It turns out that I love these Various and Sundry and Odds and Ends posts! I can collect a bunch of stuff I find interesting and then post it here for your enjoyment. The last one I wrote got a lot of interesting comments. Thanks, everyone!
Searching
I read a blog called ResearchBuzz for my job. I often find interesting tidbits that allow me to find more quiltmaking resources on the web. I also find that testing using quilt terminology is a lot more interesting that my work subject matter!
Recently, ResearchBuzz talked about the reorganization of photos and graphics at the Library of Congress. She writes “Oh wow, I was SO glad to see this article in the Library of Congress Blog yesterday. The LOC has an incredible archive of prints and photographs (over 1.25 million!), the but nav for them has always been icko. The blog announced a new version of the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog, now available at http://www.loc.gov/pictures/.”
Of course, I did a quilt search and came up with some interesting photos. On the first page, there were a few from Gee’s Bend, one of Calvin Coolidge’s shoes, bathrobe and quilt! I noticed a number of the photos were taken by Dorothea Lange.
Fame and Fortune?
I mentioned that my blog was mentioned by Linda Poole on Pat Sloan‘s podcast. That was right after I received two books from Lark Books, so I was feeling pretty high on the hog. Today I was listening to the Sew~Stitch~Create podcast (#41, if you care) and BryeLynn mentions that she heard about me on Pat Sloan’s podcasts. She raves about my website and mentions the blog TWICE!!! I need to redo the website and am slowly (like a snail, actually) working on that. I thought it was really nice that she liked my quilts. Also, she thinks that Pat Sloan should interview me! I laughed at that, but am also very flattered. I am not a fabric designer and I only teach beginners at work. The plans I have are still plans, so I am not sure what Pat would ask me. She did talk about using the Creative Prompt Project for writing prompts for her daughter, which I think is awesome! What a great use of available resources. I can’t wait to see what her daughter comes up with! Finally, Brye thinks I should start my own podcast. We all know that is not going to happen. I like you thinking of me in one of those cute 1940s style suits with a smoky voice and would hate to ruin that illusion. 😉
On the Web
Have you looked at the Quilt Index lately? I am friends with them on FB and get a notice of their Quilt of the Day. I liked this quilt, Thomas Sykes Album quilt, that showed up last Thursday as their Quilt of the Day. they have new functionality where you can zoom in on quilt. They also put as much information as possible into the record associated with the quilt. I like to read that and think about the people making the quilt. Meg Cox, the new president, was on Pat Sloan’s podcast recently and discussed the project and programs. I’d love to have my quilts included!
Spiderwebs seem to be popular again. Oh Fransson has put up a small quiltlet with 4 Spiderweb blocks in it. She has such a wonderful sense of color. While her choices aren’t my style, I do like the combination. I have had in the back of my mind that should finish mine this year. Cross your fingers.
Jen of Quiltin’ Jenny is a new reader and one of those who commented on my Various and Sundry Thursday post from April 1. I went to take a look at her blog a few days ago and found that she does something called Wordless Wednesdays. One of the things I love about the web is that people are so clever and I get to see their cleverness. WW is a photo that she puts up with no words. I might try that instead of my Inspiration [insert day of the week here], except that then I would be stuck with only posting inspiration on Wednesdays. Hhhmm. Perhaps I will leave that great idea to Jen!
I went back a few days ago to see what was up and found that she had just finished a DENIM quilt. I am not a big fan of denim since I made the denim bag for my stepdad for Christmas (my mom calls it his man-purse!) and broke two needles in the process. I also don’t own jeans that I wear. I have a pair that I love, but they don’t fit anymore. 🙁
The other cool thing that I found is that I WON A PRIZE. WOW! I can’t believe it. Go take a look at Jen’s blog!
Reviews
Lark Books gets kudos for updating their Pretty Little Mini Quilts record on Goodreads to include a photo of the book. I use Goodreads to post reviews here, because it kills two birds with one stone and makes the reviews attractive.
I had emailed the lark Books people about the photo when I notified them about posting the review and never heard anything. I went last week to update my review with a photo. Having that big “photo not available” was unattractive and had been bothering me, so I finally went to do it. On a whim I checked to see if Goodreads had received a photo before I did the HTML work on my own and voila! they had received one from Lark Books. The update when much faster than I had anticipated.
Fabric Doing Good
Here is my excuse to finally try out making a pillowcase. I have been thinking about it for a long time and just never get around to it. American Patchwork and Quilting and AllPeopleQuilt.com have launched a project to donate 1 million pillowcases to a variety of causes supporting cancer patients, foster kids, domestic violence victims and nursing home residents. Jean at the Quilted Cupcake blog and podcast asked all of her listeners to make 5. She had a good reminder and that was that boy themed projects are less common than cutesy pie girl projects. I will commit to making one boy pillowcase and see how it goes. I was rummaging around in the bins in the back of the fabric closet on Monday and found a couple of large pieces of fabric that would work well, so I am all set.
You can download instructions to make a pillowcase embellished with leaves from their site.
Making
The members of one of the guild meetings I attend exchange ATCs. We invited some new folks one time and a few of them did not know what ATCs were. I found this guide on how to make them, which gives the basics.
Industry News?
Need some textile industry news? Want to know what is going on in Congress? Textile World is your place to go! Someone who I know from a work related endeavor who is not crafty or quilty sent this to me. The fun thing I saw when I looked at it yesterday was that the town I lived in in Austria is having some kind of textile industry event.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have had this book on my shelf for a long time and finally read it. I needed a break from all of the quilting, design and creativity books I have been reading.
I was really pleased with this book! I don’t know that much about rubber stamping, so I was concerned I wouldn’t get main portions of the book.. I think that Terri Thayer did a great job writing about stamping in a way that didn’t talk down to people who weren’t stamping experts. Yes, I still have questions; this isn’t a how to stamping book, after all and I wasn’t bored by stamping detail. I also didn’t finish it thinking that the author was talking down to me.
I liked the relationship between April and Deana as well. Not perfect, but a committed friendship. I felt that Thayer wrote well about April’s relationships with her parents. I think a lot of times authors make everything ideal. This book was more interesting, because the relationships were more realistic without the ‘gore’ of real life. 😉
I think that Thayer’s hard won writing experience shows as well. She had a few books under her belt by the time she wrote this one and I felt it was a lot clearer. I liked the way it started. It drew the reader in without a crisis. I had enough information about the characters to know what was happening and want to keep reading. Throughout the book I did not feel as confused as I have felt reading other mysteries.
As you probably remember, I tried out the Jelly Roll last week and got pretty far along making the blocks. I had a lot of events this weekend, but was still able to put the quilt together. It provided a bit of a quiet haven for me.
One thing I found was that some of the strips, such as the sashing strips were too long. I cut them all the same size, so I am not sure why that happened. As I sewed the blocks together, I was diligent about trimming the excess as well as pinning carefully. The quilt went together really well. I am happy about the matching of seams (most matched!).
I forgot to mention that I tried the Mary Ellen’s Best Press on this quilt. TFQ warned me that the strips were stretchy upfront, so I pressed all the strips with Mary Ellen’s Best Press (MEBP) before I did any cutting. I think it helped. The feel of the fabric strips after I pressed with the MEBP was firm, but not stiff or tacky feeling. I didn’t have any noticeable problems with stretching or bias. I bought my own bottle of it and will probably use it for half and quarter square triangles.
It's a Merry & Bright Wrap!
It is about the size of a large lap quilt. I went to sleep the other night thinking about borders. I found some half yards of some of the Merry & Bright prints that I might use for the border, but I am not sure about what configuration. I don’t have enough just to slap a couple of borders on it. The borders will have to be pieced in some way.
Saturday I attended the East Bay Heritage Quilters Show. As usual, this show was impeccably set up and organized. In general, I thought the quilts were a lot more interesting than the last show in 2008. Much less brown as well.
Evening Star by Karin Lusnak
It is hard to decide what my favorite quilt of the show was, but I think it was probably Evening Star by Karin Lusnak. The thing I like about it is that there is a lot of movement and interest.
Evening Star by Karin Lusnak
She did the same thing I have done using the mosaic quiltmaking technique of Shannon Williams. It looks like she made fabric using her scraps and then cut the patches for the Evening Star from that new fabric.
Model Homes by Karen Flamme
I love the angles of the houses in this quilt. The colors are also fresh and clear.
Posies by Carolyn Weil
The turquoise/aqua and red combination are one that has been attracting me lately. I also thought the flower designs were quite cheerful. These flowers may be from a Piece ‘O Cake or Pat Sloan pattern. I have always liked the layered circles motif, which can be seen in the border of this quilt.
Imagine by Anita Kaplan
There are a lot of things I like about this quilt. The artist does a nice job not exactly reproducing the photograph which was the inspiration. The blue and green are abstract enough to evoke a feeling of nature without exactly duplicating the photo. The main part I like in this quilt is the technical details of the border. I don’t much like uneven borders, because they often floop down when hanging. Ms. Kaplan has resolved this issue with the white border. Her uneven border accents the quilt and adds movement without causing a hanging problem. Nice work!
Circles by Corless Smith
Corless Smith did a great job with these circles. The layers of fabric and the blanket stitch are very appealing. It has a vintage look even though a number of the fabrics are modern.
Circles (detail) by Corless Smith
The small circles also add interest. The scallop type border could be a hanging problem but isn’t, which I appreciate.
Pedestrian Friendly by Pat Dicker
The artist, Pat Dicker, writes about this quilt “Sue Garman’s charming Block fo the Month appealed to me, but rather than use the browns, olives and grays as suggested, I turned to my bright ‘dot’ drawer and found inspiration. I also chose to exclude the cars of the pattern and create a ‘Pedestrian Friendly’ community. ” All good choices IMO! You would not be looking at this quilt if she had made it in “browns, olives and grays.” This is a wonderful quilt in the dots and brights. I also like it that she changed the pattern to suit her vision. How do you like the whale?
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I heard about Rebecca Yaker and her book, One Yard Wonders, from Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood of CraftSanity. Jennifer did a podcast interview with Rebecca and I ended up with the book from the Library!
First, I love the look of this book. It is lay flat spiralbound with a hard cover. It is well designed in terms of color. Each page has a bit of fabric on the edge to add interest. I wasn’t that excited about the fabric chosen for the projects. It simply is not my style, however I found that the fabric chosen went well with the design and layout of the book.
The table of contents is pretty detailed. Each chapter is defined by the list of projects or elements included. I like that as I was able to flip to projects I wanted to look at immediately because of the detailed table of contents.
Second, the writing style has a sense of humor. The chapters are named things like ‘Dwell Redux’, ‘Household Affairs’, ‘From Head to Toe’, ‘Accessorize Your Little One’, etc. Yes, I like to be entertained!
The book has the obligatory chapter on equipment, notions, and sewing. I do like the stitch terminology section, which talks about what exactly the stitch means. That is useful. I never knew what a staystitch was, and this book defines it. “A staystitch is most often used when a fabric piece is cut on the bias or on a curve. it is a single stitch line on a single layer of fabric. Typically, a line of longer stitches is made at or just within the seam allowance, and helps to stabilize the fabric to prevent it from becoming stretched or distorted later when attached to another piece.” This section is 14 pages long and because of the length, I don’t mind it as much. I would have like to have seen some mention of where the reader can go to get more information.
I would have liked to have seen the chapter pages/section introduction include a list of the projects as well the text. It isn’t difficult to flip back to the table of contents.
The reason I have to put this book on my list to buy is that there are a number of projects that I want to make or use to modify something I already have. Some of the projects on my list are:
Framed Tack Board – I would use this project to modify some bulletin boards I already have
Lined Bookcase – (brilliant!)
Folding Chair Pinafore Cover – I would take the idea and modify it to fit my older dining room chairs
Organized Bed Pocket – great gift!
Smocked Pillow in the Round – would like to learn some of the techniques used to make this pillow.
Granny’s Clothespin Apron
Kitschy Kitchen Apron – I already used the specifications from the Kitschy Kitchen Apron to make the Petal Apron I donated to the CraftSanity Apron Challenge
Hey Hot Dish
Obi-Inspired Hot & cold Pack – I cannot make one of these soon enough and I also think it would make a great gift.
Hanging Wall Pocket
Origami Organizer – I would add a lid to this project
I wasn’t much interested in the clothes. I think that the clothes one can make with one yard of fabric are not the clothes that fit my style. Some of the pieces would be great gifts for my nieces or for friends who have babies and small children.
Another bonus is that this book has a pack of patterns rather than telling you to blow pieces up at the copy center to 5000%. I like the packs of pattern sheets better. I didn’t take them out of the envelope since this is a library book, but will once I buy (or receive as a gift!) the book. You do have to enlarge a few of the applique patterns, but they could be free hand drawn to a larger size as well. Yes, even those of you who do not consider yourself proficient drawers can do it with a little graph paper!
There is a glossary with more terms defined. The resource section includes fabric, inspiration, trims and forums, etc. I was glad to see the contributor bios section. The book was put together with the help of people around the blogosphere contributing projects and it is nice to see their names, a brief bio and a link to their website or blog. I was confused about why that section is organized by first name. Perhaps that is how the authors know the contributors?
There is also (YAY!) an index! Thank you, Storey Publishing for spending the money to include an index! This is the same publishing company that published the Sew What Bags by Lexis Barnes.
If you like to sew for your home or for gifts, I would recommend this book to you.
As I mentioned the other day, I enjoyed the Jelly Roll, because I was able to work with a wide variety of coordinating fabrics. I think my favorite in this set, though I do like them all, are the pieces with holly and ornaments. I also liked the diagonal striped fabrics as well.
Aside from the grain problems, the Jelly Rolls provide a quick start for a quilt. I am not saying that this quilt is quick since you haven’t seen the finished piece yet! I don’t really believe in the concept of quick quilts/Quilt in a Day for myself. I think process is important and I think that quilts take longer than a day. Why do you think I make receiving blankets as baby gifts?
Strip Organization
I have worked with my child a lot on learning styles, and strategies for successful learning. I have learned a lot from his teachers and the other professionals that work with him about learning styles, which has made me examine my own style of learning. I know that I learn best by someone showing me what to do and then doing it myself. I also learn okay from looking at pictures/diagrams. I don’t learn well by reading instructions. This is probably one reason why I don’t use a lot of patterns. It takes me too long to decipher them.
First, I sorted the strips into sets of two. I decided which strips I wanted to be in the same block as package and bow.
I cut pieces, as designated by the pattern, from the Jelly Roll strips and then I needed a way to keep them together. I don’t have the clips that Fons & Porter use, so I used my machine quilting safety pins. They are pretty sharp so they went through 4 squares, 3 rectangles and two strips pretty well.
Strip Organization – detail
I had large pieces of leftover strips and I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. I went back to the directions and, finally, figured out that I needed to cut more bow and package pieces. From each strip needed to be cut enough pieces for a bow and a package.
TV Cutting Kit
I did that extra cutting (more TV watching!) and then rearranged the new strips so that they had different mates for the second round of strips.
Fabric Combinations
One step in the process is to put the bow together. This step involves triangles, but uses the square-into-triangle method to create the triangles at the top of the package.
The directions show the following:
Adding Corner Pieces – directions
I think it is pretty hard to show this step in directions, especially for someone, like me, who doesn’t use a lot of patterns. I don’t know all the conventions that have been established.
Marking Squares
First, I marked all the squares so I would know where to sew. This was part of the meditation of this quilt that I alluded to in the previous Jelly Roll post. This kind of step can really get on my nerves. I didn’t let it; I just sat there with my pencil and ruler and drew lines. I didn’t mark all of the squares at once, but did them in little batches as I needed them.
Marked Corner Before Sewing
One thing the directions do not show is that the square will overlap the middle rectangle when you lay it out to make the bow. The directions above show that the square fits exactly over the outside package rectangle. I worry about this kind of thing, because I expect directions to be accurate. Now, I don’t know the limitations of creating drawings in a pattern (on my list to find out about!), but words can certainly be included to explain that layout information. This is not a criticism, just an observation based on my style of working with patterns.
Adding Corner Pieces
In real life, above is how the directions say to add the triangles to the corners of the package part of the block to make the bottom of the bow. TFQ and I talked about this strategy when I first bought the pattern. I think this technique makes it less intimidating for those afraid of bias. I was a little lazy and just did it this way.
Omnigrid Triangle Ruler
One problem I found with working with THIS pattern using a Jelly Roll is that I only had a certain amount of fabric. When I cut something wrong, I was short. This happened twice. Once with these triangle and I was able to use the Omnigrid triangle ruler to cut some triangles instead of squares, which gave me enough fabric to finish. The other time I just had to add a piece to another piece to make the strip long enough. Working through the process.
Same fabrics, different combination
There is a lot going on in the photo above. First, even though I tried to mix up the fabrics for the second round of block making, I did keep some the same. The two above are an example of how the blocks looks when you just switch where you put the fabrics.
Blocks Laid Out
Second, I had to pick the quilt up off the floor earlier in the week where it was laid out while I pieced various bits. Since it is a scrappy quilt, I wanted to make sure that all the pieces stayed in their place. I drew a quick sketch of the block layout and then made numbers to pin to each block.
Third, not all of the sashing parts were sewed together so I sewed all the sashing squares (cornerstones) to the sashing strips and then pinned the larger pieces to the quilt blocks in such a way that I will know how to sew them when I get to that step.
Blocks Laid Out
Why, you ask, were these on the floor and NOT on the design wall? Because the Tarts are still on the design wall! Why didn’t I set up the portable design wall? I don’t know; I didn’t think of it. Yes, those are my toes in my orange wool slippers and, yes, I am standing precariously (joke!) on an IKEA stool (highly recommended for their stability) to not succeed in taking a photo of the whole quilt for you.
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/or your blog.
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.
Put a note in the comments about what comes to mind when you read this word.
In honor of spring, which should really be here already, I am posting this flower. I love the different colors of pink. I also love the pseudo spikiness of the petals in the middle.
I don’t know the name of this flower and I think I took the photo at the Denver Botanical Garden, but am not sure. Enjoy!
I have had a Sandy Gervais Merry and Bright Jelly Roll for a long time. This past weekend, I decided it was time to take the fabric strips and make the It’s a Wrap quilt. I had some other things to do, but I spent a lot of time just sewing and learning.
It was a somewhat strange experience. First, someone said they couldn’t believe I was using a Jelly Roll. I was hesitant to tell them about the pattern. I did tell her for shock value and I thought she would keel over. Sometimes, I think, by limiting choices, a quiltmaker can focus on other elements of the process. That is what I was doing, even though I didn’t start out with that intent.
Merry & Bright Jelly Roll
One thing I learned is that there is value in trying things out: different fiber content, different construction techniques, different tools, etc. Having a pattern and the fabric choices taken care of gave me fewer decisions and I could focus on learning the pros and cons of the Jelly Roll.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Moda Bakeshop offerings are a brilliant marketing scheme. My biggest confusion with the one Jelly Roll I had was that many of the pieces were cut off grain. Nadine Ruggles mentioned this in one of her blog posts, but I got to experience it first hand. This means that my strips weren’t straight, but bowed – tending towards Cs and Ls rather than Is. This phenomenon was frustrating, but I also learned a lot about strip cutting and grain. I know that I need to line up the selvedges and trim the sides to make a straight cut. Seeing the bow in the the Jelly Roll strips made me understand (in an embedded in my mind sort of way) what cutting off grain does to strips.
I don’t have a Jelly Roll book, but I would like to know if they address that problem in the directions of the various projects. Nothing was said on my pattern.
Unrolled Jelly Roll
The things I liked about the Jelly Roll:
I got a little taste of a number of different fabrics. I could do this by cutting a strip off of fabrics that I buy (on grain, of course) and saving them for a future project.
I like working with full lines of fabric just to see how the designers patterns work together. A whole line of fabric is like a complete painting to me. I get a lot of joy out of working with a designer’s creation.
The strips were already cut, so I could take my small cutting mat down to the coffee table and cut and watch TV. If I cut a bunch of strips on ‘spec, I could do this as well.
I didn’t have to decide how many yards of each to buy.
I had a limited palette to work with.
I like the fabric and a Jelly Roll was just enough to satisfy me, especially since the only reason I buy Christmas fabrics is to make gift bags.
I saw this quilt on a blog called Sister’s Choice Quilts. She also used the Merry and Bright fabric line. I have always loved the Chinese Coins pattern and the combination of Chinese coins and 4patches make this a winner. I love seeing the same fabrics in different patterns and similar patterns in different fabrics. That concept is one of the things I really like about quiltmaking.
Joyce, my fabric temptress, and owner of Quilting Adventures, showed me this fabric, which is gorgeous. I think I might have to have some. It is called Fizz from P&B. See also the P&B page for this line. Call or email Quilting Adventures to purchase. Thanks, Joyce! (I think!)
I met Faye on a list back in the dark ages of the Internet, when normal users couldn’t upload any photo they wanted and write in a blog.
She and her husband came to visit me when I was on maternity leave and took a shine to The Child. They became his unofficial New Zealand grandparents. Every year for his birthday, they send him a classic New Zealand children’s book and write him a nice note.
Faye and I have also kept in touch, sharing our recent quilt projects, bags and stories about our families. Faye had less time to sew during the past few years as she cared for ill husband. After he died, she went on a world tour to visit her family and has started to sew again.
Faye's Rose Bag
She calls these bags her Yin Yang bags. The pattern is by Jaime Kalvestran of Scrap Bags o Minnesota.
Faye's Rose Bag - backFaye's Black & White Ying Yang BagFaye's Black & White Ying Yang Bag - backFaye's Black, Brown & White Ying Yang Bag
Faye writes about these bags “I made several in the same Japanese fabrics; the blue and white ones were from unpicked antique kimonos. There are two inside pockets, suitable for a mobile phone and for keys, and the bag is deep enough for a wallet. Now I am “bagged-out” but may make more for gifts later.”
I didn’t find this quilt when I searched for it on my blog, so I think I may never have written about it. That wouldn’t surprise me since it was made in about 2003, before the blog. Perhaps I’ll start dredging up old quilts and showing them to you.
TFQ and I made it back in 2003 for a very special person in my life named Jennifer (yes, another Jennifer!).
It is part of a series of quilts TFQ and I have made in a pattern we call Diamond chain. The pattern originally came from the Spring 1997 issue of McCall’s Quick Quilting and did not list a name for pattern (only a name for the quilt). We changed the pattern somewhat, so we call the overall pattern “Diamond Chain.” It is similar to a Jewel Box. andwe have made at least three quilts (Get the Red Out!, Ocean Avenue, Punk Rock Quilt) in the same pattern. I think TFQ and I have made all the different quilts in the series together.
This is a pattern that is a kind of single Irish chain and anything could go between the chains: stars, applique’, basket, any block. I would like to try to make a version where stars are in place of the on point squares (half square triangles).
I think this is also the pattern that we started working on the self-bordering concept.
I found out that Jennifer died on Thursday and I felt particularly sad. Not at all because of the quilt, but because she a person who really cared about me. She taught me the value of me. She took care of me, taught me to rest and taught me that if I took care of myself I could better take care of my family and others who depend on me. She cared about me in a way that was so valuable, because she didn’t want anything back from me. I didn’t get to say good-bye and that is very difficult.
I mostly don’t make quilts for people anymore, but I do on occasion and I was glad that I made this one. She told me about a month ago, when I last talked to her, that she thought of me whenever she used it and felt like she was getting a hug from me. That is one of the nicest things anyone has said to me about something I have made.
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/or your blog.
Leave your comments about what comes to mind when you read this word.
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.
I have been, slowly, responding to ancient emails and dealing with setting up my computer again as I try to recover from the crash. Below is a lot of different things that I have been thinking about or looking into.
The exhibit was called Modern Materials: The Art of the Quilt and the interviewee was Jill Rumoshosky Werner. She was the curator. I also saw a Flickr group of some of the quilts.
I thought the comments Jill made about her process and the different pieces included in the exhibit were interesting and thoughtful.
I wrote about the Apron contest/exhibit that Jennifer over at CraftSanity is having. I was pleased to see her mention my blog in her blog. Her husband made a funny YouTube video to entice people to take up the challenge. If any of you saw her blog post and came here, leave a comment and let me know.
Patterns
I am apparently in hunting and gathering mode. I am gathering supplies and fabric for a number of projects (and the class I am taking later this month). I don’t know if I will make all of them, but I am gathering. In a comment from the Happy Zombie blog post I made SherriD suggested a quilt-a-long. I have the supplies coming. Anyone else want to make their own version of the Oh Fransson/Happy Zombie quilt with me?
The other is the Basketweave Baby Quilt. I saw it again the other night when I watched a repeat of the Fons & Porter episode featuring the Basketweave Baby Quilt. This is part of series 1000. I wrote about this before and thought I would get over my obsession with this pattern, but when I saw the episode again I realized I haven’t. I got a piece of paper and made copious notes on making this quilt. Later, I went to their website to find the project notes/instructions. No dice. They don’t have the sizes or anything on their site. So, I went to see if I could order the magazine that included the instructions. Again, no dice. It is a Jan/Feb 2007 issue of Love of Quilting magazine and it is out of stock. I emailed them to ask about getting the back issue and didn’t hear back. I also looked for websites or information from the designers, Betty Hufford and Jean Nolte. I didn’t find anything there useful there either. I have looked at the library to which I have a card and I haven’t been able to find it. I can’t say that I explored every nook and cranny of their site. I find the Fons & Porter site difficult to navigate. If any of you have this issue and would be willing to loan it to me, leave a comment in this post’s comment area.
I feel a bit stuck, but I also think that I can draw out the design on paper and use that to make a sample. We’ll see.
Podcasts
I have been listening to Pat Sloan’s podcast while I sew. For some reason I don’t download her podcasts to my iPod. Not sure why. Perhaps the Toginet ads intersperse in the podcast is why. Not sure. Anyway, the interviews are really good. So far she has interviewed quiltmakers I haven’t heard before. One podcast that I really liked was with Bonnie Hunt of Quiltville. I had never heard of her until the podcast. One thing she said was that people who use steam when pressing have problems putting their quilts together. I don’t know if this is true or not. I have always used steam, so I decided to try this out. I have, mostly, not been using steam when I press blocks and elements for a quilt. It is an interesting experiment. I don’t know how long I will do it or if I will never go back to using steam. Some of the things I have found:
pressing wrinkles out of recently washed fabric needs steam
adhering fusible interfacing to fabric needs steam.
I don’t see that pressing seams need steam so far.
I don’t have any other feedback at the moment, but I enjoy the opportunity to try something new. Do you use steam or no steam?
My mom mentioned using Mary Ellen’s Best Press. She said that it really made cutting easy. It might be good to try, but I don’t feel like buying it right now. Mom is going to bring me a sample from her work. The owner offered me one. YAY!
Another Pat Sloan podcast I really liked was the episode with Linda M. Poole. I enjoyed it because Linda was an excellent interviewee. Pat asked her one question and Linda was off and running with interesting comments about her life, family, business and teaching. Linda was well spoken also. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that Linda mentioned my Creative Prompt project. That isn’t the only reason I enjoyed the podcast! 😉 I did see a small spike in comments after that podcast, so, thanks, new readers!
The information related to Pat’s podcast is hard to navigate, though. She doesn’t have much information in iTunes or on her blog about which episode includes which quiltmaker. I had to go to the blogs of two quiltmakers mentioned above to find out which episodes they appeared. I like to have the information right in iTunes.
Inspiration & Momentum
Fabric Closet, Working
I had a fabric/project avalanche in my fabric closet last week. A bad sign was that I shut the door and haven’t really gone back in. I haven gone in, looked at it and left again.
I felt like I was losing my sewing momentum last weekend. I am not sure why. I had very little time on Sunday and I just couldn’t get going. I have to try and take my own advice about dealing with these issues. Part of it may have been that I was sick last week and am still feeling the last bits of that illness. I am blaming my malaise on that illness. I think I need to read a trashy novel.
Someone came in my workroom last week and started asking me about the various piles. I sincerely dislike that. Some are projects in process (yes, I need bins for them). Some are just piles of stuff I haven’t put away. Some are hard to explain. Regardless I don’t like justifying my piles. I work better with an organized sewing area. I need and want to build on the reorganization that TFQ and I did on the fabric closet some years ago. I need and want to reorganize and make beautiful the rest of the room – paint, shelving, the works. There are nice ideas at HGTV that I can use for inspiration. It all takes money which I don’t have right now. I can think about and plan for what is next in this room:
Bookshelves without a doubt! Bookshelves with LOTS of growth space!
Last weekend (Saturday) I went to a scrapbook day with a friend and worked on my Austria album. One of the things we did, aside from cut and glue down photos, was watch a video on how to be a better photographer by Nick Kelsh. I thought for sure the video would be on the web somewhere, but all I could find were clips. Look at Nick’s website for clips on using your digital camera to get better photos. I tried his techniques out a bit this week. We’ll see if my photos get better. I’ll let you know when I post them.
Shopping
I went to Jo-Ann a couple of weeks ago to get a “June Tailor Cushioned Square ‘n Blocker” for a class with Dale Fleming I am taking with EBHQ in a few weeks. I mentioned this class briefly a few weeks ago. I am interested in making a circle quilt and I thought it would be a good idea to learn a different technique. My other option is to use the technique Ruth McDowell teaches in her AWESOME Piecing: Expanding the Basics book. The quilt I am interested in making looks similar to the one that Malka Dubrawsky made that was published in Quilting Arts magazine some time ago. She dyed hers and I plan to piece mine. Why, you ask? Who knows? I may make three blocks, realize I had lost my mind and move on. We’ll see.
Anyway, I hadn’t really planned on buying board, though I knew it was a possibility. I wanted to see what it was and what it looked like. When I asked the price, the retail assistant told me and mentioned that they had 40% off coupons in the front of the store. I grabbed one and then went to grab the coupon. I was able to buy the board for about $10.
I barely ever go to Jo-Ann and I hadn’t been there in a long time. While I was there I noticed they had all of the Fons & Porter notions the two show on their Love of Quilting show. They also had a really good selection of rulers. No Creative Grids, but lots of other brands.
I was in a bit of a rush that day, so I just glanced, and left. Or so I thought. I went to the checkout line and found that Jo-Ann has a HUGE selection of craft magazines. They had some quilt magazines that I had never seen. I picked up the newest issue of Art Quilting Studio while I was there.
Since I just did a rush visit the first time, I went back on Monday just to look around. In addition to the other projects I have in mind, I have to gear up for Teacher Pillow time, so I am starting to gather materials. Finding affordable pillow forms is paramount. The cheapest one Jo-Ann had was $6.99. $6.99 x 5=too much. I also wanted to look more at their various rulers etc. I saw a Simplicity Studio Ruler Simpli-EZ Tri mate. I never knew that Simplicity made rotary cutting rulers. This caught my eye, because of the shape. I wonder if it will help me, more easily, create the setting triangles for the FOTY 2010 quilt? I’ll have to bring the diamond ruler there sometime to compare and see if I can tell.
I was drawn in by some of their fabric designs.I saw some cherries on pink background that were CUTE! And the prices are great. However I felt the fabric, which I always feel compelled to, and didn’t like the feel of the fabrics, so I passed.
Magazine News
The Jo-Ann magazine selection was as good as ever on my second trip there and I saw the new Quilt Life magazine by Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. I haven’t heard good things about it, so I didn’t pick it up. TFQ said she would send me hers to look at, so perhaps I will do a review after I read it.
Bad news on Art Quilting Studio. They have a new editor who said the magazine would be going on hiatus. I don’t think the new editor shuttered the magazine, but I am guessing that Jenny Doh didn’t want to be associated with a failure. I guess we didn’t give enough support to the 3 issues they did put out. Issues of the latest AQS issue were still available when I was at Jo-Ann the second time. I really enjoyed the first issue of that magazine. I thought the second issue had more of the Somerset look and design – muslin, lace, buttons – and I wasn’t enamored. I did like the in depth interviews with quiltmakers. Denyse Schmidt was in the first issue and Susan Shie in the latest. I am happier with what I saw in the 3rd issue, even though I haven’t read through the whole thing yet. Well, if you like that magazine, write to Somerset.
Finally, I got the latest issue of Quilter’s Home. I was really unhappy with the last issue, which was the first without Mark and the first with the new editors, Jake and Melissa. They did a poor imitation of Mark’s style. I had planned to cancel, but I’ll see how the next issue is before I decide. I am happier with this latest issue. I particularly liked the article about blogs and will try to get ArtQuiltmaker into that list.
Resources
I received the Edward R. Hamilton catalog the other day. If you have never seen their catalog, get them to send you one. They have an online presence, but I really enjoy looking through the catalog. I was really pleased to see the book American Quilts: The Democratic Art, 1780-2007 listed in the ART section. It is also only $27.95. I’d like to look at it before I buy, but if it were $10 I would have scooped it up. I love those books which are combinations of history and quilts, but I don’t want to buy a book with a lot of quilt photos I have in other books.
I decided that I am going to make this pattern, It’s A Wrap Pattern by Sandy Gervais, this weekend. We will see how much of it I get done and if I am able to actually follow the directions. Wish me luck. Hopefully, this will cure my malaise or make it go away long enough for me to make some other things.
I know I have said some things about patterns. I guess I am getting over my snobbery. Hope you won’t hold it against me. I think what I mean is not that there is anything wrong with patterns, but that I like to be able to analyze a quilt and make it by myself without using a pattern. I realize that not everyone has that spatial acuity and that pattern designers have to eat!
Around About Town
Last Friday I had to pick up some tea and return a library book, so I stopped in a little mini-downtown section of SF called West Portal. I parked, walked to the Library, crossed the street and found a newspaper/magazine stand near the place I buy tea! I love those shops where you can see about 300 magazines all at once and buy one issue of foreign home dec magazines as a treat. I have been up and down this street a multitude of times and never seen this place. It may be new. They had a wonderful selection of quilt and craft mags. I had to buy an issue so I picked up an issue of Quilt Mania. I was pleased to find an article about Judy Rothermel and a couple of blocks that were very inspirational. I didn’t know JR designed Civil War fabrics as well as her signature 1930s lines.
After I drank my tea I headed back to the car and saw a handwritten sign in the window of the bookshop saying they give knitting lessons. Hhhmmm.
