Quilting for Kids – a Roll-n-Go Blackboard

It’s never hard to come up with ideas for quilts and quilted items for myself. I could fill the house with bed quilts, pillows, throws, wall hangings, bags… well you get the idea. Sometimes coming up with an idea for someone else isn’t so easy – especially children and men.

More about men another time; my focus for the past couple of weeks has been on little boys. I have a great nephew and a godchild who have birthdays the same week. One just turned two and the other had his very first birthday this past weekend.

Though I always give books as gifts for children, I also like to include something more personal that I have made. This year as I was casting about for ideas, I remembered seeing a listing for chalk cloth on one of my favorite online fabric websites (eQuilter.com).

Chalk cloth is an oil cloth that has been specially coated so it behaves like a chalk board. I quickly ordered a yard and then set about trying to decide what to make with it. I posted a query on an eQuilter.com forum and received a recommendation for a wonderful book by Chris Lynn Kirsch called Snuggle-and-Learn Quilts for Kids.

In the book is a pattern for this adorable roll-up mat with built in holders for chalk and erasers. The strings that attach the erasers tie up the rolled mat into a neat bundle that will fit in the stroller, or in mom’s all-purpose carry bag.

I found a really cute licensed Thomas the Train print for my grandnephew who is a bit train crazy, and for little Sullivan (we call him Sully) a dog themed print since he lives with three pups.

I suspect this toy may be a bit old for Sully, but of course we all think he is quite advanced (J) so I expect he will grow into it quickly. And I’m hoping both Mom’s will find the Roll-n-Go Blackboard a helpful management tool while they are sitting in a restaurant and hoping to get at least one bite of their meal before it is stone cold. 

The Modern Paintbox

Several months ago I joined the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild, one of a community of modern guilds across the country. The Atlanta Guild was formed in early 2010, so is still feeling its way, but the group has already attracted 35 members.

Modern quilting isn’t necessarily a radical departure from traditional quilting, but it is more free and open to improvisation than traditional. In some ways it is more about attitude than design.

We give ourselves permission to throw out many of the rules adhered to by traditional quilters. We use modern fabrics, modify traditional quilt designs, and make up designs of our own. The style may be as precise as the work found in a traditional quilt, but not at all symmetric or repetitive. The idea is to include quilters of all levels and styles, so that the most sophisticated art quilter can recognize what she has is common with the good ladies of her grandmother’s guild.

Before I even attended my first meeting I learned about a project the guild had undertaken and wanted to be a part of it. The Georgia Quilt Council is working hard to create the Southeastern Textile and Quilt Museum in Carrollton, GA.

This museum will house both old and new quilts and will serve as a educational locus for quilters in the Southeast region – much like the quilt museum in Paducah, Kentucky. Located in a yet to be refurbished cotton warehouse, there is a great deal of work yet to be done.

Toward that end, a “Friends of” group organized a special event at the Georgia State Capitol on January 31^st. The goal was to bring attention to the museum, and to display over 50 quilts donated by guilds and individuals from around the state. These quilts will be auctioned off to raise money for the museum.

What does that have to do with my first guild project?  The Atlanta Modern Quilt guild was planning a quilt to donate, and they still needed someone to make blocks in a few essential colors.

Now gray isn’t a very exciting color for quilters, but I happen to work in black and white more than some, so I had a ready stash. The block I came up with was quite freeform as you can see, but it is hard to imagine how it would fit in with blocks of other colors until you take a look at “The Modern Paintbox”. I know that I am biased, but the finished quilt is remarkable, and showcases the many talented members of the guild. Simple white sashing and an all over quilting design don’t detract from the vibrant colors and creative design of the individual blocks. I hope that others will agree and this quilt will fetch a high price for our future museum.

More Scarves

I’ve made a few more scarves this winter. I really do love them, and they are quite practical here in Atlanta. Of course we wear them outdoors on the few really cold days of winter, but they also pair with a long sleeved tee in fall and early spring, when you don’t quite need a jacket. This one is another Tunisian Simple Stitch scarf.

It was actually supposed to be a shawl, but after a few dozen rows, I concluded that the pattern had an error and I was going to need four more skeins. This Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend  isn't all that expensive for the quality, but 8 skeins of it would have made the shawl too “spendy” as one of my friends would say.  The color of this multi yarn is called Stellar, and it has an amazing hand.

I also made another tunisian scarf just like one of the ones I showed you in this post. The Artyarns Silk Rhapsody Glitter is 50% silk and 50% Kid Mohair and super soft. The best part is that one skein makes the scarf. This one ended up being a birthday gift. 

Trivets to Table Runners

Whenever we visit family we have typical farmhouse meals with a half dozen hot side dishes. Each of these needs a trivet or hot pad to protect the table, making the five minutes before we sit down to eat a real scramble. It occurred to me that an insulated table runner would help the pre-dinner rush, and make a pretty table.
With that in mind, I set about designing a couple of table runners that matched two different sets of dishes we sometimes use.

Franciscan Apple at Aunt Pat's table

Franciscan Desert Rose at my mother-in-law's house

I picked two theme fabrics to tie to the dishes, and then others to coordinate.

The design for the table runner tops was quite straightforward, but I embellished the design by adding appliqué to extend the theme fabric elements beyond the lines of the blocks.

I further enhanced the runners by hand quilting ¼ inch from the seams and around the appliqué.

The batting in the quilt sandwich is Insul-bright, which provides an added layer of heat protection.

A set of coordinating napkins for each table runner completed the gifts, and will make table setting easy the next time we visit.

Guernsey Scarf

Back in October Jared Flood, (also known as Brooklyn Tweed in yarn circles), released Shelter, an artisanal yarn with Wyoming grown wool from Targhee-Columbia sheep. It is spun in Harrisville, New Hampshire, a town with a long textile history.Knitch, was one of the few yarn shops to receive early shipments of the yarn, and since they are right around the corner from my house, I had to run right in and look. I was quite taken with the color names like Long Johns, Hayloft, and Homemade Jam.

I also was inspired by a pattern Jared designed for a Guernsey wrap.  I knew I wouldn’t wear a wool wrap, but I loved the texture in the design. Of course it was a pattern to knit, and I prefer to crochet as well, so I decided I needed to work out my own design for a crocheted scarf.  

I also was inspired by a pattern Jared designed for a Guernsey wrap.  Though I knew I wouldn't wear a wool wrap, I loved the texture in the design. Also, it was a pattern to knit, and I prefer to crochet, so I needed to work out my own design for a crocheted scarf.
The first version of the scarf was made from a couple of skeins of  Stonehedge Fiber Mill's Shepherd's Wool that I already had. When I design on the fly, I tend to try different patterns, widths, etc. and rip them out until I’m satisfied. That can be tough on yarn, though I must admit the Shepherd’s Wool held up well.
The final design uses a mixture of grit stitch, and three post stitches: vertical ribs, cables and steps. In between each band I inserted horizontal ribs of rear loop single crochet. 

Once I was happy with the design, I wiped up another in the red “Long Johns” color of Shelter. No gifting here. I will wear both often.
To see some of Jared Flood's knit patterns Take a look at Made in Brooklyn or Knits Men Want.