Author Archives: Colleen Kole

A Little Sharing

     Thanks for liking my creations-warms my heart to even have you check in! The felted yarn basket was well received last night and that was a relief.
     
     I am tired today. And I need to clean, badly. So today I have a “share” for you.

    In your free time this weekend this weekend ( if you have any or find any) go to Deidre Adam’s blog and follow her posts on her recent commission process. I read this and re-read this and stayed awake all night thinking-my mind was just buzzing with the possibilities.

    I always have lots of possibilities. And that makes my day job very exciting.

    Be  creative, my friends!

 

Moving Along With Gifts 2, 3 and 4

   Sounds like Dr Seuss , doesn’t it? Thing  1 and Thing 2….Well, yes, I still have my sanity. And I am still laughing. I did finish some gifts so that made me feel a little better and hope to move on to the prep for the holidays after this weekend. My family party is this weekend so I am glad I finished my sister’s quilt in just the right amount of time to say-woo-hoo I finished just in time!

Maureen’s  Quilt
52x 55 , 2011

Commercial Kona  and Lotta Jansdotter print 

    Quick, easy and simple and hopefully, exactly what she wanted.  She wanted one print and the rest solids- many years ago when she requested one. So we’ll see. If she doesn’t want it, my husband said he is the taker of this quilt.  That really surprised me. This was just fun to do as I had no expectations as to what wonderful art it needed to be. And to think it was for my sister really added to the joy of planning it and completing it.

     And thing 2 and thing 3  are done too.

     This is a scarf for the rather selective daughter written about previously. These are her colors and the color of her coat so let’s hope she likes it. If not, I have purchased the perfect tag for her present. I have kept it a secret so we’ll see about this too.

     And lastly, this silly felted yarn basket I wrote about last time. I meant it for my “secret sister” in a new bee I belong to. It is just the container for her gift so I am no longer going to stress about it. Everything I have for her fits inside the basket so it will be the gift bag.  It just turned out larger than I wanted but easily fits several skeins of yarn. ( It wasn’t a hat as my daughter thought it was going to be. 🙂

      At the end of last night when I had finished three gifts, I wondered: Do we not make gifts for others because we feel our gift is ” inadequate”  or because the amount of work is just too much? I think I feel self conscious that they might not like what I have made for them. Or that it will not measure up to what others have made. I am 50 years old- not in high school anymore. Time to get over it and have some self confidence I think. I do enjoy making for others. That has been my fun this Christmas!

     Be creative, my friends.

And So It Goes

I have to laugh-really laugh. My family is great although just doesn’t know what to do with me at times.

I asked them what they thought of my latest handmade gift.

Child #1: Yes, I think that anyone would be glad to get something handmade. Good job, Mom.

Child #2: What is it?  (This is the same child if I ask about how my outfit looks she will respond-it depends -are you staying home or going out? Brutal honesty…from this child.)

Husband (wise and previously been through the” make a Christmas gift season”) : Who is this for? Any     cookies this year?  Have you thought about Christmas cards?

My response-

Child #1-Thanks
Child #2-It is a felted yarn basket. For you. Your only gift. What you have always wanted. To store your yarn. What every 16 year old wants.

Husband: No cookies this year. No Christmas card  either. Make your own or start addressing cards.

Oh boy. Maybe there is a reason I stopped making gifts the month of Christmas.

Maybe I should of thought of it in July.

:):):)

Happy Sewing, my fiends. No friends, that is.  Way too late to be blogging…

For Your Wish List Day #2: More Book Reviews

     I am just moving along on making those Christmas gifts one at a time. I wisely knew my sister’s quilt would take me the longest so that is what I have focused on the past few days. There is a little bit of unsewing needing to be done on a few crooked lines. Tonight I will knit though on my first gift due on Thursday.

    More book reviews on some really good picks:

     1. Ilze Aviks Workbooks #1 and #2 . Beautiful workbooks which she describes in the introduction as “not a how-to stitch book—it is an investigation into the stitched mark ” and that describes this book completely. I love them and look forward to bringing them with me to Vermont on vacation soon. A slower project will be going with me. ( Yes, you will see this too but just not ready to share yet.)

     2.  Rayna Gillman’s new book: Create Your own Freeform Quilt. This book  on improvisational quilting is a delight and really gives you the freedom to explore what you can do with all kinds of fabrics and makes good use of scraps and the undesirables you may have. It is another read from the front to back kind book. You will read it again and again! 

3. PUSH Stitchery:30 Artists Explore The Boundaries of Stitched Art  Believe it or not, I found this little book at a local outlet store for a few dollars. It looked like it had been used but for a few bucks, it was a steal. Very , very cool book of 30 textile artists who have absolutely pushed the outside limits of the textile arts. It was a current find and it sits proudly on my coffee table as I enjoy it -artist by artist. 

Any books you would like to add?

Have fun working on Christmas things this weekend, my friends.

For Your Wish List Day #1 : Book Reviews

     

     In case you are looking for quilty things or books to put on your wish list for Christmas, I will spend the next few days reviewing some books and notions I have put to good use over the past few months. If I spend money on anything or am a sucker for anything, it’s the books.  My book wish list is always long and I  do read the instructional books, sometimes from cover to cover.

    So, in no particular order or preference, here we go.

    1. Instinctive Quilt Art by Bethan Ash. This is a newly published book recommended on Lisa Call‘s blog a month or so ago. It is a beautiful cloth covered book that really is nice to touch. Other than the touch factor:), the contents regarding improvisational quilting really are superb. It is divided into exercises and examples from many influential art quilters: Bethan Ash, Lisa Call, Terri Jarrod-Dimond, Elizabeth Brimelow and the list goes on. It is definitely an instructional book with many , many pictures to inspire as well. Techniques are mainly fused but could easily be adapted to pieced quilts. Worth the money!

     2. Finding Your Own Visual Language by Jane Dunnewold, Claire Benn and Leslie Morgan. I purchased this book when I went to their workshop last spring and had put it away until fall. I have enjoyed some of the visual exercises (am still at the beginning of the exercises) and this is another must have for purposes of making your own mark on fabric or with fabric. It is not just a surface design technique book, but a means of digging deep and expressing yourself with your medium.  Another must have and again, worth the money.

     3. Dyes and Paints by Elin Noble. This is a book I have borrowed from a friend and one I am reading a chapter at a time. It is a thorough explanation of applying color to fabric and it is filling in the gaps of the other technique books I have on dyeing. Every “famous” fabric dyer had their own methodology even though the process is basically the same. Elin, from what I have read so far, has freely shared both the science behind why it works and how it works. I love this book and wish I would have purchased it three years ago when I first started dyeing fabric. It’s on my wish list  for Christmas.

     That’s a start for you to puruse and I ‘ll have more tomorrow. Do you have any good reads you would like to pass on?

Be creative, my friends!

Don’t Stop Now

     It has been almost a week since I last wrote. Where did the week go? Everything has ramped up in speed and just keeps going. I have been busy, too, both with making gifts and enjoying some of my  Christmas events.

    Marc and I went to the UICA’s Holiday Artisan Market on Friday night. I was really surprised at the amount of people that were there and it was difficult to move around and see everyone’s booths.  I hope that they find a new solution next year for these artists because it was not conducive to shopping.  I did buy a beautiful pair of earrings to gift but felt sorry for artists whose booths were blocked by odd table placement.  I look forward to that event and it was rather disappointing because of the venue- not the art. I, also, went to the Lowell Artisans Market on Saturday. It was definitely a better venue and the crowds didn’t overwhelm the merchandise. (Yes, I am looking for a place to sell things next year. )

     I am currently working on my sister’s gift. I have the top and back pieced and need to sandwich it for the machine quilting. When I measured it last night, I had a slight bit of panic as this little couch throw is 52×56 inches. It will take some time to quilt it so I better get going this week. A good goal would be to finish it by the end of the week…or earlier.

    Also started and on the design wall is a table runner for my friend. Easy to work on while I was stuck on the other project.

    And lining up these strips yesterday was just pure procrastination. Just plain and simple procrastination. No more of that this month. The list is written and in process.

      Now off to look for my insurance agent’s phone number to report my crash through a closed garage door this weekend. Of course, it had to be the 6 month old car. Oh how stupid I felt when I did that. Humbling but at least no one was hurt but the garage and the car.

   Be creative, my friends.

   

Small Finishes

     I have finished a few small projects that have been hanging around way too long. The first one is a Christmas present for my daughter. It is the softest alpaca and she has been impatiently waiting for it once she snuck a peek at it. She has to wait a little longer though. I just needed to rinse it out and it will be ready for the stocking.

    I also finished and delivered to our guild a little doll quilt and remembered at the last minute to take a picture of it. ( not a great picture) It turned out large enough for the doll and the girl to snuggle under-about 24×36.

 

    At lastly, I finished this small piece last night. I had wanted to practice some “extreme” stitching before I started another piece and this worked out really well for that. I also had wanted to try to mount something to a canvas and last week I found this little pre-painted canvas from Michael’s (yes, always use the coupon) which would work for it. Again, I had an awful time trying to photograph this morning as it is dark and rainy.

The Path
2011, Colleen Kole
4×4

     I enjoyed how it turned out and have a few more canvases to try this again.  I’d like to have four to mount together on a wall. And re-take the photos will be added to the to-do list.

     Felt good to finish something as it has been awhile. I have my sister’s quilt assembled on the design wall so next up this week will be sewing the top together.

    Happy sewing. It really is peaceful to sew.

Last Week: Japanese Stitching

     Last week, I  squeezed in a workshop from our local West Michigan Quilter’s Guild titled “Sashiko : A Good Fortune Wallhanging”. The workshop was given by Sheila De Rose  who specializes in Japanese quilting  and Japanese design.  There were only four crazy people taking a class the week of Thanksgiving so we received  lots of extra attention. Sheila has traveled to Japan and is very knowledgeable in all aspects of fabrics, patterns and needlework of Japan.

      She brought in her fabric boards and I loved the shibori and the actual sashiko fabrics. I had thought sashiko was just the blue needlework stitch on white but there is actual sashiko fabric.

Sheila with one of her fabric boards
Shibori board

Sheila DeRose quilt shown during lecture
Sheila Derose Sampler

Sheila has a new book being published called “The Art of Elegance” coming out soon. She did an excellent job at the night lecture of explaining the Japanese use of color and design principles. I really enjoyed it.

The start of my wallhanging and, yes, I did measure and try to match seams! I can still do it if I need to. The piece will have sashiko stitched centers over a star pattern. Now I have two wintertime hand stitching projects to do. Why was I interested in this class? Long ago, I started a fabric collection of Japanese quilting fabrics and just never knew what to do with them but truly wanted to use them authentically. Now, I know how.

But time to get to work this morning on the Christmas presents. Anyone else making presents?

Be creative, my friends!

As Always, Grateful

     I am grateful for family. Oh how quickly they have grown this year in body and soul.

My husband who supports me in all this craziness. He is a little crazy himself….

I am grateful for the change of seasons. Looking throughout the lens of the camera has made me pause and truly see the beauty of the fall season.

I am grateful for the messes I make while I create.

The colors I am able to create.

The workshops I have attended. (Looking back through my photos reminded me it truly was the year of workshops:).

Benn/Morgan Workshop in May

The lessons I have learned while making mistakes. And the friends I have made while I create!
 So many things that God has blessed me with.

Have a happy Thanksgiving friends. And be thankful for your blessings.

   

I Really Love This

     I have enjoyed watching and listening to this more than once. In truth, it brought tears to my eyes the first time I watched it and reminded me of why I create-for the sake of simple beauty.
 
     Robin Ferrier is a very talented artist and I have enjoyed her amazing gift with color in her quilts and also her instinctive gift with photography. Way to go Robin! Her “simple” is more than pleasing to the eye.
 
      Enjoy. I am off to a workshop tomorrow. Will share soon. I did finish my little doll quilt and hope a little girl enjoys this small gift and doll.