Monday, July 30, 2012

Doodle-dee-doo!


Last week I received a couple of comments about the picture of two of my pet birds, Doodle and Woodstock, that I posted on some of the social sites and on this blog. Some of you may know that, sadly, we lost our 10-year old Sun Conure in June. The house was too quiet without her, so off we went to Birds Unlimited in Webster, NY; they specialize in hand-raised baby birds.

We really only wanted one new pet bird, but these two seemed to be pretty good friends, and we couldn't split them up. So they both came home with us. Doodle is a Sun Conure, she still has her juvenile feather coloring. She'll be covered in bright yellow and orange feathers and only a little bit of green in about a year. Woodstock is a Jenday Conure. She has her adult feather coloring with a bright yellow head, orange breast and green wings.

Their personalities are distinctly different! Doodle's personality fits her name. She's into everything! Woodstock is the 'Steady-Eddie' of the pair.

I wanted one good picture of the two of them together for the newsletter last week. And it was like herding cats to get a good shot. Just look at this sequence of pictures, and maybe you'll see what I mean! Woodstock is perfectly posed in each picture. Doodle is . . . well, being Doodle!

Here they are standing on a stuffed "Serta Counting Sheep" toy near a window.
Woodstock is ready for her close-up. Doodle is nibbling on the sheep ear!
Now, Doodle is curious about the camera, messing up the focus.
Woodstock is happy. What's Doodle doing?
Again, Woodstock looks great. Doodle is in motion and blurred.
'Nuff said.
If you have a pet, you know they can be joyfully distracting! And that's why we let them into our hearts.

Enjoy!
joan





Thursday, July 26, 2012

Orphan Block Mini-Mitts

Those 3-1/2" four-patch orphan blocks I've been talking about for the past few weeks continue to haunt me. This week, I cleaned out a corner of the sewing studio and I came upon a mystery box. I looked inside to find another 50-60 four-patches! Just when I thought I was making some headway, too.

Ah, well. Fortunately this isn't a goal I plan to
finish any time soon!

Last weekend I headed out of town for a sewing retreat at Turtle Landing Retreat in Fulton. Just a few girls getting together to sew (everybody who came received an orphan pin cushion for a "party favor"--wink wink!) I brought some matching blue and white four-patch blocks and a sample of a new product by The Warm Company called Insul-Shine.
The Insul-Shine is similar to Insul-Brite, also from The Warm Company, but it's much shinier on one side to reflect heat. And you can sew through it just like batting. It has many household uses including my next project!

Mini Oven Mitts!

Aside from the four-patches, I used about 1/2 of a yard of fabric cut into six chunks, each about 9" square, four for the lining and two for the palm of the mitt. Four scrap batting pieces, each about 12" square. And two pieces of Insul-Shine, about 12" square. Supplies may vary depending on the size of the orphan block panel and the size of the mitt. Mine were quite small, so these quantities were plenty.



I sewed the four patches in three rows of three blocks. On a piece of paper, I roughly traced a mitten shape around my hand; drawing the lines at least 1" away from my hand on all sides. Then I drew a line straight across the bottom at the wrist and I cut the shape out of the paper.
Four-Patch panel for mitt exterior
Next I layered a piece of scrap batting and the four-patch panel on top, right side up. Pin basted. Made two.

Four-patch layered with batting and pin-basted.
Quilted each and set them aside. These will be used for the top of the mitts.
Quilted
I then rougly cut two pieces of fabric for the palm. Since this is the side of the mitt that will touch the hot object, it's important to layer the Insul-Shine so it faces out--toward the palm of the mitt, also including an extra layer of cotton batting. So, from bottom up, I layered a batting scrap, a piece of Insul-Shine, shiny side up, and the palm fabric, right side up. Pin basted lightly to secure layers. I made two.
Palm fabric, pin-basted with batting and Insul-Shine.
Next I quilted each panel lightly. Notice that I traced a hand shape lightly on each, so I could quilt in the right spots.



Once I finished the quilting, I traced a hand shape on the batting side of each palm unit. Notice that one hand shape is traced in reverse.
Layer and sew palm panels.


Then I placed a quilted top panel and a quilted palm panel right sides together with the palm panel and the hand tracing showing. I pinned around the shape, and sewed 1/4" inside the line. I repeated this process for the second set of quilted panels. Similarly, I drew a hand shape on the wrong side of one lining square and placed it right sides together with a second lining square. I then sewed around the shape 1/4" inside the lines, leaving a 4" opening near the fingers for turning. I made two linings.
Sew around the hand shape.

Then trimmed on the line. It's starting to look like something.
Trim each panel.



Made two mitt exteriors and two linings.
Trimmed and ready to assemble.



Turned each mitt right side out. Then placed the mitt inside the lining so right sides were facing. I added a little fabric tab made from scraps for hanging. For each mitt, I pinned one tab in between the mitt and lining at the outside of the wrist, raw edges aligned. Then I sewed around the wrist.
Just like making a handbag. Put the exterior inside the lining, right sides facing. Then sew around the rim.


Before inserting the lining into the mitt, at the opening in the lining, I turned the raw edges in, and edgestitched to close it. Then I stuffed the lining inside the mitts.
Tuck seam allowance inside, and sew the opening closed.


Done!
Mini-Mitts!


Ta-da! A pair of insulated Mini-Mitts. 

These could easily be made larger, but I wanted to use up the matched blue and white four-patch blocks, and I didn't have enough orphan blocks that matched to make it bigger. For me, they fit perfectly! And they work great. I've already given them a test run with some yummy summer bar-be-que. That's 18 more orphan four-patch blocks that aren't orphans anymore. Yippee!

AND, the nice folks at The Warm Company are throwing in some Insul-Shine into our GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge Prize Package. The list of goodies is growing! Will YOU win the grand prize package?

Now, what to do with that box I found in my sewing room today. I really do think it's time for a change in pace.

Happy Stitching!
Joan



Friday, July 20, 2012

Stack 'O' Pin Cushions


Four-Patch Stack
A few weeks ago, I showed you a pile of fifty or more 3-1/2" four-patch blocks that have been collecting dust in my stash.

These blocks have been bugging me for a long time. Pretty little squares in bright colors. Several clumps of duplicate blocks, some pairs of duplicates, and several one-of-a-kind four-patches. Not enough of any one color combination to make anything. . . . or so I thought. I used the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge as an excuse to make these four-patches into something.

I showed you how I took four matching four-patch blocks, or almost matching blocks, did a little cutting, added some embroidery and beading, and sewed them into cute pin cushions.
Pin Cushion Stack


These were so much fun to make, that I kept going! A hot afternoon, and a spare hour in a soft chair on the porch one day. An evening in front of the TV on another day. Little by litte, step by step, and now the stack of blocks has become a stack of pin cushions!






While all this pin-cushion making was going on, two additions to our avian family joined us. Doodle (in front) is a sun conure, and Woodstock is a jenday conure.
Woodstock (in back) and Doodle (in front)

So, why bring this up in the middle of a discussion about pin cushions? With the new birds, we started using crushed walnut shell litter on the bottom of their play pen. The crushed walnut shells also make a great stuffing for pin cushions.

So some of my pin cushions in the stack are stuffed with batting scraps, and some are stuffed with the walnut shell litter. Everything in the construction is the same, just fill the pin cushion with the litter using a small funnel. The walnut shells are available in most pet stores, and make the pin cushion a little more weighty, so pins release nicely as they are removed from the pin cushion. Just thought you'd like to know.

So far, I've made 15 pin cushions from orphan four-patch blocks. I've already given a couple away. At four four-patches each, that's a total of 60 'orphans' that aren't 'orphans' anymore! That's a great feeling!

I still have a few more pin cushions I'd like to make. I'm a big proponent of having a different pin cushion for each on-going project I'm working on. But 15 seems a bit much. So, I'll be using them throughout the year at teaching events or as door prizes.

ALSO, I'm throwing one pin cushion into the Grand Prize Package for the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge!

I've kept a handful of blue and white four-patches aside for something a little different. But I think maybe it's time for me to switch gears. Don't you agree?

So, here's my next target.

"On deck"

These tan and blue (did I say I love working with blue) 12" blocks have been hanging around for some time now--at least a couple of years. They are classic quilt blocks that were part of a series of block patterns by Kaye England. I enjoyed making the blocks using specialty rulers she designed, but I fell out of love with the fabric I was using. Or something else came up. Or, I don't know. How do these things ever happen? One day, you are excited about a project, the next you're not, but the orphan blocks are left, and they wait their turn.

Well, it's their turn. These blocks are 'on deck' for the next Orphan project coming from my sewing room. Stay tuned and let's see what they become.

Happy Stitching!
Joan

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Stop! Smell the Flowers.


It seems like everyone around the country is talking about record-breaking heat this summer. Summer is my favorite season, so I never really mind the heat. But add in humidity, and my motivation decreases dramatically.

So, when the sultry summer doldrums set in, it's good to slow down and smell the flowers.

Last weekend my friend Karen Lockwood held the annual FingerLakes Lavender Festival on her farm. Saturday was one of those hot humid days of summer, but I simply couldn't resist the short drive through the scenic village of Skaneateles and along the western side of Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, to pick some lavender.

The Finger Lakes Lavender Festival, at Lockwood Lavender Farm, Skaneateles, NY

From all appearances, it looked like the event was a smashing success with vendors selling crafty items and speakers scheduled throughout the day.

And of course, the lavender. Bunches of lavender were hanging in the new drying barn, waiting to become lotions, soaps, and fragrant yummy things, all available to purchase from the farm during the festival and throughout the year.


Lavender, hanging to dry.
 
I couldn't resist picking my own bunch of lavender. Not only did I stop to smell the flowers, but I brought some home with me, too!





Stay cool, smell the flowers, and relax with some stitching!
Joan

Friday, July 13, 2012

Fifteen Orphans Find Their Place

So, there they were. Fifteen red-and-green 3-1/2" four-patches. They came from that stack of four-patch blocks I found in my stash a couple of weeks ago.

I knew they wanted to be something, but what?


So, I started playing.

Arranging. Adding a cute birdy Christmas print from my stash. And arranging again.

Holiday Place Mats or Table Toppers. Yes!

Pretty soon, six blocks were arranged into two on-point rows of three blocks. I can see it! Add a center, then . . . the setting triangles . . . dun-dun-dun. Cut squares, then cut them diagonally. What size? Math. Ugh-h-h!

Usually I don't mind quilters math. But they're orphan blocks! It's summer! I don't want to have to figure out sizes for side and corner setting triangles. And then, I wanted a little 'float'. And the math becomes more complex. It's enough to send you screaming from the sewing studio. It's summer, after all. I want it to be simple! I don't want to THINK!

Then it came to me. I reached for the Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell. Triangles are cut from strips, not squares. No math required. Simple! All I need to know is the finished size of the block--3" in my case.

And so, this is what I did.

The ruler comes with great instructions. First, to make the side setting triangles and add a little float (the blocks don't touch the borders), I followed the lines on the ruler for the finished block size and added two extra measurement lines before I cut my strip. I used the ruler to determine the strip width. Then I lined up the bottom edge of the fabric with the 4" line on the ruler, and made my first cut along the diagonal.

So, there they were. Fifteen red-and-green 3-1/2" four-patches. I knew they wanted to be something, but what?

So, I started playing.

Arranging. Adding a cute birdy Christmas print from my stash. And arranging again.

Holiday Place Mats or Table Toppers. Yes!

Pretty soon, six blocks worked themselves into two on-point rows of three blocks, add a center, then . . . the setting triangles . . . dun-dun-dun. Cut squares, then cut them diagonally. What size? Math. Ugh-h-h!

Usually I don't mind quilters math. But they're orphan blocks! It's summer! I don't want to have to figure out sizes for side and corner setting triangles. And then, I wanted a little 'float'. And the math becomes more complex. It's enough to send you screaming from the sewing studio. It's summer, after all. I want it to be simple! I don't want to THINK!

Then it came to me. I reached for the Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell. Triangles are cut from strips, not squares. No math required. Simple! All I need to know is the finished size of the block--3" in my case.

And so, this is what I did.

The ruler comes with great instructions. First, to make the side setting triangles and add a little float (the blocks don't touch the borders), I followed the lines on the ruler for the finished block size and added two extra measurement lines before I cut my strip. I used the ruler to determine the strip width. Then I lined up the bottom edge of the fabric with the 4" line on the ruler, and made my first cut along the diagonal.

I flipped the ruler, then lined up the bottom edge with the 4" line, and lined up the blunt top end of the ruler with the top of the strip and the first cut.
Flip the ruler to the left and cut again.

And there's the side setting triangle! No math! One more time, I aligned the ruler with the fabric corner and snipped off the bits so the shapes would fit perfectly when I started sewing.
Side Setting Triangle

Next, for the corner setting triangles, I needed to double the amount of extra lines I added for the 'float' to get the strip width. This time, I aligned the bottom edge of the fabric with the 5" line on the ruler . . . Cut . . .

Then cut again. (I flipped my fabric piece upside down to make the second cut.) Then snipped the corner of the triangular fabric.

Perfect! And the straight of grain is exactly where I want it for the setting triangles. Ready to sew.
Corner Setting Triangle
I laid out my blocks - six orphans for each of two place mats. Then sewed diagonal rows using the blocks, the center squares, and setting triangles.

Look at how the blunt corner is all matchy-matchy with the side edge. Love it! Did I say 'no math?'

Measured borders, then sewed them in place.

Once the borders were attached, I layered batting, backing (right side up), and place mat top (right side down). Sewed a 1/4" seam around the outside edge leaving an opening for turning. Trim batting and backing. And turn. I used a decorative machine stitch all the way around each place mat to make it pretty, closing the opening. Then added quilting.

Two place mats, each using six orphan four-patch blocks left three blocks to make into candle mats.

After attaching a small border to each side of the three remaining four-patch blocks, and before layering and sewing the cuties for turning, I added a little hand embroidery in contrasting Valdani pearl cotton for a little zip. 

I must say, this might be the earliest I've managed to do some holiday sewing!

Fifteen orphans found. Fifteen orphans adopted into a project. Success!

But the BEST part of this project?? The Diagonal Set Triangle Ruler from Marti Michell is the first item to go into the GREAT Summer Orphan Block Challenge prize pacakge to be awarded this fall! Thanks Marti!!


You can't win it, if you're not in it. Better get sewing!


Happy Stitching!

Friday, July 6, 2012

Rockin' Round Robins!

On December 24, a few years back, I sat around the table at a holiday party with several quilty girlfriends. Instead of discussing the festivities, we were lamenting the growing number of UnFinished Objects (UFOs) in each of our stashes. Six of us decided to get together once a month to do something about it.

And it was fun. It's still fun. Each month someone from the group hosts. Yummy pot luck meals. Laughter. Gossip. Sometimes, we even get a little sewing done!

About 18 months ago, Wenda suggested that we do a Round Robin exchange. Everybody participated.

For the first step, each quilter prepared a quilt center of her choosing. Along with the quilt, a diary was prepared. The first entry, by the person making the quilt center, incorporated any 'rules' that she wanted followed for the rest of the project. So, as the originator and the quilt's eventual owner, if I wanted a certain type of fabric used, or a size or shape for the final project, I could state it up front. So really, the only 'rule' was to respect the 'owner's' wishes as elements were added.

The quilt and the diary went from one person to the next. As each new round was added to the quilt, another entry was made to the diary--with details of the quilt technique or inspiration used in the round. Or random thoughts.

Last weekend, at one of our monthly get-togthers, the quilt came back to it's originiator, and final home. The last time each of us saw our quilt was when the first round was passed on about 18 months ago.

Wanna see?

Here is Beth's quilt. Her center started out pretty large and featured log cabin blocks and wool applique. The center medallion included almost all of the light white center. The piano key inner border was the second addition to the quilt.

In her diary, Beth requested that we use a fall color palette as we each added our rounds. Over the last 18 months, it was fun to taunt Beth with suggestions of ghosts on bright green and fluorescent orange jack-o-lanterns that we had considered for her quilt to secure the fall theme.



This is Janine's quilt. Her center started with four blocks that included the friendship star and the first two scrappy borders. Ultimately she wanted a wall hanging for her sewing room.







Marcia started out with the nine central blocks. The center consisted of nine complex four-patch blocks, five of them were made from nine patches, the remaining four blocks were made from snowball blocks. She added a little sashing in between the blocks, then passed it on to the next round robin-er. Marcia requested that each round be inspired by Civil War era reproduction prints.
















Melonie started with a center medallion made with wool applique on black. Melonie admits to being a confirmed 'topper'--she likes making quilt tops, but doesn't necessarily like the quilting process. So hers was the only quilt returned to its owner quilted, bound, and labeled.



Wenda found a true UFO in her stash to start us off. Her center made from adorable pieced kimonos was the inspiration for the rest of the project which included intricate needle work and dimensional elements.


My quilt started with a center applique block inspired by a quilt by J. Michelle Watts. The full quilt, Fiesta de Talavera, was pictured on the cover of Quilters Newsletter Magazine about 18 months ago. My Round Robin quilt started with one single block which was hand appliqued. I love it! And I can't wait to finish it up with quilting. Blue and purple tend to be my go-to colors.


To avoid another UFO addition our collective stash, with the exception of Melonie, we are now focused on quilting our Round Robins to complete them.

And, of course we're looking forward to the next opportunity for some social sewing.


Happy Stitching!

Joan