On the flip side...

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...

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!

Ahhh...the LAST finish of 2011.  This string star quilt, "Americana String Star," 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!

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...

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)