Gateway Quilts & Stuff

Blog Hop Party continues

2011-12-15T12:11:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Bev! She won a copy of my book St. Louis Stars. She said she has lived in New England and loves my Autumn in New England Quilt. Bev, send me your information via my website and I will mail you my book.

For today and Friday I will give away some more fat quarters and patterns. Be sure to go to my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff to check out my patterns and sales and tell me your favorite fabric or pattern.

Good luck and thank you for participating. I hope all of the previous winners will be sure to contact me so I can send their prizes. Check on my previous posts to check if you are a winner.

As always, do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Blog Hop Party days 3 and 4

2011-12-12T19:25:00.000-06:00

I seem to have gotten behind in my posts! As usual there are not enough hours in the day!

So I need to pick winners from both Sunday (day 2) and Monday (day 3).

Sunday's winners are: Tina who loves my Liberty Square pattern so she wins it and Janet who said her favorite fabric was a Hoffman black pearl. So she wins a fat quarter of it! Ladies please contact me with your information so I can send you your prizes. You can do it on my contact me page so you can do it privately.

Monday's winners are: Laura who says she is a beginning quilter and would like anything to add to her stash. I will send her 2 fat quarters to build it up for her. If you have a preference, Laura to the colors please let me know. Sheila Marie is the second winner. She said she just moved to the St. Louis area (not too far from me) and really likes my St. Louis Star pattern. One is on the way. Don't forget to contact me.

Congrats to the winners!

For day 4 (Tuesday), please take a look at my gallery pages with the quilts in my book St. Louis Stars. Leave me a comment on which quilt you like the best and why and you might win a copy of my book!

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see if you are a winner.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Blog Hop party day 2

2011-12-11T14:42:00.000-06:00

Continue to join me and over 200 other bloggers around the world in the Blog Hop Party sponsored by Quilting Gallery.

Such wonderful comments about my patterns. So yesterday's winner of a pattern is Michell. She is from New Zealand. I love how with the magic of the internet we can communicate with people all over the world! She said she loved my Natasha pattern so she will receive one.

Lisa said she loved all of my fabrics so she will receive fat quarters of the color of her choice. She is from my own state of Missouri.

Today I will be giving away more fat quarters and a pattern, so be sure to leave a comment about what you see on my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff and you may be a winner too!

Thanks to Michele for arranging it. It is wonderful to see how many people from around the world love to quilt just like me!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see if you are a winner and so I can get your information to mail your prize to you.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Blog Hop party!!!!

2011-12-09T20:53:00.000-06:00

Join me and over 200 other bloggers around the world in the Blog Hop Party sponsored by Quilting Gallery.

There will be lots of giveaways. Since it is the end of the year (boy did this year fly by fast) I will be having a drawing for fat quarters, to participants who leave comments about my website, patterns, and/or quilts. Tell me your favorite pattern. You may just win it! The more I give away the less I have to count for end-of-the-year inventory. While you are visiting my website you might find just the fabric you were looking for on sale. Be sure to visit Gateway Quilts & Stuff for lots of good bargains!

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Another winner

2011-11-22T20:54:00.001-06:00

Good news for those of you that wished you had won a copy of the Quiltmaker's 100 Block Vol.4! One of the winners I picked was lucky enough to have her name drawn by one of the other bloggers and was nice enough to tell me to let someone else be lucky like her.

So... I picked another winner. Quilting queen won a copy! She said, "I love your tablerunner". Congratulations! I will be emailing her to give her the good news.

I want to show you some of my newest patterns. The first one is done in two different colorways. It is for all of those people who love oriental prints and do not know what to do with them. The collection I used is called Wind Symphony by RJR. (There must be an optical illusion because of the colors! They are suppose to be the same size.) The pattern is called Symphony of Lights.

The second pattern uses a wonderful collection called Bold and Beautiful by Benartex. It is called Star Gazing and has LOTS of stars (of course).
These two new patterns will be available on my website by the end of the week. so be sure to stop by and check them out.

I also have two new free web patterns on Hoffman's website called Jakarta and Royal Fans. Jakarta comes in two colorways. One is a wonderful royal blue combination and the other is very bright!

I also will have a free web pattern on Timeless Treasures website that also comes in two colorways. It is currently being proofed, so as soon as it is ready I will let you know.

Well it is getting late and I have to go so remember... Always do what you love and love what you do.

New news. I just found out another of my winners already got her magazine. So I picked another winner, Scottylover; she said "Fun block! Love all the colors and that you used up the "extras that you have. I will be sending her an email too. Congrats to both new winners.

And the winners are....

2011-11-17T16:51:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who left such a wonderful comments about my block in the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks #4!

I picked two winners. One will receive a magazine from me and the other from Quiltmaker.

Winners are: Scarlett who said, "Good advise to live by." (meaning my moto at the end of the blog),
and Poppyinpink who said, "Congratulations, what a happy block and as a runner it would cheer any table."

I was able to find Poppyinpink's email but not Scarlett's. So...Scarlett if you read this message please email me by going to my website and the contact me page. If Scarlett does not contact me I will pick another winner. Please remember, if you want to win a prize, I need to get in touch with you somehow.

Congratulations to the winners!

Be sure to check out my inventory sale on my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff. Lots of fabrics for sale $6 and under!

As always, love what you do and do what you love. Toby

Quiltmaker 100 blocks blog tour; My block

2011-11-11T07:47:00.000-06:00

Well today is my day for participating in the blog tour. This is the last day of the tour but you can see previous day's posts by going to Quiltmaker blog tour. I feel honored to be in the company of some very well known designers!

My block is on the cover of the magazine. Can you see it? It's the most colorful one there. If you guessed the second from the left on the top row you are correct.

The block is called Stained Glass Star (#386) and is on page 60. The origination of this block came about by accident. I was making a quilt sample for Timeless Treasures with their Tonga Treats 10" squares using my Cutting Corners template set and I had all of these half-square triangles and small strips left. I started playing with the design in EQ7 and finally ended up with this one. I had made the quilt in two different colorways. Here is the original quilt that I designed for Timeless Treasures. The second quilt, as you can see from the block, was done with much brighter fabrics. It is made from different size strips from two sets of the 10" squares. Light prints and dark/medium prints.

The magazine editors give an example of what the blocks would look like in a 3 x 3 grid. I'm not sure I would want to make that many blocks! Each one has 44 pieces! Here is what it would look like as a table runner. That way I wouldn't have to make extra triangles and I could still use what was left over.

Don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom to be eligible to win a copy of the magazine. I will draw two names. One that Quiltmaker will send and one that I will send. You will also be eligible to win some of the blocks that are all signed by the maker.

Well, got to get ready for my next group visiting for the first time at the St. Louis Star Inn. Lots of wonderful things to cook for the ladies while they are here for the weekend. Also be sure to check out my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff. Starting November 15 through December 15, I will be participating in the Holiday Shophop. I will have lots of fabrics for sale $6 and less. I've got to make room for the new collections that are coming out!

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do.

Quiltmaker 100 blocks Volume 4

2011-11-08T12:34:00.000-06:00

Time just seems to fly when I'm busy! I've been since April (my last blog) busy traveling, teaching, getting my retreat center ready, hosting groups at my retreat center and making quilts for market and magazine publications! I just don't see how some people can blog, twitter, facebook, and do all of the rest of the things, to let people know what is going on. I am lucky if I can keep up with my quilting, retreats, and the rest of the stuff that goes with my business. I guess I'm just not one of those really organized people. I get distracted very easily and seem to flitter from one thing to another, not getting much done at all!

But now to the reason for my current posting. Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 4 Blog tour is going on this week. There are many designers participating in this blog tour and lots of give-a-ways. My date is November 11 when I will reveal my block and talk about how I went about designing it. Please be sure to come back to see it. You can see the image on the cover, see if you can figure out which one is mine! If you guess the right one you will get a prize!

That's all for now. See you back on Friday, November 11 for more information and more drawings for a free issue.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

The Lone Star State

2011-06-21T14:43:00.005-05:00

I just returned from working with a wonderful guild in Beaumont, Texas. That is the third guild that I have been to in Texas and I am always amazed at how polite and pleasant people are in Texas! I love when they call complete strangers "Sugar". It just puts me in a good mood! I stayed at a wonderful quilter's home that was on a lake and I almost felt I was on vacation instead of working (of course I love my job so it isn't really work)!

I have lost track of time so I need to pick a winner for the free membership to Victoriana Quilt Designs......(drum roll please).... congratulations Dee M.! I will be forwarding your name to Benita.

Millefiori block featured in McCalls Quilting March/April 2010

In Texas I taught my Millefiori quilt workshop for the first time. It is a fun class where we get to play with mirrors and find interesting designs in the fabric. Many of the quilters I meet say they have mirrors but have never used them and others say that it opens up a whole new world of quilting for them. I love going to quilt shops in the towns I teach looking for new fabric to "play" with. This fabric line is from Benartex. Paula Nadelstern is one of my favorite fabric designers because her stuff is wonderful to fussy-cut! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and created some beautiful blocks. I was lucky enough to purchase this same fabric line from Benartex in a different colorway and I will be offering a limited number of the kits for sale on my website.

I also taught my Stars Over St. Louis workshop. It is another workshop on using mirrors and it is always interesting to see what kinds of fabrics people bring to create the quilt. Even if two people used the same fabric each quilt would be unique. My book is still selling well, which I am thankful for!

Tic Tac Toe featured in June/July Fons and Porter

I do have some new kits available on my website. Tic Tac Toe, featured in Fons and Porter features more of the Habitat collection by Benartex. That fabric was so much fun to design with I created 4 different quilts with it. The other kits using the collection are Yin and Yang, featured in McCalls Quilting and AraBella a free web pattern on Benartex's website.

AraBella

I will also be adding some new workshops to the website. They will feature the use of my Cutting Corners template set. The workshops will be on how to use the templates for different kinds of blocks that require cutting squares and drawing a diagonal line. This tool eliminates the need to draw the line. The quilts in the different workshops will be Tic Tac Toe for the advanced beginner and AraBella for the beginner. I will be adding more workshops using this wonderful tool.

Northstar

St. Louis Star

My retreat center is taking off! I am going to offer a summer special workshop "Christmas in July" (or August if more are interested). It will be an overnight stay with a workshop using one of my holiday patterns; Northstar or St. Louis Star. Both can be made as place mats or table toppers. The workshop will start in the afternoon and you will have the evening and the next day to work on it. Three meals will be included. I will be posting dates and fee information in the next week. Gather your quilting friends and reserve an evening or choose one of my dates to join other quilters! Minimum 4, maximum 9.

Well, this has been a very long post! Better get back to quilting.

As always, everyday do what you love and love what you do. Toby Lischko

The sounds of the Cicadas is deafening!

2011-05-30T16:31:00.001-05:00

Now that I have your attention....I realized I should take time to post my happenings!

See post below

My traveling season has started with a bang! My first trip was to the AQS show in Paducah, KY. This was a pleasure trip so I could introduce a good friend of mine to the quilting world and to have a chance to relax and get inspired by the beautiful quilts at the show. My friend was awed by what she saw. She is not a new quilter; she did hand piecing baby quilts when her girls were little. But she is new to the current quilting trend and wants to learn to update her techniques with a machine. I was more than happy to volunteer my services to help her!

The AQS show, as always was awe inspiring and I was glad to see new names as the big winners of the contest. Not that I don't want the other quilters to continue to win, but I do think it's nice when others are given the chance to prove themselves. The area, Paducah, KY and southern Missouri were flooding and the producers of the show had to do some scrambling to move the show to avoid getting flooded. I was amazed at how organized they quickly changed the locations. The flood gates were up and you could see that the water was almost to the top (you could see the boats sale by over the flood walls which were about 10 feet high which is, I think, at least 30 feet above the regular river stage). One of the nights we stayed there, there was a huge thunderstorm with more rain and I was sure the water level would have breeched the wall! Luckily it did not, but the town we stayed in across the Ohio River in Metropolis, Illinois (the home of Superman) did flood in their downtown area.

My next trip was to Parker, Colorado. The weather in Beaufort was just heating up (85+ degrees) and I flew into Denver in 30ish degree weather with snow! The lady I stayed with had 1 foot of snow on the ground! As I watched my luggage come off of the carrier, the first one was soaken wet as if it had sat in a puddle for some time! This was the luggage with all of my quilts in it. I wasn't as panicked as the lady who picked me up. My next piece of luggage to come down was broken! The wheels had broken off and the handle was completely detached! I hoped it wasn't a sign of things to come. Luckily, the quilts were not wet and nothing was damaged in the other suitcase but the attendant told me "good luck" making a claim since it was the wheels and handle which weren't covered under their claims. Needless to say, I had to go luggage shopping that day!

My hostess was wonderful, she took me around the area and despite the weather it was beautiful there. I was to lecture that evening and took all of my things (computer, projector, quilts, etc.). I'm getting ready to present my powerpoint presentation and I realized I forgot my projector cords! They were able to find a projector and cords at the meeting place and hooked everything up but nothing worked. My computer would not recognize either projector. So....I had to revised my lecture and wing-it. The guild was more than gratious and commended me for a good presentation. The rest of the stay went well, with a great group of ladies in my workshop, and I got to visit my brother and his wife in Broomfield for a couple days.

Next came a trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I was driving this time. All around us in the midwest were tornado warnings and heavy thundershowers. The day I left, I was lucky with good weather all of the way there. As I was sitting talking to my new hostess I said "I hear an alarm outside". She opened the front door and said she thought it was the neighbor's lawnmower. We talked some more and I said it again "I really think I hear an alarm". She opens the door again and agrees it might be the tornado alarm. We sat in front of the TV for the next hour watching where tornadoes were touching down. All around us, but not near us! Finally the weather cleared up and we were able to enjoy the rest of the evening. The meeting and workshop went well with no hitches this time! I took my trusty Mac computer that never fails me instead of my fairly new PC!

Last week I had a wonderful group of quilting ladies come to my retreat center to enjoy a visit and lunch. They told me their church was being renovated and needed a place to meet for the month. I thought they were going to bring a project to work on, but instead just came to shop and visit and look at all of my quilts. It was such a nice day and I made new quilting friends. My husband, Mike, enjoyed telling his jokes and making the ladies laugh during lunch.

This weekend I will travel to Columbia, Illinois to present and teach at a quilt retreat. I love doing retreats. It gives me a chance to really get to know the quilters and have fun at the same time.

I also want to take this opportunity to announce the 10th anniversary celebration of another quilter I know. Benita Skinner has a website http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com. She is having an Anniversary and Fabric Party. She has told me that any of my visitors who leave a comment below this post, will be in the drawing for a chance to win a membership to her site ($22.50 value). She has lots of free web patterns, blocks of the month, and other wonderful things to see on her website! Be sure if you leave a comment, that I will be able to get in touch with you via email. In my previous drawings I was not able to access everyone's email address so I couldn't contact you if you won! I will draw a name on June 6.

You can see more information about her fabric party at http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.com/VictorianaQuilters/BlockoftheMonth/VQDFabricParty.htm. Good luck!

Please say a prayer for the tornado victims in Joplin, MO and other areas. I am donating 10% of my sales until the end of the month to Joplin, MO. Be sure to stop and take a look at my kit specials for the month. Buy a kit and receive templates, patterns, or magazines for free! http://www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com.

As always, everyday do what you love and love what you do. Toby Lischko

And the winners are.....

2011-05-06T13:09:00.000-05:00

I want to thank everyone for such wonderful comments on my block! Also for those that took the time to visit my website and look at my kits. I hope many of you come back to shop! I am always adding new kits.

Now to the winners. Because there were so many of you I decided to pick 3 winners for the magazine (one will come from Quiltmaker and two from me) and 2 winners for the charm pack. I put together 46 six inch squares of the Civil War Ladies 1 and 2 collections for the lucky winners. Many of you commented on my Civil War kits.

And the winners are for the charm packs:

CATSKILL QUILTER and KATHY H. I will try to contact you if you do not check back on my blog.

The winners for the magazines are:

BARBARA who said "I really love star blocks, and yours is so unique! (There were quite a few Barbaras)

LINDY who said "I love the 'wood look' version of your block."

SHARON who said "Love your block. Stars are my favorite."

Congratulations ladies. Please send me your addresses so I can mail you your prizes. Go to my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff and send the information on my "Contact me" page.

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 3

2011-05-04T00:14:00.002-05:00

It's that time again, when many of the designers in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks get to talk about their block.

To visit all of the designers participating in this blog you can go to: Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 3

This is my block: Stretched Star. I made it while I was playing around with my Cutting Corners template set and trying to figure out different ways of using it on precut squares. I like working with stars and wanted to make something a little different. It does contain 32 pieces in it! I don't think I would want to make a whole quilt with this block, but it does make an interesting table runner. You only need to make 3 blocks!

During the blog tour all of the designers are having prize drawings. I will be giving away 2 free issues of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 3. All you have to do is leave a comment after this blog about my block and how much you would like the current issue and you will be eligible! I will also have a drawing for a charm square packet for anyone that visits my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff to see my new kits and tells me which is their favorite kit (no you do not have to purchase it!)

I am participating in the May Shophop and will have some specials all this month so be sure to visit my website often.

Stay tuned for a long awaited narration of my first large group to visit St. Louis Star Inn for an extended stay! I plan to post photos and tell everyone all about it. It was a wonderful experience for not only the quilters who stayed, but also for me. I will also share my trip to the AQS show in Paducah. It always gets my creative juices flowing!

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

March Madness continued

2011-03-08T14:35:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Judith Wright of Payson, IL for winning the first week's drawing during my March Madness sale. She won a fat quarter bundle.

The sale continues this week with all patterns 50% off. All purchases will be in the drawing for this week's prize.

Check out the second installment of my Civil War Sampler quilt in the current issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting. You can also see tips on sewing the blocks at Quilters Club of America. Jody Davis does a great job to give you tips and techniques on how to piece the different kinds of blocks.

Got to get back to working on the new studio so remember:

Always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

March Madness

2011-03-01T14:01:00.000-06:00

Life has been crazy. We finally moved into the new property (with the St. Louis Star Inn) and we are still unpacking. I have to have the Inn ready for guests by March 17, so I need to get busy!
Wanted to quickly mention that because of all the things happening this month, I will be having a March Madness sale. It includes different specials each week, prize drawings each week, and a extra special sale on March 31 which will be my 60th birthday. I have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for and I want to share it with my quilting friends.
So, please take a look at my website www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com to see what is happening (along with the Shophop), browse, shop and have a good time. Make a purchase and you will be in the drawing for a weekly prize. There will be a grand prize drawing on the 31st to celebrate my birthday so be sure to visit it that day too for other specials. While you are there, check out my newest patterns; Natasha and Liberty Square, kits will be available at the end of the month.

Got to get back to work.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Moose on the Porch Layer Cake Sampler

2011-01-10T23:48:00.000-06:00

Well, it's the new year! Hard to believe it is 2011. It doesn't seem that long ago to me that we were all dreading the 2000 bug. Where did the time go? Where are those flying cars I saw in those science fiction movies when I was little?

I'm working very hard this month trying to get 3 quilts done. I finished one quilt on Sunday that has a Pickledish block in it. It seemed like I would never finish that quilt! It will be in one of the major quilt magazines in a few months. It is not a quilt for the squeemish! If you want to challenge yourself, then this is the one. It is now with my quilter friend Terri Kanyuck. It takes me forever to quilt a large quilt (this one is 96" x 96") so I give the big ones to her when I am in a rush. I can't wait to see what she does with it. She is fast and very creative. The fabric collection is by Pat Nickols through RJR called Civil War Ladies 2. Watch for other designs using the same collection in Quilter's Newsletter and 2 new patterns on my website.

I am currently participating in a Layer Cake sampler through Moose on the Porch Quilts. You can check it out here http://moosequilts.blogspot.com/2010/09/layer-cake-quilt-along-2010.html

It uses a block that I designed for Timeless Treasures with their Tonga Treats collections (10" square). I have ordered the treat packs (40-10" squares) and should have them by February on my website. I try to use my Cutting Squares template set as often as I can to see how versitile they are and they were perfect for this block. I don't like drawing that line! If you haven't tried them think about it.

I'm working on two other quilts this month. One for Timeless Treasures with my favorite colors, red. black, and cream. They make beautiful florals that are very elegant. As soon as I get the quilt done, I will post the photo of it. This will be a pattern available through my website instead of a free pattern. The other quilt is for Benartex that uses a very traditional toile collection. I will post that also as I get it done.

I am very busy now packing for my exciting move to the new house in Beaufort, MO where my husband and I will be hosting quilt retreats and workshops. Our official move-in date is Feb. 16. My husband and I are very excited. He has a lot of things he wants to do outside and I have lots to do inside, especially in the studio. It is tough on us going back and forth right now and will be so much easier once we are settled. Lots of new pictures to share with you. My friend Rosemary made curtains, for all of the rooms, that look like quilts. She is very creative!

Right now it is snowing. They are predicting 4"-6" with VERY cold temps. I hear it will be 4 degrees on Wednesday! I'm having a big sale at my new studio on Saturday, when my husband Mike turns 65. So if you are in the area, come celebrate with us. That is, of course, weather permitting.

Well, that's all for now. Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Free web patterns

2010-12-13T12:30:00.000-06:00

I thought I would just do a quick update of some of my free web patterns as free Christmas/Holiday gifts to all of my wonderful blog followers (but feel free to share with friends). There is nothing better than free gifts!
Just click on the quilt name and it will take you to the free pattern. They are all pdf downloads.

There is

Pointing the Way

which uses 10" squares (also called Layer Cakes or Treats)

by Timeless Treasures. It is made with their wonderful

Tonga batiks. It is a fast easy quilt that you can use my Cutting Corners template set to make it even easier.

Next is
AraBella
A beautiful black/white/tan collection with Benartex. The fabric
was designed by Michele D'Amore, who does wonderful

fabric designs for quilts and home decor. It is another easy fast

quilt made with different size Snowball blocks. A perfect quilt for

using my Cutting Corners templates again.

(Do you think I'm

pushing my templates???)

I love working with Hoffman oriental prints so

Hanami Lanterns

was designed with this wonderful Hanami collection.

Another fast quilt that can use my Cutting Corners

templates for making those triangle corners fast and easy.

(I keep finding lots of ways to use those dang templates!)

I also have some new designs coming out in some of the magazines.

Civil War Ladies sampler is just hitting the newstands. It is featured in Fons & Porters Love of Quilting and will be in three issues. A great "Block of the Month" quilt for groups that like to do that.

Fons and Porter

I will be carrying the kits for the quilt.

Stay tuned for more new publications, quilt kits, and free web patterns coming out in 2011.

I am having a huge blowout sale on my website, Gateway Quilts & Stuff. I'm trying to clear out some of my inventory to make room for new (and make taking inventory easier for tax time!) I will have quilt kits available for the AraBella and Pointing the Way quilts after the first of the year when the fabrics come in. I am also donating 10% of all of my December sales to the Semper Fi Fund. An organization that helps Marine families (my husband is a Marine). Semper Fi Fund My way of thanking the troops.

As always, do what you love and love what you do. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. Toby

Winners! (and other settings)

2010-11-10T09:59:00.001-06:00

You guys are really keeping me on my toes! I have had lots of wonderful comments about my block and I hope you got a chance to read yesterday's blog about my pinning technique and sewing curves. I'd love to hear from any of you when you try my technique and what you think of curves afterwards.

Now to the winners. I have had such a good response I decided to pick four winners. Two will win a copy of the magazine and two will win my templates (one the 6" set and the other the 8" set). They will get to choose in the order that they contact me at info@gatewayquiltsnstuff.com. So the first one to contact me will get to pick which they want and so forth. The templates do come with a free pattern. So.... here are the winners:

Congratulations to:

Becky, the Quilting Booklady

Donna Joy

Scottylover

Kathy Schwartz

You need to send me your email and mailing address and whether you want the magazine or templates and which size. If someone contacts me and chooses the same thing I will let you know so you can choose something else (or get what remains).

I promised other settings so here they are.

Table runner with 6" templates

Many color possibilities

Alternate block setting

Use your imagination! So many design possibilities! I would love to see what some of you come up with so send lots of photos. I can post them to my blog and website.

Join me starting November 15 at my website www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com for the Holiday Fabshop Hop. I will be having a huge fabric sale. All fabrics including new collections will be $7 or less a yard. I will also have a new quilt kit with a wonderful black/white collection called Habitat. The pattern is free on their website www.benartex.com. Very easy pattern called Arabella. You might want to even try out my Cutting Corners template set for making those Snowball blocks! Also check out my previous blogs for information and the constructions of my quilt retreat center St. Louis Star Inn. Hope to see some of you there!

That's all for today. Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Sewing curves

2010-11-08T23:52:00.000-06:00

I think I sewed my first curved block in 1995. It was a New York Beauty block. (Still one of my most favorite blocks.) I had sewn clothes most of my life and remember sewing in sleeves. Lots of pins! I felt that these curves were much easier and I worked on using as few pins as I could. Some things frustrated me while working on them. The edges wouldn't stay together at the beginning and end so the finished edges were not straight. I would somehow end up with more fabric on top at the end of the piece and it would overlap the end. Pleats were the most frustrating things!

The more I worked on curves the better I got at it and the more ways I found to make them look good every time.The first thing I worked on was getting the beginning and ending edges to stay together while I was sewing. I played with pinning techniques and came up with this one. The trick is to use super fine pins (0.4mm) and "weave" them at each end. That is after you match the centers of the sections. This keeps the ends secured until you have sewn through them. I use only 3 pins, one in the middle and one on each end and then add one more pin.

This one I place perpendicular to the pin on the end. This is the pin that is used to stabilize the edges even more as I am sewing towards the end. When sewing curves I always have the concave piece on top. Different teachers will tell you they prefer the convex piece on top but I find that the concave piece (inny curve) is the one that is the most flexible and the one that usually gets pleats in it, so if I continually manipulate that one then I can avoid those pesky pleats!

The other trick to sewing curves is a consistent 1/4" seam. I use a small piece of Dr. Scholl's Molefoam Foot Pads to set my 1/4" seam and make sure that the raw edges always touch the molefoam. I also set my needle to the furthest right position my machine will allow so I can always see the edges of the fabric.

Stitching slowly is the key. I always take my time when sewing curves. Start by taking a couple of stitches at the beginning of the seam. Leave the needle in the down position and grab the center pin holding the pieces together. Give the fabric a slight tug, just enough to manipulate the fabric edges to be together. You are not stretching the fabrics, but easing the top concave curve to meet the bottom convex curve. Stitch slowly, constantly checking the edges and keeping a slight tension on the fabric at the center. Once you get to the center, stop with your needle down and grab the pin at the end of the block. Give it a slight tug as you did in the center and again manipulate the top fabric to meet the bottom fabric.

Continue stitching until your sewing foot gets close to the pin that is pointing to the foot. Place your finger on the head of the pin, continue slowly sewing and with your finger holding down the pin, it will slowly come out of the fabric as you are sewing. I use my left hand to lightly hold on to the final pin making sure that the edge of the fabric continues to touch the molefoam. Voila! A perfect, no fuss curve. Now this will work with any type of curve. The trick is the more gentle the curve the easier it is to piece. If the curve is tighter, as in drunkard's paths, you do need to make small clips in the concave curve about 1/4" to 3/8" apart.

Sorry I don't have photos of the sewing technique but it is hard to sew and take photos at the same time. I would have to get my husband to take pictures for me while I'm sewing and he is not that good with a camera (or taking instructions)! At some point I hope to get a friend to help with a YouTube video so I can do a better demonstration.

I hope this helps. The best way to learn it is to do it while you are reading the descriptions. I am a "learn by doing" person. I can read instructions until the sun comes down, but until I do it, I won't learn it. If you belong to a guild, consider having me come teach. I have a wide variety of curved piecing workshops.

You still have one more day to leave a comment to be in the drawing for a copy of the magazine or templates. I will draw names on Wednesday. I will pick 2 winners. The first one to respond will get to choose either the magazine or my templates and the second one will get the prize that was not chosen.

Come back tomorrow and I will give other setting options for this block, including a table runner.

Until next time, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks blog tour

2010-11-08T09:27:00.003-06:00

Welcome to all who are joining the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks blog tour! I'd like to give you a little background information about me and what went into designing the Nouveau Riche block in volume 2 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks.

Most people steer clear of curved blocks but I am drawn to them. I love the movement they create on a quilt and all of the design possibilities. I teach workshops on taking the fear out of curve piecing and I can honestly say that not one person has left the class without feeling confident about sewing curves!

This block was inspired by a collection of fabrics from Hoffman called Nouveau Riche (image on right). I love designing with their fabrics as they always seem to get my creative juices flowing. I have done a lot of designs using Rob Peter to Pay Paul blocks (image on left) and I wanted to do something new with curves. I have heard many people describe this quilt as beads, goblets, ornaments, and even Easter eggs so it can be made for many occasions. I have templates in both 6" (four blocks create the 12" block) or 8". There is a free webpattern on Hoffman's website www.hoffmanfabrics.com and the templates are available at www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com.

Come back tomorrow and I will show you my unique pinning technique for sewing curves.
Don't forget to leave a comment to be eligible for a drawing of a free copy of the magazine or the template size of your choice! Thank you for visiting.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks

2010-11-01T12:25:00.000-05:00

Just a real quick note. The new collector's edition of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks volume 2 will be on the newstands soon and I have a block in it! It is even on the cover! You can see more information at Quiltmaker's website.

http://www.quiltmaker.com/100blocks

My block is the curved one in black

and cream hoffman batiks. It is based on my quilt Nouveau Riche

for Hoffman's website. The original block was 8" and I combined four 6" blocks to create a 12" block. It is a soft gentle curve easy to piece.

I carry the templates for both the 8" and the 6" blocks on my website. My blog tour date is Nov. 8. So come back on the 8th, leave a comment and be eligible for a free magazine or template of your choice. You can also be eligible for prizes from Quiltmaker if you start at their website and complete the week long blog tour.

Hope to see you back here on the 8th. Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Grand opening approaching

2010-09-09T14:48:00.000-05:00

I don't know where the time goes! It's almost 3 months since my last post.

My traveling days are over for the year. I've been to some wonderful guilds in Oklahoma, Illinois, Tennessee, and Kansas. The guild in Witchita has over 700 members! They put on a huge show every two years with over 700 quilts. A show that is not to be missed if you live within driving distance. I stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Antioch, Illinois; an old Victorian home. My other stays have been with the best quilters and their families. I have had such wonderful experiences meeting quilters from the midwest and beyond. No matter where I go, I have seen unbelieveable talent and generosity. It amazes me how generous even the smallest guild can be when it comes to donating their time and quilts to worthwhile causes.

I'm putting the finishing touches on my quilt retreat center in Beaufort, Missouri. We are still trying to sell our house so we can move in there. My husband and I are getting anxious about moving and would love to be in our new home. As it is now, I have to drive out there (about 25 miles) a few days a week to get fabric organized and pictures hung. On top of that I also had to design and make quilts for Timeless Treasures, RJR, and Benartex. I have 6 quilts that I have to get done before Houston market! I'm lucky to have Dolores Keaton, to help me make quilts. I can always count on her to get something done quickly and accurately!

Studio classroom with 8 foot tables

One of my two cutting/ironing stations

Bedroom on first floor.

I have two new free web patterns coming out. One for Timeless Treasures with their wonderful collection of Tonga batiks, and the other for Benartex with a fun black and white collection called Habitat. Not sure when they will be on their websites but it should be soon.

Benartex Habitat

Timeless Treasures Tonga Batiks

Still working on patterns for my Cutting Corners templates. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will post photos of how to use it with my two free web patterns. I will also have two free patterns to make with the leftover half-square triangles from making the quilts.

Well, that's all for now. More later.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do! Toby

Cutting Corners

2010-06-20T21:05:00.000-05:00

I shouldn't go so long before postings. Time just gets away from me.

I went to spring quilt market in Minneapolis in May, to introduce my new template set "Cutting Corners". I think they were well received. Hopefully those shops that bought them will find out how versitile they are and want more. I plan to show you what a great template set they are and hope you tell your friends.

I developed them because I hate (well that is such a strong word) drawing lines on the backs of squares for making such blocks as Snowball, Flying Geese, and Square-in-a-Square. It just seems like such a waste of time to me. So I designed a tool for eliminating the need to draw the line. You simply line up the square on the corner, "cut the corners" and sew 1/4" seam allowance. To whet your whistle I am showing how they work for Snowball blocks.

Step 1. Line up small square on the corner of the larger square. Align the triangle ruler on the small square.

Step 2. Trim corner off with your rotary cutter.

Step 3. Sew with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 4. Press to triangle. Perfect corner! No time wasted drawing the line on the back of the small square. (You have to trim anyway after you sew.)

That was only one use for the templates (there is also a square template). Stay tuned for further uses.

I am participating in a Jelly Roll sampler quilt on Konda Luckau's blog. You can still participate even though I am block number 9. Just go to her blog: Moose on the Porch Quilts. You can use my Cutting Corners templates for the block if you want to.

Here are some test blocks I have started with Cutting Corners. The first one is done with 3 1/2" rectangles and the second one is done with 2 1/2" Jelly Roll light and dark strips cut into rectangles (it is not sewn yet). I will have my first pattern specifically designed for use with the template set based on this block hopefully by the end of July. So watch for it on my website. It can be used with Jelly Rolls.

Until the end of the month of June, if you purchase my Cutting Corners template set, you will get a free pattern. You get to pick from Mosaic Magic or Royal Gems. Both you can use the templates with instead of drawing the line on the backs of the squares.

Gotta go. I'll be in Kansas for the next week teaching.
Remember, always do what you love and love what you do.

It's getting closer to being done!

2010-05-03T00:28:00.002-05:00

I was out of town for 10 days. The first 5 days I taught at a wonderful show in Providence, Rhode Island, Machine Quilter's Expo. It's getting to be one of the biggest machine quilter's show in the US. What wonderful talent there! I even got the honor of putting a ribbon on one of the quilter's quilts as a teacher's choice. Her name is Janet Stone. She made the most wonderful alphabet quilt. I thought I took a picture of it but I guess I didn't. I'll ask her if I can post it on the blog.

The next 5 days I spent in Texas. Two different guilds, one in Kerrville and the other in New Braunfels. Both guilds were fantastic. Everyone was so nice. It's true what they say about southern hospitality!

I got to test two of my newest template sets; Geese on the Loose and Glorified nine-patch. Both of them worked great and everyone enjoyed using them. They are now posted on my website along with my new Chinese New Year templates. If you purchase them this month, you will get the pattern free.

My poor husband Mike says that he didn't mind me being gone that long, but I could tell he was getting crabby by the 6th or 7th day when I would talk to him. I was looking forward to going home and so was he. While I was gone our builders were working on the studio and I was anxious to see what they had done.

After I got back, my family had a special celebration for my mom and dad. My sister decided to give them a 175th birthday party. He turns 90 this year and she turned 85. Most of the family was able to join us along with their closest friends. It was very nice and they really enjoyed themselves. Don't they look good for their age? Happily married for 62 years!

I finally got to visit the new studio to see what was done. The floors were done, the walls mended and painted, new doors were in, and all the lights were up. It looked fantastic!

That was on Monday. I spoke to him on Friday and he said it was all cleaned up, no machinery and ready for stuff to be moved in. That will be the big job. I have no idea where to put things to make it look like a quilt shop/classroom. I'll have to get some of my friends out to there to help me. All that is left is to put in a bathroom (I'm putting in a environmental toilet), cabinets, and cutting surfaces. I'm going to have lots of fun shopping for tables, chairs, shelves, linens, and new furniture for the house. I haven't bought new furniture for myself in years! Now to find the time to do it all. I'm having my first guests July 9 and 10 so I still have a lot to do and even though it sounds like plenty of time, I will be out of town teaching for 11 days this month and 15 days in June.

Check out my newest quilts; Waving Old Glory in Fons & Porter's Easy Quilts and Meadow Brook in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting. Both are from RJR collections with the same name. I do have kits for the Meadow Brook quilt, twin and queen sizes on my website. F&P carry the lap size kit.

I also have two new free holiday patterns on Hoffman's website. Yule Wrap and Wrap Stars. Yule wrap is a table topper or tree skirt and Wrap Stars a table runner and placemats.

Well, I've gone on long enough. 'Til next time. Always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN!

2010-04-03T15:09:00.000-05:00

I'm the type of person that doesn't get excited easily. Things don't really hit me until I am in the moment. When my husband and I were waiting to close on our new house; the one I will be running a quilt retreat from, I didn't want to get too excited incase something happened and we couldn't get it. Now that we have closed on the house, it still didn't seem real until Thursday, when we went out to look at what our builder has been doing to my new studio. It then hit me! It is really going to happen! He (the builder) has not done a lot of work yet, but he has patched the walls and ceiling and put about 10 coats of paint on both and it really made quite a difference.

The building that my studio/classroom/shop will be in, was at one time a shop room for a high school shop teacher. It has all of the outlets and is wired for big machinery. There is 1500 square feet of open space that is air conditioned and heated above a 5 car garage. I couldn't ask for a more ideal place. It is separate from the house, just across the driveway. Here is the view from the front of the house. The circle above the garage doors will have a St. Louis Star painted over it.

There are three sections to the room. On the left side the ceilings are high. This will be the classroom. I hope to be able to handle up to 24 quilters at a time for large workshops. The house will not be able to host that many, probably 4-8 quilters. Here the builders have finished painting the walls and ceiling and are getting ready to put in new lighting. There are lots of wonderful windows for natural lighting so during the day it will be bright and cheery and at night it will be well lit up.

There is lots of empty wall space I have yet to figure out what to do with. I'm sure I will figure something out. Peg boards on the walls perfect for hanging quilting tools and items for sale.

The middle section has a lower ceiling. The garage door will be replaced with French doors leading out to a loading area so people can bring in their machines and supplies. This is the section where I will be keeping my longarm machine and possibly add another in the future for teaching and renting out. There is a wood burning stove to keep the room warm in the winter time.

There will be a kitchen area here and a bathroom somewhere on this end of the room. So, you can see there is a lot of work to be done.But it is very exciting for me and now it is all too real! Especially since I will be writing the checks to the builder!

This is the other side of the kitchen area. There will be a wall with a door covering the steps. Can't wait to se what the room will look like with the new flooring! Stay tuned for constant updates.

Now to my current projects. I have three new web patterns currently posted. Two of them are on Hoffman Fabrics website. One called Royal Mendhi and the other called Keiko's Garden cover and Window's pattern. The third one is on Timeless Treasures website called Florence. (Click on links to get to the patterns.) I will be carrying the fabric for all three kits in June so go ahead and download the patterns and come back later for the fabric if you can not find it in your LQS.

Well, gotta go. I will be leaving for Providence, RI on April 11 and be gone for 10 days (Texas is also in the trip) so I have lots of stuff to get ready to pack and ship.

Remember: Always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

What's new

2010-03-25T00:39:00.003-05:00

Okay, I know, I haven't posted anything in a long time. I've attempted twice to write something but something else always seems more important at the time.

Well, a lot has happened since my last post. I've had numerous quilts published in McCalls Quilting, McCalls Quick Quilts, The Quilter, Quilt, Quick Quilts, and Quilt Almanac! Just a few photos. I do have the kits for all three quilts shown here, plus more.

I also have some new free web patterns. Florence on Timeless Treasures www.ttfabrics.com website and Royal Mendhi Crystals on Hoffman's www.hoffmanfabrics.com website. I do not have the fabric yet for the kits but will be carrying them in a few months. More free patterns to come on Hoffman's website.

The biggest news of all is that my St. Louis Star Inn is finally becoming a reality. My builder will be working on my studio next month and promises to have everything done by the end of May. I have just posted information regarding fees, workshops and other information on my website www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com. Just check under Quilt Retreat Center.

I'll post more information as I get time and catch you up on what I'm doing. Also don't miss my HUGE birthday sale on my website, March 31. One day only everything will be 40% off with a $20 minimum purchase (before the 40% is applied). Your 40% off will be refunded after your purchase. Be sure to check it out.

Quilting Friendships

2009-10-21T10:31:00.000-05:00

I just came back from a three-day retreat in Watersmeet, Michigan. What a beautiful setting! It is in the upper pennisula of the state about 45 minutes from Lake Superior. The trees were all shades of orange, red, and yellow and a little bit of snow fell on the rooftop of the retreat center on Saturday morning. (The flies are a whole other story!) There is nothing more peaceful than being in the country with quilters!

I am always amazed at how strong friendships are among quilters and how well they all get along. If you have ever worked in an office, you know that anytime you get a group of women together, they become caddie and have trouble getting along. It was like that when I was a little girl. I could have one friend over, but if there were three girls, one always seemed to feel left out (and it was usually me). I have never felt this way or noticed this among quilters.

I have always been welcome with open arms whenever I teach or lecture at a guild meeting. I never feel out of place because I am with people that love quilting as much as I do. There is nothing better than teaching a group of people that are truly interested in what you have to say. It is nothing like being in the general education setting (or special education setting for me) where you have students that would rather be anywhere but school.

What is so wonderful about quilters, is how giving and encouraging they are with each other. One of the quilters in the group had heath issues and one of her friends was cutting the pieces for her block while another one was helping her piece it when she wasn't feeling well and had to go lie down. The friend did not want her to feel too far behind the other quilters in the group so she finished a block for her. There was also a fourteen year old girl who was making her first quilt. She wasn't new to sewing, she had made many purses and other things, but had not made her first quilt yet. The workshop that I was teaching was my St. Louis Star block and it was not an easy first block. Everyone was so encouraging of her efforts and each one of her blocks was better than the one before. She felt so good about herself by the end of the weekend as did other quilters who had struggled at first with their first block because of the comments and praise from all of the quilters at the retreat. I don't know of any other group that is so willing to help each other. Of course, there was some competition among the quilters to see which one could finish the most blocks, but it was usually done with humor. (A little competition is healthy!)

I have also found this willingness to help true with national quilt teachers. I have had lots of help along the way from well known teachers like Marti Michell, Sharyn Craig, and Libbie Lehman. They were all so encouraging of my journey to becoming a national teacher and always took time to answer any questions I had or calm my nerves at my first large teaching engagement (Houston quilt festival).

I love doing retreats because I get to spend more time with the quilters and see what they do with the skills that I teach them. This was a particulary good workshop in that many of the quilters felt comfortable enough to take off on their own to create something other than the pattern they were given. It makes me feel good that I was able to encourage self-creativity after teaching the general instructions about the block. It also gives me a chance to get to know the quilters better. I always come away from a retreat (or any workshop) with new friends!

Now to quilt news. One of my newest designs has been published in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting. It is called Isabella and was created with Timeless Treasures Isabelle collection.

I have the fabrics on my website for sale. You can see it here: ttp://www.shopfonsandporter.com/productdetail/ISABELLE.htm.

My next blog will show you how to foundation piece using freezer paper and sewing off the foundation so that you do not have to tear off paper.

Everyday do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Can't say no

2009-10-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

I have difficulty saying no. When I started writing this I was getting organized for my state guild retreat (Missouri). (That's me dressed up for the Missouri Waltz dinner along with others partaking in the fun!) Well, the weekend has come and gone. It was a great retreat! We hold this retreat once a year in the beautiful Missouri ozarks and it is a fun weekend with workshops and a guest speaker/teacher. Billie Lauder was our guest this year and everyone thoroughly enjoyed her program and workshops. One of my good friends last year was the chairperson and asked me if I would be the co-chair, thus becoming the chair this year. At the time, I thought it would be a good idea and a way to get involved in the state guild. Right now, I am cursing myself for not saying no, because I have way too much to do to with my commissioned work for the fabric companies that are getting ready for Quilt Market. I never seem to learn my lesson, but I do believe that things happen for a reason.

When I was younger I was a shy child, not very outgoing. I never enjoyed talking in front of a large group. I became a special education teacher and I didn't have any problems talking to students, they wouldn't judge me, but talking to a group of adults made my stomach queezy. I went back to school and got my degree in Educational Psychology and now I had to speak to groups of adults. Actually going back to school as an adult (in my 40s) was one of the best things that could have happened to me. I was no longer afraid to ask questions in class and would have other students come up to me after class and thank me for asking the question. I began living the pholosophy that there is no such thing as a "dumb" question (and I always tell my quilting students that). I also learned that if you are good at something and you are knowledgeable about your specialty area, that people listen and respect your opinion. Working in educational psychology I realize that everyone is good at something. It was my job as an educator to help kids realize their potential. Now I feel it is my job to help adults realize their potential as a quilter.

The next best thing that happened to me was learning to quilt in 1985. It was something that gave me confidence, so much confidence that I started lecturing to guilds. Now I had to speak in front of very large groups! It was hard for me at first. However, it seems that when I started talking about quilting, I didn't feel shy anymore and people actually enjoyed listening to me! I had a woman come up to me recently after speaking to a guild for the second time. Their guild was one of the first ones that I lectured to when I first started about 10 years ago. She told me that I had really "blossomed". That the first time I spoke I was so meek and shy and that I had come out of my shell and was more confident.

So what does this have to do with me not being able to say no? As I get older I am beginning to realize that I don't know how to relax. My husband is great at that. I have to be constantly busy doing something. Whether it is quilting, working on the computer or playing a game (on the computer). I can't seem to just sit and do nothing. I have trouble watching T.V. with my husband, not only because he is a constant channel changer, but because I find it boring. Even when I am sitting watching T.V. I am thinking of quilting; what I should be doing or what new ideas I can come up with. So when a company says that they want me to design a quilt, I can't say no. I guess I feel if I start saying no, I won't get another chance or they won't ask me again. So the pressure I feel is self-inflicted! Maybe some day I will learn to relax!

Now some quilting news. My Treasures of the

East pattern is finally up on Hoffman's website. http://www.hoffmanfabrics.com/EDocs/Site10/Treasures%20of%20the%20East%20pattern.pdf. Two other quilts are also posted, Nouveau Riche and A Spash of Color. The templates to make the Treasures and Nouveau blocks are for sale on my website. (Treasures is called Glorified nine-patch set.)

I also have another quilt published in

McCalls Quilting Holiday Issue 2009.

It's called Gingerbread Town and has a

wonderful fabric collection from

Clothworks called Peppermint Cottage.

The kit is available for sale on my website.

Everyday do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Fussy-cutting (not stack n cut)

2009-09-18T00:47:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the missing posts. Things get pretty hectic for me before Quilt Market and I have deadlines to meet. I thought I'd start by giving you a sneak preview of a couple of the blocks of a quilt that will be in McCalls Quilting magazine in the spring of next year. The fabric collection is Paula Nadelstern's Nuance by Benartex (http://www.benartex.com/). It is made with one of my favorite blocks, New York Beauty. Both the center quarter circle and the background fabrics are fussy-cut. For those that do not know what that term means, it is cutting a fabric in the same place for each similar section to create a kaleidoscope look. You can also get this from a popular technique called "Stack 'n Whack" but I like to use templates and a set of mirrors to plan what it will look like.

I prefer to fussy-cut the matching sections using templates instead of stack n cut because I am very particular about how the blocks should look. I don't like the randomness (if that is a word) of what you get when you stack the fabric. I use a set of mirrors by Marti Michell and my own acrylic templates to get the effect I want. Of course you can make your own set of templates with template plastic.

I like using fabrics that are symmetrical like this one because when I place the mirror on the center of the fabric pattern, I see exactly what effect I will get when I sew the sections together. Symmetrical means that if you draw a line down the center of a pattern, the left and right sides are exactly the same. The background fabric was a stripe so I had to cut a left and right orientation of the design to get the mirror effect. So, how do I get a perfect match each time? I've tried drawing registration marks on my templates but that didn't work for me.

There are a couple tricks. One reason most people do not like templates is because they never stay in place when you are trying to cut out the fabric. The first trick is to place some rolled up scotch tape on the back of the template. This holds onto the fabric well. Cut your first repeat with your rotary cutter. I use the 18mm size because it does not cut into areas that I might use for another block.

Now here is the second trick and the way each cut is a perfect replica of the original; leave the first cut on the template! Take the template with the fabric on it, find the next repeat, place the template and move it around the fabric until it disappears and is exactly on the original design. I check all the way around the template to check the edges. I continue doing this with the original cut until all of the repeats are cut out.

The background of the block was created from a stripe and I wanted to create a mirror image with the two sections (left and right) so after cutting out the first repeat, I had to turn the template upside down and cut the mirror image by matching the design on the back of the fabric to the front of the fabric. Because I cut the same place on all of the background pieces, I kept the left and right sections on the template, so I had a guide for both cuts, until all of my background pieces were cut.

If you have never tried fussy-cutting you should try this method. You can use it for squares, triangles, or eight point stars. If you really want to experiment, try other shapes. There are no rules. Once you try it you might get hooked on it like me. I specifically purchase fabrics so that I can see what kaleidoscope effects I can make.

For more information regarding choosing fabrics, making templates, and fussy-cutting along with 9 wonderful quilts, check out my book, St. Louis Stars, published by Kansas City Star Quilts, available on my website, http://www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com/. Templates and Marti Michell's mirrors for this block are also available.

Everyday, do what you love and love what you do. 'Til next time, Toby

Fabric choice for beginners or those who hate picking colors

2009-09-13T18:07:00.002-05:00

To continue with yesterday's theme about fabric selection, I thought I would talk about picking fabrics. This seems to be the most difficult thing for most beginner quilters (and even some veteran quilters) to do. Quilt kits are great for those not wanting to bother trying to pick colors (or for a quick project), but I think the thrill of making a quilt is to make it personal. I'm always flattered that quilters want to buy my kits, (which I have to admit is a good chunk of my income) and make a quilt that looks just like the original. But I think it is also important to be able to pick your own fabrics and colors to say that this quilt is "mine" and not just a replica of the pattern cover.

I have never taken any art classes or classes on colors theory. I just know what I like. I think that just like there are people that are tone deaf when it comes to music, there are quilters that are color blind. Not that they can't see the colors, it's that they can't see the slight variations in the tones of the colors. A person that is tone deaf can't hear the different music tones to know if someone is off-key. Their ears are not fine-tuned to hear the small differences in the musical notes. I took music lessons (piano, flute, and oboe) when I was in school and I knew when my instrument was off-key. Now I don't know if it was something I learned when playing or it was innate (I was born with it). With colors the effect is similar. There are slight variations in reds, blues, and yellows. Red is a wonderful example to show the different variations in color and the hardest to match. Some reds have more yellow, making them look orangish, some have more blue, making them look purplish. (The photo doesn't show that real well, so find some reds in your stash and look at them). These slight variations are hard to detect unless one has a sharp eye for color. If you have problems seeing that, rely on a good friend or your local quilt shop employee to help with it. Maybe from working with customers and expanding my color choices I have developed the skill or maybe I was born with it, who knows. But that is not important to you. We all have different skills and abilities and have to work with what we have.

How important is that ability? Well it depends on how particular you are. For most quilters if it matches close enough they are happy with it. You are making a quilt to please yourself or the person you are giving the quilt to. Because I do competition work, I want the colors to blend and work together perfectly. Those slight variations, to me, are blaring. But if it is pleasing to the eye to you, the maker, then you are the only one that matters. When I am teaching quilting I am asked if I'm happy with their results. More important is are "they" happy, not me. It is their quilt and they have to be pleased with the results.

So what should the average or beginner quilter do? My first suggestion is to start with a quilt pattern with no more than five or six fabrics. The more fabrics you have to pick the harder it is. Begin with a print that you love. The more colors in the print the easier it is to find fabrics to match. Remember yesterday when I said I was so proud to pick light, medium and dark prints that went together; I still pick fabrics based on that principal. After picking your print, start with the lightest and darkest colors in the print.

After that, pick two or three contrasting colors in the print. Fabric companies purposely make collections to make this selection easier because they are purposely made to go together. This is a skill that anyone can pick up. Some quilters are so afraid of picking colors they freeze up and feel that they can't do it. If you start simple it gets easier each time. So next time you are shopping for your next quilt project, take that first step. you might surprise yourself!

Just an aside: Feel free to share my tips with your friends but be sure to mention where you read it and tell them about my website and blog. It would be greatly appreciated. No images may be copied from my blog.

Everyday do what you love and love what you do. 'Til tomorrow, Toby

What ispires me

2009-09-12T19:02:00.002-05:00

I'm always asked, "Where do you get your ideas for your quilts". When I first started quilting, I was just like most quilters; I would get a pattern, find the fabrics (had to have a light, medium and dark) and make the quilt. My first quilts all had to match my decorating colors. I was so proud that I could pick the fabrics! Can you see something in common about the quilts and figure out the colors on my home? This was the color dejour for the mid 80s.

As my children got older and didn't need my constant supervision, I started working in a quilt shop (in 1995) and teaching quilting classes. As I started gathering fabrics for customers I began to see colors in a whole new way. I expanded my color palette and experimented with putting fabrics together not with my home colors in mind, but with colors that I liked working with. My quilts no longer had to match my home.

I wanted to challenge myself and started entering contests. I was intrigued with miniature quilts and subscribed to Miniature Quilts Magazine. (These quilts I actually finished since I could quilt them easily on my sewing machine!) They had a yearly contest, Quilts from the Heart. I had just finished designing and working with a bed size quilt for the band's mom group raffle quilt for my son's high school band, so I decided to miniaturize it, donated it to the band dinner's silent auction and enter it into the contest. I was so surprized when I received a letter from the magazine tellng me that they wanted to publish it. I was even more surprized to see it on the cover! Mine is the red, white and blue one. (The person that won it in the auction would not sell it back to me so I don't have that quilt.)

The biggest revelation about fabrics and design for me was when I started entering the Hoffman Challenge in 1996. I realized that by starting with a fabric or collection of fabrics, I could design my own quilts to show off the fabric's designs. After winning a second place prize in the 1997 challenge I was spurred on to create and enter more contests! As I entered more contests and won more awards, in 2001 I decide to contact fabric companies about designing for their new fabric lines. P&B Textiles was the first company to take me on as a designer. Now I currently work with P&B, Timeless Treasures, Hoffman, Benartex, and RJR as a commissioned designer.

So to answer the question as to what inspires me to design a quilt.... I find that the fabric lines "talk to me" on what kind of quilt design best enhances their theme or colors. If it is a specific theme, such as Americana or Oriental, I would use a block or blocks that reflect that theme. Some fabrics scream "curved block", some "simple block" (well they don't really scream just a voice in my head). No, I'm not crazy, I don't hear voices! It's just my brain is always on design mode. I will lie in bed at night trying to think of the best way to work with a fabric group and get up in the morning with the idea clear or at least clearer. I encourage everyone to try that at least once. Even if it is looking at a fabric group and finding a pattern to go with it, instead of visa versa, you are thinking in a different way. For more about me and what inspires me take a look at my recent interviews http://resources.quiltwoman.com/blog/ and http://www.electricquilt.com/users/news/2009/2009_03_3.asp .

Everyday do what you love and love what you do. 'Til tomorrow, Toby

What motivates me

2009-09-11T13:41:00.000-05:00

I am a procrastinator by nature. I have always been like that. It's not that I don't want to do the task (except when it comes to house cleaning) it's just that I have to have a motivation to do it. (Like company coming over so I have to dust!) Most people do not work well under pressure, but pressure is a wonderful motivator. If someone gives me a project to do and says "Get to it when you have a chance", there is a good chance that I will not get to it very quickly. However, if they tell me I need it by such and such a date, then I know I have to get it done by then. Now that doesn't mean that I may start on it right away.

When I was in college and the professor would give us a project to write, I would wait until a couple weeks (or days) before it was due to start writing. The stressors of needing it to be done quickly was what motivated me not only to get it done but also got my "creative juices" flowing. I can't explain why that happens but it always worked for me. I am the same way when working on a challenge or designing a quilt. The closer it gets to the deadline the more creative I get. My husband is just the opposite. When he had to write a paper, he would get it done way before it was due. He can't understand why I procrastinate. The problem I had when I did that, was that each time I would proof the paper, I would find a different way to write it and would keep rewriting it. I was never satisfied with it. If I waited until later, then I had to finally say enough!

I retired from education after 25 years of working in Special Education in 2007. The last few years I was working, I was doing two jobs, my education job and my quilting job. I would come home from work, eat dinner and then start sewing, writing patterns, or designing. I knew I had only a few hours to get my quilting jobs done since I had to work 8 hours a day in school. I seemed to get both jobs done (with not too much sleep). Now that I am retired, I don't seem to get as much done. I have difficulty focusing on doing one task at a time; I get easily distracted. That is my biggest problem with working from home. There are so many things that I can be doing besides the current project.

I think people are born with different inner "mechanisms" (for lack of a better word). Some are very organized and other aren't. Some are night people and some morning. Some are procrastinators and others are not. I have tried different ways to get myself organized, reading books, advice from people, but never seem to pick up those skills. I just don't think it is in my nature. Maybe I don't have the motivation to change. Whatever it is, I have resigned myself to the fact that that is the way I am. I still get things done. I could write myself a schedule and try to keep it but chances are I will do it for a few days and then go back to my old ways (or lose the schedule)! So, take a good look at yourself, embrace the way you are. Don't let other people tell you that you should be such and such when it isn't part of you!

Now to my latest project. I finished the top of the Hoffman quilt I was working on. I was unable take a picture of it with the borders, but I did photo the pieced top. The block is Rob Peter to Pay Paul. I use templates by John Flynn to make the quilt (which I sell on my website). I had to take time off to write a couple patterns so I did not get a chance to quilt it. It is being sent off to Hoffman today so they can quilt it for a trade show in Las Vegas next week. The fabric collection is called Treasures from the East. It is a beautiful collection of colors. As soon as the pattern is posted on Hoffman's website, I will let you know.

Well, on to my next project; working with Paula Nadelstern's new collection, Nuance for McCalls Quilting. I'll post my progress as I get it done. Take time to look at the collection on Benartex's website http://www.benartex.com.

Everyday do what you love and love what you do. 'Til tomorrow, Toby

No post today

2009-09-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys. Due to deadlines, I will not be able to post today. I have to work, work, work (and I'm suppose to be retired!) Come back in a couple days and I will have lots to show and tell.

Everyday do what you love and love what you do. 'Til next time, Toby

A Scant Quarter Inch?

2009-09-09T09:04:00.005-05:00

I love teaching beginning quilters. They don't have time to develop bad habits yet! Even when I am teaching more experienced quilters one of the first questions I ask is "Does anyone know what a scant quarter inch is?" Being in a guild, I know when many member participate in the optional block or raffle quilt, where everyone is making the same block, they all come out different sizes! Why is that? Because everyone's definition of a scant quarter inch seam allowance is different. No one can tell me what it is. I think it is a mysterious number. Many books define it as one or two thread widths from 1/4". One or two? What kind of thread? Some threads are heavier than others. Can you see the dilemma?

I've taken many workshops from national teachers. Even though I teach, it is always good to see how other people teach to find better (or other) ways to do something. I'm not so stuck in my ways to say my way is the only way. I have my degree in Special Education and I have taught children who use different methods of learning; visual, auditory, tactile (touch) and kinesthetic (movement). Most quilters are visual learners and learn from observation. I learn things through a combination of visual, tactile, and kinesthetic. I can see a technique demonstrated, but until I touch it and do it, it isn't really stuck in my head. I admit that I am a terrible listener, not that I don't listen to people when they are talking, but I do not remember the information as well as when I am doing something with my hands. For example, if someone gives me directions to their house, I need to write it down (kinesthetic) and look at a map (visual). Once I drive there, I usually remember how to get there. Now if my husband does the driving, I may not remember. In that instance I was just an observer, not the doer.

Let's get back to why I brought up taking workshops from national teachers. The first time I learned a good method for getting a consistent quarter inch seam was from a class by Sharon Craig. She uses Dr. Scholl's Molefoam Pads to get a consistent seam. She recommended that you put your needle in the furthest right position that your machine will allow, measure 1/4" from the needle and place a small piece of molefoam next to the ruler. Before I took her class, I had been fighting with my quilting foot because I was concentrating too much on whether the edge of the fabric was under the foot, just outside of the foot or where it was. With this tool I was able to see the edge of the fabric and it was always touching the molefoam. I could relax and just sew, always knowing that my seam would be the same each time.

There is another reason that I do not like that 1/4" quilting foot. Many of the newer sewing machines have very wide feed dogs (those teeth under your sewing foot) and the quilting foot did not cover both feed dogs. I always felt that my fabric was not being fed evenly without the fabric touching both feed dogs. This is why I like to use my regular sewing foot with the molefoam.

The next teacher I learned about the 1/4" seam allowance from was Sally Collins. You know, that quilter who makes prize winning miniature quilts that are perfect! Her work is amazing! I purchased her video "Sally Collins Teaches You Precision Piecing" and was lucky enough to take a three-day workshop from her. She discussed an "accurate" quarter inch. Now if everyone made an accurate quarter inch wouldn't you think they would all be the same? She uses a ruler by Collins called Machine Seam Gauge (which I sell on my website). It has little holes in it, that you can stick your needle in, to measure the 1/4". So, I combined Sharon Craig's technique with the needle-right and molefoam and Sally Collins technique with the ruler and voila....a perfect 1/4" each time! Consistency is the key.

Well, got to work on writing a pattern for the quilt I'm making. Tomorrow I will discuss another topic on accuracy.

Just a little self-promotion...I am celebrating my first anniversary on my website www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com all this month. Become a Facebook fan (link on my website) and get $5 off any purchase over $24, all this week, until Sept. 14. That is $5 off my new book St. Louis Stars. If you make a purchase, send me a message on my "Contact me" page with the words "Facebook fan". You will get a $5 refund on your purchase. Please spread the word to all of your friends to join my blog and become a facebook fan. Fans will be privey to special sales and promotions.

Everday do what you love and love what you do. 'Til tomorrow, Toby

The right tool for the right job.

2009-09-08T12:46:00.002-05:00

My father does woodworking for a hobby and taught me that you should always use the right tool for the right job. I believe that not all quilting tools are equal. For instance, the term "silk pins". What does that mean?

If you have been sewing for a long time you probably have some very old pins. When quilters bring those to class, to pin their delicate cotton fabrics, I pass around the pins that I use for quilting to demonstrate the difference between them (I call theirs "nails"). There is a definite "feelable" (if that is a word) difference. Silk pins is a term used for a lot of different pins. They come in different lengths and widths. I always recommend that if the pin label does not tell you what size they are (specifically the width), do not get them. It is important to get pins that are 0.5mm or less. Sally Collins recommends a 0.4mm pin which slides through even the tightest weave batik like butter. I carry both of these type of pins on my website http://www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com/. Without these fine pins I wouldn't be able to do some of the pinning techniques that I do when piecing.

I promised I would show my unique pinning technique for piecing curves. I hope that the photos show up better than yesterdays. I am trying to learn the ins and outs of blogging and adding photos is one of those learning curves. If I can get someone (maybe my DH) to video me sewing, I will try to put in a video of sewing the curve in a few days.

The most important thing about sewing curves, in my opinion, is that the concave (inny) curve is on top and convex (outy) curve on bottom when sewing. The concave curve is the one that is more manipulable. The larger curves you do not have to clip, but as the curve gets smaller you will need to make small clips closer together. Rob Peter to Pay Paul block is a large smooth curve that is easily manipulated.

The first step is to find the center of both sections. I do this by folding each one in half, one wrong sides together and the other right sides together and making a small crease on them. I tried using pins for a long time but always got frustrated trying to get the pins on top of each other. The creases fit into each other and make it easier to match. Here is the first pinning trick.....Weave the pin to hold the two layers together in the center.

I repeat this on the beginning and end of the seam also. The problem most people have sewing curves is, that in the beginning and end of sewing, the edges tend to pull apart. By weaving the pin in and out (just like sewing) it holds the edges together better.

Now here is the second pinning trick....At the end of the seam, weave a fourth pin along the seam line (parallel to it) next to the raw edges. The two pins at the end form a "T". This pin is used to help hold the final sewing edge together and slowly gets pulled out as you get closer to the end. I leave the other pin in to help guide the edge to stay at my exact 1/4" seam allowance. (That will be tomorrow's tip of the day.)

Well, again, got to get back to my quilting. I will show you a photo of the Hoffman quilt tomorrow, hopefully almost done and will give you a tip for getting a perfect 1/4" seam allowance everytime.

Everyday do what you love and love what you do, 'Til tomorrow, Toby

I love my job!

2009-09-07T09:49:00.000-05:00

I have the greatest job in the world! I get to see new fabrics before the general public and design great quilts with them! I am working on a couple new collections from Hoffman that are so fantastic (but aren't they all), I wanted to give you a sneak peak at the collection and the quilt that I am currently working on. The first one is called Treasures from the East. The block I am using is Rob Peter to Pay Paul.

I love designing quilts with curves. They add so much movement to a quilt. When I am teaching a class many of the quilters tell me they are afraid to sew curves. After much frustration myself in trying to keep the edges together when sewing, I have developed my own unique pinning method for perfect curves every time and I get so much satisfaction showing it to my students! After taking my class the quilters tell me that it wasn't as hard as they thought. I will post photos of this technique tomorrow.

I am the first quilter in my family. I do come from a long line of sewers. My grandfather was a tailor and my mother a home ec. teacher and seamstress. I started crafting at a young age, teaching myself to knit and crochet and then started sewing at 13. I made a lot of my own clothes. I took my first quilting class in 1985 from Jackie Robinson, who owned the local quilt shop in St. Louis, Missouri (before she became famous). My mother took the class with me. That summer I got hooked on quilting, but sadly to say, my mother didn't. I didn't start designing my own quilts until I worked in a quilt shop in 1995 and began entering contest. It was so exciting to see one of my quilts in print in Miniature Quilt Magazine and then winning a prize in the Hoffman Challenge! That spurred me on to design more.

Well, got to get back to sewing. I hope I whet your appetite to learn more about me and to see what I am working on. Please be sure to visit my website http://www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com/ to see my gallery of quilts and lots of wonderful products.

Everyday do what you love and love what you do. 'Til tomorrow, Toby

My first blog!

2009-09-06T13:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, I am going to attempt to start a blog. My name is Toby Lischko. I am a quilt designer, teacher, and addicted quilter. I started quilting in 1985 and got hooked after my first lesson. I have my own company Gateway Quilts & Stuff, that I started in 1998 and a website http://www.gatewayquiltsnstuff.com/ that I started a year ago. I am now celebrating my first anniversary. I also have a Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/wwwgatewayquiltsnstuffcom/115836661266?ref=ts. Please consider becoming my "fan". I will use my blog to keep you updated about what is going on with my quilting. My FB fan page will also contain things happening on my website.
I am currently working on a quilt for Hoffman fabrics for fall market with a wonderful fabric collection called Treasures from the East. It will be a free web pattern on their website. I will post the link of it as soon as it is on their website. When I get it done, I will post a photo of it.
Like most quilters, I have many projects going on at one time. As I get a hang of this blog thing (and time to work on it), I will start adding photos of my work. I hope you enjoy reading about my quilting adventures, which get better every day!