| CURRENT INTERNET SPECIAL |
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Sea Turtles & Dolphins
42" x 42"
Sale Price: $10.00
Regular Price: $12.00
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| I HAVE A NOTION |
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Each month we plan to introduce you to a notion, or other product which we use in our applique quilting. We hope you find these helpful.
Pattern Transfer Paper
 This is the product we recommend for transferring our 2 Fabric Appliqu� Quilt patterns onto dark or patterned fabrics. Used like good old-fashioned carbon paper for precision tracing of appliqu� or quilting lines onto fabric. Contains no wax or grease; erases like pencil, washes out of fabric; economical--can be used again and again.
Each sheet measures 18" x 24". Colors available:
blue, red, white, yellow.
Individual sheets - $5.75
Assorted pack with one each of all 4 colors - $20.00
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| FROG PATTERN ERROR |
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Get the fix 
It was brought to our attention recently that our FROG 2FAQ pattern has an error on the pattern page. It is a simple fix, but one that you will want to make if you have this pattern.
We have posted diagrams and photos of the problem and the fix on our website.
To get the fix, click here.
NOTE: All patterns sent by us beginning July 1, 2009 have the correct pattern page. No need to apply the fix if you buy one now. |
| If you received this Newsletter from a friend, sign-up to receive your own copy here:
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| TRUE DEVOTION! |
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| When Jan J from Seattle e-mailed us to say that she had a quilt and a companion piece she hoped we could see at an up-coming quilt show, we were excited to see what she had. Arrangements were made and Janice met with Jan. Imagine Janice's surprise when the companion piece turned out to be a tattoo!
Jan had taken a class from Nancy that inspired her tattoo design choice. She says she is still a piecer at heart, but is no longer afraid of applique, thanks to Nancy.
You can see Jan's unique Herd of Turtles quilt in the 2FAQ Gallery. |
| FREE PATTERN WINNERS |
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| We promised
to give away a free pattern to a lucky few who signed-up for our new e-Newsletter during May. Here is a list of the lucky winners:
Marlene, Washington
Anonymous
April, Louisianna
Judy, Oregon
Mary Ann, Tennessee
Dee, Oregon
Valerie, Kentucky
Susanne, Washington
Elizabeth, Texas
Betty, Texas
Winners were notified by email in June.
CONGRATULATIONS! | |
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Aloha!
Nancy has just returned from spending several days teaching at the Vermont Quilt Festival in, of all places, Vermont! "This is a very well-organized quilt show and event", Nancy reports. With 4 days of classes, gallery talks, a beautiful quilt show in a beautiful setting this is a not-to-be-missed event. Organized entirely by volunteers for 33 years, amazing.
"Richard Cleveland, one of the curators of the special exhibit 'Hurrah for the Red, White and Green', treated me to a private tour of those magnificent quilts before the show opened. I was blown away by the beauty and the stories behind each quilt. What a thrill!
"Our special exhibit Tropical Treats was wonderfully displayed, and it was a real treat to meet so many devoted quilters and applique fans."
Following the show, Nancy spent a few extra days enjoying the sites of Vermont and ferreting out the insider secret places that her students told her about. Have you ever been through 'Smugglers Notch' in Vermont? Nancy has!
Nancy's next stop: Sisters, Oregon, for the Quilter's Affair in July.
Last month we reported that 1,300 people had signed-up for our e-Newsletter in one week. People continue to register and now we have a mailing list of over 1,700 quilters! We are amazed and very pleased with the positive comments we are receiving from many of you. Thank you for giving our newsletter such a warm welcome.
E komo mai!
Welcome home! |
| WHO IS NANCY? |
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A personal introduction
We promised in our first issue that we would tell you more about ourselves and how two gals from Washington became so involved with Hawaiian quilts. Well, this month the spotlight is on Nancy.
Just like nearly every other girl raised in the 1950's and 1960's we were taught many needlework skills by our mother and grandmother: knitting, crocheting, tatting, sewing, embroidery...everything except quilting!
So in 1977, after Nancy had moved from  Washington to Hawaii (that's a whole different story!) she was at an outdoor craft bazaar and saw her first Hawaiian quilt hanging on a fence. It was love at first sight. She had to have that quilt, but the price tag on it was $800! Not something she could even begin to afford. So, just like you would have done, she said, "I can make that."
Wisely, she went looking for someone to teach her how to make her first Hawaiian quilt. She was ever so fortunate to find Luika Kamaka to be her kumu (teacher, guide). When Nancy appeared for her first lesson she thought she would make a single block for a pillow. But Luika asked, "Do you want a pillow?" Nancy's said, "No, I want a queen-size bed quilt." To which Luika responded, "Then you will make a queen-size bed quilt."
In the tradition of Hawaiian quilting (up to the 1980's) no two Hawaiian quilts were alike, and with very few exceptions there were no commercial patterns available.  So Luika helped Nancy design her first quilt, pictured at right. Nancy attended weekly lessons at the local fabric store where she received individualized attention from Luika for 22 months. The quilt was finished just weeks before Nancy gave birth to her daughter. This quilt was a real accomplishment for someone who had never made a quilt, and until then, would not start a project if she had no hope of finishing it the same weekend.
Money and time were tight now, but Nancy wanted to make another Hawaiian quilt. So she wrote to her mother and sister (Janice) and told them that whoever got money or fabric to her first would get her next Hawaiian quilt. Her mother's check to purchase fabric arrived one day before Janice's fabric. So Nancy's second quilt was made for her mother. (You will read next month how, as luck would have it, that drew Janice into making her own Hawaiian quilt.)
In 1982, Nancy returned to Washington with her husband and daughter. She continued with her career as a legal secretary for twenty years, all the while designing and making lots of Hawaiian quilts. As you read last month, she and Janice began Pacific Rim Quilt Company in 1990. In 2000, Nancy had enough of being a legal secretary. She quit her job and began teaching needleturn applique and quilting full-time, which is where you will find her today.
On return trips to Hawaii we would often join Luika and her current group of Hawaiian quilters at the local fabric shops and community centers to stitch and 'talk story'. Luika was so proud of Nancy for continuing to share her love of Hawaiian quilting. Luika passed away in 2006. Her talent and spirit of Aloha are missed, but what a wonderful legacy she has left behind.
So what began as a seed, with a single Hawaiian quilt lovingly made and hanging on a fence at a craft bazaar in Honolulu, has grown and bloomed into what you see today. You can read more about Nancy and see more of her quilts on our website. If you are interested click here. Nancy's first quilt is titled "Na Melia 'O Launa Ohana" (The Plumeria Trees of Launa Ohana). May 1978 - March 1980. 101" x 101". In keeping with the original tradition of Hawaiian quilts, there is no pattern for this quilt. |
| SEA TURTLES & DOLPHINS |
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A bit of Hawaiian Quilt Tradition
When you look at picture books of old Hawaiian quilts you may notice that the design motifs almost never include fish, animals or birds. Why not, you ask?
It was believed by Hawaiian quilters in the past that if you put fish, animals or birds on a quilt that anyone sleeping under the quilt would have a restless night's sleep. Further, if you gave such a quilt to a child it would cause that child to be restless and a wanderer in life, never settling down. No quilter would want her child to wander away or be a drifter.
So why do you see many Hawaiian quilts today with fish, animals and birds? Why did we design a pattern with sea turtles and dolphins? First, this is a wall quilt. No one will be sleeping under it, so the risk of creating a restless spirit is minimized. Second, we designed this quilt as a tribute to two beloved species once common in Hawaiian waters, but today endangered. It is such a thrill to catch a glimpse of a sea turtle, or swim with the dolphins. Kids and adults all smile with the memories and images of turtles and dolphins. We just could not resist!
TIP: Whether you are making the Sea Turtles & Dolphins quilt or Herd of Turtles (below), you may be tempted to applique all of the tiles of the turtles' backs at the end. We recommend that you work each turtle to completion one at a time. It can be a bit daunting, and may slow your progress, if you choose to applique all those smaller, repetitious shapes at the end.
To follow along, step-by-step, with Nancy as you make your Hawaiian Quilt check your local library for our DVD "Hawaiian Quilting with Nancy Lee Chong", or click here to purchase your own copy. "Sea Turtles & Dolphins", 42" x 42".
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| HERD OF TURTLES |
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 Our first 2FAQ design
Nancy started sketching designs for what would become our line of "2 Fabric Applique Quilts" (2FAQs) in 2002. She wanted applique quilt patterns that would be made using just 2 fabrics, like Hawaiian quilts. But she wanted pictorial, asymmetrical designs, unlike Hawaiian quilts.  Herd of Turtles was the first of many designs. While each design is very different, there are common elements: each one measures a doable 24" x 36"; each has a frame that the design elements flow in and out of; all are graphically bold designs with a slight art deco feel; and all require just two fabrics! Fast, Fun, Easy and Bold. TIP: Before you begin your first 2FAQ quilt, whether you plan to hand applique, machine applique or raw-edge applique, read and follow the instructions, please! The preparation of the pattern and fabric is a little un-orthodox, but makes the process so much easier. Of course, if you want to watch Nancy make a 2FAQ quilt using her needletun (hand) applique method you can get our video (check your local library, or click here.)
Fabric Packs are available on our website for this and all of our 2FAQ patterns. Click here to take a look!
And to see more examples of this pattern made by other quilters go to our 2FAQ Gallery. |
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COMING EVENTS |
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Nancy's Whereabouts:
Here are opportunities to take a class from Nancy or catch a presentation at shows, shops and guilds. Most guilds welcome visitors, so don't be shy.
- July 7-10, Sisters, OR, Quilter's Affair
- July 23-25, Spokane, WA, Washington State Quilters
- Sept 14-15, Chester, CA, Piecemakers Quilt Guild
- Sept 29-30, Centralia, WA, Quilters Junction
- Oct 3, La Conner, WA, La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum. Opening Reception for the exhibit "Students of Nancy Lee Chong"
- Oct 4, Maple Valley, WA, Taylor Creek Quilt Studio
- Oct 5, Bellevue, WA, QuiltWorks Northwest
- Oct 6-7, Anacortes, WA, The Quilt Shop
- Oct 12, Shoreline, WA, Needle & I Quilt Guild
Click CALENDAR for details and contact info
Register early for classes, they can fill quickly, or be cancelled if not enough people register in advance.
Visit us in our booth at these shows:
- Newport, Oregon - Oregon Coastal Quilters Guild show, Aug 7 & 8
- La Conner, Washington - Quiltfest 2009, Oct 2-4
Check our Calendar frequently for future events.
But, you say, "I do not live anywhere near these class or show locations. How can I take a class from Nancy?" The answer is as simple as registering for an on-line class with Nancy at Quilt University! When you take a class at www.quiltuniversity.com you receive a lesson each week for generally 3-5 weeks which has text and lots of photos; you post pictures of your class project as it progresses in the class Gallery; and you participate in a threaded discussion where students ask questions and Nancy posts answers for all students to read. It is an interactive way of taking a class without the obligation of being in class at a specific time and place. Visit the Quilt University website to learn more. Here are Nancy's up-coming classes:
- Baltimore Basics, begins August 7
- Make Your Own Hawaiian Quilt, begins September 4 (learn to design your own Hawaiian Quilt!)
- Hand Quilting, begins October 9
And Janice teaches one class at Quilt University, too:
- Photographing Your Quilts, begins October 23
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Thank you for spending a little of your precious time with us, we really appreciate it. As always, we welcome your suggestions, comments or questions.
A hui hou,
Until next time,
Nancy & Janice | |
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