Hot Pads

Yet ANOTHER project from Malka Dubrawsky's book, Fresh Quilting. This, again, is the book I made the improvisationally pieced quilt from, the fun coasters (Wynne, I am working on some for you - thanks for the comments!), the sewing machine cover, and now, the Strings Attached potholders. They are also improvisationally pieced, and even their edges are not quite square (on purpose.) An attached loop is folded up on the back should I choose to hang them up. I used bits and pieces of oddly cut fabrics, sticking mostly to solids and dots with a few other prints thrown in here and there. The book has excellent instructions and good encouragement just to "go for it" with inexact measurements. Very freeing. I layered the pieced potholder top with one layer of Insulbrite, a heat-resistant batting and one layer of 100% cotton batting, per package instructions. The cotton batting helps with moisture control, I think. I did some free motion quilting with variegated thread, slapped on my new favorite single fold binding, and done! Another tempting book project is a trivet which is basically 6 potholders sewn together. It would be a great table topper that could take a hot casserole with style. On a happy and sad note, I took my daughter who is starting to love sewing and quilting to one of my favorite vintage/quilt shops, St. Croix County Dry Goods, in Hudson, WI. We walked in to find all fabric 20% off...good news! Nope, bad news. They are closing the store, moving to another location at some point, but...without the fabric. Just the vintage things, trims, buttons, maybe a few vintage fabrics and wools. So sad to hear of this. I guess it is a rent raising/internet fabric/economy decision, but, still...very hard to know. The shop will close by the end of this month. Increasing discounts each week. I know the new place, whever it is, will be great to visit. I will miss the fabric and the wonderful quilts. The owner was a close friend of two of my sewing friends who are no longer with us - gone too soon. Hug your sewing friends and support your local shops. Before they are gone. Jerilynn