Meeting Reminder--It's This Week!!

Don't forget, the meeting is THIS WEDNESDAY!!
(Remember, we moved it because of Thanksgiving?)

Yes, it is sneaking up on us this month, but don't worry, it will still be a fun meeting.

Here are the details.
Wednesday, Nov. 14th, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Pilgrim Lutheran Church
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, Wisconsin

All are welcome.

This month's program is ...

Always a good time!
Bring 3 "lots" (bags, boxes, bundles, etc.) of quilting/sewing/knitting/crafting related stuff.  (You can bring less than 3, but not more than 3.)
If they don't sell, you have to take them home again :-(
So here are some hints on getting your stuff sold.
1.  Bring good stuff.  Maybe it's stuff you're tired of, or don't feel like finishing.  Maybe it's decent fabric, but somehow you can't remember why you bought it.  Maybe, when you look at the item, you've just lost that loving feeling.
2.  Bundle like things together.  If you put all your yarn together, somebody might buy it even though all they really want is the knock-your-socks-off purple variegated wool. 
3.  Be generous.  All the money goes the group, after all.  And if you clean out a bin or a shelf, you are legally obligated to go buy more fabric. 
4.  If all else fails, add chocolate.  With our group,  CHOCOLATE SELLS.  (I really think people would bid on a box of broken rulers if there was a bag of chocolate in there too!)

Here's Homework Puppy to remind us what to bring on Wednesday.

*Silent Auction items

* Cash/checks to pay for silent auction items you can't live without

* Money for the food pantry

*YOUR NAME TAG (Cool or not, please wear it!)

 *Block of the Month blocks (if you made any)


And don't forget...

Show and Tell!

(Did you guess this was my favorite part?)

See you Wednesday!

September Notes and News

Welcome to a new month! Summer is ending, fall is coming, and it's a great time to quilt.  (Well, isn't it always?)

Here's what's happening at Ties that Bind in September.

Block of the Month:
We're doing a repeat of the August block of the month, Sawtoothed Square.  Click HERE for the directions.  It's a 12 in. finished block, done in two floral prints, one light and one dark.

Above is my block.  Don't worry about colors, we're keeping it scrappy.

Paper Piecing Class
Sept. 11, 2018
10 a.m. to 12 noon
Pilgrim Lutheran Church
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, Wisconsin
If you plan to attend, please let Mary M. know, so she knows how many people to expect.  Her phone number is on our printed list, or in your email from Pam.  (I don't want to publish it here on the web.)

September Meeting
Sept. 19, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Pilgrim Lutheran Church
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, Wisconsin

We will have a special guest at the September meeting, who will show us how to use printed panels to make terrific quilts.

As always, keep working on your Projects Half Done (if you're participating).

See you in September!  (Does that make a song come into your head?  Are you as old as I am?)
Cheers,
Sylvia

Reminder--Ties that Bind Meeting This Wednesday!

Don't forget, the meeting is this Wednesday!  

 

August 15th:  Ties that Bind Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Note:  We will be meeting at Sew Many Pieces in Richfield
1717 Wolf Road, Richfield, WI 53076
All are welcome.

Here's Homework Puppy to remind us what to bring in August.

 

*Folding chair, if you can.  Mickey has some, but could use more.

*Brown bag with a fat quarter and your name, for the Brown Bag Challenge, if you haven't brought it already

*Block of the Month for August, if you'd like to participate.  Click HERE for directions.  You need two floral fabrics, one light and one dark.

 

                                            *Cash for the food pantry donation, if you are so inclined.

Don't forget quilts for show and tell!  Here is some inspiration for you from last month's meeting.

Here's Louann S. with her first "rotary cutter"--a razor blade!  Times have changed!

See you Wednesday at Sew Many Pieces!

 

Just a Sampling

When it comes to samplers, make mine chocolate!
Or, quilts!
Many of our first quilts were samplers.  A sampler quilt is a great teaching tool.  Different blocks teach us different techniques, and when we're done piecing, we learn to quilt and bind.
The following are some of the sampler quilts from our last meeting, when we brought our first quilts for show and tell.

Very nice color scheme here, and nicely done.
I have to admit, I didn't have the best angle for taking pictures.  Plus I'm still learning my new cell phone camera, so I apologize for the poor quality photos, and for sometimes accidentally cutting out the quilt maker.  (Nancy looks good, though, doesn't she?)

I'm not sure if this is a sampler or a quilt of valor, sorry.  Either way, it's a lovely red white and blue.

Good colors, here, too, and lots of patterns.

A nice selection of blocks here.  Some of them don't look like beginner blocks to me!

It's amazing how different a quilt looks, just based on the colors.  Lots of nice stars here!

Fifteen great blocks here, nice set!

Beautiful selection of patterns and colors.

Isn't the blue and yellow color scheme striking?
Nicely done, ladies!
And good job finishing your first quilts.  
How inspiring!

By the way, don't forget the block of the month!  We're making 12 in. Sawtoothed Square blocks, in two florals, light and dark, like this:

Click HERE for the directions.

Are you working on your project for the Brown Bag Challenge?  I am actually hoping to start on mine before December 1st.

Thanks for reading the blog.   See you on August 15th!

Reminder--Meeting this Week!

Don't forget, the meeting is this Wednesday!   I will be out of town :( but I will see you all next month.

 

June 20th:  Ties that Bind Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Pilgrim Lutheran Church
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, Wisconsin
All are welcome.

Here's Homework Puppy to remind us what to bring in June.

*Pincushion Competition!  Bring your cutest/best/most useful pincushion.  (I believe this needs to be made by you.)

*Your favorite notion

*Brown Bag for the Brown Bag Challenge

If you'd like to participate, here's what to do.  Get a brown bag.  Put a fat quarter in it.  Put your name in it (Not ON it).  We'll exchange them.  Each participant will make something with the fat quarter in the bag they drew for the person whose name is in the bag.  This will be your Christmas gift to that person.

*Cash contribution for the food pantry (if you so desire)

*  Your appetite!  We are having an ice cream social for our refreshments.

 

Have some fun for me!

February Meeting Notes and Block of the Month

First, I'd like to give a belated thank you to all the members who helped make the Christmas party so much fun.  There was wonderful food, the gift exchange, and even a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, who brought us these great mug organizers.  As you can see, I'm using mine to keep my favorite tools close at hand (and not buried under piles of scraps!).  Thanks to Nelly, Colleen, Mary, Joan, Nancy, and everybody else who helped create such a festive evening.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

This month's meeting data:
Next Meeting:  Wednesday, February 21st., 6:30 p.m. 
Don't forget we changed the time!!!
Pilgrim Lutheran Church
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, Wisconsin
All are welcome.

Special notes:  Bring any Valentine quilts, heart quilts, red and white quilts, etc. for show and tell.

Did you make the Christmas shirt block?  If so, please bring it (and tell me where I'm going wrong).

Block of the Month
Below is a tutorial for the Block of the Month.  If you are participating, please bring your blocks to the meeting.  You get one chance to win for each block you make!
This month's block is Buckeye Beauty, and will measure 12 in. square when finished.  We are making these blocks in fall colors.

 These are the directions that were handed out at the meeting, along with my cut pieces.

First, let's make the 4 patches.
1.  Cut 4 light squares, 3.5 in. x 3.5 in.
2.  Cut 4 assorted print squares, 3.5 in. x 3.5 in.

3.  Sew these squares into 4 patches, as above.  Each 4 patch will contain 2 light squares and 2 dark squares.  The 4 patches will measure 6.5 in. square at this point.
So far, not too hard, right?

Next, let's make the triangle squares.
1.  Cut a 6 7/8 in. square of light fabric. 
2.  Cut the 6 7/8 in. square of light fabric diagonally from corner to corner, making 2 triangles.
3.  Cut two 6 7/8 in. squares of darker fabric (mine are brown and green).  Then cut these squares diagonally from corner to corner.  You will have two extra triangles, one brown and one green (in my case---use whatever colors you like).  I used them to make a second block.

4.  Sew one light and one dark triangle together to make a square.  Do it again with the remaining light triangle and a different dark triangle.  These should measure 6.5 in. at this point.
Now, let's bring it home!

Arrange the sections like the photo above.  The dark squares should chain through the block from upper left to lower right, as shown.   The dark triangles should be on the outside of the block.

And that's all there is to it.  This block should measure 12.5 in. unfinished, and will measure 12 in. when sewn into a quilt.  (Maybe by YOU???)
You can also vary the light fabric you use, like so:

It just makes it a little scrappier.  BTW, the square in the upper left corner is actually red, not pink as it appears in this photo.
So that's Buckeye Beauty, a very versatile block that is great for using up scraps.

I hope to see you at the meeting.  We always have such a good time!
Until then, keep warm and keep quilting!

June in Wisconsin

Is there a nicer month in Wisconsin than June?  It's warm out, even hot at times, and the gardens are growing.  Strawberries are ripe, and school is out for summer.

Our June meeting is this Wednesday!
Date and Time:  June 21, at 7:00 p.m.
Place: Sew Many Pieces,

1717 Wolf Road "A"

Richfield, WI 53076

Note the place change!!  We will be meeting at Mickey's shop!!  Bring a folding chair or two if you can.

Brown Bag Exchange
Don't forget your brown bag for the brown bag exchange, if you are participating.  Just find a fat quarter, and put it and a piece of paper with your name on it in a brown paper bag.  We'll do a blind exchange, where nobody knows whose bag anybody else got.  Once you get your bag, you use the fat quarter to make something (pretty much anything!) for the person whose name is in the bag.   Then wrap it in Christmas/holiday paper, and give it to the person at our Christmas party.  Simple, right?  Maybe you'll do better than I do, and make your gift BEFORE the last minute.

Food Pantry
At our last meeting, we decided to collect money for the local food pantries for the next few months.  They will use it to buy meat, milk, etc.  It's just another way to help our neighbors in need.

Retreat!
Are you going on the retreat with us?  See Mary M. at the meeting to reserve your spot.

Free Quilt Patterns
There are so many great quilt patterns on the internet, but it can be hard to find them.  Here's a website every quilter should know about:  Marcia Hohn's Quilters Cache
Marcia has patterns for hundreds of quilt blocks, with good clear directions, and often suggestions on how to set the blocks together, etc.  You can search for blocks by name or by size.

See you Wednesday night!

March Right In

Hello, Ties that Bind Quilters!  March winds sometimes make us think of pinwheels, at least when it isn't snowing.  This month's free pattern is Pinwheel Puzzle, from the Moda Bakeshop.  Click HERE to get the directions.   There are two different kinds of pinwheels in this quilt.

By the way, if you haven't visited the Moda Bakeshop, you're in for a treat.  There are dozens of free patterns there, using Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, Charm Squares, etc.  And there's no law you can't cut your own jelly rolls, etc. from your yardage.

Our March work day for charity quilts was Thursday, March 2, at Sew Many Pieces in Richfield.  Here's Pat D., pausing her sewing to smile for me.  There's Micky in the background, and Mary L. cutting pieces.

Everybody was hard at work!  I spy Joan L., Nellie, Carol, Pat D. and Pat P. in this shot.  Somebody tell me who's ironing here.  (Is it Kathy D.?)

Nancy, Ann W., and Pat D. are working and talking at the same time.  I don't think that would work  for me (I'm easily distracted!), but they're doing great.

Mary L. and Helen are getting blocks squared up and yardage cut.
We had a great group of workers, several of whom are not pictured since I left early.

Due to a problem with tendonitis, I was no help at all, but I did take home some homework for when my arm heals up.

Speaking of homework, how are you doing on the mystery quilt?

I'm done with Clue#1, 20 nine patches in medium #1 and medium dark.  I'm still working on Clue#2, 48 four patches in medium #1 and light.  Mary M. promised it was not too difficult, and so far it's working out.  I just hope my colors turn out okay.

Next meeting:  

Wednesday, March 15th, 2017, 7:00 p.m.

Place:  Pilgrim Lutheran Church
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, Wisconsin

GAME NIGHT!!!  Don't forget to bring 6 fat quarters!!!  We are going to have fun!!!

Food Pantry:  Pasta, noodles, pasta sauce, etc.

All are welcome!  See you there!

For the Love of February

February is famous for snow, for Presidents Day, and of course for Valentine's Day!

This month's tutorials show us how to make heart shaped quilt blocks in several sizes.  And unlike the heart shaped cookies and candies, these will last til next year, and have no calories.
Both of these tutorials are FREE.

Here's a link to the tutorial for the blocks above:  Multiple Hearts Tutorial 
This comes from Cluck Cluck Sew.

Not scrappy enough?  What about this one?

The block above is made in the same way as the others, but with more scraps.
Here's the link to the tutorial:  Simple Strippy Heart
This one is from Craftsy.

Now let's get down to business.

Next meeting:  Wednesday, Feb. 15th, 2017, 7:00 p.m.
Place:  Pilgrim Lutheran Church
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, Wisconsin


All are welcome!  See you there!

A New Start for the New Year

Welcome to the Ties that Bind Quilters Web Page!
This is our January issue, and I hope it will be a model for the rest of the year.

Next Meeting:  Wednesday, Jan. 18th, at 7:00
Place:  Pilgrim Lutheran Church
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, Wisconsin

All are welcome!

Members, if you participated in the Brown Bag Challenge, this is the meeting to bring your finished gift.
Our Food Pantry item for January is canned vegetables.

Each month I'm planning to include a tutorial for a free scrap quilt pattern.  This month's is Star Value, by Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting, which is pictured above.

All of the pieces are either squares or half square triangles, so not too difficult.  There are directions for several different sizes of blocks, which of course use different sized scraps.  The block above (yes, that's just one block!) finishes at 20 in.
Here's a photo of the full quilt:

It's a lovely quilt, and a good, detailed tutorial.  FYI, it was first published on the Happy Quilting blog in 2013, so the giveaways listed are no longer offered.

Here's the link to the tutorial:
Star Value Quilt Tutorial

While you're there, you may want to check out her other tutorials.  She has lots, and they're all free.

Please let me (Sylvia) know if anything here doesn't work, etc.  I'd also like to know if you make one of these--we'll be sure to post a photo.

Stay warm, and happy quilting!

February Show and Tell

We have such a good time at our meetings! 
Show and tell is a favorite time for most of us.  We get to share what we've been working on (with people who really understand what we're doing!), and we get inspiration from everyone else's work.
Here are some of the photos from February's meeting.
I didn't write down who made what!  I am an absolute failure as a paparazzi.  If I can tell from the photo or if I happen to remember, I'll tell you who made each item.

This is Sherri L's log cabin.  That's Sherri in the first photo.

This fabulous scrap quilt was made by Nellie.

Beautiful warm stars.  Not flannel, just rich deep colors.

Lovely, professional-quality purse.

Red, white, and black sampler quilt.  The gray and white triangles make an optical illusion.  I can't stop looking at it!

Wow!  I was so mesmerized, I forgot to turn this picture the right way!  I think that's Mary M. under there.  I need to make this pattern.  Where's my graph paper?

Louanne is like me, she talks with her hands!  Check out the amazing quilt.

Here's more of it.  Stunning.

Here's another one of Louanne's gorgeous quilts.  These two now hang over the banister in her new home.

Helen made this one for charity, from her scraps.  She says she chose the colors she didn't really like, and was very surprised when the quilt turned out so nicely.  (I'm not surprised!)

Last but not least is this fantastic scrap quilt by Laverne!  I couldn't even get it all in one picture.  The outer border is 3 squares deep, and all scraps.
Great job, everyone!
Next month's meeting is March 16th.  What will you bring to show and tell?
Keep stitching!