Quilter's Quarters

Here it is: the last of the laser-cut quilt blocks. I’m more than a little relieved to have finished them. I haven’t quite decided what I will do with them now that they’re done. There are twelve lovely finishing kits on display at http://www.patchworkparty.com/gallery.asp but I’m not really sold on any of them. (You can, of course, click on the link, look at the quilt designs and let me know which one you prefer. I do hope you will.) They’re pretty blocks, to be sure, but they pale when compared with Patchwork Party blocks from previous years. They are without a doubt the most expensive quilt blocks I’ve ever made, and they gave me more than a little difficulty constructing them. It will all have been worth it, though, if I’ve learned something valuable in the process. What have I learned? Well, for starters I’ve learned I really don’t like working with bits of laser-cut fabric. Happy Halloween!

Lemoyne Single Irish Chain

I’m taking a moment of silence for the passing of the Court of Angels. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone. It was a tiny little alcove in the French Quarter of Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. It didn’t have shops or restaurants or rides. It was just a quiet corner with a staircase, balconies and lots of potted plants. The unexpected stillness and beauty of the place made it a natural spot for proposals, stolen kisses and family photos. It’s gone now to make way for a new entrance for Club 33. If you think this warrants a boycott, that’s fine with me. I won’t miss standing behind you in the line to Pirates of the Caribbean. But it won’t bring the court back. Sure, I have some fond memories there. But Disneyland and DCA still have 227 acres of wonder and excitement. There’s plenty of room to make new memories.

Pine Needles

Almost immediately after I received the kit for this block, Pine Needles Sewing Center in Cedar Rapids (not to be confused with Pine Needles at Gardner Village in West Jordan) sent me a deeply apologetic email. Though they’d proofed their block and worked out all the kinks, the company that laser cut and packed each block kit messed up. All the triangular fabric pieces cut from the light-colored backgrounds had been cut the wrong size. The ones with the pale blue leaves were too small and the cream-colored ones were too big. They sent out a package of replacement triangles, which arrived almost two weeks later. Pine Needles did say the laser cutting people felt just awful about their mistake, though I noticed the name of their company was never mentioned. I guess there are times when keeping a low profile can be a good thing.

Rosie's Nine-Patch Star

October 31, 1983 I walked to the store with my two preschoolers because my car was in the shop. We bought bread, eggs, milk, apples and chocolate chips. On the way home I noticed a few families with small children out trick-or-treating and suddenly realized it was Halloween. I had no costumes for my kids or treats for the neighbors. With no money or time, we hurried home, turned off the lights and hid. A decade later I had a gall bladder attack on Halloween. I spent the night in the bathroom while my husband took the kids trick-or-treating. I woke November first to a house strewn with costume parts and empty candy wrappers. Nine years ago we spent Saturday, October 30 in Las Vegas (where Halloween was about to happen) and Sunday, October 31 in St. George (where they’d celebrated the day before). Lest you think I’m complaining, these were three of my favorite Halloweens.

Quilt in a Day

Eleanor Burns published her first quilt book, “Make a Quilt in a Day – Log Cabin Pattern” in 1978. Since then she’s designed hundreds of quilts and published dozens and dozens of quilt books. What makes her work stand out from the crowd is its accessibility. Eleanor’s background as a dyslexic child and a special education teacher has given her a knack for making difficult things easier. Her designs are beautiful, but also simple to read and to accomplish. Her methods streamline the process of piecing a quilt top so that you really can make a quilt (the top, at least) in a single day. I use her triangle square up ruler and flying geese rulers nearly every time I make a quilt block. They’re designed to make the diagonal seams in half-square triangles, quarter-square triangles and flying geese effortless and accurate. Compared with its brothers and sisters, this block was a breeze to assemble. In fact, I may just use the pattern to make a whole quilt someday.

Bluebells

This week my favorite Salt Lake Tribune columnist, Robert Kirby, sounded off about Halloween. He reminisced about the premade costume-in-a-bag horrors they used to sell in supermarkets. Each bag had a large photo in front of a happy costumed child. Inside was a costume that in no way resembled the photo; a gunny sack with arms and legs that tied at the back of your neck. The gunny sack usually had a cartoon character printed on the front which matched a plastic mask also included in the bag. You could be Superman, Casper the Friendly Ghost, or Huckleberry Hound; as long as you didn’t care much for seeing or breathing. The holes in the mask were never in the right place for either activity. Kirby closed with a sentiment I heartily endorse: “Halloween is basically a holiday for the young and the young at heart. Consequently, I already know what I’m being Halloween night. Gone.”