Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Louis Wain Cats

Over in Instagram I am part of a vintage lovers swap.  One of the great things about an IG swap is the mosaics you put together to get an idea of what your partner likes.  My partner is an artist and likes Peter Pan, Louis Wain cats, and Elvis among other things.  The picture she posted of the cats was very fun - cats with umbrellas- but I didn't think I could do anything with it unless I embroidered and that's not gonna happen :)  I thought about Peter Pan and looked up the book she mentioned (it's a very rare one, found it for about $1200.00!)  and thought maybe I'd do one of the illustrations-way too detailed - amazing pictures but nope. I used up all my Elvis fabric on Helen's purse so that wouldn't work.   I kept coming back to Louis' cats and found a couple that I thought I could do.  It took me 3 days to decide. Look up his paintings, there are some *wild* cats, most of them would make for a very bold quilt! Finally I settled on this one.  It makes me smile! 
I started with a rough sketch to make sure I could do it free hand since I wasn't going to be near a printer.  Not too difficult.  Then I went thru my scraps to find the right fabrics.  I found marbly (that's a word, right?) squares in my Stonehenge charm pack that worked perfect.  Then I cut all those petals (10 for each eye)  while sitting in the sunshine. 
I really like my phone for this kind of project because I can see where changes need to be made better in a picture. And with my photo app can actually put them side by side.   I hope to get the cat finished today and  possibly make him into something useful! 
Have a crafty sort of day

Monday, July 27, 2015

sew on and sew forth

The 25th was National Thread your Needle day, so I've been celebrating. I think I've decided that we should celebrate all week! Hope you get to thread your needle this week!
Here's what I've been working on:

for Vintage Lovers Swap
Elvis Purse for my landlady







Pineapple pouch- was supposed to be a pencil
pouch but it needed a another row
bee scissor holder for goody goody bag

This week I am working on
Quasar Blocks for We Bee With it
FTFYA quilt blocks
Art Bag for Miah
Gnome Mug Rug Swap
Placemats for Swap
C5 envelope Swap





Friday, July 24, 2015

Goody Goody bag sew along

Lella Boutique and Fat Quarter Shop are having a great sew along for a great bag made especially for binding.  I made this bag for a friend's  mother in law.  She is a bee keeper and a quilter so I used some of my Mama Said Sew charm pack that I've been saving for just the right project. I made  couple changes to the pattern-
I had to piece the pockets since I was using charm squares.
Lella Boutique used a strawberry for the scissor pocket - I made a bee.
I also added a pocket to the front and moved the thread holder to the other side. 
The tutorial was easy to follow.  I have never used glue basting for a zipper and it made life so much better! 
I'm going to make one for myself and Christmas gifts!

Monday, July 20, 2015

My mommie a belated birthday post

Today (I really did try to post this on the 3rd of July but Blogger and my phone don't always agree) is my mommie's 64. 9999th birthday - she said she wasn't gonna turn 65.  I just wanted to take a minute and say  Happy Birthday!  I love you lots n bunches Mommie! 
My Mom is learning to quilt and sew - via the telephone and computer.  She thinks differently than I do, therefore sometimes my point gets lost in translation.  (Makes me wonder how many times *her* point got lost in *my* translation when I was  a know it all teenager!)  But you know what?  She may throw her quilt square up in frustration but she always comes back with a grin and tries again!
My mom is a blessing to many people and always willing to help a friend.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Challenges - updated

I like a challenge but this block almost conquered me!  It's for my Lincoln Way quilt. Goes by lots of different names Road to Kansas, Amethyst,  Priscilla,.... I chose it for the date 1912. Which is when the house was built and women got the vote.  From what I read on the Grandmother's choice blog, there was an suffrage automobile campaign that women drove through many cities and States including Illinois.  I also choose this block because it is similar to the coal miners block.  The first owner of the house had the lumber and coal yard. 
I have ripped this block apart at least 7 or 8 times... I'm surprised there's fabric left to stitch together.  I did have to recut one of the triangles to get it right.  It's still not lining up right but it is much better. 
I also started a mini triangle quilt from Sewcanshe Quilting Unplugged http://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2015/7/3/quilting-unplugged-design-your-own-triangle-quilt  I thought my brain was gonna explode  trying to cut those triangles!  Once I finally got them figured out I cut enough to make a full size quilt instead of a mini!  They were fun to cut... Not so much to sew!  I really thought I had a beautiful ring for a double wedding ring quilt instead of a straight line. So nicely curved... :( but Caroline shared some great tips and tricks - #4 worked just like magic!  Here I had a curved strip of triangles that I was sure I had to rip out and I starched and pressed and poof! It was straight!  Super cool! 
Today I'm going to work on my first blocks for the We Bee With It quilting bee...  Red white and blue quasar stars  and practice the Illinois block for the Lincoln Way quilt.  I also need to work on the triangles quilt and the new Cozy Afternoon BOM block is printed out so I may get to work on it too. Updated : tried taking it apart again still no good... Then I started over and looked at the instructions again... Eureka! I've been putting it together in the wrong order - tried again and it's not perfect but it's much much better! (See last photo) Wow what a difference following the directions makes  😜



Challenges are good for you

I like a challenge but this block almost conquered me!  It's for my Lincoln Way quilt. Goes by lots of different names Road to Kansas, Amethyst,  Priscilla,.... I chose it for the date 1912. Which is when the house was built and women got the vote.  From what I read on the Grandmother's choice blog, there was an suffrage automobile campaign that women drove through many cities and States including Illinois.  I also choose this block because it is similar to the coal miners block.  The first owner of the house had the lumber and coal yard. 
I have ripped this block apart at least 7 or 8 times... I'm surprised there's fabric left to stitch together.  I did have to recut one of the triangles to get it right.  It's still not lining up right but it is much better. 
I also started a mini triangle quilt from Sewcanshe Quilting Unplugged http://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2015/7/3/quilting-unplugged-design-your-own-triangle-quilt  I thought my brain was gonna explode  trying to cut those triangles!  Once I finally got them figured out I cut enough to make a full size quilt instead of a mini!  They were fun to cut... Not so much to sew!  I really thought I had a beautiful ring for a double wedding ring quilt instead of a straight line. So nicely curved... :( but Caroline shared some great tips and tricks - #4 worked just like magic!  Here I had a curved strip of triangles that I was sure I had to rip out and I starched and pressed and poof! It was straight!  Super cool! 
Today I'm going to work on my first blocks for the We Bee With It quilting bee...  Red white and blue quasar stars  and practice the Illinois block for the Lincoln Way quilt.  I also need to work on the triangles quilt and the new Cozy Afternoon BOM block is printed out so I may get to work on it too. 

Monday, July 13, 2015

Bittersweet

My dear friend (and my sister's mother in law) moved out of her beautiful Victorian style home a few years ago.   She lived in that house for 29 years and loved it.  They moved to Amboy which is closer for everyone but Nelle loved her old house and was very sad when someone bought it. She had hoped that the Amboy house would sell instead and she could have her old house back.  The Lord has other plans.  The new owners have worked very hard to renovate and turn Nelle's house into a bed & breakfast.  Nelle refused to even drive by it, sure that her beloved home was being turned into something awful.  The few times she *had* to go by, all she saw was destruction and huge dumpsters filled with her house. 
The day of the open house arrived and she asked me to go along, sure that she was going to cry.  I  lived there a couple of times during crises and practically lived there through the years. I loved it too. 
I heard a message when I was  a teen that has stuck with me - it was from the book of Ruth,  where Boaz tells his workers to leave handfuls of grain on purpose  for Ruth to pick up.  The preacher likened that to the Lord giving us blessings "just because"  he loves us.  I saw so many handfuls on purpose while going through the bed and breakfast and I'm sure Nelle saw more.  Just little things to remind us that we are loved.  (if husbands and boyfriends  learn this principle it will change their relationships)
Some of the handfuls on purpose
*❤They opened the ribbon cutting ceremony with the Star Spangled Banner...
❤a hosta
❤The pine tree that Jim planted when it was about 2 feet tall... It's taller than the house and the proprietor Lisa mentioned that they were going to put lights on it for Christmas... Something Nelle always wanted to do.
❤Walking into the house - the wooden floors, the foyer... just cleaned, the wood polished not refinished, ❤ the rainbow windows rehung not replaced. The staircase - still original...  ❤The pillars not refinished and Nelle found a fleck of tape from Christmas cards she hung there over the years.  In the dining room - ❤the mantel was made from one of the trees they had to take down.  ❤The contractor and tour guides were so kind and considerate to show Nelle details of how they kept the character of her house.  ❤Tris even took us to the pantry (not on the tour) to show how they used her cabinets.  He reassured Nelle that many of the treasures they had taken out were being repurposed in other areas.  ❤The original front door, trim, and other things were going to be used and not junked. 
It was  a blessing to see how many times the Lord showed us little things.  ❤Leah's room, The gazebo, the flowers outside, and even our lilac bush.  Nelle called it the friendship lilac. I had given it to her many years ago - like 1997 and it went through alot just to get planted, it even got mowed over at least 3 times. Nelle was sure that it was gone but it is still there and is taller than me.
The day was bittersweet but there were alot of things that the Lord gave that made it less bitter and more sweet.  Reminds me that no matter what happens, how things change, we always leave a little bit behind.  Nelle's house is a legacy of love faith and hope. What legacy am I leaving?
After the tour, I decided I had to make a wall quilt for the bed and breakfast.  It will have the logo, a block for each of the 4 owners and blocks for Illinois, the Prairie, Lincoln,  and Lincoln Highway. 
If you are in our neck of the woods (or Prairie as the case may be)  stop by  the Lincoln Way Inn and remember it's a house full of love and memories.  You can add some more!

Saturday, July 11, 2015

This week...

I got a sudden "Christmas in July " urge this week.  When I started rearranging my room for my "Studio" as I came across Christmas fabric, I just tossed it in a basket.  Because I knew I'd never ever get anything done if I started sorting and folding. Sooo, I have a basket here and a basket there  of fabric to be sorted and I'm slowly getting them done - as I find just the right place to put them.  The Lord provided an amazing dresser through my dear friend Pamela, who blogs over at Crochet with Passion. This dresser is very tall and only about 27 inches wide. Perfect for folded fabric!    I spent the afternoon folding and sorting my Christmas fabric and now I am almost ready to make something fun with it.  I LOVE sorting fabric!  There are so many possibilities in each piece!
As the week went on I didn't get any Christmas sewing done, however I did finish two Block #2s of the #cozyafternoonquilt! 
I also managed to sign up for a few more swaps!  I get to do a craft swap (whatever will fit in a c5 envelope) a secret pal swap, a vintage lovers swap, a placemat swap and we started a new Christmas swap page on Facebook!  I think I'm addicted! 
I received a swap package in the mail this week and it is sew great! 
This morning - in about half an hour - it's a RoadTrip!  Heading to Wisconsin for the day. Hope your Saturday is amazing!

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Hurrah for the Red White and Blue

Happy 4th of July! This song is stuck in my head - nothing like a good Sousa March to put you in a Patriotic mood. They should use them for the fireworks displays more!
We did our celebrating last night and tomorrow we will be picnicking for  my mom's birthday (which was yesterday)   Later this evening I will bake for the picnic (raspberry blueberry rhubarb pie). The meat for the shish ka bobs is marinating.  The rest of the day has been all mine!  I've been doing a bit of red white and blue sewing this week.  CA Mom sent me some lovely Windham American Basics charm packs and I'm putting them to good use! 
I made an extra Cozy Afternoon block - I love the way this block goes together!  There's still time to get your pattern over at jacquelynnesteves.com - I believe the next block comes out on the 15th.  
I found an orphan block I made for the Red White and Blue hop a few years ago and used it to make a pocket on a tote bag.  I also made an owl bag.  I have lots of red white and blue fabric in my stash thanks to CA Mom!  She also sent  Bosal in r foam, which I've never used but I liked the end result. It was a bit tricky to figure out.  I'm sure there's someone with some tips and tricks for it-hopefully I find them before the next time I use it.  :)
Hope you are having a great holiday!