By simply recoloring it to become the Gold, Silver and Bronze! Star Block we can celebrate all of the olympic winners.
Gold, Silver and Bronze! Star Block
Click here for complete directions or click on Free Block Patterns – 2010 Block of the Week “Freedom Stars”
And I have a version called the Gold, Red and Blue! Star Block for those of us making the Freedom Stars.
Happy Quilting
Betty Dietz
Gold, Red and Blue! Star Block
February 18, 2010 – Quilters Never “Win” – they just quilt for fun!
We have a lot of sports idioms to describe a close race….a matter of inches, winning by a nose, too close to call, photo finish, down to the wire. In sports it always comes down to who crosses the line first, or performs the best on that particular day. And many times the difference between first and second is just a hundredth of a second or a fraction of a point. In this Olympics we have seen a skier win the bronze medal, missing gold by nine hundredths of a second and silver by just two hundredths of a second. But he competed and did his best on that particular day. If the race was held again tomorrow, the outcome may be reversed. Or he may fall and never finish the race. We’ll never know and it does not matter. The point is he put in hours of practice and honed his body to be fit and able to compete with the best athletes in the world. Isn’t that accomplishment enough.
So is quilting a sport? We work hard to cut out our pieces precisely, and to piece or applique them together into beautifully designed quilts. Much care goes into the fabric selection, into stitching precise 1/4″ seams, into carefully pressing the blocks and stitching the whole top together. Then we carefully quilt the top, batting and backing together, choosing a quilt design that complements the pattern. We spend more hours attaching and stitching down a binding and adding a label to identify ourselves as the quilter. If one were to compare it to a sport, quilting would be most like running a marathon, we pace ourselves and put in two or three hours a day to be sure that the quilt is finished by the deadline…be it our daughter’s graduation, or son’s wedding, or our best friends 60th birthday. In the end we are satisfied with our accomplishment.
There are many quilt shows, local and national. Some quilt shows are just exhibitions, some are major competitions. But how does one “win” a quilt show. What is it that makes one quilt better than another? Certainly quilts can be judged on quality of workmanship…but for really experienced quilters, who can say that quilt A is “Better” than quilt B? Should they be judged on fabric selection, or how well the points match, or the quilt design, or the amount of time it took to finish the quilt? All of these criteria are subjective and in a way meaningless. Like comparing a Rembrandt to a Picasso. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Quilts should be made to be loved, to be cuddled under on a cold night, to adorn one’s walls as artwork and to give one pleasure. This year I have entered my first quilt into a judged show…but I don’t care if it “wins”…I made this quilt as a gift to my daughter, for her to enjoy and use as she may. I sent it off to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, hoping others would see it and enjoy it. Quilting is not meant to be a sport, with winners and losers, quilting is a craft, which one learns and practices and passes on to the next generation. Quilts are meant to be shared not judged. Our local quilt guild Quilters Unlimited puts on a non-judged quilt show every year…the only requirement is that the quilter is a member of our guild. This year’s show will be held June 4 – 6, 2010 At the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly Virginia.
Come visit and enjoy!
Betty Dietz
February 16, 2010 – Olympic Mania
It’s true. Olympic Mania has struck! At least in our house, where I get so caught up in watching the Olympics that I find it hard to get much else done. While I have really enjoyed watching the skiing and luge competitions, I am especially attracted to all of the ice skating coverage. When I was in college I took Beginning Ice Skating as an elective. I loved it and advanced to Ice Skating II. And then, while my husband was attending Graduate School, I got really serious about skating and took private lessons. This was quite a silly sport for me to take up, as we lived in Houston, Texas at the time.
Back then, the ice skating association still required school figures, these were precise figure eights drawn by your blade in really hard, fresh ice. You had to transcribe the same circle three times, and your circles were supposed to be within a dimes space of each other. Mine NEVER were. I remember having to get to the rink by 6:00PM to get my figures practiced, and be ready for my lesson. This was after I worked a full 8 hour day and fought some heavy duty rush hour traffic to get to the ice rink. I did manage to learn a few of the basic jumps, but I was never able to succeed in landing an Axel. In the end, I feel like I did OK for a 21 year old beginner!
The best thing about my own experience, is that learning to skate, is much like riding a bike. You really do not forget. While the body is older and out of shape, and I probably can not complete a toe loop or lutz, I can still manage to do some decent cross-overs and maybe a waltz jump or spin.
My three years of skating lessons, has left me with a great appreciation for what the olympic skaters manage to do on the ice. I really enjoyed watching the pairs competition last night. I know how hard it is to skate alone, yet these couples make it look so easy , even while they are skating in unison with another person. Those one handed lifts truly scare me…I know you would never get me to even think about trying one. They must be very athletic to hold those positions, while moving on the ice. And of course, even though I love it when the USA wins, I always find myself rooting for whatever athletes perform the best, no matter what country they hail from. I like to cheer them all on!!
So tonight I think we get to see the men’s short program…and later in the week the ladies. You know where to find me!
Happy Quilting!
Betty DIetz
February 15, 2010 – Freedom Star Block #7 – Martha Washington’s Star
Filed under: Block of the Week, Free Patterns, quilting
Martha Washington's Star
Sorry I am late with today’s posting….I was at Pieceful Cottage this morning, tearing off the last of the kitchen wallpaper, while waiting for the window repairman. We are in the middle of a kitchen re-do, with newly painted cabinets and walls, and a new kitchen counter top coming on March 1.
In Honor of President’s Day, I am offering this week’s block…..
Martha Washington’s Star Block – Click here for complete directions or click on Free Block Patterns – 2010 Block of the Week “Freedom Stars”
This block was published in Farmer’s Wife in 1926.
Because we all know that behind every great man was a great woman!
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I wondered if Martha Washington was a seamstress and I found this great article:
Martha Washington’s Needlework by Patricia L. Cummings/photos by James Cummings
Happy Quilting
Betty Dietz
February 11, 2010 – Spring Retreats
Have you had enough of the snow? Sign up today for a Spring Retreat…….
Bits ‘n’ Strips- Weekend Workshop
March 11-14, 2010
In the Vineyard
Want to use up your stash? This workshop shows you how easy it is to cut your leftover fabrics into 5″ bits and 2 1/2″ strips. There are many easy (beginner level) quilts that you can make from this combination of fabric scraps. You can choose to make the “In the Vineyard” quilt, shown, or any of the other quilts from my Bits ‘n’ Strips pattern series. The possibilities are endless!
Cost $275.00/quilter for 3 nights lodging, all meals, pattern and lessons. Fabric and supplies are extra. $25.00 discount for each quilter if you sign up with a friend.
Click Here to see more retreat listings…..
February 10, 2010 – SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!
They are calling this The Blizzard of 2010:Round 2. Here in the Washington DC area, we are experiencing record snowfalls. And the wind today is creating white out conditions. We are all encouraged to stay home!
What wonderful words for a quilter…I plan to get a lot of quilting done today. The next quilt lined up to go on my frame is made up of snowball and nine patch blocks in blues and whites. It is a scrappy quilt that will be used to keep us warm as we curl up on our couch in front of our fireplace. In the white areas of the snowball blocks I am going to quilt snowball designs. Today I am going to mark each section with get a different design. I remember being told as a kid that every snowflake is different from another, so each of the snowflakes on my quilt will be uniquely different.
A great book for inspiration is titled “The Snowflake – Winter’s Secret Beauty” written by Kenneth Libbrecht and photos by Patricia Rasmussen. There are some fabulous photos of snowflakes, showing their beauty and symmetry. It amazes me that the photographer was able to get so many photos of the snowflakes without them melting!
So stay warm and enjoy the snow!
Happy Quilting,
Betty Dietz
February 8, 2010 – Freedom Star Block #6 – Diamond Star
Filed under: Block of the Week, Free Patterns, Uncategorized
Freedom Star Block #6
February 8, 2010
Diamond Star Block
The snow has stopped, our power is back, the Super Bowl is over, with New Orleans as the victor. You can bet that The Mardi Gras party started 9 days early!
As for myself, after spending a weekend of snow shoveling, warming up by the fireplace, and making meals out on the grill, I felt entitled to a little pampering. So I designed this beautiful diamond star as a treat to myself. It arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day – so pamper yourself, too. Give yourself a diamond!
For complete directions and paper-piecing patterns, Click here or Free Block Patterns – 2010 Block of the Week “Freedom Stars”.
February 5, 2010 – Go Red For Women – National Wear Red Day
The National Heart Association is asking everyone to wear RED today, to spread the word about the dangers of heart disease in women.
Click Here to sign in at the website GO RED FOR WOMEN for a free red dress pin and more information on how heart disease effects women. Did you know that over 450,000 women die of heart disease each year? It is the number one killer of women!
The website has information on your risk factors and how to improve your lifestyle to reduce your risks. You will need to sign in to the site to get access to their recipes.
I know that I have to work especially hard to stay heart healthy. My family history is so against me, my father had his first heart attack in his fifties, and all the members of my mother’s family died of heart disease or stroke. My mother’s brother died of a heart attack at 44 years old, and we had a cousin die when he was just 34. So I have been aware of the danger for a long time.
Remember that it is the small choices that we make each day that can improve our heart health. One trick I use is to park farther out in the parking lot, so I squeeze in a small walk before and after I do my shopping. Also, my washing machine is on the second floor, and my sewing studio is in the basement, so I run up and down two flights of stairs every time I put another load of wash in or switch it over to the dryer. Last Christmas we bought a Wii game system and I try to work out using the Wii Fit at least three times a week. This system tracks the amount of time I put into my workout and also my weight. It allows me to set and track simple goals. I eat fruit and granola for breakfast, instead of chocolate chip muffins. I use olive oil instead of butter, when I cook. I drink lemonade instead of sodas. And I serve and eat good, fresh vegetables with every evening meal.
There is still more I can and should be doing, and I strive to get more exercise and healthier meals into my daily life. Once you become aware of the danger, it becomes easier to make healthier choices.
So, Go Red For Women and “celebrate the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke”.
Betty Dietz
February 3, 2010 – On a Whim and a Prayer
For one month the application sat on my desk. The Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show was accepting quilts into it’s juried show and the applications had to be in by Jan 20,2010. I had wanted to submit a quilt that I am currently quilting, I call it “the Virginia Quilt” . I designed the blocks as a Block-of-the-Month Challenge for my guild a couple of years ago. The top has been done for some time, but it needs to be quilted. It’s a lovely wall hanging with Virgnia and Washington DC blocks as the theme. It has a center medallion with an appliqued outline of the State of Virginia done as a backdrop to a cardinal and some 3-D dogwood blossoms, the State Bird and Flower. This center medallion is surrounded by 9 blocks whose names relate to Virginia or DC. The quilt does not lend itself well to be quilted on my mid-arm Grace frame. So I have it pin-basted and I am quilting each block individually under the needle of my Bernina 730 using the BSR function. Long about January 15th, I realized that there was no way this quilt would be finished in time to be photographed and submitted into the Mid-Atlantic Quilt show.
Just Monkeying Around
Every day when I sat at my desk composing my blog, I saw that application, still sitting in my to-do pile, urging me to fill it out and at least attempt to get a quilt into the Mid-Atlantic Show. For a few more days I thought about that application. After lunch on Jan. 20th I was on my computer and going through photos I had taken of my finished quilts. I did have a really nice photo of the quilt that I had made for my daughter when she went away to college. The quilt is titled “Just Monkeying Around” . It is made up from 2 1/2″ strips of Funky Monkey fabrics and pieced in a rainbow log-cabin design. It is the first quilt that I quilted on my mid-arm Grace frame. Not my best work, but “why not?”, I thought.
So I filled out the show application, burned the photos onto a disc, wrote up a short description of the quilt and why I made it, then put all of this into an envelope. It had to be postmarked by the 20th. By now it was 4:50pm, my local Post Office closed at 5:00pm. I quick , got in the car and took off. Too late! The PO was closed by the time I got there. And then, on a total whim, I decided that after doing this much work, I should finish the job. So I drove to the regional post office (a 20 mile drive) and posted the envelope. I really had no hope of this quilt being accepted into the show, but I was fulfilling one of my New Year’s Resolutions to “Finish What I Start”.
The rest of the month of January flew by, I was still working on the Virginia Quilt, and I made decisions on how I wanted to quilt the Sudoku Quilt. I designed new blocks for the Block of the Week and kept up with my daily blog. And then I got involved in picking out a new countertop and paint for our kitchen at the retreat house in Deal Island. I spent the last week of January at Pieceful Cottage, painting many cabinets, and cut off from the world of mail, both snail mail and email. When I arrived home on February 2nd, I had a week’s worth of mail to go through. In the pile, among all of the bills, junk mail and catalogs, was my own self-addressed envelope, back from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. The envelope was thin and I quickly deduced that it was the rejection letter I expected.
But to my surprise when I opened the envelope, I read a nice cover letter, telling me that “Just Monkeying Around” had been accepted into the juried show of the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. I was, and still am, stunned.
It just goes to show what can happen on a Whim and a Prayer!
Betty Dietz