Archive for May, 2008

I’m workin’ on it

May 29, 2008 at 6:12 pm · Filed under Books, Fabric, Medallion Quilt-along, Quilts

Today was the day to start on the medallion quilt center. I decided to go with this as my guide:

I thought it would be a little more direct than the curvier option. Hmm…

Here is the template for one of the “accent” dots:

Penny for scale.

Here is where we are at this point:

Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Reproduction fabrics. Ooooh, that’s something new around here.

I’m thinking of adding a wedge-y circle in the center square. It would appear, however, that the wedge-y ruler doesn’t go that small. I believe there is a small Marti Michell wedge-y ruler around here somewhere.

I’m not sure how much further I’ll get today. I had to walk down the street and buy a diet coke today (which I promptly spilled on the top of my dresser). That says something about the desperate state of my sinuses (may your nasal steroid not fall off the formulary). Yes, diet coke can be used for medicinal purposes–it’s all in the fizz.

Oh, and I think I have found a way to quiet down the Pots & Dots quilt–some black to frame the busiest parts.

That’s it for now. That dog isn’t going to walk herself! (The singular “dog” means that I’m not fighting with the other dog to get her harness on today. Someday I will have to get a video of the harnessing ceremony–first, flatten yourself down as much as possible; if couch cushions are available, dig yourself between them as tightly as possible; darn, someone shut the crate doors before we started this; OK, now turn yourself over on your back and pull your front legs in; if the worst happens and the harness is on, DO NOT leave the house; if you do get pulled out the door, look for an opportunity to run back inside while she reaches to pull the door shut…lather, rinse, repeat.)

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What a difference a day makes

May 27, 2008 at 8:54 pm · Filed under Books, Fabric, Great Quilt Patterns, Quilts

It is fully 30 degrees Fahrenheit cooler today than it was at this time yesterday. Sheesh. A girl doesn’t know from one day to the next whether she ought to shave her legs or not! Back to long pants and long sleeves.

Aside from that difference, I am having a “new day” in the machine applique department. When I do machine app, I use the starch and heat resistant template plastic method of prepping my shapes. Of late, I have had problems with my applique shapes scorching while I am preparing them. I’ve changed irons, changed starch, lowered my iron temp, lowered it some more and was still having problems. Rassum frassum! Well, a light bulb went on today. When I use the starch, I cover my regular ironing surface with some foil and then some muslin in an effort to make the regular ironing cover last longer. Over time, the muslin had become SCORCHED and brown. Hmm, I believe the scorched muslin has been transferring the scorchiness to my applique shapes.

So, I refreshed my protective surface:

Voila! No more scorch marks on my applique shapes. Took me long enough to figure this out…

After that, I happily put together the center block of Pots and Dots:

And, happily, the mail carrier brought me 10 yards of 7/8″ rick rack today! Thank you, ebay! I know, it’s not the requisite 1″ rick rack, but 1″ black rick rack is a little tricky to find…and I’m a little picky about my rick rack (don’t want any of that unevenly woven, wrinkly stuff).

I’m not sure I totally love the fabrics I combined:

The various border fabrics may help bring this together…or not.

And I’m still trying to decide on the center for my medallion for the quilt-along. Janet Clare’s Whirling Peacocks post sent me looking for this on my bookshelves:

I found two very inspiring (and complicated…) possibilities:

This pretty little thing uses one of my favorite shapes in a very clever way. I don’t know if you can see it, but there are narrow orange peel shapes dividing part of the center. There are four peel shapes and four compass points making the divisions between the ice cream cone shapes. I have lost my mind.

But, there is also this lovely thing for which there is actually a pattern (this is the Sarah Johnson quilt):

The center nine-patch, if you will, finishes to 12″–just what I need for the medallion quilt-along. Yes, let’s leave no stone unturned for possibilities and get as close to the start date as possible and then pick something detailed. Why not? If the weather stays cool, I will want to stay inside and sew. I’d better check which hemisphere I’m living in…

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Anna Banana

May 25, 2008 at 8:36 pm · Filed under Fabric, Great Quilt Patterns, Quilts

I love not only the name of this pattern, but also the design and the speed with which it can be executed (including lots of unsewing for those of us who, ahem, may try to work from the finished schematic rather than the how-to-put-this-together schematic):

This is Kathy Mack’s Anna Banana tablerunner and placemat (and namecard holder) pattern. Check out her new online shop called Pink by Post.

Of course, I also lurv the new Kaffe fabric…

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Yeah, that’s bright

May 23, 2008 at 11:06 pm · Filed under Fabric, Great Quilt Patterns, Quilts

And may I just ask: what self-respecting household doesn’t have two yards of 1″ black rick-rack?

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Something tells me the economic stimulus check won’t cover it

May 23, 2008 at 7:40 pm · Filed under Everyday Things

Today I got an email about an event at which the new Bernina Series 8 will be unveiled. Did you notice I didn’t call it a sewing machine? I have a feeling they don’t call it a sewing machine. Oh, wait, here’s what they call it:

“…the only luxury high-performance sewing and embroidery system in the world.”

What could that possibly mean? I am already a die-hard Bernina fan, and they are already expensive. Calling it a “luxury high-performance” item just plain scares me.

Something tells me this isn’t the machine that quilters have been asking for for years–you know, the one with the wide opening so we can more easily shove our quilts through it. And, if this is the machine that has a wider opening, who could afford it?

I have signed up to see the webcast unveiling. Should you want more info, click here.

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Here’s what I’m thinking

May 21, 2008 at 7:28 pm · Filed under Everyday Things, Fabric, Great Quilt Patterns, Quilts

Because I got older yesterday, I took the day off from all tedious tasks. So today, I had to do all the things I avoided yesterday. Maybe next year I will be a year wiser and do some of the tedious tasks so that the next day isn’t, well, entirely tedious. I must say, however, the front yard looks very nice…as does the bathroom sink…and the floors and furniture.

Thus, I have only been looking at fabric and books today and not actually doing anything with them. But here is what I’m thinking as a next project.

This pattern:

And these fabrics:

I like many things about Barbara’s QuiltSoup patterns. One thing I really like is picking fabrics when I’m planning to make one. It is not a brainless task. Her designs are such that you really have to do some thinking and planning about what fabric is going to go where. Her sample quilt has a lot of orange in it which I really like. I picked a lot of oranges but I believe my quilt is going to look less like an orange quilt than it might appear. I think I might have more choices here than I need, but I built in some flexibility depending on whether I like what starts to happen when I rev up the sewing machine.

Speaking of which, I’m thinking that mine needs to go in for a tune-up as soon as school is out. Maybe I don’t want to have those two eventualities to coincide…my brain might NEED the sewing machine to be here.

Finally, ONLY because I was grateful for the information from Jan that new Kaffe fabrics are up over at Glorious Color, I might have ordered some. Just a couple. To tide me over. The Big Blooms aren’t to be missed!

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I must torture you

May 19, 2008 at 10:09 pm · Filed under Everyday Things

Shangalang!

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That’s entertainment

May 19, 2008 at 9:20 pm · Filed under Books, Fabric, Quilts

Today has been a bit of a media frenzy. In this case, “media” primarily refers to all of the YouTube I’ve consumed today. I wasn’t in the mood for my usual dose of NPR today. So, I started with the Killers and, because of my soon to be advanced age, got nostalgic and somehow ended up back in 1976 with the Bay City Rollers. I wonder if the Killers would be offended. I would be if I were them. There were many stops along the way. Maybe it’s not so bad after all. The Killers reminded me of some Echo and the Bunnymen. Then I went to Cheap Trick and some old U2. I believe there may have been ONE Golden Earring song late in the afternoon. I will have you know that I did not consume any of the revamped Bay City Rollers. There are some things that need to be left entirely to nostalgia so they’re not ruined by old age…

While I enjoyed this musical interlude, I put the wheels into a top.

I was going to go with some sort of wedge-y sashing but decided it would only end up looking like a mess. I decided on the pieced squares after doing lots of higher math and errant cutting. Who makes a block that finishes to 11 inches??????

I’m completely smitten by that black background and border. It’s such a grown-up fabric. Speaking of nostalgia, it’s a Mary Koval design from Blank Textiles so I assume it is a reproduction.

In other media: while I am usually the queen of delayed gratification when a package arrives, I couldn’t wait to open this:

Complete with autographs from the authors:

Thanks for sending it so quickly, Sarah! I was hoping it would arrive for my birthday tomorrow and it did! It is a lovely book and I hear that it will be published later this year in the U.S. I couldn’t wait that long. Speaking of delayed gratification.

Oh, to have a foreword written by Kaffe Fassett. I couldn’t help feeling self-conscious when I read his introductory words:

“Being in the business of teaching, lecturing and judging quilt shows around the world, I get to see a great variation in standards. I have experienced much less-than-inspiring work that takes up wall space in shops and exhibitions.”

Gulp. I am sure he has seen thousands and thousands and thousands of quilts. I couldn’t help but think of the one time he saw work of mine. Crickets. His silence was deafening. Of course, I was in the moment and being extremely self-conscious to my very core to begin with, I couldn’t help but think he didn’t like what I had done with his fabric and pattern. Or he felt it was so mediocre that it didn’t merit any notice at all. If you can’t say something nice and all. (I do want to be clear that Kaffe was extremely nice and I’m only reliving this in the most amused of ways.)

Do you see just then how I turned a lovely foreword in a gorgeous book into something about me?? Well, he has to be talking about someone (or several someones), right? There I go, all about me.

In any event, I am so happy to have this book in my hot little hands and look forward to enjoying it this evening around the House season finale. I also plan to enjoy it tomorrow when I am alternately NOT doing any of the following:

1. washing dishes

2. vacuuming

3. lawn mowing

4. grocery shopping

I don’t want much. I’m getting too old to want much.

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Wheels keep turning

May 16, 2008 at 7:17 pm · Filed under Books, Everyday Things, Fabric, Quilts

Maybe I have a teensy addiction problem with the 20 degree wedge ruler.

There are so many different things you can do when strip piecing before cutting the wedges. It’s great fun to play around and see what happens. I prefer the visual impact of the upper left wheel but still had fun making up the others. These will finish to 11″ blocks. I’m planning perhaps some wedge pieced sashing. Can you tell I’m also enjoying the new Martha Negley fabrics and the new Bell Bottoms fabric??

Just in time for next week’s major holiday, I received this in the mail today:

SQUEAL! This is my custom-made messenger bag from SplatGirl Creates. Lara made a messenger bag that I saw on the Supereggplant blog. I could tell it was very well made…not to mention cute. I’ve had the Amy Butler Forest Seedpod fabric for a brief time and knew I wanted it for a bag. I didn’t, however, trust myself to use it wisely and well. I sent it off to Lara who worked her magic and created the perfect bag for me. The workmanship is exceptional. There is not a wayward or wonky stitch as there would have been had I undertaken a bag. I LOVE IT! It has a water bottle older on the side there. Awesome stuff. You can see more of Lara’s lovely wares on Etsy–her Moo card holders are lovely and she has a covetous robot Moleskine cover up right now.

It is also book week around here. I’ve had an Amazon gift certificate I’ve been spending down. So handy to have that “in the bank,” so to speak.

Amazon kept recommending this book to me. They finally wore me down because I couldn’t resist the quilt on the cover. I suppose they will continue to recommend this thick and interesting tome:

And how is it possible that I didn’t already own this book???

I think this is my favorite quilt in it so far:

That’s it from here. I hope you all have a festive weekend, whatever you do!

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You’re just rubbing it in, aren’t you?

May 12, 2008 at 9:26 pm · Filed under Whining

Here I am minding my own business and trying not to think about it. Someone searched “experience quilt market sample spree” and found my blog. Oh, that’s just mean. Since I’m not going and all. Sniffle.

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