I’m running LOW on Tumblers! All I have is in this zip lock bag, and it is so low on variety.
I leave tomorrow for Missouri!
I’ll be flying into St Louis, picking up a rental car, driving 4 hours to Kirksville where I’ll be spending a few days with the Hands of Friendship quilt guild!
From there it’s off to Marshall, for some time with the Stitch by Stitch Quilters, whoowhooo!
And that’s not all there is! From there I go to Springfield to quilt it up with the members of the Ozark Piecemakers.
We cap this whole “Show Me Missouri” tour with the Quintessential Quilt Show being put on my the Circle in the Square Quilters of St Louis.
I am pretty much circling the entire state of Missouri!
And there will be many evenings of hotel stitching ahead of me…so along with my main project, I need to cut MORE TUMBLERS for the Tumbler Leader & Ender challenge!
Tackling This Bin!
We’ve got several newbies with us who are asking question such as “Just what IS a Tumbler Leader & Ender challenge?!” I know it sounds confusing, but if you read me daily you will know all! You will know more than you ever wanted to know, the good, the bad, the ugly, the opinionated – because I don’t sanitize my thoughts for anyone. But that’s another topic for later.
Every year I issue a challenge for building units in between the lines of other stitching to build a FREE quilt with little effort throughout the year. It’s a year long challenge, and it is so simple. Just cut the shapes, and when you reach the end of your chain stitching, sew off on to a pair of these pieces, leaving them under the presser foot instead of using a folded over throw away scrap to do the same. You can find out more on this year’s Tumblers Leader & Ender Challenge by clicking the Free Patterns Tab at the top of the blog and scrolling down to T for Tumbler. It’s all there!
I hope you will join us!
So where was I? Oh yes – this bin.
I’ve inherited odd scraps, hunks and chunks and have not had time to tackle them down into usable strips due to my schedule. But last night I had had ENOUGH of staring at this bin, combed through it and pulled out everything that I could get a 2 1/2’’ strip out of.
Amazing how much better the scraps look when stripped down!
These odd strips are being cut into tumblers! It was my clean up project last night while watching “Person of Interest” on Netflix ---Interesting series, check it out!
I cut a bunch of neutrals!
((Love that little Dutch print!))
I cut a bunch of colors!
Yes, EVEN CHRISTMAS!
My bins are filling!
I will have plenty to take with me on this trip to Missouri.
I’ve also been asked HOW MANY TUMBLERS do YOU need to cut for a certain size quilt based on your personal tumbler size.
I don’t know.
But instead of asking me to do the math for you – because each tumbler die differs in height and width from the others depending on what size you are making, and whose ruler or die you are using -you need to take this into your OWN hands and figure it out.
Piece one row – as long as you want it to be.
Count the tumblers in it. This is your width.
Divide the length of the quilt you want to achieve by the finished height of that row of tumblers and figure out how many rows you need to get the length of quilt you want.
Now multiply the number of tumblers in your pieced sample row by the number of rows you need and you’ll have a rough estimate of just what it will take to do YOUR quilt in YOUR Tumbler size.
Remember that 5th grade math? It still works! 
And it will be different for everyone.
Remember that quilts DO shrink after quilting and washing, so take that into consideration.
New Hair Cut Selfie!
I took some time off of writing to get this hair taken care of yesterday. I’ll be fresh for Missouri!
I have completed and sent off 10 pattern sections to my editor. Two remain. One will be started today ((And hopefully finished today!)) and the last one is on its way back to me from the Quiltmaker Magazine offices in Golden, Colorado. It’s making an appearance in the upcoming November/December 2015 issue, so be watching for it. That should be coming out SOON!
I’ll finish writing that one up for the book when I get back from Missouri….and then I cam off on a Caribbean Cruise with a ship load of 50 quilters ready to have a good time! Can’t wait!
And with that, I better get back to it…have a great Tuesday, everyone!
22 comments:
Have a great trip! I didn't know you were coming to Springfield until a couple of weeks ago (should have checked your schedule sooner). Enjoy your time here--I'll be waving from across town. :)
nice, hope you have a safe travels to Missouri and please HAVE FUN!!!!! also, I love your new hair cut, sew cute:):):)
Sue from WI
I will be meeting you in Kirksville and can hardly wait! I have started putting a pile together of things I am taking with me. This morning my husband said, "How many quilts are you taking with you?!" Only two antique, 1 very large scrappy I did before hearing of Bonnie, 3 Bonnie quilts and 2 Bonnie flimsys. He said, "You know you can't leave stuff in the car when you are at the motel." Can't wait to leave!
Wow Bonnie, all your walking sure pays off! I admire your energy.
TUMBLER CHALLENGE IS SAVING MY SANITY!!!!!! I make T-Shirt quilts for clients. Using the leader and ender system makes me feel like I'm working on something for me while meeting my client's needs. Otherwise my piecing would turn into a "job" and that wouldn't be fun.
I wish I had a trip to see my Son in Missouri this week planned. Have a great Trip. Congrats on getting 10 chapters written! So excited to see the quilts in the NEW Book next year.
Thank you so much for your patience to give that math lesson. As a retired math teacher, it comes easy to me and I often wonder why others have trouble with it - and then I remember how hard history classes were for me and that we all excel in different areas. You explained it so well and hopefully gave confidence to quilters who have difficulty with the math involved.
I like when you give us tips on what to watch. My husband and I watched "The Homesman" though and it was really strange!! Have a good trip. I'm sure you'll run into some quilters who will have extra scraps for your tumblers!
I love missouri! They will have some scraps for ya!
Nellie from Omaha
Great new haircut, Bonnie! =] Happy travels, too! I am one of the math-challenged. Didn't learn much, but isn't it great to learn to apply it with this happy past-time!? I just read up on the Leaders/Enders Challenge and I have a bunch of 5" squares laying about and our Patchwork Pals group meets and exchanges 5" strips each month. I will be cutting up some tumblers in the near future! I have yet to stitch on any projects as the cutting of scraps continues in my world. I really can't wait to see your articles and books in the future! I'm gobbling it all up and find all the others that post here very inspiring, too!! =]
Have a great trip to Missouri, Bonnie. I am having so much fun with my tumbler quilt! Chugging along. I'm also cutting strips for the Texas Braid quilt in your Leaders & Enders book I ordered from you. Trimming them to the 5" size now. The dark strips are almost done and then on to the light and then the red cornerstone squares. I ordered Moda Christmas Red Marble fabric for those. I'm so excited to begin the sewing process! You are an inspiration! Safe travels! Pam M. FdL, WI
I hope your Missouri travels take you close to Hamilton, MO so you can visit Missouri Star Quilt Company. Just imagine a little tiny town with at least eight quilt shops (could be more now). I hope you get there; you will love it.
I can't believe someone asks you how many tumblers they needed for a certain size quilt. I doubt I could not tell them some outrageous amount just for the heck of it. LOL Have a safe trip.
I'll be driving thru St Louis next Monday, and stopping to drop off a treadle. Say 'HI' to Kevin for me, when you see him (he will be in one of your classes). He's a sweetie!
Have a great trip through Missouri. I love what you said about not sanitizing your thoughts for anyone! You go girl!...and the sanitizing gets less and less as you get older. LOL!
Myrna in KY
a darn shame you can't find anything to do in all your free time bonnie...
I love "Person of Interest". Jim Caveizel (sp?) is such a hunk, and I love "Harold Finch", formerly such a stinker on "Lost".
Can't wait to see you Saturday evening in Arrow Rock for dinner!! Have a safe trip.
Gina in Marshall, MO
Our dear Kentucky friends took us to see St Louis on our trip to America in June... Loved every bit and next time will combine a quilt show or even better a Bonnie class!!
Maybe you'll have time to visit Homestead Hearth in Mexico on your way down to Springfield...Dolores and the gals took great care of me last month when I blew through there on my way to drop off my daughter at college.
Bonnie I love your tumbler mix. But I totally understand about running out of variety, Even with all of the little tumbler blocks I have cut up, it seems there is just not enough color. Kind of drab so I will be cutting up some more also. Love EmmyLou and those quilts. Have a safe trip Markay from Ky.
Hey Bonnie, just catching up on your posts today and watched quilt cam. I wanted to say I HATE the patterns that have all the cutting for everything with tons of confusing letters for each piece, flipping back and forth, all of that, cannot stand it. One of the best thing about your books is that things are done in a concise and logical way, it's not so overwhelming when it's broken down into sections. Please, please, please, don't let them change the way your do your patterns. I think your followers, and there are thousands of them, have come to expect your books done in the format that you had in your other books. Lots of people, me included, are going to be VERY disappointed if you change to a difficult and confusing format. Please try to explain that to the publishers. In my opinion, quilters just don't think like that, it's not workable for me.
Thanks,
Sherry Yeakel
sly8387@bellsouth.net
Hi Bonnie,
Isn't it nice to have your hair cut. It's always so refreshing and light feeling on the head.
Person Of Interest... isn't that a great show? It does make me wonder if we are being watched though! Lol... not that I have anything of interest to be watched for.
Love how you jump in and tame those tubs of yours. At the moment it seems my whole sewing room looks like the before picture of your tub.
Take care. Oh, how do you like the new Garmin?
djcogdill@q.com
Jean C.
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