DONNA POSTER NEWSLETTER
                                                     JAN. 2009

     Finally --- the holidays are over and we can back to a normal routine which, hopefully, will include lots of quilting!

     We had a perfect holiday and I’m feeling well again.  A trip to an ear, nose and throat specialist solved a longtime problem of mine.  For the first time in my life I heard someone say, ”I know what you have and I know how to fix it.”  Beautiful words!  I have reactive airways --- allergic to dust mites and ragweed.  Threw away my feather pillow, electric blanket, raised the water temperature above 130 degrees and I’m feeling better already.

      Had a lot of fun trimming the tree this Christmas --- Eliad “helped”.  I chose the blown glass ornaments this year because they are the most interesting.  Have you ever seen a tree with over a hundred ornaments hanging from the bottom branches --- and “naked” from there on up?  Did you know that you can hang six ornaments on one little branch before it hits the floor?  You can learn a lot from a four year old!  Hope your holidays were great fun too.

     It’s time now to get some quilting news in our newsletters again.  I was rummaging through some old guild stuff and came across two nice little hints.  Use clear, plastic, zippered cosmetic cases to keep supplies in --- you can see everything inside.  The other suggestion was to stick a golf tee in the top of a spool of thread to hold a thimble or, with a magnet glued to the top, extra threaded needles.

     Wow!  I just found a whole pile of good stuff that Istashing away to send to you.  (I gotta get organized this year)  Here’s some of the goodies:

     Someone sent me this --- It was on how to find more time to quilt.  I don’t know who or where it came from, but I love it.  Housework is only for spare time!  I have very little of that so very little housework gets done.  My DH has learned to live with this.  Of course he was pretty easy to work with as he was a bachelor when we met --- didn’t know the house was supposed to be kept clean and I made sure know one ever told him otherwise!

     Another good one --- a cardboard paper towel core is perfect to wrap precut strips of fabric around.  Ideal to carry to classes and to store for future use.  I use this method to store my cut and folded binding.

     Did you know that those old pincushions were made in a tomato shape for a reason?  Believers of old thought it was good luck to put a ripe tomato on the mantel of any new home.  But ripe tomatoes weren’t to be had all year round so tomato pincushions became popular housewarming gifts.

     This tip came from a handquilter.  She uses clamps from the stationery store to clamp her quilt layers to the table for basting.  Also, she bastes in a grid six inches apart rather than in a radiation method.  I’ve always used the grid method.  Radiation basting flattens the center resulting in a very unevenly basted quilt.

     Here’s a hint of my own.  In this stressful economy many of us will be using up our stash of fabric to make quilts.  No problem for me --- I happen to love scrap quilts!  Look for uncomplicated patterns with just one or two pieces.  If you want the design to show, use contrast --- darks & medium darks with lights and medium lights.  Some people like to just throw the cut pieces in a bag and use them as they come out of the bag.  Great fun!  My favorite scrap quilt (actually my first charm quilt) starts with the darkest pieces in the upper left corner and gradually moves to the lightest pieces in the bottom right corner.  For accent I put a few darks in the light areas and a few lights in the dark areas.  I used the Apple Core piece (or as a student of mine called it --- the Panty crotch piece!!)

      Getting ready to teach at the Road to California show.  When I’m back and things settle down a bit, I’m hoping to write to you every month.  Also need to get Mr. Donna sending a few more recipes.  What would you like to see in our letters?  I always like hearing from you so send me your ideas.  Pictures, too --- we’ll post them for others to ooh and aah at!

     Gotta go --- more of my book is due --- Mr. Donna is asking for more applique designs --- and I’ve got a quilt I’m working on!  Quilters are never bored!!!

Enjoy the winter --- it’s a good excuse to stay inside, nice & warm, and quilt.

Your quilting buddy,
Donna
Mr. Donna here with a request.  I’m hoping one of you folks is geekie enough to help me with a problem.  Here it is:  On occasion, images I put on the website will disappear when the pointer is moved over them.  Refreshing the page brings the images back, only to disappears again the same way.  Such a situation exists for the last two designs (Snails Trail & Hidden Wells) on the Foldy Stuff page which contains all the designs.  I asked my host about this with no solution.  Help!!!