Quilters by nature are generous & creative. Most of us can remember a quilt given by a dear relative or friend for a special occasion. A baby receiving blanket, a wedding gift, a graduation gift. Sometimes non-quilters will hear or learn about big organization like the Veteran's Administration Hospitals receiving quilts for their patients. Or a local church or guild having a "sewing circle" for a good cause. The AIDS Memorial Quilt~ Names Project is an example of a quilt that can even celebrate a loved one's life.
The DK Quilt Guild using the tradition of a "sewing circle" or "round robin" have created a beautiful quit to raise funds for the Okiciyap Food Pantry.
The Okiciyap Quilt Auction donation/proceeds will go to the Okiciyap Food Pantry which services the residents of the Isabel Community on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. The quilt is made of cotton fabrics, and is approximately 51" x 65".
The DK Quilt Guild Group was founded by Sara R on February 28, 2011. We publish a diary almost every Sunday 6pm (Eastern) 3pm (Pacific).
DK Quilt Guild Mission Statement
A place for quilters to gather, share ideas, projects, and to make the world a better place, one quilt at a time.
We encourage all to visit our diaries. It's usually a very open & safe spot before the hectic craziness of a new work week.
Join us and share your thoughts, projects, questions, and tips. Quilters here are at many different levels of skill. Beginners and non-quilters are welcome, too!
Quilters love to share their knowledge, their quilting, and their projects with others. I'm new to the quilting world. I have just completed two quilts. The more experienced quilters here at Daily Kos, and outside cyberland have been very kind to this novice quilter.
I want to share some of what quilters do, and about the different DK Quilt Guild charity projects. Quilters use many skills to create a quilt used for a blanket, wall hanging or piece of art. Here's a bit of humor about quilters: We purchase large pieces of fabric, cut the fabric into small pieces, and sew the fabric into a large piece of fabric.
Most quilts have three parts to it; the top, the batting, and the back. The top is usually the colorful or highly decorated top portion before adding the other layers. The batting is the soft middle portion that would keep the recipient warm. The back is the part to give the quilt a base. The quilter's label documenting the date & name is on the back. Quilting actually means sewing all three layers together. The highly skilled quilter has a big repertoire of beautiful decorative stitches. The quilt can also be embellished with buttons, beads and decorative metallic threads.
The obvious skills are knowing how to sew or piece the fabric. 1/4 of an inch is the standard of sewing the seams for quilts. All directions, instructions and patterns require 1/4 an inch sewing. Quilters have special rulers, rotary cutter (not scissors), and cutting boards/mats. Measure & cut the fabric accurately is a vital skill. Like a carpenter, quilters should know how to measure accurately. Measure twice cut once is a good method. Math skills are pretty important especially geometry. How else would those points in the star block look so cool?
Color theory would be another nice skill. What colors work well together? Knowing the color values or tones would enhance the overall look of the project. A good looking quilt will have lights, mediums and darks within the same quilt, or the quilt will be flat looking.
The quilter has many decisions to make before even beginning to sew. What type of fabric to be used for the quilt? There are many fabric options available: solids, plaids, stars, dots, batiks, 1920s/1930s retro, floral, cutesy novelty, stripes. If the quilt fabric has a pattern, the quilt should have a variety of fabric pattern sizes. Small scale prints, medium scale prints and large scale prints are ideal. The object is to have a good flowing quilt. The eye will get tired if all the patterns are the same size.
Most quilters love fabric stores. We are tactile; we love to touch and even fondle the fabric. We're similar to kids in a candy store. Quilters are known to have a many types of fabric at home called "stash". Most quilters never have enough fabric. The merchants and sales staff in the quality fabric stores are very knowledgable about fabric & quilting. Many quality fabric stores offer classes for the beginner or advanced quilter. Most merchants & staff are very helpful. Another avenue is a local Quilting Guild. The Guild will have outside prominent quilters speak at their meetings. The Guild will also have classes, create quilts for charity, have quilt shows, and offer fellowship to fellow quilters.
What design to use? There are endless designs using very simple traditional quilt blocks. Will the quilt be like grandmother's Double Wedding Ring Quilt? How about the deceptively simple Amish Quilt? How about the Baltimore Album Quilt which is primarily hand applique. A Modern quilt like the Bargello? A Sampler Quilt has many different blocks to create a nice design. Many beginning quilt classes will have the Sampler Quilt to teach the various basic blocks. The Okiciyap Quilt is a good version of a Sampler Quilt.
Did you know that anyone who uses the sewing machine is part mechanic? You have to periodically check for lint, thread & oil the machine. Which means you have to take parts of the machine apart & reassemble it. Adjusting the tension, fixing bobbin issues, using the correct foot to ensure an even stitch. Depending on the model of the machine changing the feet can be easy or difficult. Ask any quilter what their pet peeve is? Mine is bobbin issues. It comes with experience and asking question to resolve some challenges whether creative or technical. Most quilters are very giving and open. Don't be shy; they will share their knowledge and ideas.
Why do we go through all this? Because we love color, we love design, we love to create, we love to quilt for others.
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These was the requirements for the Okiciyap Quilt:
Each block was to be 12.5" square, incorporate the following colors, black, white, red, yellow and beige. The choice of design was the quilter's choice.
My Okiciyap block was the simple Pinwheel. The Pinwheel block is an old quilt block that dates from the 1790s. I wanted to incorporate all the colors of the Okiciyap Logo, which is why most of the triangles are different colors. The red fabric triangle has a large scale floral paisley design, the yellow fabric triangle a small petite leaf design, the beige fabric triangle has a medium scale beautiful rose design, the black fabric has a modern small circle design, and the white has a very subtle tone on tone design. I chose the Pinwheel block because it seems very joyful & fun to me. It reminds me of the summer pinwheel toys from my childhood. I would love to spin it and watch it rotate. In many of my designs, I incorporate the Pinwheel Block.
Example: Pinwheel Block~ before & after quilting
DKQG Members donated each block which was sent to Melanie in IA to piece. Easy to write. If the blocks weren't "squared" or cut accurately it can be difficult to piece. She coordinated the blocks, chose the borders/sashing to complement & unify the overall look of the quilt. Huge kudos to her skills. Melanie then sent the quilt to BeadLady. BeadLady is a professional quilter. She has a specialized sewing machine called a longarm. She quilted each individual block, overall quilt and added the final binding or thin outer border. BeadLady is an artist, wonderful quilter, and very generous. We all are lucky & blessed within the guild to have her as member. The quilting took 14 hours on this lovely quilt.
I want offer my personal thanks to the DKQG Members who donated a block, Melanie in IA, and BeadLady. The finished beautiful quilt was a labor of love.
Thank you glorificus and weck for leading the Okiciyap diaries & Quilt Auction.
And if you cannot afford to bid on the quilt, but would like to help Okiciyap, here's their address:
Okiciyap Food Pantry
P.O. Box 172
Isabel, S.D. 57633
Don't forget the Okiciyap Quilt Auction begins Weds, March 27th.
Quilt Auction Rules are within this excellent diary.
Please read, recommend, promote the other Okiciyap Diaries.
Good Luck Everybody
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Okiciyap Quilt Auction Diaries Series
These diaries are to promote the Okiciyap Quilt Auction which will directly benefit Okiciyap Food Pantry and Childrens Center. Please visit, read & recommend them.
Feeding the Body, Feeding the Spirit: Okiciyap (We Help) ~ Aji
Twelve is a community number ~ GreyHawk
Helping the Helpers Who Helped the Helpers ~ Glen The Plumber
DK Quilt Guild: The Okiciyap Quilt ~ BeadLady
TIME FOR THE BIG SHOW!!!! ~ glorificus
DK Quilt Guild: Quilting for a Good Cause ~ weck
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The DK Quilt Guild has another current charity quilt that will benefit Netroots for the Troops.
Sneak preview of the Quilt Top
Sara R and winglion have special project for the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, California. The DK Quilt Guild members have donated for this project. Wheelchair quilts for the Vets, which will be delivered during the NN13 Convention.
Sara R wrote a diary about Dr. Cara Barker's Love Project. These quilts are for the siblings of the Sandy Hook Victims. This isn't an official DK Quilt Guild project, but many within the guild have volunteered to donate a quilt to Dr. Cara Barker's project. If you're interested & want information; contact Dr. Barker directly.
