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Saturday, November 21, 2020

Around the Block - US Tour - North Dakota


 

Welcome to my 2nd design in the U.S. Tour of Quilting Around the Block Event. If you missed my Apple from Washington you can find it here. The entire list of designers with block links is here.

So why am I designing a block for North Dakota?
My grandfather was born in Alsen, North Dakota -- a first generation American. 

I found this on the internet from 1916
-- included in the Jubilee Celebration Booklet of the town of Alsen in 1980


 This photo is Jacob (my great-great grandfather, d. 1911) with his wife, Barbara (Peters) and one of their daughters (Nettie).  He was one of two brothers who came to America in the late 1800s. The brother--Gerhard, had settled in Delft--near Mountain Lake, MN.



One of Jacob and Barbara's sons, also Jacob, is in this picture with his wife K(C?)atherine (Peters--but different lineage than her mother-in-law) (my great-grandparents) on their Golden Wedding Anniversary in California. So this is likely the Jacob J. Baerg mentioned in the above booklet exerpt. 
 

My grandfather had already been born by the time the account above took place. So he was probably running around as a toddler on the farm (see below).  

The town of Munich (less than 10 miles away from Alsen) had their jubilee celebration in 1975 and included in the booklet it talks about another Baerg owning property along the railroad.

This image c.1913 is near Munich of the Peters family (Katherine's parents and siblings/spouses/children) and includes my grandfather --the little guy sitting on his Grandpa Peters lap.


My great-grandfather's sister - Margaret moved from Mountain Lake, MN in 1900 to Otter Creek, ND with her husband John Jacob Wiebe. Here they first built this sod shanty that I got to visit back in 2004. The family homestead gravesite is still nearby. 

 


Later that summer a rock house was built from sandstone and the roof covered with sod (photo below c.1907 after Margaret had died).



c. 1914-15 on the same homestead.

Another family homestead (likely one of the children's places as they started out on their own) in great disrepair in 2004.




One of the last big trips my dad took across the U.S. (2015) before his passing (2018), included going to North Dakota and driving through the town of Alsen (what is left anyway).




The family (great-grandparents) migrated to California when my grandfather was a young boy and our family had 2 more generations there.

A favorite memory --Grandpa would always have a can of nuts that he shared when I was up on his lap when we would go to visit him in the Bakersfield, California. And later in life, I still had a special connection with my Grandpa.
 



While reading the account in the family history, one of Margaret's son's described seeing something wet like syrup running down the side of the barn, turned out it was honey. "So as Grandpa Baerg was a Bee Man, he built a hive and soon we had our own honey!"

When looking at what North Dakota is known for, the thing that struck me was honey! It is the largest producer in the nation. As a farmer, bees are critical!

So, I do have a special place in my heart for this state and was excited to be able to design a block to represent the state of North Dakota. I thought a honeycomb would make a fun block for this project.

Ordinarily for English Paper Piecing, we sew the hexagons together. But I felt without sashings the honeycomb effect would not be as clear. 

So, for this iconic style, just make the hexagons and applique them down.  Batiks or wool will work best if you choose to not finish the edge, but any fabrics would work if finishing the edges. The pattern includes a page to print the hexagon template and a placement guide.

I chose to use freezer paper which made this quick and easy to form the hexagons with finished edges. Put the waxie side of the freezer paper away from the back side of the fabric. Press the edges over the freezer paper towards the waxie side careful not to get the iron on the wax (just the fabric) and let it cool in place. The freezer paper will peel away when you're ready to stitch it down and leave the crease.


To transfer the design onto black fabric, I took a pin and stuck holes at each corner and a couple in between each corner, then took a white chalk mechanical pencil and marked through each hole the design onto the fabric. This made it easy to set the prepped hexies onto the black fabric and pin in place.

If you do a finished edge, you might use a big stitch, machine stitch, or do a hidden ladder stitch to sew them in place. I just did a straight stitch less than 1/8" from the finished edge.




Order Fabric kit here $3.00 plus applicable tax and shipping (first class parcel). Kit will include (Northcott Toscana Sunglow-531 and Double Dipped Solid Black) with printed pattern and freezer paper. FREE shipping for orders of at least $75 in merchandise.

Be sure to get in on this!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The past two weeks:
The next two designers:

#quiltingaroundtheblock
#eq8
#northcottfabrics
Thanks for stopping by!




Thursday, November 12, 2020

Finishing 11 years of Professional Long-arm Machine Quilting

Wrapping up 11 years of my long-arm as part of my business. Here is a little recap of this year's work on my machine and a few other endeavors.


This Year:     75 Customer Quilts
76% Pantos, 24% Custom
57 pantos;  18 custom

Pantographs : 4.75  (#/mo)    Custom : 1.5 (#/mo)

Business to date: 753 Customer Quilts

Custom Quilts that weren't just a simple freehand:












Combo of freehand in the border and a panto fill in the panel with motif work of the main element.

Double batt:

yes...a 3rd cross-stitch panel of the same design

panels for this quilt and some coordinating fabrics still available







Shop Fabric Samples -- *fabrics/patterns available in the shop

 -Ribbon Hearts panto


***** Ticket in Hand - April in Paris Panto
- a few fabrics still available

 ***** Snoopy Deep Space - custom and Galaxy panto combined
-kit w/free pattern available

 
***** A Winter Poinsettia - In the Beginning collection - some fabrics still available
-Dancing Snowflakes panto



NEW DESIGNS

 
- for Island Batik - Sintra Entrada --new pattern coming soon!
featuring Citrus Sun fabric collection coming early 2021
-custom spiral quilting

 
- for Island Batik - Holly Berries in the Snow --new pattern coming soon!
featuring Holly Holiday collection of fabrics being released in 2021
- custom ribbon candy in white border segments; spirals between berries and ruler work in holly leaf  background segments


for Northcott - Dark Room - featuring Silhouette fabric collection to be released in 2021


....AND FOUR MORE FOR NEXT YEAR ...STILL UNDER WRAPS ;-)

INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION

Kits available for Luminous (dawn colorway) using Northcott Toscana fabrics. 

Designer's Tips and Techniques monthly episodes during height of the pademic, led me to create several videos, including a few trunk shows of my own journey, a series of videos on bindings and a tour of my shop. You can find them on my IGTV currently. These placemats were produced for part of the binding series.
 
***** From the Market - fabrics available
-custom follow the motif

True Blue Quilter's Trek
 
***** Treasure Map - kits available w/hidden tokens!
- small footprints panto


Garden Party RAL
 
***** Poppy Dance Party - kits available
 
-my Garden Party collaborative quilt top with some prior year rows incorporated.

U.S. Tour - Weekly Blog Hop
 
***** WA - Apple - kits available w/pattern; free download also available

 
***** ND - Honeycomb - kits available w/pattern; free download also available



PATTERN TESTING / ANGLEPLAY
 
***** Urban Lights - An AnglePlay pattern. Kit available.
-Starlight panto



 
***** New Calypso an AnglePlay pattern - fabrics from 'cubbies' stash; More about my AnglePlay certification in my year-end post.


Fall Retreat
Despite the pandemic we were able to host our Fall Retreat at Camp MiVoden using appropriate precautions, it was successful!  Really felt good to socialize and be productive. Most of my own sewing was 'secret' for market next spring, but here are some photos of camp and from others' productivity!

front/back





The setting here is beautiful and we enjoyed some spectacular weather.



front/back
 







Progress from retreat 2 years ago


a completion from 2 years ago!


Country Register - still writing 6 times a year ...do you read my articles?

The health journey continues ...still trying to find the right balance. Did a 'virtual' 5k this year with an under 13 minute mile equivalent (on our AMT machine).

Thanks for following along. If I can be of service, please contact me.

#GammillGirl  www.kissedquilts.com