Black Friday Sew-in Giveaway Question #2

As I may have mentioned, I am posting questions throughout the day that will enable you to be eligible to win prizes during the Black Friday Sew-in.  Some of the prizes will be awarded in a random drawing, but if I really like an answer, I might award that person a prize as well. My blog, my rules. If you object, don’t enter.

Task 1 / Question #2: Make a gift bag. I have posted a link on my tutorial page for a few years that shows you how to make holiday gift bags. You do not have to make a Christmas gift bag (kind of silly, if you don’t celebrate Christmas!). You can make a bag to use for birthdays or general gift giving.

Reasons to make and use gift bags:

  1. Festive gift bags save time during gift giving times, because they are quick to use.
  2. Great use of all that festive fabric now that you have decided not to make a Christmas or ___fill in the holiday blank___ quilt.
  3. You are not using paper that will get ripped off and recycled in a month anyway.
  4. No tape.
  5. Easy to open and look in if the gift tag falls off.

Fair warning: You will can only win or be entered in the drawing if you make a gift bag and show a picture of it somewhere.

I have the following books to giveaway:
Master’s Art Quilts v.1 (see review)
Master’s Art Quilts v.2 (see review)
Art Quilt Portfolio (see review )
Quilt it with Love: The Project Linus Story
Shape Workshop for Quilters

+ 3 older charm packs

Thanks to Shannon at Lark Crafts and to Ray Hemachandra for sending along the books and being supportive of the Black Friday Sew-in.

Black Friday Sew-in Question #1

I will be posting a series of questions that will enable you to win prizes for the Black Friday Sew-in.  Some of the prizes will be awarded in a random drawing, but if I really like an answer, I might award that person a prize as well. My blog, my rules. If you object, don’t enter.

Question 1: What do you keep near your sewing machine or on your worktable to provide inspiration? Do you have a tableau? Do you have a shrine? Photos of your beloved?

Write it all out below. Optional bonus for posting a photo to Twitter or a link on Twitter to your blog where you post a photo.

Fair warning: You will not win or be entered in the drawing if you do not answer the question. If you say “please enter me in the drawing,” your manners do count for good karma. I thank you for saying please, but I will not enter you in the drawing. I want words, content and pictures!

11/23/2012 3:55 pm Update: Comments closed. Winner is Becky Greene!

Oh Dear! #BFSI

I am hiding upstairs for a minute to breathe. I am Miss Popularity down in the dining room (she who brings food is popular) at the moment.

The Black Friday Sew in is on Friday (thus the name). Sandy organized all the things she wants to work on and I realized halfway through the main course that I had not thought about what I am going to work on tomorrow. Yes, I have to sort silver and put the china away, but I am talking about PROJECTS! Sewing projects!

Yikes!

The Spiderweb top is done and I am still ripping out paper, so I will start the back, etc after I finish the ripping. I don’t want to work on that, because I want to be at the machine and ripping out foundation paper is a good TV project. I have to put the borders the A-B-C Challenge, so I will definitely do that. BUT what else? I don’t know. I do hope something occurs to me before I waste a whole day staring at the machine.

  • T-shirt quilt, I think.
  • Patchwork Wheel blocks

Perhaps those two projects will keep me busy and I will get a lot of them done.

Black Friday Sew-in Giveaway Tomorrow!

I am giving away books as part of the Black Friday Sew-in organized by Sandy over at Quilting…for the Rest of Us.

I have received several books (some multiples and duplicates) from Lark Crafts for giveaways during the Black Friday Sew In. I am not keeping these books, so if nobody responds to the giveaway**, I will be sending them along to podcasters as thank yous for producing entertaining shows.

On Friday (e.g. NOT today), I will be posting questions to this blog, yes, in this space, which you will answer in order to be entered into the giveaway.

I will let you know via Twitter when the questions are posted. If you don’t already follow me, please do so at @artquiltmaker to see the giveaway posts.

I have the following books to giveaway:
Master’s Art Quilts v.1 (see review)
Master’s Art Quilts v.2 (see review)
Art Quilt Portfolio (see review )
Quilt it with Love: The Project Linus Story
Shape Workshop for Quilters

Thanks to Shannon at Lark Crafts and to Ray Hemachandra for sending along the books and being supportive of the Black Friday Sew-in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**I don’t like doing giveaways, because they are a lot of work, often a big pain and I get little-nothing out of them except that I spread a little joy. That is worth something, definitely. Pretty please, follow the directions and no complaints. Thanks.

Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving

  1. I am grateful everyone who reads this blog
  2. Thanks to my dear, darling fabulous husband who puts up all the time and space I need to sew and blog
  3. I am grateful for everyone who comments on posts
  4. Thanks to everyone participates and shares their projects for opening my eyes to new fabrics, blocks and possibilities
  5. I am grateful for my first quilting teacher, Kathy, who taught me great skills and has provided me with an ongoing sense of joy for these many years.
  6. I am grateful for the podcasters like Frances, Sandy, Tanesha, Pam and all the others who take the time out of their busy schedules to entertain us.
  7. I am grateful that I have fabric from which to choose
  8. I am grateful for CQFA and all of its members provide me with endless inspiration and continuing awe
  9. I am grateful for BAMQG and the energy and fun the people there bring to my life.
  10. I am grateful for the BAMQG Charity Girls who have provided me with a sense of contribution and joy this year through the donation program
  11. Thanks to all of my teachers who encouraged me to write, because it brings me such joy to write about quiltmaking
  12. Thanks to all the quilt book authors who take their time and energy to share their designs and ideas with me
  13. I am grateful to Lark Crafts for letting me one of their bloggers.
  14. Thanks to the authors, publishers and narrators who make audiobooks possible
  15. I am grateful to everyone who appreciates my quiltmaking efforts

Donation Blocks

Patchwork Wheels
Patchwork Wheels

I made two of these as I worked on the Spiderweb. I have made 6 total and I need to make 14 more. I don’t know if I will be able finish all of them before the December BAMQG meeting, but I will try.

I am not 100% sure about the fabrics. The blocks are made from kits, so I am using the fabrics given. The blocks have a very 1970s look to me. I don’t think they look chaotic, necessarily, but these aren’t fabrics I would have chosen to put together. Still, they are VERY interesting to look at and the eye does move around the blocks. It is a stretch for me to use such fabrics and that is a good thing.

Blue Heart Cat Bed
Blue Heart Cat Bed

I have done two cat beds already. I made the second one last night. They are pretty easy, as I have said in previous posts. I think it is good for me to work with different fabrics and different feet as well, just to improve my skills in other areas. I made a Polarfleece robe once and it was a major challenge, because I had never worked with Polarfleece before.

I really had to make the red cat bed on Monday night, because my schnibble bag was overflowing. I could not fit one more slice, shard or schnibble into it. I filled the red cat bed with those from the bag and it is now a quarter full. Amanda has lots of other schnibbles so she can fill the rest.

Herringbone Cat Bed
Herringbone Cat Bed

I didn’t realize I had taken two cat bed kits, but I was glad I did. The cat beds don’t take very long, so in between pie baking and house tidying, I was able to get in a little sewing and I always feel good when I can work on a donation project.

Sadly, though, I was unwilling to pull schnibbles out of red Cat Bed to fill this one even a little bit, so it is very flat and sad looking. Again, Amanda can make that better.

Disappearing 4 Patches
Disappearing 4 Patches

Finally, I made four blocks for Vesuvius Mama’s collection of blocks for Hurricane Sandy victims. I think I said somewhere else that I am not that fond of this block pattern, but it is interesting and you do get a lot of bang for your buck.

Have a great day!

26 Projects – November Update

Well, I am pleased with progress. The Spiderweb is well underway and I am nearing completion of that top. The Original Bullseye was found, which is an important step towards getting that completed.

My record for quilt finishes was 9 in one year (mostly UFOs). I thought I might finish that many this year, but it isn’t looking good. There is still hope, though.

    1. Original Bullseye: needs border, backing, quilting and binding, which are all hard to do if you can’t find the project, but I found it recently (HOORAY!!!), so that drama is fixed. I think a plain border with loopy feathers quilted in it will set off the blocks fine. Perhaps this will be a good #BFSI project?
    2. A-B-C (A-Z) BAMQG Challenge – All the blocks are sashed and the first border is on. I am mulling over how to complete the borders for the quilt. I think I will put on a P&B Happy Go Lucky grey and then a pieced border with some of the Art Gallery solids as the main fabric.
    3. Aqua-Red Sampler – Frances and I finished our fusible machine applique’ blocks and I am supposed to be preparing the next class on curves.
    4. The Tarts Come to Tea: I haven’t quilted on this since April 2011. I really do need to work on the quilting. I was making good progress and then got sidetracked. Quilting the Whole Cloth quilt sort of got me back in the swing of quilting, so perhaps there is hope for this piece.
    5. Garden: I started this piece in a class with Pamela Allen in 2006. As mentioned, I used this piece for my beading demo for the 2012 EBHQ Voices in Cloth show (March 17), which means that I added some beads. I finished machine quilting this piece, removed some of the beads and have started to put beads back on to it. I think it might be done with the few beads I have put on it. I have to look at it and decide. If it is done, then I need to put a facing and sleeve on it. If I can finish this quilt, I might tie my record.
    6. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. Mrs. K. gave me more PP fabric and I won some from a giveaway. I think it is a sign that I need to work on this.
    7. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing.
    8. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I like the piece, but don’t know where to go from where I am. Mouth? Hair?
  1. Spiderweb: Top is together. I need to rip out the paper, make a back and binding then take it to the quilter.
  2. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much.
  3. Flower Sugar Hexagon: sewed more hexagons together. Sewing Y seams is a bit of a chore, so I get tired of doing it after awhile.
  4. Young Man’s t-shirt quilt: have cut up the t-shirts and am still in the process of applying fusible. He cleaned out his drawers and found some more t-shirts to add to the quilt. Oh Yay! <– just a bit of sarcasm. He asked me again for another quilt, so I think this one is next in line.
  5. New: Super Secret Project: top, back and binding made. Ready to go to the quilter.  Stay tuned. 😉 Not on original list
  6. FOTY 2011: at the quilter, needs binding.
  7. Stepping Stones: at the quilter, made binding, which she will sew on for me and then I need to stitch down the binding.
  8. New: Wonky 9 Patch: needs quilting and binding. Not on original list
  9. Corner Store:  Top and back are made. It is ready to go to the quilter.
  10. New Super Secret Project #2: Top and back are made. It is ready to go to the quilter. Not on original list
  11. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; ready to go to quilter.

Finished or Abandoned projects that were on the list:

  1. Stars for San Bruno #2: Finished! YAY!
  2. Pavers. Finished! YAY!
  3. Kissy Fish: Finished! Yay!
  4. Stars for San Bruno #3: Finished! YAY!
  5. Food Quilt: Finished 5/24/2012. YAY!!!!
  6. Renewed Jelly Roll Race Quilt: Finished 9/9/2012 YAY!!!
  7. Whole Cloth Quilt: Finished 10/5/2012 YAY!!!
  8. Flowering Snowball: Finished 10/31/2012 YAY!!!

Abandoned

  1. Flower Garden: The flowers were too spiky. This is going to Pam for a cat bed.
  2. Pineapple: will remake blocks at a later time with more care.
  3. Moon and Stars: This quilt was barely a quilt and was not interesting. I realized I didn’t want to devote time to it. So, I finally just decided to give up and get it off the list. I will send it to Pam for a cat mat.

Hunting and Gathering

  1. Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. Cutting fabrics as I go. TFQ does not consider this a UFO and made some good points to that end, which is why I have moved it to the Hunting and Gathering section. She says, and I have to agree, that quilts are not ‘projects’ until the sewing starts. OK. I’ll go with that.
  2. Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering.
  3. Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two blocks, but still on back burner while I decide on the background colors.

I am pretty pleased. I have 8 projects off the list and 9 others with a definite plan.

Black Friday Sew In Giveaway Announcement

I am giving away books as part of the Black Friday Sew-in organized by Sandy over at Quilting…for the Rest of Us.

I have received several books (some multiples and duplicates) from Lark Crafts for giveaways during the Black Friday Sew In. I am not keeping these books, so if nobody responds to the giveaway, I will be sending them along to podcasters as thank yous for producing entertaining shows.

On Friday (e.g. NOT today), I will be posting questions to this blog, yes, in this space, which you will answer in order to be entered into the giveaway.

I will let you know via Twitter when the questions are posted. If you don’t already follow me, please do so at @artquiltmaker to see the giveaway posts.

I have the following books to giveaway:
Master’s Art Quilts v.1 (see review)
Master’s Art Quilts v.2 (see review)
Art Quilt Portfolio (see review )
Quilt it with Love: The Project Linus Story
Shape Workshop for Quilters

Thanks to Shannon at Lark Crafts and to Ray Hemachandra for sending along the books and being supportive of the Black Friday Sew-in.

Lark Crafts Books on Sale

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!!!

This is a gratuitous post to give Lark Craft books a boost since they are supporting the Black Friday Sew-in on Friday (thus the name Black FRIDAY). Lark is having a sale on their Craft books via BN.com. Now is the time to pick up some goodies for your quilting, sewing, and crafty friends.

Lark Crafts Sale Thanksgiving 2012
Lark Crafts Sale Thanksgiving 2012

Spiderweb Top Complete

Spiderweb Top
Spiderweb Top

I am really pleased to say that the Spiderweb top is finished. There are still a lot of things to do to get this finished into a quilt, but I am pleased, really pleased, that the top is finished.

The paper is still in most of the blocks. I had to pull out some of the paper as I sewed, but there is still a lot to pull out.

As usual, the piece looks a lot better sewn together. The sewing together brings the whole thing together. I am pleased with the overall look, though I still think the background is a bit dark. I can tell that my tastes have changed, because the new blocks are filled with much clearer fabrics, more pink, aqua, and chartreuse. I do wonder what this piece would look like with a lighter background, but am NOT making another.

Spiderweb Top
Spiderweb Top

I have enough fabric, I think to make a binding. I have been thinking about the binding and wonder if I should make a straight of grain binding rather than my usual bias binding. There are bits of the border on the bias, because of the kite shaped pieces.

Because I couldn’t match up all the bottoms of the webs, there are some that don’t match up. I am going to be ok with the differences.

Spiderweb detail
Spiderweb detail

 

 

Journal Cover Details

Advertising Journal Cover
Advertising Journal Cover

I wrote a little about the journals on Friday and wanted to give you a few more details.

One thing I didn’t say, I don’t think was that I have been obsessing about making a new journal cover since last weekend. I was about out of pages in my journal and have become so used to carrying around a journal covered in lovely fabric that the thought of not having a cover was almost unbearable (definitely being overdramatic here. Bear with me). The week at work was brutal. One thing after another continuing on to Friday when I was supposed to be off. HAH!

I bought some specific fabric for journal covers and they all had some kind of text or lettering printed on the surface. There are a couple of pieces with cupcakes and bakery words that I also want to use, but these two green-ish/tinged copper roof colored fabrics are the first I have used to make journal covers.

This was a good project for Friday when my work email kept binging for my attention. They were very easy to make and, as I said, the tutorial measurements are nearly perfect. These were especially easy to make because there was no piecing.

Advertising Journal Open
Advertising Journal Open

I like these journal covers, but I also started mosaic piecing some oranges together to make a pieced cover. I am kind of feeling like I should spend some time on one for a change. I am using orange and the leaders and enders method of piecing. I needed some leaders and enders when I was making the Hurricane Sandy quilt blocks and this seemed like a good solution.

Letter Journal Cover
Letter Journal Cover

I started writing in the letter journal this morning and it is nice to have a new journal. Sometimes my journals get so full of bits and pieces that they get hard to write in — too lumpy. That wasn’t the case with the previous Tina Givens aqua and red journal cover, but I was ready to look at something new.

I read an article yesterday that the Post Office is running a fairly significant deficit. This makes me want to cry, because I love sending and receiving letters (even if I have to scramble to find the time to actually write them). It is so fun to receive a real letter or package. This journal reminds me to write letters and postcards. At least I hope it will. The color, as I mentioned briefly, reminds me of the copper roofs of the old buildings and palaces in Austria (other countries, too, but I am really thinking of Vienna).

Letter Journal Open
Letter Journal Open

I now that many people don’t want to buy these Miguelrius journals, so I want to try out a journal cover pattern from my friend Chris or make a new tutorial, if hers doesn’t work for me. I want this pattern to be more accessible to more people. If you have adjusted the sizes, I would love to hear about or see what you make.

Sketching #175

CPP Response #175: Needle
CPP Response #175: Needle

This is a little different than the previous few responses, but in line with some of the earlier ones. I really wanted to draw a threaded needle. I am trying to draw what pops into my head when I think about the word and am ready to draw. Within reason.

The thimble was an afterthought and I can’t tell if the thimble and needle are magically flying through the air or if they look like they are laying on the table.

Check out the original prompt and create your own drawing.

Sketching #173

CPP Response #173: Water
CPP Response #173: Water

Repeating the flower and the counter after the previous response seemed to be the right thing to do. My kitchen window is similar to this, but looks out on the wall of my neighbor’s house. I’d love to paint a tromp l’oeil painting on the side, but I don’t know how they would react. I wonder if they would notice?

Check out the original prompt and create your own drawing.