Inspired hand work

I was so inspired by this ultra talented lady. I have followed her blog for a few years and she is always amazing me with her creativity. My fabulous niece called it a "fabric doodle" and that is exactly what it feels like!! Pick up a needle and doodle away! It is also a great way to get in the embroidery groove before you start a project, just like anything hand stitching takes practice and momentum and a few stitchs on a 'doodle' is enough to get you warmed up for something else!

I am not crazy about how well the pics came out but you get the idea.

The great thing about this type of work is it is totally random, spontaneous and (the best part) I can incorporate all the bits and pieces that I have-and can't throw away- such as the garter thingy in the first picture!

Not to mention it is so relaxing to sit on the couch at the end of the day and bury myself in floss, buttons and do-dads! I still want to fill in a bit at the bottom and then figure out how to finish it off!

My First Quilt

I am usually late in the game and have seen several 'first' quilts' in blogland, so I thought I would share with you my first quilt- I haven't shared it here before have I- anyway it is a string quilt that I made for Lilliana. She was in the 4th grade at the time, she is a senior this year, that tells you how long ago it was. Her and I did the piecing on a foundation, I remember my eyes going a bit buggy from the brightness of it!! The 'strings' were just strips ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide. The pillow top has stars that were cut from the blocks and appliqued on.

Dear Fall,

Dear Fall

You are so funny, you fall you! You blow in here early with your wild winds and sheets of rain.
You’ve cooled things down to a crisp briskness. You think you are fool’n us to think that summer is waning. But I got your number and I am not going to succumb. Silly fall, who do you think you are pushing your way in when summer is still working its lovely magic. Summer is not ready to give up, I know she isn’t, she is still working on her garden- reddening the tomatoes, greening the peppers, and encouraging the squash. So do not think that for one minute we are going to fall for your fall like ways, no sir, not this time; so pack up your cooler temperatures, your harsh winds and your sniveling rains, so summer can finish in peace.

Thank you

The summer lover

Exercises in small motor

This is Ash and he is 9. He is tactile. He is bright. And he loves his blankets. I call them that because at 9 you no longer sleep with a 'nigh nigh' but a blanket. He still has and sleeps with the one he received as a baby- well both considering he also confiscated his brother's.

He wanted a new one to replace (erm, in addition) to his. So we went to the fabric store and after much dilberation, he picked out his fabric. He wanted it just like his other, fabric top and bottom and tied. AND with wide silk blanket binding. After the initial sticker shock of store bought binding...a whooping $6 a package, we made our purchase. I am so spoiled by buying most of my supplies second hand!

The deal was, he had to help. He was great and such a trooper! Watching his little fingers trying to manipulate needle, thread and fabric was amazing and as stated in the title a supreme exercise in fine motor skills!

Road Trip

Early...oh so early Monday morning my sister and I hit the pavement for the American Quilters Society Show in Knoxville TN. It was a very long day of driving. 19 hours long. We will stay the night in Nashville. I love Nashville and TN as a whole, such a gorgeous state. Then we headed for Knoxville.

I needed a new bag for the trip. Something to hold all my gear in the van and to tote around at the show....just in case... I find a lovely piece of fabric I need to have. Yes I said need...what?

When I was a junior in High School I bought a messenger bag by Esprit. Remember them? I loved anything Esprit. Last fall the strap broke, mind you I have had and used the bag for 20+ years. Mostly for travel and for school. I was so sad. I loved that bag for these types of trips. I would forgo a purse and put everything in the bag, including a book to read and my water with plenty of room for small purchases.

I had to make a new one. Ahem. That means a pattern, of which we (the pattern and I, that is) have a long history of a love/hate relationship. Mostly it is the cutting out of the pieces, it seems that every time I unfold the thing I am under some sort of physical tissue paper assault.

Look on the strap....See that buckle? You may have seen it in Time magazine, that is if you read it in 1942 because that is when it was featured. It is a 'self-covering' buckle and can you believe the sticky still worked like a charm?

We now have two days of the show under our belts. We have been doing a demo of a this really great ruler for making bias binding. It is fantastic. I am not quite Vince Shlomi but I am getting close!! Have a happy Friday!

The 32lb fish..You know the one that got away..

I have a favorite antique-type haunt. It is a big, huge place with tons of vendors and lots of fun stuff. I rarely run into something that is outrageously priced. A few months back we were browsing about the place and I found the greatest quilt. It was different then any I have ever seen before.

It was like it was pieced together with bits of other quilts but in no particular order. If a crazy quilt left its fancy stitching at home and married a quilt of the the month. Well, that is close to what this quilt was like. It had blocks and then just pieces, top-stitched down in places. No batting, maybe flannel in between. The back was bigger pieces pieced. It was the truest 'use what you have' quilt and don't let anything go to waste.

I really wanted it but it just wasn't the time to spend $25. Yes I know $25. I was really filled with regret, after, because the fabrics and textures were so amazing and so filled with history. I went back 3 days later, I had to have it. Oh you already guessed? Yeah, it was gone. Swoosh. Just like that. I was so so sad.

A few days ago, 'the quilt' was swimming around in my brain. I have a few odds and end blocks. Most are vintage. Some are from my mother in law....

Some I made, but never did finish that quilt of the month...


Some more from my mother-in-law. The hexagons are all hand pieced...

Not to mention a ton of single hexagons...

And a few that I have purchased...




I also have feed sacks and vintage fabric hanging out...

So I decided ,that in the spirit of the beautiful piece of patchwork that is now only a memory, why not put together my own . Use what I have, rescue a few blocks here and there and put a few together. Then I could actually keep that 32lb fish...you know the one that got away.