Big News, Exciting News, Lots of News! New Products!

Howdy Ho Everyone! It's been a busy summer with lots of happenings. We have a daughter who is newly engaged so there will be a wedding to plan for next summer! Yay! We are so happy for the couple and look forward to gaining our second son-in-law to join the family.

We also have the oldest and her husband moving back to Iowa, so they will be 2.5 hours away rather than 18! We are thrilled for that! They listed their home and it sold in a week, the very day they found a house to purchase in Iowa. It's a bit of a fixer upper, so we'll have some fun with paint and new furniture and they will plan on a new kitchen. Should be fun to see what they come up with, and we'll be happy to help in any way we can. Of course, both of these couples may need a new quilt or two! Fun, fun, fun!

 

I have a few new products to share with you...first, I have decided to offer my own brand of needles. I offer them in a Magnetic Box Set for both Wool and EPP/Applique and also in a more plain form in a tiny envelope or a small tube once the envelopes are gone. You can read more about them on my website HERE if you so desire...

We are also offering Premium Freezer Paper from Traditional Primitives these days. That's righ, my own brand. It has great qualities for my Starch Basting for English Paper Piecing. It can be used many times over and it does not shrink like other papers! That means we can make more than we think from only a few papers. I counted to about 20 times reusing one Hexie and then came back to it a few days later and found that the dampened edges from my starch basting technique had dried and I could use it even more. I'm loving this new paper! You can read more about it on my website by clicking the same link above. Let me know if you have any questions!

We are also offering the wool thread that I love using for wool Applique, Genziana. It is a pretty good bargain for the large amount on each spool and the colors are so rich and lovely...it sews wonderfully using the wool needles above!

And we are also offering Mettler 60 weight cotton threads for English Paper Piecing without the paper and for Applique. It is so much more invisible than 50 weight...I couldn't believe how effortless it was to make a good invisible stitch. I'm loving it! Again it's on the same notion page on my website. Use the link above to take you there! Look for more goodies soon...

Since posting about Spring Market Adventures, we've been to KY for a family reunion, Tulsa for a great little quilt show, MN Quilt Show, MO for a quick visit with my folks, The Omaha Quilt Show, a family meet up for July 4th, KC to move a daughter, Ankeny Iowa Show, teaching at Quilt NE and I've been home (what's that?!?) for almost two weeks now! WHEW!

Merrie was sure to bring a photo of her pincushion she made from a pattern she purchased last year. I love to see projects, finished or even just started! Thank you Merrie!

In the photos above, I'm showing some young ladies all about Punchneedle. I learned when I was about 13. We really need to teach the younger generation about fiber arts to keep it alive. Share it with someone younger whenever you can!

I made it on the local news while doing a demo on Rug Punching during the Ankeny Show! How embarrassing! Tee Hee!

Do you remember the books 'Where's Waldo?' That's what this picture made us think of...Where's Missie?

Had a quick visit from Renee, an Iowa friend all the way up at the MN show! She brought some blocks to show me from Gardens Of A King! Isn't she doing great!?

We tried a new set up for the Punchneedle Kits. It worked well and they weren't falling all over the table this time! Yay!

Did I say WHEW earlier? Yes! It's good to be home!

I'm working on a new quilt that will be both Pieced and Applique. Can't wait to give you a sneak peak very soon!

In between trips I caught a few moments to sew a few more blocks for my second Gardens Of A King quilt. This one as you see, is a bit bolder in color. I have not decided about the background yet, so I'm holding off on stitching that on the blocks for now.

Look for some of my goodies in the Autum Issue of Simply Vintage coming soon and in the Winter Issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazines.

Take care and Happy Stitching!

Missie

 

Posted with Blogsy

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

Busy Days

I know it seems like I have fallen off the planet, but I am still here plugging away at my little business. As I take a few moments this morning with my coffee and iPad, this is my view from my recliner.

It's been a big tan wall for quite a while as I've been vending and taken all my favorites to a few trunk shows and lectures. I'm retiring this pattern from my booth, so will get to enjoy Charmed Beginnings on my wall for a while! When I finish new designs something has to give in my booth, so I'll start retiring the older quilts to a warm and cozy spot in my home. You can still purchase this pattern from Blackberry Primitives if you are interested. They asked me to design a quilt using their wools and it was a great experience. This is the cotton version I made for displaying in my booth. It has a smidge of wool but is mostly cotton. The 100% wool Applique version is shown below the cotton quilt.

This quilt celebrates the colors and qualities of new spring which is happening right now around here. It's amazing to wake to freezing temps one week and suddenly the next week we wake to birds singing and trees bursting with buds and blooms. My iris are shooting up inches every day and soon they will be bursting with blooms as well!

This blooming tree looks a bit small in this photo, but it is good sized and we are so happy to enjoy the blooms this year. Many years it will be hit with the last frost of the winter season and the blooms are taken before we can enjoy them. Soon, they will be blowing away in the wind, so we enjoy an evening drink on the porch to enjoy the beauty that spring brings.

My days have been spent preparing for Quilt Market, making sure I have enough patterns on hand. The pile below does not look very organized, but it is very organized in the placement of which patterns will be packaged for Sample Spree and which will be placed in the booth as we set up. There is a method to my madness! And believe me, this is a neat pile compared to a few days ago! Haha! That means I am making headway and will be ready sooner than later! I am ready to be finished so I can get back to sewing something new!

While unpacking my vending goodies, I decided to display these punched rugs on my wall in the office so I could enjoy them for a while also. It's showing me that soon the mess you see above will be packed up and I can have a nice clean space again! Those patterns above have been taking over the house the last few weeks!

Today I'll be stamping the Punchneedle Designs on the weaver's cloth, so I'll be able to finish up the pattern prep today. If you are headed to Quilt Market in Minneapolis, please look me up! I will be in booth 140 right next to the food court doing my demo on basting English Paper Piecing with Starch.

I'd like to put out a call for comments on my Starch Brush. If you've used it could you please email me at missie@traditionalprimitives (dot) com and let me know how you like it? I would like to print some comments for testimonials to post in my booth. Same request for those of you who have gotten a start on The Gardens Of A King? Since this is a new technique I would like the store owners to see how much people love this method for preparing English Paper Piecing. I won't print your email addresses or violate your privacy in any way of course! Be sure to email me as I can not print comments from the posts below.

One more shout out for a new magazine being published very soon. It's called Punch Needle and Primitive Stitchery Magazine and I'll have a new project in the premier issue! Be sure to get subscribed if you are a lover of primitive stitching and Punchneedle! Click HERE to get to the website and subscribe. This magazine will be a great addition to your current subscription of Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine! It's so wonderful to see Punchneedle making a comeback. I am on a mission to get it exposed to as many people as possible to keep the beautiful and simple art alive and well!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I promise it won't be too much longer and I will get back to posts about stitching! I can't wait to get at it again...my fingers are itchin' to get stitchin'!

Take care,

Missie

 

 

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

Hexies Are EVERYWHERE!

Have you noticed that Hexies are found everywhere these days?!? We bought a new (to us) car last spring and believe it or not, the seats have a Hexie texture to them! I drive a Nissan Juke if any of you want a Hexie car too! Haha! it is not the reason we bought the car, but it sure was a fun little perk for me!

And here is a close up view!

Since then, I've started noticing Hexies EVERYWHERE !!! Here are a few pictures I've collected. These are from TV- weather reports, auto commercials, news reports, TV shows, football; Product Packaging- toothpaste, TVs, advertising, clothing, non quilting magazines, Auto grills, shopping carts and MORE!! That snowflake is a photo of a real snowflake! Look at that Hexie in the middle!

 

As I'm typing this post in the living room, a news story has come on the TV and I just had to pause it and snap a nice picture of a few more Hexies! This is a 3D food printer...WOW! And see the beautiful Hexie shapes it's using to build sugar decorations?! WOW! Wouldn't we love to build candy Hexies in our own kitchen to serve our quilty friends a special treat!

 

As you are out and about, start looking...Hexies are EVERYWHERE!! So fun! We Quilter's are not the only ones Hooked On Hexies!! Have these shapes always been used in marketing and TV or am I just now noticing??

I'm sewing on some Hexies today trying to finish up the little Candy Stripes small quilt I started a while back. (Like a YEAR ago!) This little quilt keeps getting pushed to the back of the line when it comes to stitching order. But it's so cute, I thought I'd bring it front and center in stitching order to get this little gem done.

I have made up kits for the Dallas Show in a few weeks. Some are red and ivory and some a blue and ivory. If you happen to fall in love with this little gem, send me a note and I'll give you pricing info. This little Candy Stripes Quilt is about 12" Square. Just big enough for a little mini quilt or table topper! Of course, you could always add more to it and make it any size you want.

This little quilt pattern explains my starch basting process and is a good starter if you want to learn my way using the Finger Stiletto and Starch Brush found on my website. It's just another little addition to my starter kits to learn the method. Quick and simple, not counting all the time it sat in my "to do" pile! Haha!

Notice I don't keep the papers in while sewing Hexies together. I keep my finger nail very close to the edges and this helps me to take tiny bites in the fabric, keeping the stitches hidden from the front.

This picture shows how I "bind" the edges, which really isn't a binding, but just a pretty old fashioned finish. After the top is completed, I lay more Hexies around the edges, right sides together and sew all around the edges, attaching the new pieces together at their side seams so they will lay flat. When they are sewn all around the edges, I'll just flip them to the back side. You can see those pieces lifted slightly in the picture below. While looking at the backside, see how wonderful those seams look? That Starch keeps things nice and neat!

 

When all of the "binding" pieces are sewn in and flipped to the back, I'll slip in the batting and backing, appliqué the edges of that binding down and quilt a simple design!

I wanted to say a quick thank you to all of you who have been purchasing the kits for Colors Of Coxcomb which is in the current Spring 2015 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects Magazine. It's been overwhelming and I'm so grateful that so many of you like this little wool or punched design! Thank you, thank you!

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Take Care,

Missie, PS- I've added a new tip to the Gardens Of A King Tab

 

 

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

More Pennies Please!

Yep, you are seeing right! I'm making more pennies for a new Table Runner. As mentioned in an earlier post, I will be traveling to teach for the Garland Quilt Guild in Texas. While there, I will also be teaching at a few local quilt stores. One is called Happiness Is...Quilting! And the name of the store just makes you want to go right on in to check it out doesn't it! They've requested that one of the workshops will be a Table Runner based on the larger quilt, Pennies In My Garden. This one is going much quicker due to its size. The reward of a finished quilt will come pretty quickly due to it's smaller size. The other workshop will be all about Punchneedle. I'll provide tips and show how I make my mini Punchneedle Quilts! Both will be lots of fun and very educational for the students. If you are in the Dallas area, come and see me!!
Don't forget to look for my new Mini Punchneedle Quilt in the Spring 2015 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects! Mine has still not arrived...I can't wait!!

Something else exciting is that I have started a FaceBook group for the makers of  my quilts and The Gardens of a King.  Like my business page on FB by clicking HERE and then scroll down to find the Traditional Primitives Group and request to join, then ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN ORDER TO BE ACCEPTED INTO THE GROUP!  Then you will be accepted, if you've purchased the pattern and can join in on the fun!  You can post pictures of your progress on my designs. I hope to see pictures of many of my designs that you've made, but mostly I hope to see lots of blocks from The Gardens Of A King. I want you to find inspiration and praise from the blocks, quilts and punchneedle you've all made! You can compare colors, get ideas, see fussy cutting, etc to inspire you! We can have conversations and keep each other motivated! I'm so excited and I hope you will join me soon!! Click the link above, request to join and we'll see you there! This reminds me, I'm also now on Instagram for those of you who enjoy that. Please search for me as traditional.primitives and start following. 

See you soon in one or all of these fun places listed above!!
Take Care,
Missie

Visit my web store www.TraditionalPrimitives.com

The Gardens Of A King, The King George III Coverlet Special Tab

Since many of you are beginning to receive your patterns for The Gardens Of A King, I thought I would do a quick post about the Gardens Of A King Tab, found above in the blog.  These links are from posts that I have already made.

For those of you who requested to be on the first notice list and you did not get an email, know that I've tried to reach you and you are a no reply blogger.  This means I don't have your address to email you.  This can be fixed from your profile settings page.  The pattern is now available on the website if you are ready to purchase.  HERE  is the website page where you can find The Gardens Of A King. 

Thank you to all of you who have already purchased the pattern!  You have kept me VERY busy in the recent days!

OK>>>here are the links for the hints and info that are ready for you now.

~~~Traditional Primitives~~~: New Tool! Drawing, and a Special Request!

http://traditionalprimitives.blogspot.com/2014_07_01_archive.html

http://traditionalprimitives.blogspot.com/2014/09/busy-days.html

Also, pretty much the entire month of November is all about this version of the King George III Coverlet, but the only post with helpful stitching hints is :

http://traditionalprimitives.blogspot.com/2014/11/sharp-applique-points.html

See you soon!

Be sure to tell your loved ones how much you love them today!

Take care,

Missie