Quilting Potpourri

Two More Blocks for February...

2012-02-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Amy Gibson at Craftsy has presented two more blocks in her free block-of-the-month class. The one above is "Balkan Puzzle" which is also known by other names. When I took the photo, I couldn't recall what Amy titled the block, so I saved it under the name I remember which is "Wind Blown Square." She notes yet another name of "Wind Blown Star." Since both blocks are made using half-square triangles, Amy demos two easy methods for piecing them in her class video.

This block is called "Chunky Chevron". I'm really liking the prints in the Free Spirit "California Dreaming" fat quarter bundle purchased to use for this project. However, I need to get more of the cream color background fabric. I don't have enough left to piece the remaininig monthly blocks. You can see the companion blocks from January in this post. The Craftsy online class also features places to discuss, ask questions, and post photos of the blocks. It's always interesting to see the fabrics and color combinations other quilters select for their projects. All good quilting fun!

And the Winners Are...

2012-02-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

This striking "Purple Pineapples" quilt by Vee Jenkins earned first place in the Large Quilt category at the Stepping Stones Quilters' show.

"Da Market" was the artistic entry by Ruth Lightbourn that was awarded second place in the small quilt category.

Junko Yamaguchi made "Ulu and Happy Family", which earned second place in the large quilt category.

Vee Jenkins also won first place in the small quilt category with this quilt, "Butterflies for Baby." Below is a view of Trinity Methodist Church where the show is held each year. A lovely display of a wide variety of quilts. Well done!

More from the Quilt Show in the Bahamas...

2012-02-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

The short walk from the ship's pier in Nassau to the church where The Stepping Stones Quilters' show was being held presented us with lots of color to whet our appetites. These vibrant paintings adorned the sides of buildings along our route.

The first display that met us inside the show was the group quilt challenge. The rules for the entries included using 5 different fabrics (linen, wool, cotton, silk, and synthetic) and 5 different embellishments, plus an ovoid shape. Here are the creations of some of the quilters.

From this spiny "Lionfish" by Lisa Knowles, that even included sand and small shell embellishments, to Faberge Eggs, to undersea life ... the group really exercised their imaginations which is what a challenge is all about.

There was Viewer's Choice voting in several categories, and for the challenge category, Lisa's "Lionfish" was the winner.

My apologies... after checking my notes I realized I had incorrectly credited the Star-in-a-Star quilt, shown below, in my last post.. it's actually the work of quiltmaker Junko Yamaguchi who had many beautiful quilts exhibited.

Quilting friend Maria Chisnall is a driving force behind The Stepping Stone Quilters Guild and the quilt show, which has been held for more than 20 years. Five photos of her work are shown below. One thing that impressed our traveling band of quilters was the variety in techniques represented by the show quilts, and Maria herself employs many different methods in her work.

This bed-size quilt was large enough that I was unable to capture all of it in a single photo. This is just the quilt center, featuring piecing and applique. The quilt also had a wide white inner border with a scrappy pieced outer border.

Maria had several entries in the wall quilt category. I found this one especially appealing, and like her use of color, along with the use of stripes and florals in the sashing.

Maria, who has some Scottish ancestry, also created this series of seasonal Scottish landscape studies.

I learned from Maria which were the winning quilts in the other categories, and will share them here next time.

A Quilt Show in The Bahamas...

2012-02-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

Fourteen members of Country Road Quilters, our Ocala, Florida, quilt guild, went on a cruise recently. Our main reason for choosing the Carnival Fascination out of the Port of Jacksonville was because the itinerary would take us to Nassau, Bahamas, to attend the annual Stepping Stone Quilters' show. We were delighted by the variety of quilt styles and techniques displayed by this talented group. While it's a small group of about 20, the guild members manage to hang more than 60 new quilts every year. Here's just a sample of what we saw. I've got lots more to show you, including some of the Viewer's Choice winners. It was hard to choose a favorite from the many beautiful quilts like this one. Bright, happy colors abound in the Star-within-a-Star quilt, above. It was made by quiltmaker Irene Knowles.

Also by Irene, "Going Overboard with Androsia" is made using some of the hand-printed and hand-dyed fabrics from Androsia Batiks on the Island of Andros. The fabric company is known for designs inspired by nature, sea and plant life of the Bahamas. You can see some of the batiked designs in the detail photo below- turtle, shells, fish- done in clear, bright colors.

This quilt which combines piecing and applique is a fund-raiser made by the group members.

One feature of the show which everyone enjoyed was the guild boutique. The group offered grab bags, totes, purses, knitted items, notecards, and notions. The striking Churn Dash quilt hung on the wall behind the boutique. More photos of this wonderful quilt show coming soon. What a treat it was to see and appreciate the work of The Stepping Stone Quilters! Everyone agreed that we need to visit here again.

More Treasures from the Cardboard Box...

2012-02-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a happy quilt top? It's another one from the treasure box quilting friend Claudia received from a family member. Those plaids and shirting stripes look right at home in this Glorified Nine Patch top (also called Improved Nine Patch). Notice how the yellow fabric in the melon pieces changes color... the quilter used two different yellows to complete her quilt top. Both lively and bright, one is a bit firmer weave than the other.

Here's where the rest of that yellow went... right into this Double Wedding Ring top. Studying the fabics in old quilts offers endless fascination in my book. I think these two tops are on Claudia's list to finish, along with the red Grandmother's Flower Garden shown here.

And I did some research to learn the names of these blocks, also shown in the earlier post. The closest names I can match up are these: top row, left- A Diamond Field, or variation of it; top row, right- Eccentric Star, also called Dutch Rose; middle row, left- Caesars Crown, also called Whirling Wheel; middle row, right- Ladies' Fancy; and bottom row- Star of LeMoyne, or 8-Point Star. The Enclyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns by Barbara Brackman is the source I used to find the blocks. What a wonderful resource for quilters! All of the blocks are catergorized by type, and the search is guided one to ensure that it's easy to find a block among the thousands that are documented as to design and source. I'd like to try making a replica of each of the blocks.... except for Eccentric Star. That one is just too much for me!

I'm trying an experiment... post-dated publication of a blog post. If all goes well, you'll be reading this on the blog starting on Thursday, at which time I should be attending a quilt show in Nassau, Bahamas! Fourteen quilting friends are off on a 5-day cruise from the Port of Jacksonville on the Carnival Fascination with stops in Key West and Nassau. We plan to spend the at-sea days learning some new quilting techniques... hand work only, since there are crafting guidelines and limitations on what can be brought on board in the way of sewing tools.

A Fish Story, Part 1...

2012-01-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

You just never know what's swimming in your fabric stash until you try one of these playful fabric fish! Quilting friend Joanne used to say she "felt a fish coming on", meaning that she had the urge to dive in (pardon the pun) and get creative with fabrics to make a fish collage quilt. I didn't quite get it until she explained the process and I saw some of her results. So I decided to give it a try. Right away I understood why making just one of these could never be enough. It's a very free and creative approach to fabrics. You begin to see them differently and to combine them in unexpected ways to come up with a different fish every time... like snow flakes, no two are alike!

Once the fish itself was, ahem, hatched, then it was time to choose background and border fabrics. I was drawn to purchase the border fabric on this one, but had no idea where to use it. Until this project... the border makes me think of water, and currents. And the colors go nicely with the fish. This wall-quilt project is also ideal for practicing my free-motion quilting skills and I enjoyed combining designs in the piece.

Once I got into the swim of it, (pardon the pun) I began to see fish everywhere. All shapes, all sizes, all manner of materials. I began to observe the shapes and snap photos of them when I could. Shortly after working on my first fish, we ate out at The Blue Water Grill in Melrose, FL. We've been there several times before, but this time, in addition to an excellent meal, I took a closer look at the wonderful collection of stained glass sea life the restaurant owner has on display. Hope you enjoy a peek at some of them here. Aren't they something?

The photo above shows the fish at the beginning when I was cutting up and auditioning some of the dozen or so fabrics that compose the colorful fellow. So, the first fish is done, the second one is underway, and yet another smaller-scale one is being worked into a fabric post card. My sewing room is drowning (again, pardon the pun) in all of the fabric scraps. But I won't let that stop me when I feel a fish coming on!

Treasure Trove in a Cardboard Box...

2012-01-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

This vibrant Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt top was among the pieces packed into a box and overlooked by family members when settling an estate. When it was eventually discovered, one of the family gave the box to her cousin, my quilting friend, Claudia. And Claudia brought the box to our quilting group for us to see and enjoy! To have the opportunity to pore over old quilts and blocks like these is such a treat. Nearly everything in the box (all uncompleted projects) was hand-pieced, which is a study in itself. But examining the fabrics and wondering about the quilter's fabric choices provided endless and enjoyable discussion. We all agreed that this quiltmaker had a sylish color sense. Her quilt tops were bright and happy.

Look at this GFG unit and the use of the check and plaid with the small floral print at the center of the flower. Some of the units were consistent in the use of matching fabrics in each successive ring of hexagons. You can see several more units that "match" in the photo above.

But there are just as many units that are random and more haphazard incorporated into the quilt top. I count 14 fabrics used in the hexagons at right. And there's that same pink floral at the center. I like the quiltmaker's "no rhyme or reason" approach to combining the pieces for her quilt. It adds to the carefree, make-do feel. Plus the choice of red for the "path" between units is unique. I'm not sure I've seen it used, or at least if I have, it's been infrequent.

Also inside the box were stacks and stacks of pieced blocks, many with a complex pattern like the ones below. The little LeMoyne Star blocks at the very bottom of the photo are only 5" or 6" square.

I plan to do some research to find the names of the other blocks. Most look familiar, but I can't quite come up with the names. However, the block with the four fan units in the corners... that's a new one to me. I don't think I've seen it used in a quilt before. Very pretty, and it just shows how versatile pieced units like fans can be... they can stand alone in Fan blocks, become Wheels or Plates, or form a different block design like this one. I have a copy of Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns that I haven't cracked open in awhile. I'll let you know what I learn, and will show more of these tops and blocks in upcoming posts. What a delightful box of treasures!

Ruffles and Flourishes...

2012-01-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

This might look a little scary, but actually it's not a live thing. It's a knitted boa scarf. I haven't knit anything in many years, but at a quilt show this fall I saw a vendor selling the pretty ruffle yarn to make these. Everyone was wearing them, and they looked so soft and appealing that I thought, "I'm sure I could do that!" And it couldn't have been easier. Just 5 stitches across, straight knitting till the skein was gone or the scarf was as long as I wanted it. It's done on bamboo round needles. The yarn is interesting in that it is called "rail" yarn. That means I was knitting into the narrow band that carried the fullest part of the yarn, not into the yarn itself. So it formed lovely soft ruffles as I went.

And here are the flourishes. I went into a thrift shop and spotted these two pretty necklaces for just a few dollars. The one at the top has a handy magnifying lens on it. The other one has a handy clip on it. Seeing these two elements reminded me of some sewing tools I bought long ago to add to a chatelaine... but never did. What if I combined the necklaces and the sewing tools?

At left are the gold-toned tools. There's a seam ripper inside one of them. The other has a needle threader and a needle case. I'm not sure I'll use the needle threader. Those don't last very long with me, and I doubt I could replace it in the tool. But still... they're pretty and I'd like to do something with them. They've been in the sewing room for many years just gathering dust. I visited them occasionally, and wondered how to use them. So here is my "new" necklace. It has the lens, the clip, and the sewing tools all together in one place. And it's fancy, so that's the flourish. Heavy and a bit clanky, but definitely a flourish! I may add a Clover thread cutter to it, or a small pair of scissors, a charm or two. Time will tell.

But the best news about this little combo is it encourages me to think that at least some of that "stuff" I keep in the sewing room does indeed find a useful home someday! That's very good news, because there's lots more stuff to plow through.

The Deconstructed Crazy Quilt...

2012-01-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

If you love how fabrics combine and play off each other, then a project like this one may appeal to you as much as it did me! It's called a "deconstructed Crazy Quilt" according to our book study of "Fabric Embellishing- The Basics and Beyond" by Ruth Chandler, et. al. The authors have videos and support materials on their own book study site also. This method is easier than a traditional Crazy Quilt (which also merited a chapter of the book, and will have its own blog post here later) in that shapes are cut from fabrics already backed with fusible web. Then they are juxtaposed on a foundation fabric or batting as your muse directs, and can be overlapped as needed. There is no need to make shapes fit the space or to trim to fit as in the traditional method.

The thing I like best about this design approach is the opportunity to use a lot of decorator fabrics, sheers, and other glitzy fabrics. Because they're stabilized by the fusible product, they're very easy to handle. The biggest precaution is to use a pressing cloth because some of these fabrics can melt, curl or otherwise become distorted from the heat of the iron. And the heat is needed in order to activate the adhesive of the fusible. The pressing cloth solves those concerns. The piece shown above still needs to be stitched using various machine decorative stitches.

Of course I couldn't stop with just one, and I had a bin full of bright fabrics with fusible web already adehered. So I decided to slice and dice them to make a couple of post cards. The one shown above is done in a complementary color scheme, using orange and blue- opposites on the color wheel. These postcards are great small projects to create as color studies of warm and cool colors, and to try out various color harmonies. And they're great for practicing free-motion machine skills.

I did this post card in an analagous color scheme- a range of colors next to each other on the color wheel. In this case, fuchsia, purples, to blues. The surface stitching is done in a variegated metallic and rayon thread. According to color theory, complementary color schemes are vibrant and energized due to the high contrast, while analagous ones are restful and serene. My little post cards seem to bear that out.

As I worked on these pieces, it reminded me of the technique used in the class project in Carol Taylor's Arc-I-Texture class. The background was constructed in a similar way, but the pieces were fitted together more carefully, and all of the edges were couched. You can see it in this post.

At our meeting of the book study group, Kay had this fun piece to share. It makes use of a tie-dye look satin and a vibrant flannel fabric. Don't you love how she couched the seams and then knotted the trims for even more surface interest. What a creative idea. And how about those feathers!! The envy of many birds. She stitched them right into the seams.

Quilt Block Fun...

2012-01-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

Have you visited Craftsy? It's an online community with the motto of "Learn it.. Make it". You'll find projects, online video classes, and special deals on supplies like jelly rolls and charm squares. It's not just quilting either... there are classes for knitting, crochet, clothing and costume making, and more. One of the latest offerings is a free Craftsy Block-of-the-Month class featuring instructor Amy Gibson. You just need to sign up on the Craftsy site and then enroll in the free class. The Asterisk block above, and the Wonky Pound Sign below are the two 12" blocks for January- the "slash" blocks.

The videos are comprehensive, and divided into easy-to-reference chapters. You can watch along while you make the block; or watch and then review as needed when you are ready to cut and sew. At the end of the series, participants will have 20 blocks with which to make a quilt. Amy is a delightful quilter and instructor, and there is a forum where students can post photos of the blocks they are making. That's always a plus because it's inspiring and fun to see what fabrics others are using, and how they may vary the blocks. There are class materials you can print out that have the block patterns, too. I'm trying to avoid over-using my printer though (it seems to have an unquenchable thirst for inks), so my goal is to make the blocks with the videos only.

Fabric requirements are based on using fat quarter bundles, or you can use assorted fabrics from your stash. I found this Free Spirit "California Dreaming" fat quarter bundle on eBay, and the vendor was super prompt, so I was ready to jump into this project quickly. But the bundle I purchased has only the 16 fabrics seen in the photo above, and in the two blocks I've completed. More will be needed. I'm combing the shelves to see if I have some compatible prints to use with these. I think the two pictured below, in the background along with one of the Free Spirit prints, will do, don't you? However, I did a major purge of my fabrics recently, so I believe shopping is still in order! I seem to have an unquenchable thirst for fabric.

Quilter's Challenge... The Long, Skinny Point

2012-01-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

I had to sharpen up my piecing skills this week when I needed to make several blocks from my favorite block pattern. I like stars, and chose this Sun Ray block. However, it has long skinny points that require some careful cutting, stitching, and pressing to allow for a 1/4" seam around the block edges and still preserve a sharp point.

While I prefer rotary cutting, I knew that using this method for the Sun Ray block would be chancy. So I decided to make this sample unit, just to see how well it would work. Nope... can't go this route! This will never do. Two different lengths of the points... how on earth did that happen?

So I resorted to a method I have not used in a long time.... I made templates. They provided the accuracy and consistent results I was looking for. And once I had the pattern pieces drawn, I glued them to heavy cardboard. That allowed me to place them under my ruler and still cut the pieces with the rotary cutter. The templates even had the points shaped for easy matching and no trimming, so they saved a little time there. All in all, I think I had given templates a bad rap... there are piecing tasks for which they are the best solution. I was happy with the blocks I made.

This Tennessee Waltz quilt is also composed of blocks with long skinny points. I made this one several years ago using a book by Eleanor Burns. With her method, I sewed larger units, and then trimmed them to the proper size, which also ensured sharp points. This is the queen-size quilt we use on our bed during the winter months.

And it's been one year since Lily the cat came to reside here. She was a foundling on a bike trail and once we saw her, we just could not leave her behind all alone. She seems to like it here just fine! You can see how much she's grown from her kittenhood by looking at this post.

But I'm the only one who witnesses Lily's "other side". She can get a bit wild as you can see when she "helped" me to put away the Christmas decorations by beating me to the storage tote. See that garland with Lily right next to it? See that loose flower ripped from the garland? Lily's handiwork. But no one believes me because by the time they see her, she's looking very innocent, fast asleep on a quilt ... where else??

A Quilter's Two-Fer... They're Reversible!

2011-12-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

Reversible quilts like the two shown here are really fun to make. They are fairly quick quilting projects since the blocks are machine quilted and thereby finished as they are made. Once the blocks are completed, all that remains is to trim to size and join them with narrow strips. These become part of the overall design, and are finished by sewing down the folded edges on one side, similar to binding. All that hand sewing of the joining pieces may seem daunting, but it goes along very quickly and makes good hand work for travel or tv watching.

The Wheels blocks are made from vintage fabric pieces given to me by a friend. What is it about old bits and pieces that makes us want to preserve them? I just loved the colors and vibrancy of these pieces from the start. The green-dot background is a current fabric from JoAnn's, but it seemed to work nicely for the wheels. The lime and brown fabric on the back is also a JoAnn's sale fabric. All a bit funky, but I like the feel of this quilt!

The String-Pieced reversible quilt below was the first reversible quilt I made. It was a class project taught by Debra Johnston. The fabrics I chose for this one also turned out to be rather retro-looking once they were all combined. It definitely has a '60s flower-power vibe going on.

Because both sides of the quilts are so different from their counterparts, I wanted to use double-faced binding for them in order to keep the fabrics and colors cohesive. This is one of those tasks that makes me ask "now how does that go again?" I had to look up instructions for making the two-sided binding each time, and I couldn't describe how I did it today. But the instructions were good because I even got presentable miters at the corners. So if I make yet another reversible quilt, I'll be looking up two-sided binding methods yet again.

I'm most fond of the Wheels side of the top quilt. But I go back and forth with having a favorite side on the other one, depending on the day. Do you have a favorite?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Best wishes for a blessed Christmas! The card shown above is one I made in a workshop on using hot-fix ribbon, Copic markers, and hot-fix crystals. Always fun to learn a new technique, and to express the joy of the season to all.

I received these little treasures, left, in a gift exchange. Sewing friend Barbara makes them from craft felt, and adds all the tiny embellishments by hand. I was delighted to get them and have admired her creative work for a long time. She also gave me the white-on-white ornaments, above, right, back when I helped her sew the small felt birds shown in this post. Ornaments like these are on my "someday" list of things to make. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy hers and share them with you.

Happy holidays.

Joyeux Noel... and the St. Augustine Tour Continues

2011-12-20T20:22:00.000-08:00

This vintage image has lurked in my sewing room for ages just waiting to be used in a notecard, so I thought I'd share it here. It's another of the Dover clipart images that will be used again and again. I love the elegance of the couple, and her chartreuse gloves are such the fahionable accent. Looks like a glam New Year's Eve to me. Gloves are an accessory I would actually like to see make a come back, functional winter knit ones aside.

But let's continue on our field trip in St. Augustine. I am so drawn to courtyards and hidden alleyways, and there are many of them to take a glimpse into in the old town. If I had a courtyard, would I really spend much time in it? I like to think I would... the fantasy is fun at least.

Pull up a chair. Isn't this a cushy and inviting one? It's in the lobby of the Casa Monica Hotel. A little brighter lighting and I could curl up and stitch or read there for an afternoon. The one below is in the lobby, too, but it looks a bit more daunting... rather regal looking. I think you might need to have a sceptre to sit there.

Here are some more images from historic St. Augustine- an old home bedecked with holiday garland, a courtyard full of fountains and flags, and another with a stained glass parrot in a tree. You can just make him out in front of the window. One more inviting cobbled side street. On this visit we discovered a new-to-us part of the city... the North City on San Marco Avenue. Located there were Luli's Cupcakes (wow!), The Bead Chick, Claire's Collectibles Fun Rubber Stamps, a paper store, and an artisan's cooperative. Shopping fun for me, and for you if you get to delightful St. Augustine for a visit. Sounds like I work for the Chamber of Commerce, doesn't it? Nope. But I love our day trips to the oldest US city.

How About a Christmas field trip?

2011-12-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

This is Emily June. Better duck, she's got a snowball and a good aim! Emily June is dressed for snow because she's off to Pennsylvania to the home of a friend. But before she goes, she wants to invite you on a field trip to one of my favorite places in Florida- St. Augustine. These photos are from the historic downtown area. Come along and see what this lovely city has to offer.

We'll start in this courtyard of shops at the north end of St. George Street, a pedestrian walkway lined with museums like the Oldest Schoolhouse, eateries, gelato stores and boutique shops. Oh, and lots of souvenir stores. Need another tee-shirt? Of course you do.

Through one of the gift shops, and into the back courtyard below, you can see the area walled in by masonry walls made of stone and shell. There are many of these textural and interesting cocina shell walls in the area. The courtyard is a perfect place to wander and enjoy the windchimes, glass pieces, and bird feeders. So peaceful.

At the south end of St. George Street, and on Cordova Street right near Flagler College is the beautiful Casa Monica Hotel. Look beyond the tree, through the archway, to see some of the beautiful details on the beams of the Moorish achitecture. You can see some historic images of the hotel on their website. The hotel was first opened in the late 1800s.

There is a good deal of artwork on display in the lobby area. And the architectural details demand a fair share of attention, too. Just look at the tile work!

As you stroll around town, side strees like this one are very inviting. They also offer qauint shops, and a glimpse of old homes and buildings. If you are traveling to Florida, try to include this city in your itinierary. But we're not done... there is much more to see in St. Augustine. I'll show you some of them in the next post.

Winners! And Hot Beverages for Christmas...

2011-12-13T19:22:00.000-08:00

The time has come, and the drum roll has sounded. Four names were drawn for the prizes shown in the last two posts on this blog. Thanks for all of your comments, and for taking part. I drew the names for prizes in the order they were mentioned and shown in the posts. So here are the winners: 1) Vintage Christmas booklet- Cindy from Crimson Heart Studios; 2) Christmas journal- Malinda of Adornments; 3) Somerset Studio Gallery magazine- Donna Parker of Donna Did It; and 4) Christmas from the Heart book- Marilyn. So congratulations, and Merry Christmas! I've e-mailed each of you, but if you don't receive my message for some reason, please contact me.

I had small, same-size pieces left after trimming paper to make these Christmas matchbook-gift holders for my friends at the weekly Citra Crafty Quilters. Your names went on those paper slips for the drawing. Each of the matchbook-style holders has a packet of either cocoa or apple cider drink tied inside. Of course they were perfect for featuring more of my favorite vintage images from the Dover Clip Art CD. Malinda, who won the Christmas journal, is the one who shared the link for making these. The holders make simple, affordable gifts. And they are fairly quick to make. If you like them, check out the video at Eclectic Art Studio. One tip, when you go to thread the ribbon through the small punched holes, try using a floss threader. It makes the job very easy.

The remaining names are still in the quilty bag just in case I'm unable to contact any of the winners. I won the bag, which was nice and roomy for tossing and mixing up the names, on Kathy York's blog when she introduced her Urban Landscapes fabric line. Her article for making the drawstring bags appeared in Quilting Arts Gifts 2010 issue.

Is there no end to the fun we have with fabric and paper?? No! The answer is no. And I'll be back soon to share more with you.

More Prizes, More Christmas Joy...

2011-12-08T07:06:00.001-08:00

Time to add more prizes to the mix. In addition to the little vintage booklet shown in Sunday's post, I'm also adding one of the Christmas journals shown above. The giveaway journal is the red cover one. Both are made using the methods in Mary Ann Moss' Remains of the Day online class. However, both journals are a smaller version- they measure about 5" x 7", closed. The red journal has one signature made from 9 folded pages inside, so that yields 36 actual pages on which to write or add photos and memorabilia. And if you like making journals yourself, there is room to add another signature of your own creation. Some of the inside pages from the red book are shown below.

These journals are so much fun to make. They provide a home for all the bits and pieces of paper, images, embellishments, and whatnots I can't bear to part with, but never knew what use to make of them! Take for instance the kitty in the Christmas stocking above. So cute, she can't be tossed. And the angel tag I received in a swap with another paper afficionado... it found a comfy spot in the pocket stitched from a Panera Bread gift card holder.

The inside pages are in no particular order. In fact this pretty church image, above, is the last page of the red book. It reminds me of a small New England village at Christmastime.

Remember, there are two chances to win one of the prizes: 1) just leave a comment on this post, and I'll write your name on a slip of paper to be placed in a bowl for drawing. And 2) go back to visit the Sunday post and leave a comment there telling me your favorite of the little books. Be sure I'm able to contact you easily through your own blog, or provide an e-mail address in your comment so I can let you know if your name is drawn. A couple of people mentioned that they had trouble leaving a comment, so alternatively, you can click on my profile in the sidebar (where it says "More About Quiltnan" and "view my complete profile"), and it will show my e-mail address. Just e-mail your comment to me and I'll add your name. I'll draw four winners and announce them on Wednesday, next week.

These Christmas tags are an insert from an old 1980s-era Women's Day magazine. I noticed a lot of cigarette ads aimed at women when going through the old issues. I'd forgotten about those ads that made smoking seem so glamorous and womanly.

This image is from a advertising flyer and is faced by a security envelope page.

The centerfold- it's also from that 1980s magazine. Imagine if this image had gone to the landfill! It needed to be preserved, don't you think?

Even Lulu the cat found her way into the journal. Her photo was attached to a swap packet of journal items I recieved from the Remains of the Day Yahoo group. Lulu had chewed the corner of the packet and sent her note of apology with her photo. Isn't she pretty?

This is the back view of the journals. Some crazy piecing, braided ribbon and fabrics for the tie, ball fringe... anything goes when sewing these journal covers! And look below for a current magazine and a Christmas book I'll give away, as well.

I love all of the Stampington & Company publications. This Somerset Studio Gallery is the current winter 2012 issue. It's packed with mixed media projects and ideas. Pleasurable reading.

Here is this year's Christmas From the Heart book from Better Homes & Gardens. It's full of fun projects and tasty-looking recipes. I'd love for you to have one of these prizes.. just leave a comment. Merry Christmas!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Past...

2011-12-04T15:49:00.001-08:00

Since I'm such a big fan of vintage images, it's only natural that I'd sign up for Mary Green's "Christmas Gluebook" online class. Mary supplied the expertise, the instructions, and many of the images used to make these nostalgic little booklets. Other images came from a Dover clipart CD titled "Christmas Illustrations", which I was able to print out on matte photo paper. Wielding a pair of sharp scissors, a glue stick, and some ribbon along with the images and watercolor paper, these collage-style books were the happy result! Apparently I had not gotten my fill of paper dolls and other such crafts in my youth because I found this project to be endlessly absorbing and fun. The Blue Book below is the first one I created in Mary's class. I couldn't stop at just one!

The cover for the Red Book is shown above, and the inside pages and back cover follow. Doesn't that sweet little girl look pensive as she writes her letter to Santa? The reason I'm showing most of the images of all three books here is because I'd like to share one of them with one of you. I'm grateful to those of you who read and/or follow this blog and for the comments you add. It's very encouraging. I'm coming up on a two-year anniversary of the blog, and thought now would be a good time to hold a giveaway to express my thanks.

There will be four prizes (one of them will be a booklet shown here), and here's how you get two chances to win:

1) First Chance: Leave a comment on this blog post telling me which of the booklets or images is your favorite.. Red Book, Green Book, or Blue Book. Make sure your e-mail is one I can easily find, or add it to your post to ensure that I can contact you for your mailing address you if you win. All of the names of those who comment on this post will be written on slips of paper and placed in a bowl for the drawing.

2) Second Chance: Stop back later this week (starting on Thursday) to see the rest of the giveaway prizes, and leave a comment on that post as well. I'll add all the names from that post to those already in the bowl, and draw winners the following week. (I will mail your prize internationally).That's it... so simple. Tell your friends, and invite them to visit so they can leave a comment and enter, too. And we'll all have a Merry Christmas!

Center pages, Red Book

Pages 6-7, Red Book

Back cover, Red Book

Cover, Green Book

Pages 2-3, Green Book

Center pages, Green Book

Pages 6-7, Green Book

Back cover, Green Book

Cover, Blue Book

Pages 2-3, Blue Book

Pages 6-7, Blue Book

Back cover, Blue Book

Wool Quilts from Tailor Scraps...

2011-11-30T18:48:00.001-08:00

At last I'm happily back to blogging after my computer nose dive. It was nearly lost for good, but thankfully the Staples tech magician was able to recover and restore much of what was needed. I did lose quite a few photos and videos, but most of the important stuff is still available to me. Even though I thought I'd backed up all files on the little "passport" device, the photos were gone. I apparently know just enough about computers to create problems, but not enough to solve them! However, I'm moving along the learning curve as I've had to reinstall some things and it's been successful.

In the interim, I was able to visit blogs and I found this wonderful post on Jean Carlton's Quiltsetcetera. Visit her if you get a chance. She shows a variety of wool quilts- new ones and vintage examples. Just stunning. It reminded me that I'd made these wool quilts several years back, using scraps given to me by a New York tailor shop.

The one shown above is a Crazy Quilt with lots of embroidery stitches. I tend to fall back on a few of the same stitches. Notice how I changed the color of the floss to fool the viewer into thinking less is more! heh, heh, heh. But I did even manage some bullion roses.

Then I used more of the textured scraps in this Brick-style quilt shown below. It's jazzed up with some graphic shapes cut from the small pile of red wool scraps. And I stuck with a standard herringbone stitch for the seams on this one. Small projects were my choice for this because I find working with wool can be tricky (it can get baggy, to say nothing of moth-eaten) and large wool quilts are bulky and heavy. Plus the scrap supply was limited. But they were fun projects to work on.

So I'm glad to be back, and I'm still adjusting to the way things work differently now (like Blogger's layout). But I'll be back in December with a little giveaway for Christmas. I appreciate all of you who read and enjoy this blog, and this will be my way of saying many thanks. Oh hey... December is tomorrow! I better get working on the giveaway prizes. More to come! See you real soon.

Black Friday Blues...

2011-11-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

My computer is in sick bay once again. So when I get it back, I'll celebrate and express my thanks to those who visit this blog with a Christmas giveaway. How's that? Hope it's soon.

The Girls of Christmas...

2011-11-18T09:33:00.000-08:00

These five lovelies now reside on a mixed-media Christmas banner I made as part of an online class at Roses on My Table. The images are from a Dover CD titled "Christmas Illustrations." The pennant shapes, a chipboard product, went through several stages and processes before being joined together in the large display piece you can see below. I think the happy girl in the image above is my favorite one of the five. I'm such a fan of vintage images, and she somehow reminds me of old Coca Cola ads. I call her Merry.

After covering the triangles on both sides with patterned paper, we then added grommets along with collage elements like text papers, rub-ons, sheet music, and stamped images.

Next came some dry-brushed paints, stenciled paste, edge gilding, and embellishments of jewels and silk flowers. And finally, the completed pennants were strung together with ribbon. I'm not sure just where these will be displayed, but they'll probably grace our Citra sewing group's Christmas party... just to keep us company. The others need names, too. The one at above, left looks like Noelle might be a good choice for her. And possibly Ethel Ann on the right. These were great fun to make, and I've got enough triangles to make some for another holiday. I'm thinking Valentine's Day might be a good choice.

PS- Speaking of names, "Cosmic Confluence", "Ring Toss", and "Magician's Rings" were three excellent suggestions for the challenge quilt shown in the previous post. I haven't settled on one yet, but it will be one of these. Thanks for the creative quilt names!

Quilt Challenge Revealed...

2011-11-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here's my entry. I call it "The Quilt That Invented Itself". With only a fat quarter of the retro-floral-print challenge fabric to work with (we could have purchased more, and limited to the addition of pink, orange, black and white, this quilt just about did call the shots. I also wanted to primarily use fabrics on hand, so the black pin-dot was the lone purchase for this quilt. Can you suggest an appropriate name for this wacky lap-size quilt?

Here is the back. And a detail shot of the curly quilting in the rings. I combined free-motion quilting with colorful ties of embroidery floss to secure the layers.

Peggy's Heirlooms of Tomorrow, one of our local quilt shops, graciously hostessed our challenge tea. You can see the pretty table arrangement in the photo below, along with a wall full of more challenge quilts. There were more than 25 participants in this challenge. A record number, despite our little bit of whining about the challenge print!

Just look at the variety of techniques, methods, ideas everyone used! No wonder quilters love a challenge. The assortment of quilts seen together is quite exciting. You can just get a glimpse of Carol's "Viewer's Choice" winner... it's the Log Cabin and Butterfly quilt at the lower left of the photo below. It's king size and gorgeous. Mine is peeking out right next to hers.

Below on the right is Kay's winning quilt done in Seminole-style piecing and heavily embelllished. The entry on the left is all pieced over paper shapes as in English Paper Piecing.

And this one at right is Dot's "Crossing the Rio Grande" quilt.

Eddie made a quilt using design units from "Beyond the Block" (AQS Publishing), and Sharon made hers into a row-by-row quilt. So there you have it... the Country Road Quilters fall challenge. We're on to our next one now. It's Stars. I'm going to try and plan it rather than allow it to invent itself this time. But then again... maybe not.

Folio Fun...

2011-11-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

Here I go again with sewing notebook covers! This one is a folio that holds a junior-sized legal pad. The Diane Rusin Doran pattern was published in Quilting Arts Gifts issue 2009/2010.

I must have done something wrong, or measured/cut incorrectly though because my legal pad is just a scooch too big for the folio, and my inside pocket is not quite as deep as the one shown in the pattern. Fortunately, Diane suggests covering the top of the pad with matching fabric fused in place. That seems to help disguise the size difference pretty well. I'm going to make another one and figure out where I went wrong. What's a scooch you ask? Just a small fractional measure. Sooo close... but not quite right.

I like how the flap is attached to the folio. It's made separately, then fused using a narrow strip of webbing, and top-stitched in place. I added a couched yarn at the join. Small projects like this one are quick and fun, plus it's a great way to wallow in the fabric scraps that pile up and use the decorative stitches on my machine.

Fabrics and Beads and Yarns... Oh, My!

2011-11-04T06:57:00.001-07:00

I like making journal covers like this one. It's a great project for using up fabric scraps, plus I can practice free-motion machine quilting on them fairly successfully. I used the pattern instructions from Angela McEntyre of Laughing Cat Designs.

The journal is a donation for a local silent auction to benefit juvenile diabetes. The book inside is a standard composition book, so it can be refilled and reused. I like Angela's instructions... they're easy to follow and clearly illustrated. My pet peeve is patterns that don't provide full directions and leave you to figure things out on your own. This one doesn't do that... the pattern is very helpful.

The project also provides a place for couching yarns and adding a small amount of beading, which was fun. Everything is in moderation, so it's a quick project, too. Very satisfying to make. And I especially love combining batiks this way.

No beading on the back so the notebook will lie flat for writing.

Another notebook cover appears in this post and and the first journal made using this pattern is shown here. I think I'll make some more!

Some Serious Study...

2011-10-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

That means notetaking. And that means a notebook. Which of course means a notebook cover. You follow my logic, right?

Our guild's Art Quilt small group is doing a book study of "Fabric Embellishing" by Ruth Chandler, et al (shown above). For our upcoming meeting, each of us explored the sections on fabric manipulation. Some of the samples I made will go into a journal size piece and placed in a study notebook. But not all of them. The small notebook cover above was made using fabric that was wrinkled in the manner of the old-style broomstick skirts. I wet and slightly pleated the fabric first, then twisted the daylights out of it until it knotted back on itself. Then it went into a knee-high and hung to dry. That took a long time since the fabric mass was so dense. You can see a piece of it on top of the book.

We also tucked and bubbled fabrics. Two tucking samples here show even tucks, and less planned ones with both wide and narrow tucks. The bubbling below was done by poking wet fabric through a grid with a chopstick or other tool, and allowing it to dry before removing the fabric from the grid. The texture was secured by ironing fusible web to the back of the piece.

While enjoying the various techniques, I was also thinking about how they might be used in projects. Certainly in purses is one idea. Then a Christmas catalog arrived (*sigh*... yes, on October 29th.. a holiday catalog). But inside were some jewel-toned Christmas stockings made using tucked fabric with a faux-fur cuff. Lovely! So I'll be looking around for these manipulated fabrics to see how they're used.

To add yet more quilty fun to the weekend, this afternoon our local art museum presented a film called "A Century of Quilts". A PBS production, it reviewed some notable quiltmakers and their quilts. Beautiful photography and interesting interviews and background. Several of us in the audience were struck by the man who made mosaic quilts containing thousands of tiny hexagons in the early 1900s. His day job was as a dynamite handler! Steady hands were his gift. Watch it if you get the chance

Have a Crazy Heart...

2011-10-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Somehow I got started making these patchwork paper hearts with pen-stitched details. And once I did, I couldn't seem to stop. My card making friend Prue gave me a template from a pretty, crazy-pieced heart she made, and things just went crazy from there.

Now call me crazy, but I've signed up for a paper and ephemera swap with an online group. Each participant will put together 10 envelopes containing 10 or more pieces of interesting paper and bits for use in mixed media projects and journals. So each person I swap with will get a patchwork heart to start with, since I've made so many!

I also found these two books in a used book store. I'll tear pages from them to include as well. One is a pattern drafting book in Japanese. There was a time when I felt guilty for cannibalizing books to use in projects. After all, I'm a retired teacher, plus I worked at one time in a library and a bookstore. It was a challenge to overcome that reverence for books that made me gasp at the thought of ripping into them. But really, who's going to want to play "Buckaroo Boogie" anyway? And if they do, they can find the music on the internet, and they'll never miss this piano book I bought for $2. Right?

I'll recieve 10 envelopes in return and each will be full of other people's stuff. You know how intriguing other people's stuff always is. This will be fun!

Pieces of the Past...

2011-10-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Vintage quilts and blocks hold a big appeal for me. And occasionally the appeal is in the multi-generational nature of a project. Case in point: this Sunbonnet Sue quilt, brought to our recent quilt retreat by guild member Marietta. Her mother made the appliqued and embroidered blocks in the late 1930s. As a child, Marietta was allowed to embroider on some of them. However, the blocks were set aside, unassembled, for quite some time. Marietta kept them with her through a number of moves, and eventually unearthed them in the 1990s to set the blocks together in a quilt. She even found the old pattern flyer with which the blocks were made! What a treasure.

Sunbonnet Sue is engaged in different activities in the blocks... playing with her doll, tossing a ball, and carrying her school books. I love these expressive blocks, and am happy Marietta has preserved them in a piece that will now be a legacy in her family.

I like to "rescue" old quilt blocks, too. This small piece is one I made using a block that probably dates from the late 1800s or early 1900s. With the period reproduction print fabrics that became widely available in the 1990s, I was able to set the old block into a new piece. I even love old blocks that are badly made! Just look at the wavy lines in the patchwork... endearing. And I'm a bit of an expert at making my own wavy lines in patchwork, too!

Do-it-Yourself Retreat...

2011-10-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

What fun we had recently when my friend Joanne flew to Orlando from Pennsylvania, and we met at Disney World for a 3-day retreat. I loaded the car with supplies like paper, paint, stamps, inks, fabrics, glue, stencils, scissors, punches. You name it, it was in there. I had prepared the fabric journal covers, above, and our intention was to create papers and pages to fill them.

So on the first day we did a creative warm-up exercise that included setting a timer to complete each series of tasks in making these papers. We painted, glued, sprayed our way to creating some beautiful background papers to use in journals and other projects. And since there was little to no time to think about what we were doing, the entire process became intuitive. We even composed and glued down a poem, making use of words we'd had 5 minutes to cut from brochures. While the papers dried, we took a boat ride from our Port Orleans Riverside resort to Downtown Disney, where we had a great meal at the Rainforest Cafe. My first visit, so I enjoyed the blaring elephants and the beautiful fish in the aquarium. One poor little girl near us was terrified of the elephants, and unfortunately her family's table was right next to one. She cried through each animated episode. Poor little girl!

I brought a plastic table cloth and we were very careful with our supplies. Plus we tidied up when it was time for the room to be cleaned. We didn't want to cause the housekeeping staff to faint ... but here's a peek at our "studio" at its worst.

The second day we visited Epcot theme park. Even though it was hot, we enjoyed the park immensely. We're big fans of Soarin', and got to go soarin' twice. Had a delicious dinner at Coral Reef, and just relished the day.

The third day was spent working on our journal pages. While the sewing machine was in the car, we decided to glue tack our pages and add the stitching to them at home. I haven't gotten to dress up my journal yet, or sew the pages in, but that's in the "coming attractions." Joanne devoted pages in her journal to the Disney experience, as you can see by the welcoming Mickey image, shown below. Here are a few of our pages, followed by a photo taken from the riverside gazebo on the resort grounds where we read our daily devotionals. Such a refreshing get-away. My small-town newspaper used to report on the activities of the local folks, and always ended with this summary statement... which certainly fits our retreat: "And a fine time was had by all".

Swooning With the Oldies...

2011-10-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Despite all the quilts and "quilty things" I get up to, there is nothing that makes my heart skip a beat like a vintage quilt. Appreciation for old quilts is what got me started in quilting to begin with. And I had the opportunity to spend quality time with a number of old quilts, and the women who also love them, when I attended the quarterly meeting of the Florida Quilt Study Group. Calendar conflicts had kept me from attending for many months, so it was a real pleasure to rejoin the group.

Take for instance this stunning Ocean Waves quilt, brought by group member Jill. The sheer number of those tiny, tiny triangles fills me with admiration for the long-ago quiltmaker. Just look at all those prints! The amount of blue used in this quilt seemed to really set off the other colors and make them sparkle. And if this Ocean Waves whets your appetite, take a look at The Quilt Index to see more... Ocean Waves with Redwork, with dark background fabrics, in pastels, you name the variation and you'll find an example. The Quilt Index is a quilt documentation resource that provides information and images on quilts housed in museum collections as well as those held privately. Just type in the pattern of interest, and pages upon pages of references and images are yours for the browsing. Warning: you can spend a whole afternoon or more just wandering through the site! But it's so worth your time, and your many questions will get answers.

A quick and admiring glance at a beautiful antique like the vertical strippy (my absolute favorite setting) tied quilt, above, is one thing, but an up-close look truly provides a fascinating glimpse into history. The photo shows the backing folded over and lying on the quilt top. The quilt contains century-old fabrics, including mourning prints, ticking, and even the very early (late 1700s?) piece, shown at right. Well-known quilt appraiser Teddy Pruitt also attended the group, and offered lots of tid bits about these old quilts. That's right... not only is Teddy's profession old quilts, but she spends her recreational time with them, too. Good for her!

Below right is the backing full on (love those pieced backings!), and another photo of the quilt top. The block photo at center shows my nomination of a fabric to be included in a line of reproduction prints. That green with the amorphous blob is a print I'd use again and again. Well, I could go on and on, but you probably want to go spend some time at The Quilt Index and at Teddy's website. So much to see, so little time.

The Best Kind of Mail...

2011-09-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Three exciting pieces of mail art arrived here today. All are from the postcard mail art swap conducted by Lenna at Creative Swaps this summer. In fact, "A Summer's Day" was the theme for this swap.

Sarah Boblit, Iowa, did an impressive amount of hand embroidery and beading on her post card, above, titled "A Summer's Day in August". It's criss-crossed with sheer ribbons, and loaded with French knots and seed beads, which give lovely texture. A hand-dyed fabric stitched in place creates the smooth edge finish.

This altered-image postcard is from Valeri-Jael Tups in Germany. She added to the original lighthouse image, using stamps, stickers, inking, and vintage collage images. You can see more of her work here.

The two maidens in "Summer Flowers" came all the way from Donna Parker's colorful studio in Mexico. She stitched the vintage Belgian flower girl images to a fabric background and added stamping.

Even the backs of the cards are interesting to look at. Lenna mailed each postcard directly through the mail. Sarah's was enclosed in a clear protector because of all the texture and fabric it contains. But none are worse for their travels.

All lovely, and all very much appreciated. Lenna's swaps are great fun, and provide a way to stretch a little bit to try a new technique or two. Just look at the variety of mixed media methods on display in these three post cards! The cards I sent were shown in the blog entries from August. What will Lenna come up with next??

Get Yourself an Outfit...

2011-09-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Notice a trend in these photos? It's not enough that I love making quilts. I apparently am compelled to carry the passion for quilts into all phases of my life. In an "oops, I did it again" moment, I went shopping for clothing and brought home yet another garment, shown above, that looks like a quilt. I'm drawn to them. Especially if they're on sale!

A quick inventory of the closet revealed this somewhat disturbing truth. It seems that I often dress like a quilt. It happened quite gradually, and yet these four ready-to-wear garments are just the tip of the iceberg. There's more. Tops, jackets, even purses Lots more!

My consciousness of this trend was first raised when I wore the Crazy Quilt vest below, and people asked me if I'd made it. I gave the standard quilter's answer of "No, but I could have."

It all puts me in mind of the parody of the song titled "The Cowboy's Lament", that starts out "As I walked out in the streets of Laredo....". My version goes like this, to that tune:

I can see by your outfit that you are a quilter.

You can see by my outfit that I am a quilter, too.

We can see by our outfits that we are all quilters.

Get yourself an outfit and be a quilter, too!

Ain't she sweet....

2011-09-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Look what happens when the sewing room gets a clean-out. I came across the pattern for this little doll while going through my pattern file. I've kept the pattern, and kept it, and kept it some more. It's dated Mary's Patterns, 1991, so after 20 years, it seemed time to finally make one of these!

Because I collect vintage textiles, there are a few pretty hankies in the mix. They're perfect to make the pinafore the floral fairy doll wears, like the one Angelica (that's her name) is modeling above. I decided against the wings, for now at least. She needs some beading at the neckline, so that's on the to-do list. The tiny rose is pinned on for the moment. How come the things I make are so often not quite "done"?

Also, Angelica needs more blush. You can hardly see that she's wearing any, which is my style. But not hers. So I'm going to have to buy make up for her. Unless you have any thoughts on what else might pink up her cheeks a bit more. Since she has no features other than eyes, her cheeks are quite important. Maybe colored pencil?

I've got more hankies, so Angelica may get some friends. She'd like that. Then the pattern will go back in the file so I can keep it, and keep it, and keep it some more.

Postcards from Summer...

2011-08-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

After making the fabric postcards shown in a previous post, I next tried my hand at making altered photograph postcards. These three resulted from the effort. Some will be part of Lenna's Creative Swaps in which each participant is making three mixed-media postcards to trade. The theme is "A Summer's Day", and we'll complete the sentence "Summer is..." on each card. "Sunlit" is the title of the card shown above. It's of boats anchored in Perkins Cove.

Our trip to Maine in early August was a beautiful time, and in such a beautiful place. So I chose the photos of the Perkins Cove and Kennebunkport areas to feature in the postcards. For each one, I placed an oval mask on part of the photo and then coated the rest of the picture with gesso. These were glossy photos, so the gesso made the surface able to receive paint and inks. On top of that, I colored with watercolor crayons, followed by water to activate and blend the colors. Some stamping, stitching, and added text followed.

Then I layered the photo side with cardstock or scrapbook paper backing, and a middle of lightweight cardboard. Lastly, I stitched the edges by machine, couching yarn on the edge of "Rainbow Beach".

This was a stretch for me, using materials that are somewhat new. But it was fun to do, and I like how each photo is enhanced by the added design elements. All they need is the tried-and-true postacard sentiment... Wish You Were Here!

Summer is Golden...

2011-08-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

There is something about the light in the summertime. It is golden. So that's my theme for a mixed-media postcard swap I'm taking part in at Lenna's Creative Swaps. Participants will each make three postcards representing a summer day. I think "beach" when I think of summer, and I love the vintage images in "The Boardwalk Collection" of Graphic 45 papers. That pensive pair in the card above... what are they thinking about? And the beach beauty below... she's certainly on everyone's radar in her flirty bathing costume. It took awhile to let the ideas percolate, but our postcards are not due until mid-September, so I have time.

To make these 4" x 6" postcards, I chose a fabric with a summery feel from my collection and backed it with fusible batting. Next I stenciled the diver and the starfish using a freezer paper pattern ironed onto the fabric and filled in with gold Lumiere paint. The outlines of each stenciled image are contrasted with black stitching, one by machine, and one by hand using embroidery floss. Ink stamping was added to each, and more embroidery stitches accent some of the elements. The vintage images were added using a double-stick adhesive.

The backs of the cards are printed on cardstock. And there's a layer of Peltex, a stiff interfacing, between front and back. Finally, I stitched the edges to secure the layers, using couched yarn on the design side.

All in all, a fun project. But I still need to think up one more design for the swap. hmmm.... what to make?

Handmade gifts...

2011-08-19T10:40:00.001-07:00

Back online! I didn't realize how much I use the computer until I didn't have it for a few days. But things are fixed up now. There was a sign on the computer store wall that said, "To err is human... to really foul things up requires a computer." That says it all in my book.

Wish I could say I made this handmade Mama Kitty and her kitten, but I actually found it in a craft shop while we were in Maine. Thought she was just adorable and loved her style. We decided to give her to our daughter Joanna. Joanna's old yellow cat died last spring, and her co-workers found a sweet stray which they encouraged her to adopt. She did so, naming her new pet Jasper. A few short weeks later, Jasper gave birth to five kittens! As my husband Jack sometimes points out, "No good deed goes unpunished." Happily she's found homes for four of the kittens, she'll keep one, Jasper is getting a new name, and both cats will be neutered soon.

Here's a beautiful handmade bag that just arrived from my quilting friend Joanne. It's perfect... size, color, roominess, fabric, everything. The strap is just the right width and length. It may be the most comfortable one I've had, and it will be a go-to bag.

And after donating a pile of fabric at the quilt guild recently, quilting friend Penny made this thank-you gift. This little sofa is a tissue box cover. Cute! I didn't even remember having this fabric. But it's back home now in a dandy new form!

Quilters are such generous people! I'm feeling very grateful.

And while I was taking these photos, I decided to allow this stuffed bunny to recline on the sofa. I've had it for years, and just never seem ready to part with it. I showed the bunny to my employer some years back. She commented, "No wonder you were drawn to this bunny. If you were a rabbit, this would be you." I wasn't sure how to take that thought, but since I like the bunny and her personality (her good looks aside), I took it that this would be me in the best possible way! What say you? It's good to be back.

Blogging at the Speed of... Molasses.

2011-08-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

We had a power outage the other day and when I turned the computer back on, it could harldy get out of its own way! Just terribly, awfully s--l--o--w. It's going to sick bay tomorrow. I have some things to share with you, but will have to wait until...?? I time out and lose things before getting things uploaded. Hopefully there will be a remedy very soon, and my fingers are crossed that this post will be uploaded successfully.

Meanwhile, thanks so very much to those who follow this blog and keep up with the various projects. I really appreciate it, and treasure your comments when you have time to make them. And thanks for you patience while problems get resolved. Enjoy the final weeks of summer, and I'll be back soon. Best from Nancy

Beauty as Well as Bread...

2011-08-07T13:55:00.001-07:00

We spent most of last week visiting the Coast of Maine, staying at Goose Rocks Beach near Kennebunkport. What a refreshing time! The weather was perfect, the air so fresh, and the views spectacular. Two mornings we drove to Ogunquit to walk the mile-long Marginal Way. The view above is of Ogunquit River and the Atlantic taken from the foot path.

There are overlook benches and markers along the Marginal Way, and I was taken by the above placque with this quote from naturalist and preservationist John Muir. "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." How true! And this is certainly one place that checks all the boxes on that list.

At the end of the Marginal Way is the small fishing and shopping area known as Perkins Cove. Here's the view from the footbridge that crosses the waterway. Passersby sometimes have to raise and lower the bridge for a boat to travel through. Jack was called on to render this service on our visit. He's done it in the past, too, and we like to entertain ourselves with fake newspaper headlines like "Tourist Causes Traffic Jam for Perkins Cove Boaters" or "Florida Man Falls from Footbridge While Operating Lift". We are easily amused.

Our rental cottage had a picnic table in the backyard which overlooked this marsh, part of the Wildlife Refuge. We saw lots of bird activity, and welcomed the peacefulness, while we also enjoyed our lobster dinners.

One of our favorite places to eat is the Cape Neddick Lobster Pound which serves the best lobster rolls on the open-air deck.

And every night we drove into Kennebunkport to stroll around, shop, have some ice cream, and admire the beautiful flowers and inviting courtyard gardens.

One evening some rain fell, but we were rewarded with a rainbow at the end of the brief shower. Of course we visited the local quilt shop, Knight's Quilt Shop in the Cape Neddick area. That's the day we also visited the iconic Nubble Lighthouse near York Beach. We returned to Florida a day earlier than originally planned, but we packed a lot in the time we had. Lovely, lovely! And good to be home.

Just before our trip I listened to the recorded book titled "Maine", currently on some bestseller lists. I enjoyed the narrator's New England accent, the storyline of family dynamics, plus the mentions of the many landmarks we've become familiar with over the years of vacationing in the area.

Summer Reading List...

2011-07-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

Summer is all about books and reading, right? I'm happily surrounded by books of all kinds this summer. First are these three wonderful "little books" from a recent swap on Creative Swaps site. Swap hostess Lenna Andrews, from the Gulf Coast of Florida, made the little denim and lace book at the upper left. She stamped the denim, which she left with a slight raw-edge for a nice frayed look, and stitched on lace trim and a ribbon closure. Inside are blank pages for me to journal on. These are sewn in and trimmed with paper tape. It's a sweet little book that measures just 4" square. Sentiments on the inside covers say "It is the smaller moments that create the most exquisite beauty" and "Create as though there are no critics." Good words to live by.

The pink fabric book at the upper right was made by Siri Hauge Opdal from Norway. It's soft and flexbile, and contains page after page of trims and embellishments. Clearly she put a lot of thought and workmanship into the pages... and she must have a very interesting stash of embellishments! Even the spine is trimmed with small heart-shaped buttons.

A poem by poet Wilhelm Busch is the theme of Sabine Schneider's swap book. Sabine is from Germany. She used painted canvas fabric as the base, and added machine sewn transparencies, stamped images, glittered lettering, and hand sewn trims like a feather and button. There's even a pen nib sewn in, shown above, to go along with the literary theme. The book is tied closed with sheer rayon ribbon. Lovely!

We are heading to Maine for a few days of travel and lobster dining, so of course books are part of the trip. I've got my e-reader Nook loaded. Also I borrowed Diane Mott Davidson's latest mystery, Crunch Time, from the library. Her series of titles make enjoyable reading, plus they contain some interesting recipes. The main character, Goldy Schulz, is a Colorado caterer who just happens to stumble into all sorts of mysteries while she's cooking. Books are such great travel companions.

Waiting for me when I get home is this "Squash Book", above. I started it a long time ago, using a piece of hand-embroidered, mono-printed fabric for the cover. It's little (about 4" sqauare), but there is a lot of space to fill inside. I'm inching toward filling it, and hope to show you that one completed in August. I'll also provide a link to a tutorial I found for making one of these... they are great fun to put together! See you in August.

An Open Book...

2011-07-22T16:54:00.001-07:00

At last! I have completed the Remains of the Day journal. The cover was shown in a previous post. I may be slow and plodding, but projects eventually do get done. After enrolling in the class offered by Mary Ann Moss, I made the cover and began saving and sorting all sorts of paper and images for use in this journal. Then it was time to compose pages, sewing bits and pieces in place in a pleasing way. Business cards, food photos, magazine covers, advertising brochures, patterned paper, envelopes, paper bags, fabric strips... all of it found its way into the journal.

There are two signatures (groups of pages) in this journal, and each one contains 8 folded pages for a total of 32 pages in the book. I even sewed enough pages to have a pretty good start on my next journal.

There is always more to a subject than first meets the eye, and I've enjoyed learning about book making. There's an entire vocabulary to master... words like "signature" and "spread" (the two pages you see when a book is open). Even the left and right pages of a spread have a term. In the photo below, the green heart is on the recto, or right-hand page, while the yellow arrow is on the verso, or left-hand page. I don't know if I'll remember the terms, but I hope to craft more handmade books, so they might just stick with me.

I've also borrowed several library books on the subject of handmade books. It's fascinating how many methods and styles there are, some of them quite simple to accomplish. "Making Handmade Books" by Alisa Golden is one title that has useful information and clear instructions.

The next questions to answer are: Will I be courageous enough to write in my journal? Will I have anything to say? Even if it remains blank, it's been great fun to create!

Pretty Blocks in a Row...

2011-07-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Here's another effort for our guild's Row Robin swap. There are 8 of us participating. Ordinarily the rows would not be shown until the completion date. However, it's safe to show this one now because the recipient is not online and won't see it. She chose a pretty, dusty lavender batik as her focus fabric, along with a tone-on-tone print for the background. And she's open to whatever block designs each quilter wants to dream up.

Well, that's all the permission I needed to sort through my batik scraps and come up with pretty bits for these four string-pieced Square-in-a-Square blocks. Such a delightful mess I made out of those scraps! Then I puzzled over the corner triangles, trying to remember the formula for cutting quarter-square triangles. What size, what to add... but at last it came to me... these are just half-square triangles, and the math for cutting them was easy. Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill. Problem solved.

I wanted to add some fusible applique to the row as well. Two Star Flower blocks from Cynthia Tomaszewski's "Aunties Garden" pattern seemed just the ticket. And I arranged the string-pieced blocks in both horizontal and vertical orientations when assembling the row.

These kinds projects are such fun to work on, and allow plenty of room to experiment with something small. No pressure. I'm not making a whole quilt... just a row. The rows measure 54" finished width. And we can create our choice of block sizes and combos within that requirement. Three rows down, and five to go. I look forward to our "big reveal", and seeing the quilts completed.

Whirligig Quilt...

2011-07-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is another quilt I've been inching along toward completion. Now the binding is on, and it is done. The pattern makes use of width-of-fabric strips joined in pairs. They're 2 1/2" strips, so it's a good quilt for using a Jelly Roll or similar pre-cut fabric collections.

As you look at the quilt, you'll notice that the border blocks and the blocks in the inner rectangle are reverse images of each other (see side-by-side blocks in photo below). Using the strip-piecing method in the pattern results in both blocks being sewn at the same time. So it really feels like a "quick quilt." You can find the pattern in quilt shops, or on the Quilt-in-a-Day website.

Claudia from Quiltworks of Orange Springs quilted this project. I like the graceful, swirling leafy motif she used on it. You can see it more clearly in the photo below where I've placed blocks on the back side of the quilt to photograph them. It's a soft and feminine quilt. I'm not sure where this quilt will reside. It may become a charitable donation quilt, but I'm still thinking on it.

Below are some more of the leftovers. There are lots of 4-Patch units from trimming the strip sets. Of course I can hardly bear to throw anything away, so these will lurk in the closet until I dream up a project that will make use of them. They won't be lonely in the closet though. There are more leftovers in there to keep them company. The ones at right, below, are from a Drunkard's Path quilt top that is waiting for a border. What do you do with your leftovers?

Thought I'd Never Finish...

2011-07-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Phew! This donation quilt turned into a long, longterm project for me. I pieced the top on a quilting retreat in the spring, using all green prints from my fabric stash. And I decided to machine quilt it myself. This was a big decision since I quilt small projects myself, but usually send larger tops to a longarm quilter. Quilting friend Jean calls this "quilting by check." I've only machine quilted one or two larger quilts on my own. So it's still relatively new territory, and I truly admire those who accomplish beautiful, award winning quilting on their home machines. I'm improving, but still have a long way to go.

I learned plenty of things about machine quilting while completing this project. Some of them I'd read or heard, and my experience confirms them. Others were simply discoveries I made. Here are the top five:

1) Set up is important- I used a countertop behind the quilt, a long table to the left, and the Gidget II sewing table from Leah Day. All of this supported the quilt nicely and kept drag to a minimum.

2) The right tools help- the machine quilting gloves... I used Machingers... are comfortable, lightweight, and give the necessary grip for manipulating the quilt.

3) Don't worry about the whole quilt, just focus on what is under the needle- things had a way of working out well when I did this. As long as I kept the small area where I was sewing under control, the entire project fell into place nicely.

4) Stay relaxed- while I like listening to recorded books, trying to follow the narrator while quilting just didn't work out. I kept missing sections of the story. So instead, I streamed the "easy listening favorites" from Tampa's station The Dove on my desktop computer. Nice!

5) Make a new plan- originally I'd planned on making one of these quilts from each colorway of fabric in my stash. The idea was to use up fabrics, and to make quilts that will be used by those in need. Our quilting guild actively supports several charitable organizations with lots of quilts every year. But I can't say I enjoyed the machine quilting experience, nor was I fully happy with the results. Plus, I'm very s-l-o-o-w. So maybe I'll make quilt tops, and have them professionally quilted. Or maybe I'll bring fabric to the free table at guild. Quilt small projects? yes... quilt larger ones? Not so likely. The fabric stash of greens is nicely reduced though.

Here's one reason I was so slow... Lily. I see blog after blog which shows quilters' cats, and even dogs, hovering around the sewing room to offer advice and assitance. Lily is no exception. What a great helper! Quilt comes out... she gets on! She even made a cocoon for herself out of the quilt while I tried to sew on the binding! To say nothing of the biting of batting. All work comes to a halt when it's her nap time. She can sure wreak havoc in the sewing room.

And look how perilously close I came to running out of the variegated thread I'd chosen for the project. Yikes!

Don't Forget to Write...

2011-06-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

Our sewing and crafting group members really enjoy working on projects for worthy causes. Two of us spent a morning recently making cards to donate to Operation Write Home. Their mission is to support our military by providing them with handmade blank cards on which they can send home greetings to their loved ones. It's a huge effort, and the organization gets lots of support. They are working on their second million cards! And their website contains all sorts of helpful material, including inspiring letters from members of the military.

There is a special drive for "thinking of you" cards right now. So we focused on that for our efforts. Here is what we came up with so far. The card at the top has a cut-away flap that reveals an insert strip of patterned paper on the inside. I saw an instructional video for it on Two Peas in a Bucket's "Finally Friday" series. My cardmaking friend Prue and I agreed that we could spend hours looking at all the wonderful ideas and videos online! But we also decided we better get on with it. We made a happy mess, and these cards were the result.

We kept the designs simple, and for a couple of the cards we used blank cards that had a background design already imprinted. That way we just had to "tart them up", as the saying goes.

Stitching Up Fabric and Paper Scraps...

2011-06-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

All this stitching on paper I've been doing lately prompted me to go ahead and sign up for the "Remains of the Day" online class with Mary Ann Moss. I've seen fascinating photos and videos of the shabby scrap journals she and her students have made. After watching, looking, and watching some more... I took the plunge. Mary Ann's step-by-step videos are thorough and inspiring, and I studied the first few for some time. Once I'd digested the info, I got started and made the cover for my journal. Here's how it looks when closed, above. It's got a bit of everything in it... splashy cotton print, bridal lace, netting, sheer curtain fabric, decorator fabric, and rick-rack.

And here it is lying open and flat. You can see that it is indeed both scrappy and shabby. After pulling together those bits and pieces of fabrics and trims that I liked, I just stitched away. I'm quite happy with the result. The project really makes use of "found" items. The long wrap tie is made from an unused fabric belt that came with a piece of clothing. I stitched pieces of ribbon, trim, and fabric selvages to it. The bit of Crabtree & Evelyn ribbon came from an old, old gift package found in a collection of vintage trims. It's been lurking in my sewing room just waiting for a home. Now, happily, it has one!

The next step is to prepare the signatures (a signature is several sheets of paper, folded into pages, that form one section of the book). These, too, will be found papers for the most part. I can tell you this. Once you take this class, you will not look at junk mail in the same way again. All of it becomes grist for the mill. Here are just a couple of examples. The strips of images from a magazine, seen at the bottom of the photo, will get stiched along the side of several pages. The red envelope provides a windowed section which will become a stitched see-through pocket. Plus I punched some circles from the same envelope and from a piece of a map. The circles can be stitched in place on one or more pages. And even the pieces the circles were punched from will add interest somewhere. The first signature, which will be about 8 or 9 folded and stitched sheets(so 16 or 18 pages) is underway. Paper is piling up in the sewing room. I'm rather slow at this, so may not have much to show on the project for awhile. But I will keep you posted on the progress!

If you are like me, and cannot get enough of looking at these journals, you can see a number of them on YouTube. Also the April 2011 issue of Somerset Memories has an online extra showing pages from the journals published in an article in the magazine. Happy browsing!

Quilting Task for Today...

2011-06-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

Our guild, Country Road Quilters, is gearing up for the next group quilt. Various members are piecing these "Floating Star" blocks using a white-on-white print and a pretty, frosty blue. It's an excellent block for a group project because it's forgiving. The star points are sewn so that they are away from the block edges... they'll stay sharp, and won't get blunted when joining the blocks together. A good pick, I think! I really enjoy contributing to group quilts. So I've pieced two blocks ready for the deadline.

One little issue... white-on-white prints and over-60 eyesight combined to fool my eye. It is so easy for me to get a piece turned with the wrong side up. As careful as I thought I was being, this piece had to be removed and re-sewn because the right side faced the back of the block. aaaargh! Here is the culprit here. I'm just grateful it was only one piece. All fixed now.

The block reminded me of a colorful quilt I made some years back for our granddaughter Brooke. It, too, had floating stars. A very easy pattern and fun to make. The fabrics and pattern were in a kit... just had to cut and sew.

Shhh, Don't Wake the Baby...

2011-06-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip this week from Florida to South Carolina to visit this little guy. He's just 7 days old in this photo, and we are part-owners. His mother Peaches was Jack's red roan Quarter Horse show mare for a number of years. When it was time for her to retire, he sent her to the farm of some friends in SC. They love having her, and enjoy riding her around their farm. Together we decided to have Peaches bred and to share ownership of her foal. In a year, he'll probably move down here to our place for whatever comes next in his horsey life. We're all still working on a name for him. His sire's name is No Doubt I'm Lazy. So something with "No Doubt I'm ..." Any ideas? But meantime, he's healthy, full of himself, and as cute as can be!

You can see that he's curious and independent. He was supposed to follow his mama into the barn, but took a little detour. She was just inside the barn door nickering to him. Soon he'll be led by his halter and a butt rope before he becomes too independent. A fun visit, even though I didn't get to visit the local quilt shop!

Now See Here...

2011-06-05T17:45:00.001-07:00

Can't you almost hear this sassy little girl saying something like "now see here?" She's got 'tude for sure. There is something so appealing about vintage images of women, and even little girls, in hats! I just love them. So for my friend Joanne's birthday, I made the greeting card with this little one stamping her foot. She's just so cute and funny. I thought I was drawn to the image because she "was" Joanne, who always had an affinity for hats when growing up. But no... it turns out that Joanne says she's me. To a "T". Oh my goodness! Really? Who knew?? Amazing how others know us better than we know ourselves, isn't it.

I forgot to take a photo of the card before sending.. but Joanne obliged with the scan. I wanted to show it here, and to mention all the new things I used and learned while making it. It's got tissue tape, eyelets, lace, and white gel pen. The image is a free one from The Graphics Fairy. It was fun to make, and I especially like working with the vintage images and sewing trims.

Anyhow, making cards and stitching paper remains a big fascination of late. Our small crafting and sewing group recently held a cardmaking session. Here are some more of the goods... Quilting friend Prue made most of these. She's very talented with fabric and paper.. a real knack. She even lines the envelopes, which is a lovely touch. The yellow one above is my favorite.

Last, But Not Least- Little Book...

2011-06-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it's June and the deadline for the Little Book Swap is fast approaching. So I'll mail mine off this week. Here is the last of the three. This "Pieced Paper Friendship Book" measures about 3" square, and it is filled with painted and stamped pages. It's pamphlet-stitch bound with floss, and has beads and charms added to the thread. These were such fun to make. You can see other swap books at Lenna Andrews' Creative Swaps site.

And speaking of books, I found a lovely keepsake one full of nostalgic illustrations at a book sale recently. We were riding our bikes around the charming village of Melrose, FL, when we saw a sign for the sale at the library. This hardback copy of "Heirlooms from Loving Hands" by Sandy Lynam Clough (Harvest House Publishers, 1998) was only $1. I couldn't resist for that price.

More Little Books...

2011-05-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

I've plodded along, making my little books for our swap at Lenna's Creative Swaps site. You can see some little treasures she's already received at that site, some as small as 1" square! At last I'm calling my books done and preparing to mail the three of them in plenty of time for our mid-June deadline. "The Book of Birds" was already shown here. And there's one more I'll post in a few days. This has been such a pleasure, and I've learned a lot. For one thing, I've learned how much fun it is to sew paper! It's inexplicable why I like it so much... and yet I find it absorbing, relaxing, and creative. And for another, I know I'm a book lover, but had no idea how much enjoyment there is in actually making books like these.

The book shown here is titled "In The Pink", and I made it by piecing fabric-paper scraps into a portfolio-style cover. The pages inside are made from watercolor background papers I painted, stamped, spritzed... all manner of color applications. It measures 4" x 5" and has a few images and trims inside, along with space for its new owner to do some journaling. There isn't a whole lot of room along the spine, but just enough to add some sassy fabric scraps, below.

Sort of Looks Like a Quilt...

2011-05-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

But it's paper. Our small sewing and craft group had a cardmaking workshop last week. What fun. There were scraps and bits all over the place. But we managed to make some cute cards. The patchwork heart card shown above was a kit made up by quilting and cardmaking friend, Prue. She made all the elements. I simply had to arrange and glue them in place. She even provided a template for the heart so I can make more of these. Pretty! I like the pen-stitching she did on this one.

And here's an assortment of other cards we made. This was our practice session. We'd like to get familiar enough with cardmaking materials and techniques that we can participate in Operation Write Home. This organization gathers handmade cards and provides them to deployed military men and women in order to encourage them to keep in touch with home. Based on the work everyone did last week, I think we're up for it.

Paper scraps may be worse the fabric ones... they multiply, and we found it difficult to throw anything away! We'll have more to show sometime soon.

A Little Sewing Project...

2011-05-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

This book cover is a combination of a need (a roomier cover for my e-reader) and a want (to make something with all the colorful selvages I've collected and been given). So one afternoon I spent an hour sorting through the selvages and grouping them roughly in color families. Gotta' love those selvages!

The green group got my attention for a first project, so that's where I began, and this bag took shape. It's a hybrid of various bag designs I've made before, so there's no real pattern. The fluffy flower adornment was made using a pattern from Blooming Possibilities by Abbey Lane Quilts. I just love those flowers. Eventually I think two of them are going to wind up decorating a pair of flip-flops. But that's for another day.

I'm liking my Nook e-reader that will live in this bag, and have the color version in case quilting magazines become available in that format. I'm especially hoping the Somerset Sew and other Stampington publications will be available. There was an interesting discussion in an online group about the pros and cons of e-readers, and the impact they are having and will have on print media. I like the advantage of not stockpiling hard cover copies fiction books that I've purchased by am unlikely to read again. But I'm hanging onto my (many) quilting books. I just love the physical feel of them in my hands, leafing through them for ideas and instruction. I can linger over a beautiful photo without the image fading in front of my eyes, as it might with the color e-reader, because I lingered too long. So my take is that hard copies of books will co-exist with e-readers for some time.

Well there are bags of selvages waiting, along with little books and cardmaking to be done. So I'm off...

At the Quilt Show...

2011-05-09T12:57:00.001-07:00

The Tree City Guild in Gainesville, FL, always puts on a great quilt show, and last weekend's was no exception. The theme for this year's biennial show was patriotic, and the quilts shown above greeted show-goers at the entrance. One thing I particularly enjoy at their show is the small vignettes set up around the exhibit area. Here's one I thought was especially nostalgic. And another is shown at the end of this post.

I'll show one of my Quilts of Valor donation quilts here because it goes with the patriotic theme. Quilts of Valor Foundation is such a worthy cause because the quilts (and they are not limited to red/white/blue color schemes), are distributed through VA hospitals to service men and women who have been touched by war. I've completed several, and have another one in the works. My quilting friend Claudia of Quiltworks Orange Springs donates her longarm quilting on these charitable quilts. You can see a gallery of several she's completed on her site. The red star blocks in my quilt were made as part of a guild exchange, so I really only had to make the alternate blocks and the border.

Becoming Bookish...

2011-05-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

It's not enough that I save every scrap of fabric for a "someday" use. Now I'm saving paper, too. That's because I love books. Not just books from the store or library to read (which I do love), but books that are handmade and full of arty and stitched bits. Along that line, I signed up for a Little Book Swap at Creative Lenna's Creative Swaps site. There are 60 participants, and each of us will complete two to four little books to swap by mid-June. You can see some of the finished books she's received already on her site. I'm still working on mine.

"The Book of Birds" shown above and here, is my first swap book. It measures just 4" square. It began as a single large sheet of paper, but by folding and a bit of slicing, it becomes this sturdy little book that even has a few pockets. I'm not sure what's going in the pockets yet. It was just such fun to go through my papers, inks, buttons, trims, and stamps to come up with the design elements for this book.

The state of the sewing room attests to the wide array of bits and pieces needed to make these little treasures. I joked to Lenna that one reason why I like to work on the floor is so the piles of "stuff" won't have far to fall. Because the papers and ribbons and bits are piled so high, they are surely going to fall! More than once.

What is it about making books that is so appealing? One reason is that I've been a book lover all my life. For another, the combination of paper and fiber makes a satisfying visual and tactile experience when paging through a handmade book. Maybe that's why I have doubts that my e-reader, while convenient at times, will ever replace physically handling a book. A recent newspaper article on home decor posed this question: what is the future of bookshelves in homes? hmmm... Perhaps the advance of print technology gives impetus to the urge to create handmade books. Here's a view inside The Book of Birds.

As always, when learning a new skill, I find there is more to everything than first meets the eye. There's a new vocabulary... words like signature, header, spine, pamphlet stitch, coptic stitch. There's a whole new set of materials to become acquainted with... linen bookbinding thread, flexible glue. And the variety of books to be made is another whole story. They can range from simple accordian or concertina folded books, to fancy stitched volumes. I'm enjoying poring over library books on the topic, and searching the internet for videos and photos of handmade books. Very inspiring!

You may remember that I tried my hand at this book business in the past year. There was The Book of Santa I made for a Christmas gift. And this folded paper "Dreams" book is one I made nearly a year ago. I said at the time that I thought I had a book in me. Looks like I have more than one! The second swap book is underway and the clock is ticking. Of course I realize this is to be simple, not my life's work. But it is hard to stop embellishing! I'll keep you posted.

Oh, the Quilty Things You See...

2011-04-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

Our weekly quilting and craft group meeting is always full of pleasant surprises. Last week was no exception. Deborah Johnston attened an estate auction and bought this scrappy pieced Star quilt. I can't recall, but I think the pattern is called Touching Stars. From the fabrics, I'm guessing it is early 1900s. The quilting is lovely... feather wreaths in the setting pieces, and a cable around the perimeter (detail photos below). Just one of the many fabrics used in this quilt has become fragile and shattered. And there is some staining. But it's a wonderful old quilt with a lightweight batting, so it drapes beautifully.

She also bought this sewing box. It required a bit of gluing to stabilize it, but it's now ready for use. The box was full of embroidery floss, which Deborah generously shared with group members.

And speaking of floss, one of our Nancy's (we have three!) bought this floss organizer at a tag sale for just a couple of dollars. It was filled with floss, meticulously organized using the DMC Floss numbering system. She gave it to another of our Nancy's who does a lot of embroidery. We all like flipping through this large floss book just to soak in the color!

And speaking of embroidery, Gwen is working on this sweet redwork project. She's used a large variety of prints in the geese that border the embroidered center. Yes, it was another good day at the Citra group.

An Angel at Work...

2011-04-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

This cute garden angel is a part of the row robin project I'm participating in with several members of my quilt guild. Participants exchanged bags recently, and each bag contained instructions for the quiltmaker's theme along with several yards of background and accent fabrics. The bag also held the quiltmaker's first row. Once we get a bag, we're on our own to come up with a row that measures 54" for that quilter's project. We can use our imaginations and our fabric scraps to stitch the row. The first row for my own quilt is shown here.

I got Normajean's project in the first exchange, and her theme is angels. I'm pretty partial to angels, too, so had fun coming up with the elements for my contribution. I can show you this piece because she's not online, so there's no chance she'll see this angel before all the rows are completed and returned to her. And it's just one part of the row I've made... there's more. The pattern is a block from a sampler published in a long-ago issue of Sampler Quilts magazine. The published quilt was titled "My Favorite Things" and made by Dottie Williams of California. This angel was so appealing, going about her gardening duties. It's done in fusible applique with machine blanket stitched edges.

Don't you just love to sew? Me, too.

A Most Welcome Visitor...

2011-04-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Florida snowbird Shirley Frew came to visit our weekly quilting and crafting group in Citra last week, and she brought her amazing appliqued quilt with her. Shirley worked on the blocks for this quilt over the course of seven years, and if you study the detail in her work, you'll understand why years were required. In addition to masterful hand applique, Shirley added embroidered and inked details. The pattern is "Little Brown Bird" (AQS Publisher) by Margartet Docherty. Margaret's quilt was a prizewinner. And so was Shirley's version, earning Best of Show award at Gennessee Valley Quilt Club's show, her home guild in upstate New York. The beautiful hand quilting was completed by Ruth Yoder, of Maryland.

Shirley's label, above, tells the quilt's story, and the blocks speak for themselves. Just look at the cording she deconstructed to weave the basket in the first block show below. So feast your eyes! We were so happy Shirley shared her beautiful quilt with us, and she gave me permission to also share it with you.

Featherweights Out in Force...

2011-04-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

My Featherweight sewing machine is finally up and running. I brought it to the quilt retreat last week because I knew that Debra Johnston, whose husband Johnny is The Old Sewing Machine Man, would be at the retreat. She uses these machines often. So I relied on her assistance to set up and thread my machine. She had a few pointers and also loaned me the wonderful acrylic sewing table, which they sell, seen in the photo above. It fits the machine nicely and really makes a generous surface for piecing blocks. I had several straight stitch projects to work on, so this was a good time to make friends with my Featherweight. I'm glad I did. These little workhorses are so light that they are easy to carry to sewing sessions and classes. So I'm very happy the machine is now seeing the light of day. When we looked the machine over, we discovered a seal on it indicating that it was made during the centennial year for Singer, 1951.

Mine was not the only Featherweight on retreat either. Debra had hers, at left, and was using a vintage sewing table with it. Norma Jean nearly always uses hers, and she stitched the cute Cat In The Hat quilt seen at the bottom of this post, for a relative. And I used mine to stitch some of the Sticks blocks, made using insertion strips, that I showed in this post.

Those sticks blocks are showing up all over the place it seems. Arlene pieced several at the retreat, and added them to her "Friends" quilt, shown at left. And there happened to be a group of 8 art quilters who were also on retreat at the conference center. We enjoyed touring their sewing room to see what they were working on. Once again, I spotted blocks with insertion strips, wavy and bright.

Quilters.. They're the Best!

2011-04-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

What could be more inspiring and productive than three days at a quilting retreat? Nothing to do but sew, sew, sew. There were more than two dozen of us who gathered at a Florida conference center on a beautiful lake to work on our projects and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. My sewing room looked like a ghost town by the time I'd packed up everything I needed to transport. Now it's all back, and my projects took quite a few steps closer to completion while I was away.

The green scrap quilt top above is the one I'm making as a "stash buster" and will use for a donation quilt. It uses bits of all of my green fabric collection. Several of us each had a different fabric in mind, which in our thoughts, decided might not work at all well in the quilt. And yet, when the whole thing was put together, we concluded that a mix of fabrics has a way of blending and just can't miss. It just proves the old saying of "the more, the merrier." I'm happy enough with the top that I plan to make one in each color family. The pattern is a free one titled "Wickedly Easy" from the website ByAnnie. Instructions are well-written and easy to follow to make the quilt in a variety of sizes.

I never cease to be amazed by the creativity and perseverance demonstrated at our guild retreats. Just look at this lovely batik quilt made by Debra Johnston. The way she allowed the gold to break through into the borders really adds a unique look to her quilt top.

And here's a peek at just some of the projects my fellow quilters were working on. Eddie Mock was using gorgeous Asian prints in a Shadow Box quilt, at left. Dot Reeves completed the binding on her Dresden Plate quilt, below right. The blocks are large at 20" square. Sharon Medley worked on her mustard and black Strip Stacks quilt by G.E. Designs, below center. It's another great pattern for 2 1/2" strips, or Jelly Rolls.

We all admire Jan Smith, who is a prolific quilter. She completed this lovely chocolate and aqua block-of-the-month sampler quilt and also worked on the sweet flower quilt made using '30s prints. It has lots of accents of hand embroidery.

And Victoria Jandreau, who participates in several online groups, completed this eye-popping Snail's Trail quilt top she began several years ago. Victoria calls it Summer Salsa.

And this is the tip of the iceberg! A lot gets done on retreat, so there is much more to feast your eyes on. I'll share more photos in another post.

Is There An Award for the Most Projects Underway?

2011-04-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Because if there is, I might be a contender. I'm getting packed up for a quilting retreat with my guild. One of the things I love about quilt retreat is that it forces me to look at all the projects I've started, and decide which ones will get some focused effort poured into them during the three days. And one of the things I don't like about quilt retreat is that it forces me to look at all the projects I've started! There are many. So here's some of what I'm taking along:

1) the flowers on the black & white quilt above need to be thread painted.

2) these Plate blocks need to be machine quilted in preparation for joining in a quilt-as-you-go method. Meanwhile I got some free-motion practice in the centers, using fill patterns from Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting blog. I was given some pieced fan units made by a freind's mother long ago. They had to find a home, so I joined the units in color families to make the blocks. I love the old fabrics.. such fun to look at and study.

3) the redwork (a long-term handwork project still a ways from completion) will require Flying Geese units and pieced blocks for the borders and setting, so I'll work on them.

4) I'm going to see how well all of the green fabrics in my stash can play together. My goal is to reduce the many fabrics I have by cutting them into strips and making donation quilts. Our guild is very active in making donation quilts... there is a great need. So this will make good use for the fabrics I've accumulated. I hope to make one from each color family.

Plus, there is binding to stitch; Home of the Brave blocks to piece; and lots more. It's always inspiring to have three days of concentrated work on quilts with other quilters. Our meals are prepared for us. Nothing to do but sew! That's not so hard to do.

A Pretty Row to Sew...

2011-03-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is a row of 9" Ohio Star Variation blocks (also called Henry of the West, among other names). I pieced and joined the row because I'll be going on a quilting retreat next week, and the occasion will mark the beginning of a Row Robin exchange. There are 8 of us, all members of the Country Road Quilters, participating in this activity.

We begin with 2 yards of a design fabric and 3 yards of a background. I thought that bright pink and green floral print might turn into quite a happy quilt. We stitch the first row of our own projects. It can be any size, any style, and any combination of blocks that will measure 54" wide when finished. I made the six 9" pieced blocks for mine. This row goes into a bag with the rest of the fabric to be passed along to the next quiltmaker on the exchange list.

We'll each make a row inspired by the fabrics and rows we find in each quiltmaker's bag, and then pass the bag along to the next participant in a couple of months. Eventually, after it's visited each participant's sewing room, the bag containing 8 rows will be returned to its owner. I like scrappy quilts, so it will be fun to see what fabrics get added in and how the whole design comes together.

Participants will reveal our first rows at the retreat, and then we won't see our project again until the end. That's when the rest of the work begins... designing, arranging, and sewing the rows into a quilt top for completion. Meantime, we'll flex our sewing muscles throughout the year, making blocks and rows for 8 different quilts. Should be fun!

Trapunto Class...

2011-03-26T07:22:00.001-07:00

This raised-design trapunto pillow is the result of a class with teacher and quilt artist Mark Sherman. Our local guild, Country Road Quilters, brought Mark to the group with a lecture and trunk show, followed by a workshop. His prize-winning, show-stopping quilt "Wings and Feathers" is shown below. As with many quilts, pictures don't do it justice. You can't see and appreciate the crystals... it's loaded with them.. or the fine quilting and details. Plus he used his hand-dyed fabrics to create the quilt. You've probably seen this one at shows or on the AQS calendar. Spectacular!

Anyhow, we learned a lot about trapunto by machine. Mark's method is accessible to quiltmakers of all skill levels. That's because we used a machine walking foot to create the butterfly shape. And his class kit was filled with products that he has tested and found best. We began with two fat quarters of a solid-toned fabric, and marked the butterfly. Two layers of wool batting fill the shape, which is stitched and trimmed, then layered with the batting and backing. Washout products and adhesive spray made the project easy and manageable. I decided to practice my free-motion quilting skills and turn the piece into a pillow. My go-to place for quilting help is Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting Project. She offers video tutorials of designs like the "Bubble Wand" which I used for part of the project.

It was a most enjoyable and instructive class and lecture. I admire what Mark has achieved in just a decade of quilting, and his stories of his early experiences are entertaining. One of his earlier quilts is shown here. You can see more of his work on his website Remarkable Quilts. And Valerie, a classmate and blogger, also has an example of her project you can see here. She did a beautful job quilting it.

Quilters Who Love Their Cats...

2011-03-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

What is it about cats and quilts? It's almost as if one was made for the other. Not only do we quilters love our cats, but I, for one, permit all sorts of mischief in the sewing room. Even when she disrupts a project, I'm tolerant of, and even amused by, Lily's antics. I'm pretty careful with pins and thread, and have otherwise tried to cat-proof the room. But I've finally accepted that very little is sacred to her.. she's taken a bite out of batting, knocked assorted small objects to the floor, and tunneled into fabric.

Quilters love their cats so much that they can't resist depicting them in their work. At quilt shows there are often cat-themed quilts on display. The designs range from realistic to whimsical, like the ones shown here. The remarkable quilt at left, was exhibited at the recent Friendship Knot Quilters' Guild Show in Sarasaota, FL. It's a "distance quilt", meaning that when you stand close to it, the design is obscure. But when you stand back, the image of the cat emerges. I'm sorry I don't have the title and maker's name, but the work is exquisite. The lively folk art cats are blocks in a quilt displayed at The Villages Quilt Show. I'm always drawn to quilts like these.

And what's better after a day hard at play in the sewing room than a relaxing nap on a quilt?

Vintage Note Card Swap...

2011-03-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

As they say at awards ceremonies, "the results are in. The envelope, please!" Well these beautiful note cards made in a vintage style were in the envelope I received over the weekend. More than 35 members took part in the swap on Lenna Andrews' Creative Swaps blog.

Each of us made 3 notecards with envelopes, using our own images, or ones Lenna supplied, along with trims and embellishments. We had the option of making a second set of notecards to trade, and that's what I did. I showed some of the ones I sent here, and two others are at the end of this post. Once she received all of our cards, Lenna then made the trades and shipped us each a package containing cards made by other swappers.

The first card above is one made by Leslie Sowden. I just love the prize pig image she used! She chose this image because she has a favorite and cherished photo of her mother when in her twenties, also holding a pig. Karen Owen's Garden of Delight card is at left, complete with a purple flower and punched filigree edge. This was the first swap both Karen and I participated in. We agreed it would not be the last!

Susan Stewart, another Floridian, made this Ship at Sea card, above. She lightened the edges of the dark cardstock and added Angelina fiber behind the image. So pretty.

The image of the woman with the roses on a balcony is one supplied to us by Lenna. I just love this romantic image and used it in several of my cards. Happily I got one back from Sue Emmerson in Australia. She threaded ribbon through eyelets and added the prettiest charm. And the envelope echoes the roses.

Buttons, beads, metallic thread, fiber leaves and a doily all work beautifully together in this notecard by Sharon Walworth, left, from Rhode Island. The schoolgirl image is just the right touch. And there is lots of movement and shine on this card made by Becky Sunderman from Arkansas. The red fibers and red glitzy floral background pick up the bits of red in the image- the sandals, flowers, trim on the dress. Just lovely.

I was taken by the hat in this free image from Clearly Vintage, so it appeared in several of my cards that were sent for the swap. This swap was so interesting, and it's exciting to see and receive the array of designs others have made to interpret the theme. I hope to take part in the next swap which Lenna tells us will be little books. Looking forward to seeing how this is set up.

I wonder if any of us will use these cards to write someone, or will we save them as little art works to admire?

Gone Fishin'...

2011-03-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

This project is the result of a class I took at Deborah's Quilt Basket shop in Venice, FL. The class was titled "Fabric Seascapes" and was taught by Debbie Jones, the originator of a fusible technique she calls "fabric decollage". It's kind of a combo of decoupage and collage, using images cut from fabric and adhered to a background. No stitching is required, as these are meant more for framing and display. However, Debbie has some examples that she has quilted if that's the direction a student wants to go. Most of our class chose to have their collages matted by Debbie's husband who is a professional framer.

The class was great fun, and Debbie is an extremely informative and organized teacher. She had abundant sealife motif and background fabrics at the ready. We cut and fused our way to making these vibrant seascapes. If you look closely at the detail photo above, you can see that she had some beautiful marbled silks she made available to use as shell fish on the ocean floor. And we used lots of glitzy fabrics and eye-lash yarn for sea grasses.

Our scissors skills really got a work out. And I learned a lot of new techniques, but foiling was one of the most fun. I was surprised to learn that not much foil gets used up with each application. The bubbles rising from the fish were made using foil and glue. Here's the foil sheet after they were completed. There's plenty left for more projects.

Of course I had to purchase some fish fabrics, because I'm sure there are going to be more projects!

Exploring What Florida Offers...

2011-03-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

We took an overnight trip to Dunedin and St. Petersburg, FL, this week. In St. Pete we visited The Chihuly Collection, a permanent exhibit of privately owned glass artworks by Dale Chihuly. The collection is housed in a museum on the waterfront, and is within walking distance of several other art museums, including the new Salvador Dali Museum. You'll know you're in the right place when you see this large amethyst glass sculpture outside. The tower in the distance is that of the beautiful Vinoy Renaissance Resort.

The Chihuly glass is breathtaking to say the least. Be sure to click on the link above to get an idea of the exhibit as photos are understandably not permitted. It was a warm and breezy day, and we did a lot of walking in the downtown area. I'm drawn to courtyards, so could not resist taking a photo when we came across this one, left.

Known for the arts, St. Petersburg has a number of public art installations. This Millenium Gate, at left and below, includes a number of metal sea life sculptures and is just one of them. We had a lovely time, and a most enjoyable experience.

Bird Envy...

2011-02-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

How cute are these fancy birds? I loved them the minute I saw them, and of course immediately wanted to make one. Barbara, who attends our weekly quilting and crafting group, made the stylish felt ornaments some time back. She's supposed to make lots more but her sewing machine belt broke, so she brought them to the group to see about getting them stitched on our community machine. When that didn't work out so well (the machine gobbled up the narrow beaks), I offered to bring them home and stitch them for her on my machine. I figured it would give me a chance to study and enjoy them, and it might cure me of feeling the need to make one myself. And it worked... it didn't take long at all to stitch the shapes and now I don't need to make one. Just having them visit my sewing room was enough. Plus working on my own machine, with the needle-down feature and better stitch control, the bird beaks made it through just fine. Could this be the cure for UFOs? Just have an admired quilt or project visit in my sewing room for a few days, and I won't need to start one of my own? Nah. It couldn't be that simple.

Below are are a few of the bird bodies stitched and stuffed. You can see they're just simple shapes. All the pizzazz comes from the added beading, sequins, detail features, and embroidery. I've finished almost all of them, and returned them to Barbara to get started on embellishing. The flock has flown home now. Bye-bye birdie!

Elevating the Humble Tin...

2011-02-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

I've just completed an online swap of altered tins with other members of a Yahoo group known as Mixed Media Art Friends. I created two altered tins which were filled with embellishments and small treasures, and sent them to my two swap partners. They returned the favor, sending me tins that they had altered and filled with goodies.

The "Flora" tin shown above was made by decoupaging crinkled brown paper to the top of the tin. The top was then aged with paint and ink. I used a free image from Clearly Vintage, and added some flowers, gems, and text. The "Venezia" tin was done in a similar manner, and includes a tape-transfer image of gondolas. The "Flora" tin edges are beaded with adhesive and secured with Diamond Glaze. The "Venezia" has applied ribbon on the edges.

The Daisy girl image is repeated on the inner lid, which is lined with stitched patterned paper. And here are the little treasures packed inside both tins.

So those are the tins I sent out, and here is what I got back. Both of my swap partners live in Arizona. Marrianna's tin, left, is loaded with beads and shells, and contains an embellished Chinese coin charm with a proverb attached. It reads "If there is beauty in character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world."

Florence's tin is the snappy red tool box. I admire and wonder at how she managed to install the handle on this. And I've always liked this vintage war-time image. The messages inside say "Caution: Men at Work" followed by these words, "Women work all the time- men have to put up signs when they work." And my favorite, "Keep Calm and Carry On." Words to live by!

And to think these tiny works of art began as a simple tin of mints. Fun stuff!

Going in Circles...

2011-02-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

The annual Honeybee Quilters' Retreat in Jacksonville was a couple of weekends ago, and the group did their usual fine job of organizing several days of classes and fun for dozens of quilters. This year, I took a class taught by quilt artist Carol Taylor titled "Arc-I-Texture". You can see a series of quilts made using her techniques in her gallery section.

Our supply list included a selection of fancy fabrics like satins, silks, sequined, sheers, and drapery fabrics. We were to adhere them to fusible web ahead of time. In class we then created a background using squares and rectangles of the fabrics cut from the fabrics by fusing them to a muslin base. There are no seams, so we next learned to couch yarn. This method allowed us to cover the areas where the shapes butt up against each other. If you look closely, you can see the red yarn I used to accomplish this. Carol sold an assortment of yarns suitable for the project in class since it requires yarn with a fair amount of texture... but not too thin, not too thick, not to furry. The piece changes quite dramatically with the next step.

Once the background was couched, we got to the fun part... sewing the circles on the surface. Carol is an excellent instructor and we got the hang of doing this quite quickly. The circles are also completed by couching.

The class was very enjoyable, and this is my "practice" piece. That's beacause at the half-way point while driving to Jacksonville, a thought popped into my mind- did I, or did I not, bring my fused fabrics?? In all my preparation of things to bring with me, I did not pick up the tote that had them. Next question- well then, did I pack the red backup fabrics which were not yet fused? They were not my usual color pallette, but fabrics I had on hand. Happily, the answer was yes. So I spent some time the afternoon before class fusing the fabrics you see in this project. I have another potential project waiting in the wings, all fabrics fused and ready.

Lily, who considers my sewing room to be her personal playground, was enchanted by yarn couching. Carol uses a rigged-up drinking straw attached to the sewing machine to feed the yarn smoothly. All that yarn moving was pure delight for Lily, who interfered often, causing several stops and starts for me while finishing up the project.

These photos show two classmates' projects. One, just the background, the other, background with couching.
Love the faux-fur piece in the one on the right, and the plaid at left.

Below is one of Carol's class samples. By the way, these are not large projects. Each of ours measures about 15"-17" square. So I need to think about how to use it. Pillow? Tote? Wallhanging?

A Long, Tall Display Heart...

2011-02-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

This pin-keep heart is another of the projects I made as part of the Roses on My Table mixed-media art group. A few of the elements still need to be stitched in place... they're pinned for now. But it's an easy-to-sew project, and provides a place to showcase embellishments (of which there are many!). I have a number of pins tucked away in the jewelry box that will now get out and about, and be seen for a change.

The hand-crocheted piece at the bottom of the heart, seen in the photo below, is from the edging on a pair of pillowcases given to us by a family member as a wedding present. The pillowcases wore out, but I trimmed the lovely edging off and kept it for just such a project as this. We just celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary last week, so it seemed timely to finally give a small piece of the edging a home. It just goes to show that the creative "stuff" we hang onto does eventually have a use. I can get quite lost in sorting through buttons, beads, and trims! It's a very happy pastime.

You Gotta' Have Heart...

2011-02-10T20:53:00.000-08:00

I saw the pattern for a valentine quilt like this in "Pretty Little Mini Quilts", a collection of small quilted projects by various designers. The pattern was by Cindy Cooksey, and I just had to make my version in time for the holiday. I used burgundy taffeta for the whole cloth background, and then added fused hearts cut from assorted cotton, silk, and fancy fabrics. The edges of the hearts are finished with a buttonhole stitch, some by hand and some by machine. I machine quilted "blocks" using decorative machine stitches. And then I added a few embellishments to the hearts, including some bits of hand tatting done by a woman in my sewing group. She brings me little bags of her pieces. I love using them in small projects like this, and admire her skill. At 12" x 15", the quilt is not much bigger than a sheet of printer paper! But it was fun to make. So here's to St. Valentine, the patron saint of engaged couples and happy marriages, love and lovers. Oh yeah, and patron saint of bee keepers, epilepsy, fainting, plague, travellers and young people according to the Catholic Online site. The plague and love? Really St. Valentine??

Remember When?

2011-02-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

A community member donated a whole box full of old sewing notions and patterns to our quilting and needlework group. It was fun going through the items, and I brought these home with me. Not so much because I'll use them, though I might in some of those vintage-style note cards, but more because I just liked them. They reminded me of sewing through the years, and how things gradually change so that we barely notice. Zippers with metal teeth are hard to find now. So are wooden thread spools. But just look at the prices on these notions! Every item less than fifty cents. I wonder when these were purchased? I like old notions almost as much as I like old quilts, and am drawn to antique store displays of pincushions and sewing ephemera. Now I have this little collection of my own.

Look Who I Met at the Quilt Show!

2011-01-30T06:13:00.001-08:00

Aren't they lovely? The Quilting Guild of The Villages in Florida just held their bi-annual Showcase of Quilts (that's every other year, right? I get that mixed up.). The group has 11 chapters with more than 600 members, so they put on a big and very well-attended quilt show. Lots of wonderful quilts, plenty of vendors, and more.

This year the "more" was this special display. Long tables were just filled with the work of a small group of talented doll artists. I had the pleasure of talking with Claudette Morrow, below, who has been making dolls for three years. But just look how accomplished she is! Several of the dolls that especially caught my eye were ones that she made. The display was magnificent. I can just imagine the stash of embellishments and fancy fabrics these creative women have in their sewing rooms.

Claudette made "Miriam", a two-sided Fashion Doll, using a pattern by doll artist Barbara Willis. Just look at all the wonderful stitching and embellishments... and this is just side one. The other side is shown below along with Claudette's version of the "Picasso" doll. Get-togethers of this group must be quite lively and fun-filled!

Don't You Just Love to Sew?

2011-01-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

Me, too. That's why this nostalgic vintage image appealed to me so much. It's one of the free images from the Clearly Vintage blog (a June, 2010 post). This little girl is so absorbed in her embroidery. She reminded me a little bit of me. Embroidery was the first kind of hand work I learned when I was about 9 or 10 years old. Growing up in a very small, rural village meant that our local five-and-dime store, Newberry's, was the best source of sewing supplies. I remember the large wooden counters with small compartments in which the floss was displayed by color. What a wonderful array!

So I had to use this image in some of the notecards I made while taking part in vintage notecard swap at Creative Swaps. These were not among the ones I sent for the swap though. I just couldn't stop making the cards, so I was an overachiever, and made these little notecards to stay home with me for now.

I used a variety of techniques and materials in making the cards such as bobbin sewing with metallic thread, die cutting, pen-stitching, and more. Great fun, and I'm sure this little girl will show up in more projects at some point.

Not So Liberated Quilt Blocks

2011-01-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

I've admired these blocks on various blogs, and been wanting to make some myself. Some sources call them "Sticks" (as in the book "Freddy & Gwen Collaborate Again"). Others call them "insertion strip blocks". At any rate, it seemed a simple enough slice-and-stitch proposal.

But I forgot something. If you want the second insertion strip to be visually aligned from one side of the first strip to the other within the block (and I do), then the piecing becomes a bit trickier. You can see four blocks looking the way I want them to in the photo below. That's because they were the last blocks sewn.

The first block I pieced was way off kilter. Uh oh! Deciding I could not accept that look in the blocks, I knew I needed to refine my technique. And because the seams fall at various angles within the block, no two blocks were alike. So my approach to sewing was to just jockey the pieces around, pinning and eyeballing, flipping them right side up to check, until they "looked right". And little by little, they got more "right". Right, by defnintion then, is "inside my comfort zone". I've seen quilts made from insertion strip blocks that are randomly joined. And I like them. I'm just not quite there in my blocks at this point. I don't mind at all that the strips won't line up at the edges of the blocks when set together. That's a good part of the plan. But inside the blocks? Another story.

You can see in this photo of four blocks how "wrong" looks from my perspective. But now that I study the photo, I think I can include these in the quilt, and be okay with it. I'm warming up to these blocks! They certainly become easier and quicker to piece when they are more random. Yeah... they'll be fine.

Hi, Ho, It's Off to the Fair...

2011-01-13T07:12:00.001-08:00

It's showtime in Florida... quilt show time that is. The calendar is full with quilt show weekends from now until late spring. One in February is the exhibition at the Florida State Fair held in Tampa, Feb. 10-21. One of the exhibit categories is needlework, so I decided to send in some entries this year. These are the items getting ready to travel. The Black-Eyed Susan quilt above is one I made while learning the thread-painting technique with Ann Fahl's book "Coloring With Thread". And you've seen the others on this blog already- the Symphony quilt, Coffee Break quilt, and Old World Santa (which are referred to in some areas as "Bullet Santas" as I learned from one of the comments).

And guess who was helping in the sewing room?? Lily has settled in nicely since her arrival two weeks ago. As you can see, she is a stealth cat who likes to hide and make her move when least expected! She's very energetic and entertaining.

Paper and Piecing and Trims, Oh My!

2011-01-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

The cards shown here are for a vintage notecard project on Creative Lenna's site, Creative Swaps. I was so happy to find her site which, for a modest fee, offers both instruction and the opportunity to swap creatively crafted items. In mid-December Lenna began this notecard swap, and it's still open for enrollment if you are interested. There are nearly 40 participants so far, and each of us will make three vintage-style notecards with envelopes. These will be sent to Lenna by the deadline date, and she'll trade them among participants. Then we'll each receive back three notecards made by our fellow participants. In addition to the instruction, Lenna has also provided some vintage images to download and use as we wish.The cards below include one of her images used in different ways.

Although this is the first time I've done anything like this, I dove right in and could not stop making the cards! As I'd be working on one, ideas for three more would be swirling in my mind. Or I'd trim something off one design, and immediately think of how that small piece could be used in another. Because I was cooking right along, I made lots more than the required three. But I needed the practice and my enthusiasm was in high gear. And Lenna was way ahead of me because she gave the option of swapping 6 sets if we like. Now I just need to pick the six.

I seem drawn to images of ladies in hats... so quite a few of the cards I made feature the lovely portrait shown at the beginning of this post. She looks so pensive. And the hat put me in mind of the costumes in "My Fair Lady". Imagine this hat and a windy day! The image is offered for use in artwork projects on the Clearly Vintage site. I learned that there are lots of free images available to download and use, giving credit to the site.

So now, in addition to fabrics and threads, I have paper scraps all over the floor. But those laces, buttons, and embellishments I've been saving for a long time are now seeing the light of day, and finding a home in these notecards. A busy time gluing and stitching and beading. Messy (see below), but great fun! Stitching on paper is fun, too. There are many more cards to show you, coming soon.

So here's what happened...

2010-12-31T14:17:00.000-08:00

We weren't looking for a cat, honestly. But as things sometimes happen, this little kitty found us. Jack and I each had separate plans to be somewhere else on the last day of 2010. But a truck battery problem intervened so that both of our plans changed. Instead, we took the car and our bikes to the paved bike path a half-hour from our home for a late-afternoon bike ride. Nothing out of the ordinary there. We do that quite often.

But there, in the back of beyond, near a horse trail assembly area, we saw a family with bikes pulled off to the trail side, petting a kitten. Once past, we both wondered why the kitten would be there... a remote area, no houses nearby. We were a bit worried. On our way back, we stopped to see if the kitten was still there. She was... she came running out from the underbrush to greet us. We sat on a bench with her and found her to be very affectionate, purring loudly. But she was a bit thin. We debated... what to do? We just knew we could not leave her there alone. It gets very cold at night, and there are coyotes and other possible predators in the area.

So it was decided. We would ride our bikes back to the trail head, load them up and drive the car to the horse assembly area which would take about 20 minutes. If she was still there, we would know she needed to come home with us. As we rode off, I looked back at her in the bike mirror. She looked quite forlorn sitting by the side of the trail which of course tugged at my heart. When we returned in the car, once again she bounded out of the underbrush, purring loudly.

Having nothing much in the car in which to carry her, I just held her on my lap. We were completely surprised that she showed no fear or resistance to being in the car at all! She curled up, kneaded with her paws, and just settled in for the ride. We stopped at the Dollar store on the way to pick up kitten chow and litter.

She set out to explore the house quite thoroughly, including the bathroom sink! She's a curious girl, and very loving. She seems completely at home already, and likes the sewing room. She can hardly believe her luck. Us, too... I think. As I said, we weren't really seeking a kitten. And yet... here she is. Her name is either Lily or Libby... she hasn't decided yet. Isn't she pretty?

Glitzy Things...

2010-12-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

These two projects are reed diffuser bottles I made with the instructions provided at Roses on My Table, the mixed media art site I joined in November. These were fun to make, and once again I learned lots about art supplies and how to use them... and misuse them. I didn't even know the fancy reeds that soak up and diffuse the scented oils could be purchased as a stand-alone item. I'd only seen them in gift sets of diffusers. But they're available at the craft store in aisles heretofore unexplored by me. Well now I've made my own pretty gift sets!

The bird image was a freebie from Graphics Fairy, and the sunflower image was purchased as a download from Country at Heart. It's amazing to watch the how-to videos on the Roses site, which are made by instructor Christina Zinnia Gallher. I can only wish I had her skills in handling the materials. She offers many tips for making each step of the project easy and manageable. However, after I watched how to create the wired bead wrap for the neck of the bottle, I confidently set out to create my own. But before mastering the technique, I managed to shoot teeny-tiny beads all over the floor! I'm sure I'll get better at this.

Here are some close-ups of each bottle. You can see that some of those pesky beads actually wound up on the bottles where they belong. The yellow bottle still needs a charm added to the empty loop seen in the photo. I haven't found "just the right one" as yet. I chose a tangerine scented oil for a fresh, citrusy aroma.

The Reason for the Season...

2010-12-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!

A Cozy Cottage in Blogland...

2010-12-17T18:55:00.001-08:00

When it comes to quilting, one thing I always enjoy is the opportunity to make a single block or tow that will wind up in a quilt made from blocks by many makers. So over the years, I've contributed to a variety of raffle quilts, charity quilts, block contests, and the like. It's like having a little piece of yourself out there bringing comfort and joy to someone unknown. These house blocks are the latest of those efforts. Beth at Love Laugh Quilt came up with the idea of inviting quilters who have a blog to make a house block representing life in the friendly neighborhood of Quilt Blogland. She'll collect the blocks, put them in groups of 9 to 12, and then draw names to see who wins the blocks to make into a quilt. Participants were asked to include the address of their blogs within the house block, and the block is to measure 12" x 12". Simple guidelines. The rest is up to each one's quilty imagination. So here are my two imaginings. The blocks are due on January 1, so there is still time to make one!

Speaking of blocks and challenges, several years ago I won a quilt block challenge while on a quilting cruise. I made the blocks into a quilt called "Carribean Calypso". It was later displayed on another cruise. Unfortunately, the quilt didn't make it home from its last cruise to Alaska. Somehow, between the ship and the quilt shop where it was being sent, the quilt got lost. I still hold out hope that it will find its way back home to me. But it's been quite awhile. I posted the photo below on the Lost Quilt Come Home website. I still think about the quilt from time to time because it was so unique. It's pretty memorable with all that yellow in it! My winning block is the ship at the top of the center vertical row. And the yellow floral print by Patricia Campbell was the challenge fabric. Hopefully it, too, is currently bringing comfort and joy to someone unknown. I shudder to think of it mouldering in some forgotten warehouse in the port!

Who Wrote The Book of Santa?

2010-12-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

I did! Well, sort of. For some time I've admired all of the creative books made by mixed media artists. And I've known that I had a book in me, too. Maybe even more than one! At any rate, here it is. The Book of Santa. This is a gift for a quilting friend who loves Santa Claus, and has a collection of Santa-related holiday decorations. She received it in her Christmas package last week, so it's safe to show it here now.

I carried the vision for a step-book like this one, using the S-A-N-T-A letters, around with me for awhile. Gradually I pictured how to sew each letter onto a cardstock base, and then add all of the various paper elements and embellishments. This photo shows the inside, page 1. I took a large plastic bin and tossed in every usable "Christmasy" thing already in my supplies, along with some purchased embellishments. So every page became a potpourri of ribbon, paper, gemstones, glitter glue, paper text, scrapbook paper... you name it.

I even tried out some new methods learned as I continue exploring mixed media. The star shown here is my attempt at a Zentangle-type design. The icicle is a scrap of fusible-backed fabric trimmed with a decorative-blade rotary cutter. And the little flower/snowflake on the left is a piece of dyed tatting. A friend from the Citra sewing and crafting group gave me a whole zip-top bag of her tatting rejects. You don't find many needleworkers who tat anymore, so the pieces were a gift.

A Dover CD of vintage images came in handy, and I had to try out the Crop-o-dial Eyelet Setter on some of the pages. Buttons and fabric text, paper shapes and paint pens... that's a mighty big plastic tote that holds all this stuff!

I wanted a bulky and festive fiber binding for this book, so again I gathered up ribbon, fabric strips, yarns, buttons and beads. Another friend gifted me with a bag of gorgeous feathers from his exotic birds. He found some beauties around the farm yard, and this green feather was just the one to tuck into the binding.

I found a series of charms that spelled out WISH, and added them to the binding. It seemed to fit the theme nicely... Santa is all about wishes. And the letters go well with more tatting and the pearl drops.

Every page took some thought and deliberation as well as application of the various elements. So I "built" the book over time, working on it little by little. Since this is my first book, there is plenty to learn about page composition and techniques. But I must say,this was a fun beginning.

And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight... Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night! The end.

What's Better Than Santa??

2010-12-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

More Santas! These Santa-Boyz are now completed and are joining the first Santa I made, shown here. The three of them have traveled around the house, posing in various spots to find just the right place to hang out. The two new Santas began on the dining table, probably in hopes of a snack.

Then they found their buddy and hung out in front of the Yule Logs quilt and holiday pillow. You can't see it well in the photo, but the gold-trimmed Santa is a bit of a leaner. He may need his stuffing rearranged a little before I call him done. I love Old World Santas, and this pattern is quite simple, requiring just basic sewing skills. The pattern link is in the eariler post. Our daughter Joanna is visiting Florida for a few days from New York, and has claimed the green Santa to take home with her. So he got finished just in time to travel north. They're all under the tree right now.

There are a few more Santas like this short gold one around the house, too, helping to make it festive for the season. Joanna and I visited Epcot at Disney World when I picked her up in Orlando. The trees and decorations there also helped put us in the Christmas spirit! The tree below was a small one at our Coronado Springs hotel. It was lovely with those pink poinsettias around the bottom.

More Christmas Fun...

2010-12-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

I made these domino pendants as part of a project on Roses on My Table, the online art group I joined last month. Dominos! Can you imagine? I've never done anything quite like it. But Christina Zinnia Galliher, the instructor, offers comprehensive videos on the site that walk through every step. So I learned to print images, use products like diamond glaze and stamping inks, along with jewelry bails. And I hope I learned to copy the "badge" from the Roses site in case you want to travel there to explore a bit. If I've been successful, you'll see the R.A.I.L. badge to the left of this post. If not... well, I'll try again.

The images on the dominos are from the Dover Vintage Christmas Cards CD-Rom and Book. I think the most difficult part of the project was selecting which images to work with. The book has more than 200 nostalgic images to choose from. But you can see from my earlier post about the Angel Memory Box that I am pretty taken with angels. And the last post reveals that I'm partial to Santa, too. I'm happy with the results of this project, given that it was my first attempt. And I'm definitely planning to make more of these. I'm envisioning images of cats, dogs, horses, quilty things... lots of ideas.

2010 has certainly been a year of learning for me. Just three examples are creating and maintaining this blog which gives me great pleasure, mastering new techniques for creating art-style quilts, and learning several mixed-media techniques and projects. I've been able to take classes online and at quilt shops or retreats that have truly expanded my creative horizons.

I'm most grateful for the opportunities I've been given. And I very much appreciate your reading and commenting on the blog entries over the course of this past year. It's very encouraging, and I enjoy sharing the photos and stories with you. More to come... the journey continues!

He's the Man...

2010-11-30T07:05:00.000-08:00

This Old World Santa was great fun to make. It just took me several years to get him done! The project went in stages. Every year Santa would surface at the top of the "in progress" pile, get a little more done, and then get put away for another year. Well, this is Santa's year! Not only is this one done, but two more are following close behind.

If the fabric print doesn't give away the age of this project, the price sticker on the pattern envelope will. I apparently bought it back in the day when patterns were $4.50. Those days are long gone. And the copyright date is 1988, so you can see I've had it for awhile. It's a pattern called "St. Nicholas Doll" by Country Appliques. Designer Jan Kornfeind has lots of Christmas patterns, and this one is still available. Well, 1988 aside, Santa is pretty timeless don't you think?

Santa was fun to embellish, and I went fishing around for all sorts of trims. I found that teeny, tiny tree that's hanging from his bell rope. It's old, too. But on the back was a teeny, tiny price tag that said $5.75. Yeah... I don't think so. I never would have paid that much for a teeny, tiny tree. It must have been part of a grab bag. And beyond all that, Santa seems to love the camera, and he begged to be photographed in a variety of settings! Since I often make a project with no clear idea what I'll do with it once it's done, I just tried out different settings and aimed the camera to see where he looks best. Here he is beneath the tree on "Yule Logs", a small Log Cabin Variation made using both wide and and narrow fabric strips. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is to be able to decorate with all of the quilts and home accents I've made over the years. They don't get out much. I'll show some more of them over the coming weeks.

All this posing really tired Jesse out. He got a haircut for the holidays, and collapsed by the Christmas tree.

Angels All Around...

2010-11-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

I've recently joined an exciting and inspiring online art group at Roses on My Table. The subscription group is called Roses Art Information Library (R.A.I.L). Each month the mixed media instructor, Christina Zinnia Galliher, offers videos and how-to instructions for a project members can make. Since I'm new to mixed media, but fascinated by paper, paint, stamping, etc., this is a perfect group for me. I'm learning about art products and how to use them effectively, while making something pretty and useful at the same time. Zinnia's videos are excellent and informative. Great fun!

This is my first effort... a memory box. Only the outside is done so far, but I thought I'd show you that much for now. I've got so many embellishments from collecting it over the years. It's exciting to finally find a home for some of it!

I found some bits of text to go along with the angel theme of the box, and included a piece from the dictionary that defines "spiritual". Also words like "celestial" and "angelic" are placed on the surface. The detail photos may show some of this. When I took it to show my sewing and craft group last week, one of the members paid it a big compliment when she said "Oh, where did you get that old box?" So I knew it was a success, because that was the goal... to age a new craft store wood box in ways to make it look vintage. I'll move on to bigger boxes now that I have practiced on this size.