This drawing didn’t turn exactly as I expected, but I still like it. I am enjoying the series immensely and the opportunity to move the story forward every week is great.
My warm up for Sunday turned out to be some FOTY blocks. I have not been diligent about pressing and cutting up my new fabric. I have fabric I washed a month ago still sitting on my chair. It isn’t as if I haven’t been in the workroom, though. I will get around to it eventually. These were the fabrics that were already cut up and ready to sew. I sewed them up and now have additions for the FOTY pile
One of my first quiltmaking books was The Quilter’s Album of Blocks and Borders by Jinny Beyer. It is also one of my favorites because it is just a dictionary of block designs. It is NOT a pattern book. When I first started listening to podcasts two or three years ago I heard Jinny Beyer interviewed and she talked about her new and updated version, which I saw today on Amazon. It isn’t coming out until August. I can’t wait to see it and look forward to hearing Ms. Beyer interviewed about it again at that time.
Providing quilters, researchers, and design enthusiasts with a comprehensive tool for finding, identifying, and drafting more than 4,000 unique patterns, this encyclopedia of quilt block designs presents a method of categorizing designs that eliminates duplication and allows quilters to understand exactly how each one is constructed. Each design is analyzed in terms of the grid on which it is drawn, making it easy recreate the pattern in any size or color scheme desired. Each block is thoroughly researched and listed according the original name and date of publication. Double names and duplicates are cross-referenced for easy use. Packed with information and inspiration, this also contains photographs of full quilts, as well as a detailed bibliography and indexes.
I am not a big pattern maker, but I like to point out the products of hardworking quiltmakers. I have not had this pattern in my hand. I looked at it on the Etsy site and noticed that they have extension and Jelly Roll directions, which I think is a step in the direction of making patterns that people can expand out to be more personal. Good luck to Amy and Opal on this new endeavor!
Dana Barbieri has created this wonderful piece that is stuck, like glue, to my mind. I LOVE it and want to make one, perhaps two, myself.
My sister recently received the Cricut software which allows you to print letters out any size and any font up to 6″. My idea for my piece is to have her print some letters on scrapbook paper for me, find a rectangular frame at the Goodwill or other thrift store and then sit down with my art supplies and make something like it to hang in my workroom. I would also like to make one that says “Imagination.”
Have you ever been so inspired by a piece or the concept of a piece that you have made one of your own?
Last week I went to Borders to buy some magazines for the Wellness program at work. I couldn’t help stopping by the hobbies section and picking up a few bits of inspiration.
Magazines, May 2009
Yes, you do see an issue of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine in the batch. It had an article on pineapples. Despite my hiatus from my pineapple project, I still love them and couldn’t resist. One issue purchase doesn’t, however, mitigate my annoyance at their abrupt and sneaky change in publishing schedule.
In addition to the pineapples, QNM packs a lot into their issues. This issue has a lot of pictures of quilts. There is an exhibit of President Obama quilts, an article about quilting vintage tops (to quilt or not to quilt), which mostly interest me because of the wonderful photos included. There is a fun batik basket quilt as well as a Jewel Box that includes a self bordering technique. Luana Rubin also wrote an article on colors she developed for the quilting industry for the coming year and some paper piecing patterns of a bride and groom. Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy have ‘designed’ a quilt that is included. It is a large-ish rectangle surrounded by borders. The fabrics are, of course, fabulous, but I don’t see the need for a pattern. I also didn’t read the pattern, so there must be something special I am missing. There is an interesting Christmas tree quilt pattern with some Liberated Quiltmaking type stars in one border. I, also, have to say that I do like the cheerful layout that QNM is using.
Stampington & Company has a new magazine called Art Quilting Studio. The words “premier issue’ caught my eye and I grabbed it. I haven’t been happy with Quilting Arts lately as they have mostly scrapped the techniques section and are providing only projects. Art Quilting Studio shows some avant garde pieces, has an interview with Denyse Schmidt and lots of detail shots. The colors appeal to me, though the layout colors are more subdued that the issue of QNM mentioned above. I liked the Layered Collages of Art article by DJ Pettitt, because the faces in her pieces are very appealing.
I also bought a copy of Stitch magazine. This is a product of the Quilting Arts family of magazines. I only bought it because I fell in love with the pillow on the cover. I glanced through it quickly and thought that was the only thing I would like in it. Later, I sat down at a cafe and looked through it page by page and found a few other things I liked.
There is an article about thread. I find thread to be completely mystifying so the more information the better, as far as I am concerned. That article talks about different types of stitching as well as the qualities of different threads.
The article with the log cabin pillow also has a round pillow called the Pi Pillow and a pillow called the Fabulous Floor Pillow. I think I might try one of those as well. I also saw a tote bag, which has possibilities without the fog grey bottom and an apron which might make a nice gift. There is a glossary of sewing terms, which I might dismiss quickly, except the stitch glossary which shows the reader how to make arious stitches.
Quilter’s Home also came in the mail recently. Mark is on the cover, as usual, with his son, Evan, which is not usual. I have enjoyed Mark’s story of his son in previous issues. The patterns in this issue are very ordinary. He recommends buying all the books he reviews so he must be getting pressure not to pan quilt books. He has the decorating section, which I can take or leave. I think the edge is wearing off of Mark’s style. It could be that CK Media is making him tone it down.
Fortunately, there is still thr3fold journal! This journal really makes me happy when I read it. It makes me really happy when the package comes! I know it sounds dumb to say that, but I feel an actual uplifting of my spirit when I read the articles. The style is quietly confident. The colors are cheerful and interesting. The articles are well written. While I may not want to make every project or try every technique, I enjoy reading about their process. I also feel that I can try their projects if I follow their directions. I have written about this journal before and think that I will stop liking it, but having received issue 4 I still feel excited when I open an issue. I am looking forward to issue 5 already!
Words are very important to me. I like the shape of them – the way they look when written and the way they feel on my tongue, which is why the title is tools and supplies and not just supplies. Supplies would be more accurate, but I don’t like the shape of that word.
I saw this picture – found from a Twitter link – and really liked it. One thing I like about it is the abundance, but I also like the fact that the background is white. There are no distractions from the background in the picture. This style allows me to focus on the elements of the picture. Take a look at the website.
Some years ago I took a pillow making class at the Sewing Workshop. Sewing Workshop classes are fabulous: thorough, and inspiring. I am sorry to say that, although the class was fabulous (with Linda Lee, no less), the pillows are still part of my UFO pile. I recently saw Stitch magazine.
Stitch Magazine, Spring 2009
I fell in love with the pillow on the cover and may make some pillow covers using the pattern (or my version of the pattern) to brighten up some tired couch pillows to go along with the promised new paint job. If all goes well, I may discard the half made purple covers from the Sewing Workshop class and use the Stitch idea/pattern to cover those rather large forms (14″ or 16″) as well. For once I feel excited about throw pillows!
I also may make a pillow or two to raise money for Cleft Palete. MIL suggested using some poppy fabric for the centers. If I had some squares of that California poppy from a few years ago, it would be perfect, but I don’t, so I will have to make do.
Certain individuals are on a statewide board of directors for an organization that among other things, raises money for Cleft Palete. Each year, as part of the process of running for office, the nominees make gift baskets in order to draw people ino their suites/campaign headquarters. They raffle the gift baskets to raise money for Cleft Palete. Certain individuals came up second in the most money raised this year for his gift baskets.
The convention is always in May, so I, usually, cannot attend due to the demands of The Child. There is a small thing called school and another called food. Leaving him at home alone is really not an option. This has the effect of organization voters wondering if I support him in his volunteer endeavors. I think they might forget what it is like to have school age children. Anyway, I thought a couple of throw pillows would:
show my support
be something different that would draw the wives into the raffle
allow me to try something without having to commit to having it in my house
get some new readers to the blog
I might have showed this site before. I thought the pillows they show are similar to the Stitch magazine pillows and I could use their directions to supplement the Stitch magazine directions. More on Stitch magazine in another post.
See the Creative Prompt page if you want to know how to participate in this project.
Post the specific URL or deep link where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted in the comments area of this post. It is an easy and good way to keep all the artwork together.
Most of the work on the Tarts has been mental lately. Those of you thinking mental case, may be right. 😉
With all of the rote sewing I have been doing lately I haven’t made the time to sit down and do the next drawing, which will be another pastry.
I am liking this layout. I think it adds a bit of movement at the top, though I am not sure why. I like the vertical checkerboard next to the tea kettle and will put a piece of it above the tall frothy drink as well. The orange squiggles between the red cappucino cups and the tall frothy drink will probably be replaced by some vertical silverware. Onward!
As promised, here is an up to date picture of the Flowering Snowball (Cross Blocks). I found myself short of backgrounds the other day when I had the perfect opportunity to hand stitch.
I laid it out in order to see what background fabrics I should cut. I don’t want to have too many of the same fabrics. I want it to look scrappy.
As you can see I have 3 more blocks for the middle section before I start on the outside. I need to make the pattern pieces for the outside, too. I thought of combining the pieces that will become background, but I may just leave them as individuals, so that I can use a variety of fabrics. The former method means the rest of the project will progress much more quickly. The latter means that I won’t have to figure out a new piecing order.
In grammar school, I would sometimes walk with my sister over to my grandmother’s house after school. Grama worked, so we would be at her house alone, or with one of our aunts. Still, it wasn’t exactly a barrel of laughs. Soon, as children are wont to do, we found a girl on the next block and became fast friends. Her family had emigrated from Korea a short time before and her parents and older siblings were never at home either.
Homemade Paper Dolls
We discovered a shared love of arts and crafts. Paper dolls offered a cheap way of expressing our creativity. She could draw people in a style I now recognize as manga. Our friend was perfectly willing to draw dolls and dresses and other clothes and we would play for hours. I remember a discussion of her being a fashion designer where she told me in no uncertain terms that she was going to be a doctor.
I don’t remember why we lost touch, but we did, as children often do. I still have the paper dolls, however, and, as a result, I think about her on occasion.
Amy, of The Creative Mom Podcast, as she often does, brought paper dolls to my mind again with her episode #67, the Shape of Paper. She sent me on a trip around the web looking at various paper doll websites. I found a cool site, Kiddley, with some good basic paper doll outlines that offer a lot of scope for imagination. Wouldn’t it be cool to make fabric clothes with your quilt fabric? A great use of scraps!
I’d be interested to hear your stories of paper dolls in your life and see pictures of anything you make in the paper doll realm.
The four Teacher Pillows are complete. I have one more pillow form, but the Child is being uncooperative about the last drawing, so I may just save the pillow form for next year. I could take a drawing out of his drawing book and use that…. We’ll see. I think I am done with this project except for the wrapping the pillows in pretty paper.
Tangled Star - EQ6
The above is the outline/color drawing that can be printed from EQ6. It turns out that this was useless to me when I went to make the block, or so I thought.
Resource Teacher Pillow
This is how my version came out. I keep pictures of all of the pillows so I know what the past pillows looked like. That way I can use the same or similar fabrics and the teachers end up with sets of pillows if they teach the Child more than one year. This is the 3rd or 4th pillow I have made for this teacher.
Key for Foundation Piecing
This block is foundation pieced, so I also printed the segments (see below). When I looked at the printed segments, they made no sense to me. The design page ended up as a wonderful key to the colors and placement of the fabrics. I wrote letters on each piece, which correspond to the letters I wrote on the pattern pieces.
Pattern pieces ready to cut out and sew
You can see, if you click on the picture to make it bigger and look carefully a letter, a number and a color. The color notes which fabric I need to use. The letter corresponds to the letter on the design key, which I added to make sure I didn’t assign two segments to the same section of the block. The number is the piecing/sewing order. Doing the prep took some time, but it was worth it once I started to piece. The segment pieces/patterns really don’t look like they will make the Tangled Star block, so these strategies really helped.
Piecing Order detail
Above shows the segment after I have pieced the fabric on to it. The red and gold needed to be pieced first, which they were. I then trimmed them and sewed on the green. In this photo the green still needs to be trimmed.
Resource Teacher Pillow back
Above is the back. The drawing is a sort of label. The Child has a distinctive drawing style that the teachers seem to enjoy. I usually let him draw whatever he wants.
Teacher Pillow Labels
To make the label, I divide up a sheet of copy/printer paper into 4 sections. Then I draw in the seam allowances and have the Child draw inside the lines. Once done, I copy onto fabric backed with freezer paper or something. I get it from Dharma, but The Electric Quilt Company and many other companies sell similar products. Once the drawings have been transferred, I rotary cut the labels apart on the cutting lines and add each label as part of the back of the pillow cover.
Omega Block Pillow, Social Studies Teacher, 6B
I let The Child pick out the blocks. I do have to guide and encourage him a little as this is a boring exercise for him and he, usually, just wants to get it over with as quickly as possible. This year he took more of an interest. Above is the block (Omega) he chose for his social studies teacher. They just finished studying Greece, so I think the Greek alphabet was on his mind. He also informed me that Omega is his favorite Greek letter.
I printed out the rotary cutting directions for the Omega, thinking that I could just make it that way. The pillow forms were 14″ so I had to scale up which resulted in a lot of 16th inch measurements. After cutting about the 10th 16th inch cut, I decided that foundation piecing was the way to go.
Sometimes he gets a little too enthusiastic. He wanted me to make a Mariner’s Compass for his resource teacher and I flat out refused. If I am going to make a Mariner’s Compass I have to start a lot earlier.
Omega Block, back
The Child used a lot more words on his labels his year than he has in the past.
Homeroom Teacher, 6A
This is the first block I made. I wanted simple blocks. They got harder the more The Child was involved. He did the color selection on this one (orange and purple). I was skeptical until I found the flower print with a similar color scheme.
Homeroom Teacher Pillow, back
I hope she can read the back. It is really squished.
Teacher Aide Pillow
I really like the color scheme of this pillow. The Child went with the colors EQ6 had in their example and I think it works. I took the opportunity to use the blue in one of the Infinity blocks as well. The color scheme reminds me of the color scheme for a RUSH day I organized in college. We wore yellow, red and green dresses and looked really bright and cheerful.
Teacher Aide Pillow, back
I was a little concerned about the drawing on the back as the Aide does not look very happy in his drawing. I asked the Child about the drawing and, being a boy of few words, refused to discuss it with me. I asked if she always had a lot of filing to do and he said no. That was really the end of the discussion. Oh well, I have a policy of not censoring his art if it isn’t rude or p*rnographic, so she will have to make of it what she will.
Amy of Creative Mom Podcast posted a picture of one of her ATCs. It was the ATC response to the March ATC project she does. I think the prompt was Lucky, but am not sure. I kept thinking about that ATC and the squares and wasn’t able to get them out of my mind.
CB2 Wall Decor, May 2009
THEN I saw a piece of art that resembled the ATC in the CB2 catalog and knew something was happening. Last hursday night, in the midst of the complete chaos into which my life had devolved, I went upstairs, opened up a sketchbook, which is too big and thus intimidating, and drew some connected squares. Then I went, rummaged around in my scrap basket and got some of those blues of which I am so fond lately. I cut them up into squares and glued them over the drawn squares.
My Squares, May 2009
Then I closed the book, did my exercises and went to bed.
The whole experience was good. A little surreal, but good.
Update 5/30/2009 – After reading a magazine I was reminded of some quilts by Denyse Schmidt that also look like the above works. One is a quilt called What a Bunch of Squares and the other was called Mental Blocks.
