Wednesday's Work in Progress

Continuing the theme of making for the home, my current work in progress is a stack of placemats to be quilted and bound. One down, 5 to go.

I realized after I finished the first one that I had used up the last of that particular bias binding and could not get more. Mix and match binding for the rest of them then!

I love this fabric line from a few years ago; Cloud 9 organic cotton - Nature Walk.

Oh, and just in case you are interested...

For one placemat:
Cut two fabric rectangles measuring 18" x 14.5"
Cut one piece of cotton quilt batting 18" x 14.5"
Sandwich batting between fabric rectangles, right sides facing out. Use pins to secure or as I did, a temporary fabric adhesive spray to keep pieces in place.
Use your sewing machine to quilt the layers. I just used straight lines randomly spaced. To make this easier, use a walking foot on your machine.
Bind the edges with bias binding - takes about 1 3/4 yard of binding for each placemat.
Repeat for as many placemats you care to make.

I know, it's not much of a tutorial, but if you want more details, just do a search on the interwebs for "how to sew quilted placemats" and you will have a bunch of tutorials to choose from.

So, what are you working on?

Stitched Journal Project - May

The Stitched Journal Project is: Makers from around the world creating one "page" or piece of work per month and sharing. It is a project to get the ideas flowing, to process the days in a creative way, to try new techniques and to push past fears that keep us from making something.  It isn't about perfection, or getting it "just right," it is about process and perspective.

May 2014 - Cotton, fabric paint, cotton batting

The word of the month seems to have been "Home." We've been working on our home (Thank you for all of the lovely comments you left on my last post. I was blown away by all of your positive remarks!), I have been taking a lot of photographs of my home, I've talked about it in interviews, I've recently been asked by a couple of old friends how I feel about where I live, and I've had some great conversations with folks I know lately about what "Home" means to them.

I consider myself truly lucky to love where I live, to live with those I love, and to really have a place in this world that I know as "Home." It isn't all about the geography - though it sure is a pretty place that I live in. It isn't about the house that I live in - though I am so amazed that this is my beautiful house. No. It has much more to do with the people, the friends and the family; the deep sigh of "coming home" to a safe place, a joyful refuge, a remarkable life. 

When life gets hard, gets nasty (and sometimes it gets really nasty), shatters your heart, falls apart - again, when the hurt and mess of it all starts to break you down... there's just no place like home.

For this piece I finally got around to trying my hand at image transfer to fabric! I found an image of a vintage Oregon map and used my computer to print the image onto white cotton. I then dyed the fabric in a strong black tea infusion. I used fabric paint and rubber stamps to print on the map. I then used cotton batting and a muslin backing fabric and machine quilted the county lines.  This was a great introduction to the process and I thoroughly enjoyed playing with the medium. Plus it seems that my duty as a crafty Oregonian, is to emblazon at least one of my works with the nondescript outline of my home state. 

I haven't forgotten that I still owe you April. I started April, I did. However, the piece is calling to become a larger work. So, April this is what I have for you...

Below you will find links to the wonderful makers and their Stitched Journal Project pieces for May. Please keep your eyes on this spot in the next couple of days as more add their links. Be sure to visit them and leave comments!

If you think you would like to join in as well, it's not too late!  We will be sharing our pieces the last Friday of every month at least until the end of the year. We'd love to have you.

All of you wonderful Stitched Journal Project participants please link up below! Remember to add your photos to The Stitched Journal Flickr Group! and be sure to share with Facebook, Twitter, etc!

Much To-doing

Ah, the top of the baby quilt is done. I just made up a simple block design using some very cheery fabrics. I made it the perfect size for floor playing, tummy time, and lap snuggling.
So, on to the backing, then the batting, then the quilting, then the binding. Yes, much to-doing this weekend!

The list is getting longer every minute.
There's big batch cooking and baking afoot!
Finalizing plans for Pony Girl's Birthday
Making said Pony Girl a birthday dress
A-visiting we will go to friends to see their new home
Oh and seeds! I need seeds to plant and compost to dig and weeds to clear and... and...
Well you get the picture. All good and busy things going on this weekend!

What is on your to-doing list?

Hello Monday - Pretending Spring

Outside it is a gloomy Monday, all bluster and rain, gray skies and soggy ground. Inside however, I am pretending it is Spring. I spotted 2 little daffodils in the corner of the yard and one slightly battered Hellebore. I clapped my hands and said "Hello first flowers! You are a sight for sore eyes!" Then yes, I plucked them. The wind and rain were surely about to bash them to pieces and truth be told, I needed a bit of pretty to bring inside.

To keep up the illusion of happy Springtime on this stormy day, I have also started a quilt for a baby that could be coming any day now. Ooh, I'd better hurry shouldn't I?  I am using the most springy springtime fabric I had on hand.

I am using several fabrics from Urban Chiks - Dream On for Moda from a couple of years ago, and a vintage-ish green solid that I also had in my stash.

As you can see, it's easy pretending Spring with all these happy, pretty flowers about. Well, just as long as I don't go outside.

Are you impatiently awaiting Spring, or are on the other side awaiting Fall? Either way, may your week be a good one!

On The Make Again

After a long time away from my machine, piles of fabric, spools of thread and the joy of crafty cogs turning... I am back on the make! Once the engineer installed a proper light in my new work space, it only took the dawn of the next day and I was at it. 

I have had quilting on my mind and so though I was hesitant to give up the wall space in my small studio (there was a thought of useful shelves going there, as storage is much needed), I realized if I was going to get serious - not dreadful serious mind you - about this quilty business, I needed a "design wall." This was easily accomplished with a few meters of thin cotton batting tacked to a wall above my work table. 

I pulled out a few Kona and Moda solids from my stash, without specific plan, and the next thing I knew I was cutting triangles. I placed a few here and there to test out my freshly minted design wall; Lo and Behold it was a pleasing combination! I felt a little bit of that old giddiness and excitement upon the realization of a project coming to life. 

Oh how I love the hum of the machine, the steam of the iron, the snip of scissors and watching the progress come along!

As the afternoon wore on I happily sewed away until I reached a stopping point. I went out into the Fall sunshine and stood back to look at the thing I had made. Just the center piece of a larger project, the beginning of something good, and it made me smile. It is indeed a great and grateful thing to be back on the make, doing what I love!

Today I'll be back at it. I can't predict a completion date for 'tis the season for pumpkin patches, planting flower bulbs (of which there are over 175 waiting for me!) and baking delicious treats; there is much to do!

Wishing you all a happy weekend!

Kathreen Ricketson’s Brave New Quilts Legacy Tour

I am deeply honored to have been asked to be a part of Kathreen Ricketson's Brave New Quilts Legacy Tour. This is not just about her beautiful new book, but about the indefatigable spirit of Kathreen herself.

When I first received Brave New Quilts, saw the gorgeous cover and flipped through the pages; a fresh grief washed over me for a moment. Her tragic death earlier this year was such a shock to me and it was unthinkable that this bright light in our community was now gone. After a brief moment, I shook off the sadness and dove into the book with a sense of celebration and wonder!

I know that this book was a deeply personal project for Kathreen and that she was excited about it. It is a corker too! It's not just a fresh and cool new quilting book, but a really good read as well. Kathreen's voice is clear and engaging, and as with everything she put her energies into, it is so inspiring.

In Brave New Quilts, Kathreen has created quilts inspired by 12 different 20th century art movements. I love this! The information she provides is fascinating and accessible, the design principles engaging and inspiring. She really has a wonderful way of discussing color, design, and the rules of creating the quilts in the book. All the while she encourages us to go our own way and discover our own path; even providing alternate colorways for each project.

The arrival of Kathreen's book turns out to be quite fortuitous for me personally. I have recently renewed my love of quilting and have been experimenting with modern and art quilt design, this book is a great resource to add to my collection and just the nudge I needed to get cracking!

I can hear Kathreen's voice telling me, "You can do it! Go for it!" 

Kathreen's legacy is huge and far reaching. From my first introduction to her via her trailblazing website WhipUp, to her brilliant kid's magazine ActionPack, through her books and all of her endeavors; I have admired her talent, her love for her family, her intelligence and her amazingly generous spirit. She encouraged me greatly when I was working on my own book. She treated me with great respect and made me laugh. She is one of the people through whom I have made friends from all over the art/crafting/making community and have been more inspired and courageous than I ever could have imagined.

As I wrote in a post on WhipUp earlier this year:

 "Though I never met her in person, I considered Kathreen a friend, a kindred spirit and a supporter of the utmost kind. Through her hard work and gorgeous spirit, she brought together a community; fostered art and craft, endlessly inspired and encouraged so many wonderful people.  She made such a tremendous impact on me and I know so many others. She created an amazing legacy and I truly believe she made this world a better place. She reminds us to live life with passion and intent; to live deliberately with love and to continue to follow our hearts."

I absolutely recommend Brave New Quilts, it is a brilliant book. I also encourage you to follow along on all the stops on this Stash Books Legacy Tour!

Tuesday	10/1	Heather Jones
Wedneday	10/2	Kristin Link
Thursday	10/3	Maya Donenfeld
Friday	10/4	Alexandra Smith
Monday	10/7	Sonya Philip
Tuesday	10/8	Ellen Luckett Baker
Wedneday	10/9	Andrea Jenkins
Thursday	10/10	Shannon Cook
Friday	10/11	Mimi Kirchner
Monday	10/14	Cheryl Arkison

A Wordless Wednesday Sneaky Peek

Rules for Misfits

A little over a week ago, on a most unprecedented whim, I decided to make a quilt.  It's been ages, years even since I've gone down that particular path. I do believe I was inspired by my little misfit quilt that I picked up recently. To keep things simple (meaning: giving myself a real chance of actually ever finishing the quilt) I set up a few rules for myself.

Rule 1. I must not buy anything other than thread, only using supplies I have on hand.
Rule 2. Choose one pile of scraps from my hoard and use only the fabrics from that pile for quilt top.
Rule 3. Choose a very simple quilt block pattern.
Rule 4. (In 4 parts) I must not fret and worry so. I must not spend hours painstakingly rearranging blocks, then rearranging them again until it is perfect. I must let go of perfectionism. Just let it happen; a little random is good for me.

I must admit Rule 4 has been the most difficult to adhere to, but I managed somehow.

I made my first quilt when I was only 13 in Mrs. Bloomquist's sewing class. It was a miracle of early 80's dirty blues, tans, and maroons.  While piecing the thick polyester batting one day, my finger got in the way and the heavy duty Kenmore sewing machine sewed right through my finger tip! It was a very exciting and painful day in sewing class, ah memories! Though my quilt may not have been the prettiest thing going, I was so proud. I'll have you know too, that quilt was in regular use until 2 years ago when it was left behind at a music festival.

Later, when I was just a young 20-something, I fell hard for quilting.  Well, at least the piecing part of it all. I dreamed of one day owning my own giant quilting machine, Oh the quilts I would make!  Ah, but time marches on and while I did make some full size quilts, over the years I would whip up a few baby gift quilts of the small and manageable size.  And now it's been a long time since I've even done that.

I had forgotten the obsessive nature of making a quilt. It has been all consuming on some days. "What do you mean, what's for dinner? Can't you see I'm sewing a quilt?!"
Though I have been plagued by doubts and occasionally thought the whole thing looked a little bonkers, I have carried on.

Oh, I forgot to mention another rule I made for myself...
Rule 5. Break a few quilting rules!
Check!

For instance; sew a pieced quilt backing that does not actually match the quilt top. (I do so enjoy two looks in one you know.) Also, after sewing said backing, put it up as a curtain for a few days, why not?

 
As I have been sewing along, Pony Girl has made the request that this quilt be hers, "So that I can pass it on to my children and then they can pass it on to their children and on and on." Clearly, we are a family who loves misfits.

So that is my story of the making of a misfit quilt.

"What?" you say, "No fair, you haven't shown us the actual quilt!"

That my dears is because the quilt is not yet finished.  All the elements are in place, but things have got a bit busy 'round here and the final Ta Da! must wait. I assure you when I have a chance to get to the intimidating quilting part, and the last thread is snipped, all will be revealed!

Wordless Wednesday - Cutting Corners