Crumbs, Cathy, and Cyber Monday
I hope your Thanksgiving was bountiful and filled with fun and family. One thing that is guaranteed in our house after Thanksgiving is leftovers. What do you do with them? Turkey sandwiches, of course, but kind of boring. We made turkey tetrazzini. Yum! I’m also happy with just a bowl of green beans, stuffing, and mashed potatoes mixed up with a ladle of gravy on top. Can you say carb coma?
Crumbs from food get swept up and thrown out (unless you have a dog to clean your floor for you). What do you do with your quilting crumbs? What are quilting crumbs? Not just scraps, these are the odd shaped pieces that are too small to be used on their own but maybe too big to let go. Yes, you could bring these scraps to QA for use as dog bed stuffing. You could also challenge yourself to create something completely unique from sewing these crumbs together.
How do you start? It’s easy…..pick a piece, line up another and sew them right sides together. Trim the seam allowance as you go to avoid bulk. Finger press or press with an iron. With the new shape created from these two pieces, try to find a scrap that matches it in length on one side and sew another crumb. Your block may look wonky or like an amoeba. This is the nature of crumb quilting. Trim a straight line on the next side to build on for ease of piecing (unless you like doing Y-seams). Keep working to one side or from the middle out.
How do you know when to stop? You can choose a block size to trim these mosaics down to. If your pieces are small, choose a smaller block size like 6”. If your pieces are bigger, trim to 8, 9 or 10”. Add sashing in between your squares to highlight them further or just sew them directly to other crumb blocks for a crazy quilt look.
Depending on how many crumbs you have, this can be a fun exercise in color too. For a truly scrappy look, pick crumbs without looking. Go for contrast. Resist the temptation to pick another crumb that looks better. I know this is hard for the perfectionists out there but that’s how you learn to let go of that limiting attitude! Or go for tones of the same color. The possibilities are only constrained by the boundaries you set for yourself. Don’t forget to send us pictures of your masterpieces…. pun intended!
QA is consistently regarded as having great customer service. This is due to our incredible staff. Get to know them better through our new feature, Queens of QA.
QA Queen this month: Cathy Law
Cathy started working at QA in Fall of 2016. She began sewing at age 8 making Barbie clothes. As a teen and young adult, she made a good amount of her own clothes. She dabbled in quilting through the years and began quilting in earnest when she retired from full time work in 2015. Cathy enjoys sewing a variety of projects: quilts, wall hangings, small projects such as bowl cozies, and children's clothing. She is most proud of the Christmas table topper on display in the shop. A project with all triangles was a new skill set for her to learn. Cathy enjoys gardening and was a beekeeper for 25 years, although her last hive died out earlier in 2021. She lives in Richmond with her rescue cat Maisy.
December starts on Wednesday. The countdown is almost on – is your shopping done? Is everyone’s present accounted for? If you need a few more items to check off your list, check out our upcoming classes. The next three Saturdays provide instruction for gifts you can personalize with our fabulous fabrics for the fussiest of friends.
Check them out here: Classes at Quilting Adventures
Quilts, like other art forms, can promote understanding and healing. Through Sat, December 18th, The Kuumba Afrikan American Quilters Guild has a dual exhibition at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond. Entitled Unsay Their Names and Stop the Pain, these pieces are reflections on the year 2020 and the challenges of the past year and a half – COVID19, Black Lives Matter movement, and the removal of the confederate statues in Richmond.
For more information, please visit the Black History Museum website here:
Black History Museum | Celebrates the rich of culture of African Americans
Coming in January, our new Block of the Month (BOM) by Banyan Batiks from Northcott. Designed by Scott Flanagan. This is a great way to learn different techniques and try new shapes. See the finished quilt on display at the shop.
Cyber Monday – 20% off your online order - everything on the website
Happy sewing everyone,
Phyllis and the QA staff