Tag Archives: quilting

Tu-Na Travels: Day One, 352 Miles, 11 Shops, Only 55 Shops Remaining

Day One started early but not early enough as we got to our first shop 30 minutes after it opened.

We checked in at Bear Patch Quilting Co. in White Bear Lake, MN along with everyone else hopping around the state or so it seemed.

The shop was very busy and lines were long.

We each got a passport to present at each shop where they will stamp their space. One shop done!

After we left, I started singing.

♪ 66 Quilt Shops on the Hop

66 Quilt Shops

Drive up to one.

Lay the cash down.

65 Quilt Shops on the hop. ♪

My husband rolled his eyes as he muttered, “It’s going to be a long trip.” My family knows that I often break into song changing the words to fit the mood and the situation.

At the second shop (Country Loft Quilting and Designs in Forest Lake), I was tapped on the shoulder by Nancy, who had recognized me from my blog. I enjoyed talking with her and her quilting friend Vicki. I was so flustered and flattered to be recognized that I completely forgot to have Tu-Na Helper (my husband and official photographer for the hop) take our picture. So I’m hoping to run into you again so I can get one. It was so nice to meet you, Nancy and Vicki!

When we stopped at Eagle Creek Quilt Shop, I insisted upon having my picture taken under the quilt which I had forgotten to do last year. I have thought of a very good companion quilt for this one for my husband. I just might have to design it.

We soon came upon a very special shop which I will call:

Today’s Top Shop on the Hop

I knew there was something special about Millie P’s Quilt Shop in Anoka the first time I stepped foot inside the door.

No one should miss seeing this quilt shop at 219 E Main Street, Anoka, MN with the sign on the roof.

It’s such a bright and happy place. After talking with the owner and several staff members, I found out why.

Becky, the owner of Millie P’s, works hard to make this shop a happy place to shop and to work.

Our passports were stamped by the very charming Judy. She is an expert salesperson and you’ll probably be leaving the store loaded down with some of these great exclusive products from Millie P’s.

I am wearing the Baking Boa. Behind Judy and I are the One Hour Baskets. Both of these are kits containing fabric and pattern to make these exclusive Millie P’s products.

Here’s the pattern and charm square that Judy gave us.

Becky, the owner, started Millie P’s about 7 1/2 years ago. Shortly before that, she had just retired from the corporate world and spent the following six weeks organizing her house when boredom struck. It was then that she realized that something was missing. While cruising main street in downtown Anoka, she spied a vacant building which had at one time housed a drug store. She pulled over and spent three hours sitting in her car looking at the building and asking herself, “Should I or shouldn’t I?”

Well, the rest is history as Becky not only started Millie P’s but also has expanded the showroom space and the scope of the business to now include 22 employees (most of them are part-time), added a retreat center a block away, and produced some exclusive product lines.

These curated bundles (pictured above) are found only at Millie P’s and correspond to their specially designed patterns or can be purchased alone. They make great gifts and are a perfect project start for new quilters or experienced quilters who want a quick finish.

Becky’s Bundle of 6 fat quarters
Pearl’s Pack six 1/2 yard cuts
Myrtle’s Mix 12 fat quarters + 2 yards
Millie’s Medley 12 fat quarters

Millie P’s also offers a customer loyalty program. Each shopper’s purchase of fabric, machine rental, and notions is recorded. Once that shopper reaches $250.00, they receive 10% back. I like that Millie P’s keeps a computer record of it so I don’t have to keep, and ultimately lose, a card.

You will discover some very unique display cases in this shop.

Becky named the store after her dear mother, Millie Pearl, and fills it with bright fabric and batiks. She only buys fabric for the store that she likes. And she likes color! From the size of the store and the amount of shelves and display areas, I say, she also likes fabric, a lot! I think Millie Pearl would be very happy in this shop, too.

Becky quilted before she opened the store. She says, “Quilting is my stress relief.” I think a lot of quilters use quilting in that same way.

Even the restroom is a fun place to be!

The store is delightfully decorated with samples of quilts, aprons, bags, potholders, pillows and about anything else you can imagine that can be made from fabric. Becky says, “These samples provide the inspiration that is such an important part of when customers walk in the store.” You will certainly be inspired here.

Becky offers these words of advice for new quilters:

Take a class.
You are never too advanced in your quilting knowledge to learn something new.
Don’t be afraid of color.
Colors don’t have to match.

With quilting wisdom like that, beginners should feel very comfortable starting a project. Millie P’s offers a variety of classes and two retreats each year.

Just in case you are looking for last year’s fish, we found one at Millie P’s. We left it on the shelf but chose some 2 yards of this years Minnesota fabric to buy.

In addition, Millie P’s offers a longarm quilting service where quilters can become certified or trained to use the machine. Once completed they can rent time on the longarm to quilt their own quilt. It is located on the second floor. I wish I lived closer to Millie P’s. I think I’d be here a lot.

You can find more information about Millie P’s and their classes, clubs, and retreats here on Millie P’s website.

When you are in Anoka or the Twin Cities area, stop in at Millie P’s and say hi to Becky and the girls. Oh, and tell them that Tu-Na sent you.

Finishing the Metro Section:

We finished visiting the seven shops in the Metro section and checked out at Quilt Cove in Eagan. We each received a picnic cooler bag as the incentive prize.

The Block for the Day

I bought this 2017 Quilt MN block kit (Agate Reflections) from Quilted Treasures in Rogers, MN. It sewed up nicely.

What I Learned Today:

I better keep an eye on my husband or I’ll lose him. I had just left Eagle Creek Quilt Shop with my husband tagging behind. As he was closing the door, a voice said, “Here wait, I’m going with you.” It wasn’t mine!
Quilters are some of the friendliest people I’ve met.
I need to make my shopping list longer as I’ve already purchased most of it. (Shhh, don’t tell my husband.)

Question: Do you buy by the fat quarter, 1/2 yard, yardage, or only buy following a pattern? I buy fat quarters to add to my scrappy stash. Otherwise, I buy 1 1/2 yards except the MN exclusive fabrics which I have cut in 2 yards. However, if I really like a fabric, then I buy 3 or 4.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Linking to:

Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Moving It Forward Monday at Em’s Scrapbag

See my first post about the 2017 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop:

Tu-Na Travels: ♪Over Hill. Over Dale. We Will Hit the Dusty Trail. As the Quilt Hop Goes Rolling Along….♪

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Yes, we are going to drive all around Minnesota for the 2017 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop, again. This will be our fourth year. Last year we not only shopped but also took our first sailboat ride. You’ll find all the links to posts about that journey at the top underneath my blog name in a tab called SHOP HOP. Click it and a drop down menu will appear, click on 2016 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop. I wonder what adventures await us this year?

Sixty six shops have been busy preparing for us and other shoppers to descend upon them and swoop up all they have to offer. They’ve been busy creating samples of quilts, bags, runners, and other fun things using the exclusive shop hop fabric. In addition, they’ve been designing their 8 inch finished block and cutting a 5″ charm from one of those fabrics which they will present to each of the hoppers for free. They’ve been assembling the incentive prizes.

This is the 11th Annual Shop Hop which brings quilters (and even some of their husbands) from all over the country to scour the shops finding inspiration, fabric, and a special kind of quilting kinship.

We’re all packed and headed down to our daughter’s house in southern Minnesota so we can get an early start tomorrow morning.

As we left North Dakota, and in fact all along the way to her house, we encountered lots of construction. We’re sure hoping this is not a sign of what’s to come.

Just how did we prepare for our quilty adventure?

Perusing the Quilt Minnesota Website

The Quilt Minnesota website is jam packed with all the information us hoppers need including a list of participating shops divided into sections, shop hours, state map, section information and incentive prizes, and the special Minnesota Fabrics designed and printed ONLY for this hop—I’m showing you a few of them here.

Many of the fabrics are available in several different background colors.

Programming the Route

My husband—lovingly named Tu-Na Helper by my sister on last year’s hop—put all the zip codes into the computer website, OptiMap. A minute later it spit out the route map in the order that we should take. While we know we will deviate from that route because of shop hours, it gets us going in the general direction and provides us a base to use the phone to navigate.

To navigate around, we use Google Maps on my husband’s smart phone. My husband puts in the address of the first shop from the OptiMap suggestion, and then when we get to the location, he puts in the next one, etc. Oh, I love technology! We’ll see how off-course it takes us this year.

The fabrics are an exclusive line designed by Emily Krueger and manufactured by Clothworks.

Creating My List

Tu-Na Helper wouldn’t let me go without a plan. So, yes, I have a list which reads:

Patterns

Florence Flamingo by Elizabeth Hartman
Lepidoptera by Elizabeth Hartman
We’re on a Bigger Roll by Java House Quilts

Books

No Scrap Left Behind by Amanda Nyberg
The Quilt Block Cookbook by Amy Gibson

Fabric

Laundry Day (irons, clothes hanger)
Kaffe Fasset especially olive green
Low volume prints
fabric with postage stamps
White on white
Minnesota Fabrics.

I wonder which fabric will be the statewide sell-out this year? The one most sought after by quilters. The one that those of us who didn’t pre-order will wish we had. My guess is the lady slipper or the birds will be the first to go. But could it be the fish instead like last year? My husband doesn’t think so, as he prefers last year’s colorful ones. I guess this year’s fish look too realistic for him. But, if given the chance I find some, I might get some anyway. Who knows? His preference might change.

Misc.

Small apple buttons

There are lots more fabrics to this line including a panel. Check out the website listed above to view them all.

Packing the Cooler

We carry a cooler for lunches. There’s a lot of miles to cover and not a lot of hours to do it in so we opt to eat in the car for lunch and splurge in the evening at local fare. We’ll be restocking at grocery stores along the way; in the meantime, we can enjoy a snack of string cheese and some baby carrots.

While this exclusive fabric can be pre-ordered, I, again, decided not to pre-order. Instead, I will hunt and seek and discover which fabrics I will buy limiting myself to only purchasing one at a shop. I call it a lesson in decision making. Which one can’t I leave behind? Which one do I risk but may not see again?

Deciding to Take the Sewing Machine

Some of you may wonder, why I would do that. Each shop provides a free charm square of this year’s Quilt Minnesota fabrics and a pattern for an 8 inch block. My plan is to buy some of the kits for those patterns and sew a few up in the evenings. After a few days, we’ll see how that goes and whether it was worth bringing it along.

The agate is the state gem. This fabric, by that name, is available in several colors. This one might be a contender for the first to sell-out statewide.

Reminder:

The giveaway to win the Christmas stocking and ALL the stocking stuffers I made for it is still open through August 1st. If you haven’t entered click here to go to that post and leave a comment.

Last year, there were mosquitoes. This year it’s the dragonfly.

The hop continues through August 13th. There’s still time for you to join in on the fun. If you can’t travel the whole state, you might like to visit just a section or two.

What I Learned Today:

I don’t need a lot of fabric but I sure do want some more.
Whether I am ready or not, the quilt hop will start.
If you see me out and about, please stop and say hi. I will try to do the same.

Question: What makes a good shop hopper? Help me list some Shop Hop Etiquette. It will be a good reminder for me. I make a point to stop and shop or at least look around each of the shops. We avoid the grab and go approach. We don’t look at the hop as a race to finish first. But rather think of it as an experience to be enjoyed. It’s kind of like stopping to smell the roses or in this case, petting the fabric.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Linking to:

Oh, Scrap at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Moving It Forward at Em’s Scrapbag

Tu-Na Quilts: The Third Stocking Stuffer Reveal—How Much Can It Hold?

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To answer that question, that little quilted stocking actually holds a lot! So far we have:

The Pincushion Pail is 2.25″ tall and 2″ wide at the top.

Not including the leaves, this strawberry is 1.5″ long.

Let’s see what else it holds.

There’s an itty bitty Pretty Pillow Pincushion. It measures 3.5″. The center pinwheel block is only 1.5″.

I’ve been wanting to try sewing some of those Marvelous Mini Monday blocks from the Temecula Quilt Co. but have been warned that they are tedious and tricky. I decided to prove to myself that I could indeed make them. I chose this pinwheel block (free pattern found here) but didn’t want to sew them into a mini quilt. After some thinking, I decided it would be perfect for a little pillow pincushion similar to the one I’d seen on Crazy Mom Quilts found here.

I didn’t find it difficult at all as long as I paid close attention to cutting accurately and using a scant 1/4″ seam allowance. I think I’ll be making more of these Pretty Pillow Pincushions. Maybe you’d like to make one, too.

Materials Needed:

Two 1 3/4″ squares cut from a dark print
Two 1 3/4″ squares cut from a light print
Two 1″ x 2″ and two 1″ x 3″ pieces for inner border
Two 1″ x 3″ and two 1″ x 4″ pieces for outer border
4″ x 4″ square for back
4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ square of batting
3 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ square of fusible light or medium weight interfacing
Crushed walnut shells or other stuffing (See my post here for more discussion about crushed walnut shells and making a crushed walnut shell dispensing bottle-a.k.a. mustard bottle)
a small amount of poly fiber fil or stuffing
Thread

Directions:

Shorten your stitch length to 1.5. All seams are sewn with a scant 1/4″ unless noted.

Make half square triangles using the squares. With right sides together, place a dark and light square together. Placing my handy little ruler with the line that will connect the points, I drew a diagonal line 1/4″ on each side that line. Do this with the other set. Sew just a tad bit to the left of the line as shown in the pictures below.

See how my stitching line is just on the inside of the drawn lines

Lay your ruler edge across the points, approx. down the middle between the stitching and cut. This will give you two itty bitty blocks. Do this with the other squares.

Press seams open (I always use spray starch when working with small pieces.) Square block by lining up the diagonal line on your ruler over the seam edge and trimming to 1 1/4″.

I think trimming accurately here ensures the block will end up the correct size.

Do this with the other set of squares so you will finish with four itty bitty pieces. Arrange them as in the pattern pictured below and sew the top two blocks together (seam 1 as noted in the picture below). Then sew the bottom two blocks together (seam 2 as noted in the picture below).

Press seams open and then sew the two halves together. Press seam open.

Square your block to 2″. There is your cute itty bitty center for your Pretty Pillow Pincushion.

Add the side borders by sewing right sides together joining seam 1 (as pictured below) first. Press seam toward side. It will go there naturally because of the bulk. Then sew the other side border seam 2 (as pictured below). Press seam toward side.

Sew seam 1 first.

Press. Then sew seam 2.

Now you are ready to sew on the top and bottom border pieces. Sew the top seam (3 as pictured below) onto the top and press towards the side. Sew bottom border (4 as pictured below) and press seam towards the side.

Are you ready for the last border? Sew side seams first (1 then 2) and press seams to the side. Sew on top border (seam 3 as pictured below) and then sew on bottom border (4 as pictured below). Press seams to the side.

Beautiful!

It’s only 4″ square with the center pinwheel only 1.5″. What can I say? I dabble in small pieces. Do you?

Center the top on the batting square. Pin in place.

Lengthen stitch length to 3.0 and quilt as desired. I quilted straight lines about 1/4″ apart in the borders only.

Since this block is so tiny, I only had to sew four rows to quilt it. I did not quilt the center. I figured there was plenty of stitching there already.

Square to 4″.

Iron interfacing onto back side of backing fabric.

The backing extends beyond the interfacing around all sides. This allows me to heat set it without risk of getting the sticky stuff on my ironing board or my iron. An alternative would be covering it with a cloth. Follow the manufacturer directions to heat set it.

Reset stitch length to 1.5. Place top and backing with right sides together and stitch 1/4″ inch around all sides leaving about a 2 inch opening for turning on one side. Backstitch at both ends.

Trim corners at a diagonal. Trim close but not too close.

Trimming off the corners reduces the bulk.

Turn right side out and gently push out corners. I use a knitting needle. Fold seam allowance of opening under and press to aid you when closing the opening.

Fill with crushed walnut shells. I love the crushed walnut shell dispensing bottle I made a.k.a. mustard bottle. I’ve not only used it for all three of these pincushions I’ve made for the blog hop but also for many others. Shake the pillow and tap it up and down on the table to help settle the walnut shells. Use your finger to push them down, too. You want the pillow to be filled full so it is firm. It will settle and soften as you use it. Work to get some into the top corners.

Once it is filled as full as you want, add a bit of poly fiber fil or stuffing to cover the shells exposed at the opening. This helps keep them in the cushion while you sew. Hand sew the opening closed with tiny, close stitches.

This one is almost too cute to stick pins in.

Pillow Pincushion front. 3.5″ square.

Back

But that’s what it’s for.

The 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop continues:

Sunday, July 23rd, 2017

Bells are Ringing…Silver Bells…Jingle Bells—Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop

Confessions of a Fabric Addict Today’s assignment is just as I suspected; finishing the final quarter for the Santa’s Trip Around the World Quilt so be prepared for a new assignment tomorrow. Sarah’s also sharing a bunch of ideas for cute. little gifts to give quilters. You may just want to make one of each for yourself, too.

Mel’s Quilting Blog Meloney’s sharing a trio of little gift ideas that are perfect for teachers, or guild members, or neighbors. No one on your list needs to be left crying or looking for a tissue. Go see for yourself.

Resourceful Momma Mel persevered some obstacles to create a cute little project for the hop. She’s even offering it as a free pattern download. Those of you who enjoy embroidery or want to learn, this is your chance to create a cute center block for your wall hanging, table topper, or pillow cover. Who can resist that impish smile?

Cheryl’s Teapots2Quilting If you haven’t come up with an idea or two for Christmas this year, stop by Cheryl’s blog. Her post is filled with suggestions and examples, that should please someone on your list. Make a few extras, just in case you forgot to check it twice!

Remember to leave comments on each of these 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop posts so you can qualify to win some fabric giveaways of Tula Pink’s new holiday line, Holiday Homies, generously donated by Free Spirit Fabrics!!! You have through July 26th to leave comments on all of the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop posts. So hopefully, you’re not too far behind in reading and commenting on them.

Please note: Sarah has notified us that she needs to delay the announcement of winners until August 4th due to a family emergency. Winners will be notified by email then. I will be posting a list, too, as soon as I see it.

Here’s an updated picture of the prizes you could be winning if you are commenting on each of the blog posts.

I posted my 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop post on Monday, July 14, 2017 where I showed how to make a mini quilted stocking and a ring wreath that kids can make. Click here if you are looking for it. My first stocking stuffer reveal happened here and the second stocking stuffer reveal happened here. Here’s a picture recap of what I’ve created for this hop:

7.5″ wide and 9″ long, not including the loop.

Ring Wreath that kids can do.

The Pincushion Pail is 2.25″ tall and 2″ wide at the top.

Not including the leaves, this strawberry is 1.5″ long.

3.5″ Pretty Pillow Pincushion

Coming soon on Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats:

Tuesday, July 25th, 2017 — Tu-Na Quilts: The Fourth and Final Stocking Stuffers Reveal—Does The Fun Have to End? (Do you see the s on the end of Stuffers? I bet you know what that means.)

What I Learned Today:

My husband reads my posts. I forgot to list what I learned on yesterday’s post. He asked me about it when he was checking his email.
Work on my posts earlier in the day so I am not tired and forgetful.
My grandson has a lot of energy. My son, his wife, and my grandson have moved in with us for a few weeks while they wait to get into their new house.

Question: Let’s talk about Christmas yard decorations. How do you decorate the outside of your house or yard or do you enjoy the decorations of others? What’s your favorite outside decoration you’ve seen? My husband hangs lights from the edge of the roof around our gazebo. Then he puts green garland around the rails and ties on pretty red velvet bows. It looks so festive.

We have a street in our town in North Dakota where each year all the houses and trees are lavishly decorated for the holidays. It’s a highlight of the season causing nightly traffic jams as tours cascade down “candy cane lane.” It is beautiful!

However, the residents in our Arizona city decorate their yards quite a bit differently. I posted pics each day from Dec 13-25, 2016 showing these unique Christmas decorations. I also posted pics each day from Dec 26-Jan1 showing how last winter’s weather decorated our North Dakota landscape for the holidays. If you missed any of these, you can find them in the archives on the sidebar, click on December 2016 and scroll through the month. There’s also one on January 1, 2017.

Here’s three of my favorites.

Test caption

Thanks for all the kind compliments and fun responses to my questions that you’ve shared. I’ve read and appreciated every one. I am just a bit behind in replying. After all, Christmas, even in July, is a hectic season.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Linking to:

Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Moving it Forward Monday at Em’s Scrapbag
Oh, Scrap at Quilting is More Fun than Housework
Linky Tuesday at Freemotion on the River
Let’s Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts
Wait Loss Wednesday at The Inquiring Quilter
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Tu-Na Quilts: Santa Claus is Coming–Day Nine of the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop

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July 14-25, 2017 Hosted by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Christmas inspiration provided by dozens of bloggers.

Mrs. Claus and all the elves may be hard at work at the North Pole but these bloggers have been busy in their sewing rooms. Come check out what projects the ones listed below have created to help you be inspired for some merry Christmas making of your own.

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017

Confessions of a Fabric Addict Sarah gives the next sewing assignment for Santa’s Trip Around the World Quilt Along which is a repeat of the past two days. She’s also found some great kid’s Christmas craft ideas which are fun for kids of any age including those of us who are young at heart.

Devoted Quilter Leanne’s been freely sewing with her machine and has stitched up some quilty tree ornaments. Bonus: you can practice your free-motion quilting at the same time.

Kathy’s Kwilts and More Kathy shows how easy making a pillow cover is. You might be able to stitch up several in an afternoon following her directions unless you decide to use one to lay down and take a nap.

All Points of the Compass Jean’s post is really a hoot! She’s sewing some parliament members that are looking really wide-eyed and fun. Who wouldn’t want to sew one on the front of a bag? Who wouldn’t want to stitch one for a banner or flag? Who wouldn’t want to receive a pillow cover with one on the front?

Remember to leave comments on each of the Christmas blog hop posts as listed above so you can qualify to win some fabric giveaways of Tula Pink’s new holiday line, Holiday Homies, generously donated by Free Spirit Fabrics!!! You have until July 26th to comment on each blog.

Please note: Sarah needs to delay the announcement of winners until August 4th due to a family emergency. Winners will be notified by email then. I will be posting a list, too, when I receive the info.

I posted my 12 Days of Christmas in July post earlier this week. Click here if you are looking for it. I showed how to make these two projects pictured below: a mini quilted Christmas stocking and a kid’s mini wreath craft. You will also find a complete listing of all the participating blogs on the hop with updated links that will take you directly to their 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop posts once they are published. This might be helpful if you have to go back and comment for the giveaway or look at directions again for all the projects you want to make.

7.5″ wide and 9″ long, not including the loop.

Ring Wreath that kids can do.

I then revealed two of the surprises this stocking holds.

The Pincushion Pail is 2.25″ tall and 2″ wide at the top.

Not including the leaves, this strawberry is 1.5″ long.

You can find the tutorial for the pail pincushion here and the strawberry pincushion here.

Coming soon on Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats:

Sunday, July 23rd, 2017 — Tu-Na Quilts: The Third Stocking Stuffer Reveal—How Much Can It Hold?
Tuesday, July 25th, 2017 — Tu-Na Quilts: The Fourth and Final Stocking Stuffers Reveal—Does The Fun Have to End?

What I Learned Today:

Question: Who fills your stockings? Santa or no Santa? What other giving traditions do you observe? Usually Santa and Mrs. Claus were up late finishing the gift wrapping and sneaking stuff under the tree and into the packages. My husband and I were very tired on Christmas morning. I miss those days. One year, our family hosted a Christmas party and hired a Santa to come. Before he arrived, the kids painted cookies which I posted about here. It was a lot of fun for our three year old. Now our kids and their spouses exchange names and make or buy something at a really good deal for that person. The kids have been very creative as their gifts have been quite impressive.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Tu-Na Quilts: All I Want for Christmas is ___ –Day Seven of the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop and

19 Replies

First: The purple thang story I promised you from yesterday’s post.

As the holidays drew near last year, I got a group text from one of my kids asking what I wanted for Christmas. I immediately texted back:

2 purple thangs, no typo

What ensued were lively text and phone conversations from several of my kids asking what were purple thangs, where they could be purchased, and why I wanted two. Well, my thoughts were that I needed one for each house.

What I meant in that initial text was that the word thang was correct and not to be confused with thong. I don’t know about you but when I grew up, thongs were a type of plastic/rubber sandal worn on the feet. They had a strap between the big toe and first toe and made a thumping sound as you walked. I wore them all summer and loved them. I attempted to explain this to my kids.

They also couldn’t help but tease me that maybe, just maybe, I really meant 2 purple thongs from today’s definition of them. Somehow, it seemed they weren’t buying my explanations and the more I explained the deeper I was digging my hole. I finally gave up.

And then we gathered for Christmas. I received these from my oldest son.

I am so glad he went by my definition.

Oh, and I also got two purple thangs from his wife.

One already lives in my AZ house. I use it to hold fabric that is too close to the sewing machine needle for my comfort. It also helps push out points and push stuffing into corners.

Now onto today’s exciting news:

The weather outside may be frightfully hot or cold, depending on where you live, but the ideas and inspiration coming forth from this year’s bloggers is incredible. Come see for yourself:

July 14-25, 2017. Hosted by Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Inspiration and ideas supplied by dozens of bloggers.

Thursday, July 20th

Confessions of a Fabric Addict Sarah’s posted the next set of instructions for the Santa’s Trip Around the World Quilt: a little bit of ripping and a bit more sewing, pressing included.

You can make this quilt with any fabric. It doesn’t have to be Christmas.

Cheryl’s Teapots2Quilting Cheryl’s post is filled with 10 more ideas of gifts to make and give away or even keep for yourself. I found one or two that I put on my must make list. Maybe you will, too.

The Inquiring Quilter Are you needing a quick table runner pattern? Jennifer is one talented quilter who’s designed a beauty that will leave you lots of time to either make more or turn some into a quilt. I’m putting this one on my list to make. You might like to, too.

Selina Quilts Selina’s suggesting making some vinyl bags for someone on your list. She’s posted the link to the free pattern and tutorial. She also gives a hint for sewing with vinyl. I often forget about how great these are for gifts and great to use for myself.

Remember to leave comments on each of their Christmas blog hop posts as listed above so you can qualify to win some fabric giveaways of Tula Pink’s new holiday line, Holiday Homies, generously donated by Free Spirit Fabrics!!! You have until July 26th to comment on each blog.

See my post here for a complete listing of all participating blogs on the hop.

7.5″ wide and 9″ long, not including the loop.

Ring Wreath that kids can do.

The first stocking stuffer reveal happened here. Go check it out to find out what I made to put in the stocking as you might want to make one or two for yourself.

Coming soon on Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats:

Friday, July 21st, 2017 — Tu-Na Quilts: The Second Stocking Stuffer Reveal—You Mean There’s More?
Sunday, July 23rd, 2017 — Tu-Na Quilts: The Third Stocking Stuffer Reveal—How Much Can It Hold?
Tuesday, July 25th, 2017 — Tu-Na Quilts: The Fourth and Final Stocking Stuffers Reveal—Does The Fun Have to End?

What I Learned Today:

Even the Dr. doesn’t know why my cold lingers. “Might be a virus, gargle with warm salt water,” she said. My mom said that and I didn’t even have to pay her.
I’ve lost 9 pounds. I hope I don’t find them again. Instead of a stash report, I should do a Tu-Na Eats: Pounds Lost report. Nah, not quite as interesting.
I shall miss the IRobot Roomba. For the last three weeks, my husband and son have been fixing my mother-in-law’s. During the fixing process, it needed lots of testing. Now that it’s fixed, they’ve announced that it is ready to be returned to her. My floors have never been so clean. It’s been fun watching the little robot vacuum move over the floors and carpets with no rhyme or reason or pattern to its cleaning. Kind of reminds me of the way our Italian foreign exchange student mowed the lawn years ago.

Question: Do you buy or make a special Christmas outfit or do you make do with what you have? I am in the phase of making do except this year might be different. If I can continue to lose some weight, I’ll be needing some new duds to wear.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again,

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Tu-Na Quilts: Go Tell It On the Mountain–Day Three of 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop

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This year’s hop started July 14, 2017 and will continue through July 25, 2017. Participating bloggers are posting gift and Christmas ideas.

Santa’s little helpers for today can be found at:

Sunday, July 16th, 2017

Confessions of a Fabric Addict Sarah gives us our sewing assignment for Santa’s Trip Around the World quilt and also shows some great decorating and gift ideas that you could make for someone on your list. Are you sewing along? I’ll show my pics soon.

Swimming in a Sea of Estrogen Amy won’t be burning her fingers this year when she pulls hot bowls out of the microwave. If you’ve been wanting to make yourself or someone on your Christmas list some microwave bowl cozies or if you have no idea what these are, you’ll want to hop right on over to her blog to see how really easy and fast these are to stitch.

Everyone Deserves a Quilt Do you set up a Christmas tree? Joanne’s got you covered if you do. Well, your tree that is. She has a tutorial for a tree skirt that looks mighty festive. You might want to check it out.

Cheryl’s Teapots2Quilting If you haven’t found anything to make for those on your list yet, don’t worry, Cheryl’s posting lots of ideas with more to follow. She’s also giving away three mini kits so you might like to leave a comment on her blog if you want to win one and really get a jump on your holiday making.

Remember to leave comments on each of their posts so you can qualify to win some fabric giveaways of Tula Pink’s new holiday line, Holiday Homies, generously donated by Free Spirit Fabrics!!! You have until July 26th to comment on each blog.

See my post here for a complete listing of all participating blogs on the hop.

What I Learned Today:

There’s no place like home. Even my junk doesn’t want to leave. (I’m cleaning out my storage room and garage.)
It’s hard to let go of things I’ve had for many years.
I’m very sentimental.

Question: What do you make/bake for Christmas goodies? I used to make lots of different kinds of cookies and candy which is one of the reasons I am once again on a mission to lose weight. Now, I’m lucky if I get our Traditional Painted Cookies, Reindeer Cookies, and maybe some gingerbread men made for the grandkids.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Tu-Na Quilts: A Poodle Came to Play

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I thought I’d write a quick post to let you all see that I now have a lovely little poodle to play with. Well, actually, Jennifer from The Inquiring Quilter, made me this block for my Bee Month and it arrived on Thursday. She also included three 1.5″ squares of the fabrics she used so I could include them in my postage stamp quilt. Thanks, Jennifer!

Made by Jennifer at The Inquiring Quilter.

I’ve been busy writing about my trip to Paris and posting construction tips on what’s turning into being a block sew-along this month over at Bee Inspired. I was in Paris three years ago and had already started writing “What I learned today” posts in my journal. I’m including them to give you my impressions (and sometimes humorous insights) of Paris and the things my husband and I saw, did, and ate. Each post also includes some detailed poodle making tips.

Here’s the poodle parts all prepped. Labeling makes this project so much easier.

You are all welcome to stop by and read about my Paris adventures and even sew up a poodle or two or more for yourself. The free pattern is found on The Objects of Design.

Here’s my latest post on Bee Inspired which also includes links to all the Paris and poodle posts. Tu-Na Quilts: Day Four in Paris and Prepping the Poodle Body Parts.

I still have a few more Paris posts left to write as there are still a few parts left before our pampered pooches go parading.

What I Learned Today:

I can “knock out” a post in less than 15 minutes.

Question: Are you a dog or cat person? To me dogs are he’s and cats are she’s except for these poodles; some definitely have he looks and some have she looks.

Linking to: Em’s Scrapbag for Moving It Forward, Monday Making, Katie Mae Quilts BOMs Away, and Main Crush Monday. Design Wall Monday, Tips and Tutorials Tuesday, Linky Tuesday on Freemotion by the River, Wednesday Wait Loss, Can I Get A Whoop Whoop, Finished or Not Friday.

Tu-Na Quilts: Progress on “She Has Her Mommy’s Nose”

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Yes, there is hope that I will finish this little quilt soon. I renamed the quilt in this post. I’ve got a ton of different projects going all at once, some secret sewing and some with deadlines, but I am making some headway with this one. I’ve sewn all the blocks into rows.

Now just to press the seams, sew the rows together, quilt, and bind. That may sound like a lot but really it’s all down hill from here, at least for me. I’ve already got a quilting motif in mind which is more than half the battle to finishing at this point.

But I do need your help. As I am getting closer to a finish for this sweet quilt, I am thinking ahead and want to select just the right binding for it. I originally bought this peach for the binding but now I am not sure.

Possibility A

Here’s an idea

of how this one might look

But then I started leaning towards the greenish teal.

Possibility B (the coloring is more like the pic above than the one below)

This is how the teal

could look.

And now I think it could use just a tish of color. I remember how Tish of Tish in Wonderland likes to bind her quilts with a flange. I think you can see that hint of color around the edge best on her many quilts in this post.

Possibility C

Here’s how a flange binding

would look using both these colors.

I really appreciated all of your comments (see this post) when helping me to decide on the size of this quilt. I was really torn about what to do so I asked the new mommy for her opinion and she said to keep it as is which will be a nice crib-size or toddler bed size.

But this binding is a quilter’s question. So please leave a comment which you think would look best and help me get to a finish: A, B, or C. I thank you very much!!

What I Learned Today:

Decision making is not one of my strengths.
There are a lot of decisions to make when sewing a quilt.
It’s always nice to ask a friend(s) for help.

Question: A, B, or C?

Linking with Wednesday Wait Loss, Finished or Not Friday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?, Let’s Make Baby Quilts, Sew Can She, Moving It Forward Monday, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, Jos Country Junction, WIPs, Linky Tuesday on Freemotion by the River,

Tu-Na Quilts: Let’s Make Elephants

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Here’s what my elephant quilt looked like when the project stalled in March.

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Here’s how it traveled to North Dakota with me so that it could be finished.

I labeled each block and each row and used lots of Clover clips to hold the labels in place. Then all the sewn rows and the ones needing sewing were put into a new gallon Ziploc bag.

The trip took three days and I didn’t want any pieces getting lost or mixed up.

I also clipped each row together and included my hand-drawn pattern. I had bought a package of 100 Clover clips when I was in Bismarck last summer (using a 50% off coupon from JoAnns) and took half of them to Arizona in the fall. Now they’ve come back to my ND home. I sure hope I remember to take them back to AZ with me or I’ll be buying more down there.

This quilt is for my best friend’s granddaughter. That baby just turned 6 months old and I might have to make it larger if I dawdle any longer.

I’ve already got 7 rows sewn. See how I labeled these rows. for transport? I sewed the paper label with the row number on the end of each finished row using a large stitch length. It only took a couple of minutes to do this and it is better than using pins.

My goal for this week is to move this project forward by:

Finish sewing the chevron rows.
Deciding whether to make the quilt a tad wider. I have most of the blocks made already if I decide to do so. Currently it measures 40″ x 56″. By adding two more blocks to each row (which completes the next peak in the chevron), it would be 48″ x 56″. What would you do?
Sewing up those three elephants and their background strip.
Sewing the top together.
Sandwiching the layers.
Free-motion quilting it. I already have a plan.

This list may be a bit ambitious (realistically I may only get thru number 3) as I also have to sew up and mail the three May Bee blocks this week. In addition, I am Queen for one Bee next month so I need to sew up a couple of test blocks and prepare a post.

To motivate me and keep me going, I thought I’d link with Em’s Scrapbag for Moving It Forward (love the tag line for her blog—”When life falls to pieces, make a quilt”).

And in case any of you are transporting quilt blocks, I’ll link with Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl for Tips and Tutorials Tuesday since I have some tips on keeping your blocks and rows organized. (Button is on the sidebar).

What I Learned Today:

I need something or someone to get me motivated.
Cold coffee tastes really good. I have a habit of pouring myself a cup and finding it three hours later.

Question: Would you make this quilt wider or not?

Other linky parties that I’m attending: Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication and Let’s Bee Social on Sew Fresh Quilts and Works in Progress at Silly Mama Quilts.

Tu-Na Quilts: Welcome to the Third Week of the 2017 New Quilt Blogger’s Hop

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Come on in, sit a spell, and explore my blog for some fun stories and interesting photos as well as quilting goodness. Hi! My name is Karen but I also go by Tu-Na or Tu-Na Quilts or Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats if you want to get very formal. My name came about during a conversation with my grandsons. I wrote my very first blog post about that conversation last April and you can read it here. If you want, you can read more about me here or check out the introductory post that I wrote for last year’s New Quilt Blogger’s Hop here.

I’ve been very busy with family responsibilities the past several months and my first blogiversary came and went without my notice. However, I’ve got some fun improvements and a belated party planned for my blog in the coming months so stay tuned.

I made my first quilt many years ago when I was 16 and wrote my second blog post about it which you can read here. Almost all the quilts that I make, I give away.

This fun quilt went to live with one of my grandsons since he loves the Little House books.

You can read more about this Little House quilt here and see the block that I designed for it.

Speaking of designing, I designed this coneflower block for last years Cloud 9 Block Hop.

I call this block “Anne’s Flower.” It is easy to sew using a method that I call piecelique–meaning some piecing and some applique. Don’t let that curved stem scare you; it’s easy.

Anne’s Flower pattern is available on Tu-Na’s Pattern Shop on Payhip here.

I am constructing a quilt gallery in the tabs at the top where you can see other quilt finishes including my mini laundry day quilt with this 4 inch mini-mini of a lighthouse.

Twenty one years ago, I took a quilting class where I learned how to use a rotary cutter and ruler which revolutionized quilting for me. I wanted to make a quilt for me since I didn’t have a good quilt that fit our queen size bed. I remember attending that class and sharing my strips of fabric with other quilters as they shared theirs with me. This class taught me the importance of accurate cutting.

I took those strips and sewed them into nine patches. I sewed many nine patches and then stuffed them into my fabric cupboard. Every now and then, I’d let them come out to play. I’d sew a few more nine patches, arrange and rearrange them, and then reshelf them while family and work responsibilities took priority.

Four years ago, I rediscovered them and took them over to my mom’s house. This quilt was meant for me and I wanted to get it done. Mom drew up a plan for setting those nine patches and together we laid them out and I sewed.

And then the top sat for another year until I rented time on a longarm and quilted it using a computerized program of hearts.

Sometimes I see the quilting as leaves or maybe heart shaped leaves.

Other quilts needed to be made and finished first and my quilt was folded and put away. When I was at my North Dakota home for Christmas last year, I unfolded it and machine stitched the binding to the top.

At this point I was tempted to return it to the pile but decided to begin to hand sew the binding to the back.

I didn’t get very far as I had to leave it behind when I flew back to Arizona on January 1st. Finally this spring, while I was on a quick trip back to my North Dakota house, I picked it up and finished hand sewing the binding. There you have the real story behind my quilt lovingly named “My 21 Year Quilt.”

I failed to get a pic of the back or to measure it. It is a generous queen size. I put my extra nine patches on the back. I will post pics and stats when I get back home.

Just in case you missed it, I live in two places: North Dakota in the summer and early fall and Arizona in the winter and spring. I love Arizona in the spring.

This Argentine Giant lives at the house next to us. It was loaded with blooms this year that open in the evening and last only 24 hours. I think I’ve convinced my husband that we need one of these in our yard.

I’ll be posting more pics of beautiful cactus blooms on Wednesday. Speaking of blooming, please visit my fellow Blooming Quilters this week. They know that company’s coming and are waiting for your visit.

These Blooming Quilters are hosted by Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl. Thanks, Yvonne!

Tami @Thrift Shop Commando Tami gives modern meaning to the phrase “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Go without.” She shows us a quilt that she’s making for her son out of some thrifted fabric. It’s going to be beautiful.

Sandy @Sandy Star Designs Sandy shows us some great eye candy as she puts it. She also shares a link to her tutorial on how to sew an accurate quarter inch seam. Since I can use all the help I can get, I’m going to have a look at that one.

Karen @Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats That’s me. Thanks for stopping by.

Kathleen @Kathleen McMusing Kathleen shows her quilt history through pictures of really beautiful quilts. Find out who taught her to sew and how she found her love for quilting. She’s got some great quilting tips and I should pay heed to #2 more as it’s the one that stalls my projects.

Sarah @Designs by Sarah J Sarah has a full basket of accomplishments: fabric designer, Aurifil thread designer, pattern designer, and author. You’ll be able to see some of her quilt designs and take a stroll through some of her other posts to see her Dandy Drive block patterns which you can download for free. I know I want to make some of them.

Also check out the other hosts for the 2017 New Quilt Blogger’s Hop, Leanne @she can quilt and Beth @Cooking Up Quilts, to meet even more quilt bloggers.

Remember to enter the giveaways found on our host blogs. There’s a bunch of prizes from some wonderful sponsors. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to win one so don’t delay as the giveaways are open only for a few days.

Quilting Tip: My quilting tip for you today is to strive to make quilts that are “good enough” and not perfect. If you want perfect, it may take you 21 years to finish.

What I Learned Today:

It is better to have finished after 21 years than not to have finished at all.
I like my 21 Year Quilt as much as I did when I first started it.
My bedroom is still blue. It’s a good thing I don’t redecorate often.
My 21 Year Quilt is still not perfect but it is good enough.

Question: Do you have any older quilts or projects begging to be finished? Here’s a chance to confess how long your project(s) has been shelved and whether you want to finish it or not.

Linking to Monday Making, and Main Crush Monday on Monday; Sew Fresh Quilts on Wednesday; Can I Get a Whoop Whoop, TGIFF, and Finished or Not Friday on Friday. Buttons on my sidebar. and Show Off Saturday on Saturday.