Tenor Ukulele Case, and Life Lesson

It's finished - the case for my Enya tenor ukulele. 

I've loosely followed a 2012 tutorial by Mommy by Day, Crafter by Night, as she made soprano (small-sized ukulele) cases for her daughters.

Installing a 40" double-tabbed zipper wasn't any more difficult than installing a 5" zipper. It just took longer. 

Honestly, the most difficult part was joining each front and back piece to the side piece. I used a zipper foot to get as close to the cording as possible, but I did a lot of restitching in attempts to get closer. It was challenge sewing with all those layers: fabric, fleece, foam stabilizer, and extra firm stabilizer - times two! - and the cording edge. My Bernina was up to it, but it was a struggle for me.

Prior to sewing, these Clover Wonder Clips bent and broke as soon as I attempted to clip them to seams. I'm sure I've tossed at least 20 of these in the past few months. I've owned them for about seven years, and find it very disappointing that they don't hold up. 

Friday night fun was hand sewing the lining, backed with fleece, to the inside. I made sure to include my Flourishing Palms label on the inside.

One of my favorite labels is on the outside: You Can't Buy This. And, "No I won't make these to sell!" 

The zipper, purchased from ZipIt on Etsy, came with a plastic button tab. Cute enough. 

But I had to replace it with one I've been saving for something special. It's a glittery palm.

I'll head to Peace, Love, and Ukulele Club with this next week! In the meantime, I'm trying to practice twice a day for at least 20 minutes. Any more, and my fingertips get sore. Gradually, very gradually, I'm hearing some improvement in my picking ability. 

I've had a frustrating experience that I'm sharing to not only vent, but also hopefully prevent this ever happening to someone else. 

Every year, the MQG sells a QuiltCon magazine about the show. It's designed and produced by Golden Peak Media. Late each summer, MQG members are invited to submit original quilt designs and story article ideas, with the understanding that if a quilt design is accepted for publication, it will also appear in QuiltCon. Quilt designs submitted may not have been shared on social media. 

Each ideas is to be emailed, separately, directly to Golden Peak Media "submissions." 

In August 2021 I submitted, via email, two ideas:

1) an article about circles, and the prevalence of that shape in modern quilts; and

2) this quilt, my original design made for our Central Florida MQG 2021 Chips and Charms Challenge. 

51½" X 62½"

When, by late October 2021 I hadn't heard anything about the two emails I'd sent, I contacted the company (by email), forwarding each emailed-in-August submission and asking the status of them. The editor replied that neither submission had been seen by them, and the magazine was already put together. 

To say the least, I was disappointed. My emails had not bounced. 

Fast forward to August 2022 when the invitation for QuiltCon magazine submissions arrived from the MQG. I immediately returned to my two 2021 submissions, submitting them with a comment at the top of the email saying:

Please note: I submitted this idea for QuiltCon 2022, and later learned it had never been received or considered. Acknowledgement of this submission is appreciated!

I received acknowledgement that the article submission was received, and though I didn't receive acknowledgment that the quilt submission had been received, I assumed that the reply covered both submissions. 

I was so wrong.

On October 8 I received an email telling me my article submission would not be accepted. Assuming they hadn't made a decision about my quilt submission, I waited for a response about it. 

On Friday, I sent an email to Golden Peak Media asking the status of my quilt submission for QuiltCon magazine. Can you guess the response I received?

"I received your note regarding your Chips and Charms quilt submission. I’m afraid we did not receive it. All of the articles and quilts for the 2023 issue of QuiltCon Magazine have been selected and contracted."

What happened in 2021 happened AGAIN! Can you believe it?! I sure couldn't. "Frustrating" doesn't begin to describe how I've felt about this whole experience. 

It'll accept fault for not confirming that the quilt submission was received. But where in the world do my emails to them go?! They sure didn't bounce. I can only conclude that the company has a problem with their email system. And this must surely be happening to others who submit to their publications.

All this has taught me to verify, verify, verify. Do not assume.

I will not again attempt to submit this quilt to QuiltCon magazine. 

It's a good thing I'm in Bible study right now! From the Glory Days study by Max Lucado I've learned about strongholds (sins) in my life - admitting them, facing them, and dealing with them. This experience has me confronting and being held accountable for my stronghold of "pride." Lord, I have certainly learned a lesson. 

Book Recommendation

The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers takes place in 1946 in a small North Carolina town called Bright Leaf. As her mother goes husband-hunting, 15 year-old Maddie stays with her Aunt Etta, working as her aunt's assistant seamstress. It's time for the big annual task of making gowns for the affluent wives of the local Bright Leaf Tobacco Company. When Aunt Etta becomes ill, Maddie is taken under the wing of the dazzling and beloved Mitzi Winston, wife of Richard Winston, Bright Leaf's owner. Just as Maddie moves into the Winston home, and Mitzi sets up a studio for her, with a new red Singer sewing machine, a cigarette and ad campaign is launched, promoting new mint-flavored Moments cigarettes, designed for women.

As Maddie draws on her design and sewing skills to fill Aunt Etta's shoes, she discovers a confidential document that could change the lives of the entire community. Concerned for others, she unburdens herself to two friends. When both her life and Aunt Etta's are threatened, Maddie knows she has to reveal everything she knows, even at the risk of forever changing her life, and Aunt Etta's.

Once again, I was pulled into a fascinating story that I learned, through the author's notes at the end, is based on historical research about the tobacco industry. The author mentions another books that I'd like to read: The Gilded Leaf by Patrick Reynolds and Tom Schactman, based on three generations of the R.J. Reynolds family. 

Linda's score: 4.1/5.0

Linda

Pony, and Ukulele Case

I'm calling my stable "full" since finishing this Patchwork Pony (pattern by Jo Avery, here). This pony is the easiest one I've made, being a single piece of upholstery fabric that I quilted onto batting to give it structure. Once again, I happily chopped up leftover batting pieces to put inside it. Mane and tail yarn are a combo of Sugar 'n Cream (cotton) yarn and someone's leftover of a knubbly white polyester yarn. 

Here are the four ponies I'll be donating to Children's Home Society of Florida at our Big Cypress Quiter's November 8 baby shower. Hubs saw these on the entryway bench and commented, "It looks like a stampede!" I just think making a pony is the best way to use up batting scraps!

Being able to return to "regular" sewing since completing my QuiltCon entries, I got busy making a strap for my new tenor ukuelele. 

Then I began measuring my uke to make a pattern for cutting a case.

The main body pieces to cut were: 1) exterior fabric; 2) fusible fleece; 3) Flex-Foam 2-sided fusible stabilizer; 4) extra-firm stabilizer; and 5) fabric lining. 

After layering and quilting the two exterior pieces, I made and sewed onto the case edges 132" of bias-covered cording, using the aqua accent fabric which will also be the case lining.

Print fabric is "Sunshine Blvd" by Damask Love, by Riley Blake Designs. I walking foot quilted with 40-weight Aurifil to make a one inch cross-hatch pattern. 

Due to arrive Thursday is a 40" two-ended (two pull tabs) zipper ordered from ZipIt on Etsy. I should have a finished case to take to Peace, Love and Ukulele Club next Monday!

Book Recommendations

The Stone Circle is the 11th book in the "Ruth Galloway" series by Elly Griffiths. I have become so enthralled with these books that I've slowed down reading (print) them, wanting to savor each one as I approach reading books #12 and #13 - the end of the series.

Another archaeological dig is taking place out on the salt marsh, and another body is found after DCI Nelson receives a threatening message. It's learned that the body is that of a young girl who went missing about 20 years ago. Ruth is asked to examine the grave and investigate DNA, which she does, determining that soil traces indicate the girl has recently been moved from another burial site. 

Nelson's wife, Michele, is due to delivery their baby, and as Nelson and his team are investigating the recently-found body, another baby goes missing. 

Linda's score: 4.0/5.0

Since reading the most wonderful book - When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin - I've looked for more of his books and read these two great titles.

The Dead Don't Dance is the first book in a two-book series about Maggie and Dillon Stiles, a young, happily-married couple who are anticipating the birth of their first child. After lots of shopping, planning, and great expectations, Maggie goes into labor... and ends up in a coma. Dillon is lost, yet his friend Amos, and an unusual former military man, Bryce, try to keep him on an even keel. Since the farm Dillon and Maggie live on isn't covering all their bills, Dillon begins teaching at a local junior college. He inspires his students, and teaches life lessons that make both his students and himself better people. Later, he is called on - and he calls on God - to help save Amos and a student who has cared for his wife in the hospital. 

Once again, Charles Martin has used beautiful, poetic language to writers a beautiful story. I really appreciate his descriptive language - Maggie has "Audrey Hepburn hair and Bette Davis eyes." Mr. Martin also and weaves God and wrestling with faith through Dillon's experiences.

Linda's score: 4.1/5.0

Maggie is Charles Martin's book that's the sequel to The Dead Don't Dance. Once again, Dillon and Maggie Stiles are dealing with new life challenges. They decide to adopt a child, but the process is proving difficult what with Dillon's preference for driving an old pick-up truck, and their lack of money. Suddenly, a new reality threatens all of them. Pastor John's past returns to haunt him; he's attacked and his church is torched. So is Amos's home. When, for some unknown reason, Maggie is attacked in the Stiles home, and then Amos's wife is abducted, Dillon, Amos and their friends gather a team of coon-hunters to find the arsonists and abductors.

Linda's score: 4.0/5.0

Linda

Ramped-Up, QC Entries

I can't believe more than a week nine days have passed since my last blog post! That's not like me, but it's indicative of ramped-up activities this month. 

I completed the two quilts shared in my last blog post, and have submitted four quilts to QuiltCon 2023 (October 31 entry deadline), as well as submitted a quilt (about two months ago) for publication consideration: QuiltCon magazine. A new entry rule this year is that a MQG member may have up to four quilts displayed at QuiltCon. Honestly, I'm hoping one will be accepted. QuiltCon competition is always stiff. 

This is Harborage that began as an Instagram #30daysofimprovqal, and finished at 50" W X 44" H with a faced edge. This is the first time I've entered a quilt in the "improvisation" category.

Harborage, 50" X 44"

A couple close-ups of the quilting - free motion; and big stitch hand quilting with three different colors of size 8 Wonderfil Eleganza perle cotton.

          

This is Log Jam, made for the QuiltCon Log Cabin Challenge. It finished at 68" X 70".

Using a walking foot on my Bernina 770QE, I spiral quilted the center, on-point section. 

Then I quilted each of the four corner sections with straight lines spaced ¾" apart. 

Let me tell you, this was a bear to get squared-up! I began by placing lots of rulers along the sides along which I drew lines. But when several measurements across the width and length weren't equal, I pulled out my square, corner laser pointer.

Since buying this gizmo about nine years ago, other laser square-up thingys are available (like at Lowe's or Home Depot). To make it work, I had to put my hand under the quilt to lift it a smidge so as to see the red laser line which I then drew onto the quilt top with an air-erase marker. 

This isn't how I actually used it, but I thought you'd like to see the tool, and the red light line it makes.

Once I'd drawn the lines with the laser gizmo, I measured and double-checked measurements to ensure all lines were on the square. They were. Then, with my walking foot and a long basting stitch, I stabilized the edges along the drawn line. This worked well to keep everything in place as I sewed a black and white striped binding to it. I used No Tails Binding: Mitered Corners by Machine method (available as a webinar on the MQG site, and my blog tutorial is here) and am very pleased with the end result. 

After QuiltCon entries were photographed, written-up, and payment made ($20 per entry), it was time to get back to a Patchwork Pony!

"Patches" on the right, is truly a patchwork pony made with 477 squares that finish at 1". How 'bout his green mane and tail? Boy, this pattern is fantastic for using up leftover batting pieces. For some reason, it's extremely gratifying to rotary chop batting bits and stuff them into a pony. 

Three ponies are now in my stable, ready to give to Children's Home Society of Florida. Though I'm hoping to make one more before Big Cypress Quilters has its November 8 baby shower for the organization. If you think this pattern is as cute too, you can buy yours here from Jo Avery in the UK.

In between all the above, and other things (like line dancing, power walking, two Bible study groups, quilt groups, and a doc appointment) I've been playing with my new tenor ukulele (the blue one) that arrived last Saturday night at about 7 pm. As you can see, a tenor ukulele is larger than a concert ukulele. 

Blue is really pretty, with its two-tone glossy finish. These are the original fluorocarbon strings that I've already had replace at local music shop. 

This picture is a truer representation of the uke color, and the new Aquila Red strings. Between the larger sound capability of a tenor uke, and these Aquila strings, the sound is truly amazing! It reverberates the mellow tones of a guitar. I've been practicing daily to learn the Travis picking method. 

Though the uke came with a gig case, it's plain 'ole black. Ugh! You know me... I need to make a color statement with my uke case, and this is the Riley Blake print I picked up at my LQS. It will be on the outside; the aqua behind the print will be cording and lining. I also bought two Pellon products to give the case structure, and ordered a 36" separating zipper from an Etsy shop. I must make a strap too.

In case you're not on the Curated Quilts email list, I'm sharing that this past week's email promoted CQ's Triangle issue. My small quilt, which appeared in the gallery of that issue, was mentioned in their advertising. Funny though, the quilt was shown upside down! 😁

What do you think? That way?

Or this way, as it was shown in the magazine? 

I kinda like it upside down! 

Book Recommendations

Catherine de Medici by Leonie Frieda is a book I intentionally chose to listen to because we've been watching the Starz series The Serpent Queen. It's about Catherine de Medici, a 14 year-old girl from an Italian merchant family who marries the Dauphin (son of the king) of France. Catherine is initially barren, but eventually gives birth to ten children, three of whom become king of France. However, due to the young age that each son ascends the throne, she's the Regent Queen, retaining all the power to govern France. The country's greatest challenge is a rising division between the Catholic Papacy, and Protestant reformers such as "heretic Lutherans" and "Calvinists." Yet there's enough personal intrigue and information, that Catherine is a fascinating person. Her life story covers the years from approximately 1540 to 1590, and is an excellent look into what court looked like and how people manipulated and treated one another. 

This is definitely a biography - about 20 hours of audiobook listening! - and several times, I floundered through it because many different names, and different castles/residences, and provinces, as well as skirmishes and treasonous acts were narrated in such a "history book" sort of way that my mind wandered. No doubt, I would likely have retained more of the story by reading it in print. But I'm certainly glad I read it. If I ever get to visit France, I will re-read this book so I am sure to find some of Catherine's castles and locations such as The Tuileries in Paris, and Chenonceau. 

Linda's score: 4.0/5.0

Ready for a complete change of pace after reading about Catherine, The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain met every expectation.

It's 1944 and young Tess DeMello has her life planned. She'll finish her nursing degree while her fiancé, Vincent, begins working as a pediatric physician. Their wedding is only months away. But when a severe polio outbreak takes Vincent from Baltimore to Chicago for a far longer time than either of them expected, Tess makes a huge mistake. It's so big and unforgivable that she knows Vincent will never understand. Tess heads to Hickory, North Carolina where she begins a new life that makes her very unhappy. In her kind and loving way, she endures the gossip and unfriendliness she faces in Hickory, including dealing with a harsh mother-in-law, and finds a different way to overcome her challenges. 

Listening to the author's notes at the end of the book, I was interested to learn that much of what happened in Hickory - related to a polio outbreak - was true. Hearing about how prevalent polio outbreaks were in 1944, and how it mercilessly attacked people regardless of age or ethnicity, made me think of how we endured COVID. This book reminded me of how much we need available vaccines. 

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

If you've made it to the end of this post... well, thank you! I just had too much I wanted to share. Linda

Pony Making, and Working Towards Finishes

This is a picture of the serious industry that went on last Sunday at Sterling Heights Recreation Center in The Villages. Members of my Big Cypress Chapter of Quilting Guild of The Villages met for about four hours to make Patchwork Ponies. Edited to add: The Patchwork Pony pattern is not mine! It can be purchased from Jo Avery HERE.

Since joining Big Cypress Quilters in 2015, these ladies have become good friends. Well, that would happen, wouldn't it, if you meet every Tuesday afternoon as we do?! 

I know for a fact that other Big Cypress Quilters are making ponies too. I will take pictures of our pony corral on Tuesday, November 8 when Big Cypress hosts a baby shower for Children's Home Society of Florida. Not only will our Patchwork Ponies be given, but also many other children-related items - diapers, clothing, toys, books, and quilts. This is the third year that our chapter has hosted such an event, and it's always heart-warming to see how everyone contributes. 

I've been working on a couple more ponies myself. Though they aren't finished, they will be.

I've been focusing on QuiltCon entries that need to be finished, photographed, and written about to enter by the October 31 QuiltCon deadline. 

My sewing room looked like this over the weekend as I assessed whether I added enough big stitch quilting to my #30daysofimprovquilt, and I sandwiched, pin-basted and began quilting my improv log cabin quilt. 

The #30daysofimprovqal quilt will be called Harborage, a safe place for ships, and for shelter in general. 

I faced the edges (I always follow this Invisible Faced Binding tutorial) and am currently hand-sewing it down. 

My improv log cabin quilt sandwich is put together with Quilter's Dream Puff batting, and I'm spiral quilting with my Bernina 770QE. I changed the stitch length to 3.2, and have been quilting with 28-weight Aurifil thread on top; 50-weight in the bobbin. 

What was formerly my improv log cabin quilt is now officially being called Log Jam. Once you see the whole quilt top and the wonky triangle-shaped cabins on the four corners, you'll see how the name suits it. 

I'm also a bit excited about having ordered a new ukulele. Mind you, nothing's wrong with my old one which is a Kala brand concert ukulele

As an aside, in case you don't know, ukuleles are made in four sizes: soprano (the smallest uke is like the one Tiny Tim played. I know, I'm dating myself!); concert; tenor; and bass. All four sizes have four strings, but the bass is strung with different notes than the other three which are G, C, E, and A - George Clooney Eats Apples 😄

 How'd you like your uke lesson?!  

Anyway, I've ordered an Enya brand tenor uke, with the idea that by having a larger uke, I'll have more string space in which to begin picking.... plucking strings rather than strumming as I do now. I had an opportunity to hold and hear an Enya, and the sound is just beautiful with tones more more like a guitar. This is a picture of the blue mahogany uke I'm getting.

I only hope that when it arrives I don't overplay it and cause tennis elbow... which is exactly what I did when my Kala uke arrived!

In case you remember that in 2017 I made a case for my concert ukulele, I'm already thinking that I'll have to make a colorful case for my tenor uke too!   

 

Book Recommendation

When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin, is the story of Reese, a young man who has suffered the loss of his beloved wife Emma. Since her death, Reese has become reclusive, living on a small lake in the Southern US, repairing boats with his brother-in-law who lives on the opposite side of the lake.

One day, Reese reluctantly goes into town where he encounters a young girl, Annie, selling lemonade. He notices that her customers are not only paying for lemonade, but also dropping cash into a large pickle jar. Surmising what's going on, a sudden turn of events puts Reese in the middle of a crisis to save Annie's life. What's happening to Annie, and what Annie's Aunt Cindy is dealing with, forces Reese to recall and revisit why he's leading the lonely life that he is. 

This is the best book I've read so far in 2022. When trying to determine why I like it so much, it has to do with: 1) Christianity, including bits of Scripture; 2) quoted poetry that adds to the beauty of the story; and 3) medical information that gave me a new appreciation for one's heart - what it does, and how much it's capable of. This author surely did much research to provide the level of detail in this book. I loved it!

Linda's score: 4.6/5.0

Pony Prep, Improv Cabins, Books

Back in February I made two ponies in a sew-along with Jo Avery, the Patchwork Pony pattern designer. With Jo's generous permission, this Sunday I'm leading a group of Big Cypress Quilters to make ponies that we will donate to Children's Home Society of Florida. 

It took a few sewing sessions and lots of leaders-and-enders to put together 479 1½" X 1½" squares to make fabric for a Patchwork Pony. Two pony sides and a 61"-long gusset have been pieced, quilted onto batting, and edge-stitched, and are ready to be sewn together.

The Children's Home Society has become dear to me as well as Quilting Guild of The Villages (QGOTV). Several of our 27 quilting chapters have hosted a baby shower for the Children's Home. So far this year, $23,000 worth of items and money have been collected! 

Then, this week we learned that their needs are even greater with many of the Children's Home's clients - mothers and children - in the Hurricane Ian-devastated Fort Myers area. This morning QGOTV members contributed and collected gift cards, children's clothing, diapers, and formula, among other needed basics such as drinking water, that will be delivered on Friday into affected areas. 

In between teaching prep - I'll be sharing No Tails Binding: Mitered Corners by Machine on October 22 - I've continued to work on my improv log cabin. It isn't going well... or at least I am having a very hard time making myself work on it. The "liking" I felt when I began hasn't continued into a finished quilt top. 

I'm having a difficult time working out how to arrange log cabin triangles to fill-in corners of the on-point log cabin squares. It will take numerous futzy (a favorite word to describe challenging piecing) efforts to address each spot that has a space or hole along the edge. With no end in sight, and a dried-up heart for the project, it's difficult to keep going.

Tuesday evening, Quilting Guild of The Villages (QGOTV) invited two modern guest speakers to the monthly guild meeting. What a surprise! Most of the guild's 1,216 members are traditional quilt makers, so it doesn't often happen that a modern presenter is scheduled. 

I hopped on my golf cart and went to Laurel Manor Rec Center to hear and see Lee Monroe @maychappell from North Carolina, and Carolyn Friedlander @carolynfriedlander from Florida, give a trunk show of their quilts. 

L: Lee; R: Carolyn

They shared that they'd met about ten years ago and became fast friends. This was their first-ever team presentation that they planned over the phone, choosing commonalities between their quilts to share how each of them approaches designing quilts with different themes - trees; houses; color study; gray scale; and "wild" which was anything goes. Lee and Carolyn made us laugh, and we enjoyed seeing their makes. 

Personally, it was good to chat with Lee again, as I'd met her when I took her "Understanding the Rainbow" workshop in 2017 at QuiltCon Savannah. This is what I made in that workshop.

In the past few months, Cape Canaveral has seen so many space launches that fewer people in our neighborhood are stepping outside to watch them. This was our view of another launch Tuesday afternoon. 

Book Recommendations

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle centers on Hubert, a man from Jamaica who has gone to England to find employment. Being dark-skinned, he encounters many who shun him. Yet Joyce doesn't act as others do. Though her relationship with Hubert causes her family to break tied with their daughter, Hubert and Joyce are happy. 

Then, Hubert's heart is broken. He's lonely, but doesn't want to be around people. When a new neighbor pushes her way into a tentative friendship with him, he begins to come alive again. Now he has a new problem... his daughter is coming to visit. He's made up stories about his many non-existent friends, and he needs to hurry to make some real friends! 

This is a charming story about the importance of friendships, even with those you might not necessarily consider friends, yet who stick beside you when times are difficult. 

Linda's score: 4.1/5.0

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeny takes place in a remote ocean-side house called Sea Glass that's accessible only when the tide is out, and walking across the sand is possible... with your belongings trundled in a wheel barrow. 

The entire Darker family is meeting at Sea Glass to celebrate the 80th birthday of Nana, and Daisy is the first to arrive followed by her divorced parents, her single sisters, a niece, and one unexpected visitor. 

Years ago, a fortune teller told Nana she would die when she was 80 years old, so when Nana's body is found on the kitchen floor, it's not a big surprise. She has a gash on her head. But who could have killed her? The tide is in, so no one can get to the house. 

The same night another family member dies, and another... with a gruesome poem appearing on Nana's chalkboard wall. Who is killing everyone? And more importantly, why?!

I'll have to say that I figured out some of this story before the final "reveal," but it was definitely an engaging story that I couldn't stop listening to. 

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford, was the most thought-provoking book I've listened to in a long time. As Mr. Ford explains in the beginning, his premise for writing this work of fiction was to explore epigenetics - the significance of inherited remembrances, and how past experiences are carried forward to direct and impact each generation.

Afong Moy was the first Chinese woman in the United States. She met President Andrew Jackson, and performed in front of many audiences - not because she wanted to, but because she was sold, and her bound feet were an oddity. 

Dorothy lives in Seattle in 2045, and a typhoon is on the way. She has been seeing therapists for years, trying to resolve her psychological and emotional issues. When she's referred to Epigenises, an office that guides patients to explore brain synapses that lead them to better understanding of inherited knowledge, Dorothy discovers and begins to understand the actions of the generations of mothers before her. 

What happens to these Cantonese women, and their Buddhist beliefs in karma and enlightenment are all very interesting to a Christian, like me. 

Linda's score: 4.3/5.0

Linda