Something About Nothing

More Tangling

2012-02-06T19:19:00.001-07:00

I just can't get away from zentangling.

It is so relaxing and can be taken with me anywhere.

I really like doing it while I wait for children in the car.

I'm determined to add some color.

I'm not feeling as chicken about adding color as I once was but I just have to remember to bring some color with me when I go out or remember to bring my sketchbook down to the studio!

Painting

2012-02-02T17:24:00.001-07:00

I am taking an acrylic painting class to help me grow as an artist. I wanted to paint with acrylics because they are what I use on fabrics and I hope the lessons I learn in my art class will transfer over into art quilting. We are painting still life in class and after 4 classes I've finally created something I don't mind sharing:

Pin Free. . .

2012-02-02T17:19:00.001-07:00

How do you baste your quilts before quilting?

I hate basting my quilts with pins!

Straight pins stab you as you pin and as you quilt. Safety pins make my fingers raw. But if a quilt sandwich isn't basted properly the quilting looks awful.

A few years ago I read about basting spray. I searched and the only product I could find at the time was at my local big-chain-fabric-store. It was a little sticky but did the job of keeping things together.

I was so excited even if it meant I now had a lifetime supply of large curved safety pins. Not having raw fingers made it all worth it! I never tried another brand online because I never thought about needing the spray until I had to baste a quilt and I always need to baste them NOW!

But the reviews for 505 were so high and widely spread across the blogosphere that I decided to keep my eyes open. I finally found 505 in a booth at a vendors mall and proceeded to buy two cans. I AM NOW A BIG FAN OF 505! It sticks beautifully and doesn't gum up my sewing machine. My quilting mistakes are now my own and not because of a poor basting job. Yay!

Today I discovered something I thought I would share. ODIF, the company that makes 505 has a great little comparison on their website where you can look at all the spray products they make and decide which product will work for what you need. Great information! I had no idea there were so many different sprays for different jobs - permanent, temporary, fabric and paper. I can spray a paper pattern onto fabric - again no pins to poke me. It's beginning to sound like I'm not a big fan of being poked or of pins. Crazy!

Happy is As Happy Does

2012-01-31T23:57:00.000-07:00

I just love this little saying/photo I found online at Pinterest and I just had to share it everywhere I could!

Source: a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net via Lisa on Pinterest

Quilting Flotsam

2012-01-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

If you quilt, you have flotsam. Unwanted threads and materials floating about the sewing room, your clothing and eventually the entire house. Our 12x12 challenge word was Flotsam a few months ago and I finally managed to pick up some of my quilting flotsam and arrange it on a quilted 12x12.

My inspiration came from a piece I saw on Pinterest which was actually pinned from a website called The Rag and Bone Boutique. Check out the link here. This post has some beautiful pieces made from recycled materials. I think I should have went with a more neutral background and brighter colored flotsam. The good thing about this idea is that I still have a LOT of flotsam I can use to make another!

I originally tried to stitch each piece of flotsam to the fabric but the machine stitching took away the dimension of the flotsam. I really can't do a lot of hand sewing right now so I ended up glueing them on with Fabric Mod Podge. As long as I don't wash the piece I think it will stay put just fine!

How to Mono-Print on Fabric with Gel Printing Plates

2012-01-18T03:00:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd do a little "How to" on making Mono-Prints onto fabric using the Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate. I've made some mono-prints using an acrylic sheet but I really like the ease and feel of using the gel printing plate much better. The advantage of using the gel plate as opposed to a plate made from gelatin is that the plate is ready to use whenever you are ready. The plate comes in a 6x6" size as well as an 8x10" and word has it they are coming out with a 12x14" plate! I'm looking forward to the bigger size!

In the meanwhile here is how to make a Mono Print onto Fabric -

Supplies:

fabric paints (I used Jacquard Textile Paint)

a brayer

pfd fabric

Gelli Arts gel printing plate (I'm using an 8x10" plate)

stamps, stencils, toilet paper rolls and anything else you would like to use to make marks

Take the plate out of the package (remove the plastic from each side) and place it on a piece of paper to protect whatever surface you are working on. The plate comes out so clean and clear.

And here is what it looks like after a couple times of printing - little bit of paint residue that actually all came off when I cleaned it later with hand sanitizer (yup - you read that right! Hand sanitizer!)

Next you will put a small bit of paint onto the plate. About 1/2 a teaspoon. You really don't need a whole lot.

Use the brayer to spread the paint evenly across the plate

The paint will stay wet for a little bit giving you time to play.

On this printing I stamped the toilet paper rolls to make the large circles and a circle stencil to make the bubbly bits. Just lay the stencil down and run the brayer over it briefly and then remove.

Once you are done playing in the paint, lay the fabric over the top and rub.

When you lift up the fabric magic happens!

Look at that beautiful design now printed onto the fabric!

And because I used fabric paint the hand of the fabric is still nice and soft!

Here is more Magic with the red paint and

toilet paper rolls, squares of foam core and sequin waste.

This piece is made from smudged sequin waste and sea shell stamps (in other words I laid the sequin waste down, rolled it with the brayer and then pulled slightly to smudge - I did it accidentally the first time but liked it so much I did it a few more times)

And here is what a simple mono-print looks like on one of my hand dyes:

I like the bubbly look of the circles.

One you are done printing you can wash the plate in the sink with water or use hand sanitizer or a baby wipe. All of them will wipe the paint right off. Put the acetate sheets back onto the front and back of the plate and then place back in the container it comes in. Store laying flat and it will be ready and waiting to play whenever you like!

Fabric Exchange

2012-01-16T22:59:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I sent in four of my ice dyed fabrics to a surface design fabric exchange at Quilting Arts Magazine.

And this week I received these four beauties in return:

From Deborah in Newburgh, NY.

She painted with acrylic paint and gesso and then stamped a nice leaf design with Distress Ink.

From Torrie, who sun printed with seta color twice with different colors and textures.

From Lori who used a gauzy cotton fabric and a process called Hot Bundling from India Flint's book "Eco Colour." She used red onion leaves and wrapped them up in the fabric and microwaved the bundles. After letting them rest in the sun for a few days she washed the fabric in cold water and set with a hot iron.

From Betsy who used soy wax, dyes, fabric paint and hand carved stamps. To create the blue motif, she carved the stamp asymmetrically. Then, using rotational symmetry, she created the feeling of motion and connection.

I love reading about how each fabric was made. I think I will have a hard time cutting any of them up for a bit!

Which one is your favorite?

Reorganizing

2012-01-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

Life has been so busy with the holidays that I haven't had the time I would like in my studio and so when I had a free evening I had to decide: sew or clean up and reorganize? I posted the options on Facebook and the overwhelming response was SEW!

But I just couldn't do it.

I had to reorganize.

There just comes a point sometimes when the creative juices cannot flow through the mess. I did resist the urge to tear the whole room apart, rearrange and reorganize. I cleared up the surfaces, put away things that had been piled here and there and then decided I needed a chalkboard, cork board and more organization containers. (More about the chalkboard and cork board in another post) Recently I read a great blog post on Art Camp for Women about how to make custom sized boxes to organize your art supplies. I decided to try it out with my drawer of quilting threads. They needed some reorganization anyway and it's hard to find boxes shallow enough for these wonderful map drawers.

Before:

And After:

Amazing!

I even organized them by color and a little bit by thread type as well. This organizing really shows me what color threads I need to buy.

Next will be boxes for my sewing threads and then the markers, pens and pencils.

Eye Candy

2012-01-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

40 Art Quilters from around the World

414 pages of sumptuous, beautiful, fascinating quilts

I've had this book for a couple of months now and have spent hours pouring over the beautiful quilts. They are all so inspiring. I want to be a fly on the wall of each quilter and see how they create such beauty - no not a fly because a fly can't ask questions, I'd rather be standing over their shoulder watching and then be like a 3 year old and ask as many questions as I could get away with: "Why did you chose that color scheme? Why that process? Why not this process? What kind of paint do you use? What kind of fabric/batting/thread do you prefer? Do you keep a journal? Do you have a plan when you create?" Thankfully a number of these questions are answered in the brief commentary on each artist which does help to satisfy some of my curiosity. I think I will be opening this book again and again when I feel the need for inspiration, or just want something beautiful to enjoy.

Makin' Pie

2012-01-09T17:00:00.004-07:00

It's been almost 10 years since Mom passed away at the young age of 59. Every moment I had with her is now precious. One of those precious moments happened about a year and a half before she passed away. Mom decided to teach my children to make fried apple pies just like their great-grandmother. Four children ages 3, 3, 10 and 13, can do quite a number on a kitchen but Mom had the patience of a saint that day. At least that is how I like to remember it. After having them help her make the dough, Mom gave each child a space on the counter and a piece of dough to roll out and fill with apples. Annie was the first to finish and Mom picked her up to show me and the camera the beautifully mangled pie. I have cherished the look of pride in Annie's eyes about her first pie and the look of love in Mom's eyes over a beautiful granddaughter.

I made this mini-quilt for a Quilting Arts Reader Challenge titled: "Time Flies." The idea was to capture a moment in time in an 11x 14" quilt. The background, magenta square, pink circles and binding are snow dyed cotton fabrics. I posterized the original photo and then broke it down in photoshop to nothing more than a drawing which was then made into a thermofax. The thermofax design was then printed onto a piece of white silk organza which was stitched down and trimmed.

What moment in time would you like to capture in your art?

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

A sparkling Cider toast to you and yours in this New Year.

Here's to making Happy Memories,

and New Friendships,

Keeping Old Friendships

and making new Art!

Happy 2012!

Merry Christmas to All

2011-12-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

And to all a good night. . .

Cracked Up

2011-12-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

There are so many awful things in this world to worry about:

Famine

Slavery

Wars

Poverty

Unjust Governments

Tornados

Earthquakes

Tsunami's

There is so much that needs to be fixed but yet right now I am selfishly grieving the loss of my laptop.

This isn't a photo of my computer but it resembles the carnage that occurred when the laptop slipped from my hands yesterday. I have been in a funk ever since and am doing my best to put the whole situation into perspective.

There could be worse things going on in my life.

I have a desktop I can use (if I can get my teenagers off of it).

It is only a machine afterall.

A machine that has a lot of my life on it.

Thankfully that memory is all intact, it's only the viewing of the memory that is difficult. I can connect the laptop to a moniter and use it as a desktop but it is still a loss I am working through. I'm not ready to replace my beautiful red laptop yet but I will work through this and move on.

Star Challenge

2011-12-15T06:00:00.001-07:00

This year's Quilter's Holladay guild challenge was "One Star, few star, red star, blue star" or in other words, "Make a star quilt." We had 10 beautiful entries. Part of the fun of a challenge is not knowing who made which quilt, but when you've been in the guild for a little while you learn about a person's favorite color choices and the techniques that they like to use most and so you can make a pretty good guess at who the creator is. I did pretty good at guessing this year but there was one which surprised us all. More about that later.

Let's start with the first place winner . . . drum roll please. . . .

Kaye

Kaye likes bright colors and is so technically spot on with all of her projects. These were little pieces and they were pieced perfectly.

The second place winner was. . . .Nan

Nan is one of the few who hand quilts still. She has a great sense of color and beautiful stitches.

Ugh, my brain has gone blank as to who made this lovely. I should know this.

This piece is from Marie.

I knew it was hers because the quilting was so outstanding. She is a long arm quilter who does such tight clean work. I want to quilt like Marie when I grow up.

This string star beauty was made by Alice.

Alice was celebrating her 95th birthday Tuesday night. She is another fabulous hand quilter. She has made over 150 lap quilts for Walter Reed Hospital but now that they are closing she is making all her quilts for Quilts of Valor. They are a very lucky group to have Alice on board.

This bright and beautiful piece was made by Andrea. She started it for last years Ostrich challenge but didn't get it finished in time. Fortunately for her because of the stars in the corners it fit this years challenge as well.

Way to go Andrea.

Unfortunately Mitzi took her red and blue star quilt down before Barb got a chance to photograph it.

It's difficult to see but there is a star bag hanging on the corner next to Andrea's quilt. It was made by Mardi, our charity quilt coordinator extraordinaire. If charity quilts and projects can reserve you a mansion in heaven then Mardi has a great big one with a spa waiting for her.

This last century pink lone star bed quilt is the one that surprised us all. It was made by art quilter Lisa B. She made it a number of years ago and it is nothing like the bright quilts she makes today. We all grow and change in our color and design choices but obviously from looking at this quilt, Lisa B's always had amazing skills.

And last but not least is my quilt.

I used deColourant Plus on a piece of my ice dyed fabric to paint a small lone star and I almost cried when the colors I painted were not playing nice, however when I turned the fabric over I discovered something beautiful. The removal of the color on the back was great. I quilted around the star and then pebble quilted around the entire star to make it pop a bit more. It's the first piece I have quilted on my new Juki TL2010q. I love how it quilts. I'll need to take a close up of the quilting so you can see how well it helps me quilt.

Thanks to Barbara H. for letting me borrow her photos since I forgot my camera.

A Keeper

2011-12-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

I've been busy trying to get Christmas presents made, which means I have a number of things made that cannot be posted here. However among the Christmas deadline I also have other sewing deadlines I can share. One is this Scrappy Zigzag quilt top I am hoping to teach at a retreat in the spring:

I will be adding one more black border before I quilt it. I love the bright colors against the black background and for a real change of pace, I think it will be staying at my house.

In the Dark

2011-12-05T23:49:00.000-07:00

We've had some big wind storms here in Utah last week.

There were several trees that went down because of the wind being so strong. One in particular caused our local power to go out at 4:30 a.m. My girls were very disappointed that there was still power at the school. After I sent them off to school I sat in the dark with a candle and suddenly noticed the beautiful patterns that were being cast by the candle.

I had to take photos.

Just a typical jelly jar with a grape motif.

But the designs were delightful

The power was out all day and once the sun was up I crawled back into bed with a good book and snuggled down. I was suppose to be cleaning and sewing but as I had been sick with a stomach bug the day before I thought it was a great excuse to spend some down time with the cats. They didn't mind a bit.

This is one of the many trees that came down in my neighborhood.

This beautiful blue spruce which came up by the roots, was in my backyard neighbors yard. The amazing part of the story was that the tree went down right inbetween two houses and the only thing lost (besides the home for many birds and Mr. Squirrel) was a rain gutter. We're thankful no one was harmed.

New Book

2011-12-03T00:34:00.000-07:00

I know it's almost Christmas and I really shouldn't be buying things for myself but. . . I guess I will just be on Santa's naughty list. After the Zentangle class my friend, Dawn, wanted to learn Zentangle using a book and there weren't any Zentangle books in the library. We were shocked. We decided we should order some from the local bookstore: The Kings English.

She got this one on the basics

and I bought this newer one.

The books came in yesterday and Dawn picked them up for us. I excitedly gave a quick look through and I am very happy about what is inside.

I've been sick all week and unable to work on anything which has really put me behind on my projects. Why are there so many deadlines in December? (Sing that to "Why are their so many songs about rainbows " - it works nicely, not as pleasant but you know. . .) So I guess I will have to put this new selfish purchase aside and get back to the grindstone. I promise myself I will read and play with it again soon.

Tree Perspective

2011-11-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

My quilt Tree Perspective has been published in

One Line at a Time, Encore by Charlotte Warr Andersen.

The quilt is part of the background for the Gallery title page as well as on it's own page.

And if that isn't exciting enough for me, my quilt,

Flower Wreath is also in the gallery section.

The book shows you some easy ways to create great quilting patterns using the walking foot on your Home Domestic Machine.

The book is published by C&T Publishing and is hopefully in your local quilt store very soon.

More Zentangling

2011-11-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

This was a relaxing way to spend a Sunday evening. I didn't realize how out of balance this butterfly was until I was completely finished. But somehow I like it anyway.

I taught my youngest daughter, Annie, age 14, how to Zentangle and as usual she just took off with the concept. Here is what she did while I made my butterfly:

Zentangled

2011-11-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

This week I learned how to Zentangle while attending the Utah Surface Design Group.

Here is the drawing I made at the meeting

Just a sharpie pen and lots of fun lines.

It's very relaxing.

I loved the designs so much I just had to draw more the next morning:

A very strange creature indeed but I like her.

I love this bird I drew.

I wasn't brave enough to watercolor the bird on paper so I played with the coloring in photoshop:

Not bad but I would like more color. I'm still not sure if I have the nerve to color the real drawing.

Have you ever zentangled?

Failure

2011-11-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

MMMM Oatmeal.

I LOVE OATMEAL!

Especially this oatmeal served at The Grove in San Francisco.

Steel cut oats cooked overnight and served with fresh fruit, nuts and brown sugar. My mouth waters thinking about it. I've been craving this oatmeal for months. I decided I wanted to make it here at home so I've been looking at mini crock pots to make it in. Turns out my oldest daughter had a mini-crockpot she never uses so I borrowed it. I found a recipe online that I thought said I could use regular oatmeal since I didn't have any steel cut oats or groats in the house. I threw the oats, water, sugar, sliced up a nice apple and threw some crasins in the slow cooker wrote a sweet note for the family and went to bed.

This is what greeted the family in the morning.

I think I made pectin. :S

And I want to throw up every time I look at this picture.

So it's a big time failure.

Do I cry and complain all day because I failed?

I could.

I could take it personally and say that I am a failure because my oatmeal failed.

Thankfully I have a great example of what to do. My friend Jane experiments with foods all the time. I am always amazed at what she makes and with her wonderful attitude toward her adventures. So thanks to Jane I will blog about my failure and figure out what I can learn so that I can move on and succeed.

So what did I learn? What will I do next?

1. Don't use this recipe with regular oats - nope, never, na-dah, just don't do it

2. Perhaps try it again with regular oats but with half the water - would the long cooking time still be bad with half the water? Something to think about

3. Definitely buy some steel cut oats and/or groats

4. Try this again once I buy some steel cut oats and/or groats

5. Pray that the family will be willing to try it again once the above corrections have been made

What failures have you learned from?

Winner!

2011-11-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm a little slow posting but I am happy to announce the winner of the International Quilt Festival: Quilt Scene magazine is:

Sylvia said...

Carpooling with friends!

Congratulations Sylvia! I will contact you about getting your prize!

Last Minute Entry

2011-11-04T15:00:00.000-06:00

I've been watching and spying on Amy's Creative Side blog for some time now. Every year I watch as hundreds of people post a quilt entries into her Blogger's Quilt Festival and I always think "I should do that!" and then I doubt myself, "but what would I post, what would I enter?" Time passes and I miss it entirely. This year I decided I should post before it's too late (nothing like waiting until the last minute as it ends today!).

Here is a photo of "Sistah's Quilt" before the binding went on because I was a dork and never took a picture of the quilt once it was completely finished.

Over the years I have made quilts for my children, husband and some friends but had neglected to make one for my sister. I love my sister dearly and really felt terrible when I realized this great mistake. I've made other things for her, just not a real quilt! How could I let this happen?!? I decided it was a mistake I must correct. Last year at the state's quilt festival I had the opportunity to take a class with Norah McMeeking using her pattern, Bella Bella, which is based on Italian Mosaics. I decided this would be a great quilt for my sister as she has loved everything Italian since she was a child. I didn't finish it quite in time for her forty *cough, choke cough* - oops I mean twenty-ninth birthday but she received it shortly after and has been delighted. Many of her friends question why it isn't up on a wall and she lets them know that I gave her specific instructions that she was to use it everyday because I wanted her to remember my love for her every time she wrapped herself in it.

Published

2011-10-28T16:46:00.000-06:00

I have been bursting for months to share a secret with you all. . .

I have finally been published.

I am doing the happy dance today!

And because Interweave was nice enough to send me an extra copy of the magazine I am going to make someone else do the happy dance by giving it to one of my readers. Please leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite way to go green and you will be entered to win a copy of Quilt Scene. The drawing will close at midnight (mst) on Friday, November 4, 2011,.

You are not "just" anything

2011-10-21T18:28:00.000-06:00

Please click here because I wanted to share this post with you from designer Bari J. She gives a great message about being more than "just a mom," or "just a wife."

Think Pink

2011-10-19T10:25:00.000-06:00

Here are the lovely ladies in their tie-dyed t-shirts.

Group Dyeing

2011-10-17T20:23:00.000-06:00

My daughter's volleyball team came by this evening to dye some shirts for their Breast Cancer Awareness Game.

They were excited to get started and almost put bare hands in the soda ash.

We were able to quickly save them with some vinyl gloves.

Everyone seemed to have a great time.

It's amazing how calm it all seems in these pictures.

Some went fancy with lots of rubber bands while others went more "plain."

A big thumbs up for a job well done.

I can't wait to see how they all turn out!

More Journal Quilts

2011-10-07T22:48:00.000-06:00

I've been playing catch up on my Journal quilts.

Here is

#3: Rejoice

is a background of a few random fabric paints, covered by my Sharpie marker drawing of a tree branch, singing bird and word. The bird is painted onto of the background with acrylic inks. I quilted around the marker lines and then decided it needed a few more leaves quilted into the background.

#4: Swirls and Circles

is fabric painted using stencils and Setacolor paints that I used to practice some new free motion quilting designs I learned from this great website.

#5: Flower Man

is made up of pieces left over from the Journal cover I blogged about earlier in the week. I liked the odd shape it took and so I decided not to square it up. Once finished I thought it looked like a fat flower man.

#6: Feathering My Nest

is made from a couple of recycled (upcycled?) Shout Color Catchers I had thrown in the wash with the fabric I ice dyed last week and then didn't blog about (see I don't blog everything I do). I thought they were just so bright and pretty that I couldn't throw them away. I'm glad I found a good use for them. I have a goal of becoming better at quilting feathers so I thought I would use some of my journal quilts as a way to practice this beautiful stitch.

More Quiltfest

2011-10-05T22:19:00.000-06:00

One of my lunch bag students whose name is Delight allowed me to take a few photos with her camera and now that I have copies I thought I would share them here:

We had an enormous classroom which allowed everyone to spread out.

I like how after your generosity I neglected to get a photo of the camera owner. However I suppose if it were me I would have avoided the camera as well.

Thanks for your help Delight!

Sewing Wild

2011-10-04T10:06:00.000-06:00

I bought this book by Alisa Burke

because I've been admiring her style on her blog.

I love that it has a DVD with it where she shows everything she talks about in the book. I've had some fun playing and ended up making this journal from a piece I made based on Alisa's techniques.

I used my phone camera so that I could quickly send a photo to someone and then I forgot to take a good photo with the good camera because I let one of the girls take the journal to school!

And here is one more piece inspired by Alisa:

Quiltfest Fun

2011-09-30T00:04:00.000-06:00

I was so busy during the Utah Quiltfest that I didn't take many pictures.

One reason I didn't get pictures was that I forgot my camera when I taught my lunchbags class. However I did have my phone:

Nine out of the ten students finished their lunch and sandwich bags.

One of the students did not bring her machine down because it was too much for her to carry.

All of the ladies did a great job!

I did manage to bring my camera and take two photos of the set up for my Painting on Fabric class.

I showed quilts I have made using different paints and also displayed some books about painting on fabric.

Once the class started it was all lecture and I think I yammered on about various paints and techniques for over an hour and a half and about 10 glasses of water that my wonderful angel supplied me with. I had 17 students and only 16 handouts (there were some last minute sign ups I didn't know about). I was fortunate enough to have two friends in the class who were willing to share. (Thank you Mickey and Bobbie!)

The worst part of the class was that there was no painting allowed in the classroom. So I talked. No one fell asleep despite the 7 p.m. starting hour so I think they were entertained. I hope I can teach a project next year where we actually get to paint on fabric.

The last class I taught was about Photo Transferring.

I showed them how to print a photo onto tissue paper, as I did in this quilt:

How to use Citrasolv as I did in this project:

And how print a photo onto prepared fabric or TAP (Transfer Artist Paper) as I did in this quilt:

After I lectured for a bit the 17 (or was it 19?) students were able to play with the Citrasolv using images I brought as well as print off images onto the EQ Printable Fabric and TAP I gave them with their kits. The next time I teach this class I shall have a helper who is familiar with my printer so that I can be available to help answer questions and work more with the Citrasolv.

I do think my prejudicial preference for TAP showed as I sold every last piece of TAP I had.

I am loving this stuff!
I love the vibrant colors, the softness on fabric and it's wash-ability.

I plan to put it's wash-ability to the ultimate test by using it to put transfers on baby onesies. It's a good thing lots of people around me are having babies right now.

A Message for Us All

2011-09-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

I was inspired by this message by Leslie Riley and thought those who stop by here might enjoy it too:

The Others

Let's talk about the others. I've always had a love hate relationship with them. There was a time when I stalked newsstands, waiting anxiously for the next issue to hit the shelves. I'd buy them all, devouring the eye candy and inspiration. I lived for those magazines. But then, slowly, it would creep in. You know what I'm talking about - the doubt, the disappointment, maybe even a hint of depression. "I'm not good enough." "Everyone else is so talented." "How come my work never looks that good?" Instead of being inspired to go make something, I felt like giving up. And that was after I had been published in those very same magazines!

Now it's blogs and even Facebook. The others are there, too, happily showing off all they have accomplished this week, today, or even in the last 5 minutes. Not only are they doing the artwork, but they have time to connect with everyone else and post their latest in charming and witty prose. Here I am busting my #@s to keep up with everything I have to do day in and day out. I'm lucky if I have time for a quick glance on FB. I haven't read a blog or posted to my own in a while and... hmmm, I finally sent off the latest art collaborative piece - 2 months after receiving it!

Do I sound envious, jealous? Yes, but more than anything I'm upset with myself for being such a slacker. Yep, even "successful" artists are plagued by the same doubts and insecurities you are.

I started writing this article on my way to the (wonderful) Creative Connection Event. Imagine how shocked (and relieved) I felt to hear that one of the very same women I admire (and envy), Melody Ross, founder ofThe Brave Girls Club, feels exactly the same way. She was on the Women Entrepreneurs breakfast panel Saturday morning. Melody shared this very same thought with us, "Why can't I do all that?" She said she was busy watching what everyone else was doing and paying more attention to her page Likes and blog comments than to her family. Once Melody realized that she could be, and should be, in control of how she felt, she decided to go cold-turkey - no Facebook for 90 days. She discovered that the Likes that she had been so closely monitoring were now coming from her heart. She began to Like her life again.

Years ago, when I recognized that I was comparing myself to the others rather than getting busy doing the work, I went cold-turkey on the magazines. I stopped subscribing to and buying them. It was easy for me to give up reading all but the occasional blog because, well, I never had time in the first place. I like to remain connected and see what my friends and fellow artists are up to so you'll still find me on Facebook, but only in 5 minute nuggets of time. No dwelling in other-land. The minute, the very second, I begin to feel my mood and confidence sink - OFF I go. I've got better things to do.

What I have come to realize is that we feel bad and down on ourselves when we are sitting on the sidelines and not doing the things we want to do, the things we love. When we're on the outside looking in, it's not the otherswe're upset with, it's ourselves. We are letting ourselves down, disappointing our best self, the one that wants to be doing fabulous things.

One solution is to distance yourself from the things or people that make you feel bad, but it's way better to join them in the fun. Not so you can get online and share everything you are doing. You can do that, too, but the important thing is this - DOING will stop you from letting the others make you feel bad. Don't be on the sidelines - play in the game!

3 Ways to Get in the Game:

1. Find out exactly what is keeping you from doing what you love. Dwelling on what the others are doing is really a form of resistance, avoidance and procrastination. If you can pinpoint the reason(s) why you are not in the studio creating, then you can take the necessary actions to overcome them.

2. Just START. You don't need a plan. Action breeds action which breeds art. Throw paint on a background. Stitch random patterns on some fabric. Grab a photo and write a story around it. The secret is to just begin.

3. Know your limits and set aside a specific time to gather inspiration. Looking at other art is fun and inspiring up to a point. Use the magazines, blogs and Facebook like the tools that they are, not the crutches that they have become.

Lesley Riley, The Artist Success Expert, is the creative founder of Artist Success, Solutions for the Struggling Artist. To receive her bi-weekly articles on creating your own success as an artist, visit www.ArtistSuccess.com.

Getting Ready

2011-09-15T10:52:00.000-06:00

I'm getting ready for my sister to fly in tonight to visit me for the weekend. I'm so excited. And at the same time I am getting ready to teach next week at the Utah Quilt Guild Quilt Fest.

Why does it seem that getting ready to teach 3 half day classes is just as intense as getting ready to teach 3 all day classes?

"I know! I know! Pick me, pick me!"

It's because I still have to schlep the same amount of stuff!

I've been making lists in my head for weeks and I finally started getting them on paper last night. I'm thinking I need to buy some serious containers to pack all my supplies.

Look how pretty:

I could really arrive to class in style.

I'd be the cool teacher with all the awesome supplies contained in beautiful boxes.

Why isn't there a Container Store in Utah?

I guess I'll need to think practical:

But if I am really thinking practical I will need to keep within my budget:

So whatever it takes, I'm getting ready and gettin' there.

Hope to see you there.

Journal Quilts

2011-09-13T00:05:00.000-06:00

Two little journal quilts. . .

I was having a rough week and my friend suggested I make a quilt with a bag to put all my troubles but I decided I needed flowers. I love flowers. Flowers make me happy.

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them"

Henri Matisse

I pieced the background from scraps and then painted the flower on with FW Acrylic Inks. I then hand quilted the 6" square with black pearl cotton while I watched my daughter play volleyball.

My next journal quilt was made using citrasolv to transfer an image I created using a cut out from a newspaper photo and some words from the newspaper.

(see how to do it here)

I'm calling it "the elephant in the room."

It is quilted on the machine using King Tut threads.

Claudia and Snowflake

2011-09-12T23:55:00.000-06:00

The two newest critters to join the Whimsy family, Snowflake and Claudia from Melly & Me.

State Fair

2011-09-06T17:55:00.001-06:00

Spent a wonderful day judging the canning at the fair today.

This was about my 7th year judging.

The pickles in the foreground were delicious.

We don't taste everything just the things we are certain won't poison us - funny but true. We only taste the jams, jellies, pickles and dried produce.

All those jams and jellies sure put you on a sugar high, even though we only taste a tiny amount of each. My favorite was the apple butter. It was fantastic!

Here is the crew I have been judging with for the past upteen years:

Tapping

2011-08-31T21:58:00.000-06:00

Here is my first try at playing

with a fun product called Transfer Artist Paper (TAP).

My friend allowed me to use this photo of her adorable daughter:

I played with it in Photoshop Elements and morphed her into a Fairy Princess who changes ordinary caterpillars into beautiful butterflies.

I printed the photo backwards onto a sheet of TAP. The color shows up so beautifully but my printer did make the image more pink than I originally had it.

After cutting off the white border, I ironed the transfer onto a piece of pfd fabric.

It only took about a minute of ironing before I was able to peel off the paper and reveal the beauty underneath.

The colors are so bright and the TAP transfer is very washable. The only real disadvantage is that the polymer that makes the image so awesome is a little thick on the fabric. I thought it might be stiff but it actually reminds me of a more sturdy iron-on t-shirt transfer. The instructions say that the image will become softer when washed.

I added some sparkles using acrylic ink on top of the transfer. This is one of the big advantages of TAP - you can paint directly onto it either before or after you transfer the image. After stitching a border around the transfer I added a layer of organza and quilted butterflies and swirls. I think it would be fun to make an entire quilt of photos using the TAP transfers. Especially if I were to transform ordinary photos of children into magical creatures.

If you'd like to read the story I created around this photo click here.

Catching Up

2011-08-28T22:53:00.006-06:00

I've been a bit behind on some of my projects due to the business of summer and all but I have been able to catch up on my 12x12 Challenge Quilts.

Baseball:

When the word baseball was presented how could I NOT think about making something to do with the Cubbies. I chose to find baseball cards of players I fondly remember from my youth such as Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, and Ryne Sandberg. I then printed the cards onto muslin treated with BubbleJet 2000 and laid them out as if they were on my bed (with a Cubs comforter) being admired.

Change:

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world"

Ghandi

I painted onto a commercial fabric using Tsukineko all purpose inks.

and lastly. . .

Future:

"You are the only one who can change your future"

Dr. Seuss

The young lady is filled with drawings and words of her dreams and hopes for the future. She is stepping forward into the cold world of her future but is prepared and willing to bring about her future.

The young lady is a silhouette I drew onto pfd fabric and then filled using Sharpie pens, Setacolor fabric paints and The Crafters Workshop stencils. background was a batik to which I lightly added some quotes about the future using Citrasolv. I also transferred the word "Future" with Citrasolv and then painted over it with black Setacolor for emphasis.

Ice Dyeing Part 2

2011-08-25T09:31:00.001-06:00

This past week has been a bit insane getting children ready for school. I really thought we had finished all the back to school shopping weeks ago but apparently there is always something to be purchased at the last minute. I have also found that even though the last two have started high school my quiet moments are few and far between, however I have am making the most of it and managed to squeeze in more ice dyeing.

I decided to try it with smaller ice cubes this time to see what kind of difference it would make. And the results are:

I grabbed this piece of fabric from the middle and then scrunched it together and threw on some cerulean blue dye with a sprinkle of lemon yellow. Since it was up against the red piece it did pick up a little of the red to make some purple. The red piece (Light red with a sprinkle of yellow) on the other hand picked up a lot of blue and stayed mostly blue.

I scrunched this piece from side to side. The blue stripes remind me of Charlie Brown's shirt.

Funny how just the shape of something can bring about another image.

Here is a close up of the center of the blue piece:

The top bit is a bit stripped from laying on the wire rack.

I just love the vibrancy of this fabric and the way the color flows!

And of course the project wouldn't be complete without a collect-all fabric at the bottom:

The collect-alls always seem to have the most interesting shapes. The bucket I put the wire rack onto has grooves in the bottom which don't allow the collect-all piece to sit in the watered down dye, allowing the piece to have so many beautiful white spaces.

Have you tried this fun way to dye yet?

I think I need to try some new colors. Any suggestions?

Alphabet Quilt

2011-08-14T18:17:00.002-06:00

The borders are on and it's up for the Block of the Month Club!

Ice Dyeing

2011-08-09T15:09:00.000-06:00

A couple years ago I started dyeing fabric using snow as a resist. I then heard about people using ice cubes with similar results, so when I read an article in Quilting Arts Magazine using this method I decided it was time to give it a try.

Here I have my procian fiber reactive dyes on the left, pfd fabric soaking in soda ash in the middle and a rack over a tub on the right. I scrunched up the fabric and put it on top of the rack.

And I put a piece under the rack as well to soak up any excess dye that dripped down.

I sprinkled the dye powder on top of the ice cubes on top of the fabric.

The powder flys around a bit and landed here and there.

The fabrics turned out beautifully!

A few close ups of bits I loved.

Cascade Springs Photos

2011-08-09T14:08:00.000-06:00

Cascade Springs

2011-08-07T19:31:00.000-06:00

We took a little family trip up to Cascade Springs yesterday.

I love the sound of the springs.

Monkey Business

2011-08-05T16:50:00.000-06:00

Last night I taught a class of 5 friends how to make their own Magoo Monkey from Melly & Me.

They all did a fabulous job.

And 3 of them managed to make Magoo in 4 hours.

Oops we'd only planned it as a 3 hour class.

Next time this will be a 4 or 4.5 hour class.

I love how fun each monkey looks in a different fabric.

Next semester I think we will make Claudine.

She's a real pussy-cat. ;)

Alphabet Quilt

2011-08-03T11:20:00.000-06:00

I finished the blocks for My Alphabet Quilt,

a pattern from Amy Bradley Designs.

I feel it has taken me much longer than it should have because summer got in the way.

Not enough time in the sewing room, but what little time I did have the project went quickly and I am delighted with the results. I will put a few borders on it but for now it is hanging at the store to advertise the Block of the Month club we will be doing with the quilt starting at the end of August.

Lenore Crawford

2011-07-29T11:11:00.000-06:00

I went to the Brigham City Art Museum this week to see their display of Art Quilts from Lenore Crawford.

She does beautiful work!

Unfortunately my camera battery was dead.

I took photos with my cell phone but have found better images online.

Every quilt she displayed was gorgeous but the flowers were some of my favorites.

She used fabric, paint and beads to create masterpieces.

Wow

2011-07-21T23:41:00.000-06:00

I am surrounded by some of the most talented people!

July 24th is a big holiday in Utah when we celebrate Pioneer Day. It is the day that Brigham Young and his company arrived into the Salt Lake Valley. One of the big events is a parade. The Stake I live in was in charge of a float and they did a fabulous job! Just have a look:

Can you believe this fox is carved from upholstery foam?

Almost everyone in the stake had a chance to work on it. My daughters helped put glitter on these flowers.

My talented friend, Carol Ritchie, carved these bunnies from styrofoam.

Look at all the incredible detail!

My friend JoAnn Nance did a lot of work on the float and also created this yummy lunch.

This is Wilford Woodruff. Our stake is the Wilford stake, named for this pioneer.

This owl and beaver were also carved from upholstery foam.

Doug had to duck under the float to take care of Wilford's fly rod.

I love the details. Just look at this adorable nest of eggs!

And the weaving on the basket!

I love the seagull checking things out on top of the house.

Here's the list of all the talented people who made it possible.

Thank You

2011-07-21T18:01:00.000-06:00

Thank you Genevieve Gail for the beautiful felt prizes!

Sorry the photo does not do the felt pieces justice.

They are all beautiful!

I am delighted and trying to plot out exactly what I will use each piece for.

And I almost forgot about my own giveaway. . .

and the winner of the Sidewinder is (drum roll please!). . .

#3 The Kirk Family!

Congratulations!

Alphabet Soup

2011-07-21T13:30:00.002-06:00

26 Quilters participated in this Alphabet Soup Challenge

Each participant made an 18"x 24" quilt about a letter of the alphabet.

The quilters were all so very creative with their letters. My friend Kaye, took the letter K, for Kotex, a girl's rite of passage. My friend Leigh's G stood for Gleevec, a drug that saved her life from cancer.

I took on the difficult letter of "U" (bottom left) because my family loves The University of Utah. Education is important to my husband and I. My parents and grandparents never went to college. My father never went past the 7th grade and my grandmother and her brother were the first to go to high school out of her siblings but she never graduated. My husband's parents and grandparents never went to college either. His mother only attended a few years of schooling because they couldn't afford to send her to school in China. As a result we have felt the need to pursue our education and hopefully make our lives a little better. My husband, our son, and I all graduated from the "U" and my oldest daughter will be graduating from there next spring. My husband also graduated from the U's Law School. We hope that our two youngest, who are starting high school this year, will continue the tradition of attending the "U" but to be truthful I will be happy with any college as long as they do their very best. Go Utes!

Herman's Hermits

2011-07-18T14:55:00.000-06:00

Do you remember Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits from the 1960's?

My guess is that 80% of my readers don't remember the band because they weren't alive in the 60's but I'm guessing everyone has heard at least one of their songs around a campfire:

See you have heard of Herman's Hermits!

This past Friday, my friend, Dawn, my husband and I went to the Sandy Amphitheater to revisit the 60's and the British Invasion starring Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits.

The sun was so bright when we first arrived.

Poor dear!

It was very hard to see.

But by the time of the first intermission the sun was setting and it was lovely.

The show was FANTASTIC!

You can tell that Peter Noone really enjoys what he does and puts a lot of energy into his show.

I also thought he was very funny as well as still a great singer.

My favorite song he sang was:

or maybe it was:

Flirty Skirts

2011-07-16T23:08:00.000-06:00

I had 3 fun young ladies in my skirt class today.

They made the Bella Skirt from Favorite Things.

We all did very well considering that 10 a.m. was much too early for all of us.

Summer Campish

2011-07-15T10:22:00.002-06:00

Summer Campish Class was a success.

We were few in numbers but all had a great time painting fabric with Setacolor paints.

Setacolor is a transparent fabric paint which can also be used for sun painting. We would have sun painted but, despite it being the middle of July, it was raining during our first day of camp.

We used stencils and stamps to create our masterpieces.

And lots of imagination.

This young lady drew her own wolf stamp with amazing details.

During our second day we played with resists using corn syrup.

And on the third day we used our fabrics to create string backpacks.

Janice left a little early and didn't finish her bag but the other three finished them and did wonderful work!

We had a lot of fun and are planning another "play date" for this fall.

Sink Me!

2011-07-15T09:44:00.000-06:00

My girls and I love the Scarlet Pimpernel.

We love the movie with Jane Seymour, any theatrical production and the book.

We have friends who are more obsessed than we are.

Every year they celebrate Bastille Day with food and a viewing of the Jane Seymour movie.

This little ship was my contribution to the party.

Give me Pizza!

2011-07-11T22:46:00.000-06:00

I know summer time is a time for eating light salads and such but every now and then you just gotta eat

PIZZA!

And I'm not talking about the kind you buy in a box (unless of course you live in Chicago, then go right ahead and pick up the phone!); No, I'm talking about homemade delicious pizza!

A few years ago I developed a recipe for pizza that my family and I love: Iron Skillet Pizza. It is a thick crusted pizza but because of baking in an iron skillet the crust is just perfect! I shared the recipe on my friend's recipe blog but I decided it was time to share it here:

Ingredients:
Pizza toppings of choice
1 cup shredded pizza cheese or mozzerella cheese
1/4 - 1/3 cup bottled pasta sauce (such as Prego)

2/3 cup warm water

1 Tbsp Oil (I use canola oil)
1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
1 tsp SAF Yeast (or any quick rise yeast)

Combine 3/4 cup flour, salt and yeast. Add water and olive oil. Stir to make a smooth batter. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface for a 2 minutes. Let dough rest approximately 20 minutes (unless you are in a hurry as I often am then just skip ahead to rolling out the dough and putting into a hot skillet).

While dough is resting, heat oven to 450 degrees. Once oven is hot, put about 1 to 2 Tbls vegetable oil into iron skillet and place skillet into oven to heat up. Once skillet is hot remove it from oven and make sure hot oil is spread evenly around pan. "Roll" dough into a circle. I don't use a rolling pin, I just push and pull it out by hand. Once dough is the size of the skillet, place dough into skillet and push sides up slightly. Spread pasta sauce across dough, add toppings and cheese. Bake in 450 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until crust is golden. Remove pizza from skillet, cut and enjoy!

One pizza will serve two people so I usually quadruple the dough recipe and make four pizzas so we can have leftovers. At least one pizza is always pepperoni, one is vegetarian with mushrooms, zucchini, and fresh tomatoes, one will be ham and pineapple and the fourth usually ends up with whatever I have left. However if I really planned ahead then one or more of these pizzas will have sweet Italian turkey sausage on it. So delicious!

I only own two iron skillets so 2 of the pizzas must wait while the first two bake and the dough never has any trouble waiting the extra 15 minutes. These pizzas are worth cranking the AC a little and heating up the kitchen!

And for those reading this who sew, there are still a few days left to enter here and win a Sidewinder of your very own.

Presents

2011-07-09T22:58:00.001-06:00

I've been anxiously awaiting the post office delivery of a special gift I made for a friend and her baby.

Now that she has received the package I can share what I made.

I came across a tutorial for these burp cloths that made me laugh so I had to make a few for her.

and then I saw an image of a quilt that I loved so I made one of those for her as well

This is such an easy pattern but has a big effect.

It highlights the monkey fabric beautifully.

Yes, I know you can't tell from the photo but those are adorable monkeys all over the quilt.

I'm working out the math now for a bigger version because I just need to make another one.

And don't forget to leave a comment on this page to win a free Side Winder!

Thank You Giveaway

2011-07-08T22:40:00.000-06:00

I won a drawing held by Quilting Arts Magazine and what a prize I received!

I was so excited by the size of the box and I was not disappointed one bit!

I won:

A Clover wool roving stencil

Angelina Fibers (very exciting possibilities!)

A large spool of variegated Signature quilting thread

Some Fusible threads

A wonderful 6 1/2" square ruler

A wonderfully sharp pair of quilting scissors (something I can really use)

A 6 pack of what looks like hand dyed timtex - perhaps for making postcards? I'm not sure. I will need to ask the editor who sent the box - perhaps it is something else entirely?

And finally a very exciting toy called a Sidewinder!

It is used for winding bobbins without having to re-thread your machine every time you need one. It is very handy and I know it's handy because I already own one! And since I don't need two I'm looking for someone to give it a nice home with lots of use.

Sorry Mister Eko but I'm thinking of someone who would actually use it for it's intended purpose.

If you would like to win this little beauty just leave a comment telling me what your sewing plans are for the summer. I will leave the drawing open until midnight (mst) Friday, July 15th.

Be sure to leave me a way of contacting you and good luck!

Variations

2011-06-25T10:55:00.000-06:00

My friend Marilu made this wall hanging variation of my Down on the Farm quilt.

I love the fabrics she used!

A Week Without Children

2011-06-19T00:05:00.000-06:00

My two youngest went off to camp this week leaving my husband and I without children in the house.

A sneak peek into our near future.

I thought I would have a lot of time to get my projects done but . . . well, time goes so fast!

I did manage to accomplish a few things:

#1 - I transformed this old folding table.

Before:

After:

Why yes, I did just throw a piece of pretty oil cloth on top and called it transformed. Easiest project ever and you saw it here first. I should write a tutorial.

#2 - I recently purchased some stencils in preparation for my Summer Campish Class at Whimsy Cottage, so of course I had to spend hours playing with them.

How else would I know if they would help me teach the class?

I painted many pieces of fabric but forgot to photograph it. Oops.

I also also painted my shirt, fingers, elbow and bra.

I'm pretty talented that way.

#3 - I went out to dinner with my husband and oldest daughter who lives downtown.

We had a wonderful time.

Nothing like a little Olive Garden Salad and bread sticks to bring the family together.

And shoe shopping.

Daughter needed some new shoes so we went looking with her after we stuffed ourselves.

My husband just LOVES shoe shopping.

He's a good man.

#4 - I prepared and gave a presentation on fusible machine applique for my quilt guild.

I was busy painting and almost forgot about the presentation.

It's a good thing I've been working on this Amy Bradley Pattern so I could use the blocks I'm making as examples:

Some day soon my quilt will look like the one on the package.

I was a bit nervous about the presentation because there are so many talented quilters in our group but they are all so wonderful they made me feel very comfortable. I hope they learned something.

5) I went grocery shopping by myself. This isn't an unusual activity actually but I really hadn't put shopping into my plan for the week until my husband told me he didn't have lunch meat to make a sandwich.

The poor man, I do neglect him so!

And while he is perfectly capable of going to the store all by himself, he is also the one who slaves everyday to bring home the big bucks so I thought I'd be kind and go to the store to pick up a few things.

While I was at the ginormous grocery store that includes so much more than food, I decided to look at sandals for myself. All the shoes were on sale and I had a good coupon too.

Looking for shoes for myself is an unusual activity and a real pain at times (notice how much bigger my right foot is than my left foot?!) but I did manage to find a pair of sandals I liked. They cover the scar on my right big toe from when I broke it a few years back they are comfortable. I wore them all week at work but today, all three girls told me that they think my sandals are ugly. Can you imagine?! Maybe I should go back and buy them all their own pair.

and finally

#6 - Most of my time this week was spent working at or recovering from Shop Hop.

The Wasatch Front Shop Hop is a big event put on by 15 quilt shops. Every shop has prizes to giveaway, in store discounts, games and lots of fun. Quilters often travel together in small and large groups and make a big deal out of the four day event. This year's theme was "The Greatest Quilt I Ever Read."

Nancy made a fabulous quilt for our theme of "Green Eggs and Ham."

We had hundreds of people come through the shop everyday.

My cheeks would hurt from smiling every night and not just because I was being polite.

You meet some of the best people during shop hop!

Some of them are down right adorable and make you very happy to have your own babies back after a long week away.

Transformation

2011-06-06T22:02:00.000-06:00

We went dress shopping Saturday and one of my daughters found a cute number.

I have taught my girls to dress modestly and this dress did not fit the modesty mold with no sleeves and a low back. When she tried the dress on she knew she would be wearing it with a shirt underneath or a shrug on top.

Sadly, when we returned home the dress didn't look good with a shirt underneath or a shrug on top. The dress could only be returned for store credit so I decided to try something wild. The dress was long so I cut it to knee length and used the fabric to

make sleeves as well as . . .

a modest back.

She is thrilled and so am I.

Fabric Markers

2011-06-03T10:58:00.000-06:00

One of my talented children took some Crayola Fabric Markers and made some masterpieces.

The art work is from photos she saw online but the sizing and drawing are all her own.

She used a disappearing ink marker to get everything drawn on just how she wanted it and then colored away. The markers seem to be pretty juicy and they are inexpensive fun too.

She's a pretty talented little bugger!

Next she wants to get a pair of white tennis shoes to decorate.

She is easily entertained.

What 'cha doin'?

2011-06-01T00:27:00.000-06:00

Just peeking in to see what you are up to. . .

Anything fun?

Playing

2011-05-26T18:49:00.000-06:00

Been playing with some photos in Photoshop Elements.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

And I can't find the before of this one but I like it.

Winner!

2011-05-26T09:31:00.000-06:00

And the winner of the Down on the Farm pdf quilt pattern is #46:

fern said...

favourite zoo animal- an Okapi!!!

love them!!!

love the quilt!!!

And because I'm feeling extra generous today I decided to give away a second copy too! And the winner of the second copy is #17:

JuneBug said...

Oh i love it! Very cute. Today I'm all about monkeys because my daughter just learned to climb a tree :)

I will be emailing both of you today with your copy of the pattern!

Congratulations ladies!

I hope you enjoy the pattern and have many happy hours of sewing!

Dreaming

2011-05-25T23:50:00.001-06:00

At Quilt Market I finally got to play on the sewing machine I've been drooling over in Quilting Arts magazine.

(photos borrowed from HQ website)

The HQ Sweet Sixteen from Handi-Quilter.

*Deep Sigh*

I took some time to play with the HQ18 Avante too.

(photos borrowed from HQ website)

It is a wonderful machine but honestly I've become so accustomed to quilting on my home machine that the Sweet Sixteen was truly SWEET for me.

A long neck with plenty of room to push around a quilt and lots of speed!

I sat at it's lovely table for a long while and quilted leaves on vines and a few swirls with the Sweet Sixteen. The sales person said it looked like I've quilted before (just a little - haha) and then told me of all the wonderful features. I can't recall them all now because I was in a dreamy daze. The speed of the machine was beautiful and the stitches came out so even. It really made my quilting look professional without really trying. The sales person stepped away for a second and came back to tell me I could buy the show machine for a special deal if I wanted to pick it up after the show.

*Deeper Sigh*

Unfortunately the money I have been squirreling away from work isn't even close to what I need yet.

For now I will keep dreaming . . . and saving.

What is your dream machine?

Giveaway Day!

2011-05-23T02:00:00.028-06:00

Today is Giveaway Day at Sew Mama Sew and I am excited to be participating!

I am giving away a pdf copy of my reverse machine appliqué pattern,

Down on the Farm.

Reverse appliqué is a method of tucking under the edges of a piece of fabric in order to show another piece of fabric underneath. Learn to make reverse-machine-appliqué blocks in this peek-a-boo 42" x 45" wall hanging or baby blanket. Patterns are included to make the lamb, calf, colt, chicken, pig, fence and barn as well as instructions to make the blocks into a wall hanging or baby blanket.

Since this is a pdf copy that will be delivered by email the drawing is open to anyone, anywhere as long as you can open a pdf file!

To enter the drawing simply leave a comment telling me what your favorite zoo animal is. Also, PLEASE be sure to include your email address in your comment or on your profile so that I can notify you when you win. The contest will end at midnight, Pacific Standard Time, May 25th. A random winner will be drawn the morning of May 26th and posted here so please check back on Thursday!

Summer Campish

2011-05-20T16:19:00.000-06:00

On Monday I came up with what I thought was a good idea for another class to teach this summer at Whimsy Cottage.

The problem was that I had to come up with a description and sample of the class before Saturday. This on top of an already full schedule of items to be made before Saturday, but somehow everything fell into place and I did it.

I call the class "Summer Campish."

All the fun of the arts and crafts sessions without the bugs, sleeping bags or lack of showers.

The class will be three 2-hour sessions.

During the first session we will learn to make stencils and stamps and then use them along with store bought stencils and stamps to paint onto a piece of fabric.

During the second session we will learn how to use some easy and edible resists onto fabric before painting on top. (oops forgot to take a picture of the resist fabric)

During the third session we will take the two pieces of fabric we have created and use them to make a drawstring backpack.

I really like how easy these backpacks are to make and how fun it was to create the fabric.

Classes will be July 12, 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to Noon and is limited to 8 students. I'm hoping to need a waiting list so that we can do another session in August because I really enjoyed this project.

And so did someone else. . .I bet you can't tell who it was. . .

Boxers

2011-05-16T02:00:00.000-06:00

This 5 panel boxer pattern is awesome.

I love the baggy butt. I can't imagine they would be anything but comfortable.

I have 5 or more pair to make for a client after I get some work done for the shop.

They were easy to make once I read the instructions correctly!

I didn't realize early enough that the author was going to tell me exactly how to do something once she told me what to do and so it took me a bit longer than it should have. I was stuck on a sentance telling me to make a flat felled seam. I couldn't remember what that was and so I looked at the photos and it wasn't clear. I racked my brain and then finally went upstairs to get my new go-to book:

I looked up felled seams and said "OH! of course!"

I made the seams, read the next line in the pattern and realized she was telling me how to make the felled seam. I was humbled and realized I just need to read EVERYTHING first. The rest of the pattern went much smoother. I'm certain the next 5 pair will go together much faster.

Meeting Art Heros

2011-05-14T11:06:00.000-06:00

I was thrilled when Pokey Bolton, Editor-in-Chief at Quilting Arts Magazine and host of Quilting Arts TV, knew who I was. But later I was a little embarrassed because she knows me because I comment on her blog and facebook page so much. She, Helen Gregory and Lindsey Murray were all so nice to meet. They have a job I would love to have some day when I grow up.

Anna Maria Horner, designer extraordinare, is the do it all woman. She designs beautiful fabrics, makes lovely projects and patterns, is active in her church and is mother to a brood of beautiful children. The oldest is following in her mothers footsteps and has artistic talent galore!

Patty Young and her husband were delightful to meet and visit with. She designs some of the cutest kids clothing patterns, fabrics and now ribbons too.

Paula Prass and her daughter Jennifer Storey have had a very difficult year but you would never tell from visiting with them at Market. They were delightful to visit with and both very talented. And they both photograph so well.

Library of Congress

2011-05-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

Who knew the Library of Congress had so much beauty!

I just thought it was all about books!

Even the Elevators were beautiful!

54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

2011-05-10T09:29:00.000-06:00

I sat and admired this monument for a long time while at the National Gallery of Art.

Not only is the workmanship amazing but the story behind the 54th Infantry is fascinating.

There is a very interesting article with actual photos of the 54th Infantry on this webpage.

More Art

2011-05-09T03:00:00.000-06:00

I love the sculptures in the sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art.

This metal tree really grabbed my attention.

I love trees and this sculpture seems to have grown from the ground.

All the twisting and turning of the branches looks so natural.

Whenever I see Degas' dancers I think of my sweet ballerina.

I loved the way the artist captured the a couple of the children's faces in this portrait.

Especially the child who is looking up at her mother. She is so sweet and genuine compared to the stiffness of those around.

Not sure why I felt the need to take a picture of Napoleon's portrait but I did.

I love Georgia O'Keeffe's flower paintings. I wish there had been more of them.

I really fail at taking self portraits but I wanted proof that I was there. Despite being in the shade it was still bright outside - Guess I should have been wearing my sunglasses on my eyes instead of my head.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:28:00.000-06:00

Today is a day when we reflect upon all that our Mother's have done for us and tell her how much we appreciate her and the sacrifices she has made in our behalf.

Thank you Mom.

I would not be the person I am today without you and all your love.

I miss you.

Changing of the Guards

2011-05-08T03:00:00.002-06:00

Just in case you have never experience this, I have uploaded a video I took of the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

In Conclusion

2011-05-07T03:00:00.000-06:00

You might recall that almost two years ago to the day I posted about visiting the grave of my mother's friend at Arlington Cemetery. A few weeks later I posted about the mistake I made in finding his grave and the wonderful results from that mistake.

Last week I returned to Arlington Cemetery in an attempt to find the correct grave. I was surprised to find out how close we had been to Jim's grave two years ago.

Just across the street from The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in section 46

is the grave of a young man my mother knew and loved.

The Smiths

2011-05-06T11:25:00.000-06:00

While in DC we visited with our friends who are serving a mission at the Washington DC LDS Temple. We went to dinner at a wonderful seafood restaurant and afterward took a walk down to see the Potomac.

(ugh! I do not like this photo but it's all I have to prove we were there)

The next evening the Smith's took us by DC Temple where they serve.

It was a little rainy so we didn't get out of the car.

The rain had brought out all the blossoms on the azaleas.

Everything was beautiful!

And dinner at the Smith's apartment was delicious!

I know why

2011-05-05T09:02:00.000-06:00

So many of the people in portraits at the National Gallery of Art are so serious and even grumpy looking.
But in the case of this portrait of Catherine Bras(s) Yates I understand why she is grumpy. Not only is he making her look up from her needlework but. . .

the artist, Gilbert Stuart, had the gall to paint in the hairs growing above her lip. How dare he!

Gift Shops

2011-05-02T22:02:00.000-06:00

I'm in Washington DC with my husband for a few days and seeing lots of wonderful things but I am always drawn in by the amazing things in the gift shops. I have had to restrain myself from buying so many things, especially while I was in the National Art Gallery gift shop.

This magnet was really fun:

It's very clever really. Thin black plastic cut out to look like a person with joints so you can make him dance about but the really clever part is the magnets on the back of each piece. I can see myself having fun making him dance around on the refrigerator. The kids would have especially enjoyed playing with him when they were younger. I really loved the ingenuity but I just couldn't justify $11.50

I guess it's a good thing I'm cheap.

My husband told me that he needs a coaster for his office desk and there were a lot of fun and beautiful coasters in the gift shop. Many of them had famous paintings imprinted on them, which I loved, but they were sold in sets of four and he only needs one. And then there was this Coaster Rug:

But it was sold in a set of four and I'm pretty sure he doesn't want me to pay twenty dollars for his coaster.

I was very impressed with all of their beautiful foldable reuseable totes:

I would have bought a couple of them if they weren't $10 each.
Did I say I'm cheap?
I might have to bite the bullet and buy one before I leave, if my knees would hold out to let me walk back there. Unfortunately they do not have the tote I loved the most online so I could show you. It was white with bright flowers and just gorgeous. I think it must have been a purse though because it was $40. I was too shocked by the price tag to check it out further. I should have taken a photo because at $40 I'm definately not buying it.

My paper fetish kicked in big time while in the gift shop. There were notecards, journals, pads of paper and notebooks galore and all with such beautiful colors and prints:

It was very dangerous walking through this section. The website doesn't even have a fraction of all they carry in the store.

The dozens of notecard sets had various paintings from famous artists like O'Keffe, Degas, Monet, to name just a few. Even at $12.95 a set I was going to buy one for myself but I just couldn't decide on the one I liked best. Indecision is awful sometimes.

But some of my favorite things were items that had these clever quotes but I couldn't justify paying for just a few words. But the quotes really are great!

"Creativity takes Courage" Henri Matisse

"A line is a dot that went for a walk" Paul Klee

and my favorite:

"What you don't need is as important as what you do need." Romare Bearden

How true is that!!!! Which, I'd like to say, is exactly why I didn't buy any extra stuff from the gift shop. Although perhaps I should have bought a magnet with that on it to remind me of this great truism every time I go to the fridge.

Secret's Revealed

2011-04-30T20:43:00.001-06:00

While visiting the National Gallery of Art I learned about an interesting little machine called the Camera Obscura:

"Light from an external scene passes through the hole and strikes a surface inside where it is reproduced, upside down, but with color and perspective preserved. The image can be projected onto paper, and can then be traced to produce a highly accurate representation."

Many variations of the camera obscura have been used for centuries.

These artists were getting their basic outline by TRACING.

And it wasn't cheating.

I love this revelation as I have traced photos (cameras are just a modern Camera Obsecura with a way of keeping the image) to get basic shapes and perspectives on drawings and I thought I was cheating. Turns out I was just following in the footsteps of Canaletto and Leonardo Da Vinci!

Happy Birthday Sistah!

2011-04-26T18:07:00.000-06:00

My sister's birthday present is almost finished. Just a little more quilting and a binding. I hope she enjoys it!

Organizing

2011-04-21T12:28:00.000-06:00

When bolts of fabric come in to Whimsy Cottage, the quilt shop I work in, we slice off an inch or two of fabric from the bolt. This approximately 2" x 42" strip has a number of purposes:

The bolt is often crooked and cutting off this strip straightens the end up
We place the strip in the bolt to allow us to cut off a small piece if a customer needs a sample to compare to things at home
We also cut a 1" piece of the strip & glue it to a piece of paper so we know what has come in recently
And finally when a bolt is finished we can use this piece to find the fat quarters that are left and mark them down

Once this strip of fabric has served it's purpose it goes into a bin and one of us takes them home. I've been collecting the strips for about a year or so and have been anxious to make some String quilts from them. The quilt(s) will be truly scrappy and I plan to make them a bit wonky as well. But before I can use them I feel the need to organize them. I asked my youngest to put together some bins for me using some grids we've had laying around for sometime.

I only had enough grids to make 6 bins but they have helped immensely.

I put all of the oranges, reds and pinks together and ended up putting the browns with the yellows.

Of course Mister Eko had to help out. He tried out each bin.

As soon as I started sorting the strips he decided to plant himself in the purple bin and enjoyed having strips thrown all over him.

Now that the strips are sorted I am very excited to start a project with them but I need to finish a few things first. Having this project on the horizon will help me get the other projects done!

It's Trying

2011-04-20T12:22:00.000-06:00

Spring is trying to come.

It snowed yesterday, but melted as soon as it hit the ground.

The weeds have a great head start on me.

I'm afraid my knees are going to let the weeds win.

Spring Retreat

2011-04-11T15:20:00.001-06:00

I just spent a very fun week with friends at the Super Spring Retreat put on by Pie Plate Patterns owners, Bonnie and Brenda Bailey. I spent a few days with my friend Sylvia and then we spent a few days at the retreat. The retreat was held at a cosy place called Fairview Retreat.

Thanks to such wonderful hostesses and no need to stop sewing to prepare meals I was able to get a lot of sewing done! I made a number of headbands, covered 5 books (see this post), made 76 quarter circle blocks, a travel ironing board, 4 charity blocks, and finished quilting my Farm quilt. I'll be posting photos of my farm quilt as well as the circle quilt soon. In the meantime, here are a few photos of the fun I had.

Paula and Marilu chatting and sewing while Sandy (below) knits.

Louise, LaVon and Kathy from my Farm Quilt class.

Marilu, Sandy and Sylvia in the breakfast nook.

New friends, Julie and Kathryn, sewing up a storm.

Bonnie Bailey working on a sample for Spring Market.

Wonderful Charlotte.

Marvelous Marilu during the Farm quilt class.

I think Kathryn got more accomplished than anyone at the retreat.

Do you like her headband? Adorable, huh? She made it from the pattern I taught at Midnight Madness, which actually started at 10 and was done by 10:30 because. . .well. . .we're old.

This is Kathryn's quilt too.

She made a simple quilt top first that she then cut apart using a special ruler to get this beautiful design.

Four of the five ladies who took my class with their first finished blocks.

They did a fabulous job and made some of the cutest blocks.

I decided to demo the project using 40's reproduction prints and I love it. I think it takes the quilt in a whole new direction. I have to make more blocks like this for a whole new quilt.

A Little Covering

2011-04-06T15:07:00.000-06:00

I watched a fabulous tutorial for covering books on Lyric Kinard's blog and I knew I had to give it a try someday. Then yesterday my friend, Sylvia, and I were out shopping and came across this great pleather. One looks like a snake skin and the other like tooled leather. Sylvia bought the pleather so that I could practice on some journals and a sketchbook she has. I got the experience and she got some covered books!

I really liked the way they turned out and they are so easy I will definitely be making more.

A Beautiful Day for Sunbathing

2011-03-29T22:22:00.000-06:00

The mountains could be seen clearly from my backyard today. . .

but I was more interested in my sunbathing neighbor.

Do you see him?

His name is Cougar and

he was taking full advantage of the rays today.

Another lesson I can learn from cats. . .

enjoy the sun while it shines!

Moving

2011-03-22T16:35:00.001-06:00

I spent a busy Saturday helping to pack up the quilt shop I work in. There were many people who worked even harder on Sunday and moved all the fabric and boxes to the new location. Monday I went in and helped unpack for just a short little while and then I made a video tour of the shop to put on the store website. I thought I would share the video here to:

Yes!

2011-03-18T17:20:00.000-06:00

Guess what Mister Eko?

"What, Mom?"

I won some of Ty Pennington's fabric from Cloth Paper Scissors!

"No Way!"

Way! And it arrived in the mail today! Want to check it out?

"It's pretty and it smells good too.

Hey Keiko, come here!"

"Are you going to make something for me, Mom?

It goes so nicely with my fur."

Ummmm, maybe not. . .

. . .I'm thinking this is all for me.

All 6 yards.

Thank you Cloth Paper Scissors!

Excited

2011-03-17T22:56:00.000-06:00

I can't show the whole quilt because it's a present for someone very special but I couldn't help showing a little peek because I'm so excited about how beautiful it is coming out! Of course the fuzzy phone photo isn't much of a peek but I'm afraid that is all I can show for now.

Lazin' About

2011-03-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

These past couple of days have been anything but Lazy for me, but I'm glad that Keiko gets to enjoy some down time. She is such a sweetheart.

Update

2011-03-14T09:51:00.000-06:00

I have finally updated the "My Quilt" and "Sewing Project" pages which can be accessed by clicking on the tabs at the top of this page. Have a look and check back once in awhile as I will try to keep them updated. I'm also working on a couple of tutorials to post as new pages.

Mod Kid Kyoko

2011-03-13T21:08:00.000-06:00

A new sample for Whimsy Cottage's new location.

I am really pleased with the way this little dress came out.

The Mod Kid pattern was very easy to follow and went together quickly. I traced the pattern, cut it out and stitched it together in just 3 1/2 hours. It might take someone a little longer if they don't know how to make their own bias tape. I also used just one fabric for the bottom instead of the 6 panels which would require a few more seams.

Another Winter Day

2011-03-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

I love Spring Snows.

Especially since I have a husband who loves to shovel!

How to Get from England to Cali in One Afternoon

2011-03-02T11:59:00.001-07:00

Did you ever play the telephone game in grade school? One person whispers a phrase into a second person's ear and that person whispers what they heard to a third person and so on and so forth. Often what the last person hears is very different from what the first person said. Our Telephone Quilt Challenge is much like this game. My friend Sylvia started this challenge January, 2010, by recruiting 6 other quilt artists. Sylvia took a photograph and shared it with Anne, who made a quilt inspired by the photo. Anne then shared her quilt with Helen, who made a quilt inspired by Anne's quilt, and so on and so forth. No one but Anne and Sylvia saw the original photo until yesterday. Yesterday was the big reveal party where we enjoyed food, friendship and beautiful art quilt pieces.

Sylvia's original photo is of some interesting sculpture in Chichester, England:

Which inspired Anne's quilt:

It's easy to see the cyclist in Anne's quilt when you've seen the original photo but Helen saw a face so she put a face in her quilt and included the arrows for good measure:

Brandy wasn't sure what to make of Helen's quilt but the arrows and funny face made her think about directions and not knowing which way to go which inspired her to make a map:

This photo makes it difficult to see the roads that are quilted to each of the clever places Brandy created. She also made a wonky compass and included the funny face into the lower right hand corner of her quilt. She passed her quilt on to Kaye who thought a lot about maps and for some reason the image of Tinkerbell holding a map of Never Never Land came to mind. She doesn't like Tinkerbell but decided to make a fairy and added embellishments with inspiring words on them and included the north star in the background.

Kaye passed her quilt on to me and I was so struck by it's beauty that I told everyone I don't ever want to follow Kaye again! haha I put her quilt up on my design wall for a few weeks and tried to decide what inspiration I should take from it. For some reason the fairy's wings stood out to me and made me think of butterflies. It wasn't until after I started my quilt that I noticed a butterfly in the fairy's hands!

My quilt was passed on to Lisa B, the last participant, who pondered and thought about Monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies migrate south to Mexico and then in the spring they fly north and visit the Pacific Grove area in California. This made her think about her favorite place in Pacific Grove: Asilomar

There are butterflies quilted into the background and then photos of the beach and Asilomar where many in our group have gone to Empty Spools quilt seminars. And that my dear readers is how one gets from a sculpture in England to a beach in California!

Jessica Day George

2011-02-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the photos are a little blurry but it still captured the moment.

Murray City Library hosted a book signing with author, Jessica Day George.

We arrived just a little late but we were still able to hear about her 200 rejections on her first 7 novels. Finally a story hit her late one night when her colicy baby finally went to sleep and she was able to sell it. The big difference was that she wrote about something she loved.

Mrs. George was fun to listen to and was very kind to answer everyones questions as well as talk to the kids who were getting their books signed. She also made sure that everyone was able to get an autograph whether they had a book or not. She even signed one of the promotion posters for my daughters friend who was not able to make it.

I'm not Here

2011-02-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Look the other way. . .you don't see anything. . .I'm not here eating your roses.

Hope your Valentines Day was filled with love of friends and family.

32 More

2011-02-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished making 32 more bags:

8 lingerie

12 large produce

12 small produce

I love the fabric this friend/client picked out for the bags. The solid on the top has tone on tone words about recycling and saving the planet. There are similar words on the flowered fabric and peace sign fabric. The colored in bra fabric is hysterical!

Preparedness

2011-01-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

I know, you see preparedness and think boring. But please don't stop reading! We had one of the most interesting emergency preparedness lessons at church today. The couple who spoke to us, the Bills, had experience with the need to be prepared for a disaster. They lived in Dade County during Hurricane Andrew and had to evacuate their home. When they returned to their home it was a mess and they had to live without electricity for 5 1/2 weeks.

Some of the most important and interesting items they covered were these:

72 hour kits - You've heard about them, know you should have one and feel guilty that you don't have one or that the one you do have has diapers in it although your youngest child is 22. The Bills had an up-to-date 72 hour kit that they had packed into a trunk and a garbage can but the kit was too big and cumbersome to move. They had five children under the age of 11 and there was no way for the children to help move their 72 hour kit. Since then they have gone to having a small back pack for each family member filled with first aid items, clothing, lighting etc. The food is kept in bags.- click here to read about this different storage method. When there is an emergency each person grabs their backpack, one or two food bags and two soda bottles of water that are linked together with a strap making it easy to throw over your shoulder.

Water is always one of the most important things to have in an emergency. One of their most successful ways of storing water was to fill milk jugs with water and then put them into their large freezer. The water would stay fresh and help to keep the freezer cool when the electricity went out. Not to mention there is nothing better than a cool drink in the middle of an emergency situation! I remember this lesson well from when my husband and I experienced Hurricane Gilbert while visiting family in Jamaica in 1989. I remember thinking I would give anything for some ice.

Light - Laterns are great for large areas and flashlights are nice as long as the batteries last. Pack lots of light sticks for children. Not only do they provide the comfort of some light for them but they are safe and provide hours of entertainment as light sabers. haha

Cooking - They loved that they had their camp stove with lots of fuel because they didn't have electricity for 5 1/2 weeks and next to a cool drink of water, a hot meal is wonderful - especially as the freezer melts and you need to cook up all the meat in there before it goes bad.

Clean Up - Be prepared to clean up because there will be a lot of mess. Have lots of rubber gloves and garbage bags. Garbage services will not be restored right away and there will be a lot of garbage laying around and a lot of animals that want to get into it. Also have clothing that you can wear during the clean up that can be tossed afterward.

Mental Health - Treat the event as an adventure and don't panic. If Mom and Dad panic then the kids will panic and no one is going to do well. Talk about your adventure as a family and don't be afraid to reach out to the counselors that will be available through the schools and community.

Service - If you are prepared you will be able to help others. Reach out and help those around you.

Have faith, hope and charity.

Listen - The Bills told a story I remember hearing them tell before about a duck and her ducklings. I hope I remember it correctly. The Bills' children had seen a duck with her ducklings around the neighborhood before the storm and they were very worried about them. The kids wanted their parents to find the ducklings and their mother to keep them safe. Sister Bills said she was too busy trying to prepare her own family to worry about tracking down ducklings. A few days after the storm they were delighted to see the mother duck and every one of her ducklings waddling down the street. The mother duck had listened to the Lord and did what it took to protect her babies and they all made it through. The Bills encouraged each one of us to listen to the word of the Lord through our Prophets and prepare "every needful thing" so that we can be prepared and make it through the storms ahead.

Elegant Aprons

2011-01-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

I'm on a roll with this apron pattern!

I love how elegant this fabric makes this apron.

Aprons

2011-01-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned by a friend to make these aprons.

It's a very cute pattern and I love the fabrics.

Just looking at all these posts lately, you'd think I've been very busy.

Lunch Bags

2011-01-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

I made up a couple sample lunch bags from the book:

Lunch Bags! 25 Homemade Sacks & Wraps to Sew Today

The bag on the left is a fully insulated lunch bag with a water bottle holder on the back and an inside pocket. The bag on the right is an easy cloth version of a paper sack.

I was going to take them off to Whimsy Cottage today where they will be living but it's snowing like crazy. I'm not sure if I want to go out in the snow or not. I've been spoiled with some beautifully clear days recently.

Perhaps it is time to retreat back to the sewing room and make a few of the easy bags for my girls to take to school. They have been teaching their fellow classmates all about reusable lunch gear.

Pillow Recover

2011-01-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

My neighbor wanted a new couch but her old one was in good shape. She bought a soild slip cover and then I recovered the pillows from fabric she chose and viola! It's a new couch! It's amazing how much some nice bright colors can change an entire room.

Sorry I was too lazy to rotate this photo so you will have to rotate your head or you could rotate the monitor for a better look. :-)