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I'm getting very close to getting the dragonfly and moose table runners up on the website! I had made a sample earlier of this one, but it had some issues to work out so I finally got another one done. Next, a table runner to match the leaf quilt, then on to some new designs for wall hangings and table runners.  
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 It's been pretty cold here this week, between -30 and -45 most of the time. Our most deadly weather is deceptively beautiful... calm and sunny! It's a great time to stay inside and get some things done. Our friend Dennie was here this week and helped pack up about 200 kits, refolded my fabric, edited my parenting "book", plus lots of other things! I'm getting close on the table runner kits too, hopefully soon. I recently made another "hip purse". The first one was great, but it also gave me some ideas to improve it. I did small box corners in this one to make more room, and added a zipper pocket and a small lip balm pocket on the inside. It's much more functional now! I still want to do a pattern for this too, in my spare time... :-)   If you are not familiar with the "beginners and enders" trick, which I think originated with quilter Bonnie Hunter, then you will love this! When making a pieced quilt, chain piecing is great if you can do it, because it saves thread, time, and the aggravation of having your needle come unthreaded because you cut it too short... But some quilts don't lend themselves as well to chain piecing, so this trick is the next best thing. When you get to the end of a seam, don't cut the thread, just keep sewing onto a scrap of fabric folded in half, (an "ender", and folded because sewing machines don't always like sewing on one layer) then clip the threads behind that to free your project. Then for the next seam, just butt it up to your "ender", which is now a "beginner" :-) At the end of that seam, clip the scrap off the back and use it again, or have another one going also. You can use them lots of times, and eventually they would be a fun little piece to use in an art quilt, with all that stitching on them. (If you think about it, we usually leave a tail of several inches when we cut the thread, so the needle doesn't come unthreaded. This ends up at the beginning of the next seam. If the seams you are sewing are that length or shorter, the majority of your thread ends up in the garbage, it really does add up! And saves bobbin winding too!) OR...and this is even better, instead of a scrap, use two squares of fabric and piece them with a 1/4 inch seam. The pieced parts of this quilt top have all been done this way, and since it was made with scraps except for the neutral background, it cost very little time or money! (I will say that hand appliqueing with batiks is not a lot of fun though, it's very densely woven...that's how the flowers were done) My top still needs the rest of the borders, planning to do three, hopefully sometime...I am working on a pieced border for the second one using this trick too.   I've been wanting to play with clothesline and scraps, and finally got around to it with this trivet and coaster. I just wrapped the clothesline as I went, lots of fun and used up a bunch of long skinny strips I had! AND, the Keepsake Quilting catalog came out this week and for the first time, we are in it! I have put this on facebook, but I don't think I have mentioned it on my blog yet...One of the photos is upside down...but hey, we are still excited! I haven't gotten mine yet, thanks to Bonnie for sending me a photo...Media rate mail takes forever to get to Alaska. Lots more coming soon too, starting with table runners to match the wall hangings. There are a few things holding up the process right now, hopefully not too much longer!   I made a quiet book for a Christmas gift this year. It was a fun project that kept getting bigger and bigger! I did a tutorial about it on the tutorials page, so I won't put it all again here, just a sneak preview photo! Click here to see the rest! 
I'm working on catching up my large backlog of unposted things from over the holidays! I'm starting out with a few things that are actually for sale, I pretty much never have anything finished in stock to put on here! The first one is a little snowy owl quilt, 8 x 16 inches. The second is a leaf wall hanging. (4 x 24 inches) I had someone request one of these, so I decided to make a few more while I was at it. There are four more of those available. All of these wall hangings are $40. If you are interested, I can either send you an e-mail with a link to pay with Paypal, (e-mail me at beret@onthetrailcreations.com) or you can call me with your credit card info. (call me at 907-455-4075, and remember we are in the Alaska time zone, three hours behind central time :-)) 
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Beret Nelson's On The Trail Creations Blog Page
Beret NelsonI am a homeschooling mom of three fun kids, who are now old enough that I have a little time to pursue my passion for sewing! After several years of making quilted cards and art quilts, I'm now designing kits and patterns. Some of my designs have been in Keepsake Quilting and Art Quilting Studios magazine! I teach classes online, and am starting to do more traveling and teaching. I also have many tutorials, including some on YouTube. I am blessed to live in Alaska where I am surrounded by the inspiration provided by the beauty of God's creation! Free card pattern and also an e-book, and a quilt planning checklist!
"Like" my facebook page!I am also an independent distributor for Plexus supplements, since I credit them with enabling me to be healthy enough to do all these fun things! They target blood sugar and gut health, which are at the root of so many modern health issues. E-mail me for more info, or check out my website! I am as passionate about getting people healthy as I am about getting people creating :-)
beret@onthetrailcreations.com or https://plexusworldwide.com/beretnelson  Archives
March 2023
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