Jack Rabbit-- Rough Cold Companion

I have been ill, my friends. Eye-watering coughing fits, phlegm hacking, low-grade temperature... 'Tis the Season, alright.

To stave off the feeling of worthlessness while doing next to nothing for so many days, laying on the sofa, taking lots of medication, I did what I usually do in situations like this. I turned to my handy crochet hooks and various yarns and started on something fun and sweet, to occupy my time.

And then Jack Rabbit was born. :-)



I even went so far as to make him a hat, tall and striped to match his sweater. I saw something similar on a site somewhere (can't remember exactly where, sorry) and sort of stuck the idea of attaching the head to the body in this manner, made all in one piece. None of Jack came from a pattern-- it is free-hand crochet, made up as I went, under the influence of Dayquil and Mucinex.

He's really good at Hide-N-Seek.



I love to sew on patches of felt for details, and it allows me to sew details for facial features as well, that don't get lost in the texture of the yarn.





Anyway, hope you enjoyed this off-shoot from quilting. I've been job-hunting, and have had to put up the sewing machine for a bit. I will return to that soon enough, but in the meantime, Jack and I are going to take in a little TV and heal up some more. Peace to you all.

Happy Halloween!

It is right around the corner, and I can smell it in the air outside, hear it in the crunch of leaves underfoot, and taste it in the pre-opened bag of candy we have been nibbling on. HALLOWEEN!!!

Okay, so I didn't finish the 'All Hallow's Eve Harmony' quilt that I was working on before getting the table runners ready for my mom's charity event. Despite the delay, I will soon be working on it with RELISH! In the meantime, for a fall treat, I give you photos of the smaller table runner I sent for the raffle along with the larger Harvest runner from before.


The fabric is wonderful, a purchase from Red Hen Fabrics, and the original was made by a lady who works there named Alta- a lovely, helpful person who taught a paper piecing class I took. She hooked me up with the right amount of fabrics and VOILA! A fully reversible, lovely little piece that fits neatly on any table!


And the lovely back...



I was happy to use the branch-looking specialty stitch on my machine for the purple solid lines, and was introduced to SULKY variegated thread. At first, I wasn't sure it would work right as the thread is a bit thicker than the usual thread I use, but it worked like a DREAM! And the colors are incredible! The Sulky thread is pricier, but so, so, so worth it, in my opinion.

A fantastic experience, and a FAST project! I'll be sure to put smaller whole-piece table runners on my new Etsy site that will be up within the week. I'll keep you posted. :)

Harvest Table Runner

Looking at this in place on my own table (which is NOT a nicely finished table--it's a working sewing/crafting/painting table) I can almost smell a turkey in the oven. Mmmmm...ahhhh...Thanksgiving is upon us!


The center nine-patch squares are straight-stitched, in the ditch and also diagonally.

A true stretch for me: pointed on each end with 30 degree angles!


I've made this table runner for a charity that my mom is putting together, and this item will be up for grabs at a raffle. It is VERY long for a runner, I think, measuring approx. 2' X 6'8", but that is to accommodate the usually lengthy family dining tables of the deep south-- which is where the charity is being held. I'm going to make a smaller one, that can be used during any time of the year, with just a hint of fall flavor to it, but is not pieced which will allow me to assemble it in less time. This runner took me about... oh... three weeks? But could have been done in about a week and a half if so many other things had not interrupted the process. Still, it's finished on time for the function, and will be shipped next week, once I get the other one done.

Working with these colors has really geared me up for cooking on Thanksgiving! ;-)

Update: Fabric Has Been Sorted

Whew!... It only took, what...three days? I didn't even iron everything, just the most gnarled up bits of fabric that wouldn't lay flat. But finally, I am DONE. (patting myself on the back)



The most fabric I had were greens, though blue was a close second. My favorite colors, so that wasn't a surprise. And yes, as my best friend pointed out, I only barely fit the fabric stash in the new cabinet, meaning that there is a whole other storage issue as yet to be addressed, for threads, batting, cutting tools and other accoutrements BUT this is a noble start, and definitely the majority of the battle.



Now then. Back to the projects at hand. Table runners in a Thanksgiving theme for mom's charity raffle, and THEN back to the All Hallow's Eve Harmony quilt. Busy, busy, busy, and lovin' it.

The First Quilt

...Grandma is doing better, though still not out of the woods. She LOVED the pillow, and we got to talk about it, about quilting and things, and it was wonderful to just spend that time with her.

My mom brought a special treat for me; the wall hanging quilt that I made for her in 2004. I hadn't even recalled what it looked like! I hand quilted it, too, all hand-appliqued including sewing the binding. It was incredible to look at those stitches and remember those patterns I picked out for it. I used parts of other patterns that I liked, too, ever the free-formist.



Thank you, mom, for bringing it! Love you!

Gramma's Pillow

Hello, and yes...I have been working on the Hallow's Eve quilt blocks, have no fear! I will post new pics soon of the most recent ones, and only two blocks to go!

However, I have postponed that work to finish a project that has been very near my heart, and could no longer wait. It was time to make my gramma's pillow. She has been in and out of the hospital, and is stabilized now, but it has been a difficult road most recently. The call went out from her daughters to her friends and family, that the time to make a trip to see her was at hand.

I'm on my way down to Defuniak Springs tomorrow, with my son in tow. And her pillow. Below are the pictures I just took, pre-wash, and will supply more once I'm able to hand it over to her.


Above is the main block, created four times. Love them chickens, I hope they make her smile they like they make me smile!


Personalized with a tag, written in Pigma Permanant Pen.


I saw this as the 'secret heart' of the pillow, as it shows the back of my blanket stitched applique-- and won't easily be seen as it is inside the pillow case. Here it is in detail, front side up. I love you grandma, hope you're feeling fine...xoxo

East Cobb Quilt Guild Show

Lovely.
Transfixing.
Mesmerizing.
Not to mention overwhelming. 8-)

Mmmmm... aisles of quilts and vendors for days! I LOVE the quilt show when it comes to Marietta! But there were so many quilts to look at and admire and oooo and ahhh over! I took photos of the ones that stood out to me, personally, and want to post them, but will do so in digestible increments. The above quilter is one of the big winners, and I can see why. Every square has loving detail, be it in embroidery or in her skill with patchwork. Nothing lacks for workmanship and detail. I stood gazing at this for a long, long while.



Here are a few of my other favorite things:


I loved the name, 'Thistles in Jail', and was really enamored with her hand-applique. Just phenomenal!


It is incredible to see that such exact accuracy exists in the world of quilt piecing. Makes me want to rip a few seams of my own out and try it again.


The samplers really appeal to me! I love the variety, and how one pattern won't wear you down with repetitiveness. This was handsomely done! Might grab a few of these blocks myself...


I just loved the biological feel to this, like I was looking at an artistic rendition of something on a cellular level. Too cool.


And finally for this intallment, this insane hand-appliqued gazebo. It was a wedding quilt, I believe, but the level of detail was just jaw-dropping. SO MANY STITCHES!!!

My respect and admiration to the many quilt artisans who contributed to the show...I bow before your skillz!

All Hallow's Eve Harmony Blocks

Just zipping along with the blocks this past week, and by 'zipping', I mean, cutting and ironing and drawing and planning and miscalculating... Apparently I have a process and it involves lots of all of the above before I even stitch a square. BUT! Below you can see the first block of the upper left-hand corner FINISHED! I'm so glad, too. I am having to cut down the 'solid' squares as I go, as they no longer measure 3 1/2 inches once joined as triangles in the middle, but I would rather trim down then start all over again. Any day. :)

My original sketch with the 'color coded' shaded in and labelled to make sure that there would be some sense in fabric placement:



And so now I am off to sew up the pieces of my 2nd block, shown here next to the first. They look very different, but if my drawing serves me right, it will all make sense in the end.



Lastly... LOOK! This fabulous backing fabric was found SO close to my home, I cannot tell you how excited I was to finally find RED HEN FABRICS! It's a perfect match, and beats the other one I had picked out. If this quilt gets used and doesn't get hung on the wall, this backing will be soft, not to mention how well it matches the front colors.



If you are in the Marietta/Georgia area, please check out Red Hen! I met Nancy and Helena there, and they were extremely warm and informative-- it was such a pleasure to meet those ladies! They have a booth in the Cobb County Quilter's Guild Show next weekend, and I am extremely stoked about going, and seeing their booth there! I will, of course, post pictures of the show. :D Happy Stitching!

Fall Is In The Air...

September-- ahhh the sweet, sweet cool air has finally descended upon us. FINALLY. :0) Of course, I make no mistake in understanding that here in the southeast, it can go back up to 90 something with the blink of Mother Nature's eyelash. But for now...

I could not resist, after making the pinwheels for the last pillow, looking up a pattern for a star block. I've heard them called Ohio stars, too, but not sure if this is the same thing. Anyway, it's an easy star, all things considered. I couldn't find a pattern that quite suited my hunger for Halloween and Autumn fabrics, which I have been collecting here and there for a few months now. So, in the true spirit of pioneering, I drafted my own to suit my needs.

Here is a taste of the fabrics that will be used and the very sketchy plans. Mmmm... Smells like pumpkin pie and crushed leaves already.

Finished Bargello Pillow!

YAY!!!

Finished it, quilted it, and then watched my husband sleep on it in comfort. It is a nice, large size compared to what I usually do, and I loved making it. Plus, it stays here at home and *I* get to use it, too!

Pinwheels Tutorial

I have been having FUN!!! I've decided that I LOVE making pinwheels! There is so much one can do with those little triangle-y square doo-dads, and they are turning out to be the perfect compliment to finish out the edges of the Bargello pillow quilt.

Here is a photographic walk-through on how I make pinwheels, taking hints from various sources. I actually DID figure out the math this time, and was spot-on, so very proud of myself there. (pat, pat, pat on the back) Only measured the length of each square side before cutting the initial strips-- none of that 'hypotenuse' stuff, believe me. (My 7th grade son would be embarassed about my lack of math retention...)




Step 1: Cut even-sized strips of alternating contrasting colors, then cut into squares. (Mine are 3 1/4", to make a 5"X5" finished pinwheel)

Step 2: Face one of each color square, right-sides together, as exact from tip to tip as possible. With fabric pencil or pen, draw across the square diagonally. (Diagon Alley??) Now sew with your 1/4" mark on the presser foot lined up with the drawn line, going down both sides of the line. You are creating two sets of joined triangles per each square.

Step 3: Cut down the line from corner to corner of each square.



Step 4: Press the triangles open on 'high' setting of iron, if working with cotton. It takes four of these joined squares to make one pinwheel. Eight total triangles.



Step 5: Cut off overhanging tips and threads to neaten squares. At this point, I arrange the pinwheels just to keep my mind straight on how to pin them together.



Step 6: Pin the correct sides together, making sure that they are congruent with the pattern your pinwheel needs. Once you get the first set correct, they are all the same after that, they simply get rotated into position. The pins not only hold the correct pieces together, but are also to remind me which sides I am sewing together. I also sew them at this point one after another, feeding the next after coming off the last, and then cut them apart when finished.



Step 7: Press your rectangles open. The 'point' of your pinwheel half should fall about 1/4" short from the edge-- this is exactly what you want when you go to sew the two sides together, as it is your seam allowance.



Step 8: Pin the two halves of the rectangle PRECISELY, (right sides facing together) after making sure you rotate one half to create the pinwheel. I drive one guide pin up through the point of one rectangle, and then spear the second half again right through the other point, then line up the corners keeping the pin in place. With that center guide pin, you can then pin the rest of the side and know that, when you sew down that center seam, your points will be touching. I take out the guide pin before sewing-- I found that, when I laid it over to push through the rest of the fabric, it would shift the top over and the centers were no longer aligned. The photo shows the guide pin still straight up and down at the points before being removed, having already pinned the side in place. Sew with 1/4" seam allowance.



Step 9: Press the center seam open, and press it hard! I press first from the bottom, and then on the top side of the pinwheel. And VOILA! It's ready to sew as a square!




Just as an aside***
I had some fun arranging the initial split squares to see how they would look in other designs. The geometry can do some really fascinating things when aligned in various ways. Below is an accent pillow I MUST make to compliment the main pillow when this is done, as the colors will be the same palette, but wow, what a difference swapping out two corners of a pinwheel can make!



Below is the layout now for the bargello pillow, along with the framing strips sewn in place. There will be final strips on the outside of the pinwheels as well to anchor the sides, and then it will be time to quilt!!!



I will be back to post more soon, will put up a picture of the finished top before beginning to quilt it. Thanks for sharing this with me, it's exciting stuff! :)