Thankful for Quilting

Today is a day that I am really thankful that I am a quilter.  It was a long, frustrating day and I am very tired.   When I have days like today, I am so grateful to be able to come home and work on some quilting, even if it's only for a little while.  It helps me relax and really takes my mind off the problems of the day.  It is truly a gift. 

 Sometimes I wonder what people who don't have hobbies or interests outside of work do when their day has gone badly.  To me, it's like putting all of your eggs in one basket.  Then you have to really watch to keep the basket from tipping or breaking!  If the day has not gone well, then what have you got to make you feel better?  When I come home and work on a quilt, I can see something tangible that tells me I am doing a good job on something.  That is so rewarding.

I hope that your quilting reinforces and rewards you for the effort you put into it.  Keep quilting in peace and happiness.

Works in Progress

I hope everyone here in the states had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  Mine was wonderful, with one of the best turkeys we ever had.  During the holiday, I was recovering from a nasty sinus infection, but still managed to have a good time as we all gathered at my sister Pammy Lou's house.  The table was decorated so beautifully and we all stuffed ourselves, again, at another year's feast.  My wish is that all people could know such a feast and such happiness when gathered together.


As I mentioned, I was recovering from being sick, which slowed down my stitching for a few days.  Now that I am feeling better, I am back at it and wanted to post some pictures of my progress so far.  This is a large block, 12.5 inches square, finished size would be 11.5 because of a half inch seam allowance.  This is to be the center of a large star block and I am having a really good time with it, although, I must confess, working with tiny seed beads does try my patience, at times.  Here is a picture of the vertical flower and button seam treatment:

As you can see, I have not finished the seed beading on the larger strip of lace at the top.  I do
love the little black beads on there, but, as I said, they try my patience.  I love using the seed beads and french knots.  They remind me of building up texture in a pen and ink drawing with little dots.  This seam treatment was lots of fun.  I have to confess, the flowers are purchased, however.  


I love trolling through my collection of buttons, found at antique markets and given me by friends, for just the right buttons to work into a spray.  Sometimes the buttons have little pieces of fabric still attached to them and I love to think about what pieces of clothing they might have been attached to.  Were the buttons cut off and saved by a thrifty housewife with any thought in mind that someday I would use them to adorn a quilt?  I doubt it very much.  I'm sure she was just being thrifty, a notion our modern world seriously needs to reconsider.  


Here is another picture of a flower spray I am developing in the corner, and I must say that I am seriously having a blast with it.  I removed a button I had attached previously and altered the composition somewhat.  It is just so much fun to work on:

Making the silk ribbon roses is a joy.  I love roses and still have a few die hard real roses in my garden hanging in despite the colder weather.  Making them in silk is a great inspiration during the colder months.  I think this spray will fill in and trail down into some of the other patches really well.

I also wanted to post a picture of another project I am working on, a Log Cabin quilt.  I work on this one in odd spare moments to help me with my  machine skills, which are nowhere near as good as my hand skills.  Trying to get a good quarter inch seam is a real challenge for me, but I will persist!!!!

I hope everyone in this holiday season is happy and healthy.  Keep stitching in peace and happiness.

Documenting Progress

I thought I would post some progress on my current block.  I have been working away and have added some black seed beads, as well as another fly stitch spray.  Progress is slow, but it is good to have something that goes slowly when most of life goes by so quickly.  I also wanted to write about why I have fallen so in love with crazy quilting.


First of all, for me, crazy quilting is an abstract form of quilting.  I find it very much like trying to create an abstract painting.  You can incorporate a theme, if you wish, but you are essentially creating your shapes from no preconceived notion or pattern.  I do not  mean to imply that no thought is involved, either in abstract painting or in crazy quilting.  There is plenty in both mediums.  But it is definitely more free form than formal or traditional quilting patterns.  When I have finished a project in crazy quilting, even a small one, I feel as though I have finished a small painting.  For me, the two are closely intertwined.


Secondly, I love texture and, let's face it, crazy quilting is so much about texture.  In Sharon Boggan's class she writes that the techniques are not so much about encrusted crazy quilting, as they are about creating "deep visual texture."  I love that!!!  I have not yet mastered layers in Photoshop, but I can grasp the concept of layers in this art form.  The layers in crazy quilting are fabric, laces or braids, layers of stitching and beading, and more.  Building up the layers is like building up a painting, one layer of small brush strokes at a time, only embroidery stitches, ribbons, lace, beads, and more substitute for paints and brushes.


I love the beauty of crazy quilting.  I love that people try and put beauty in the world when there is so much ugliness and sordidness that surrounds us all of the time.  We are forever bombarded by images in modern life, many of them cheap and meant only to appeal to the lowest common denominator.  To use threads, needles, and fabrics to create a piece of beauty is, to me, a wonderful gift I give myself whenever I work on a project.


Well, I think that I have spoken my mind about this topic enough for one day and hope that any readers do not mind my musings on the topic.  Keep quilting in peace and happiness.

One Finished Project and...

I have finished my project for Sharon Boggan's Encrusted Crazy Quilting Class.  I haven't posted in awhile because I have been working on getting it finished up, and somehow, other  pesky things (like work and family) have a tendency to get in the way, LOL!  So, with no further ado, I am posting some pictures.  Below is a closer shot to view the stitching a little better:

I must tell you that I had  rough go of it toward the end of the project.  It seems to happen to me a lot when I get to the point where it's time to wind things up.  It's that little niggling voice at the back of  my head that says, "Hmmmm, maybe that could have been a little better, " or "What were you thinking, do you think that really works?  No one else would do that!"  Well, I must say that Sharon was marvelous and told me to silence that inner critic in  those very terms.  So, I took her advice to heart and have started a new project.  Here are two views to take a peek at:

This project is the beginning of a quilt.  It will be the center block of a star quilt.  The center and some of the other pieces of the block are photos I printed on fabric and touched up with colored pencils.  The block also contains some of the hand dyed fabrics that are featured in the heading of my blog.  I am really enjoying using them because, aside from the fact that I made them, I love the texture of some of them.  Speaking of texture, here is a photo of some of my hand painted fabrics:

I love making my own fabrics.  The textures can be so interesting and I love that these came from my own hand.  Both my block from Sharon's class and my new project also use some of the threads that I hand painted.  They were originally a little stiff, but soften up beautifully as I worked with them.  

I must get a move on.  Other responsibilities are calling.  I hope that you keep quilting in peace and love.  Debby

A Great Trip and Project Pictures

What a beautiful day today was!  After a lot of rain on Friday and really grey skies on Saturday, today was filled with blue skies and brilliant sunshine.  I was so lucky to be able to spend the weekend in Pittsburgh visiting my son and his DH.  Despite the grey skies, we had a fabulous time.  I wanted to visit a quilt shop in their area, The Quilt Company, and both were very patient with me once we got there.  

It is a wonderful shop, filled with great lighting and one of the best selection of fabrics I have ever seen.  Did I buy anything?  Need you ask?  Of course, although a tight budget restrained my spending to some extent.  I bought a pattern to make a stitch'n'flipped small bag and the hardware to attach it to.  The bag can really be as elegant as you want it to be, although the picture of the bag made up is fairly plain.  I plan to embellish mine like crazy.  Future pictures to come!


I also bought a bundle of ten Moda fat quarters, all in soft, taupe colors.  I have always wanted to try this color scheme ever since first being introduced to it in Quilter's Newletter many moons ago.  I love the Japanese quilters' work and how intricate it can be within a restrained color pallete.  The fabric is all so beautiful, I will have to plan very carefully when I use it, otherwise I will fear that I might ruin it.


Despite the grey skies on Saturday, we went to a wonderful fall festival at Sorgen's Market.  It was a great time, despite having the day turn colder as it went on.  We had hot, spiced cider, saw plenty of pumpkins, and watched all the little ones having a great time at the petting zoo.  One little goat kept butting his head against a little boy's hand, making him laugh with delight.  We finished up the day with a wonderful dinner in a beautiful little town north of Pittsburgh called Zelienople.  It was so much fun to spend the day with them.


The beautiful sunshine got me out today to take a picture of a finished project that I have posted pictures of in progress previously.  It is one of a planned series of four small quilts that will use pictures I have taken of flowers and printed on fabric.  This is the quilt that spoke to me so vehemently about removing the cranberry colored stitching I had used on it.  I hope you enjoy seeing it finished at last.

If anyone reads my posts, you may remember that I am taking an online class from Sharon Boggan on Encrusted Crazy Quilting.  I have made a lot of progress on this project and wanted to keep you posted on its progress.  Sharon is a wonderful teacher who can take complicated design principles and explain them clearly and make them easy to understand.  Her class is given through Joggles' web site.  I highly recommend it.  Here is a picture of the progress I have made since I posted the pieced block without any seam treatments or embellishments.

I hope any readers who stumble across my humble efforts, both at quilting and blogging have healthy, happy coming week.  Keep stitching in peace and happiness!

New Block

Happy Sunday to all!  I am home recuperating from oral surgery, which has really slowed me down.  However, I did manage to get this block done before I had the surgery last Thursday.  This block is for Sharon B.'s online class: Encrusted Crazy Quilting.  It is really a stretch for me out of my comfort zone, as far as the colors I chose.  the block was not that hard for me to put together, but we are in week 2 now.  Week 2 starts into seam treatments and I am having a little harder time.  Of course, that could just be my being kind of worn down from the surgery, too.  I can hardly get my jaw open today.


Anyway, I wanted to tell people, if anyone out there has actually read my blog, what a fabulous course this is.  You can tell that Sharon is not only a great textile artist, but a great teacher, as well.  She knows how to take complicated theory or concepts and break them down to seem simple.  Even if you don't have any art background, it is easy to understand what Sharon is talking about.  Thank you, Sharon.


Hopefully, I will be on the mend soon and can get into a stitching routine that is not so much of a struggle.  It is no fun having to pick stitches out, no matter how good a scissors you have!

Lessons Learned from the Learning Curve Sampler Quilt

I really learned a lot about making this quilt and wanted to share some of the things I learned with others.  Hopefully, it will be of some help to others who feel that they are constantly learning, or just beginning a machine journey, too.

Never try and sew on your machine with a curious kitty sitting behind the machine (or type on your blog, for that matter!).  I was going along quite well, when all of a sudden my top thread ran out.  At first, I could not understand because it was a new, large spool of thread.  Then the light bulb went on:  the thread had been chewed through!  So much for company while I stitch.

Slow and steady wins the race.  Mary Mashuta recommends in her book that you slow down when using a walking foot or decorative stitches, as opposed to speeding up when doing free motion quilting.  In this case, slowing down produces greater accuracy.  Slow down and enjoy the ride.  Thank-you, Mary for you book, Foolproof Machine Quilting, and all of the great tips it contains.  I have not given up on free motion quilting, but felt this was a better way for me to ease into machine work, as I have always done everything by hand before.

Make a detailed sample on scrap fabric.  I like to use 2 layers of inexpensive felt.  That way, you can work out any glitches ahead of time, as well as practice using your decorative stitches.  You can determine the best settings and look at how the size of the stitches works with the overall design.

If you do not have a top of the line, computerized machine (I don't), re-set your settings each time you begin a new grouping of decorative stitches.  It will assure greater consistency.

A caveat to the last paragraph: you don't need top of the line, expensive machine to do good work.  Don't let the lack of one hold you back.  Go forth boldly on the machine you do have!

Keep an eye on your bobbin thread.  I found it best to re-thread when I was getting low, rather than wait for the bobbin to run out.

These are some of the lessons I learned from using my machine for this quilt.  I hope they might be helpful to some stitchers out there who are machine newbies, like me.

Peace and happy stitches to you all.  xoxo, Debby

A Finished Quilt

This quilt began as some small practice squares.  I was working with the flip and stitch technique and trying out some different colors (for me).  My son liked them and gave me some nice, positive feedback, so I decided to see if I could put them into a quilt arrangement.  The quilt is approximately 34.5 inches by 34.5 inches.

I have named the quilt, "Learning Curve Sampler".  The quilt was truly an exercise in working with this particular technique, including trying to make spirals with it.  The pieced inner border was something new that I tried, as well.  Usually I hand quilt all my work, but on this quilt, I began to try and develop machine skills.  I am quite happy with it.  I used the new bamboo batting and it is quite warm.

Here is another picture with a funny kitty named Louis.

Keep quilting in peace and happy stitches.

A Lesson from the Quilt

In my last post I wrote about why I quilt.  I also wrote about how, at times, I try and make the quilt do something and, at other times, the quilt tells me!

The block I have been working on is a good example.  I had some nice, dark red cranberry colored perl cotton and thought it would be a good contrast color on the block.  I thought it would be great; however, the block had something different to say.  In fact, the more I looked at the block, the more it screamed to me, "Get this darn cranberry color off of me!!!"

Finally, after several attempts to salvage the motif with the cranberry red, I gave in and listened to the block.  The block was right, the red had to go.  The block was telling me that, although some of the green fabrics were quite dark, the embellishment and stitching I had chosen were more delicate.  The cranberry red was a contrast to the rest of the block, but it was much too harsh, nor was it tied in to the rest of the design.   The softer pinkish red used for small french knots was a much better choice. I think the lesson for me to learn from this is to let go of what I think should be happening, and trust what the quilt, or in this case, the block is telling me.

So, last night, I took out the dark cranberry red, let the block sigh a deep sigh of relief, and began remaking that section of embellishment.  Keep quilting in peace and happiness!

Why Do You Quilt?

Why do you quilt?  That's a question I frequently ask myself.  Sometimes, when I tell people that I am a quilter, I joke that it is my therapy.  But, that is really only a half-hearted joke.  Quilting relaxes me and allows my right brain a chance to take over, quieting that judgmental, over-talkative left side.  It seems to give my whole being a chance to just kick back, relax, and release all of the tension that accumulates during my working day.

I also quilt because I love the medium so much.  When I make a quilt, I try to make it as beautiful as possible, which is an artistic motivation.  But quilts are more than beautiful objects, the way that a painting or drawing is.  Quilts are tactile.  A beautiful quilt makes you want to reach out and touch it, to fondle it, and trace the lines and shapes with your finger tips.  When you make a quilt for someone, you give them, not only a gift of beauty, but of comfort and warmth, as well.

I also love the process of  making a quilt: designing it, piecing and stitching it, making the sandwich, quilting it, and adding the binding.  I love the way I start out making a quilt, and how the quilt frequently has its own ideas about how it should develop.  I have learned that there are times I have to stop trying to tell the quilt what to do and listen to the quilt.  If I listen carefully, the quilt will tell me what it needs.

These are my answers to the question "Why do you quilt?"  Could they, perhaps, be your answers, too?

Having Some Fun

Well, I've been  busy bee, learning more new things about blogging.  I'd give myself a big pat on the back for managing to post the blogs I currently follow on this blog, except that it only took me several days to figure it out!!!  Once the light bulb finally went on over my head, it was very easy.  It just takes me awhile.

Here is a picture of something that took me a lot less time.  I have painted and stenciled fabric almost from the time I began quilting, but I never tried painting thread before.  So, yesterday, I measured and cut some #8 DMC pearl cotton into six foot lengths.  I bundled them into little skeins and got out some paints.  I used  Jacquard fabric paints and a small brush.  I wet each skein (unknotted) and mixed my paints on a paper plate, then went to town dabbing the paint on with the small brush.  They turned out nicely variegated by using more or less paint.

When the skeins were dry, I was disappointed to find them very stiff; however, by running them through my fingers several times, they began to soften up.  Pictured below are some french knots and a length of thread that I have already used.  The threads were actually very soft to work with by then.  I was very happy with the results and had a great time painting them.  hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed painting them.

Finally!

Well, I've known for some time that I was not the Einstein of the tech world, but 4 hours of trying to get this blog up and running was certainly a humbling experience. But, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, here I am: Ta-Daaahhhh!

It seems as though it is always the easiest things that trip me up when I am trying to do something on the computer. I always seem to have the gist of the larger process, but when it comes to the small details to actually get the job done, there is always some little step that I forgot, because I haven't done it often enough, or some little step, like clicking on an icon, that I am unaware of. Of course, this leads to having to put on some soothing music, make a fresh cup of decaf (can't have full strength or might just whip the laptop across the room!), try again, and finally take a break. After doing some household chores, I return and presto! Somewhere in the dark recesses of my tired brain, the solution comes. I have lift off, Houston!

Blogging seems like a good fit for me. I am a special education teacher, specializing in Early Childhood Education. Many years of my career have been spent earning my living by evaluating children for developmental delays and writing reports. I enjoy writing and am eager to use my skills to chat about my other passion in life: working with fabric and threads.

Above is a picture of a current block in progress. The fabric that inspired the block is made from a digital photo I took and printed on fabric. The photo printed on fabric was then enhanced with colored pencils. I am working on the embellishments now, as you can see in the picture. I hope to make three more blocks using digital photos printed on fabric as inspiration. The four blocks are to be finished separately and may be hung as a grouping.

One of the blogs I follow is Diane Gaudynski's. I am in awe of her ability to create true works of art with her sewing machine. When reading her website or her blog, one can easily see that she is not only a fantastically talented artist, but a fine, generous human being, as well. I love the encouragement she gives to her students and readers: "Keep quilting. You are getting better every day." That has become my mantra and I pass it on to you, in peace, as well.