Crazy for Christmas Quilt

Crazy for Christmas 14" x 17" $200

SOLD


It's finished and if I do say so myself it is quite spectacular. I went from imperfection on the traditional quilt to absolute perfection on this quilt. The crazy piecing is emphasized with decorative machine stitches using special metallic threads. The combination of cotton fabrics, both print and plain, contrast nicely with the metallic fabrics. The borders and binding finish this off for a Merry Christmas.

Although you've done a puzzle of this quilt in progress it is truly a star of the show now!

Christmas Crazy Quilt

Last night I was asked on Facebook if I had made any Christmas quilts. After telling about the ones I had made I remembered I had one started here. I found it and today I worked on it. The only thing left to do is the binding.
I have always loved old crazy quilts. This is my interpretation of a crazy quilt using today's wonderful threads, prints and metallic fabrics. I really enjoyed making it.

Tonight's Crazy Quilt uses the crazy puzzle cut.

I'm back - finally!

I found this quilt block design in a quilting magazine several years ago. Even though I hadn't done traditional quilts for some time I was fascinated by it.
Two years ago I cut a lot of rectangles and squares to make this. I pieced several blocks and laid out more of the blocks until I had about 30 - not even enough for a blankie.
To lay out a block I put all the pieces in the correct arrangement between the pages of a magazine. Then I turn a few pages and lay out another block. This makes it so much easier when the time comes to sew the blocks.
Today I started sewing more of the blocks together. I have a goal when creating this project - IMPERFECTION! I am really a perfectionist when I am quilting and I think this block could benefit from a few pieces that don't match! It might make it look like it was an old quilt. However anyone who is familiar with today's fabrics will not be fooled. It won't hurt me either to become less of a perfectionist!
I like to chain piece. This block does NOT let me do that. I had pieced several blocks and realized I had probably thrown away a half of spool of thread cutting off the beginning and ending threads on each seam. I got out a scrap and sewed onto and off of that between each line of stitching. Not only did this save thread, but it kept the fabric from being pushed into the hole in the throat plate as I started each seam.
When I haven't sewn for quite some time I like to choose a project that doesn't require much thinking. This is that kind of project.

For those of you who have been experiencing puzzle withdrawal I'm back with one for you tonight.

Honey, I'm home - AGAIN!

I had a smooth uneventful flight to Florida. When I arrived in Orlando my good friends John and Lynn were there to pick me up and whisked me home.

I got the MOST WONDERFUL surprise when I arrived home. They had power washed my lanai (it was really dirty from the summer winds and rain). Not only that, they had brought out all the furniture which had resided in the garage over the summer, including the cushions. But that wasn't all - they found the Hotel Florida window, the Apple Blossom Time quilt and the Tord Boontje lamp and hung them all. Then they brought out my plants.
I am still finding things they did for me to make my arrival wonderful. They aired out the house and cleaned the 5 big sliding glass doors.
The refrigerator was turned on and stocked with Coca Cola and water. The phone was plugged in and ready to use. The water heater temperature was turned up for me. They hung the Seldom Inn sign by the front door.
I'm still finding things they did.
They are just the best and I am so lucky to have them as friends.

It is now Sunday morning and I am sitting on the lanai watching the skinks (small lizards) climb up the screens outside and sun themselves. I also have a beautiful view of the golf course and the golfers.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood where the temperatures are in the low 70s at 11 a.m.

What a difference a gauge makes!

Last winter I decided to knit a shawl for myself similar to the afghans I had knit. I loved the feel of them - lightweight and yet warm.
When I finished this one it was half as long and twice as wide as it is now. It stretched way out of shape.
I realized I used too large of a needle and knit it with too little tension as I knit.
I chose to use a rainbow of colors so it would go with anything.
I still love it, but I have to fold it in half or do some other creative things with it to wear it.
I used Size 15 needles and 100 stitches.

I assembled another group of yarns and changed several things when I knit this one. I used size 13 needles, 80 stitches and a tight tension as I knit it.
This shawl has a totally different feel to it and is hardly long enough to wrap around me. But - it covers my back and shoulders. It too feels good. The colors of this one are more similar and yet there are many things I can wear it with.
I probably used about 50 different yarns for this one.I love this type of knitting. I use up all my leftover yarns and have so much fun putting them together to create a pleasing design. No yarn is too short to use if it is at least 12 inches long!



This shows a size comparison of the two of them. The rainbow colored one is folded double.

I won't be getting much use out of either of them soon as I head to Florida tomorrow.
Everything is ready as I had planned on going a week ago and had to delay my trip. I've been packed for a week, the house is organized and my house sitters are ready for me to leave!

My favorite cut for tonight's puzzle!

21 years ago today I became a grandmother

Today is my granddaughter Heidi's 21st birthday. This is one of my favorite recent photos of her. She will soon be graduating from college. Where have the years gone?

This is another photo I really like I believe it was taken at some kind of retreat.

A few months ago she had to dress up as a rock star at work one day. I think she did a fantastic job and I can just picture her and one of her guitars on stage with one of her favorite bands.

The stars are shining on Heidi today!

It was a dark and rainy Halloween night. . . .

If you follow my blog you may be wondering where I am. I am all packed and was supposed to fly to Florida today but had to change my plans.
So when I could have been blogging I was packing and trying to get all my ducks in a row.

I am sure many of you haven't seen the photo of my Halloween tree so I'd like to share it with you.
At one time I decorated a full size tree for each holiday. I got tired to doing it so all the decorations (and lights for each tree) are stored away. It was fun while it lasted.
I feel like I should get out Charley Brown's Great Pumpkin book and read it to myself.
My 3 year old grandson came over to show me his flying monkey costume. I gave him his candy last night. Tonight he went home with two more decks of Panda playing cards. (He also got 2 decks last night). I didn't have the camera handy but his head piece came off as soon as he made it through the door. Big sister was a cheerleader with long blond curly cheerleader hair.
His favorite thing to do here is my puzzles. He picks the one he wants me to do and I just do the auto solve. I have a set of family puzzles and he has a hard time figuring out who his older sisters and brothers and his Dad are in those puzzles. He also loves the quilt ones.

Each time he does puzzles with me he looks at Journey which is hanging in the family room and wants to do THAT puzzle. I guess it's about time I made THAT puzzle!

More color influences in my life

This photo is a jumble of the serapes in my collection. I love the way colors change and repeat in them. Fortunately they are one of those things that are affordable to collect. I feel my collection is now complete so I won't be competing with you if you are looking to buy some! My passion for them was reignited when I visited Santa Fe, New Mexico and saw them repurposed to make gorgeous expensive clothing.


I grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, home of Johnson's Wax - at least that was what we called the company as I was growing up. It seems we drove by these buildings so often I didn't even realize how they had influenced me. They were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, another Wisconsinite. When I was almost done with "The Colors Of My Life" series I looked at the quilts and realized there was a definite influence from these buildings.


The Fourth of July was a big occasion when I was growing up. We decorated our bikes with crepe paper. We could go to one of the playgrounds and they would GIVE us the crepe paper to decorate our bikes for the bicycle parade. I loved that crepe paper as much as I love fabric today. I bought the crepe paper you see here at the same dime store I shopped as a 5 year old. It is still there and it still has the same wooden counters and many of the same items I bought way back when. Instead of spending my weekly 10 cent allowance when I visit, I now use my credit card and usually end up spending over $100. They have everything you can't find anywhere else so I stock up on those things.

Since I don't have photos of myself from those Fourth of July parades (they didn't even have colored film back then!) I'm sharing photos of my great nephews from the 2009 parade. I guess they no longer use crepe paper.


This is Roan who is very content riding in the parade.


Quinn and Kale, Roans big brothers are enjoying driving their car in the parade.

I was allowed to go shopping each week with my allowance and often bought crepe paper. My favorite color was American Beauty Rose. I have searched far and wide for a package of American Beauty Rose crepe paper to show when I lecture and I haven't been able to find it.
This is very close to the crepe paper color American Beauty Rose. It was a little darker and a little brighter. I have almost perfect pitch when it comes to remembering the color of something.

One of my first sewing ventures was making myself a flower costume for a program at the YWCA. I used American Beauty Rose and green crepe paper. I was 8 years old and able to use my mom's treadle sewing machine. It turned out great. When I wore it for dress rehearsal I perspired and the color ran down my face! A kind mother provided a dance costume she had and I wore that for the program.

If you're still with me after wading through this long blog I have a crepe paper puzzle for you!

Felted Bag and its inspiration

I finished another felted bag. This one is slightly larger than my previous ones.


This is what it looked like before I felted it.
Before felting this measured 29 1/2 inches high and 24 inches wide. After felting it measured 21 1/2 inches high and 19 inches wide.


This sweater was the inspiration for the pattern on the bag.


This was also an inspiration for the bag. This vintage serape I purchased is a very important piece to me. It is very similar to the one my Mom had on our cedar chest and was one of the most important things that influenced the way I use color. This is about 1/4 the size of my Mom's but is uses colors in the very same way.

I was not copying either of these items, I just let them influence the way I used my yarns.
I also was working with a limited amount of yarn and had to "make it work" as Tim Gunn would say. I actually got out my gram scale when I was working on the I cord for the straps and weighted and divided the amount I had of each color to make a mirror image strap.

Since this is one of my favorite ways to use color and lizards is my favorite puzzle cut I just had to use it for this puzzle.

It's knitting weather!

I love the coloration of this Noro yarn. It is the perfect yarn to knit this scarf with the diagonal design which changes to form opposing triangles.
I got the Agate scarf pin at International Quilt Festival in Houston. If you didn't see me there it is because I probably got this at least 10 years ago. This is my first chance to use it.


This long skinny scarf is also knit diagonally but in only one direction. I had it about 80% done and put it away. When I took it out there was no pattern to follow. It is so simple I was able to figure out what I had been doing.
If I just throw it around the back of my neck it is long enough to reach my knees.
It is so soft and warm.


Here's another way I can wear this scarf. I had no one to model it so I hope you get the idea. (If I waited until tomorrow I'll have someone here but I don't think any of the men that are putting in the new furnace would be comfortable modeling it!



This is how I am wearing the scarf right now. I can also do a lot of other things with this scarf and can use the scarf pin with it too.

Enhancing commercial fabric with paint

I chose two pieces of fabric I liked. I spent an enjoyable evening or two painting on each of them to make them more complex and interesting. The squiggles, dots, slashes, commas, etc you see are what I painted.

Un Heuvo Grande 30"W x 24.5" H $400

I chose to cut the fabrics with gentle curves and sew them together alternating the two fabrics to form the design.
I added a lot of decorative stitching along the seams for another layer of pattern.

Although I had not intended the shape I used for the focal point to resemble an egg, it definitely does and that lead to the name.

Enjoy the puzzle.

More decorating with fabric

This skirted table was most recently used in the guestroom as a bedside table. I moved it into the living room when I redecorated the living room. I kept the same skirt and topper on it and just added the lamp and floral arrangement.
As many of you know when I say redecorate it usually means I am just searching my house and moving things from one room to another!


This is the new table cover. It was not as quick and easy as I had anticipated. The fabric was 118 inches wide so I was able to cut a seamless cover in less than 5 minutes.


This is the cording that I used to finish the edge. That is where the fun began! I wasn't sure I'd have enough fabric to cover the cording so I cut it narrower than I should have. The cording itself was about 1" in diameter so it was difficult sewing close enough to it. It slipped and slid as I stitched. I broke 5 needles stitching it.
I ended up having so much fabric left I don't know where my brain was when I calculated what I'd need!



You can see the table and accessories in it's room setting here. It is a cozy welcoming room since I redecorated. We'll sit in here next time you come to visit and have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

The couch you see was originally in the family room. It's the perfect couch to take a nap on. It's looks like something Grandma might have had. It is covered in a mohair type velvet and is down filled. I have taken many naps on it and I usually only sleep about a half hour when I nap there - perfect.

And of course tonight's puzzle is a small version of the living room!

Dreamscape

Dreamscape 14.5W x 15.5H $500

I fused several pieces of fabric together for a background for Dreamscape.
Did I know what I was doing? Did I have a plan in mind. NO.
I just added and subtracted things until I was happy with the composition.
The shape you see is the actual shape of the quilt although you might have thought I was shooting it at an angle.

In this close up you can see the details and you can also see the quilting. The quilting helps to emphasize the design.

Enjoy this crazy cut to put Dreamscape together.

Cut It Out!

This is another quilt that I made from pieces of hand dyed fabrics left from larger quilts. You may recognize some of the fabrics if you follow my blog.

Often I cut shapes while I am waiting for something and just keep them on a tray.
When it is time to make a composition I play with those shapes on a background that may be one or more than one fabric.
I also have a lot of other fabrics that I can cut more shapes from.

I am trying to arrive at a pleasing composition.
When I am pleased with the composition I fuse all the parts to the background.

I am then ready to quilt it.
That could happen right away. More often than not it takes time to come up with a quilting design that will complement the overall design of the quilt.
This quilt was quilted with the presser foot down and I moved back and forth, from side to side and at angles to the lines I was quilting. The quilting design strongly relates wo what is happening in the fabric design of the quilt.

Tonight's CUT for Cut It Out is bricks!

Moonlit Jacobean Garden

Moonlit Jacobean Garden 11"W x 13"H $350

This is the quilt I finished today. It was designed and assembled months ago. Today I quilted it and finished the edge.
I used a zigzag finish on the edge which is one of my favorite ways to finish the edge of a quilt.
It only works on fused or other firm quilts. Don't ask me how I know!
All the fabrics are either hand dyed or hand painted. I love the textures in some of these fabrics.
I back all of my small leftover pieces of hand dyes with a fusible and have them ready when the muse tells me "Kay, go design a quilt top!"

Like an Amish quilt this uses subtle colors and bright colors.

I hope you enjoy this puzzle.

For Never Plaid - finished!

For Never Plaid 34" W x 39" H $1800

I've finally finished For Never Plaid. I'm always happy when I take the last stitch on a quilt and I can put it on the list of quilts I've finished.

You did see this one as I was working on it if you follow my blog.

I have a drawer full of solid strips I cut when I have 6 inches or less of a fabric left from a project. It makes it so easy to start something when you don't have to stop and cut. This was one of those pieces where I just picked up pieces and started sewing them together with no specific design in mind. I just let it happen. I'm quite pleased with it.

I find it interesting that the last 2 pieces I've finished are blue since I hardly every use blue these days.

This is quilted with random curved quilted lines that are relatively close together. This adds some body to the quilt and helps it to hang better on the wall. It is 34 inches wide and 38 inches high.

The edges are finished with facings which give more body on a curved edge and it has a casing on the back to insert a hanging rod.

For those of you who are addicted to my puzzles I have now posted over 200 puzzles for you. I will continue posting them as long as you enjoy doing them. Let me know!