“Life is a journey, not the
destination.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
To
paraphrase,
Quilting is a journey, and the destination.
Think
about it. Quilters love the quilting process: designing, selecting fabrics,
cutting and piecing, the assembled top, sandwiching the layers, quilting,
labeling, binding, and snuggling under the finished quilt. Some steps are more
appealing than other steps but quilters make quilts.
If this
is true, why are there so many unfinished quilts stashed under beds, in
closets, or in basements and attics? Could it be because quilters had
difficulties with the pattern, fabric selections, or quilting? Is the top made
but the quilting is daunting? Or what if there’s a wrong fabric choice that’s glaring when the pieces were put
together? Maybe pieces were cut too short and there isn’t enough fabric to have
a do-over and by now the store isn’t carrying that fabric. Oh the answers of
why there’s UFQs are endless.
Cactus
Kilter Quilter gives you permission to repurpose that UFQ into tote bags, mini
quilts, LUV quilts, jackets, vests, or any other finished quilted project
inspires you.
OR,
Cactus
Kilter Quilter gives you permission to remove the UFQ from your home. Yes. All
the pieces you want to get rid of. You can donate the UFQs to the Pueblo West
Quilters or you can …
GASP!!!
Throw it
away.
That’s
right, you read correctly. Toss the pieces with glee. Liberate yourself from
the reasons why you don’t want to finish this particular UFQ and work on the
quilting project you want to finish.
Life is
too short to be worried about the could
haves, should haves, and would haves.
Quilting
is your relaxation sport. Enjoy every moment. Come to the meeting and show us
what you’ve finished. Put up the photographs on FaceBook. What you finish
inspires others.
CKQ is
inspired to create a Labyrinth quilts because she saw another quilter create
one for her grandson. Out of camouflage fabrics!
Of
course CKQ can’t copy; and, of course, she had to use a stripe fabric …. Do you
know how difficult it is to change the pattern to accommodate a stripe?!!!
Matching the stripes is fine, sort of, but the recalculations to accommodate
the width??? Oh boy! Hence, Labyrinth 1 will take time; so in the meantime,
Labyrinth 2 is coming along nicely.
The meeting?
You want to know what happened at July’s Social? We ate ice cream. Oh and you
won’t believe this but quilts bring history alive! It’s true.
A couple
important things happened.
First,
the Board recommended that Lisa Mollenhaur, 2014 Board volunteer, become an
official Board member by creating a 2nd Vice President position. A
motion was made and passed.
Second,
The Board recommended that future Board members’ dues are waived for the year
they serve, contingent on available funds. This vote will occur at the August
meeting.
Did you
know the Pueblo County Fair was held? Did you know that several Pueblo West
Quilters walked away with several ribbons on their quilts? So if you’ve missed
this year’s opportunities, begin planning and executing for next year’s county
fair. You too, can join the merriment.
July’s Block of the Month is
the Dancing Mountains Quilt Block
Dimensions:
8.5” x 8.5” unfinished. (When squaring up, trim the large triangle to keep the
points on the half-square triangles.)
Color
choice: Use any colors that blend. This is going to be a scrappy quilt that’s
going to be popular so make a couple blocks or more to up your odds for winning
these blocks.
Pay attention. CKQ is talking
about two different blocks.
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Steps for making the Delectable
Mountains block:
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Notice
that Dancing Mountains and Delectable Mountains are the same block except the
Dancing Mountains block has one less half-square triangle per side. Assembling
steps are similar. (CKQ couldn’t find Dancing Mountains anywhere except when
she’s pulling an all-nighter and those mountains tend to dance as the sun rays
hit them….)
For the Wounded Warrior Block:
Red
(Chocolate) 3: 3” x 3” squares
White (Tan
(Background)) 2: 3” x 3” squares; 1: 2.5” x 2.5” square; 1: 9.25” x 9.25”
square
Blue (Brown)
1 5.372” x 5.375” square
Make 4
Red/White half-square triangles. Cut 1 Red square on the diagonal. Cut the Blue
square on the diagonal and the 9.25” square on the diagonal. Assemble the block
as shown above.
Remember, there’s only 2 HS triangles + 1 triangle for the top
strip and 1 square + 2 HS triangles + 1 triangle for the left side strip.
For a
similar pattern presented at the meeting, check out Dancing Mountain Quilt,
made by Janice Graber, Freeman, SD and quilted by Monica Hofer, Freeman, SD
For a variation, here’s Four
Seasons: Autumn Trail quilt pattern by Lori Smith http://www.pinterest.com/pin/231653974558041199/
July’s
the time of the year when jams and jellies are preserved and set upon the
pantry shelves for those long winter days. Opening a jar of jam brings out the
sunny memories to nip Jack Frost on the nose. Let’s not forget making the
Chocolate Yule log during the holidays…
Turns
out PWQ also loves preserving … with Jelly Rolls! No, these rolls are not
edible. On July 19th PWQ will host a Sew Saturday at Pueblo West
Baptist Church and to keep quilters alert and race their sewing machines,
there’s going to be Jelly Roll Races! So bring your 2.5” strips and let the fun
begin!
Thunderstorms
got you down? Ruins your afternoon plans? Reverse your schedule and plan your
outings in the mornings and quilt in the afternoon. Remember to pack up those
UFQs….
Limbering
the toes,
Cactus
Kilter Quilter
