Route 44

On the back of the Route 44 pattern by Carrie Nelson, she says, "Route 44? It's not a road but it will sure transport you to happiness."

I could not agree more.

My road is over, but I loved every minute of the journey.

I started planning this project as soon as I saw that Carrie Nelson was teaching a class sponsored by the Quilter's General Store in Rockford, Illinois, back in January!! Now, 10 months later, the journey is over.

I'm so happy I have such a lovely quilt to remember my trip and happy that I picked Saltbox Harvest by Deb Strain for Moda for my fabric. I happily cut, pieced and sewed this quilt top. It went together like a dream. Some projects are just like that, all fun and no work!!

Even the border was fun,

but a lot of Carrie's patterns are like that, why stop having fun just because the center of the quilt is finished, why not go for just a little more fun in the border.

So after you attach the 2 inch containment border, Carrie throws in some eye candy before adding the outer border. The eye candy is a 1 1/2 inch scrappy pieced strip, surrounded on each side by a 1/2 inch strip of background fabric. I think this small little detail adds so much charm to the quilt.

In class, Carrie suggested sewing the three pieces of that middle eye candy border together, then attaching that unit to the containment border, leaving some extra fabric on each end, then connecting all the ends once all 4 side units have been added. That's what I did, and it worked out great. Since I don't quilt my tops, I'm just not that experienced at working with bulk, it was nice to only go around the containment border once with the middle border unit, then one last time with the outer border.

This is my lifetime quilt #61.

It has approximately 1,464 pieces.

And finished at 78" x 78"

Carrie named this pattern for Camille Roskelly, the designer of the Simple Abundance fabric Carrie used on her project,

the quilt that's on the pattern cover. Camille loves Route 44 Dr. Peppers available at Sonic Drive Ins. I didn't use Simple Abundance for my top, or drink any Dr. Pepper while making this quilt, so my quilt probably needs a different name. But after calling it Route 44 for 10 months, I'm not sure calling it something else is possible.

Lisa/Stashmaster and Nicole/Sisters Choice, fellow bloggers who I met for the first time while attending this class, are also working away on their Route 44 projects. They chose different fabric, so be sure to check out their blogs for their finished quilts, coming soon I'm sure.

I'm also hoping to hear from my fellow Route 44 classmates, and hoping I get to see their finished projects as well. One quilter was using the William Morris Workshop family of fabrics, I would love to see that one all done.

This pattern is a great stash buster, all you need is 3 yards of primary fabric (my red dot fabric) then pull colors from the primary fabric from your stash for the 4 patches, the more fabric the better. I think going scrappy with the background fabric would look great too!

What are you waiting for, here's your route to happiness.....

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A-Mazing Abundance . . . . .

All Done!!

I've finished piecing my project from my Carrie Nelson Chicago Class #3....for some reason I started on the last class project and am working backwards...The pattern is Ashcombe, the name comes from a hedge maze in Australia....I do think this pattern has a maze look to it, so I named my quilt A-Mazing Abundance....because of the maze design and because that Simple Abundance fabric, by Bonnie and Camille for Moda, is simply amazing....

As I mentioned to several folks already, I would not have made this pattern had it not been a class project. I am so glad I did not pass it up. This pattern is only limited by your sense of adventure. It can be large, small, or any size in the middle, and I can't imagine any fabric used in this setting not looking wonderful. It could be a real stash buster too.

When I first threw all my blocks on my design wall, the green really stood out. I was wanting the focus to be more on the red side, but during one of our classes, Carrie mentioned that when a color doesn't work in a quilt, don't take it out, add more....so I did, and oddly enough, I think that really did the trick!

At this point, I contemplated adding a red containment border. Carrie also mentioned that whatever color you use in the borders of your quilt, will bring focus to that color in the center of your quilt. I was really wanting to focus on the red. But when I put a strip of red fabric on my design wall, I just didn't like the looks of it, so I dropped that idea and stayed with Carrie's pieced outer border.

I did make one, itsy bitsy change, the pattern called for a 4 patch block in the corner of the outer border......

Since all the 4 patches in the center of the quilt were floating in the background fabric, I decided to to the same for the corner.

So here's Carrie's Ashcombe cover quilt,

made with Simple Abundance.

And here's mine.

This is lifetime quilt number sixty.

This quilt has approximately 813 pieces,

and finished at 68" x 78".

I think this will be one of my all time favorite quilts. First, because the quilt's charm came as such a total surprise to me. But also, it will always remind me of the wonderful time I had on my trip, the great new friends I made, and the old friends who became even dearer to me.

Thanks Prairie Star Quilters Guild for sponsoring this class!! I hope to hear from my fellow classmates and see their finished projects!!

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A Few New Things . . . . .

I don't get out and around much, and haven't been sewing all that long, so when I do get out, I'm amazed at the things I learn and see.

Here are a few things that were new to me while on my trip to Chicago.

First up, and I'm sure this isn't new to 99.999999% of you....

Featherweight Sewing Machines!!

Oh, I'd heard of these machines, even seen a few online, but I actually saw them, in the flesh, for the first time, in my Carrie classes. Two black ones and a white one! I have to say, I found them amazing. They are the cutest little machines and make the most pleasing sound as they sew. I was intrigued, intrigued enough to search Ebay for one when I got home.

And I found just the perfect one for me (click here). So what do you think? I think my wallet is intrigued to know how I would pay for it!

Here's something I was able to afford,

I tend to have dry hands, particularly in the winter. I picked up this lotion bar somewhere along the way. I don't tend to put on lotion right before I head into my sewing room, but I put this bar by my sewing machine and have been using it. It smells great and feels great.

Here's something else right in my price range...

Niagara Non-Arosol Spray Starch! Carrie brought these bottles to class for us to try, it was new to me and I really like it. Up to this point I had been using Mary Ellen's Best Press, I bought it by the gallon. But when I used Mary Ellen's, it kind of gave my throat a tickle. The Niagara is tickle free, and this 22 oz bottle runs $1.98 and is available at Walmart and Target!

Someone in class recommended these Bohin seam rippers, so Lisa and I were on the hunt for them.

They are good rippers, but my old rippers may be a little dull from use, so maybe it's not a fair comparison, but I think the Clover Seam Ripper, with the fat white handle, feels better in my hand than these. The Bohins are a handy size, nice for traveling, and you don't have that whole "where's the tip protector" issue since they fold up.

If you read my blog very often, you know I struggle with my fabric choices, it takes me forever to warm up to a family of fabrics.

In Chicago I ran across some fabric that I feel was designed for me! It was instant love!!

This is Old World Style Fabric by Monique Dillard for Maywood. The colors, all me, and the prints....well Maywood does a better job of describing them than I could,

"Designed by Monique Dillard

The baroque influence throughout the world inspired these beautifully crafted designs, each an homage to classic artistry and timeless style. Large scale prints, backgrounds, tonals and small scale patterns combine in colors inspired by the cities of Europe, from the creamy marble of Florence to the garnet reds of Madrid and garden greens of Strasbourg."

I have to agree with the timeless style comment, I'm not well versed in fashion, let alone European tastes and trends, but I do know this, this fabric is going to make some amazing quilts, that will match my house and taste perfectly, and stand the test of time!

Sold to the woman who NEVER buys fabric without anguishing and second guessing the colors, cost, and use, for days, weeks, sometimes months! This was one easy purchase.

Click here to see a few pictures of some quilts made using this fabric.

Monique is also the designer of the Open Gate patterns, you can check out the latest goings on in her world here. Her website is called Bundles and Bolts.

One thing that's not hard for me to spend money on is patterns. I would have to say patterns are my weakness. I remember growing up, my Mom just loved to read cookbooks. I found it strange, because she had no intention of making 99% of the recipes in those books, she found reading them interesting and entertaining. I get it now, because that's the way I feel about quilt patterns. I know I'll never make all the ones I buy, but just reading them is so entertaining. Every designer has their own style and presentation, some designers get right to it, others get there eventually. I prefer the ones that give me a little history about the pattern, or how they came up with the name or pattern. I like color, the more color the happier I am.

So here are a few patterns I picked up while hitting the shops,

This is Stone Soup by Life's A Stitch Quilt Shoppe . .

I just love it when a quilt shop designs their own patterns. They are usually something new and different. I bought a few of their patterns, they had a great selection.

This is made from either Rouenneries or Rural Jardin, I'm not sure which, but it's French General for sure. (have you ever seen an ugly quilt made from that fabric?)

Nicole did a wonderful post on this quilt shop, if you've not read it, click here.

This pattern is also designed by someone at a Quilt Shop

Beth at The Quilt Merchant has some amazing patterns inspired by antique quilts, they are called Grace's Dowry Quilts, I think she's designed over 20 of them.

Lisa posted a great picture of the completed quilt made from this pattern.

This is by Deb Tucker of Studio 180 Design, Ltd., and is called Atlantic Flyway. I liked the geese in this pattern,

They are going every which way, I've not had the time to read how you go about making those geese fly like that, maybe I'll read up on it tonight, my nightstand reading.

This Deb Tucker is new to me, but she was just nominated as the Teacher of the Year by Professional Quilter. So I guess I'm late to her party.

Are you familiar with Kaye England?

She's new to me too, but from the looks of her website, she's been designing pattern for ages! I was drawn to this quilt and the format of this pattern. Lots of color, it's more of a pamphlet than the normal pages folded behind a picture format, and there's hardly any text. It's more like a picture pattern, you know, like a picture book? Very different, but I like it.

I also picked up several Miss Rosie's Quilt Co patterns; Short Line, Two Step, Brown Eyed Girl, Three Barns, and a couple of Schnibbles. I couldn't help myself, they were everywhere!

Ashcombe's done, I'm hoping to get some good pictures of it and on my blog soon!

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Last Up First . . . .

The last class of my 5 day Chicago Quilt Adventure was sponsored by the Prairie Star Quilters Guild. The class was held in the lower level of a local church in St. Charles. The setup was wonderful with plenty of room, tables, and irons. The natural light and fresh air in the room let us enjoy the beautiful fall day, even though we were inside. For lunch we ordered Panera, one of my favorite places for lunch. The other folks in the class were friendly and welcoming. So for someone who's not a "class person", I was very happy with this class setup.

The class project was Ashcombe,

named after a garden hedge maze in Australia.

Carrie started the class by showing the two quilts that are on the cover of the pattern ( I just loved seeing all of Carrie's quilts up close and personal). I'm fairly critical of my photography, my quilts almost always look so much better in person than in a photograph. I think I've decided that most quilts look better in person, it's hard to capture that quilty feeling with a camera.

So here's Carrie, getting us started, and talking about the quilts.

But I did not hear a word she said...

because all I could do was focus on this...

that bottle of Coke setting on that quilt!!

I tried to telepathically send Carrie a message, "Carrie, there's a Coke on that quilt, don't spill that Coke, that Coke's going to fall over and make a mess on that quilt, Carrie! Carrie! Pick up that bottle of Coke"

She didn't hear me any better than I heard her, but the good news, the Coke didn't fall over, the quilt is safe, until she gets it out again, and sets another bottle of Coke on it!!

Here's Lisa with a few of the blocks she made,

she's going with this family of greens, yellows and blacks called Origins by Basic Grey for Moda.

And here's Nicole, working away,

when she attends a class, she sews....

and is shows....look at all the lovely purple blocks. She selected all these fabrics from her stash, so it's a free quilt. Nicole finished all her blocks in class!

Susan, a fellow classmate,

selected these batiks for her Ashcombe. I really like the black background fabric.

And this assortment,

of pink and brown civil war fabrics was one of my favorites. I've noticed there's not much middle ground when it comes to pink and brown civil war fabric, folks will either love it or leave it....I love it.

Here I am, with my Simple Abundance . . . .

I've gotten quite a bit more done on my blocks since I got home, come back to check them out, I'm just loving this project!

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Trip Summary . . .

924 miles in the car

7 Quilt Shops

3 Carrie Nelson classes

1 Guild Meeting with the Prairie Star Quilters Guild

6 Stops at Starbucks for coffee and pumpkin bakery products

Too many new friends and laughs to count

I had the time of my life!

I learned several new things, but the biggest thing I learned, I need to get out more! I am so inspired after talking with other quilters and seeing so many wonderful projects in the quilt shops, at Carrie's trunk show, and quilts made by my classmates.

Carrie was just wonderful, a bundle of energy and nothing but fun!

She made me feel welcome right from the start. The thing that I found most interesting about Carrie, she's a quilter, just like you and I. Sure's she a creative and fabulous pattern designer, but she likes to buy fabric, make quilts by other pattern designers, participate in swaps, and talk about the latest fads, just like we do!

I also met up with two fellow bloggers on my trip.

Nicole, from Sisters Choice, on the left, and Lisa, the Stashmaster, on the right.

This was my first experience meeting someone face to face, that I previously only knew from their blogs. I was thrilled to get to know them better.

Not only are Lisa and Nicole popular bloggers ( everywhere we went, folks recognized them from their blogs) they are quilting rock stars.

Here's Lisa with the quilt she pieced for Carrie,

Times Four.

And here's Nicole, next to the pattern with the quilt she pieced for Carrie,

Short Line.

I can't imagine what it would be like to walk into a quilt shop, and see a quilt you made on the cover of a pattern, I think I was more excited than Nicole!!

More details to come, I was really dragging yesterday. At first I thought it was the hectic pace of the trip, but it was probably that I didn't stop by Starbucks yesterday for my shot of sugar and caffeine!

I can hardly wait to show you my class projects, I love them all!

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