A Fun and Fibery Day

July 04, 2009

"No," I said, "I'm ready to get back to reality."  "The Web" by Jonathan Kellerman ♦♦♦◊◊

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A couple of days ago J, J2, M & I (heh - typing that made me smile) went to Fabric Depot. We each had A Plan. Half of the group had lists. I didn't "win" for most $$ spent (hooo-WEE, not by a long shot!), but I did take the "Most Number of Pieces Cut" prize.

I know that I've told lots and lots of people in person about my next big project, but I don't believe I've shared it with you, dear readers. You see, the only stretching I've done quilt-wise since The Quadriad and Cygnus Rising has to do with meeting deadlines and trying not to get fatally behind on BOMs (ahhh, I seem to be feeling a bit dramatic today!).

It's not like I'm of an age that I have friends popping out babies left and right. And I'm not of an age that friends have GRAND-babies popping out left and right, either. There is really no reason that I have to quilt "Quick and Easy". Heaven knows my To-Be-Quilted Pile doesn't need to be any higher.

So earlier in the year, Mr. W. bought Bella Bella Quilts: Stunning Designs from Italian Mosaics for me. Oh. My. Goodness. Happy as that proverbial clam, I am. Click here for some eye-popping pictures of quilts made from the patterns in the book.

I picked out one of the designs (to do first?), copied the line drawing and pulled out my crayons to play with optical illusions and color combinations. For once, the name of the quilt precedes the binding of the quilt - "I Like Complements". Take that as you will, though it makes me smile - narcissistic color wheel junkie that I am...

I'm gonna need a LOT of different fabrics for this project, and the trip to Fabric Depot was Fabric Acquisition: Phase One.



Then after I'd gotten those twelve fabrics picked out and cut, I went looking for the other "ooh, aah" fabs I ran across that I loved but weren't part of the Complements stack. Couldn't find a one of them. Wouldn't you know it? Actually, it was a little bit disappointing, but seriously I didn't have anything in mind for those fabs that grabbed my attention so it was no huge loss that I couldn't find them again.

I did, however, find these fabrics:



I first found the print, then the Moda Marbles in the mottled pinky-peach color and the light (tanny-white) that I think is perfect. And since I have JUST finished telling you that I didn't have any other projects specifically in mind, I'm sure you're wondering what these fabrics are perfect for.

Stitchery, of course! Wasn't I just babbling about all of the Gotta-Do stitchery projects that I'm collecting?

I don't want to use these fabs for Christmas-related stitcheries, but they seem perfect for either the Shabby Roses BOM from Jenny or Vicki's On My Heart BOM.

What do you think? Which should I do with these fabrics?

But wait! There's MORE!

After lunch, J, J2 & I found a new yarn shop, StitchCraft, in Vancouver (that has a little bit of stitchery - including patterns from Sublime Stitching! - and quilting fabric, too!). J2 was looking for yarn for a lacy over-jumper. J was browsing the quilt magazines. I wasn't looking for anything.

But of course you know how well THAT works, don't you?

Have a drool at what came home with me. YUM.

Cascade Yarns, Lana D'Oro. About 660 yards. Dyelot #1069-6951.*

As usual, I don't have anything specific in mind for this yum-fest (except maybe just petting it every time I pass by). I might like to do the Stella jacket (Ravelry link) from my new "French Girl Knits" book, but then I'd need more of the yarn.* Shucky darn, eh?

(*Hey, family members: Feel free to call or email Nicholette and order more so I can make that jacket....!)
(Hey, non-family members: I'm having a birthday this month. I am trying to provide a service to family who might be having problems figuring out what I might like or want.)
(snort)

Labels: knitting, quilting, stitchery

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A Delicious Bunny

July 02, 2009

Abandoned book"The Alexandria Link" by Steve Berry ♦♦◊◊◊

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'Way back when in early March, I posted a picture of the second Red Delicious block here. Sometime between then and the end of June, I did block #3 and promptly lost the photo. I had to go lift it from a forum posting (though heaven knows why I didn't just pull out the block and take another picture of it).

Here's block #3.


Just last week (?) I finished block #4. All of the blocks are rather large, but this one is gigantic! I think it's something like 18" tall.

I'm not sure why I'm so surprised given the number of pieces, but these puppies take me about 7 hours to complete.

Block #5 is traced and ready for fabric selection. Then comes the time-consuming tasks of window-paning the fusible web, fusing the pieces and inking the final block. Block #5 also may sport some subtle embellishment. Whether it does or not might depend on the abilities of my back-up sewing machine!

So then there was last month's sad, sad bunny-related disasters.

I might be tempting ol' Murphy, but this month's (okay, the month of May's) Bunny Hill Designs A Tisket, A Tasket BOM block was relatively painless.

When working on this block, I put the previous months' blocks up on my design wall. I noticed that each block had pink or blue or both in it. I'm going to have to figure out a way to be sure to include some more greens and golds, since I've purchased those four colors for the alternate setting blocks!

As with the Red Delicious BOM (and Ellie's Country Calendar BOM), the next months' blocks are traced and awaiting fabric selection.

Thanks again to Carrie for pointing me to the English version of Ellie's BOM page. I've been linking to (and downloading) the Dutch version. Sometimes I'm brilliant. Other times? Not so much.

Now, in Other News, Flair for Fabric has provided a prize for this week's generous giveaway hosted by The Fabric Shopper. You, too, can enter to win a kit to make the Frenchy Bag by Amy Butler Designs. Just visit The Fabric Shopper here to enter - but be sure to wander around the site. You'll find fabrics and inspiration that you didn't know existed!!

Labels: quilting

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Spring Mini Quilt Swap

July 01, 2009

In the dark, with her hand on his cheek, they slid into sleep.  "Creation in Death" by J.D. Robb ♦♦♦♦◊

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Because I am invincible, or maybe because I have a ridiculously high opinion of my time management skills, I joined the Spring Blooms Mini Quilt Swap, hosted by The Quilting Gallery.

Wanda got my name - she has cracked me up from Day One, she's so energetic and enthusiastic!

She included a note that said something along the lines of, "I tried many new techniques, with varying degrees of success." I think she did a great job - there's some stunning hand quilting in the border, the flower is machine quilted, she added crystals to center... and more!

Ooohhhh, sparkly....

Wanda very kindly included some extra binding fabric that I was able to use to make a hanging sleeve. It's off at one of the handwork angels' clouds right now.*

Here's a confession (though it's not a painful one): I get many more compliments on this mini than I did on the one I made to send off to my swap-ee, Janey:

Now, there's nothing wrong with this quilt, but when in the same neighborhood as the one from Wanda, it comes off a bit wall-flower-ish, doncha think?

The "flowers" are 6" square; the "Tallahassee" block from Quilter's Cache (I resized the block).

The color in the close-up below is much more accurate.

So, here's the bigga deal, though. See that little pink flange there? It's about 1/16th of an inch (about 3mm, if I read my ruler correctly).

Oh, and there's a Where's Waldo inner border (the same color as the binding) that is a wonderfully perfect 1/4". It really is perfect. I've never done such an incredibly straight and even inner border (even larger).

And the derned thing blends right in. :sigh:


I hit a bump in the road on this quilt - mid-quilting, I sent my Bernina off to a qualified service technician to fix it after taking it to a local, well-regarded (and no longer personally patronized) sewing machine dealer in town. There's a story there, as you can well imagine. In fact, imagine it and be sure to include more than one trip BACK to the first place and multiple spikes in blood pressure by yours truly (it truly is a trial not to rip some peoples' condescending, arse-from-a-hole-in-the-ground faces off, you know??).

Oh. 'Nuff said, I'd guess.

Anyway, I sent my machine 150 or more miles away before I'd completely finished quilting the mini. I have a backup lightweight travel machine (a Brother), but I'd never used it before. Though it's too late, the long story short is that I wasn't able to go overboard in the machine quilting arena as I usually do. Good news, though - J2 had an extra quilting foot that will fit the Brother, so if I get the urge to quilt something before I reunite with my faithful companion, hopefully I'll be able to do something more than feed-dogs-up straight and slightly curved lines.

Quilting Gallery is hosting a new swap, In the Good Ol' Summertime. Registration ends 6 July, the quilt needs to be mailed by 21 September. I won't be joining this one. No, really I won't.

But that's only because I've already signed up for a different mini quilt swap with a group of online friends.

Hear me roar.

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*So, just to clarify: Stitchery is not handwork. Not like sewing down bindings is handwork. But in the interest of full disclosure, I did all of the handwork on the quilt I sent to Janey. By myself. And I didn't gripe about it even one time.

Labels: quilting

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Something Completely Different

June 25, 2009

Abandoned book "Dance of Death" by Douglas J. Preston and Lincoln Child  ♦♦◊◊◊

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I know that I've been dangling the "Something Completely Different" line in front of you for awhile now - today I have an added incentive to show you that left turn I've made.

There are probably only two readers of my blog who realize that I can (and do) actually do this:



As with most of my other BOM's, I'm painfully behind on this one - "Quilters' Blessings" by Bea over at Capricorn Quilts.

You might be wondering exactly HOW far behind I am on these blocks: I am so far behind that the next BOM, "Once Upon a Time" has already posted six blocks (months). :sigh:

I enlarged Block #1 to 8" square. It will be the centerpiece of the quilt that these blocks will eventually inspire.

The remaining blocks (so far blocks 2-8 of 16) are their original size of about 6".



I have a number of stitchery BOM's that I'm following (aka collecting) with grand plans. These include Gail Pan's A Christmas Wish BOM, Bea's newest: Once Upon a Time, Jenny's completed Wonky Houses, Tozz's On My Heart BOMs and Jenny's ongoing Shabby Roses BOM.

Jenny has possibly single-handedly destroyed any hopes I had of catching up or keeping up with any ongoing stitchery project - she keeps publishing new "I gotta have it" patterns, like Oopsie Daisies (the pattern that got me to make my first Etsy purchase) and her most recent: Shabby Roses Christmas. I've been strong on this last one (so far) but I'm pretty confident that she just needs to publish a couple of companion blocks and I'll be looking up my Etsy username and password again.

Now, I know all of this is a lot to digest at once: A whole 'nother side to my over-achieving, over-committing fiber mania...

But wait! There's more!

Check this out:

Look what I found in my morning bloglines reading! Helen of Hugs 'n Kisses has published a new pattern for Christmas. This one just flat out grabs me.

As you've probably already surmised, the last thing I need is another stitchery obsession project. But how can I pass this one up???

Helen is a mightily talented designer. She does this extremely cool thing - she uses her Colorqué technique to turn what is already cool stitchery into amazing art. Learning/trying this technique has been on my list of things to do since I discovered her work. She has been generously involved with the comfort quilt projects for the victims of the Victorian bushfires earlier this year. Helen's generousity extends also to sharing some free stitchery patterns, technique tutorials, and she even developed/hosted a mystery quilt-along earlier this year. It is definitely worth filling your coffee/teacup and spending some quality time wandering around her blog and store site.

Next time... Spring Mini Quilt Swap pictures! Hang on, Wanda... they're on their way!!

Labels: stitchery

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I Almost Forgot!

June 20, 2009

In the dark, with her hand on his cheek, they slid into sleep.  "Creation in Death" by J.D. Robb ♦♦♦♦◊

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I have some comings and goings to tell you about!

First off, I received the hands-down cutest fabrics from Yellow Bird Art (plus an original Yellow Bird Designs tote pattern) - there was a blog giveaway and I actually won something! WOOT! While not my "usual" flavors of fabric, I love the whimsy and the fabric feels delicious!

Thank you, Angela and Amy - I couldn't be more pleased and grateful for your generosity!!

Angela and Amy have had their brick & mortar and online shops closed this week while they're re-vamping (does anyone ever do any 'vamping', or is it just re-vamping?), redecorating and re-stocking. The big grand re-opening of the shop is on June 22; be sure to visit them in their refreshed nest at Yellow Bird Art.

Here's a less-than-stellar photo of the most recent apron that I made. One of my forum friends and I have entered our aprons (hers is tea-themed, mine is coffee) in the Quilts and More Quarterly Challenge, hosted by AllPeopleQuilt.com (a Better Homes and Gardens site), where you can find all kinds of free patterns, technique instructions, online classes and an online community.

The pairs of aprons (we submitted much better photos than the one I'm sharing here) are judged by "a qualified panel of judges" (!) and all of the entries will be narrowed down to ten semi-finalists. Once we make it to the semi-finals (see how positive I'm being?), then YOU get to go and vote for your favorite pair of aprons.

Seriously, our aprons are cute. I don't know what 'the competition' is offering, but I'm happy with what we've done. Even if we don't get the big enchilada it's been fun to play!

The Fabric Shopper's giveaway has really gotten me fired up. I'm LOVING the Hippie Chicks fabric line by Michele D'Amore (Marcus Brothers). I'm just telling you all so that I get to write yet another comment on the giveaway post to get another entry for the fat quarters. You don't need to go over and enter the drawing. No, really you don't. Feel free to browse around the rest of the blog and to be inspired and find some really cool online fabric resources, but really: I have plans for a stack of Hippie Chicks Fat Quarters. :snort:

Jeanette over at Serendipity Designs is having a giveaway to celebrate her 50th post! As a prize, she's giving away the instructions and embroidery design for a Quilter's Tote (somewhere around 30 June). It's awfully nice!

If you want to pop on over and enter her giveaway, be aware: There might be music on her blog. I think I saw the player down at the bottom of the post (but YAY-YAY-YAY, I got a music blocker for Firefox!!).

Oh, and I just can't believe this: Jan at Paper Craft Pleasures is giving away a Zutter Bind-It-All! Her Blog Candy post gives the details - this is an incredible "prize" and one that just happens to be on my Christmas wishlist! Giveaway ends 30 June.

Phew! I think I might be caught up with the stuff I've been wanting to share with you!

Labels: aprons, babble

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