Mom’s Quilt Blocks

Blossom BOM block
Blossom BOM block

A few days ago, I talked about my mom’s quilt. I decided that you would probably appreciate some detail shots.

This is one of the Blossom BOM blocks. Now, I always thought that BOM blocks were supposed to encourage people to quilt more. This block is a tough block. My mom has garment sewing experience and she had a tough time with this block. Look at the pieces – curves and that little block in the lower right hand corner. Not impossible, but also not a nine patch.

My mom is tough and created a strategy. After screwing up a few blocks and not having enough fabric for the BOM block, she started making a practice block with her own fabric and then used the BOM fabric for the non-practice block. The above blocks are the practice blocks.

Blossom BOM block
Blossom BOM block

This is the same block, but made with a bolder selection of fabric. I believe that I gave my mom some of these fabrics. I feel like I make some bold choices in fabric selection, but my mom has me beat by a mile. I would not have thought to put the blue and the pink together.

I am glad that I took the time to look at these blocks.

They make me think. What would your interpretation of this block be? Even if you use fabric on paper with glue stick, what colors would you choose? What colors would take you out of your comfort zone?

Pinwheel
Pinwheel

The pinwheel block is a pretty standard pattern. It is actually a pattern that you can really make look like it is spinning if you place the fabric a certain way.

Again, though, mom has made it her own. The blue and the cabbage rose/bold flower print are an interesting combination.

I really think my mom and I see color in different ways. Again, I wouldn’t have chosen these fabrics together, but they work. It kind of reminds me of the quilt Bill Kerr showed that included David Butler and Jo Morton fabrics together.

Mermaid Block
Mermaid Block

The mermaid block is some kind of panel. I have no idea what possessed her to add this to the quilt, but it works. Interesting.

 

Morning Glory
Morning Glory

The Morning Glory block really looks like a morning glory. You can see that the center cannot have been easy to piece. I know that isn’t applique’ and am pretty sure it isn’t paper pieced either.

Improv Piecing
Improv Piecing

The very bottom block reminds me of one of Gwen Marston’s filler blocks. I also, though I am reluctant to say it, think it has qualities of the Gee’s Bend blocks.

Mom’s Quilt

Mom's Quilt
Mom’s Quilt

My mom just finished a quilt – well, a month or so ago.

She has a really unique style. If I had to put a name to it, I would call it Gwen Marston-esque, but that isn’t quite right.

Recently she finished a quilt shop’s block of the month program. It was the first she had ever done. This program was made up of flower blocks. I believe it was called Blossom.

Very few people would have set these blocks the way my mom did, but if you have seen any of her quilts, you know this is totally her style.

And it is isn’t boring. She has a great view of quiltmaking and always sees settings and design in a whole new way.

This will be a gift for my stepsister.

Book Review: Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective

Contemporary Jewelry in PerspectiveContemporary Jewelry in Perspective by Art Jewelry Forum

Thanks to Lark for sending me this book to review.

This is more like a scholarly book than most of the books I have reviewed for Lark. This book sets out to distinguish why contemporary jewelry is not like the jewelry found in the local shopping mall (pg.7). It is clear that contemporary jewelry artists struggle with the same problem that art quiltmakers have: art v. craft. The book delves into detail about what craft is and how jewelry making fits into fine starts traditions.

This is a serious books that looks at contemporary jewelry from all angles. Discussion about the journals of contemporary jewelry have a place. Photography of contemporary jewelry is explored. the tools, spaces and materials are all discussed in a scholarly and serious way.

The book is lavishly illustrated with photographs, which are works of art on their own.Many, many contemporary pieces are shown throughout the book.

The title, Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective, really describes what this book is about. No stone related to contemporary jewelry goes unturned. If you want a thorough grounding in contemporary jewelery, this is your book.

View all my reviews

Sketching #199

CPP Response #199: touch
CPP Response #199: touch

You are probably wondering why this is on yellow paper. Well, I am almost at the end of my drawing book and in the back they have “conveniently” placed different types of paper. There is a sheet of lined paper, there are some other sheets and this piece of yellow paper. I was drawing at Starbuck’s and the lighting wasn’t good, so I didn’t realize the paper was yellow until I had started. I actually realized that the pens weren’t dealing well with the paper before I noticed the color. Derrrr, as the Young Man would say.

I was thinking Touchdown for this response.

What did you think when you saw the prompt?

I hope you have done a response. If you have, please post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) to the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog.

We are also talking about the Creative Prompt Project on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

Sketching #198

CPP Response #198: Wash
CPP Response #198: Wash

When I lived in Austria I first started seeing the washer in the kitchen. I thought it was weird.Now that I do a bunch of laundry every weekend, I think it would be very convenient. Of course, now, I don’t want to give up any counter space or cupboard space to a washer.

I am not as behind in drawing the responses as I am in posting them. I might post a few this week just to catch up a little bit.

I hope you have done a response. If you have, please post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) to the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog.

We are also talking about the Creative Prompt Project on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

There is also a Creative Prompt Project Flickr group, which you can join to post your own responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs or websites would have a place to post your responses. Please join the fun!

Creative Prompt #226: Picture

A picture is worth a thousand words.

“Picture a Girl” – song Phi Mus sing at certain events, including notification ceremonies that some is getting engaged.

Seeing the Big Picture

Paramount Pictures

picture book

dynamic picture

Picture window

digital photos

Motion Picture Association of America

The Picture Show (NPR)

moving picture

Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences

picture perfect

Rocky Horror Picture Show

picture this…

The Last Picture Show

get the picture?

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

picture dictionary

Universal Pictures

Compliments of the Young Man “framed picture of a pickle on a plate”

HTML5 <picture> element -Responsive design techniques are a way for developers to adapt a site layout to a wide range of devices, from desktops to iPhones, and have it consistently look sharp and load quickly. And no responsive design solution is complete without an adequate technique for dealing with images.

images

school picture

picture gallery

This Week in Pictures

photo

hang a picture

formulate a picture

draw a picture

This Year in Pictures

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog.

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

Definition: “An image (from Latin: imago) is an artifact that depicts or records visual perception, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject – usually a physical object or a person, thus providing a depiction of it.” (Wikipedia)

26 Projects – September 2013 Update

I just noticed that I have only 7 projects on my WIPs list. I have really made progress, which is a good reminder that I need to focus my efforts on not filling up the list again. I don’t mind having a couple of projects going at once, but I don’t want projects that are stalled hanging around for years. I really don’t.

I talked this week about all the cutting that I did. All true. I don’t know why I cut for the Scrapitude mystery quilt, but I did. I didn’t cut all the pieces for each project, but I cut bunches of pieces for a variety of projects.

I made good progress on the cutting for the Russian Rubix and started talking about Easy Street.

Finished 2013 Projects:

  1. Corner Store: Finished on 1/1/2013 YAY!
  2. The Garden. Finished on 1/5/2013 YAY!
  3. Stepping Stones: Finished on 2/14/2013 YAY!
  4. Fabric of the Year 2011: Finished on 2/27/2013 YAY
  5. Calm: Finished on 3/14/2013 YAY!
  6. A-B-C Challenge: Finished on 3/31/2013 YAY!
  7. Petrillo Bag*: Finished on May 5, 2013 YAY!
  8. Super Secret Project #1: Finished on June 13, 2013
  9. Super Secret Project #2: Finished on June 23, 2013
  10. Sparkle Pink: Finished on August 20, 2013
  11. Swoon: Finished on August 27, 2013

Other non-quilt Projects finished

  • 5 donation Pillowcases
  • 2 fabric handbags/project bags
  • 6 cat beds
  • 12 napkins

Still WIPs

  1. Aqua-Red SamplerFrances  is working diligently, though I know she feels frustrated with the foundation pieced block. I think part of that is because she is left handed and I am right handed. I finished the foundation piecing tutorial, along with my block for this part of the class. I am not giving up on her. I hope she comes back.
  2. The Tarts Come to Tea: I still haven’t worked on this since April 2011, though I did think about working on it. I hope that counts for something. I really do need to get back to the quilting. I am still a little mad at myself for making such good progress and then getting sidetracked. I thought quilting the Whole Cloth quilt would get me back in the swing of quilting, but apparently not.
  3. Pointillist Palette #4: Fourth is a series of 6 quilts; needs tiny square patches sewn together. Mrs. K. gave me more PP fabric and I won some from a giveaway. I still think it is a sign that I need to work on this. Leaders and enders.
  4. See: needs satin stitching. Small, also a possibility for finishing. I really have the feeling I came so close to working on this project this month.
  5. Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. I like the piece, but don’t know where to go from where I am. Mouth? Hair? The attitude I need to have is that I can’t ruin it; there is always more fabric.
  6. Under the Sea: class project; like the design, but not the colors much.
  7. Flower Sugar Hexagon: I have sewed enough of the hexagons together over the weekend to make the piece a normal shape. It is about half the size I want it to be, so I will work on sewing together the other half. I might start a new chunk and then sew that new chunk to the old chunk once I am done. It might be easier than sewing one or two hexagons together. We will see. I may make it a few rows longer, too.

Ready for Quilting

I took 5 quilts to the quilter last week: Infinity Blocks, which I had thought I would quilt myself, Fresh Fruit, FOTY 2013, Star Sampler, which nothing could induce me to quilt myself, and the Young Man’s t-shirt quilt. PROGRESS!

  1. Original Bullseye: At the quilter
  2. New:* Wonky 9 Patch: needs basting, quilting and binding. Not on original list
  3. Infinity blocks: blocks sewn together into a quilt top, borders on. Back and binding made; at the quilter.
  4. Spiderweb: Top is together, binding is made. This is at the quilter.
  5. New:* FOTY 2012: top, finished. Back and binding are complete; at the quilter.
  6. New:*Star Sampler: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter. (not on original list)
  7. New:*Fresh Fruit: Top finished, back and binding finished; at the quilter.(not on original list)
  8. Young Man’s t-shirt quilt: Top, back and binding are all ready; at the quilter.

Please note that even if you combine the two lists above, I do not have 26 projects on this list anymore. I have made progress!!!

In the Finishing Process

  1. It doesn’t really count as finished, though I am putting a sleeve on the Swoon.

Abandoned

Nothing so far for 2013

Hunting and Gathering

  • Spin Wheel: really not started, but supplies gathered. I probably have enough fabrics and just need to decide to start.
  • Windmill quilt: Still hunting and gathering. Need to find a background, because if we use the cut fabrics, the pattern will be lost. The pieces are too oddly shaped to lose the pattern in a mass of scraps.
  • Stepping Stones #2 using Bonnie & Camille fabrics Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern: made two test blocks, but still in the thinking stage while I decide on the background colors. I want the contrast to be good.
  • Super Secret Project #3: working on color choices.

Last update for the 26 Projects List. Read it. There’s some interesting stuff there.

I thought you might want to take a look at the first list I made, the one with the 26 Projects. I started the list in October 2011. I have made progress. I plan to stop this post when I have no more projects from the original list to write about. I wonder when that will be?

*New – Project started after I started working on the 26 Projects list

Easy Street at Last?

Last November Bonnie Hunter’s Mystery Quilt was Easy Street. I liked the idea, but wasn’t that excited about the mystery part of the quilt. I kind of like to have an idea of what the quilt will look like.

Thanks to Pam and many others, I know, basically, what the piece looks like and I am still interested.

Fat Quarter Shop Fabrics
Fat Quarter Shop Fabrics

While I am not anywhere near cutting and sewing, I have been thinking about fabrics. I want to use grey for the background for some reason that I can’t fathom. To that end I have bought a few pieces of grey lately.

I have been disappointed in the greys I have purchased recently. They are too beige The perfect grey, which I may have mentioned, was the Happy Go Lucky grey by P&B Textiles, which I used to bring the block sup to size in the A-B-C Challenge (I definitely mentioned this). You can see the perfect grey on page 2 of the fabric card. All the Happy Go Lucky now is by Bonnie and Camille and definitely does not include the grey I want.

There is a lot of “starting new projects” in my head. I need to be mindful and judicious of ruining the progress I have made on my UFOs. I am also not ready to give up the small projects project.

FOTY 2013 Summer Squares

FOTY 2013 - Summer
FOTY 2013 – Summer

I spent a lot of time cutting over the weekend, which served a few purposes:

  • lots of fabric is in different shapes
  • I am showing the world that I am not blowing off Susan and the Russian Rubix project
  • A lot of fabric was pressed
  • I actually cut some FOTY squares

I really wanted to make progress on cutting for my Super Secret project and for the Russian Rubix. I just wanted to see what the fabrics would look like cut up.

It turns out I am using the same fabric for both projects. I like the combination so far. Probably not the same background and I will probably use the more colors (fabrics) for the Super Secret project than for the Russian Rubix, but the base colors and fabrics are the same.

Most of the fabrics on the right (above) are fabrics I am using for the two projects. The group shown is small, because the design wall is full of the RR octagons.

I cut octagons from all of the fabrics chosen so far, but there is a pile of them on my cutting table that won’t fit on the design wall. I need to move them to my portable design wall, but the Attack of the Hexies project is there and I am actually working on it a bit, so I don’t want to lose the momentum by taking it off. I’d really like to get that project out of my life. It was fun for awhile, but I am ready to be done with it. Working on it makes it more fun.

It really has been awhile since I filled up part of the design wall enough to post some squares for this project for you. Summer was busy; I wasn’t ironing. I don’t know what I was doing. Read the blog, then you’ll know.

Swoon Journal Cover

 

Swoon Journal Cover
Swoon Journal Cover

I have been cutting a lot lately. I finished cutting out the bag that will be part of Purse Palooza blog hop. I am cutting out another Petrillo Bag and I cut a bunch of pieces I will talk about tomorrow. Regardless, I needed some finishes – or at least a finish.

This piece had been hanging around just needing a bit more work to get it finished. I really only spent an additional half hour on it to make it ready to use.

Ever since I had the idea to use the trimmings from quilts to make journal covers, I have been making different journal covers. At first, I was just sewing the pieces into the right sizes. Now I am trying to make the covers more interesting. I found that I didn’t like looking at them and that is not a good thing.

Swoon Journal Cover inside
Swoon Journal Cover inside

The trimmings are long and thin so by just sewing trimmings together I was ending up with a lot of horizontal design elements. I wasn’t liking those, so on later journal covers I cross cut the pieces and re-sewed them. You can see the sort of checkerboard I have going. Yes, it is more work, but it is also more interesting.

I am still fumbling with the lining. The batting is too fluffy even though it works on some journals (think that has to do with lucky placement) I think I need to try flannel next, but that requires buying some flannel just to put in the center of the journals and I haven’t wanted to spend the money. Part of my idea is using supplies on hand for these covers. I might also try no filling again and see if I still think it needs improvement.

I still have some bits for other journal covers on my sewing table. I’d like to get them off the table, which means I need to make more journal covers.

Review: Love Quilting & Patchwork

Love Quilting & Patchwork
Love Quilting & Patchwork

I picked up this magazine on a whim at Joann when I was there the other day NOT buying ShapeFlex (apparently they had has an interfacing sale and were cleaned out). I was attracted by the bright and cheerful colors. Yes, despite autumn coming on the quilt on the cover had no browns. Points scored!

Every page is designed with bright and cheerful colors. I think that in the US, it might be marketed as a modern magazine, but nowhere obvious in the content did anything scream modern.

There are patterns and most of them have an alternate colorway. The quilt you see on the cover has a 1930s alternate colorway, which is GREAT. It is so different than the fabrics shown that the 1930s fabrics really show the pattern to a different advantage.

In addition to quilt patterns, they offer block tutorials (in this issue, Tula Pink), interviews, and a tote bag pattern, which makes me hope for small accessories in future issues as well. There are a couple of pages showing new fabric lines, a shop review, technique tips and an article about a designer’s journey to Quilt Market. There was also a pattern on how to make apron pockets. Different, yes.

My favorite part of this magazine is the Triangle City pillow (block) pattern by Katy Jones. If you don’t know Katy Jones, she is the designer of the quilts that flow out of the I’m a Ginger Monkey blog. I like this pattern, because it is not made up of a 1,000 half square triangles and is a challenging project. The directions are several pages long, involve English Paper Piecing and assume that you can do this. You can. I am going to try it. It might kill me, but I am going to try it. Try it with me. Buy rotary templates from Katy.

The photography is colorful and interesting. The drawings are cheerful and fun. There is a god balance of color and white use on the layout of the pages.

Try it out. As encouragement, they have a special offer good until September 27, 2013:

  • UK readers: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/LQPX11
  • US readers: www.imsnews.com/quilting-2001

Find an issue. I hope you will like as much as I do.

CQFA Meeting

CQFA ATCs September
CQFA ATCs September

The CQFA Meeting was last Saturday and it was great. As you know, I haven’t been in awhile and I was so glad to see my art quilt pals.

Julie, Dolores and Maureen did a presentation on color. The presentation was called “Why Your Stash Needs to Be Bigger.” 😉 I am not going to rant today about the low cost of fabric compared to other stress reducing activities.

Dolores, Maureen & Julie
Dolores, Maureen & Julie

They covered the science of color, color in culture and some color exercises. I am trying to get Dolores to do a guest blog post, but I will post some of my notes for your edification. I was too fascinated by what she was saying to take really good notes.

Science of Color

Color is the reflection of ambient light on to an object. Dolores referred to the Archimedes Lab’s information on color. I just Googled and found some pages that I would like to explore later.

gamut is a term used for the range of color that can be reproduced.

Your monitor is set to use RGB colors and your printer is set to use CMYK colors, which why we sometimes have problems printing what is on our screen

No device can reproduce as many colors as our eyes can see.

ATCs
ATCs

simultaneous contrast – our eye evaluates the color in relation to what is next what we are looking at. This affects the sense of what color we see. It isn’t a function of the color, but of the perception of the color. Dolores told us that Van Gogh used this technique (?) a lot in his work. Our other senses experience this also. If you are in the hot tub, then jump into a pool, the pool seems colder than it really is. If you drink orange juice with your pancakes and maple syrup, the acidity of the juice in enhanced as is the sweetness of the syrup. Fabrics next to each other talk to each other.

Culture of Color

Maureen present culture to us and it was an eye opener how much color is involved in our culture in ways not related to actually using color such as writing with a purple pen or playing with fabric.

Language uses color in metaphors and for metaphors. This is called cognitive metaphor. Part of it is associating colors with emotions (not a comprehensive list; just some examples):

  • red- passion, anger, danger
  • green – nature, recycling
  • blue – calm
  • etc.

We have been trained to have associations with certain colors. Colors telegraph a certain message. I think this might have to do with my comments about cheerful quilts. I see certain quilts as cheerful when they have warm colors, usually. [I haven’t thought of this before, so it isn’t a fully formed thought. The idea just came together as I was writing this.]

Having emotional associations with certain colors means that we might want to look at the colors we are using in our work and ask ourselves if we are trying to telegraph a certain message through our work via color?

We also use color a lot in our language:

    • silver lining
    • feeling blue
    • green with envy

etc.

Victoria Finlay wrote a book on color called Color: A Natural History of the Palette. It is a dense book, but has a lot of interesting information.

There is also an iPad app you might want to try out called Josef Albers.

Exercise your Color Muscle

Julie reminded us that we all have our own color palette that is defined by our lives, experiences, art to which we have been exposed, etc. Julie showed us some exercises that started in a book called Playing with Color by Richard Mehl.

She used some of what Dolores and Maureen said for the exercises, such as picking a color from two that was in the center of another color.

Color Exercises
Color Exercises

One exercise (green on red) was an effort to find a color that looked the same when laid on two different fabrics in the same color family.

You’d think that this was easy, but it isn’t. There were a couple of issues to work with. 1) we are working with fabric. With paint, you can mix a bit of white in or a bit of grey. In fabric, it doesn’t work that way. 2) we were working with pattern. Julie set up the exercise and she doesn’t have many solids (remember the title of the presentation?), so she has to work with patterned fabric. Because of the contrast that often exists in a patterned fabric, it made the exercise harder. Yes, she found as many tone-on-tones as she could, but it was still a challenge. a good challenge, but a challenge. 3) we have a very limited amount of fabric handy, but even with your own stash, this would be a challenging exercise, because of the nature of fabric – it already has color. Yes, you can dye it or discharge it, but you still may not get what you expected out of the dye/discharge bath.

Color Exercises
Color Exercises

This was a great example for me of “fabrics talking to each other.” It was really, really interesting and amazing to see the same fabric paired with two different fabrics and how different they can look. The green on green examples show this really well. One makes my eyes vibrate a little. The top combination has the center square looking much darker than the bottom center square even though they are the same fabric.

It was very interesting and fun to work with the whole group. I enjoyed hearing others’ thoughts and how they saw the fabric.

 

Business

The group is working on a second show at SF Public Library. The organizing group is new, though I have offered to still act as the liaison with the library. The piece I am thinking of making is too big and will take too long. I also don’t think I have thought through the making of the whole piece yet. Not sure. I think I will consider entering Beach Town. More info about the first show can be found in earlier posts.

The Retreat was discussed. It will be at the end of January as per usual.

CQFA Color Challenge
CQFA Color Challenge

I was glad I didn’t do the color challenge. My idea was LAME compared to the gorgeousness that others brought. I am so lucky to be in this group. The CQFA people do fantastic work. I need to up my art quilt game. I might be a little discouraged, but the pieces were inspiring and made me think of my color strip in a different way. I am not out of the game. Late, yes, out: NO! The collage above was created using Ribbet.com.

We are having another challenge with shapes. Everyone cut shapes, our personal symbols or what we have been doodling,  out of black paper and trade them. Now we have to take the symbols and do something with them.

Show and Tell

Show and Tell always make me want to work harder and more to get better.

ATCs

CQFA ATCs September
CQFA ATCs September

We swapped ATCs (photos sprinkled throughout this post) and there were a lot of swappers this time, which was nice. My bridge ATCs (Artists Trading Cards) were very popular, which was nice. I took some photos as I crossed the new bridge last Sunday and may use those as the basis for my November set. It is hard to take good photos from a moving car, so we will see.

ATCs: The Chosen Ones
ATCs: The Chosen Ones

I picked a nice range of ATCs. I didn’t get one of each, because of all the swappers, but that is the nature of the beast. A couple people asked me for Bridge ATCs, so I might make some more of the historic bridge. We will see. I didn’t really enjoy the stitching I did on the photo. I felt like I had to do something in addition to just print a photo on fabric and edging it to the back to keep it together, but I wasn’t happy with the way the stitching came out. Not sure what to do.

Regardless, I need to get started on my ATCs for the next meeting. Not waiting until the last minute was fantastic.

Some of us stayed after and chatted and sewed. I started cutting out the next Petrillo Bag. Yes, I am making it with the changes I described in my previous post.

Thanks to Angela for the use of her photos of the ATCs.

Creative Prompt #225: Hurricane

I am thinking the drink and not the storm.

Hurricane High Gravity Lager, a malt liquor by Anheuser-Busch

Definition: “A tropical cyclone is a rapidly-rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain. Tropical cyclones typically form over large bodies of relatively warm water. They derive their energy from the evaporation of water from the ocean surface, which ultimately recondenses into clouds and rain when moist air rises and cools to saturation. This energy source differs from that of mid-latitude cyclonic storms, such as nor’easters and European windstorms, which are fueled primarily by horizontal temperature contrasts. The strong rotating winds of a tropical cyclone are a result of the (partial) conservation of angular momentum imparted by the Earth’s rotation as air flows inwards toward the axis of rotation. As a result, they rarely form within 5° of the equator.[1] Tropical cyclones are typically between 100 and 4,000 km (62 and 2,500 mi) in diameter.

The term “tropical” refers to the geographical origin of these systems, which usually form over the tropical oceans. The term “cyclone” refers to their cyclonic nature, with wind blowing counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. The opposite direction of circulation is due to the Coriolis force. Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is referred to by names such as hurricane (/?h?r?ke?n/ or /?h?r?k?n/), typhoon /ta??fu?n/, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, and simply cyclone.

In addition to strong winds and rain, tropical cyclones are capable of generating high waves, damaging storm surge, and tornadoes. They typically weaken rapidly over land where they are cut off from their primary energy source. For this reason, coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to damage from a tropical cyclone as compared to inland regions. Heavy rains, however, can cause significant flooding inland, and storm surges can produce extensive coastal flooding up to 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the coastline. Though their effects on human populations are often devastating, tropical cyclones can relieve drought conditions. They also carry heat energy away from the tropics and transport it toward temperate latitudes, which may play an important role in modulating regional and global climate.” (Wikipedia)

National Hurricane Center

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and/or your blog.

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

See a lot more about hurricanes – all types — on Wikipedia

Various & Sundry #13 2013

On the Web

Anna Maria Horner talks about giving herself a break. While the comments are just a few sentences, they made me think. It almost made me wonder if the universe is sending me some challenges to get me to give myself a break.

If you want to read a really nice and sweet 1st blogiversary post, check out Valerie’s post in celebration of her first blogiversary. Congratulations, Valerie!

Katie pointed me to a great interview with Lily Ashbury on the Fat Quarter Shop Blog. One of the greys will work with my background idea for Easy Street. Yes, I bought fabric. 😉

Pam and Darla talk about nerdiness quite a bit. If you want a non-quilty take, check out the N3rdc@st, episode 1. I downloaded it, because I thought there was an interview with Sarah Addison Allen, of Gardenspells, The Sugar Queen, the forthcoming Lost Lake and the The Peach Keeper fame. No interview, but there discussion of nerds was kind of interesting. The podcast, well, the first episode, at least, wasn’t as well produced as some of our quilty podcasts, but we all improve.

I really liked this post from The Cutting Table talking about Sampler Quilts. Moda retweeted it. Thanks, Moda!

Periodic Table of Sewing Elements
Periodic Table of Sewing Elements

I saw this very clever Periodic Table of Sewing Elements on the Scientific Seamstress, first on FB then on her blog. She has files on the 2011 post that are high enough quality for you to download and print or have printed in high quality at a copy center. This post also discusses her thought process for making over her sewing space. Great food for thought.

The show featured in this blog post will be the last for the guild. The guild has dwindled to 10 members. The quilts shown in the photos aren’t particularly traditional, which makes me wonder why other quiltmakers in the area aren’t joining this guild and keeping tradition going? The KCMQ is huge in the area. Can’t they join forces? I am sure I am missing the politics of the guilds in that area and politics are probably the underlying issue. I hope something replaces that show; it sounds great.

Interesting quilts on the Modern Bias Blog. I also like the quilting on the flying geese quilt.

This blog post was painful to read at the beginning as I know exactly what the mom was feeling, but as I read through the post, I saw the blossoming and expansion of creativity on both sides.

Moda posted a review of the True Cut system. I am keeping my system in place, but I find it interesting to read about new quilt technology. I do use the True Grips, as I have mentioned. They are great at helping to prevent rulers from slipping.

I saw this picture on Twitter and thought it was very clever.

Straight from ResearchBuzz: “Check out this cool Web app that turns a collection of Flickr photos into an “average” photo. This morning’s photo is an “Average” for five photos tabbed Lincoln Memorial.” I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it would be cool to try it with my Ferry Building photos.

QNM put up a very interesting layout for a sampler quilt. Everything is on point and the center block is larger. The colors are depressing and I would love to see this in pink and orange, but the layout is great. Thanks to Pam for pointing it out.

Amy Butler is now teaching online via CreativeBug. Have you seen the courses?

Fabric, Notions & Tools

I saw the blog of a Quiltmaker who is really putting the leaders and enders idea to work. She discusses fabric storage and scraps on her blog. Thanks to Adrianne for pointing it out.

Who knew so many people were producing acrylic templates. I did a search on Etsy and really had my eyes opened! Richard, of the Russian Rubix fame, has his shop up and running, so go get your templates, so you can sew along with Susan and me.

You might have seen Alex Veronelli (of Aurifil fame)post about being at the Checker Open House. Checker is a distributor of all things quilty. There are 3 posts about the open house from their newsletter. Take a look at Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 to get the inside scoop.

Katie of Katie’s Quilting Corner mentioned Art Bins in a recent podcast. I use them also for storing progress projects. Katie said that she can fit everything for a project in one, which I can’t do. She might find larger ones than I have found. I like the one that measures 3.5″ x 14′ x 15.25″ (approximately) for projects. I used one to keep the Flowering Snowball parts all together. There is a larger version (15.2 x 14 x 6.2 inches), which holds a lot more, but still not all of my fabric. Remember I tend to use a small amount of a lot of different fabrics for my projects rather than larger amounts of coordinating pieces. The handles are great and keeping most of a project together, especially the cut pieces, patterns, etc is useful.

Sheesh! Camille Roskelley has another new line of fabric for Bonnie & Camille called April Showers. She talked about it very briefly in a recent blog post. It is more of the same type of colorway that Happy-Go-Lucky had with the dark blue. I didn’t think Scrumptious was out yet and I am waiting for that line. I guess I had better go shopping. 😉

Downton Abbey fabrics from Andover for all you fans- coming in the Fall. You can download Mood Boards. Looking at them and the final collections might be a good way to inspire your own mood boards.

Juliana Horner, yes, Anna Maria Horner’s eldest daughter, has designed a fabric collection, which you can find at Joann.

Creativity

I really didn’t know where to put this story about living a life where you do exactly what you love every day. This blog post describes how I feel when I am working with fabric, but especially when I am making quilts.

A post by Danny Gregory echos how I have been feeling, especially the line about “nose pressed to the window.” I guess I need to get in gear and do some stuff before I take the leap.

I did a search for creativity in the podcast part of iTunes and found a number of interesting podcasts of varying lengths and topics. NerdEcon episode X was an interview and discussion with the author of Imagine. I thought it would be too dry, but there were some great tidbits that I was able to takeaway and will use for a big project in which I am involved.

Books

Classic Modern Quilts
Classic Modern Quilts

My friend, writer at Little Bluebell and the former president of BAMQG, Adrianne Ove, will be included in a forthcoming book by Kansas City Star, Classic Modern Quilts. See some beauty shots on their blog.

Projects

A question came up about the receiving blankets I made a few weeks ago. The receiving blankets are a great gift and moms love them. They also USE them, which is why I started giving the receiving blankets instead of quilts.

I use 1 layer of flannel. One reason I don’t double them like a quilt is that the mom can layer them depending on the temperature she needs. I buy 1.25 yards and square it up, then I do a double fold hem on the raw edges. I don’t hem the selvedges, but my friend does. I am too lazy. I use a decorative stitch and will, sometimes, stitch the baby’s name in the blanket hem, if I know it. Sometimes I stitch “Baby Jones” into the hem. I give 3 to 5 receiving blankets to each mom.

Remember the pillow covers I made a few weeks ago? DH made fun of me for just putting the new covers over the old ones. Well, what am I going to do with the old ones? On another pillow cover topic, to add insult to injury, the fabric doesn’t even feel nice against our skin. Napping on the couch isn’t nearly as pleasant with those pillow covers. Ergh!

I saw a pillow on the ailyn-Nilya blog that I couldn’t stop looking at. Finally I clicked on the link and ended up on Flickr in the Ferris Wheel group. Ferris Wheel? Yes, the pattern kind of does look like a Ferris Wheel and, while I love the imagery, I also thought that the pattern looked like Jack’s Chain. I looked it up in Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns and the pattern is actually called Ferris Wheel – well, that is one of the names. It is also called Block Patchwork (boring name), Building blocks, Hexagon, Morning Glory and Wandering Paths, in addition to The Ferris Wheel. Jack’s Chain is similar, but has 9 patch blocks where the squares are placed in the The Ferris Wheel. Perhaps I will try The Ferris Wheel sometime. It looks like the makers used English Paper Piecing. I wonder if it would be horrific with Y seams? I should finish the Attack of the Hexies first.

Inspiration

I really like the images in the Basic Grey post from a few days ago.

Inspiration is a funny thing. You never know when it will show up, strike you, appear on your radar.

The hard part is what you have to recognize it when it shows up and seize it.

Seize it? Put it somewhere. Remember it. Keep track of it.

Here is what is inspiring me today:


A Little Sap

Carol's Kind Tweet
Carol’s Kind Tweet

Thanks to Carole for taking the time. Though I write this blog for myself, these kind of comments are another reason to continue on.

Chosen Colors

Russian Rubix Colors
Russian Rubix Colors

A week or so ago, I posted an article and some thoughts about a color story that matched the colors I was working on selecting for the 2.5″ strip project I wanted to make.

Over the weekend, I really had only a couple of hours to sew. Since I was behind Susan a bit on the Russian Rubix project, I decided to cut octagons from the fabrics I had selected for the 2.5″ strip project.

I know you must be thinking “what is she thinking!?!” Well, I was thinking that I really only needed 1-2 (at the most) strips for the 2.5″ strip project and that I could test out the color combination by using the same fabrics for the Russian Rubix project.

I may be wrong and may may have just cut up a bunch of fabric that I will need for something else. I may have cut up a bunch of fabric that I will be sick of using for projects by the time I have made two projects with it. I may hate the fabrics together, and have just cut up a bunch of fabrics in weird shapes that I won’t be able to use.

I really just needed something on the design wall.

Perhaps, for now, I am testing.

I cut a 2.5″ strip for the Jaye-roll project and a 3.75″ inch strip for the Russian Rubix and proceeded to use the RR templates to cut the octagons. I got about half way through cutting strips and octagons from the stack of fabrics I had selected and am pleased with the variety, the cohesiveness and the cheerfulness of the group.

I also cut enough so I could see how different fabrics interact with each other and on that level, I think this group is working.

Right now my biggest problem is background. It will be easier to audition backgrounds with smaller pieces available. The pattern has a white or Kona Snow background. I don’t know if I want to go that route, though I do think it would showcase-provide a nice backdrop? – for the colors of the fabric. I have been thinking grey. I wish P&B still made the Happy Go Lucky (?) grey I used in the A-B-C Challenge. I have some, but I don’t know if I have enough.

All of the above is speculation in my head. I have to get fabric out and look at it before I can decide for certain. Yes, I need to make visual decisions visually (thanks, Lorraine Torrence).

You might also like: