How-to-Quilt.com

July 2008 Newsletter

This issue includes:

1)  A Tidbit of History – this one is for m. mouse

2)  Tools, Tricks and Quilting Tips – Walking Foot
   
3)  Featured Block of the Month – Rainbow 
   
4)  Recipe for Quilters – My Mom's Potato Salad
   
5)  Newsletter News – Radiant Sunshine & Shadow

6)  Quilter’s Trip – MIDLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL QUILT RAFFLE

7)  Fabric Postcards for the Troops – Round ‘em up and send ‘em in before September 28 for Halloween. Read the article from Quiltmaker magazine.

How-To-Quilt.com Newsletter Archive online – Issues of the How-to-Quilt.com Newsletter from the beginning of 2005 are available online at:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/newsletter/archive/index.shtml

Do you enjoy this newsletter?  If you do, please feel free to forward it to one or many friends and encourage them to join the group!

You are welcome to post this newsletter on a website or submit it to an e-zine. If you do, please credit the source to www.How-to-Quilt.com, and include the copyright and contact information.  We would also love to hear about it, if it is posted.

1) A Tidbit of History – this one is for m. mouse

Eons ago at quilting bees, after the supper dishes were cleared away, it was the custom to put a cat in the center of a quilt that was being quilted on a frame.

The young man or woman whose head the cat jumped over was expected to be the next to marry.

I guess if the cat darts between quilters, it doesn’t count. Do they put him back in the center of the quilt?

2) Tools, Tricks, and Quilt Tips –Walking Foot

If you are new to quilting or new to machine quilting, you may not be familiar with a walking foot.

 A walking foot is helpful for machine quilting because it allows all of the layers of your quilt to feed through the machine at the same time.

The regular presser foot that comes on your sewing machine works with the feed dogs (the little teeth that are on the machine under the fabric. The feed dogs grab the fabric next to them and pull it through the machine as it is sewing.

That works fine when you are sewing only two layers of fabric, but when you are sewing a quilt with batting between the layers, the fabric on the bottom is being pulled by the feed dogs while the fabric on the top is being held by the presser foot.

A walking foot has built-in feed dogs that grip and advance the upper layer of the quilt, allowing all of the fabric to go through the machine at the same time, thus preventing the puckers and tucks that are the nightmares of machine quilters.

If you have a question, check our new site – AskPennyHalgren.com – the answer might be there. If it isn’t submit your question, and the answer will be posted on the site. This is a work in progress.

 http://www.askpennyhalgren.com/IKM/

3)  Featured Block of the Month - Rainbow

In keeping with the theme of the Quilt Idea, I found an easy to make quilt block named Rainbow.

Although it looks complicated, it is a 9 patch and once you see the pattern and break it into its parts, it is easy to sew.

Download the pattern and nine others here - July 2008 10 FREE Quilt Block Patterns

4) Recipes for Quilters –My Mom's Potato Salad

Boil 4 medium potatoes until they are completely cooked, but not mushy. I leave the skins on. We used to peel them, but one day I got lazy, and the salad was great. Slice them into slices about 3/8 inch thick.

Hard cook 4 large eggs, and peel the shells off when they are cooled and slice them. I slice them about 1/8 inch thick.

Stirring will make the potatoes and eggs bite size, because they will break apart as you stir.

Dice 1 large onion

Put the potatoes, eggs and onions into a bowl that is large enough to hold all of them and has extra space for you to stir.

Add equal amounts of Best Foods Mayonnaise and sour cream. Now this is where there are no measurements. It depends on how many and how large the potatoes and eggs are, and there are other factors which I haven’t figured out. Start with about 1/4 cup of each, and stir. You want the potatoes and eggs to be coated, but not too goopy. So, if the 1/4cup is not enough, just keep adding one giant spoonful of each (mayonnaise and sour cream) at a time – keeping the amounts relatively equal.

When it is the consistency you desire, add salt and pepper to taste.  This really does taste better with a little salt, since most everything in it is relatively tasteless.

This is great cold or at room temperature. You can keep it for a day or two, but after that, it gets a little runny. Usually it doesn’t last that long.

5) Newsletter News –Radiant Sunshine & Shadows

Amish quilts have always fascinated me; I think is mostly because of the colors and the interesting combinations that are created by placement of the colors in the simple designs of the quilts.

Rachel and Kenneth Pellman, experts on Amish quilts, say that “The Amish communities’ uneducated approach to color has resulted in daring bursts and subtle blends of color.”

This new resource promises to open more doors into the mystery of how to choose colors for our quilts. It is a brand new publication from C&T Publishing, available on the site at: www.How-to-Quilt.com/sunshine.shtml

Along with this resource, I will be providing studies in color and making a Sunshine and Shadow quilt in TheQuiltingCoach.com. Members will begin seeing the information flow in during August, after deliver of the books. If you aren’t a member, you’ll need to join to get the information. Click on the big, red 45 button on the home page – www.TheQuiltingCoach.com   This promises to be a great project that will give you possibly more information about color than you can imagine.

In addition, this quilt is a simple, simple quilt. It is a nine-patch (with just squares) that will be strip-pieced, making it fast as well as simple. You could have this quilt done in any size way before Christmas. And designed in Christmas colors, it would make a wonderful gift for anyone in your family. It looks difficult to make, so they will be quite impressed with your skill as a quilter.

Reserve your copy of Sunshine & Shadow today - the deadline is July 1 midnight, Pacific Time: www.How-to-Quilt.com/sunshine.shtml

6)  Quilter’s Trip – MIDLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL QUILT RAFFLE
Monday, August 18, 2008 7:00:00 PM
Heritage Park, 3417 West Main Street, Midland MI 48640

An event for engineer son Bubba who lives in Midland.

This year’s quilt was designed, pieced and quilted by Robin House-Guettler. Robin has 25+ years of experience and enjoys all kinds of quilting.

7)  Postcard Quilts for the Troops - 4th of July Roundup Publicity

The 4th of July Roundup netted more than 1200 postcards for the troops in Iraq.

With the write up in the July/August issue of Quiltmaker magazine, quilters around the country are now joining the Roundup.

The next Roundup is for Halloween - what a fun time we had last year. Check out the pictures of cards sent, and make yours for this year. September 28 is the deadline to send them to Diane Malaznik at:

Diane Malaznik
14215 Westmore St.
Livonia, MI 48154-4149

Have a fabulous Month!

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren
www.How-to-Quilt.com
Inspiration and Education for Beginning Quilters

www.Rag-Quilt-Instructions.com
Fast, Fun and Funky Quilts

www.Fabric-Postcards.com
Quilt Mail Across the Miles

©How-to-Quilt.com 2008