Tuesday, December 15, 2015

A Good Morning...

A good morning starts with coffee, then Needle and Thread and of course beautiful fabric! Don't you love this Kansas Troubles color? It may not be available in the same print now, but I love knowing I can always find this wonderful color year after year! It's blending wonderfully with all my English Paper Piecing Hexies!

Have a great stitching day!

Take care,

Missie

#showmethemoda, #englishpaperpiecing, #traditionalprimitives

 

Friday, December 11, 2015

This The Season!

It's just about Christmas but it sure doesn't feel like it! My goodness, today was another 60* day here in Iowa! Hardly feels like winter, but we are expecting about 2" of snow this weekend, so that should help us get in the mood for the Holiday. Our tree is a bit sad this year. We got rid of our old one because we had more fake needles on the floor than were left on the tree. I really loved that tree and had it for many years. This year we are using the poinsettia tree we usually put by the front door because I have not found one I like just yet. My kids will have a fit when they see this poor little tree! Maybe they will help me find one. That would be a great "together" activity!

I've been working on a new quilt using the Hexies that I've made during my demo at quilt shows this year. I had about 50 Hexies cut from a double layer of C.Jenkins Freezer Paper and made a whole box full of multi colored Hexies during the year. I'd guess I have close to 500 ready to be sewn together. I'm excited about combining two of my favorite quilty things...English Paper Piecing and Wool Applique!

That's a half inch Hexie there! Looks a bit giant since I zoomed in so far! Tomorrow will be an afternoon sewing with a few friends and I'm happy to be seeing them! We'll have a great time and I'll be starting on another new Applique quilt. It's been quite a while since I've done needleturn and I'm getting excited about that too. So fun to have new things in the works!

If any of you need a nice little gift for someone who loves quilts, I have a few of the 2016 Agenda Books from Quiltmania left. They are such a nice size for putting in your purse or on your desk! Only $10 and its full of lovely quilts! I was surprised to learn my little Hexie quilt and pincushion is on the first page! Pretty exciting!! They are available on the website on the Notions Page if you are interested!! I also have a few of the Autumn Simply Vinage Magazines left if you happen to need one of those too!

Be sure to find me on FB, Pinterest and Instagram! I'm posting there more often there these days as its so much quicker and I'm finding time a bit harder to come by these days. I'll be starting another Gardens Of A King and posting about it on FB soon if you'd like to join the fun there. (I'm sure I'll show the pictures here too so you won't miss out!) you can also find others who are making some of my quilts at yahoogroups.com and search for Traditional Primitives.

 

Ginger is ready for Christmas and wishes you the best!

Have a wonderful winter weekend and

Take care,

Missie

 

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Small Business Saturday Sale Today Only!

Today only take 20% off entire purchase at www.traditionalprimitives.com!

I thank you for your business! Happy Holidays to you all!

And, I am selling my longarm quilting machine if anyone is interested in a 17" Affordable longarm! Works like new and I've only quilted a few quilts! See my listing on Craigslist for details by clicking HERE! It's a great machine and makes a perfect stitch!

Take care,

Missie

Monday, November 16, 2015

Sharp Points using Starch Basting for English Paper Piecing

Recently I've had a few people ask me about making sharp points when basting with Starch for English Paper Piecing. I use a simple process of holding the sharp points with the Fingertip Stiletto while I fold over the next seam. The pictures below wil hopefully help you understand. The color is a bit odd but I'm posting this while I have a chance!
The first picture shows how I start a shape, any shape, by drying the seam that is directly over the paper. Don't let the iron get out into the seam allowance so that it will stay damp and flexible.
For the second side of a sharp point, hold the first seam in place with the Fingertip Stiletto while you start to fold over the next seam with the iron.
Continue holding firmly while the seam allowance is folded all the way over the paper shape, pulling out the Fingertip Stiletto as you fold and iron dry.
And the last photo show how I've pulled out the Fingertip Stiletto and pressed the seam allowance flat, again, leaving the next seam to be folded over damp until it is folded over.
I hope that answers your questions! Let me know if you need more clarification. I'll be posting this to the tabs above for easy access.
Take care,
Missie
Www.traditionalprimitives.com
Social Media- FB, Pintrest, Instagram


Sunday, November 8, 2015

First Time To Houston!

Hello Ladies! This post finds me finally feeling recovered from a busy 12 days from home to be in Houston for Quilt Market and Festival! It was a great time! I'll share the adventure with some photos...

First up- the Iowa Hillbillies head for Houston!

Time for a little stitching along the way! I wasn't sure if Quiltmania would have my sample back to me so I wanted to be sure to have it for showing in the booth. Even in the car, stitching was relaxing.

Will it all fit in the booth ??!!

Somehow it always does fit, Thank Goodness!!

 

Except for the extra for Festival!

 

So fun to share my Starch Basting technique!

Last May I introduced the Starch Brush at Market and this fall, Missie's Fingertip Stiletto made its debut!

Time has been so short recently I have not had much time to spare, so I have not even told all of you about this new notion. Production was absolutely filled with lessons learned and I appreciate every cool tool in our quilting stores! What an adventure! This notion, Missie's Favorite Fingertip Stiletto, is used to hold the hot freezer paper after the iron has been on it. It is bent the proper way for how I am using it as a fingertip extension and has coils that fit around all sizes of fingers, knuckles and fingertips! It's available HERE on my website if you are interested!

 

So fun to see old friends and new... Jamie Wallen was across the aisle- he purchased my new pattern, French Diamonds, and I can't wait to see how his version looks! Lisa DeBee Schiller is a designer who inspired me to love appliqué back in about 2003. Her designs really opened my desire to quilt and appliqué! So great to see her! Jeff and Trisha were a HUGE help! I couldn't have done it without them! And a customer brought along one of her projects to show me how hers looked! She did a great job on the Punchneedle Mini Quilt, Primitive Pineapple Welcome don't you think?

My quilt Pennies In My Garden was in the Special Exhibit area. I really did not know this was so special until I saw all the museum quilts, Moda Designer Section, and many other beautiful quilts that were in this show. I am very grateful to have been a part of this! You can tell by the giddy look on my face that I was thrilled to meet Linda Collins and Mary Koval and see Lisa again for a few minutes during Quilt Market! On the day that photo was taken by the Quilt Festival sign, the weather in Houston was VERY humid, but no rain yet! We walked across the green space to get some lunch while setting up.

I'm all ready for the doors to open and love sharing my techniques and patterns to ladies from all over the world!

Here, I am attempting to teach some ladies from Brazil how to do Punchneedle. They didn't speak any English so I do hope they will be able to understand the video once they are ready to give it a try! (I've got to do something about looking over my reading glasses! What a terrible look! Haha!)

 

Jeff was such a big help I can't begin to thank him enough. He is so supportive of my passion for quilting and loves to hear comments of how excited people are about seeing my time saving technique for basting. He is so funny with excitement as he shares the stories with me. I had to leave the booth to take a break and I came back to home giving the Starch Basting technique a try! He's never done it before and he did a wonderful job! We even had some return customers come back the next day to buy the peoducts after seeing his own demo. I'm proud! The next photos showed us we were in the right spot for quilt shopping excitement. This woman was posted on guard of the batting while we were trying to get into the parking area! Too funny! The last day was a bit slow at Festival and I had the opportunity to snap a quick pic of these ladies who just couldn't walk another step and we're sharing their purchases and chatting for at least a few minutes! Too cute! And the last photo shows you a bit of the terrible rain during some of the days of the event. We luckily had good weather for unloading but as you all probably heard, there was lots of flooding in the area. The airports were closed, roads were flooded and tornado and flood warnings going off all night as well as during the show! We were thankful to be safe and felt for all of those who had to deal with water cleanup.

And one final bit of excitement...when I got home and had a chance to get into all the emails that needed attention a friend had sent a photo snapshot of a post she saw on Instagram about Festival... They even named me in the post! How exciting!

 

After all was said and done, it was a great week in Houston. I loved the experience that came with exhibiting at Quilt Market and loved meeting so many wonderful ladies who have a great passion for quilting at Quilt Festival. Now that life is a bit calmer (well it will be soon after I find a place for all my "stuff" that has landed in the living room) I am looking forward to making a new quilt using the 1/2" hexes I've made while doing my demo at quilt shows this year!

Thanks for visiting and I hope to be able to post more regularly once again!

Take care,

Missie

 

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Glimpses Of The Past

We've taken a little time to be with my folks in Florida this week! We usually go to Destin, FL, but planning our trip at the last minute lead us to Panama City Beach this time. It's about 30 miles east of Destin but it seems like a whole new world. Here in Panama City Beach, the little beach town makes me think of old time movies that I used to love watching. I can just see some of the movie stars of yesteryear hanging out in a place like this! The building next to ours looks like it was quite something when it would have been new in the 50’s! I can just see Dean or Doris singing a little sweet song in an old movi in a setting like this!
The town is full of old tourist buildings that are fun to see. Of course the new is mixed in as well, and we are loving Starbucks right across the street! The sunsets are beautiful!
I got a few looks from folks when I was stitching on the beach yesterday! But hey, a girl's gotta stick when she has time right?! Here's a glimpse of my next quilt. I'm not quite sure what it will be when it's finished, but it sure is fun to piece these 1/2" hexes that I've Starch Basted! I've been making these as my demo in my booth while vending and I'm finally stitching them up to make a new quilt.
Speaking of Vending, I'll be heading to Houston in a few weeks for Quilt Market and also Festival. If any of you are going, please look me up! I'm in row 2400 for both events.
My new quilt, French Diamonds is completed and I'll be very excited to hang it in my booth. It's a pretty simple quilt to make and a nice take on an old Pennie Rug style quilt. You can see that the "Pennies" are Diamonds instead!
The clusters of Diamonds seem to look 3 dimensional, which was a nice surprise as I started stitching each block! Fun Surprise! The pattern is available on my website if you are interested!
Thanks for stopping by and I'll try to post again soon! Be sure to follow me on Instagram & Facebook if you can. Posting in those medias are so much quicker and I'm able to post there more often. Of course i'll be posting here when I can!
Take care,
MIssie


Tuesday, September 22, 2015

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

 

 

Friday, July 24, 2015

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!

 

Friday, July 17, 2015

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