Quilts in the Parks

Kaye’s Round-Up Quilt at the Jacob Lake Historic Ranger Station.
There was a fire in the area in 2020 but the ranger station was saved. There are burned trees nearby.

Last month my husband did an amazing feat. . . he hiked the Grand Canyon with some of his friends from Rim to Rim to Rim. That means they started at the South Rim, hiked all the way through and up to the North Rim where I met them, fed them and allowed them some sleep in the RV before they hiked from the North Rim back through the canyon to the South Rim. That’s about 60 miles and a lot of elevation change. There will be another post later about my quilts connected to his hike.

While he was off gallivanting, the dogs and I were hanging out on the North Rim in a beautiful campground of Ponderosa pines. We took lots of walks and there was a cute little historic ranger’s station there at Jacob Lake. When Ed finally returned, we drove over to take a few photos of my quilts there and what did we find?

Meghan Morris quilting on the porch.

We found a Park Ranger quilting on the porch!

I couldn’t believe my eyes!

Let me introduce Meghan Morris. She works for the Forest Service and worked in the area all summer. When they opened the historic station this spring (it was closed for 2020) they discovered that some little critter had chewed a few holes in the quilt. She got permission (it’s a government agency, remember) to repair the quilt and had been working on it over the summer. When I met her she was finishing up; just in time because she was leaving and heading to a new post in a different part of Arizona.

We had a great time chatting for a few minutes while she stitched away. Some other visitors to the cabin must have thought they walked in on a quilting convention! It was pretty funny. . . the confused looks made my day. This goes to show. . . quilters are EVERYWHERE!

New Video Series for Beginning Longarmers!

For a long time I have had

Here’s a bit of my current To Do list.

-Make a Beginner’s Video Series

on my To Do list and I FINALLY got going on this project!

As I have started traveling the country teaching people how to use their Handi Quilter longarm machines, I have discovered that many people don’t have a grip on the basics. There are LOTS of videos on some of the more challenging techniques but it’s hard to find short, easy-to-understand videos just for beginners on the basics. So. . . that is my focus for the next few weeks.

If there is a topic you would like me to cover, please let me know!

This first video seems silly- HOW TO TURN YOUR MACHINE ON AND OFF- but when the new update of ProStitcher came out in June it became blatantly obvious that a LOT of people were not doing this correctly and their update wasn’t loading correctly.

The whole video is 4 minutes long, so it might be worth your time to see if you are doing all the steps. And while you are there, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss the rest of the series!

Shoo, Too!

The Quilt Block Mania assignment for September is to use a traditional quilt block and change it up a bit to make it our own. The Shoo Fly block immediately came to mind because I have spent the summer teaching my adorable granddaughters to sing “Shoo fly, don’t bother me!”

Shoo Fly Block

The traditional Shoo Fly block is based on a 3×3 grid.

To make a traditional Shoo Fly Block you need:

  • 1- 4.5″ Center Square
  • 4- 4.5″ Background Squares
  • 4- 4.5″ Half-square Triangles that are half background fabric

As a longarm quilter, I always like to have some negative space planned into my designs to give me some room to add secondary designs in the texture. So, with no further ado, I present Shoo, Too!

Shoo Too is based on a 4×4 grid and has the traditional block tucked in one corner with some self-sashing thrown in to modernize the look a bit.

To make a Shoo Too block you need:

Shoo Two Block
  • 1- 3.5″ Center Block
  • 4- 3.5″ Background Blocks
  • 4- 3.5″ Half-square Triangles that are half background fabric
  • 1- 3.5″ x 9.5″ strip of dark fabric
  • 1= 3.5″ x 12.5″ strip of dark fabric

The V of dark fabrics gives direction and movement too the quilt. Here is one example of how you could arrange the blocks. I have used a plain 9.5″ Square of background fabric and added strips of a medium value to pop up the excitement of the quilt.

I hope you will give Shoo Too a try! If you do, make sure you tag it with OKQShooToo or tag me with #OhKayeQuilting.

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Shoo Too Quilt

Starry Steps Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Log Cabin with a Twist by Appliques Quilts and More
Faux Log Cabin by PhoebeMoon Designs
Twisted Irish Chain by Inquiring Quilter
Pinwheel Pizzazz at Blue Bear Quilts
Rail Fence Roundabout at Perkins Dry Goods
Twirling Star by Mom and Me Quilting Co
Neon Churn Dash by Pretty Piney Quilts
Pinwheel Twist by QuiltFabrication
Quilt Block Exhibit
String of Stars by Orange Blossom Quilt Design Studio
log cabin twist by Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Twisted Log Cabin at Penny Spool Quilts
Wonky Star by Patti’s Patchwork
Modern Churn Dash at The Quilting Room with Mel
Wonky Log Cabin by Love to Color My World
Shoo Two by Oh Kaye Quilting

Travel to the Woods

I love to travel. I enjoy seeing new places and seeing how people live in different climates and areas. I have lived in Utah, USA for the past 27 years but I grew up in the beautiful state of Maine. My favorite place to travel these days is back home to see the ocean and the trees. The smell of the pine and spruce trees is like a tonic for my soul.

This month’s Quilt Block Mania theme is travel and I made this very simple block that could be used for a travel themed quilt or pillow, but with a quick tweak of fabrics and some embellishment couold turn this humble block into a Christmas showstopper!

This is a Foundation Paper Pieced (FPP) pattern, but if you have never tried it before, this is a great place to start! This is a very simple block and I think you will enjoy trying it. If you need some help, check out this tutorial.

https://ohkayequilting.com/2020/07/20/foundation-paper-piecing-tutorial/

To get the block, go to The Shoppe.

Bridge Quilt block by Carolina Moore
Lucky is on the road again at Puppy Girl Designs
Scenic Route by Slice of Pi Quilts
Travel to the Woods by Oh Kaye Quilting
Embark by Inquiring Quilter
Delectable Mountains at PhoebeMoon Designs
Treasure Chest Star by Blue Bear Quilts
Wanderlust by Heidi Pridemore
On the Water by Patti’s Patchwork
Come Sail Away by Mom and Me Quilting Co.
Wish You Were Here at Pretty Piney Quilts
Pack It Up by QuiltFabrication
Me and Bobby McGee at Orange Blossom Quilt Design Studio
Wild Blue Yonder at Perkins Dry Goods
Take a Hike by Devoted Quilter
Into the Blue at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
T-Shirt Fun at The Quilting Room with Mel
Stitch and Flip Mountain Block