QUILTERS' UNIVERSITY VIA BB (BONNIE'S BLOG)

We have so many new quilters in our Ocean Wave Quilters' Guild in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and Cashiers' Quilters' Guild in Cashiers and Highlands, NC, that I think it is time that we start learning more about this wonderful art of quilting.
I am going to start teaching Quilting skills on my blog that will help you in your seek for perfection in this wonderful art form, and it IS an art.

QUILTERS' UNIVERSITY LESSON #1 BIAS BARS

I decided to start this by improving your skills of applique. The first skill is to learn the use of BIAS BARS that may be found in most Quilt Shops in the areas.
Most appliqued flowers require the use of tiny stems. Making these stems without Bias Bars is almost impossible. Most packages of BB have sizes from 1/2" stems down to 1/16". The plastic ones are heat resistant and do not burn your fingers as badly as the metal bars, needless to say. I have tried both, and highly recommend the plastic ones. Follow the directions on the packages for the best results with the ones you have bought.
Making uniform size stems makes any applique piece look more professionally done! This is a MUST HAVE set of tools for quilting!

CASHIERS/HIGHLANDS KNITTING GUILD MEETING

Wow, the knitting guild has taken off with a bang. Every week there are more eager knitters meeting together. Most of them are knitting feverishly on the helmet liners for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Tess Cowen has written to me that the next meeting, Jan. 13th will be at Buck's Cafe in Cashiers at 10:00 - 11:30; however, the group is growing by leaps and bounds, and she has found out that the Cashiers Library will let the group meet there in the future. Just be sure that you go to Buck's on Jan. 13th to find out the details. Happy Knitting, ladies! (gentlemen welcome, too naturally!)

New Year, 2010!

I have made a list of goals that I hope to reach this year. Most of them have to do with quilting, knitting, and stitchery of some kind or other. For ones who are making the Amazing Flower Quilt wall hanging, my goal is to get all of the blocks finished by June 1st so I can share them with you in the mountains and on this blog. Putting the blocks together will be done in June and adding the borders will come soon after that. I want to start hand quilting this in July. I love hand quilting, and this flower quilt will be such an easy one to quilt.
Now that I have made this known to the world, I shall be obligated to reach my goal if I can stay well, Lord willing!
I have learned that if I get the block all pinned onto the background, I can applique in the evening while watching TV. Try this, as it really keeps one on track.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here's hoping all you quilters, knitters, stitchery persons are sharpening up your needles for the New Year's activities! If you haven't started your Amazing Flower Quilt, it is not too late. The beginning directions for it are on this blog. I shall be posting directions for the beautiful Rhododendron this next week. It is a pretty block, and very simple to make once you learn how to do the ruching. The ruching directions are on the web by searching "How to Ruch." Several websites have pictorial directions. This Quilt or wall hanging will be a work of art when you have finished. Start it on New Year's Day. You know the old saying, "What you do on New Year's Day, you'll be doing all year long." Oh, to be so lucky! Love hearing from you. B.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

What a wonderful time of the year! Hope you are having family and friends in to help you celebrate Christmas! Don't you just love the smell of cooking all of those sinful things like cookies, cakes, pies, etc. I'm having a terrible time staying out of the cookie jar myself!

Let me just say I hope that all of you are healthy and happy, the two most important things in our lives. Count your blessings over and over as they say in the songs, and even though some of us are not having a White Christmas, let us remember the true meaning of Christmas: Peace, Good Will toward our fellowman.

My husband George and I wish all of you a Merry Christmas!

Pattern for Knitting Helmet Liners for Troops

Anyone wishing to make the troops' helmet liners, as seen in the picture below, may do so and send them to me. Email me at Quiltlady14@aol.com and I shall tell you where to send them. Put "liners" in the subject. A retired Army General will take the liners to Ft. Stewart, GA where the troops are deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. It is bitter cold over there now and the liners are needed! To get a copy of the pattern, go to http://www.atlantaknittingguild.org/ and click on Community Service. The pattern is there. We have made a small change in the pattern to have the beginning segment 7" instead of 4" to fit down inside the shirt. Be sure to use 100% wool yarn as acrylic yarn is too flamable!

HELMET LINERS BEING USED!

Found this picture that was just sent from "over there" and they all have on the helmet liners. Some of them pull them down under their chins, and there's one with it across his mouth. Thought you knitters needed to know that your efforts are being appreciated by these troops as it is so very very cold over there right now and for the next months to come. KEEP KNITTING!