Can I Get A Whoop Whoop? Comfort Incoming!!!

Hi, all!

Welcome to Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday!  For a change, I'm actually writing this on Friday instead of Thursday night - I forgot my husband and I had a work-related obligation last night, so I'm up early this morning.  Excuse me if I'm a little bleary-eyed!!  But I'm chugging caffeine, so all will be well shortly!  Are you ready to get your dancing shoes on? I know I am!  So let's get started!!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

If you follow me on Instagram (@fabricaddictquilts) you know that for the last two weeks or so I've been working on a pair of weighted blankets for a customer.  Many people on IG have been asking the purpose of weighted blankets, so I'll share a little info here that I found on the internet....

Traditionally, weighted blankets are used as part of occupational therapy for children experiencing sensory disorders, anxiety, stress or issues related to autism.  But even kids without such a diagnosis find important benefits.  The extra pressure on the body is helpful for kids of all kinds, but particularly for kids with autism and sensory processing disorder.  The added weight causes the brain to release neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine that improve moods and induce a calming effect.

A couple of years ago, at the request of a school teacher friend, I came up with a tutorial for a simple, inexpensive, weight-adjustable weighted blanket that she could make for her classroom.  I've also made these for my grandchildren (the deaf ones) and we've found that they help with some of the sensory issues they face, and improve their sleep.  However this was the first time I had made any as commission jobs.  I had to adjust the pattern for the larger twin size - and now I will need to add that info to the tutorial!  

Everything started with this enormous pile of 90" wide muslin...

...which got cut into strips and sewn into this (note to self: press as you go, not after assembly!)...

...and ended up looking like this!

Here's another view of the weight pockets.

Then it was off to the chain sewing races, putting together 140 little bean bags for the weights.  It helps if you remember that for 140 beanies, you need 280 pieces of fabric!

Whew!  That's a lot of chain stitching!!!

Then it's time to stuff those babies!  My postal scale came in very handy, because each beanie was filled with 1.3 ounces of pellets for the lighter blanket, and 1.6 ounces of pellets for the heavier one.  I use a weighting pellet similar to what you would find in a Beanie Baby - made of a poly substance, so liquid doesn't affect it.

140 weights, all sewed shut and serged around for added strength.  Did you know that sergers are v-e-r-y s-l-o-w??????  That took a LONG time!

Then it was time to stuff all the little pockets on the blanket.  There are ten rows of seven pockets on the twin size blanket.

Next comes loading the blanket into the cover.  The blanket has loops sewn into the bottom, top and sides, and the cover has tie strings sewn into the seams at coordinating spots to secure the blanket in place.  It's rather like putting on a rather complicated pillowcase!

And in the end, two finished weighted blankets, ready to go to their new home!  

For any who are interested, the tutorial for the crib size blanket can be found by clicking the Weighted Blanket Tutorial page tab under my blog header.  I probably won't get the twin size info on there for a couple of weeks, but if you need it, email me and I'll be glad to send you a pic of my notes!

And I learned a funny thing while working on these blankets - I really don't like the feel of fleece!  I actually found that handling fleece for any extended period of time (like folding, cutting, pinning, sewing, you know, all the important stuff!) totally sets my teeth on edge, like fingernails on a blackboard!  Who knew?

And one more fun thing to whoop about, even if it is a day late - Thursday was Cochlear Implant Day!  Having two grandchildren with cochlear implants, I can testify to what an amazing difference they make in the lives of people with hearing disabilities.  Hooray for cochlears!!!

Oh, and one more thing!  Remember this?

Well, on Savannah's Sweet 16 birthday, 2/23/16, my friend Robin filled up this truck.....

 with large storage tubs filled with 17,212 pairs of socks and took them to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital!!!!!  (If you want to see a video of the many tubs she filled, check out her Facebook page, Savannah's Sweet 16 Sock Drive.)  Savannah is surely smiling down from heaven at the sight of all those happy feet at Vandy.  The socks are still rolling in, so I imagine that number will increase, but what a wonderful showing of support from the global community!  She received socks from all over the world, including Spain and Australia.  Many of them came from readers of this blog. You should be proud of yourselves!!  

Good work!!

So - - - can I get a whoop whoop??

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

And now it's your turn!

What are you whooping about this week?

What's making you dance a little happy dance?

Share - we want to dance with you!

And it's always more fun to dance with friends!

The party will stay open until Sunday midnight.

Hope to see you there!

Hugs!

Sarah

What's On The Bookshelf Wednesday - Purple Rocks!

Hi, all!

Welcome to What's On the Bookshelf Wednesday!  This will be the last one of these for a while - I've managed to go through all the books on my bookshelf, so it seems like a good time to stop.  I've enjoyed re-visiting all those books, and I've found many new projects to work on in the process.  And today, we're going to finish off a series of books I've reviewed previously  - with Purple by Vanesa Christensen!

I absolutely love this series of books, and Purple was the perfect book to cap it off.  I've talked before about all the color theory in these books, and Purple has a great section dealing with all of that.  But my favorite part of this book?

There are some amazing projects in this book!  It has some tried-and-true basic quilting made punchy with curves...

But it also branches out into some different techniques, such as Cathedral Windows, which I've always wanted to try!

There's also a lovely quilt made with paper piecing, and a great tutorial introducing you to the technique.  

But my favorite quilt by far is this beautiful quilt using Flying Geese - it's a wonderful experiment in color theory, utilizing the lessons learned in the theory section to combine colors with purple for a stunning result!

As always, the patterns in this book can be adapted to different colors - which makes them very useful indeed!  All six books are now available and make a great (and beautiful) addition to any bookshelf!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

So that's what's on my bookshelf today!  I hope you'll remember to check out your own bookshelf often and find the hidden jewels on it.

And starting next week, there will be a new feature on Wednesdays - a scrap challenge designed to help us all get our scrap stash under control and into our quilts!  I hope you'll join me - I'm looking forward to it!

Hugs!

Sarah

What's On The Bookshelf Wednesday - Some Serious Inspiration!

Hi, all!

It's Wednesday, and time to take a look at the bookshelf again!  This week, I want to share a book that a friend of mine found in the library - full of wonderful inspiration!

You may be familiar with the Quilts of Gees Bend - quilts made by women in southern Alabama out of what they had on hand, that are beautifully primitive and artistic.  The quilts in this book will remind you of those quilts, but with much greater variety.

Unconventional and Unexpected shares American quilts that have flown below the radar, made between 1950 and 2000.  There is so much creativity in these quilts!  I particularly love the colors in this beauty...

It is called "Circles" and was made sometime between 1950 and 1970.

Spiderweb quilts are so popular now - take a look at these two, made respectively between 1975-2000 and 1940-1970.  The one on the right was actually made very near me, in the Hard Bargain community of Franklin, TN, a predominately African American community dating back to the 1870's.

And oh, isn't this striped quilt, made between 1950-1975, wonderful?  The movement in this quilt makes me smile!

And this quilt uses prairie points in a way I've never seen before -the entire quilt was covered with rows of them!  It was made between 1960-1985.

This quilt looks like something that could have been made just recently, but it dates from 1940-1970.  It's called Rattlesnake/Snake Trail.

Another feature that I really liked about this book was that occasionally they would show the back of a quilt or flimsy.  The quilt shown above was one of those.  An unfinished top, dating from 1950-1975, it was foundation pieced on pages from the Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog.  Fortunately, those paper pieces were never taken off, and this quilt is quite a treasure!

I don't think I would ever quilt this top - the papers on the back are such a wonderful conversation starter!  I can remember poring over the pages of the Sears catalog when I was little - you could literally buy anything there!

This isn't an inexpensive book, so it may be one you want to check out from your local library or put on your Christmas wish list (it's on mine!) but it's definitely worth reading!  There are wonderful essays about the quilts and quilting lore interspersed between the photographs, and a whole lot of inspiration in this coffee table book.

That's what's on my bookshelf this week - or at least, what I WISH was on my bookshelf instead of the library's!  Have you taken a look at yours lately?

Hugs!

Sarah

What's On The Bookshelf Wednesday - Raising Grateful Kids...

Hi, all!

Today on What's On The Bookshelf Wednesday, I'm going to step outside of the quilting/crafting genre and share a brand new book with you - a great book if you have any part in raising children, whether as a parent, grandparent, or teacher.

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

I have been a fan of Kristen Welch for quite a while now, ever since I saw her posts start popping up on my Facebook timeline.  Kristen's blog, We Are THAT Family, shares stories of her journey through life teaching her three kids how to live Godly lives.  Those stories resonate with so many people that they are shared across Facebook thousands of times.  I highly recommend you check it out if you've never seen it before.  

Kristen writes:

"I never wanted to write a parenting book.  When I started writing on my blog about gratitude in the face of entitlement, I was writing from a place of struggle, not success… I’m writing from the middle of my mess, not from my accomplishment.  I am in the thick of it."

She may not have wanted to write a parenting book, but she has written a powerful book for parents (and those of us helping to raise kids)...

The most important thing I learned from this book?  Our kids are entitled because we ourselves are entitled.  I wanted to say, "I don't feel entitled."  Then I took a hard look at myself while driving (why doesn't that person get a move on so I can get where I'm going?), while shopping (oh my gosh does she have EIGHTEEN items in the speed lane?), at home (why can't you get your own drink? I don't want to walk back upstairs!) and it became clear that yes, I do feel entitled.  Is it any surprise that our kids feel entitled too?  

Kristen is the first one to say that this book isn't written from a place with all the answers - she is in the trenches too and shares the struggle.  She is real and down-to-earth and speaks from the heart.  She speaks about parenting against the flow, the value of service in teaching children (and their parents) gratitude, dealing with the everyday problems of social media, technology, overcommitment, all from a faith-based framework.  This is an inspiring book and one you will want to read! 

Released on January 26th, 2016, it is now available on Amazon.com as a paperback, Kindle edition, or Audible audiobook.  

Choose gratitude today, my friends!  

Hugs!

Sarah

What's On The Bookshelf Wednesday - Bits and Pieces!

Hi, all!

It's Wednesday and that means it's time to take a look at the bookshelf again!  I've got a great scrap-busting book to share with you today - because we've all got scraps, right?

This book is put out by Connecting Threads, and contains twelve great patterns perfect for precuts and scraps.

The patterns are all exclusively from Connecting Threads designers, and you may see some you recognize from the CT catalog....

I've always loved this quilt - both the colors and the design!

Some of the designs are rather traditional, such as the one above...

And I love the way they give an alternate color way for each pattern!

This pattern is one that was in a table runner kit I purchased from CT many years ago!  I loved it then and I love it now - it's so pretty in this color way!  

But I think this is my favorite from the book - a bookshelf quilt in lovely bright colors!  I can see making this quilt from scraps - how wonderful it would look!

This book is almost entirely patterns, with the clear, well-illustrated directions that CT is known for.  There are a very few pages of basic instruction, but not many.  This is a great book for someone who just wants simple, basic patterns that will look good in a wide variety of fabrics!

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

 So that's what's on my bookshelf today!  Have you looked at yours lately?

Hugs!

Sarah

What's On The Bookshelf Wednesday - A Treasure Trove of Ideas!

Hi, all!

Time to see What's On The Bookshelf!  This week's book hasn't actually made it to my bookshelf yet, because I've been spending so much time poring over its pages!  Come take a peek inside...

Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book by Amanda Murphy has 155 mix-and-match designs to use in blocks, borders, sashing, and all over - and she really goes all out showing you how to use them!  

The quilting design pages are sorted by type, and have very clear step-by-step directions on how to create each type of design.  She also shows "coordinating families" of designs that will work well with each design.

And then she moves into using the quilting designs on blocks.  As you can see from the section cover page, she uses her designs on some pretty basic blocks, such as the church dash block...

Here's one great plan for quilting a churn dash block - but wait, there's more!

There's another great plan for quilting a churn dash block!  But wait...

Here's yet another great design!  She shows just how flexible these quilting designs can be, sparking your own creativity in putting them together on your own quilt.

Just to give you a taste of what's in the book, there are designs for herringbone quilts...

...Irish Chain quilts...

...and Stacked Coin quilts, plus many more!

There's a great index, too, showing which blocks use each family of quilting design.  

But I think the best design feature of this book is the way it is put together.  Here's a pic of the book closed.  Looks just like any other book on your bookshelf....

But open it up, and you see that it is spiral bound inside!

This allows the pages to lay flat, making it very easy to see the designs as you learn them.

Kudos to Stash Books for a great, functional book!!  

This is strictly a quilting book, not a book of quilt patterns - you won't find quilts you want to make in here - but you will find ways to finish that stack of unquilted tops you have tucked away in the closet!  Whether you quilt on your domestic machine, by hand, or on a long arm, this book will help you FINISH quilts this year - and isn't that everyone's goal?

*&*&*&*&*&*&*

That's what's on my bookshelf today!  Have you taken a look at yours lately?

Hugs!

Sarah