Crayon coloring from American Quilter

 Greetings from Mermaid Song Quilts!

A New Year's Wish!

I found this coloring technique a while ago and thought some of you might enjoy it. Something just for fun!

https://www.americanquilter.com/blog/crayola-color-tinting-technique/?trk_msg=VHIKL62E13T4F8IUAIFVFU162C&trk_contact=K0T5TC8MLTK6OJ7VBIKDGPST3K&trk_sid=GGLLNVUN6OA4ADAGJBUIU722G4&trk_link=51TTCN681RQKL74OBTQULUS3IO&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Watch+Now&utm_campaign=OnPoint&utm_content=OnPoint

The Bookcase Quilt class has met for the first time.  It’s designed so that you can join anytime and do as much as you like.  We’ve found some very cute fabrics and will have many successful completions, since you can even stop at only one shelf. It’s so nice to have a large room with a table for each person.  Scrap quilts take up a lot of space!

Wishing you a lovely 2023 with lots of fun fabric projects!

Love, Bunny

Notes on Machine Quilting Services

Good morning!  Here we are in the middle of many thunderstorms.  It rained yesterday, but none today, so far.

It’s been a long summer of large quilts and I’ve decided to limit the size I can accept!  I only have  a sit down quilting machine and the huge quilts are very heavy to manipulate. For longarm services, I can recommend Kim Hart (whose card I seem to have misplaced) in Otter Creek or Karol Kusmaul in the Inverness area (www.kquilt.com). They are both more expensive than I am, and Joe suggested that I raise my price for large quilts, but I truly don’t think I’m able to do my best quilting when the quilt is so heavy.

Here are the new parameters:

1. Quilts need to be no more than 94” on any side.

2. Backs need to be 6” wider and longer than the top measurement.  That gives me 3” on each side to work with.  Of course, you will get

    your scraps back if they are large than an inch or so!

3. Prices stay the same at $.015/square inch.  Tax is still 7%.

4. Batting is still $.0029/square inch. I use and sell Quilter’s Dream 100% cotton Request loft.  It’s the thinnest I can find. Their price has  gone up in the last year, but I can hold at the old price for now.

5. I’ve also held my thread prices at the old prices, even though Superior has raised their prices rather stunningly.  I ordered a supply before the change, so we’ll be fine for a while.

If you want to try your hand at quilting your own quilts, I highly recommend Lori Kennedy’s website. 

https://lorikennedyquilts.com

And here are some links to videos on how to quilt in sections or “quilt as you go”.  These methods make it quite possible to quilt your own quilts on your home machine.  I could probably be coerced into finishing some of your large quilts in that way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji8BLS2rNHA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeelhIA3qAY

I’m so far scheduled to teach Machine Quilt it Yourself on Your Own Machine at the Cedar Key Arts Center the first 2 Mondays in November.  We’ll do a little ruler work, but mostly free motion designs.  

Enjoy!

Love,

Bunny

Spring classes at last!

 Sewing Help Classes resume at the Cedar Key Arts Center resume on May 3, 2021!

It's been a long and worrisome, but often fun year here on Cedar Key.  I was so lucky that this was to be my sabbatical year, so I was prepared for lots of independent learning and project completing.  It worked!  I'm all caught up on graduation and wedding quilts and they are labeled and waiting for the events.

I also had a wonderful time continuing my adventures with fabric decoration.  This week I added fabric paint to one of my own creations!  It's so much fun that I wish it took longer!

I'd love to add a photo, but Google has made it difficult! If you want to be added to my mailing list so you can receive newsletters, email me at 

mermaidsongquilts@icloud.com.

You can email me to register for classes, too.

Thanks!  Happy Spring!

Bunny

Some Summer Fun!

July 3, 2020

Again, I will not be able to teach at the Cedar Key Arts Center in July. There is too much Covid-19 in Florida!  Actually, I have cancelled all in person classes through December.

 

Quilts are still being quilted for anyone who does not like to do them personally, and I am still available for phone, FaceTime and Zoom consultation. If you live close by, you can pick up thread, notion, and batting orders from my front stoop! Or I can meet you somewhere on the road.

 If anything changes, of course I will let you know, but I think we might as well plan on at home learning for the foreseeable future.  

In light of that, I will occasionally post some of the things I have found to do for fun and experience.  Maybe you would like to try, too!

This is "Dancing Ribbons", a free pattern and quilt-a-long from the American Quilter's Society blog.

http://aqsblog.com

It is paper pieced and I did sew through the paper, since the pieces are so small!  This is a 12" block! To join the sections I used thread instead of pins to match the points.  I found the method on David Sirota's website,

https://www.quiltmavendave.com

under Videos, "How to Match Perfect Points".  I really don't think his method takes any longer than pins, and it sure is less stressful, being more accurate.

Bethanne Nemesh's class at the online quilt show was wonderful.  They also had quilt galleries and vendors.  Their next online show will be August 12-15. You can sign up on their website 

https://www.quiltfest.com

to be notified of class lists and registration dates.  I signed up early and by that afternoon so many people were trying to access the website that it was shut down!  But they rectified the situation within a day and all went well.

It seems our new "Goodbye" is "Stay healthy", so I wish it for you!

Until next time...

Bunny

Take a look at this quilting star!

A Favorite Quilter...

Here's a link to one of my favorite quilters, 

Bethanne Nemesh

https://www.whitearborquilting.com

I've been wanting to take one of her classes, but we all know I don't travel! For the last couple of months, she's been teaching video classes on her FaceBook page (look up White Arbor Quilting) on Mondays. Her rulers are wonderful! And on Thursdays she has a nice watercolor project for those who like to adventure in paint.

But the really great news is that the Mancuso Organization, which hosts international quilt shows, is having an online quilt show at the end of this month! And Bethanne is teaching!! 

I'm already signed up for one of her classes and may take 2 or 3. I didn't want to be greedy and sign up for all 3 at once! Here's a link to that site:

https://www.quiltfest.com/upcoming-shows-and-events/online-quilt-festival/

Try out one of her FaceBook videos to see if you like it, then maybe you would like to take a class at the first

Online Quilt Festival!

I admit it! I'm really loving taking classes at home on the computer. I've started going through all the Bluprint classes I bought, some years ago, since we don't know how long they will be available.  More on that later!

Stay safe! Wear a mask! It's the new fashion accessory!

!

Hello, dear friends!

I've been asked if we will have sewing help classes in the summer of 2020, and the answer is...I just don't know!

June will be too soon for us to get together.  I am signed up for the Cedar Key Arts Center classroom for the first Mondays of July, August, and October and the third Monday of September, since the first Monday is Labor Day and the second Monday is scheduled to be a day for Katy Gerritt's sit and sew group (to which all are invited). Classes will be from 10:30-1:30 if we are able to meet.

But who knows if it will be safe to be in a group indoors?  We would need to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart. Is it even possible to teach someone from a distance of 6 feet?  I just don't know!

Please call to register a week or so ahead of the class and I will be able to tell you if I will be at the Arts Center.  In the meantime, FaceTime works well for video conferences and I have Zoom on my computer.  I expect I can figure it out!  Text messaged or emailed photos have been working well for getting questions answered. Sometimes a photo isn't necessary and a tested or spoken conversation works fine.

Here's hoping you are all well and happily finishing lots of UFOs!  I do know that I am!

Love,

Bunny

My new Favorite Face Mask Pattern!

With a few changes I used!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvMEJfwVlUs

Here’s what I did differently:

1. I used about a 10” circle for a paper pattern.  Cut it in quarters so I could line it with white. Cut 2 of lining, 2 of print.

2. Sew the curves on the print fabric. Press open.

3 Sew the curves on the lining.  Press open. If you want the filter pocket, sew the edges down first.  I’m using non-woven fusible interfacing, so I think I will ignore the filter pocket in the future.  Just sew it closed after turning.

4. Open out both pieces, place them right sides together and sew around the whole thing.  

5. Turn, press and topstitch.  I didn’t bother with a nose wire because the larger sized  circle made the mask come up higher on my nose automatically.

6. I prefer to use a long cord instead of ear elastics.  Thread it from top to bottom on one side, come across and thread it from bottom to top on the other side.  I found a thick elastic cord in my stash that is nice.  Or a shoelace would work.