With Heart and Hands: March 2010

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Liberated Quilting Challenge Group Quilts for AAQI

My name is Michele Bilyeu of With Heart and Hands, and I am the moderator for Our Liberated Challenge is free-wheeling it's way across the pages of the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative filled with life, love, memories, mindfulness, and a lot of free-piecing.

And as the moderator of the combined blogging world of Liberated Quilting and the Liberated Quilters Message Board, I finally have two hands to post and show off the amazing quilts that are part of our Liberated Challenge and available for purchase online .

These are the quilts (from our Liberated Challenge group) that are now up for either auction or immediate sale at the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative website with all monies going into funding for Alzheimer's research.

Please click on individual quilt names to be brought directly to AAQI to view the details of each piece. If they are up for sale...buy one now. If they are up for auction, that will begin April 1, 2010.

4935 - Memories
Nellie Bass Durand

4844 - Monkey House

Michele Lancaster

4808 - Lime Synapse
Kim Brandt

4843 - Wonky Beach House

Michele Lancaster

4765 - Patchwork Free Play
Susan Ryan

4936 - Falling Leaves

Nellie Bass Durand

4766 - All You Need Is Love
Rene' Martinez

4767 - Tree of Love
Rene' Martinez

4937 - Fading Memories II
Nellie Bass Durand

Please bid on, or buy one of these amazing quilts and show your support for the artists, as well as the Alzheimers Art Quilt Initiative and its donation of research monies raised by the sale of these quilts.

And if you are a member of this challenge, and I have missed your quilt please email me immediately and let me know so I can add yours in!

*************************************************************************
Nice Email from Ami Simms:

Michele,

I happened to go over to your site and saw you have a list of the quilts in your challenge. I also published them on the AAQI site just now. Please look it over and make sure I got them all.

What a wonderful collection of quilts!

Thanks,

Ami :)

And Ami's Twitter about this post
http://www.alzquilts.org/loatallqu.html
Liberated Quilters make 16 quilts to fight Alzheimer's: http://with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/2010/03/liberated-quilting-challenge.html about 10 hours ago

News of the Liberation is spreading! And I didn't even have a quilt in this bunch, but now that I'm in Oregon where my quilts were... and have two hands again....three of mine got registered, labeled and were mailed Friday! Hooray for all of us! Sew, ladies, Sew!

PS:
Wonder if your quilt sold yet?................................................................follow the AAQI on Twitter
LINKS:

Liberated Quilters Blog & Liberated Quilters Message Board

Liberated Quilting
Liberated Quilting Challenge
Liberated Quilting: Free Patterns, Blocks, and Tutorials
Word Play (Quilts)

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Gifts from the Sea

I'm back in Salem, again...but I still miss my Alaskan home. I don't miss the black ice that caused me to suddenly swoosh to the ground and break and dislocate my wrist, I don't miss the repercussions of surgery and healing and I don't miss the challenges of Winter weather!

But oh, how I do miss my beloved parents, my Alaskan family, and the beauty of a place that will always connect to my heart strings.

I think of all of my special memories of walking on my Alaskan beach and treasuring the small gifts that I have found over the years on the sand. I lay them on dresser tops, in bowls, and in baskets. But I've also discovered that making wall hangings out of 'found' materials is a wonderful way to save and display those 'gifts from the sea', and a way to bring them back into me... and my life, here in Oregon, once again.

As Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote in her book Gift from the Sea
When one is out of touch with oneself, one cannot touch others.

And everything we collect and save helps us get in touch with who we truly are. When I am disappointed in myself, or my hands, or even my heart...I think of her quote:

After all, I don't see why I am always asking for private, individual, selfish miracles when every year there are miracles like white dogwood.....

I know, deep inside, that I need to touch my inner self, my core, and my true nature first! So.....I am already deep in fabric and thread. Comforted on all sides by soft batting and the gentle hum of my sewing machine. And I still feel blessed...it's such a gift to have the use of two arms, two wrists, two hands, once more! Each and every movement feels like a miracle....no matter what!

My hand might be stiff, it might ache, my scar area may be hyper sensitive to the touch of even the brushing against of it by my sleeve fabric, and this precious left one might not quite work as I wish it did..however.....

I am home to where I can feel me, and not always others, again.
I sew, I quilt, I collect, and I create. I am making up for time and space. From the sea, from my pockets, from my heart. I am relaxing back into becoming me again.

shown above:
some lovely ocean themed batiks, free motion quilting, and some Alaskan gifts from the sea

dear all that is, and ever will be:
thank you for my lovely gifts!
love Michele

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Inter/National Quilting Day

When the National Quilting Association declared the third Saturday of March, to be "National Quilting Day" back in 1991, little did they know that it would grow so rapidly in popularity around the globe that many now view it as "International Quilting Day,"instead.

This year is falls on March 20, 2010 and as March is also known as "National Quilting Month", what better day than to organize a big quilting day....with friends or in the virtual reality of quilting bees, such as many of us are doing today.

Whether you reside in the U.S. or elsewhere around the world, the goals are the same:

To reflect, and celebrate the rich traditions of quiltmaking and all of its contributions to both family and community throughout history.

Make it a service day and work on a quilt for your favorite cause, locally, nationally or internationally. And if you don't have a favorite one, start one or visit one of the many sites I've listed in the past.

Organize an exhibit for your local library or historical society. Exhibit quilts, tools, books, etc.

Organize a quilt history day or a quilt documentation project.

Work on a quilt with a school, or community quilting group and spread your love of quilting to others.

Contact a local senior citizens group or facility and organize a show and tell or maybe even sponsor a sewing day to make lap quilts for seniors.

Organize a sew-in, quilting bee, workshop, lecture, retreat, bus trip or even a shop hop and invite your friends.

Celebrate on your own: Not in a position to stitch or quilt? Visit your favorite quilt shops, pass your love of quilting on to a child or friend, or spend a few hours sewing or reading your favorite quilt book. The idea is simply to celebrate your love of the quilted comfort of fabric and the joy it brings into your life and the life of others.

Free project for 2010 National Quilting Day: Download the free pattern (PDF)

Shown above:
A few of the completed projects of sharing and giving from my year in review of 2009.

Sewing and quilting were done in Salem, Oregon and my last year's bunch of classroom Kuspuks and lots of little pillows done in Douglas, Alaska. Completed quilts blocks for two quilts were mailed to Australian bush fire relief organizations, and my pillowcases were sent to American Samoa and Africa. Preemie and baby quilts, comfort quilts, and quilts of valor found their way through various organizations to a number of locations all over the United States.

Michele's Blogs

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Free St.Patricks Day Quilt/ Block Patterns

Kermit Says "The Luck 'O the Irish to You!" and offers to share my free St. Paddy's Day quilt or quilt block patterns with you! Shown is a simple string quilt, pieced in a diagonal pattern with Kiss Me I'm Irish and other fun shamrock fabrics. Remember, that any quilt block or pattern can be used for this holiday by the simple use of color and fabric patterns!

Kermit's Irish green eyes are smiling, hope yours are too!

Aunt Mary's Double Irish Chain Quilt Block Make an eight inch paper pieced block.

Broken Irish Chain a 10" pieced quilt block pattern from Quilter's Cache.

Celtic Sunrise - a 12" paper pieced quilt block pattern from Quilter's Cache

Single Irish Chain Baby Quilt

Double Irish Chain - a 12" pieced quilt block pattern from SewQuilty.

Double Irish Chain Quilt classic block for a pillow, or lots for a quilt.

Four Leaf Clover - 10" applique quilt block pattern from CompuQuilt.

Happy St. Patrick’s Surprise » the free quilt pattern's pdf file...lovely pieced hearts create a shamrock! Green for the Catholics, Orange for the Protestants, and White for the hope for peace between them.

Celtic Interlocking Squares Quilt Block:

Interlocking Squares, Template 1 of 2

Interlocking Squares, Template 2 of 2

Irish Chain - from Sharon Hultgren of EZ Quilt

Irish Chain - an 18" pieced quilt block pattern from Quilter's Cache.

Irish Chain Quilt - a 54" x 66" pieced quilt pattern from EZQuilting

Irish Eyes - a 12" pieced quilt block pattern from AZPatch.

Irish Grandma Sue Boy Block from Quiltmaker.com

Latticed Irish Chain Block a 28" block from Quilter's Cache

Scrappy Pieced Shamrock Block...turn several shamrocks into a darling quilt!

Scrappy Irish Chain Quilt - a 68-3/4" x 84-1/2" pieced quilt pattern from McCall's Quilting.

Shamrock

Single Irish Chain Quilt for Baby - alt/ 4 1/2" fussy cut w. Irish Chain from About.com

St. Patrick's Day Quilt from Kim's Big Adventure

Traditional Irish Chain Quilt lovely traditional Irish chain Quilt pattern.

Traditional Irish Chain quilt with some shamrock quilting!...same link as above

Trip To Ireland Quilt - a pieced quilt pattern from Simply Quilts.

Triple Irish (chain) Flower quilt pattern from Moda

Words to applique:" Kiss Me I'm Irish

**Yellow Clover a block design first published by Nancy Cabot for the Chicago Tribune. According to Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, Yellow Clover is one of hundreds of Cabot patterns sold by mail order during the 1930s. It is no longer available online, and the hyperlinks for photos have all been pulled off the website. But here are the directions that I still have:

Yellow Clover:

BLOCK SIZE: 10 1/2" square

MATERIALS

Dark print at least 5" x 10"
Medium print at least 10" square
Light print at least 16" square or one fat quarter

CUTTING

Dimensions include a 1/4" seam allowance

Cut 2: 5" squares, dark print
Cut 3: 5" squares, medium print
Cut 5: 5" squares, light print
Cut 4: 3 3/8" squares, light print, then cut them in quarters diagonally to yield 16 side triangles
Cut 7: 2" squares, light, then cut 2 of them in half diagonally to yield 4 corner triangles

DIRECTIONS

Draw diagonal lines from corner to corner on the wrong side of each 5" light print square. Draw horizontal and vertical lines through the centers.
Place a marked square on a 5" dark print square, right sides together. Sew 1/4" away from the diagonal lines on both sides. Make 2 using the dark squares and 3 using the medium ones.
Cut the squares on the drawn lines to yield 16 dark pieced squares and 24 medium pieced squares. Press the seam allowances open. Trim each pieced square to 2".
Sew a 2" light print square to a dark pieced square to make a rectangle unit. Make 4. Press the seam allowances open.
Lay out the square units, rectangle units, and the remaining 2" light print square. Sew them into rows and join the rows to complete the block center. Press the seam allowances in the direction indicated by the arrows. Set it aside.
Lay out 3 medium pieced squares and 2 side triangles. Join them to make a pieced strip, as shown. Make 4. Press the seam allowances open.
Lay out one medium pieced square and 2 side triangles. Join them to make a pieced strip. Make 4. Press the seam allowances open.
Sew a corner triangles to a pieced strip to make a corner unit, as shown. Make 4. Press the seam allowances toward the corner triangles.
Sew a corner unit to a pieced strip to make a large triangle. Make 4. Press the seam allowances toward the corner.
Sew 2 large triangles to opposite sides of the block center. Press the seam allowances toward the corners. Sew the remaining large triangles to the remaining sides and press to complete the block.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Kuspuks Go to the Capitol

As part of our ongoing Kuspuks adventure, Gastineau Elementary School's second grade classroom was not only featured in the Anchorage KTUU television news with a wonderful segment on the parallel traditions of Kuspuk Friday..both in the capitol building in Juneau by members of the State Legislature, but on Fridays in the classroom of my sister-in-law, Paula Savikko.

It has been such a fun adventure participating in not only helping the children rip out the pieces for their kuspuks (alternate spellings: quaspeg, qaspeg, quspug...all pronounced kuss-puck), but also being able to actually help sew (my third year on this project) them on our sewing machines set up daily for a week's lesson on the art, culture, and the use of non-standard math and measurement.

Once completed, the kuspuks hang on a special display rack in the classroom, and are worn for special occasions...Kuspuk Fridays, original classroom plays, or for programs or other cultural celebrations.

One such special event was our field trip to the Governor's Mansion in Juneau, Alaska..just across the Gastineau Channel from our school located on Douglas Island.

Loading our students (all wearing their brightly colored kuspuks) onto the school bus, we began our fun filled day with a drive to Juneau and a knock on the new Alaskan Governor's door.

Alaska's 10th and newest governor, Governor Sean Parnell, now resides in Juneau, with his wife, Sandy, and daughters Grace, and Rachel..... and a wonderful dog, named Annie.

The First Lady was lovely, gracious, and welcoming (as were the two beautiful teen-aged daughters) and truly made us feel as if this was, indeed, Alaska's home. We were allowed to visit all of the public downstairs rooms, including the library, conservatory, ballroom, and dining room. And while I may have cringed at the children playing the grand piano (those with previous lessons, of course), finger printing the dining table, and sitting on the elegant sofa, all were made to feel truly welcome.

We played memory games with state facts and history, played with Annie (the State Dog) and signed the elegantly displayed guest book...one by one. We left with official embossed napkins and a homemade cookie... and of course, with big smiles on all of our faces!

We also visited the State Historical Archives and viewed photos of our city of Douglas' past...our school, our town, and our original and unique traditions. A reminder to all of us of the importance of culture and history....both then and being made, now...in all of our lives.

Links to Making Kuspuks in 2010:
Kuspuks Go to the Capitol
Kuspuk Fridays, KTUU, Anchorage News

Links to Making Kuspuks in 2008:
How to make a kuspuk
Kuspuks Make Front Page News
Juneau Empire Photos: Parka party 01/18/08 video

Links to Making Kuspuks in 2009
Sewing Kuspuks Again!
Kuspuks

On My Design Wall
Working on a kuspuk pattern/directions... for those who keep asking!

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Miracles Happen

After 12 days in a coma and 9 on a ventilator, my S-I-L, Becky, has now regained consciousness and is stable and doing amazingly well.

We are filled with gratitude and blessings after a prognosis of less than a 5% chance of her even living.

I actually spoke to her own the phone today, and while obviously suffering from the injuries she has sustained both internally and as a result of life-saving measures, she was alert and even had a sense of humor,

And while we don't yet know the long term healing prognosis, nor what internal damages she may have sustained it is truly a lesson to never doubt the possibility of miracles.

shown above: my latest vigil candle, after its melting over the last 3 days time.
I can see the profile of a seated, and winged angel, and there is no doubt in my heart that one watched over Becky these past weeks.

light a candle, say a prayer....
My Candlelight Vigil
Miracles Happen

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

My Candlelight Vigil

Our vigil continues...but my dear sister-in-law, on her 10 th day of a coma, is now at least off of the ventilator.

When I committed to my light a candle, say a prayer....vigil, I did so with everything I had in me. A candle has spread its glow, as well as all of your prayers, across the thousands of miles from Douglas, Alaska to Key West, Florida, where she was flown by Coast Guard helicopter off of a vacation cruise ship.

My own challenges with my broken wrist, and my parent's illnesses have paled in comparison and I am so grateful that Becky was able to come off the vent after two previous attempts. She is still in unconscious, and in critical condition, but stable and we are filled with hope.

Thank you for your lovely comments that meant the world to all of us!