First Fall Meeting

On September13, the first fall meeting of  the Bell County Quilters took place at Margaret Leigh's home.  Joycelyn had planned to host the group, but she was ill, and we all appreciated Margaret stepping in and offering her home for our meeting.  The group was small, but the fellowship was great, and so was the food! 

The big event of the day was the "Sew and Show."


Margaret was working on a quilt she was in the process of hand quilting.  As usual, her work was fabulous.

Check out the quilting:

We always marvel at her hand quilting...

...and this prompted a quick lesson for some:

Carole had been working hard to finish off some of her needlework projects.  They were indeed amazing:

Some, we had seen in progress, and were impressed with the finished projects, as always.

 She also shared a work in progress:   a bookmark she was making for her choir director...

Sara shared a "Turning Twenty" quilt which included machine embroidery of the Beatitudes.

Absolutely gorgeous!

She also shared a quilt in progress from the collection of "Three Yard Quilt" patterns from the Martha Pullen workshop earlier in the summer.  Hers was the "Snowball."

Susan also shared a "Three Yard Quilt" she had begun as a baby quilt.  It was the "Windmill" pattern.

She also shared the blanket she had made for her expected grandson to leave the hospital in.  It had a machine embroidered monogram and Bible verse along with three rows of double needle stitching, symbolic of the Trinity.

Susan also shared pictures and the pillow from her grandson's nursery bedding which she has been working on this summer.

Sue also shared some recent works of art.

One of her gorgeous scrappy quilts, as well as one of the "Three Yard Quilts"...

This one is called "Topsy Turvey".  Copies of the three yard quilt patterns were shared with the group.

Karen has a few more of them that she will bring to the group at a later meeting.

After our "Sew and Share,"  we also shared a delicious salad luncheon.

As usual, the quilters proved their cooking skills matched their sewing skills!

And a visit to Margaret's house is note done until you have visited her beautiful yard.  This time Susan tried again to catch a picture of the Margaret's spider,  and caught herself in the picture!

Thanks, Margaret for having us in your home!  We are looking forward to the October meeting with Joycelyn!

You Asked for It --This Should Cover It!!

As promised, here are the directions for the notebook cover brought to the last meeting.

The cover holds a purchased notebook:

Here is the inside left side:

And, here is the back of the notebook:

This project was presented on a Fons and Porter episode.  It is particularly good for prequilted fabric, but you can certainly create your own prequilted fabric to use. 

I used a composition notebook.  They are commonly found, and I figured that if I give it as a gift, then the notebook can be easily replaced.

But, if you choose a different notebook, the pattern can be easily adapted.

You also need the following materials:

1/3 yard of  quilted fabric

12 inches of ribbon

1 package of seam binding

1 to 2 inch piece of velcro

My notebook was 9 1/2" high, so the fabric was cut crossgrain at 10 1/2."

The notebook width is measured front to back and 3/4 of the distance across the front again. I cut the fabric 10 1/2" by 21".

Next, you need to cut the curve on the right side of the fabric. I used a very special tool to cut the curve: a plate.

So, when it is done it looks like this:

Next, add the velcro to the inside of the rounded edge about 1" from the edge.  Then add the other piece of velcro to the outside of the squared edge. 

Use the notebook placed in the folded fabric to help with placement and allow a fabric edge for the binding.

I am sure you noticed that the velcro changed colors!!  Well, I put the black velcro on, and it did not stick well, so I removed it and added the tan velcro.

Next, you need a sleeve in the front of the cover and a strap to hold the back of the notebook.
Cut a 6" strip off your 10 1/2" remnant and cut it in half to get 2 strips that are 3" by 10 1/2."

You may add a pocket to the front inside flap.  If you do, you will need a small remnant of coordinating fabric.     Cut 2 pieces of fabric: One piece of quilted fabric and one piece of coordinating cotton.  Sew the edges at 1/4 inch and leave a space to turn. Turn and press.Sew the pocket on the front sleeve 10 1/2 by 3" strip and stitch up the center to hold pens. (I did not add a pocket.)

Binding:  Cut bias binding 2 1/2" wide. Double fold.  Or just buy a package of bias binding like I did!

Now you need to add binding to the right side of the front flap and both sides of the back strap.

 
Cut a 12" piece of ribbon for a bookmark.

Now it is time for assembly.

Stack the base fabric inside up,
left sleeve at the left edge,
ribbon where center of book will be - mine was 6 inches from the left edge,
the right band 13 inches from the left edge.

I turned the left sleeve and the band over to contrast with the inside fabric.  Pin all pieces.

Sew binding around all edges.

I started at the upper left corner, went across the top, around the curve, and back to the left side and then up the left side, turned and stitched down the other side.  It took a little less than one package of binding.

Insert the notebook, and there you have it!!

Very simple and very quick! 

I took the scrap that was left and made a zipper bag to match:

Happy Birthday to my sister!!

 This project is so easy and so fast!  I hope you try one!  Enjoy!

Summer Sewers Lunch Together

Margaret Leigh hosted our summer luncheon on Thursday, July 1.

In the morning, we visited over cinnamon rolls, cantaloupe and chicken tidbits, all yummy!

Shirley brought a visitor, Golda, which is always nice!

We had a great turnout for a summer meeting!

For our sew and share,Sara brought her completed scattered leaves friendship quilt. She had to leave early, so Susan did the honors of sharing her beautiful projects.

Sara's quilt is so beautiful!

She also shared two pillows made of ties.  One for Glen Cosper...

And the other made of Carl Pearson's ties for his son Craig...

Susan shared a simple notebook cover made of prequilted fabric. So easy!

Directions will follow in a later post.

Sue shared many projects. She shared a jacket made from a pattern she purchased at the Martha Pullen Sewing Market. Gorgeous fabric and design!

Sue also shared a decorated "cookie scoop" that she had included on Grace's son's gift...

She also brought two necklaces she made. Gorgeous!

And Sue also shared some cards she made with stamps purchased at Martha Pullen. So cute!

Glamour Puss....

A paper Sunbonnet Sue....

Charlotte, the cat lady...

We did not get to see any of Carole's cross stitch work this month. She says she is not a quilter.

 No one believes that after she showed us the bed quilt,

pillow cases,

shams,

and  two throw pillows she made.

The quilt is based on the sew and flip quilt patterns we have done in the past. Gorgeous!

Margaret showed her granddaughter Madison's French Rose quilt.  She is an excellent quilter, too! I guess it runs in the family...

And Margaret machine-quilted her granddaughter Annaliese's Butterfly quilt!  So cute!

But Margaret hasn't given up on her handwork.

 She has begun some garden blocks using needle-turn applique which are beautiful!

Three down and nine to go by December.

 Actually, she has patterns for twenty-four.  How about it, Margaret....

Margaret sent her mother's friendship quilt last month when she could not attend, but with some research, she and Melva have decided that it was actually made in 1929.

 You remember that Melva's mother had signed and worked on the quilt.

And the back has butterflies, too!

Grace McDonald asked for some expert advice (and we are full of that) on how to use her grandmother's Sunbonnet Sue and Sunbonnet Sam squares.

There are 24 Sues.

And there are 20 Sams.  Sounds like Grace is going to be busy making two separate quilts!

Then we lunched on some delicious salads.What great cooks we have in this group!

We showered Grace's son and daughter-in-law-to-be with some gifts.

We let Grace take a peek at the gifts, while we watched...

All too soon, it was time to leave. 

A walk through Margaret's beautiful yard revealed a beautiful spider spinning her new web. 

How appropriate, since early quilters always included a spider stitched carefully in their crazy quilts. Perhaps we can find inspiration in her work, and we can bring some new inspirational projects to share at our September meeting.  Don't forget about your Falling Leaves quilts!!