A new project and two fabric stores

My friend, MAD, asked if we could create a wall hanging for her bedroom while I was visiting her in the San Francisco Bay area.  Of course, I was very excited.  I thought and thought about what to do, and came upon the idea of book shelves.  MAD is a voracious reader, a reviewer of YA literature for VOYA (a journal about YA lit), and the best English teacher I have ever met.  Book shelves seemed like a no brainer.  Fortunately, she liked the idea. (editor's notes:  This idea was inspired by a project by Elizabeth at Don't Call Me Betsy) We found fabric she liked for the spines and a wonderful woodgrain print for the shelves.  I brought a few pieces from my stash for background and a few more books.  Then I set to work sketching, measuring, and cutting.  The photo above is the space I turned into a quilting studio for the morning.  You can see the shelving unit has two shelves with four spaces in each one.

 

I cut all the book fabrics into 2" strips that I could cut to any size I needed to match my sketches.  I put them all on the ironing board so I could pull colors as I needed.  I want to make sure I balance the values and the colors throughout the piece.  I am finding it pretty easy to adapt any space to a studio.

This is the first space laid out.  I haven't put the background in, so you can see the placemat in the background.  I will piece all of this when I get home.  Today, I am going to work on the rest of the spaces.  Then, I will pin all the books together in order for each space, and take photos so I can get them right when I do the final piecing.  I think this is going to be very cool when it is done.
We visited two shops to find the fabric.  One was in Sunnyvale and the other in Santa Cruz.  The shop in Sunnyvale is Eddie's Quilting Bee.  This is a beautiful shop with fabulous fabrics.  The first thing I spotted as we went in was a shelf of Kaffe Fasset I drooled over.  There were wonderful batiks, collections by favorite designers, fantastic Asian designs, $1.00 fat eighths, and the best book collection I have seen in a quilt shop yet.  They also had a good selection of Laurel Burch designs, and novelty prints.  I think I may have to go back to this shop before I go home on Tuesday.
The second shop we visited was Harts Fabric in Santa Cruz.  This was completely different from Eddie's.  Harts has all kinds of fabric, including a huge selection of upholstery and home decor.  There is a wall of quilting cottons in one room that is separated by color.  There are Tula Pinks and several Moda designers, but you have to look for them in the color sections.  I know some people really like this kind of layout.  It makes me crazy.   They have a nice selection of Japanese import fabric that I have not seen in person before.  They also have several Liberty of London fabrics.  These are so beautiful, and have a wonderful light hand, but they are $43 per yard.  Worth it if you have extra money to spend.  I don't.  At least I got to see and touch them. 
Have a wonderful quilty weekend, everyone.

Another AAQI quilt finished and fabric if you want it

This is my July AAQI mini.  It is 8" x 10".  I used the mariner's compass pattern I had from Hokule'a.  I liked the idea of the compass helping to point the way, unless you are lost inside the sea of your own brain with Alzheimer's.  The center is made fabric quilted with small stippling to represent the maze of that brain.  I also used small stippling on the background to show how confusing the world can become to someone with dementia.  This is foundation pieced and uses all batik fabrics.

One of my husband's friends came by with a very large box of fabric that had been collecting in their storage space.  There was a wonderful assortment of interesting fabrics.  One of the coolest thing was this selection of solids.  Each is a half yard to a yard.  This is a fantastic addition to my solids collection.  A month ago, I could only find a few small pieces in my stash.  Now, I am ready to work on my Matisse.
One of the pieces of fabric is this piece of  C. S. Shamash and Sons Inc #5574.  It is 4 yards of fabric depicting Plains Indians chasing buffalo. 

If anyone is looking for this fabric, I would love to send it to you.  I tried to find it online, but had no luck.  I know someone out there has been looking for just this piece of fabric.  If you know anyone who is looking for it, I will be happy to trade.    Just let me know.
I am leaving for San Francisco tomorrow morning.  I don't know how much blogging time I will have, but I will try to post updates.  Until next week, joyful blogging.

Still quilting

I have spent the last few days making sure I had everything ready for my guild's upcoming show.  The show is July 22 - 24 at the downtwon Renton branch of the King County Library, if anyone is interested.  I am entering five pieces.  At this time last week, only two were finished.  I have shown you the finished Tanzanian Tango, Rhumba, and the Iris.  I am also showing a vest I made, but haven't figured out how to photograph it well because it is pretty dark.  On Friday, I quilted Farmer's Market and attached the binding by machine.  I put the last hand stitches in it this morning.  It is pretty bright, but I do love it.

While I was quilting away, my husband came in with a surprise for me - a new shelf for fabric!  Here you can see how my stash has been stored, and the new shelf after the first five minutes of cleaning off one table surface.

It is a bit fuller now, since I cleaned off another table.  I don't think it will hold everything that is in the bins, but I have another shelving unit coming at the end of the month that I hope will hold most of it.  My stash consists mostly of smaller pieces of fabric - fat quarter size to half yard size.  I haven't done much stash building.  Most of the time, I only buy fabrics I need for a specific project.  Every once in a while, however, I do buy small amounts of something just because I love it. 

My last project with a deadline is the H2H quilt.  It is on the frame as of this morning.



You might have noticed in the first photo and in this one that my batting and top are just hanging and not on pick-up rollers.  I started doing this about six months ago, and I am much happier with the results I am getting.  I have much more control of the top while I am quilting using this method.  I know it probably breaks a few rules, but it works very well for me.  This quilt needs to be done and in the mail Tuesday. 

My list of new projects is growing daily.  For one of them, I need to find Kelly green fabric.  For two of them, I have some ideas for color, but have to earn some money to buy it.  These three are gift quilts.  Then there are the three I want to make for us, and more to make for charity.  I have also embarked on a Matisse QAL with Victoria at BumbleBeans.  Such fun!

Project updates

The iris is finished.  I used several different Superior King Tut threads for the quilting and the thread play.  I chose two purple blends to applique and outline the flower petals as well as the thread play.  I have never done thread play before, and just tried it based on what I have seen on the web.  It was sort of fun, but made me a little tense.  I was so happy with the flower, I didn't want to ruin it.  In the end, it comes close to matching the image I had in my head, but I can definitely use more practice.  I used a green blend thread to do all over stippling on the green background.   This piece was great fun for me, for the most part.  I enjoyed going through Tom's photos to find the right flower.  I had fun sketching it out, deciding what parts to leave in and how to simplify the drawing to make a quilt.  I had fun selecting the fabrics, and all the rest.  I decided on a batik that has a light value for the binding.  It is hard to see in the photo, I think it works well.  With this finished, and Rhumba complete, I only have Farmer's Market to complete for the quilt show.  I think I will get that quilted tomorrow.

While I was in a quilting mood, I took the solid challenge off the design wall and quilted it.  Before I did, I drew what I wanted on the paper I was using for size.  Then I quilted the straight lines, followed by the circles.  There was something missing, so I chose three small areas to to small stippling.  I am pretty pleased about this piece, except for the bits of puckering I just couldn't get rid of.  At one point, I thought about starting another piece instead, but stuck with this one because I really liked the way it looked.  I hope my swap partner will overlook the flaws and enjoy it for the overall look.
We are having summer here for a few days.  It is quite beautiful and warm.  We finally felt a need to turn on the fans.  Summer is quite a treat around here, when it arrives.  I am hoping the strawberries in the yard begin to produce some fruit.  The blueberry bushes are full and are beginning to get ripe.  Bella loves to pick the blueberries.  We gave up on the hope for tomatoes this year.  Maybe next year.  I am still hoping for a raised bed garden, but we have to find a space where it will get enough sun besides the front yard.  For now, we do what we can.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

A little play, a little machine applique, and an award

I started my studio time today making a little bit of fabric.  I need quite a bit of it for some upcoming projects, so I thought I would get started.  If I add six to eight inches every day, I will have enough by mid July to do everything I want.

Next, I got started on the applique portion of the iris.  Before I started, however, I wanted to add leaves.  That meant I had to go get some SteamASeam.  Then I realized I didn't have the right dark green for the leaves, and I was out of stabilizer.  Hmmm.  After a quick trip to JoAnns, where the rotary cutter blades are on sale at 50% off, I cut the leaves, steamed it all together, and started the machine applique.  I was working on another project yesterday and used the double blanket stitch.  After I got half way through, I realized I don't like the look of that stitch very much.  Today, I used the single blanket stitch, and I was much happier.  I got about 2/3 of the way done before my eyes started to cross and I had to call it quits.  So far, I am very happy with what has been happening.

Sunni and Melissa over at Love Affair With My Brother gave me this lovely blog award.  I am supposed to tell you seven things about myself.  Here goes.
1.  I am going to be 65 this year and I'm really excited that I can finally get all those senior discounts out there. 
2.  I am a vegetarian. 
3.  My favorite food is bread.  I especially love hardy European breads with crusty outside and chewy inside.
4.  I have just discovered the joy of working with Philip Jacobs fabrics, and want to have them all.
5.  My husband and I are Send Out Cards distributors.  Interested?  Leave me a comment.
6.  I am a retired teacher and school librarian.
7.  I love the process of selecting fabrics, figuring out what to do with what I have chosen, cutting, sewing, quilting, and enjoying quilts. 
I will select more lovely blogs over the next week.
Have a wonderful fourth, everyone.

Design Wall today

This is my design wall today, July 1, 2011.  The Mola in the bottom right was one my mother bought many years ago.  Today, I rescued it from a broken frame.  Lots of WIPs right now.  I need to get at least four of these finished soon.
Have a wonderful 4th, everyone.

Fabric Play

I started the day making a mug rug with scraps from other projects.  I needed something ready to show my sis how I do binding.  Very autumn-like, I think.

Next, I decided to make a mini for AAQI.  This one will finish at 9" x 10" with the binding.  I couldn't resist jumping into this Jacobs fabric.  It is one of the seashell fabrics.  I cut 1.5 inch squares and rearranged them to give a mosaic look.  I then did 1/4" sashing.   I added one larger solid block that picked up the orange in the main fabric.  I have to figure out how to quilt it now.  It reminds me of one of those domed aquariums where you stand in the middle and the fish swim all around you.

I ended my studio time with a little more work on my Kandinsky interpretation.  It is getting there.  There are still spaces to fill in.  I have been enjoying the process for this one.  No pattern or drawing.  Just cutting fabric that is the color I want and adding it to the mix.  I also have to figure out how to quilt this one when it is finished.

Tomorrow is another day to play with fabric.  Joyful quilting, everyone.

Quilt finish, Will's quilt, and new fabric

I finished En Vino Veritas just in time to put up the library display today.  After discussions with Tom and Will (SIL), I selected a dark gray/black batik for the binding.  I quilted the top with light lavender and the back with dark purple.  Here are some details of the quilting.

 

I decided to use a medium size overall stipple, because that is what I know how to do.  One of these days, I really need to set up a practice piece and learn to do something else.





Will started a new quilt for one of her sisters while she was here.  Don't you love the colors?  The sister is a strawberry blond and has a very traditionally styled house.  This is going to be perfect.

While Will was here, we visited quite a few quilt shops.  I did some stash building, as well as picked up some fabrics for a wedding quilt I need to get done before October 1.

I seem to be a sucker for these colors and the floral prints.  They jump off the shelf into my hands if they happen to be in whatever shop I enter.  One of these days, I may have enough to make a quilt.  I also love paisleys.  Go figure.

These are for the wedding quilt.  My sister thinks the greens are not right, so I will have to continue my search for the right green.  It is supposed to be kelly green.  If any of you know a line that has kelly green and white, please let me know.  I haven't found any yet.

Finally, I added to my tiny Jacobs collection. When I went into Island Fabrics and saw all that bright wonderful fabric on the walls, I was hooked.  I will build this stash a little at a time.  I am, however, going to make an AAQI quilt with the center fabric this weekend as my July quilt.




Will left today, so I have lost my quilt shop companion and have no excuses to be out of the studio for a while.  Joyful quilting, everyone.

Book Winner

 I can not figure out how to put that cute little random number generator here, but this is what came up. 
 
True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 8 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

The winner of the Sunbonnet Sue book is Sunnybec.  Congratulations.

Sunnybec said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I am trying to think of any tips I have picked up along the way as I have only been quilting since August last year. I especially like the one from Quilter in the Gap about the needles. I do sort of the same with my rotary cutter blades, I keep one of the plastic containers they come in, write "used" on it, and put all my used cutters in there, much safer than just throwing in the bin.

Thank you for all of you who entered the book giveaway.  I appreciate your interest. 
Joyful quilting, everyone.

Solid fabric art challenge

Over at 15 Minutes Play, some of us are participating in a new challenge swap.  We are to select a work of art and interpret it using solid fabrics and the methods we have been learning at 15 Min.  These mini quilts are to be 15 inches square and are to be done by August 1.  I have gone through three choices of paintings before I decided on this one.  It is Improvisation 7.
My partner likes Kandinsky, and is doing a fantastic quilt for me inspired by Kandinsky circles.  You can see what she has done so far here.  I have been working on what I see as the background.  My next step is to work on the foreground.  I am pulling fabrics and cutting pieces as I think I might need them.  My goal is not to reproduce the painting, but to use it as an inspiration and guide.  Right now, I don't like the black and white area at the top left.  I am going to have to slice it and add something else to make it look the way I want.  The finished portion is laying on a 15" square of paper so I have a sense of where I am going size-wise.  So far, I am really enjoying this process.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

Shop Hop fun

Today, My SIL and I joined the hoards of quilters in Western Washington on the annual Shop Hop.  The Hop started Wednesday, and we did visit one shop then, but today we visited four.  Our first adventure of the day, however, was a ferry ride across Puget Sound, or as it is now being called, the Salish Sea.  We were headed for a garage sale where a quilter who works in a fabric store was destashing.  All the fabrics were packed in very large plastic bags and priced according to the pound.  It averaged out to about $1.50 per pound.  Here are some of the yummies I found at the garage sale.

In this bag, I found four plus yards of the fabric on the left.  It is browner than shows here.  It is perfect for the back of the traditional quilt I have been working on.  I also found several yards of fabric with Japanese prints that will go with other fabric I have to make a quilt I have had in mind for a while.



Look at all the yummy reds in this bag.  Some of it is reproduction 30's.  Quite fun.

At this annual shop hop, each participating shop designs a quilt block around a piece of fabric.  This years fabric is the blue floral in the front.  As you take your "passport" into each shop, you are given the pattern for that shop's block plus at least three pieces of fabric, including the main fabric.  I really like the fabric for this year, so I bought a little extra to make a cheery table topper with a few of the blocks.

At the last shop we visited, I fell in love with all the fabric.  Island Quilter on Vashon Island has the best collection of Fasset, Jacobs, and all the rest of those wonderful designers who create such bright and bold fabrics.  They also carry plenty of blender fabric that goes with it.  They have a room of novelty fabrics as well as a room of yarn. I wanted one of everything but the yarn, but I am on a budget.  I am going to have to collect them slowly.  I bought these three to start a quilt for Bella.  She wants purples, pinks, and fairies.  I think this is a good start.
All in all, four quilt shops, a garage sale, and three ferry rides later, we had a wonderful day.  We came home to a sunny day, and nothing is prettier that a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest - except maybe the fabrics at Island Quilter.
Tomorrow, we celebrate Bella's third birthday.  Whoopee!  Tonight, I start putting the binding on En Vino Veritas, if I can stay awake long enough. 
Joyful quilting, everyone.

Travel tip and a book giveaway

Many of you may already know this tip, but for those of you who don't, I want to share this great place to visit when you are in the Seattle, WA area.  Martingale Press is located about 25 minutes NE of Seattle.  They give tours on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at 1:00.  The tours are limited to 12 people, so you need to call about a month ahead to book your tour.  Why tour a press house, you may ask?  Martingale is one of the big publishers of books about quilting.  At any given time, there are wonderful quilts adorning all the walls.  The tour guide will take you around through the offices and tell you about the various quilts and the books they are in, or are destined for.  The quilts we saw yesterday were beautiful.  There was even a large purple cow that is going to be in an upcoming book.  There was no photography allowed, but there is something better.

BOOKS!

At the end of the tour, you are taken into the book room.  Books and patterns that are over six months old may be found in this room.  Each book is five dollars, except the ones with the blue dots which are three dollars.  I came home with $135.00 worth of books and patterns for $29.00. 

I saw wonderful quilts from each of these two books, and was so happy to find them.  They are each filled with wonderful patterns.  I would like to propose one of the quilts in Twosey-Foursey Quilts for our guild raffle quilt for 2012.

I have been wanting the Rose of Sharon Block Book for a while now.  I love these blocks, and have been wanting to have some applique to take as handwork when I need to wait places or watch television in the evening.  Even though these patters are for machine applique, I can easily adapt them to handwork.  I also found a block that I want to use for the center white blocks in the traditional quilt I am working on.  There are 83 blocks in the book and template patterns to make them all.

This book combines piecework with applique.  It is pretty traditional, but I really like the patterns.

There were many more books that I wanted, but I had set a limit on myself before I went in. 

On top of all the wonderful books I purchased, I also won a beautiful new book called A Year in the Life of Sunbonnet Sue by Christine Porter and Darra Williamson, and was published in 2011.

This book has 12 small quilt patterns (22"x26"), each commemorating a different month of the year.  There are also directions for making 12"x16" blocks to be set into a bigger quilt. The retail price on the book is $24.99, if you are into that sort of thing. This is the book I am going to give away.  If you would like this book, please leave me a comment telling me your favorite quilting tip. I will draw randomly next Monday for a winner.  You don't have to become a follower, but if you would like to, I would be very happy.    Please make sure I can contact you if you are the winner.

Good luck to all of you who want this book.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

Color - Wow!

You may remember this piece I did a couple of months ago.  I used the Harmonic Conversion pattern from Ricky Tim's book of the same name.  I only used one fabric to create the inside, then added the two borders.  Well. . . . when I was cleaning a space in the studio, I came across it again in a pile of UFOs.  I also found a piece of Spirit by Lila Tueller for Moda in another pile.  Hmmmm.  Could they possibly go together?  How would I make them harmonize?

I know you are not used to this much bold color from me, but maybe this will be a new direction. I added four inch borders and fussy cut some of the pattern elements to applique on to the top.  This is what it looks like now.  I still have stitching to do, but I am very excited by this look right now.  The two fabric lines work great together because of color and line.  I was able to harmonize them by bringing elements past the border into the center.  This is certainly different from the very traditional piece I have been working on.  It has been interesting to see the drop off in comments with the traditional piece.  I wonder if it is just coincidence.  Anyway, here are a couple of closeups of the applique pieces fused onto the top.

 

I do hope you are all enjoying the longest day of the year.  As I write this, my sister-in-law is sitting on the ground at Dulles International Airport, in a plane, waiting for yet another thunder storm to pass.  So far, the flight is over two hours late taking off.  Oh well.  You can't mess with Mother Nature when she gets excited.
Joyful quilting, everyone.

Flying Geese border done

I got the flying geese borders done and on the design wall.  This quilt has a decidedly more traditional bent than my others, and I am really liking it.  I am a bit bothered by the large background spaces in the center.  Since the print fabric is Perennials, I think I will have to come up with some flowers and vines to applique to make it more interesting.  I was cleaning out the guest room this morning, and I found some old scrapbooking paper with some great floral designs that I think will work really well.  I think that will be my next step before I attach the FG borders.  The center is 48" x 33" and I think that is large enough to try and applique on.  Isn't it interesting when we stay open to the possibilities instead of being rigid about reaching the end result.  That, to me, is one of the very best things about quilting. 
The guest room is ready.  Tomorrow, I need to finish sorting out the studio.  I am moving in another table so two of us have room to work.  If only I had another sewing machine.  That's okay.  We can share.
Joyful quilting, everyone.