A Mother’s Hope

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Sewfrench

Trying to stay focused and work with what I have on hand, I found myself working with all these tiny floral calicos from the 80s and 90s. Nice, but overwhelming in the quantities I own.

Small florals
Kind of like when working on the *ugly* pink quilt, alone these fabric don’t do a thing for me, but when put together, they really aren’t half bad.
Paper piecing is so messy!
On Sunday, I decided my next quilt would be a string quilt using 8 1/2″ squares of computer paper, as the backing. I then proceeded to ignore the overfilled trash can, as I listened to Brideshead Revisited as an audiobook, and removed all that paper. This mess is why I don’t make more string quilts. I’m guessing paper pieced blocks are the same way…
But Brideshead? Great book, highly recommended!
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Does looking at these colors make you want Smarties, too??? Of course, they were my all time favorite candy, as a kid. Pure sugar. And prettily colored, to boot!

smarties

It was Peter’s night to cook dinner and he put a corned beef into the crock pot so there was really no reason for me to pop out, of my studio, all day. I even got it layed out and pin basted. And the corned beef was out of this world. Peter knows what he’s doing stuffing it with garlic!
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Then on Monday, after playing catch up on laundry folding and generally picking up the house I got it machine quilted and a binding made and attached. I now *get* why people machine quilt. This baby was quilted in under an hour. Now to get the binding hand stitched down and to embroider my name and location.
This quilt is headed Margaret’s Hope Chest as part of their A Mother’s Hope program. I am hoping a new mom, dealing with  postpartum depression will find comfort in it. It is a pretty amazing new program where the moms, with their babies, come in together, everyday, from 9-3, for therapy. It is only the second program like it in the country. Pretty amazing what is going on in my hometown. I love G.R.
Staying focussed and working with what I have on hand made me come away with a whole new appreciation for some lesser than favorite fabrics.
Also makes me want Smarties.
Join the fun!
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WIP
Posted in Books, Charity Quilt, Design, Fabric Tuesday, Linkys, machine quilting, Quilting, Sewing, WIP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

On inventing

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Sewfrench

Let me introduce to you my latest, creative invention, a placerunnner. You saw it, in progress, earlier this week. I am struggling with the variety of colors showing up. It really absorbs the light. There are about 6 different shades of neutral that show up great, in person not so much in a photograph.

linen table runner

A table runner, when turned the other direction, that is actually the width of placemats, solves the problem of needing a table runner and place mats, especially when outfitting a smaller dining table.

tablerunner

This is the cherry table and chairs that my husband, Peter, recently made for our youngest daughter when she moved out. Isn’t it just gorgeous? He designed and created it all himself. He is so talented.

Daughter was paranoid about scratching it up, right off the bat. She had placemats but when using two, of them, the center of the table is left open to scuffs when dining, and because it is only 32″ wide, it’s not wide enough to toss down a third placemat to hold dinner/condiments…. So this is what we came up with!

Basically I took an 8″ x 50″ strip of linen, for the center, then started whacking it. I then stitched in 1″ pieces of various colored linens. With 1/4 inch seam allowances a 1″ piece of fabric “cut in” will not change the over all length. I layered it with Quilter’s Dream batting and another piece of linen for the backing and quilted it 1/4″ outside all the seams. I then trimmed it straight and added the side borders, batting and backing and extended the previous quilting lines out into the border. If I had had a complete plan in mind from the beginning I may have made it like a traditional quilt, completing the top before I started the quilting. I just wasn’t sure if quilting the larger piece would allow more warping. I wasn’t real comfortable with how linen would react or even if the colors I was considering would be what I wanted. That is why I did it like I did. No other reason.

Things I learned:

Shrinking was more than I would have guessed. It finished out after quilting and shrinking to about 18″ x 48″. Perfect for placemat width. About 2″ lost in both length and width, maybe a bit more.

One whack at a time is plenty, no need to get carried away and play jigsaw puzzle, here.

If I had used a tool to cut with, such as a 10° ruler, keeping track of the next piece wouldn’t have been an ordeal. Thank goodness there is no real difference between the front and back of this linen.

Cut in all your colors in all layers. Don’t cut in all your lights then decide you want to add some darks that end up only being in the top most layer of cuts.

The first time you cut across one of the strips pieced in and then get them to line back up, you lose width. I probably lost over an inch in width, because of this. Oversize, oversize, oversize!

Since, on this one, I quilted the side panels separately than the center, had I had a caramel colored thread, I might have used it instead of the natural. But I’m good with it. It is a prototype. It is a placemat. Nothing permanent here!

table runner

The finished product is one I loved so much I was tempted to keep it for myself.

Table runner

But it is a placerunner.

Not a table runner!

Linking up with: Crazymomquilts

A Stitch In Time 2013 1

canigetawhoop whoop

Posted in A Sttitch in Time, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Crafting, Decorating, fabric, Linkys, Quilting, Sewing, TGIFF, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Get the nifty little checkmark that not everyone has!

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Sewfrench

Have you verified your WordPress account with your Pinterest account? It is not as hard as it seems. Plus you get this nifty little checkmark that not everyone has!

Michelle Weber's avatarWordPress.com News

Pinterest Verification Lots of you have been asking about website verification for Pinterest — the process that tells Pinterest that you own the website listed in your profile. Once your site is verified, your blog’s URL appears on your profile and in search results alongside the nifty little “Verified!” checkmark.

We’ve now added Pinterest to the list of webmaster tools we support. Verifying your blog with Pinterest is as easy as cutting and pasting a single line of code and hitting “save.”

(There I am, all verified. Don’t I look like a power user?)

If the idea of having to deal with code makes your nervous, don’t worry; our simple instructions tell you exactly what to put where. In less than a minute, you can have a checkmark of your very own, letting your followers know that you’re a trusted source of finding awesome stuff on the internet.

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I *heart* linen

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Sewfrench

A life time ago, I did all the alterations for a high-end, women’s ready to wear, dress shop. Mrs. Owner always warned us the more wrinkles meant the more affluent the wearer. I’m not sure why she claimed this, unless it was some sort of sales ploy…

Personally there were a lot of things she said that I didn’t necessarily agree with. I don’t believe linen is just for the affluent. I love it and have recently discovered how wonderful it is to quilt with. How did I miss this?

I started out will lots of scraps of different colored, natural linens and learned so much! Prototypes are like that don’t you think?

table runner

quilting linen

linen binding

Can’t wait to get it finished, washed and crinkled. I’ll share the finish soon!

fabrictuesdayfinalcopy

WIP

Posted in Decorating, Design, fabric, Fabric Tuesday, Linkys, machine quilting, Quilting, Sewing, WIP | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Kaleidoscope quilt ~ revealed

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Sewfrench

This one has been around a while. Here, here, and I’m sure there are other posts. Of course the Kaleidoscope block has been around forever. It is a very old block. I couldn’t find a history on it but I suspect it was from the late 1800s. Does anyone know?

This one started in May, when I had nothing else to work on, and wanted to strictly work from my scraps and stash. Well, that was fine for the top, but I did have to buy the border print and backing fabric.

Kaleidoscope quilt

I am glad I am finally able to show it off as a finished quilt! I started with years worth of Amy Butler scraps and interviewed lots of different solids before I decided I liked the punch of Kona Cerise.

After lots of searching, I think I found the perfect backing, Tula Pink Parisville. When Del Ray fabrics had a huge half off clearance sale I snatched up 9 yards for the backing. Nine yards requires a half off sale for sure. Even though I was told it wouldn’t be a perfect match, I think it is. It has the same limey greens and pinks in it. It reminds me of Marie Antoinette but with her hairdo made from squirrels! Makes me smile every time I look at it. Plus squirrels override the pink and make it a boy quilt, don’t you think???

Quilt back

In recent years it seems I don’t do much in the way of borders, but let the pattern go all the way to the edges. I wanted this quilt to be made exclusively of Amy Butler fabrics, which I think I did, except for the Kona and backing, but to get it as large as I wanted, I needed to add borders. I went with Amy’s Daisy Chain for the inner border, then a wider cerise border then bound it with the same cerise, creating exactly the look I was hoping for.

Kaleidoscope quilt

After many starts and stops I decided to go with machine quilting 1/4″ of both sides of all the seams. It seemed like a lot of quilting while working on it, but the quilting is far enough apart that it has a really nice hand to it.

Kaleidoscope

I think my son and daughter-in-law liked it. I know it was because of the squirrels.

Kaleidascope quilt

Kaleidoscope Quilt
machine pieced, machine quilted
Quilter’s Dream batting
95″ x 100″
12-25-12

One last thing…

If you are looking for a project for the new year, I’ve got a good one for you. Margaret’s Hope Chest is looking for help making quilts for moms with postpartum depression. This is the perfect opportunity to finish up a lingering Work in Progress quilt top for a good cause. Carin is asking for 36″ x 50″ sizes. Not too big to actually do! This is what I’ll be working on next. Maybe it speaks to you, too?

Linking up with crazy mom quilts.

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canigetawhoop whoop

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Posted in 2012 completes, Can I get a Whoop Whoop, Charity Quilt, Christmas, Gifts, machine quilting, Quilting, Sewing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Focusing on a long term finish

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Sewfrench

It feels good to be back in my studio after being away from thread and needle for well over a week. I very much enjoying visiting with all the family, but it’s good to be home and back into my own routine.

And right back into it. First project is an old one that I sidelined when I got to the part I didn’t want to do. Sound familiar??? Or is it just me?

I spent a little time digging through and sorting fabric selvages. These are the woven edges of the fabric that usually have the name and color code woven in to it. They shrink differently than the body of the fabric so usually get cut off and thrown away.

Selvages

Within the last ten or so years the manufactures have come to understand that these are hot collectables. They have gone from boring with generic names and fonts and no standards for which direction they were printed….

Vintage Selvages

to some pretty fancy stuff! There is actually an entire blog with different projects people use these for. Some are so cool, inspiring and others seem a bit out there!

fabric selvages

Whenever I get to the selvage, I trim it off and toss it towards the bottom shelf of the book shelf. Today I pulled them out and pawed through for some interesting ones to use in my current project.

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I finished the quilt top but need to piece the  back. That’s not the part I was dreading. It’s all the embroidering I plan to do on it. And you probably remember I don’t much care for that.

Focus. Focus. Focus. I keep telling myself. A quilt can’t take *forever* if you keep at it.

Having a clean space to work in and a clean years’ slate turned into an incredibly relaxing, creative kind of Tuesday. And it felt like Sunday all day long!

And because it was New Year’s Day, dinner was easy. There was no decisions to be made!

Black-eyed peas, cooked with pork and topped with chow-chow, a piece of fried ham and jalapeño cornbread.

Blackeyed peas with chow chow

That pretty much guarantees a prosperous New Year! And maybe a bellyache from eating too much!!

WIP

Posted in Linkys, organizing, Quilting, Sewing, Uncategorized, WIP, WIP | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Word of the Year 2013

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Sewfrench

Focus

Wow, it seems strange to write 2013. Change is hard…. Even something as simple as the new numbers of a new year.

I’ve never been into making resolutions at the start of a new year. A date on the calendar has never called out to me to start anew. But goal setting? I can do that. My goal for 2013 is to slow down and do less. Do good. With intention. And in a more organized way. That is why I’ve chosen my word of the year to be **focus**.

I believe in the power of thinking, positive thinking and intention. I truly  intend to slow down and be more organized this year. A single word can be very powerful. It can be the ripple that creates change. It can be a hard pill to swallow or go down like sugar. From my own experience, it can be a catalyst for making changes in your life. One little word at a time.

Last year I started this new tradition of choosing one word for myself in January – a word that I can focus on, meditate on, and reflect upon as I go about my life. My word was create. It easily become a part of my life in one way or another. It wove throughout my days. I’ve often thought it was written in my DNA, imbedded in to who I am, and into who I am evolving into. It happened, every day, to such a wonderful degree that my word for this year chose me.

One thing at a time. Breathe deep. Be present. Focus.

Last year was such a successful year of creating that I need a word like this to slow my mind down, concentrate on getting through one project before I start another and to get organized so I can focus on what I’m doing.

Less looking outward for ideas and more looking inward. Less time spent on Flickr, Pinterest, and Google Reader.

That’s my word and come what may, I will focus. Hold me to it.

But first I need a dumpster. I need to clean up and clear out to eliminate distractions.

Then I’ll focus.

What about you? Do you have a word? A goal? What do you resolve to change in this new year?

2013

Whatever it may be Happy New Year to you and yours and well wishes be with you to pull off the change needed to make it happen!!

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From our home to yours~

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Sewfrench
 

Merry Christmahanzaquanzicka!!

Merry Christmas 2012

To you and all your family
Your neighbors and your friends
May all your days be happy
With a joy that never ends
May peace and love surround you at Christmas-time and all the whole year through.

May your lives be filled with sunshine
May your every wish come true
May you find the sweet fulfillment
In everything you do
May your days be blessed with the very, very best
Both now and the whole year through!

Posted in Christmas, Quotes | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Honeycomb quilt ~ revealed!

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Sewfrench

And now that the birthday has finally arrived, and the gift given, I can share!

Birthday girl

My Honeycomb quilt, that I started back in July, which the youngest daughter, birthday girl, helped me to design has been gifted. It was based on a quilt in Malka Dubrawski‘s book, Fresh Quilting. Amanda and I fell in love with it as soon as we saw the idea of using jumbo hexagons in a random way.

Honeycomb quiltWhen huge hexagons don’t have a precise color placement, as in a grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt, it takes on an entirely different look.

Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt

I love all the different fabrics ranging from Malka’s A Stitch in Color line, Amy Butler’s, creams, white, greens, grays, melons, tone on tones, scraps, pieces specifically chosen and all intentionally placed.

hexagon quilt

After lots of stressing over how I would quilt it, I finally chose to machine quilt it, using my Acufeed foot, 1/4″ each side of the vertical seams and then again 1 1/4″ from that same seam. Using Quilter’s Dream batting, and this light quilting pattern, created a quilt with a beautiful hand, lots of movement and coziness.

After poking around online to see what other people are doing for shams, I found very few, bed sized, hexagon pillow shams to even consider. I chose Kona Ash for the quilt backing and also for the pillow shams I finally came up with. I used the same spacing for the quilting, on the shams, but I made the hexagons a bit smaller so I could fit more on one pillow. The big, fat cording is the same yellow with white polka dots as what I used on the binding.

I love how the quilting shows up on the back. Flipping this quilt over creates an entirely different, calming look!

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Another of my very favorites!!

Honeycomb quilt

Honeycomb
~a jumbo hexagon quilt~
machine pieced, machine quilted
Quilter’s Dream batting
90″ x 100″
December 2012

Linking up with:

Crazymomquilts

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A Stitch In Time 2012 12

Posted in 2012 completes, A Sttitch in Time, Birthday, Books, Design, Family, Finish it Up Fridays, Gifts, Linkys, machine quilting, Quilting, Review | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

What I’m working on

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Sewfrench

This pouch work great for taking small stitching projects on the road. Working on these little gifts for some special people. I’ll have to share them when I’ve finished. They are too easy and cute!

Drawstring pouch

I am still plugging along on my Twinkle quilt. It’s been languishing as I finished up several big projects. I just couldn’t decide how to quilt it. I wanted it done now, but didn’t want to machine quilt dark thread over the light stars. How do you handle that, when you are working with highly contrasting fabrics? Or do you just plan differently?
Well last night, I decided to just jump in and hand quilt it. I’ve no other hand quilting projects going on, so why not?

Twinkle quilt

If it wasn’t for using Warm and Natural batting, Kona cotton, and some fabric I had left from my grandson’s quilt, eons ago, I’d be done already! The Kona is a tight weave, then add Warm and Natural which is rustic, and irregular, and the backing feels too thick to be quilting fabric, though it is. I have finally gotten it through my thick head that hand quilting speed is all about the materials used.  Quilters Dream, for me, from here on out!! It really does make quilting a dream. Along with a fresh needle.

WIP
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