Shopping: I'm blushing like a...

...girl who's napkins have been spotted in a bridal magazine!  Yep, those are Peppermint Pinwheels napkins sitting at the table of honor with the Kate Spade dinnerware!

Thanks to Rachel Hollis of Chic Events, my gingham napkins were featured in a story for California Wedding Day magazine.  Her idea for the design is Modern English Garden, and I think it looks gorgeous!

It's that time of year!

Holiday shopping has begun!  I've already been going through my Etsy favorites to find some great handmade presents for the lucky people on my list.  (I say they're lucky because I only buy things I would want myself!)

Rik Rak Studio is making it easy for me to find wonderful new items with her Handmade Community Holiday Gift Guide*.  Each week, she picks a category and lets readers post their favorites in each category.  Check back each Tuesday to see what the latest category is, and be sure to add your favorite gift ideas of the season (so I can check 'em out!).

Learning how to make a quilt. Please help!

Lately, I've been making some major changes to my sewing studio.  But, I'll talk more about that later - I'm not finished with it yet!  The reason I mention it, is that while re-organizing all of my things, I found this picture:

My First Quilt!

Pictures of the very first quilt I ever made!  I didn't even remember that pictures of this quilt existed!  I made it back in 1994, when I was in my last year of college. It was for the first friend my own age that was having a kid.  (It took all my other friends a LONG TIME before they had any off-spring!)

I don't even remember who's sewing machine I used to make this, but I do remember that although I didn't have much trouble with the piecing (yes, I'm sure I cut this out with scissors!), I really struggled with the over-all quilting.  I know I originally thought I would hand-quilt it, but decided on machine quilting, so I'd have it finished before the kid was in college himself.  It almost didn't happen!  The batting was a puffy polyester and I hadn't ever heard of a walking foot before.  It was so frustrating and such a struggle to get it finished.  The lines weren't straight at all and the stitch lengths were all over the place.  I was annoyed and disappointed and I don't think I made another quilt for about 4 years.  (The next one took years to finish as it was all hand-quilted!)

Now I quilt all the time.  And I just wish that back then, I had someone telling me all the tips and tricks to make sewing and quilting more fun and not so frustrating.  With that in mind, I'm starting a new class, held here in Berkeley (sorry, it's not web-based) called Home Ec 101 to help new quilters, or anyone struggling with sewing.  It's also for anyone who just wants some dedicated quilting time and some fun peeps to hang out and quilt with!  It starts next Tuesday, October 4th and will be held on the first Tuesday of every month at New Pieces Quilt Shop. 

Here's where I need HELP!!!

What I'm wondering is, if you're a new quilter, what are you struggling with?  And, if you're an experienced quilter, what are your words of wisdom?  I would LOVE it if you would leave comments and let me know! 

If you'd like more information on Home Ec 101, you can check it out here: http://onthedesignwall.blogspot.com/p/quilting-classes.html

Thank you, Heart Handmade!

Thanks to Mandie for featuring me today on her blog, Heart Handmade.

Completed: A Couple of Different Basketweave Quilts

I'm teaching a new class in June and made a few quilts to demonstrate the pattern. 

A bright and springy green and white quilt

A moodier green and white quilt

Same blocks, mostly the same fabric, really different quilts!

Yeah Bloggers' Quilt Festival Time!

A sweet and simple boy's quilt.

I've noticed lately that "sweet and simple" keeps slipping into my quilt titles.

Bouncing Blue Balls Crib Quilt

Bouncing Balls quilt detail

*This quilt is for sale in my Etsy shop, Peppermint Pinwheels.

Teaching: Split Log Cabin Class - Round 2!

Last week I taught the my second Split Log Cabin class at New Pieces, my local quilt shop here in Berkeley. I had so much fun teaching this group how to make this quilt! Since this class was an evening class on a week-day, I was expecting some tired folks to show up, but these ladies had their rotary cutters out and ready to go.

Wow! These ladies sew fast!

Thanks to Gail for letting me use her photos - as I forgot to bring the memory card for my camera!

If you're in the SF Bay Area and interested in taking the class, you can sign up for the next session here.  I'll also be teaching a class based on my Basket Weave quilt, which will be held in June.  If you're interested, you can sign up for that here.

Completed: Hand Quilted Crib Quilt

I had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas break.  I ate lots of cookies and did lots of hand quilting.

Blue and White Diamond Crib Quilt

I have made hand-quilted quilts before, but this is the first quilt I've made using such traditional quilting designs. 

Hand quilting detail

I think it turned out lovely!

Tools: Restoration for a Handmade Tablecloth

In honor of Halloween, I have a scary story to tell about a ghoulishly stained tablecloth.  Deep in a dark corner of the basement (where there was recently spotted a very large black snake and is a well-known haunt of the abhorrent jumping camel cricket, are you scared yet?) I found this once beautiful tablecloth.  Brought back from a long ago trip to Venice, it's cream colored linen and handmade lace was stained and mottled with black and green mold.

Creepy!

The horror!

Bone-chillingly horrendous stains!

But, I heard of a product called Restoration that claims to extract stains from vintage textiles.  It was a bit pricey for what I thought was merely a gentle laundry detergent.  What I found out is that this powder has supernatural powers. I followed the directions on the container and had to repeat the application of my precious powder twice, but, at the risk of sounding like an info-mercial, the results were astounding.

It's a miracle!

 There is still one tiny ghost of a stain left from the large patch of black mold, but it's so small that I can only see it when it's inches from my face.

 I can't wait to use this to revive more of my stained treasures.