Karen Kay Buckley

This past Saturday I had a very enjoyable morning with the Lemoyne Star Quilters from Mechanicsburg, PA.  It was wonderful to only have to travel about 20 minutes from my house.  Here are some of the ladies hard at work.

The guild meets in a retirement community all-purpose room.  So there was lots of room and pretty good lighting for a hand applique workshop.  One of my favorite things about this workshop was seeing some quilting students/friends that I had not seen in a long time.  Kathy and Cathy meet in one of my quilting classes a long time ago and are still quilting together.  They reminded me it was 23 years ago that they met in one of my classes.  But I don’t believe them!  Have I really been teaching that long?  I’m not that old…am I?   Don’t answer that please.

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I finished another good book this week, Robin Cook’s, Crisis.  If you are not familiar with Robin Cook he writes medical mystery/thriller  books.  When one of Dr. Craig Brown’s patients dies and he is sued, things change for the doctor.  Dr. Brown had been enjoying a concierge medical practice.  He provides 24 hour availability and personal attention to patients even going to their homes when necessary.  At the request of Dr. Brown’s wife, Alexis, her brother, Jack, who is a medical examiner comes to help his sister and brother-in-law to determine the cause of death.   Interesting book.

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When Joe and I were staying on the Outer Banks at the end of December Joe suggested we take a one day trip to the town of Edenton, North Carolina’s colonial capital.  Joe had read about this quaint little town and wanted to investigate.  What we was found was very interesting to say the least.  The town sits on the water and has some of the most fabulous older homes.

And when we stopped at the local artisan shop the ladies in the shop were so very pleasant.  When we asked where to eat they recommended the chef at Cafe 350, just a block or so down the street, was very good.  We strolled down the street and sure enough those ladies were correct.  The food was excellent.

After we ate we drove around the town some more and continued to see more fantastic older nicely maintained homes.  Living in an older home I know the maintenance that is involved in keeping up with a home this old.

Living on the water like this would be so calming.  I bet the people who live her have really low blood pressure!

If you are ever in the area you definitely want to stop and visit Edenton, North Carolina.  You will not regret your stop.

I just added a couple of new products to the site that you’ll want to check out.

After many of my customers purchased the “Perfect Circles” I began receiving requests for ovals.  It has taken a while to have them made as the process was more difficult than the circles.  But, finally they are here.  “Perfect Ovals” can be used exactly like the “Perfect Circles” and the directions are on the paper insert included with the ovals.  Just like the circles, the ovals are made from a heat resistant plastic so you can use them with an iron on a medium heat setting.  I use ovals for grapes and I’ve made lots and lots of flower petals using an oval shape.  I’m confident you will find even more uses for them.  The new “Perfect Ovals” are on the store page, on the same page as the circles.  Each package contains 20 ovals.  There are 10 sizes and you get 2 of each size.

My other new product is called “Perfect Pulls”.  I am working with a local glass artist, Deborah Feller.  You can see more of her work at www.letortglass.com.  Deborah is designing the glass for each of the pulls.  Each retractable pull is unique and one-of-a-kind.  They are stunning.  I’ve been using my pull with my scissors.  I attach my scissors to the plastic loop and then clip the pull onto my clothing.  When I am hand or machine sewing and need to clip a thread I simply pull the scissors down, clip and done.  I find that I save time by not having to look for my scissors.  Another great use for the pulls would be to hold your name badge/ID.  I know a lot of you work where a name badge is required.  This lovely pull would not only be an attractive accessory but functional as well.  There are lots of pulls to choose from on the website.  Again, they are in the store section on their own page.

I’ve also added a thimble to the site.  You’ll find those in the “More Recommended Notions” section.  Over the years I’ve been asked many times if I use a thimble while I am hand appliqueing.  And my answer is, “If I am only demonstrating in class or sewing for a short time then I don’t usually use a thimble.  But, if I plan to sit and stitch for awhile then I find I really need a thimble”.  My thimble of choice is the Thimblepads.  I’ve been using them for many, many years.  The idea is that you peel off a little circle from the paper and stick it on you thimble finger.  You can take it off and reuse it many times over.  The large package of thimblepads include some extra pieces of adhesive circles which you can place on the back of the thimble to extend the live.  It also includes a nice little holder in which to store the thimbles.  When you get on the store page you’ll see where you can order the thimbles separately also.

______________________________________________________________________________________________ I love it when I get photos of either finished projects or finished quilt tops.  Judy Boykin from Florida took a couple of workshops with me in Houston in November.  She took her Garden Medley pattern and turned it into a nice pillow.  I do not believe anyone has used this pattern for a pillow before and I must admit I really like it.  Very nice work Judy.

Here is what Judy said about her apple quilt ” After taking your borders by design class/lecture in Houston, I made
this quilt for my great niece.  Adding the appliquéd apples in the border really turned this quilt into something special (the blocks were pre-printed panels from a storybook); however it took longer to do the border than it did to assemble the body of the quilt.  It was loved and my great niece will cherish it so was well worth the time and effort.”

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Carol Dickson shared this photo with me.  This is a from the Fiesta Mexico-Block Three workshop.  Carol said she learned a lot in the workshop.   And she ended up with a really nice little wall hanging to boot.  Thanks to Carol for sharing her wonderful finished project.

Have a great week.  Talk to you soon.

OK, I’m going crazy on book reviews in this blog.  We listened to one audio book on our drive to the Outer Banks and started another one on our way home which I then finished today.  When I am at home I never seem to whittle out enough time to read and I do love to read.  So, when I am relaxing at the beach I find lots of time to read.  Here are some of my recent reads.

“Riven” by Jerry B. Jenkins.  I was not familiar with this author who I find out has written the Left Behind series.  This book is considered Christian fiction.  There are two story lines, one is Thomas Carey, a pastor who feels he has a calling to the ministry but never seems to make a difference in the lives of his congregants.  His wife is his biggest fan and strongly supports her husband’s moves from one church to another.  His daughter has left the church which adds to his feeling like a failure.  He finally gets a job working as the pastor at a prison and most specifically working with the inmates on death row.  The other story line is about Brady Wayne Darby who is raised by an alcoholic mother.  She leaves him and his brother alone in their trailer a lot while she is out drinking and who knows what else.  Brady commits numerous criminal acts and after several years commits the ultimate crime, murder.  Pastor Carey and Brady meet on death row.

Although the story was slow at times, I could not stop reading to find out how things would end.

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“The Accident” by Lindwood Barclay was my next read.  I have read several other books by Linwood Barclay and liked them and this book did not let me down.  This story starts in what appears to be a normal neighborhood with Glen, a local contractor, his wife Sheila who is taking classes in order to help her husband with his bookkeeping, and their eight year old daughter.    Many of their friends and they have fallen into some difficult financial times.  Some of the people in their neighborhood have started to sell knock-off items to make a little extra money.  The knock-off items include handbags, prescription drugs, electrical equipment, etc.  When Shelia is killed in a car accident Glen must become an investigator because the story from the police is just not adding up.  Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story would take another turn.  Very good read and it held my interest all the way through the last sentence.

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At the recommendation of a student,  I then read “The Wife” by Meg Wolitzer.  Joe and Joan Castleman are in route to Helsinki, Finland where Joe will be receiving a very prestigious book award.  During their flight,  Joan decides that at the end of this trip,  she will leave her husband.  The story takes you on a journey of both the private and public lives of the Castlemans.  Joan has been a very devoted wife raising the couple’s three children and looked the other way many, many times.    Very good read.  Thanks to whoever recommended it to me.

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Then I read “Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family–and a Whole Town–About Hope and Happy Endings” by Janet Elder.  I am a sucker for books about animals, especially dogs.   This is a heart warming story about how a wonderful little puppy brought so many people together.  Janet’s son, Michael,  has been asking for a dog for many years.  Janet keeps putting it off but when she is diagnosed with caner she thinks a dog would be good for her son as well as  for her and her husband.  So after  much research, they get “Huck”.  After Janet finishes her treatments her husband, her and her son need a vacation.  So, Janet leaves their new puppy, Huck, with her sister in Ramsey, New Jersey.  Somehow, while his masters are on vacation, Huck escapes from the sister’s fenced-in backyard.  The family quickly packs and returns home early to search for Huck.  Along the way the family is awed by the kindnesses shown to them in their search.

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During our ride to the Outer Banks we listened to Michael Connelly’s newest book “The Drop”.  If you are a fan of Michael Connelly’s books,  like I am, then you will be happy with the return of Harry Bosch.  The “DROP” refers to the Deferred Retirement Option Plan.  Harry is given three years before he must retire from the LAPD.  Bosch, now with the unsolved cases division longs for some real cases to investigate and in one morning he gets two.  Unexpectedly in addition to a regular cold case, he receives a call from the Chief’s office to look into a current matter.  Going back and forth between the two cases keeps you very interested as each story line develops.  The current case has political undertones  as Councilman Irvin Irving’s son commits suicide or is it murder?  The Councilman and Harry have a long history and have been at odds with each other, but Irving demands Harry handle the case.  Bosch juggles the political landmines as he simultaneously works the cold case and uncovers some spine chilling facts.  An excellent audio book which makes the 8 hour drive seem much shorter.

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The new John Grisham book “The Litigators” was a great audio book.  We started it on our drive home and I finished it today while I was sewing.  The story starts with a young attorney, David, a Harvard Law School graduate, who is working at a huge Chicago law firm.  David is fed up with slaving from early each morning to late each night because he rarely sees his wonderful wife and has no life outside the firm.  David arrives at  work one day and decides he’s had enough. Instead of exiting the elevator to his designated floor, he jumps back in, pushes L for lobby and goes to a bar for a few drinks.   Many drinks later and prompted by a sign on a public bus , David stumbles into the firm of Findley and Fig, owned by a couple of local ambulance chasers.  David loves the place and he, even though intoxicated, is hired.  The firm has some highs and some lows and David gets a lot more experience in and out of court than he bargained for.  The book kept my interest the whole way through and I liked the character development.  Great read.

OK, that should keep those of you who tell me you like the book reviews occupied for a while.  And I know I’ve said it before but keep your book suggestions coming.  I have read some great books based on your suggestions that I otherwise would have missed.

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Mary Schiller send me the photo below of her finished top from the “Japanese Garden Quilt Pattern”.  Mary made some nice changes to the pattern to suit her needs.  She eliminated all the fussy leaves which gives her a nice open area for quilting.  Very nice job Mary and thanks for sharing.

One of my favorite places in the world is the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  When we need to get away for some R&R it is our first choice.  We are able to rent a house for a week and take the girls (that would be our dogs).   Our oldest girl, Sasha, will be 13 in February and we’ve taken her with us to the Outer Banks at least once a year and sometimes twice since she was 4 months old.  Even though we’ve all slowed down a bit over the years we all still look forward to going.

Here are some things we saw this week.

Ahhhh…….aren’t you more relaxed?  What’s not to like about the Outer Banks?  Nothing I can think of.  I had no phones ringing, no questions to answer and I had a lot of reading and sewing time.

Here’s my oldest girl Sasha.

And here is my other girl, Tillie.  Affectionately known as Sillie Tillie.  She’s looking a little tired after chasing the ball up and down the beach for the past 1/2 hour!

We made a side trip to a wonderful little town called Edenton, the colonial capital of North Carolina.  I’ll share some photos of Edenton in my next blog and I’ll have some book reviews in an upcoming blog.

Yes, can you believe it, I still have more quilts to share with you from the show in Houston?

In the Group Quilt category “Copley Square, Boston, MA” took an honorable mention.  It was made by Bobbie Sullivan and the Coastal Quilt Artists from Scituate, MA. These “slice” quilts or panel quilts as I call them, always fascinate me.  To think that different people make each panel and they work so well together…..amazing.

Here is a nice close-up shot.  You can find out more about Bobbie at http://bobbiesullivan.com/

Georgina Buschauer won an honorable mention in the Merit Quilting, Hand, category for “Challenge 2″.  Attractive layout for Baltimore album blocks.

Here is a close-up of Georgina’s quilt.

“Venus DiVine” was made by Betty New from Florida.  I really liked this little quilt. Nicely balanced design and great machine quilting.

This wholecloth quilt is inked with pigment and powder and is stunning.  The name of the quilt is “Counterpoint” and was made by Pam Hill from Australia.

The quilting on this piece was quite impressive.

Ming Hsu from Australia made “Conversations with Diane” and won 1st place in the Merit Quilting category.

One of my favorite quilters in the past couple of years is Janet Stone from Kansas.  And she has made another great quilt, “B.S. I Love You”.  Janet won first place in the Embellished category. Nicely balanced design and very interesting layout.

The detail on Janet’s quilts are what help to make them so outstanding.  You really want to see her quilts in person because even though they look good in a photo, they look so much better in person, which I must say is true of most quilts.

Have a fabulous holiday season and enjoy your time with friends and family.  I know I will.

More quilts from Houston still to come in future blogs.

Here we go with some more of my favorite quilts from the International Quilt Show.

“Seeking Balance” was made by Karen Eckmeier from Connecticut.  Karen won second place in the Art-Abstract category.

The details in this piece were what attracted me to it.  To see more of Karen’s work visit http://www.kareneckmeier.com/

“The Hues of Amber” was made by Karlyn Bue Lohrenz from Montana.  I love the soothing feeling of a monochromatic quilt.

“O Happy Day” made by Timna Tarr from Massachusetts won second place in the Art-Abstract category.  You know how attracted to circles I am so this quilt caught my eye.  Basic shapes and excellent use of color placement can make one incredible quilt.

“Life in the City” was made by Sheila Frampton-Cooper from California.  Sheila won an honorable mention in the Art-Abstract large category.  (I’m sorry the lower left corner is cut off by the signage but they frown upon me moving the signs!).  For more information about Sheila checkout her site http://zoombaby.com/

“Collaboration” by Keiko Yamada from Japan blew me away.  The intricacy of the piecing was amazing.  I am so sorry the close-up shots I took of this piece did not turn out.  If I read the information correctly this quilt was made entirely by hand!  Impressive.  This quilt won first place in the Innovative Pieced category.

“Sunlit Circles” was made by Ann Peterson from Colorado.  Ann won third place in Innovative Pieced.

When you look at this close-up shot you can she why this quilt won a ribbon…excellent workmanship and attention to detail.

What’s not to like about “Friends of Baltimore”?  This quilt was made by Susan Garman, Jerrianne Evans, Pat Cotter, Marsha Fuller and Georgann Winkle from Texas. The amount of work in this quilt is simply amazing!

The quilt won first place in the Group Quilt category.

The workmanship on this quilt was phenomenal.  To find out more about Susan visit her at http://suegarman.blogspot.com/

That’s all for this week.  Enjoy your holiday preparations.

As promised, here are more quilts from the International Quilt Festival in Houston.

Here is another quilt by Caryl Bryer Fallert.  The name of the quilt is “Lepidopteran #32: Buckeye & Chives” and was entered in the Art-Pictorial category.  You can find out more about Caryl at www.bryerpatch.com  If you ever read my blog you often find that I take photos of the butterflies and moths in our gardens so it is no surprise that this quilt would attract my attention.

This next quilt was made by David Taylor from Steamboat Springs, CO.  David won first place in the Art-Pictorial category for “Maynard”.  People were joking that a dog butt won first place.  But, it was joking in a nice way.  Everyone loved the quilt.

Here is a close-up shot of “Maynard”.  Fabulous fabric choices.  You can find more about David at http://www.davidtaylorquilts.com

David also won 3rd place in the same category for “Marmalade’s First Snow”.

This quilt was equally as impressive.  David you are very, very talented.

“Reflections” was made by Carol Swinden from Canada.  I loved how she was able to make me see reflections by her use of fabric.  You can find out more about Carol at http://carolswinden.wordpress.com/

Because my husband likes to fish I am often attracted to quilts with fish.  I always said that some day I would make one amazing fish quilt, but I have never gotten around to it , yet!  Well, Pam Holland did a really fun fish quilt that I thought you might like to see.  You can find out more about Pam on her website http://pamhollanddesigns.typepad.com/

Nancy Brown is one of my favorite designers.  I can honestly say I have not seen a quilt of hers that I did not like and this one, Bay Bridge Series, is no exception.  You can find out more about Nancy at http://www.nancybrownquilts.com/

Barbara Shapel won an honorable mention in the Art-Pictorial category for her quilt “Autumn Beauty”.   I could see this hanging in my house.  Click on this link to get more information on Barbara and her incredible quilts http://www.barbarayano.com/workshops.html

I love, love, love this quilt made by Anna Faustino from Pennsylvania. Click here http://newtechquilts.com/webs/ to get more information on Anna and her beautiful quilts.

Anna won 3rd place in the Art-Abstract category.

OK, that’s all for this blog.  More to come next week.

After I did a lecture and workshop for the Western North Carolina Quilt Guild a few weeks ago I was planning on flying right back home.  I told Joe that people kept telling me how nice it is in Asheville and that there was a lot to do.   I said I wished I had planned an extra day or two in the area.  So, I extended my stay because Joe decided to fly down and meet me in Asheville.   And am I glad he did.  We had a fabulous two days in Asheville.

We started Friday evening by going to a restaurant that was just a couple of steps from our hotel.  The name of the restaurant is Rezaz.  The meal we had rates as one of the best I have ever eaten and the service was top notch.  Check out there menu at  http://www.rezaz.com/  If you are ever in the area and want to treat yourself to a nice dinner this is the place to go.

Saturday morning Joe planned for us to have a private tour of the Biltmore.  George Vanderbilt III opened his estate on Christmas Eve in 1895 to family and friends.  For six years prior to this an army of artisans had labored to construct this palatial estate.  George traveled to Europe and had his architect travel with him to see what he had in mind.   The estate has 250 rooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, 3 kitchens and an indoor swimming pool.  The original property was 125,000 acres.  There is no photography allowed in the mansion so you have to plan a trip for yourself to see the phenomenal interior.  And it is truly phenomenal. When we were there the house was decorated for Christmas which made it even more special.  I kept thinking how much my dad would have loved all of the animal mounts on the walls…deer, moose, etc.  http://www.biltmore.com/

The view from the house was very impressive and it is no wonder that George Vanderbilt selected this location.  This is the view from the back balcony.

The next two photos were taken from a roof area directly in front of the estate.  What a view.

I am constantly in awe of the things I get to see.  If you have never been to the Biltmore you should plan a trip now.

One of the other things going on in Asheville was the National Gingerbread House competition. It appeared to have two main categories, adult and youth.  Here are some of the houses.

This one of course was my favorite because of the sewing machine, buttons, threads, etc.  It amazes me that people can make something like this from basic ingredients that we all have in our kitchen.

The shoe/house below was the Best of Show winner.  It was displayed in a special glassed-in case that slowly turned.

On the two days we were in Asheville we went to the same restaurant for lunch.  That has to tell you something if we went back.  The name of the restaurant was the Laughing Seed.  It is a vegetarian restaurant and the food was very reasonably priced and excellent.  If I ever return to the area I will be returning to the Laughing Seed  http://laughingseed.jackofthewood.com/

I think one of the best things in Asheville was all the local artisans.  There were lots of places to see and purchase art and  I loved it.  One of the places we went to was the  Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.   There were many other places that we stopped to check out the incredible array of art.  It was a feast for the eyes.  And yes, I did make a few purchases.  The photo below was taken while inside the Folk Art Center.  While we were there they had a small quilt exhibit but there was no photography allowed in the quilt exhibit.

My next blog I’ll be back to share more quilts from the International Quilt Festival.  Until then……

While on my journey visiting the Western North Carolina Quilters Guild two of my students had some of their work to  share with me.  Each of them made blocks from my Magical Medallions pattern.  First was Joyce Fong.  Joyce had Block Three totally finished and it is stunning.  Thanks for sharing Joyce.

Next was Pat Childress.  Pat is working on several of the blocks from the Magical Medallion pattern.  Pat said she thinks she is going to make 9 of the 12 blocks.  Here are some of the blocks Pat had to share with me. Pat had an impressive stack of blocks finished.  I can hardly wait to see how she finishes her quilt.

I hope Pat sends a photo of her finished quilt so we can all see how it turns out.  So far things are looking great!  It makes me so happy when students share projects they have made using my patterns.  It gives me the warm fuzzies which leads me right into the next two photos.

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I recently received an email from Sally and Bobbie who were the program co-chairs for the Lake to Lake Quilt Guild in Gorham, New York, where I taught in October.  They sent me two photos of what some of the students who took the “Oriental Flowers” workshop brought for their recent show and tell.  Awesome.  Many of the students actually have their projects finished into either a pillow or small wall quilt.  I have to admit, I am very impressed.

More warm fuzzies!

In the next blog I’ll share some of what I saw around Asheville, North Carolina and then I’ll be back blogging about more of the quilts from the International Quilt Festival in Houston.

After sharing most of the top winners with you in the last blog I’m moving into the show area to show you lots of my favorite quilts.

“Just Call Me Jack” was made by Virginia Greaves from Georgia.  I believe this is a picture of her father-in-law when he was 18 and entering the military during World War II. The fabric choices and the use of shading on this quilt gave it depth.  You can find out more about the artist at http://www.virginiagreaves.com/

Here is another great pictorial quilt.  The name of the quilt is “God’s Greatest Gift Was My Dad”.  It was made by Cindy Garcia from Wisconsin.  This quilt won 3rd place in the “Art-People, Portraits, and Figures” category.  Another quilt showing the perfect use of fabrics to achieve the picture.  Again, this quilt has great shadows and depth.  You can find out more about Cindy at http://cindygarciaquilts.com/

I loved the movement in this piece.  It is called “Checks & Balances” and was made by Caryl Bryer Fallert from Kentucky.  It won a first place in the “Art-People, Portraits, and Figures” category.  Caryl is a master of fabric choice and design and uses her great skills to move us across the quilt.  To find out more about Caryl visit her website http://www.bryerpatch.com/

“Artichoke in Bloom”  won a Judge’s Choice award.  It was made by Andrea Brokenshire from Texas.  I’m sorry I did not write down the process of how this was made but I believe there was painting involved.

I loved the color balance and design balance of this quilt.

In the category called “Digital Imagery” this quilt caught my eye.  It was made by Barbara McKie from Connecticut.  The name of the quilt is “Crested Barbet”.  The information on this quilt said she used the following techniques: dispersed-dyes digitally-manipulated image printed to polyester crepe, trapunto, thread painting, machine applique and machine quilting.  The information also stated that she saw this bird in Botswana.  You can find more information about Barbara on her websitehttp://www.mckieart.com

I may have shared this quilt with you when I saw it at another show earlier this year but I’m going to share it again.  I really love this little quilt which was also made by Barbara McKie.  This quilt used thread painting, trapunto, free motion machine quilting and machine applique.  It amazes me how real it looks, including the water.

I thought this little quilt was adorable.  It is called “Towhee” and was made by Judy Greenwood from BC, Canada.  The quilt has ink painting and is machine quilted.

Here is another one of my favorite quilts from the show.  I just loved this face. And oddly enough it was made by the same quilter as the quilt above, Judy Greenwood.  The name of this quilt is “Lucy”.  Don’t you just want to hug Lucy?  I know I do.

“Lucy” won a 3rd place ribbon in the Art-Miniature category.  Judy used some of the same techniques in this quilt as in “Towhee”, ink painting and machine quilting.

I’ll have more quilts from the show to share in upcoming blogs.

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Book Reviews

“Adventures in Design” was written by Joan Wolfrom and published by C&T Publishing.  I know there are a lot of quilt books on the market right now but I think this is hands down one of the best I have seen in a while.  It is loaded with information on making good designs and how to apply the elements to your work.  Not only does Joan explain it well but she shows lots and lots of quilts with each element and explains how the elements were used.  This is a quilting book you must have in your library.  To order a copy of the book go to Joans’ website http://www.joenwolfrom.com/

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Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

During this past year when I ask my students if they have read any good books lately one title kept coming up.  When that happens I know it is a book I should read.  This was the case with “Sarah’s Key” written by Tatiana de Rosnay.  The story starts in July 1942 in Paris.  10 year old Sarah and her parents were taken by the French police as part of the French round up of Jewish families.  Sarah locks her brother in a bedroom cupboard to protect him and tells him she’ll be back as soon as they are released, thinking she’d be back by the end of the day. On the 60th anniversary of the roundup a reporter by the name of Julie Jarmond uncovers Sarah’s story and so much more.  The book is very well written and will hold your interest from beginning to end.

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New Quilt Tool

While at Quilt Festival I stopped by Cynthia England’s booth.  Cynthia has a new tool which I had never before seen.  It is called the “Strip Stick“   and is used for pressing seams.  It is especially useful if you have long seams close together, if you are sewing long strips to then be cut into smaller sections or if you have skinny borders strips…..  I’m thinking it would be great for the type of paper piecing that Cynthia does as there are lots of little seams, close together, that need to be pressed.  It is a very simple, yet effective idea.  The strip is placed directly under the seam you need to press.  It lifts that seam above the rest so the other seams are not disturbed.  Often when I have pressed seams close together the seams close to the one I am pressing are disturbed which means I have to go back and repress them.  This stick eliminates that problem.  Very clever idea.  You can find out more about the stick and see a video of how it is used by going to Cynthia’s website http://www.englanddesign.com/content/welcome-england-design