Beth Ferrier’s Blog

Many moons ago the local quilt shop asked me to develop a class for beginning quilters. I started by making a list of the techniques and concepts that baffled me when I started quiltmaking. The Hidden Star Sampler pattern is the result.

It’s been one of my best selling patterns from the very beginning. How could I not make it up using my new fabric line?

I started as I always do when working from yardage, I stacked up my bolts to decide which fabric would join the party. Yes, the picture is a bit fuzzy. It’s more important to see value and colors than actual print, and has nothing to do with my lousy camera skills. That’s my story and I sticking with it.

 The focus or main fabric is draped over the rest of the selections. This way I can see how it relates to the other choices. Since this quilt is to be made from a collection, Audrey’s Garden from P&B to be exact, I would expect the fabric to get along. It’s a challenge to convince fabric manufacturers to be less matchy-matchy. I tried to work around that by making sure that the collection had a range of values.

Another lousy picture, sorry. (But at least the Garage-ma-hal is finally good for something quilty.) The Hidden Star Sampler as designed is already a pretty good sized quilt, but I wanted mine even bigger. (We have one of those ginormous pillow top mattresses.) And I wanted to use the stripe fabric.

So I decided to add an extra border. I chose to break the stripe into segments for two reasons. The first and most important reason was to break the line. If I hadn’t the middle of the quilt would have looked like it was in jail. The second reason was to be able to easily complete the cornerstone stars.

Quilting this is my next job after finishing up Pinwheels and Posies, which is coming along swimmingly.

Finally, finally, time to sew!

So that I can clear the decks for new projects I decided that I needed to finish a few. Yes, yes, that makes me one of those, a dreaded finisher, but I’m a very selective finisher. I admit to many projects that will never be finished. They get filed under “what was I thinking” and ultimately get given or thrown away.

Before the fun can begin we must first baste. This is a hump I still have to talk myself over. After thirty years of pin basting, and the agony that entails, my head still considers it as much fun as a sharp stick in the eye.

First the backing must be pressed and taped down. The pressing wouldn’t be necessary if I had basted the quilt when the backing was pieced. It was that little issue of disappearing seams that lead to a hiccup in the process.

And then my newest best friend, the Microtack basting gun makes very quick work of the basting. I love this thing! Anybody want a thousand number one nickel plated safety pins?

Almost always my first step is to stitch in the ditch, especially around the appliques. I’ve decided that I’m a touchy-feelly quilter. The close contact of guiding the needle around the shapes helps me decide what quilting design to use.

Just for grins I started by outlining the center block. My plan was to stitch that first. But how? Sometimes it helps to flip over the quilt and look at just the outline shapes to determine the design. It was interesting to me so I thought maybe I would trace the outlines onto practice fabric and test drive some patterns.

When I covered the block with this fabric I saw only the values of the fabric, and three concentric shapes. I traced it with water soluble ink just in case it bled through to the quilt top, and then stitched it out.

Just the act of stitching the lines started the ideas flowing about how to exploit the shapes. Interesting, huh? So, as so typical of me lately I started quilting the snot out of it. (That would be the technical term.)

I do like the channel quilting in the middle ring. But still, not quite right. The squares are small, the shapes confined. The fabric is happy and whimsical but this center design is, I don’t know, overwrought maybe?

So back to stitching in the ditch. Listen to the quilt. I know that sounds all artsy-fartsy, but it’s what I do. As I stitch slowly around each shape I study it, imagining stitching on it and in it.

I’m using Rainbow trilobal polyester thread by Superior. It’s one of my favorite threads for quilting because the veriegated colors are so spectacular. It is perfect for stitch in the ditch, giving just a little splash of color and spark, but perhaps it’s too fine for this quilt. Perhaps this project calls for something more substantial.

As I’m quietly and slowly stitching around the shapes I find myself thinking that maybe this happy little quilt doesn’t need a lot of flashy quilting. Maybe just a simple, swirly fill in the background fabrics, and a few understated lines in the applique and blocks, are all it needs.

Maybe for this quilt, less is more. We’ll see.

Long time, no blog, I know. Life has been blissfully uneventful. No big trips, deadlines are met for the summer, and the fabric line launch is mostly behind me.

What have I been doing? Just about everything but sewing.

I’ve been weeding the gardens, moving perennials and planting new ones. I’m so happy with my decision to stay home for the summer. For many years my travel committments have required that I lower my expectations for the gardens. It was impossible to keep up with them and everything else that teaching trips entail. This year I have been able to dig in knowing that I’ll be home to pick the flowers.

Then there’s the baking and cooking. Sunday Dinners with the kids are the highlight of my week. It’s a chance to catch up with the guys (and their girls). The weeks when Nate and Amanda (and Alex) are in town are extra special. The laughter around the table is tonic for the soul. As a parent it’s wonderful to know that all four boys not only get along but look out for each other. And the three young ladies they’ve brought into the family also fit like they’ve always been with us.

It’s been fun to try out new recipies. The dinner crowd has been my willing guinea pigs, gamely tasting just about everything we set out. My most recent success was recreating the melting chocolate cake that Kent enjoyed on the cruise. The first batch didn’t even make it to the dining room table! Everyone grabbed a spoon and dug into the individual cups right there in the kitchen.

Best of all, I’ve enjoyed being grandma. Alex is almost a year old. It’s so hard to believe, but in just a couple of weeks he’ll be one.

He’s got to be the happiest baby I’ve ever known. His bright blue eyes just twinkle with delight. Quick to smile, his toothy grin melts my heart. He coos and laughs and flirts. He’s sweetly shy, making his giggles twice as precious.

Cruising the furniture for now, it won’t be long before he takes those first steps.

 We had a delightful day recently, at Saginaw’s Childrens’ Zoo with his mom, his other grandma and several members of Amanda’s family. A picture perfect day, not too warm and lots of sunshine. What a blessed boy, this young man, to be loved by so many people.

He hasn’t yet said his first word, he doesn’t do chores or bring in a paycheck, and yet we adore him just because he is. What a lesson for his over-achiever grandma. It is possible to be loved “just because”. What else will you teach me, darling boy?

I’ve been a Detroit Tigers fan since I was a little girl. I remember sitting with my dad, pulling weeds in the garden and listening to the game on a tinny transistor radio. Living in northern Indiana, Detroit seemed like the Big City, very far away from our quiet life.

This week was my first chance to attend a game at Comerica Park. It’s a beautiful stadium. We were there with some of Kent’s coworkers, and 38 thousand of our closest friends.

They say in Michigan if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute, it will change. So it was for game day.

The dark skies seemed to be building up and flying by.

As the thunder and lightening grew near the upper decks were cleared. We had great seats under the canopies. We were able to stay put and watch the show Mother Nature provided.

 In just over an hour the storm passed, the tarps were rolled away and the game resumed. We were all kind of hoping for a rain out, we were behind 8-2 when the skies opened up. The Tigers lost, but it was still a good game.

On the way in we passed Elwood’s Grill. What’s a quilter to do, of course I had to snap a picture!

 Wouldn’t that an interesting design for a quilt?

Okay, I’m sure they’re not what most women would think of cute shoes. They aren’t strappy, or sparkly or high healed. But I have lusted after these shoes since I first saw them on Mickey Dupre’s blog.

Of course, by the time I saw them back in February they were long gone in the store, and not even available to order on line. I haunted the shoe store from time to time, but since I’m lacking the shopping gene, I rarely go to the mall.

I was so tickled when I saw that the shoes were back in. I had to special order my pair because I have great big feet, but they arrived in just a couple of days and fit perfectly. They are surprisingly comfortable. What a fun way to show off the dozens of pairs of socks I’ve knit on my travels.

Once again we have been completely overwhelmed by orders! The response to the episode of The Quilt Show that aired a couple of weeks ago has been over the top!

 We’ve had to reorder supplies, twice! This stack went to the post office on Monday and Tuesday. We have another, just as big to go out tomorrow.

I am honored and humbled by the reaction to the show. Please be patient with us while we work to fill the orders. We are trying our best to keep up! Thank you so much! 

My buddy Joan Hawley (Lazy Girl extraordinaire!) was so kind to hook me up with the handles and strap to complete my Miranda Day Bag using the chocolate colorway of my fabric line. (Many thanks, Joan!) Her brand new Handi Tabs had just arrived, in the nick of time to give my bag a professional finish.

Shown here in brown, not only do the Handi Tabs look terrific, they are very strong as well. During market I had my Day Bag packed so full that I pulled muscles in my back carting it around. The Handi Tabs held up, I did not! Yay Joan! Here’s a high-five for developing such a great product!

The trick to a happy life, or so they say, comes from staying in balance. Too much of anything, even a good thing can tip us over into unhealthiness. Even though my job involves sewing and teaching, two of my favorite things in the whole world, it still includes many job-like things. Deadlines, accounting and paperwork leap to mind.

The timing of the spring wholesale market means that my gardens often get away from me. Even though we can still have frost up to the end of May, by the middle of April my fingers are itching to get into the soil. While the weeds and volunteers are leaping out of the ground you’ll find me frantically preparing for another market.

But once market is over and done I gleefully sacrifice my elegant manicure so that I can get right into the soil. Oh, I always start out wearing gloves, that’s true, but they last about five minutes and then they are flung right back into the cart. I’m not happy until there is dirt under my ragged nails.

Every year I choose a new color scheme for the planters, usually dictated by the latest and greatest annuals in the greenhouse. Kind of like choosing fabrics for a quilt, don’t you think? It doesn’t matter how many we have already, we want the latest fabrics for our newest projects.

This year I’m all about the cool colors, hot pink, raspberry, lavender, and soft butter yellows for a bit of zing. Just as in quilting I look for a variety of sizes, textures and colors; lights, mediums and darks. It can take several trips to the area greenhouses to get just the right combinations. (Not like we would ever visit multiple quilt shops for one special quilt, huh?)

 My gardens are another story. They are almost exclusively perennials. One of the advantages of perennials is that they grow and spread. It’s also one of the vices, especially for a soft-hearted gardener. For the past couple of years the mums have completely taken over my front garden. I’d make feeble attempts to contain and control them, but really, I was too soft to just rip them out.

This year I did, I just did. It helped to repeat to myself the weeder’s mantra: even a rose is a weed if it’s in the wrong place. Too much of anything, even mums, can fill a life with distractions and noise. Too much crowds out the other things that can add color to our lives.

Weeding out means I have room to blossom and grow.