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The Sewing Room

Sewing Room, Work Room, Studio……whatever you want to call it, what does yours look like right now? As we approach the first of the year, I’m thinking about what my main resolution will be……I say this every year and every year it never gets done…Clean up my “Studio”!

Jinny's "studio" after the last "clean-up" 15 years ago.
Jinny’s “studio” after the last “clean-up” 15 years ago.

So what is my “Studio”? It is a long narrow room at the back of the house that attaches to the laundry room. It actually used to be the whole laundry room but I cut it up and made a workspace out of part of it.  There is a door that leads outside. Along one wall and around a corner is a long kitchen height counter to use for workspace with a couple of cubby holes to allow a bar-type chair to fit. Windows, over the counter, look out to the yard and drawers for storage are underneath. Opposite the counter are shelves for fabric storage. One wall, that has the door to the laundry room, is burlap covered and serves as a design wall. The door is also covered in burlap…….doesn’t sound too bad.

A lot of people would like to have a space like this. So why haven’t I used it in 15 years? Why, when I have a project to work on, do I spread it out on the island in the kitchen and work at the kitchen table?

Okay, I’m really going out on a limb here. I’m thinking that if I show you some pictures of what it really looks like now and declare my resolution in front of all of you then I can’t back down. I’ll have to save face and clean it up.

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My work room has become a catchall. I don’t sit at the counter or use this room as a “Studio” and work because:

*The counter is piled high with fabric and junk……the whole entire counter!

*A dog crate sits under one of the work cubby holes and fabric is stored in bins under the other, so there is no room for a chair to fit.

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Dog crates make another great horizontal surface to hold “stuff!”

*Drawers and shelves are stuffed as full as can be with no room for anything else.

*My burlap covered wall has the second dog crate in front of it as well as a now defunct copy machine. Back when we still had cats, they liked to use the burlap as a scratching post……its pretty ugly right now.

Now, mind you, this won’t be a day project. I have to find a place for all that clutter or get rid of a bunch of stuff. In order to do that, I have to clean out every drawer and shelf so I have a place to put what I really want to keep. I’m going to have to clean the attic so I have a place to store things that I’m not going to use all the time. I’m going to have to replace the burlap wall with something else and dispose of the defunct copy machine……I won’t get rid of the dog crates because I love my dogs and they love their crates…..but I will make room under at least one of the cubby holes for a chair so I can once again sit and look at the nice view as I work.

So how many of you have a “Studio” that needs organizing? How many of you will take the challenge with me and send a “before” photo? Then during the year lets share progress photos…..we CAN do this!

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Sit Back and Watch The Quilt Show

Jinny and RickyI hope all of you who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a day which was “merry and bright.”  Often, though, we are left dragging the following day, hoping for a little time to relax.  I have a suggestion for what you can do to kick back and put your feet up for an hour.

Six years ago I was honored to have been named a quilting “legend” by my friends Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims from The Quilt Show. The episode they filmed for their show took place in my home and at the Studio here in Great Falls.  This week, through January 1, they are offering their legend shows for free.  In my episode, you will see my historic home (parts of which date back to 1750), my gardens and visit my Studio. I talk about my start in quilting and my color theory, and I get to show you some of my quilts.  If you would like to see this episode and others, visit The Quilt Show following this link.

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Wishing You a Peaceful Holiday Season

Holiday signIt is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, worrying about buying the right gifts, baking cookies, decorating a home.  With so many distractions, we sometimes forget to pause and take stock. I’m reminded of the words of Dr. Suess in his famous tale of How the Grinch Stole Christmas:

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

I hope we all take a moment to take stock and that our thoughts are full of all the blessings we have—our families, friends, homes and communities.

And for me, that includes you, too.  I’ve enjoyed meeting many of you in classes and in the Studio, reading your emails and comments on Facebook and my blog and, of course, sharing my love of quilting.  Even though we may live countries apart and we may never meet, we are all part of this wonderful quilting community.

Yes, I think quilters especially understand this message from the Grinch.  The gift of a quilt is a labor of love whether for a friend, family member or even a stranger.  The world can be a scary place these days.  I am so grateful to be associated with generous men and women who give others tangible signs that they care, that the recipient is special.  Maybe the world just needs a few more quilters.

We have lots of exciting projects ahead in the New Year but for now, let me wish all of you a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season.

christmas 2014

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Staff Profile- Barbara

Barb profile pic croppedEvery now and then I like to do a profile of one of the members of my amazing staff.  These are the ladies who keep the shop running on a daily basis and who supply an endless source of inspiration.  This time let me introduce you to Barbara Hollinger.

Barb’s mom taught her to sew as a child.  Her first quilt experience was as a young single woman when a friend suggested they give quilting a try.  While she loved the precision of the piecing, she hated the actual quilting part.  That changed later on as she developed a love of hand quilting and also discovered the joys of free-motion machine quilting.  Now an accomplished machine quilter, Barb was a regular contributor to the magazine Machine Quilting Unlimited and teaches our machine quilting classes at the Studio.

Thistle
Thistle

Barb joined my staff over a decade ago. Her first career was as an engineer and you can see in her work the influence of her technical background.

Painted Prayers - made for the 2008 Jinny Beyer Hilton Head Seminar on Kaleidoscopes
Painted Prayers – made for the 2008 Jinny Beyer Hilton Head Seminar on Kaleidoscopes

Having done just about everything at the Studio, Barb recently left her job as Studio manager and currently serves as our “Quilt Project Engineer” proving to be of great help in my design work.

Seymoure full view
Seymour – made for the 2005 Jinny Beyer Hilton Head Seminar on Radiant Stars

Having joined a group of contemporary quilters, Barb became involved in the project, “Healing Quilts in Medicine” which brings beauty and education to hospitals through quilts.

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Pick your Poison II & Pacific Yew – Both quilts are based on animals and plants which are used to create modern medicines.

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Barb is currently devoting much of her time as curator for the upcoming Sacred Threads exhibit.  Held every two years, this exhibition is a forum for quilters who see their work as a source of healing and inspiration to others.

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Amazing Effects with Mirror-Image Fabric

I have mentioned the Design Board on our web site before.  Just this week we added design number 225.  All of these are free downloads and available in 6, 10 or 12 inch sizes.

As I was fussy cutting the paisley fabric for the points of this latest block, I realized I have talked about fussy cutting border prints (Anatomy of a Border Print), but not about looking for fabric with mirror-images to use in the same technique.

1 and 4 mirror blog WWO end paisley

Here is an image of the paisley fabric I used for the triangles in World Without End, Block 225. The white lines indicate the “mirror” lines. These are places in the fabric where the design left of the mirror line is the identical reverse of the design to the right of the line. In the case of this particular block, the triangle can be centered anywhere along the mirror line.  In fact, it is fun to try it in different places. And don’t forget you will get different designs if you turn the template upside down. See how many variations you can get.

Mirror image lines side by side copy The use of a fabric with mirror-image motifs can enhance the appearance of the block.  See here the World Without End block with and without the mirrored paisley fabric.

WWO side by sideBlock 218 looks great as it is but let’s add a paisley design. Here is the block as it appears on our Design Board and another variation using the mirrored paisley from Renaissance Garden.

Quasar side by side copyBlock 144, Southern Pride, from the Design Board is shown here first the original form and, second, with paisleys used in place of two of the other fabrics.

Southern side by side copyFinally, see how different Southern Pride looks when multiple blocks of each variation are put together.

Quilt side by side copyLook through the designs on the Design Board and see how many you can find that already use fabrics with mirror-image motifs and which blocks you think would benefit from the additions of a mirror-image fabric. E-mail us pictures of your designs at service@jinnybeyer.com, we would love to see what you create.

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Join Me on These Exciting Trips

Costa Rica 1If you are looking for a get-a-way during the doldrums of winter, I have the perfect spot! Two years ago my husband and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. We decided it would be great to have a family gathering in a beautiful tropical place and we chose Costa Rica. I made two scouting trips to Costa Rica to find the perfect place and I did! We rented a house in a private 125 acre resort and had a wonderful time. I will be returning to this same resort in February for another tour with Jim West of Craftours/Sew Many Places.

We will cruise to a nature preserve to snorkel with coral, a ship wreck, and lots of tropical sea life; then we’ll raft through the jungle. Shopping is always a must and we will visit a local community known for their well-made crafts. This trip would make the perfect Christmas present. There are still a few places remaining.

The view of the beach from the hotel balcony.
The view from the hotel balcony and the view of the beach from an overlook

WindowsI’m pleased that Jim West has asked me to be the guest quilter on a tour to Tuscany in April. Quilters are well acquainted with the beautiful floor tiles in the centuries old cathedrals and how they can inspire quilts such as my “Windows” quilt. We will visit ancient cathedrals and galleries housing the work of world-renowned artists in Florence and Siena, historic towns and quaint piazzas. Tuscany is also known for the rolling hills of the extraordinary countryside, its fabulous cuisine and its wonderful wines. I can’t wait to try them all! I’m looking forward to visiting these fabulous places and hoping some of you will join me. Maybe you’ll be inspired to make a quilt based on the designs we will see.

You can find more about these two trips on our website by clicking here.

Tuscany2

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Sharing my Sourdough Recipes

IMG_0858For those of us here in the United States, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving this Thursday.  On Thanksgiving, we take the opportunity to gather together to celebrate our blessings of the past year.  It also involves food—a lot of food.  Therefore, in honor of that aspect of the holiday, I would like to share with you some of my favorite sourdough recipes.

Back in September, I wrote about nearly losing my decades-old sourdough starter and many of you asked what I made from it besides bread. Here, then, are some of my recipes. I hope you enjoy them. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog with some pancake and waffle recipes that you can plan for your Holiday brunches.  If you need to make the starter, you will find many recipes online. Whether you celebrate this holiday or not, let me take this opportunity to let you know that I consider you to be one of my blessings and I send thanks and gratitude out to you. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Thanksgiving-Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sourdough French Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 cup starter

4 cups unsifted bread flour or unbleaced flour

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon soda

The night before, combine water, starter, the four cups of flour, salt and sugar. Mix well and place in a glass or pottery bowl (no metal) and leave at room temperature about 18 hours until it has doubled in size.

The next day mix the soda with one cup of flour, then add this to the sourdough mixture. Knead at least 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed. Shape into three oblong loaves or one large round loaf. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, cover and place in a warm spot for 3 to 4 hours, or until nearly doubled. Just before baking, brush with water and make diagonal slashes in the top with a sharp knife. I use special French bread pans which results in a nicer looking baguette. Bake at 400 degrees until the crust is a medium dark brown. Ten minutes before bread is done, remove from the oven and brush with a mixture of one egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Total cooking time is 25 to 35 minutes.

Sourdough Biscuits

2 cups flour (part whole wheat, if desired)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup butter

2 cups starter

The night before (if having for breakfast) or morning before (if having for dinner) take a cup of starter and add one cup water and one cup flour. Allow to sit 8-12 hours.

When ready to cook, sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut in butter. Pour over starter and gently mix together. Turn onto a lightly floured breadboard and knead very lightly. Roll dough 1⁄2” thick and cut into small rounds. Place them on a buttered cookie sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Watch closely as they burn quickly.

Sourdough Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup thick starter

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

Mix and let ferment 2 to 3 hours in a warm place until bubbly.

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons soda

3 eggs

3 squares melted unsweetened chocolate

Cream shortening, sugar, flavorings, salt and soda. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Combine creamed mixture and melted chocolate with sourdough mixture. Stir only enough to blend together. Beating the batter at this point or over stirring could cause the cake to fall. Pour into two layer pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and frost with chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese

4 squares melted chocolate

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 lb powdered sugar

Milk, as needed

Put the sugar, vanilla, butter and cream cheese into a food processor and process until blended. Add the chocolate and 1 tablespoon of milk. Blend again. Add enough milk to reach the desired consistency.

Enjoy!!!

My Grandkids helping me make chocolate sourdough cake
My Grandkids helping me make chocolate sourdough cake
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Why We Tear Our Fabric

When I was a child, growing up and learning to sew, I was always taught to be sure that the fabric I was cutting was on the grain of the fabric. In sewing class in school, before we could make our dirndl skirt, we had to pull a thread across the width of the fabric and then cut along that pulled thread to make sure that the grain would be straight. This would be the top of the skirt that we gathered and would assure that the skirt would hang straight.

Later, when I learned to make draperies, we always pulled a thread across the width and then cut along that thread to make sure, as I did with my garments, that the draperies would hang straight.

I have transferred those lessons to quilting to insure that the quilts are straight, the patches not distorted, etc. The equivalent to pulling a thread is to tear the fabric. The tear is always along the grain line giving you the true crosswise grain of the fabric.  I created this video to show the importance of fabric grain when cutting patches.

We start every bolt in the Studio with a tear strip to determine the crosswise grain.  If you order a yard of fabric, we measure out one yard plus extra to account for the torn edges. That way you will have a full yard of on-grain fabric to use. You can straighten the grain by gently tugging the yardage diagonally until the torn edges and the selvage edges are squared.

When fabric is cut from a bolt with a rotary cutter, it is cut at a 90-degree angle to the fold. However, how do you know that the fold is lined up with the lengthwise grain? After the fabric is woven, it goes through several processes including printing, finishing, winding onto a huge roll and then being folded and wound onto the bolts shipped to fabric stores.

All that processing and winding can pull a fabric off-grain. At Jinny Beyer Studio, all our fabrics are manufactured by the same company but some bolts are almost perfectly on grain and a few are off by inches.

The pictures below show an example.  The first picture is of the edge of the fabric as it came off the bolt, cut by the manufacturer. The second picture shows the true crosswise grain of that same bolt of fabric. It’s off by inches!  This shows why we prefer to tear and find that grain line.

FabricTearing - Combo

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Quilters’ Quest 2014

You’ve heard us talk about it for months and it’s finally here, our annual shop hop, Quilters’ Quest. Jinny is busy greeting all of our Questers and doesn’t have time to write this week’s blog. Here is a glimpse at what is going on here and at the other nine shops.

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Jinny greets all who arrive, stamping passports and handing out finishers’ bags.

jinny greeter

We have lots of items made just for the Quest with our gorgeous Quest batik fabrics.

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Again this year we have two bus trips from the Studio traveling to all of the shops. Here are pictures from the first bus trip.

Our first stop on the bus trip was Material Girls in La Plata, MD. Sisters Wendy, Amy and mom Robin own this cheerful shop.

Material girls 1

Here’s the new shop on the Quest, Crazy Cousin in Fredericksburg, Virginia.Crazy Cousin

In historic Warrenton, VA, you’ll find Kelly Ann’s Quilting located in an old carriage house.

Kelly Ann copy

Scrappy Apple in Winchester, Virginia, is owned by the ever cheerful Kelly.

Scrappy AppleCottonseed Glory is located in quaint Annapolis, Maryland.

Cottonseed GloryBear’s Paw in Towson, Maryland is famous for their indoor gazebo.

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Patches in Mt. Airy, Maryland is located in an old Victorian home.

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In Hagerstown, MD, you’ll find Traditions at the White Swan, a wonderful family-run business where you are always greeted with a big smile.

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Our final stop is always Capital Quilts in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Capital Quilts1

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My Visit to India

 

Wow! I’ve just arrived back from another whirlwind tour of India with Sew Many Places. Jim West certainly knows how to put together an exciting and educational adventure.

 

Diwali, Festival of Lights in Jaipur. A bicycle rickshaw ride through the old town was a perfect way to see all the lights.

 

We rode on bicycle rickshaws through Old Delhi and Jaipur, motor scooters, buses, camel carts and elephants. The dates of the trip were planned around the Festival of Diwali (known as the festival of lights) and the Pushkar camel fair.

 

Jim and our guide Govind in front of the Taj Mahal. Look at the pattern in the walkway.

 

I began quilting while living in India years ago and every time I go back I am inspired anew by the color and design that surrounds this incredible country.

 

Couldn’t help but do some color shading with the group as we were standing in front of Amber Palace in Jaipur.

 

Words cannot describe what all we did and saw, so I thought this blog should be more photos than words.

 

Delhi, India. Each section in the Qutab Minar, built in 1193 seems to follow the proportions of the Golden Ratio.

 

Meanwhile, I have three more exciting trips next year……..to Costa Rica, Tuscany and Bali. I would love to have you join me on another adventure.