Tis the season to stitch

A Patriotic Quilt story

2010-12-20T07:48:00.000-06:00

I have followed a free motion quilt blog for over a year, inspired to push myself to free motion quilt more, gain skill and think outside the box. Several months ago I began a semi traditional quilt for a neighbor who was deployed, the blocks reflected his interests and attributes. As I began to quilt the back it soon became evident to me that the front might be the back and the back the front as the quilting became a story of its own and deserved space and attention to enjoy. Each bit of the quilting also reflected his life, his family and his love.

As I considered his wife's patriot support and decorating style I thought about how to honor that in a quilt. I chose to go with a simple pattern so that the quilting itself could be enjoyed, though subtle by color on color. I also thought of their life in a log cabin and wanted the quilt to have a primitive feel and casual nature. What I came up with is below- each large star features the name of a family member. Each stripe speaks to the cost or contribution of their patriotism. I was reminded that both spouses had served in the armed forces, so all the units that they were part of are listed. While in the military it is common to live in many states and do much travel- that is also indicated with the states listed.

I really enjoyed making this quilt, thinking of the recipient and how it will speak to her heart. I have learned the value of not breaking thread as I quilt and finding a way to transition from one point of quilting to another without loss of stitches- after spending 2 days of free time tucking loose threads beneath. I am finding that my comfort with larger pieces is growing- this quilt measures 56 x 80 inches. By working from top to bottom slowly I was able to do each section in its entirety before moving along and had no back wrinkles- yeah!

After completing the quilt I gave it a short soak in weakened tea to take the bright out of the white, seeking for an antique, used look. not sure i achieved quite what I was seeking, but did not want to go too deep and risk tan instead of muted white

slowly but surely I will move through the pile

2010-09-15T07:38:00.000-05:00

I have finished quilting the first of the three old quilt tops that I found at a local thrift shop. I chose to go with a spiral pattern to contrast the linear shapes that covered the quilt. Overall the quilting went well- though I am grateful for the backside being the back - a few wrinkles that I chose to leave... to lazy and not into investing huge amounts of time and energy to tearing out stitches. Again, great practice for large quilt quilting on a domestic machine. Ever learning as I do.

from thought to reality

2010-09-15T07:25:00.000-05:00

A few months ago while cleaning my closet of beloved but no longer fitting clothes I thought to upcycle the linen skirts. I have now completed that thought by completing the quilts.

Ths first turned out to be a nature based quilt that i quilted with leaves and nature motifs as I meandered through the blocks. It was great practice for my machine quilting. I loved the quilt and called it my own- a rare treat to myself as most quilts are gifted away. The second quilt, which I have posted about before, took longer to come together. I debated about the fabric as what inspired me was not great fabric, yet searching brought no color solution so I went with it. I have now completed the quilt, washed it and it washed up fine. This one was admired from the start by a dear daughter of the heart. She has graduated college and is in the midst of launching into life. It will warm her heart and home as she walks by faith into adult life and the adventure that awaits her there.

Again I chose nature as the inspiration for the free motion quilting of this pieces. I chose lighter thread as there is fabric with white patterning and it is reflective of that pattern of leaves that inspired me. I was uncertain at first if the tan thread would be overwhelming overall yet upon completion I am thinking that it works.


original plan

So from skirt to beloved quilt the fabric of inspiration has traveled. Now I am daily enjoying the patterns that I chose to wrap myself in ...during thinner days... and now they will again bring joy as we surround ourselves with the natural beauty that they have become.

completed qult

Found treasures

2010-07-14T05:47:00.004-05:00

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July is off and running and I am just realizing it is almost half done... my how the summer is flying by. not nearly enough quiliting is going on...my goals are not coming to pass- too many distractions and this week I picked up a few more.

I happened to be in town, happened to think of a favorite thrift shop and stopped in. Among the many items found were these three patchwork quilt tops. All in fairly good condition- a few seam repairs and only two areas that will need fabric replaced on one. They were half price and crying to go home so they could become real quilts. How could any self respecting quilter leave these orphans to hang "naked"among so many completed blankets and linens. And so I adopted them.

This is a first for me.. and so I move forward carefully. I am not typically a vinatge quilter kind of person, but to have a twin size top completed and just needing to be sandwiched and quilted sounded like an easy enough task. it will also allow me time and place to play with some new free motion designs- a blending of the old and new. i dont know the history to the pieces but each top was pleasing enough to say yes to rehoming it.

Yesterday I puchased a creamy yellow fabric for backing. At first i thought I would use muslin, but decided a hue would be more appropriate. I expect I will bind them with black as all have a bit of black in the patchwork. today I hope to preshrink the backing fabric and by the weekend get them at least layered and one pinned. then the fun shall begin!

An update on my most recent project- the housewarming quilt. It is now pieced and layered. I am needing to get inspiration for the quilting of it. I have been busy with other life and with weariness comes no inspiration... hoping next week will be a few quilting days then i will post the finished image. I am thinking circles to intersect and soften the squares- kind of contrast.... but not sure yet.

thanks for checking in... would love to hear what your fingers are busy with these days.

The pause that refreshes

2010-06-28T07:11:00.006-05:00

After a intense time of quilting I find that I often need to pause and take a breather from stitching for a while. I am in such a season. I recently finished up a quilt and now find that i am not drawn to my machine and cloth.

I had not made a quilt for myself in a long time, until recently. I chose the fabrics for this quilt from a favorite skirt that had "shrunk" as the 40's continued on. It is linen and having read of using linen for quilting I saved it for 'one day". A few weeks ago i found some linen curtains that helped me to begin. For two weeks I worked at piecing and then free motion quilting the quilt, and eventually I finished. This one was me- flowers, colors and nature all combined.

I have found that the linen reminds me of the older quilts- a bit rough and very natural feeling- kind of nice, kind of rustic. I have yet to throw this one in the dryer, and I wonder if that will soften it at all, I am hoping so. Still I love to snuggle under MY quilt and enjoy the beauty of it.

I am thinking that my pause will soon end, for I have fabric to cut out and summer vacation is passing all too soon. My hope is to finish the quilt top I am wanting to make for my daughter before school starts in the fall- ok maybe by christmas is more realistic. Until then i will enjoy my new quilt and the pause that refreshes.

old machines

2010-06-15T16:03:00.003-05:00

I love my pfaff machines- both blessings from my bear, both unexpected indulges for me the busy sewer in the family. My first was his protest to my purchase of a used Pfaff years ago after my faithful JC Penny machine bit the dust under the children's useage. Little did I realize how wonderful that Pfaff was- it is my workhorse that I return again and again. My daughter looks for it to be passed to her, I think I have told her to not hold her breath, but maybe one day. :)

A few months ago while in a local shop I spied a wooden cased Singer for $15, I looked it over and thought it needed to leave the shop, so it did. I spent a little bit of time on its case and then began to rewire it, fearful to even plug it in the wiring was so worn. Lesson learned- make pictures before taking wires apart. My husband came to my rescue yet still needs information to complete the rewire.

Memorial Day weekend as we traipsed through the Dog Days Flea Market another Singer sang out. For $20 this one joined its grandchild. Having researched them both- one was made in 1923, the other 1942. Both are 99 machines, one shiny black with pretty gold filagree, the other, made in wartime a dull patterned metal. Both stitch a nice straight seam, each have their own particular variations. The older machine has a bar in place of a foot pedal- a neat feature.

Today I spent time oiling the machines and getting to know them a bit better. At first both ran a bit sluggish, yet after a good dose of oil they purred. Where a bobbin cover would not fit at first with a bit of attention it is now covered.

When I bought them I did not know their purpose or destiny, now I do. The 1923 will be gifted to a friend tomorrow. She wants to sew, has bugged her mom to sew. She loves all things old and they live in a log cabin. I think the machine will be happy there, journeying with my friend Elizabeth as she begins to stitch. I was tickled to see that Elizabeth will receive a machine that came from Elizabeth, NJ.

The other machine I am choosing to adapt to hand crank style. Today as I hand cranked the machine without an attached motor I found it enjoyable and thought of how it would be to make a quilt on such a machine, so I shall. I still have the motor should I want to revert it again to electric motor. It will also be helpful due to its slower pace when I teach children to sew.

As I spend time with older machines I am finding a greater appreciation for the folks who invented the sewing machine. For the workmanship that spans almost 100 years - and the machine still going strong. I am thankful for the modern machine, but also for the simple straight stitch machines.

What inspires you??

2010-06-01T06:12:00.006-05:00

What inspires you to quilt?? is it the fabric, the person you are creating for? a pattern seen ? a color desired? a need to be fulfilled?? for me I would say that all are true. This past weekend it was a pair of linen/cotton curtains. Strange but true.

On Friday I went yardsaling and for $3 I bought a pair of tan and white striped linen curtains. They were the launching point for me- backers for skirts that I wanted to repurpose into quilts. I loved the print on the fabric yet the skirts that they formed no longer fit. I have deconstructed the skirts and they were awaiting more linen to use to turn them into quilt. This weekend's find was the starting point.

The first quilt I began was made up as I went- I found co-ordinating fabric, measured the stripes, planning to match them front and back and began to cut. After all the wide stripes were cut out I randomly cut lengths and stitched them together. Only then did i realize that I failed to notice that the ruler i was using was a 5" not a6" ruler, so the stripes were 4 3/4 not 5 3/4. Oops. opportunity for design adaption- thus entered the green stripes- I think an improvement.

After finishing this top I thought about how the other linen fabric should be used. I have been enjoying creating geometic based quilts and then softening them with quilting lines, so I decided to do that again. This time I drew up my plan on paper with pencil and markers. Then detailed it on graph paper, measured out the pieces, made a cutting chart and began to construct the squares. In the midst of all this I realized that my main fabric is not of great quality and if I am going to do the work to make this a good quilt I needed to shop for another selection- today's task.

This weekend I was restitching my son's 17 yr old blanket. It has been covered once and is again threadbare- oh that I had vision 17 yrs ago of the love that would be attached to t his gift of love. NOTE- use the best fabric you can, because the quilts may get more attention than you ever can imagine. The difference in the fabric's ability to endure is the starting quality.

Here are some starter pictures of what is in the works.

The power of a quilt

2010-05-23T19:59:00.006-05:00

Today a project I worked on brought a friend to tears. She cried as she looked at the quilted shirts that her son had worn, that she had moved time and time again. That she knew were always waiting in the box for the promise to be fulfilled, and yet never was. Today the dream and hope became reality and what a joy it was to be part of the fulfilling of the promise.

What started a few weeks ago as a box of shirts worn and stained yet filled with meaning and memories for this family today began their journey home. As I worked on the quilt I found my excitement grow as I watched it come together and be transformed from useless shirts into two 4 x 4 quilts. Each backed with flannel, soft and cuddly yet fine for display as well. Memories flood back as the family recalls the teams, the father son time spent together.

Today I saw the power of a quilt in action. It is more than fabric and stuffing, more than thread and batting. It is memories to be made or to be recalled. A quilt can tell a story, recall special times and bring comfort as you struggle through times. The fabric can soothe and can comfort. The patterns and color can decorate and enhance.

Today my quilting flame has been fanned, by the response of my friend, by recent affirmations of the skill I have acquired, by the realization of the power of encouragement a quilt can express. What a blessing to help have been part in lifting the burden of an unmet promise, what joy awaits this Mom as she surprises her son with his past, possibly forgotten for the moment, yet how many of them will flood back with the many patches of his quilt.

A quilt- a vehicle of love, caring and encouragement. A way to tell a story, bind memories and affirm another.

possible layouts for jersey quilt

2010-05-12T09:09:00.004-05:00

As I begin to think of layouts for the squares I find that laying them out to play with them is the best way to find what works. Here are tentative layout possiblities. As it gets closer to sewing together I may shift and change- always fun to consider the before and after pics!

Turning shirts into sweet memories

2010-05-12T08:42:00.006-05:00

I am in the midst of building a new kind of quilt- Soccer jersey shirts are the fabric source along with a few soccer related T shirts. My friend Terry had promised her son that she would turn them into a quilt years ago, a promise she thought she would never get to fulfill. We are slowly seeing that promise come together, and it is rather exciting!

Day 1- I received the box of shirts, sealed years ago. First look was a bit scary and uncertain- many wrinkled decal numbers, worn fabric and many clay marked shirts. I sorted cotton and poly shirts into two piles and began to brainstorm.

Day 2 - Shopping for interfaceing- 5 packages of 15" x 3 yd lightweight fusible, spray starch, 12.5 square ruler and ball point needles. All shirts were ironed, using white paper to shield my ironing board from vinyl numbers/ decals. Spray starch helped to remove wrinkles.

using rotary cutter I cut out 13 x 15 inch pieces of interfacing and 7 x 8 squares (for smaller images). These were then ironed onto the wrong side of the shirts to stabilize the knit and isolate the images. I then rough cut around the interfacing and then using the wonderful 12.5 inch square ruler trimmed each to size. smaller trimed to 6.5 square.

Day 3 continued work of Day 2, tentative layout begins. I have also played with trims, patches and have left one shirt collar on for special effect. Worked on a few plain squares to use as base for applique of smallest shirt (the boy was 5) - intact and too cute to pass up.

Next will be piecing blocks together, adding extra trims, sandwiching and quilting then binding. I will post again soon.

Quilt of Memory and Blessing

2010-03-12T11:47:00.008-06:00

About a month ago I wrote about fabric speaking to me, so I responded with action. I gathered the fabric, carried it home, allowed other fabric to join it and pieced what I believed to be the top. As I pieced the quilt I thought of the serviceman it was for- he serves our country well, having deployed more times than his wife would enjoy remembering, serving his country so that we can enjoy our freedoms while he gives up his. He is a husband, friend and father. He is a sportsman, hunter, fisher and carpenter. He lives life and enjoys the blessing of his home. His family is a joy and delight to us and so I asked his girls to join me in this project.

I gave them several blank pages with titles, they illustrated the pages and turned them back over to me. I used the pictures as the basis of the quilting for this quilt. As I began I realized that the back was becoming the front and the front the back. The patched side reflects in cloth print the interests of this man. The "back" whole cloth side illustrates his life, loves and delights.
The next step was to transfer them onto the cloth- i have found that a white pastel pencil works great and washes out fine. Since there were so many pages I decided to just use the page idea and drew on the rectangles as though they had scattered all over the fabric, then i filled them in randomly, centered around the family portrait.

After the image was drawn on the fabric I used my darning foot and free motion stitched over the lines, tacking at start and stop to lock thread in. I used a contrasting thread color for the main images- enough to show but not too great of a contrast. After main images were complete I considered how to fill in the spaces. I decided to use theme elements from the pictures- tree tops, clouds,hearts, sun, fish, tools, coffee cups and coffee beans to go with the cups. Where there were large spaces I drew a "family tree" and filled it in with family member names. The clouds and hearts needed fill so they were used to hold words to describe pictures, what is enjoyed and what is going on in the lives of the family this year. Random lines are also in use to fill in space and quilt open places. I used a thread color that matches the backing for the extra quilting so it is visible but does not overwhelm the main illustrations.

When all quilting was done I dotted the ends with fray check for saftey sake and after trimming and binding into the washer it went. I love the antique look of a washed quilt, so that is what the end quilt will have. It will now go to spend time in the house of the solider, gathering love and scent from the family before being bagged and sent over for a piece of home away from home.
As I reflect upon this quilt it seems to me that the beauty of quilting is embodied in this one. It tells the story of a family, this season of life has been put into a form to be shared both now and in days to come. The illustrations will be recalled in future years, art work that might be forgotten has become preserved. The passions and interests of this season are identified. The costly sacrifice is hinted at. The story is told.

Fabric speaks

2010-02-16T12:27:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I went to the store for batting, that was all, no list because it was all I needed. I made a mistake, rather than making a direct route to the batting I meandered in the aisles- Dangerous. Many red signs told of sales and got my mind wandering of who the fabric spoke of. Eventually it was the fish and deer fabric that caught my eye.

A neighbor is away. He is deployed to Iraq for a season while his fishing boat waits for him, his duck decoys lay gathering dust and his salt lick draws the neighborhood deer without his ability to watch and enjoy. In December I blessed his son with a quilt- another distracted trip in where the fabric screamed "JOHN". This time it yelled "Rob", so I sucuumed and left with several quarter yards.

The afternoon held many events but eventually quilting became one of them. I found several fabrics in my stash to co-ordinate and the cutting began. My goal was a lap quilt. Eventually it appears that it will be a man's size lap quilt as it is between lap and twin size. The squares are all pieced and the layout is complete. Now on to stitching them together and then figuring out what pattern to quilt it all together with. The front will be busy yet the back I expect will be plain so I will be thinking of the backside as I quilt. Perhaps pictures his kids do for me and put upon the quilt?? I am liking that- as the whole point of the quilt is to remind him of his passions and life and the ones who support him at home. He has many who are missing his smile and funny nature. One little guy especially misses tool time with Dad- the quilt has blocks to cover that as well.

What fun it is to think of someone and find the fabric that reflects them is available to create a blessing for them. To be able to send a bit of home to a place that feels not at all like home. To find that the fabric that screamed from the bolt was just calling me to another adventure in care to another soul.

And for the record.. my mini quilt swap offernig went in the mail last week! And my BOM from 2009 is waiting for the last of the applique to be stitched down, two rows of blocks to be attached and the top is done! I splerged on rolled batting for this special quilt and hope to start quilting it before the month is up! So though I have been a bit distracted I am still moving forward.

Next on my list to start-

Quilt for my bear- so he can have his own snugli throw for the L-room.
Quilt for my girl- my goal is a twin or double sized for her bed and beyond.

My first quilt swap

2010-02-04T06:27:00.005-06:00

I have read about quilt swaps but have never found one to participate in. That has changed recently, I saw an announcement for a mini quilt swap. I kind of begged my way in and Recently received the information to begin. The theme is winter so I went to my stash to see what I had to work with and would inspire my cutting and stitching.

From the "striptease" bag that I bought recently I found the colors of a winter storm, snow and forest. It was fun to play with the fabrics and build a landscape. Then I dotted the landscape with trees... the pieces are beginning to come together. I think I originally thought that I would make a traditional quilt but that is not what the fabric spoke, rather it is an art quilt, a machine applique quilt.

As winter seems to wane here in Alabama, with the possibility of snow for the third time within a months' time the beauty of the snow within the house draws me to it. I am not sure that this piece of winter is one that I will rejoice when it passes from our sight. Other parts of the country are still very much in the midst of winter, we had a brief glimpse of spring so we know that soon it shall blow in and winter will be a season of the past.

The quilt is still in progress so the pictures are a bit of a tease of what is in progress.

Just what I needed to meet my need!

2010-01-27T08:08:00.006-06:00

I was browsing favorite blogs (www.ohfransson.com) recently when I clicked on the "small projects" link. Up popped pictures and I found the answer to my gapping door issue.

We have an old jelly cupboard - found at a yard sale, lovingly moved and with its age, it has shifted out of square, or more out of square than origianlly. It may not help that my floor is not level or that it is loaded with books and games. It is the offical "school cupboard"- where all my homeschooling and games are held. Most often it has greeted any who enter the house with a wide open door, as it no longer latches.

My answer was found though in this post.
http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/2007/10/my-first-tutori.html
A pattern for a quilted door stop- it was fun, functional and looked like it was within my skill set to construct. I started to gather materials and this weekend I made two! My door now has a helper to keep it closed, the world no longer has to look at the mess within.

Elizabeth Hartman does a great job walking folks through the process step by step in her tutorial. I was a bit concerned as I did not have heavy weight wool or denim for the backing/ trim but the quilted cotton seems to be strong enough for the weight of the beans within. I think I will be fine as long as a visiting child does ot decide to open the zipper that allows the beans to escape for a toss in the wash should the stop get dirty. One never knows with 2 or 3yr olds... will keep my eye out for that distraction!

So I am pleased with my newest creation- it has met my need and is pretty too!

Custom shelf cover

2010-01-17T23:20:00.004-06:00

I lived with an ugly shelf top for a few years, then one day it occurred to me that I could cover it with a custom quit. It would be thin enough to not cause a problem with the tile, add color and interst and would be washable.

To make this I first took paper and traced the shape that the final quilt would need to be. I then considered what I wanted each side to have on them. The first one was the quilt block embeded in the field of green- I made the block and then added fabric all around, allowing lots of extra to allow for trimming back. the second one I took a cup and drew the circular base (green) for the half circle. I then cut it out of the planning sheet. I then folded the paper on itself until I could not fold it any longer. I then cut out one of the panels, added 1/2" to the sides and used that as a pattern for the design. After cutting out the fabric, I sewed them together and added the half circle (green).

After sandwiching the quilt tops and quilting I cut out the piece to final sizing, and then bound with bias cut binding. Once it was complete I sprayed it with Scottguard to protect its finish.

It now makes a pretty end to the countertop!

The begining of my quilting

2010-01-15T21:47:00.003-06:00

As I begin this blog it seems fitting to post my first quilt... this is the one that began this season of stitching, this journey into fiber and love affair with mixing colors, pattern and shape.

My friend Laura took me under her wing and explained the basics, slowing me down to learn good form and technique which I am not sure I have continued with but I was given a good start. This quilt was a slow build, over weeks and months in the midst of life in NC. It came to AL yet to be finished and one day discovered. She graciously sent me the book and I completed it, hunting down how-to's since I did not have her beside me.

Since then I have tried many simple patterns and am continuing to slowly challenge myself with new processes. My goal once was to finish the book of wall quilts she sent me, I think I have lost track of that quilting path but I have worked through several basic ones.

I went on to make some log cabin quilts, a few nine patches that barely resemble the calm white and yellow and blue in the book. Realizing that small changes can make a big difference in the outcome of the patterning and look of the final product began to help me to move away from "matching" and into exploring more what different color combinations could do. Some have been winners, some not so great, all learning experiences.

Modern Coins

2010-01-15T21:28:00.004-06:00

This spring I received a wedding invitation from my daughters childhood friend. When did she grow up? How could she be ready to wed when my daughter is still in the midst of transitioning to womanhood? They are on different tracks, some meander down paths in life, others race and some start, stop, pause and then find their speed. Each is individual to the individual.

This quilt was inspired by a quilt along I stumbled upon while cruising the web. Most I saw posted had colorful borders and dividers. I did not know Alex well but I well remember her favorite teen color- Black. That quickly was chosen for the major color and all the other colors came by way of the scrap bins and what other fabric I had that I thought might suit them. Her family always has had animals so a few animal prints were included as well.

After cutting and piecing the coins I assembled the quilt and then decided to use specialty stitching from my new Pfaff machine to outline the coins. Across each was a fun stitch and around each row of coins I used a theme in keeping with thread color. For blue varigated thread I used snow pattern and waves like oceans. I used a pink varigated thread to stitch many different flower patterns. The blue/red thread was the nod to modern designs and the more linear side of life with geometric patterns. Green was used for branch and leaf patterns. yellow/brown thread was used in stitching sun patterns.

The quilt was backed with a modern black and white block fabric with a hint of gold. this was a good contrast when used in the binding and brought brightness amidst the dark colors.

This was an experimental kind of quilt but the end result was quite pleasing. It was fun to expore mixing many fabrics and seeing them blend together and top it all with fun little patterns that keep the user looking for changes and what comes next in the line of stitching. It is kind of a mix of crazy quilt and coin quilt, hmmm maybe it is a crazy coin quilt.

Hope you enjoy considering how you might add some "craziness" to one of your future quilts.

Layered square quilt

2010-01-14T16:15:00.004-06:00

Trying new things can be fun and can be challenging. I am still fairly new to quilting. My philosophy has been that volume sewing will help build skills. Or to say it a bit different the more I sew, the more I will learn and know what I like, what works, and what I will choose to not invest time in.

I used fabric from the stash that I didn't have other plans for and thought that together they might make a fun kids quilt. As I began I found that more variety of color and more fabric was needed than what I had picked out. So in came solid colors and then the bright yellow to lighten things up a bit.

As I began to stack sqares I was excited, then the piecing began and I had doubts of my outcome, but in the end after the final wash I am quite pleased with the outcome. It is thick- layering of fabric, batting and backing make it so, but it will also be quite warm. The fraying edges of the top squares caused a bit of concern with loose threads and little fingers, but I have expressed concern to the future receipent, along with my dh’s comment of “the sky is falling”- he sees no problem with little fingers and threads being wrapped tightly about them.

The backing fabric I extended with scraps and added a few random squares for interest. They are sure to keep a baby's interest as he/she lay and look at all the bright color.

So, for a new project it was a quick sew, a bright end and some lessons learned along the way- next time I will use ½” margins when sewing blocks to one another. I may use this pattern over again if I want a quick lapquilt. I think I would enjoy making it in a soft plaid and solid flannel- cozy and comfy with a bit of fringe as it is washed and loved!

Potholders for Patriots

2010-01-12T15:06:00.000-06:00

I recently visited an old friend, it was a last minute invitation to stay the night by her as we were on our way through her state.

As a quilter I find that I often study a home or person so that I might bless them with handcrafts in the future. That was my inspiration for this project as I was wanting to send a thank you note and gift for her gracious hospitality. She has among her decor many quilts and a framed picture of the White House, I had star fabric- this was the outcome.

These other potholder quilts were from other "scraps" that I played with. They are destined for reunited family and a wife supporting our nation. Ellen's husband has just deployed to Afghanistan, I am hoping that she will be blessed and that it will remind her to pray for him, as I have as I have finished these. Her sister will be happy for pretty quilting to cheer her kitchen.

If you have not made trivets or potholders they are a great way to use up scraps- sewing them together in random ways that suit you. I start with a few ideas, stitching two pieces together and build until I like the size and work. I then layer them with batting, Insul Bright, a heat resistant batting between the topping and backing fabric. After quilting I bind like a normal quilt. This time I got smart and they all received a few shots of scotchguard to give them longer life. They will soon surprise and brighten a few kitchens!

Fringe or not?

2010-01-12T14:45:00.001-06:00

I recently finished a shawl, one made from a variety of yarns and scrap pieces. It was fun to knit and pray for the future receipent as I did not knit it with anyone in particular in mind. It was an idea that came to me, a shawl of many colors. Anyway, as I finished it up I came to a few conclusions.

1. It is a shawl for someone of "presence" as it is colorful and will draw attention, not for the shy wallflower.

2. I think it is best for someone of larger stature than I.

3. It is beautiful yet I kept thinking that it needed something. Today I discovered that there were still some unfinished balls of yarn in the yarn basket leftover from the project so the Magic Schoolbus book became the standard as I wound it full of yarn, snipped and began to fringe the shawl.

4. Fringe unifies a project where there is great variety of color and texture. The fringe brings an "uneven" end to this linear piece, thus softening it and also unifying the ends as they meet.

So, for whoever is the future receipient, fringe it will be, on this one. I realize that not all pieces will be improved with fringe but I believe that this one has been.

Tis the seaon to stitch

2009-10-26T11:31:00.000-05:00

I have sewn for years. For years I said that one day I would quilt. One day... slowly life simplified or my interests changed. One day I realized that the season for beginning to quilt had arrived. I had margin in my life where I could pick up the dream of learning to quilt.

When I lived in North Carolina several years ago my friend Laura started me on my quiliting pathway. She took time to teach, and insist, on good technique and form. She introduced me to the ruler, rotary cutter and going slow. Slow is not my nature, so quilting has been an ongoing exercise in discipline, one that shows my failures in wonky seams and icky stitching. I begain a railfence pattern. Life kept interfering so we did not come to the end of the project when I left NC. She graciously mailed me the instructions and I finished it a year later, on my own.

Since that time I have worked my way through the book that she sent me, learning a few new patterns and experimenting with color and fabrics. I have found that I am in LOVE with color... the choosing, the mixing and the fun of selecting fabrics and surprising myself with the results. I guess I should not be surprised as I am one of a line of artists in the family tree and so it kind of makes sense... but it has been a delight to find such joy in the journey.

In the past few years I have taken over the dining room as my quilting/sewing headquarters and continue to create. I have figured out that to quilt well one must quilt... its an investment of time or $$. I think I have more time than $$ so I do alot of sewing, evaluating and climbing the learning curve. I have found that I can experiment and bless others with my pieces that I see the oops's in and they just see the beauty. A double blessing and it doesnt feel like i am just doing meaningless lesson work in the process.

As I began to need to 'qulit" the quilts I was working on I also found that it was another time vs money deal. For a mere 1K I could buy the wonderful Bernina attachment that would take all the work out of freemotion quilting, but I dont own a Bernina. So, I spent the time and now hours later my stitching seems to be regulating itself on its own. I think it was worth the time invested as I am continuing to be able to quilt my work as I go.

A friend once showed me her stash of tops... they filled a laundry basket and then some... all waiting for the final glory... the quilting. I decided then that i would need to discipline myself to not get too far ahead of my stitching... rather keep quiliting along with the stithcing so I did not end up with UFO's ... things I am well familiar with from sewing clothing that has been cut out but not stitched and is now out of fashion or outgrown.

As I have quilted there have been lessons learned, projects done and joy to be shared. Since I enjoy writing it seemed time to start this blog to share my journey and the creativity of it with others.