O9P Progresses

Octagon 9 Patch - mid-March 2015
Octagon 9 Patch – mid-March 2015

I don’t think I have made much progress but I am making some progress. I finished all of the extra octagons so the piece is much bigger. I have to make a few more just to complete one side. I also still have a lot of nine patches to make.

I am now out of grey squares and have to make a concentrated effort to cut a bunch more. It isn’t a big deal; I just have to do it.

Orange Crush Journal Cover

Outside of Cover before sewing
Outside of Cover before sewing

I started another journal cover using oranges pretty soon after I realized I wasn’t happy with the Pink Mermaid Tail Journal Cover. Last week I finished it and I didn’t even really realize that it was almost done. I really just had to put on one piece and had the top done. Gotta love those leaders and enders.

I went for larger pieces this time, so I wouldn’t have to deal with the seams that were so problematic last time. I still wanted to get small enough pieces so the piece wouldn’t be boring. In some way making these journal covers using mosaic quilting is a process of piece size, color, number of pieces, pattern, size of motifs. It may seem stupid, but somehow it feeds something inside of me. I can piece any way I want. I don’t have to worry about a block pattern; I can just piece and focus on color. Because I do these monochromatic – mostly – pieces I can also get rid of the worry about the combination of colors. All of these things boil the process down as far as I can right now.

Cover closed
Cover closed

Looking at the photo above, the cover looks like a bit of a mess, but once the journal cover is put together, it looks a lot better. The piecing is moved into visually manageable bites.

A lot of these fabric motifs are large prints or bold prints. I used a number of different Philip Jacobs prints. Lots of modern dots and other modern prints. I also added a few fruit and veg prints from the Food Quilt.

All Outside
All Outside

I never know how orange will act and I am always a little scared when I do a project with a  lot of orange, then I am pleasantly surprised at how it turns out. I like this journal cover. It is bright and cheerful. It uses some of my favorite fabrics and the seams don’t bug me.

You can see how different the piece looks when it is sewn (left). It is still a little visually crazy, but much more contained than the very top photo.

You’ll have to click on the photos above to see the actual insides of the journal cover. I don’t have control over the thumbnails.

I feel like this is one of my most successful journal covers.

Setting Up a Show

Steamers. Snickers. First Look. Bops on the hand.

Friday, I went to help set up the BAMQG area at the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association 40th Anniversary Show. I felt bad that I hadn’t been able to do it the past few years. I haven’t even ever been to that show!

The vendors were setting up as well and I saw Colleen (Sew Little Time Quilting) there. She has ALL of the American Made Brands solids and I have to say it took incredible willpower not to order half yards of all of them from her. She also has two of her Labyrinth quilts with her at the show. The patterns are finished and available.

This show is held in the same location as PIQF, but in a different hall (I think). I went late, but got there in time to help finish hanging the BAMQG quilts. Amanda, Kelly and Michelle had it well in hand. I added an extra pair of hands and driving skills.

Putting up with Poles
Putting up with Poles

There was some putting up and taking down, redoing and moving, but it went very smoothly. Kelly was well organized and Amanda has great project management skills. The quilt show has interesting tools for doing the hanging and some balance is required, especially for the larger quilts.

The biggest problem we ran into was the creases in the quilts. I know there isn’t much we can do about it in general, but Kelly decided we needed a steamer, but we needed a break and some of us were melting down from lack of food. We hopped in my car and went to lunch to decide on our next move. At lunch we decided that yes, we needed a steamer or a super duper steam iron. On the way back to finish our work, we stopped at Fry’s to see what they had.

Steamer
Steamer

We ended up buying a Conair Steamer and by ‘we’ I mean Kelly. There were 3 choices. We eliminated the travel version right away, because they didn’t have any (the hovering salesman who didn’t really add to our conversation, but wouldn’t leave told us) and after about 10 more seconds of deliberation Kelly decided on the Conair. We also got water, Snickers and an extension cord.

I have to say that steamers are the way to go. They don’t, however, absolve all sins, but it did a great job with the folds, etc, from storage. Kelly was really happy that she got it. The quilts looked better.

Funnily enough, everyone else at the quilt show came running over when they saw the steam, thinking there was a fire. When they saw what we were doing and that there wasn’t a fire, they thought we were brilliant. A few others, including the featured artist asked to borrow it. Every quilt show management should have one.

Bay Area Modern Banner Pre-Steamed

Pre-Steamed
Pre-Steamed

 

Bay Area Modern Banner Post-Steaming

Post Steaming
Post Steaming

We thought the quilting stood out a lot of more, though I think my phone photos don’t really do the work and expense justice.

 

All in all it was a good and fun day. I was glad I went despite the drive. I always enjoy hanging out with the BAMQGers!

Crafting for Politics

DH has to plan his Grand Parlor. This is the annual conference of his statewide organization, The Native Sons of the Golden West. As part of that, I am in charge of organizing some events for the Ladies. I have to create or decide on the following:

  • Ladies Luncheon table decorations
  • Ladies Luncheon party favors
  • Ladies Tea decorations
  • Cocktail party invitations
  • Cocktail party decorations
  • Ball table decorations
  • Who knows what else?

I am not sure this is everything and I don’t have to have everything finished until May 2017. This, endeavor, however has been on my mind since I found out what I have to do. It is reiterated periodically when I am handed a file of random papers or a large envelope appears in my mailbox.

I was thinking of asking you all to make fabric flowers. YOU, of course, would do a fantastic job, but, as you know, the quality of the items received can vary quite a bit and the judgment factor on all of these things will be high. I also wasn’t that excited about fabric flowers looking good enough after transport. I need to do a stellar job. I just couldn’t think of anything else.

Kelly and I went to lunch and I was telling her about my half baked idea. She suggested we go to Michael’s. What a brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of that? So off we went and we got about a million ideas.

Ladies Luncheon

This is probably the largest and most visible of the events. The Ladies Luncheon is usually a sit down lunch with assigned seating. There are table decorations, which are won at the end of the lunch, raffle baskets and party favors. The raffle baskets are well in hand as one lady already agreed to help. She has done it before and knows what the ladies like. I will have to see about that closer to the date. I should also start soliciting some nice things tht are more to my taste and style for the baskets just to mix it up a bit. Unlike with us, a basket of fabric or quilting supplies or sewing notions wouldn’t go over well. 🙁 Wine, food, kitchen supplies and chocolate are big winners. I am a big fan of nice soap, so I am thinking soap and bath things might be good as well. Cleaning supplies, which were big winners at the YM’s grammar school silent auction, might not project the right tone. I’ll have to get some more ideas.

Fruit crate
Fruit crate

DH wants his logo to be a fruit crate label (BTW, we need a Photoshop Pro to help us with this. Are you able?). I want to continue the theme, if possible, so first we headed to the Micheal’s wood area and looked at crates and things. This Paris crate was too big, but the painting looked like an idea that had possibilities. We could stencil all different California names onto the crates. UGH paint. Kelly, however, is not afraid of spray paint, so I put her in charge of the painting team.

Also, the Paris crate is too big. I would have to fill it with stuff and that is a lot of space to fill.

Michael's: smaller crates
Michael’s: smaller crates

We talked about using flower arranging foam to stick things into, but that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t have good ideas about what I would put in these crates. Smaller crates were available and there are other stores, so the crate idea is not completely dead.

The other thing is that stock will change. I need to either be flexible about the actual items and make the style the most important. For example, I could think ‘crates’ and just worry about getting all crates of about the same size.

Houston Dress Forms
Houston Dress Forms

I saw the most awesome dress forms in Houston. They were full size and covered in vintage looking paper. I loved the shape, the decoupage and the artistic expression of the female form.

I really wanted to carry one off with me. I don’t have the space in my house, so I left them. I couldn’t find any information about them, which was a shame, but I enjoyed them all the same. I think Friend Julie and my mom got sick of me wanting to walk by them all the time.

 

Michael's mini dress form
Michael’s mini dress form

When I saw this mini dress form, I remembered the Houston dress forms and thought that dress forms as table decorations would be perfect.

The black one I saw at Micheal’s was a good size, but covered in that weird, fake, short, toy fur, thus not perfect for decorating. Kelly, again, assured me that spray painting can cover a multitude of sins, but I don’t think the fur could be painted. Also, they only had one and I need 10-12. Of course, everything is available on the Internet, so I did a search and came up with a lot of hits. None of the sites presented themselves as those from which I could buy 12 paper mache’ dress forms between 12″-18″ suitable for decorating. I have some time and all hope is not lost. I am thrilled to have an idea that seems promising.

Possible Ladies Luncheon table decorations
Possible Ladies Luncheon table decorations

It is probably unlikely that I will turn the cages into anything, but I did like them. The fleur de lis on the top adds to the charm. I would have to figure out what to put inside and how much space they would take up on the table. People still have to be able to pass the dressing and talk over the table decorations.

Favor cans
Favor cans

Party favors are another aspect. Everyone gets a little something so they don’t feel bad when they don’t win the table decorations or the raffle baskets.

We walked down the wedding aisle and saw these cans, which could be filled with something. At a wedding they would be filled with Jordan Almonds. Xanax might be good, but hard to get and an ethical challenge. Bath salts are a possibility. I am almost certain I will get these for the favors.

Ladies Tea

The Ladies tea concept is much more fluid, more like an open house. People come in, have cakes and cookies, drink tea, walk around. They might sit on a couch or chair, but there are no tables or assigned seating.

Wooden trays
Wooden trays

I want it to be a fun atmosphere. These wooden trays could be painted and, perhaps, decorated with a California theme and then used for the cookies and treats. I think they are very elegant. I think if painted the right way, they could be fun and the elegance would add to everything not detract.

I saw pennant kits, pinwheel kits and paper lanterns. I think these will be colorful and great. I don’t need to buy a kit to make pennants. There is plenty of fabric in this house and lots of tutorials online. I can start with them and just keep making one long strand until 2017!

Using Flower Arranging Foam
Using Flower Arranging Foam

The flower arranging foam could definitely be used to hold the pinwheels up. the example (right) also used the fruit crate.

I could also use chipboard dress forms to bring the theme from the Ladies Lunch forward to the Tea… somehow.

Cocktail Party

I don’t think anything pink or cheerful can be used at the cocktail party. Fortunately, the decorations are not that elaborate. I do want some kind of special table decorations. Perhaps more of the scattered around the room type and fewer? Perhaps the cages would work here?

As crazy as it sounds, I am currently enamoured with The Night Circus, a novel by Erin Morgenstern. I am thinking of a black & white theme for the decorations. Black and white stripes?

The trays from above could be used again for the canapes, but these would not be black and white, so perhaps sticking with a California theme would be best. Hollywood opening night type of feeling, if not theme?

I have to deal with the invitations, which need to be engraved (or similar). I don’t think they need to be personalized, but I need to know the time and location so I can get them printed in advance.

As you can tell, I am less sure about this. I have thought the most about the Ladies Luncheon.

Ball Table Decorations

Yes, there is a Ball. It is mostly black tie and my outfit is prescribed. I have to wear an all white dress. UGH! I don’t mind getting dressed up, but white? UGH!I had a brainwave the other day, though. I have a seamstress who has been altering clothes for me as I have lost weight. She could make a pattern and make a dress from it! This makes me feel much better, more hopeful that I won’t look like a big white puffball.

Perhaps the cages will work for the ball? There are many more tables, though, which means 30-40 (or more???) table decorations and those cages are large. I don’t know how we would transport the cages. We might need a U-Haul for all of the decorations.

Budget

One big thing is who is going to pay for all of this. There are notes in the papers I have been given and I just have to get the idea into my head and confirm who is paying for what. Having until 2017 means I can use the 40%-type coupons over time to buy various supplies. Of course, I have to pay attention to the stores still having the same item — or, again, be flexible.

If you ever wondered what in the world you would with a smartphone, now you know: take photos of ideas and possibilities so you remember.

I am constantly concerned that my style will raise some eyebrows. I am going with it, though. I am at least 20 years younger than most of the women who attend. I have to do what feels right as well. Regardless, I feel so much better that the decorations won’t be a complete failure and about this whole endeavor in general; I can’t even tell you.

 

Creative Prompt #301: Mitten

Pretty soon this will no longer be relevant as spring is well and truly here, in California, and signs of spring are even showing in the depths of upstate New York. That means you should get out your watercolors, pastels, musical notation books and create something from this prompt.

winter hand covering

mitten string

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 get familiar with your blog or website.

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.

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

Definition: “a glove with two sections, one for the thumb and the other for all four fingers. (informal :boxing gloves)” (Google)

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Used in chat sites, like two thumbs up. A person who likes a response in a thread will post a picture of two mittens with the thumbs pointing upward.

Discover Mitten, a leading manufacturer and distributor of premium exterior building products for International customers in Canada, USA and Europe.

Koala mittens

mitten siding

Chinese Mitten Crabs

Christopher Mitten

#ifoundyourmitten

The Mitten Building

Mitten flask

Mitten Mavens roller derby

The humorous story retells the traditional Ukrainian wintertime tale of several animals squeezing into a mitten to stay warm.

Professor Mitten is the Director of theNational Sports Law Institute and the LL.M. in Sports Law program for foreign lawyers at Marquette University Law School.

Mitten Munch Trail Bars

The Mitten is a wintery blend of last season’s best cider aged in bourbon barrels with fresh pressed apple juice from the new harvest.

Mitten im Leben

Mercury Retrograde Body Mitten! Feeling wobbly, forgetful, and introverted during this Mercury retrograde cycle?

 

Star Sampler – Another View

One of the things that makes me feel really good is when someone tells me that a project I made inspired them.

Lynnette's Star Sampler
Lynnette’s Star Sampler

At a recent Sew Day, Lynnette was laying out star blocks that looked suspiciously like my Star Sampler, but in really awesome colors. She told me that my Star Sampler had inspired her.

Ooooh! I inspired someone. That feeling is awesome.

I know the colors are hard to see, but it is in shades of white, plum and grey. It will be a gift. That told me that Lynnette is a better person than I am. I am just thrilled to see another version IRL of the Star Sampler.

O9P

Getting the Black & Grey Teenaged Boy Donation Quilt off the design wall allowed me, as I had wished, to put the Octagon Nine Patch up on the wall.

Octagon 9 Patch - March 2015
Octagon 9 Patch – March 2015

It looks so little. You know I make big quilts so this one just looks weird.

I could cut more octagons and make it bigger, but the pieces are really small and piecing the blocks takes forever.

I have a few more octagons that are in the process of being sewn into Snowballs, so the piece will be a bit bigger, but it won’t be bed sized.

I can add a border and I do have an idea for that already, so that will also enlarge it.

I could also just be okay with the size that it is.

Octagon 9 Patch - March 2015 detail
Octagon 9 Patch – March 2015 detail

There are a lot of warm colors and I may need to cut a few octagons from cool colors, but I am not going to decide until I have more 9 patches completed and all the octagons are made into Snowballs.

More Lanyards

Awhile ago, I talked about the lanyard I made for a swap and put up a sort of tutorial about making it. That Orphan Block lanyard came out pretty well and I was pleased.

As BAMQG is part of the Modern Quilt Guild, I got a pin. It has been lying on my desk and I finally decided to make a lanyard. I didn’t want to do a complete orphan block lanyard this time, because of the seam allowances. To much piecing makes lumps. I wanted it to be interesting so I used some of the larger scraps from my cutting table.

Lumps and floops
Lumps and floops

It went together pretty well and relatively quickly. Still: UGH! I don’t like the way it looks.

Fresh Fruit Lanyard
Fresh Fruit Lanyard

It is cute and cheerful and not terrible, but the seam allowances made it lumpier than I wanted. I forgot to make the upper loop insert a smaller width than the main part of the lanyard, so the lump is even more prominent.

True to form, I let the process options rumble around in my head as I went about my business and decided to make another, starting much more simply: with just one strip of fabric. I used the By The Sea by Gillian Fullard/ London Portfolio Series by Michael Miller fabric. This is the same fabric I used in the recent Ocean Going Journal.

Ocean Going Lanyard Upper Loop detail
Ocean Going Lanyard Upper Loop detail

The upper loop, which I like so the name tag is near my face and not even with my belly button, confounded me for awhile until I realized that I could make it much smoother by making it from part of the hemmed fabric. I folded up the length of hemmed fabric rather that inserting a different piece. The loop also turned out to be much smaller.

The tricky part was to make sure the metal circle was in the right place. That took a bit of fiddling and trying, but wasn’t difficult.

Of course, using the length of original piece to make the loop led to length issues for the overall lanyard. I still haven’t quite worked out the best length. Still, that little trick made a much smoother upper loop AND, and as an added bonus, prevented the loop from being too long and floopy.

Ocean Going Lanyard
Ocean Going Lanyard

Now my BAMQG pins and things are ensconced on my new lanyard and I can’t wait to give it a trial run.

Of course, I have to make another just to perfect my technique and, possibly, write another tutorial.

Sampler Quilt: Basket pt.1

Frances finally let me know she was ready to move on with her sampler quilt. We decided to make the Flower Basket Block, so I sent her the pattern, promised the tutorial and did nothing.

Christmas got in the way.

I wasn’t in the mood.

I had to finish another tutorial.

I have a lot of projects on which to work.

My muse was on vacation.

Finally!

Christmas was over.

I was in the mood.

The other tutorial was finished.

The projects will wait and my muse was back.

I was shocked to find that the last tutorial I did for this project was last year! I really should do them in advance. Perhaps for the next block?

Regardless, I am now ready to show you how to make the Flower Basket block, the next block in our Sampler Quilt Class.

Flower Basket
Flower Basket

These directions are for machine sewing your Flower Basket and include a little applique’, which can be done by machine or hand.

Will you play along?

Complete Supply List

  • Flower Basket Directions & Templates
  • paper scissors
  • mechanical pencil
  • thin Pigma pen (or similar)
  • template plastic
  • glue stick
  • 2 (or more) foreground fabrics
  • 12.5″ x 12.5″ piece of background fabric, which you will cut in half
  • FQ of same background fabric
  • Rotary ruler, including a long one, such as Creative Grids 4.5″x18.5″
  • Rotary cutter
  • Fabric scissors
  • thread
  • pins
  • Stiletto
  • Design wall or sandpaper board
  • sewing machine

Optional

Important information:

  • Block is 12.5″ unfinished, 12″ finished
  • These directions use a quarter inch seam allowance. Check your seam allowance before you begin. If you don’t know how to do that, there are resources available, including one from Connecting Threads and another from Craftsy. You can search the web for others if you don’t like these.
  • You will be directed to use the Triangle Technique. Make sure you have the chart as well as the instructions handy.
  • Respect the bias.

Templates

You really only a need a template for the basket handle. If you are using templates for all of your pieces, then prepare all the templates for pieces in the patterns as directed below.

Prepare pattern for your basket handle template by printing two copies of the pattern. I am telling you to do this first so when you get into the throes of sewing you won’t have to stop and fiddle around with templates.

You will eventually place one copy of the pattern in your binder, but keep it handy so you can use it as reference.

Nota bene: You probably know how to make templates. However, I am including a quick refresher. Look for a comprehensive tutorial soon. (I’ll update this post and link it from here)

  • Rough cut* the handle pattern out of the second printout.
Rough Cut Pattern
Rough Cut Pattern
    • Glue the paper pattern (with seam allowances) using the glue stick (or other suitable adhesive) to the template plastic.
Ok to use scraps of template plastic
Ok to use scraps of template plastic

It is okay to use scraps of template plastic. Put a piece of tape on seam lines to keep the joins stiff.

Fine cut templates
Fine cut templates
  • Fine cut** the paper pattern and template plastic you have adhered so you have an accurate template, cutting off any seam allowance that may have printed.

DSCN0125smIf you plan to machine sew the handle at all, you will want to prepare another basket handle template, in the same manner, without seam allowance.

Fabric

Gather your fabric and press it all. You can rough cut some pieces and press it with Mary Ellen’s Best Press to help deal with the bias. Consider this step for the large background triangle and the basket handle.

Cutting

Flower Basket
Flower Basket

Basket Handle
In my example basket, above (same as at the beginning of the post), this fabric is the medium blue.

Lay out template piece
Lay out template piece

Draw around the template with your black fine tip marker. Rough cut a piece of fabric large enough for your basket handle.

Place template face down on fabric
Place template face down on fabric

Place your handle template right side down on the wrong side of the fabric. Trace around the template carefully with your Pigma pen. Trace carefully without pulling or tugging at the fabric. You will be dealing with some bias on the curves. You will need to carefully move your hand along the template to keep it in place while you trace. Use the Pigma pen with a light touch.

Cut out handle
Cut out handle

Using your fabric scissors, cut around the traced image, cutting the drawn line off. If you are using a template with no seam allowance, leave approximately a quarter inch seam allowance on all sides.

Background:
In my example, above, this fabric is the blue Michael Miller Ta Dot with white dots.

Measure background
Measure background

Measure the template for the large triangle of background fabric. It should be 10″ on each of the outside edges WITH seam allowance. Cut a square 10.5″ x 10.5″. You can trim it later. Better safe than sorry. Press the square with Mary Ellen’s Best Press.

Cut square on diagonal
Cut square on diagonal

Cut the square in half along the diagonal.

Cut the following additional pieces according to the measurements given:

Background fabric:

    • 2 patches: 2.5″x8.5″
Nip off Bunny Ears
Nip off Bunny Ears
  • 1 patch: square 4 7/8″x 4 7/8″. Cut in half. Nip off the bunny ears with the Judy Martin Point Trimmer
  • 1 square: 5″ x 5″. Cut in half on the diagonal and set your second triangle aside
  • Remember: you have already cut the large background triangle
Cut some pieces from extra background triangle
Cut some pieces from extra background triangle

You can cut some of the background pieces out of the leftover triangle.

Foreground fabric:

The foreground fabric is used for the basket. You will need at least two fabrics for this part. In my example I am using a scarlet red and a medium blue. See picture above for placement of foreground fabrics.

    • 1 square: 2.5″ square
    • For the HSTs, you will need 2 squares, according to the Triangle Technique Chart, 6.25″ x 6.25″. Each square should be from a different foreground fabric. See the picture above.
      • Nota bene: The above Triangle Technique only yields 8 HSTs. You can make another set using the Triangle Technique directions and have some extras, or you can cut the triangles themselves
    • 1 square 2.5″ x 2.5″
Cut triangles
Cut triangles
Cut squares in half
Cut squares in half
  • Cut 4 squares 2 7/8 in by 2 7/8 in the second background fabric (red in my project). Cut in half. These are the base and top line of your flower basket.
Cut Pieces
Cut Pieces

You should now have all of your pieces cut. Look for the next part of the tutorial on sewing the block together.

 

 

* Rough cut means that you cut around the outside line and a little away from it, leaving some extra paper. This helps to position the template properly and eventually cut it accurately.

** Fine cut means that you cut the template out very exactly and carefully getting rid of any extra paper and template material used when you rough cut. This is the shape you will use to cut your fabric so prepare this step with care.

Blue Lemonade Squares

Squares from TFQ
Squares from TFQ

I am a cheap date.

These squares arrived in the mail for me last week and I felt like a kid at Christmas. It was so fun to receive an unexpected batch of fabric. I really had a good time looking through them and imagining their placement in the Blue Lemonade quilt.

I have made good progress lately on Hunting & Gathering. Between these, the ones Mom cut for me and the squares I have cut for myself lately, there is a nice little pile accumulating.

I am still definitely in the Hunting & Gathering stage. I will be until I, at least, figure out how many patches I need. I do think this quilt will definitely happen.

I think I have 3 blue quilts in process and I wonder if I will get sick of them before the last one is finished?

 

Quilts Come Home

Friend Julie and I went to Colleen’s last Friday and picked up quilts.

I picked up 2 quilts, which now need to be bound. Julie picked up her giant Christmas quilt. We went to Dharma, Flourcraft and had lunch at the Miracle Mile Cafe.

Colleen is finally getting back into the swing after her family challenges. She is caught up on quilting quilts and is starting to design patterns again. She is working on a group of patterns with a labyrinth theme. They are gorgeous and the construction uses a technique that keeps them very straight. I will share more information with you when she gets to a point where you can buy them.

Julie picked up her giant Christmas quilt, which she showed at the CQFA Meeting. It is a full on scrap quilt and really epitomizes Julie’s exuberant nature.

I picked up the FOTY 2013 and the Russian Rubix. I didn’t remember FOTY 2013 until the morning of when I was in the shower. I am very pleased to have it home and am in the process of hand sewing the binding. After that I will work on the Russian Rubix. I thought I might get RR done in time to enter into the SCVQA Show, but I don’t think so. It is in two weeks and I have done no paperwork, contacted nobody. I’ll enter it into something else later in the year.

Silk ribbon
Silk ribbon

Julie needed to stock up on dyes and dyeing supplies, so we went to Dharma. I never feel like there is much there for me there, but I bought a couple of bottles of Retayne and some gifts. I always enjoy looking at the yarns. They are such beautiful colors and feel so soft.

Julie and I shared the purchase of on skein of some PFD silk ribbon. I wasn’t even thinking about until she showed it to me and said that we could lay it on other fabric and color it or paint it. Once she said that I was a goner. I couldn’t get the process out of my head, especially with the Tsukineko Ink experience fresh in my mind. She put it back, but I said I would share it with her.

After Dharma, we went to lunch. There is a cafe, which has a lot of gluten free options. I had GF Eggs Benedict. It is so nice to order straight off the menu and not have to go over ingredients with the server. It makes me feel like a real person. We sat for awhile and then headed over to Flourcraft, which is a gluten free bakery. I was full as a goog, but we sat and had coffee and cake anyway. I stuffed a piece of orange bundt cake into my stomach AND bought two scones for later. Again, I can’t tell you who a treat it is to go into some shop and buy whatever I want without worrying about wheat flour. It was nice to sit there and look out the large windows. The clouds were big and fluffy and gorgeous that day, so the sun was, on and off, peeking through to give a blast-like sunbeam. I definitely did not eat pizza for dinner. I just had a salad while the boys ate pizza.

We stopped at a small toy/craft shop called Doodlebug as well. They have a lot of fun toys, but also craft supplies. They also have pottery to paint. Their button selection is almost as good as Britex, but veering towards kids themed.

It was supposed to be a leisurely day, visiting with each other and doing fun stuff. We did fun stuff and we visited, but we also went and went and went and it felt a little like a marathon. A VERY fun marathon. 😉

Creative Prompt #300: Gateway

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 get familiar with your blog or website.

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.

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

Gateway Arch

Golden Gateway Commons, San Francisco

Gateway Inc., is an American computer hardware company based in Irvine, California, which develops, manufactures, supports, and markets a wide range of personal computers.

medical claims processing & clearinghouse solution

The National Library of Medicine Gateway allows users to search in multiple retrieval systems at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

A gateway is a network point that acts as an entrance to another network.

An object that encapsulates access to an external system or resource.

Development Gateway empowers international development professionals, governments, and citizens with the knowledge they need to improve lives.

The WWW/Z39.50 gateway to LC server and other servers.

Peninsula Gateway newspaper in Gig Harbor, WA is proud to offer you local news coverage online.

Gateway Healthcare is a non-profit behavioral health care organization that provides a wide array of services to adults, children and families in Rhode Island.

Located on a converted rail-trail, the Gateway State Trail offers 18 miles of paved trail for non-motorized use. The trail begins in the city of St. Paul.

The USPS Business Customer Gateway provides access to the entire suite of tools and services offered to the United States Postal Service’s business customers .

GATEWAY helps you make sense of the various methods for measuring and analysing corruption.

gateway drug

Computing

Companies

Places

Australia

Canada

Hong Kong

India

Singapore

South Africa

United States

Music

Fiction

Other uses

See also

Various & Sundry #3- Early March

It took me over a year to get up to 100 followers on the AQ Facebook page (check the sidebar for a link). In the past few weeks, I have gotten 30+. I guess this is what pundits mean by reaching critical mass. Thanks, everyone!

I received an envelope from my dad the other day with a brochure and a page of photos from the Tillamook County Quilt Trails. I looked on the web and found they have a web page! This trail debuted at the Tillamook County Fair in August 2009 with 13 quilt blocks. There are now 101 blocks included along the trail map. I was thrilled to learn that my dad had chased around the county to see these colorful quilt blocks.  He has started living life out loud a little more, which really makes me happy. Quilts are everywhere!

Projects, Patterns, Tutorials & Classes

Katie of Katie’s Quilting Corner has posted a tutorial for the QuiltSmart Gadget Cushion. I might need one to keep my phone handy when I am trying to participate in a Google Hangout with the other Twilters.

April Rosenthal has a rotary cutting tutorial.

I saw this GREAT free motion quilting project via a tweet from Elly at Aurifil. I love it. It isn’t cutesy and looks small enough to be a good practice piece.

Little Bluebell has put up a tutorial on HRTs. “HRTs?, you say” Half Rectangle Triangles. I don’t know if that is the correct name, but you get the idea. It makes me want to pull out my BiRangle and find the book I bought with it back in the last century and make some rectangle quilts.

Your path to a new bag is here! Sara of Sew Sweetness has a new bag pattern called the Holland Bag. I like that she shows so many fabric options and lots of inside bag photos in her post.

The newest Snapshots block is out and it is a sewing machine! This QAL is a fundraiser for St. Jude’s Research Hospital. The goal of $10,000 was reached in a month, which means that 2000 of you sent in the requested $5!  They have upped the FQS goal to $20,000! The suggestion is that you donate $5 for each block pattern downloaded. Wouldn’t it be great if the total donation was $10,000 per block pattern??

Need some organization? Want to make a matching set? A recent post shows 12 patterns for organizing your workroom.

American Patchwork and Quilting has a four patch quilt-a-long as well. There is a link to a number of designers who are in on the QAL and the hashtag for Twitter and Instagram is #APQquiltalong. I like April Rosenthal’s ‘Buried Treasure.’ I am sure her block has been around, but I didn’t take the time to look it up. Using Corner Store blocks to connect the four patches is a great idea!

Carol, the art quilt queen turned me on to the Rainbow Challenge. This month’s color is yellow. The main challenge page talks a little about the challenge, which has the main point of using up scraps.

Enrollment now open for EQU online classes. the following classes were advertised in the latest EQ newsletter:

Fabric, Tools, Books & Supplies

Gretchen reviews a Double Wedding Ring book.

I saw looking at the AQS catalog. I saw a task lamp called the Stella Task LED Lamp (item #6289). It has a flexible arm and has a special type of bulb to make it convenient to transport, because it won’t break. The ad claims that it still be working after 12 years. This looks great, but I am concerned that the bulbs will not last for 12 years and will be quite expensive.

Katie has a beautiful way of storing scraps. Not only do they look good, but you can enjoy the colors of the scraps as well.

Articles & Information

Someone pointed me in the direction of the American Craft Council article called The Healing Powers of Craft by Monica Moses. It is less an article that a catalog of the health benefits pointing to the beneficial effects while pointing the reader to the articles that discuss the point. I wonder if the converse is true. Will I not be as healthy if I work instead of sew when I am under a deadline? Are people, in general, less healthy if they do not make or repair?

Jennifer Ackermann-Haywood is ending her stint with mlive and focusing on CraftSanity again. Read her last article for mlive.com.

Even quiltmakers ‘get’ rides in police cars sometimes.

Shows, Events & Meetings

SCVQA Show: Saturday, March 14, 2015 from 10am – 5pm and Sunday, March 15, 2015 from 10am – 4pm.

Art Quilt discussion: March 19, 7:30 pm Richmond Branch of the San Francisco Public Library

San Francisco Quilter’s Guild Show: March 20-21.

Sonoma Museum of Art: Unconventional and Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000, February 14-May 17, 2015

Other Artists

I not always a fan of the quilts that look like they were made from the Stack ‘n Whack technique. The name bugs me. Still, this quilt by Hilda is wonderful. I don’t know if it is the red or the gradation.

OMG! Frances did a video of her Mosaic quilt. Amazing!

NQR

In case you want to catch up with Outlander before the new season comes out in April, the Star series version is now on Blu-ray  and DVD.