"Joy"

Like I need MORE projects, I signed up at The Sewing Palace for this year long MODA U class.  The pattern we are using for this class is called "Joy" by Whirligig Designs.  This is the pattern we are using....

Of course, I have to be difficult different.  So I am going with a 'reversed' design in coloring.

And it is all because of this fabric, "Autumn Harvest" by Jason Yenter for In the Beginning Fabrics. 

Isn't it yummy?  I wanted to use all of this fabric that I could in the quilt, so I demanded decided I would go with this as my background. Not only were the colors luscious, but with the circles it brought out my love for mandalas/compass roses. This is the remainder of the fabrics I picked out.

From left to right, Dit-Dot by Jason Yenter for In the Beginning, Acacia by Tula Pink are the Racoon and the circles.  The rest is back to Autumn Harvest by Jason Yenter.  So I have 2 lights, 2 mediums (I am considering the fans medium) and then 2 darks and my background.  (I am proud of myself I remembered to jot down the fabrics I am using for the posting.)  On the pattern, I have to remember to reverse the fabrics when they specify light and dark.

Crazy, right!  I may have made the biggest design errors in selecting what I did, but I was going with my gut on this.  I just wanted these fabrics and I may be making the craziest quilt around, but right now I am happy with my choices.

This is what block 1 looks like.

It is definitely not a QUIET quilt by any means.  I can't wait to see how this quilt goes together over the next year.  I am so jazzed about it I just want to start cutting and sewing on it, but I will be a good girl and stay with the class on this one.  

It does bring "Joy" to my heart to see it and I guess that is all that matters.

Can't Contain Myself

Ever have one of those days when you agreed to do something you really wanted to do, but when the day arrived you really didn't want to do it?  That was me on Tuesday.  I had signed up for a class at the Sewing Palace, "It's a Wrap" based on the book by the same title.  I was really jazzed to take the class, but when the time came to go, I was really dragging my feet.  But boy am I glad I went, dragging feet and all!

Maybe because it was two days after the end of BOW and I was still getting my energy back from such a fun weekend, but I threw together some scraps of fabric that I thought might go together, put "Stitchy" (my sewing machine) into her bag and off we went.

Ann taught the class and had tons of wonderful examples of the things you could do with this technique.  In fact, Indygo Junction has a pattern out that I am going to have to get because they have a lined purse using this method.

But this is my first attempt at a 'basket' made with fabric and clothesline.

I alternated a black fabric with yellow and red fabric and got this striped bowl.  It's about 8 inches across and about 6 inches tall. 

After yesterday, the colors remind me of a Western Tanager.  (I have birds on the brain lately, although there are those who would call me 'bird brained' anyway.)

Since I had cording left over, I pulled some more scraps from the box and made this one.

The bottom and top edge were dark green fabrics.  The main color was a striped fabric.  I wanted to see how stripes cam across in the process.   About 10 inches across and 7 inches tall, this is my 'grass' basket.

These are really easy to make, just a bit time consuming wrapping the fabric around the clothesline.  However, that makes for a great in front of the TV activity.  Once wrapped, all you have to do is sew and it goes relatively quickly.

There are 'tricks' involved to get the different shapes and I can't wait to get more clothesline and try it out.  I am really impressed by how study they really are.  They are not flimsy at all.  I have in my mind coasters, placemats, purses and more 'pots'.  In fact, Texter has already advised I will be making small baskets to put her Christmas gifts she is making in, color coordinated of course.

I can't wait to get more clothesline and embellish the pots with beads and fibers.  "It's a Wrap" is just a start for me.  Ann's examples she brought had my mouth watering and my head spinning with ideas.  Watching my classmates make their's and how different fabrics make for different looks is amazing.  

I am glad that I decided to take my dragging feet onto class.

Yo-Yo, Yo-dog

I'm not sure of 'his' name yet.  I do feel he is a he, but then I could be wrong.  But he does have personality though.

About two months ago, Texter, Lady K and I were exploring our new downtown area and walked into Prickly Pear Quilts.  I say walked, actually I think I was running through the door.  Once again we were greeted like old friends (I am so loving Montana).  Anyway, Lady K spotted this little yo-yo dog on a shelf and they gladly let her play with it.  Texter and I exited the building with material for an owl quilt and the pattern, by Indygo Junction, for this little guy.  

Texter was going to make it for Lady K and after getting sidetracked a bit, she spent a couple of hours going through my 'allowable' fabric for the material needed and cut out all the pieces.  This was the first time she had actually cut something out from a pattern to sew something.  At this time we did not have the yo-yo 'makers', but as it turned out a couple of weeks ago, in the sale basket at The Sewing Palace, they had all sizes of the Clover Yo-Yo makers and I snapped them up.

I had never made yo-yo's before.  I had an idea of how they were made without the forms, but had never actually sat down and made any.  I am sooooooo hooked now on yo-yo's.   They are as addictive as hand sewing hexies.  I want to make a yo-yo quilt now (I think).   Since the sewing room is downstairs and we spend a lot of time upstairs, I need 'handwork' and this was perfect for that.

I do have to say that the little pieces for the head were not my favorite thing to stitch - thus his personality.  And I didn't have any fray check or buttonhole thread.  I used clear nail polish (to stabilize the knots) and embroidery floss (all 6 strands) to sew him together.  The instructions did call for making a little slit in the head to sink the shank of the button, but I just pulled them tight and doubled the thread through the shank.  I felt with my shaky stitching on the head if I cut two holes in it his head would explode.

So Yo-dog is finished (and one project scratched off my long list of things to do).  Now I have Yo-Monkey to make (also by Indygo Junction).  Guess I'll set Texter onto my fabric shelf again.

WIP Wednesday

I set aside my central medallion for the Marcelle Medallion quilt.  The Y-seam was getting my goat and I was getting frustrated, so I set it aside until I could approach it without wanting to wad it up and throw it out.

So, in the meantime, Texter and Lady K threw in a couple of projects on me.

The first one, which is finished all except for the stuffing, is a large floor pillow.  Based on a McCalls pattern, I made it out of flannel from my stash.

The finished size is about 27 x 27 inches and will make a nice play pillow for Lady K.

The other project will take a little longer to accomplish.  Texter and I are making stuffed baby blocks.  I saw this tutorial on Sew Like My Mom and decided it would be nice for Lady K.  However, Texter took it a step further and wanted the entire alphabet and numbers.  

So we have the letters cut out and with fusible webbing on them, are putting them on the blocks.  I, however, got the great idea of rather than machine appliquéing them, I would do a blanket stitch around them to be sure they stay on well.  I have 6 letters down and only 30 more letters and numbers left to stitch.  But it is a great project for sitting in front of the TV in the evening and doing.

I had purchased several yards of flannel when Joann's had it on sale, so we are using it for the blocks.  Today we are finishing up cutting out 36 4.5" squares from each fabric and ironing on the letters to the different colors of blocks.  Then they will go into my stitching bag to blanket stitch before we assemble them into actual blocks.

Luckily, we have coupons for both Michael's and Joann's for polyfil.  We will need a ton of it for 36 blocks.  And a large bin to keep them in.  But can you imagine a kid sitting in a pile of cushy blocks to play with.  I want to play too!

Sunday's Spicy Spiral

I finished up the top of my "Spicy Spiral Table Runner" by School House Quilts between feeding Lake K and her napping.  I had cut out the strips earlier and last night sewed the strips together and cut out my wedges.

Texter and I loved the lime green and black combination when we saw it at the quilt show.  This color combo really speaks to me.  I want to do more with this neon green and black.

So, with Lady K up and entertaining herself, I used this Sunday morning to stitch the wedges together.

You cut out the wedges by layering two 'strata' of strips.  By inverting one on top of the other, when you cut, you get a light and dark wedge.  Once the two curves are together you stitch them together to form this lovely spiral.

Now I have to even up the outside edges so it makes a nice curve.  I also have to find a backing fabric for it, then layer and quilt.  I will probably use it on my dresser as a runner.

Couple things I really like about this pattern.  First, I have never sewn wedges.  This was a great starter project using wedges.  Since I want to do some really large circles made of wedges, I had a taste of what it is like to work with the wedge ruler.  Secondly, I now have my thinking cap on about how, other than appliqué I can use this pattern and set it into a quilt. 

Warning:  this pattern is addictive, so approach with care!

Projects on the Burner

One of the wonderful, and crazy, things about being retired is that my list of 'to-do's' is growing by leaps and bounds.  In the stuff I am having shipped from North Carolina are two big bins of needlework which I now have the time to work on.  Hopefully, I will finish up some of those partially completed pieces that have been languishing for ages.

Not content with that, I have also lined up a couple of 'new' projects.  The first one is weaving on this loom. 

I saw this loom at the quilt show in April and bought one.  I want to make some woven rugs out of old sheets and jeans.  I have been buying old sheets at yard sales and Goodwill for the vintage fabric for quilts, but I will probably use some of them for rugs.  This is something I will probably work on while watching TV in the evenings.

Another project I to do is one that I have wanted to do for decades.  I saw this pattern years and years ago and was probably one of the reasons I learned to knit.

Photo by Vogue Knitting

This is the Map of the World Afghan.  It is knit in four panels and sewn together, which I really don't like.  I had thought I might try knitting all the way across but I have a couple of road blocks for that plan.  The first is that there are 'points' along the long edges of the afghan.  If I wanted to do it all in one go, then I would have to knit all the points and have then on needles to add as I go along.  Doable, but fussy.  The second, and most important one, is the weight.  A friend pointed this out to me.  Being in worsted weight yarn, the 324 stitches across would get bulky and heavy to knit in one go.  But I HATE seaming.  So I might try to do it in two panels rather than four panels in order to only have one seam to sew.  

The original is knitted in a tweedy yarn.  I went with the "Michael's option" (cheaper) and the amount of yarn needed fills this bin. 

Somewhere in there is my 40 inch circular needle (or somewhere else in the house!).  This is another project which will wait until the weather turns cooler and will be worked on in the evenings.  

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

I have been 'crafty' all my life....for better or worse.  I think I have dabbled in about every medium out there, with various levels of continued interest and success.  I have also encouraged my daughters to be creative and crafty.

So with the birth of Lady K, Texter has pulled out her crafting abilities.   

She had seen the large letters online, decorating baby's nurseries, and decided she wanted to make them for Lady K's room.  Painting a base color of brown, painter's tape was applied several times to make stripes in different colors and widths to match the colors in Lady K's room. 

She also learned the trials and tribulations of 'creating' with a baby whose needs take precedence over the process.  Babies don't care if you are in the middle of a project or not.  They have to be older to understand when mom says "just let me get to the end of this row".

And after a couple of days and a lot of starts and stops, the final product went up on the wall in the nursery.

Yes, Lady K is going to have an excellent example in her mother in being creative.

Baby Quilts

Right before Savvy was born 22 years ago, I made a simple baby quilt out of flannel and just tied it with yarn.  Savvy really didn't use it and Texter took it over when she was little.  She still has it...patches and all.  And Lady K has been wrapped in it since she arrived.  I did make her one blanket out of flannel where you expose the seams and let them fray, but these are in the style of her mother's blanket.

So I decided she needed some of her own.  Plus Joann's Fabrics was having a sale on flannel. 

Zombie Girl 

More traditional baby flannel

Texter and Lady K didn't let me finish tying the quilt.  Actually, Lady K might have to get older and fight her mother for the quilt as it covers both of them on the couch.

While the first quilt is sweet and more traditional, I love the zombie girls.  Pinky, girly, skulls, neon green.  It's fun.  I think Lady K will really love this one later on. 

The 'pattern' is actually very simple.  I buy a yard of the front and back fabric and trim the edges to square them up.  Then I buy a yard and a half for the borders and just cut strips about 6 inches wide.  I sew strips on the two narrower ends first and then up the longer sides.  With right sides together, I lay on the batting.  I use cotton batting which gives some body, but makes it cuddly.

Stitch around all 4 sides, leaving an opening on one side to turn the quilt.  Trim up the seams and batting and turn the quilt, poking out the corners.  I whip the opening closed by hand.  Then I tie the quilt with a coordinating yarn.  I like yarn rather than thread as it has more strength to it.  How you tie it depends on the pattern of the front.

This is a quilt that is quick and easy and I have made for friends who were having children or grandchildren.  With the flannel on sale, the fabric cost about $10.  Batting was about $5 as I had a large piece which I got at least 2 quilts out of and had a coupon for.  The yarn was some I had for another project and used since I don't need much.

But this makes the time and effort worthwhile.  Now if we can hide the Zombie Girls from her aunt. 

Lady K's New Beanie

Found some really nice yarn I had to do something with yesterday at my local needlework shop.  It's Euro Baby Maypole, color #9, and 100% polyester.  Super soft and a crinkly yarn and with being polyester it can be washed easily.

I knitted up a beanie for Lady K.

A super easy knit, done in the round even if the pattern says knit flat and seam.  I don't like seaming, so knit it in the round.

A little large right now, but she can grow into it.  With the wind we have here in Great Falls, she will have plenty of opportunities to wear it.

Now onto a 'monkey' hat for her and Texter.

Coming Soon

Self Portrait

This is where I will showcase what I am creating in different mediums.  I am into anything and everything, fabrics, fibers, pens, pencils, markers......

you name it, I probably have a bit of it in my stash.

Right now most of my stuff is put up, getting ready for my big move.  But I do have a couple of knitting projects I am working on at the moment.  More about them later.