June 2005 Archive

Sunday, July 31, 2005

July in Minnesota: the Craft Edition
If you read today's Me blog post about my Minnesota visit, earlier in the month, you'll see why I kept so darn busy while I was there. Boy, that was a tough visit, and crafting keep me sane.

I know that art has always been an escape and a solace for me. It kept my mind occupied in my own little world. It slightly softened the sharp edges of a rough childhood. And as a bonus, it was something I got a lot of positive attention for.

If you want to read the Grandma part of the visit, head on over to the Me Blog.

Last October was my Grandma Shirley's 75th birthday. I tried to think of a gift.

When I was very little (my Grandma says it was before I started school, mom says around four), I made my Grandma a pincushion that went around her wrist. I made it from scraps my mom had and a little bit of flower trim. I only have the vaguest vaguest recollection of it.

I decided to recreate the pincushion for her for her birthday, twenty-five plus years later. I quizzed my mom on what it looked like and combed my memory.

The toughest part was finding polyester knit, as per my mom's suggestion. I did and I bought as little yardage as possible, knowing I wasn't going to make anything else from it.

The pincushion circa 2004:


When I went to Minnesota, I got to see the pincushion circa 1978 or so:

Looks like Grandma got about 25 years of use from it!

Here she is with both:

Another face in progress. She's a beach bunny with huge white sunglasses.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

She's now named Brunella (dark haired) and she's got some features! Still deciding on what will be in the bubble above her head.

Monday, July 25, 2005

New Quilt Work
Here's what I know:
1. I love fabric.
2. I love patterns on fabric
3. I love the patterns made with different pieces of fabric.
4. I love making quilts.
5. Making quilts take lots of time and energy.
6. Making quilts is hard on my hands (repetitive stress problems).
7. If I'm making more quilts than I can use and give away, I should sell them.
8. I have made several lap quilts to sell.
9. I should price quilts so that my time is valued.
10. Pricing quilts to value my time make the quilts expensive.
11. Expensive means much more expensive that store-bought stuff.
12. Few folks see the value in a handmade quilt over a store bought one.
13. It is hard to sell my quilts.
14. Granted, I haven't tried for very long, but I suspect that this is so, and I think I should make many more to sell. See also #6.
15. I'm not a fan of non-functional quilts (i.e. wall hangings), but they are not functional.
16. Yes, being a work of art has the function of being pleasing and provocative. In quilting, this is not the same as having a big comfy quilt to keep you warm.
17. Still, I'm a hypocrit, and have made several small quilted wall hangings.
18. They are fun and easy and much easier on my hands.
19. I like making small quilts.
20. I feel conflicted about small quilts.

The basic question:
How to use fabric and quilting to make objects that are satisfying, unique, saleable?

I think I've got an answer:

She's Flora, and with a border or two and some quilting she'll be finished.


She's unnamed, but she'll get facial features and something in the bubble above her head.

I've got a sketchbook page full of idea for this series; small quilts of (at this point all women's) faces. And I've barely even thought about it. The benefits to the idea:
1. They are fun to make.
2. I can use a variety of techniques.
3. I can use a variety of materials (not 100% cotton like my quilts).
4. I can use materials I have on hand, and plenty of them!
5. Unlike the geometric shapes of my quilts, this uses lines and shapes. More like drawing.
6. These use the most universal image, the human face, yet there's infinite variation.

I'm excited!

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

It Was Bound to Happen
One hundred and twenty-one days after getting Numo my beloved hedgehog, I've made something hedgehog-y.

Earlier I was working on making more sunshines. I had loads of leftover yellow felt. I've been wondering about doing Print Gocco on felt.

I had time for an experiment. Just needed a drawing. After a couple ideas, I hit on "hedgehog." Not a stretch since Numo's never far away in our lil' abode. So, I drew this hedgehog:


I cut a bunch of felt, made my screen and started printing!

Hit or miss. Printmaking always takes patience. Boy, (I shouldn't be surprised) that felt sucks up ink! Made a dent in both my ink supply and my felt supply.

The prints are now drying. Tomorrow, I'll buy black felt to back 'em, and sew them with black ribbon loops at the top, stuffed with a lil' stuffing. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

The Wonderful World of Formica!
February of 2004, I made myself a lovely necklace from a formica (yeah, not linoleum) sample. I've loved wearing that necklace and often get compliments after a bit of inquiry about it.

I was delighted to find a ball chain ring filled with circular samples of Formica at the Broadway Antiques Market. Score! 30+ samples, great colors and textures.

I improved on the original idea. The backs of these samples are unfinished, slightly rough and not-so-pretty. So I painted them black and poured a layer of resin on them. Now they are reversible and much more polished!



I kept a few for myself, but there's 25 new ones for sale. If you'd like one, order fast - they are one of a kind and I don't know when I'm stumble upon more great samples again!

Monday, July 18, 2005

Many Stripes, Many Thanks
Last night, after working on some great necklaces I'll unveil soon, I got a new idea for a card design. Friday, I bought several fabulous striped papers at the lovely scrapbooking store, Windy City Scrapbooking. Strictly speaking, I'm not a scrapbooker, but I love much of the great stuff Christina picks for her jam-packed store on the Clybourn corridor. I am a little biased, since Christina had the good taste to hire me to design her site last year. :)

From those stripes, I created these jaunty thank you cards:

Like my other cards, these are packaged in a sets of ten, with ten white 4-Bar envelopes in a handy dandy vinyl sleeve. I've learned to be a better thank-you-note-writer from my top notch thanker sister, Burgundy. So, I like to keep a couple sets of cards around to write a quick thank you or note.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Meet Mr. Stripus McGreenley



July's Month of Softies theme is "Sock it to me - the World of Sock Monkeys." I swear Claire and I are on the same wavelength, because I always love her themes, and sometimes her themes overlap with ideas already rolling around in my head. I've been meaning to make a sock monkey for some time.

I bought two pairs of ankle socks at Walmart (not a W empire fan, but we were taking Grandma there last week on her request). Since the socks were short, I bought two pair, I was hoping make that work. Yup, but Stripus is tailess. A Manx monkey, so to speak.

I followed these directions and made him this morning while I watched From Russia With Love. A little monkeymaking to get myself back in the groove before I did my (modicum of) client work.

I completely fell in love with Stripus as I made him! I totally get the Sock Monkey Love Thing.


More Stripus cute-ittude:

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Plan B's
Some does Plan A just doesn't work. So, you move onto Plan B.

That yellow dress? I made myself a pattern from my cute white linen Issac Mizrahi (sp?) skirt from Target. Easy peasy, it's just 8 panels and lined. And I nearly finished:

Ran outta thread. *sigh* No biggie. I'll get thread and zipper when I get home and finish it up.

Then I made a hat from a Vogue pattern. Cute hat. Just not so cute on me. I know nobody has seen my jawline in years, but the hat makes me look like I'm all chin. Any downward brim does that.

Plus it goes so far down in the back I can't wear pigtails. That's no good.

I finished it and thought, "Hmmm... maybe if I made a visor with the brim..." And since I didn't think I'd wear the hat I made, I cut the crown and made a visor!

Much better. Good for summer since my hair can be up and the sun out of my eyes. May need to make a white one too.

So today was two unsuccessful sewing projects that were revamped into successful ones! And can I tell you how glad I am that I've unlearned much of my tightly wound, perfectionistic ways? As a kid or a teen doing this - if things didn't work I would have had a mini-meltdown.

A quilt, a skirt and a visor - not bad for this trip to Minnesota.

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Friday, July 08, 2005

Post-Wash
Oh my goodness. It is superb! I am delighted with the result!




Go to the quilt's home page to see bigger pics.

Finito!
Wish I new the word "done" in some African language. I do not.

I got all of the quilting and the binding done. The quilting was fairly easy, thanks to that thin, lovely, cotton batting. My love of quilting is much more about the designing and making the top; not so much about the quilting. In this case since 98% of the pieces are at right angles, I just quilted in straight lines at (nearly) right angles. First, I did lines about 6 inches apart. (the Warm and Natural says that the quilt stitch lines can be up to 10" apart. Wow.) Just horizontals and verticals. Then I just went back in taking all sorts of turns. Fairly easy.

Then I threw it in the wash. I am of the school that buys good cotton and doesn't pre-wash it. When the whole thing is done, I throw it on in the wash on warm or hot so that the whole darn thing gets nice and broken in and crinkly and stuff. Mmmm, that's a good time. Here it is just before the wash.


I was giddy when if was in the washer and dryer - eager to see it DONE.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Yella Dress
I bought this gorgeous yellow eyelet a couple years ago.

I'm so glad I thought to bring it with me to Minnesota and finally turn it into what it was bought for.

The plan was to make a sundress, lined, with the scallop along the bottom, and a square neckline trimmed with the scallops. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

On the Flipside
Now that the top of the African Birds quilt is done, onto the backing. It's went through three iterations:
Plan A = solid black cotton. Didn't buy any until I knew what the quilt top size would be.
Plan B = I thought that I was going to have such a massive amount of patchwork to use it for both the front and the back. Once I got everything together, I realized I could do Plan B, but I wouldn't have a very big quilt. Lap-sized, which is fine, but I already made myself one supersnazzy lap quilt.
Plan C = An A & B combo.

I looked at the fabric left over and thought that I may have enough for the back... So, I began cutting 7" squares out of the leftover prints and solids:

Ta da! The backing is just about 65% of the size of the top. That's means I will get some black cotton to make up the rest. I think it'll work well.

Don't scruntize the photo too much - the arrangement of the sqaures could have been better. But considering I was using what was leftover and that I could use so much of it, I am pleased with the results.

Next, I'll add the borders to the back, then the saftey-pin-fest begins! But that'll haveto wait until my sis can take Grandma and I out for some shopping that'll include buying the cotton. Probably/hopefully Thursday night.

Onto the sundress made from the yellow eyelet. Perhaps I'll get it done in time for the dinner at Uncle Carl and Aunt Kathy's tomorrow night.

Monday, July 04, 2005

Happy Independence Day!
And being free and very independent, I felt free to spend a huge chunk of the day quilting. First thing was to turn strips into stripes:



This iron, my Grandma's, is my new best friend.

And after loads of arranging, rearranging, sewing and filling in holes, I got the top DONE! Woohoo!

I worked on the quilt between my Grandma's living room and my Mom's sewing room that is directly across the hall. I definitely filled the living room floor with the top and had to move it out to the main living room to take the pic.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

Pieces of a Fabric Puzzle
Today was a productive day. I got a bunch of panels for the African Bird quilt assembled:










I interrupt the panels, to tell a story. My mom has always been a seamstress. I learned a lot from her - in my memory more from proximity and experimentation with fabric and her machine than specific lessons.

Grandma was sitting with me while I was arranging pieces and tearing up fabric. She smiled at me and said, "Okay, Bobbie." Teasing me for being like my mom, Bobbie. She told me how mom never liked using patterns. She said, "Once she bought lingerie fabric, laid it out on the floor and just starting cutting, and made herself clothes." I can't say I'm quite that freewheeling, but I generally use existing clothes as a guide and rarely use a real honest-to-goodness pattern. I think that's why I love making quilts and stuffed animals - I get to design them on the fly. This quilt more than others.

I am my mother's daughter.









I also went to Joann's with Grandma and my sister Burgundy while we were out today. Bought batting for the quilt. Bought 5 yards, 90 inches wide. It's probably overkill, but happily Warm and Natural, all cotton batting was HALF OFF. Yipee! And I love how thin the batting is.

And after getting the panels together, I tore a bunch of strips and got them ready to make big, fat stripes tomorrow morning...

Saturday, July 02, 2005

African BIRD Quilt
After realizing how many feathered friends were in my prints, I'm now referring to this as my African Bird Quilt. And yep, I plan on keeping this one for myself.

Today was that irony of quilting - taking big pieces of fabric and making it into small pieces to make it into a big piece of fabric again. Some chunks put together.

Friday, July 01, 2005

African Fabrics Quilt
I'm in Minnesota this week, spending time with my Grandma Shirley while my mom, stepdad, aunt and uncle take a trip to Canada. Their trip was planned before my Grandma's Parkinsons diagnosis. I've got a few to-dos each day to help Grandma, but nearly the whole day is open for projects and watching movies with Grandma.

But knowing I'm a craftaholic, I brought projects. Surprise, surprise.
1. A quilt made from African Dutch Wax prints I've collected over the years, and some scraps my friend Amihan gave me from her Peace Corps days.
2. A dress made from this yellow eyelet:

3. Maybe a hat or two from a good Vogue pattern I bought before I left. Looking to make a sunhat.

First, that quilt. The plan was to bring my African prints with me and buy complimentary solids once I get to Minnesota. Looking at the pile of fabrics, I felt I could use some more prints. I found a bunch of great prints from St. Theresa Textile Trove (http://www.sttheresatextile.com). I ordered them Monday and had them sent to Mom's house, and was delighted to arrive in Minnesota Thursday, after my fabrics.

Here's da prints:


Tonight, I took the prints and sliced and diced then into pieces.