Dog Days of Summer

Ugh. It's sooooo hot!!! I was binding a quilt the other night, meaning the quilt was piled into my lap as I sewed (I sew the binding to the back by hand because I think it looks better). The dog was piled onto the quilt. I was burnin' up, even with the air conditioner working overtime to keep us cool. Now, logically, it's just as comfortable in the house right now as it will be in January when it's cold outside and the heater is working overtime to keep us warm. But I'm crazy so, in my mind, I was much hotter under that quilt than I would be in the winter. LOL! 

If we wanted to, at this point, we could begin a huge discussion about whether to bind by hand or machine. Like political views, this issue will never be resolved. And, like politics, it doesn't matter much which is right and which is wrong because it's all about who is in charge and what they want to do. SO, it's your quilt, you're in charge, so however you want to bind it is the absolute right way! Enjoy your power!

The TMQG leadership and committee/volunteers have been busy getting ready for the quilt show/craft fair that will take place in November. If you haven't heard about it, contact Rhonda, Kate, or Mendy for information on showing your quilt, renting a booth, or volunteering your services to prepare for or work at the event. And stay tuned on the TMQG facebook page for information as the event gets closer.

The Acadian paper piecing group had our first sew day this month. I have my fabric, the pattern, and good intentions. Just like I did with the Gravity quilt. *sigh* What's the old saying? "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." I know myself, and I know I'm all about immediate gratification (which explains a lot), or at least "as quickly as I can get it" gratification - meaning I should probably stick to quick, Jenny Doan type quilt patterns instead of the more elaborate, time consuming patterns. But Acadian and Gravity are soooo pretty! We'll see how it goes. At my old job in athletics we would say I have "outkicked my coverage" which means I've probably bitten off more than I can chew. Ha! My goal is to hang in there and finish these projects. ACK! It's not too late if you want to jump in on the paper piecing group. Contact Kate Bynum for group/meeting info. 

I missed regular sew day but, judging by the pix, it was the usual fun and productive gathering. Hopefully I'll be able to make the September sew day. I miss my quilty peeps. It is said that one is "outta sight, outta mind" but I assure you that's not the case with me regarding my quilty buddies. I think about y'all all the time...fondly for the most part. LOL! 

Y'all hang in there. We're getting closer to Fall, pumpkin spice, football, pretty leaves, and cooler temps. For me, that's REAL quilting weather. Others would argue that ALL weather is REAL quilting weather. LOL!

Choose KIND. And be the person that makes it easy for people to treat you kindly.

-Angie Clemons

The Tyler Modern Quilt Cult, errr, I mean...Guild

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cult

A situation in which people admire and care about something or someone very much or too much. 

Whoa. I laughed when Kate’s (Bynum) daughter called us “her mother’s cult friends” but I think she may have hit the nail on the head. I mean *insert nervous giggle* we reallllllly like making quilts and all that entails. 

We have meetings...to talk about quilting.

We have retreats...to quilt.

We have workshops...to learn stuff about quilting.

We have programs...to learn stuff about quilting.

We call each other...to talk about quilting stuff.

We have sew days...to make quilts.

We invite people to our houses...to make quilts.

We shop...for fabric to make quilts.

We watch tutorials...about quilting.

We have additional sewing gatherings for...quilted bags, art quilts, and paper piecing quilts.

We read books...about quilting.

We recruit...more people to join our cu.., I mean, guild.

By golly, I believe we’re a secret handshake and matching tattoos away from being an actual, full fledged quilt cult! 

If you have a need for all things quilt, you should join us!!!

Who gets to design the tattoos? 

-Angie Clemons

Choose Kind

P.S. And don’t drink the KoolAid if anyone serves that for refreshments. Just sayin’. 

I. Hate. Basting.

Of alllllll the steps in quilting, basting is the WORST! In my opinion, of course. My longarming friends don’t have to worry about basting, which makes me more than a little jelly [jealous]. I’ve spent hours watching youtube videos about basting, searching Pinterest for different ways to baste, and have asked just about every quilter I know how they baste their quilts. Most people I’ve asked tape their backing to the floor and then layer everything on top, then pin or spray baste. I have limitations which makes floor basting difficult. My house is small so laying everything out on the floor would be a challenge. When I do lay things out on the floor (i.e., my batting when I’m cutting a piece off the roll) the dog (my sweet, perfect Cookie) has to sit on it. This doesn’t bother me but the possibility of her deciding it’s a giant piece of doggy toilet paper and dragging her “self” across it does give me pause. The main limitation is that, while I’m able to get myself onto the floor, it would take a tow truck with heavy-duty wench to get me back up. My back and knees speak to me, “what on earth made you think we were gonna help you with this?” Ugh. I have settled on a three-pole, long table, and glue basting system. I roll the backing, batting, and top onto 8-ft poles (none of my quilts have even been close to that size but I dreamed big when I purchased the dowels) and then use washable school glue sticks to stick ‘em together. The youtube video showed a lady unrolling all of them at the same time as she worked her way down the quilts pinning the layers together. Since I glue instead of pin, I like to do the top first and then flip it over and attach the backing. That pinning business wasn’t for me. I’ve also found that the glue, once dry, holds the layers together more securely, or tighter, than the pins. This is way easier for quilting on my Sweet 16 (aka Sweetie) and I can begin anywhere as opposed to having to start in the middle as with the pin basting. I’m considering switching from poles to 1”x3”x7’ boards. It’s hard to keep the layers straight as I roll them onto the poles and a flat board might be easier. I hope. They definitely wouldn’t roll off the edge of the table unwinding as they go making me lose my religion. OMG!! Did I mention that school glue is way cheaper than a can of spray? I also prefer the purple gel glue stick as it shows up on the batting and also smears onto the batting much smoother than the pasty glue sticks. I’m researching for a formula to dilute plain ol’ white school glue with water so I can spray it on instead of smearing on the glue sticks. That will make the process even more cost effective. Hey, you there with the skeptical look on your face! You need to be willing to try new things! LOL! I’m sitting here looking at three quilts that need basted. I cut the batting to size yesterday after I vacuumed my neighbor’s dog’s hair off the floor. Cookie doesn’t shed but her friend does. I understand now why my parents didn’t want certain kids coming to the house when I was a kid. LOL! I’m currently in the procrastinating/psyching myself up phase of the basting process. *sigh* First I’ll put up the table in the living room, followed by more procrastinating, then bringing in the 8’ poles hitting the ceiling fan at least once before I remember to be careful, then more procrastinating. I’ll eventually get these bad boys basted. And then it’s quilting time! Woohoo! What’s YOUR least favorite part of making a quilt?
Angie Clemons Choose Kind (and remember, just saying it or posting a meme about it doesn’t actually make a person kind - LOL!)