Sewing Party in Beaver Dam,Sew Expressive—In a Quiet Sort of

A Summer Solstice Quilt
Why didn’t I think of that! It’s an overused phrase that immediately came to mind when I saw Dodi Poulsen’s
new book, A Perfect Cut, that features the Trace ’n Create Quilt Templates. Sure, I designed the templates
for Clover. But did I think of all the options and quilting pattern ideas that these templates could create? Certainly
not!
The design that I thought so appropriate for this first day of summer week is the Summer Solstice Wall Quilt. It
uses several wedge sizes of the Trace ’n Create Quilt Template—Dresden Collection. It’s an extremely clever
use of the template.
The traditional Dresden wedge is 4″–8″ in length. I designed a template that creates traditional to super-sized
Dresden Blocks, the Trace ’n Create Quilt Template—Dresden Collection. There are a total of six block sizes
12″ –40″. That’s one large block!
Dodi combined wedge sizes within one block. That’s the very clever part of the design.
Trace, then cut 10 of the third largest size wedges.
And, trace and cut 10 wedges of the 4th largest size.
Fold the edges in half, right sides together.
Chain stitch along the top.
Turn right side out and press. In the template instructions, you’ll find a hint on how to perfectly press the wedges.
Lay out the wedges, alternating the sizes. This is the very clever part!
Match the lower edges and stitch the side seams.
Press under the side seam of the larger wedge.
One-forth of the Dresden Appliqué is finished!
The other details are found in A Perfect Cut! Thanks Dodi for your creative thinking!
Many More Quilt Designs
There are many other quilt block designs, using the Trace ’n Create Quilt Templates found in A Perfect Cut.
Here’s a showcase of some of the designs.
A Sweet Tweet, again features the Trace ’n Create Quilt Templates—Dresden Collection. The circle template
from that collection adds the “tweet” to the design.
It’s easy to see how the wedge of the Dresden template is used in “Santa’s Jingle Belly.:
The tumbler templates from the Trace ’n Create Quilt Templates—Grandmother’s One Patch Collection
were used with large-scale prints. The “Forever Happy” quilt design makes me smile.
There are more designs in Dodi’s book. You’ll have to get the book to see them all!
Write a comment below for a chance to win an autographed copy of A Perfect Cut donated by Dodi Poulsen.
Thanks Dodi!
For more inspiration using the Dresden template, review my previous blogs titled: Delightful Dresden Applique
and Whimsical Dresden Quilt Design.
Thanks for your comments regarding my post titled, Indygo Junction Pattern Parade Blog Tour. The random
winner of a copy of the Banded Beret pattern plus fabric from the Ty Pennington Impressions collection and
denim yardage is Marsha McCaulla: I’ve only made one hat in the past with disappointing results. Seeing this one
makes me want to try again! I”m especially liking those fuse & gather flowers! Fun
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Create Mini-Art Landscapes: Cut—Glue—Stitch
The first time I took a Landscape Quilting class, I was smitten with the process. Yet, there was one obstacle—the
paper glue stick. I sat in the back of the classroom with Landscape Quilting master Natalie Sewell at the helm,
telling each of us to glue the fussy-cut pieces to our background fabric. “No way,” thought my prideful mind, “I
am Sewing With Nancy and no paper glue stick is going to touch my fabric.”
Fast-forward 16 years. Natalie is a treasured friend, she has appeared on 20 Sewing With Nancy episodes, and I,
yes I, endorse using a paper glue stick as part of the design process. In fact, you might call me a glue-stick convert.
My first design was held together with 200 pins—paper glue sticks are the answer.
This blog is not about glue sticks, but as the title implies, about “Mini-Art Pieces.” Many of you may be like me 16
years ago, intrigued about trying Landscape quilting, but doubtful of the process. To overcome this stumbling
block, Natalie and I have developed a TV series and workshop where you create mini-landscapes to test out the
process and you have a mini-art piece when you’re finished!
There are 12 lessons that we teach during the 3-part Sewing With Nancy series Landscape Quilting Workshop.
The second program of the series is this week’s featured video at www.nancyzieman.com.
Or,watch this episode on your local PBS station, online, or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Here’s how to
download the app.
Recently, I needed a gift—in a hurry—and made a mini-quilt by following one of the workshop lessons. Here is the
step-by-step process:
Fabrics:
Background: Choose hand dyed, mottled, or batik fabric in shades of green. Subtle light to dark shadings in the
background fabric add an illusion of dappled sunlight and a sense of depth to the design.
Blooms and Buds: Select a fabric with rose motifs.
Leaves: Choose several leaf prints. Using only one leaf motif tends to give only a two-dimensional design.
Note from Natalie and Nancy: Rarely do we exclusively use the leaf motifs included with the bloom design. As
pictured, the leaves in the floral fabric print are too sparse or small to be used exclusively as the foliage in the
design.
Cutting Techniques:
Cut a 6″ x 8″ rectangle from the background fabric.
Fussy-cut the roses. Change the sizes of the blooms by cutting down the image.
Fussy-cut leaves, from two to three fabrics—botanical accuracy is not important. If the leaf scale is too large, cut
the sizes down.
Designing Techniques:
Liberally, glue the backs of blooms and leaves with a paper glue stick. Position pieces on the background fabric.
Tuck some of the blossoms under the leaf foliage and overlap the fussy-cut leaf motifs.
Stitching Techniques:
Follow the general instructions detailed in the workbook on stippling to complete this unit.
Layer the mini-quilt with batting and backing fabric.
Frame your masterpiece!
Frame your mini-quilt with a purchased 5″ x 7″ picture frame.
Note: I’ve made several mini-quilts of this same design. The framed piece is not identical to the step-by-step
photos. Each mini-quilt is unique!
If you’d like more in depth information on Landscape Quilting, check out our book, The Art of Landscape
Quilting. Many have told me it’s a great coffee table book as well as an instructional book. Nice thought!
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Sew a Handbag Trio
I’ve been designing patterns with The McCall Pattern Company since ’89. Initially the sewing patterns were all
fashion with a few accessory ideas thrown in for good measure. A recent accessory pattern—McCall’s
6579—features a trio of bags, including a backpack version made with laminated fabric. Here’s a preview of this
easy-to-sew pattern.
The London Bag
Okay, you’re not going to see that name printed on the pattern, but that’s what we call this bag at my office.
(Names make it so much easier when identifying a project.) I’m especially fond of the zipper closure that’s a cinch
to add—we made it easy!
Perfect-sized Backpack
I purchased the laminated, eyeglass printed fabric about two years ago and knew it was a handbag candidate. I
wish it were still available! Regardless, laminated fabrics are the hot ticket right now. I know you can find a print
that’s just right for you.
Computer Bag
Carry a laptop around? Here’s a bag with an adjustable strap that is just the right size for your laptop. Make it out
of two or three fabric prints. What a wonderful way to showcase a fabric collection.
Sewing Tips to Share
You’ll find all the sewing tips on the pattern guide sheet of McCall’s 6579, yet I thought I’d share some of my
ideas with you.
Sewing Tips for the London Bag
If using a print, make certain that you fussy-cut the bag front and back. Here we centered one of the geometric
rows.
Adding the right stabilizers make the difference between a terrific-looking bag and a lack-luster bag. I used
Peltex as an all-over stabilizer and Shape ’n Create for the bag bottom. There is more info on the inside detail
in my blog, It’s What’s Inside that Counts.
A zipper foot is the key for stitching the straps to the bag and adding the hardware. Also consider “chain
stitching” the hardware to the strips, using a quilting process for bag making.
The Perfect-Sized Backpack Sewing Tips
It’s tricky to pin laminated fabric. To handle the thickness of the fabric and stabilizer, pin with Wonder Clips.
(They live up to their name.)
When stitching on laminated fabric, use a Roller Foot as pictured, or a Teflon Foot.
Computer Bag Sewing Tips
The strap connector is added to the seam. Easy!
When creating both the two- and three-fabric bags, we added Wrap ’n Fuse fusible piping to the outer edges.
Attach a zipper foot or use the Pearls N Piping Foot as detailed here.
When stitching the front to the back, keep the same foot on your machine. The seaming will be effortless.
My new favorite way of attaching a snap to the lining involves stitching a small rectangle (1″ x 2″) of Shape ’n
Create to the wrong side of the lining at the top centers.
Then, the snap is attached to the bag as indicated on the pattern. The small rectangle of Shape ’n Create gives
stability to the snap area.
Use a 3/4″ Bias Tape Maker to create strap accents.
It’s a quick way to add trim to the straps. (All details are on the guide sheet.)
It’s a roomy yet secure bag for your computer!
I know you’ll enjoy the process of creating one of these bags and wearing it!
Thanks for sharing your favorite picnic memory from last week’s blog. The random winner of a copy of McCall’s
6338—The Picnic Collection is Janice. Nancy, this brings back so many fond memories. When summer time
came, my children and I would make a day at the local state park. We packed a picnic of tuna salad/egg salad
or fried chicken, it didn’t really matter, and we spent the entire day there, swimming, playing tabletop tennis, and
generally, just playing. Some of our best memories! The kids still say, “remember when…” Love the picnic designs.
These would make a nice gift for my children and their families…hint…. Janice
The random winner of a copy of Column Quilts is Sandee Ellis. Although I use all scraps for making small projects,
the best use is for my grandchildren to use them for play. They know they are allowed to go into the scrap bin and
pick anything they want. Since they are too little to sew, it is mostly making quilts with Scotch tape.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
A Barn Filled with Quilts
When I first walked inside the gallery of the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts, I stood still in
amazement. What once stored bales of hay, now showcases amazing quilts from antique to contemporary. It’s a
gallery like none other I’ve seen.
The Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts is located in historic Cedarburg, WI. (Add it to your bucket
list.) In 1988, a group of quilters in southeastern Wisconsin founded the Wisconsin Quilt History Project, Inc.,
whose mission is to preserve the history and creativity expressed in quilts through documentation and research.
Since 1988, over 8,000 quilts and their stories have been captured in an award-winning book, Wisconsin Quilts:
History in the Stitches, (second edition, 2009).
In 2001, a farmstead was purchased and a massive fundraising and refurbishing process began. The gallery and
education center opened in August of ’11. Last week was my first, but not my last visit!
“Quilts on Review”: Cheddar Quilts, A Nancy Zieman Retrospective, and Works from The Chicago School of Fusing!
A contrast of old and new—the unique cheddar color incorporated in Carol Butzke’s collection of antique quilts
(left) with two examples from the Chicago School of Fusing.
This is the view when stepping into the gallery. I paused and took in the view.
More of the cheddar quilts…
If you’ve never been in a haymow, the architecture if fascinating.
If you look along the back wall, you’ll see a few of my landscape quilts. Truth be told, my quilts were too small for
the grandness of the gallery.
Can you guess which landscape quilt I named “The First Day of Summer?”
The curator nicely grouped three of my floral quilts together. The “Spiderwort” design fit on the door! (Spiderwort
is an indigenous flower that grows almost like a weed in my garden!)
I’ve designed several barn scenes. How appropriate for this setting!
This is one of my first landscape quilts entitled, “Winter in my Backyard.”
The gift shop was built around the silo. The old feed storage system makes for an interesting quilt display.
Quilt details abound at this gallery.
I was the noon speaker at their first University Days. In over 30-years of giving seminars, this was my favorite
classroom.
During the remainder of the day, mini-classes took place below the gallery in the old milking parlor. The cows
never had such culture! (The old milking parlor was completed gutted out and a new foundation replaced the old
one.)
Watch Landscape Quilting Workshop online!
For the next three weeks, you can watch the 3-part series that Natalie Sewell and I did on Landscape Quilting
Workshop. We take you through the process, creating mini-quilts. Check out the show online! The workbook
that accompanies the series gives all the details.
Watch this episode on your local PBS station, online, or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Have
you downloaded the app?
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
SeaHope Bag—The Perfect Mate
I’ve sewn on many different fabrics, but recycled sails—this was a first! There’s not a sailboat docked in my
driveway or one moored nearby. The recycled sail fabric was sent to me by SeaHope Partners, a not-for-profit
organization that helps mends people’s lives who were affected by the 2010 Gulf oil spill.The featured project of
SeaHope Partners is a Messenger Bag. Mostly, bags are made without embellishments, featuring the sailcloth.
Blemishes and wear enhance the richness of the bags and reflect the rich nautical history they embody. Some of
the bags have some detail—nautical numbers and markings as well as original details of the sails themselves.
I was asked to be part of the Designer Series. The person spearheading this entire project is Margaret Jankowski.
You may have seen her on Sewing With Nancy, when she spoke about The Sewing Machine Project mending
communities, one sewing machine at a time. Margaret wasn’t satisfied helping just one group of people!
This weekend numerous designer bags will be on display at Absolutely Art. You can look at other designer bags
or the plain designer bags online. The bags are roomy and sturdy, the perfect computer travel bag. Margaret is the
Messenger Bag model, showing the inside design features.
To embellish my SeaHope bag, I used left-over pieces from numerous landscape quilts, I create a scene from
Horicon National Wildlife Preserve. It was an enjoyable process. Who said fabric landscapes must become wall
hangings?
Here’s the process I used to embellish the sail fabric
The recycled sail arrived precut. There were also markings to indicate where the straps and label would be sewn. I
had fun as I created the embellishment.
My extra landscape fabric cut-out pieces were gathered. More pieces were fussy and messy cut.
I decided to totally cover the sailcloth. The fabric pieces were positioned with a paper glue stick—my favorite
landscape basting tool.
After positioning the pieces, I stippled. It was easy and the sail fabric was stable so there wasn’t any shifting.
It’s always great to add highlights with permanent marking pens. A “kiss” of sunshine and an accent of orange
gave life to the marsh scene.
I tried to design the scene continuous when the flap was closed or open. This is what the piece looked like when
the designing stage was over.
Several weeks later, Margaret sent me photos of the completed bags. I was delighted with the finished look!
If you’d like a SeaHope Partner Messenger Bag, visit their site. You’ll enjoy the sturdy and roomy tote and know
that the profits will help others!
Please watch the SeaHope Partners segment on Sewing With Nancy when Margaret was my guest during the
Nancy’s Corner segment.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Sew A Picnic
A picnic. The thought of packing up our family’s favorite foods and then enjoying a meal together at a park or a
favorite outside spot is where memories are made. My mom was a great picnic maker. We took very few outings
when I was growing up; it was difficult for a dairy farming family to get away. When we did have an outing, my
mom always packed a picnic lunch. I thought it would be much more fun to eat at a restaurant, but that wasn’t in
the budget.
I mentioned picnics and memories. My very vivid picnic memory is of my mom slicing homemade bread, garden
picked tomatoes, and peppers that she pulled out of a wicker basket. A man walking past our picnic spot, stopped
briefly and said, “You’re a lucky family.” My mom beamed at the man; I changed my mind about picnics.
When my friends at The McCall Pattern Company suggested that I design a Picnic Tote Collection, #6338, it
didn’t take me long to put together the needed pieces—there are five in all.
Gone is the wicker basket—it takes up too much room during the picnic off-season—a fabric tote is the main
element.
Large Picnic Tote
It’s a roomy tote (tall enough for a bag of chips) with a width that can accommodate a host of picnic goodies.
Notice the drawcord top. It took me three prototypes to get the right height for that pattern piece. (You never get
to see my failures, but they’re in storage—generally the things I end up using.)
Then there’s the lunch-sized tote. It’s a great size for a personal noontime picnic. You can slide an ice pack in one
of the inside pockets to keep the contents cool. Both the picnic and noontime totes are made with streamlined
techniques—I think you’ll enjoy the process as much as the finished products.
When that invitation comes for the annual family reunion or neighborhood picnic, the hot dish or casserole carrier
is almost as easy to make as my 10-Minute Spinach Lasagna recipe, below. Again, there’s room for a hot or cold
pack. Plus, notice the Quilted Iron Quick Fabric interior.
The other two picnic components are a hot pad and wine carrier. Not only are these items great to have for your
personal use, they also make terrific gifts.
Please share your favorite picnic recollections. The random winner will receive a copy of McCall’s 6338—The
Picnic Collection.
Here’s my 10-Minute Spinach Lasagna recipe. I’ve carried this yummy treat to many potluck gatherings in a
casserole carrier. It takes 10 minutes to compile and 60–70 minutes to bake. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
10 Whole wheat lasagna noodles (uncooked)
1 Large jar (45 oz.) Ragu or other spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. of frozen spinach (10 oz.) thawed
1 large container (16 oz.) cottage cheese.
16 ounces mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Oregano
Salt and pepper
Directions:
•
Layer five of the uncooked noodles in bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking pan. It may be necessary to break one
noodle in pieces to fit the pan.
•
Pour half the spaghetti sauce over noodles.
•
Mix the well-drained spinach and the cottage cheese. Spread half the mixture over the sauce. Sprinkle with
oregano, salt, and pepper.
•
Spread half the mozzarella cheese on top of the cottage cheese mixture.
•
Repeat layers: noodles, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
•
Final layer: Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
•
Bake at 350 degrees for 60–70 minutes.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Fold, Then Quilt
Fold, then quilt—that may sound rather odd! Quilting generally consists of cutting then specifically piecing fabric to
create a design. Not so with this baby quilt. All of the geometric designs are comprised of folded pieces of fabric,
then sewn to a column of fabric. Talk about easy!
In the book/DVD and Sewing With Nancy TV Series Column Quilts, you’ll learn how to cut 4″ to 5″ widths of fabric
for the columns, plus use up your scraps as the dimensional folded pieces. If you’re like me, you’ll find plenty of
scraps in your stash!
Fold 2″, 3″, or 4″ squares or rectangles of fabric into geometric shapes such as half-square triangles, trapezoids,
right-square triangles, or rectangles.
Place the shapes on the column strips. Then, stitch a seam in the column to enclose the raw edge of the
geometric shape. Add as many shapes per column as you’d like—you’re the quilt designer!
Sashing strips frame each column—choose a dark color for the most dramatic results. Cut strips 1-1/2″ or 2″ wide.
Stitch to each side of the column.
In the book, you’ll find details on how to “quilt-as-you-go,” sewing the batting and backing to each column
section. It’s a speedy quilting option!
The end result has great texture and dimension. It’s a great child’s Tummy Time Quilt.
Watch Sewing With Nancy online to see all the steps of making this column quilt with dimension! Remember, the
most current 52, yes 52 Sewing With Nancy Shows are online at www.nancyzieman.com.
So let’s get going! Sort out fabrics that complement each other, cut into strips, fold into shapes, and do a little
stitching! As you’re surmising, there are no rules—just guidelines with this Column Quilt.
I’d like to send a copy of Column Quilts to one of you. Please let me know what you do with your scraps. Please
post your comment below. Next week, we’ll announce the winner.
Watch Sewing With Nancy online.
Or, watch this episode on your local PBS station or on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Have
you downloaded the app?
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Stitch-in-the-Hoop Gadget Bag
Gadgets—we all love them. But oh, how to keep them organized! Now you can create a gadget bag, plus add
personalization. This quilted, embroidered, and monogrammed bag—ideal to store your camera—is made all in the
hoop. Here’s how!
The Gadget Bag is one of the easy-to-embroider projects in the Designer Handbags Embroidery CD Collection.
Eileen Roche and I developed this CD, which includes embroideries that are both functional and decorative at the
same time! I think of it as “Smart Embroidery.” (Take a look at my previous blog on Top 10 Creative Designer
Bag Tips—#9 Smart Embroidery.)
Watch the video to see how easily you can stitch-in-the-hoop!
httpvh://youtu.be/z1Xp36UYaVc
Stitch-in-the-Hoop Gadget Bag Tutorial:
Place Pellon® Peltex® in a Snap-Hoop and stitch outline shapes directly onto the Peltex. Cut out Peltex shapes.
(This is the “smart” part of the embroidery.)
Hoop inner fabric and stitch inner flap outline for placement.
Position the Peltex flap shape to fabric underside with double-sided basting tape. (Pretty cool!)
Stitch inner flap “quilting” stitches and snap placement. Add one side of the magnetic snap at placement
stitching. (See, another “smart” embroidery—there’s no guesswork on the snap placement!)
Next, hoop the outer flap fabric and fleece. Then embroider “quilting” stitches.
Position rick rack trim with glue stick. Then, stitch in place—it’s all part of the embroidery! Select monogram
embroidery, position, then stitch.
Align inner flap edges to outer flap—right sides together. Tape down inner flap and stitch.
Trim seam allowances and turn right sides out.
This same process is used to create the outer and inner bags. The embroideries are functional and attractive.
It’s all done in the hoop! The instructions and accompanying video will give you all the details.
The gadget bags are great fun to create. Just sit back and watch the machine stitch!
Designer Handbags also includes embroideries for handbag tabs, strap connectors, and shaped corners.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
Quilt Market—Where New Products are Launched
Ever wonder where your local quilt or fabric shop learns of new products, fabrics, or trends? It’s likely that they
attended the Quilt Market. Last week, the bi-annual event was held in Kansas City, MO. Hosted by Quilts, Inc., it’s a
4-day flurry of classes, demonstrations, meetings, social events, and order writing. It takes me a week to recover!
School House
The day before the vendor mall opens, most retailers register for School House Classes. From 10:00 in the morning
to 6:00 in the evening, 30-minute classes are offered with 5 minute breaks between the sessions. I think of it
as “information overload,” but I never miss it. Dodi, from Two Sisters at Squirrel Hollow was the presenter at
one of the classes that I attended.
My presentation was entitled 10 Top Creative Bag Sewing Tips. (You can find the same information that I
presented at my blog.)
The Vendor Mall
Demonstrations abound! At the Clover Booth, I demonstrated the Trace ’n Create Templates—E-Tablet and
Paper Tablet Keepers.
I also featured theTrace ’n Create Bag Templates in new fabric from Riley Blake and updated techniques. To
learn how to add new touches to the Trace ’n Create Bags, check out the new Clover Blog postings.
Donna from Indygo Junction “wears” her pattern on her back! A new type of billboard advertising!
Do you recognize Amy Barickman, a frequent guest on Sewing With Nancy?
Fabric vendors showcase their lastest fabrics and patterns.
Quilting celebrities, including The First Lady of Quilting– Eleanor Burns, are always available for a photo op.
Book signings are always a great way to interact with retailers.
We’re a social group! The Tweet Board was hopping with news.
Early morning, 8 a.m., is a great time for an editor’s review. Before the vendor mall opened, Clover sponsored a
breakfast for magazine and e-commerce sites to introduce new products.
In the near future I’ll share the new tips and products that I learned about at Quilt Market, on TV and on my blog.
Stay tuned!
Thanks for participating in Sew Mama Sew’s Giveaway Day by responding to my blog on Monday. I appreciate
your comments regarding what you’d like to see next season on Sewing With Nancy. The random winner is
Stacy, with the Great Giveaway! I could use a tablet holder! I would love to see more ways to use a serger on the
show! Thanks so much!
She won the Trace ’n Create Template—E-Tablet and Paper Tablet Template, plus all the fabrics and
notions to create an E-Tablet Keeper. It’s over a $60.00 value!
Watch Sewing With Nancy online.
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.
"Quilt to Give"—The Giving Story
Last year at this time, our hearts went out to the residents of Joplin, MO. Many of us were moved to help with
monetary donations and/or tangible donations. Quilters and sewists also helped with the gift of making bed
quilts—twin, full, or queen sized bed quilts.
Quilt to Give—The Quilting Story
The organized charity sewing event that I started through this blog, Quilt to Give, was one of the many outlets
used to create quilts to give away. I wrote 10 lessons, varying one of the Column Quilts that I featured
on Sewing With Nancy. (The tutorial is available online at Quilt to Give.)
I know that many of you made quilts and gave them away! Thank you. Others cut, pieced, and quilted at our
annual Quilt Expo Event. The results of the combined efforts at Quilt Expo were 25 quilts that were sewn on the
premises and donated.
Quilt to Give—The Giving Story
But, that’s just half the story. The project is entitled “Quilt to Give.” Now it’s time to learn about the giving of the
quilts.
Baby Lock, the sponsor of the Quilt to Give project, chose a dealer in Springfield, Missouri—B Sew Inn—60 miles
from Joplin, MO, to give away the 25 full-sized quilts. I taped an interview via Skype from a temporary site of St.
John’s Hospital—the devastated building so often depicted in news coverage of the tornado. You will be able
to see that interview next season on Sewing With Nancy. In the meantime, here’s the update.
During the interview, Terry Wachter, St. John’s Mercy Hospital, Vice-President of Missions, explained how the quilts
are going to be used.
You know, Nancy, quilts are so often heirlooms in families, and they represent family memories and family
relationships. We have, even in our own workforce, 185 families who lost almost everything they had, their homes,
their apartments. They’ve lost their memories—the representation and the memories. So these quilts are a great
treasure to families like that. We will make certain that every single one of these beautiful pieces of art, in my
mind, go to a family who will really treasure and appreciate them for years to come.
Quilt to Give–The Story Isn’t Over!
These 25 quilts are only the top of the proverbial iceberg of giving encouragement and sharing of love to those in
need. The need continues in so many places.
This fall at our annual Quilt Expo, we will again be having a Quilt to Give sewing and quilting area. Details will
follow! In the meantime, gather together some of your fabric stash—the color options are limitless!
The Quilt to Give design is a hybrid of one of the quilts featured in my Column Quilts series.
It just so happens, that Column Quilts is the featured online Sewing With Nancy TV show this week—totally
coincidental! For more quilting and sewing inspiration, watch this episode online, on DVD, or on your local PBS
station.
Remember, you can also watch these episodes on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. Have you downloaded
the app?
Bye for now,
Content in this feed is © copyright 2012 by Nancy Zieman and may not be republished without written permission.
You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as
content on a blog or other website.