Saturday,
May 24, 2003
My First Quilt Top
I've got plenty of quilt ideas in my brain and a few projects
started, but here's my first ever* finished quilt top! It started
when I bought two pairs of flannel pajama bottoms from Old Navy
in 2001. That's the baby blue retro gift print. Post-Christmas
2002, I picked up two more pairs, this time a complimentary
light green retro Christmas tree print. I thought simple flannel
prints would be easy to come by like stripes and polka dots.
No satisfactory prints. So, I got a handful of solids in color
palette.
I
started with the crosses and just made a batch. They were
a lot of fun once the strips are cut - and easy. I saw the
technique on Simply Quilts. Mary Ellen Hopkins demonstrated
"Hot Cross Buns". Easy peasy. You make strips all the same
width - let's say 2". Sew three together ABA. Then cut those
into strips the same width, again 2" then sew the B color
strip between two of these ABA's. Simple but really powerful.
I
made about 40 of the crosses. Then I cut a load of solid and
print squares. Then I started arranging. This is one of those
carefully-placed random patterns. Tried to not put two crosses,
two prints of two too similar colors next to each other. Mostly
worked. Now the top is hanging on my wall and if I look closely,
I see the weak spots - but all in all, I'm really charmed
by it! A few borders, including a border of strips of scraps.
All it needs is another black border, thin batting and flannel
backing and it'll make a super cozy lap quilt.
Like
I said, I'm just charmed by this quilt. I love that
I didn't labor over it. After I got over the fact I would'nt
find the flannel prints I wanted, I had fun with it. I'm thinking
of doing another "random" squares quilt with a collections
of Asian prints I've got languidly waiting in storage.
*Oh,
wait I did make a quilt in high school. But not as much design
and sewing as this baby. That was white cotton squares with
images painted on them with a black cotton borders.
A Bad Case of Bricolage
Bricolage is one of my very
favorite words. I means to make something with
what's on hand. I am ALL about that.
Sometimes
I get really compulsive about collecting stuff thinking I'll
find some use for it later. Lately, I've been saving the pop
bottle caps from the copious bottle of soda I've been consuming.
I've been stymied about what to do with them. Finally, a spark
of inspiration. I was looking through a drawer full of plastic
things and rediscovered pen caps from a set of cheap crappy
felt tip pens I bought years ago. The pens dried out right
away, but I salvaged the caps because they were a neat shape
and had a nice asterisk impression on the tip when pressed
into clay.
So,
I made these star ornaments. All components were already here
in the apartment waiting their turn: bright white glue sticks,
nickle eye pins, white Diet Coke pop bottle caps and the pen
caps. I like them. A few friends will be getting their own
in the mail soon (shhhh...don't tell them). I'm unsure whether
the recipients will be delighted or wondering why I made sent
them junky stars.
posted on 11:17 PM
Monday,
May 19, 2003
Portraits of Imaginary Women: Miss
Redrider and Ms. Birdhair
Works in progress.
posted on 2:02 PM
Friday,
May 16, 2003
Giddy Up
I've started a series of collaged portraits of imaginary women.
Two right off the bat are these cowgirls. Miss Lonestar on the
left has odd edge because she'll be outlined in a lasso-like
silver cord. Miss Redrider will be red, black and white. Both
of these and more to come will be mounted on masonite and 9"x12".
It's be ages since I've sat down to draw, and it feels goooooooood.
I'll post more as I make more, so watch this space.
Brandy Agerbeck Puts the BA in BArettes
Last weekend I had a barette making bonanza, making couple
hundred barettes out of snapclip and salon clips. They'll
be in the shop soonish. I'm most charmed by the ones made
from lil' fruit appliques I bought in Boston years ago. Also
quite please with the odd ovals barettes I made out of felt
and tiny pom poms. And best of all, all were made out of materials
I had on hand.
Tiny, Leopardy Coin Purses
This was another quest in uses things I had on hand. I found
about 2 feets of 3" wide leopard trim. Can't remember when
I bought this. Stared at it for awhile, and turned it into
4 tiny zippered coin purses. They'll go in the store soon,
too. $10 each and approximately 3"x4". They hold bills and
change easily, but the central zipper means wrestling card
into it. I use mine to hold chapstick, AAA batteries and change
in my backpack. If you're keen on getting one before I put
them in the store, email me at brandy@loosetooth.com. Horse,
swabs etc not included.
posted on 12:00 AM
Tuesday,
May 13, 2003
Poor,
Neglected Blog
Yes, this blog was sorely neglected the last six weeks or so.
Like a parent doing a lousy job treating all her kids equally,
I was spending a huge chunk of the last month and a half working
on the online
store. Please check
it out.
This
weekend I made LOADS of snazzy stuff. Just haven't eked out
the time to get it here. Sooooooon....
posted on 12:47 PM
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