Quilters by the Sea
Guild News

Summer 2008 Children's Quilting Class

Sewing notionsThis summer, QBTS will again sponsor a children's quilting class at the Ormond Beach Public Library. The class will take place for six weeks beginning in June, and 30 lucky children 8 years old and older will learn to make one of the two pillows--either a cat or dog design, pictured at right. Pat Saunders made the samples and has also completed detailed instructions.

For the class, the guild has received a donation of fabric from Keepsake Quilting and is also asking for donations of fat-quarters and buttons from members (see the March issue of Quilt Scraps for particulars). The Friends of the Ormond Beach Library group has agreed to furnish the pillow forms. This promises to be the best class yet.

If you have not received a Keepsake Quilting catalogue, contact them at www.keepsakequilting.com. The Keepsake Quilting store is located in Center Harbor, New Hampshire. If you visit that area, don't miss that shop--and plan to spend a lot of time there!

Quilting Traditions

Have you ever wondered why quilters press seam allowances to one side? Apparently this started during the early days of hand-piecing. Consider the following:

  • A hand-sewn seam is weaker than a machine-sewn seam
  • Pressing both seams to one side "closes" the seam to fiber migration
  • A seam is easier to mend if both seam allowances are pressed to one side

While it may be true that a seam is easier to mend if the seam allowances are pressed to one side, machine-piecing and quality batting have minimized if not eliminated the problem of weak (hand-sewn) seams and fiber migration, and more quilters are now pressing their seam allowances open. This prevents one fabric piece from standing out over another and helps the quilt lay flatter (especially at bulky seams).

Your decision to press your seam allowances open or press them to one side in the traditional way should be based on what will work best for the quilt you are currently working on. But don't close your mind to pressing your seams open for a change.

Pat's Cats and Dogs

Pat Saunders cat and dog pillows

Pat Saunders recently showed QBTS members two pillows she made as samples for this summer's children's quilting class at the Ormond Beach Public Library (click on photo to view larger image).

Ormond Beach Library Display
May, 2008

Each September QBTS puts a quilt display in the main display windows at Ormond Beach Public Library. We'll be doing the same thing again this year. But we'll also have a display in May. The library has the window available this month, so QBTS was contacted and asked for quilts. QBTS members who wish to add a quilt to the display should bring it to the May 9th meeting. Sophie will collect the quilts and enlist some help to put up the display Saturday morning, May 10.