Bee Creative

Ginger Rose - part four

Welcome to part four of the Ginger Rose program. This month participants of the Block-of-the-Month Program will be constructing two Variable Star blocks for the quilt. Instructions to complete a 51" x 59" bonus project are also included in the pattern. 

Joann at Ivy Thimble Quilt Shop machine quilted this for me, she does such beautiful work. Thank you so much Joann! I don't know what I would do with out you.

I'm often asked "How long did that take you to make?" and I must admit I always feel somewhat ashamed to answer the question. Not because it's a bad question, but because I don't sew like most people. I mean, how many people spend 8 to 10 hours a day working on a quilt for their business? My answer always seems to make the ask-er feel bad, like some how they aren't getting projects done fast enough. I often rush to qualify and explain my answer, in the hopes it some how makes them feel better.

The Ginger Rose quilt and seven bonus projects were all completed in a six week period of time. Even working 8 to 10 hours a day I couldn't get that many projects done with out the help of some great quilters -- Joann at the Ivy Thimble Quilt Shop, my sister and her neighbor Melissa, plus my mom all helped to complete the eight quilts. These wonderful people all helped to get the projects ready for the last Spring Quilt Market. 

The Variable Star block is so common, it's probably one of the most recognized block designs in the quilting world. Stars are so tied to our nation's history, from the first flag with 13 stars to our current version with 50, it seems inevitable that a star quilt block design would make an early appearance in our quilting history.

In 1995 Marsha McCloskey and Nancy J. Martin coauthored a book dedicated to this historic design titled Variable Star Quilts and How to Make Them. You can view part of the book on-line including a little history on the origins of the variable star name and design (click here) to read more.

What is the Ginger Rose quilt program? It is a multi-part (block-of-the-month) program I designed that is being offered by independently owned quilt shops. In addition to the block instructions for the Ginger Rose quilt, a pattern to complete a bonus project using that months quilt block are also included with each part.

Want to get in on the fun? Check with your local quilt shop to see if they are participating in the Ginger Rose program or visit Andover Fabrics website (click here) for a list of participating shops in your area. Most shops offer mail order.

 

Ginger Rose - part three

Okay, I'm a little behind in getting this posted to the blog but I've been pretty busy playing with the Muses. I've learned over the years that when the Muses are here to play and creative juices are flowing I need to go with it. Plus there has been several other things going on as well which I will fill you in on later.

Part three of the Ginger Rose quilt program features the Mosaic block along with instructions to complete this small 29" x 29" bonus project. It wasn't planned to but the completed bonus project just happens to fit the end table in the living room perfectly. Yea!! Love when that happens. This little quilt would also look great on a night stand, center of the table or on a coffee table.

I love to see the patterns created when a single pieced block is repeated in a quilt design but in this case I thought a sashing of flying geese was needed between the four pieced Mosaic blocks.

I decided to use a clover leaf hand quilting stencil, placing the center of the stencil in the center of the quilt top. I added a small heart to the flying geese sashing strips to fill in the space between the clover leaves and finish the flying geese sashings. To finish the machine quilting, I sewed concentric squares (on point) starting with the outside edge of the last flying goose and moving out toward the corners. You can see this design in the picture of the whole project above. 

This is the Mosaic block from the Ginger Rose quilt, notice that I left the center square light green square floating in the middle of the block. One thing that attracted me to this block is the way it looks like a twisted ribbon. Well, that's what it looks like to me, you might see something totally different.

There are many block and quilt patterns with Mosaic for the title but this particular block has been traced back to 1897 by Barbara Brackman in the her book, Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.

What is the Ginger Rose quilt program? It is a multi-part (block-of-the-month) program I designed that is being offered by independently owned quilt shops. In addition to the block instructions for the Ginger Rose quilt, a pattern to complete a bonus project using that months quilt block are also included with each part.

Want to get in on the fun? Check with your local quilt shop to see if they are participating in the Ginger Rose program or visit Andover Fabrics website (click here) for a list of participating shops in your area. Most shops offer mail order.

studio set up - almost there

Okay, I know I haven't posted much lately about the progress on the new art studio but I've been busy working, painting, fretting and a whole bunch of other things. The landlord had painted the studio a nice bright white and the space looked clean, fresh...and clinical. Sterile, to be more precise. I don't work well in sterile environments. Learned that in my last studio.

I knew I wanted to paint the walls something, but here was the dilemma (where the fretting came in) I'm not sure I wanted much of a color on the walls because I work with color every day, I just wanted to get rid of all the white. The studio is on the north side of the building so anything too gray or dirty feeling was out, we get enough great lakes gray days with out adding that gray, depressed feeling to the studio everyday. Decided on a light warm neutral color.

Have you ever noticed how many warm neutral paint chips there are? Holly Cow!! After several trips to the store I decided on Navajo White for the walls and Travertine as an accent color for the gallery walls.

I think the walls came out pretty good and like the contrast of the white trim, columns and ceiling. The walls are about twelve feet tall and I painted up about nine feet. I used a laser level to mark the top of where I was going to stop the wall paint, applied Frog tape to the wall following the laser line. Rolled on the paint and removed the Frog tape. WOW! What a nice clean edge. Love, LOVE, LOVE the Frog tape. Highly recommend it.

I really like the light colored walls but I'm not sure about the Travertine color on the gallery walls yet. I figure I'll live with it for awhile before I decide if I want to change it or not.

Paul (aka: Mr. Wonderful) has been working on installing the cabinets, counter-top and sink. Last night he put the knobs on the cabinet drawers and doors. Just have to wait for the plumber to run the water and hook up the sink. I'll be cleaning brushes and washing out dye in no time.

Saved the best for last; I got the door to the studio finished! (Hate the position of the "No Smoking" sign.) The paint color on the door doesn't look as bright in the hall, it's kinda dark in the hall. I truly feel like I have laid claim to this space and marked it as mine. YEA!!

So you can see that I (we) have been busy getting the studio ready. Another week or two and I should be happily typing my posts in the studio instead of from the dining room table. Can't wait!!

Ginger Rose - part two

It's hard to believe a whole month has past and we are now into February. In addition to being a short month, February is also a busy Birthday month for our family. In fact, only one person has a birthday in another month. In addition to lots of birthdays, this month also brings us to part two of the Ginger Rose quilt program.

Part two of the program features the Old Maid quilt block along with instructions to make this 41" x 41" bonus project. I just love the look of "scrappy" quilts or organized chaos as I like to say (you'd know right away if you ever looked in my spice cupboard). "The more fabrics the better" that's my motto. Actually, I think that is the hardest thing about designing projects to use a specific fabric collection, the limited choices. I'm a girl who likes to have choices, lots and lots of choices!  

I really struggled with deciding how to machine quilt this bonus project. I didn't really want to outline quilt it (stitching in the ditch) and I didn't really want to quilt in an all over design either. As kinda of a default, I ended up quilting in a diagonal cross hatch pattern, sewing through the point of each triangle. I really like the end results.

I love the Old Maid block, especially when they get butted up against one another. All sorts of secondary patterns emerge, large starts, hour glasses, square-in-a-squares and something that resembles a Shoo Fly block pattern are all visible in this quilt.

Here is the Old Maid block from the Ginger Rose quilt. I was looking on-line for a little more information and history on the Old Maid quilt block and was surprised to find this definition on an Urban Dictionary site = "A kernel of popcorn that did not pop when heated." AS IN: "There's a fine art to timing microwave popcorn, where you avoid burning the ones that did pop at the expense of leaving some old maids. Why 'old maid', you ask? They're the ones left behind that haven't been 'popped'." Now I know what to call those unpopped, teeth cracking, bad boys. You just never know what you might find in an internet search.

I also found The Quilt Index blog site with a lot of pictures and documentation on quilts made from versions of the Old Maid quilt block. The following statement is from the post: "According to Barbara Brackman this block (#1317) was published as: Old Maid’s Puzzle by the Ladies Art Company by 1895; Hour Glass by Grandma Dexter; and School Girl’s Puzzle by Needlecraft Supply in 1936."

Visit The Quilt Index Blog to read more on the history of the Old Maid block and to see historic quilts made from the block or versions of the block.

What is the Ginger Rose quilt program? It is a multi-part (block-of-the-month) program I designed that is being offered by independently owned quilt shops. In addition to the block instructions for the Ginger Rose quilt, a pattern to complete a bonus project using that months quilt block are also included with each part.

Want to get in on the fun? Check with your local quilt shop to see if they are participating in the Ginger Rose program or visit Andover Fabrics website (click here) for a list of participating shops in your area. Most shops offer mail order.

studio set up - the end is in sight!!

Paul and I stopped by the studio on Saturday morning planning to measure and make a list of materials for finishing the top of the eight foot walls and around the pocket door. Boy were we in for a surprise -- in addition to getting the baseboard moldings installed they had also installed the baseboard molding around the door and along the top of the wall. SURPRISE!! It took me a few minutes to process because 1. I was ready to do it and 2. not what I had planned on and 3. I didn't know they had done anything. SURPRISE!!!

Well, it wasn't what we had thought of doing but I can live with it and we figured out how to fix the door. (a few strips of wood were suppose to be nailed in to hide the door track before the molding was put around the door) A strip of quarter-round molding can be nailed in at the top of the door frame to hide the track. Paul measured for the top board to cap the wall (also will be a great display shelf) and off the lumber store we went.

Back in the studio I worked on filling and sanding the nail holes and caulked along the molding while Paul installed the top board to cap the wall. Our goal for the weekend was to get everything ready for painting -- just in case they started painting on monday. I also tried to finish up with all the holes in the existing walls and make sure they were all sanded.

I kid you not, I must have filled and sanded hundreds if not thousands of holes. I didn't take a picture of the worst spot, I just walked up to the wall and snapped this picture.

Sunday night, I had a sudden thought "You know, just because we can't get into the studio yet, doesn't mean I can't work on the outside of the studio." This thought was the little pick-me-up I needed, the little ray of sunlight on this long waiting game to get to my creative place.

Tadaa!!! I painted the outside of my studio door! And, it made me so happy!!

Today was made even better with news they will be finished with all the painting this week and the floor will be dry enough that we can start installing a few cabinets on Saturday. "I can see the light at the end of the tunnel" as my Dad would often say.

Hope you get to do something this week that makes you happy and if you've been playing the waiting game, I hope you get to see the light at the end soon too!

studio set up - the waiting game

Thank you for all the support and interest in the progress of the studio space. Not much to report this week (or last) as I'm playing the waiting game again. It would be better to describe it as the "patience test". All though there was a nice surprise of progress when I went to check on the studio last night -- the drywallers had been in and started patching the walls and a stack of baseboard molding was in the middle of the floor. 

With the excitement of finding some progress on the studio, I found myself lying awake in the middle of the night thinking about paint colors, how I might decorate the hall outside the door to my studio, floor arrangements, quotes I might put up on the wall, and the list goes on. I've narrowed down the paint colors and I think I know which accent walls I will paint and found a hanging system for the "gallery" walls. As I think about it, things are moving forward -- I'm feeling better, I may just pass the "patience test" after all.

Have a good and patient day!

studio set up - day four

or day five? I've lost count.

Well, there they are...the new walls for the office area in the studio. I know there is lots of work left to finish the walls but there's nothing like having them in place to imagine how the space is going to be to work in. 

And here he is...my HERO. (And that's just what I think! I'm so lucky!!) I think he is almost as excited about the new studio as I am. Thanks so much Hunny!!

Next step = mudding all the drywall seams and holes. :-( yuk!

Ginger Rose - part one

What better way to start the new year than with a quilt project or better yet a block-of-the-month program. I've designed just such a program called Ginger Rose that quilt shops all over the country will be starting any time now. In addition to each month's block instructions, a bonus pattern is included to make a project using that month's block design.

Part one's bonus pattern features a beautiful table runner (19" x 53") made with four classic basket blocks and pieced setting triangles. I just love the border fabric and the table runner looks so pretty on my dinning room table, it makes me smile every time I walk by.

I know many quilter's are afraid to use striped fabrics but I love incorporating them into a quilt. I love to have them going in all directions. I love the texture they create. I so love, love, love stripey fabrics. Embrace the stripe love!

I wasn't sure what design to use for the quilting so I pulled out the quilting stencils and played, arranging them on the table runner. None seemed to fit quite right and after much contemplation I settled on a diagonal crosshatch pattern. I was amazed at how quickly the quilting was finished, just stitching straight lines using the walking foot on my sewing machine. What could be easier? I'm really becoming a big fan of the walking foot.

Here you can see the entire design of the table runner. 

This is a picture of one of the Basket blocks in the original Ginger Rose quilt that is part of the program. Basket blocks are among my favorite, they are so clean looking and because of the directional nature of the block design, fun to arrange. I just might have to start another quilt made with basket blocks!

Thanks to Barbara Brackman's hard work on the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns book, I was able to learn that one version of the basket block dates back to the early 1850s and this particular version of the Basket Block is documented to The American Farmer publication in April 1895. You can read more about the history of Basket blocks in american quilting on womenfolk.com.

Want to get in on the fun? Check with your local quilt shop to see if they are participating in the Ginger Rose program or visit Andover Fabrics website (click here) for a list of participating shops in your area. Most shops offer mail order. It's a great way to start the new year. 

studio set up - day two

Today was a very productive day, the office walls were framed and the pocket door is in place. I got to open and close the door and walk through in to the office and picture where the desk and sewing machine will go. Oh, and think about what color I am going to paint the walls (getting a little ahead of myself I think).

I spent most of the day patching and sanding holes in the other walls of the studio - YUK!! I will definitely be using a gallery hanging system = no more holes in the wall. Tomorrow's goal = hang the drywall.

What a great day, it is starting to feel like a home away from home already.

a new home (change can be good)

Hi, remember me? I know, I've been away forever. Lots of big changes since the last post. What changes you ask? We sold our house which meant finding a new home and a new place to work. Packed, packed and packed some more. Moved to a new place in Rochester, NY and found an art studio space in the Hungerford Building which is 1.5 miles from our new home. Throw in a few holidays, my father's estate auction, a visit from my sister, Mom's quilt show and that just about brings us up to date.

Every once and a while change can be a very positive thing. I'm am very happy that we have made these recent changes in our life and looking forward to what the new year will bring.

Today was an exciting day, I got the keys to the studio space! The evening was spent at Lowe's picking up 2x4s, a new door and other various supplies to get started building an office area. 

I thought I'd share the "before" pictures. The space features 4 north facing windows (yea). 

This is the corner where the office will go. Tomorrow's goal -- start framing in the office. Stay tuned as the work progresses. There is lots to do and I am so anxious to get my hands dirty and start making the space mine.