FABRIC THERAPY

Design Wall schizophrenia...

2012-02-02T08:44:00.000-05:00

Procrastination is a killer. This scrappy Positive-Negative Chains quilt (ala Bonnie Hunter) has been snoozing on my design wall for months awaiting two borders. I didn't want to unpin it and take it down until I was actually sewing borders on, then walking out the door with it, taking it to be machine-quilted. It was such a bear to get pressed nicely with all those little scrappy pieces...

I finally prepared borders and off the wall it came; first a brick red stop border, followed by a dark blue outer border cut from a length of Moda "Renewal" that I had been saving for years. Does anyone else out there "save" things? Afraid to actually use fabric because then it will be used up? Those fabric manufacturers have us right where they want us...LOL.

See all my careful pressing?!? It is worth the time and effort to press carefully and thoughtfully as I go, trying to "nest" seams when I can so they will lie flat. That is critical for either hand- or machine-quilting.

I'm glad I pushed myself to use the outer border fabric...it is just what this scrappy, busy quilt needed. I really like the result. The quilt has a nice border set AND it is off the design wall. Why is it so hard to use our stashes sometimes?? We cannot possibly take it with us when we go...what am I saving stuff for? I should have named this post "stash constipation" instead, huh.

I had gotten "stuck" with many OTHER projects just because I could not use my design wall to study the situations. I am a visual person, and even though I can imagine things in my head, I still need to stand back and take the whole thing in at various points in the design process...especially when I am making it all up to begin with. Cluttered head, cluttered design wall...what's a quilt cave troll to do?

I've been wanting to lay out these blocks for a few weeks now. I just trimmed them down to 8.5 inches this week, and I am considering setting the blocks 8 blocks x 8 rows. With borders, the quilt would end up about 76-80 inches square. I made this block up a few weeks ago. It is a great way to use up scraps and I do it WITHOUT PAPER FOUNDATIONS (because I hate removing those papers). I think I will call it "Buildings and Boulevards" because it looks like a bird's eye view of a metropolitan area (and it looks busy, noisy, and frantic, like a big city). How did I make the blocks? Go here to see.

I will take these down, in order, so that I can start sewing them together.

Here are some of my Wonky Stars...it is fun to put them on the design wall to see how they twinkle! I need to put some of the scrappy pieces for these in my leader/ender basket by my sewing machine. It's amazing how fast these stars appear when randomly making units while piecing other things.

These pictures seem so dark for some reason. The fabrics in the stars are very vibrant while the neutrals stay in the background.

I forgot all about this U.F.O.!! This is my "Poultry in Motion" project...crazy-pieced blocks using chicken fabrics. I only have 3 more blocks to finish and it will become a flimsy. I already have the chicken fabric strips cut and in a box labeled "chicken strips" - that box always makes me hungry when my eyes pass over the label...yummmmmm...chicken strips...

Down come the chickens and up go some of my Blackbird baskets from that ongoing project. I'm getting a little dizzy from my revolving door quilt design wall...it's fun to see how far I've come with these projects. I still have more red, blue, pink,green, black and purple repro fabrics to make baskets from. I think I need about 300 in total.

But this is the main reason I wanted to clear the design wall. It was time to put all the Lori Smith "Folk Art Applique" blocks together to see how they look now that all the hand applique is finished. Me likey!! I need to audition some of the swags I've drawn to see which one I end up using for the border. I am really happy with how these turned out, and I am looking forward to finishing the top so that I can start hand-quilting.

Putting things on the design wall for a while has helped to build a little fire under me to want to work on these projects. These U.F.O.'s need oxygen and daylight every now and then to continue the creative process.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Rx for January...work with bright fabrics!

2012-01-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

I have my 12 center blocks hand appliqued for the Lori Smith's "Folk Art Applique" quilt. Each block will finish at 9 inches.

This has been the perfect hand stitching pattern for this time of the year in Michigan...there are a lot of gloomy, cold days with linoleum skies.

The picture on the original pattern looked as if solid, saturated fabrics were used. I decided to use tone-on-tone bright fabrics, hoping they would read as solids, but with more zing and pep.

It's time to play with the layout and order of the blocks, sew them together, and start thinking about a border. I think I will come up with an original border design...perhaps a swag.

Should I put eyes on the animals? I think the original pattern gave eyes only to the chicken and bird...

I've enjoyed the simplicity of the design elements. This pattern works up nicely using the glue stick method of hand applique.

I carefully trimmed the black background away from behind the larger applique shapes, especially the yellow ones.

I found I needed to stitch in good light because I soon discovered that the black background really magnified misplaced stitches! I'm still loving the YLI silk thread for hand applique.

The sunflower block just may be my favorite...

I have trouble with January...anyone else in the same boat?? I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. I had such a good mojo going with the weight loss and exercise in 2012. Now I am on a plateau. Lots of walking and exercise would burn me past the plateau and get me on my way again. But the January weather can be bad for walking...and for mojo. Sometimes it is just dangerous to be out there due to the ice, snow, and/or cold.

I whipped up this little top as a sample for the shop. It is called "We're Chicken," by Button Weeds. I really liked making up the scrappy half square triangles. I love scrappy...I don't have to make decisions about fabrics...they're ALL good! Right now the chickens are running around blindly...I will add button eyes after it's quilted. They have little prairie point wings...so plucky!

Good-bye January...I hope you take the doom and gloom with you!

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Practical magic...

2012-01-21T12:08:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I love YLI silk thread for hand stitching my applique blocks. It is fine, strong, and nearly invisible - it is kind of like sewing with human hair. But I find that it tangles off the spool (not while sewing) like MY human hair, and my spools are usually surrounded by a cloud of loose thread that resembles 'Pig Pen' from the 'Peanuts' comic strip. Desperate for a quick solution, I remembered I still had some of my daughter's hair do-dads from when she was a little girl. One worked so well, I ran out and bought a whole bunch!

The Goody Co. has the best, simplest ones, and one pack (of 42!) was only $2.49 at my local grocery store...that's just under $0.06 a piece! That's a bargain at twice the price!

One will work, or you can put two on a spool. With two or three on a spool, you don't have to keep moving the do-dad to cover the thread tail. They also fit sewing machine bobbins and slender spools of regular sewing thread.

If you want to get all fancy, you can match do-dad color to spool color (until you get to the browns...). I've stored the extra ones in a baggie until I go down to the quilt cave and fix the remaining silk spools.

I like the larger ones on my spool of YLI glazed hand quilting thread. I usually double or triple the do-dad and it works perfectly. I've been using one on my quilting thread for a couple of years...I can't believe it took me so long to remember the little do-dads for the silk thread...

I wonder how many human inventions came from someone being annoyed?!?

A week or so ago, I finally had dinner with 3 girlfriends (Ola, Mary J and Beth) and we celebrated Christmas and my birthday. We grabbed attention in the Ruby's Restaurant as we opened little gifts...serious and silly (the singing and dancing elf and Santa hats were particularly fun in public!). Beth's HUSBAND found the following little trinket for all of us at the AUTO PARTS STORE...a magnetic nut and bolt holder that works great for pins. The base is even magnetic, so it will hold pins up-side-down and in tight places. Brilliant!!

It just goes to show you that quilting tools can be found practically anywhere!

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Applique taskmaster...

2012-01-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

Weasley has been holding my feet to the fire, keeping me company and helping me to get some applique prep work done. I've been methodically glue basting smaller units of each block, then stitching those smaller units with YLI silk thread. By building the applique blocks unit by unit, then stitching the smaller units before glue basting further, I will be able to trim the black background behind the larger applique motifs in preparation for hand quilting...especially if my black background muddies my lighter, brighter fabrics.

Since I am using a black background for this applique quilt, my usual trick of using my light box for applique placement won't work. I am using the 'overlay' technique instead.

You know those clear dividers you get when you buy the deeper Art Bin satchel containers.? They are smooth on one side, ridged on the reverse? They make great overlays! Since I have temporarily misplaced my pen that wipes off with water, I am using a dry erase pen (and being very careful not to smudge the ink!).

I trace just the very outside lines of the block design from the paper pattern to the smooth side of the clear divider.

After gluing then stitching the smaller units, I've glue basted everything I can by just working over the paper pattern BEFORE working on background with the overlay. Using the "dot-dot-not-a-lot" amount of Roxanne's glue baste, I know if my applique gluing bleeds through and the piece sticks to my pattern, my dots are too big, LOL.

My background is a couple of inches larger than the finished size, so I glue the round center medallion in the center of my over sized background square (confident in having enough background to carefully place the other motifs)...

Next I place my traced overlay on top of the applique block. Using my long tweezers, I move things around until they line up pretty well. Then I remover the overlay and carefully lift and apply my tiny dots of glue baste one motif at a time, checking alignment with my overlay when necessary.

Now I can simply wipe to remove the dry erase pen from the clear plastic overlay.

I place the clean overlay on the next paper pattern. The dry erase pen removes easily, but is way too easy to accidentally smudge or remove. When I use this overlay method, I much prefer the wipe board pens that have to be removed with a damp rag. I don't have to be so careful with those overlays.

I only outline outer edges.

Before using my traced overlay, I glued up the sunflowers and stitched the centers first. This is especially important on this block with all the light yellow fabrics. If too much black background shows through, I will trim away even more of the unseen black background.

Here are the flower flip sides. You can see how I sewed the smaller circle centers to the larger ones, then stitched and trimmed before placing the center units on the petal layers and doing it all over again.

Now I am ready for my overlay,

Done...ready to erase and trace the next block...

These are a little out of proportion because the camera is at an angle, but you get the general idea of the four blocks I will be stitching now!

Oops! I forgot to say that these are blocks from Lori Smith (From My Heart to Your Hands). The name of the pattern is "Folk Art Applique."

Preview of coming attractions...

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

On the flip side...

2012-01-14T11:08:00.000-05:00

I love quilting. It is a constant source of creativity, challenge, comfort, escape, deep emotion, whimsy, beauty...not to mention a reward/justification for paying attention in math and geometry class. It seems like such a pure, private, intimate sort of craft because it does touch on so many personal emotions and we do spend many hours in solitude with our 100% cotton.

Because we feel our craft so personally, we often have an unexplainable, instant connection with other quilters when we meet them for the first time. It is almost as if we can't fathom the possibility that two people could feel like this about a craft.

I'm sure it's happened to you...you are out of your quilt cave...out in the REAL world, and you bump into a stranger, somewhere totally unexpected that mumbles a word of "quilt speech" that you recognize. You look at each other, smile, and feel like you've known them forever. You start talking about projects, patterns, and the person you are making the current quilt for as if you have a history, a bond, a real connection.

There is something so pure, so innocent, so COOL when this happens.

Finding out that someone else feels the same emotions about this craft opens up a WHOLE other world of quilting to us. Let's be honest...there are times we turn to our cotton when we are sad, worried, confused, hopeless, lonely...we frankly feel like no one else would understand. We feel soothed and hugged. The colors, patterns, and the tactile feel of the fabric makes everything all better...almost. When we make a connection with another quilter, we find a kindred spirit to share our projects and our lives with.

All of a sudden we have people we can't WAIT to show a pattern to, we pick up a fat quarter of something we KNOW they would LOVE, we get together to sew or go to a new quilt shop.

Do guys have this kind of thing happen when they go to the auto parts store? The power tool department at Sears? The big screen TV section at Best Buy? The beer isle at the grocery store?

I think this is a singular event in the human experience. Substitute "scrapbooking" or "knitting" or "beading" for "quilting" (or even "women who have miscarried" or "holocaust survivors" or "breast cancer survivors") and the same thing happens. We make connections with other people who share deep loves or hurts.

I think the depth of these connections make incidents of hurt feelings and misunderstandings among us so painful and hard to heal. Maybe we wonder why people who deeply love the things we do could ever hurt or wound us, or make us feel used and unappreciated.

It is also human nature to look at things from only one perspective...the one side of things we actually see. I have found this to be true through my part time employment at both a church and a quilt shop. As a member of a church, I saw the clergy and other staff members in a certain light, as perfect vessels of outreach, facilitation, and faith. When I joined the church staff, I realized they were flawed, conflicted, complicated people just like me...trying to do their jobs and answer a calling while struggling and dealing with the same difficult, painful baggage.

The same can be true of a quilt shop. As quilters, we drive up to a shop, the gray skies part, a rainbow appears, birds and angels start singing...in we trot to find comfort, escape, inspiration, and a connection with other quilters. Little do we consider the human burdens that are carried by the owners, employees and other shoppers.

Point of reference and perspective are hard little nuggets to grasp sometimes, but they are worth the effort of pursuit.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Following rainbows...

2012-01-11T08:38:00.000-05:00

This rainbow palette is a sure remedy for the after-Christmas winter blues. I have nothing but happy feet while digging through the stash bins that contain these happy fabrics. When I popped the top off the containers, I actually heard faint singing, birds chirping, a waterfall, and the clicking of tiny unicorn hooves as they frolick on my work table. Yep, these fabrics sure brighten up the quilt cave.

So does this cute little quilt project! I love the folk art feel of this little quilt (finished size 36.5 x 45.5). The hard part for me is narrowing the palette. I get so spoiled when I work on scrap projects where everything goes...no difficult fabric choices...no choices at all, really. I think making fabric picks, especially when I have to limit myself, is my least favorite part of the quilt making process.

I have spent a little time between laundry cycles tracing and cutting out my freezer paper templates for glue stick applique. I put in one of my favorite Jane Austen DVD's...I've seen them so many times that I don't have to watch every scene. That makes the cutting out of the paper shapes pass fast.

Then I transfer the paper pieces for each block into a clear sheet pocket protector. If you have ever read Karen's fabulous blog called Sew Many Ways, you know how excited and creatively motivated she can get from a trip to the hardware store (when I peeked today, she was dressing up an old milk crate - inspiring!). Well, a trip to my local Staples or other office supply "candy store" is equally inspiring for me. Some of my favorite quilting tools come from there...sheet pocket protectors (they come in boxes of 100!...), mechanical pencils, ultra-fine Sharpie markers, glue sticks, wipe boards & vis a vis pens, hanging file folders, pads of graph paper, sticky notes, etc. When I go there, I get that wonderful "shopping-for-new-school-supplies" feeling...priceless.

Now all the templates are prepared and awaiting fabrics. Here comes the hard part for me...actually picking and assigning fabrics from my gathered rainbow. I feel like I have a gun to my temple and I hear a voice inside my head saying, "choose wisely, grasshopper..."

Since the background is black for this quilt, I audition the fabric choices on top of a piece of black Kona cotton. I used Lori Smith's fabric choices as a jumping off place for my decisions, then deviated a little as I locked in the choices for each block. I made little piles of each color so that I could sort through easily. I think the original fabrics in the pattern photo are solids, or read as solids. I choose mostly tone on tone fabrics and tried not to pick anything that would pull eye focus too much.

A word about my picks for my green pile...there is a lot of green in this quilt. I love lime green, and at first those were the fabrics I chose. I quickly realized that I needed to shift to a more acid green, with some light and dark choices thrown in for excitement.

I started "Stars and Sprigs" last year and put it aside. I now see that maybe I did that because I was dabbling in the wrong greens with that bright palette...maybe I will keep this pile of rainbow fabrics together and revisit some of those previous fabric choices.

The wrong fabric choice can certainly drain my excitement about a project. I really struggle with the choosing. I think I struggle due to fear...OMG, what I wimp I am...afraid of cotton, LOL.

As I choose each fabric for this project, I iron the freezer paper pattern pieces (say THAT 3 times fast...) to the RIGHT side of the fabric, "chunky trim" (leaving room to add a glue under allowance later), then place the ironed chunks back in the appropriate sheet pocket protector. Later, with more TV time, I will trim each piece, adding either 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch (depending on whether I am gluing under or allowing for overlap of another piece). At the base of the orange leaf-shaped pieces, you can see where the "stem section" has pencil hash marks at the edge. I do this to tell myself to leave a 1/4 inch on that edge (that is where the piece is tucked under something else). That way, the trimming becomes a brainless activity while I am watching Lizzie and Mr. Darcy (for the umpteenth time...).

There are glue stick applique tutorials on my top blog tool bar if you are curious about this hand applique technique.

Working on my applique block pattern, I place the block bits and glue baste what bits I can (to each other, not the paper). If you are doing this step and your bits get stuck to the paper pattern, YOU ARE USING TOO MUCH ROXANNE'S GLUE BASTE!! Remember, "dot-dot-not-a-lot" and make sure you aren't applying your tiny dots of glue too close to the edge of the piece where your needle will be sewing later. Gluing what I can now will make block placement easier later (since I am working on a black background this time).

I usually like to work in units, but as album applique patterns go this one is fairly simple, so I can glue baste everything but the leaves...I will place and glue baste them when my black background fabric comes out of the dryer. I can't wait to see how the colors look on black! Happy, happy, happy...

I couldn't resist prepping a second block before quitting for the night. In addition to block 2, I worked a little on block 4 (skipping around, no discipline, I know...).

The pink and deep purple double center pieces are just sitting there for now. I will sew those as units first before glue basting to the purple posie so that I can trim away the background behind the deep purple circle. I like to trim away behind layers of applique so that later hand quilting will be a pleasant (rather than "princess and the pea") experience.

It feels good to focusing on some projects now. I hate that hand-wringing, cant-make-up-my-mind feeling. I mentioned last fall that I am drafting an unusual , original album project (shhhhhhh...). I am also working on prepping some of those blocks. And, I am going to continue to focus on scrappy, stash-busting quilts this year. Fine hand applique versus wonky, scrappy...polar opposites, kind of like me!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

The last 2011 finish...on to a new year!

2012-01-02T12:54:00.000-05:00

Ahhh...the LAST finish of 2011. This string star quilt was a 2010 Christmas gift that I managed to finish in time for Christmas 2011. Better late than never, I always say. I should have never showed it to them last Christmas...it seemed to suck all the momentum out of the project.

It is hand quilted in the ditch and also echo style. For the larger "string" strips, I quilted kind of on the diagonal in the piece so that the overall quilting effect is fairly even over the whole surface. (I look at the quilt while I squint to see if any puffy, unquilted places pop out at me.)

It is now hanging on the wall of one of the bedrooms in my parent's log home that they built in northwest Alabama. It's kind of fun to hang something homemade on a wall that is homemade.

Happy New Year to you all! It is nice to close the book on 2011 and look ahead to 2012...a blank slate, full of hope and promise, not to mention oodles of quilty ideas that need to spring from my head to fabric...SOON (before my head explodes). I'm just not going to think about all the unfinished things I had targeted for completion in 2011. I'm trying to focus on what I actually got accomplished despite not having enough time to sew. It's a new year...no looking back, and no regrets!

We drove home yesterday from Christmas in the warm south to a snow/wind storm in Michigan. That is what we are calling a New Years reality check. We had a rainy Christmas, but the past 4 days or so were glorious and I walked outside in short sleeves! That won't happen again for a few months.

Now to unpack and get started on some projects! I hope you are working on some projects already!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Doh!

2011-12-20T08:57:00.002-05:00

This is what we awoke to this morning...a decapitated Christmas tree! It blew over a couple of times yesterday (it is the windy midwest, after all...), and I had my husband wire the tip top of the tree to the gazebo ceiling before we went to bed.

It was windy last night, and the top stayed, but the base blew sideways...WEIRD!! This tree is my infamous indoor tree that failed a couple of weeks ago (remember me whining about it?!?). I threw the base away (it was the most broken, with saggy branches). We put more lights on the top and middle and put it outside in the gazebo. I'm beginning to think this artificial tree is haunted!

On a related note, look at these FABULOUS cannibal gingerbread cookie ornaments I ordered from CrookedSister on Etsy...they are right up my twisted alley! Happy Birthday to me!

OK, OK, I'm not completely weird and twisted. My nativity scene is pretty normal (when my daughter is not sneaking things into it...an outhouse ornament, the abominable snowman doll, Harry Potter
figurines...).

I still love to get Riley's Fisher Price nativity scene from her toddler years out. Riley likes to arrange that one as well. (I removed The Grinch, Buzz Lightyear, and the Freud and crazy cat lady figerines before taking the picture. Apparently there were more guests than just the 3 Wise Men at the manger...who knew?!?)

They don't call me "terrible T" for nothin'! But look at THESE fabulous T's. Look at this beautiful quilt my BFF, Ola, made me for my birthday. Yes...I am still pinching myself and mumbling, "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy..."

Apparently, spreading out a quilt or quilt project makes the same sound has shaking the kitty treat pouch. Weasley just can't help himself.

I love how the T's tessellate, and they are all made from repro fabrics. I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy...

This is my favorite bumblegum pink. I'm pretty sure this was quilted my Rhonda Loy of Dexter, Michigan.

I am frantically trying to finish getting this string star hand quilted. I think I will make it...I am almost there. I went ahead and bound it so that I can finish it on the road, if I can keep Wee Willy Winkie awake long enough to take a shift driving, I just might do it.

Shamefully, it is a gift promised LAST Christmas. Note to self: NEVER show an incomplete project to the future recipient...it removes all momentum from finishing it.

Fortunately, this Bargello quilt hangs in my living room all year, but it looks like I hung it up in preparation for Christmas.

I did manage to find one little unquilted place - right behind the front door - to hang this little vertical sampler banner.

I managed to get a second tree decorated on the piano (and I only had to do it once!!). It contains our musical instrument ornament collection.

I love those tiny little rice lights...

And I just had to show you one of my guilty little obsessions. I just love old antique bobbins and spools. I only buy them if they are cheap, and they bring such joy for some reason.

Guess what I am baking later today...

Good luck with all your last minute Christmas preparations!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Boxer Rebellion finish...

2011-12-15T04:33:00.001-05:00

The big underwear reveal! The hand quilting is done, it is bound, and it is time to take it to Steve's work place and hang it up. Boxer Rebellion if finished!

I quilted a diagonal cross-hatch on the applique blocks and just followed my heart's desire on the other ones.

There are quilted hearts on the boxer shorts, which did not photograph well...

The stripe and plaid patterns in the poly/cotton blend boxer fabrics were really wonky to work with, so the stripes make the blocks look crooked and squirmy to me. Oh well...part of the charm, I guess. This next block was my favorite to quilt.

It's funny...I picked the pieced block patterns solely based on their funny names (in relationship with the subject matter...). You know...Darting Birds, Hands All Around, Young Gentleman's Fancy, Grandma's Favorite, Jack-in-the-Box. Pride and Joy, etc. Yuck-yuck-yuck!

(I can't believe I embroidered the word "butt"...my grandmother would be so proud...) Oh, and then there's the whole issue of depicting my naked husband in cloth...with nipples, no less...

I guess there is no longer anything sacred...

I quilted an irregular piano key pattern in the wonky border. The stretch of the plaid makes my vision swim! Some of those boxer shorts were so old, thin, and thread bear, I'm surprised the weave of the fabric held together at all.

How about those abs...awesome, babe...

I will go to Steve's workplace in the next couple of days and install Boxer Rebellion in his desk suite...I hope he doesn't get ribbed too much from his fellow workers...there are a couple of quilters there - I know THEY will appreciate it.

Some of my favorite ornaments on my tree were either made by my daughter or were made by teachers or myself with Riley's pictures. I love all the glitter on this Popsicle stick star. Steve calls glitter "the herpes of the craft world." Even after 8 years, the glitter on this puppy is the gift that keeps on giving. Weasley has had a speck of it on his nose for over a week...he runs every time I try and remove it.

The peanut wrapped in foil was the first ornament Riley made at age 3...hilarious. I'm not exactly sure what the humble peanut has to do with the Christmas story...maybe peanuts were served at the inn in Bethlehem??

I'm a little embarrassed over how stressed I got over my tree ordeal last week. There are so many people worrying about REAL issues this Christmas, and I'm going on and on about my silly, saggy, scrappy, screwy, synthetic tree. I felt very silly and humbled by that as I delivered gifts and food for the Giving Tree to the church today. The mission team took on 29 local families this season. The need is great in Michigan, as I know it is in many places this year. We are grateful that there is still some sort of local social safety network, trying to gather and assist these otherwise undetected families. It is painful to think that for every family identified, there are many more out there, too embarrassed to come forward and ask for help.

This ball ornament was fun to make...you roll the circle-shaped picture cut out a little to get it into the tiny hole at the top of the glass ball (did I say tiny? let me reiterate, it was TINY!). Then, using a chopstick, you stuff tinsel in behind the picture to flatten it uniformly against the inside of the ball. Of course, you do this while trying NOT to break the fragile glass ball (I broke TWO while trying to make this ornament years ago - I was a crazed, drooling maniac with that chopstick). Then you hide the edge of the entombed picture with a circular bead of glitter glue dots on the outside. It was a lesson in patience for me...I only made one.

I'm so very grateful for teachers, Sunday school teachers, and parent volunteers for these ornaments sent home as Christmas gifts for parents from the students (and the time and patience it took to make them)! They are such a treasure! I remember Riley being so proud as she would place the stapled mystery brown lunch bag parcel under the tree.

My Ola angel ornament watches over the tree when I am not around...it's a wild collection of ornaments I've gathered over the years, and someone has to keep them in check. I think of my tree, sometimes, as sort of a "Night at the Museum" or "Velveteen Rabbit" sort of affair. When we are asleep, I like to imagine the ornaments coming to life and frolicking around the tree all night until we wake up in the morning. This probably only happens in the portion of the night when Weasley is sleeping (either plastered on, or around, me). If the cat had witnessed this conjured ornament orgy, the tree would be in shreds in the morning and there would be many ornament casualties littering the family room floor. I remember making up this story with Riley when she was really small, and to this day we are careful about what ornaments go next to who when decorating the tree.

Last Sunday on my birthday, our church choir sang the Rutter "Magnificat" with orchestra. All the hard work and rehearsals pay off...it was truly joyous.

I hope you are getting some time to sew mingled in with your last minute Christmas preparations!

In stitches,
Teresa "o)

A small finish is better than no finish at all...

2011-12-10T14:52:00.001-05:00

Finally! A Christmas finish to share (never mind that it is only 4 inches square...but it is hand-appliqued and hand-quilted). I love the back fabric on this ornament...the Santas are perfect and they came from my stash, which makes it even better. Any time I see good, "concentrated Santa" fabric, I pick up a little.

The idea and pattern came out of this book by Nancy Halvorsen.

I was also inspired by my friend Julie Hacala's beautiful Christmas tree to make this silly little ornament. I was careful this last week to crack the breakfast eggs VERY CAREFULLY so I would have some nice egg shell halves to paint. I used a high gloss red craft paint and yellow pom poms. I wish I had used smaller beads for eyes, but this is what I had on hand. Thanks for the inspiration, Julie!

They aren't very Christmas-y, but they sure were fun to make!

I made these ornaments for our annual Sit & Stitch potluck and ornament exchange, which was held yesterday at The Quilting Season (thanks for the group picture, Ellen!).

We had a smaller group than usual due to illness, etc., but those of us there had a fabulous time.

Ellen, Beth, MaryLiz...

...Ursula, Margaret, Barb, Margit, Cheryl...

...Marilyn, Debby, Mary, Judy and Chris.

The pot luck food was awesome and the ornaments were all secretly stashed in identical plain brown bags in anticipation of us drawing numbers and playing our little selection game.

Lucky me! I received a lovely reproduction log cabin ornament, made by Margit...

...and this cute Santa Claus, so cleverly made by Ellen. I look forward to this ornament exchange all year, and I love putting up my tree and seeing all the handmade ornaments from years gone by.

Two or three posts ago, I showed this beautiful quilt made by my friend Mary Jones.

A few of you asked about the source of the pattern. I dug around in the quilt cave (finally!) and found the right Nancy Halvorsen book..."Tidings." Sorry for the delay in answering your questions.

The Christmas season seems a little "off" this year to me...anyone else experiencing the same thing? We finally decorated our big indoor family tree last Sunday night. After years of harvesting our own fresh tree, we bought an artificial tree last year. It didn't seem right, but we suspect I have an allergy sensitivity to live trees. This was the second year we struggled to put the 9-foot monstrosity together. Finally, by 9:00 PM that Sunday night, the ornaments were on and everything all cleaned up so that we could just turn the lamps off and enjoy it.

Something didn't look quite right after about on hour. It looked like we didn't fluff the limbs enough or something. As I started fussing with things a little, I noticed a gap had developed between the middle and bottom tree sections. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the limbs had either broken or stretched the plastic that was supporting them. I have a lot of ornaments on my tree, but they are mostly lightweight. The plastic was almost stretchy...what a crappy tree!

Monday it was worse, and on Tuesday, I "undecorated" the tree to reveal this:

The lower, splayed branches were "pancaking" and sagging toward the floor. We bought this tree because it wasn't very dense and could accommodate lots of ornaments, all through the tree. So I drove to Plymouth to buy a NEW artificial tree...one with METAL HARDWARE and a WARRANTY. I came home to a message on my phone that the store had loaded the wrong tree in my car and that I needed to come back for a swap. I came home a second time, removed the rest of the ornaments, and kicked the old tree to the curb. The old tree had LED lights that were too stark, the lights were only at the branch tips and they didn't have the charm of the older lights. The new tree has more traditional lights and also has a slimmer profile, so it fits in our house better (still 9 feet tall!). I ended up driving 140 miles to get the new tree, return home, get again and come home again, and I spent the rest of the day trimming the tree...again. It's funny...now.

MUCH better! I had never heard of a tree actually failing before. The branch-looking things at the top are sprigs with leaves and red jingle bells...ho-ho-HO!

It just seems like everything is harder this Christmas...schedules are harder to pound out and coordinate, small tasks are taking a long time to accomplish, people are grumpier and some people are downright SNARKY! I hope things get better for the last 2 weeks before Christmas. When out in public, I'm trying to smile more, be more patient, open doors for people, put more money in the "red kettles," and try to "pay it forward" as much as possible. I think the bad economy and uncertain times are affecting everybody. I think we all need a big "group hug!"

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

New Quilt Shop in Ann Arbor!!

2011-12-07T09:05:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Quality Quilting of Ann Arbor, Michigan! Owners Jim and Rhonda Loy are excited to add this store to their already thriving machine quilting business that has been servicing the Dexter/Ann Arbor area for many years. Ola, Mary, and Sabrina are looking forward, along with Jim and Rhonda, to meeting you and helping continue your ongoing quilting adventure.

The shop is conveniently located near the intersection of I-94 and State Street in Ann Arbor, 625 State Circle (State Circle is the first street just southwest of I-94 at State Street - just a few buildings down on the right). Just inside, you are transported to a beautiful world of inspiration.
This area features seasonal selections and new lines of fabric.
In addition, the main room also features baby and kid prints, a color blender wall, and other lines.

Fabric, books, patterns, thread, notions, batting, kits,...it's all here...everything needed from start to finish.

The reproduction room is to die for...an entire room dedicated to the fabric of a time gone by, along with books and patterns

And there's a room dedicated to stitchery and related arts, complete with a big table to stitch around.

Lots of patterns, floss, trims, pearl cotton...and they carry Cosmo embroidery floss! Crabapple Hill, Anne Sutton, Bird Brain...all your favorite pattern companies (and a few surprises) await you!

There is a wonderful classroom with good lighting, both natural and not. I just arranged to teach two classes in January...hand-applique and hand quilting. Give them a call and sign up...I'd love to see you there!

Here is co-owner Jim Loy, looking forward to meeting you and setting you on the path to quilt happiness. He and his wife Rhonda bought the business that used to be Wendy's Simple Stitches in Howell. They are excitedly ordering fabrics, etc. to add to and blend with the existing inventory. And of course, you can drop off your finished quilt tops here for excellent machine quilting. They also offer machine binding (can you imagine??). Soon I would like to get pictures from their quilting facility in Dexter to share with you...there are no words for the excitement felt while standing in a room where 4 quilting machines are going!

Ann Arbor quilters are lucky to have great shops so close:

Quality Quilting - 625 State Circle, Ann Arbor, 48106, (734) 929-5169
The Quilting Season - 7025 E. Michigan Ave., Saline, 48176, (734) 429-2900
Leubu's - 1960 S. Industrial, Suite C, Ann Arbor, 48104, (734) 663-3033   (where I bought my fabulous
          sewing machine this year...)
Ann Arbor Sewing Center - 5235 Jackson R., Ann Arbor, 48103, (734) 761-3094
Jennifer's Quilt Shop - 147 N. Howell, Pinckney, 48169, (734) 878-6188
Lake Street Mercantile - 15 E. Lake Street, South Lyon, 48176, (248) 486-4411

Grab a buddy or two and take a road trip.  Make a day of it!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

"Crock Pot" quilt project...

2011-12-05T15:13:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday! I've been slowly finishing these Blackbird Design hand-appliqued baskets. This is my "CROCK POT" project - it is a SLOW COOKER!!! (get it?!?) This quilt was inspired by the book "When the Cold Wind Blows" from Blackbird Designs. I keep a number of the blocks prepped and ready to go in my magic box, along with thread, scissors, etc. I work on them in meetings, in the car waiting for my daughter, and in small cracks of time. The finished ones were piling up, so I decided it was time to soak the glue out, press them dry, and trim to the final unfinished size of the block, 5.5 inches...

...and COUNT them...

...I've finished 126. I don't really know how many I am going to make. I am going to make a bed-sized quilt. I think the one in the book has about 300 blocks in it. I'm encouraged that I had to fill my tables more than twice to photograph all of them. I've been at this a while, and I will be at it a bit longer, it seems...

I am using only reproduction fabrics - basket fabrics appearing only once, each neutral featured more than once. I started out cutting brown baskets, then gold/cheddar baskets, then black ones, then red ones, then green. I've got more red, green and black ones prepped, then I will start cutting out blue baskets, then maybe the pinks and double pinks.

The quilt in the book only featured gold/cheddar, brown and black baskets, but I thought I would expand the pallet a bit.

I so love the fabrics! I figure this quilt will be a snapshot of my repro fabric stash at this moment in time. I love scrappy...it ALL works and I don't have to make any fabric decisions.

Thank you for all your suggestions on the free-pieced scrappy hearts that I posted about last time. I've had a little computer trouble and not responded to your comments...I hope to do that soon now that things are working again. I hope to devote an evening this week to putting the hearts together with my log cabin blocks to birth a completed quilt top.

I've also been making more blocks of the scrappy bright and black flip-and-sew project. Don't you just love the fabric with the woman's head on it?? I think that was a Jo Morton fabric...

And "Boxer Rebellion" (a.k.a. the underwear quilt) is nearly completely hand quilted!

Baby steps...

Lots of baby steps...on EVERYTHING! Quilt projects, stronger lungs/health every day, return to the walking program and weight loss, original quilt pattern drafting...it's a good thing I am a patient person, in for the long haul. Nothing in my life is accomplished quickly these days.

As much as I love the holidays, they are difficult on many levels. There is a lot of need for fabric therapy in my life right now with the Christmas season and some difficult issues ongoing in my extended family. But I'm sure I'm not alone and the only one thinking this way. I'm trying to focus this December on the things about the holidays that make me smile...children singing, outdoor Christmas lights, handmade ornaments, jingle bells, seasonal music, candlelight, random acts of kindness, hot homemade soup, my daughter and husband, and my cat scheming to get the ornament with the peacock feather on it (I won't be smiling if he climbs the Christmas tree to get it...). Me-OW!!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Be still my crazy-patched heart...

2011-12-01T07:52:00.001-05:00

Well, I've been messing around with strippy, free-pieced hearts. I have 120 green/neutral scrappy log cabin blocks that I am putting into a quilt for our bed. I thought adding hearts would personalize it a bit so it wouldn't be just another log cabin quilt. And, after all, it is a gift for my better half. (And no...not an apology for the snarky underwear wall hanging...) The blocks are 4 inches square and will finish 3.5 x 3.5.

I like the idea that they are scrappy and haphazard at best. Sort of reminds me of the human heart...our hearts are constantly broken and re-made as we go through life, stronger and stronger as we grow older. .
Have you seen the movie "How to Make an American Quilt?" When making a block to represent 'where love resides' in her life, Marianna made a crazy-patched heart and talked about love being represented by a "multitude of patches." I loved that...

These are a little doinky and pointy on the sides, but once they are seamed in, that will 'round' them up a bit.

The thought of making enough of these to go around a queen/king quilt doesn't appeal to me. So I made 18 hearts- one for every year we've been married. Now I just need to figure out how to incorporate them into the design.

I'm thinking I will arrange them vertically, nine on the top left, nine on the bottom right...need to think more on that. I need to piece those 120 blocks together...ugh. I think that is my least favorite part of quilt-making...sewing all the blocks together into the top. Because they are scrappy, I need to lay the the log cabins out and make sure I like the distribution of the scraps. That takes up a lot of space, and this is going to be a HUGE quilt.

The first Valentine's Day card Steve ever gave me had a saying that I really liked and kept all these years..."Very fine is my Valentine...very fine and very mine." I'll have to put that on the label. (Or maybe letters in the borders???? I may NEVER finish this quilt as I add more and more stuff!)

In stitches (and still in love...),
Teresa :o)

Thanksgiving stitches...

2011-11-28T03:46:00.001-05:00

I am very excited to get back to the sewing machine and my scrappy blocks this week, but we went to Swarthmore, PA for Thanksgiving (near Philadelphia) to spend time with Steve's family so I was separated from my project.

I took this little wall hanging quilt along in hopes that I would get to work on it. The hand-quilting of Boxer Rebellion is going well and I am very close to being finished...I hope to finish it this week! This old threadbare underwear needles like butter! My Steve is a really good sport...

I am quilting little details...like the "6-pack" abs, etc...ha-ha-ha!

It was a little awkward, explaining this quilt to my husband's mother...there I was, chatting with her while putting stitches through her son's underwear. I'm sure it's not the first time I have seemed strange to his family...

Then I remember that my daughter is an only child...what will she think of this some day when we are gone and she is faced with a mountain of quilts, with this one on top?? It is a part of my quilt legacy. I suppose I should put some thought into the label for this quilt...I should make sure I explain the story of how the quilt came to be. Every quilt deserves that, but especially one with such a 'tongue in cheek' origin...

I hope you got some stitching done over the long holiday weekend!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Strippy, scrappy, flippy, happy, happy, HAPPY...

2011-11-23T06:19:00.001-05:00

Welcome to "part 2" of the current scrapbusting project. I started this while sick, thinking that the mindless chain-piecing of the scraps would distract my cough. Well, it worked! (It also succeeded in keeping me from packing and getting ready for our trip to the Philadelphia area...) This initial portion reminds me of the fret board on the neck of a guitar.

The initial pieced strip of short, stubby chunks constitutes the central, diagonal portion of the 8.5 inch square. Then I "contained" this strip set with black strips on either side. Now, the fun continues as I just fill out the square on either side.

Each added strip needs to be shorter than the last, and I just roughly center the strip as I sew it on. As I work, I have my 8.5 inch square ruler close so that I can check myself to make sure I am covering enough real estate with each strip.

I really do have a 100% cotton addiction...as I grab strips and chain-piece, I am like a kid in a candy store, trying to decide which piece to try next! Yum-YUM!

I keep checking myself with my ruler as I go merrily along...

Eventually, I end up with these funky blobs of strippy, colorful eye candy. I have been looking forward to playing around with all these scrappy, bright strips and chunks for so long!

I like working with the bold bright scraps...I feel like there are no rules as to how they should go together. It is very liberating to work with no rules, no pattern, no paper, etc. I am usually trying to be so perfect, so precise. I guess my only "rule" is that I insist on pressing well as I go so these wild and crazy beauties will lie absolutely flat and true.

As I work and handle each piece, I remember the project the scrap came from or the person that gave me the scrap...isn't that wacky?? Mary J and Barb F...do you see some of your fabrics??

Initially, I did try this as a paper-piecing project, but I quickly got lazy and realized that I could do this just as well without the paper, as long as I keep rulers close and check myself from time to time to make sure I am completely covering enough area to cleanly cut out my block when I've finished adding all the strips. I only had to remove the paper from one blob to realize that I didn't want to do THAT over and over!

Next, using my Brooklyn Revolver (one of my favorite tools!), I carefully trimmed the fabric blobs down to perfect little 8.5 inch squares. This is a rotary mat with a "lazy Susan" base. It allows me to trim one side, carefully turn 90 degrees and trim, then continue turning and trimming until a square appears.

Ta da!

So far I have 24 blocks ready to lay out and see how things will look.

Me likey!

When chain-piecing the "blobs" and adding the last small corner chunks, I did try and not use too skinny a strip. That way when I start piecing all the squares together, I won't have seam allowances too close to the intersection of four blocks.

I'm going to play with the setting some...I wasn't real careful here, just wanting to see how all the blocks play together.

After our Thanksgiving trip, I can't wait to dive into this box of strips and chunks and make more blocks! They are so quick and fun to make! I was definitely tempted to play hookie from Thanksgiving and stay home and make more blocks. I am looking forward to seeing Steve's parents and sister, and even looking forward to doing all the cooking in a strange kitchen, but this project is so FUN!! It makes my heart sing!

Happy Thanksgiving and I hope your heart is getting to sing a little bit on this long, holiday weekend! I am so thankful for family and friends, and I am totally grateful to have a hobby that challenges and delights me, and occasionally torments me!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Adventures in fabric therapy...

2011-11-22T08:06:00.001-05:00

When I was on my anti-cough campaign a few days ago, I did some mindless chain-piecing of bright and novelty scrappy strips and chunks. REAL fabric therapy! I've had an idea for a scrappy string-like quilt for a long time. I was looking at a guitar a few weeks ago and noticed the fretboard structure of the guitar neck.

When I look at these scrappy strip sets, I see each strip as a fret board on a guitar neck (once a musician, always a musician...).

Instead of just doing the basic "piecing strings on the diagonal" block idea, I knew I could come up with some way to make and use these "fabric fret boards" in a bigger block. These little stubby strips were really piling up in the quilt cave, and it seemed like a good way to use them up without too much handling and re-processing of them.

I didn't take time to trim them...just kept grabbing pieces that were approximately the same length. With some of the novelty pieces, I tried sort of "fussy-piecing" them so that I would end up with the desired little picture in place once I trimmed the strip set down to the final width (this will give the finished project the additional whimsical surprise of an "I spy" quilt that I love...).

I settled on a a final block design that would feature this strip set centered on the diagonal of a finished 8 inch block, and the strip set would be about 3 inches wide. I'm sure someone else has done something like this before...

I decided to set this diagonal strip apart from the remaining block components with scrappy black strips on each side. This will be the one unifying feature for the top, and help contain all that scrappy, crazy loveliness. The first strip was easy...I just lined it up and sewed it down. When I was chain-piecing the initial skinny scrap strips, I pressed all seams in one direction. As I sew on the black scrappy strips, I sew in the direction of those pressed seams so that everything will press nice and flat as I go. Since there will be so many pieces in each block, it is important to do neat seam pressing maintenance as I go so that the top will lie really flat and nice for either hand or machine quilting.

After sewing the strip down, I trimmed away the leftover edge of the strip set. If that strip was wide enough (and it usually was after sewing down the SECOND black strip), I actually SAVED IT thinking I could do something funky with the leftovers later...am I a nut, or WHAT?!? I just trimmed with scissors instead of the rotary cutter.

Then I pressed the strip to the outside. As I work, I have a 8.5 x 8.5 square ruler handy to make sure that what I am doing will "cover" enough fabric real estate to be able to trim the resulting mess down to an 8.5 x 8.5 block. I'm paper-piecing without the paper!

Then, I "eyeball" where the second black strip should be placed in order to end up with the skinny strip sets between the black strips measuring about 3 inches. I was intentionally a little loosey-goosey with this 3 inch measurement. I want the finished product to look a little accidental, or liberated.

I use my ruler just as a guide only, since I'm not looking for accuracy here. This is really a liberated, or pattern-less project. "Wonky" and "inconsistent" are key elements of liberated quiltmaking.

As I prepare to sew down this next black strip, look at that nice, FAT leftover strip I will cut off...I will definitely save THAT for later consideration...

(some of THIS leftover pieced strip is too skinny to keep...bummer!)

So I end up with a nice diagonal piece for my final block puzzle.

I'll show the next step of this adventure on Friday. Happy Thanksgiving!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

How to suppress (or at least distract) a cough...

2011-11-14T07:56:00.001-05:00

"Take 12 bobbins and call me in the morning..." I love filling bobbins on my new machine, and I filled a dozen in anticipation of doing some serious, mindless chain-piecing. And look what I got done...another 83 scrappy green and neutral log cabin blocks to go with the 37 I finished a few months ago. Now I have 120, and I can play with them and decide how I want to arrange them.

They will finish 9 inches and each log finishes at 0.75 inches wide. I'm thinking a barn raising setting, but maybe I will change my mind when I start playing with them.

Even though I have been sick for almost a week, I have managed to get a little sewing done between the coughing and the moaning and groaning. My husband was out of town, so the moaning and groaning has been mostly for my own benefit (and further research on the topic "do cats and/or teenagers show sympathy toward the pain and suffering of mankind" - hmmm...I'll let you know when I see some...).

I ended up in urgent care over the weekend for a chest x-ray and a breathing treatment. These things always tend to turn ugly for me and now I am on antibiotics, etc.

It's a good project to work on while sick, especially since I choose to cut all my "logs" to the proper size rather than sew, trim, sew, trim, etc...then I just mindlessly feed pieces through the machine, while moaning and groaning. Too bad I didn't cut ALL the logs before starting the piecing a few months ago.

I would be finished with this project if I had practiced patience and cut ALL the logs first, BEFORE starting the orgasmic chain-piecing sessions. But no, I had a weak moment, and jumped in without thinking only to be hit by "piecus interruptus" when I had pieced through the last full set of log cabin logs. Then the project "slept" until I had time to drag all the scraps out again (a couple of days ago) to cut the remaining strips needed. Another nice thing about cutting them all out first? I can use BumbleBeans' concept of "15 minutes of play" to get something done. I realize that this takes all the spontaneity out of the process, but I have made this log cabin quilt before in another color, so the process becomes just that...a process. So now I am playing catch-up. It is amazing just how much chain-piecing you can do in only 15 minutes! (It reminds me of the question, "how can you possibly eat a huge elephant? one bite at a time.")

So, I have found that mindless piecing is a great way to suppress a cough because, 1) it keeps me quiet/keeps me from talking (the machine is hard to talk above when your voice is weak), 2) I make a game of it ("ok...you can cough after THIS piece," then of course, I don't give in and say the same thing a micro-second later), and 3) I am concentrating so hard on the perfect, consistent quarter inch seam...it's easy to ignore the urges to cough.

Now I have to make a decision about the setting...then there's a part of me that would love a little border of scrappy, red, crazy-pieced hearts, since it is a quilt for our bed. It's already going to be 90 x 108 with just the 120 nine inch blocks, but I think the red scrap tub needs a little pruning...

My friend Mary J. recently shared her quilts at a local craft show. Look how pretty her booth was 5 minutes before the show opened. (Machine quilting by Rhonda Loy, Marilyn Lange, and Mary Jones).

I wish there had been time to take more close-ups, but the doors were opened and TONS of people appeared out of nowhere, ready to shop for the holidays. I didn't want to discourage THAT!

While I was mindlessly chain-piecing, moaning, groaning, and trying not to cough, I was thinking about everything I was doing 3 months ago before the concert took over my life. I am very excited about something I started designing. I can't wait until I can share some of it with you. Thanks to everyone who suggested books, software, etc. to help me "launch" a pattern designing adventure. Then there are all the quilts, started or not, that I want to make. I have been making a few more of my appliqued baskets...I need to round them up and see where I stand with that project. Ahhh...it is good to have my mind in the cotton once again.

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Like falling off a log...

2011-11-11T14:08:00.001-05:00

Yes, a picture of actual sewing about to happen on my sewing machine...FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 5 WEEKS! I'm happy to report that I still know how to drive my sewing machine...it was like falling off a log. All the stress of the past 3 months just melted away as I pieced blocks today.

Those of you who know me are thinking, "Teresa doesn't usually sew with those fabrics!" Bingo. These are blocks I owed to my fellow Bee Balm quilt bee stitchers. I have been such a scoundrel and they are VERY tardy. These modern, funky, scrappy log cabins are for dear Lizzie. Sweet Sue is going to assemble them into a top for Lizzie, who has her hands full right now.

These two blocks are for Vivian...can you believe I had no Kaffe Fassett and very little modern and bold in my stash?!? Good excuse to go fabric shopping, agree? I found a local place with both, and then it was 'Katie, bar the door!' I wanted ALL the Kaffe Fassett! I think I don't own these fun fabrics because I'm scared of them...don't know what to do with them.

I really am alive, although right now I am sick and have been sleeping for two days. The concert was last Friday night, and as usual, my body just gave up when it was all over. I was a huge target for getting sick, as exhausted as I was. Three out of four of us got sick...the drummer is far too cool to get stressed...

BUT, the concert was great! The four of us raised a lot of money for the music program...here are some pictures (taken from the side, where my husband wasn't in the way), but I think they will give you an idea of what went down...

This was the instrumental opener, "Blue Bosso." Then Jill came out and the four of us did "Hallelujah" (K.D. Lang).

Then we did "Send in the Clowns" (Barbara Streisand), "The Rose" (Bette Midler), "Amazing Grace" (my arrangement), "Wade in the Water" (traditional Spiritual), and "Fever" (Peggy Lee).

Then we did another instrumental, "Spain" (Chick Corea), followed by "People" (Barbara Streisand), "Sway" (Michael Buble, Dean Martin),"One and Only" (Adele), and "Happy Days Are Here Again" (Barbara Streisand). The lighting makes it look like I was appearing with The Blue Man Group, doesn't it?!? The drummer's cute, shiny head beautifully displayed each color beautifully. The color was constantly changing, thanks to some great professional LED lighting...it's so dark it's hard to tell that I am sitting at a black grand piano.

Steve got one picture of me by myself...and a not-too-flattering one, at that. Note to self - keep mouth shut while playing, unless I am singing, and make sure people take more than one snap of each pose.

I'm happy to get back to my dull (by comparison), little life and I look forward to lots of sewing and pattern designing. I can only take so much of that stuff in the spotlight.

What else happened in the past 6 weeks? Mr. Fabric Therapy and I celebrated 18 years of being hitched.

We continued our tradition of REALLY doing up Halloween right. Here are half of the pumpkins we carved (mine - Steve and Riley's are inspired by pretty obscure references - it's no fun to me when I have to explain them to the confused parents of trick or treaters...).

Oh wait...Tonya of Lazy Gal Quilting will get this one of Riley's (you have to be a Dr. Who fan to get that it is a representation of the TARDIS)...2 people in the neighborhood recognized it...it seems that most parents of small children do not have time to watch BBC America...

Anyway, I am excited to catch up on blog reading and projects, projects, projects. Christmas is coming and there are a lot of exciting things going on in my local quilting community right now. It's good to be back!

In stitches (finally...),
Teresa :o)

I was captured by aliens...

2011-10-20T23:57:00.000-04:00

OK...that's not exactly the truth. I'm so glad I found my way back home to Fabric Therapy! This is the longest I've ever gone without posting, and I've sure missed it! I kept thinking that I had no business posting without something very, very quilty to share, and there has not been enough fabric therapy going on in the quilt cave lately!

First, we got away to celebrate our anniversary and do some Octoberfest-ing on the west side of the state. We were in the Saugatuk/Douglas area on the first colorful weekend and enjoyed these Alpine horns playing in downtown Douglas, after the harvest parade. Hey, they can play more than the "Riccola!" song! They were playing difficult brass band marches and such, and the nice lady in the group and my daughter hit it off (both French horn players...duh!), and she let Riley play her horn!

These horns are beautifully carved and are only made in Switzerland and, until recently, the "Canadian Alps." They do come apart, I was relieved to find out. Either that, or all Alpine horn players drive vintage 1970's station wagons to haul their horns to gigs.

We listened to Alpine horns, ate a Bratwurst, drank a good beer...yep, it was a real Octoberfest.

Saugatuk and Douglas are art colonies, so we enjoyed looking through the shops and galleries. Great towns...but no quilt shop. :o(

Then, the block of the month I was administering and kitting for the local quilt shop arrived at the final month. There were many evenings of sorting out little pieces of cut fabric and interesting buttons for forty kits. All of that went into several small baggies for each kit. Weasley found this boring, especially since I wouldn't let him "staple" the edges of the ziploc bags (does anyone else's cat have a thing about ziploc bags and plastic sheet protectors?!?). I had said "no" so many times, he was pouty and refused to smile for camera.

This was a fun quilt to come up with and sponsor. The center blocks are from the Halvorsen book, "Count On It" (we made them larger), then we designed the outer border using the letters in that book and designs from some of her other books.

Then, I volunteered to design and make the samples for the upcoming Holiday Dash at the shop. Oy! Each participating shop is featuring a different block for a holiday or season. The blocks can stand alone as wall-hangings or be made into a large quilt. Here is our Halloween block, the Pumpkin Watcher, now all hand-quilted and bound, featuring my "bowling pin kitty" (start with a sketch of a bowling pin and just add ears and a tail...grin)..

Julie Hale of Bits and Pieces, one of the participating shops, came up with the design for a "Celebrate!" quilt that will hold each small holiday quilt. You might say it's a "wall-hanging wall-hanging." I call it DONE, as I got it hand-quilted and bound this week as well.

But mainly, the bad economy has been affecting me greatly, but not in the ways you might guess. FUNDRAISING is eating my life! It seems like every group, every love, every interest is struggling for funds right now.

I'm writing arrangements and playing piano for a fundraiser concert at the church in a couple of weeks. It will be fun, but it takes a lot of time on my part, listening to CD's, then transcribing those arrangements for piano, bass and drums. I have a good music writing computer program, which is much easier than writing them out in manuscript, but it is still a time eater.

My daughter is going to a new school this year...really...the first year of it's existence! It is a public school, but follows the International IB curriculum. A brand new school has no music library, which means the band, choir and orchestra are sort of living hand-to-mouth...you guessed it, MORE fundraising to purchase scores, equipment, etc.

I don't submit all the hours I work doing things for my local quilt shop, so that seems like fundraising, as well. Some shops are really hurting in this economy.

There's a disturbing trend here...we are losing the arts...music and art in school, music in church, quilting. State education budgets are taking a pounding, as are teachers. Good thing I am hand-quilting Steve's boxer shorts quilt (Boxer Rebellion)...I need lots of fabric therapy right now! Quilting on a quilt made from old underwear seems very appropriate in this economy!

I also took some quilts to the Ypsilanti Heritage Museum for their annual fall show. They mix quilts in with their regular displays, and people attend the show for a small donation...yep, more fundraising.

I aired out The Bride and also took All Around the Town. I always love to see what people bring in. LOVE this one with the music fabric...

This one really spoke to me...the owner made it from his grandfather's flannel shirts.

Sorry to be so rambling...I won't be a stranger. I've missed you!

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Leaf Peeping...

2011-09-30T09:20:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again in Michigan...LEAF PEEPER SEASON! Time to drive around and drink in all the glorious color and wonder of the impending fall season. We are off doing that this weekend, toward the west side of the state to the Saugatuk/Douglas area. Colorful leaves, cooler temps, gusty winds, apple trees sagging under the weight of ripe apples, tart, fresh-pressed cider, colorful pumpkins piled up everywhere, brisk walks on the shore of Lake Michigan...this is my favorite season.

Fall is nice in Alabama where I grew up, but it is on steroids in Michigan. I remember standing on the football field during halftime at Auburn University on an early November Saturday afternoon...poaching/steaming/stewing in a wool marching band uniform as the "lovely fall temps" soared into the high 80's. Sorry, that's just not FALL!

When I posted weeks ago about airing out "All Around the Town" at the local Saline Country Fair, I had not yet collected the nice prizes I received for getting the blue ribbon in the applique/hand quilted wall hanging category and the overall Best of Show ribbon. I am LONG overdue in acknowledging the two local stores that offered the prizes!

Ann Arbor Sewing Center donated the prize for Best of Show - a lovely padded sewing basket laden with all kinds of nice quilty treats. There were also patterns, tools, and lovely surprises. Thank you, thank you for supporting the Fair!

Then there was this lovely parcel for taking the blue ribbon from Leabu Sewing Center, also located in Ann Arbor...(I recently bought my Janome 6600 sewing machine from them).

There was this lovely book...

...and some fun fat quarters, patterns, etc.

With Boxer Rebellion all basted, I hope to spend some evening time of this mini-break weekend doing some hand quilting while sipping some apple cider. Ahhhh...fall (sigh).

Well, I have FINALLY passed the 70 pounds lost mark. I am happy to put that 10-pound mark BEHIND me (or maybe, that's the area the 10 pounds came from?!? Can't tell...I don't have to look at that side of me...God is merciful...). When I occasionally help out with end-of-the-year inventory at the local quilt shop, we weigh the bolts of fabric, then the owner uses some magic formula to figure out how much fabric is on hand at that time. 70 pounds of bolted fabric is a HUGE pile (but lovely and alluring in its own way, just like me...). A recent boxed purchase from IKEA weighed about 70 pounds. I remember huffing and puffing (and cursing!) as I single-handedly unloaded it from the car. It is unbelievable that I have been hauling THAT around for so long (and much more). Clothes are getting baggy, rings are getting loose, granny panties are getting "grannier," bones are appearing that I forgot I had.

On a related subject, you've GOT to check out Mary Lou's latest post at Cheaper Than Therapy Quilting entitled Amazing Lift. You will be glad you did (Warning: go pee first...).

Maybe mid-life is the time for large weight loss...while everyone else around me is complaining about aches, pains, etc., I am just thrilled to see my feet and be able to tie my shoes without setting Guinness World Records for holding my breathe (and turning a shade of blue that I normally seek out when looking for fabric.) Life is good. :o)

A HUGE thank you to everyone who offered such wonderful suggestions about watermarking photos, copyrighting original designs, buying good design software and hardware, and all the encouragement following my last post. I appreciate your time and effort. I hope to be able to share more with you soon about all that.

If you are "leaf peeping" in lower Michigan this weekend, I hope you can find Jennifer's Quilt Shop in Pinckney, Michigan. This is Jennifer Burg, the owner and a friendlier, more bubbly person you won't meet. Her laugh is downright infectious!!

When you first drive up to her shop, just a half block off the center of town, you see a lovely little white cottage with beautiful flowers.

Then you step inside and think you've stepped into a much BIGGER cottage/store. She has so much lovely fabric in there. Once you regain consciousness and start breathing on your own again, you start counting the large list of fabric types that she features. She carries a huge amount of 30's, reproduction, fun and fresh, seasonal, and color blenders. She now carries wool as well.

She fills every square inch of her store with cotton yumminess, books, patterns, notions, kits, batting, samples, knick knacks...and somehow she offers all this without making one feel overcrowded.

One of my favorite things about this shop is that they cut (and maintain!) fat quarters of EVERY BOLT! I love her "11 for the price of 10" policy on FQs. And they are located right there, close to the original bolt. Current Block-of-the-Months are also cheerfully displayed. Just look at all those lovely Farmer's Wife completed blocks.

Sometimes I find myself there for no particular reason and just buy a "pick-me-up" pile of FQs...just a taste of my 10 new best friends.

Her quilt kits are displayed in cute gift bags on top of the shelves...never out of reach.

New, featured and/or seasonal lines tend to be in the center of the store...

...and the color wall is around the outer wall.

Books, books, books...

Novelties under the front window...

...notions and patterns to fill every need.

Neutrals and batiks behind the cutting area...

...and a well-stocked, well-rotated sale area in front of the cutting area.

I hope you have a great weekend, peeping or not, on this first weekend of October!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Proof-less Tuesday...

2011-09-27T09:18:00.002-04:00

There is a saying, "the proof is in the pudding" - I don't even know what that means. Well, the proof isn't in the post. I have been very productive the past few days, but I have no pictures to share to prove it.

I'm ready to baste Boxer Rebellion so that I can quickly hand quilt it.
I've picked out and cut border strips to finish my positive/negative chain scrappy quilt.
I've hand appliqued more little repro basket blocks.
I've cleaned up the quilt cave and filed fabrics and patterns.
I've caught up on LONG overdue mending of daughter and husband's clothes...zzzzzzzz...
I've been drafting a VERY exciting original applique pattern, but I can't share it yet.

The last item is VERY exciting to me! I've always wanted to design my own projects. Hell, I change everyone else's patterns...it was time to get off the fence, stick my neck out there and just do it!

Before I share what I am working on, I need to learn how to watermark photos of my original work and find the best drawing/design software to make publish-able (is that a word?) copies to share or sell, not that I'm counting on anyone really wanting what I do.

When I was re-drafting Civil War Bride blocks a couple of years ago and making up some new ones, some people wanted the patterns. I was delighted! They were just scribbles and I was embarrassed to share them...they reminded me of kindergarten art you find on most household refrigerators.

I wasn't worried about posting pictures of Boxer Rebellion...I mean, if someone wanted to "borrow" my doodles of my naked husband (from the waist up), I felt like, "have at it!"

But this new project is really special, and I've never seen it done...ANYWHERE, so I want to protect my work and make it presentable.

SO...if anyone has any suggestions about design software, PDF writers, copyright rules for quilt designs, photo software that will watermark pictures...PLEASE share! Then I can share pictures of what I've been up to. I'm dying for you to see it...

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

2011-09-19T10:53:00.000-04:00

Boxer Rebellion took a leap forward this weekend...I finished the applique and assembled the blocks. I need to sneak by my husband's work place and measure the area where this will hang before I decide how to border it. I need to keep it small (all blocks finish 7.5 inches). I will sprinkle a few more tiny appliqued hearts around the other two applique blocks, enough to balance the sarcasm and snarkiness in this quilt...I wonder how many dozen THAT will take, LOL?!

Here are close ups of the applique blocks...this one you've seen.

I thought I needed an actual pair of boxer shorts represented...I will add a tiny button on the flap after I've quilted it...

I put an up-side-down block in the mix because I just love to see those on cat and doggie quilts...it feeds my goofy side (and Steve IS my favorite critter, after all)...

And I guess the musical reference to the song about a dog being gone was inevitable...

Someone emailed me and asked me how I was going to finish his face on these appliques. I had to admit that I considered myself finished. I am HORRIBLE with faces, which is why I left the bride's face blank in my Civil War Bride quilt, along with the self-portrait block of our family. Since I had already done Steve that way for that quilt, I thought I would continue that idea for this one. I would love to find a book or resource about making easy, real looking faces. I didn't want to put a face on my bride because I thought it would make her look cartoon-ish, with my very limited art skills.

I totally avoided the face situation with my daughter by putting a book in front of her face, which is true to life anyway.

My sad little design wall is, unfortunately, at the bottom of the stairs in the quilt cave. As usual, I take great care pinning a project to the wall, and then over the course of time, THIS happens. Maybe it is a subtle message telling me to get on with it!

I have both a teenager and a cat who like to zoom down the stairs and the resulting velocity is just too much for design lay-outs. Pretty funny when compared to taking each step s-l-o-w-l-y and carefully like I do, thinking about the consequences of reckless abandon with every step. Ah, stupid youth.

I took some time to sew the blocks together this weekend...HA! Let's see those two upset my apple cart NOW. My next step is to decide on a skinny stop border and something for the outer border. Any suggestions?? I never know what to do with scrappy things to pull all that lovely randomness to a logical conclusion.

I also glanced in my magic box and it was almost empty! Time to prep the next few basket blocks for casual hand applique. I manage to get at least one a day done, waiting for my car full of teenagers to materialize after school in the afternoon. I've got some awaiting me...all ready to cut out with the freezer paper ironed to the right side of the fabric.

This is the 4th use of these 20 freezer paper patterns...I peel them off carefully each time to re-use them, and I'm trying to see how many times I can use them before having to make another set. Waste not, want not...(really I'm just SUPER lazy!).

I hope you found a few moments for quality sewing time this weekend. I'm still having to make the most of small chunks of time...I would LOVE a big block of time with no cooking, no housework, no job, no mothering, no wifing, and no dental appointments for bite adjustments (hey - I've had 3 days of no pain meds!! THAT'S progress!). I am continuously motivated by Victoria's idea of 15 minutes of play...you really CAN get something done in 15 minute chunks.

Small blocks of time are great for working on projects that are already planned and fairly well organized, but I need more uninterrupted time when planning a project I want to start. Maybe the lack of that is a sign I need to FINISH the things I have started. Hmmm...

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Yee haw! Pants on fire...

2011-09-16T09:32:00.001-04:00

Oh boy, this is getting "funner and funner" - that ain't good grammar, I know, but this project seems to have a wild, crazy, pantless mind of its own!

Boxer Rebellion is beginning to come together!!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

THIS looks like fun...

2011-09-15T17:14:00.000-04:00

Jackie, over at Canton Village Quilt Works, has organized a FREE Blogger's BOM to start this month. Did I mention it was FREE?!? She has invited some fabulously talented quilters to design blocks along with her. Go here to get all the details, check out the list of block designers, and sign up. It sounds like the blocks will be ALL PIECED and measure 8.5 inches.

How wonderfully generous!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

2011-09-14T10:26:00.000-04:00

Despite my 2-week toothache (and resulting 2-week drain on creativity...), I managed to get a little more done on "Boxer Rebellion." I finally finished the 8 pieced blocks made from Steve's old undies (hee-hee-hee) after picking some patterns with funny names...Handy Andy, Grandmother's Favorite, Contrary Wife, Darting Birds, and a few more "appropriately" named blocks for this project. Thank you for all your block suggestions...that was a source of much mirth while I was moaning and groaning about my tooth pain. This isn't a very good photo, but I think it will give you the general idea. Each block will finish at 7.5 inches.

I have hand appliqued the bodies to the backgrounds...now comes the fun part...embellishing with embroidery outlines and details like glasses, nipples (oh yes...tiny little French knots...), words/phrases, and the little alfalfa sprouts of hairs on the top of his noggins. Yes...I AM enjoying this...

The missing block will be one more applique block...I thought I needed to applique a pair of boxers, complete with the "escape flap" and a little button. Sort of an homage to the source of inspiration for this project.

The blocks were a little boring and flat, so I started adding a little bright orange to some of them (there are some orange/red accents in some of the shorts). I will probably also add an ultra skinny orange stop border and finish with a small outer border pieced from more boxer fabric...most likely very scrappy. Then I think all the boxer leftovers will go into the backing.

Being under the influence of "happy drugs" for tooth pain and listening to radio news stories about the upcoming federal trial of the "underwear" bomber are not a good combination. Now I'm toying with making some very small free pieced letters that would spell:

"the butt stops here"

It's a good thing I have to worry about the final size of this thing getting too big...but I could always incorporate that phrase in the backing (although it would be deliciously scandalous to add it to the front outer border...). Maybe if the letters were very, very tiny...

The tooth odyssey: Two weeks ago I had a replacement crown made because the bite was severely out of whack. The new crown is much improved, but they think the resulting pain is due to trying to get the bite right...all the teeth playing nicely. If a tooth is "high," it can aggravate another tooth into displaying symptoms of needing unnecessary root canals and such. Now it's grind a little...wait a little...grind some more, wait some more... I guess now that I am 50 and a slow healer anyway, I was destined to lots of discomfort and happy drugs while all teeth calm down and learn to play nice.

What's a girl with a toothache to do? Can't eat comfort foods and continue to lose weight...hey look! The new Hancock's catalog came in the mail...

Go to the computer, point and click, and pieces of Judy Rothermel's Cocheco III just appear at the door a few days later. It's better to support my local quilt shops, and I do, but this was an emergency!

Even through the glare, they look good! That catalog is a killer. There are other Judy Rothermel lines (Pine Tree) and also new stuff from Paula Barnes (also for Marcus), shown here on the adjacent page. There are some really nice navy and black prints in that Tavern Blues line.

Then, there's www.reproductionfabrics.com. Luscious shirtings and Ascot novelties...oh my...

I feel better already!

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Bowling pin kitty...

2011-09-06T09:16:00.000-04:00

I've had a toothache since Thursday night...TOTAL bummer since my dentist normally is closed on Friday and it was a holiday weekend due to Labor Day. Needless to say, I did not feel like sewing all weekend (or smiling, cooking, talking, etc.). Thank goodness for Ibuprofen and something slightly stronger that Steve did not need following his last dental procedure.

I did manage to turn in this 15 inch block on Friday morning. Ola, Mary J. and I designed this for our LQS - it will be the shop's block for the upcoming "holiday hop" (they had to have a block for Halloween). Drawing the cat was easy...just start with a bowling pin and add ears, whiskers, and a tail, hee-hee-hee. If customers want to "cute it up," they can add a face. We decided to leave it neutral, in case people don't celebrate Halloween. Halloween is HUGE around this house. It is my daughter and husband's favorite holiday.

I have a dental appointment this morning...then maybe I will feel like mucking around with the boxer shorts. I have to admit that a lot of weird, twisted ideas were floating through my thick head after taking Steve's happy pills for the toothache pain...I was having visions of boxers...

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Heart Attack-on-a Stick...

2011-09-02T09:15:00.000-04:00

Yum (not!)...that's deep fried butter-on-a-stick. In my last post, I mentioned having entered quilts in a local community fair and mentioned this new midway delicacy.

This was introduced, I think, at the Iowa State Fair, or at least it was highly publicized at THIS year's Iowa State Fair and the circus of the surrounding Presidential Republican Party Straw Poll.

Some of my blogger friends from "down under" and other points across the globe commented or sent emails asking about this intriguing "food" item. Well, this post is for YOU! I hope you have a strong stomach. I feel my arteries hardening just posting the pictures!

Americans will deep fry ANYTHING! Maybe that is why this country is so fat. Here is a link to how to make deep fried butter-on-a-stick - you HAVE to see it to believe it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/11/fried-butter-stick-iowa-state-fair_n_924768.html

But this isn't the first deep fried popular item offered at fairs and carnivals all over this country. There are many new, weird items that have hit the midway in recent years. Here is a deep fried Twinkie. The original snack cake has been around for years - literally! They would have been a good item for cold war bomb shelters due to their long shelf life. As if they couldn't get more unhealthy:

Then there are deep fried Oreo cookies:

Deep fried pecan pie:

Deep fried avocados:

This is the "Zucchini Weenie":

Deep fried pickles:

Deep fried deviled eggs:

Chocolate-covered, deep fried bacon:

Funnel cakes being fried:

Deep Fried White Castle Cheeseburgers:

Deep fried frog legs:

Deep fried beer pockets:

Deep fried green beans (I guess they were too healthy alone...):

Deep fried Kool-Aid balls:

Corn dog pizza:

Deep fried strawberries:

Deep fried candy bars:

Ugh...now I think I'm going to be sick...at this point you are either repulsed or heading out to find a state fair.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

That will put starch in your shorts...

2011-09-01T09:25:00.000-04:00

I have learned WAY more about the anatomy of a pair of boxer shorts than I initially thought necessary while working on this little project called "Boxer Rebellion." (If you are just joining me here, click back 2-3 posts to get the skinny on this one.) When you cut away the elastic waistband and the ridiculous little trap door in the front, you get three main pieces of fabric. The piece pictured above is the rear panel (literally), then there are two larger pieces that make up the sides and fronts. I had no idea they were so complicated, even though I have folded them hundreds of times after doing the laundry!

Due to age, and a little blended polyester, the fabric is really thin. Frankly, I don't know what was holding some of these together! Next time I plan a sassy little project, I should check out the quality of the ingredients first! I am having to use spray starch to stiffen these up a little in order to piece the blocks that will accompany the three applique squares.

Then I needed to audition some "neutral" pieces of light blue from my stash...most of the boxers are really dark. I am also going to throw in some bright orange just to shake things up a bit.

Here are the first two pieced blocks for the project, "Contrary Wife" and "The Dandy."

After the starching, the plaids are even wonkier than they were before...I guess that will just add to the charm.

The quilt will consist of 3 applique blocks and 9 pieced blocks, all finishing to 7.5 inches square. I'm thinking the pieced blocks will be sampler style, with no two block patterns being the same.

I popped in at the Saline Community Fair this week at the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds. I entered a couple of quilts for exhibition. Michigan no longer has a state fair, due to budget concerns, but this community fair continues. I love walking around the exhibition building and seeing all the lovely things that people have entered...quilts, sewing, knitting/crocheting, flowers, food, photographs, antiques, collections, animals. It's a great slice of America that is slowly dying, I'm afraid.

"All Around the Town" continues its winning streak taking Best of Show.

"Wickedly Liberated" earned a second place ribbon...with the limited hanging space, it wasn't the best quilt to enter. It was probably hard for spectators to get my full meaning with half of the words folded away, out of sight. It is a big quilt!

I had to visit the baby animal barn. Just look at this sweet little baby horsie.

And this handsome character is either Chip...or Dale. They weren't talking...

These two porkers were awaiting the judging. They prove that there is someone for everyone.

They were all scrubbed and looked ready for Sunday School.

The judging for the flowers took place a day or two ago, but many blooms were still beautiful.

I'm sure this sunflower looked better for the judges...I took a picture of it because that's how I feel sometimes, LOL.

I picked a good time to go...the booths making deep fried butter-on-a-stick and funnel cakes were not cooking yet.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

That's one pasty midwesterner...it just looks like three...

2011-08-31T00:20:00.001-04:00

Boxer Rebellion took a giant step forward tonight...and Mr. Fabric Therapy is still speaking to me (bonus!). Ola helped me with my skin tone dilemma earlier in the day. Yep...that's his color, alright...(how does she know so much about my husband's skin tone?!? Hmmm...).

He went from the drawing board to the freezer paper/glue stick prep stage tonight. His head is about the size of a Barbie doll head...minus the hair (as if depicting him without his boxers wasn't humiliating enough...).

"It's ALIVE!!!" Now I know what the creators of "South Park" must feel like, playing around with their little construction paper cut-outs of the TV show characters (he does sort of resemble Mr. Garrison...uh-oh, Mr. F. T.'s not going to appreciate THAT one...). I need to settle on background fabric, hand applique and do the embroidery embellishments.

Oh, let the economy slide into oblivion...fun things are happening in the quilt cave...but for now, must - go - to - BED, zzzz.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

These boxers won't be brief...

2011-08-29T08:45:00.000-04:00

No...this isn't Weasley, but it looks like him and his work. I couldn't resist when I saw this "LOLCAT" on the Internet. I hope everyone in the hurricane-affected area is OK after their long weekend of watching the weather. I've lived in a hurricane zone, so my heart goes out to all of you dealing with high water, wind damage, loss of power, and all inconveniences related to these things.

Well, I fought the urge to title this post "I've had my hands in my husband's underwear..." or something like that. I've been making some preliminary doodles concerning the appliques I want to do for "Boxer Rebellion" to blend with the blocks pieced from the actual fabric from the boxers. I'm still not happy with arms and hands...Mr. Fabric Therapy thinks I'm spot on concerning his head, though (giggle). I wish I had had nothing to do this weekend so I could have devoted FULL ATTENTION to this project.

After dissecting the shorts, I can tell you there is PLENTY of fabric to work with...if he had worn extra large undies, I might have had enough for a king-size quilt! So, Tonya and Bonnie...I challenge you to use boxers in your projects along with the old shirts! Now I need to finalize the applique drawings, make a decision about the pieced block design, and find just the right skin color fabric to match my pasty white mid west husband's skin tone. Thank you for all your funny (and serious!) suggestions for which block(s) to use! I really enjoyed reading your comments.

I have to say my husband has been a good sport. If pictures of MY underwear had shown up on the Internet (even on an obscure quilt blog), there would have been a murder by now...he likes that my doodles have no facial features except for the glasses. As he would say, "this could be ANY naked, balding, middle-aged geek..."

Meanwhile, my magic box containing my little hand applique basket blocks is almost empty...I'm stitching on the last prepped block!

I had to prepare some more...too many meetings coming up in the next couple of weeks, and I manage to stitch at least one a day when I am waiting to pick up the teenagers after school. It was time to dip into my red reproduction fabrics.

I have about 15-16 freezer paper patterns that I work with. I iron them on the FRONT of the fabric, cut them out leaving a small margin, and use the paper as a guide to glue the margin to the back with a glue stick and a pointy tool (I like my long, Clover stiletto). (If you want more detail, there's a tutorial about glue stick applique on my top tool bar.)

After the gluing (and much pressing with my fingers), I peel off the freezer paper off to use again. I use these over and over again until they won't stick any more when ironed to fabric. Then I will chuck them and trace some more using my plastic template that I traced from the book "When the Cold Wind Blows" by Blackbird Designs. My friend Susi of Susi's Quilts is making another quilt from this book...you should check it out!

Now to put the baskets together, then glue baste them to backgrounds...

I glue baste the handle to the basket first before going to the backgrounds. I work right over my paper pattern.

I place the basket handle on the pattern first. Then I place pattern weights on the handle to keep things from shifting around while I glue. It takes very little Roxanne's Glue Baste to hold things...always think "dot-dot-not-a-lot." Never glue right at the edge of a piece where you will be making stitches!

See my little dots? Excess glue is messy, wasteful, and harder to soak out later after stitching the block. It may not seem like a little dot will hold, but this works remarkably well (I hate stitching around pins!).

I carefully place the basket on the handle and press. I use my beading tweezers to move pieces around because my fingers are a little clumsy. I press just long enough to hold things together then carefully run the tweezers underneath it all to make sure I have not glued the whole mess to the paper. It you are frugal with your glue, you won't have this problem.

Obviously, I have a little trimming to do (I'd rather err on having too much to tuck under than not enough...).

Now I can start stitching red baskets! I was getting a little bored with the green ones. I still have some more red fabrics to cut baskets from, but this will hold me for a little while.

FINALLY some quilt-related humor in the New Yorker...(is this the new rotary cutter??).

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Well, I've got my undies in a bunch...

2011-08-25T14:09:00.001-04:00

...well, more accurately, I have my HUSBAND'S undies in a bunch. If you read my last post, you know that my husband loves all quilts, but thinks the BEST and MOST AUTHENTIC quilts are made from old clothes and scraps. So naturally, I decided that the new wall hanging he has been hinting about for his office area at work should be made from his old boxer shorts. Ha! We'll see how if he continues to hold this opinion after he is presented with the finished project! I will call this effort "BOXER REBELLION."

This morning, after he left to report for federal jury duty in Detroit, I raided his underwear drawer (now, if they called him to serve, I'm going to feel really guilty...). This action on my part should not alarm him or raise suspicion because this was something I was going to do anyway...new underwear was bought and washed last week, and it is already in the drawer. There is one red plaid pair in the laundry to add to this fairly boring pile of blue plaids and stripes.

Some are pretty thin and most are a cotton/poly blend, but a frugal pioneering suburban woman collecting precious bits to make warm covers to get through the long winter can't be picky, can she?

So now I am trying to think of an appropriate block(s) to piece out of mens underwear. Since I am making a wall hanging, I figure I'll make 6-inch pieced blocks. I will sprinkle some funny applique blocks in the mix as well...more on those in a later post.

So, are there any blocks out there with funny names that YOU can think of? Here's the list of possibilities so far...and yes, 1) these are actual names of actual blocks, and 2) my mind is in the gutter (I'm going straight to Hell...):

Jack in the Box
Devil's Claw
Gentleman's Fancy
Arrowhead
Odd Fellow's Chain
Darting Bird
Hands All Around (I kid you not...giggle)
Old Maid's Ramble
Hen and Chicks
Bachelor's Puzzle
Ball and Chain
Delectable Mountains
Buzzard's Roost

Barb of Fun With Barb suggested I also make an accompanying seat cushion...HILARIOUS! GREAT idea!

These are the kinds of twisted things I ponder when I chain-piece. I have been going around and around with the remaining 81 log cabin blocks I am working on to go with the 39 finished ones. They are about 2/3's of the way done...woo hoo!

It is slow work because I didn't cut all 120 pieces of each size log before I started...I was too eager to start chain piecing with my new machine.

I got a couple of emails asking me why I cut all my log pieces to the right length before I piece. Why don't I just sew on random length strips, then square up after pressing each addition. Basically because I'm lazy, I guess. Also, the right length strip keeps me honest. If my 1/4 inch seam allowance is correct, I don't have to square up...my blocks will be the right size.

Before I sew a strip, I quickly check the width of the block at both ends to see if I need to adjust the position of my strip before sewing.

This may seam slow, but I use the extension table that came with my machine to lay out several blocks at a time, I check them all with the ruler, then drive those puppies through...bingo, bongo...

I still have the positive/negative chains on the design wall...I need to sew those blocks together as well.

Must - fill - another - dozen - bobbins...

Pretty soon I will have two scrappy tops finished!!!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Boxer rebellion...

2011-08-23T23:02:00.000-04:00

More progress on my positive/negative scrap project! I made big blocks from my little positive/negative units...now they are 4-patches made up of 2 positive and 2 negative units for each 9 inch (finished) block. I have 48 of them, pinned on my horrid pink college blanket design wall, set 6 x 8 (should finish about 54 x 72).

I may stop at this size and add a skinny stop border and a wider outer border. This pretty much uses up all the delectable scrappiness I had cut up in this project box. I fear it becoming a UFO if I try and wait to make more blocks...at least that is what I am feeling right now. We'll see...they are really fun to make.

It has been a VERY satisfying project, but there are other scrappy things calling my name...like my green/neutral log cabin blocks.

But mostly, I'm yearning to do some applique...

Mr. Fabric Therapy likes this project...he says scrappy quilts look more like God intended quilts to be..."bed covers made from old clothes and unwanted bits of fabric." Oh don't get me wrong - he is very supportive of my quilting - he is my biggest fan. Last time he was on his soap box (and my eyes stopped rolling to the back of my head), I decided that I would give him EXACTLY what he wanted.

I have started saving his old, cotton, printed boxer shorts to make him a little quilt some day...maybe a wall hanging that would hang prominently near his desk at work, LOL. I wish I had thought of this sooner, as I have already thrown some faded, old ones away. We'll see how he feels when it's HIS old undies, made into a quilt, hanging for all to see. I already have a name for this project...BOXER REBELLION...

Now I hope I can scrape together enough pairs to make this...would you believe I saw some at a yard sale at the beginning of the summer? The woman said she was going to use proceeds from the sale to buy her husband new underwear. I hope the poor man isn't "going commando" in the mean time...

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Meeting the challenge...and without chocolate...

2011-08-21T16:04:00.000-04:00

I'm finally caught up on my Bee Balm bee blocks. Ya hoo! I'm not sure I followed Beebee's instructions to the letter, but after making the requested pink crazy-pieced hearts for her red background, I hit a creative wall. (This block is 6 x 12 inches.)

I still had the two light pink backgrounds that she sent for us to fill, and the larger one seemed so inviting for some original applique doodling. Here's what I came up with (this block is 12 inches square).

I had drafted a linked hearts applique pattern years ago for a round robin quilt exchange. That particular month I was working on someone's quilt who had asked for heart blocks in reds, oranges and pinks. I came up with the following (Hey Jean, if you are out there somewhere, did you put your quilt together? I'd love to see it...).

Anyway, it was fun taking the original idea beyond linear and coming up with something for a large square block. It was more satisfying working on a circular, non-linear block with the hearts because overlapping the links was less awkward and the effect more noticeable. I will be doing this block again!

For the third block, I made another version of my original "flutter by" block using bright red bits. The whole block is 6 inches square. I love making these happy little creatures! They are so satisfying...

This morning when I stepped on the scale, it revealed that I am now over the 60 pounds lost mark. I've been at this new life dance since May 3, so I guess that is almost 4 months. I'm NOW on friendly speaking terms with the scale again and not using the 4-letter words I used all LAST week when I was on another dreaded plateau. I think my body is still trying to determine if I am really serious about the weight loss thing this time, or if it is a passing fancy, soon to be abandoned. I can't quit weighing myself, entirely (because there is a little food demon inside me that lies to me), but it does point out my pathetic need for validation. Why can't it be enough that I am putting the right stuff in, and in smaller amounts?

There are all kinds of adjustments that come with weight loss and life changes...I've felt completely empty for the last 2-3 weeks, emotionally. I think that is why I was feeling the need to work with my exploding scrap bins...just mindless, repetitive work that kept me from reaching for food. I wasn't feeling very creative. I wasn't wanting to face the overdue bee blocks. Now that I finished them, they feel like a little victory, and they seemed to re-spark my creativity. Thanks, Beebee!

I also managed to work some more on my positive/negative scrap blocks. They have gone from this...

...to this...

I'm starting to assemble them into quartets, which makes a 9 inch (finished) block. Then there were these...

This project is on temporary hold until I cut just a few more strips to the right length...then I can zoom toward chain-piecing the last of the 120 log cabin blocks needed for the quilt. I should have waited to start piecing until after I had everything cut, which is why I am experiencing "Piecus Interruptus."

As my daughter just started school last week, I have managed to knock out a few more hand-appliqued baskets (a la Blackbird Designs) as I wait to pick her and her friends up in the afternoon. (Notice Weasley's feet...he was actually waiting for me to snap the picture before he prissed across the blocks...)

Riley is going to Washtenaw International High School, the new International Baccalaureate program high school that just opened in our county. It is very exciting for all of us, but I am learning how spoiled I became having busing through the 8th grade...I am now the afternoon "bus driver." LOL!

My little magic box is going to get a workout this year...I can't believe that my daughter has started 9th grade!

Our internet has been acting up the last couple of days...I hope it is not a trend! Just 36 hours without the internet seemed very difficult for all three of us.

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Pieceful easy feeling...

2011-08-15T09:26:00.000-04:00

I finally got to sit down and continue my chain-piecing binge Sunday afternoon (I was chain-piecing, my new little machine was practically chain-SMOKIN', it was working so hard!). Remember these from my last post?

I was able to add 14 more completed ones, so now I am up to 39 finished out of my goal of 120 of these 9.5 inch little gems. Ya-hoo! This anniversary present for my husband is beginning to materialize.

(I also have another 48 about half-way done...)

I really need to improve the lighting down in the quilt cave...nothing is photographing very well these days. It's all darker and muddier than reality.

Usually when I crop strips in anticipation of a log cabin quilt, I get all my strips ready before I start piecing. This time, I was so excited about driving my new machine, I started prematurely. I am experiencing "piecus interruptus," which is annoying. So I am still cropping strips as I go...not as efficient! I probably would have been finished chain-piecing the 120 blocks by now if I weren't stopping to cut and count all the time.

I'm still adding to the piles in the project box...I am completely out of a few sizes...

Mr. Fabric Therapy was away in Chicago all week for work, so I decided to clean out the basement while he was gone. The quilt cave area of the basement is pretty neat and organized, but I share the cave with the other two people in my house...for now (evil laugh inserted here...). Every time my husband and daughter are gone for any length of time, they come back and ALMOST think they notice a change...the key to taking over other people's space is to do it very slowly...over time...almost enough to notice, but not quite. LOL

I can't do anything about some of the stuff down there...the laundry, the furnace, the hot water heater, the sump pump, the kitty litter box, 2 of the 3 household computers, exercise equipment, a recliner, and some general storage. I'm ALWAYS trying to make more room in the general storage category...part of my OCD, I guess.

What started all this basement attention was a quick trip to U of M property disposition looking for used 2-drawer filing cabinets for pattern storage under my quilt book shelves. They are only $10 and I usually strike gold when I go (I also look for nice second hand office chairs...). This time they only had one filing cabinet of the short variety. I thought, no problem. I'd take it home and shove it under my current arrangement...I love being organized, but on a very tiny budget. Some day, it would be fun to have unlimited funds to spend on a space and nice fixtures, but for now I am a cave dweller.

Anyway (from the bottom up), I start with 2-drawer filing cabinets, place sturdy used doors across them as a table, then add my IKEA storage units on top to hold my quilt books. It sounds like a bit of a house of cards, but it is really quite sturdy. I do it this way to protect my quilt library from the possibility of a wet basement, and NOTHING is ever on a low shelf.

The filing cabinets contain hanging files that hold patterns and projects from magazines and such. The sheet pocket protectors can also hold templates, etc. This system really works for me.

Because I've grown this storage system over time, none of my short filing cabinets are the SAME HEIGHT. I was certain this new one would just shove under the existing set up.

Wrong. It was the tallest so far, which meant EVERYTHING had to be taken apart and the "tables" had to be leveled (made the same height) all over again...all the books had to come out of cubicles...EVERYTHING! Oy! What a job! I should have taken a picture of THAT, but I was too annoyed at the time to see how hilarious the situation really was. But it is almost all back together now, thank GOD!

I took a break from the basement and the log cabins to add to my Positive/Negative project box as well. I have about 180 of these 4.5 inch blocks finished and squared up now. I have enough to start piecing them together in quartets to make 9-inch blocks (finished). These are such a satisfying scrap buster!

My daughter starts school tomorrow, so maybe the crazy summer is finally over. I want to wrap up the scrap busting and get back into some intense hand applique projects. Christmas is coming (gulp) and it is time to "get 'er done!"

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Strip tease...

2011-08-09T02:39:00.004-04:00

(really? that's the BEST you can do for a title, Teresa??)

The scrappy neutral and green log cabin blocks are progressing. I have found that quarter inch "sweet spot" on my new Janome 6600. There's nothing like making 120 log cabin blocks for solidifying that perfect seam allowance. I have 25 of 120 of the blocks completely made.

They aren't this dark...for some reason all the pictures for this post are too stinkin' dark. The centers are really nice, vibrant red scraps, not the muddy brown that they seem to be above. This isn't the final setting...I will probably set them in a barnraising setting when I get them all done. The "logs" finish 3/4 inch wide and the "cabins" will finish 9 inches.

I have a few more blocks in various stages of "done-ness." Now if the pressing was as much fun as the chain piecing...

I ~~like~~ LOVE piecing again! I love the feed dog system on this machine. ..I have not had the block eaten by the throat plate a single time (what a nice change!).

I also managed to get Kate's block finished for our Bee Balm quilting bee. It looked really challenging, but with Kate's directions it went together pretty well! Yahoo! I'm catching up! Beebee, your heart blocks are next on my list...

This was something from my UFO pile...I started this YEARS ago and put the blocks away in an unlabeled container with no notes. I thought if I put the blocks together, I might remember where I was going with this, but there are no bells ringing in my head...just that annoying cricket sound. This is why I now make notes and put the pattern/quilt plans away WITH the project. I have no memory of even starting this one...I need to come up with some simple borders and call this one "done."

Between a new roof and hot water heater for the house, my new Janome sewing machine, and a new French horn for my daughter, we are doing more than our part to get the economy going...now it is somebody else's turn...

Ahhh...I love sewing in the quilt cave and hearing beautiful melodies coming from upstairs...Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who melodies, not to mention some Mozart and a few other jewels. It doesn't get any better than this...

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Hearts "Flutter-by"

2011-08-06T00:17:00.001-04:00

"Hearts Flutter-by"

In Memory of Samual Aaron Casada

1994-2011

(winging its way to Kentucky...)

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Quarter inch therapy...trying to find that zen-like state

2011-08-02T23:35:00.001-04:00

I like machine piecing again! The new JANOME 6600 machine is still exciting, and I pieced all these cute little blocks using the "O" quarter inch foot. Florida Farm Girl suggested trying the "O2" foot, which I am going to purchase and try, but so far I am getting a good quarter inch with the "O" foot (maybe because I am using "skinny" thread - Aurafil).

(Now, if I could just take pictures without MY big foot in the picture ...)

This is one of my ongoing scrap projects that I "feed" from time to time. It is called "Positive-Negative Chains," and it is a pattern presented by Bonnie Hunter in her column in Quiltmaker magazine (about 6-8 months ago, I think). Each little block will finish 4 1/2 inches square.

I was just throwing them down on the carpet to get an idea of how the quilt would work. Eventually I will sew blocks of four units together to make 9 inch blocks, then determine the final lay-out. These block units make GREAT leader/ender units!

In case you like the look of this project, positive blocks are two 2 x 3.5 rectangles and two 2 x 2 squares from light fabric and three 2 x 2 squares of dark. Negative blocks are two 2 x 3.5 rectangles and two 2 x 2 squares from dark fabric and three 2 x 2 squares of light fabric.

One of my ongoing scrap managing activities is cutting 1-1/4 (1.25) inch strips of varying lengths and putting them in a bin. I LOVE making log cabin and courthouse steps quilts, and it is more fun to decide to make one and already have some strips cut than to start cutting when you decide you want one (does that make sense to anyone but me?!?).

As you can see, the strips are all different lengths...and colors. I just stack them (so I don't have to press them!) and keep adding over time. When the bin gets full, it is time to make blocks! I take them and sort them into color families, then go crazy!

There are so many ways to make log cabin type blocks...if you ask 6 different quilters, you will get 6 different answers! Some people just start sewing strips to their block centers, then trim/true up with a ruler and rotary cutter after each strip addition has been pressed.

I like to trim all my strips to the right length, then pile up the number I need, in sewing order. If my quarter inch seam is true (and it is!), everything sews up just like it measures on the graph paper.

Remember I have OCD (Obsessive/Compulsive Disease) and I am definitely wacky. I'm going to walk you through my strange process.

First, I come up with a list of all the strips I need to cut (with the correct sizes). The circled number is the ORDER I attach the strips to my center 2 x 2 square, and the final number (after the strip size) is my TALLY of how many I've already cut of each size. (I tally in pencil so I can keep erasing and changing the totals as I add a batch of strips to the project box.) I do this because I RARELY have the time to cut an entire scrappy quilt in one sitting...it is an on-going project. You can see from my "score card" that I still have more strips to cut for this particular quilt (a scrappy green and neutral log cabin bed quilt with red centers)!

Because my strips are all different lengths, I always cut the longest piece I can cut from each strip FIRST. Then with what is left, I, again, I cut the longest strip I can...sometimes I only get one measured strip out of a scrappy strip. This sounds a little wacky, but I find this the most economical way to process strips for Log Cabin blocks. (If my scrappy strips are kind of short, I sometimes have trouble getting enough of the longest strips - it really helps to cut them first!)

I'm not afraid to use strips that are pieced (leftover from a previous project) - I think it adds charm and makes me feel 'frugal' and like I am 'making do'. HA!! That's a laugh! Most of you have seen my stash...("yeah right...Teresa looks like she has to 'make do,' doesn't she?"). Oh well...it's my little fantasy...

I lay out strips horizontally on my cutting mat, then start cutting. I cut six or so at a time (I like using my 6 x 14 rotary ruler...the longest strip I am cutting for this particular project is 1.25 x 9.5).

Then I make piles of like-sized strips, laying them out in order. I just keep whacking and feeding my little stacks. Unless I am close to my cutting goal, I don't count how many of one particular size I have until I put them away in the project box. Then I pencil in my temporary total (tally) on my "score card." (See, I told you I have OCD...REALLY BAD OCD!!)

I store everything in a project box and look forward to the day when my score card is full (in this case, I need 120 of every size strip) and then I can start chain piecing my blocks.

There are so many sizes of strips that they won't fit on one layer, so I use the block dividers that come with the Art Bin project boxes to make a second layer of pieces.

Don't forget to put your score card in the project box and label the box...it is bad enough counting those little suckers the FIRST time...

Somewhere I have a little piece of graph paper where I drew the block, shaded it for dark/neutral, and numbered the strips in the order I will attach them to the red centers. I will chuck that in the box as well. I try to put EVERYTHING in the project box. I know from experience that I have to include and label EVERYTHING...now that I am 50, I am forgetting stuff...next week, some time, I will discover this box and remember nothing about it until I check out the pattern and the score card. It's sad...

It helps to listen to a movie, book or some music while doing this...it helps me attain a "Zen-like" state of being. When I am working in a fairly uncluttered environment and do things in an organized way, I really love the process of managing scraps and cutting the pieces I need for quilt projects. It's like therapy. If I was a cat, I would be purring (and my cat would be staring at me...totally FREAKED OUT!). This is what I was watching/listening to while I worked on this (the ump-teenth time I've watch it, but I LOVE it!!!). Om...(that is the sound I make when I've achieved a "Zen-like" state...since I can't purr).

Life is good in the quilt cave...doing self therapy (I know life is stressful when I feel the need to do all this fussy cutting and sorting. The economy is tanking? It's OK...I have little pieces of fabric to cut up...Om...

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Scrapbusting...ch-ch-changes...

2011-07-29T04:41:00.001-04:00

A while back, I set out to organize my overflowing scrap piles and fill some scrappy project bins with properly pruned little bits that are just waiting to "be someone."

Pruning scraps is very gratifying...especially if you have a good DVD or book-on-CD to listen to. :o)

Well, now some of my scrappy project bins are overflowing! Time to do some SERIOUS chain-piecing and get some units and blocks stitched up!

One thing that has stopped me from doing all this is my sewing machine. Honestly, my sewing machine is a piece of crap. I used to think that a sewing machine was a sewing machine...since I pretty much just use it to sew straight, why spend a lot of money on one?!?

Ten or so years ago when my childhood Singer started wearing out (a 1970 "Genie" model...back when Singer was REALLY Singer...), I blindly (and stupidly) bought another Singer. It was one of the "Quantum" models and it turned out to be a truly horrible machine (Singer is no longer Singer...). I paid about $500 for it, which seemed like a lot of money to me at the time...my daughter was a toddler and I no longer worked full time. It had some bells and whistles, and I blamed my immediate disappointment with the machine on the fact that it was new and fancy and I just wasn't comfortable with it yet.

Ten years later, experience has not made up for the fact that the machine is poorly lit, the throat plate "eats" the corners and edges of piecing units and "leaders," it doesn't feed well or evenly, winding the bobbin is awkward, it is clunky and noisy to use, it "walks" across the table when I am using it, there is limited room to manipulate what I am sewing, the buttonhole stitch is horrible, the foot pedal has a "delay," the tension is never correct, and the walking foot is huge and sounds like I am killing the machine when I try to use it.

And that describes its BETTER qualities!

And don't get me started on my attempts at free motion machine quilting...

Anyway, I have been paying attention to what other people sew on and I've been listening to them complain and praise various machines. I just purchased a Janome Memorycraft 6600. I am in love...

My friends describe this machine as dependable and a work horse...sounds like me. I'm still learning how to use it, but decided that throwing together some wonky stars (a la Bonnie Hunter) would be a good introductory project for the new machine. These blocks are liberated and don't require the accuracy that other piecing demands. I can work on establishing that perfect 1/4 inch seam tomorrow...

Here are some that are finished...I make them, then trim them down a little crooked so that they look even wonkier.

Here are the last ones I made, before the crooked trimming job. I almost got through all the neutral squares and little triangular scraps that I have been collecting.

I also managed to prep 20 more applique basket blocks...all green ones. I have a few meetings coming up, and I always take some small handwork to do. I listen better when my hands aren't idle...

Tomorrow I will solidify that elusive 1/4 inch seam on my new machine and catch up with some blocks for my Bee Balm group.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

A winner! I'm back from the wilderness...

2011-07-25T11:12:00.001-04:00

Hello! I am back from our yearly camping trip in the Canadian 1000 Islands. It was good to come back to electricity, the Internet, a real bed, running water, and so many lovely comments/opinions about Moda favorites. I wish I had a little Moda goodie from your favorite designer for all of you!

Congratulations to Kira of the Stick and Stones blog! Send me a return email with your address and I will send you the lovely hinged Moda tin containing the beautiful Moda candy bar pre-cuts. Thanks to everyone who posted a comment and also to Moda Mark for supplying the fabulous give-away! (See how much everyone loves Moda? You need to give me something else to offer as a give-away...hint hint!!)

Although it was a busy week, working and vacationing with Steve's family on the noble St. Lawrence, I did manage to open my magic box a few times and hand applique another 14 basket blocks. Slowly but surely the pile of finished ones is growing!

When I unpacked and opened the magic box this morning to quickly take a picture of the finished blocks, a stow-away spider crawled lazily out of the box. I was too freaked out to take a picture and I quickly put the camera down to dispatch the critter. I tolerate being surrounded by bugs in the wilderness, but don't want them in the house! I was on a wooded peninsula on the river for 10 days...I'm surprised that was the only thing that looked up at me as I removed the box lid.

Needless to say, I wash laundry and bedding IMMEDIATELY upon getting home, no matter how tired I am or how late we arrive home. :o)

When the whole extended family is at Grass Creek, we stay in our tent, but don't feel sorry for us that we aren't in one of the cabins...look how cozy with crude beds moved in and made up with old quilts from home...

(It's a little fuzzy photographing through the mosquito netting...which is, unfortunately, necessary at night...I brought a few itchy bites home with me...) And yes...that is a bathmat by the tent floor...I like camping with a few nutty creature comforts...

This is our view from the tent door. Just across the path and through a few trees, the St. Lawrence River sparkles in the sun. When sitting at the big table on the Main House porch, this is my view as I stitch my basket blocks. Ahhh...just sewing and watching the boats go by...paradise!

Down by the boat dock...the water is so beautiful and inviting.

It was so peaceful when Riley and her cousins, aunts, uncles, father, and grandparents were off swimming, boating, exploring, or napping. It was nice to have stolen moments away from the cooking and group responsibilities to sew and listen to the water and wildlife. I managed to lose another 5 pounds, despite all the fabulous group meals we prepared together while there. The total is now over 50...woo hoo!! This was (hopefully) the last summer for the "Hindenburg" style fat bathing suit!

Just before we left for Canada, we went to the midnight show of the last Harry Potter movie. Riley and her best friend were all decked out in their Hogwart's finest and the needed 3-D glasses. Bring it on, Lord Voldemort!

Summer is winding down for us...I feel like I have not been home at all! Time to hunker down and get some things done!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

A visit from "Moda Mark"...and he gave me a give-away for you!

2011-07-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

Hi friends,

Don't you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Moda fabrics??? Barbara Brackman, 3 Sisters, French General, April Cornell, Simpson/Minick, Erin Michael, Blackbird Designs, Holly Taylor, Laundry Basket, Fig Tree, Anne Sutton/Bunny Hill, Kansas Troubles, Brannock and Patek, Spain, Gervais...

I love all fabric, but the Moda is so consistently lucious and has such a nice hand.

Well, a few days ago, "Moda Mark" buzzed into the store where I work part time and spread a little Moda magic (Mark Pytel, Moda sales rep for our midwestern area). He had some lovelies to show us and came bearing gifts. He left me a little something to offer you as a give-away. Bless him.

See this beautiful little painted, hinged tin box??

Just look at the candy bar pre-cuts hiding inside (and a cute little potholder...).

Leave a comment before midnight, Saturday, July 23 and tell me your favorite Moda designer. I will announce the winner Monday morning, July 25, drawn by the random number generator.

(I am not a paid spokesman for Moda...just really love this fabric and appreciate "Moda Mark" giving me a little something to share with you!)

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Like to do Block-of-the-Month's? Hope you have a sense of humor...

2011-07-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

Quite a while back, I posted about Block-of-the-Month (BOM) programs and encouraged you to comment about your like/dislike of them and share some experiences.

Wow...did I ever open a can of worms! Because I have been involved in administering a couple of these programs since then, I decided to wait a while before posting further on this topic.

I don't own a quilt shop, but I do work part time at one. Our shop, like many, offers BOM programs...2-3 at a time. I designed a quilt for a BOM about 6-7 years ago...wrote all the patterns, administered it, taught the class each month (technique and history), and did the kitting. It was called "Quilting Through America" and the blocks all represented different decades/quilt styles in America, even including a "whole cloth" hand quilted eagle in the middle (hard to see in this picture...). It incorporated broderie perse, whole cloth quilting, piecing, redwork, applique, string piecing, crazy quilting/embellishing, charm quilting, and all techniques were taught in addition to the history of the era. (I made this sample, hand quilted the center, and the rest of the quilt was custom machine quilted by Marilyn Lange, Ypsilanti, MI).

Since then, I have administered a couple more BOM programs, working with two other people of like mind...one program was "canned," offered by Marti Michell through Maywood Fabrics ("American Beauty"). This employed her "Perfect Piecing" template system, included great patterns, and just concluded in the spring. (Mary Jones made the sample shown below and it was machine quilted by Rhonda Loy, Dexter, MI).

Currently I am kitting and administering one that we developed from the Nancy Halvorsen book, "Count On It!" with the same two other people...both of whom are just as wacky about things being right and true as I am. Together, we designed the outer border using previous Halvorsen designs. We called it "Most Wonderful" and it was made entirely from Halvorsen fabrics (Benartex). The sample was made by Mary Jones, custom machine quilted by Rhonda Loy, Dexter, MI. There were directions to write and lots of fussy little pieces to kit.

I have tried to sum up the comments I received from the previous post below.

Why do people want to do block-of-the-month (BOM) quilts? Lots of good reasons:

1) Some just like the quilt.

2) Some like working on something where the design and fabrics are all picked out...NO DECISION-MAKING.

3) Some are new to quilting and decide that this is a good way to learn new techniques.

4) Some don't have a "stash" and like the variety of materials offered.

5) Some like the pressure (or lack of pressure?) of working on one block at a time. (some of you just collect the blocks, and you KNOW who you ARE, LOL!).

6) Some want to meet other like-minded people and take the journey together.

7) Some of you use these programs to get an INCREDIBLE amount of quilting done in a timely manner (have you visited Yvette of the BOM Quilter blog?? OMG! She works on SEVERAL programs at a time and gets them DONE - beautifully!!).

Why do quilt shops offer BOM programs?

1) They provide steady, predictable traffic into the quilt shop.

2) Some customers prefer paying for a quilting project a little at a time, one block or section a month.

3) Great way to encourage customers to have success.

4) Good way to introduce new techniques and/or tools to customers.

5) Don't have to make the entire quilt kit at one time...kitting is time-consuming and this spaces it out over 6, 9, 12 months.

What are the chief customer complaints about BOM programs?

1) The pattern has mistakes or is just unclear/not enough detail or pictures...not sure which fabric is used for what part of the block.

2) There is not enough fabric to make the block/section featured.

3) One or more of the fabrics in the kit have been substituted - not like the original, which you fell in TOTAL love with the first time you saw it. Sometimes the substitution is good...sometimes, well, it's just plain hideous and looks like an after thought.

4) Once you add up the total cost of the kits, the quilt is more expensive than if you just bought a pattern and picked out some fabric.

What are the chief shop owner complaints about BOM programs?

1) Some quilters just collect the blocks to start the quilt LATER. Then at this later date, if there are problems, or if the customer makes a cutting mistake, the fabric is gone from the shop and is no longer available.

2) If the quilter's sewing room is unorganized, pieces of the quilt can get lost or separated. Then, the shop may not have the fabric anymore when a replacement block/section is requested.

3) Customers sign up, kits are made, shop resources are committed, then the quilter drops out or stops coming to pick up blocks. Partial/incomplete BOM blocks are difficult to re-sell. This costs a shop a lot of money.

4) BOMs require buying a lot of fabric up front, then it can take up to a year to sell all the kits and recoop that initial outlay of money. Then, the fabric needs to be stored, out of the general inventory, until it is cut for the kits.

5) Unless the shop owner plans ahead and CUTS OFF or LIMITS ENROLLMENT, later participants don't end up making the same quilt as the sample due to fabrics becoming unavailable (especially Moda fabrics...they rarely reprint fabric lines...once that initial shipment of fabric is gone, it is almost impossible to get more). This keeps the fabric selection fresh, but means shop owners really have to plan ahead.

6) These BOMs are labor-intensive due to the time it takes to calculate, cut and package the kits. This is why they seem pricey. The labor cost has to be figured into the price of the program.

It makes me completely crazy when the BOM experience is flawed by multiple, repetitive mistakes in the patterns or fabric amounts. I have an obsessive/compulsive personality, so I tend to check and recheck too much when it comes to calculating yardage and cutting/packaging kits. My friends and the shop owner give me a hard time, but I know that if I were doing a BOM, I would want to know that care went into every step of offering me a quality project.

I also have high expectations of the customer...I put names on kits and hold people accountable for finishing what they start. I want to do everything possible to assure the participant will have success in completing the project. I love quilting, and I want EVERYONE to love quilting and have a successful experience.

Not everyone who runs BOM programs thinks like I do, and I am sure there are places for me to improve how I approach the ones I take on. Today, one of our favorite customers was in the store and we were all thinking and commenting about BOMs. She has a delightfully wicked sense of humor and came up with the perfect disclaimer that should be included in some BOM programs we've seen. Thank you, M.D. - you made our day!

(Disclaimer: I want to share the following with a sense of humor...if you have had a bad experience, I am sorry...I am in no way making fun of your particular disappointment...)

"This is an opportunity for creativity...not everything you need is in this kit. You are not securing a dream...you are buying a nightmare. Have a nice day!"

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

(I will be away from civilization this week...I welcome and appreciate your comments...I will respond to each and every one when I get back...).

In stitches,

Teresa :o)

Potty mouth...a touchy subject...

2011-07-14T08:06:00.001-04:00

An "issue" came up on one of my recent car trips, and I thought I would get your opinions.

Maybe it is because I am dieting (46.6 pounds to date since May 3...woo hoo!), but I seem to have more opinions these days (not as fat and happy, perhaps...). When you go to a quilt shop, do you like to have a bathroom available for your use?

On my recent road blitz across Michigan, I stopped at an isolated shop in western Michigan. There were so many lovely things...I knew I would be there a while and was happily resigned that I would spend some money there...so many pretties to choose from! Anyway, after spending some time looking at absolutely EVERYTHING, that quart of water I had been drinking for the last miles from Grand Rapids to Montegue started "talking to me"...well, started talking to my bladder, anyway.

I was in a tiny town with few options for a bathroom break. I sheepishly asked the shop owner if she had a public bathroom. She coldly answered, "no." NO?? Yikes! So much for cutting fabrics and finalizing my purchase, I needed to get out of there and find somewhere, ANYWHERE!

Maybe I'm crazy, but this greatly offended me. Without an word (but with SEVERAL choice ones racing through my mind...), I left the shop and went to find a public bathroom (or tree) somewhere else, which was not easy to do in this town! I did not return to this shop.

I work part time in a quilt shop. I clean the bathroom. How can you expect people to come in, browse, spend time and MONEY without offering this basic creature comfort? I've heard all kinds of comments at work from the OTHER side of this issue..."why didn't they go before they left home?" Well, I was over 230 miles from home, wanting to spend much needed dollars in Michigan, which really needs the business. Let's face it...some of us travel miles and miles to shop at a favorite store or to find new shops when we travel.

Even if we don't travel far to shop, it should just be a convenience that is graciously offered.

The shop where I work used to be located in a historic barn...there was no running water. Fortunately, we were part of an Antiques complex so we could send customers (and ourselves!) next door to use the facilities. This was a great inconvenience for everyone, especially when it was raining or the snow was flying. The store is now located in a place with indoor plumbing (ya hoo!).

Anyway, am I crazy? As I have been blogging about shops I visit this summer, she not only missed out on my purchase, but maybe more from someone reading my blog. Call me crazy, but I don't know of a single shop in this economy that can afford to lose sales...

That's how I see it...what do you think?

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

It doesn't get any better than this...

2011-07-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

Aahhhhh...hand applique on a perfect west Michigan afternoon, listening to fantastic music on the last day of Session One of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Yep...I had to actually leave home to get some sewing done this summer! I was just hanging out in the 'cheap seats,' stitching and enjoying the perfect place to applique until my daughter's Symphony Band was ready to play. Then we moved up to good seats and enjoyed a fabulous concert with all the other adoring parents and grandparents.

Before leaving home, I had hastily prepped some of my Blackbird Design basket blocks and placed them in my "Magic Box" with needles, thread, scissors, beeswax and my thimble. I had everything I needed for a good time. It was Heaven!

To prep the blocks, I glue basted everything together using my light box and my Roxanne's Glue Baste.

First, I placed my placement guide on the light box, lined up a background square on top, then used my pattern weights to hold everything steady. This is what it looked like before I turned the light box on.

Now the light box is on and the placement guide shows up nicely.

Next, I put tiny dots of Roxanne's Glue Baste on the background fabric where the basket handle will go. Can you see the tiny dots? Remember, "dot-dot-not-a lot!"

After placing the handle, I applied tiny dots of glue on the background around the edges where the basket went (and around the edges of the peep hole!). Once pressed in place, I set this aside to dry and prepped another block. I am careful not to put the glue dots right at the edge of the outline...I don't want to have to stitch through the dried glue when I come back and make my applique stitches. I only glue to hold things in place temporarily so that I don't have to work with pins.

All ready for hand applique! Once appliqued, I will soak the block in water to remove the glue, then press it dry with my iron on the WRONG SIDE (dry iron, no steam), working on a towel placed on my pressing surface. Once dry and pressed, I trim the basket block to 5 1/2 inches square.

Once the glue dries, into the Magic Box it goes until I have about 10-15 minutes to stitch it (and a few of its friends...).

While on the west side of the state, I had the opportunity to visit a new quilt shop (new to me, anyway...). The shop is called "Fabric Quilt Scissors" and it is located in a charming little town called New Era, just northeast of Whitehall, where my husband and I were staying while waiting to pick up our daughter from music camp (not far from Muskegon, MI). It was not in my Quilters Travel Companion...I asked the Innkeeper where we were staying if she knew of any quilt shops in the area. She had hosted a quilt retreat recently, and the quilters attending had nice things to say about this shop. I programmed "New Era, MI" into my GPS, and off I went, looking for an adventure!

What I found was a charming shop! New Era is about 2 blocks long, and this shop was right in the middle of town. I noticed there was a nice bakery right across the street, but since I'm dieting, I steered clear of THAT little adventure...

The shop is bright, cheerful, and full of fabric and project temptation! Owner Kathy Szczesny (pronounced "chez-ny") carries a nice variety of fabrics...batiks, modern, baby, kids, brights, florals, color blenders, northwoods, novelties, patriotic. There were plenty of patterns, books and notions to temp me as well.

The back room hosts more fabric, samples and a classroom.

I loved the Amy Bradley bug sample...

I gave into temptation many times, but by FAR, my favorite fabric purchased was this glow-in-the-dark piece from the "SKELETOONS" collection by Mark Hordyszynski for Blank Fabrics. Fun, fun, FUN!

I love the colorful sneakers!

So, if you find yourself near the coast of west Michigan, check out Fabric Quilt Scissors, located at 4708 1st Street, New Era, MI, 49446, (888) 861-4646 (http://www.fabricquiltscissors.net/). When visiting new places, don't be afraid to ask the "locals" about quilt shops...there are lots of charming shops that aren't listed in the travel companions.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Eat your heart out, Willie Nelson...

2011-07-08T23:02:00.000-04:00

"On the road again...just can't wait to get on the road again...(sing it, Willie...). It seems to be my summer to put thousands of miles on the car. But I made a little detour about 10 days ago...

(ssshhh...don't tell Ola and Mary J where I stopped...) I mean really, I was just passing through. I left at 6:15 AM from Ann Arbor to take Riley to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp on the OTHER side of the state. From there, I headed south to Alabama for the second time in a month. I decided to take a new route, south through Indiana to meet up with my normal path in Louisville, KY.

I just HAD to go through Shipshewana, in the heart of Indiana Amish country, to get to I-69 south...REALLY...

But I forgot that it was Wednesday, which is Flea Market Day...on Wednesdays the town is filled to bursting with locals and visitors. Buggy AND car gridlock...

As I inched through the traffic in town, I soon realized that a stop in town at Lolly's was out of the question. Parking was impossible. I decided that a quick spin through Yoder's was the best that I could hope for.

I was overjoyed to discover that THEY ARE EXPANDING THE ENTIRE BUILDING !!!! The picture above is the expanded center hall, and the one below shows the HUGE new expansion of the quilting part of the department store (the tools are still set up, as they are finishing the expansion across the hall from the department store. I'm not sure if they are expanding the grocery store, the hardware store, or BOTH.

It is well-lit, spacious and so enticing!

They had only been in the new part for 2 weeks...just in time for the big show they had a couple of weeks ago.

This is the expansion across the hall...still working on that...

They are still moving things around and putting out new fabric and displays. I want to go back soon and see the finished product!

OK...enough of lurking in the hall...let's so SHOP!

Out of my way, sweetie...I just gotta get in there...

Wow...can you believe THIS is Yoder's?? I remember when the fabric was just a few displays between the straw hats and the suspenders!

Anne Sutton fabric is featured nicely...

Nice, wide rick-rack above a nice selection of 30's fabrics...

Part of the color wall...

Reproduction fabrics...

Thimbleberries and Kansas Troubles...

More color wall...

MORE Kansas Troubles (YOU could get in trouble here, Mary J...!)...

I kept being drawn back to the color wall...

Halloween into fall into Christmas...oh my!

NICE, comfy area with leather chairs for browsing books and magazines...

Minnick and Simpson for Moda, etc...

What is WRONG with me? I've been here 20 minutes and there is NOTHING in my basket??

More color wall...

Lovely samples were EVERYWHERE...

Notions, notions, notions...

And don't think that just because it is "Yoder's" that they aren't up-to-date with the newest items...just look at the GO! display...

Our favorite magazines from Australia and New Zealand...

And all the rest of my favorites...

Halloween...

Now...THAT is more like it...

Lot's of lovely 30's...

This huge cutting table accommodated 4 nice ladies cutting for customers...no waiting in line...even on a Wednesday...

For everyone loving wool and a more primitive look...

Lovely wool...

Then I drove like a maniac the rest of the day and well into the night, bumping into a deer at the Tennessee-Alabama border at 1:00 AM (thank God I was alert enough to slam on the brakes and slow down to only 10 MPH...we BOTH survived...and I didn't wet my pants...the deer might have, though...) and rolling into my northwest Alabama destination at 2:20 EST (one thousand miles later...). I got home to Michigan late last night, and now we are off tomorrow morning for 2 days of entertainment at Riley's camp and to bring her home.

I wish I could say that the summer road trips were over...

Happy trails...wherever they lead you...

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Catch as catch can...

2011-06-26T23:30:00.003-04:00

I'm having one of THOSE summers...disjointed, complicated, on the road, life changing...it causes my inner troll to be unhappy about not having enough creative time in the quilt cave. My cave-anchored projects are on hold and I can only work on things that travel, catch as catch can, when I have a few minutes.

I talked about one of my favorite shops to visit while on the road between Michigan and Alabama in my last post, The Quilt Box of Dry Ridge, Kentucky, without sharing my purchases...bad, bad blogger!

Blacks, browns and blues...oh, my goodness! The blacks are from the "Inkwell" collection by Marcus. It is so hard to find repro blacks, and these are gorgeous! I bought a few things with which to pepper my repro stash and enough to share with my buddies.

I am a "bag lady" at The Quilt Box, which means I faithfully return with my bag as I pass through the area and enjoy 20% of my purchases. I've been a bag lady so long that I've forgotten what I did to earn the bag...I think I had to spend $75-$100...that wan't a problem. Then, every time you spend $100, they stamp your bag. After a certain number of stamps you get free stuff...I can't remember how much. I'm always excited about the 20% off. There is nothing more tempting than 20% off...I just leave the tote bag in the back of the car so I don't forget it!

I dare anyone to visit this shop and not be tempted by all the shirtings she carries!

My buddy Ola visited this shop for the first time a few weeks earlier and brought me THIS lovely bundle.

I
Fat 1/8s of pure joy...pink and brown repro fabrics.

The variety carried by this shop is amazing. I spread them out below to see them in all their glory...

...then I opened them up to wash them and just wallowed in them for a while. I also received the lovely new tote bag and my daughter/photographer suggested me put it on my head to get it in the picture. Since I am a silly cave troll, and a little camera shy...why not?!?

Since I need portable projects for the next month, I am hard at work on my Blackbird Design applique baskets. I started these in 2010 and have about 60 done now.

When I have some prepped, they are the perfect thing to work on while away from the quilt cave.

I carry the prepped blocks around in one of my "magic boxes," a small box containing everything I need to sew away from home...silk thread, needles, beeswax, scissors, thimble, and prepped blocks.

While doing laundry last night, I prepped a few more baskets using the gluestick method (freezer paper pattern adhered to the right/front side of the fabric, turn under allowances glued to the wrong side) and a few of my new fabrics.

I have a stack that have been appliqued and are ready to soak and trim to size. I started out making brown, cheddar, gold and black ones thinking it would be more like the quilt in the Blackbird Designs book. But now I'm thinking color and have decided to expand the color pallet to include red, green, blue, purple and pink...all repro. And I am using a ton of different shirtings for backgrounds. I love scrappy...it keeps me from having to make fabric decisions.

I also managed to cut a stack of shirting fabrics 6 1/2 inches square on which to glue-baste these lovely baskets.

After the applique is done, I will soak the blocks to remove the glue, press and cut to the 5 1/2 inch block size that I need to make the quilt.

Don't get me wrong, it is a good summer...time spent with my 14-yr-old daughter and husband and time spent in the sunny south visiting/helping my extended family is always wonderful. Then there are the necessary lifestyle changes that come with losing almost 40 pounds since the second week in May...yippee for me! My inner quilt troll will get back into the quilt cave in a few weeks and go nuts with my sad, neglected, lonely stash. At that time, I need to spend some sewing time with my sad, neglected, lonely quilting buddies. Until then, I am happy to make some progress on hand projects, maybe get to visit more quilt stores on my journeys, and work on some original quilt design projects.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)