Pre-clean and sorta flat

I know I am not the only one who cleans the house before the maid-service comes over....in that same vein I am now de-cluttering my sewing room a bit before having some help come in to work on a better plan for the closet.
So as I de=cluttered I also found some projects that weren't quite UFO's...more like DFI (delayed for inspiration....)First was my take on V's (Bumblebeans) waverunner project. This was a lot of fun but as it grew it started taking on a life of it's own. I swear if I even looked at this it stretched out of shape. Ya, I know it is supposed to be liberated but I just wanted it to be sort of flat...that isn't asking too much is it?

Yesterday I did a bit of work...trimming here, inserting a bit there, using an entire bottle of Mary Ellen's Best Press and lo and behold - I pretty sure if I get is basted quickly I can "quilt out" any fullness. (That is my definition of "sorta flat...")
I confess however to being a border person and so kept looking at it this morning and thinking what if? So instead of cleaning like I planned...I put on this Gwen inspired border. I used 5 different grays...I didn't even know I had 5 grays! (BTW...the borders are on the bottom and left sides of the quilt...cannot get this to load correctly and I have run out of time and patience!)The photo above is another "unearthed" project...I was trying to use up some of the batiks that have been "aging" in the stash. This is one of Bonnie Hunter's patterns...Scrappy Trip Around the World.And then there was this...one of the antique/vintage liberated type blocks that were hiding in the muslin.....I remember putting this block on my design board when I challenged myself to be "free-er" in my use of stripes. It helped!

Not so nice...

I know there are a lot of Gwen Marston fans out there so I thought I would pass one bit I learned while at Knoxville.
A year or so ago Gwen self published this book. It is also available from Amazon but what you get isn't really the same book. What, you ask? The book you get from Gwen is on beautiful, heavy glossy paper which allows you to appreciate the photos right down to the quilting stitches. The book from Amazon is on a lighter, duller paper which distorts to colors and makes most of the quilting disappear. Since this is primarily an quilting inspirational book the Amazon copy is a washout.

I am posting a review on Amazon today but thought it was best to let ya'll know. Generally I am a big Amazon fan. On this one however they really dropped the ball....take the time to opt for the original....

Donation quilt deadlines...

Where is the time going? In only one week it will be August and that my friends is the deadline for having my guild's 2011 donation quilt top finished! Whoops....
So after spending way too much time in the doctor's office yesterday to get more and better drugs for my eyes I came home and got the courage up to lay the donation quilt blocks out on the bed...Now I love applique but the scariest moment in quilting has to be squaring up the blocks...eakkkkkk. Just think of it - hours and hours of work goes into each of these blocks and for the next couple of moments all that work will be at the mercy of my rotary cutter.
I have only ever made a "squaring-up-error" once...but that "error" was on a Baltimore Album block (which became 1 inch too thin) and has stayed with me for a long time. The "measure twice cut once" mantra has become "measure twice...get more coffee...measure and mark again...take a deep breath...get another pair of glasses...check the measurements...then cut...say a prayer...check to see if the block is the right size...if so, do a happy dance"...then repeat the entire sequence (with perhaps a glass of wine somewhere in the middle of the project....)
Each block was made by a different quilter in the guild and I am happy to say only one leaf and one bud needed to be moved. Phew. One quilter ran into some health problems with only a couple of stars left to put on so this morning that block will be handed off to another volunteer. If I don't have it together by the first of August the first week of August is a definite possibility....
This quilt design is from Simply Vintage by Alma Allen and Cherie Ralston of Blackbird Designs and used for the charity project with their approval. It is a good design for a group project since some blocks are very involved but other very accessible for new appliquers. Most of the fabric came from various members stashes and leftovers from a donation quilt made a few years ago. (We have found that applique quilts tend to raise more money than our pieced ones...just a local observation!) The donations go to Camp Rainbow, a summer camp run by the Medical Center of Georgia for children with critical illnesses.

Now off to try a new recipe for an upside down fig cake! A guild member brought a huge basket of figs from her tree to bee...Years ago I had a great cake somewhere in the Med (think it was Malta?) and am trying to recreate it...wish me luck!

Unpacking from Knoxville....

I ended my last post on the Knoxville show with a teaser - the vendors at the show were really good and yes, I contributed to the economic stimulus....

My general rule at shows is to limit my spending to items that I can't get locally. Somehow that didn't limit much at this show.Have you noticed how things seems to go in cycles at shows. A few years ago you would find lots of bead and embellishment vendors. Now not so much. This show had a good mix of vendors. There were however a lot of thread...lots of different threads in every color you could imagine. And I was impressed at how much the vendors knew about thread...there is a lot more to it than does that thread color match my fabric! So I brought home several different types to try out...all an adventure!
I was good about limiting my fabric purchases but could not resist the bags of Cherrywood fabric shown in the photo above there were on sale along with some already made blocks! How cool are these...I played with them for a bit the past couple of days and may have a plan...think these blocks with the additional fabric as influenced by the day long class I had with Gwen Marston....(whoops...another teaser...and to think I hated writing those as a TV news producer! Now - I can't help myself!!!)I also bought some hangers for little quilts...I have a little coffee cup quilt-lete that will be perfect on the coffee hanger. The witches hat was just too fun to leave...I'll have to figure out something for it!
I've had some eye problems the past few days...luckily it hit after the show! But it has put sewing on the sideline for a few more days. This is how far I got with the liberated class project.
I will pick it up later this week and get the top done...

Back from the Knoxville Show....

Where to start - roadtrip with a quilting buddy through the Carolina Countryside, the contemporary solids class with Gwen Marston, the quilts in the show, quilting designs with Alex Anderson, the vendors....all so good it is hard to pick!
Since there are so many liberated quilting fans out there I will start with the Gwen's class. As expected it was wonderful. It was a small group and we had all day to pick Gwen's brain and to get up close to all the wonderful quilts she brought for the trunk show.Permission to play was the phrase I heard most often from the other students in class.Most of the morning we went through the trunk show and got some "theory" then Gwen did several demos on some of the techniques she used. After lunch we were free to try out the techniques ourselves with Gwen wandering the room to help out as needed. (We stitched on the new Janome provided by the local dealer...they are really nice. The bright light and the thread cutter make them really tempting....) My only complaint is the day went too fast and it was 4:00 long before I was ready to pack up my stuff and leave. I came away with lots of inspiration and confidence to try to get out of my comfort zone more.The photo above is me with Alex Anderson, Eleanor Burns, and my friend Paula. One of the great things about going to the larger shows is getting to meet quilt instructors from all over the country. Isnt' it great when you meet an author or "celebrity and they are even nicer than you expected! That was the case with Alex, Eleanor and Gwen. (I just reread that and realize I sound a bit like a quilt groupie...ah, well....)

Unfortunately I cannot post photos of the quilts in the show but a few of my own personal observations (above and beyond there were lots of wonderful quilts...)

1. It is amazing how far machine quilting has come in the past few years. Ten years ago when I tried machine quilting the thread recommended was so heavy when I was finished it looked like a crayon had been dragged across the top of the quilt. I quickly gave up and went back to hand-stitching or "quilt by checkbook." As much as my machine may intimidate me looking at the amazing workmanship on some of the quilts in the show gives me the kick to sit back down with some of the new wonderfully thin and strong threads I bought at the show and give it another try....

2. Bling-bling...as anyone who has watched and episode of "Jersey Girls" or "What not to Wear" knows there is a time and place for accessories and bling. There sure was a lot of it at the show and I'm talking on the quilts not the quilters! Now don't misunderstand me - I like sparkly stuff as much as the next gal but.....I don't wear everything in my jewelery box with every outfit or at the same time. (I think that is a rule most of us can live by....) There were some quilts that the glittery stuff really added to the quilt (for example one that used crystals to make the windows of the buildings glitter like a night scene) but there were others that the shiny stuff made me think of old-time used car salesman's hair gel.

3. Kudos to the city of Knoxville and the convention center folks. What a great venue for a show! Beautiful building, friendly people, great transportation around town....it isn't often I spend so much time looking at the public art as I did at the convention center.
This photo shows an artpiece in the hallway near the eating area...the "quilts" are made from metal or found objects. Below is a close-up. The artist is David Arms from Tenneseee. They are building a new convention center here in Augusta and I hope they go to Knoxville and check this one out.
More on the show later...Macbeth (my scottie dog) is demanding attention. Tomorrow I will write about Alex's class and the vendors!

ps. The grey cat we have adopted (or adopted us?) is still here and now is named Greybeard. He was the first to great me at the door when I got home...

Southern Slow...

Yikes...just look at how long it has been since my last post. I could blame it on the heat (going to be over 100 again today) or my computer going into a summer slowdown (I just hate having to admit I can't fix it and have to call in some kid barely out of high school....) but in reality I think I am just a bit overwhelmed with too many things to do right now!I have been trying to clear out our library which is/was overflowing (all I will show is part of the steeple chase quilt that hangs on one wall)...so naturally I went to an estate sale. (to make up for it I did later bring three boxes of books and stuff to the library sale...)

Anyway, at the sale I didn't find any quilts but there were lots of embroidered linens like this blue and red one....and some towel applique kits from several makers. This one is from Paragon. The design is printed on the unbound towel and the applique pieces are printed on the fabrics.There were lots of boxes of fabric and I am happy to say I only brought home one piece - it was 4 yards and only marked $1! I think it will make some nice bags...
On the pet front we seem to have inherited a new cat. His family moved away about 2 years ago and left him behind. Occasionally I had caught glimpses of him and he seemed ok but very shy. Last month he showed up and was in terrible shape...very, very skinny and weak from the heat. So we started feeding him and now he is looking pretty good (even allows us to pet him a bit!) Today I put some flea and tick medicine on him. Our plan is to get him to a vet in then next couple of weeks and have him checked out. If he is healthy we will have him neutered (his rather distinctive bowed legs marks him as the local "Daddy" to several litters...) Any advice on taming a feral cat would be appreciated....

Now off to pack for my trip to the AQS Show at Knoxville! I'm taking a class with Gwen Marston and a lecture with Alex Anderson. Very excited about it all! Naturally I have all my stuff packed for the class (now I have an idea of just how many solids I have stashed around the house!) and no clothes packed yet...same as my trip to Paducah!

fabric drying...

I didn't realize dyeing fabric lead to so much washing...and washing...and washing again. zikes! Even MacBeth is worn out!At the end of the day I think I like the baggie method over the dye painting method. The fushia and the blue were done in the baggies.... This is one of the dye paintings...Maybe I'm just not that creative...but what do I do with these large pieces (I know what Bonnie would say - cut them up small!)

I have a bag in mind and may sketch it out this afternoon....seems a shame to hack at this fabric after all the effort has gone into making it!

Fabric Day...

Today I went over my friend Maggie's house and dyed fabric. It has been years since I attempted this and I was more than a bit nervous but after a few minutes I just decided to go with the flow and have fun with it.In the end it felt somewhere between High School Chemistry and a cooking class. Lots of measuring, mixing, dirty pans, and surprise outcomes! Like why is it Mary who wore and apron didn't get any dye on her and my trousers look like a 5 year old went wild with some markers....
I think Tom the cat was unsure why we wanted to mess with his nice pile of white fat quarters....doesn't he look like an angel in there!
While Jazz, the Jack Russell, kept an eye on her treat barrel...

Around fabric....

Most quilting has been put aside this week as I clear out the bedroom so new wood flooring can be laid Monday. The physics just don't seem right...how can the contents of one room fill three other rooms? hummmmm....As I worked on it today I kept the TV on with an episode of "Messiest House." Now I am nowhere as bad (ok, maybe the sewing room....and maybe the garage....do you think they would come in and just do two rooms?) As I think about it I would be willing to part with/sell my entire Scottie dog memorabilia collection (not to include MacBeth the live Scottie dog) to have an organized sewing room - and that my friends is saying something!I did go over my friend Maggie's house this week to check out some hand-dyed fabrics she made last week. On Wednesday she is having a dying day at her house on the "rivah." Should be fun.This is here latest project...I think it is a Kim McLean (sorry if I misspelled that) pattern done in Kaffe/Westminster fabrics. It is gorgeous...as is her lab Bella who loves to pose but oh, so difficult to photograph!

Well, back to work. I have filled three bags with clothes for Goodwill. Now another run at the shoes...I am trying to use the "if I haven't worn them in a year" rule. Who really needs three pairs of red sandals and five pairs of black heels...and while I am questioning my footwear choices...what was I thinking when I bought those purple flats?

Lavendar post

Well between the heat and a nasty case of poison ivy on my hands (and arm, ears, scalp and maybe my nose...) I am working with beads instead of fabric for a few days. (hard to keep that anti-itch-pink stuff from getting all over everything and it is so much easier to just wipe it off a bead!)
My friend Paula and her daughter came over and made some bracelets and key-chains. I worked on a necklace that has been "ready" to string for about the past 3 (or maybe 5?) years! Nice to know my bead stash ages as well as my fabric one does!I also got a great surprise in the mailbox today! (Thank you Karol-Ann!) I knew something fun was there as I approached the end of the driveway and could smell...was, that lavender? The little scottie dog is stuffed with lavender and with 100 degree heat it must have scented the entire mail truck! It makes me think of the Cotswolds in England where the lavender bushes were huge!

I don't know yet what I will make with the South African fabrics...I'm thinking table runner so I can show them off in my dining room...I'll have to move fast so it will be done before the soccer is over though! Now I think I will go make myself a cuppa and a shortbread finger before my DH gets home and gets his hands on them!

Doggy care...

Sorry but between visitors and taking care of poor MacBeth I haven't been very good about posting lately.
One of my sisters came down from Boston for a meeting in Atlanta so took the opportunity to come by Augusta for a few days. While she was here we went to a great plant sale and cleaned the back deck...all in almost 100 degree heat! The backyard looks so much better but I am so dragging...so today is stay inside the nice cool house and recover day! Who knows I may even get a few stitches in...
On the doggy side MacBeth is still not feeling up to his old self. He has had a couple of good days and a couple of bad days. We go back to the vet tomorrow for more tests. Today I think he will enjoy just staying inside the cool, cool house too. Promise a more "quilt-y" post tomorrow....

Daylillies, quilts and the importance of breathing....

I've been MIA for a few days and I feel like I am way behind on so many things....
First I finally got to open a box from San over at Gypsy Quilter. I love the old catalogs and saw a couple of quilt designs that I've spotted at local antique shops. Thanks San!
We also had our evening and morning guild meetings this week. This is our youngest "member's" first quilt which she sold to her Mom! Below is a BOM from People Places and Quilts down in Summerville, SC.
Tonight we have lots of lightning bugs in our yard...really beautiful! Mother nature's mini-fireworks.... Unfortunately I can't spend much time out there. I've developed a sensitivity to the pesticide that so many of my neighbors are using in search of the perfect lawn that I can't even go out into my own yard! Well I can I just can't breath if I do and it is tough to work in the garden while holding my breath....
I did get out long enough to check on my vintage daylillies....I dont' get lots of flowers on this one but what I do get are stunners!

quilts and fabric - good way to celebrate...

It was very nice of the young clerk at the grocery store to say happy birthday and "you don't look that old at all! Wow, 50!" (For those of you outside of Georgia grocery stores card everyone no matter how old they look...) It was a great day though. My DH surprised me with a trip up to Charlotte last night. Then this morning I got to see the show at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium then trip down to Mary Jo's (with his credit card in my hand...oh, my.)

The quilts at the show were really interesting. I loved this wall hanging with the horses...
and this one with the william morris fabrics....
and this one that got an award for wearable...I got a lot of reproduction fat quarters at M.Jo's and some yardage for backings. Since I had already shopped at the show I didn't do near as much damage as I usually do. At the show I got some Japanese fatquarters, a few books, and this very fun bag....
Now off to water the garden...it was over 95 degrees today and even the daylillies look a bit parched....