Stitchin’ Heaven Howdy

Dear Deb,

Can you tell me what a Baltimore Album quilt is and a bit about how they originated?

Thanks,

Trudy

Dear Trudy,

You’ve hit on one of my own favorites here!  Baltimore quilts are thought to have started in an attempt to emulate the autograph albums that were very popular at the beginning of the 19th Century.  In about 1840, inks were developed that could be used on fabric without damaging them, so it was a short step from collecting signatures in albums to collecting them on quilts!  These simple quilts became known as friendship quilts, each block the same except for the signature or poetry written on it by a friend.  Eventually, friendship quilts developed into sampler quilts, with each block being different.  They featured beautiful appliqué motifs.  At this time in history, Baltimore was very wealthy and the home of a growing textile industry, and the appliqué sampler quilts became all the rage.  Because there was a large German community in Baltimore, German folk art motifs and symbols became a standard part of the designs.  Mostly, the fabrics used were crisp and new, which made for marvelous appliqué techniques. Baltimore are not thick or heavy because only a thin batting was used and, generally, they were used for show rather than to keep folks warm at night!  Making a Baltimore quilt is a long-term project because they are heirloom pieces but they are tremendously satisfying to make and you can incorporate loads of memories, or perhaps incorporate symbols that are special to the recipient of the quilt. Because these quilts are made block by block, in the hand, they make for very portable projects. I have never completed a Baltimore Album quilt although, I love to see them and to admire the work that goes into designing and making them. We have a  great Baltimore Album style Block of the Month project that will be starting soon in January 2010 called “A Baltimore Album“.  If you are really interested in this type of quilt, look out for books by Elly Sienkiewicz, where you will find instructions for making your own blocks and quilts. One such book is “Baltimore Elegance” and can be found on our website. A from Elly is Fancy Applique which is more of a technique book that includes 2 unique Fancy Sampler Quilts + 50 different blocks + All the techniques you need including: – cutaway and reverse cutaway appliqué – needleturn – non-decorative appliqué stitches – Stumpwork – Scenery blocks – Methods for perfect points, inside corners, and smooth curves …not to mention that it is just a beautiful book. Hope that helps – a word of warning though Baltimore Quilts can be addictive!

Until we meet again, may your days be pieceful!

Deb

**Do you have a question about quilting? If you do, there are other quilters who have the same question! Simply email it to deb@stitchinheaven.com and she will answer it for you!

Attention ladies and ghoulsman. We’re having a bash…. a Monster Mash Bash! 

 Join us here, on the blog,  Saturday, October 31st for a howling good time.  This is our first ever online sew along event, so please join us for history in the making.  We will be doing an all day sew along mystery quilt designed by our wonderful Deb Luttrell.  Kits will be offered  in 3 colors ways and will include FREE shipping, beginning next week.  If you do not want to purchase a kit, we will provide fabric requirements upon request.  So, be sure that you are signed up for our Hotflashes to get in on the kits and all the great deals! 

Since most of you will not be able to join us for the in-store fun, we just had to figure out a way for our online customers to join us! We have a lot of fun planned.  Aside from the hourly instructions for the mystery kit, we will do a scavenger hunt and some really great prizes.  We, of course, want to encourage everyone to send us their pictures and  post on their blogs, and social network, along with ours, of their progress and all the fun they’re having.  Please use our Monster Mash image to post on your blog and invite everyone you can. The more the merrier deadlier.

We’ll have more details to follow, just wanted to give you all a tease, so start planning now! 

There’s no fee for participation online, just show up, and be registered on our blog at 10:00am Central Time on October 31st.

Got an idea for some fun in between kit instructions? Please email them to me at nichole@stitchinheaven.com , I would love to hear from you!

Be there or beware……

 -

Dear Too Blue,

Is it possible that you heat set your work by accident? If you did, your markings are now permanent, unfortunately. But, assuming you did not heat set your markings here is what I suggest:

1). Wash the top in clear warm water. It is likely this will remove the blue residue. Fill up your washing machine with tepid (room temperature) or cold water, toss the quilt in, leave the lid up (so it won’t agitate), and let the quilt soak for several hours. Go see a movie. Drain the water and, if you need to wash the quilt, re-fill the washer with clean water and a mild soap. Swish the water if you must, but don’t agitate. That’s too rough a treatment for a hand-made quilt.

2). Be very careful with the detergent you use when you wash a quilt that has been marked with these pens. The pens are wonderful but if you are not careful you will end up with brown marks where the blue ones used to be. The laundry detergent has sodium carbonate in it, that is the ‘fixer’ for the color in the dye. This sodium carbonate, otherwise known as soda ash, can be found in its purest form in Arm & Hammer or any other detergent with whiteners and brighteners. Mountain Mist Ensure (not the vitamin supplement) or Orvis (you don’t need to buy a horse to go along with it) are nice choices.

3). In the future, be sure and keep a spritz bottle of plain water beside your workspace and dampen your project right away so you don’t take the chance of pressing it prematurely! Another good idea is to keep a small bowl of water nearby and use a small, soft watercolor brush to go over the lines as you finish wit them

4). Also, be sure and check the back of the block to be sure the ink has not migrated with the water and shows up on the back!

Scrubbing hard will most likely not impact how much of this ink will come out. Hopefully, a gentle wash in the machine will solve your problems!

Hope that helps!

Deb

**Do you have a question about quilting? If you do, there are other quilters who have the same question! Simply email it to deb@stitchinheaven.com and she will answer it for you!

Hey guys! Whew, I’m here, finally…..  I have been having so much fun this month, it should be illegal!  I know a lot of you have already completed your projects this month.  I saw Alice’s post to her blog , she decided to be super creative with this month’s project and made it all her own.  I’d love to see everyone’s finished bags each month. Do any of you share yours on Flickr, Facebook , on your blog or anywhere else online?  Please let me know how to get there so I can see, too!

So, I’m still finding it hard to beleive it’s already September! Wow, huh?  I really do wish I could’ve make it back to Texas sooner.  This week was Sew ‘N Spa at Stitchin’ Heaven and they are having soooo much fun! ( I get my updates from Twitter & Facebook)   It’s a sewing reatreat held in the beautiful East Texas country, away from city life, and you sew with friends new and old for almost a week. You should check out the details on the website.  They host this retreat twice a year. Next Sew ‘N Spa reatreat is going to be in April.

I’m in Tulsa, Oklahoma this month to visit a good friend of ours, Ellen Medlock. You know her, don’t you? Yeah, she’s the designer of this month’s project so it was only suitable to pay tribute to her.  Plus she’s giving me a place to stay while I’m here!  Thanks, Ellen!  We’ve done  some shopping and sewing and get to her run wild getting ready for International Quilt Market in Houston, next month. If you’re going, her Quilt Market booth is #533.  You just might see me there, too!  I plan on going wild with pics, so I will be sure to share them with you here and on Flickr and Facebook! Be sure to stop by Ellen’s blog, It’s so fun and colorful.  She’s always giving something away, too!!

ok, so this month, you’ve received the kit to make Ellen’s medium sized Cheri bag, complete with beaded handle!! (If you have not joined our Perse Anality Tote Club, it is not too late to join and get this month’s Cheri Bag by Ellen Medlock!)
We’re using  two stunning Delilah fabrics by Johnny Kawan for Clothworks. The magazine that comes with your kit this month is the 100th issue of American Patchwork and Quilting, October, 2009…definitely a keeper!

I’ve attached an image of Ellen’s booth from Market last year! Just an idea of how great she presents her stuff.  I can just imagine how awesome it’s going to be this year!  I hear she’s working on some new patterns, too. I hope to see them at Market.  I am just way too excited, I really don’t know how I’m going to maintain my composure.  I’m sure Deb will keep me grounded, though. I plan on spending time with the Stitchin’ Heaven crew while there.

Ok, so, I need to start getting ready for my trip home.  Happy bag-making everyone! All together now: “You can never have too many totes, bags or purses!!!”

-Perse

Dear Deb,

I would really like to get into designing my own quilt patterns. I noticed that you have a line of patterns and I am wondering what design software you use. Can you give me some insight and recommendations? Angie

Hi Angie,

 I would be happy to share my experience with you. I would not be without my Electric Quilt.  There are others on the market too.  I wouldn’t swap my Electric Quilt, but my friends wouldn’t swap theirs– you like what you get used to.  When I first got EQ I was a bit scared of it!  I do wonder if my fear of my software in that first year was due to the fact that I love books and computer quilting seemed a little alien to me.  I don’t know, but I do know that, once I got over that initial fear, I came to love my EQ.  I know there are other quilting software programs on the market and some of them are surely quite good.  You would need to test them out and see how user friendly they are.  I am sold on EQ, however, as this is where I do all of my design work.  I can sit down in front of my computer with an idea and make it come to life in a matter of minutes.  One of the things I like best about Electric Quilt is their incredible support.  Any time I need assistance, I can call their support line and get an answer.  It is like having a personal assistant (who knows MORE than I do) right at my fingertips.  In addition, EQ has a variety of help videos built into it for me to reference. If you would like to get your own copy of EQ,  you can see it and some of their accessory products here.  If you do go ahead and get some software, why not write and let us know how you get on?  Likewise, we’d welcome the views of any computer quilting software experts out there.

Happy Quilting, Deb

Early last month, Deb hosted a very successful Boot Camp where she coached several shops on building a successful quilt shop.  One of the attendees was Patti Oakley, owner of Batiks By Design.

Batiks by Design carry a unique blend of traditional Indonesian batik designs printed on 100% cotton fabrics and are not like the more common Bali batiks.  Batik is an Indonesian word that traditionally refers to using a wax resist dyeing method to create designs in fabric. The word is a combination of two Javanese words. “Amba” which means “to write”  and “titik” meaning “dot”.  The Indonesian traditional batik designs consist of very detailed and intricate designs that are very distinct.  When working with these fabrics, Patti suggests using patterns that use large areas of focus to show off the fabrics.  You can visit Batiks By Design for more detailed images of these wonderful fabrics and ideas.

In 2006, after taking a a class at the AQS Show in Paducah &  receiving such a huge response to the choice of fabrics she chose to use,  Patti decided that there was definately a market for traditional batiks.  It just so happened she was already planning on going to Jakarta Indonesia that summer, so after investigating and speaking to her husband and some friends, she decided to buy some of the fabrics from the markets and try selling them.  By October, Patti had opened her online store and after her first FabShop Hop she was in business.

A little about Patti Oakley

Although no one in her family quilts,  as a child, Patti had always been fascinated with the Little House books and the “old fashioned”- ness of quilting and how well fabrics work and play together to make a beautiful quilt.  Before she opened shop, Patti quilted for herself, family and a few special friends. There have been times where she has had a lot of time to sew and then times where it seems impossible to find any, which would explain her many UFO’s.  She prefers paper piecing for its accurate results and always enjoys traditional blocks.

Patti has been privileged to live in 3 countries other than the US and has traveled to more than 40 where she has been able to purchase fabrics from many of them.  Her cultural experiences have been an influence on her choice in fabrics and designs.

When asked if she had any “quilt stories” she’d like to share, she mentioned this one:

“My Australian quilting friend was very ill in the hospital several years ago, and since she had visited not only my home, but my quilt guild, as well, I asked members to make her a quilt block for her in blues & yellows.  Several members helped me put the quilt together and we send it to her in the hospital.  She was overwhelmed with out thoughtfulness and placed the quilt on her bed in the hospital so that she could think about our support for her everyday.”

How inspiring.  I truly believe that quilters are some of the most compassionate people. No matter where they are from or how or where they live, that the common interest/passion in quilting brings a certain closeness in between us all!

We hope you enjoyed meeting Patti and Batiks by Design and that you immediately go check out her wonderful site!

For visiting, Batiks By Designs wants to extend their gratitude by offering a special group of 5 fat 8ths for $5 and FREE shipping!

Let us know what you think.

Friday, we hosted a weekend long giveaway to celebrate Deb’s Birthday and the long Labor Day weekend!  We asked you to participate by letting us know how much you love us!  Well, you sure came through!  Thanks so much! You guys are seriously aweseome!

The winning commentor for the blog was Debbie Scrooby from Canada!

Congatulations, Debbie!

Thanks to all who participated! We’re going to do another great giveaway in October, so be sure to subscribe and tell all your friends! )

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend & an even better week!

Yeppers! To celebrate Deb’s birthday and the long weekend we thought we would give some fabric away!  I’m sure most of you have plans for the weekend, but I hope that you can take a few minutes to join us for this great give away!

Here’s how it’s gonna go.  Leave a comment on this blog telling us (Deb) why you like Stitchin’ Heaven so much! I think Deb would love to hear everyone gush about how awesome Stitchin’ Heaven is! Don’t you? And that’s it!  We’ll randomly select one lucky commenter on Tuesday September 8th!  I’ll notify the winner via email and upon confirmation I will post to Facebook, Twitter & on the blog!

Wanna know what the prize is? We’re giving away a fat quarter pack for the entire collection of “I Beleive”  by Nancy Halvorsen from Benartex!  You can visit our website to purchase the yardage, quillow, kit and to just view what fabrics are included in the line!

This is really a great collection and it could be YOURS!!! So, go ahead, leave us a comment about why you love us so much!  I can’t wait to read what everyone has to say! Have a fun and safe Labor Day Weekend!! Ooh, and for those of you who don’t know, for her birthday Deb’s giving you $10 toward your purchase.  To redeem just use BIRTHDAY as your coupon code on your internet order or check out our archived Hotflashes for the latest version, to print out a coupon to bring in and use in the store!

Yes! Another Patchwork Party is here!  This season’s event includes all of your 12 favorite quilt shops from parties before and they have exeeded their talents with the wonderful array of finsihings kits offered.
This season’s fabrics are brought to you by Benartex’s Samsara line. Beautiful paisleys and Jacobean florals flow together in this new group. This elegant collection uses both new and old elements with stunning blossoms and romantic colors of scarlet, black and vanilla.  They’re sure to stimulate your creative scenses.

You can view the Patchwork Party 2009 official page where you are greeted with an introduction video of the blocks and shops. The site offers a full gallery of the finishing kits for each shop, a planning guide, tips from Marti Michell, testimonials, a survey and participating quilt shop videos. Each shop will also have a list of the other participating shops, along with their block, finishing kit and all necessary tools and accessories.

Debby Luttrell has designed our finishing kit with this simple, yet classic setting for your Patchwork Party Blocks. By adding a pieced sashing, each block appears to be set on point and receives an elegant, finished look. The borders bring out the bold colors which ties the whole quilt together with a final flourish of style. The finished quilt measures 85″ X 106″.

Hope you join us for this season’s Patchwork Party. It’s always fun!  If you’re new to the party, what it is is a block hop, where we have 12 particpating quilt shops that each offer their very own block and finishing kit that are exclusive to their shop, so you have to go to each shop and purchase their block,  then just chose your favorite finishng kit. The blocks are $7 (domestic) and include your shipping.  We welcome international customers, as well!  You can get all the details from any of the participating shops or from the official site.

Have you participated in past parties? We’d love to hear from you and for you to send in pictures of your finished quilts.  Just leave us a comment and send your pictures to nichole@stitchinheaven.com. We’d love to share them!