A Christmas Gift

I participated in Stephanie and Linda's Christmas in July swap. Even though I haven't received my package yet, I got a gift, a special gift of a new friend. Jenny, of Elefantz, was my partner and I had the pleasure of making a few little things for her. The greatest thing about doing swaps is meeting new people and sometimes there's even a connection. Jenny is one of those people.

We share the love of vintage things, fun fabric, and I'm sure we have more in common that we have yet to discover. If you don't know Jenny or her blog you should definitely check it out. She is a master stitcher and designs stitchery patterns. Who knows, she may even convince me to give hand stitching a go.

Here's what I made for Jenny. One of the requirements of the swap was to make a bag or a stocking....I chose a bag. I was a bit nervous about that because I've never made any kind of bag before. This one was an adaptation of a tutorial on JC Handmade. (she calls it a kidlet wall pocket...I made it into a bag.) I used linen and this wonderful Michael Miller fabric with retro Christmas ladies. It's the cutest fabric ever. It's lined with multi color pez which I think looks like Christmas lights.
Can you see the hearts? They're made from a vintage quilt, have pinked edges, are sewn together and have a simple grosgrain ribbon loop hanger. I made her a set of those. There are a couple of ornaments and some cute Japanese fabric.
I forgot to take a picture of the pillow. It has some cute Christmasy embroidery...done by machine, not by hand. Can you see it?
I used more of that fun fabric and made a couple of potholders with grommets of course.
Do you recognize this mod tree? Jenny was the guinea pig for my Christmas tree skirt tutorial on Sew Mama Sew. I added some free pieced letters and made her this mini quilt.
I also experimented with some decorative stitching. I do like to try new things for my swap partners!
Lastly, a tiny little raw edge applique quilt.

It was so much fun spying on Jenny and making things for her. Thanks so much to Stephanie and Linda for all their work organizing this swap. They are great swap mamas!

Some sad news in my week. I had another heartbreak with this quilt. You can read about it here.

A Busy Little Elf

Did you know that it's Christmas in July at Sew Mama Sew, and that I got to be one of Santa's elves to bring you a Christmasy project to get a jump on the holiday rush?

You might want to learn how to make some 'extended maverick stars' a variation of Gwen Marston's maverick stars..
and combine those with some 'mod trees' to make a hip Christmas tree skirt. There's a pdf on Sew Mama Sew with all the instructions and some really fun Christmas fabric to choose from.
Meanwhile I'm still plugging away at this quilt.
I'm pretty happy with how it's coming along....about half done.
My loving husband is always bragging about me...well, turns out he was invited to a baby shower for a colleague in Chicago...just happened to mention I might be able to make a special quilt for their new little boy. So....the parents requested orange, brown and golden yellow...I went to my stash and chose these.
They wanted a zig zag quilt like this one. Instead of all those half square triangles, I used AmandaJean's no triangle method. Easy peasy...totally genius! Went together like a snap. The only change I made was to combine fabrics in some of the zigs...or are they zags? I like the look mixing it up a bit. It's very little boy to me.

It may not look like it, but I really am following doc's orders...short sewing sessions...limited time per day...exercises twice a day...every day...and a good attitude. (well, that last one may need a little work.)

Not Lost in the Woods

It's finished and it has a new name, 'Not Lost in the Woods'. The name was inspired by my friend Penny, of Sewtakeahike, and her husband. A short while ago they went hiking together in the mountains and lost the trail in the snow. I was thinking of their adventure as I finished this quilt.
I quilted nice straight lines to give them a trail to follow.
The back feels like the deep dark woods to me.
You can still see the trail though...
It's good to have a trail that will take you home.

ps...evidently my posts aren't showing up in bloglines...i'm clueless...i use google reader. can anyone help?

It's My Turn

I'm so lucky to be involved in virtual quilting bees. This is my month in the Sew Connected bee. It's not easy to decide what to do. I love bees because they are an opportunity to stretch myself both in skills and creativity. I want my month to do that for my buddies without pushing anyone over the edge. I've had this idea on my list of things to make for awhile now. It was a little hard giving it over to the group, (ideas are a little like babies for me), but after I saw the first block, I'm so glad I did.
This is the inspiration for the quilt. It's a drawing that my youngest son Jon did for me years ago. Jon is always pushing me in a modern direction.
The quilt will reside in this room in some form. I haven't decided if it will be the king sized quilt for the bed, or maybe a throw for the chair or the bottom of the bed.
I sent my sew connected buddies a very simple set of fabrics, three kona cotton solids: espresso brown, ice frappe (my fav color), and snow with the instructions to use the drawing as inspiration. I also asked that the brown be 1 inch strips so those lines would be consistent through the quilt. Tracy went for it right away and this was the first block posted. I was thrilled!! She captured the spirit of the drawing and the modern feel I was looking for. All the blocks will be different sizes and some will be very simple and some more complex. I'm looking forward to receiving them all and grappling with this puzzle and putting it together in a nifty way. More blocks have been posted...you can see them here along with the rest of the great work this group has done.

If you're not in a bee, don't wait to be asked. Gather up a group of friends and go for it. You'll be glad you did. This quilt is the result of my month in the Common Threads bee. I had such a great experience in this bee, I'm starting year two!

Thanks for all the advice and good wishes concerning my hands. I'm trying my best to be good and follow orders. It sucks being obedient.

Slow and Steady

The doctor said to rest my hands. I did. Well, sort of. I finished off these two smaller pieces. They were partially done, so it wasn't too much.


I have 3 large quilts basted and ready to go. Maybe a little bit each day won't be too much. I'm feeling a little bit like the tortoise when I want to be the hare. I guess the tortoise did get to the finish line. Slow and steady may be my mantra for the week.

FAQ

Well, here it is. Grab some coffee, tea or maybe a nice glass of wine. You may need it to make it through this! I hope I didn't miss anyone's question. If I did, just drop me an email. I finished the back for this quilt. I think I like it all on its own!

In the beginning...
I really haven't been quilting very long. I made two quilts back in the early 90's (one of those is still a ufo). I started quilting again for real in December of 2007 when I started this blog, so it's been a year and a half. However, I've been sewing all my life. All the women in my life sew and do handwork. My grandmother was an crochet expert. My mom taught me to sew. She was my 4-H leader and I took the usual home ec classes in school. My mom made all my clothes as a kid and sewed just about everything in our home, pillows, curtains, placemats etc. She can upholster couches and chairs. She can sew anything. When I need to know something I can ask her.

As for how I learned to quilt...I used what I knew about sewing and applied it to quilting. I read books and taught myself. The internet has been an amazing learning tool. I've never had a quilting class. Someday I'm going to remedy that!

One of you asked what level of quilter I would consider myself. I don't think I'm a beginner, but I'm not an expert either...so I guess that puts me somewhere in the middle. There are some things I do really well, other things I can't do at all. I consider myself a learner...there is so much in quilting I don't know.

Inspiration...
So, what happened in December 2007 that I became a quilter for real? I spent the last 10 years of my career as an educator traveling and working with troubled schools across the country. With a demanding job, lots of time on the road and a family to raise there really wasn't time in the day to feed my creative soul. In December I quit my job and decided to find work locally and focus on myself and my family. (There are lots of circumstances surrounding the job change, but mostly I felt I had lost myself and I found I was working in an organization which didn't have the same philosophy or ethical beliefs as I did.)

Then I happened upon an exhibit of the Quilts of Gees Bend. The quilts and the ladies of Gees Bend inspired me to pull out and dust off my sewing machine. I bought all the books and read about those quilters. Their attitude and philosophy about quilting touched something in me. The freedom, the whimsy, the confidence to do their own thing inspired me.

I stumbled onto Denyse Schmidt. A light bulb went off in my head when I discovered her...quilts can be modern. That opened a door for me. I bought her book and was ready to learn about improvisation. I was disappointed to find little in the book about process. I researched improvisational quilting and found little. Through my blog friends I learned more about Gwen Marston and some other quilters who had been working improvisationally. I looked at their work and told myself I could do that. So I gave it a try. I simply struck out on my own.
Someone asked how long it took me to do my own thing....I didn't wait until I learned the basics...I just went for it and learned as I went along. I used patterns and tutorials to practice the skills and then I did my own thing, a little at a time. It was all about one step at a time for me. There were/are lots of missteps along the way, but that's just part of the process. Mistakes are learning opportunities.
When I need an infusion of inspiration I always go back to Gee's Bend.

Tools, Tips and Quilting...
I have access to two sewing machines. My machine is a mechanical Singer. It sews a nice straight stitch and it's fine for piecing. That's about it. I bought it back in the 90's when I made my first quilt. I think it cost me less than 100 dollars. My mom has a Bernina artista 165. I sew with that as much as I can. I do as much quilting as I can on my mom's machine, but I do it on my own machine too even though it doesn't have any of the features that you need to quilt.  I just make it work.  I like to do my own quilting...there's something so satisfying about making a quilt from beginning to end.

I do wear gloves when I quilt. I find that they help me move the quilt smoothly.

I'd love to get access to a longarm and give it a try. I have some blog friends that rent time on longarms to quilt their quilts.

The wavy quilting on this quilt is done using a stitch on my mom's Bernina. Victoria shared how she does that quilting. I learned from her. Check out her blog...she does amazing work!

How do I get those nice mitered corners? The best binding tutorial on the web is from Heather Bailey...you can find it here. I do it that way.

Kigwit asked about wrangling large quilts. I wish I had an answer for this. I baste my quilts on the floor on hands and knees. Then it's quilt wrestling with my machine. I do roll my quilts to help handle the bulk. Sometimes I just move and squish and move and scrunch.

Rachel asked about how I might put these little city cabins together into a quilt. Here's a link to how to "quilt as you go." I've never done it, but I've talked to a few folks who have used this technique and they tell me it works. This is the best explanation I've found.

Fabric....
It's an obsession, an addiction....I love fabric. It inspires me. I find fabric everywhere. I love to shop at thrift stores, antique stores, vintage stores to look for interesting fabrics. I do a lot of online shopping as well. Some of my favs are:
Pink Chalk Studio
Sew Mama Sew
Cia's Palette
Contemporary Cloth
Fabric Shack
Fabricworm
J Caroline Creative
There are many more. My blog friends Anina, Jane, Kathy and Kerri have fabric shops. I try to support my blog friends businesses. There are a few etsy sellers that I like as well.

I subscribe to many fabric designer blogs as well as to fabric company blogs. I love to read about fabric and see what's new. True Up and the Fabric Shopper are two great blogs to read if you want to keep up with fabric trends.

Virtual Quilting Bees...
I belong to three virtual quilting bees: Common Threads, Block Party and Sew Connected. Common Threads was my first bee experience. What I love most about virtual bees is that they have given me the opportunity to push myself creatively. It's been a wonderful learning experience to work within another quilter's parameters: a limited amount of fabric, a time limit, and a design idea. The more open ended the idea, the more opportunity for me to stretch and develop my design skills. You can see the quilt that I did with my common threads buddies here. I highly recommend joining or starting a bee. Find a group of like minded quilters, establish a set of rules and go for it! A bee takes work...it's important to be on time, do your best work and the organizer(s) has to be vigilant and nurture the group to keep people motivated. It is a commitment. I'm am fortunate to be involved in great groups with great organizers!

A Business....
Until the show this summer, I have only sold quilts that I've done on commission. I have considered an online store many times. I still wonder if there is a market for speculation quilts. Quilts seem to me to be so personal, your colors, your style. I enjoy working directly with clients to design and make a quilt that is perfect just for them.
Tallgrass Prairie Studio is now an officially registered business. I'm doing talks to guilds, selling quilts, and yes, paying taxes. I don't know the direction of my business as of yet. I can tell you, I'm sure working on it. Could there be an online store in my future?

Time...
Finding time in the studio is always a challenge. For the first time in a very long time I don't have any children in the house. It's only been a month, but an empty nest helps! I work in the studio every morning and every evening if I can.

We're early risers here...the coffee is brewed by 5:00 a.m. at the latest. My hubby is out of town, sometimes a week at a time. That's a lot of time to fill in the evenings when he's not here. Quilting doesn't take the place of my hubby, but it helps me not miss him quite so much.
I don't sew much on weekends because hubby is at home and we like to do things together. Weekends are also the time to get all those things done that get ignored during the week. Though if he heads to his home office to work, I head to the studio.

My Process...
This was probably the hardest question to answer, but I wanted to give it a shot. Inspiration for me comes from so many places. Sometimes it's a fabric, or a set of fabrics and they just seem to tell me what should be done...at least where to start. Sometimes it's a thought, a conversation, an idea that sparks a quilt.

The other day I knocked a stack of flying geese from Anina's Geese in the Forest quilt off the table onto the floor. The way the blocks landed on the floor got me thinking. The word 'contrary' got stuck in my mind. I picked up a few of the blocks (left the rest on the floor) and made two quilts...this little one...'common ground?'

and this one 'a new direction'.

I was thinking about President Obama and the polarization of issues in our country. All from a few little flying geese blocks.

I have little moleskin sketchbooks everywhere...by my bed, in my purse, on my desk and in my car. When an idea comes to mind I jot it down...could be a couple of words, or a quick sketch or even a question..."what might happen if." I love museums...art inspires me....music too.

I'm a work as you go, quilter. I start with an idea, but it almost always changes significantly along the way. I use my design wall all the time. I audition fabrics, arrangements etc. I have lots of starts that go nowhere...maybe for months at a time, maybe never. I rarely go from a full drawing/plan to a finished quilt. I have many days where I have no ideas at all and wonder if I'll ever make another quilt.

Things in my house...
The comforter in this post came from Target. It was on the clearance rack when I bought it last fall. I don't know if it's still available.

I did my stenciled floor a long time ago. The floor boards were cleaned and run through a planer, installed and then I stenciled them. I used a purchased stencil and a stiff stencil brush. The trick to crisp lines is using a dry brush (dip in the paint and then blot till almost dry on a paper towel.) Use only an up and down stenciling motion. Make sure your stencil is flate and taped down securely. There is no stain on the floor. I used minwax polyurethane over the wood. I think I put on three coats.

How did you get so gosh darned awesome?...
I think this is a trick question. I don't know about awesome, but I can tell you that I work hard and I love what I do. I did a trunk show a month ago and a friend came up to me afterward and asked, " do you think you were always meant to do this?" I think she heard in my talk, my passion for quilting. Each quilt is an opportunity to succeed, to fail, to learn. 'Think you can, work hard, get smarter' is a phrase I used with my students when I was teaching. Success isn't a matter of luck, it's a matter of hard work. Those are words I live by.

I said earlier that with my busy life I didn't have time to feed my creative soul. Quilting does that for me. I am a better, happier person because I quilt.

Henny said in a comment the other day that Tallgrass Prairie Studio has a mission. I thought about it after her comment. My mission is to create beautiful work and to do a little good in the process.

Fingers to the Bone

I'm working my fingers to the bone to get all I need to get done around here. Why does everything I do painting, quilting, gardening involve my hands? I've taken to icing them down at night.
A sneak peek at another finished top. I need to do a back for this one.
Square Motion #2 in sage, brown and cream. One thing about improvised work...it can't be duplicated. This has the same feeling of movement of the original. I may even like it better.
This is the back in progress.
I'm playing with a new design for these fabrics. Isn't that a great combo?

I still need to make a back for Orange Crush from the last post. Then it's quilt, quilt, quilt. Oh my aching hands.

ps...faq post coming on wednesday...any more questions?

Please Don't Tell My Husband

I think I'm in love. Well, it's really just a crush, but I've fallen head over heals for this quilt. Should be quilted by the end of the day if I get my sewing machine back...it's in emergency repair...what a time for that to happen!

I love the polka dot fabric in this one...it's Michael Miller's mirror ball dots. They're shiny...they almost glitter and twinkle. Simply FABULOUS! I only have a little bit and this was perfect for it. It just might have to be named 'orange crush'. Oh, dear. I crack myself up!

Did you know it's Christmas in July? This little lady may be part of the fun! I've finished my goodies for my partner in Stephanie and Linda's Christmas in July swap. They're all packed up and ready to go. Can't show any more yet....package goes in Santa's sleigh July 11!

I had so much fun with the virtual gallery show. Thanks to everyone for coming. I think just about everyone I've met in blogland came by and signed the guestbook too. It was great to have you. I'm still trying to get all the comments that aren't 'no reply' responded to. A special thanks to Laurie who attended virtually and bought one of the quilts. Thanks for supporting the clinic with your purchase.

I learned something about the Southwest Blvd Family Health Care Clinic when I was at the show. There are two pay scales at the clinic, volunteer and $12.00 an hour. Everyone, including doctors, dentists, custodians, office help, either makes $12.00 an hour or nothing at all. These folks serve those who need it most in our community. I'm so proud to be a part of their network of support.

Welcome to the Show

The opening on Friday was a wonderful night for me and I'm happy to be able to share it with all of you.
Have a glass of wine, or maybe some sparkling water. Please sign the virtual guest book (leave a comment). I'd sure like to know you came by.
Enjoy!











This is a sampling of the work in the show. While I was busy greeting and chatting about the quilts my hubby was taking pictures. Bless his heart, he did his best with tricky lighting and folks moving around. Of the almost 200 pictures he took, these are the best ones.
People came and they enjoyed my work. They had lots of questions. One of the best parts of the night was answering their questions and talking quilts, talking art.


This is not a white glove exhibit. Becky, my local blog friend's daughter Grace had the right idea. Get close, touch them, and always check out what's on the back.
Another great part of the night, I sold 8 pieces, two of the larger pieces and 6 small pieces. I was thrilled, both for me, but for the clinic as well since 25% of the sales go directly to support the clinic.

Thanks to Becky and Sarah, both local blog friends who came to the show and brought their children. The kids made the night for me. They're so candid with their comments and their enthusiasm is contagious. I so appreciate the support.

I learned so much from the experience, and I have ideas for how to make the August and September nights even better. I'm hoping for a much bigger crowd for August since it won't be a holiday weekend. Next big night, August 7th from 5:30 to 7:30.

I think I might have made a contact from another gallery. Maybe this won't be a one time thing. I have so much sewing to do to replace those items that sold. Busy is good. I think Tallgrass Prairie Studio is now official.

Thanks for coming and sharing this night with me.

Sage Advice From Those Who Have Been There

I'm ready...the mini city cabins are finished...my artist statement has been edited for the last time.
To keep my mind and hands occupied I played with a new design. This one is inspired by a door I saw on our trip to Oregon last summer. It was this fabulous orange with 3 windows filled with kind of 70's feeling glass tiles. It's stayed with me ever since. This is pretty close...I love the fabrics, but the quilting isn't right. That's why I make small versions like this...to give things a try. I think the windows may need a bit more separation too.

My eldest son asked the other day how I was feeling about the show. I told him I was nervous about the holiday weekend and whether anyone would show up. He told me in a stern, but quiet voice, "Mom, every artist plays to an empty room some time in his career. It builds character." Jon, my youngest nodded his head and said, "We've been there, Mom. Now, it may be your turn."

So, I'm counting my blessings and realizing how fortunate I am to have this show at all. I'm going to be a happy girl no matter who comes. I have so many people to thank for this opportunity. Each and every one of you who has left a comment on this blog has had a part in making this happen. So, thank you. I can't wait to share the experience with you.

If you'd like to come, just drop me an email at jgeringirre at yahoo dot com and i'll send you details, directions etc. (Kate, get in touch...I'd love to see you there and get to meet you.)