Below is a list of monthly block swap participants as of June 5, 2009.  Not everyone participates on a monthly basis. I didn’t want you to think you needed to make more blocks.

Alisa M                  Portland OR
Alma G                  Tuttle, OK
Carole P                 Orlando, Florida
Ceil A                    Festus, MO
Cherie C                Sicklerville, NJ
Chris F                  Warrenton, VA
Christina S            Bushkill, PA
Christine M           Milk River, Alberta, Canada
Cindy H                Huntsville, AL
Cyndi R                 Clarion, IA
ElizaBeth H           Las Crucas, NM
Ella T                   Richmond, VA
Gina P                 Sicklerville, NJ
Jackie T              Monrovia, CA
Janie F                Taft, TX
Judy S                Hortonville, WI
Kathy K
Lillian V             Grande Blanc, MI
Lisa B                Princeton, IN
Mary P               Mauston WI
Maureen S        Littleton, CO
Pat V
Patty S             Lancaster, MA
Raylene S        Valier, Montana
Robin H          Pingree, ID
Sheryl E          Baumont, CA
Tammy W       Mechanicsville, Virginia
Teresa P         Haltom City, TX

A scant 1/4″  is a hair less than a  1/4″.   I use the 1/4″ foot on my machine and instead of the fabric butting up against the foot, I leave enough room between the foot and the material to insert a straight pen between the two.  This only works if you can sew a straight line with minimal guidance.  Another way to sew a scant 1/4 inch is to move your machine needle to the right and use the foot with the material butted against it as a guide.  Or, if you use the guides on the needle plate, mark your scant 1/4″ on the plate.

I hope you found this tip helpful. 

I was pleased to see all the participants in our October block swap.  The blocks sent in are fabulous.  We have very talented quilters and this months block chosen by Sara is already posted on the site.  I know how busy the holidays are and they are just around the corner.  I hope you find time in your busy schedule to join us again.

It’s been awhile since I logged in. Our grandson, Kristopher, has gone home. We had him visiting for several months during the summer. The house seems empty again. No constant chatter, and daily replay of his day. He is truly loved and missed. His 4th birthday is coming up this month. Hard to believe he is 4. My oldest grandchild is Haley. She is 7 years old now and is such a joy to have around. During this past summer she played with Kristopher in the pool. We had a hard time getting her out of the water. Her brother, Logan is coming up on 2 years as is Kristopher’s brother, Korvous. Gosh - I just love the grandkids.

It’s back to routiine at our home and we are starting to prepare for the holidays as I am sure many of you are as well. I’m thinking about humiliating my dogs (as hubby says) and put them in holloween costumes this year. We have yorkies. Hubby says he doesn’t have yorkies, but he sure does like it when they sit with him on the couch. We started out with two: Barney and Pebbles. Pebbles had a litter and hubby got attached to one and now we have three. But he doesn’t have any dogs.

I’ve been busy at work and have enjoyed talking to those of you who call. We have two new lines from Kona Bay coming soon. The Recesskits and jelly rolls have finally come in.  I have a slew of Hoffman handpainted batik fat quarters to put together, and the Garden Twist collection from In The Beginning is here.  If you like this collection, you’ll want to place an order quickly as this line has been discontinued.  Rainy Daysfrom South Sea Imports will be on the site shortly.  This is a really cute childrens pattern.  City Girl from Benartex looks like it may be on the discontinued list as well.  I was told that they are not reprinting the fabric, so don’t delay if you love this line…buy it now! I have several collections on order and will get them posted to the Coming Soon section of the website this weekend.  Don’t forget to check out the Last Call area.  There are some terrific deals there.  So much sewing, so little time. Where does the time go?

Until next time,

Take it one stitch at a time…

Lee Ann

Have you ever wondered why your completed block is not the size it should be even though your seams are straight and a perfect 1/4 inch?

When you press your seams, they take an additional 1/16th of an inch off your block per row!  To avoid this problem, use a scant 1/4 inch seam.

As long as you are consistent with your seam allowances, no one will ever know that your 12 inch block was supposed to be 12 1/2 inches!

Happy Quilting!

Tranquility Quilts & Fabric Shop is pleased to provide The Secret Garden, a place where guilters gather to meet friends and share ideas.   Please feel free to chat amongst yourselves, ask questions, make comments but most of all meet new friends.  The Garden is host to quilters of all skill levels so if you have the answer to a question, please feel free to post it. I hope you enjoy the experience and come back often.