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February 1, 2011 My first group
of UFQ Assualt Tactics' students have been completing their first lesson and sending me their photo reports! It's very
exciting to see the transformations of their sewing areas -- a good first step to getting unfinished projects under control.
You can start the course anytime because the students set their own pace. There is nothing that perks a quilter up like
having a tidy sewing area! My most recent UFQ victory has to do with a large pile of 2 1/2" strips of polka dots
and plaids -- I would estimate they were cut over 5 years ago for a checkerboard quilt like the one Gwen made at the shop.
Two weeks ago, a student put forward the idea of using some jelly roll strips for the mystery quilt and it got me to thinking
about that pile. It turns out that she dropped the idea, but I picked it up and am making a second version of Trip to
the Stars with those strips!! Now most of the strips have been used and happily, not only were there enough for
the mystery quilt, but I have made a good start on a lap size checkerboard quilt which was the original intention -- two for
one!! It doesn't get much better than that! To register for the mystery quilt or the UFQ Assualt home study course,
go to the SHOPPING page! http://www.maryhueyquilts.com/catalog/c1_p1.html
January 1, 2011 Here
we are at the beginning of a new year! And in spite of all my previous attempts to reform myself at the beginning
of so many previous years, I want to try again! I won't bore you with all the gorey details, but I have decided to try
to empty one shelf of my stash this year. That goal is based on some loose calculations I did last evening while ironing
a backing for a quilt I hope to layer today. It went something like this. I was feeling rather smug about using
up 5 yards of stash to create the backing for a quilt (and 75% of the fabric for the top was from the stash) but
that feeling was quickly undermined by the fact that it made no visible difference in the appearance of the shelves.
There are loosely 24 shelves and 4 boxes of fabric in my sewing room . . . . if I live to be 90 and don't buy any more fabric
(yea, right?) and use up a shelf of it every year, I'll run out!?! Won't my family be relieved not to have to
deal with it . . . . instead there will be hundreds of quilt tops (with backings, of course)?!? So today, I'm going
to put a tally sheet on the bulletin board in the sewing room and try to keep track of how much fabric I use this year
from my stash. I estimate that each shelf holds 100 yards of fabric -- that's scary enough without actually measuring
what is on a shelf. We'll see how I do. Using 100 yards in a year is 6 or 7 full size quilts and I'm not sure
I can produce that many big ones. The thing I enjoy most about confining my work to my stash is that I make decisions
I wouldn't if I was shopping for new fabric. The current quilt (which you'll see in the Farmpark Quilt Show) has been
defined by not having enough of the theme fabric -- and frankly, I think the results are better than my original plan! Time
to go make a quilt!
December 10, 2010 I'm very excited to introduce
two new products to you today! Do you know how
many unfinished quilt projects (UFQ's) possess you? And do you know why you quit working on them?
Do you know if you have 15 projects that are only half finished, it will take you at least one year, working for at
least an hour every day to finish them? Unfinished projects can be a real
bummer or they can be an untapped resource. And as all of us know, resources must be managed.
I’ve been dealing with my own backlog for the past 4 years and while I don’t ever expect to enter the state
of “No UFQ’s”, I have half what I did two years ago and no longer feel overwhelmed. All that experience
means I’m ready to mentor you as you take control of your UFQ’s and cash in on the possibilities they offer.
Beginning January
1, 2011 (okay, January 2), I am offering an “e-course” to help you begin your own journey. The
course is 6 lessons completed at your own pace (although I reserve the right to prod if you are plodding). Each
lesson has 3 or 4 tasks designed to help you gain control over your UFQ’s and learn creative approaches to dispatching
them. Once you complete the tasks, you submit a brief photo report to me documenting your progress and
I send you the next lesson. While you won't finish all your UFQ's, it is my hope that you'll make better use of them
for the rest of your quilting career! The fee is $50, but if you pre-register by December
30, it’s only $35. On January 15,
2011, I'll launch my first mystery quilt in four years. I "mined" traditional quilt patterns for an inspiration
all summer and happily, a versatile block in an antique quilt asked me a question and a design came together which I know
you will enjoy making. The piecing is basic -- triangle sets and squares -- and I've written instructions that allow
you to choose a comfortable size for the blocks -- 6", 9" or 12" blocks. You will be able to choose
a simple fabric pallette of 7 prints divided between 2 color families or pull from your stash for a scrappier approach.
The setting for the blocks will use Marti Michell's Sashing Stars Set. I'll host an optional "kick-off"
gathering at my home in Willoughby on Saturday afternoon, January 15, 2011 from 2 to 4 p.m. At that time, you can bring
along a pile of fabric and get my input on the best value and color placement. For those who cannot get to Willoughby,
I will be happy to advise you on this via e-mail and photos. I think this will be one of my most popular designs because
it has so much versatility in size and block arrangement. I've certainly enjoyed piecing it! The fee is $15. If you have any questions about either of this new products, please don't hesitate to contact me! To register for either (or both!) of these new opportunities, you can send
me a check (4747 Maple St., Willoughby, Ohio 44094) or
Go to the main shopping page and click on Mary Huey's original patterns!
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