Real Men Knit (and felt)!

I spent this past weekend at the 7th Annual Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival in Mars, Pa and had the opportunity to meet Randy Grossman, a former Pittsburgh Steeler, and teach him how to use a Babylock Embellisher to make a felted pin designed by Margo Duke.

Unfortunately, the only camera I had available was on my phone and I had to get back to work so this is the only photo I got at the event and wouldn't you know it...my eyes are closed! But in this photo you can see the pin Randy made on his left chest as well as ONE of his Super Bowl rings.

We taught more than 300 people to make this pin over the weekend and got to meet many wonderful people as well as show them just a few of the wonderful things you can do with the Babylock Embellisher. I can't wait to get mine!

By the way, I would LOVE to hear about projects you've done on your Babylock Embellisher!

2011 Quilting and Needlework Seminars at Trax Market

I am pleased to announce that I have been asked to participate in Quilter's Corner's seminar day at Trax Farm! Every year the ladies from my favorite local quilt shop plan a wonderful day of demos and lectures. I have never been able to attend before because I always had to work but this year I have been able to make plans to be there as a lecturer.

I will be showing my favorite techniques and tricks for paper piecing and I am so excited to share what I know! The details for this special event are as follows:

2011 Quilting and Needlework Seminars at Trax Market


Saturday ~ March 12th


10:30am – 4:15pm


For the past several years we have spent an entire winter day in the cozy atmosphere of Trax Market. The change in scenery allows us to share over 25 different topics, both lecture and hands-on presentations, in a “round robin” format, special quilt displays, charitable opportunities, yummy box lunches, goodie bags and door prizes.


The event continues to be met with overwhelming praise – we would love to have you join us this year. Seminar teachers are already getting their plans in order, (including information about the new Bread and Butter Society, our Quilts of Valor initiative, new block of the month offerings…), so that we may share a complete schedule for the event mid February.

Please register as soon as possible as spaces fill very quickly! Fee: $39.50

I stopped at the shop yesterday and was told there were a few spots still available so if you live in Pittsburgh or coming for a visit and want to take part in this wonderful opportunity call asap and reserve your spot--724-348-8010

Computer Headaches and Wonderful Friends

Can anything else bring on a headache like switching to a new computer can?!? My answer to that question would be, "NO!".
I haven't blogged much lately as I have been trying to get all of my old files over to my new computer without losing anything and that includes my mind. I shouldn't be complaining and I'm really not. More like venting, I guess. But its hard to be creative when your tools don't work properly. My old computer was 8 years old and was hanging on by a thread. It would shut itself off often right in the middle of a project and I would lose what I was working on.

A new computer has been on my list of things I need but just hasn't been in the budget but I happen to be able to count among my friends one of the most generous people on earth. I won't mention their name but this person needs their money as badly as the rest of us but chose to surprise me with a new laptop a couple of weeks ago!

Anyway, since my last post lots of things have happened. I found out I was nominated for Teacher of The Year by one of my students and am waiting to see who The Professional Quilter decides deserves that honor. I also entered my first major quilt show and am anxious to see if my quilt makes it in.Quiltmaker has chosen another of my designs to publish later this year,(more on that later). And I have several classes and lectures scheduled so far for this year.

I also saw my friend Nicole a couple of weeks ago and showed her the angel block I designed in honor of her daughter who was killed by a drunk driver in early December as a fundraiser for her family. Nikki is an inspiration to me. I went to see her to comfort her and instead left comforted BY her. To date, the quilt shop that is making kits to make the block have "sold" about 150 kits and are still cutting more.

I have at least a dozen new designs nearly ready to be published so, with any luck and my new computer, they should be available soon. Its going to be a good year!

Angel Kits are Ready!

PRESS RELEASE

LOCAL QUILT ARTIST DESIGNS COMMEMORATIVE BLOCK TO BENEFIT
THE CLELAND FAMILY FUND

PITTSBURGH, PA, JANUARY 12, 2011: Last month, many were devastated by the fatal car accident which took the life of 7-year-old Lexa Cleland and left her mother, Nicole, facing numerous surgeries and months of recovery. Local quilt designer and friend of the Cleland family, Sue Cook, realized she has a unique way to help the family and inspire others to do the same.

Sue is known for the extraordinary pieced pictorial work she offers through her company, Larkspur Lane Designs, and for patterns featured in numerous quilting magazines. To help her friend and to honor the memory of Lexa, Ms. Cook has designed a pattern for a beautiful foundation-pieced block appropriately titled Lexa’s Angel. This piece displays an ethereal angel, which can be finished as a small wall quilt or pillow. Several angels could become the centerpiece of an exceptional quilt. A kit for the block, including the foundation paper and fabric similar to Sue’s original is available from Quilter’s Corner in Finleyville for a suggestion donation of $6.00. One hundred percent of the proceeds from each Angel kit sold will go directly to the Cleland Family Benefit Fund to aide the family during this difficult time. Each completed block will help preserve the memory of a special child.

Contact Quilter's Corner at 724-348-8010 to get your kit.

Update on Lexa's mom

To those of you who read my blog with any regularity you know about my friend Nicole's accident in December in which she lost her 7 year old daughter, Lexa. I received a short message from Nikki via Facebook last night in which she told me she likes my angel block, Lexa's Angel. I was able to go to her FB page and check on her progress so I thought I would update those who have asked about her condition.

Nikki had her 4th surgery earlier this week and will be moved to a nursing home soon to complete her recovery. She will probably be there for 3 to 6 months and her doctors are confident she will walk again someday.

For anyone that wants to help Nikki and her family financially there is a fund set up at the First National Bank, called The Cleland Family Fund. If you'd like to send a check their address is 2550 Brownsville Rd, South Park, PA 15129.

My favorite local quilt shop, Quilters' Corner in Finleyville PA, is also helping me with a project to benefit Nikki and her family. They are designing a small project based on my angel block and selling kits. The kits are inexpensive and all of the money raised by them will go to the fund. I will post the information here when all of the details are finalized.

Why I Design

LEXA'S ANGEL

When Wayne Kollinger asked me to blog about why I design and to help inspire others to try their hand at designing, I was flattered...then I thought "Wouldn't that be like shooting myself in the foot?" But after a little more thought, I realized that even though I am a designer myself, I still like other peoples' designs and although I don't do it often, I still purchase patterns by other designers and I'm hoping others will do the same. So, here goes nothing!

Why I Design
The first reason I design is because I LOVE IT!
I love creating something from a thought, something that hasn't been done before or, even if it has been done before, doing it better. I have designed since I was a small child. I started out making dolls out of the wooden spoons that came with little cups of ice cream. My friends and I would draw faces on them and then make paper clothes. I sure wish I had saved some because I would love to look at them now.

I was fortunate to be chosen to take art lessons at our branch of the Carnegie Museum and did that every Saturday for about 3 or 4 years during grade school. When I went on to high school, I took only the required courses and then filled the rest of my day with art and craft classes. If I couldn't do something creative with my life I don't think it would be worth living!

Out of high school I went on to art school and earned a two year degree in graphic arts. My first job after finishing school was with a fine jeweler. After learning how to carve the waxes used in lost wax casting and to melt and pour the gold I was given the opportunity to do a little designing of my own. I worked in that industry for about 15 years before being bitten by the quilting bug.

COUNTRY CLAUS

The second reason I design is because I CAN!
Designing is the one thing for which I feel I have a talent. And I think we should all be using our talents to make other people happy and to make the world a better place.

For example, my design called LEXA'S ANGEL is my way of helping a friend deal with a recent tragedy in her life. My friend lost her 7 year old daughter Lexa in a car accident with a drunk driver December 6th, 2010. I made a small donation to a fund set up for her family and will continue to donate to that fund as I am able but my design abilities make it possible for me to help her in a bigger way and also to give others the opportunity to help her as well and get something in return.

The third reason I design is because I LIKE A CHALLENGE!
I will redraw a design as many times as necessary to make it as perfect as possible. My final version of LEXA'S ANGEL was the 11th version of that design. The original drawing was done about 4 years ago but I never did anything with it because there were other designs and deadlines that took priority. Now I'm glad I didn't use that design before because I think there was a bigger purpose for it.

The fourth reason I design is I LIKE THE ATTENTION IT GETS ME! 
The feeling I get when someone tells me how much they like my designs or how much they enjoyed making one of my designs is amazing. Every once in awhile I'll get a card in the mail or an email in which someone tells me the story behind a quilt they made from one of my patterns, such as who it was made for and why and that can totally make my day!

Warning

This has absolutely nothing to do with quilting but this is the only blog I write and I think it is important information so I will post it here. My friend's step-father just died last week and he had one of those policies that would/should pay for his funeral. Most people think you can sign the policy over to the funeral home and all the expenses will be covered. Maybe some work that way but this one didn't. They had to sign the policy over to an agency that will pay the claim in a couple of weeks but they had to pay the funeral home up front. They didn't have the money to pay so they were forced to borrow it from the agency at 40% interest!

This doesn't seem legal, moral or fair to me in any sense but when it comes to a dealing with the death of someone whose final arrangements must be taken care of in a timely manner you don't have many options. Funeral homes know this and I feel they take advantage of  the family of the deceased. This is just my opinion but it makes me wonder how some people can sleep at night.

Read the fine print is all I can say.

My Newest Angel

This is the latest version of my Angel pattern that I have sewn out. I have gotten such a wonderful response to the earlier version that I decided to work on the original design and have made some changes. Anyone that got the earlier version and would like to have the newest version can send me an email and I will send it out.

Anyone else that would like to make a donation to The Cleland Family Fund and receive my Angel pattern as a "Thank You" from me would be much appreciated.

Nicole Cleland is a friend of mine who was involved in a car accident earlier this month with a drunk driver. Her 7 year old daughter Lexa was killed in the accident and Nicole has more surgeries ahead of her and about 5 months of recovery. There is no telling when or if she will be able to return to work.

The Cleland Family Fund is set up at The First National Bank:
2550 Brownsville Rd.
South Park PA 15129
412-831-4800

Send me an email after you make your donation and I will email you the pattern for Lexa's Angel. larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com

Thank you!
Sue

Kate's Angel

This is my new friend Kate's version of my design, Lexa's Angel. My post about my friend Nicole's situation struck a chord for Kate as she has had her own family tragedy to deal with and she generously made a donation to help a total stranger. My friend Nicole was involved in a car accident a couple of weeks ago in which she lost her 7 year old daughter, Lexa.

I don't have any new information about Nicole's condition right now but I know she made it through her most recent surgery. I'm not sure how many more she will have to endure but she is holding her own at this time.

Nicole's car was struck head on by a drunk driver when she and her 2 daughters were on their way to pick her husband up from work. Her 11 month old daughter is being cared for by family members until Nicole is well enough to do it herself. There has been no indication as to when that might be, unfortunately.

If anyone would like to help Nicole and her family, there is a fund, THE CLELAND FAMILY FUND, set up for them at The First National Bank, 2550 Brownsville Rd, South Park, PA 15129, 412-831-4800.

Chautauqua Institution Summer Program 2011

I got an email confirming my proposal to teach at Chautauqua Institution has been accepted! This will be my second year on the special programs faculty and I am really excited to be participating. This year I will be teaching 2 weeks instead of 1. My class will run the first week and again the sixth week and will be open to daily students as well as those that want to take all the sessions. I don't have all the details yet but will post them as soon as I can.

Last year my class was three sessions, 2 hours each and I taught my own design called Lakeview. It was a paper pieced design in which I had the opportunity to show how to get a directional piece of fabric into a quilt. I haven't decided what the project or projects will be this time around but I want to show the technique for directional piecing again as well as a paper pieced "Y" seam.

If you've never been to Chautauqua Institution you owe it to yourself to check it out. It is one of my most favorite places in the world! Their website is http://www.ciweb.org/

Snide or Truthful?

There has been a discussion lately on a Yahoo Group for quilt designers about quilt magazines and whether they are worth buying anymore. Someone had criticized the magazines for lacking design inspiration. Another designer commented that if we, as designers, are looking to the magazines for inspiration we aren't working very hard at coming up with original and innovative ideas. Another designer took great offense to this statement and after I added my two cents (which maybe I should have kept it my pocket) personally emailed me and told me my reply was "snide" and she was leaving the group because she had had enough of snide comments. I simply stated that there are designers out there who change the color of a design and call it their own and there are designers out there who know a great design/idea when they steal it. But I think the kicker was when I said, "If the shoe fits, put it on." She took that as a personal attack, I think. I certainly didn't mean it that way and after we emailed back and forth several times, with me trying to apologize for offending her, I gave up. After all, the only people who would be offended by what I said are people with a guilty conscience or a lack of confidence in their design abilities.

I sent an apology to the group just in case others thought my reply was "snide" but I have gotten nothing but positive replies. I didn't apologize for what I said but more like how I said it.

Anyway, I'd love to hear what others outside of the design industry think about the quilting magazines. I think one magazine, in particular, has stepped up its game. The latest issue of Quiltmaker has some amazing quilts in it and their special issue, 100 Blocks From Today's Top Designers, is genius. I may be biased since I had a block in the first issue and might have one in the third, but either way, I think the concept is really great.

Do you still subscribe to magazines? Have you dropped some and picked up others? Are you more likely to buy a book or a pattern over a magazine? Do you scour the internet for free patterns? I would love to hear your thoughts.

A Christmas Angel is born

In a season that should be filled with joy a tragedy is especially hard to understand. This past Saturday night, my friend Nicole and her 2 daughters were on their way to pick up their father from work when a 23 year old man who had just left a bar on the South Side of Pittsburgh crossed the yellow line and struck Nicole's car head on. Her 7 year old daughter, Lexa, was pronounced dead at the hospital later that night. Nicole's other daughter was treated and released to her family as Nicole is in critical condition and has several surgeries and about 5 months of recovery in front of her.

This young man was able to get out of his car and run away. He was found hiding behind a building not far from the scene of the accident. There are so many labels I want to give this "man", but it would be useless and a waste of energy since his own guilt and whatever punishment he is given by the courts will have to suffice until he is judged by God.

I have decided to try and help Nicole and her family instead of focusing on his lost soul. There is a fund set up for Nicole and her family that is accepting monetary donations and I am offering to send anyone who donates to that fund an emailed copy of my design, LEXA'S ANGEL, pictured above.

Donations can be sent to:
The Cleland Family Fund
c/o The First National Bank
2550 Brownsville Rd.
South Park PA 15129
412-831-4800

I know quilters are very generous people by nature so I hope if you are able to send anything, you will. I will be honest and tell you I have no way of knowing if someone actually sends a donation but I trust that people are generally good.

After you make your donation, send me an email at larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com and I will email you the pattern.

Thank you and God bless you,
Sue

Paper Piecing using the card method

Madame asked me to post a picture using the card method for paper piecing so that's what I am doing! This picture shows the card (blue) which I placed on top of the foundation covering the number 1 segment and folding back the paper on the line between the number 1 segment and number 2 segment. I then line the 1/4" mark on my rotary ruler with the fold of the paper and trim the exposed fabric.

The next picture shows the same thing but using the Add-A-Quarter Ruler instead of a rotary ruler.

I hope this helps Madame.

Quilting Gallery Contest-VOTE NOW!!!

Voting is open for the Quilting Gallery's weekly contest. This week's theme is stars and there are some amazing quilts being shown. Its worth checking out just to see these beautiful quilts. http://www.quiltinggallery.com/

This is a picture of my own entry called Chocolate Raspberry Torte, and although I am very proud of it, I can't honestly say its the best one there, so go take a look and see what you think!

Are you afraid of paper piecing? Here are some of my tips.

So I admitted yesterday I don't know my way around a ruler very well (although I do have students who would disagree with that statement because I can fake it when I have to) how many of you are willing to admit you are afraid to try paper piecing?

When I teach paper piecing I call it quilting by numbers. The number sequence is so important to successful paper piecing. When I design a paper pieced pattern, I try to make the number 1 piece the biggest piece in the unit. It doesn't always work out that way though and I think that confuses people sometimes. They naturally want to start with the biggest piece and add the smaller pieces afterward. There are times when you can ignore the numbers a little bit but those times are not the norm. So my first piece of advice is to make sure you start at number 1.

The first piece of fabric always goes right side up on the blank side of the paper and should be cut larger than the space it needs to fill. It can be pinned or glued in place. I prefer flat head pins because it bothers me when I can't get all the paper out when the block is finished. I like the flat head pins best because I can lay a ruler on top of them and the ruler doesn't "seesaw".

The ruler I like to work with for most of the project is the Add-A-Quarter Ruler. When I first saw it, my thought was, "I don't need ANOTHER ruler!". But when I tried it, I knew I had to have it. It has a lip that measures a 1/4" so I don't have to worry about putting the 1/4" mark of my rotary ruler is the right place each time I have to trim.

After I have my first piece of fabric secured to the foundation, I turn the foundation printed side up so I can place a card on top of the number 1 segment lining up the edge of the card with the line between the number 1 and 2 segments. I fold just the paper back over the card right on that line. Next, I place my Add-A-Quarter Ruler on top of the foundation making sure the lip of the ruler catches on the fold of the paper. Now I can trim the first piece so it has a 1/4" seam allowance. The next piece of fabric is placed right sides together on top of the number 1 piece lining up the edge of the number 2 piece with the trimmed edge of number 1. I can pin this piece in place if I feel the need, but if I use a pin I make sure it isn't close to my sewing line. All of the lines drawn on the foundation are sewing lines so I make sure my pin doesn't touch the one I am getting ready to sew on. I lower my stitch length so I am getting about 15-20 stitches per inch. On my Bernina I set it at 1.5. On Babylock machines, where you have to choose between 1.4 and 1.6, I would choose 1.4.

The shorter stitch length serves a couple of purposes. The paper takes up some space so when it is removed you don't want your stitches to be loose. The shorter stitch length makes them a little tighter. Also, with more stitches per inch, the paper is more perforated and will be easier to remove later.

Now its time to sew! Turn the foundation over, printed side up, and sew on the line between the number 1 and 2 segments. Start stitching at least a 1/4" before the line starts and end at least a 1/4" after the line ends. It is impossible  to sew too far in paper piecing because any extra stitches and fabric will be trimmed off before adding your next piece. This second piece of fabric needs to be pressed open and trimmed before adding the number 3 piece. If the sewing line for number 3 piece intersects the first sewing line, when you fold the paper back on the line the first 2 pieces of fabric will fold back with the paper. Simply grab the fabric and gently pull it away from the paper so the fabric will lie flat on the cutting mat and the foundation folds back neatly on the line. Use your Add-A-Quarter Ruler or rotary ruler to trim the exposed fabric to 1/4" and continue adding your pieces in numerical order.

Paper piecing is really a simple process and can give great results without making you want to tear your hair out. I have been able to use directional fabrics and make sure the design ends up where I want it. I can also get every piece of fabric into the project on grain if I think it is important to the success of the finished piece. I know of one quilter who won't take a paper pieced top because the grain line is all over the place most of the time. That isn't the case with mine. I can also paper piece a "Y" seam very easily. I will talk more about these techniques later so check back!

I LOVE PAPER PIECING!

Ok, I admit it, I am math-challenged. I hate having to figure out measurements and worry about an accurate seam allowance. I'm a "ruler tapper". I don't trust the numbers I see so I have to count the squares with my finger to be sure. After 10 years of quilting, I can sew an accurate, or at least consistent seam allowance, but with paper piecing I don't have to worry about it.

The last class I took was about 9 years ago and was a paper piecing class. From the moment I learned the technique, I KNEW this was how I wanted to make every quilt for the rest of my life. Even if I want to make someone else's design, the first thing I think about is whether I can paper piece it or not. Then, if I decide I can, I redraw the design in my computer, print out the foundations and off I go. Most of the time, the design is actually simpler and can be done with less pieces by paper piecing than by rotary cutting the shapes. For example, I saw a pattern that was done with half square triangles that looked like diamond shapes when they were pieced. The design resembled the flights on an arrow, but by doing it with half square triangles, there were twice as many seams. That means more fabric, more matching and more chances for bad intersections when matching.

There are some patterns that really can't be sewn using any other technique unless you enjoy driving yourself crazy. Consider the Mariner's Compass. Can you imagine cutting all those points out with a rotary cutter and templates and thinking you will ever get it together right? I can't. Or the New York Beauty block? I love both of those designs but would never attempt either if it weren't possible to paper piece them.

What about miniatures? The quilt I posted a picture of in my last post had pieces that are less than 3/8" square. There might be someone out there who would be able to put that together with templates, but I can assure you, it wouldn't be me.

I think you owe it to yourself to at least try this technique. Its not for everyone, I suppose, but if you have a good teacher and the desire to learn something new, it might end up being your favorite technique, too.

Quilting Gallery Contest

I have entered my miniature quilt called Chocolate Raspberry Torte in the Quilting Gallery's weekly contest. This week's theme is stars. If you like it I hope you'll vote for at:  http://www.quiltinggallery.com/ Voting starts on Friday and runs through Sunday. Thanks!

New Pattern available soon

While I was teaching at Millcreek Sewing and Fabric in Erie, PA recently, I got the chance to shop a little and found some great plaids which inspired me to create another version of my star-shaped Santa quilt. Instead of his old-fashioned hood and red suit I gave him suspenders, blue jeans, a flannel shirt and work boots. I still need to find some small buttons for his shirt but he is nearly finished, so I wanted to show him off. The quilt is only 4 blocks so it goes together quickly. You could also use the blocks on their own and create 14" pillows. I don't have a printed pattern ready yet with the beads, buttons and bells, but if you want to find your own embellishments, I can email the foundations, instructions and assembly diagrams for only $10. You can use Paypal and send me an email at larkspurlanedesigns@yahoo.com if you are interested in this design. Thanks!

Thank You

Wow! Thank you to everyone who commented on my blog or sent a personal email to me! I was blowing off steam yesterday and I am so relieved that I am not the only one bothered by the lack of manners in the world today. I guess I will continue to try and "educate" people as nicely as possible about their lack of manners even at the risk of being punched in the nose. (I worry about that too, Staci!) And I will continue to teach my children by words and by my own example how others should be treated.


Do any of you remember that old commercial (for shampoo, I think): you'll tell 2 people and they'll tell 2 people and so on and so on.... Maybe we can start a revolution!


Today is my only real day off this week so I am working on a new quilt design that I need to get back to, so hopefully my next post will be "quilty" and not whiny (whiney?).

This drives me CRAZY!

Can someone please tell me what is SO difficult about saying thank you? I am so tired of being treated like a doorman when I hold a door for someone and they can't even be bothered to say thank you! Even if its your job to hold the door you should still be thanked. What has happened to manners? Aren't children being taught them anymore? I know its going to get me in trouble some day, but I am one of those people who say "You're welcome" when I haven't been thanked after I've done something for someone. I keep hoping it will embarrass that person that a complete stranger just did them a favor and the next time someone holds a door or picks something up off the floor for them they will remember their manners.

I have had to stop and wait for my children because they have stayed at the door of a store or restaurant to hold it open for other people and I am very proud of them, but it bothers me that I haven't seen too many others take the time to do it, adults or children.

Is it because most young adults were brought up in daycare because their mothers had to or chose to work? I'm sure daycare workers do the best they can but don't have the time to teach something that isn't being reinforced at home. If that's the case, then these young adults won't bother to teach manners to their own children because they weren't taught them themselves. So it will only get worse from here, I think.

I know we all get distracted at times, but even at my most distracted, I don't think I have ever failed to thank someone for a kindness. Am I the only one bothered by this?

I know I must sound like a miserable, old lady but I needed to get that off my chest!