Thursday, March 31, 2011

Quilt Pattern Magazine

I’ve been spending a couple of days in the picturesque Clarens and while there dear old Karin  kept the blog running again.  Thanks Karin but now it’s back to reality for me.

At the beginning of this year I subscribed to an e-magazine called Quilt Pattern Magazine and I am enjoying every month’s issue tremendously.  For those not familiar with e-magazines, it is a magazine that you receive via the internet.  So this is what to do:


1.      Go to http://www.quiltpatternmagazine.com/ (you can simply click on the address given and it should take you there.
2.      Once on the main page, have your credit card handy and find “Subscribe Now!” Click here which will take you to another page.
3.      On this page, simply select the 1 year (12 issues) subscriptions by clicking on “Add to Cart” which will take you to your shopping cart where you can check whether you are satisfied and finish the payment.
4.      You will then soon receive an e-mail telling you where to go and what to do to start downloading your first issue. 
      
           Furthermore this magazine also offers its own social network  for subscribers where you can join groups, talk to people making the same project you do, share photos of your work and see lovely quilts by others.  All of this for a mere $13.99 (roughly R98,00) per annum - worth every cent!

In the January issue alone they had 2 BOM’s starting, a wall hanging, table runner and a Valentine’s project to name a few projects let alone interesting articles.

Remember I have downloaded my issues since January if anyone near me would like to quickly have a look at these first before buying BUT…….

I got an e-mail from  Cindy Mccoy from Quilt Pattern Magazine to give at least one of our guild members the chance to WIN a full subscriptions.  This is the e-mail I got from Cindy and I hope several of you will make use of this wonderful opportunity to win a free magazine for a year.

(mail from Cindy)
Hello Hettie

As contact member for your guild, I am emailing to offer your guild members the opportunity to win free subscriptions to "The Quilt Pattern Magazine."

All quilters who are members of quilt guilds everywhere, including internationally, are eligible.  Several winners will be chosen from among all of the entries sent in.

We encourage your members to enter our contest at http://www.quiltpatternmagazine.com/program/guild.html
If you have any questions or comments, be sure to contact me.

Cindy Mccoy
http://www.quiltpatternmagazine.com

Good luck to all!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Let’s have Cream Soda with Makkie de Kock

Another member of the ‘Sterkwilters’ group who started quilting in 2006 as she has always been interested in this hobby and finds it therapeutically.  As a housewife she had one of the hardest jobs ever – people only notice housework when it is NOT done.


Q:   In short tell us a little about your family:
A:  Married with 19 year old twin daughters.

Q:  Are you a morning or night person?
A:  Night

Q:  Which do you prefer – sweet or salty snacks?
A:  Sweet

Q:  Do you collect anything and what?
A:  Stamps

Q:  If you could be any animal, what would you be?
A:  Giraffe

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:  Maroon

Q:  Do you believe in ghosts?
A:  No

Q:  Do you have any other hobbies apart from quilting?
A:  Music, gardening and reading

Q:  Have you even been addicted to a computer/video game and which one?
A:  No not at all

Q:  Name ONE bad habit you have and are aware of.
A:  I’m too lazy to do any exercise

Q:  What do you regard as your best personality trait?
A:  I love people!

Q  Are you mostly a messy or clean person?
A:  Clean

Q:  If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A:  Italy

Q:  What is your favorite drink?
A:   Cream Soda and Dry white wine

Q:  What is your favorite gift to receive?
A:  Any book or CD

Q:  Which type of gift do you like the least?
A:  Recipe books (does this not count as ‘any’ book Makkie??)

Q:  If you could change your name, what would it be?
A:  Annegret

Q:  Name one thing not many people know about you
A:  I farm with sheep and restore old furniture


I unfortunately did NOT get a leg of lamb after doing this interview but thanks for this Makkie.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Zipper video tutorial

O how I do love people in blog land who seem to manage their time perfectly and have or find time to make not only ordinary tutorials but video tutorials.

Tonya from Tonya’s Sewing room realized many of her quilting friends are able to make lovely quilted bags but are scared of inserting a zipper.  I wonder if she knows I’m one of them.  Therefore I was really excited to find her video tutorial and I am sure I am not the only one with this little problem.

So do check this video tutorial out and yes, I’d love a little zipper bag too should you happen to make more than one.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Meet Madeleine Coetzee


Madeleine started quilting in 2006 and says it keeps her positive.  She quilts with the rest of the ‘Sterkwilter’ group and when not quilting she likes to work in her garden

Q:   In short tell us a little about your family:
A:  My husband, Willem, is a farmer and we have 2 sons and 2 daughters.

Q:  Are you a morning or night person?
A:  Morning

Q:  Which do you prefer – sweet or salty snacks?
A:  Sweet

Q:  Do you collect anything and what?
A:  Teaspoons

Q:  If you could be any animal, what would you be?
A:  Cat

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:  Blue

Q:  Do you believe in ghosts?
A:  No

Q:  Do you have any other hobbies apart from quilting?
A:  Knitting

Q:  Have you even been addicted to a computer/video game and which one?
A:  No

Q:  Name ONE bad habit you have and are aware of.
A:  I don’t like being lonely

Q:  What do you regard as your best personality trait?
A:  I like to talk

Q  Are you mostly a messy or clean person?
A:  Clean

Q:  If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A:  I would like to travel through South Africa

Q:  What is your favorite drink?
A:   Coffee

Q:  What is your favorite gift to receive?
A:  Anything perfumed for personal use

Q:  Which type of gift do you like the least?
A:  Something for my house

Q:  If you could change your name, what would it be?
A:  Skattie

Q:  Name one thing not many people know about you
A:  I get upset easily

She still smiled when I left, so hopefully my interview didn't upset her.



Sunday, March 27, 2011

Star flake lap quilt pattern

I know we have quilters done with all their UFO’s and ready to start a brand new quilt – sad to say but I am not one of them.  So for all you diligent quilters out here, Jackie from Animas Quilts shared this free lap quilt pattern.
You can find the pattern by clicking HERE.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Today we talk to animal lover Karen van Graan

Karen claims she too wanted to make pretty things and therefore started quilting in 2008.  Now a member of the ‘Sterkwilters’ group when not quilting she is involved with rehabilitation of animals for Nature Conservation, breeds Yorkshire Terriers and exotic monkeys.


Q:   In short tell us a little about your family:
A:  Married to Hennie and they have a 14 years old son, Oostewald and a 13 year old daughter, Mincke

Q:  Are you a morning or night person?
A:  Night

Q:  Which do you prefer – sweet or salty snacks?
A:  Salty

Q:  Do you collect anything and what?
A:  No

Q:  If you could be any animal, what would you be?
A:  Dolphin

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:  Blue

Q:  Do you believe in ghosts?
A:  No / Yes  (can’t make up your mind Karen?)

Q:  Do you have any other hobbies apart from quilting?
A:  Cycling, entertaining and gardening

Q:  Have you even been addicted to a computer/video game and which one?
A:  No

Q:  Name ONE bad habit you have and are aware of.
A:  Cannot say ‘no’ easily

Q:  What do you regard as your best personality trait?
A:  I am always friendly and always try to help others

Q  Are you mostly a messy or clean person?
A:  Clean

Q:  If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A:  Australia, Ireland and the USA

Q:  What is your favorite drink?
A:   Ice Tea

Q:  What is your favorite gift to receive?
A:  Love, friendship and something pretty such as flowers

Q:  Which type of gift do you like the least?
A:  I would like anything that came from the heart

Q:  If you could change your name, what would it be?
A:  I don’t want my name changed

Q:  Name one thing not many people know about you
A:  (No answer to this one)


Thanks Karen and as soon as I get my family convinced I’m going to get myself one of your itsy bitsy Yorkies!!



Friday, March 25, 2011

Crayon roll by Cindy from Skip to my Lou

Fortunately my kids are grown but I know we have a younger, braver bunch of quilters out there, still finding time to quilt while taking care of the little ones.  Cindy form Skip to my Lou has posted a lovely tutorial for a crayon roll and you can find the instructions by clicking HERE.


Come to think of it, my bigger kids are talking about babies, so maybe I should join in and get a head start on things to come.  Suppose there are more important things to make for a newborn but what the heck as long as things get done, who gives about the order in which it happened?

I would like to see photos if anyone in our blog land make one of these.

Have fun! 

Thursday, March 24, 2011

We talk to hairstylist, Magda Venter


Magda has been quilting for 3 years and is ‘n member of the ‘Sterkwilters’ group who wanted to enrich herself and therefore started quilting.

Q:   In short tell us a little about your family:
A:  I have 2 sons, 2 daughters-in-law and a grandchild

Q:  Are you a morning or night person?
A:  Morning – it’s a brand new day!

Q:  Which do you prefer – sweet or salty snacks?
A:  Sweet like me

Q:  Do you collect anything and what?
A:  Yes because I might just need it later

Q:  If you could be any animal, what would you be?
A:  A wild bird

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:  Any bright color

Q:  Do you believe in ghosts?
A:  No

Q:  Do you have any other hobbies apart from quilting?
A:  Arranging flowers

Q:  Have you even been addicted to a computer/video game and which one?
A:  No

Q:  Name ONE bad habit you have and are aware of.
A:  Shopping (I presume not for food and important stuff)

Q:  What do you regard as your best personality trait?
A:  I am friendly

Q  Are you mostly a messy or clean person?
A:  Clean

Q:  If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A:  Cape Town – so can we go now?

Q:  What is your favorite drink?
A:   Tea

Q:  What is your favorite gift to receive?
A:  Flowers

Q:  Which type of gift do you like the least?
A:  Ground (care to explain Magda?)

Q:  If you could change your name, what would it be?
A:  Maggie

Q:  Name one thing not many people know about you
A:  (She didn’t answer this, so we still don’t know)

I got the interview but not the hairdo.  Thanks Magda.



Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Man gift


I’ve somewhat neglected the men in our lives and if you feel about yours as I felt about mine this weekend you wouldn’t even have noticed.  Anyway….. not going to jail for murder ………. yet!  Seeing that we featured a man on our blog yesterday, I thought this would be appropriate as our next post.

Thimbelina from down under (Australia) shared this man gift with us.  Being Afrikaans speaking I would never think a word like ‘man gift’ would be acceptable but her words, not mine.

So to those who still like their husbands, click HERE to find the free pattern and make him something useful.

Make no mistake I DO love my husband, I just don’t always like him very much.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

I’d like to tell you about Gene Black an Alabama artist

Don’t you just love it when people give you compliments or tell you how clever you are?  O come on, be real, we all do and yip, that includes me.

So today I have a confession to make.......... duh, don’t you just hate these?  Even though I am praised about my blogging skills and yes I did soak it all up - so don’t stop now just because I’m about to confess but I have a couple of clever helpers.

Two of these helpers I made myself – they are called children.  Unfortunately anyone who has also these will tell you they are not always as eager to help dear old mom as they would if it was a girlfriend or boyfriend, so I had to find another secret weapon.

So on one of my daily blog surfing sessions I came across the name Gene Black, not much later or another quilting blogger spoke about the, then still mysterious Gene Black and how he helped her with a issue on her blog and before long after reading more and more quilters with blogs ranting and raving about Gene Black, I just had to check this guy out.  So what...... I’m married but hubby doesn’t read quilting blogs now does he?
After a click of or 2 I found the much spoken about GENE BLACK and in his own words (I copied these from his blog) let me introduce you to him:


I am American Indian (Cherokee that I am sure of -possibly other) and Irish (with a few other bits thrown in for good measure) I paint therefore I am. I create, therefore I am. Both my grandmothers were quilters; I grew up playing under a quilting frame that was hung from the rafters on the front porch. From that I developed a sense of abstract AND a history with quilting. Life is like a patchwork quilt. You can make yours bright bold and exciting or you can try to copy your neighbor's pattern. I like to think of mine as a patch of wild flowers with every color and shape I can add.

So why do I make such a fuzz about Gene?  When our guild asked me to write this blog I jumped at the opportunity as one REALLY does not need any skills to write a blog (first confession) – it is simply a diary on the computer being published on the world-wide-web and you don’t even have to know how all of this works (confession number 2 – I don’t have the foggiest, honestly), you simply click on PUBLISH and wha-la all done.

However I wanted more than just a post in the centre.  I wanted other pages with more permanent information and who did I contact to hear how it is done? (final confession and enough is enough!!) Yes, the one and only Gene Black and if you’d like to read more about this versatile person – male, good looking, quilter, master in blog land, artist etc, etc, etc go visit his blog by clicking HERE. 

I’m not done yet, from time to time I’ll share tutorials by Gene from his blog with you, so watch this space if you haven’t already found it on Gene’s blog yourself.

Now that was fun – going on about another man in public (the confession part wasn't fun though) - and not getting in trouble at home.  Thanks Gene I would not have been able to do this without you.

Be good, as I would.


Monday, March 21, 2011

We talk to Moira Marincowitz


Moira, a member of ‘Sterkwilters’ started quilting in January 2009 when her daughter wanted a quilt.  When she is at home she balances her time by doing housework, quilting, cooking, quilting and more quilting.

Q:   In short tell us a little about your family:
A:  Married for 29 years to Tom and they have a son, Thomas, and a daughter, Janine.

Q:  Are you a morning or night person?
A:  Night

Q:  Which do you prefer – sweet or salty snacks?
A:  Sweet

Q:  Do you collect anything and what?
A:  Pebbles from the beach and wind chimes

Q:  If you could be any animal, what would you be?
A:  Dolphin

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:  Green

Q:  Do you believe in ghosts?
A:  No

Q:  Do you have any other hobbies apart from quilting?
A:  Reading of spiritual books

Q:  Have you even been addicted to a computer/video game and which one?
A:  No not at all

Q:  Name ONE bad habit you have and are aware of.
A:  I like chocolates WAY too much

Q:  What do you regard as your best personality trait?
A:  I am trustworthy and honest

Q  Are you mostly a messy or clean person?
A:  Clean and organized

Q:  If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A:  Switzerland

Q:  What is your favorite drink?
A:   South African ‘rooibos’ tea

Q:  What is your favorite gift to receive?
A:  Quilt fabric

Q:  Which type of gift do you like the least?
A:  Bubble bath

Q:  If you could change your name, what would it be?
A:  I am satisfied with my name

Q:  Name one thing not many people know about you
A:  I can’t keep a note when singing.


Fortunately I didn’t ask Moira to sing her answers, so I survived this interview.  Thanks Moira!


Sunday, March 20, 2011

The Bank of Life

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest: 
  
Each morning your bank would deposit R86, 400.00 in your private account for your use.
  
However, this prize had rules just as any game has certain rules.
 

The first set of rules would be: 
  
1
    Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you. 
2
    You may not simply transfer money into some other account. 
3
    You may only spend it. 
  
Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another R86 400 for that day.

The second set of rules:
1
   The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say “It’s over, the game is        over!” 
2
   It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?
·         You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right?
·         Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love, right?
·         Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right?
·         You would try to spend every cent and use it all, right?

ACTUALLY, THIS GAME IS
 LIFE!!

Each of us is in possession of such a ‘magical’ bank.
We just can’t seem to see it.

THE MAGICAL BANK IS TIME!
Each awakening morning we receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.
What we haven’t lived up to that day is forever lost. 
Yesterday is forever gone.
 
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time…….WITHOUT WARNING.

WELL, what will you do with your 86,400 seconds?
Aren’t they worth so much more than the same amount in Rands?
Think about that, and always think of this: 
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, and enjoy life!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Jelly Roll Race

Look at this fun idea for a quilting group or guild.  We can even arrange this in our guild, have a couple of nice prizes for the first 5 winners and the entry fee (to participate or to watch the race) can be  used towards our festival.


Anybody up to organizing something like this?  I’m thinking ……….. Frances, Karin, Marie, Mari, Elsie, Lolla, Susan, Christine, Linda, Marieta, Rene……………. Anyone???? 


Friday, March 18, 2011

We talked to Karien du Plessis, the lady with the Gammill quilt machine


Karien ‘n member of the ‘Kreatiewe Lappies’ in Smithfield started quilting after seeing a demo done by Iessie Steenberg.  When she doesn’t quilt for herself, she does free motion quilting on her Gammill quilt machine for others and helps hubby with the bookkeeping on their farm.
Q:   In short tell us a little about your family:
A:    My husband farms with merinos approximately 17 km from the Gariep Dam in the Bethulie district.  They have 3 boys, Charel in Gr 8 and twins in Grade 6.

Q:  Are you a morning or night person?
A:  Let me put it this way, I go to bed early and don’t like getting up when it is still dark but once the sun is out I am very productive.

Q:  Which do you prefer – sweet or salty snacks?
A:  Salt

Q:  Do you collect anything and what?
A:  Ideas and techniques that I’d like to test on my Gammill

Q:  If you could be any animal, what would you be?
A:  She sees herself as a caracal but would like to be a dove.

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:    Blue but when quilting I use maroon.

Q:  Do you believe in ghosts?
A: Yes

Q:  Do you have any other hobbies apart from quilting?
A:  I make coffee table books as well as DVD’s with music and photos.

Q:  Have you even been addicted to a computer/video game and which one?
A:  No but to a quilt forum – Machine quilting resource

Q:  Name ONE bad habit you have and are aware of.
A:  I am extremely critical

Q:  What do you regard as your best personality trait?
A:  . I try to accommodate people as they are and even if I don’t like someone I still believe that I can learn something from that person

 Q  Are you mostly a messy or clean person?
A: I am untidy but knows exactly where everything is.

Q:  If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A:  France on a bicycle

Q:  What is your favorite drink?
A:    Ordinary English tea - Trinco

Q:  What is your favorite gift to receive?
A:  Bubblebath

Q:  Which type of gift do you like the least?
A:  Jewelry, I prefer to select it myself.

Q:  If you could change your name, what would it be?
A:  Chriselee

Q:  Name one thing not many people know about you
A:  I hate it if all the attention is on me.

Sorry about this post then Karien but today ALL the attention is JUST ON YOU!!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Fat What? by Popser

When I started quilting the only readily available magazine in our local bookshops was QUILT  and needless to say I bought every single issue.  Even when I thought myself to become a more experienced quilter, looking for more of a challenge, I would still buy the magazine for ONE single reason only.  The POPSER'S PLAYGROUND stories they featured.


I found it harder to get hold of this magazine later on but when I discovered that ALL these stories were on one website HERE I didn't feel deprived when not finding the magazine anymore.  I could now read any story whenever I wanted to.  I however think I read all in 2 days - so much for spacing the fun things in life!!


With permission I want to share the first story on this lovely site with you, in POPSER'S own words.  Enjoy!

When in the course of human events the mailman brings a package that contains a book that changes history, it is best not to argue against God's will being done.
"What's in the package?" she asked. She had expected a copy of "The Creative Machine," edited and published by Robbie Fanning. I took the newsletter from the package, but it was not alone. Attached to it with a large rubber band was a book.
"The Creative Machine," I answered. "And some book."
"What kind of book?
"I don't know," I said.
"Let me have it," my Darling Wife said. I gave her the book. She looked at it. I looked at her. She looked at me.
"It's a book about quilting," she said. "Why did you order a book about quilting? I don't quilt," she said.
"I know you don't quilt. I didn't order the book."
"Maybe it's for you?" she said. "Do you plan to quilt?" she asked. She wasn't serious. She couldn't be serious, could she?
"I don't plan to quilt," I said. "I never even plan to sew again. Never!" She knew all this.
I was her husband, her soul mate. I would support her in her sewing forever. But her sewing room was her life, and though I was her life mate, I had long before gone cold turkey and given up what little sewing I did to keep my buttons on. Now I don't even like using dental floss because it looks like thick thread and I'm afraid I'll sew my teeth together.
"There's a note attached," she said. "The book's a gift for me from Robbie." She showed me the note. She showed me the book: "The Complete Book of Machine Quilting."
"Well, that explains it," I said wisely.
"It's a nice book," she said, "but I don't quilt."
"Well, maybe you could look at it some time."
"I don't have time to look at a book I'll never use. I have the Raggedy Ann doll to finish and then I have to make the two dresses for the girls." The girls are Shira and Rachel, two of our four grandchildren.
"Well, at least send a thank-you note."
"Why do you keep saying 'Well' all the time?" she asked.
"Well, why not?"
"Well, it's nice book," she said. I looked at her in amazement. Her fingers were busy flipping the pages of the book. I watched as her head bobbed and her eyes turned down toward the colorful pages. "But I don't have time to look at it," she said, and she handed it to me.
"I'll put it away," I said as I reached for the book. But she pulled it back.
"It's a very nice book. Maybe I'll look at it, just for a minute."
And, well, that's the way it began. That was over three weeks ago. Today I considered taking out a second mortgage on our house. Today I considered buying stock in every quilting store in the country. Today I asked her when she was going to sew again.
"Quilting is sewing," she said.
Three weeks and two hours after she received the book in the mail, she had looked through it all. Three weeks and four hours after she received the book we were at the first quilting shop. Three weeks and six hours after she opened the book, we were at a second quilting shop. Three weeks and eight hours after she read and reread THAT BOOK, she owned an Olfa cutting mat and her first rotary cutter.
"What's a fat quarter?" she asked me that night.
"Fat what?" I asked.
"Fat quarter," she repeated.
I looked in my pocket and pulled out the quarter. I held it sideways. "Quarters aren't too fat," I said.
When I recovered from the blow to my stomach, I went to the computer and to the Internet. I typed in "Quilt," and the computer, like some angelic Las Vegas slot machine, spewed forth more information about quilting than I ever really wanted to see. Darling Wife was delighted. Did I just say delighted? She was euphoric, her smile spread across the room, the house, all of California.
"Print it all out," she said.
"There's not enough paper in the world to print it all out," I said.
"Print it out," she repeated. So I printed out a dictionary of quilting terms and a dozen helpful hints for beginners. (I suspect she became a beginner quilter when the mailman left the post office that fateful day.)
Tomorrow she starts her first class in quilting. She needs the class--for discipline. I tried to tell her about our limited budget, but her sense of reality disappeared the day the Viking Quilting Kit for her sewing machine came in the mail. Her contact with reality faded when she watched the first of five quilting tapes she ordered (and that was before she discovered "Simply Quilts" and "Quilt in a Day" on television).
Perhaps the class will make her aware that she doesn't need a room full of fat quarters and a box full of templates and 30 spools of quilting thread and twenty yards of assorted fabric and every size plastic ruler and straight edge and quilting pins and needles and rolls of batting and open-toed dual feed and free-motion feet for her sewing machine. Perhaps, but I don't count on it.
The piles of squares and strips she has perfectly cut and sorted by complimentary color schemes fill the cabinet where we used to keep cereal and flour. The crooked, misshapen, odd pieces of fabric which resulted from her first attempts with the rotary cutter are being saved for, as she puts it, "When I make a crazy quilt."
"You don't think you're going crazy about all this quilting?" I asked as I carried in the dozen different quilting magazines she sent me out to buy this morning.
"It's just sewing," she said. "And there's nothing crazy about sewing," she added as she took the magazines out of my hand.
"Of course not," I said. Of course not. How silly of me. Indeed!

Reprinted by permission from "Popser's Playground." Copyright by A.B. Silver
 "Not to be reproduced without the permission of the author." 


I wish to thank POPSER for allowing me to copy this story and share it with all of you but do take the time to read some more of these delightful stories directly from POPSER'S site by clicking HERE.


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First General Meeting 2024-2

The first general meeting of 2024 was packed full of miscellaneous demo's as well as the Voices in Cloth  presentation and kept the audi...