Somewhere on the interwebs…

January 18, 201819 Comments

Somewhere on the interwebs, I read a gofundme-type page or blog from a quilter who wants to take her evangelical message about quilting labels across country. As I recall, this quilter wanted donations to assist with her self-appointed mission to persuade quilters that their love and labor should be documented for all time through appropriate labeling. If this quilter was thinking about issuing fines for chronic offenders, I would need a gofundme page for bail money and attorney’s fees.

But, before you shake out your pockets and toss the sofa pillows looking for loose change to spring me from the legal system, behold, the first (but not the last) quilt label of 2018 from Gray Barn Designs:

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Here is my simple method.

I cut out two pieces of Kona White in the same size and wrote my label on one. I haven’t measured the pieces, I just eyeballed them, but I think they are about 3″x4″.

Then I sewed the two pieces right sides together on three of the four sides. (Truth serum insertion: I really sewed it twice. The first time I sewed 3 3/4 of the sides together, then realized that is was going to be super hard to turn the pieces back to the right side. Immediately I recognized another great chance to work on my un-sewing skills.)

This Bernina walking foot has changed my life.

After I turned the little envelope right side out, I became overcome with the urge to hide a surprise in the label before I close it up. I cannot resist. I must put something in that little secret pocket before it is attached to the DOR quilt.

My first thought was a penny. Do you have a better idea?

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And now I’m questioning my writing implement. The fine print on it says that you can use it on fabric, but it might not be washable. What???

How do you label your quilts? Or are we going to be cell mates when the quilt label police find us?

Mid-January Power Sewing

January 15, 2018January 15, 201815 Comments

Except for my exercise plan <ahem>, I’m having a very productive early January! I took two big winter weather events in stride and stuck to my quilting plan for the year. I know it’s early, but it’s still a reason to celebrate, don’t you think? Let me enumerate:

I rearranged my sewing space based on some great advice/comments I received to my Let There be Light post. As a result, there is currently nothing below my window — whew. Boots has been able reclaim his napping spot and my computer desk is oriented so that it’s facing the door, not beside it. My ironing board is now where the desk was and the sewing cabinet is back in it’s old spot to the left of the window. Somehow the flow feels much, much better. I should learn more about Feng Shui (including how to pronounce it). There is certainly something calming about a well-designed room.
Bootsie lounging in his favorite chair with the sun warming his old bones. He’s an indoor-outdoor kitty, but he hasn’t been outside in days. The snow would surely be above his head! My original design Boudoir quilt is in the background.
My Drops of Rainbow quilt has been back from Ms. G, (my wonderful long arm quilter) for a couple of weeks. I attached the binding right away, but then got distracted by Christmas. Since it wasn’t a planned gift, I brought it and my hand-binding kit down to the family room, expecting to finish it quickly. Then came more distractions, additional glasses of wine, mountains of bon-bon eating, etc. etc. Meanwhile, the quilt was put to good use. My son likes to sleep on that sofa and he’s an equal opportunity quilt snuggler, so the not-quite-completed quilt made for handy napping. However, Friday night’s big snowfall meant that there was no more viable distractions/excuses: it was time to start bonding with my quilt. I finished the binding on last night.
I know, I know, I’ve read that you can attach both sides of a binding with a machine, but I love the handwork at the end of the creative process!
One of my friends retired this year. Around the same time, her daughter passed away quickly and unexpectedly. My heart aches for her and I’m making a quilt to hopefully bring her some comfort. Finally all the pieces are cut and I can start putting them together. I am hoping for a May completion date, which will be in time for her birthday. True Blue from Miss Rosie’s Spice of Life Quilts will contain 100 cream/blue blocks surrounded by a piano key border.
My Pottery Barn up-cycled table runner is nearly complete. I created this paper-pieced Spring Chicken to go with the dust ruffle flowers and she just makes me smile! You can make her too with this pattern.

And just for fun, here is a frost-covered maple tree that marks one of the farm’s boundaries. When I drove by yesterday (Sunday), there was a magnificent hawk perched in the very tippy top branches. Alas, I scared her away before I could snap a portrait, but the tree was too beautiful to ignore. This blue is unedited — it’s incredible, isn’t it? IMG_0807[1]

A bright clear and cold Sunday morning at the summit of the farm.

Are you accomplishing your January goals?

Trying not to blink

November 2, 2017November 2, 20178 Comments

Does anyone else have this creeping suspicion that if you blink it will be New Year’s Day? Now that Halloween has safely passed, the days and the nights and the weekends will be filled with cooking and decorating and partying and planning and of course, some sewing (oh, and work — did I forget to mention pay-the-bills work???). All this activity makes it seem like time is accelerated. Factor in the end of Daylight Savings Time this weekend, and the added hour of darkness that will befall us as result, and it’s all over but the champagne toast.

To combat this cheery thought, let’s talk about quilting.

I’ve finished the top of my Drops of Rainbow quilt. I bought a fun navy polka dot fabric today to create the backing. I want to bind it in blue, but haven’t found the right shade yet. I’m looking for a solid fabric to calm the eye.

Early stages Drops of Rainbow

DIL asked for a gray and yellow quilt for her living room. I purchased some fabric while I was in Ohio this summer. When I pulled it out to begin cutting this week I realized that two of the fabric prints are too similar, so today I stopped at Carriage House Quilts in Naples NY and bought a replacement. (The polka dot fabric from Drops of Rainbow also came from Carriage House). I hope to begin cutting this weekend.

Raw materials for Nathena’s quilt.

I love baseball, but rarely make time any more to watch a game, but last night was an exception. How exciting to watch the Houston Astro’s win their very first World Series. I moved my machine into the kitchen so I could watch and listen while I worked on a fall colors bench pillow cover.

Congrats to the Astros!

A new bench pillow — yet another excuse to meander through my pre-cuts!

OK, y’all, keep those eyes wide open for the next 60 days!

Eclipse Day 2017

August 21, 201712 Comments

Today was a fun day, wasn’t it? Although the eclipse was less than full here in western New York, the event created a festive atmosphere in the dog days of August. I snapped an over the shoulder shot just as the action was starting — don’t worry, I took the picture without looking, so my vision is safe.

The sun at about 1:15pm as the takeover begins.

The college campus where I work is about to explode with life and I can’t wait. Here’s a pic from this morning — the proverbial calm before the storm.

The first group of Freshmen arrive tomorrow. They don’t know it, but they are going to love it here.

The community garden is bursting with goodies. This weekend we enjoyed our first home-grown ear of corn. Delicious!

Butter+Salt+Pepper+Fresh Sweet Corn.

And, finally, the floor in my family room has been overtaken by a rainbow. I’m so close to being finished, but alas, I’ve run out of white scraps. Off to the fabric store sometime this week to bring this scrappy Drops of Rainbow quilt top to completion.