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This pretty bundle is wrapped and ready to mail for an Easter gift for a friend. The sentiment on it says “No matter how long the Winter, Spring is sure to follow.” She lives in Pennsylvania and is quite ready for Spring, given the harsh winter season that seems to be hanging on there. The idea for this project came from seeing Pocket Letters, the creation of Janette Lane. Basically you create a Pocket Letter beginning with a 9-pocket clear page like the ones used for trading cards. Then you fill each pocket with images and other goodies, add a letter to one of the pockets, fold it up and send it through the mail to a friend in a standard #10 envelope. They’re great projects for those who enjoy colorful fun mail combined with a bit of creativity. There’s even a swap network for people who love making them along with making new friends from around the world. I chose an Easter theme and found most of the beautiful images at the Graphics Fairy site where there are thousands of free images for use in craft projects. One thing I particularly enjoyed was the chance to use a variety of images. I have a hard time choosing just one when I’m making a greeting card or other project. This time I could download to my heart’s content!
Here’s the front side of the page before folding. In addition to the images, I was able to add little bits of tatting, trims, buttons, and flowers to decorate the pockets. A Graphic 45 image (center row, right) combined well with the others and I used a selection of scrapbooking paper in fresh looking pastels to back the images.
Here are some close-up photos of sections of the pocket page. Because they’re made from clear plastic, it’s a challenge to photograph them clearly without getting reflective shine.
A few more of the images that really invited me to “think Spring.” Many of them seem to be from vintage greeting cards and contain a lot of pretty detail. I think it would be fun to make one of these with a dog or cat theme, and a beach theme. Those may be next.
Can’t forget the back! I left the backs a bit more plain, but still added a few smaller images here. What does one do with a Pocket Letter? Since the pocket sheet protector is punched, they might collect them in a ring binder. I’m thinking my friend may want to take the cards out and use them in a journal of her own. But just a bit of joy coming in the mail is really quite enough for me. Easter blessings!
There is just something about antique quilts that makes my heart beat a little faster. This display of Crazy Quilts can be found at The Suwannee Valley Shoppes in Trenton, FL. I love the warm, rich tones of the velvets in the one hanging on the wall, along with an almost stained-glass look to its tiny and random pieces. It didn’t resemble any Crazy Quilt I’d seen before.
Neither did this one with its pieced sunflower blocks and fancy stitching in the centers. Lovely!
The examples shown all date from the late-1800s and contain many unique elements that invite closer inspection. Look at the celluloid photo stitched into this beauty. And those lovely embroidery stitches- oh, my. It’s wonderful to see old quilts preserved and on display like this. Seeing them reminded me to share another part of the Sew Expo quilt exhibit I recently attended. In this case, today’s quilters built upon the past by completing old quilt tops with fancy machine quilting.
The quilts you see here began as quilt tops in the collection of Brenda Groelz. Sponsored by Handi Quilter, several Handi Quilter instructors each completed a quilt top with the instructions to “quilt in a way the original quiltmaker would never have dreamed.” The quilts became part of an exhibit entitled “Heritage Quilts Made Modern.”
The longarm quilters were truly masters of their craft as these examples illustrate. An interesting sidebar to these quilt tops is that nearly all of them had some special challenges for the longarmer to deal with- tops out of square, “blousy” fabric pieces within a block.
It was astonishing to see how they met the challenges, and the creativity each quilter brought to her assigned quilt top.
This close-up shows the density of the quilting, even inside the applique motifs. Stunning! I applaud the work each of the quilters did to turn the old quilt tops into a collaborative effort and to show them off in a new and exciting way. Some quilters have issues with completing old quilt tops. As for me, I doubt I’ll get all the tops finished in a lifetime, and I’d be happy to know someone might take my project to the finish line someday!
Here’s my candidate for building on the past. I’d love to hand quilt this vibrant Dresden Plate, maybe using perle cotton thread and The Big Stitch, maybe in a peachy color. There’s a lot of white space around the blocks that would look good quilted and the background fabric is tightly woven. This is a someday project, and it joins many others! What’s your take on completing old quilt tops, or using old quilts in other projects?
I joined a bus trip to the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Lakeland, Florida, this past week for an eye-popping time! What a treat to be surrounded by everything quilty, and more. The “and more” included the class I took titled “Almost Steampunk Junk.” Participants brought all sorts of metal and jewelry parts, beads, buttons, and charms. Our instructor brought even more, and we all dug in to make brooches, headbands, bracelets, necklaces- you name it. All we needed was a glue gun and some imagination. There were lots of sample pieces to inspire us, along with rubbing compounds in various colors, and hard felt to use as the base of our pieces. I’m not sure what these will be as yet- possibly brooches, or maybe the focal piece on a fabric journal cover. I’m afraid I’ve started yet another avenue of interest. I always say my problem is that I want to make at least one of everything! And look- I made two.
There were two large rooms at the event filled with vendors. Here’s what came home in my shopping bag. Abbey Lane Quilts had their patterns on sale. Barb Originals had kits to make Treasure Bags from a silk tie or quilt fragments. I love little bags! Fabrics abounded and I purchased this wonderful rust dyed fabric from Art Quilt Textiles as well as some batiks from Vogue Fabrics Store. I was not familiar with them, but they had many wonderful products in addition to fabrics of all kinds. We received two shopping bags with our entrance fee, but I filled only one. Remarkable restraint, wouldn’t you say?
There were lots of quilts on display, including the Double Wedding Ring International Quilt Challenge. This quilt is titled “Organic Pink Pickles” by Karen Williamson. It’s always interesting to see different takes on the same quilt pattern, especially when it’s made modern.
“Shadow Play” by Meg Crowley really used value contrast very effectively, while low contrast was the goal of the quilt below.
One of the trends in Modern Quilts is the use of low-volume fabrics to achieve subtle variation in the design rather than strong contrast. This is “Low Key Rings” by Colleen Molen. I like how she used prints to achieve texture in her quilt even though there is not a lot of value contrast.
I’ll share some more of the display quilts in my next post. If one of the sewing expo 3-day events is in your area, I certainly recommend that you attend if you can. The teaching staff includes some very well-known names like Nancy Zieman of Nancy’s Notions, June Colburn, and quilter Shar Jorgenson. There are plenty of free demos and special events, plus outstanding door prizes. The day we went, a Bernina sewing machine and a Juki serger were the top two prizes. It was a treat to attend and to see the great interest in home sewing.
Similar to potato chips, one is not enough when making Snippet Rolls. I fished around in the lace and trim bins and assembled two more of these little bundles of pretty. See that cat image in the upper right? It’s an iron-on that’s been waiting in the sewing room for several years for just the right project. It’s a bit of a surprise it wasn't lost in the shuffle before finding a home in this Snippet Roll! The ruched flower is the one I learned to make in a mini-class. These sweet little rolls are the perfect home for those one-of-a-kind items that wind up in the sewing room because I can’t bear to throw them away. You can see the previous one here, and find a tutorial for making them on Carole Brungar's Madness and Mess blog here.
Here are the two unrolled so you can see what other snippets grace each one. They’re a challenge to photograph given their long, skinny perspective.
Because I love text on fabrics and vintage images, both of those elements needed to be a part of the Snippet Roll I plan to keep, above. The bead is one received an a handmade bead swap. Such detail and shine! It needed to be showcased.
A doily, velvet flower spray, resin heart, metal tag, scissors charm and a hang-tag pin all combine to add a bit of weight to the end of this roll. It's a gift for a friend. I think a lot of the appeal of these small projects is that they give me a chance to look through all the odd bits I’ve accumulated over the years, and to combine them in such a pleasing way. They play well together. And the rolls are relatively quick to make unless you’re a person who can’t stop adding just a little more. I’m that way, and have to finally call a halt. Otherwise I could be stitching away for another week.
The inspiring Thoreau quote printed on muslin certainly added to this one. And another handmade paper bead anchors the top, right next to the tea-dyed fabric flower. One thing that I notice as I’m working on a Snippet Roll is that one or two more begin to emerge as I group things that seem to go together while sifting through the items. I actually started out to make one roll this time, and just look what happened. I tend to do that same thing when making greeting cards and prayer flags, too. But that’s the joy of playing in the sewing room.
I also recently participated in a class taught at our guild by Pat Sloan. I have always loved her whimsical folk-art style, and guild members waited a long time for Pat to come visit Ocala as her schedule is booked up far in advance. She was worth the wait! The above photo shows our class sample for "Wild and Free." Our task for the day was to learn to combine fabrics for the lively background.
Pat brought several samples of backgrounds for us to study, and she walked us through the method she uses for combining fabrics. We each brought bins and tubs full of fabric possibilities, and Pat provided the coaching we needed to pull together the fabrics for our backgrounds.
Mine took a tropical turn when I pulled out a piece of palm print and then found some interesting go-with fabrics that have lots of texture. It’s laid out but not pieced yet. And who knows what I’ll use for the fusible applique elements, which Pat covered in day two of the workshop. That’s a challenge for another day. But I’ll be sure to post it here when it’s finished. I get lots of projects going at once, and the sewing room is often in turmoil. However, a good percentage of my projects do make it to the finish line ultimately!
They’re both a part of this quilt I recently finished. Math because it’s a free Layer Cake (10” squares) pattern from Moda called “Basic Math”. Bubbles because that’s the edge-to-edge quilt design Kim Hart, long-arm quilter, and I agreed would be just the ticket for this very geometric quilt. Kim is the talented quilter from The Busy Bobbin here in Florida. I first saw this quilt made by Susan of Studio Adventures. Her quilt, which you can see here, was done in bright, happy colors. I had the Barcelona Layer Cake here in the sewing room just waiting for a quilt to land in. So here it is- simple, fun, and bright.
Here’s a close-up of Kim’s quilting done in a flame-color variegated thread. Plus you can see some of the print patterns a bit better here. Susan also made a Barcelona quilt- these same fabric prints but pieced in a different pattern. You can see that one of hers here.
More bubbles and fabrics. I love this fabric line! Speaking of quilting projects, Elizabeth at Altered Book Lover blog invited me to be her guest in a post on her blog. She conducted an e-mail interview, and then chose photos from my blog to illustrate the article. I must say, Elizabeth made me look good, so kudos to her! It was fun to review my blog through her eyes, and there were some photos I'd almost forgotten about. Plus I’ve met some new blog-land friends thanks to her post. If you’d like to take a look, here’s the link.
What might this little wad of loveliness be? Why it’s a “Snippet Roll”. A Snippet Roll is a repository for all those little bits we just cannot part with, but that pile up in the sewing room. I first noticed Snippet Rolls on Carole Brungar’s Madness and Mess blog, but now have seen them on many textile blogs, especially those with a vintage theme. They make for a very satisfying hand work project, stitching all those embellishments and trims. Rolled up they are tiny, pretty, and inviting.
Once unrolled, there’s a lot more to look at. This Snippet Roll began when I paid the shipping for a selection of ephemera from Kimberly’s studio at Art Joy Stuff. It arrived in the mail last week, one fully stuffed envelope filled with Valentine-themed trims and ephemera. The photos are below. After adding to the collection, I started the Snippet Roll with a long muslin strip to which I stitched lace and small paper images. Then I hand stitched even more little bits that seemed to go with the theme- handmade beads, yo-yos, buttons, sequins. I added a few pieces of lace to the back side with glue just to cover some of the stitching while keeping it flat and avoiding adding bulk. At the top, I made a fold-over sleeve through which I threaded the baker’s string. That string allows me to tie the roll closed, or hang it on the wall when it’s open.
This tin was one of the containers filled with goodies. I’m a big fan of tins, too, so this fits right into the sewing room collection.
Do you remember Schraft’s chocolates? The other container was this vintage Schraft’s candy box which was also stuffed with paper and fiber bits.
Here’s a peek inside the heart tin. It’s not as if I don’t have bits of lace and other items quite similar to these in my own sewing room. No, it’s just that other peoples’ stuff is better! I always feel that way at a quilt class when I look around the room and see everyone else’s fabrics. Their stuff is just better.
Kimberly had placed a Bingo card neatly wrapped with pink lace, ribbon, and sequins on top in the candy box. And there was more beneath it. I immediately began sifting through and the contents sparked the Snippet Roll. Being pretty spontaneous with projects, everything else got set aside while I jumped in to make the Snippet Roll. And I didn’t stop until it was done. Plus I started another one! They are great fun.
Since we’re discussing good things coming in the mail and ephemera, it’s a good time to mention the very intriguing and thoughtful post on “Ephemera vs. Hoarding” at Creatology. It’s all about sorting, storing, and saving all of the wonderful collectibles and memorabilia we gather. And it’s also good time to show you the gorgeous bubble wand I received from Creatology, just because she’s generous and surprises her followers with a hand-crafted gift from time to time. It was my time, and this wonderful beaded and wrapped wire bubble wand arrived in the mail. Don’t you love it?
Over the years, I’ve collected things that just cannot be discarded. This Christmas card was made by a woman in her 80s who still did tatting. Those little flowers are so delicate. I’m not sure where I found the hosiery mending kit. Hosiery mending! Imagine. But inside are needle and several colors of thread, along with 5 sticky tabs meant to moisten and apply to a run to stop it. It was an advertising promotional put out by Wonder Bread. And now it’s just a collectible, because who needs to repair hosiery anymore? It’s an anachronism, and lots of people wouldn’t even know what the little kit was intended for. I also strolled by the free table at our guild and saw the lonely heart below lying there. It’s all hand quilted and nobody wanted it. I couldn’t just leave the heart there, now could I? It's too pretty to be lonely. And that’s the story of my burgeoning collection of bits and pieces of this and that. All of it just follows me home!
There is something about vintage quilts that I just love! A quilting friend gifted me with this vintage Bow Tie quilt top. It had “aged” for awhile riding around in her car while she decided what to do with it. Then she remembered how much I like old quilts, and knew I’d give it a good home. The old fabrics are a fascinating study, and I could spend all kinds of time poring over the blocks and appreciating the prints.
Just look at the gray mourning print at the lower left, along with various indigo blues. But I’m really taken with the vibrance of the fuchsia print at the center. Although thin, the quilt top has retained its color and is in good shape. It’s all hand pieced with less-than-quarter-inch seams. Wow!
Receiving this old quilt top reminded me that I had a thing for Bow Tie quilts some years back. I made two- one wall-hanging, and the other more of a miniature. Both used the same fabric line, but in different color ways. My favorite earthy browns and greens came first. It’s hand quilted and still in use on the back of a sofa. The other is also hand quilted. For awhile I did a study on all the different ways you can piece a Bow Tie block. Dimensional ones were popular at the time, but all I could think of was the dust that would find its way into the folds, so I steered clear of those.
Speaking of providing a good home, meet Abby. Once again we were not seeking another pet. And yet… meet Abby. My husband was eating at a restaurant near the interstate when he and others spotted her in or near a dumpster looking for food. She was emaciated and weak. Everyone expressed concern, but most were traveling on the highway and could not help. So Jack brought her home. I will spare you a photo of her in the first days- she was a sad sight. A visit to the vet started her on the right road. I called her the girl with everything because she had fleas, parasites, and even heart worm. But at least she was not expecting puppies! She’s a very sweet girl and is gaining weight and strength. She’s been spayed and we’ve started on some basic obedience classes because she is completely clueless about walking on a leash without tripping me up and not jumping. But she’s smart and wants to please, and gets along very well with Scooter, our other rescue pup. The vet estimated that Abby is about a year old. She’s marked very pretty. After a brief wrestling match, Jack got her coat on her and she seems quite content to wear it on the colder days. She’s a nice girl and I think she plans to stay! I'll share more photos of her when she's in better rig.
