DONNA POSTER NEWSLETTER
AUG. ‘07
First, the latest from Mr. Donna,
NEW APPLIQUE PATTERNS: There are two new applique patterns on the website---http://Donnaposter.com <http://quiltwithdonna.com>-----. They are Six Sports and Sports Silhouette, and can be found on page 12 in the applique section.
NEW VENTURE: Now that we have the website in hand and it’s a matter of maintain and upgrading, it’s on to something new. The something new we are thinking of is a series of two to four minute streaming audio/vidio clips, the subject of which will be, what else, quilting techniques. Initial plans are for demonstrations by Donna or possibly with a guest.
The point is, we don’t know what we are doing, but that hasn’t stopped us yet. I found a number of companies who will either host the clips or encode them for hosting on our site. We really would like to do it ourselves and am sending out this HELP message. If any of you folks know anything about this please let us know about it. What software, source materials (like books), how to encode, etc,etc,etc.
Now Heeeeere’s Donna
Right now we’re spending a lot of days indoors quilting --- it’s been HOT and steamy!!
We’ve had so many comments about our Eliad updates that we’re adding a new section to our website called, “Eliad Watch”!! He just gets cuter every day. He talks constantly and some of the stuff is really funny. He loves paging through his stack of car magazines and can identify most of them. And, from his car seat, he identifies most of the vehicles we pass on the road. He speaks clearly but is still lacking a number of consonants so it’s fun, at times, to figure out what he’s saying. Things like Tow-tuk, Coo-bus, and Picku-tuk are pretty clear, but see how many of these ten you can figure out! Am-bu-ans, Bee-dubba-you, Akawak, Oh-tahga, Don-dee-tacta, Lam-ba-gheghe, May-tuk, Pees-ca, Co-bet, Ak-ta-ca-gheghe.
(Answers at end of letter) You puzzle solvers may get nine but the best of you will never figure out the tenth one!!!
I taught two classes at the Odyssey Quilt Show in Hershey, PA. It’s a great show and I had a wonderful time! As usual, I learned something from my students. I was demonstrating binding and when I pinned it for the final stitching, several students insisted I should be using hairclips (this was an incredibly vocal group of women!) I said I’d never tried them and, next thing I know, someone hands me three of them and insists I use them!! Wow --- they worked so well I said I was going to put it in the next newsletter. Now, here’s what really cracked me up: one of my students was appalled and said I could never admit that I was the last person in the entire quilting world to not know about hairclips!!! Yes, Shirley, I “told”!
I found something else that a lot of you are familiar with but I never tried.
The Supreme Slider!
I had seen it advertised and it looked like a great idea, but who knows --- everything in an ad looks like a great idea. But when I tried it, I was sold!!! It’s an 8” x 11 ½” Teflon sheet that you just lay on your machine top while free-motion quilting and your fabric glides over that surface like it’s floating on air!!! It comes with a hole for the needle and a non-slip bottom so it grips the machine. If it’s too big, just let it hang over the sides. I was telling some of my students and they had even more ideas. One of the gals bought two so they covered more of her machine table. Another gal enlarged the needle hole to a zig zag width and used it for all her sewing, including piecing. It’s put out by LaPierre Studio, LLC and should be available at your favorite quilt shop, and possibly, in time, from our website.
Letters
The following was such a good question that I’m printing it here with my answer. I think it’s a constant problem for all of us fabric junkies!
Hi Donna and Mr. Donna, I am in need of help with how to organize my fabric. I have 12 drawers measuring 23 x 14 each just packed with fabric. Also I have several plastic containers full. I don’t know how to organize this mess. Do I go by color, if so, what if it is multi-colored of which I have many pieces. My sister who was a fellow quilter, passed away in 2005 and I received all of HER fabric. HELP!! What do I do with this stuff? Anyway you can help me will be appreciated. Thanks,
Barbara Manners
p.s. I have already removed all juvenile fabric which is about a 12 inch pile to give to those who do quilts for needy children. I still have so much. Hope to hear from you soon.
Barbara,
Sorting my fabric stash is a job I absolutely hate doing --- but --- the fun is in finding all the neat fabrics you forgot you had! I recently did this for the first time in seven years. It took me several days!!
Here's how I approach the dreaded task:
1. I just dump ALL my fabrics in big heaps on the floor. It’s a mess! But you see, now you're stuck --- you MUST put them all back so you figure, what the heck, you might as well sort them out, too.
2. Next I make the following separate piles: solids, smooshies (marbles), batiks, juvenile, pieces large enough for a backing, and small pieces of tiny prints to use for applique projects.
3. Now you're ready to sort for color. Be careful here; you can spend hours trying to decide whether to put that wheat colored piece with the yellows (ugh, too dirty looking) or the browns (well, gee, it really isn't brown). A "devil-may-care" attitude adjustment will help here!
4. At this point, look over the space you have and arrange your piles to fit.
5.HINT: I also make a pile of fabric which simply will not fit into any category at all. Those get saved till I'm all done and a week later, in utter disgust, I throw them into the nearest empty space!
6. Now, as a reward, I treat myself to a trip to the nearest quilt shop where I will, I'm sure, find more fabric that I "need"!!
Barbara,
You also said you enjoyed our newsletters and asked if I would be teaching at the show in Nashville this August.
I won't be at the AQS show this year. I didn't send out any teaching proposals last year as I wasn't going to travel anymore. Ha!! I just miss you gals too much so --- maybe next year!
Glad you like our newsletters. We sure like hearing from all of you!
DONNA COOKS, TOO: Mr. Donna asked for an old favorite dish that I haven’t made in years. It’s great and, because it’s so easy, I thought I’d pass it on to all of you. We quilters are always looking for ways to get more time for stitching! Enjoy! By the way, I really am a Pennsylvania Dutchman and
this is one of our traditional dishes.
Dutch Sausage Dish
1 ¼ lb. Sausage
1 tsp. Garlic juice
1 pint lima beans (2 cups)
Salt to taste
Brown sausages well. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low heat, covered for I hour.
Garlic bread ( not Pa. Dutch but goes great with the sausage dish)
1 stick (¼ lb.) margarine
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Sage
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper
I loaf bread (Italian, French or
Blend all ingredients. Spread on bread, sliced diagonally. Wrap in foil and heat 15 minutes at 300 degrees
SEASON’S FIRST: Mr. Donna fired off the first batch of chili of the season, and it was a winner. Just thought you might want to know that. Sort of completes your day; right? For his recipe, check the Aug/Sept ‘06 newsletter.
I’ve had such a wonderful response to my question about painting on fabric that I’m going to sort out all the answers and devote next month’s newsletter to that subject. Some of you have obviously done a lot of research on this and I thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge.
And now --- back to the quilting --- or maybe the design table --- or maybe Eliad --- or out to lunch with Mr. Donna --- or --- gosh, life is good right now!! I sure hope yours is, too!
Answers to Eliad-speak (in the order given): Ambulance, VW, Acura, Oil Tanker, John Deere tractor, Lamborghini, Mail truck, Police car, Corvette, and (ta-da!) Ragtop convertible!!
Till next month --- happy quilting,
Donna