Monthly Archives: March 2010

If You Have Known Me Long Enough….

        ………..it’s not hard to believe this story. After a very busy day unrelated to any kind of sewing, I finally sat down to fix my piece from yesterday. I had three different pieces sewn on to the bottom of the quilt and after much fussing and picture taking, I decided on the simplest one and was very happy to just have to press it up. I even had grand delusions about basting it and being ready to actually quilt this tonight. Well, I needed to go pick up my son from school and left it on the ironing board to press it up.

     I went to press it when I had a few minutes before dinner. This is what my quilt looked like prior to me leaving for school.

And this is what it looked like after the dog ate the corner of it off.

And there is no more of this hand-dyed purple left. She eats things when she has a sick stomach to make herself sick. And I guess the quilt was the next best thing when I was gone.

 No wonder she wouldn’t look at me. Some things are more amazing than others in my life….Guess I will have to find out another solution to the borders on the quilt.

Hope you have fun sewing.

Seeing My Mistakes

       Taking pictures of my pieces throughout the process doesn’t come naturally for me yet. I always have to stop myself and shoot a picture. Sometimes the mistakes are glaring and other times subtle. I think that actually downloading them to the computer takes it a step farther and I see even more mistakes. Today’s piece is a great example.

The purple border at the bottom of the quilt is not at all right-it looks out of place and stops the quilt right there.

Rotating the quilt didn’t solve the problem either. Guess I better keep going and take it off to see what might look better ! It’s a reminder to always use my camera BEFORE I sew

Happy Sewing, my friends!

5 Things You Don’t Know About Me

     Yes, I decided to dye some fabric down the basement Friday. It was warm enough to mix the dyes in my garage and then move down to dye a few fabrics. I needed the perfect wine/burgundy color and knew it might be hard to re-create. Since, of course, I wasn’t very good at writing down formulas when I first started dyeing.

Too purple and a little to mottled for me. I will overdye them.

And then I tried red- too pink for me.

I quit before I ruined anymore. Oh, I will use them- it’s just not what I wanted. Today I will just sew. It’s quiet here today and I am loving it. 
Don’t you always wonder about the bloggers that you follow? What are they really like? Is what they write about all they do?(Some writers are brutally honest about who they are in everything they write about And I love them for it.) What are their other interests? And as a writer of this silly blog, I wonder who my readers are. So-this week- I will tell you something about me. But you must share too. Don’t be shy-just tell me one thing about yourself in my comments. It can be related to what you do or not.
5 Things You Might Not Know About Me
1. I watch less than 2 hours of TV a week. I just got bored with commercials and raunchy acting a few years ago. I would rather read or spend time sewing or knitting.
2. I read at least one book a week. The book I am reading right now is by Jodi Piccoult. Just started last night  and might save it for next week- I become obsessive to finish and have company coming this week… it may be a bit rude to not stop while they are here. Libraries are one of my favorite places to visit and I could get lost there for hours. 
3. I am impatient and not good at waiting. Ok, Ok, maybe that you already knew about me. I always take some form of stitching or knitting with me and my hands must be busy while I wait. Or I get a bit cranky. Kind of like a two year old cranky.
4. Up until about four years ago, I hand quilted all my quilts. Yes, I did. I love the rhythm of hand quilting and hand work. Very peaceful.
5. I have only two “things” I really enjoy and couldn’t live without on an island. My sewing machine, of course. And my VW bug-apple green and she just got let out last week.  She was very happy to be driven after a long winter of staying in the garage. I was very happy to be driving her. Zipping around and listening to music She would be fun to drive round an island.(I drive an old Yukon truck the rest of the time-very dependable and everyone, including my two dogs,  fits in it.) 
( Daughter joined me in car on Sat. “Mom-what are you listening to?” Picks up CD cover-“these people are really old. Please tell me you just didn’t buy this CD with a weird cover, Mom.”  Yes 🙂 I did. And then it became the topic of dinner conversation-mom’s weird music-to which even my husband said-“that is the utmost of uncoolness and I won’t even admit that you are listening to ABBA-” . I can’t explain my choice but they just sounded a bit like summer.  Weird moms like weird music. No other explanation needed.) 
Now I have told you too much information. So share with me something I don’t know about you.
Happy Sewing, my friends !

An Unlikely Purchase

     I am embarrassed to say that I have not made it to my quilt guild’s meeting once this year. Everything that we take the kids to happens on Tuesday nights. So, this week with my daughter home from college,  I took advantage of the extra driver and made it to the meeting.We are really fortunate to have a large guild of about 400 members and every other month bring in a great teacher who stays for two days of workshops and one of the nights gives a lecture to the entire guild.

     This month was Bonnie Hunter who makes amazing scrap quilts from  recycled  scraps and men’s shirts. She was extremely energetic and has made great use of her scraps specifically what she calls ” leaders and enders”. I really didn’t think this process would be beneficial to what I am doing right now-oh, how wrong I was! I am just generating a huge amount of scraps and would love to deal with the scraps other than jumble them into a bin. I did buy her book and love it. Yes, I am a bit of a book junkie, I admit but this was worth it.

     I will start a little bin or basket of two inch squares when I cut my solid colored strips and see what happens. I also have a huge amount of vintage feedsacks and pillowcases tucked away in a drawer that I could use for the same purpose.

 So,  last night at 9:30 when I sat down to catch up on my blogs, I read this post from Be*mused who made a cute little basket  from Pink Penguin. I downloaded the free pattern and escaped upstairs to get to work….And two hours later, I made my own cute basket.

     I pieced the little squares individually but how easy it would be with a strip unit. I just love it and I haven’t made something other than a quilt in a long time. I used regular batting for the lining but next time  would choose something a little stiffer.  It’s going to be the place next to my sewing machine where I put the glasses I can never find! And I think it would make a great gift.

So, go find your scraps and get to work. Fifteen minutes here and there and you will have an instant gift.

Happy Sewing, my friends.

The Butterflies are Back

     I took a few minutes to myself this morning to do something different. I was early and knew the crowds would be light. The humidity was really overwhelming and it took my camera a long time to adjust to the heat. I felt as if I was having a bit of a tropical vacation-at the botanical gardens down the street from me. Every year there is a butterfly exhibit for about 6 weeks and you can sit and enjoy the beautiful butterflies that hatch(not the right word?) from their chrysalis.

They proved to be elusive and hard to capture at just the right moment. I was looking for the famous blue one but only saw it from a distance.

The orchids were beautiful. My peace for the day. And yes, I am procrastinating on my chores for the day.!

Happy sewing, my friends.

Something Simple

     Life is picking up speed. My oldest came home from college on Thursday night for spring break. My husband took my eleven year old to Florida for Tigers spring training-baseball for those of you not eleven years old! It was his birthday present and the they had a great time in sunshine. I stayed home with the two girls and we had a great time too. Despite three soccer games in 30 degrees and snow (just a bad dream of winter returning for a short time), we had fun just not doing much.. Spring and  sports will make me very busy soon and I am just enjoying the peace before the craziness begins.

     I decided to pick up some scraps yesterday and just go backwards a bit. It felt good to just let what was there in my box of scraps come to life.I  I just worked at my machine and didn’t even use a design wall. Simpler-one piece at a time determining the next with no big picture in mind. The scraps you will probably recognize. Old familiar friends they felt like. And I finished it. Even better despite the size.

 I think it’s about 12 by 14 and has no name yet. And it’s very happy to be outside-my first outdoor picture without snow. Spring is coming.

Happy Sewing, my friends!

It’s A Dud

     I could tell you I am working on it. I could tell you I am just not done with it. I could tell you it’s almost done.  I could tell you a magic genie came and marvelously waved a wand over my project this week. Now,  you know  that is not the truth- I will just admit  the truth. Nothing I was doing was making this quilt any better. I started out ok with a good idea. But then I went down a never ending path of big mistakes: trying to do too much with too small of any idea, then adding to the pieces I already had, then cutting the pieces up and re-assembling them, then adding commercial prints to it and NOTHING made it any better.

     I blamed it on my bad mood. I blamed it on hormones. I blamed it on my lack of design skills. I blamed it on the lack of fabric-we all know that couldn’t possibly be it. And then -when I started blaming it on my husband-who hasn’t even stepped foot in my sewing room all week- I knew I needed to get a grip and move on. I was turning into a tempermental quilter(ok artist) having a fit because I couldn’t make something work that I saw in my head but couldn’t execute in fabric.  Admitting that I didn’t like it is part of this painful process-maybe even growth. I admit I don’t like it. It’s not getting any better. And thank goodness, I am finally recognizing that I don’t need to show it to you :).

     So I will start the day by ziplocking it into a plastic bag and putting it away. I will not re-visit it and waste anymore time on it. I will just move on and tuck it away. I can’t quite throw it away yet as I spent about 15 hours on it. But I will  tuck  another lesson away in my pretty little head-sometimes you just make bad art. Good thing you can create something new.

Happy Sewing, my friends. It’s beautiful here and I am going outside.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

     With a name like Colleen, you have already figured out that I am Irish. I remember growing up and smelling corn beef and cabbage cooking on March 17th.  My dad always did a better job of cooking it than my mom( no offense at all to mom’s cooking) and he loved to take his time making it. Unfortunately, I haven’t carried that tradition on. I just don’t like the corned beef. But,  I love all things green and the shamrocks are very cute but hard to come by. And someday, I would love to travel to Ireland and see where my relatives and ancestors came from. So, in the spirit of the day and in keeping with my Irish heritage, I had to at least wish you a Happy St. Patrick’s day!

    And what are those things on- my silk I have unwrapped ! Remember how I wrapped up one piece of silk in onion skins and vinegar and the other in crushed frozen flower petals-about two weeks ago? Well the flower color only lightly dyed it light pink which I am sure will be gone when I rinse it. But the onion piece was very surprising. Look at this little heart that I found.

Even if it rinses out, it made me smile this morning. I need to decide if I just want to rinse it in clear water or add alum-the book says it may produce olive green … on a green day maybe I’ll try it.

So Happy St Patrick’s Day and Happy Sewing, my friends!

Just a Monday

 
     I did end up finishing all five of the baby quilts last week- technically, 4 quilts and one double recieving blanket. They looked pretty by the window as the sun peeked out late this afternoon. They will be delivered next week at our guild meeting. I can’t believe I was done a week ahead of time. Not because I was organized but because I put the meeting date on the calendar wrong.:) Oh silly me.

    I did start another top today. However, it just didn’t end up the way I wanted it to be.

 So, I think I will piece it together and use it as a base for something different or just cut it up! I have wanted to try two things. One to quilt something heavily on the machine and then go back and hand sew heavy thread -almost embroidery weight onto the finished piece. Or -if I am really brave- to machine quilt it and then paint it. Either way, I would only lose a day of sewing if I don’t like it.  I know – just want to keep trying things. Sooner or later something will work for me.  It’s just Monday.

  
 

A Special End to the Week

     I have had a great day and all of it was rather unplanned. I unexpectedly caught up with a friend  Gail that I met at a workshop a few years ago. I was reading my e-mails and there popped up an e-mail from Gail. I decided to call her and we had great conversation. As much as I appreciate blogs and e-mails, it was a real treat to have a conversation with her. She had another piece accepted ! This time it will be a piece at Fiber TwentyTen in April.

I spoke with her as I was driving to have lunch with my daughter Erin who is madly studying away at college. (She had a cold and was desperate for some cookies and cold medicine.) Another great conversation and unexpected time that I shared with her. She had too much homework to come home this weekend but it  will be great to have her home next weekend for spring break.

  
     And the third unexpected treat I had this past week was a trip to a local fiber arts exhibit. I have been dying to find a way into this building. It was renovated last year with a grant- a “green” grant and I have always enjoyed the architecture of this previous orphanage. You can read about it here at ICCF website-they provide affordable housing for low income families. This was an amazing building and everything has been renovated back to original splendor. I was drooling over the woodwork. Wow.
    Back to the exhibit- Fabric of Our Lives is a textile arts exhibit from the private collection of  Roberta Green Ahmanson. And what a private collection it was of quilts, lace, molas, cloth sculptures,  and Hmong embroidery. I was allowed to take pictures but  most of it was in window shadow boxes and I kept getting a glare off the glass. I think if you click on the website you have a much better representation of this wonderful art. If you live locally, run to this exhibit before it is gone . It is easily accessible as it has an elevator within the building.

     This was my favorite- a large piece from Julie Caprara. If I show you too much, you won’t go! This was a treat and privilege to see. Run, girls, run! Go be spontaneous and get in the car to see this exhibit.

     Yes, I am finishing baby quilts and I think i might end up with 5!

Happy Sewing, my friends!