Jaye – Page 38 – Artquiltmaker Blog

Field Day Update

The Field Day Zipper takes on a new view once it is on the design wall. So does my workroom. I need to get this piece sewn together and OFF the wall as it really sucks the light out of an, otherwise, fairly bright room.

This is such a weird concept to me and I spent some timing thinking about it. No, it is not directly related to the making of this piece, but it affects my work in general.

First, sadly, my workroom is still life sucking beige. (Why is a question for a long evening and a bottle of your favorite libation.) The ugly and light sucking nature of the color, if you can call life sucking beige a color, means that all the other colors I work with in that room look different. Also the light has to work a lot harder and I have to be careful to move bits of the projects to other parts of the house. It isn’t a perfect system, but it is working to a certain extent.

Anyway, I still have not put up my new design wall, but I did put FDZ up on the smaller design wall (~4.5′ x 7′). It doesn’t all fit as you saw in Design Wall Monday, but it will fit better once I sew some more of the parts together.

The other thing, unrelated to color, about this project is that seam allowance is affecting the size more than I anticipated. When I laid the piece out, the strips of Sangria were roughly equivalent to the ‘coin’ segments. As I began sewing the coins together into vertical strips, I lost many inches. I added a couple of coins to the first couple of rows to see what would happen and how many coins I would need. I could just cut off the solid strips, but I want the piece to be the length of the Sangria strips. I am going to sew more of the vertical strips together and then see what I need to do.

I am desperate to get back to this project — or really any project. I haven’t been able to sew at all in the past week and am feeling the effects.

Flying Geese Exchange Update

Flying Geese - Mid May 2015 — Flying Geese – Mid May 2015

Before I revamped my design wall, I reorganized the Flying Geese from my exchange with TFQ and took a good picture of them.

Yes, the mistakes are still in there, but they won’t be on the front of the finished piece.

It is kind of fun to see how bright and cheerful they are. Even the grey does not make the group look depressing.

Looking at them this way makes me see all the red and pinky-red I, especially, have used. I think I need to work with some cool colors for awhile.

Looking at them also made me want to sew them together instantly. I don’t have enough to make anything (and I had no time), so I refrained. Still, I think the end product will be one I enjoy when I do sew them together, whenever that is.

Creative Prompt #311: Cherry

Cherry Coke

Definition: “A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).

The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species such as cultivars of the sweet cherry, Prunus avium. The name ‘cherry’ also refers to the cherry tree, and is sometimes applied to almonds and visually similar flowering trees in the genus Prunus, as in “ornamental cherry”, “cherry blossom“, etc. Wild Cherry may refer to any of the cherry species growing outside of cultivation, although Prunus avium is often referred to specifically by the name “wild cherry” in the British Isles.” (Wikipedia)

Definition: “The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species such as cultivars of the sweet cherry, Prunus avium. The name ‘cherry’ also refers to the cherry tree, and is sometimes applied to almonds and visually similar flowering trees in the genus Prunus, as in “ornamental cherry”, “cherry blossom”, etc. Wild Cherry may refer to any of the cherry species growing outside of cultivation, although Prunus avium is often referred to specifically by the name “wild cherry” in the British Isles.” (Wikipedia)

Manufacturer of keyboards and computer mice incorporating fingerprint recognition, barcode, magstripe and smartcard technology.

Cherry – 2010 movie

cherry blossoms

Manufacturer of keyboards and computer mice incorporating fingerprint recognition, barcode, magstripe and smartcard technology.

cherry tree

Cherry switches, sensors and controls are synonymous with quality, precision and reliability, and can be found in a broad range of applications.

Cherry Bomb

Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown

Neneh Cherry

Cherry Republic features gourmet cherry products and gifts made from both tart and sweet cherries.

About Cherry – 2012 movie

Mary Engelbreit cherry motifs

Cherry by Mary Karr

Stemilt cherries

Cherry Adair

Cherry Hill, NJ

Lynne Cherry – children’s author

Cherry Boy, That girl manga

“That car is cherried out!”

Cherry Peak, Richmond Utah

A gentle slope overlooking the Lake with views to the Ramble, Cherry Hill offers a contemplative space perfect for picnicking, reading, and sunbathing.

cherry picking

cherry pie

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

O9P Retreat Progress

Another thing I did a the retreat was work on the nine patch blocks for the O9P quilt.

Before I got to the Box Full of Letters blocks, I worked on these. I wanted to finish all of the parts and then cut more when I got home – I need about 55 more 9 patches to fill in the rest of the O9P quilt. As I finished the squares, I realized that they were getting to look too much alike and I decided to switch to the Box Full of Letters blocks.

Good decision as I got two sets of blocks done and major dents in both projects.

No, it isn’t about getting things done and finished, but it is about making progress and both of these projects felt stalled before I left. Now I feel like I am back on the road.

Book Review: Bojagi & Beyond II

Bojagi & Beyond by Chunghie Lee

This book was sent to me by Karen Searle at the publisher, Beyond & Above, after I offered to review it. This edition is, apparently, the revised edition of Bojagi and Beyond published in 2010 and has new material added.

Being the tactile person that I am, the first thing I noticed was the paper. The cover isn’t as thick as other paperback/trade paperback covers of books I have reviewed, but the paper used for the pages has a thick and pleasant feel.

The first pages of the book talk about BoJaGi outside of Korea as well as some inspirations. Since I didn’t know what BoJaGi was before I read this book, I wished that the first part would have included an explanation. The author got around to it after a bit, never fear!

The introduction describes classes at the Rhode Island School of Design and how those students took the art form further and made it their own. “While these classes and workshops outside Korea have produced work to convey ideas and personal expression, the same is largely true of the work made over the centuries by women in traditional Korean households. While those makers practiced the craft as a means to fill a practical need for special ceremonial textiles, they also saw it as an outlet for their artistic and spiritual expression.” (pg.iv) This reminds me of what people say about quilts. In both instances the need for something practical provided an opportunity for women to express themselves when they had few other ways to do so. This is also another example of people from different backgrounds and cultures being more alike than different.

The introduction and foreword applaud the author for her work with students and how that work influenced work in other countries and in other textile disciplines.

The true introduction (called Introduction), was written by Chunghie Lee herself, does describe what BoJaGi are and mentions that a related form called ChoGakBo which involves patchwork. Truly, however, the introduction is a mini-bio of the author’s achievements.

The table of contents comes next and tells the reader that there are many different kinds of Korean wrappings. We glean that some are especially used for events like weddings or for covering a table for a meal, but most of the table of contents leads the reader to making and designing these wraps.

The history of BoJaGi includes their usefulness, a reflection on the lives of Korean women and when and why the tradition of making and using BoJaGi was established (pg.1). The book discusses the oldest BoJaGi in Korea (pg.3) and how they were used in the royal court. In this section ChoGakBo and other varieties of BoJaGi are also described (pg.5). This section says that the wrappings “are named according to function: OpBo are large BoJaGi used to wrap large items such as bedding. SangGo are lined with oiled paper and used as food covers” (pg.5), etc. There is a long description of the usefulness of BoJaGi, which make me look at my Tupperware cabinet with a speculative eye. Colors and symbols are also covered (pg.7) in this section, which is well illustrated with examples of the cloths and symbols.

Examples are shown of the various types of wrappings in the next part. This section is illustrated with watercolor illustrations and I got an image in my mind’s eye of a pile of fabric wrapped gifts at a wedding or other major (graduation?) event (pg.14-15).

In the food covering section, different types of handles are shown, also as watercolor illustrations. These handles could be adapted and used for tote bags, I think.

A gallery of works by Chunghie Lee is included in the book. Many of the pieces are installation pieces and shown in situ (pg.24-25, etc). One outdoor installation piece reminds me of Christo and Jeanne-Claude (pg.60-61). I particularly like the journal shown on page 28. it reminds me of fabric journals I have made in the past. These works, in general, are different in influence, but do not look very different from some art quilts. A number of the works have embroidery stitches and screen printing (or similar). Chunghie Lee uses images of women’s faces on many of her pieces and this practice makes me think of honoring the anonymous women who have made other textiles such as quilts, table linens, pillowcases, etc. She also expanded into kimono shaped robes and other types of wearables, though I hesitate to call the pieces wearables. They may be normal, if large, BoJaGi draped over people (pg.44-59).

The first part of the ‘how-to’ section centers on using a BoJaGi. The illustrations are drawn and show how to wrap and object, including a decorative knot (pg.78-79). Making a basic BoJaGi is a logical next section (starting on pg.80) and includes photos of the product, drawings of the supplies and sizes in both English and metric systems. The process is simple and similar to finishing a quilt without batting in the envelope style. Directions for making the tie are also provided (pg.82), which is immediately followed by some ideas for making the tie more decorative (pg.83). Again, my mind raced to making tote bags more decorative with something like these ties. The directions for other types of specialty BoJaGi are also shown and include pictures. I can see a transformation of the display of gifts for the holidays when you use your plentiful fabric to make these BoJaGi and wrap all of your gifts in them!

A section on embellishing starts on page 105. One of the embellished Bojagi shown looks like a Cathedral Window quilt (pg.109). Another embellishment looks like prairie points (pg.111). The wedding embroidery KiLeoKi (pg.112) are very beautiful and provide a lot of inspiration.

As with many books sold today, there are projects included. The directions for the 5 projects start on page 121. The wall hangings don’t look very different from some modern or art quilts, but the other items have a distinctive Korean flair. In general, they have a different aesthetic than other projects in other books.

The final section is about designing for BoJaGi and the thing I liked about it was that the author asks you to consider your materials in a different way. One thing she says is “consider scale in the repetition of elements (pg.138)”, which makes me think of the design series.

There is a lot to look at in this book as well as a lot of inspiration to be had. I would recommend you take a look at it.

View all my reviews

Retreat Review

It has been awhile since I was able to attend a CQFA Retreat – 2 years, I think. I was so thrilled to be able to attend the current retreat, which was held over Mother’s Day weekend. Isn’t that a great Mother’s Day gift?? As a bonus, I sewed so much!

I feel like I really made some good progress on projects that were languishing:

Food Quilt #2 top and borders done
Field Day blocks done and quilt laid out
27 Box Full of Letters blocks
21 Nine Patch Blocks for the O9P

It was fantastic!

First of all, I, pretty much, threw projects and parts into project bags starting about a week before the retreat. This helped me not forget critical fabric and supplies. The only thing I forgot was a lamp and my sewing machine’s light kept me from going blind.

Next, I made sure I had plenty of blocks and parts that would make good leaders and enders. Using the leaders and enders technique, I made 20+ Nine Patches for the octagon 9 Patch on which I have been working and 27 (!!!) Box Full of Letters blocks. In addition to significant progress on two projects, I am pleased with the progress I made on the leaders on the leaders and enders projects.

The other thing I did was try out the Oliso iron I bought. I finally dragged out the June Tailor ironing surface I bought for the Dale Fleming Circle class as well. It was a little different because you don’t set it up on its end, it just pops up away from the ironing surface. Also, the steam and basic functionality are a little different. Friend Julie tried it also (we shared a table and a mini ironing surface) and gave me her feedback as well.

People made great projects. Bron and Sue were working on baby quilts for friends. I liked the ideas they had and may use the ideas for donation quilts.

Sue’s (left photo) quilt is made from strips and a background. She said she cut strips and then sewed them together in rows. She said she used different widths of strips and I think that gives the piece a lot of movement. Lucky kid, I say.

In thinking of different ways to make this quilt, I could use strips, cutting them as I cut into new yardage. I would save up strips until I had enough and then get Gerre to quilt it. 😉

The other thing I could do it rummage through my scraps and get pieces large enough to do something similar. My mind is reeling.

I didn’t get a photo of Bron’s quilt, sadly, but what she did is wacky sew pieces together, then she cut the pieces into squares and sewed them together with sashing into a baby quilt. She used a white dot on yellow for the binding, which I loved! It would be a good scrap project.

Gerre was working on an amazing art quilt. She put layers of fabric together with tulle on top, then quilted it then BURNED it! It was awesome.

Reva worked on a flower quilt.

Angela was doing some improv piecing based on a piece she started in a class.

Julie worked on 3 or 4 pieces, including a self portrait and a couple of pieces she started in China. She also sewed rows to her tumbler quilt top, which is nearing completion. It was so great to see her so productive as well.

Rhonda worked on handwork all weekend, including an applique’ project inspired by Kevin Kosbab. She showed me the Valdani Pearl Cotton collection she bought from MassDrop, the temptress! I love Valdani Pearl cotton. I may have to start another quilt like Beach Town. Or just pick a project on which I can embroider. Hhmm.

Maureen's Mid-Century Modern — Maureen’s Mid-Century Modern

Maureen worked on a piece that I thought was made from a pre-cut, but she picked all the fabrics herself. I really think that she should put pre-cuts together for Moda. Her piece looked like a mid-Century modern quilt or painting.

Maureen worked on a plaid piece as well. She found the fabrics at FabMo and turned them into improv blocks which she was playing with when we all had to leave.

Dolores was working on dolls from a class she took with Susan Else as well as the piece from the online class she is taking.

Caroline made pillowcases and worked on a crazy paper piecing project. I think the one section she worked on had 58 pieces!!!

Amy was working on a kind of landscape with flowers. I loved it!

There was also a “free stuff table” and I picked up a couple of pieces of fabric. There was something about the colors and imagery that attracted me. There were a couple of pieces of Kaffe Fassett and some others. I tried to exercise restraint. It was difficult, but I seem to have succeeded. The purple dandelions were kind of a surprise, but they will come in handy somewhere.

In addition to the sewing, it was great to see other people’s projects and chat with my friends. There was never enough time to find out everything I want to know about other people’s process or what is going on in their lives. I didn’t take nearly enough photos and wanted more time to sew.

Still I am glad I got the time I did, especially at this time of year. I felt like I was really productive and that feels good. I need to sew more.

Design Wall Monday

The last post was in April. Not quite a month, but close.

How’s this for a change? I completely revamped my design wall.

Normally, I am fortunate enough to work with two design walls. I usually have a large design wall leaning against one wall, but I gave it to Friend Julie at the last retreat. yes, I used it, then made her take it home. HA! I have been waiting for a new one since the Santa Clara show and it was finally delivered on Friday of last week. In the meantime I was a design wall short, so I cleared off the small one in anticipation of actually sewing. HA again!

I made two Flying Geese all week. This nonsense has got to stop or I will not have anything to write about and you will all go away.

Here are the things on my design wall this week:

Hot 4 Patches. I will want to make more of these and do something with them, but they have not floated high enough in the idea file for me to actually do anything about it.
I rearranged the red and turquoise 4 patches. They look kind of cook in a big row like that, don’t they?
FOTY 2015. This is the start of the second batch of patches. Amazing how fast they accumulate.
Field Day Zipper (or whatever I am going to call it). I wasn’t able to put the whole thing up on the wall, because I didn’t want to take down some of the things on the left, but the last three rows are stacked up on top of each other on the right. When I am able to sew the left hand rows together, there will be space for all the rows.
These are hand written numbers that tell what order the rows should be sewn.

I am linking up with the Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara.

Box Full of Letters Progress

I worked on the Box Full of Letters blocks at the Retreat. I made 21 blocks as leaders and enders. The photo (left) shows a selection of the blocks I made.

I love the leaders and enders technique. I couldn’t believe how much I accomplished using leaders and enders.

I still don’t know what I am going to do with these blocks, but I am thrilled that I have an actual group of blocks with which to work.

May 2015: 26 Projects

I haven’t posted this post for awhile, because I haven’t been in the mood. I am sick of being a good girl and want to just sew whatever I feel like sewing. I did finish a lot of UFOs and a few still are on the list, but it means that I don’t have 26 Projects anymore and I have been starting projects with wild abandon. Fortunately, I seem to have learned some self restraint and am finishing projects, too.

Finished 2015 Quilt Projects

Fabric of the Year 2013 – finished 4/11/2015
Hawaiian Donation quilt – finished 4/7/2015
Pink T Quilt – finished 3/3/2015
Russian Rubix – finished 4/2015

Finished 2014 non-Quilt Projects

7 Christmas pillowcases as gifts – finished May 4, 2015

This year is, so far, not as stellar as last year, but I am making some progress on projects.

Short, but sweet. Stay tuned!

Creative Prompt #310: Helmet

Helment Heroes

Helmet City

motorcycle helmet

Helmet (band)

Helmet hair

helmet laws

Definition: “A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head from injuries.

Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g. UK policeman’s helmet) without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from blunt object and sword blows and arrow strikes in combat. Soldiers still wear helmets, now often made from lightweight plastic materials.

In civilian life, helmets are used for recreational activities and sports (e.g. jockeys in horse racing, American football, ice hockey, cricket, baseball, and rock climbing); dangerous work activities (e.g. construction, mining, riot police); and transportation (e.g. Motorcycle helmets and bicycle helmets). Since the 1990s, most helmets are made from resin or plastic, which may be reinforced with fibers such as aramids.

The word helmet is diminutive from helm, a Medieval word for protective combat headgear. The Medieval great helm covers the whole head and often is accompanied with camail protecting throat and neck as well. Originally a helmet was a helm which covered the head only partly.” (Wikipedia)

flying helmet

football helmet

Helmet Salon

The Daqri smart helmet replaces the traditional hard hat and looks like a Tron motorcyclist’s costume

‘Thor’s Helmet‘ is a strikingly beautiful, messy nebula.

batter’s helmet

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

Dream Projects #5

New and exciting projects continue to spring into my head.

Art Institute of Chicago Fusible Quilt

Pattern: Original
Fabric: Turquoise and red, mainly, but other colors for the leaves and flowers
Steps: need to fuse a bunch of turquoise to some piece of fabric in the ‘ticker tape’ style. I am thinking of making it similar to the Whole Cloth Quilt and using red, again, for the background.

Basketweave Baby

Fabric: Scrappy
Pattern: Fons & Porter, series 1000, episode 1005
Thoughts: I like the challenge of piecing this quilt and the unique piecing

Blue Rectangles Gradation Quilt (Hunting and Gathering)

Fabric: blue 2.5×4.5 rectangles
Pattern: similar to FOTY 2008
Thoughts: Original idea stemmed from the FOTY quilts. I just decided to do one with blues instead of all colors.

Blue Lemonade (Hunting and Gathering)

Fabric: blue, purple and green scrappy
Pattern: inspiration from TFQ’s Pink Lemonade quilt
Thoughts:

Easy Street

Fabric: pinks
Pattern: Easy Street by Bonnie Hunter
Thoughts: I really liked Daisy‘s version of Easy Street, which she calls Cherry Bomb (she thinks of the best names for quilts) in terms of color and feel. I don’t want to copy her, but if I do this quilt, I’d like to have the same pinky-red feel to it. One challenge about a mostly monochromatic quilt is getting enough contrast. I look forward to that challenge.

Feathered Star Block (Dream State)

Pattern: I haven’t decided on a particular feathered star
Thoughts: use the Triangle Technique for the HSTs

Food quilt #3 (Hunting and Gathering)

Pattern: Disappearing something, probably 4 patch or 9 patch
Fabric: RJR Food prints. Will use a different color for the non-food print section than I did for the Young Man’s version.
Thoughts: Gift for nephew for graduation

Good Night Irene Quilt

Pattern: Good Night Irene from the Missouri Star Quilt Company’s Block magazine, Spring issue v.2, issue 2, pg. 54
Fabric: Possibly a layer cake I already have, though I am tempted to use the scrap 2.5″ squares I have been cutting.
Thoughts: I thought about using dots on a white background, as I did with the Scrapitude Carnivale quilt as the background. It makes the Scrapitude quilt look so cheerful. I probably wouldn’t call it Good Night Irene.

Half Moon Modern Quilt

Pattern: I have some ideas, but nothing definite. It occurred to me that I could use the Stepping Stones pattern with a strong background to make the pattern show up. I’ll think about that.
Fabric: Half Moon Modern Fabrics. I have half yard cuts, I think, plus some odds and ends and I’d like to use them together with some additional fabrics, or, at least a background.
Thoughts: I do think it is difficult to start with fabrics rather than a pattern.

Interlocking Triangles Quilt(s)

Pattern: This is an idea that I designed myself. I made two quilts and have variations on the pattern to make more.
Fabric: I have a few different collections of fabric I want to use. Most are rainbow colored
Thoughts: This is a quilt from which I get a lot of bang for my buck. The visual impact is tremendous. The easiest way to do the spiky triangles is with paper piecing. I am not that big of a fan of paper piecing (read my laments about the Spiderweb‘s paper piecing). I made Spiky Stars using templates and that was meditative and won a prize, so it is doable.

Jack’s Chain Quilt

Pattern: Jack’s Chain, a continuous pattern
Fabric: bright scrappy, consistent centers
Thoughts: This is one of the first quilts I saw hanging in a quilt store and thought of making, after I had learned to quilt. Making the nine patches would be a good leaders and enders endeavor.

Medium Mondo Bag

Pattern: From QuiltSmart. Saw Katie’s and really liked it. I also thought it would be a good use of those mini-charms, or give me an excuse to buy them.
Fabric: I have a number of groups of mini-charm packs I have been collecting to use for this project. I will probably go with a combination of Bonnie & Camille fabrics to start.
Thoughts: There is something about the stabilizer that I cannot wrap my head around, which is one of the reasons I have not started this pattern.

Music Quilt

Pattern: Top will have a piece of music the Young Man can actually play. That will probably be applique’
Fabric/Colors: music prints and tone-on-tones with a little red
Thoughts: The Young Man has requested this quilt as his graduation quilt. Probably won’t make it for graduation, but I will make it. He has sent me a piece of music, which I need to print out and make into an applique’

Neutrals and Red/Scarlet Quilt

Pattern: Sew two ~3?x3? squares together, slice each separate fabric and insert a red strip, resew and sew the two squares to another set of squares.
Fabric: neutrals+white, black and whites. I have some of these. I bought them not know what to do with them.
Thoughts: gift

Pineapple (Hunting and Gathering)

Fabric: dots. Have most of the strips cut. Will be much more selective about which strips I use.
Pattern: Pineapple log cabin
Thoughts: I haven’t given up on a Pineapple quilt despite my frustration with the previous attempt. I bought a different ruler: a Creative Grids Pineapple ruler in hopes that it will work better for me.

Pink Rectangles Gradation Quilt (Hunting and Gathering)

Fabric: pink 2.5×4.5 rectangles
Pattern: similar to FOTY 2008
Thoughts:

Scrapitude #2

Fabric: scrappy again, but with NO browns or blacks or super darks that look like holes; also more blues and perhaps a different background, though I do like the dots on bright white. I would make sure to skip the dots with a cream background.
Pattern: Scrapitude by Charlotte Hawkes
Thoughts: I want to try and figure out how to make the edges NOT on the bias.

Silk Colorblock quilt

Fabrics: silk dupioni and cotton in brights (of course)
Pattern: Similar to Colorblocks 2
Thoughts: I have made a couple of, what I call, Colorblock quilts over the years. One was the Kona Challenge in 2011, another was my 1990 Colorblocks 2 and the first one, Colorblocks, also made in about 1990. I bought the fabrics at the Marin Needlearts show about a zillion years ago and they have languished waiting for me to learn to back them so I can use them.

Spin Wheel (Hunting and Gathering)

Pattern: Fons & Porter Spin Wheel, 1200 series, episode 1201
Fabric: Scrappy with controlled scrappy background

Stepping Stones #3

Fabric: Macaron pre-cuts from Hoffman. It isn’t started, but I have lots of pre-cuts and think they would make a really fun version of this quilt.
Pattern: Stepping Stones by the Lintott girls

Windmill (Hunting and Gathering)

Fabric: Scrappy. I will use a grey for the background, because if I use more of the cut fabric patches, the pattern will be lost. The pieces are too oddly shaped and I don’t want to lose the pattern in a mass of scraps.
Pattern: Come Quilt with Me Rotary templates

Out of the Dream State:

Box Full of Letters

Fabric: Kiss Kiss Charm Pack with a solid blue background
Pattern: Missouri Star Love Notes
Thoughts: since I write so many letters it appealed to me. I have already started sewing, though only a little.

Food quilt #2 (Hunting and Gathering)

Pattern: Disappearing 9 patch
Fabric: RJR Food prints. Will use a different color for the non-food print section than I did for the Young Man’s version.
Thoughts: Gift for son of good friends for graduation. I have started cutting for this in a serious way. The alternate color will be purple. I will use black again for the non-food squares.

Stepping Stones #2 – I started to make blocks for this, so it is out of the dream projects stage.

Fabric: Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern. I wanted the contrast to be good, so I added additional fabrics to beef up the Bonnie & Camille fabrics.
Pattern: Stepping Stones by the Lintott girls

Various & Sundry #6- Mid May

Books, Patterns, Magazines & Projects
I am blowing through Marie Bostwick’s Second Sister. This is her most recent release and not part of the Cobbled Court series. I thought I would be resentful, because I really want to know what happens in new Bern. I was pleased to find that I really like the characters, the premise and the story in Second Sister. I was kind of annoyed at myself for not giving this new book a chance right off the bat, but I am over it. As soon as I started reading, I was all in. This is a well written, modern book that I think many women who work at demanding jobs and have family life intervene can relate to.

I found a leaders and enders Linky party over at A Quilting Chick. I don’t really think of my leaders and enders in the same way she does, but I added my most recent O9P post to the Linky party to 1) get more traffic and 2) acknowledge that the progress I am making is all because of leaders and enders. I wonder what my life would be like if I only worked on one project at a time?

I have always been interested in casserole carriers and other things like that. I thought they would be good gifts, especially for a shower. “The Casserole Carrier measures 9-1/2″W x 14-1/2″L x 4″H and transports a standard 9″ x 13″ casserole dish. Zippered pockets on top and bottom will hold utensils, napkins, a cutting board, and more. There’s even an inner mesh slip pocket for a hot/cold pack. Measuring 11-1/2″D x 3″H, the Pie Carrier is perfect for pies (even deep dish!) or cupcakes.” My only concern is whether the casserole would get on the inside top of the carrier. I saw an interesting pattern in the May 1 ByAnnie newsletter. You might also need a shower gift or a room parent gift.

In the same newsletter, I also saw a baby travel accessories pattern that would make great baby shower gifts. I especially like the pacifier carrier.

The Lindy Petal Skirt is a free pattern from Itch to Stitch. I love the petal look and the designers says you should be able to sew it in an hour. (Not me, but you)

Other Artists

During Ricky Tims’ concert at the Paducah show, he got on FaceTime with Libby Lehman and the brief conversation was projected on the screen for the whole audience to see. Libby was also able to interact with the audience. She has come such a long way from the aneurysm and stroke she suffered a few years ago.

Nancy Zieman is a giant in the world of sewing. In recent years, she has also jumped into the quilt world and produced some great projects and products. Now she has been diagnosed with cancer and it is time for us to give back. All of us have cancer somewhere in our families. Some of us, sadly, know better than others the day to day worries and emotions that engulf a patient and a family. I saw an article recently about Emily McDowell, an artist and cancer survivor, who has produced a line of cards to send to someone with cancer. I am not saying to go buy one of these cards, but go read the blog post about why she produced this line before you write to Nancy or anyone else you know who has cancer. It will change the way you phrase your words. At least it did for me.

Weeks Ringle posted on her blog about this and Nancy also has a video posted explaining what is going on. You may not be a fan of Nancy Zieman, but she has, no doubt, worked hard in this profession and contributed.

Websites, Articles and Information

Mandy Applebee of Yellow House Quilts wrote a great blog post about encouraging others and not breaking them down. One quote was “I am instead asking that we take a moment to BUILD OTHERS UP, speak up, stand up and ENCOURAGE others to create their best work right now, encourage them to TRY, practice and create whatever makes their hearts happy. Support others, it doesn’t take anymore time to build another person up instead of breaking them down. ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE and help build others up!! This industry is big enough for everyone no matter their level of skills and training, so help and support others whenever you are able. Be a builder and take a stand against the bullies!! PLEASE!!”

I am not diminished in my own process or projects if you sew up a storm. I find joy and inspiration in what you do. I want everyone to share the excitement and challenge I feel in quiltmaking. Why are there quilt bullies? What is the point? Is it the same reasoning as for other bullies? Thanks to Ms. Lottie for sharing.

Gretchen was kind enough to point out an article on pre-washing in a recent blog post. What was interesting was the shrinkage. I would have thought bleeding would be the issue, but shrinkage was much more noticeable. I was surprised to see that one fabric shrank 1/2″ on the weft side. The article is well organized by fabric manufacturer. (As an FYI: I wash all of my fabrics in hot water with Retayne and dry them on low).

12 revealing facts about rulers (not the Queen Elizabeth kind) is an informative and entertaining look at rulers. It mostly has history, but a few bits about quiltmaking rulers as well and the history gives an interesting foundation to the tasks we perform with our rulers.

I have wanted to make a Feathered Star blocks since I first saw what Marsha McCloskey was doing. She has a number of books out and I own a few. Now with the Triangle Technique, it is a lot less daunting. Still, I have not done it, but it is on the list. Marsha McCloskey finally has her blog up and running. Take a look at: https://featheredstar.wordpress.com/

Fabric, Tools, Supplies, Shops & Embellishments

Rock Baby Scissors has an interesting Etsy shop full of bags. If you need some quick gifts for Comicon fans, this is your shop.

Exhibits, Tutorials and Events

“Kevin Kosbab, who wrote the popular book, Quilter’s Appliqué Workshop, is dedicated to helping other quilt artists use appliqué easily and creatively, using his tips, tricks, and techniques.

Here are some of his suggestions for success:

1. In general, for both hand and machine appliqué, start sewing an appliqué along a straight or gently curved edge rather than a corner or point. The corners look neater this way.

2. To reduce stiffness from fusible web, cut the center away from your fusible shape, leaving a border of about 1/4″ inside the traced outline.

3. Try different types, sizes, and brands of hand needles to find the best one for you. I use a size 11 sharps for hand appliqué, but you might find it easier to manipulate fabric edges with a longer milliners needle. Ask for recommendations from friends or quilt shops, but ultimately it’s a personal decision.

4. Cross-wound spools of thread generally feed better on your machine’s horizontal spool pin, while stacked (parallel-wound) spools work best on a vertical pin. If your machine doesn’t have a vertical spool pin, try a thread stand-also a good idea if you find monofilament thread tangling when sewing invisible appliqué.

5. When combining piecing with appliqué, press the pieced seams in the direction that makes sense pictorially-that is, press seams away from whichever fabric is supposed to be the “background.” When pre-piecing fabrics to sew down as a single appliqué shape, press the seam allowances open to reduce bulk in the turned edges.

Kevin has many more tips, techniques, and patterns for creative, stress-free quilt appliqué, and he shares them all with you in Quilter’s Appliqué Workshop.”

Field Day Progress

I am not liking the name Field Day Zipper. It is too long and unwieldy. Anyway, I made progress on this piece at the fabulous retreat.

All of the pieces are cut and all of the sections are sewn to the background. As well, sections are sewn to each other, so there is no more than two sections are alone. I worked hard at getting the piece put together, but couldn’t quite do it. Still, I am pleased with how much progress I have made and see the end in sight.

The fabrics, as you may recall, are all from one line. As you also may recall, I usually advise people to to remove about 20% of the line and replace it with other fabrics not from that line. One issue that I had is that I did not add or remove any fabrics from the piece. It really shows. I had to be careful about where I placed fabrics so as not to create big blobs of color or pattern. It isn’t easy to remove certain fabrics and add others, but this is a lesson to me to take my own advice.

Food Quilt #2 – Major Progress

I spent the first part of the quilt retreat (will write about the retreat in general, but want to talk about the projects first!) working on the Food quilt that will go to a friend of the Young Man’s.

We are friends with the parents also, and they are very interested in my quilts. It seems reasonable to make a graduation gift for their son.

I bought plenty of fabric when I purchased for the Young Man’s Food Quilt, so I have plenty of fabric. The fabric is hard to find near where I live, but I bought most of it in Lancaster County when I was there with my SIL. Food themed quilts are good for boys as they are sort of neutral, but not too girly for boys. Quilts can easily be kind of girly, especially for someone like me who loves pink. 😉

I did the same pattern, a Disappearing Nine Patch, though I arranged the blocks in a different way.

I wasn’t able to finish the top, because I forgot the black I want to use as an inner border. I did make 4 piano key borders to add once I put the black border on the piece.

This project has been hanging over my head so I am glad I have made significant progress on it. Hooray for retreats!

Inspiration Sunday

We are starting the next 10 years of AQ with some color.

I just love the bits of yellow with the fuschia.