I will tell you that when I first saw it it look kind of strange. I then went to Checker Distributor website and watched the video of how it works. WOW! It is really cool. The Double-Strip ruler is one of a range of strip rulers designed to make cutting 1/2-sq-triangles, 1/4-sq-triangles, 60 degree triangles, trapezoids and more from 2 1/2″ wide strips quickly and easily! When I said it looked funny at first it is because one side of the ruler is to cut strips and the other side has triangles. You use two 2 1/2″ strips sewn together to make a 4 1/2″ strip. You then cut your pieces from that. If you sew two 2 1/2″ strips together and make a tube you can cut a diamond shape. The rulers come in three sizes. You need to go to the Checker Distributor website and watch the short video on it. You won’t believe it.

Now I have another tip for you from one of my quilting friends and this is a good one that I have never heard of. If you have a project you are buying fabric for but you know you may not get to it right away, then photocopy the page in the book or magazine of the project and put it with the fabric. That way when you pull the fabric out you don’t have to wonder, “What did I buy that for”? I have done that so many times. Great tip! If you have a tip let me know in the comment section. Until next time keep quilting!!

I have another tip for you that was passed on to me. A woman told me that whenever she buys fabric as soon as she comes in the door she goes straight to the laundry and washes her fabric. She said that way she does not have to wonder if it has been washed when she goes to use it. Pretty good! Thanks for the tip. I got to go so be safe and keep quilting!

Now I promised you some sewing or cooking tips. Today it is a sewing tip.

If you are collecting a certain color of fabric, for example black and white, keep a small swatch of it in a small notebook in your purse. If you are like me you get into the fabric shop and wonder, do I have that one? Just take out your small notebook and look it up. It saves time and money. Have a wonderful day and keep quilting!

It is simply called “Fat Quarter Bag”. You can find it at your favorite fabric shop or at Jinny Beyer Studios’ website. It sells for around $13.00. It is a sturdy bag that is ideal for storing your fat quarters. It is not a new product but it is a handy one. I got about 100 fat quarters in mine. Each bag has a unique see-through lid and convenient folding divider. The bag measures 17″ x 9 1/2″ and 5″ deep. They are a wonderfully compact way to organize and store your fabric. If you have never seen this bag you may want to check it out. Have a great day and keep quilting!

January has arrived, and rumor has it that Mickey Depre is home enjoying a quiet respite before she revs up for another whirlwind tour of teaching, traveling, and designing. While in the midst of a hectic schedule last fall, I asked Mickey to jot down thoughts about her life as a successful quilt artist, teacher, and designer. She graciously complied. So now that we all have time to pour a cup of coffee, sit down, and relax for a few minutes, here’s a slice of life from Mickey when the fast pace of fall was upon her. There’s a good chance Mickey’s having her cup of coffee right now― along with the rest of us in this quiet time in January. Enjoy!

Ten Weeks…Two and Half Months… Seven Engagements…makes for one tired quilter. Since the first week in September I have been “on the road” nonstop.    And when I have been home it has been a whirlwind of activity.   Our twins (age 18) are off to college now and my dear husband has decided now is the time to get the entire “honey do” list that has accumulated over the last few years done in the same time period I am off  lecturing/teaching.  Thus when I did return home it was to… well…. house project chaos.

I often tell my students that most of my quilts are designed “on the road” in hotel rooms across America, because it is truly the quietest place on earth for me.  That and on airplanes…especially long trips.  I just put in my ipod earbuds and draw, draw, draw.   In fact The Ninepatchers  were born on a plane ride.   I spent the entire trip feverishly drawing these little characters in a whole slew of activities.   And when I heard the “ding” of the captain announcing it was time to land, I only then glanced over to catch the awkward sideways glance of my row mate on the flight.  I can only imagine the thoughts in his head as he watched me smile wildly to myself the last two hours of designing.

But now I am home for two months…and while the kids will be back and forth on various breaks/visits, I have made my dear husband promise that all “house projects” will be suspended until late January.   I need the quiet so I can begin to make my own chaos in the studio.   

JWD Publishing is proud to have Mickey Depre as one of its talented designers. Besides the hilariously cute pattern, The Ninepatchers―A Family Reunion, Mickey has designed the adorable wall quilt Friends in High Places.  Also, she has two charm patterns: Wild Flowers and Bee Charmers.  To view her patterns, click on Patterns > Mickey Depre. If you are a shop owner, you may purchase Mickey’s patterns through your distributor or directly from us. If you are a quilter, please order from your local store.

Have you heard or “Marking Magic”? This stuff is great! If you are a machine or hand quilter you can use this. You know how tedious it is to mark a whole quilt? It takes a lot of time! Not now! It is water soluble aerosol spray that comes in white or gray. You shake the can to loosen the product. You place your stencil on the quilt and then you just spray! You need to hold the can 8 to 10 inches away from the quilt and use a sweeping motion so you don’t get too much on. Let it dry a few seconds,yes seconds, not minutes. Now I know what you are thinking. What if I make a mistake? Easy, easy! You just get a mister bottle or wet cloth and wipe the marks away. I made a mistake on purpose to test the product and it does come out very easily. It sells for about $15.00 per can but I think this would do a lot of quilts and save you a lot of time. You can check it out at www.quiltingcreations.com

If you have a product you would like me to check out for you let me know in the comment section. Now be safe and keep quilting!

Make sure to click on the picture so you can see a larger version.

You may listen to Christmas In a Small Town at www.christmasinasmalltown.com. On this website you can see beautiful winter photos, listen to music, learn about the music, download the music, and purchase a CD.  Treat yourself to this wonderful Christmas album. You’ll find yourself humming and singing with it, as you prepare for your Christmas celebration.

Quilters:  If you want a chance to take part in winning one of our Quiltmakers’ 100 Block magazines, you can send us an image of a favorite quilt that you have made in recent years. You can send images until December 6, 11:59PST.  Check out this blog post for full details and other second alternative for entering.

(Click on the images to see larger sizes)

1.  Send us a jpg image of your favorite quilt that you have made in the last few years. Include your name, your city and state, and the name of your quilt or your design.  Note: Let us know if you are willing (or not willing) to have us show your quilt on our blog and/or facebook page in December.  Send your image and information to contest@jwdpublishing.com by December 6, 11:59 PM, PST. 

OR

2.  Go to our JWD Publishing Pattern page. Select your top 3-5 favorite pattern quilts. (To see enlarged views, click on selected quilt images.) Besides giving us your top picks, we would love to hear what you most like about your top quilt picks. Just leave a comment on this post with your selections by 11:59 pm PST on Sunday, December 6th, 2009, and we will pick a random winner!  Please make sure to leave a valid email address (so we can contact you if you win). Here’s our contest rules.