Wow I Actually Won!

Look at what I won from Karen at the The Selvage Blog ! I have been coveting this book, The Practical Guide To Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman for a while now. Thanks Karen! Check out her blog there are some very cool quilts and projects that will make you look at your selvages in a totally different light.

Happy Halloween!

Kelly

Orange

I have been a little behind in the Halloween decorating but pulled out Barbie to get me in the spirit. The pumpkins are painted by my grand daughter Maddy.

We are having people over for dinner tonight and I went out to scrounge what little is left in the garden. I thought these were perfect, some nasturtiums and zinnias.

I found this too, some bittersweet, fall leaves and pink zinnias. It's amazing how what is left in my garden has very fall like colors....all the pinks and purples are gone.

Yesterday this came in the mail, what a nice surprise. A friend of mine Joanne, who moved away to NC sent these to me after she saw my post last week.  I was bemoaning the fact that I was a little short on oranges and browns. Thanks Joanne! She also has a blog that you can check out here  http://joannestitches.blogspot.com/

I really like this one and have not seen it before. Imagine that, a fabric I haven't seen!!!!!

Here is our little Cinderella. I will be posting some pictures of Maddy  and her cousins next week after the big haul!

Kelly

My Favorite Quilt-----Today



BLUEBIRDS

 I am participating in Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side. Go there and check out all the other quilts.

This is my favorite quilt, at least for today. It is kind of like trying to pick out your favorite child!
This quilt was made as a challenge. The criteria was that it had to include a bird theme, it had to be 18 x 24 and it had to be on stretcher bars. We could use any techniques and any fabric we wanted. I for one did not want to use the stretcher bars. I know it is easier to hang but I wanted it to still look like a quilt and not like a picture. As soon as the challenge was over I took out the stretcher bars!

I used hand dyed fabrics and commercial printed fabrics. The background was a Hoffman batik, I can't remember what name though. I did not use any fusible web which gave it a nice feel but was hard to execute. The nest is fused, I made it a couple of years ago and did not have a place for it until I made this quilt.

I learned to just start the damn project and it can take on a life of it's own! We usually had about 4 months for a challenge and I ended up starting it 2 weeks before it was due! I also learned what good friends I have and how encouraging and supportive they are----thanks to my Quiltinis----Cheryl, Christine, Jane and Terry!



Kelly

Photosculpture With David Meanix

My brother in law David Meanix is a very talented photographer who lives in New York City. He developed a very interesting process called "Photosculpture". This is a video of a commission he did of some one's dog. The process is very involved. He takes hundreds of pictures of his subject and then puts them all back together in a very interesting way.

He is famous too! If you watched the HBO series "Six Feet Under" it was his art work that the character, Claire used in the show. He created photosculptures of the actor's faces.

Sorry I could not figure out how to edit this last photograph so it was right side up!

To see more of his work go to http://davidmeanix.com/index.html

Kelly

A Found Postcard

Today as I looked for a note card to write a thank you, I found this post card. It was made by my friend, Cynthia who lives in Arkansas. She is a very talented quilter and her color selections are the best. We all miss her a lot since she moved away, she was a great inspiration and always shared everything. Miss you Cynthia!

This is a picture of part of my back yard. I feel like I missed summer this year as I was in the house for most of it. I am trying to enjoy autumn but it is not the same this year.

I was happy to discover this today. If you have never grown a nasturtium, plan on doing it next year. The seeds are big and easy to sow and grow. The plants need no real care and they bloom until frost. The other added benefit is you can eat the flowers and the leaves. The flowers make a nice garnish also.

The zinnias are looking a little rat-a-tat-tat.......

but I did find this one.

We are scrounging the last of the tomatoes, they are still delicious!

I was surprised to find this, we have had a frost. When I went to pick it, it was squishy!

I also came across these which I really want to finish up. I am having a problem focusing in on one project.....maybe that is a good thing?

Kelly

My Process

I thought I would show you how I am going about doing the side panels of the Roseville Quilt. There are over 150 pieces and the idea of picking out fabrics is way outside my comfort zone.
First I numbered each piece on the pattern and gave it a color. I used the picture as a reference for colors but I also switched some out to something I liked.

 I traced all the pieces on freezer paper, wrote down the number and the color and cut them out. I separated them into sets 1-10, 11-20, 21-30 and so on, to make it a little easier to keep track of.

Next I laid out all my fabrics on the kitchen table, there was a lot more than I thought....It was a lot easier to see what I had and to make sure certain colors look good together.

As you can see not a lot of brown, yellow or orange. I might need to beef them up!

Then I just went up and down the kitchen table and picked out a color that was written on the freezer paper. I didn't spend a lot of time choosing a fabric just went for a variety of colors. It worked pretty well, I only changed a few colors that were either too similar or just really didn't work.

Next I traced around them and cut them out. I kept them in their sets, because once the paper comes off I wanted to make sure I didn't spend hours trying to match them back up.

I then decided to test them right on the pattern. My background fabric is a light color with very pale blue polka dots, so the pattern color worked for me. It took me 2 days to do this with all the pieces but I think in the end it was worth it. I now have to cut out the stems and start the applique process. Most likely I will only glue down a few at a time because it is a long piece of fabric.
Tonight, after 2 days of fabric all over the kitchen, my husband said "The show Hoarders called, they are coming over".

Kelly

Block Number 2

Block 2

My second block is done and it took me forever. Well I did do a couple of projects in between but still look at all those flowers!!  I really like the blue and turquoise  polka dots on the vase.  I am thinking I will do a side panel next just to give myself a real challenge. I have all the freezer paper pieces cut out and now need to pick out the fabrics. Not an easy task!

I know I said I would have something to show today with the pink crazy fabric but yesterday got away from me. Maybe I will have something next week.

Kelly

New Project

So much for my grand plan of finishing things up.....I got some emails about my pink fabric I made in the last post. So I thought I would show you how I went about it using this tutorial here http://www.15minutesplay.com/2010/07/got-15-minutes.html

pink scraps

Pick some scraps of various sizes and widths. They don't even have to be ironed! I am doing just one (kind of) color. You can do it the same or mix them up.

center piece

Take a piece of any size, at least 2 inches, and trim it to have 4 or 5 sides. The one in the picture has 5. I find the 2" size is a good one to try this technique. Bigger is even better as you will see later on.

Take another one of your strips and sew it to a side, any side. Seam allowance does not matter, edges do not have to meet.

It will look sort of like this......I did not even trim the threads.

Add another strip, again any side it does not matter. See that polka dot strip it's wrinkled!

and another......and keep going until you are happy with the size.

This is where the bigger center can be better. After you have sewn a few more strips of fabric, take your rotary cutter and wack it down the middle or on the diagonal. You don't have to use a ruler but you can if you want.

I took another strip and sewed the 2 pieces I just cut to each side of this strip.

Occasionally I stop and press the block. I like to add a little spray starch as there are a lot of bias edges and you don't want to stretch them. This also lets you see how big the block is getting.

I made my pieces about 6 to12 inches or so and then I started sewing the different pieces of made fabric together. In this picture you can see the line where the two meet.

As you go along stop and straighten your edges from time to time. They don't have to be square, just make them straight so you don't get lumps and bumps. Save those corners you can add them to your fabric you are making!

I even took strips and sewed them together and then sewed them to the block so I did not get one long piece that might stand out.

When you have enough pieces to make your fabric the size you want trim the ends and just use your rotary cutter to clean up the edges. Be sure to press all of them with the spray starch. Next lay out the pieces you made and see if there is a logical way to put them together. This is kind of like putting a puzzle together and there is no right or wrong way. You may end up trimming you blocks even further to make them fit together.

This is what mine ended up looking like....I know it is a weird shape, but I do have a plan! It is about 30 inches high from top to bottom, if that helps.

More tomorrow.

Kelly

Some Starts and Finishes

I started playing with this today and have a project in mind. These are all colors I love and it should be pretty easy to play with.

I also started walking again. After almost 4 months of no exercise I am out of shape! It is amazing how much you can't do with a broken neck. Even walking is a challenge.

I finished this and highly recommend all of them. I heard there is a 4th book being held hostage. The book ended in such a manner as it could be the end or there could be more.....I would like some more please.

I also finished making some curtains for my grandsons. Their dad, Dylan picked out the fabric. I think they will like it.

It is easy to start something but sometimes hard to finish. We all have UFOs hanging around and I think they are kind of like carry around extra baggage. My goal for 2011 is to finish them or get rid of them. I am making a list, I have a feeling it will be kind of long.

Kelly

Half and Half

I feel like this leaf.....half of me wants to sew and half of me wants to do nothing! I think the sewing half is winning out.

  Go Phillies!


Happy Birthday to my neice, Erin!

Kelly