March Madness

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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