An Exciting Morning!

It's been such a long time since I had time to write a post! I'm still here, still working on quilts and trying to do my best to manage this growing little business. Though I'm not blogging quite as much, I am finding time to post quickly on Face Book and Instagram and once in a while Pinterest. Be sure to find me there if you are interested, but any big news will be posted here as well.

Speaking of big news, while at Quilt Market in May I was grateful to meet many wonderful people! One group of ladies were the women from Quiltmania publications. I am thrilled to say that I will have a few of my designs in their magazine titled Simply Vintage this Autumn. It should be available any time now! This magazine can be found at Barnes and Noble, but Quiltmania now has an office in the U.S. so ordering your subscription should be much easier now. You can look into subscriptions HERE if you are interested.

My heart just skipped a beat as I went to the page that is linked in the word "here" in that last sentence, for when I clicked on the Simply Vintage page in Quiltmania's website, the Autumn issue was shown...look at the bottom right photo! My projects made the cover!! What a nice surprise! My method for Starch Basting English Paper Piecing will be presented with these projects. I don't think I can wait to see the issue in person! I am also thrilled to say they will be publishing a few more of my designs next year as well.

Whew! That was pretty exciting for an early morning wake up!

I'll be vending At the Gems Of The Prairie Quilt Show in Peoria, IL this coming weekend and I'd love to meet some of you if you are able to come over that way! Click on the name of the show for more info. Looks like a fun time!!

Have a wonderful day!

Take care,

Missie

 

 

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

Nice Night On The Deck!

Just a little stitchin' going on out on the deck tonight! I'm about done with the Wool Applique on these blocks and it will be time to put this baby together very soon. It will be fun to see how it will look! Working with my favorite wools and reproduction cottons layered and stitched with a blanket stitch. Yum yummy!

I'm using a stitching technique that's new for me. I'm not really sure I've seen it done before by anyone else, but I'm liking it for this type of sewing. The seam allowance is on the wide side of 1/4" and I'm doing needle turn Applique, but with a big blanket stitch. First I've drawn the shape onto the front side of the cotton fabric with a chalk pencil.

Then I'm turning the seam under with the needle as if I were going to do needleturn Applique. I'm only worried about turning that white line under as far as my next stitch for now.

And then I'm taking the next stitch right at the point I'm holding with my fingernail. Easy peasy! Gives a rustic look to the cotton Applique. The wool is sewn with the same blanket stitches but of course no seam is turned under. This is what I refer to as layered wool and cotton Applique.

We have great temps tonight before the next heatwave hits tomorrow. Hubs and I are enjoying the breeze and mild temps tonight! Some of you may have met Jeff at a show here and there. He's a good helper for me when I'm working at shows!

Have a great weekend and Take care,

Missie

PS...there's a great floss giveaway going on at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe if you want to enter!

 

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

How To Cut Fabric For Hexies...FAST!

When I'm teaching and vending and showing my Method for Basting English Paper Piecing with Starch, often I get the question about how I cut the Fabric Hexies. I have told you in the past about the Hexie Punches which I sell on my website and I show how to cut the Paper Shapes when I do the demo in shows. When I build the kits for the Hexie Mug Rug Pattern, I use the Sizzix Die Cutter so you have nice neat fabric hexies to give my method a try. But when I'm making a few hexies here and there, many times I cut them by hand with scissors.

I have nice sharp Kai scissors that have a 4" blade and they are SUPER great for cutting about 8-10 layers of cotton at a time! They are $16... available on the notions page on my website HERE.  In the picture above, I'm cutting a strip of fabric 1/2" wider than my Hexie shape. I cut all 10 layers at a time and can cut up to 16 layers at one cutting.!

From that strip I cut off a square, again leaving 1/4" on each side of the Hexie shape. I hold the stack with my first two fingers and don't let it go so they don't get displaced. This way they stay stacked up nice and neat.

Then I cut off the corners at the top and bottom of the square you see here, leaving 1/4" seam allowance outside the paper. (I like a scant 1/4" seam) Continue cutting until all sides are trimmed.

Until you have a complete Hexie cut out of the stack of fabrics.

From the strip of fabrics that were about 8" inches long I got 30 hexies in less than a minute!
Lots of ladies tell me they can't imagine cutting all those hexies they see in my quilts out of fabric. I compare this to any other quilt! We have to cut the pieces in order to make a quilt, right?! This doesn't take long and for me it's much quicker than rotary cutting or preparing an Applique piece for sewing. You can cut them very relaxed and they don't have to be perfect because they are used for English Paper Piecing so the prefect shape is formed by the paper!
I hope you see how quick and fun this can be!

On another note, I've had a few ladies send pictures of their blocks for The Gardens Of A King! They are stunning! Paula told me this week that they are addicting to make!! I totally agree! Is anyone else starting on The Gardens Of A King? I'd love to see your photos posted in the Traditional Primitives FB Group. Seeing what others are doing with colors will inspire you to get going on the next block! Search for Traditional Primitives from Missie Carpenter or click HERE to like the page and then join the group!  Let's get the party started and see some more blocks!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Take care,
Missie

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

Sharp Points with Blanket Stitch

Hey Everyone! I've been missing in action again with a super busy schedule of vending at quilt shows and family stuff. I just finished up my last show for a little while and I'm glad to be home to get some work done for a few weeks! The last show was right here near home and it was nice to be able to sleep in my own bed and have a friend help one day and my middle daughter home the next day. Unfortunately I didn't think to get a picture this time! And I even set up the booth a little bit differently. Oh well, I'll be sure to add TAKE PHOTOS to my to do list next time! I would have loved to have a picture of Melanie since she won't get to help again for a while as she is moving away shortly. We'll miss her being nearby.

Since having a few days at home, I've been able to do a little stitching on my next design. This quilt will be similar to Pennies In My Garden, but the "pennies" will be diamond shaped this time around.

As I'm stitching the cotton and wool layers together, I've figured out a better way to make sharp points when using the blanket stitch. I've prepared my cotton shapes using the starch method I use for EPP basting. Usually I prefer Needleturn for Applique, but I am learning to love the crisp sewing edges that come with basting with starch. It makes sewing the Applique down effortless for the most part! These pre set points also help make a better point, but the stitching is also important. I'm sure I will still use Needleturn Applique in the future, but for this quilt, I'm enjoying using my Starch Brush to prepare the seam allowances. Now back to the sharp points...

After reaching the point and pulling the last blanket stitch tight, I'm taking another very tiny blanket stitch right at the point. The thread I prefer using for wool Applique is Genziana so it is very thin compared to floss or pearl cotton. This may too bulky of a stitch to take at the end of a point if you use floss or pearl cotton, but it's worth a try to make a sharp point.

Next I'm using the needle to tuck under any seam allowance poking out from behind the Applique shape.

Then I'm holding the tip with the hidden seam allowance very firm so that seam allowance won't poke out again!

Then proceed with a few more stitches. New topic for a moment... Notice the blue wool point above the one I'm discussing and how it is a bit bulging out of the stitches? I'm going to trim that excess away very carefully. Notice in the next picture how much better it looks compared the the picture above.

In this pic you can see how nice the red cotton fabric point looks with this locking blanket stitch after its stitched. You can also compare this point to the yello point with no locking stitch. (Yes, I'll go back and lock that one!). And finally you can compare the blue wool point in this picture to the previous picture to compare points before and after a trim.

Just a little tid bit of info I've learned lately. Hope it helps you also!

Take care,

Missie

 

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

And the Days Keep Passing By!

Well, it seems lots of time has passed since I've last posted. I've been vending at another 2 shows...first Minnesota and then the new Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival. The booth looks about the same, but a little bit different each time I set it up.

The KC show was especially fun because two of my college girlfriends were my helpers. They are non sewers and I'll say they did a great job. By the end of the weekend they knew how to answer a few questions! It's fun to let them see what I do for my "job" and I was proud to show them! I've been a stay at home mom for so many years, I finally feel like a working woman like many of my college friends! That's Chris on the left and Julie on the right...thanks girls!

I made a little FB post on the way down as I sang "Kansas City here I come, right back where I started from..." Explaining that once upon a time I started my adult life in KC. I met my husband there and after we were married we lived in Lawrence, KS. We worked and played and started our family, had a bad babysitter experience and I became a stay at home mom. It didn't take too long until I needed something to keep me busy with the baby sleeping much of the time and my mom suggested I take a lesson of some sort. Well, that lesson was quilting! I took my first quilting lesson at stitch On Needlework Shop. A few years ago I became reacquainted with the owner, Leslie, who taught me to quilt. It's fun to bump into her at shows now and then and of course, she was vending at the KC Show since it is so close to Lawrence. Be sure to stop by her store if you are in the area! She is still spreading the joy of quilting with others!

A few rows over I ran into Sarah's Fabrics, also from Lawrence. After the quilting lesson, I learned to do English Smocking from one of the teachers there. This shop has a bit of a modern feel and offers lovely fabrics like Liberty Of London prints. Smocking kept me busy for quite a few years. People would see my baby in those unique smocked clothes and eventually started asking me to sew for them. I did custom smocked clothing for children for about 9 years, hosted a fashion show or two and also self published a little catalog for ladies to custom build the outfits. Kept me busy all right! This store is right across the street from Stitch On so be sure to stop by both shops if you wander into town.

I'm so grateful that I was able to take lessons from these ladies at these stores way back when. These ladies may not know it, but they have influenced my life in a very positive way. Now that I teach and share my joy for quilting, I sure hope I pass along some of the same positive vibes to women across the country.

After the show in KC, I detoured to be with my parents for a while. My mom broke her hip a few weeks ago and I'm glad I can help them now that she is home from rehab. She is improving daily and will be running around with her busy schedule very soon, I'm sure! While home, I stopped in at The Quilted Cow in Branson West. They are in a new location and it looks great. The fabrics selection is very good and the decor so cute! This fabric bolt holder in the top left photo is just darling...wish I had one in my studio to hold "stuff". They have a little cafe area for coffee and (husbands) and the check out area has lots of character also.

Since I had my car loaded with all of my show goodies, including quilts, the owner asked if they could show some of my quilts. If you happen to be in the area between now and July 4th, stop by to see a few Of my quilts in person and visit this lovely quilt shop in person!

Next stop will be at the Ankeny Qyult show near Des Moines on July 10 & 11. Hope to see some of you there!

Take care and happy stitching,

Missie

 

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

Needles...Makes A Difference!

Today I wanted to share with you a bit about needles. Many people have asked me what needles I like to use for different types of sewing. As a novice, I didn't think it mattered much, but as I got more experienced, I realized a good needle really makes a difference!

I have had my own brand of needles made.   You can buy them HERE!

 I use a size 10 or 11 depending on the light available at the time.  These two needles feel the same as they glide through the fabric, nice and smooth. They work well for Applique because they are thin enough to leave no hole in the side of the fold while stitching. A very nice smooth needle turned edge!

For English Paper Piecing I like the very same needles. They glide through the edges of the two pieces and the narrowness of the needle will not leave much of a hole. There is one difference here. If I am sewing the pieces together WITH the paper in, I use the size 10, which is a larger needle. The larger size will resist going through the paper and thus you can reuse your papers, plus, the stitches won't show on the front after the two pieces are sewn together. If I am sewing the pieces together WITHOUT the papers inside the pieces, which you know is possible if you've seen my starch basting method, I use a size 11 so that the needle can glide right through the edges of the pieces and will not show on the front. These needles are great for my handwork Piecing and Applique needs!

In the picture above you will notice that I also have branded Wool Applique Needles.  These are longer, sharper and thinner than most designers use for wool applique.  I like a sharp needle that I can hold onto and these work great!

The new Punch Needle And Primitive Stitching magazine arrived and I am excited to share my project fearured in the magazine, the Memory Keeper Journal Cover. Looks like this will be another great primitive magazine for all of us who love that touch of Prim! There are many darling projects in this Premier Issue!

L

Thanks for stopping by!
Take care,
Missie

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

Spring Quilt Market 2015

How Exciting Spring Quilt Market was for me and my hard working helper, my sweet Hubs! I told him over and over that I could not have done it without him to lift and reach and carry and of course act as my assistant while I was busy doing the Starch Basting Demo for English Paper Piecing. I thank him for his continued support and encouragement to follow my dreams through the years! We spent a few days on vacation before Quilt Market and here's a picture of my Sweet Hubs! (I never really think of him being so tall until I see us in pictures together!)

He was able to just reach up easily to assemble the pipes and drapes and hang the quilts! It's nice to have an extra foot in height for jobs like these! It really helped the booth go together very quickly! In the photo below we still has a bit of work to do, but you can see it looks pretty much the same as when I vend at shows, but there is only patterns sitting out on the table.

After we set the booth up we went to a heavy restaurant to gain some energy before Sample Spree. As we left for dinner, the lines were already forming to get in! They had several lines forming as we returned and must have let folks into the room in an orderly fashion from all of the various waiting lines.

For a display during Sample Spree, which is very basic and not as fancy as the booth area of Quilt Market, I made poster prints of many of my patterns and hung them from a home made pipe structure. I think it showed the store owners a bit of what I offer and the display worked very well!

When Quilt Market opened, it was busy pretty early on since I was in the first row. My booth was located all the way at the end of the first row and at first I felt I would be lost in the huge room, but after being there a while, I realized that shoppers keep organized and hit all the spots at Quilt Market so they don't miss anything! I'm sure glad they found me! It was fun to show them my English Paper Piecing Basting method so they can share it with customers. So fun to see how excited people get once they see it happen so easily! I know the woman in the photo below is saying..."What is on her finger?" A common question when I demo the technique!

I met many new friends from all over the world! Some I know from Face Book and others are brand new friends in the industry who are willing to offer any advice to help a "newbie" in the industry.

And still others were Shop owners from my own state. It's nice to see friendly faces wherever they are from!

Overall, Quilt Market was a success for my little business. I gained several magazine contracts and several more types of industry activities are "in the works"! I met so many wonderful people and look forward to getting to know them better as we work together in one way or another! Now, it's back to designing and getting some new patterns ready. It's been too long since I have held a needle in hand. Prepping is happening now...stitching soon to follow! I can't wait!

I leave you with a great photo of my family together in the Florida Panhandle just a few days ago. I would sure love to live there!! It's so beautiful! First, my parents,

And my immediate family,

And all of us together! We had an awesome time together!

I'll be vending in Duluth, MN at the Minnesota Quilter's Show June 11-13. It's an awesome show with many top notch quilts on display as well as lots of vendors. If you are free, come and see me! After that I'll be at a NEW show, The Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival June 19-21. It should also be a great show so please come on out and see me there if this is close to your neck of the woods! I'd love to meet you! One other note... Have you heard about the new magazine Punch Needle and Primitive Stitchery? The 1st issue is being shipped now and it sold out so they are printing another run! Be sure to subscribe if you want to get in on this new magazine. I've got a project in the first issue...can't wait to see it in print!

Take care and thanks for stopping by today!

Missie

 

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com