Ram From My Photo

After going to the Northwest Quilting Expo in Portland, I was very inspired!! There were very few traditional quilts, most of the show was landscapes, portraits, animals, flowers, and other art quilting topics. I bought June Yeager's book, "Best Friends, Animal Portrait Quilts" she was one of their featured quilters and all her art was wonderfully inspiring. The book has a photo of a ram, and it reminded me of some photos I took several years ago at the "Black Sheep Festival" in Eugene, Oregon.

I printed the photo in a black and white 8 X 10, and put clear plastic over it from a sheet protector. Defining the value areas of dark and light. I start with the darkest dark and the lightest light, assigning numbers 1-10. Then I scanned the line drawing into the computer, and used Photoshop to print a poster size, 4 sheets of 8.5 x 11 put together. The finished size is 17" x 22" a very manageable size. Be careful that the smallest pieces are not too small to work with, and that you can use prints on the biggest pieces to create pattern.

I am using mostly Bali batiks and Wonder Under to fuse. When the pieces are very specific I fuse, to get an easy pattern transfer, and the detail I want. But it is not my favorite way to make quilts, I prefer free cutting and raw edge applique. I get bored of it quickly, I used to compare it to putting together a jig saw puzzle, now I think it is more like a "Paint by Numbers." The best part is picking out the fabric and the thread painting. I think I still need to work on the values on the face, they are too similar. The eye needs more definition, and the forehead should be a bit lighter too. I think the thread painting will really help make the curl of the horn more defined and the fur with curly texture.

To see more excellent textiles artists, click on the badge link in the right hand column, for Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Friday."

To Finish is Divine!

"To Finish is Divine!" is a motto I don't live by. I am a super procrastinator, and I'd rather get onto the next new project, than finish what I'm working on now. But my husband is terminally ill, and we have been trying to straighten up certain things, a will, gifts to family and friends, and what to do with "Stuff" when he is gone. So I have also been thinking of all the unfinished projects I have stashed around my sewing room. I spent most of August working on Unfinished Projects, trying to get at least the tops done. I have pizza boxes with blocks and pieces of blocks, sometimes they just needed sashing and borders, sometimes more blocks, some times more hand work or details. I started with the ones closest to being finished. Instant gratification was a high priority. My sister has been bugging me to get my niece's quilt done. My niece Sophie had helped pick out the fabric, she loves green, and a gold and brown to go with it. My original block had the gold and brown but it was way too much yellow. So I redid the layout, and just used the brown in the flying geese border. There is still one more border, about 8" of the green print. The print has orchids and tropical leaves. So almost there.

"Donna's Flower Baskets" is my next effort. The blocks were put together with sashing and needed the setting triangles and quilting. It is about 50" square and I could quilt it on my domestic machine. There are feathers quilted in the triangles, and the rest just has small stipple quilting and in the ditch on the sashing. The designs are original flower arrangements, made with 3-D flowers. I made them sitting at my sister-in-laws dining table, while visiting Chicago for my parent's 50th anniversary party. So it has a lot of good memories and I named it after my sister in law, Donna.

"Bits and Pieces" is just that, I used miscellaneous blocks and pieces from my scrap bag to make the entire quilt top, except for the border. I started by fitting several rows together at a time, and making up 4-patch or pin wheel blocks to help fit everything. Square in a square, log cabin, flying geese and checker boards were the easiest to make with my scraps. I think it looks very balanced, not too much red, or dark spots. I got quiet a large twin size quilt top out of it, adding about 4 rows at a time, then making more pieces to fit. I could keep going for a long time with all the scraps I have, I hate to waste any fabric, and if it is pre-cut squares or triangles, why throw it away? It was fun because I could look at a fabric and remember what quilt or wall hanging it is from, more pleasant memories.

Vintage Handkerchief Butterflies are made by folding hankies and embroidering the details. "Flying in Formation" is named for Rena Talbot a Mary Kay Cosmetics motivational speaker, who always said "if you are nervous and have butterflies in your stomach, get them flying in formation, and go get done, what needs doing." I have picked up the hankies over the years at garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores and antique stores. I am only willing to pay about $2-4 for them, mostly cotton and Irish linen. The best ones have color in the center, and a scalloped or shaped edge. Since my hands were feeling pretty good this summer, I was able to applique and embroider to make 6 more blocks, to finish the quilt top. The last trip to the coast, I bought the sashing fabric, a nice soft green with multi color butterflies scattered across the fabric. Cutting a wide sashing helped so the butterflies weren't all cut in half. This came out a very large Queen size, as the blocks are all 16" square. Because of the large size I could not add the same fabric for a border.

"Miss Tillie's Dresden Plate" is made with vintage fabrics, all from the 1920's-40's I can't remember who gave me the blocks, partial blocks and wedge pieces. I added wedges from my own vintage fabric collection, to finish up 20 blocks. The backing muslin is the only new fabric I used. I still have 4 more plates to applique, but I finished about 6 of them, before my hand started to hurt again. I also cut all the sashing and corner stones trying to find scraps 14 1/2" long was difficult I had to piece several of the old fabric to get a piece long enough.

The mini Dresden Plates are 6" across on 7" new muslin, the blocks were all appliqued, but I needed to add about 30 of the centers. I also cut out the sashing and corner stones the same time I did the large plates. It is getting harder and harder to find larger pieces in my bag of garage sale vintage scraps. This began with small wedges fussy cut in front of the TV, with many of the scraps too small to cut out a 1 1/2" square. I really love the scrap Dresden Plates, they really show off a large variety of fabric. I have a large one already quilted, "Miss Lillie" gave me the blocks for that one, and I have made mini plates into several wall hangings. So my summer was very bountiful, getting tops ready to quilt. I have a "Handiquilter 16" to quilt the large quilts on, but again my hands have not been too cooperative in getting that done.

I am linking this to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Friday" to see what other wonderful textile artists have been doing this week, click on the badge in the right hand column.

OOOPS!!

After 40 years of quilting, 30 with a rotary cutter, I finally made the big booboo. I was quickly cutting one more strip, before making a sandwich and running back to afternoon work, when my hand slipped off the ruler, and I CUT myself badly, with the rotary cutter, I knew I had hit the bone/finger nail. I still get a shiver up my spine just thinking about it. I ran to the sink, gushing blood, grabbed a paper towel, and yelled at my husband. I wanted him to call Urgent Care and see if they did stitches, or if I needed to go to emergency. He was in a useless panic. I had to flip phone book pages and make the call myself. I also called work to say I wouldn't make it, and they had NO ONE to cover me. I drive school bus, so if no body - no bus. I rushed out and had to drive myself to urgent care, as my husband had just taken some medication and could not drive, but I hauled him along for moral support. And then we caught a TRAIN!! As I sat there with a bloody paper towel wrapped around my finger, and swore up a blue streak!!! Trying to keep my husband calm, helped me to be a little bit calmer. 6 MINUTES!! We sat and waited for the train, and it came to a complete stop, with 4 more cars 'til the end. MORE SWEARING!! All the Doctors, Urgent Care Clinics, and the Hospital are all on the other side of the tracks from me. We live on the "pretty side" going out of town to the mountains. The train finally finished and we rushed in, they had a triage nurse, help me remove the toweling, I had not even looked at it, I just knew it was bad! They got me right in, and I called work to update them, I arranged for one of the mechanics to bring my bus to the Jr. High for me to meet. The nurse helped me clean it up, and said I had held such good pressure on it, she could Super Glue it, instead of 3 or 4 stitches. The stitches would have been a 20 minute delay while numbing it, then a Doc had to come in, other wise she could do it. Any way they were wonderful and quick, I quickly dropped my husband home, and raced for the school, I made it with 2 minutes to spare. I drove with my left index finger in the air, and throbbing some thing fierce, but I made it through the afternoon. So... please everyone be CAREFUL!!

Resist Dyeing - Day 3

Finally, a few moments to get on the computer. With school starting up, it has been a very busy week. I drive school bus, which gives me a lot of time in my week to quilt, as I drive a split shift, morning and afternoon. Four hours off, in the middle of the day is a wonderful luxury, but makes for a LONG day. Of coarse the kids were so excited, in all their new clothes and shoes with fluorescent shoelaces. I have a set of kindergarten twin girls this year, so cute!! And then nature hit us with a 100 degree day on Friday, whew! HOT!! The Pacific North West is not really used to that weather. So getting an extra day to dye fabric last week was a wonderful opportunity to play, before going back to work.

Another day of resist dyeing, was scheduled so we could finish up some of our pieces, with extra layers, and if we had time to make a few additional fat quarters. This was made with sugar syrup in a squeeze bottle with multiple tines on it, they are used for dyeing hair. I wish I had used it more, I love the technique, to make multiple lines and curves. You get a similar result with a comb pick dragged through paint on a Gelli print. I knew it would only get one layer of resist, so I used many colors of dye on it.

I made this green bubbles piece, with soy wax resist. I used many different circle makers, lids, tubes, and cookie cutters. The first layer was a bright green dye, then more wax to preserve the colored circles, then over dyed with a dark forest green.

Green grids, was also only one layer of resist and dye. I used soy wax with a piece of metal grid to make the resist print.

A last minute quickie done in soy wax. The print is a sandwich cutter, that removes the crust and cuts on the diagonal. It made a very interesting overlapping print. I also used the squiggly straw from the dollar store.

This one is interesting, I used potato dextrin to print with a sponge, that had a rectangular pattern cut out of it. The sponge left a grainy print. So there is lots of texture to this one. I colored in the sections, with different dyes, then added more resist, and a dark navy blue final dye. This did not go as planned, do they ever? But I really like the darker area, but all the color is very blotchy. It's an experiment anyway, just playing around.

I began with a piece of plastic construction fence, to block of squares on a pale yellow piece of fabric. Then orange dye and more soy wax resist. The hot pink and magenta was last, brushed on with a foam brush in squarish shapes. This one really glows when up to the light. I am trying to think of how to preserve that effect, when I make something out of it.

Multiple layers of soy wax over a pale yellow fabric. Then orange dye, and more wax and then a dark rust over dyed. The design of coarse is a wire potato masher, in different directions and a second stamping for a lighter application of wax.

A pic of the colored bubbles with the first dye applied, then it was coated with more soy wax to preserve the color in the bubbles. The dark navy blue dye only covered the space between the bubbles. This is my favorite piece!! So colorful! I made this after seeing Meredith's multi colored piece. We had another great day of dyeing, it was worth it to go back, and apply additional layers to some of the fabric we had already dyed last week.

Teaching Beginners

The other morning while I was at my sewing machine a flock of turkeys came across my front lawn, right in front of my window. The cat popped her head up out of a basket with a purple quilt in it, looked around and went back to sleep. I chased after them and got a pic on the neighbors lawn. They come down from the oak hillsides in the fall, looking for water, birdbaths, kiddie pools, or the creek on the other side of a busy highway. They don't usually come into my yard, because I have a 2-4 foot river rock wall, but they can fly. I saw the other cat stalking them for a moment, but then she ran passed them, just too darn big for her.

My friend Bonny has recently retired, and is looking for something to do, so I gave a beginning quilting class. She wants to make a quilt for the veterans, as she is a air force vet herself. She hasn't gotten a sewing machine yet, so I set her up with one of mine. Susan of the discharge birthday party, came along too. She has only made quilts by hand, the old fashioned way.

After a little lecture on the basics, and safety with a rotary cutter, they cut out some patriotic fabric that I had. Beginning patchwork "Hole in the Barn Door" was quickly and easily sewn, and they were both so proud of their finished blocks. I love the moment when a student gets addicted to quilting!

I taught beginning sampler classes for years when I used to work for Joann's Fabrics. But as I became addicted to art quilting, teaching beginning classes lost it's appeal for me. No one in our smallish town wanted to pay money for advanced quilting and art quilting subjects. I almost wish we were closer to Eugene, Oregon. It's at least an hour drive North, and has a more varied quilting community, with more opportunities. But I do love our textile art group Fyber Cafe, that I am a member of. I sent them each home with a little bit of fabric for homework, to make a few more blocks. A friend gave Bonny an old "Jaguar" sewing machine. Has anyone ever heard of that brand before? So now I am back to my UFO's, I've got a few more tops finished, as soon as I can get my husband to hold them up for the camera, I'll post them.

I am linking this to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Friday" click on the badge in the right hand column, to see what other talented textile artists are doing.

Dye Workshop - Resists

Nine fantastic artists from Fyber Cafe, went to Vera's ranch for our annual dyeing workshop. Vera presented a structured class, working with different water soluble dye resists. She used us as Guinna pigs for a class she is teaching for Oregon SAQA. We used potato dextrin, corn dextrin, flour paste, sugar paste, soy wax, commercial water soluble resist, school glue, masking tape, and wet newspaper resist. We applied the resists with many different tools and techniques. The top pic is a flowery potato masher and masking tape. The next is a squiggly soda straw from the dollar store. We each made 8 or more fat quarters, on already pastel dyed PFD fabric.

They were laid out to batch after the first coat of dye was added. The gold one has a checker board stencil, and a plumbing connection used as a stamp.

Pink and purple were added to the resist treated fabric. After everything was coated with the resists, we had a lunch break, wonderful broccoli salad, peach cobbler, fresh salsa and chips, spice cake, quiche, melons, sandwiches and other vegie salads. Feeling like we needed naps, we got back to the workshop and started to coat everything with dyes. We used Procion MX Dye concentrates, with a thickening paste and painted each piece, many with multiple colors. They were left over night to batch the dyes and the next day we added layers of more resists, and more dye. I used mostly the potato dextrin the 2nd day, because it gave a nice crackle effect and the soy wax because it dried immediately, so I could add another layer, with out having to batch the dyes. All the fabric was wrapped in plastic to take home and batch, then rinsed and put in the washing machine with Synthrapol, then dried. We had so much fun, we scheduled another day next week to finish adding layers and make a few more pieces. So here are the finished pieces, they dried lighter than they looked when wet, all but two had multiple layers, the sugar was too sticky too work with even when dried, and the dextrins had to be ordered from Dharma Trading Co. click here

It was all so much fun, I hardly wanted to take time out for lunch. It is really wonderful to work with creative people, we each inspired the others to try new things. When we were cleaning up and packing things in the cars, I spotted a rattle snake, heading under the cars, we chased it away and ended up trapping it in a hole. So we got an extra kick of excitement to the workshop.
I am linking this to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Friday" click on the badge in the right hand column to see what other wonderful artists are up to this week.

Vintage Traditions

I have been on a mission to complete a few UFO's. I still love my vintage fabric collection, it's so soft, and the colors are muted. Most of it came in a large green garbage bag at a garage sale for 50 cents. Another bunch was given to me from a friend in the quilt guild, who cleaned house for an older lady. Many of the pieces are so small I could not cut out a 1 1/2" square. I finished appliqueing circles on the center of my mini Dresden Plates. The plate is 6" and I have over 40 of them, with half the circles left to do. I had to cut the sashing and corner squares, so I got to play with my vintage fabric. I also had to make two more blocks from scratch, good thing my pattern files are so good, I found the one I wanted immediately. The mini plates have got pointed wedges, so it looks like a saw blade.

I also have some larger 12" Dresden Plate blocks, that needed to be appliqued to the muslin. They have scallops on each wedge and quiet a lot of plaids. Some one gave me the larger blocks, some complete, some needed a few more wedges, and a bunch of loose wedges. I finished up the plates, cutting vintage fabric as needed, until I had 20 blocks. Both the mini and the large plates are appliqued onto new muslin, but all the rest of the fabric is vintage. Only 4 more blocks to applique. Cutting the larger 16" long sashing for these blocks, really challenged my stash. I had to piece the fabrics to get the longer sections. Many of the wedges are already pieced fabric. When you work with scraps, many of the older quilts have pieced fabric to cut out a certain size square.

I finally got my mini put together with wide muslin borders and blocks in the four corners.

Another vintage project I decided to finish, was the vintage Hankies folded into butterflies. I thought I had enough blocks done to just add sashing. NOT! I had 14, what an odd number to set together. So I decided I needed to make 6 more blocks, to make a large quilt. I had extra hankies, that I pick up at thrift or antique stores, and also from garage sales. I had gotten a light green with purple and blue butterfly fabric the last time we went to the coast to use as sashing. So I am still doing applique to finish the last few Butterflies and Dresden Plates, I am determined to get these FINISHED!!!!

I am linking this to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Friday" click on the badge in the right hand column to see other wonderful textile artists.