QuiltingAndPatchwork.com 
Ever since the days of the early quilting bees, we seem to associate quilting and cooking as related arts.  The ladies who gathered to help one another on their quilting projects usually enjoyed eating together, too.  Then in the evening their families might join for a social evening.
When my daughter’s fabric arts group meets, they sometimes gather for lunch.  They at least have snacks at these gatherings and often exchange recipes.
Quilters also post recipes in their newsletters, such as Deb and Jill do at Fat Quarter Quilters.  In fact, when I checked out their latest newsletter this morning, I found …read more

  So….join Noreen at Hankering for Yarn.  She and Tottie Tomato invite you to a virtual tea party, where you can enjoy a cup of tea with other artists and crafters.  Invite someone to tea with you and share your favorite quilting stories.
Just as the pioneer ladies at quilting bees gathered around the frame, enjoyed food and stories…and shared quilt patterns, you can mingle with the other guests at Tottie’s party.
Incidentally, Noreen has created a whole world around Tottie, the doll she designed and made.  Maybe you have a patchwork doll you’ve created who would like to meet Tottie!
Noreen even has …read more

   When your quilting group gets together near Halloween, plan a “spooky” theme to create a memorable occasion.  Perhaps you meet every other week, as my daughter’s fiber arts group does, to share their work and quilting ideas.  You may meet to quilt one another’s quilts like the pioneer ladies did.  Or maybe it’s luncheon at a special restaurant and visit to quilt shop or gallery after.Whatever you do, why not plan a gathering with a “Spooky” theme?  Here are various ideas:
*Plan a round robin with Halloween theme.
*Each one of you dress in costume for your get-together or quilting bee.
*Tell …read more

Ah!  The joys of introducing youngsters to quilting!  I’ve had a deligtful week exploring the world of patchwork and quilts with fourth graders.   We’re not doing actual “hands-on” quilting, but we’re discussing this art and participating in some “show and tell.” 
 Instead, this exploration has evolved from reading The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills.  (The illustrations are so beautiful that I simply had to post a large version of the cover.)
  In The Rag Coat, Minna doesn’t have a coat to wear to school when the weather is cold.  Therefore, the ladies in her mother’s quilting group create one of the …read more

                             Weddings are popular throughout the year, but June and the summer months (at least in the northern hemisphere) seen often selected.  Jim’s and mine was a summer wedding, 47 years ago in July, in my family’s farmhouse home with wedding reception outside on the large lawn.  (Fortunately it was a lovely weather day.)       
Also, wedding quilts have been popular throughout the ages.  They consist of many types:
*One of the most popular that comes to mind is the Wedding Ring and Double Wedding Ring, a pattern dating back to the 1800s.
This charming quilt, consisting of many pieces, depicts wedding rings entertwined.
*Ladies gathered at quilting bees to make wedding quilts for …read more

I find my attention captured by quilting and fabric art wherever I go.  Today while I was substitute teaching in an elementary school, I worked with students in an art class.  The teacher was informing them about Grandma Moses and showed a picture of her Quilting Bee painting.
This is a fascinating painting depicting the social activities typical of the old fashioned quilting bee, from the ladies quilting to the families eating and playing games.
A couple of books with featuring her work include Designs on the Heart:The Homemade Art of Grandma Moses and A Year With Grandma Moses.
             

Apparently quilting and cooking go hand in hand with many people.  I’ve begun to see more and more recipes in newsletters I receive via e-mail or check out on web sites.  Sometimes there will be a recipe in every issue.  With other newsletters, the recipe will appear occasionally.
As I’ve mentioned before, this idea must date back to the old time quilting bees when the ladies contributed food for lunch at their get togethers.  Then the menfolk, and sometimes children, too, joined them in the evening in the evening for a social affair.
As I think of quilting at my grandmother’s when I …read more

Our ancestors gathered at one another’s homes to finish quilts, chat, and share recipes.  This was a social outing as well as a work time.  Sometimes the ladies finished their own quilts; sometimes they contributed to a quilt to give as a gift.  They often put a quilt on a quilting frame and all joined in to do the finishing stitches.  In the evening, families gathered, too, for a meal at the hostess’s home.
Nowadays, ladies still gather for quilting bees but more and more quilting get-togethers are online affairs.  Quilters and fabric artists from around the world join online groups to share …read more

I’ve noticed some of the quilting newsletters sometimes contain recipes.  Also, quilters frequently publish cookbooks with recipes and food ideas from various members of a guild or online group.  This collecting of recipes may date back to the early quilting bees which was a social time with food and fun along with working on quilts.
For many years I’ve written a “Country Kitchen” column for print newspapers.  Nowadays some of the columns also appear online.  If you’d like to browse through some of the columns and recipes, you’ll find a collection at Old Fashioned Living (www.oldfashionedliving.com/recipes.html ).  Scroll down until you …read more

Check to see if your favorite quilt shop is participating on Quilt Pink Day, September 30, (www.quiltpink.com ) to support the fight against breast cancer through the Susan G. Korman Foundation.  American Patchwork & Quilting magazine has organized this quilting day.
Quilters around the country will meet at participating quilt shops, make a pink and white block for a quilt.  This quilt will be sent to American Patchwork & Quilting.  There will be an online auction in May, 2007.
Participation is open to quilters of all skill levels, from beginners to professional quiltmakers.  A list of quilt shops around the country participating in this …read more