Author Archives: Colleen Kole

Improvisational Quilting

I began piecing improvisationally after a workshop I took about three years ago by Nancy Crow. If you ever have the opportunity, go to one of her workshops. No matter where you are in your journey, you will benefit from it. I’ll talk more about that in another post.

I normally have an idea in my sweet little head about what I want my piece to look like. I then pick fabrics, strip piece and then begin cutting and designing-on the wall-no sketches. Then no measurements and definitely, no patterns. I re-arrange and create on the design wall. This is immensely fun but I sometimes just fall flat on my face with the design. I went back to my notes from three years ago to try to think of what I am missing. The missing piece for me seems to be my journal or sketchbook. I am not using it consistently. I need to play more on paper-what do I want it to look like? What’s the vision for the piece?

So this week I will start there-in an entirely different place than I have been. These are my parameters for my next work:

-I have an inspirational photo. My barn in VT. But it will be abstract and not representational.

-sketch of what I would like it to look like. To be done today.
-50 fabrics of my palette-I am stuck on an island and there are no other fabric stores. This is what I have chosen:

– size of 24×36.

Four parameters and I am going to stick with that. They are broad enough that I won’t feel like I am in a box. This will be a huge challenge for me- But I know for the next class I need a sketch to start with. Any one want to join in on setting a few parameters for themselves and seeing what happens? You won’t know if you don’t try. If you do, let me know. You have two weeks!

An inspirational link: Judy Martin a thought provoking post on quiltmaking in today’s culture . Love the photos.

So be inspired -you chose the parameters. Happy Sewing, my friends.

A Friday Finish

A first finish for 2010. Just a simple quilt 40x 40 intended for a little one. No name yet.

Just praying for little ones lost this week in Haiti or little ones who have lost their moms. Doesn’t seem to be much more to say, does there?

My Studio

I am having a very special guest on Saturday- an old friend of more than 25 years-and her mom. She is a faithful reader and is bugging me to death to make her a quilt. Since she is a very clean person, I felt compelled to tidy my studio. Ok that’s a bit of a lie- I will do anything to not have to work on my current project today! The whole new year thing kind of got to me. New year, clean up the junk. I also know, once I start working on my homework for a class I am taking this spring, I know I will see nothing- I will need to be focused.

We moved here four years ago and ended up doing a whole renovation on this house. Not really planned but done at this point. The room over the garages was drywalled and while I was gone to Vermont the first year, my husband had it carpeted for me-awfully sweet guy but I was kind of taking over the house with my art. As time went on, I have added shelving and the room is better than I ever dreamed of. I can leave many projects in process out and close the door when I am done for the day. No more clearing off the kitchen table at dinner time!

Since this is the cleanest it has ever been and it will be this clean for about two more hours, I will show you.

I love having windows above my desk. My sewing cabinet faces my two design walls so I can think about things while I sew and see them from a distance.

Yup I am very spoiled- I have two design walls which are about 6×6. They are homesote(?spelling) boards covered in flannel. I can pin right into them. There are bookshelves and drawers for all my junk.

Shelves for fabric.

And a old antique printer’s desk to cut on that’s just high enough for me.And now that I have procrastinated… I’ll let you know if my friend likes my quilts. Happy Sewing, my friends!

New Paths

At the end of my summer and dyeing days outside, I had two pieces of fabric left and some pretty diluted dyes. I thought I would try folding, clamping and dumping the mess into a bucket of dye to see what happened. Now, I have learned since that it is called resist dyeing. I really wanted circles…my quilts are so linear but didn’t have the right equipment. This is what I ended up with:

It ended up being a cool piece of fabric and I will try it again this summer with a higher concentration. I have found some cool pieces of plexiglass-circles- squares-fun stuff- to be ordered through Etsy that I will put under the clamps. The person who explains this well and uses this technique is Malka Dubrawsky and it’s called itajame. The resource she uses for the plexiglass is on her blog. She is another talented artist and has a new book out that looks interesting.

Plugging along on those feet-blanket stitching them is taking awhile-8 done today. The first eight…

Nice to see the sun. Happy sewing, my friends.

A kind of scavenger hunt for you

I was looking for some information on fabric dyeing and I got lost on a few sites that you might enjoy. The first brought me to a girl, Annica, who had some great info on resist dyeing. She showed some of her wonderful pieces she made at a summer workshop. The workshop was at a place called Capellagarden. Under her post dated April 2007) I found the most beautiful pieces of fabric that were created there by their students. ( under summer workshops-images). Yes, I am sending you on a bit of a scavenger hunt. But on this cold winter day, I bet you look at the pictures more than once! The pictures of all the fabric drying on the line-wow! I want to dye fabric and have it look like that.

I received my prize yesterday for the Project Joy challenge. It is pretty tin full of fabric along with three fat quarters of fabric, The generous prize was from Penny at sewtakeahike. I am very easily distracted but will resist this right now. It would be a good spring project.

Enjoy your day. Happy Sewing, my friends!

My Favorite Tools

I seem to be having a hard time getting consistent studio time in this past week. Just took my daughter back to college so maybe I’ll be able to settle in this week yet.

As I was cleaning up yesterday, I noticed a few things around my studio that I couldn’t part with-not that I couldn’t part with but that I would miss if it was misplaced or lost. They just make me happy to work with. The first is my felted bowl. It is so soft and keeps all my thread and bobbins contained.

I reach for it in the exact same place on my sewing desk and if it’s not there when I reach for something, I have to re-arrange so it’s right. I know you know what I mean. Don’t you have something like that in your workspace?

The second is my antique caddy. It’s full of canning jars and everything there has it’s space too-straight pins, safety pins, pin cushion and major catch-all space. Believe me when I say that I am not neat when I sew. Organized, yes but neat, no. Which is why I was cleaning up last night!

And my last treasures are my thimbles-each beautiful in their own way.

They are all low tech items. Old and some even antique, I suppose. But treasured. And with all the mess and all the stuff, this is what I needed in the end to get me started today!

Happy Sewing, my friends.

Snow Dyeing

I tried snow dyeing for the first time yesterday. It was a great day for it with lots of new snow. I don’t really have a great set up for it in the winter as there is no utility sink in the basement. I am not too keen on dragging all the dyeing stuff into my 2nd floor laundry. But I tried it anyway.
I started in the garage with the mixing. Went to the basement for the actual dyeing -including dragging the snow there- back to the garage to rinse and then upstairs to wash. That was absolute insanity. I knew my results would not be solid but wanted to see what happened.

Yes that is snow in the bucket.

I chose yellow and red

The yellow is the best but just don’t care for the others. I did mix the yellow and red together on the middle piece. I probably need to do some more reading, try it one more time and then make a judgement as to whether or not this is something I would use. I think not…I love being outdoors with the sun cooking it and me while I work.

Happy Sewing, my friends.

So it Begins

Lest you think I have not been working very hard… I do have more than a few works in progress. Just not ready to show you some of them-need to think about them. I did make some progress yesterday piecing the background of my recycled jeans quilt. The background is about 5 x 6 and has gone easily.

I did cut out two feet to see what it will look like-they will be blanket-stitched on. The sewing on of the feet will be tedious and kind of boring for you. More boring for me…Even thought the auction isn’t until March, I feel like this is hanging over my head. I’ll update you on this as I make some progress.

Project JOY: I was a drawing winner of some fat quarters and a tin. Fun.

New books: I treated myself with some new books with my gift card. I love them all.

Melanie Testa’s book has some great exercises to work through. The newer magazine Art Studio- I have looked at it several times already. Great challenges in it. I have been reading Jude hill’s blog spiritcloth and love the quiet intentional handwork. Check it out . The heart piece featured in the magazine is dwelling in the back of my mind. I want to being doing that instead of feet!

Snow dyeing tomorrow if we get the snow that’s predicted. Happy sewing, my friends.

A Cherished Gift

I need to tell you a story-it’s long but dear to my heart and fits with my Vermont home. When we go to VT, we fly into Burlington and hire a taxi service to drive us to our home. About 4 years ago, we met the nicest guy tod who was the driver we always requested. Really nice guy who always had interesting conversation for us-no matter what time of the night it was or how late our flight was-we always enjoyed him. Two years ago at Christmas, he asked me what I did in VT if I didn’t ski and I said that I did contemporary art quilting. He handed me a card with his girlfriend’s name and two other quilters names. I still have the card. His girlfriend Paula is an artist and knew some textile artists. I took the card and put it away for a few months.

I ran across it later and looked up the names. I was amazed and enthralled at this world of textile artists that I never knew existed. I had taken a Nancy Crow class but didn’t know how it fit with what I did. The more I looked at others works, the more I was amazed. I wanted to be part of this wonderful world -no matter how small or insignificant-and started taking classes to take traditional quilting to a different path. The textile artist path…the beginning of something different.

But as a thank you to my husband -for Christmas- I purchased a piece of Paula’s art-as a thank you to being inspired by three amazing women. The names on a card. It’s a beautuful vase made from a reclaimed gutter off a house in Stowe. I know he loves it- it is a piece of Stowe, a piece of art from a new friend and a piece of thank you from me. I wanted it to be a vase as Paula intended it to be. But Marc just wants it to be- on his desk…( I put this pretty vase on the windowsill for the photo)

Paula and tod have moved on to new and exciting things with the Phoenix Commotion. You can still find her on Etsy-her clocks are too cool. I regret not taking the time to meet her earlier. But I love that we can keep in contact via e-amil. Thanks for the inspiration, Paula.

So, what inspired you?

Must run to actually sew again. Happy Sewing, my friends.

Clearing the Clutter

Just how does everything get so out of control in one month? Well I need to get rid of all the Christmas stuff and move on to sewing here soon. Another day and I should be good to go… or maybe I can’t get back into the routine….My tree is still up but hopefully tonight will be down and put away.

I am wavering between what to do with all these quilts I generate . Since I have had requests for baby quilts, I played with some baby quilt ideas to sell on Etsy. Easy and they reminded me of summer. I will quilt it, wash it and see how it looks all nice and crinkly from the quilting.

I also made some flannel tops. So nice and soft to work with. Am undecided yet how to proceed. I am really tired today…can you tell? Or maybe just missing Vermont and vacation times.