Month: August 2009

Fabulous Laptop Bag

I have bags on the mind again. I really am thinking about new bags to sew.I would like to have several in my repertoire. They make great quick projects. As such, I was reading Vicki Welsh’s most recent Field Trips in Fiber episode and found a really great laptop bag by Candy Glendening of Candied Fibers. I got the impression that this was her own design. I was really impressed with the attention to detail and the thoughtfulness of the design. I like the water bottle pocket and the cell phone pocket. The machine embroidery or quilting which Candy used to embellish the bag is very nice, too.
clipped from candiedfabrics.wordpress.com

Laptop Bag for Liz!

Laptop-Backpack18
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Fair Visit

Nosegay, August 2009
Nosegay, August 2009

I went to the San Mateo County Fair on Saturday. I was really pleased to discover that The Nosegay had won a 3rd place ribbon.

Third place isn’t first place, but I am so happy that I won something. It has been awhile since I won a ribbon. I couldn’t have done it without Colleen of Sew Little Time Quilting. She is a fabulous longarmer. She also sells fabric, teaches and designs patterns. Her longarm work is out of this world.

Anyway, I am reinspired to enter this quilt somewhere else. We’ll see if I can get my act together.

In general the Fair was fun. I ate two, yes 2, frozen, chocolate and nut covered bananas. I love them so much!! They just say fair to me. We saw fireworks, got free ice cream, watched hucksters and hawkers, and some people rode rides. I didn’t have as much time with the quilts as I would have liked, but got some nice pictures and will have some time to look at them carefully later.

Another Shout-Out for the Creative Prompt Project

Scarlett Burroughs over at Craft Gossip.com has written an article/post about the CPP. I am really excited that the project is getting some traction in various places around the web.

Craft Gossip has different areas dedicated to different types of crafts including felting, crochet, knitting, and many others. Recent articles/posts include book reviews on a metalsmithing book and a post on elf-like Christmas stockings. It looks like she has tutorials, videos and freebies. Go check it out and thank her for highlighting the CPP.

Kim Remembers

Kim's CPP Response: Remember
Kim's CPP Response: Remember

The Creative Prompt Project is spreading slowly to other artists. I am thrilled about this, because part of my goal for this project is to inspire other people to be creative.

My tiny, little sister uses paper and scrapbook pages as her artistic medium. She works in other media as well such as pottery and jewelry. Here is the response that she did for “Remember.” One of the things that excites me about her response is that her piece uses a different media than most of the rest of us use. It shows that you don’t have to draw to respond.

This page is about the Fisher Price barn that sissy had when she was a kidlet. She also had the castle, the house, the village and a number of other pieces of the Fisher Price little people toys. *I* remember how much fun we had creating scenarios with all of those pieces.

Thanks, sis.

Catch Up Saturday Again!

Well, my brain seems to be really full these past few weeks. Once again, I am writing another catch up post for you. I know that catch up isn’t exactly the right term, but Full Brain post sounds a little odd to me.

1. Tote bags: Always on my mind. I haven’t made any new ones, but I did listen to a new podcast called the Quilted Cupcake Podcast. Jean, the producer has a very friendly and professional not ditzy style. She is methodical, but not talking head boring about presenting the information she wants to communicate in the podcast, which was easy to follow. The show notes blog is a must, at least for this episode, because Jean packs the podcast full of information, links and tutorials. The episode to which I have linked is episode 11, which is about tote bags. I downloaded all of the episodes that were available, but listened to this one, the most recent, first. I found it on iTunes and you can find it there, via a link from the show notes blog or also on Libsyn at http://quiltedcupcake.libsyn.com/.

Some of the blogs and sites to which Jean links are sites that I already claim to read.

Jean mentioned Rachel Griffith’s P.S I Quilt blog, which has a great tutorial about gussets. I haven’t tried it yet, but will, especially since I am thinking about expanding my bag making horizons. Jean also does a great book review and mentions several tips and tricks that should have been obvious, but were revelations to me.

She also mentioned a couple of books, Sew Sublime Bags and Sew What by Lexie Barnes. I was able to reserve the former at the library, but not the latter. Will have to think about that. I’d like to see it and not buy it at the moment.

I spent some time listening to her earlier podcasts and she has definitely improved her style. Some of her discussions talk a lot about thrift store shopping and saving money. She mentions a lot about how much she spends on things in the course of the discussion. It is apparent that saving money and getting a deal are important to her. My only criticism would be to leave the price tags out.

Her episode on aprons (#5) was really good and I do like her book reviews; they are very complete.

2. Flickr Creative Prompt Project Group:  I am very pleased to report that  a number of participants in the Creative Prompt Project have joined the group and uploaded their responses. Quilt Rat, SherriD, and Kathy (new member-YAY!) have all joined. Quilt Rat and SherriD have uploaded all of their responses and Kathy has uploaded several photos so 80+ drawings/photos/art are all available to view together. I am really thrilled about this. There is always room for one more, so join in and upload your responses. You don’t have to go back and do them all.

3. Free MOO cards:  Get a free pack of MOO cards. There is no free lunch so there are some restrictions, but free is free and the MOO cards are really cool. Thanks to Deirdre for this tip.

4. C&T Publishing has a list of blogs by their authors and fans. Others were new to me, such as Barbara Brackman’s blog, which includes lots of tidbits about quilt history. I also like the logo C&T created for this particular page. the different artistic letters are fun.

5. I am weeding the links. I find that blogs change over time and don’t suit me anymore. If you are using my blogroll as a fave page, you may want to rethink that. 😉

Creative Prompt #27: Crave

What do you crave?

Crave Bakery

Midnight cravings

See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.

Post the direct URL where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. It will keep all the artwork together.

There is more information on the recently updated Creative Prompt Page.

Sketching #26

Creative Prompt Response: House
Creative Prompt Response: House

It is really sad when I just can’t get inspired to do my own creative prompt. I thought house would be a good one. Quilt Rat certainly came up with a fantastic response! I’ll have to keep this one percolating a little bit and, hopefully, come up with another response down the road. On to the next prompt!

FOTY 2009 Progresses

FOTY blocks, August 2009
FOTY blocks, August 2009

Slowly, but surely the FOTY 2009 blocks are stacking up. I doubt that FOTY 2009 will be as large as FOTY 2008, however I consider it to be more complex so smaller is better. I know I know, sewing in addition to cutting is part of the quiltmaking process and doesn’t necessarily constitute ‘complex.’

😉 I just like to see if you are paying attention sometimes.

As I said before, these blocks make great warm up blocks before a serious bout of sewing, so that is what I did on Saturday after getting the 9K set up again.  If you look at the photo in Sunday’s post, you can see one of the green blocks under the feed dogs.

I decided not to combine the two Ginger Blossom prints that I used in the Striped Tote with Flowers and the Flowered Tote with Stripes. They already had enough cavorting and will get some more time to do so when I make the quilt for which I have been collecting fabric. I really like the effect of the dots with the flowers.

FOTY detail pink
FOTY detail pink

I had some hot pink dots that I hadn’t yet made into a block, so I used that with the flower print. Haven’t done anything with the stripes. I need to press some more fabric and then we’ll see what transpires.

I do really like that pink Gigner Blossom flower print for some reason. It makes me feel happy.

Book Review: Single Thread

A Single Thread A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Evelyn is having a rough year and this book doesn’t sugar coat her problems. The book is about how Evelyn gets help getting over that rough year, which includes opening her quilt shop. The difficulties she encounters seem like real difficulties that any normal person could encounter. The way she resolves the issues seem like real resolutions as well.

I really enjoyed this book and I think it may be a book that I would want to read again. I enjoyed the sections about the Quilt Pink project, because I think it gets a great project out to people who may not know much about the quilt world. I also thought the book incorporated the quilt aspect very well without shoving it down the readers’ throat. I think this tactic wold make this book appeal to people who are not quiltmakers.

It is a typical feel good chick-lit book, but is written with depth and doesn’t seem to include any affectations. I like books about real people where the things that happen to them seem like they could have really happened. There is a scene or two which made me raise my eyebrow, but this is still a great page turner and doesn’t dwell too much on the medical aspects. I enjoyed the way the characters learned from and helped each other. I want to read about these characters again. I hope Marie Bostwick doesn’t make the mistake that Jennifer Chiaverinni makes when she recounts the previous 3,4 or 5 books to catch readers up with the story. That tactic makes the books seem repetitive.

View all my reviews >>

Nearly at Infinity

Infinity blocks, August 2009
Infinity blocks, August 2009

The Infinity blocks had been languishing for a little while. I needed some test subjects for the tuned up machine, so I sewed a couple. The middle one is of the ones I made on Saturday and the others have been hanging around for awhile waiting for me to photograph them.

The fabric I used for the middle blocks is an old Jinny Beyer fabric and it is really crisp to press and sew. Lovely!

I have only a little bit of the white left, so the block portion of this project is nearing completion. I will have to see how many blocks we end up with, however. It needs to be some kind of normal number and not one that won’t work in putting a quilt together.

Tarts Progress Also

Tarts, August 2009
Tarts, August 2009

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. All the bits and pieces that I have wanted to change are done and I can start sewing the whole piece together. I don’t really think that it is nearing completion, because I have lot of ideas for handwork and embellishment in my mind. I just have to figure out the order of the next steps.

After I determined that the 9K was behaving admirably yesterday, I didn’t listen to anyone’s 2 cents about this space and made the stack of cups the way I wanted. I am pretty pleased with how they came out, though I think the pink I chose is a little bit darker than the flying geese background. It works, so it is fine.

Tarts cups
Tarts cups

Confession time: After I put the stack of cups up next to the curly pot, I started not to like the yellow print cup very much. I started to think how nicely a slice of cake would work in that area. I even had a fleeting thought that a scone or chocolate chip cookie would work. (SherriD: stop laughing!)

Yellow Print Cup
Yellow Print Cup

Really, I am trying to stop fiddling, but I may not be able to finish the piece with that cup on the front. I started to sew the sections together, but I have stayed away from this section until I can decide if I can live with this cup. The other issue is that I don’t have a replacement design in mind. I really want to get this top off the design wall in one piece and do something easy.

I am shocked to admit that quilting this myself actually entered my mind last night, as I worked on Beach Town. This piece is pretty large, so I’ll have to really think about that. Beach Town is small and I am still working on the last bits. The last quilt I tried to quilt was Seeing Red. I densly quilted about a 14″ square,  then ripped all the quilting out and took it to my machine quilter.  I don’t want a repeat of that.

Back in the Saddle

I stayed away from the computer all day yesterday and sewed.

Janome 9000
Janome 9000

The 9000 is back and better than it has been in a long time. It is quieter. I can punch any button I want and the machine reacts instantly. It was a pleasure to sew.

I did a lot:

  • made a receiving blanket
  • finished the last bit of the Tarts
Tarts cups
Tarts cups
  • almost finished the machine quilting on Beach Town
  • made some Infinity blocks
  • worked on some FOTY 2009 blocks
FOTY detail pink
FOTY detail pink

Normally, I sew early in the morning and stop in the evening. I am a morning person and I have learned the hard way that when I sew tired I make mistakes. Last night, however, I stayed up late and sewed. It was wonderful.

Creative Prompt #26: House

A shelter, building or structure that is a dwelling designed for habitation by human beings (Wikipedia definition).

What does your house look like?

House of Blues.

House plans.

Dollhouse

House of Cards

House of Pain

Madhouse

House, M.D., a TV show.

Mouse house.

See the Creative Prompt page if you have questions about this project.

Post the direct URL where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. It will keep all the artwork together.

There is more information on the recently updated Creative Prompt Page.

More Inspiration

I know this must seem like inspiration week to you. I guess it is. Anthony, from French Bull, who commented on Tuesday, sent me wandering around the French Bull website where I found these cool mugs. I don’t collect mugs anymore, however I do enjoy admiring them. I also think they make great gifts. The bottom one reminds me of designs by Anna Maria Horner and Heather Bailey.
clipped from www.frenchbull.com

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Inspiration Thursday: Paint Chips

Paint Chip Sampler
Paint Chip Sampler

Remember Saturday when I talked about picking out paint? Here is a miniscule part of of one of the paint chip displays for two lines of paint. The perfect red, Red Statement is smack in the middle. Poppy and Rapture are on a different display, so no picture, sorry. There is now a second coat of paint on both test areas and Rapture looks like it is winning. At this point I am almost willing to go with anything that is not hideous. Did I tell you we bought some glaze to try out a steel-wool faux finishing technique in out bedroom?