JUNE 2014

Due to 3 quilts+ finished by the end of May, June's been a month of regrouping for the Cactus Kilter Quilter. Okay, let's admit the truth. Procrastination and "Oh! A shiny ribbon." struck. 

This is why a monthly meeting is important for quilters. It's a time to set short term goals and share your quilts with the cheerleading squad. Every quilter is willing to celebrate your accomplishments and give hugs/suggestions for those tumbling blocks you encounter over the previous month.
 

CKQ didn't attend June's meeting, she thought two graduations in Minnesota was a bit more important; and thus, her monthly encouragement shot wasn't received. Some quilter asked how CKQ was able to produce the quilts in April and May. CKQ wrote a piece about motivation, goals, and conflicts, but it's buried somewhere in the vaults of her computer. (Just so you know, this CKQ also writes romance novels so she's well aware of characters needing goals, motivations to achieve their goals, and a great story always needs conflict to thwart the characters from achieving their goals.)
 

CKQ's inner conflict has been and will always be procrastination. Take this monthly blog for instance. CKQ thought about it and even wrote some notes about the June blog. But you'll notice, June's gone. Even the self-imposed ticking clock (having the blog written and sent to the quilting webmistress by the 15th of the month) didn't motivate CKQ to finishing the article. Nope, not even the PWQ's president.
 

Wait!

PWQ president did motivate me! Here's what I wrote to her:
She asked, "Is there going to be a blog post for June?"

What can I say ..... no.

Somehow June turned into 1 day and now it's July. I did thought about writing a blog about motivation or procrastination. I even have something started ... never finished it.
I'm planning on attending the meeting on Monday. Alas, I'll begin anew...

Next thing CKQ knew, a blog was written. Dang these tricky mentors. Even when the heroine tries to refuse The Call to Adventure, a mentor says or does something to light a fire....
 

Now before you say, "I didn't know you wrote romances. What have you published?" I'll say, I write but nothing's finished. Therefore, there's nothing for you to read. I know. I know. People are waiting to read my books. Me too!
 

Oh! That's a pretty quilt!
 

Currently, I have a couple quilts on the cutting board and a Challenge quilt in pieces. How's your Challenge quilt coming along? Did I mention shiny objects?
 

So I'll see a few of you at Monday's meeting and maybe this CKQ will take her encouragement shot to get herself back in a producing mode...

Wagon wheel hit a prairie dog hole and the axle's bent,
Cactus Kilter Quilter

MAY, 2014

The earth is waking up slowly from its long winter of rest. Meanwhile, the Pueblo West Quilters have been active. Very active. Mari Pretzer’s Mystery Quilt Retreat produced over two dozen quilts in all stages of development. Check out the Sew N Share pictures for a limited group showing. Can you believe all the variations of the pattern?

Have you been reading the Minutes? Helen’s been challenging us monthly to read them by giving away a $100,000 bar. That’s right, a 100 Grand candy bar! Only one winner/month so read the minutes and the treasurer’s reports to keep yourself informed. CKQ whispered to me that she’s going to win next month. We’ll see…

CKQ thinks this is the year of the challenges. What do you think? I think this is the year of fun, fun, FUN!!!

Did you love the Relay for Life quilt? Or the Alzheimer’s quilts? Check them out in the pix. If you’re wanting to participate for a chance to win the Relay for Life quilt, get your tickets before  the midnight drawing on May 31^st. Email pwquiltersguild@gmail.com for information.

(Warning: Time for a shower cause CKQ is on a soap-box… or is it time for an hour of unwinding in front of the TV?) Pueblo West Quilters are not just quilters. We’re active members of this community and beyond. Our quilt-making skills produce quilts for those in need, for comfort and love. Our quilts raise monies to further research and awareness. The quilts help pay salaries for the scientists and doctors who are tracking down and eradicating those atrocious cells. It’s not that all bad cells are bad, it’s that they carry a multiplying device in them that causes them to reproduce exponentially, crowding and suffocating the good cells. There’s a Great War going inside our bodies and we’re fighting until we win. Quilts have been a voice for millions of women throughout time and there’s plenty of Cactus Kilter Quilters in the Pueblo West Quilters Guild who aren’t afraid of raising up their needles. (This soap-box was brought to you by the ACME anvil company. Beep. Beep.)

May’s Program was “Gag, Gasp, Guffaw” quilt show where members brought their ugliest quilt or their first quilt to showcase how far we’ve come since those beginning learning curves. Let’s just say that the evening was sooo inspirational that the CKQ photographer was overwhelmed and stood in awe, several times before she realized photos were not taken. A case of you had to be there.

Giggles, gasps, and Oh Mys! echoed the room as CKQs pulled out their shades to hide their shocked, frozen faces.

In some cases, eyeballs were falling out of their sockets and bouncing out the door while the lips were hopping after them exclaiming, “My eyes! My eyes!”

Prizes? Oh yeah, a bunch of them. Gems one and all. But the truly amazing quilts received ribbons.

Best in Show: Lisa Mollenhauer’s ladies are sedately gliding over her quilt.

Ugly Winner: Donna Ford-Ferrell’s mauves and mint green quilt is presiding on her bed today.

Nice Try: Helen Cherry’s black and white quilt is twisting in knots. (Psst! Some of them are unravelling.)

The Block of the Month is the Four Patch Slice. 10.5” x 10.5” unfinished scrappy block. Four 5” squares and one 3” x 15” white or white-on-white strip. (Hint: at least 15”.)

http://www.inspiringcreationsblog.com/2013/11/4-patch-slice-free-quilt-pattern-and.html  Yes, PWQ did this block in the past but by popular demand, it’s back so whip up a few scrappy blocks for your chance to take home a quilt-in-the-making.

Becky Panariso gave us the last set of instructions for PWQ’s 2014 Mystery Quilt Challenge.

Take the large triangle rectangle and lay them at ninety degrees, creating a rotating pinwheel effect with the large triangles. Take two rectangle of Large Contrast Color 1 and lay them on opposite sides/diagonals of the whirling flying geese. Repeat with of Large Contrast Color 2. Sew rectangles together to create a large block.

Repeat these steps for the final blocks exactly. When you assemble your top, a secondary whirlwind pattern will be formed from the Large Contrast Color rectangles. See the photos at https://www.facebook.com/pueblowest.quilters?fref=ts or https://pueblowestquiltersguild.shutterfly.com/ for Becky’s examples. Make identical blocks to avoid the Vomit Comet Syndrome. Just saying…

Now, we’re all alone.

Alone to figure out which direction the blocks need to rotate.

Alone to select the borders.

Alone.

Alone.

Alone.

How are we ever going to take out the mystery and create quilts by November’s meeting? How?

Hah! Quilters are never alone! We talk to each other. We share our problems until viable solutions appear for the quilter.

Mystery? That’s history.

You need feedback or a sounding board? Cactus Kilter Quilters to the rescue. CKQs are always ready to help. You might be the CKQ another quilter needs so step up and help. You might be the CKQ in need of help, so step up and shout out your troubles. Together we’ll nibble away that daunting elephant quilt and stitch by stitch we’ll have a fabulous showing in November.

You saw what happened with Mari’s Mystery Quilts at the meeting. Imagine what’s going to happen over the next six months! CKQ can see it now … the place is packed. Grumblings because the Board needs to keep the members informed: 2015 Board announced, Holiday party final details, End-of-the-Year wrap-ups, etc… It’s got to be done. Sew N Share, drawings, final LUV quilts and pillowcases tallied to bring the count up, … Oh my. Will we ever get to the program?

And then it happens. The 2014 Pueblo West Quilters’ Quilt Challenge Program.

Quilt after quilt after quilt is shown and talked about. Oh the glorious colors!

“Did you see how she set those blocks together?”

“I would have never thought of that.”

“I should have brought my camera.”

 “Don’t you have one on your phone?”

“Crap. I forgot. I really need to learn how to use it.”

“Ohhhhh.” and “Ahhhhh.”

Applauses and encores.

Yep. It’s going to be … wait for it… legendary.

Whipping the Binding into Place & Labelling it done,

Cactus Kilter Quilter

pwquiltersguild@gmail.com

APRIL 2014

NEVER say no when receiving someone’s sewing stash – take what your want and pass it on!

Scrap quilts only breed more scraps.

Cactus Kilter Quilter got tipsy at the Pueblo West Quilters’ April meeting. CKQ still hasn’t recovered and doesn’t plan to. She loves being tipsy. Read further to see why…

The perfect companion beside your sewing machine is a pair of tweezers.

Change your needle OFTEN.

April Block of the Month is the Star of Stripes block. Sandy Strickland decided we need to remember the past by sewing Y-seams and this block is full of them! Also, she requested using the 1930’s prints. You know, small printed fabrics, generally with white in them.

On a solid white background, the chevron star will be made of red, yellow, and blue strips.

Finding a tutorial was a challenge. Cactus Kilter Quilter had to go back to the 1930’s to … well, no. but it felt like it until CKQ reminded me to break down the pattern. It’s an 8-pointed star block, with stripes. Here’s a picture of the block but the blue and red stripes are reversed. The picture shows the spinning going counter-clockwise and Sandy’s pattern has it going clockwise.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqtFMQkCmtdIfeKEuYNZ-ONKDDFv_1S8fju7XtC6E9W6IDD6XXQxGoGLhnroPtsD0SmbET8JmDX7fXIf8Wq6ZDpHQb2LSQv2S7Sf50qcwmx0idov4HB5pdjM-PU8bgkg4PmQbi3SUOSI/s1600/Striped+8-pointed+Star.JPG

Hold on. I’ll see if I can track down the directions… talk amongst yourselves until I get back …

It’s taking longer than I imagined so here’s a link to making an 8-pointed star with Y-seams. Did I mention this tutorial is for hand-piecing left-handers?

http://sentimentalstitches.net/instructions/hand-piecing/sewing-y-seams-eight-point-star-quilt-block/ 

Need:

4: 4.75” x 4.75” solid white fabric

2: 5.25” x 5.25” solid white fabric, then cut on the diagonal to make triangles for a total of 4 triangles from the 2 squares.

From the Blue, Yellow, and Red 1930’s fabrics, cut one 1.5” x 42” (WOF) strip for each color. Sew the strips together => 3.5” x 42”.

Cut into eight pieces using a 45 degree angle, 4.75” long. Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds. A CKQ’s best friend!

Use the links above to assemble the star.

This makes a 15” x 15” finished block so the quilt assembly will be fast! Not the block. Pesty Y-seams. But the block will have large seamless, negative spaces for quilting.

Rulers with thin lines have better accurate measurements than rulers with thick lines. Just saying

For a quick baby quilt, use the pages of a baby’s cloth book for the squares. Use a contrasting fabric sashing to unify the blocks.

Mystery Quilt Challenge, Part 3

Back by demanding CKQs, Becky gave us the next set of instructions. (See the attachment from the President’s newsletter for continuing instructions.)

Version 1:

http://quiltinggallery.com/2014/01/20/ds-qal-creating-triangle-and-flying-geese-units/

Note that this is for a regular flying geese block. Becky had us using the half-triangle squares for the purple squares (dark triangle pointing inward.) to create two triangles in the corners.

Version 2:

Half-square Triangle Picture (Just in case you forgot last month’s instructions.)

http://quilting.about.com/od/Mystery-Quilts/ss/2014-New-Years-Day-Mystery-Quilt-Pattern_3.htm

Flying Geese Assembly Pictures

http://quilting.about.com/od/Mystery-Quilts/ss/2014-New-Years-Day-Mystery-Quilt-Pattern_5.htm

http://quilting.about.com/od/Mystery-Quilts/ss/2014-New-Years-Day-Mystery-Quilt-Pattern_6.htm

Caveat: Instead of using the gold batik fabric, replace with your half-square triangles, with the dark triangle pointing toward the center.

Trim to 3.25” x 6” rectangles.

Becky explained an easy way to trim the sides. Align the ruler at the 3” line with the center of the rectangle (This line bisects the large flying goose tip.)  

To trim the top by aligning the 3” center line and pulling the ruler down until the .25” line intersects at the goose’s tip.

Now for the very, very important tip of the month….

Don’t get confused with aligning the ruler at the 3” mark for the tip with it being the same measurement as the width.

The final split-flying geese rectangle size is 3.25” x 6”.

After you’ve align your ruler’s .25” with the large goose point and cut the first (top) edge; for the last step, be sure to measure 3.25” from the top edge and NOT 3”, when cutting the parallel bottom edge.

3.25” x 6” is your dimensions, not 3”x6”. Ask me how I know this. Just ask me.

And yes, it was in the morning, before work, so I was awake. The Cactus Kilter Quilter kept whispering Cut it, cut it, cut it. So I did, even after double-checking my lines.

CKQ is still laughing.

CKQ has some possible ideas about what the quilt block’s going to look like. Have you? Can’t wait until next month for the conclusion of the Mystery Quilt’s Instructions.

Love broccoli? Use the blue rubber band as a gripper. Wrap it around your sewing machine wheel, wrap it around your finger as a needle grabber, or – CKQ shook her head – use it as a tourniquet when the blood gushes…

Speaking of gushing blood, when you get your blood drawn, ask for the band they use to wrap around your arm. That’s a gripper too.

The PWQ Board presented the program – have you guessed it? Tips. What tips do you use and love? The Board entertained us with their fast-paced, assembly-lined tips and provided paper to capture them. Fortunately, they gave us take-home pizza boxes filled with the tips. And M & Ms.

Set up a towel bar next to your sewing machine. Hang your cut strips over it to prevent wrinkles and it’s handy to pull off one strip at a time.

Guess what? PWQ will be hosting CSC, Colorado Quilting Council, in October 2015. All hands on the quilting frame and a few others. The more the merrier. We’ll entertain quilters from all over the state as well as neighboring quilters so finish up those UFQs for the greatest Sew N Share ever. You have 17 months. CKQ thinks a few of you can start from scratch and create and finish 5 quilts in this time. If we can’t share our masterpieces at S-N-S, maybe a display of them can fill the halls and room…. Up for the challenge?

Not into make-up? Use make-up brushes to remove lint from the bobbin case in your machine.

After blow drying your hair, use the blow dryer to remove heat-removing marks from your quilt.

A nod to the Mystery Quilt Retreaters … A Cactus Kilter Quilter or two popped up at the event to encourage the two dozen quilters. CKQ spoke about waxing their cheese, sneaking men into the dorm rooms, and used Tired Old Ass Soak to ease her tense back muscles.

CKQ spoke on the phone, I do my best work at night.

Overhearing, CKQ’s date said, I can hardly wait.

Oh yes. The following indulgence is for adults only.

Rum Chatas Shots

4 oz. Instant Cheesecake Pudding

¾ c. milk

¾ c. Rum Chatas

Mix together. Fold in

8 oz. Cool Whip

Fill shot containers (1 oz. plastic containers with lids).

Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top. Optional.

Freeze the shots.

Indulge.

Stop quilting for the day? Create a place marker with a contrasting fabric scrap attached to a safety pin and pin where you’ve stopped. Next quilting session, find the marker, remove it, and begin quilting.

Did you enjoy Pride City Quilt Guild’s Quilt show? Jean McDonald’s quilts were like having her life’s passion on display. CKQ took the time to read her plaques, learned about her life and what was happening in the world as Jean created these quilts. September 2001 is very poignant. History in the making on a personal level.

What about you? Have you taken the time to stroll through your quilts? I know – you haven’t had the opportunity to display all your quilts at one location. Or, you gave your quilts away as soon as the last stitch was knotted. Or, I don’t make showcase quilts. Or, --

Enough!

CKQ is speaking about something more personal. Have you documented your work? Taken photographs? Chronicled about what’s happening in the world during the quilt’s creation? Saved scraps, patterns, and notes in a shoebox? Anything to bring back memories?

This is important! Do it now. Do it as you live. People want to know. Can you imagine having bits and pieces of your life in a museum? CKQ bets neither did the belongings of others who had their lives exposed at the museums. So make your life count. Record it the best way you know how.

Place LED flashlights around your studio. Focused lighting brings forth illumination.

Tipping is optional.

Cactus Kilter Quilter

MARCH 2014

It’s mad, I tell you, mad!

March Madness got the Cactus Kilter Quilter antsy. Snow and cold one day, sniffles and sneezing the pollen the next day.  Allergy season is poking its head up through the ground and CKQ wondered how can she contain all this snot?

Got scraps?

Turn them into fancy hankies. Or handkerchiefs if you have big scraps. Oh man, the CKQ is turning green! Eco-green! Sheesh! What were you thinking?

Snow day equates to Quilt Day.

Sniffles and Sneezing Day equates to Quilt Day with the new fancy hankies.

After all that snow, wind, and sneezing, the Cactus Kilter Quilter needs down time. What better time than to be one with her quilts? Whether you’re making them or snuggling under them, quilts provide wrap-around hugs whenever you need a hug.

March’s BOM is the Windmill Block.

 Imagine that! A windmill pattern for a windy month. It took CKQ a couple weeks to figure out that pun by Alta Swaine. She’s so clever. Here’s the website Alta discovered for us but notice she altered the dimensions for easier cutting and alignments:

http://quilterscache.com/W/Windmill3Block.html

Change the dimensions:

Color 1 (small flower print):  4”x16” strip => into four 4”x4” squares.

Color 2 (pastel solid/tone-on-tone):  4”x16” strip => into four 4”x4” squares.

Trim to 12.5” x 12.5” unfinished blocks.

It’s mad, I tell you, mad!

Speaking about mad, how’s your Mystery Challenge Quilt coming? Have you selected your fabric palette and cut out your pieces? Are you vomiting over your selections yet? The Cactus Kilter Quilter shook her head at my selections but I’m sticking to my palette. I know it’ll work. Trust me. (CKQ is breathing into a brown paper bag. I wonder if she’s ok…)

Becky Panariso stopped by to calm the March Madness. Several quilters brought their fabric selections for advice and the rest of us got Ah-Ha moments.

Mystery Challenge Quilt’s Second Step:

Take the 6”x6” small contrast squares and stitch the perimeter with a quarter inch seam allowance. Cut both diagonals (Do not move the square when cutting.) and press the seam allowance toward the darker fabric. Be careful when pressing since the edges are biased. No, they don’t express their opinions or are they prejudice. They just like to stretch, wiggle and warp so if you have spray starch available, it’ll keep those edges aligned and in formation. (It is March after all.)

Ah Ha! Detective Cactus Kilter Quilter figured out the Mystery Quilt Challenge is using triangles. Now if she can only figure out how the seven inch squares will fit with the three and six inch pieces…

Reversed Stitching comes to those whose mistakes will show …

Patty Dunnington ripped up a storm at the meeting with her quilting tip. She must be a quilting/sewing gadget collector because she had a lot of seam rippers. Cactus Kilter Quilter tried to sneak into her tin of rippers to obtain the favorite one, a battery-operated ….

Dirty minds, go get another cup of coffee.

Anywhoooo, Patty demonstrated using a mustache trimmer to reverse stitch. Several CKQs salivated over that device.

BIG, big news…

Jean McDonald is the featured quilter at the Pride City Quilt Show held in conjunction with Quilt & Stitch Expo of Pueblo on April 4^th and 5^th. Pop over to the Pueblo Heritage Museum to see her quilts as well as quilts from southern Colorado. It’s always inspiring and motivating. But leave your hands in your pockets. The urge to touch is great. Resist. And if you see a Cactus Kilter Quilter touching any of the quilts, contact a docent because if fifty people scold CKQ, she might get angry and pull a quilt off the wall to seek comfort. And if CKQ doesn’t have one of those new-fangled items – the scrappy hanky – she might get snot all over the quilt and well, let’s just avoid all that emotion by keeping our hands in our pockets. Okay?

Fusion Quilt Blocks Program

Cyndi McChesney gave a program on Fusion Quilt Blocks. Cactus Kilter Quilter thought she was going to demo using fusible webbing to create the blocks. All right! No sewing!!! It pays to read and listen because fusion is different than fusible.

Will the real fusion quilt block please stand up?

Fusion is when two quilt blocks collide at a very high speed and join to form a new block. It’s a block within a block, beside a block, or overlapping a block. The samples Cyndi showed are awe-inspiring. She broke down the quilts into bite-size pieces and explained it’s all about the blank space and balancing it with another pattern or partial pattern.

Community Sharing

A couple community gifting projects to showcase your talents are coming up. The annual Community Baby Shower hosted by the CSU-Pueblo Nursing Program will be held in May. Quilts, baby items, and pamper-the-Mom items will be collected at the May meeting to help Moms-to-be bring comfort for their little ones.

  The Alzheimer’s Association Art Auction will be held the end of May. This year, if you want, an offer to display the quilt that depicts the painting an Alzheimer Artist painted at the Quilt & Stitch Expo of Pueblo. This would give the Memories in the Making event more public exposure. Alzheimer’s is more than memory-forgetting, it’s a debilitating disease that destroys a person from the inside out.

Both of these community projects as well as PWQ’s on-going LUV quilts and pillowcase projects are a small way PWQ wraps the community in their quilts of love. If you have time, please contribute, this year and in future years.

The winds have kept the quilters cabin-bound by having the tumbleweeds blockade us in our homes. Only the brave ventures out in desperation for more fabric and threads. Let’s face it, our stashes are rapidly decreasing because of the snows, winds, and tumbleweeds.

Alert! Alert! Breaking News just in…

CKQ received information that the tumbleweeds are heading your way. Again! So stock up on your essentials and don’t forget to batten down the hatches. What do you mean, prepare for trouble?!!

Sorry, typo. CKQ meant get stock up on batting so you can finish your quilts.

It’s mad, I tell you, mad!

Quilting under the Attacking Tumbleweeds,

The Scratched Cactus Kilter Quilter