Dresden Plates, My Life

Petal Work Progress

As of this morning, this is the progress that I’ve made

since showing you the 1,600+ cut petals

made with the New Hope Fabric by Jo Morton for Moda Fabrics.

 

There are 6 half Tiny Dresden plates in each stack,

48, half Tiny Dresden plates in all.

To keep the strings of petals tangle-free & wrinkle-free,

I’ve had Betsy holding them.

She’s very good at her job!

Each string started out as 4 jelly roll strips that I cut into the 41 petals each (160+/-).

This is a VERY busy corner of my room, eh???

This morning, I pulled another string from its resting spot.

See  how wrinkle-free they still are?

It makes them much nicer to work with when they’re not wrinkled or tangled.

Anything to make the task less annoying is what I’m all about!

A while back I started wondering why I still cut the strings apart with scissors… no more!

It’s much quicker to cut them apart with my rotary cutter (of course!).

I cut off about a dozen at a time

and trim the seam allowance with my rotary cutter, duh!

Why didn’t I do this earlier?

I don’t think I’m lazy,

I just like to do things the quickest

& least annoying way possible!

Once trimmed, the petals are tossed into one of many cutlery trays.

This keeps the petals from escaping to oblivion when I need to move them to the ironing board in the next step.

Next, I cut off another dozen or so petals from the string

and so on, and so on… until the sting of petals is gone.

All ready for the next step!

Now I must go press, turn, press again, then sew.

A great job for a cold, dreary day.

I think I’ll go pick out a movie to keep me company.

It will make this task more enjoyable.

What are you doing on this chilly day?

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Dresden Plates, My Life, New ideas, New Moda Fabric Collection, New tiny Dresden plate quilts

Cutting Tiny Dresden Petals from Jelly Roll Strips

I did it!

I cut my entire New Hope jelly roll by Jo Morton into Tiny Dresden petals.

But, before I started cutting I was wondering…

since I only need a 2″ strip for the Tiny Dresden petals & a jelly roll strip is 2 1/2″,

could I get more petals from each strip by not first trimming it to 2″???

So, I laid out a bunch of my Tiny Dresden Templates on a strip side by side as if I had trimmed the strip to 2″.

Then I laid out a bunch more of my Tiny Dresden Templates on another strip, staggering them to the edges of the strip.

Guess what?

I can get 5 more petals from each strip if I slide the template to the opposite edge of the strip as I cut!

Multiply that by 40 strips… 36 petals x 40 strips = 1,440 or

compared to 41 petals x 40 strips = 1,640.

That’s 200 more petals from the same amount of jelly roll strips!

That’s 16.6 more Tiny Dresden plates,

or 33.3 more half Tiny Dresden plates!

So, I stacked up 4 different color fabric jelly roll strips and started cutting.

After I cut a few I decided my 60 mm cutter might work even better than my 45 mm & I was right.

Here’s how I did it:

I lined up the template at the edge of the selvage and sliced it off the strip.

Then I cut along the top of the template.

Then I cut along the other side of the template.

I then rotated the template to the opposite edge of the jelly roll strip.

Then sliced it off the strip.

Then I cut along the top of the template.

Then I continued to rotate the template down the strip.

When I got to the end of the strips I opened the folds and stacked what was left of each strip and usually cut one more of each fabric. A few of the fabric strips were not long enough to cut one more petal, but the majority of them were long enough.

Voila!

A jelly roll worth of Tiny Dresden petals.

Now I’ve really got my work cut out for me, lol!!!

A great way to spend a super cold January day.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

My Life, new fabric collection

Starting This New Year, 2018, With New Hope!

I hope this new year, 2018, will be a year of new hope for you.

Finally just today, I broke into my New Hope fabric collection

by Jo Morton for Moda.

I love every single fabric in this collection.

I’m pretty sure Jo designed if just for me.

It looks so cute with my new-to-me antique children’s sewing machines that I received for Christmas from David!

He did a great job of finding just what I wanted.

Now if I could just twinkle my nose & have my new quilts appear!

Not really, that’s the part that I love!

I can’t decide which design to start on first…

I know I’ll be cutting Tiny Dresden petals from the jelly roll.

I’ve been thinking about just taking the whole jelly roll, 4 strips at a time, (8 layers) & cutting petals…and not stop sewing until I have a bazillion Tiny Dresden petals made and see where that takes me.

Sound like fun?

It does to me!

This will also give me a taste of the whole collection, which then usually starts my creative juices flowing.

It will be hard to stop me then. New Hope will be in my veins.

I thought I’d start with my favorite fabric, but that’s impossible!

I’m just going to have to jump in & start cutting!

New Hope is shipping to quilt shops this month.

Thanks, Jo Morton!

Thanks, Moda Fabrics!

Wish me luck.

I wish you all new hope in fabric & life this new year, 2018.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

 

 

 

Applique quilt projects, My Life

Apliquick Rods Are Back In Stock!

Did you come by our booth at

Quilt Festival in Houston

while we were sold out of Apliquick Rods?

Well, they’re back in stock, fresh from Spain!

You can order yours today on my website.

If you don’t already know how wonderful they are,

you can watch a short video demonstrating them below.

I don’t know what I’d do without mine!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

A Giveaway!, My Life

Get Your Chicago Quilt Festival 2017 Complimentary Passes Here!

Are you planning or considering attending the Chicago Quilt Festival April 6-8?

If so, I have a complimentary pass for the first 20 to request them!

Chloe & I will be there in booth #2006

& my friend, Susan Knapp of The Quilt Branch, will be close by in booth #1907.

I’m working on lots of new patterns &

I’ll be giving demos on my beautiful little Dresden plates!

Quilt Festival Chicago

 April 6-8, 2017

Classes begin April 6

5555 N. River Rd.

Rosemont, Illinois, USA 60018

 HOURS:

Thursday & Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

DAILY ADMISSION:

General: $10

Seniors 65+/Students/Military: $8

Children 10 and under free with paid admission

Full Show Pass: $25

If you would like a complimentary pass,

be one of the first 20 to send me an email at:

SuznQuilts@aol.com

Please put “Chicago Festival” in the subject line

& include your snail mail address so I can send it to you.

(If you need one for a friend, have them email me separately.)

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

A Giveaway!

simple, fun & quickly done Winner!

Yep,

I told you that you knew Terry Atkinson.

I also knew that a lot of you have made at least one Yellow Brick Road quilt.

Now one of you will have no excuse not to make every single project in here!

suznquiltssimplefunandquicklydone

If I weren’t so busy with my own quilting projects I would have

“borrowed” the book to make myself one of those sewing supplies roll-ups!

suznquiltssewingsuppliespocketroll-up

They’re so cute!

Now for the winner…

#13

randomnumberwinner13

Christine Prager.

I had to show you the random number generator so you would believe me

since #13 is my favorite number & Chris is a good friend & one of my pattern testers.

Trust me, it wasn’t “fixed” or fishy!

However, I will not be giving Chris the book until after she finishes testing my latest pattern Lol!!!

So for those of you that didn’t win simple, fun & quickly done,

go to Terry’s Etsy page to purchase one.

You won’t be disappointed!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Dresden Plate Quilt, My Life, New Moda Fabric Collection

A New Year, A New Quilt

suznquiltsdq53fabricsSo, how is 2017 going for you so far?

The teacher & the student have both gone back to school.

I’ve adjusted to being another year older…

Christmas & all it’s trimmings are put away,

but I’m lucky that it still resembles Christmas in my sewing room

& I’m back at the sewing machine.

Meet Sweet Cherry Wine.

 suznquiltsdq53fabricssweetcherrywine

This is Blackbird’s new fabric collection by Moda,

displayed on my extra cool Christmas gift from David!!!

It’s an antique thread display case/cash wrap

from a general store circa 1880-1890, that he found on Craigslist.

I feel a bit like the Olsen’s (from Little House on the Prairie).

suznquiltsdq53fabricssweetcherrywine3

(and a Coral Bells by Jan Patek charcoal that I added)

suznquiltsdq53fabricssweetcherrywine2

In case you couldn’t guess,

it’s going to be a new little Dresden plate quilt!

suznquiltsnewdesigns1-15-17

These are some of the Mini Dresden petals.

suznquiltsnewdesigns1-15-172

More Mini petals… (powered by Diet D.P.)

suznquiltsnewdesigns1-17-17

and some tiny Dresden petals waiting for me to start stitching.

We’re going to Rosemary’s this weekend, yeah for us!

Suzn+Quilts+Rosemarys+Quilt+Shop

I’m planning to get a lot of this quilt done.

I’ve already got a good start.

suznquiltsnewdesigns1-15-173

I’m using my “new” cutlery tray that Chloe bought me for my birthday.

It makes assembling little Dresden petals all the more fun.

Fun meaning I’m not looking all over for stray petals!!!

suznquiltsnewdesigns1-15-174

 She also bought me a table made from an antique treadle machine

to put my “new” spool cabinet/cash wrap on.

suznquiltsnewthread-cashwrap

For now it’s in the basement (my fulfillment center)

where I plan to use it to store my shipping supplies & brochures

 but who knows where it will end up?

Must get back to work!

#LuckyGirl

Just keep sewing…

Susan

My Life, New Moda Fabric Collection

Morris Earthly Paradise Blooming

I couldn’t resist showing you the beautiful garden that came to life

as I opened the Morris Earthly Paradise fat quarter bundle!

Moda & Barbara have done it again.

Suzn+Quilts+Yummy+Morris+Group+opened

Wow, the color!

Now before you freak out that I have cupcakes in my yummy Morris garden…

anyone that knows me knows there’s NO EATING in my sewing atelier!

Have no fear, they’re resin &

a gift from my sister along with an antique muffin tin.

Perhaps that will find its way into a photo someday too.

 Suzn+Quilts+Yummy+Morris+Group+opened+2

I separated out the prints that will read as solids.

Suzn+Quilts+Yummy+Morris+Group+opened+3

My favorite is in the front of the drawer.

I think every color in the collection is in that piece (big surprise it’s my favorite right?).

Suzn+Quilts+Yummy+Morris+Group+opened+4

A nice variety of scale and color.

Suzn+Quilts+Yummy+Morris+Group+opened+5

Yummy, don’t you think?

Suzn+Quilts+Yummy+Morris+Group+opened+6

 The variety will all look nice in Tiny Dresden petals which is why I chose this collection.

I can’t wait to start sewing so I can show you the finished quilt.

Please do not hold your breath though.

Some quilts are marathons, not sprints!

Just keep sewing…

Susan

My Life, New Moda Fabric Collection

New Fabric Line – Morris Earthly Paradise

Several months ago I received the new Moda line by Barbara Brackman,

Morris Earthly Paradise.

Suzn+Quilts+Morris+Group+2

 It is truly lovely!

Suzn+Quilts+Morris+Group+close+2

I ordered one print along with the fat quarters.

Suzn+Quilts+Morris+Group+black+print+close

A charming black.

Suzn+Quilts+Morris+Group+close

Beautifully reproduced William Morris floral prints

in gorgeous colors and black!

Suzn+Quilts+Morris+Group+thanks+Barbara+close

While William Morris is probably better know for his textiles & literary works,

I first learned of the famous William Morris while in college through

his involvement in the Arts & Crafts movement

and the extremely popular Morris chair.

More than a century later, it’s still sought after and being reproduced today!

A Morris Chair

It would be fun to draft this!

My grandparents had an antique version of the reclining chair & I actually have an Arts & Crafts style rocking chair in my living room that I acquired from a friend of the family’s estate.

Why am I attracted to old things?

Notice my new-to-me old mini chest of drawers?

Don’t be jealous.

Get out and go to some estate sales & flea markets!

Suzn+Quilts+Morris+Group+backgrounds

I’ve added some background fabrics from my stash for my quilt.

I need to get cutting!

Will it surprise you to learn that I’m going to be cutting little Dresden petals???

This collection is available in quilt shops now and Barbara has a quilt-along

Morris Hexathon

 

going on with her fabrics.

You can learn more about the collection by joining her on her blog, Material Culture.

Just keep sewing…

Susan