Bountiful Fabric

You know I have a love affair with Art Gallery knits so I jumped at the chance to sew with Sharon Hollands new Bountiful line.  The teal print is perfect for me and I was happy to finally try the Colette Myrtle dress pattern. I am pleased with the fit on the first try of the pattern.

I made the size medium and the only change I will make on the next one will be to cut the elastic for the waist a little shorter.  The dress and fabric are very soft and comfortable to wear. This is my new favorite dress! I know there will be more versions of this in the future. I'll be watching for some more Art Gallery knits that are my style!

I also made a Flashback Skinny Tee for miss P. This pattern by Made by Rae has been a favorite for years, we went up a size for this shirt and still are not to the largest size in the pattern. Miss P searched the web for a headband tutorial and use THIS ONE to make herself a matching headband.

Shortly after we finished the shirt, my DIL visited and saw the leftover fabric. She whipped out a pair of Baby Got Back pants for my grandson.

Bountiful barn

Miss P designed and made the bow tie for him one morning before anyone else in the house was up. These knits are great for wiggly babies!

Bountiful fun

Bountiful with chickens

Fractured

Blue and red barn

Here's the finished quilt, Fractured, from the previous post. The blocks are string pieced 5'' finished squares.

The "liberated" straight lines in the blocks were achieved by making straight line spirals over four blocks at a time.

I've made a few other quilts from Oakshott cottons and I am smitten.

I've saved all the scraps and will be doing some tiny piecing with the leftovers. The fabric is thin enough that I think it will behave really well in tiny piecing. 

This quilt uses the Lakes collection, the Ruby Reds collection and the two greys in the Scandinavian collection.

The back of the quilt is also Oakshott; I love it so much that I now want to make a whole cloth quilt with it, or maybe a simple Welsh Bars quilt. I want to hand quilt it and lose myself in the glow of the fabric. I want the quilting and the iridescence of the fabric to take center stage. 

I really do wish you could see it in person. 

Finished size 51'' x 51''.

WIP

The last week or two I've been working with these beautiful Oakshott cottons. This commission piece uses the Lakes collection, the Ruby Reds collection and the two greys in the Scandinavian collection.

I wanted short sections of straight line quilting. To achieve this, I used my new BERNINA 72 foot for ruler work. It is similar to the darning foot but the ring surrounding the needle is high enough to slide next to a thick ruler. I have used rulers before when I had my longarm machine so I was familiar with the process. Using the rulers on the domestic machine is different but by the time I finished the quilt I had it mastered! I know I'll be doing more ruler work on my domestic machine in the future. 

I'm a BERNINA girl.

My parents bought me my first sewing machine, a portable singer, back when I was in high school. Years later, in 1989, my husband surprised me on my birthday with a BERNINA 1230. He even called my boss and arranged for me to have the day off of work  so I could stay home and sew on the brand new machine!  To this day it's one of the best and most used gifts I've ever gotten and speaks to how well he knows me.

A few years ago I bought myself a BERNINA 820. The larger harp space makes quilting SO much easier. This machine also came with a table so that the machine bed is flush with the bed of the sewing machine. That was a game changer for me as far as machine quilting. The quilts no longer get caught on the edge of the machine. My daughter also enjoys sewing on it.My old 1230 now lives with my son and daughter-in-law and is still going strong. My daughter-in-law is enjoying making little baby clothes for my grandbaby. She and my son just recently worked together to make an amazing queen size spiderweb quilt for their son's great grandmother.

The 820 is a bit big to take anywhere so I have also invested in a newer machine for taking to teach and on retreats and sew-ins. This machine has narrow set feed dogs and is perfect for tiny piecing.

I enjoy making clothes for my daughter, machine mending for my family, and occasionally making items for my home. BERNINA makes everything so much easier with feet that are engineered specifically for certain tasks  and can quickly be changed for a specific part of a sewing project.

I've been writing this blog for about ten years but most of you have not been readers for that long so I'll share a little background information about myself.Although I was born in North Carolina, I spent the first half of my life in Blacksburg, Va. where my dad worked for Virginia Tech. My two sisters and I learned to sew from our mother who was one of two sewing teachers in our 4-H club. I finished my first quilt in 1976 with the resurgence of quilting that came with the American bicentennial celebration.

The second half of my life I have lived in a small town in south east Michigan. We live in an old farm house and have chickens and a large garden. Each year we grow a patch of Indian corn that we use to make our own cornmeal and feed our chickens. My oldest son was married in our yard and his wedding reception was held in our barn which he and my husband restored.

Both of my parents grew up on farms in central Virginia. Like the little red hen in the children’s story, I was taught to do things from scratch and to never let anything go to waste. My thrifty upbringing led me to my current style of working with scraps and the desire to use “every last piece.” My quilts have been juried into international shows and gallery exhibits and my work is in private collections around the world.

I have always recommended BERNINA machines to others and now that I am teaching across the country I have been selected to be a BERNINA brand ambassador.  I travel to the BERNINA US headquarters each year and learn about the new machines and what they can do. I know the importance of having the right tool for the job and love that BERNINA puts so much thought into the design and technology of their machines.

Family Heirlooms

When I was growing up, my sisters and I stayed several weeks with my grandparents each summer. My grandmother kept this quilt spread out in the back of her station wagon where my sisters and I would all three ride on trips into town to get groceries, go to the library, or go "visiting." This quilt holds many memories in its faded fabric and melted crayon stains. My grandmother did not sew but she told me she helped cut the pieces for this quilt that her mother-in-law sewed together.When my grandmother gave me the double wedding ring quilt, she also gave me this fan quilt that I had never seen before. I love having these old quilts and enjoy looking at all the old fabric prints.

Wordless Wednesday

Log Cabin Mini

I started this little quilt last summer. It's a fun variation of a log cabin. The blocks are made in an improvisational or intuitive way that I teach in my intuitive log cabin class.  

I love the way some of the same or similar color fabrics come together and make a different visual shape, like the yellow and green angles in the photo below. 

I enjoyed hand quilting this one. I carried it in my project bag and took my time working on it while waiting at lessons and such. 

The deep purple binding gives it a nice finish.

Finished size 16'' by 14.5''. 

Fleur de Lei - a Splendid Sampler block

Hi, welcome to my space. I'm happy to be sharing my Fleur de Lei block with you.I love all types of hand sewing and needlework, especially needleturn applique. It's the perfect project to keep tucked away in a bag for long plane rides, train rides across Europe, or long waits at the dentist office. The mix of Hawaiian applique style and French fleur de lis design  in this block makes it easy for me to daydream that I am sitting on a beach in Hawaii or at a cafe in Paris while sitting at my daughter's dance studio and music lessons. This Fleur de Lei block is a little bit French and a little bit Hawaiian.  I used the Hawaiian applique technique with the well-known French Fleur de Lis motif.  I like learning about techniques and traditions from around the world and then making them my own.Go to The Splendid Sampler website to get your own copy of the pattern.I like this design because it includes inside curves, outside curves, inside points, and outside points. If you can stitch this little block you will be able to handle any applique design!If you have trouble with needle turn applique, this technique is often helpful for beginners.First, trace the design onto freezer paper, cut, press onto the rights side of the fabric that will be appliqued to the background.Next, trim the fabric leaving a scant 1/4'' seam allowance around the paper. Bast to the background fabric as shown below with basting stitches about 1/4'' from the edge of the paper.As you stitch, the freezer paper should help hold the fabric in place and make it easier to fold right at the edge of the paper.  With the tip of the needle, flip the seam allowance under, making it fold right at the edge of the paper. Bring the needle up from teh back and just catch the edge of the fold. While stitching, watch the area in front o fthe needle and make sure the fold is even with the edge of the paper just enough for the next stitch. Put the needle down through the backing fabric right next to where you brought the needle up. Rock your hand back and bring the needle up just through the fold of the applique fabric about 1/16'' away. (I am left handed so the photo shows a left hand stitcher) Use the needle to turn the next small section and continue stitching.Don't try to fold under the fabric far ahead of where you are stitching. Think about only one stitch at a time. When you are finished, remove the basting stitches and the freezer paper. With practice, you may be able to baste the fabrics together and stitch without using the freezer paper.Here's my latest version of the block.I used Jeni Baker's lined drawstring bag  pattern in Shea Henderson's book, School of Sewing and made a bag!If you are new to my website, have a look around.I'm a teacher and my classes include hand applique, tiny piecing, intuitive piecing, string piecing, and more.Follow me on Instagram to keep up with what's going on in the studio and other updates.I'm also working on a series of 16'' quilts inspired by the experiences of someone I love and care about who is in an abusive relationship. You can read more about them here. 

PTSD - domestic abuse quilt series #6

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a diagnosable medical disorder that some people develop after experiencing a  dangerous event, like a natural disaster or violent attack, or living through a sustained trauma, like an abusive relationship.

People with PTSD experience a range of symptoms, from flashbacks and avoidance to angry outbursts, distorted feelings, and loss of interest or memory. Symptoms can be chronic or triggered by memories, sounds, people, or anything related or similar to the initial trauma.

Someone I love is in an abusive relationship and now has PTSD. Early on in their relationship, their abusive partner would subject them to verbal and emotional abuse as punishment for interacting with family members. After many years of this abuse, loving family members are now triggers for this person's PTSD. Now, just hearing our voices or seeing our numbers on their caller ID causes a PTSD episode and increases the stress and fear of abuse.

If you have a friend or family member who is experiencing abuse here are some things you can do to help. The most important thing to remember is that the choice to leave or not is theirs. You can't make them leave a bad situation but you can be supportive and helpful in their choice. They will need someone they can count on when/if they do decide to end or leave the abusive relationship.

Domestic Violence knows no boundaries when it comes to race/gender/sexuality/age/socioeconomic status/geographic location/culture.

Remember, domestic abuse affects ten million people in the US every year.  If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please know that the folks at the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1 800 799 SAFE or thehotline.org) are ready to listen and support you, as well as refer you to a local program or organization. If you observe someone being abused, you can also call the hotline.  A good samaritan call can save a life!

--

All of the quilts in the Domestic Abuse series so far can be viewed here.

Sewing with Nancy

Remember back in October when I went to Wisconsin to film an episode of Sewing with Nancy?That episode went live last week.

Read more on the Nancy Zieman blog.You can currently watch the show on the Wisconsin Public Television site.

New Year, New Challenge

Miss P and I love to do needlework and I have long enjoyed embroidery but lately have gotten in a rut of just using a handful of stitches such as backstitch, outline stitch, lazy daisy, and the french knot. I have a collection of vintage needlework books that include how to do many embroidery stitches. This Mary Thomas Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches includes over 300 different stitches. P and I decided this year we will work through the book and try them all. Our goal is to learn 365 different stitches this year, a new one each day. This book will carry us through most of the year. Here is my sample of the first four stitches in the book - Algerian filling stitch, Algerian stitch (plaited), Armenian edging stitch, and the arrowhead stitch. Tomorrow we stitch the back stitch.

We will try to keep up throughout the year.

Do you have a "word" for 2017? Some people come up with a single word to guide them through the year, to help them make choices and stay focused on their goals. I thought about it this year and didn't come up with a word as much as a saying, "do the work. "

I think "do the work" is pretty fitting with any of the goals that I have whether they are business, artistic and creative, or personal. I will have to put in the man hours and do the work to achieve my goals.

I will have to do the work to keep up with this embroidery project but if I do, I will be rewarded with the ability to incorporate more variety and interest into my future hand stitched projects. 

Advent Tree - the 2016 edition

Miss P and I again pooled our efforts and made an advent tree for her brother. This one is very similar to the one we made for D  last year.

Again, P made the plan and sewed the green parts. I made the backgrounds.

The ornaments are a mix of handmade felt ornaments reminiscent of those my sisters and I made when we were growing up 

and collected charms and old jewelry.

M and his new bride went to Hawaii for their honeymoon. The pineapple pin is a reminder of that. They also saw sea turtles from their rental place in Hawaii. The penny is from 2016, the start of their married life together.

The post about D's advent tree has a bit more explanation on how we made the quilt.

It was a bright and sparkly morning

 

Every Last Piece - Stardust

I just realized that I never shared my quilt, Stardust, with you. That's a little funny because it is the quilt on the cover of Every Last Piece!

I started making the little two inch stars in this quilt back in 2011. The first little star was so cute, I had to make another, and another, and another.

I was still having fun making little stars all through 2012. I cut the star point pieces in groups of eight and cut stacks of the background pieces. The star centers were cut from fabrics in my scrap basket. My daughter enjoyed matching the solid star point fabrics with the center squares. I had a featherweight set up in the sewing room that was always ready for sewing stars. I could easily work on them in small batches whenever I had a few minutes.

In the spring of 2013, I started building the nine patch blocks. I continued working on this quilt at the same time I was making other quilts.

The quilt was finished in April of 2014.

The quilting is an all over freeform flower and swirl design.

I would never have made this quilt if I had read the directions first. "Cut 3,742 one inch squares from solid scraps." Nope, that never would have happened. By cutting a few at a time and working in small batches, I kept the process fun.

Finished quilt - 87'' by 99'' You can purchase an autographed copy of the Every Last Piece from me here. 

Favorite Things

I'm headed to Wisconsin this week to tape a show with Nancy Zieman and then to a workshop with Gwen Marston on Madeline Island. When I return, things should be a little calmer around here and I can settle in on fun sewing and babysitting my grandbaby.Here are some projects I'm looking forward to upon my return.

A few back porch sewing sessions and I've almost got this little quilt finished. I'm in the home stretch.

This one is basted and ready for hand quilting.

I am crushing hard on little half inch sawteeth.

Yesterday I had an idea on how to piece tiny one inch finished stars. I'm eager to play with this idea some more.

What are your favorite sewing things these days?

A Common Thread

Gwen Marston's latest book, A Common Thread, is one I've been wanting for YEARS.  It is full of beautiful photographs of beautiful quilts. I also think it has the perfect title, A Common Thread. The book shows Gwen's varied quilt styles from traditional, to applique, and liberated but every quilt also clearly reflects HER style.The chapters in the book include Traditional Patchwork, Applique, Liberated Patchwork, String Quilts, and Abstract Quilts in Solids. The entire books is filled with photographs interspersed with introductions Gwen wrote for each chapter.  The left side of each spread is a full shot of each quilt. The right side of each spread has one, two, or three close up photographs showing details and interesting parts of the quilt.

This spread shows the quilt, Little Stars, that inspired my Twinkling Stars quilt.

The photography is beautifully done and you can see every quilting stitch in the detail shots. You can even see the quilting lines in the full quilt photos.

I love looking at all the details. I can even study how the pieces were sewn together. 

The quilting  in the little liberated log cabin quilt that I'm currently working on was inspired by this quilt, Abstraction.

If you like to look at beautiful quilts, this book is for you. If you want to be a quilter, this book is for you. If you know how to quilt and have mastered the basic liberated quilt making techniques, this book is for you.

I would keep writing more to convince you that you need this book but I need to go sew. This book has given me lots of ideas of things I want to try in my next quilts. I have a few log cabin ideas to explore, I want to dig out my reproduction fabrics, and of course I love the Little Baskets on page 36. What should I work on first?Thank you Gwen for making such beautiful quilts and an excellent book that features them.You can get your own copy of A Common Thread from Amazon with this affiliate link.

Triangle Bars

I've been enjoying playing with my solid scraps the last few weeks.

This quilt was a fun exercise that used up the scraps from last summer's Lucky Strike quilt.

I love the soft look of this beachy color palette my daughter-in-law pulled together from my stash.

It was fun to piece and equally fun to quilt. I can see a lot more hand quilting in my future, I have missed it these last few years.

Finished measurements 21'' by 22.5''.

Liberated Log Cabin Blues

I have been plugging along on my projects here between our family summer activities. This binding on this little quilt is almost finished and I've started quilting the liberated log cabin that I made a couple of weeks ago. I'm approaching the quilting in an improvisational manner making it up as I go. The quilting on both of these little quilts has been done while my husband reads chapters of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to us. It has been heavenly. My boys were just the right age when the books first came out and had to wait for each book until it was released. We read each of them as a family one chapter a day and savored that time. I thought we were teaching some good life lessons there. You only get to read them for the first time once. Two years ago we started the series with miss P. one book each summer starting on Harry's birthday. It is a slow pace for some but just right for us and faster than the boys made it through them. I think enough time may have passed that it isn't on everyone's mind and so far she hasn't heard spoilers from her friends. So far so good.Yesterday I was a bit under the weather and spent the afternoon on our back porch couch with this quilt. I love the quilt but being feverish I really wanted to snuggle under it and thought it needed to be about eight inches longer. So, today, I started another log cabin that I hope will end up a little bigger than the postage stamp quilt I used yesterday.I'm working with my blue scraps with a touch of gold. I like it so far but dang, these pieces are big! I'm hoping for a quickish finish so I'm pushing through. 

Unplugged

We are back from a week up north. We were completely "unplugged" with no electricity, internet, phones etc.Drummond Island is definitely a place I'd like visit again.It was so peaceful.I am having a hard time getting back in the swing of things this week. I think I need more time up north. 

Liberated Log Cabin

 I had fun making this little liberated log cabin quilt this week. I always struggle with the quilting ideas on small scale patchwork like this. I like the look of the hand quilting because it is not a solid line of thread over the top, but these pieces are small with a lot of seams.  What to do, what to do?I may try a simple channel or grid quilting with a very fine thread.