A Small Break in the CQ Flow

Awhile back I posted a picture of some Alexander Henry fabric I'd bought called "Las Senoritas." Well, I ended up buying a second piece of it to make Michael a Hawaiian-style shirt. Here's how it came out:

I used a McCall's pattern that is marketed as a "2-hour" project. This is an optimistic estimate, but it's a simple pattern, and for the man's version you don't need to make any darts. For the first time I used the button-holer on my Janome 6500, which is approaching its first birthday. I even sewed the buttons on by machine, which I'd heard of but had never tried. It's very cool, though I'm not sure it actually saves that much time.

Michael is an avid collector of Hawaiian shirts, so he was very happy to have this one. When he bought one with pin-up girls and martini glasses on it, I knew he wouldn't be self conscious about wearing "Las Senoritas." If I had it to do again, I would make sure that the repeats in the fabric didn't line up in the front. Those two women with the hats side-by-side draw a lot of focus to themselves.

I do have an update on my CQ fans. I decided to sit down and tackle some of the stitches that had given me some trouble. I set up my computer and read through step by step the very helpful stitch dictionary directions on Sharon's blog with the sampler and the threaded needle in my hand. Here are my yellow bullion stitches, which I tried with both 6 and 3 strands of floss, my up and down buttonhole stitch with pink oyster stitch embellishments, a pekinese stitch in which I used a thin green ribbon to thread the back stitches, and some embellished rick-rack.



I marked the curved line for the up and down buttonhole vine with a quarter and a sliver of soap. I may move to embellish the open areas now, and leave a few fan blades for straight line embellishments in the series that I can't resist.

Third Fan Finished!

I've finished the third fan in my sampler. Here are some of the details I used from Sharon's 100 details challenge:

Here I used a beaded button, beads and chain stitches to embellish a bit of lace. I've had these Peter Rabbit buttons for a long time. I've always loved Beatrix Potter characters.

I liked the look of the stacked chevron stitches. I composed some beads in the empty spaces in the middle.

Here I used a buttonhole stitch with a bead composition.

Ta-dah! The third finished block! I have enough of the gold trim to use on all four fans. I trimmed the bottom of this one with a ribbon and beads. Debra had a good tip about putting a small bead in the middle of those red caston stitches to keep them from flopping around. It works great.

As I'm getting to the end of this project I'm thinking ahead to the next one(s). I've got this unquilted fish themed top and I'm thinking of doing an underwater embellishment.

Fan Update

I've done a few more fan blades on my crazy quilt. On the left is my version of Day 51's silk ribbon daisy. Next to that is jumbo rick-rack embellished with straight stitches, detached chains, and buttons. It reminds me of a Jane Sassaman tree.



On the left in this photo is whipped feather stitch and tiny caston flowers. I used slippery 2mm silk to whip stitch so it slides around a lot. I won't use that combination again. Next to that is some vintage trim embellished with beads, straight, and chain stitch. I ran out of the lavender pearl cotton before I finished the row, but I found more in my statsh today so I can finish up.

I starting to think about how to embellish the open spaces around the fans. These are some nice distinct spaces in which to do something special.

Shisha

Annie posted instructions on how to do shisha embroidery and in her example, she used it to attach a coin. I took her idea and dug out some coins left from my trip to Mexico last year. I like the idea of using things with memories attached to them.

I also unearthed some old issues of Piecework magazine, and in one from 1994 they had an article on shisha embroidery with a lesson that incorporated cretan stitch, so I incorporated that as well. Now that I'm doing this embroidery work, I'm looking through old books and magazines that I haven't used in a long time and scanning them for ideas.

In my civilian life I'm getting ready to go back to school and I'm also doing research for a scholarly article I'm writing. I have made the important discovery that if I sit at a table and don't work on anything complicated, I can knit and read at the same time. I'm currently knitting a throw from this recent fun book (great for beginners). With both needle and pen, I have become a truly dangerous woman.

Second Fan Finished

I've finished the second of my four wool fans. I find that I'm using Sharon's 100 details embellishment ideas as a basis for my own improvisation.

I attached a hand charm to this ribbon embroidery bouquet of lavender, and that's my palestrina stitch on the right as a basis for the beaded flowers (lilacs?) with detached chain leaves.

I'm repeating purple pearl cotton and glass beads, as well as the black cats, to create unity. The gold braid will also be used to trim each fan. In the next fan I really want to try the caston stitch, and some of the straight stitch combinations.

Fan Update

My second fan is coming along. I feel like I'm thinking more about how each block will relate to the others.







I included in my button cluster a western-themed button cover. I have more that I'll work into the other blocks.
















I love my spider and web. The instructions are from Annie's Crazy World (sorry, the link wouldn't work.) I used backstitch on my web instead of straight stitch because my thread was wobbly.







I made these open cretan stitches on the bottom with poly ribbon, which is harder to pull through fabric than silk, and I beaded them in gold. On the top, I beaded a piece of vintage trim.

























And I have finished this small (45x45) quilt titled "Remapping Arizona."
























I used this vintage tablecloth for the back:




















It has a copyright mark. Any guesses about what "USHP" stands for?

Flowers for Rian

These flowers are for our talented and witty pal Rian because today is her birthday.

Have a beautiful day Rian. Celebrate your fabulous self.

Ribbon Roses

I can't believe I made this with my own hands. Silk ribbon is magic. The stitches are very simple and the results are impressive.

















I used Sharon's spider web rose (day 26) and added straight stitches to the outside of the largest one. The leaves are fly stitch with a straight stitch at the top. Everything is so simple.

I also found this book on my shelf, which has some good floral patterns.

First Fan

I've finished the embellishments on the first of my four fans. I think I'll come back later and embellish the areas around the fans once I've done all four.



I find myself generally improvising off of Sharon's 100 details ideas: combining things in different ways. Some of the stitches I've used to finish the three blades on the top are: herringbone, whipped straight stitch, feather stitch over the rick-rack with straight stitches and French knots. I tackled that bold red plaid by putting down some small lace with fly stitches, beads and French knots, topped by beaded pink flowers. I'm not sure who's won the struggle for dominance: the flowers or the plaid.



That's a beaded scroll stitch at the far left, which is what came of my attempt at a twisted chain. I found some black cat buttons, and since I have a black cat, I included one in this fan in a vignette where she looks like she's watching the butterfly beads. I liked making the butterflies overlap two blades. I trimmed the whole piece with vintage gold trim, herringbone stitches, gold beads and detached chains. On the bottom of the fan I did that overlapping ribbon treatment with old pearls from a broken necklace.

I must say that this is fun and creative and challenging all at the same time. I'm finding new uses for some supplies that have been hanging around for a long time, and of course, I've been doing some new stash enhancement. In the next fan I think I'll start with some silk ribbon treatments. It'll be fun to try a new medium.

Embellished Fan

Here's the update on my Embellished Fans piece. I'm continually inspired by Sharon's 100 details postings. I started out with a wide-open color palate, but now I'm working on repeating purples and lavenders as a unifying element of this block. I'm scratching my head right now about what to put on that red plaid fan blade, but I know I'll think of something.


I also finished one of the small quilts I was making. I had previewed it with a large red floral border and got two dissenting votes from Rian and Debra. I went back to my stash and pulled out this blue squggle, which I like a lot. This will be a kitchen table top quilt (it's about 42x42). I like working with this size as I don't lose interest and I can easily machine quilt them myself.

But look where some of those big red flowers ended up: in a purse for my daughter Allie. The bottom part is made of my new fabric fixation, an Alexander Henry print called "Las Señoritas." I've got other handbags planned, and Michael has requested a Hawaiian-style shirt from this print. The figures are reminiscent of 1940s Mexican movie stars.



I know Debra and I are both thinking of trying silk ribbon embroidery and I've been looking in my local shops and have found only the most skimpy offerings. If you have a good source of silk ribbon for embroidery, please share.

100 Details

I've joined the legions who are doing Sharon B's 100 details in 100 days crazy quilt embellishments. I went through my wool stash and pieced these four 12" fan blocks so I'd have something to work on. I'd forgotten how different piecing wool is from cotton--it's definitely less stable and more prone to stretch, but I managed to get the blocks together. This wool is from suiting samples and from recycled wool skirts, which is an excellent source of big pieces of wool. The other thing I had to do is to organize my vat of embroidery floss. I don't know about you, but I've got a ton of embroidery floss, and the funny thing is that I can only remember a handful of occasions when I've actually bought it. Maybe floss is like scraps, and it reproduces when you're not looking. More likely, I'm the recipient of other people's stash purgings. In the photo you can see the sliver of soap I use to mark guide lines. It works well because the line lasts just long enough for you to use it and then it's gone.

I have plenty of the requisite supplies on hand, but I have bought some buttons at the thrift store because I want a selection of colorful and small buttons to use as embellishments. If you want to see some eye candy, check out Sharon's I dropped the button box crazy quilt. Debra has also done some good work incorporating buttons into her 100 details.



From bottom to top here are my versions of: plaited fly stitch with French knots (day 15); rick-rack with detached chains and beads (day 2); day 15's open cretan stitch with French knots and pearls; and day 3's hanging grapes (or wisteria if you prefer).

Stitching on wool is wonderful because the fabric gives so much. If someone wanted to try this who had joint problems, working with wool would be a good option to try. I can't wait to see what Sharon inspires us with next.

"But Mom, Nature is for Hippies"

We had a lovely afternoon at Patrick's Point State Park over the weekend. It's probably one of the most beautiful places in the world, and it's about 20 minutes from my house. We all sat in the sun and ate lunch and I took a short walk down to the beach.

Lovely plants are in bloom right now, and walking on the path, I could hear the sea lions barking from the rocks below.



We didn't stay long, because, as my 15 year old son Alex observed, "Mom, nature is for hippies." I feel I accomplished something in getting us all in the car for an outing, regardless of how short.

I snapped a picture of one of our picnic blankets. I made these blocks back when I was in high school.

I was fascinated with handwork, but didn't know anyone who quilted. This fabric was given to me by an uncle whose business was next door to a clothing factory. Someone had given him the scraps. I hand pieced these blocks, not knowing at all what I was doing. Since I couldn't figure out how to put them together, I just kept them for many many years. In the early 90s I zigzagged them together, still not quite sure what I was doing, but feeling brave nonetheless.


I layered the quilt with batting and muslin, turned the muslin edges to the front and machine quilted the whole thing without a walking foot. The quilt promptly faded so it became our picnic blanket. It wasn't until 2000 that I started to buy books and real quilting supplies, thus fulfilling my longstanding fascination with quilting. I have two other similarly made quilts--one a scrap quilt, and one a crazy quilt. I'll have to dig those out and document the pre-history of my quilting career.

Thursday Quilter's Walk

Today I walked to work. The morning was foggy but by the time I got there the sun was breaking through. This is the loveliest time of year here. Lots of people were riding bikes and walking, enjoying the day. I miss so much when I'm in my car, but today I took my camera with me and made a mental note of things to photograph on my way back when I wasn't in such a hurry. One was this interesting quilt-like display of shells on brick. It reminded me of Native American textiles that are decorated with shells.


At home I've been fiddling with three quilts. The Japanese Lady quilt now has some blocks to accent the focus fabric. I made one or two according to the pattern directions, and then I decided to wing it. I like the variety of colors and pattern. I'm also auditioning fabrics for the inner borders.



This paper pieced scrap pattern from Quilter's Cache used up a lot (but of course not all) of my small scraps. I'm auditioning borders for this one too and looking for something red to finish it up.



And this is my over the top crazy scrap project. I made the blocks for the center medallion some time ago. I thought the log cabins I recently made might set it off, and then I remembered this stash of green and white half-square triangles. I think this is going to be an experimental piece, something made strictly from the gut from whatever my hand touches first.

Busy Days

Things have been very busy here behind the Redwood Curtain. We've had a lot of important family events, starting last month when my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, which meant a weekend trip to their house, about 6 hours away. It was a pretty quiet affair, since my parents' siblings are all at that stage in life when they don't travel very much, but we had a very nice celebration. As you can see from the photo, my parents married when they were practically still children.

This past week Allie both turned 18


...and graduated from high school


She has lined up a job working for the director of the local high school's art academy, which she participated in for the last two years. She'll be an administrative assistant, keep the website, do public relations (she's the P.R. queen) and if they get a grant they're applying for, she'll be the registrar for the next school year. During this time she'll also figure out what she wants to do next school and job-wise. I'm sure it'll be an exciting year.

And I've taking a few moments here and there to clean out my scrap drawers. I recently found this 4.5 inch log cabin pattern. It's the kind of mindless sewing I love most of all.

I've also decided to make these fabrics into this pattern.


Today is the second sunny day in a row. At Allie's graduation we sat outside in the hard drizzle, but hopefully summer has arrived. As Allison Aller requested, here are shots of my front yard, where the lavender is in bloom and where the lilies are about to explode.



With all this excitement, some things don't change, and some folks remain blissfully serene.