Irma

Irma - (Old German for "Noble Person")
... (and twin sister to Alfred)


Enjoys blueberry picking and tea parties.
Likes writing short stories.
Hopes to be a librarian someday.
Wants to know what the ocean smells like.


Irma, her brother Alfred and some of their other school pals are currently available in my Silly BooDilly shop.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sewing Again!!!

Here is a peek at my Spice Market bed quilt. Yes, after a year and a half of hand quilting (very slowly) the quilt is on my bed. I love it! I'll show you more once I finish the pillow covers.

Last weekend my mother and stepfather came for a visit. I am always grateful to have company. I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I love the added incentive it gives me to clean the house. I finally completed a huge reorganization of the house before the long weekend. Life is in order and the house is still clean. I can sit and sew with out guilt. I also completed a month long stint of fabric dyeing last week.

This is what I spent part of my weekend working on. These are some of the more popular colorways of my quilt block jewelry. I keep running out of stock so I am sewing many multiples to try to build enough stock to get me through the summer.

Last night I worked on the most tedious part of making the jewelry. I cut two 11"x 14" pieces of thin glass into 3/4"x 3/4" squares. To cut, wash and dry these tiny pieces of glass takes about 6 hours. I will clean the glass one more time with window cleaner before assembling the pieces.

Paypal Spoof E-mail

Today I received and e-mail supposedly from Paypal stating that my Paypal account had limited access because someone had tried to break in to my account.  Would I please click on the e-mail link to take care of the problem.  Being the suspicious person I am, I instead contacted Paypal and found out it was a fake e-mail.   Paypal does not send e-mails to you with links requesting more information.  I also noticed the e-mail did not reference any of my e-mail addresses. 

I'm sure all of you have received the e-mail  someone in Nigeria has a bunch of money they would like to send you.  Maybe not such a clever scam, but thieves sure are thinking up new ways to trick people out of personal information.   There is a website called Snopes.com that debunks rumors and urban legends.  The first time I used it was to check on this e-mail  about the missing Ashley Flores.  I have since received this e-mail 3 more times over the years and fortunately Ashley is still not missing.  Be careful.  If you think it is a scam it is likely a scam.

I'm hungry! That's all I wanted to say. :) I'm not really hungry. I just want chocolate. Or something. A chocolate something. Yeah.

Adieu!

:)

Searching for New Paths to Explore

(Local country farm path.)

I've been growing restless again. I finished making the School Photo series, (I will be showing the final ones in the next few posts) and have been hungering for something new to explore. I close my eyes to see what pops up in my imagination and my brain is filled with foggy bits of stitched and patched textile work. Try as I might I couldn't get what I was imagining into focus, and I wasn't sure what to do. I searched the internet, typing in everything I could think of to hopefully find some existing imagery of what I was only being teased with in my mind.

And then finally, yesterday, I found it:


Japanese Boro.
(Patched and mended folk textiles of Japan).

Maybe I should have already known about it, but I am self taught in the school of textiles and still have much to learn.
(Thank goodness, as that keeps it fun!)


These images came from Sri Threads an amazing resource of antique Japanese folk textiles located in Brooklyn, New York. (I must go!)

Finding these images made the fog lift from my head. I think they are beautiful.


I am struck by similarities between the Japanese Boro textiles and the quilts of Gee's Bend.


I am not sure what will come of it, or how long the excitement will last, (I know I can be rather fickle) but for now, (and what else is there?) I know I want to go play and explore this new/old path a bit... who knows where it will lead?

Memorial Day and Market pics at long last

Had a great Memorial Day Weekend - got to see all 8 grandkids, lots of good visiting and the weather was great until Memorial Day itself.  

My sister Nancy and I went to decorate the graves in our area with 3 of the grandkids.  We have a memorial in the garden as a touchstone for loved ones that have passed but who are too far away to visit.  I always put in a new flag each year and plant some new flowers besides Grandma Laird's iris.  I got the flag changed but the rain started before I got the flowers planted so I'll get them in in the next few days.   

Arriving home on Tuesday and getting the house ready for company on Friday hasn't left much time for blogging - or much sewing - but I've tried to do a little of both.  

So here are some of my pictures from Market.  You may have seen them all already, but if not, better late than never, I guess.  
I didn't have my own booth at this Market, but went with the Kansas City Star to help promote their 2010 BOM "Across the Wide Missouri" by Edie McGinnis and myself.  We designed it together and each of us is doing a version of the quilt out of the Brannock/Patek fabric line "Blessings".    Here we all are in the booth - Doug Weaver, Diane McClendon (yellow dress), me and Edie.

The theme of the Moda Booth this spring - Moda Duz it All - included awesome clotheslines with our quilts hanging from them.  Debbie Outlaw made my "Blessings Baskets".  I covet that clothespin bag.
Sandy Gervais booth was over the top as usual.  She didn't include the kitchen sink but she brought the stove.
Two walls in the Minick/Simpson booth.  I just love their fabric and didn't win the rug by Polly. Darn!  Kathy Schmidt won one though and she was really excited about it.  I'm just learning to email back on the blogs - sometimes I can do it, other times not.  I gave up and answered Polly's comments on my page about my Girl Gang jacket.  Many thanks, Polly in case I was too late for you to read it.  
Lynne's booth - Kansas Troubles latest line "Vine Creek".  I'm using some of her fabric in the 2009 Girl Gang - along with "Blessings", of course.
Lizzie B was across the aisle from us and got "Most Creative" booth.  Very nice ladies.  And the elves that live in their tree made great chocolate chip cookies!  I just finished the last one from the care package they gave each of us when we left.  Many thanks girls.  You meet the nicest people in the quilting business.
We made Doug Weaver of the KC Star an "honorary Girl" and here he is signing my Girl Gang jacket.  Mark Dunn of Moda is the other honorary girl on the jacket.  I have a lot of fun with it.
Kathy Dunn and Carolyn Moffitt from Quilting Passions shop in Hasting, MI wore their Girl Gang Jackets to Market and were nice enough to let me take their pictures.  I signed their jackets on the front.  If you're a Gang shop and haven't somehow gotten the patterns for the applique for the jacket (everyone gets their own jacket - either from the shop or elsewhere) go to the website and email Tara to send one.  They're free if you're a Gang shop and they're really lots of fun.

Well, that's all for now.  Time to go for my walk and then actually enjoy an evening with my husband.  He's a nice guy and I feel like I haven't really seen him for awhile.

Maria's Woodland Creatures

This quilt by Maria of Bundaberg had me reaching for my tallest step-ladder to be able to photograph it full-length!

Thank you to Bundaberg Quilters for making us so welcome during our visit in April.

Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Quilts, BABY! Giveaway! I loved reading all of your comments on what your most prized childhood possession was. Lots brought back memories, such as "Chatty Cathy", (which for you who were born after the 60's was a rather tall doll that came with tiny records which you stuck into her side, making her talk. My sister had one, and we'd play with her for hours!) Some were funny, such as "my thumb"... I love the simplicity in that one! And many others were just very, very sweet.

Cheryl of Naptime Quilter was the randomly picked lucky winner. Congratulations Cheryl! I with be contacting you today for your address and passing on your shipping info to Lark Books who were the sponsors of this giveaway.

Crazy Quilt part 2

I'm made quite a bit of progress on my quilt for the Alliance for American Quilts Crazy quilt challenge (read more about it in my previous post). I've already used a 100 fabrics. I trust you can 'read' the quilt - it spells out crazy quilt. I'm taking the challenge literally.

Now to figure out the center 2 blocks and decide what fabric(s) to use for the small 2" border. Any suggestions are welcome.

Yellow Bird Art Giveaway

One of my favorite quilt shops is hosting a blog giveaway that ends tomorrow evening (May 25th).

Click here for a chance to win.  

I wrote a post about our trip to this shop last fall.  Click here to read more.

Judie's quilt

This is an original quilt designed by Judie from Brisbane. I finished the custom quilting on this quilt in late May.

Annie's quilt

Annie's quilt shows some detailed custom quilting.

A Little More From Last Weekend

Look what I found on our shop hop last weekend. Way to go Moda! Lace-Up Sewing Cards! I spent hours playing with these when I was a child. I swear these look just like the ones I remember from my childhood.

I picked up a handmade silverware basket from the Amish Quilt shop. It is perfect for my shipping supplies. I also picked up a copy of Kathy Kuderer's "Down a Country Road". Her book offers a look into the history and lifestyle of the Amish in our area. (Guess what Jenna? The Amish in the Cashton area came here 44 years ago from Holmes County Ohio)

Last weekend our son was home from college for a few days. Our son is known for his goofy faces.

Now you know where he gets that from.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I'm sewing lots of little quilt blocks to make more jewelry for an art gallery in Duluth.

Alfred's School Photo

ALFRED - (Old English for "Wise Counsel"):


Articulate and responsible.
Worries about injustice.
Enjoys solving puzzles.
Wants to be a social worker.



Alfred is currently available in my Silly BooDillyshop along with some of his other stitched School Photos classmates

If you haven't already, be sure to enter my Giveaway for a free copy of Quilts, BABY! The Giveaway is open until 11pm Sunday night and I will be announcing the winner Monday the 25th. Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!

Note: Giveaway is now closed!

Treasury West

I just received a note that my Dye Candy fabric is featured in a gorgeous Etsy Treasury West. Please stop by and leave a comment. Hopefully we can become front page news!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=54609

My thanks to SeatofMyPants for including my wares with so many beautiful items!

Home Again, Home Again

Market was awesome as usual.  As soon as I recover somewhat will post my pics of Market in Pittsburgh 
but for right now - 2 days drive out there - 2 days set up - 3 days of Market - takedown and 2 days drive home
It's just good to be Home Again.

Alice and Harman

More stitched School Photos...

Alice- (Greek for "Truth")


Excellent in math.
Takes ballet lessons every Tuesday afternoon.
Hopes to be president of the United States one day.
Likes the mingled smell of honeysuckle and wild roses that grow in her grandmother's back yard.


Each School Photo ornament is stitched onto a piece of vintage table linen, (a vintage cloth napkin to be exact) which was backed with some fusible interfacing. Afterwards I paint each one with Japanese made Tsukineko's All purpose Ink, which are great to use on fabric as the colors are nice and vivid, but not thick like regular fabric paint. They act more like a watercolor and come with a pencil like applicator that makes applying the color to small areas very easy.

HARMAN - (Old English for "A Deer Keeper"):


Silent and strong.
Likes cornflakes.
Believes in diplomacy.
Hopes to one day be a forest ranger and to live high up in a tree house.


After stitching, painting and heat setting each piece, the same vintage fabric was used for the back side. A small slit was cut in the backside through which I used to turn the piece right side out, and to stuff the piece. A small cord loop was hand stitched to the backside along with one more piece of the vintage fabric, which was used to neatly cover up the slit and the cord ends. Each piece is signed on the back.


Harman and Alice plus a few of their classmates are currently available in my shop. More next post!

If you haven't already, don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY and win a free copy of Quilts, BABY! from Lark Books!

Henry and Matilda

Here are the next two pieces in my School Photo series...

HENRY - (Old German for "Ruler of the Estate"):


Serious and quiet.
Dislikes piano lessons.
Wants to be an architect.
Loves his dog with all his heart.



MATILDA - (Old German for "Mighty Battlemaid"):



Enjoys eating blueberries.
Daydreams while listening to Billie Holiday.
Wants to be a microbiologist.
Often can't sleep due to concerns over why honey bees are mysteriously dying.


Each School Photo piece is stitched on the machine, free-motion style using Premium Sulky 30 wt. cotton black thread. I make them up as I go along. I like the surprise of watching them develop... their faces and their personalities emerge and make me smile... I'll be showing more school photos and sharing more of the process in my next post.

Hey! If you haven't already, don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY and win a free copy of Quilts, BABY! from Lark Books!

Greetings From Wisconsin

On Friday morning I headed north to pick up my son from Duluth. It was a such a beautiful day for a drive. It makes my heart soar to travel across this state. The scenery is diverse and the forests seem to go on forever. The trees were bright green when I left our home in Southwestern Wisconsin. As I traveled North the leaves became sparse. Here Spring is two weeks behind. This photo was taken about 20 miles from the Lake Superior shoreline. The land drops off sharply here. I wonder if it was once an ancient shoreline. The temperature here is 65 deg F. Near the lake it was 41 degrees. Saturday I traveled on a shop hop with the Piecemakers Guild hop through rural Southwestern Wisconsin.
One of our stops was an Amish store near Cashton where our host Laura treated us to a bed turning. Laura has been selling quilts from her shop for more than 20 years. All quilts are made locally by as many as 65 Amish women. Piecing is done by hand or with a treadle sewing machine. All quilt tops are hand quilted with beautiful and precise tiny stitches. You can also find handmade baskets, rugs and wooden bowls at this stop.

Down the road a piece....

Another one of our stops was at "Down A Country Road", a gift shop that sells local Amish wares.

Follow this link to their website where you can view a short video about their business and a look at Amish life.