Paducah in Springtime

Posted on April 26, 2016 by edges

For the first time ever, I headed out to Paducah for AQS QuiltWeek. It’s almost impossible to get a hotel there during that time. But a local expert who teaches every year had a conflicting teaching engagement and offered her room to me and a fellow quilter, with the request that we book it again for her next year….a great chance to see the show!

This opportunity came up fairly quickly, so I didn’t book any classes. The two of us were free to roam around the town in addition to the convention center and National Quilt Museum. Paducah is an industrial town, with a lot of old world charm and history…cobblestone streets, cozy shops and restaurants, and a beautiful riverfront area with a flood wall painted in murals that tell the town’s history.

The convention itself is enormous, with vendors spread out on two floors and a separate pavillion. This made it a bit confusing to find everything, and certainly a lot to walk through.

Along the way, we found local art quilter Emily Parson, with her quilt on display in the gallery.

Is that teal color stunning or what? The quilt pattern – Windy – is available now at Emily’s etsy shop. Check out her website or contact her at info@emilyquilts.com for more teaching information.

No trip to Paducah is complete without a stop at Hancock’s of Paducah.

I tried to take a panoramic shot of the store, so you could kind of see how enormous it is, but I don’t think it captures the whole thing. It’s an overwhelming adventure in itself and women were going by with cartloads full of bolts.

Finally, I highly recommend a stop at Kirchoff’s Bakery downtown. What a place to have a special treat–old fashioned bakery goods with artisan breads, muffins, and cookies. (Of course, you don’t want to miss the boy scout strawberry shortcake just outside at the convention center either!) Whatever else happens, you won’t starve in Paducah during QuiltWeek.

Needle Punch Felting with Machine Embroidery

Posted on April 12, 2016 by edges

I’ve been playing with wool lately, and was reminded by the upcoming Bernina Inspirations class, that I can do needle punch using my machine embroidery.

For anyone who is a Bernina software user, Designer Plus allows you to do needle punch. All you need is the needle punch accessory (which you can use with or without embroidery).

When you set up your machine for needle punch, you need to do a few things:

Inset the needle punch needles in your needle holder in place of your regular needle.
Change your stitch plate (there’s a special one for needle punch) and be sure to tell your machine that you made the change.
Put on the correct needle punch foot. This not only helps to glide over roving and other wool or fabrics, but it also keep your fingers away from those needles. You’ll often want to hold the roving in place to keep your design intact.
Completely remove your hook system, not just the bobbin. Take everything out, and close the bobbin door.
Turn off your top and bottom thread sensors.

In the software, you literally just go to the Digitize toolbox, click on the PunchWork icon and digitize a shape. Any shape. And the software will generate one thread color to outline the shape, and then fill it with needle punch. It’s amazingly easy.

I digitized the shape of this tree, measured it out and laid out the roving within the parameters of the shape.

And then I watched the machine do all the needle punch work. Pretty impressive.

However, I did follow along with my fingers positioning and re-positioning the roving to be sure it stayed where I wanted it to be while the needle was punching.

Next, I layered an embroidery design on top. Since I had gone with a tree shape, I was reminded of the tree of life embroidery design in the Sepia Petals collection from OESD. I ended up using the tree background file.

The result was interesting both visually and texturally.

Still exploring my love of wool. It’s freeing and almost unpredictable as an art form or craft. I think that’s why I enjoy it so much.

If you are interested in learning more about Bernina Embroidery Software or needle punch, think about attending your May Software Inspirations at your local Bernina dealer.

You just never know what you’ll be inspired to create!

My Love Affair (with wool!)

Posted on April 1, 2016 by edges

I’m not really used to working with wool. It really doesn’t behave like cotton. Yet, its rich textures have just been a delight. I love the way thread sinks into it. I love the way thread can sit on top of wool, as well.

It inspires me.

I’m also a fool for anything hand-dyed and much wool is currently hand-dyed. (And not cheap, I might add.)

This project really has been one of texture. I experimented with a number of different Aurifil threads, but kept falling back on a nice 30 weight in different shades of neutrals. It has just enough substance to show up, but is not so thick that it starts to cause problems in the machine.

I wanted this to feel a lot like a walk in the woods near the house. Twisty, gnarly branches — barren, waiting for spring.

Here’s a peak at the back side of this project, for those of you who appreciate a look behind the scenes. I think it’s every bit as interesting as the front, maybe even more so.

I have done some projects with wool and roving before. This floral below was one of my favorites. Something about wool is much more free-form for me than rigid piecing in cotton.

If you find you are interested in experimenting in wool, there are plenty of places to start.

Wooly Lady has joyful patterns and plenty of hand-dyed wool.

Sue Spargo also has a lot of hand-dyed fabric and beautiful threads for hand embroidery.

Need to get the creative fires burning again? I recommend a quiet little rendezvous with a few different shades of wool…ooh la la.

The Splendid Sampler — An Update

Posted on March 18, 2016 by edges

Since this project goes on for 100 blocks, I thought I would give an update every 10 blocks or so.

For now at least, I am really looking forward to every block, searching for the time to make it before the next block rolls out. (New blocks come out every Sunday and Thursday). Even more than that, I am enjoying seeing all the other work that others are creating, on the Splendid Sampler Facebook page.

Here is a look at my blocks so far. This grouping includes one of the bonus blocks which I did before the group even started.

They include everything from hand embroidery to digitizing and machine embroidery, as well as needle-turned applique and raw edge applique. I have not done any paper piecing, though some of the blocks have made that available. I am holding out for a slightly more complicated block…one that would be more difficult to piece traditionally than to paper piece. Maybe a little flower or something like that. With 90 or so blocks to go, I’m sure something will come along!

Luckily, I’m still finding time to do some of my own work as well, which I will share in an upcoming post. I’m really into neutrals these days, with a pop of color, so I see a theme emerging. A peak at my next project.

Vintage and Ribbons and Lace…Oh My!

Posted on March 13, 2016 by edges

I seem to be the curator of all the textiles in our family (and also the antique photos and other historical family memorabilia. Please don’t ask me why I have Grandpa’s tax files from 1968. I truly don’t know. Furthermore, I don’t know why I keep them.)

This blog is not about my mother-in-law who in her own right was a spectacular quilter and craftsperson/artist. I do have some of her quilts and have already informed my 13-year-old son that if he ever decides to get married, if his bride-to-be does not lovingly cherish family quilts and heirlooms, then she’s simply not the girl for him. No pressure. My first-ever blog post was about my mother-in-law.

The cedar chest in our bedroom holds treasures from the beautiful, meticulous and patient artist-women who came before me — the women who taught me to use my hands to make things.

I literally have hefty-size bags full of handmade doilies, table runners and dresser runners. Grandma was the expert, but my mom made them as well

A friend of mine referred to it as tatting. I don’t think it’s exactly the same, as my family never ever referred to tatting…they worked exclusively with a teensy crochet hook for hours, days, months, years. I believe tatting sometimes requires something called a shuttle. A word of caution: when you google tatting, you can expect to learn about the tattoo process. Oops. Try lace tatting instead.

Anyway, the most impressive piece I own — to me,at least — is the tablecloth handmade by my grandmother.

It fits the standard kitchen table. But that’s not the most endearing part. It comes complete with a few gravy stains I can’t seem to remove. But that’s not my favorite part either. My favorite part is that at one point she apparently ran out of one thread color and finished it in another. Mom told me that Grandma finished the last bit of it in white, which you can clearly see in some of the photos.

I love this.

Upon closer examination, I think she started in white. And then changed her mind about the color, just judging by the way it is assembled. She switched to a taupe — apparently she had a lot more of that thread. Or maybe she really did run out at the very end. If you are a craftsperson, you know this feeling. For heaven’s sake, I’m almost done, who cares, this is fine.

I’m so glad this happened, because I’m not sure I would have believed that a human being actually created this. It is meticulously stitched in some of the tiniest little crochet stitches I have ever seen. And I am trained enough to recognize crochet stitches. Of course, I saw Grandma working on things like this, but when you’re a teen, it hardly makes it onto your radar.

These days, I’m awestruck by its beauty.

My mom made beautiful works of art in yarn. She was a master knitter, at least until she had a stroke 15 years ago. While I love the yarn, I have no space for all that, so my sister will have to pick through it.

I, however, poured over her sewing notions.

In the last few years, she made little homey decorations for the kitchen.

The trim says charming things like “You are the apple of God’s eye,” and “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

I’m not ready to let any of this go. The women who came before us had real lives of creation, sharing, loving and giving. We honor them by appreciating their handiwork. All handmade. All the time.

My Obsession with Trees

Posted on February 3, 2016 by edges

I didn’t realize it until I tried to describe some of my projects to someone, and all the ones that reflected my own art and not just a pattern designed by someone else, usually included trees.

And if not trees, then at least something that grows in the ground. I can’t tell you what it means, except that I have a deep longing to connect to the earth.

I recently pre-ordered a book that has apparently been wildly popular in Europe: “The Hidden Life of Trees — What They Feel, How They Communicate — Discoveries from a Secret World, ” by Peter Wohlleben.

An article from the NYTimes profiles the German forest ranger’s book.

I’ve always known that the natural world — birds, animals, trees, gardens — have more to teach us than we ever give them credit for. In the woods, I learned to listen, and look…much more than I ever do in my daily busy-ness.

Art is a struggle. We are reaching, reaching, always striving to capture the thing beyond ourselves. I do believe that trees (as well as the rest of nature) try to teach us something. When I break through the barrrier and discover the lesson, I will let you know.

Until then, like most of us, I continue to be a student.

Multi-hoop project is quilted, bound and finished.

photosnap-carol

Participating in The Splendid Sampler

Posted on January 27, 2016 by edges

Why am I participating in this project?

Partly, I think, because I like the designers who are contributing, partly because it sounds like a great way to slowly put together a quilt and share ideas with others.

6 1/2 inch blocks sound doable to me. Even 2 a week. But if you were to tell me I need to create 100 blocks and do this sort of “surprise” mystery quilt, I might not have signed on. But 2 blocks a week sounds like a doable discipline. Care to join me?

Here are the details for anyone who wants to participate.

Also, here’s a link to the blog.

The project begins Feb 14, so you have plenty of time to get ready. Although all you really need in order to start is a decent stash of fabric.

I am going back and forth about which color scheme to use.

Black Tie Affair by Basic Grey for Moda

I love the neutrals. They would make an elegant and timeless quilt. But another part of me wants to use more colorful fabric and go with more of a “farmgirl” theme.

Morningside Farm by Darlene Zimmerman for Robert Kaufman

Here I would use the scenic fabric as a border with all the other fabric as the piecing in the middle.

What do you think? They are both so different. I will probably wait til the block patterns start coming in to make a decision.

Dust off your sewing machine, and get ready to join in this creative collaboration. The project will have a Facebook page too, The Splendid Sampler, moderated by Pat Sloan.

I’m sure you’ll have access to plenty of online show and tell, so why not be a part of it? All the patterns will be available throughout all of 2016 for free, but then they will be put into a book in 2017.

Even if you never sew a stitch, it’s fun to watch the process. What are you waiting for?

Know When to Hold ‘Em, Know When to Fold ‘Em

Posted on January 21, 2016 by edges

Quilting is like gambling. No, really. Stay with me on this one.

If you’re a typical quilter, as I am, you purchase fabric…maybe you even attend shop hops. When you’re on vacation, you locate the nearest quilt shop and stop in for ideas and inspiration. And fabric.

But when you lay down your money, you are placing a bet. You’re betting that you’re going to have the time, energy and inspiration — in this lifetime — to use that fabric. And the odds are good. You, like me, have a history of completed projects, gifts you’ve made, accents around the house, finished, quilted, bound…complete.

You play the odds. I do too.

But this week, I had to face the fabric. I found a number of blocks I had started eight years ago (maybe longer). I have all the fabric to make this into a queen size quilt. I caressed the blocks. I lovingly examined the fabric…already cut, by the way, ready for piecing. I inhaled.

I recently took a yoga class for the first time in twelve years. (A lot has changed in my body. For one, it’s not that easy now for me to get up and down off the floor.) But the instructor had a calming voice and at one point she said, “Inhale….exhale…you know CEO’s and other high-powered executives have a hard time with exhale. They can take long deep breaths in, but have the hardest time releasing, letting go, exhaling.”

And I realized something. I’m no high-powered executive, but ALL my focus is always on the inhale. The exhale is something I ignore. The letting go, the release, is not something I ever think about. My focus quickly moves to the next inhale.

So this week, I’m honoring the exhale.

It’s not easy. It is very difficult, EXTREMELY difficult, to admit to myself that I’m never ever going to finish that project I started eight years ago. I gave myself this much wiggle room: I will make the completed blocks into a lovely table runner. Assembled, they will be functional, just not grandiose. I will take it out in the springtime to celebrate their bright colors. But I will let it go at that.

And then I will exhale.

And fold ’em. And let ’em go.

Have Your Sewing Machine Cleaned!

Posted on January 5, 2016 by edges

It’s a little frightening, I know.

As I sit here, there’s a giant hole on my sewing table where my machine should be. However, I finally got it together and decided to do the right thing. Every sewing machine needs to be professionally cleaned and maintained on a regular basis…which means at least once a year.

No matter how good you are at caring for your machine (and I am VERY good at caring for my machine), you still need to get it in front of a professional. You will never be able to get the dust, fiber and general build-up out of the inside of that machine by yourself. Don’t try.

Don’t use canned air. It will only force dust into places it doesn’t belong. When you bring the machine in to your dealer, be sure to include your standard foot and stitch plate, so the tech can check both a straight stitch and a zigzag and usually some decorative stitches.

Bring your foot pedal and cord.

And bring anything else you are having a problem with (buttonhole foot, stitch regulator, walking foot.) No problem with those? Don’t bring them. Your dealer does not want to be responsible for any more loose parts than necessary.

Have you purchased a machine in the last 5 years? They get updated. If you aren’t doing it yourself, make sure the tech updates your machine to the current firmware.

I made the decision to bring it in this week, when my family is back at school and work. I also took the week off…which is a little weird because now I cannot sew. I did it deliberately as a way to force myself to clean out the basement. Like many of you, if the sewing machine is in the house, I will come up with a reason to sew.

(Yes, I know I have another smaller machine and a serger just waiting to be used, but with the main machine at the shop, I am more likely to find something else to do.)

That said, while cleaning out the basement, I came across something I picked up at Quilt Market in October.

threads

It’s an inkjet printable cotton poplin fabric. It also comes in cotton twill. For grins, I tested it out with a couple of my photos.

flowersonfabric1 flowersonfabric2 I’ll admit the quality is better than I expected, and captured quite a bit of detail. The fabric then lifts away from the paper backing and can then be used as any other fabric. The poplin is very thin and I would certainly use a woven fusible interfacing on the back.

But if you are in the market for a memory quilt or just want to document your garden, as I do, this is an excellent alternative to products I’ve seen out there.

Happy 2016, Happy Stitching, Happy Clean Machine, and Happy Emptying-Out-Your Basement!

Ugly or Interesting? Read about it before you decide.

Posted on December 20, 2015 by edges

foodquilt4 I’ve been working on this quilt for my teenage son.

I’m racing against the clock to get it done for Christmas. All I have left is hand sewing the binding and then I’ll need to make a quilt label (Don’t forget the quilt label!!)

It certainly was not my choice of fabric. The pattern however, is the disappearing hourglass that I discovered in one of the recent Block magazines from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

The fabric has been the choice of my son, over the course of, oh, 13 years. If you quilt and have a child, you know what I mean.

For years, basically his whole childhood, I would drag him to quilt shops. He would slouch into a chair in a corner and wait for me to finish. Usually. However, on a number of occasions, he would approach me with a bolt of fabric. Not a lovely bolt of fabric.

It was usually a bolt of french fries, or pizza, or chocolate chip cookies. Was this child always hungry? And because I wanted to encourage him (and also felt a little guilty for dragging him around), I would purchase a half yard here, a half yard there.

Well over the years, we had assembled quite a collection of food fabric.

And this year, because he’s old enough now, not to be shuffled from quilt shop to quilt shop, I made him a quilt of all the fabric he had selected over the years.

Don’t judge me. This is not what he eats every day…but apparently what he thinks about while in quilt shops.

foodquilt1 I guess what I’m enjoying about the quilt is that up close, you can see the details of the food, but you have to step back a bit to notice the quilt pattern.

foodquilt3 foodquilts2 foodquilt6 It was larger than I expected, hanging over the top of a full size bed, so quilting was a bit of a challenge.

border The border is chocolate chips. My son picked out the binding fabric which I thought was quite hideous against the chocolate chips.

So I added a small flat piping to separate the two fabrics…and miraculously, it looks pretty great. I would never have selected any of these fabrics, but the random surprises of letting someone else choose turned out to be the best part.

back Finally, I pieced the backing from other fabrics he had selected along the way: maps, pheasants and computer gear.

Want to know what floats around in your kid’s head? Bring him (or her) to quilt shops and let them wander and select a few things.

You may or may not be surprised. But I guarantee it will be interesting.

Edgestitch

Sewing is life. Life is art.

Category Archives: Creativity