Wedding Anniversary

Stephen and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary on July 13 with a trip down the Oregon Coast to Eureka, California. The weather had been so hot here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It was a welcomed relief to go over to Highway 101 and drive down the Coast in sea mist and cooler weather.

We made various stops along the way to view the sites. One was at the Cape Blanco Light Station, near Port Orford, Oregon. This light station, built around 1870, houses the oldest continuously operating light in Oregon. At 256 feet above sea level, it is also the most westerly lighthouse in all of Oregon. We learned that Oregon's first woman light keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton, signed on in March of 1903. While Stephen climbed the 63 steps up to the top of the lighthouse, I chose to stay on solid ground enjoying the stillness of the air that day and the spectacular view.

Cape Blanco Light Station near Port Orford, Oregon

We continued driving south and stopped at Crescent City, California. The Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park is near Crescent City and we decided we wanted to take a closer look at some of the world's largest trees. Believe me, I have been around trees all of my life. I thought I had seen tall trees before; however, redwood trees are so magnificent it just takes your breath away. These ancient trees, native to the northern California coast, are the tallest trees on earth and can grow up to 367 feet tall. They can live up to 2,200 years and are resistant to insects and fire.


Trees in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park

There is no way to adequately show you what the Redwood Forests look like because the camera simply does not catch their enormity or the feeling that you get when you walk among them. If you are anywhere near these trees, you owe it to yourself to see for yourself.

After spending a few days in California, we drove back up the Oregon Coast to Newport where we spent another day or two relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Ocean environment. Then it was back to work for both of us. The vacation was the perfect respite from the hurry of every day life and we both enjoyed it very much.

Highway 101 Bridge at Newport, Oregon

Now that we are back home, I am busy working on this next year's Grandma's Quilt Club and the Fall 2009 Patchwork Party and Stephen is working on a new sun deck for the chickens. We saw a giant coyote lounging in the lower field by our house so Stephen wants to make sure that the deck keeps his "girls" safe from predators.

Rainbow Batiks

Your fabric creations will be incredibly beautiful when you use batik fabrics. This month, Grandma's Scrapbasket Newsletter features batiks in a rainbow of colors by Hoffman and Princess Mirah.

Originating in Java, the ancient craft of printing on fabric with hot wax is extremely popular today. There are over 3,000 different patterns on record, mostly composed of flower motifs, twining plants, leaves, buds, birds, butterflies, fish, geometric forms, small animals and insects.

Our blended bundle of feature fabrics ranges across the color wheel in a variety of prints and styles that allow you to create a rainbow of fabulous quilting and sewing projects. What will you dream up?

Update on Virginia Tech Memorial Project

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech. We thought you would like to have an update on the Virginia Tech Quilt Block Project that we began immediately after this tragedy in 2007.

We received a tremendous response to our Virginia Tech Memorial Block Project--with nearly 600 quilt blocks donated to this project from quilters all around the world. We put many of these blocks on display in the classroom area of Grandma's Attic last year. These individual blocks are a living testament to the power of quilts and the fiber arts to help people heal after a national tragedy.

The second stage of the project began shortly after the display. We documented and photographed every block received. We believe it is appropriate to honor and acknowledge each block submission by preserving the names of the block creators and the images of the blocks created. We compiled a large database containing the name of the block and the person who created it. Each block was assigned a number so that it can be easily referenced in the database when necessary. In addition to this compilation of information, we collected a large binder filled with the completed block submission forms and any other accompanying correspondence. We then took the intensive step of photographing the individual blocks. We are now in the process of reviewing these digital images, ensuring that they are in good condition, and preparing them for display. All photography work on this stage of the project was done by Kyle Baker.

The third phase of the project is now in full swing. Noted Quilt Historian and Pattern Designer Roxy Burgard spent hours (days) sorting through these quilt blocks. She developed and organized a method for turning blocks into quilt tops. The organization and creative eye she brought to this project has been nothing short of awe-inspiring and stands as a testament to her considerable quilt making skills. Working with 160 blocks, she selected 20 blocks per quilt based on pre-determined themes. She even created names for each quilt based on block content. Once that herculean task was accomplished, Roxy and I selected appropriate sashings for these eight quilts. They are now ready to be sewn into quilt tops. With the help of volunteers, we now hope to get these quilt tops made and sent to machine quilters for completion.

Believe me, while it is easy to write about the work that has been done to date, it is more difficult to explain how many volunteer hours have been involved in the work, let alone try to explain the emotional toll it takes when viewing and working with these blocks. The whole process has been very moving for everyone involved. Every volunteer has been committed to giving proper and appropriate respect to each block on its way to final inclusion in quilts to be presented to Virginia Tech.

The Clothesline Club - 1930s Era

If you love 1930s style fabrics, you’re going to love the Clothesline Club. Created by Darlene Zimmerman, and published by the Robert Kaufman fabric company, this club features 1930s-Era patterns and fabric. As an official shop participant, Grandma's Attic will carry all of the fabric lines, patterns, and notions showcased throughout the year.

Four different fabric collections, all designed by Darlene Zimmerman, are used during the 12 month Club, with each of the fabric lines featured for three months. The first fabric line is Home Sweet Home. There are 20 pieces of fabric in this line plus five bonus fabrics. Included in the collection are a variety of prints with motifs such as clothespins, irons, kitchen utensils, daisies and checks in cheery 1930s-era colors.

Fabrics from Darlene's Home Sweet Home Collection, the first fabric line used in the 2009 Clothesline Club

Each month for the next 12 months, Grandma's Attic will put together a special packet utilizing Clothesline Club products. You choose only the packets you want to purchase. We’ll add a new one to our website each month. The first, Packet #1, is currently available. It contains a full-color pattern for Darlene’s Sunday Best Apron, a second full-color Bonus pattern called Washday Sweeties, plus a special newsletter from Darlene Zimmerman herself with information on the history of aprons and an apple pie recipe. The packet also contains twenty 5”x5” squares of fabric from Darlene’s Home Sweet Home collection so that you can see and feel the fabric used. Added bonuses include a full-color newsletter about the year 1930 written by Grandma Rachel of Grandma’s Attic, a full-color cover sheet to use as a cover for your own notebook that you'll fill with project pages, and a Grandma pin from Grandma’s Attic. We've made every effort to make this club affordable and fun. Price for the packet includes all shipping and handling.

Next month, Packet #2, will contain even more fabric squares and patterns from Darlene Zimmerman, plus additional bonus materials from Grandma's Attic. Believe me, if you like 1930s-era quilts and patterns, you won't want to miss a single packet!
Sunday Best Apron--the first project in the 2009 Clothesline Club. The pattern comes with Packet #1. Fabric in both colorways is also available.

Patchwork Party 2009 Spring Edition

You're going to love this Patchwork Party. For our sixth party, the fabrics are absolutely gorgeous! This season's quilt blocks were created by Marti Michell using her Perfect Patchwork Templates, Set B and Set D. The fabric was designed by Faye Burgos for Marcus Brothers. It is called Sachet Potpourri. It features beautiful roses, paisleys and romantic designs in muted shades of rich brown, pink and blue.

If you been to our previous patchwork parties, you may already know how this fun program works, but if you're a newcomer, you might need a party introduction! The way it operates is simple: you collect all 12 of these beautiful blocks by visiting the 12 online stores participating in the program. Each store hosts one of the particular blocks necessary for the beautiful quilt you'll be making. This season, our exclusive block is called Ta-Dah. Like a beautiful diamond ring, this block adds sparkle to any setting.

In addition to our exclusive block kit, we've created a way for you to turn your blocks into a stunning quilt titled Down the Garden Path. Our finishing kit includes the pattern and all of the fabric you need to create a lovely queen-sized quilt using the blocks you collected during the party and 13 additional ones that are super easy to make. We also put together a matching pillowcase kit to go with our quilt.

You can see all our Patchwork Party products at our website. To view all of the blocks and finishing kits, you'll want to visit www.patchworkparty2009.com.

The Hoffman Challenge

The Hoffman Challenge fabric has arrived and it is totally gorgeous! The main piece is a beautiful paisley print in green, gold and brown, with pearlized edges that makes it sparkle. The largest paisley is approximately 1-1/2" wide.

Every year, a team from Hoffman fabrics chooses a fabric design and then issues a challenge to quilt, clothing, doll and accessory makers to create an original item using that fabric. Upon completion, the items travel around the country to different shows, galleries, museums, Guilds, and shops. Cash prizes are awarded. It is very fun and inspirational. To participate, you must use a recognizable amount of the challenge fabric as an integral part of your project or body of work.

You can purchase this beautiful Hoffman Challenge fabric at Grandma's Attic. Click here for more information on rules and prizes for the Hoffman Challenge contest.

Winter Wonderland

Just before Christmas, we received 20 inches of snow and then an ice storm came through. It coated the trees with thick ice causing many of our oak tree branches to snap completely off. The Douglas Fir trees seemed to fare pretty well, but the sound of trees cracking and breaking apart at night is heart wrenching, to say the least. Fortunately, nothing landed on the house or outbuildings. As a result of all the trees falling, our road was closed for several days. We also lost electricity.

On Christmas Eve, the hard working crews of the power company managed to turn our electricity back on and we had power again. What a wonderful Christmas gift that was! Believe me, there is something totally eerie about being without electricity living on a road that is closed and nearly impassable.

I had planned to work on Block of the Month and other quilt projects at my sewing machine. Instead, I alternated between doing hand embroidery work and trying to keep myself and the dachsunds warm. We huddled together in the recliner under warm quilts. And believe me, you know it's cold when the cat climbed under a quilt to join us.

Now that the ice has melted, the electricity has come back on, and the roads are passable again, I've been busy working on those same quilt projects I intended to get to earlier. There's a Block of the Month quilt, a shop hop quilt, and several other smaller samples in various stages of development in the sewing room at home, plus calendars and other end of the year items to attend to at work.

On New Year's Eve, my husband and I were so tired from all of the outside clean-up projects that needed to be done, we decided against staying up late. Instead, we turned on the television, and watched Anderson Cooper usher in 2009 with the crystal ball drop in New York City. When it's midnight in the Big Apple, it's 9:00 pm in Oregon. We called it a night and decided the New Year could get here without us. I spent New Year's Day filling mail orders at the shop; then retreated to the sewing room again. Sewing is a great way to begin the New Year, don't you think?

I'm looking forward to 2009 as a year filled with beautiful quilts and fun projects. How has your New Year begun?

Making Quilt Club Blocks

Every month I make the five blocks we use in Grandma's Quilt Club. I choose simple, 16 grid blocks, because I want to make sure that the over 600 participants in our club can complete these blocks regardless of skill level.

Recently, club members have asked me to tell them about the tools I use when I am constructing the blocks. Here's a run-down of what I use in order to make these blocks.

The sewing machine I use is a Husqvarna Viking Sapphire that I got from Whitlocks Vacuum and Sewing Center in Salem, Oregon. My grandmother would call it a "new fangled" machine. I like it because it has a built-in 1/4" stitch and is easy to use. (Easy is good when it comes to making quilt blocks--why make yourself crazy when sewing is supposed to be relaxing??) I thread the machine with Swiss-Mettler Art. 104 thread in a neutral color.

I like to use a the small Olfa 28mm Rotary Cutter and a 1" x 12" omnigrid ruler to make the first cuts from the fabric that is provided in the quilt kits. (If I was cutting from the bolt, I would use a larger Omnigrip Ruler.)







Most of the quilt club block patterns call for making a half square triangle. In order to do that, I start with two 4" squares of fabric that have been placed right sides together. I then draw a line down the middle (for cutting) with lines on either side 1/4" away from the cutting line (for sewing lines). This can be done very easily with the Quick Quarter II marking tool. I like to use this little tool because it helps with accuracy.

Once I have all the squares cut and marked, I start sewing my half square triangles together. I square them up (from 4") using the little rotary cutter and the 6-1/2" square Omnigrip Ruler to 3-1/2". When I have all 16 units sewn, squared and pressed, I lay the squares out to look like the picture on the pattern, then sew them together. My favorite pins are the red and white pins by Clover. They glide through the fabric like butter and are very nice to use. If you don't have a box of these pins, I recommend you purchase a box or two. I love them! You will too.

For clipping threads and cutting in general, I use a pair of Mundial Titanium Scissors--5-1/2" hobby/craft size. I like these scissors because they are smaller than the knife edge. I don't know why, but I seem to use smaller tools when constructing quilt blocks than I do when putting the quilt blocks together into a quilt top.

Of course, there are times when things don't go exactly as planned making these blocks. That's when I get out the Clover White Handled seam ripper and start "frog stitching"--you know, ripp-it, ripp-it! If you're still using the seam ripper that you got for your high school sewing class, it's time for a new one! My personal rule on seam ripping is that it's part of the process and can happen from time to time; however, if you've ripped out the same seam three times already, you clearly need to relax a bit and start over. (Ever have one of those days when you feel like you should be locked out of your sewing room because everything you touch is going to go badly? I've had a few of those myself.)

Once my block is sewn up and looking beautiful, I press it with my iron (I buy inexpensive ones that I don't mind replacing from time to time), and then I square it up with another Omnigrip ruler--the 12-1/2" square.

And that's all there is to it! Sewing simple quilt blocks is fun. I like being able to put different fabric combinations together to see what the blocks will look like. Sewing easy blocks is also great practice for perfecting those 1/4" seams. Sewing also helps ease any tension you might be feeling from all the other "stuff" going on in your life. Just cut, sew, press and square. A little of your favorite music in the background and you have the makings for your own special retreat.

My family knows they can find me in the sewing room, sewing up quilt blocks after a busy day at the shop. I've already sewn up the blocks I need for next month's club sessions. Guess it's time to start working on the other block projects I'm dreaming up! What will you be sewing this week?

Leah's Brain Surgery

Leah had her brain surgery October 22 at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon. This surgery was to remove a portion of her brain (right hippocampus, amygdala, and surrounding area). This is the part of her brain which was severely damaged in her car accident 11 years ago. It was also the part that was responsible for her subsequent seizure disorder. The seizure disorder was getting worse and her doctors said if she continued to have uncontrolled seizures she would deteriorate to the point where her quality of life would be severely affected.

As scary as the thought of surgery was, Leah decided that she wanted to go through with it because she was so tired of having seizures. Her surgery lasted a little over five hours. The team of doctors said that they were able to remove almost all of the affected area. They said they were “very aggressive” and took out an area of the brain approximately the size of a small kiwi fruit. (They weren’t expecting to take out this much.) Since Leah has already been functioning almost exclusively with the left side of her brain, they were certain that there would be very minimal deficits. They did say that she might lose some peripheral vision in her left eye and might have trouble “finding her words” for a while.

It's been about two weeks since Leah's surgery and I am happy to report that she is doing just great. The home health care nurse said Leah's recovery is "a miracle" and we are totally thrilled to report that she is herself, knows who everyone is, and is oriented and cognizant of her surroundings. She's getting a lot of sleep these days but otherwise recovering well.

I’ll keep you posted on how she is doing. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, concerns and good thoughts. I know that she is very encouraged by them all. Leah has made many friends here at Grandma's Attic and enjoys talking to our mail order customers on the phone. Hopefully, she'll be back at work at the beginning of the year, only this time she'll be seizure free!

New Class Schedule

We've just added Fall Class Listings to our website. We think it's another great line-up of classes, offered by some of your favorite teachers: Denise Clausen, Marge McCanse, Donna Wetter, Peggy Gelbrich, Arlene Kovash, Tracy Byers, Judy Hillman, Lindy Perry, Terrie Kygar and Michele Byrum.

In addition, the new session of the $5 Quilt Club begins Sept. 4-6. Denise is bringing back her lettering class. Michele has a fabulous fall leaves project planned. Marge is presenting her scrap quilt techniques with a variety of classes. Peggy Gelbrich is teaching a fun way to combine Jacob's Ladder and Snails Trail blocks and a pineapple quilt. Donna has some new beginner projects. Arlene is busy showing you how to make triangles without ever having to sew more than a square. Tracy Byers is offering her machine quilting class again. There are new classes by Linda Perry and Terrie Kygar, and Judy Hillman will be entertaining you with the Clothesline Club, a new club by Darlene Zimmerman of 1930s reproduction fabric fame.

If you live anywhere near the shop, you should definitely treat yourself to a class or two. It's amazing what you can learn in a few short hours that will help you gain skills and make fantastic projects. So come on in and enjoy the fun!

Dream Green

What does drinking soda and quilting have in common? Batting! Hard to believe, but the new Dream Green batting by Quilters Dream is made 100% out of recycled plastic bottles. In fact, every pound of this batting keeps 10 plastic bottles out of landfills.

Seems hard to imagine that you could get a nice soft batting out of a soda bottle; however, it's entirely true. The recycled bottles are cut into chips, washed, melted and extruded into fine polyester fibers. These fibers are completely indistinguisable from virgin polyester fibers, yet they are made without depleting precious natural resources. And even though the batting has a sort of green cast from green colored plastic bottles, the batting itself is color fast. Needles glide through this batting with ease.

Quilters Dream says their new product is wrinkle free, can be machine washed and dried with little shrinkage, and can be machine or hand quilted up to 12" apart. It has been carded, crosslapped and needlepunched for uniformity, strength, and resiliency, with no scrim or resins.

Available in select loft, I'm using a twin sized batt for the quilt I'm currently sending off to be machine quilted. According to the package, that means I'm saving 13 plastic bottles from a landfill. And get this, all the left overs are completely recyclable too! I can tell you that this batting feels just as soft as Dream Poly batting, with the added benefit of being earth-friendly. I'll keep you posted as to how the quilt turns out.

Vintage Butterflies

While I was at Quilt Market in May (a wholesale show for shop owners), I ran into Connie Cerdena of Jenny Creek Designs. We carry many of her patterns and I was anxious to see her newest quilt, Vintage Butterflies, which she had on display in her booth.

She told me that she had been in an antique shop one day and came across 30 butterflies that had been cut from 1930s-era fabric. After purchasing them, she said she appliqued and button-hole stitched the butterflies, then combined with them a striking strip-pieced scalloped border in blue. When I saw this quilt at Market, I was also impressed with Connie's exquisite quilting. The cool thing is that Connie let us borrow it and we currently have this totally gorgeous quilt on display in our shop. Come see it if you are in the area!

This really is one beautiful quilt. We carry the pattern, Vintage Butterflies, so that you can make one of your own! I'm going to start gathering some fabrics to make one myself! If you like 1930s style quilts and butterflies, you will really enjoy putting this quilt together. The blocks will show off your 1930s reproduction fabric collection, and you will also like learning how to put the border together. This spectacular quilt measures 73-1/2" x 84-1/2". I personally can't wait to start making the butterfly blocks!

Patriotic All-Stars Two! Block of the Month

Hurray for the Red, White and Blue! Summer is nearly here and we're getting excited about picnics in the park, vacation days, and of course, the upcoming celebration of America's Independence Day! We thought to ourselves, "what could be more appropriate for the summer than combining our popular First Ladies of America series with our Patriotic All-Stars Block of the Month Club to bring you our new (and improved) Block of the Month Club!" Therefore, we're proud to announce our new Block of the Month program: Patriotic All-Stars Two!

Each month, you receive all the fabric you need to construct a 12" star block, plus a redwork embroidery pattern of a featured First Lady, and a brief biography about her. As you stitch your block and embroider the redwork pattern, you can read about the trials and triumphs of each First Lady's residency in the White House, and how she influenced her country and the lives of female citizens. You're sure to be impressed and interested by each First Lady's life as she played her part helping to steer all Americans along the broad and diverse path of this nation.

When you've assembled all of your month's blocks and embroidered these influential ladies, you'll be sent a finishing kit detailing how to assemble all your blocks together into a final quilt. The final quilt is finished with beautiful flag fabric and will ultimately measure approximately 57" x 72". What a great fabric piece to add to your home's decor! It is the perfect project for the summer months and, of course, the upcoming election season. You're sure to love making it and owning a storied creation of your own handiwork.

Where Does the Time Go?

It's been AGES since we posted a message; however, we've had a very busy spring and wanted to tell you all about it. First, as you can see from the photo, our daughter Dannielle got married on June 7th. We haven't received the proofs back from the official photographer yet; however, here is a picture that Michael took of Dannielle and her husband Isaac with famiy members. We'll put "official" pictures up for everyone to see as soon as the proofs are back and we have more to share.

The wedding took place at a Lavender Farm near Mt. Shasta, California. The setting was breathtakingly beautiful and so were girls--as you can see in this picture that Michael took of Melissa and Dannielle just before the wedding.

After we got back from the wedding, we had time to work on our new shop remodel and to review all the items we picked up at Quilt Market in May. If you live close enough to visit Grandma's Attic, you'll want to come in and our shop make-over. We closed over Memorial Day weekend and took the shop apart--right down to the walls--then put it all back together again. The brick and mortar store seems so much more roomy now. We moved the cutting area up closer to the front and arranged things in a little more logical manner. We kept all the contemporary fabrics and items on one side of the shop, and the reproduction fabrics and goodies on the other side. You'll have to come and take a peek. And yes, pictures of the remodel will be posted soon too!

So now you know why we were silent for so long--Quilt Market, a shop remodel, and a wedding all in the space of a few weeks. It kept us more than busy. We'll start posting items from Quilt Market really soon!

The Party is Starting

Patchwork Party begins in just a few hours! (Patchwork Party Summer Edition 2008 officially begins on midnight tonight, April 1.) Our Summer Edition 2008 blocks are absolutely gorgeous and you are going to love collecting and working with them.

This season's quilt blocks were created by Marti Michell using her Template Sets A and C, and the fabric is from Moda's "Prairie Paisley" collection by Minick & Simpson. It features beautiful paisleys and floral motifs exemplifying a timeless rural sophistication. Victorian ornamentation gives way to clean prairie lines, creating a wide open landscape full of rich textures and patriotic hues.

If you been to our previous patchwork parties, you may already know how the fun works, but if you're a newcomer, you might need a party introduction! The way the party operates is simple: you collect all 12 of these beautiful blocks by visiting the 12 online stores participating in the program. Each store hosts one of the particular blocks necessary for the beautiful quilt you'll be making. This season, our exclusive block is "Hudson Station." In addition to our exclusive block kit, we've created a way for you to turn your blocks into a stunning quilt titled "Glory." Our finishing kit includes the pattern and all of the fabric you need to create a lovely 93" x 117" quilt using the blocks you collected during the party. We even created a coordinating wall-hanging and a set matching pillowcases to accent your finished quilt perfectly.

To see all of the beautiful quilts done by each of the twelve participating shops, click on the patchwork party logo on April 1st (or later) on the front page of our store. That link will take you to the official patchwork party site where you can get a planning guide, as well as tips on quilting and sewing your blocks.

We've been so busy behind the scenes these past few weeks getting everything in order to have a fabulous party this season, and we're very excited that it will finally launching tonight at midnight. No need to RSVP to this party because everyone is invited! We hope to see you soon.

Everything from Soup to Nuts

Things just keep hopping around here, and it is sometimes hard to simply stop, catch our breath, and write a new post on our blog to all our friends on the web. Thankfully, in between classes and our quilt club, we've found a few moments to update everyone on how things are going.

At the beginning of February, we had one of charity events--Souper Bowl Sunday. Our great customers generously brought in a can or two of food for the local food bank and received a discount on fabric. My own grandmother was a cook for several years, and the thought of anyone going hungry was very distressing to her. If there was something she could do about feeding a hungry person, you can bet she would. (My son reports that his own memories of his great-grandmother mostly revolve around food: his eating the plums off of her prized plum-tree, or her asking him to try yet another piece of pie after Thanksgiving dinner.) With hunger still a big problem in today's world, we knew that we had to do something for our community. Our customers helped us meet a tremendous challenge with their terrific generosity. (Leah, in the photo above, poses with just some of the donated food we had received that day.)

On another note, our door is finally fixed! You may remember how someone drove their car or truck into the back our store on New Year's Eve. The temporary patches have been replaced with new cinder blocks and sturdy door that we hope no one will crash into this time! We know people just have to have their fabric sometimes, but we hope they'll remember we're open 24 hours on the web and that our door can't take too many vehicles hitting it! :)

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow. Since both Stephen and I have some Irish heritage, we thought it would be nice to share some Irish Blessings and Quotes to help get into the festive spirit. Here are some of our favorites:

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His Hand.

May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.

Always remember to forget the things that made you sad,
But never forget to remember the things that made you glad.

May you live to be a hundred year,
With one extra year to repent!

May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
and heaven accept you.

We hope that everyone has a fun and safe holiday. As always, we'll be busy at the shop working on projects behind the scenes. About that, let's just say that we're really looking forward to the start of a new Patchwork Party program in a week or so, and we're getting more and more excited as we draw closer to that date. (Be sure to leave some room in your own fabric collections and time to work on what promises to be a fantastic event this year!)

It's Snowing Again!

We live in the middle of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Everyone knows it rains and rains and rains in this area; however, lately it's been snowing and snowing and snowing.

This is a picture of our barn. You can see that the sun came out briefly and the snow started to slide off the roof, but then it started snowing again. Pretty soon, we had over a foot of snow and it was hard for Stephen to get back and forth to check on his chickens. It was even harder to get the car out of the driveway and get down to town.

Even though we're only 3-1/2 miles from town, we're up in elevation. That means it can be raining in town and snowing here in the foothills of the Coast Range. I can call work and say "I'm snowed in," and they will think I'm making it up because it's only raining where they are.

Fortunately, it hasn't snowed as much here as it has in other parts of Oregon. I heard that they had 150 inches of snow in Idanha and Detroit, both of which are in the foothills of the Cascade Range, approximately an hour's drive from here. That translates to about 12-1/2 feet of snow. I can't even imagine it!

My idea of snow is to look out the window at Mt. Hood in the distance, gleaming white in the beautiful sun, and know that if I wanted to go there, I could. It's not my idea to have to wade through it to get to the car!

Here's another photo of the trees outside our living room window that Stephen took. Even though the film is black and white, it's beautiful, don't you think? Since it's time for me to go to work, I think I'll call and say, "I'm snowed in again!" Then I can sit back with a cup of tea, relax, and enjoy the view.

Where Have You Been?

My grandmother used to tell me that bad luck comes in threes. Her philosophy was that if you made it through three trying incidents, you could move on and things would be good again. I've thought a lot about Grandma these past few weeks because we have indeed had three different difficulties to overcome.

Because we produce many of our own books and patterns here at Grandma's Attic, we have a state-of-the-art copy machine that looks like it belongs in a copy or print shop. We use it every day and keep a schedule of when various items need to be copied. In mid-December, this machine was down for a week and a half. Bev and I kept telling each other that it'd soon be repaired and we'd be able to move on and catch up. To make a long story short about the problems we had getting it fixed, let's just say that we wound up receiving a replacement that is faster and capable of more complicated tasks than the old one. By the time we had the new one up and running, we were over two weeks behind and unsure how we were ever going to catch up.

Right about the time the copy machine problems were resolved, my computer crashed. That's also when I discovered that the back up system wasn't working correctly. Unless you've had your computer crash, it may be difficult to imagine the sense of loss you go through when you realize that everything you've put on that system over the past several years is now inaccessible. In describing the feelings that I went through, I can honestly say it was almost like having a stroke. The information may have been in the machine but there was no way of accessing any of it. I really did go through most of the stages of grief, although I never did get to acceptance. And since this occurred right at the Christmas holidays, no one was available to help me out. After a couple of weeks without access to the items on my computer, PC America in Monmouth, Oregon, was able to correct the initial problems, recover ALL 11 gigabytes of information (28,800 files!), and provide us with a great back up system, a great maintenance program, and all the support we need from this point forward. What a nightmare to go through and what a relief to have behind us!

By New Year's Day, Stephen and I were ready for a break from all the stress of December. He was going to go play golf, and I was going to work at the shop to straighten up after inventory. Imagine my surprise when I pulled up to the back door and discovered that our shop had been plowed into by a car! There was a huge hole in the brick and mortar, and I could see clear into the back of the shop. On top of that, the back door was bent and jammed and could no longer be used. Needless to say, Stephen never did get to play golf and lunch was clearly cancelled. The police could find no evidence to go on about who might have done this, but we all believe that the culprit was someone who had had entirely too much to drink at one of the local "establishments," then climbed into their car, backed up, and rammed right into the building. It will take a few weeks to rebuild the wall and replace the door; however, we are very fortunate in that no merchandise was damaged and the vintage quilt hanging on the inside of the wall was still in perfect condition.

Now that our "three things" are behind us, we're looking forward to projects and activities that we have planned for the rest of this New Year. If our luck holds, you'll be hearing from us in the very near future!

Left: This is what our back wall looked like on New Year's Day when I came to work. What a mess! Below: This is what the inside of the shop wall looked like after the accident. We moved the fabric rack that was in front of the hole; then Stephen stuffed some insulation into the opening. After we took the picture, he covered the wall with boards until it can be repaired.

The Christmas Tree in America

Christmas has not always been a national holiday in the United States. In fact, until the middle years of the last century, Christmas in America was a religious holiday that was celebrated privately.

The nation's celebration of Christmas changed in the 19th Century. America had always been a nation of immigrants, but immigration increased substantially during the 1820s. Each ethnic group brought their own particular cultural traditions with them; however, they all shared a common reverence for the Christmas holiday.

The Germans are generally credited with introducing the "Christmas Tree" to America. The tradition allegedly began with a few German families in Pennsylvania who decorated their trees as early as 1820. Yet, the widespread practice of decorating evergreens was unusual until late in the 19th Century. In the United States, Christmas tree decorations significantly increased in popularity when Queen Victoria authorized the publication of an engraving of her family's Christmas tree in Godey's Lady's Book, an influential and popular American ladies magazine. Modified from a painting that was first published in the Illustrated London News in 1848, the Godey's illustration was the standard for how a tree might be expected to look.

[Original illustration of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and family gathered around the Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle, published in the London News in 1848]

In the 1840s, most Americans did not have their own family trees. Instead, in places such as Williamsburg, Virginia, communities celebrated the holiday events with decorated "town" trees for the children. Trees were usually decorated with strings of popcorn, nuts and paper globes. Candles were frequently wired onto tree branches. Other ornaments during this time period included apples, gilded and natural fruits and nuts, cookies, popcorn, cranberries, homemade paper items, candles, cornucopias, and presents.

The first commercially produced Christmas decorations began to appear globally in 1848. Created in Germany, these ornaments were hollow balls that ranged in size from 1 inch to 18 inches and were meant to decorate one's Christmas tree. The modern glass ornaments we are familiar with today evolved from the tradition of these German glass blown balls; however, these delicate glass ornaments were not sold in America until the 1880s. William DeMuth of New York produced the first American-made glass ornaments in 1881. Drawing upon earlier tree decorating traditions, balls, beads and glass fruit ornaments were produced in large quantities.

By the 1870s, most Americans had embraced the winter holiday as a permanent part of its country's culture. The United States Congress officially declared Christmas a federal holiday on June 26, 1870. During this time, American businesses began to import tree ornaments from Europe. They were sold on street corners and toy stores. Tin ornaments, wax angels, cornucopias, tinsel, glass beads and balls were among the popular tree decorations.

[Modified illustration of the Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle, published in America in Godey's Ladies Book]

The 1870s saw the introduction of Tinsel and painted metal tree stands. Tinsel was made from a combination of wire and foil which was snipped to produce crinkled strands that were then hung as garlands on the tree. Also, before the 1870s, trees had been placed in crocks, wooden boxes and crates, but that soon changed when the first painted metal tree stand began to be manufactured in 1876.

It is interesting to note the many ways that the Holidays are now celebrated today and how these celebrations are traced back to the traditions of the past. Surely, connections like these help form the living spirit of the season and create enduring bonds meant to be shared with each successive generation. In an event, everyone here at Grandma's Attic wishes all of you a Happy Holiday filled with family, fun and lots of good food (and of course, FABRIC!)

Hokies Thank the World

As many of you already know, the Virginia Tech Memorial Quilt Block Project has entered into a new phase. Principal photography has now been completed and the task of assigning talented quilters to stitch the blocks together is underway. We hope to have more photos of these quilts as things develop.

In the mean time, we wanted to share with you this heart warming message from the University addressed to the world. It seems especially fitting to everyone who has participated in this project so far.

American Thanksgiving

Many people know the story of the first Thanksgiving, about how the Native Americans and the European Pilgrims celebrated the first Fall Harvest of 1621 together. And, they are familiar with the story of how those pilgrims suffered tremendous hardships, but thanks to their hard work and the generosity of the Indians, they were eventually able to scratch out a living in this "New World."


First Thanksgiving by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris

But fewer people know about the role Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of "Godey's Lady Book" magazine, played in making Thanksgiving into a permanent National Holiday. For nearly fifteen years, she had written numerous editorials in her magazine and sent several letters urging various State Governors to proclaim the last Thursday in November a "Day of Thanksgiving," most of whom did. But in 1863, she wrote to President Abraham Lincoln requesting that he declare Thanksgiving a permanent National Holiday.

Sarah J. Hale wrote the following editorial, which appeared in a February 1860 edition of her magazine. She included it, with others like it, in her correspondence to the President. She wrote:

We may now consider Thanksgiving a National Holiday. It will no longer be a partial and vacillating commemoration of gratitude to our Heavenly Father, observed in one section or State, while other portions of our common country do not sympathize in the gratitude or gladness. It is to be a regularly recurring Festival appointed by the concert of the State Governments to be observed on the last Thursday in November--thus made, for all future time, The American Thanksgiving Day.

Sarah then goes on to list thirty-two of the various "States and Territories [which] held and consecrated this New National Holiday." She also explains how and when the State Governors should issue the necessary proclamations. In the same article, Sarah further writes:

God has given to man authority, to women influence; she inspires and persuades, i.e. convinces and compels. For the last twelve years, the editress of the Lady's Book [Sarah] has been endeavoring to bring about this agreement in popular feeling. We have used our influence always, we trust, in a womanly way, and now we would render our deep gratitude to God who has blessed our humble prayers and effort, and express our thus publicly our thanks to those generous men who have encouraged and accomplished our plan. We now leave the perpetuation of this good work, by the enactment of a statute in each State, to the good and patriotic men everywhere to be found, who love the Constitution and the Union.

Everything that contributes to bind us in one vast empire together, to quicken the sympathy that makes us feel from the icy North to the Sunny south that we are one family, each a member of a great and free Nation, not merely the unit of a remote locality, is worthy of being cherished. We have sought to reawaken and increase this sympathy, believing that the fine filaments of the affections are stronger than the laws to keep the Union of our States sacred in the hearts of our people.

In many of her letters and articles, Sarah had often explained how she felt Thanksgiving could unite a dispersed and divided country. Sarah also argued that Thanksgiving would be a welcome third addition to the already established National Holidays of Washington's Birthday and Independence Day, also known as The Fourth of July.


First Page of Sarah J. Hale's Letter to President Lincoln

So, the next time you are celebrating Thanksgiving with your family, whether you're eating Turkey, decorating your house for the holidays, or sewing on that special seasonal project, be sure to give a little thanks to Sarah Josepha Hale for helping make Thanksgiving an important part of our National Heritage.

A Letter from Caroline

When we took on the Virginia Tech Memorial Quilt Block Project, we had no idea that the response to our request for quilt blocks would be so enormous. Who would have guessed that when my husband sneaked a bolt of fabric with logos from his alma mater into my cart, that it would lead to such a moving tribute to all of those who have been touched by this terrible tragedy. Stephen and I made the decision that this project should be fittingly memorialized by meticulous documentation of each quilter's block. As a result, we are thoroughly documenting each block, including the name of the quilter who made it and any sentiments they have shared with us.

As part of the documentation effort we are photographing every single block (and there are almost 600 of them). That means that we've looked at each of the blocks up close and personal, and have been able to see all the talent and methods of expression shown by all of the quilters who participated in the block project.

There have been many surprises and insights while working on this project. For instance, last week we received the following letter from a woman named Caroline:

As a novice quilter, I am always looking around the internet for tips, ideas and projects. I just graduated from Virginia Tech this year and am truly touched by your Virginia Tech Memorial quilting project. I felt especially compelled to write to you when I saw the photograph of the block made in honor of Dr. Librescu. I was a student in his class on April 16, and it is because of him most of my classmates and I were able to get to safety. To see him being honored in so many ways means so much to me, and it moved me to see that.

I just wanted to send you a heartfelt thank you for not only doing such a wonderful project, but for giving me a sense of comfort while I was doing something as simple as surfing the internet. Every day is still a struggle to get beyond the terrible things that happened, but seeing how many people were affected by this tragedy makes me realize I am not in this alone.

I asked Caroline if I could share her letter with everyone on the blog because it moved me very deeply. I knew other people would be moved by her comments as well. Caroline said to make sure to thank "everyone who has done something for Tech after this tragedy." She also said, "It really makes a difference to us."

Believe me, receiving letters like this one, confirms my belief that these quilts have a deeper meaning and will deeply touch and inspire those who see them in the future.

The next step is sorting the blocks and sending them to quilters so that they can be sashed and quilted. We are keeping the sashing very simple as we want the focus to remain on the blocks that everyone so lovingly shared. We'll keep you posted as the project develops.

Fall Momentum

Fall is finally here and things couldn't be busier at our shop! For example, the fourth series of our popular $5 Quilt Club has already begun, with only the second talk occurring this upcoming Friday and Saturday. Patchwork Party is still in full swing which means our mail-order department is always buzzing preparing kits or mailing out our exclusive block to all of the "party-goers." And since the Holiday Season is practically around the corner, we've also been stocking up on all of the gifts and projects you'll need for those special, heart-warming gifts. Somehow, I even managed to squeeze in a small trip to a local quilt show to give a talk on Isaac Singer and his famous Singer Sewing Machine.

But before I go into too much detail, can you tell what is so special about the Singer Sewing Machine pictured below? (I'll share the answer at the end of this post.)


Antique Singer Sewing Machine


Singer Sewing Machine Case

The $5 Quilt Club remains one of the more popular events at our shop. Recent topics we've covered in class have included the First Ladies of America, She Flies with Her Own Wings (about Oregon), and Lewis and Clark's historic journey west. This year's theme is extra special: "Well Behaved Women seldom Make History." We're exploring how famous women of the past listened to their hearts, found the courage and fortitude to speak up, and exerted themselves to try and change their corner of the world for the better. We started out with Frances E. Willard. This coming Friday, we'll be talking about Elizabeth Cady Stanton. If you're making plans for the weekend, be sure to stop by the shop and register for these talks. You'll have lots of fun and learn a lot!

In addition to the $5 Quilt Club, Patchwork Party is still going strong! If you haven't take the time to visit the official site and look at all of the wonderful blocks we're offering this season, you'll want to set aside a moment or two to do just that. There is still enough time to collect your blocks and finishing kits to make an unforgettable Holiday Gift! The weather is getting a bit colder out where I live, and frankly, I feel there's nothing better on those days than to spend a little time snug in my sewing room with the patterns, fabric and threads of a new quilt project spilling out onto my lap.

Okay, so have you figured out what is so special about that sewing machine? It's the hand crank on the side. With the introduction of electricity, many of these machines were converted to electric by the addition of a motor. The hand cranks almost disappeared. With a motor, you could do twice as much work thank cranking by hand--and it didn't bother your shoulder as much either! No wonder so many of these machines were converted to electricity. When you see a Singer like this one today, it will more than likely have a motor on it--not a hand crank. Next time you're antiquing, you'll notice what I'm talking about.

Rotary Cutters and Chocolate: The Secret Connection!

Who would have thought that a tasty chocolate bar could have helped inspire the creation of an indispensable quilting tool? But, it did!

In 1956, Mr. Y. Okada was just a young man working in a Japanese printing company. And at that time, workers in printing companies used either razor blades and standard knives to cut paper. But, Okada noted, workers spent a lot of time either sharpening blades, or when the blades were finally used up, replacing them. So one day, as he ate lunch, Okada tried to think of ways to reduce that time and improve efficiency.

Now, as you know, some chocolate bars (my favorites included!) are molded into squares that can be snapped off into smaller bite-sized pieces, and Okada's lunch had just such a treat that particular day! As Okada snapped off pieces of his chocolate bar, it occurred to him that a cutting blade might also be made into similar segments. A blade could be made with multiple cutting edges that the worn edge could be "snapped off" just like a chocolate bar, thereby exposing a sharp new cutting point.

With this insight, Okada and his colleagues founded a company to manufacture these new type of blades and called the company OLFA, which is a Japanese word meaning "breaking a blade." Ever since that time, OLFA has gained and held the market for premium cutters, knives, and blades. And, in 1979, OLFA developed the first rotary cutter for quilters, making cutting fabric faster and more accurate.

OLFA also produces a self-healing mat, the rotary cutter's companion, that makes it possible for quilters and sewers to make clean, accurate cuts through multiple layers of fabric. (I can cut up to six layers of cotton with mine!) And quilters, using their natural resourcefulness, quickly extrapolated the concept and developed quick-cutting techniques upon which more than one company in the quilting industry is based.

Essentially, a rotary cutter is a rolling razor blade that looks like a high-tech pizza cutter. You can use it to cut fabric into strips, shapes, and pieces. The blade in OLFA rotary cutters are made from tungsten, which ensures a sharp, durable edge for reliable and accurate cutting. But one of my favorite features of OLFA rotary cutters has to be the safety guide that can quickly and easily be operated with my thumb. I use the safety shield every time I put the cutter to a piece of fabric (and so should you!)

OLFA makes rotary cutters in many sizes: from tiny (18mm) for the smallest projects like miniatures with tight corners or curves, to the largest (60 mm)—the size I use. Furthermore, rotary cutters come in two basic designs: original and ergonomic. And both are currently on the market.

The Ergonomic Rotary Cutter, also in several sizes, features a unique handle which provides a comfortable grip for the user as it has been shaped to fit the hand. If you happen to have arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, or any other repetitive stress conditions, this would be the cutter for you! You can also use the locking feature to allow the blade to lock open for comfort or to close for safety. This one is so easy on your hands that, after you've used a few times, you will abandon your other cutters in preference to this one.

As far as the mats go, OLFA rotary mats are self-healing and durable, which means that you can make multiple cuts of fabric without dulling the blade or slicing through the mat. They can be used on both sides and are marked with a one-inch grid to help you measure and line the fabric up on both the straight or cross grain.

We use rotary cutters and mats every day and couldn't do without them! If you ever bought fabric from us, or received it in the mail, you can be assured that we cut it with our favorite and well-loved rotary cutters. With over 20 years of supporting quilters behind them, OLFA says they are committed to providing products to quilters before they even know they need them. But personally, I’m waiting for OLFA to provide more time in any given day in which to sew!

Summer Redwork Adventure

Where did the summer go? I can’t believe it’s already September 9th. Time just seems to have passed so quickly I didn’t realize it’s been so long since my last post. Here are the highlights of a recent adventure to Washington State.

On August 4th and 5th, Stephen and I went to the Pomeroy Living History Farm where I gave talks on the History of Redwork Embroidery.

The Pomeroy Farm is really beautiful. Near Yacolt, Washington, the farm is an interactive educational museum depicting domestic and farm life from the early 20th century. There is a log home built around 1920, a working blacksmith shop, a barn, various animals, herb and vegetable gardens, a pasture, and a woodlot. My trip was scheduled to coincide with the Pomeroy Farm Quilt Show showcasing beautiful quilts on the fences and in the barn. The weather that weekend was absolutely perfect for a quilt show--in the 70s with a nice light breeze to gently blow the quilts around in the sun. Vendors sold a variety of old quilts, fabrics, notions and other goodies, and the Redwork embroidery club from Anna Lena’s in Long Beach, Washington were on hand to demonstrate Redwork embroidery techniques. They also brought along a variety of quilts for the show.


Pomeroy Living History Farm


A Quilt Display

My talk centered around Redwork embroidery and how it got started here in the United States in about 1876. It was during that year a display of embroidery from the Kensington School in England was featured at the Philadelphia Exposition. The Kensington Stitch, as worked by these students, became known later as the outline stitch--the type of needlework used to create Redwork embroidery. Eventually, this work was simply called Redwork (or Bluework if you were working in blue). For illustration, I brought my collection of antique Redwork quilts, pillow shams, splashers and other items with me for show and tell.

Redwork Embroidery was extremely popular as a method of adorning everyday items through the 1920s-30s. It is currently enjoying popularity again. I enjoy doing Redwork myself. In the evenings, especially when I’ve had a busy day, I work on Redwork embroidery projects to relax and have fun.


Vendors at the Pomeroy Quilt Show

Noel Johnson of lewisriver.com was at one of my talks and took a selection of photos of me with my quilts and Redwork embroidery items. (Click here to take a look!) I wish you could have been there with me. The first guy in Mr. Johnson’s selection of photos is Farmer Bob, owner of the Pomeroy Farm. He introduced me before each session. The other guy in the Hawaiian shirt is my husband Stephen. He helped out during my sessions; he spent the rest of the time exploring the Farm and generally having fun.

If you are ever near the Pomeroy Living History Farm during their open farm weekends, you will want to see for yourself how fun and educational this place really is!