Three Little Quilts

These three little quilts will be making their way to the Alzheimer's Quilt Initiative with the group coming from the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild.  There are going to be a whole bunch of great little quilts added to the sale list soon.  This is a great guild service project.  Making the quilts doesn't take a whole lot of time, but a bit of an investment pays off in a big way.

From left to right:  Sands of Time, Life is a Circle, and Not Lost in the Woods.

Thanks for all the kind words about the book.  It's exciting to know that other quilters are interested and willing to buy it.  I'm beyond thrilled.  On a side note, the book has made its way into the Top 100 in the Crafts/Hobbies category on Amazon.  I don't have a clue what that means, but for now I'm thinking it's a good thing.  

Quilt In Miniature

For the Alzheimer Quilt Initiative I decided to make one of my quilts in miniature. I used Cloud 9's organic solid in earth, Bella solid stone, and Kona pale flesh. I wanted sophisticated, neutral colors.

Not Lost in the Woods is the large version.  It has elongated wonky log cabin blocks.  It's one of my all time favorites.

The blocks in the tiny version are 4" x 5".  I think I'm going to add the dark border like I did in the original quilt, but it can't be any larger than 9" x 12" when it's done.

It's been fun working in miniature and with this design. I think I need to make another large version of this quilt.

Playing With Color

I do love color. People tell me I have a knack for it, but I don't think it's one of my strengths. I'm a limited color palette kind of girl. My hex quilt is a good example of how I like to use color lately...a lot of neutrals and a bit of color. Maybe that's just my way of keeping my world calm!

Playing with color is my middle of the night when I can't sleep activity. Design Seeds is one of my favorite places to go to be inspired by color. Check it out, though be careful...it's addicting!

I also like making my own color schemes...it's a fun way to test out things without cutting into fabric. I do that with Color Scheme Designer. I have a book filled with swatches from this site.

Speaking of color, my interview is up on Victoria's blog today. I've been enjoying her Colorful Interviews every Thursday!

And speaking of Victoria, there is a BASIC's quilt distribution coming up in February.  Victoria is committed to changing the world one quilt at a time! Do you have a quilt to send?  I'm hoping to have a few more to donate.  Look at that little girl's face as she gets one of my quilts!  How great is that?  If you can spare a quilt, send it on.  We need more looks like that!

Time to Remember

This is the start of my quilt, "Time to Remember," for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. The Chicago Modern Quilt Guild's project this month is to make a quilt to donate to the initiative. They have to be 9 x 12 or less.

I'm OK with it, but I'm going to play some more and maybe make another one.  I want to have at least one ready to bind at our February meeting.

The hexagon tutorial should be up this week.  I wanted to finish the quilt before I shared it...put a little pressure on myself to get it done!

Can Wedges Dance?

Thanks so much for all the questions and suggestions.  I appreciate hearing what you are interested in reading.  I guess I haven't been very good at talking about process lately.  I've got some ideas for how to share more, so thanks!

Since I didn't have any kona snow, I decided to switch gears and go with another idea that was on my list.  I've been working on a bunch of designs using the traditional dresden wedge in other ways rather than a dresden plate.  I needed a baby quilt for a friend so I played a bit and came up with Dancing Wedges.

 I used some leftover fabric from two of Aneela Hoey's lines, some Rich Red and Ash Kona cottons.  I started with the wedges alternating like this.  I liked it, but to make the prints shine more I framed each wedge in the red.

 I wanted a bit more movement within the line of wedges so I adjusted them so they "danced" a bit more.  I stair stepped them in threes.  The last step was to cut additional wedges to fill in the background.

 After I made the panel I decided I liked it vertical this time, and I added a blank wedge in the negative space to be able to add the baby's name and date.  I'm thinking I'd like to embroider it.

I like how graphic yet simple it is.  I think there are some great quilting possibilites too!

A little Monday business.  Sorry I didn't get to the winner on Friday.  The week slipped away from me!  Here are the winners of the $20.00 gift certificates from Pink Chalk Fabrics:

Susie DW

Pmookie

Kris loves fabric

Piece peace

Congratulations!  If that's you, drop me an email.  I'll send everyone's info to Kathy and she'll set you up!

My Kona snow should be arriving today, so I should be able to get back to my red and white piece.

Have a great week!

Working Away and a Winner!

I'm continuing to work on my 'abundance/scarcity' red and white quilt. I had to stop for a few days because I ran out of red fabric, but Tammy at Marmalade came through as usual. She is one fast shipper! I have one panel done. I like how it's coming along.

I had fun counting quilts. It got me thinking about how many quilts I've made in four years. I don't have any idea. I just know it's a LOT!

And now for the winner! I counted quilts, actually counted them a bunch of times to make sure I was correct. Believe it or not from all those comments only one person hit it on the nose. A bunch of you were close, but here's the official count:
Bedroom - 2
Studio - 4
Studio closet - 10
Hallway - 2
Bedroom closet - 12
Living room - 3
Dining room - 1
Kitchen 1
for a grand total of 35 quilts. Elizabeth, you are the winner. Drop me an email and I'll send you the code so you can do some fabric shopping at Sew Mama Sew.

A note about storing your quilts. I used to fold mine, but when I took my Broken Cogs quilt out to hang it in the hallway gallery, it still has lines in it from where it was folded. I now roll my quilts with the front inside and store them this way.  When I pull out a quilt there are no folds or wrinkles and they are ready to use or hang.

A Quiet Blog

...means a quiet life. I'm focusing on taking care of myself and getting ready to spend the holidays with my family.  We have many holiday traditions, but those on the top of my boys' list revolve around food.  One of the most labor intensive, but really special are the peppernuts (also called papenate or pfefferneusse). It wouldn't be Christmas without them. It's one of our family's Mennonite food traditions.

They've also become a giving tradition for my husband.  We give everyone he works with a little bag filled with Christmas cheer.

My husband works with a LOT of folks so baking peppernuts is a week long activity involving about 20 cups of flour and thousands of these little dime sized cookies.

Star anise gives peppernuts their unique flavor.

In addition to the cookie jar, my boys like to have their own peppernut stash, so these houses will be stuffed full and go under the tree for each of them.

I have managed to make a few gifts, though I didn't get to everything I wanted to make.  I finished these infinity scarves made from a couple of my precious liberty fabrics, a Kokka fabric and some coordinating shot cottons.

I'm hoping that after Christmas I'll be feeling more like myself again, and let me tell you when that happens, I'll be quilting with a vengeance!
Have a wonderful holiday!

Sprout and Bloom

Added a couple of pillows to my sofa. Every new place needs new pillows. These are done in 4 tints/shades of orange with an ash gray background.

I love how the quilting makes veins in the leaves!

I have two more versions made, but not quilted yet.  They're on the list.

These have definitely inspired a couple of quilt designs!

Now for the winners.  Who knew there were so many naked sewing machines out there!
Sonia B
EG
Kim from CA with a Janome
Terri
Sharon T in Huntley IL
Hollymade
LizA
Sarah in Denver
Congrats!  If I could find your email, you should have gotten an email from me.  Sharon T and Kim, if you would drop me an email with your contact info, I'll get these little presents in the mail ASAP!  Congratulations!!
The pattern for this cover will be available on the Sew It All TV website when my episode airs.  I'll let you all know.  It's fast and soooo simple.  Hopefully all those machines out there can stop choking on dust and snuggle under cute covers!

Cover It Up!

Give me a hammer, a screwdriver and a mission and you never know what might happen! I dismantled one of the metal shelving units in the studio and with a herculean push to separate two of the rails, not only did I slice the tips of three fingers, I also sent a couple of metal rails flying across the room. The fingertips are healing, there's a slice in the wall, and one of the rails hit the back of my chair and left a nasty scratch.  This is what I ended up with.  I made the unit shorter, shrunk the space between shelves and made the top into an ironing surface so I don't have to have the ironing board up at all times. It's a bit less claustrophobic without that tall shelf.  As Nate Berkus says, in a small space things need to do double duty.

Of course I created a new problem, the chair needed something to cover that scratch.

No problem! I grabbed a bit of fabric, traced a pattern and made a chair cover to hide the scratch and you know what? I think I'm going to make a couple of covers for the balcony chairs and maybe even for the metal chairs in the dining room. What a great way to decorate for the holidays!

Speaking of cover ups...I cover my sewing machines religiously.  Sewing rooms are notoriously dusty and I try to protect my machines whenever they're not sewing.

One of the projects I did on Sew It All TV was a quick, easy sewing machine cover.  Well, for TV there are loads of step outs that need to be made.  I only have two sewing machines, but now, thanks to the magic of television I have EIGHT extra sewing machine covers.

I made all the step outs into finished covers, but I can't use them, so I decided to share them with you. Do you need a cover for your machine?  Want to give one as a gift?  They're made to fit a Bernina 156 not my giant 820, so they should fit most sewing machines.

I'll draw eight random winners on Wednesday...that is if there are more than 8 of you who want them.
Finished two quilt tops this weekend.  Now to clean the floor so I can baste!
Comments are now closed....choosing the winners!

Starting Slowly

I didn't have a bunch of time to sew this weekend.  I spent most of the time working on organizing the apartment. I even hung some pictures.  I'm getting to the fun part...decorating!!!

I took a couple of hours off and did some practical sewing. I think I left my grocery bags in my car that I sold back in Kansas, so I needed to make more. I whipped up these three to keep my shopping green. I used Irene's tutorial on Sew Mama Sew. Her tut is wonderful, quick and easy...no lining, but french seams to keep everything neat and a flat bottom for easy grocery packing.

I have to say I felt a bit unsteady at the machine.  I haven't sewed for so long, I was a tish nervous.  I know that sounds weird, so it was good to sew something easy and fast to get my sewing legs under me.

I also packed up a few quilts.  I have too many and now I have no place to put them, so I figured that they should go to a great cause.  Many of you know Victoria of Bumble Beans and her BASICS project to provide quilts for homeless families in New York City.  Victoria is doing a push to get another 400 quilts to the project by Thanksgiving.  That's a lot of quilts, so she can't do it alone.  Do you have an extra quilt or two?  Please send it on.  All the info you need to participate can be found on the BASICS site.

I have a few more quilt tops (from the infamous closet of creativity) that also don't have a home here.  As soon as I figure out how I'm going to baste quilts, I'm going to get those done and send them on their way.

I've always wanted to be a part of the distribution of those quilts. Wouldn't it be great to put a quilt in the hands of a family who needs one? How many quilts do you think we could contribute together?  50?  100?  If you send a quilt...let me know.  I'd love to keep a count.  There are so many families who have so little. Let's try to start them out with something both practical and beautiful.

Action Kivu - A Little Goes a Long Way

Today I have an opportunity to share with you my support for Action Kivu. I found out about the work of Action Kivu through my friend Alissa and her sister Cate, who is the workhorse and one of the driving forces behind this effort. I was happy to be reminded that everyone doesn't have the opportunities and safe environment that we do, and best of all that we can help make that possible for others.

Action Kivu provides some of the Eastern Congo's victims of violence with the opportunity to rebuild their lives on a foundation of hope, dignity, and economic self-sustenance. Their approach is spearheaded through two programs. First, they run a sewing workshop that teaches women who are victims of the conflict to sew. This leads them to be able to support themselves and their families. Secondly, they pay for children to go to school which is not free in Congo.

Action Kivu is all about changing lives with sewing machines, fabric and thread.  As we all know, those things aren't cheap.  It is through our donations that Action Kivu can do its work.

Alissa has set a goal of $15,000 this year and earlier in the week she told me that many people were coming to her blog, but weren't giving.  I know times are tough and money is tight, but I also know that a lot of caring, generous people read this blog.  There are prizes for donating (some really great ones), but the biggest prize is a woman who can live with dignity and a child who is educated and who will live a better life because of it.

You can read more about Action Kivu on their website.  You will be impressed by the work they do. Please head to Alissa's site and click the donate button.  It's simple, quick and most importantly it makes a difference. If each of us donate even $10 Alissa will make her goal.  Give more if you can, but please give.

Have a wonderful weekend!

There's a Lot Going On!

Have you been following along with Pink Chalk Studio's Where I Sew? Kathy Mack has been highlighting sewing spaces all month. I'm the last stop on the tour this Saturday. It's so great to be a part of this group! You can add where you sew here. Take a cruise around and check out all these unique sewing spaces.  I love that everyone's is different and I've gotten some ideas from all these great spaces too!

The Modern Quilt guild has put out a call for submissions for the 100 Days of Modern Quilting. I'm so excited about it. Read all about it and send in your submission ASAP!  The MQG has also composed a new 'About Us' statement defining the mission of the guild and clarifying the definition of modern quilting. I'd love to know what you think.

My friend Alissa, of Handmade by Alissa and Block Party fame, will be hosting her yearly fundraiser for Action Kivu the week of August 8th.  Mark your calendars.  This is such a wonderful cause and dear to my heart.  Sewing, women, children, empowerment...all right up my alley. You can read more about it here.  I'm trying to put together another complete set of fat eighths of Denyse Schmidt's hard to get your hands on, Flea Market Fancy for the fundraising effort.  I have 40 prints out of 46.  Ashley, my friend at Film in the Fridge is sending 3 more, so only 3 left to find.  If you happen to have a fat eighth of the acid green or gold bubble dots or the brown posies that you'd be willing to share, drop me an email.  It would be great to have a whole set to give.  This will be the last time I could come close to putting together a whole set....many of these are my last large pieces.

Gee, that's probably enough for one post. Sorry to say not much sewing going on here. I'll be able to tell you more in a few days. I will say, big things are happening on the home front. Now, see if you can guess. Those of you who know...your lips are sealed!

A Working Sunday

Sunday was another example of how the KC MQG has changed my life. Three of my new guild friends, Camille, Darcy, and Melissa, gave up their Sunday afternoon to come all the way out to my house (not a small task in itself) to help me prepare the kits for the fetal demise pouches that our guild is making as our service project. We cut a LOT of fabric and ribbon!We have kits to distribute at Thursday's meeting and soon these will be finished pouches to deliver to the hospital.It's great to have more than just me working in the studio. I had to clean before they came. In that process I was looking at a stack of quilts folded in the corner. I asked myself why I was holding onto them when they could be being used by someone who needed them. So I packed the whole stack in a box to send to Victoria's project. I've sent quilts before and it seemed a much better place for these quilts to be than gathering dust in my studio. I can't say I won't miss them just a bit.
If you happen to have a quilt or two that you're not using, there are some needy families that could use them. Check out Victoria's project, Bumble Beans Basics.

Sewing for A Cause

I sewed late into the night last night. The KCMQG is taking on its next service project and I was doing some sewing to test fabric combinations for the fetal demise pouch project. I spent a day last week shopping for some additional materials...solids and ribbons so that we can put the kits together to distribute at the April meeting. Anna Maria Horner and Free Spirit/Westminster have been so supportive of our project by providing some of the fabrics which the hospital chose for the pouches. I will tell you it's some of the most difficult, but rewarding sewing I've ever done.

Having had a child born prematurely, it's not easy to make or hold one of these pouches. The pouches are offered to mothers who have miscarriages and lose babies very early in their pregnancy, in the more technical term, fetal demise. These babies are too tiny and fragile for clothing. The pouches are only about 4" x 7". I made 3 out of muslin before I made one that was perfect. Then I made them with the selected fabrics. It had to be perfect.

Andrea, one of our guild members and a nursing student, saw a need and suggested the project. Until Andrea shared with me I didn't know there was such a thing. They exist and something beautiful was needed. I'm so proud of our guild for tackling this. I'm excited to get the kits made and distributed so our talented group can start sewing.

With Love to Japan

It's difficult to watch the news these days. Images from the continuing nuclear crisis and the devastation from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan are repeating in my head. It's difficult to imagine the circumstances that the Japanese people are facing. I've had a few people email and ask about making quilts for the Japanese.

While quilts can provide comfort, right now I am donating to the International Relief fund of the American Red Cross. Now is the time for organizations with the resources and infrastructure to provide the help that is needed immediately. The Japan Red Cross has requested assistance from the American Red Cross. The ARC has set up a fund for the affected area. You can easily donate here. Skip the starbucks this week and make a donation or do what you can in your own way.

I'm also giving away the Be Still My Heart quilt shown in these pictures to a reader of my blog. All you have to do to enter is make your donation to the American Red Cross International Disaster Relief Fund. For every $10 you donate, you get an entry.

Donate, come back and leave a comment with your donation amount and the tracking number on your receipt. Make sure I have a way to contact you too!

So, how much can we raise? Let's give it a week and see!

A Friend in Need

Since starting this blog I've made friends all over the world. Many of them are in Australia. Last year at this time it was Haiti and this year the floods in Australia have devastated so many. There are so many ways to help. Amber, of One Shabby Chick is auctioning one of her quilts.

Photo from One Shabby Chick

My friend Jodie of RicRac is doing a raffle for her amazing softies for only a $5 donation. I know other bloggers are doing all sorts of things. Check out what Toni has organized to find all the ways you can help.

Photos shamelessly lifted from Jodie's blog!

And check out Jenny's beautiful quilts. She's put up two of them and I can tell you she is an amazing seamstress! (Thanks Linda for the heads up!)

I'm bidding. If you can't bid, think about making a donation. Even a few dollars will make a difference. I've found this community to be generous and caring. If you can't give, do what you can to spread the word.

A Gift to Yourself is a Gift to Others

Today's holiday gift idea is brought to you by Mr. Bruno. Bru looked up at me this morning and with those irresistible eyes told me that I needed some time and he needed some too. Time for myself.
Bruno is wise. Taking time for yourself, to exercise, to pamper yourself, to breathe is not only a gift to yourself, it's a gift to those around you. You're better when you take care of yourself.
I can work a 15 hour day without blinking, but it takes a loving pet to remind me to take a few minute for myself. We walked the property together and enjoyed an owl in flight and two deer in the back pasture. I took time to enjoy the frost on the prairie grasses. I'll have a better day because of it.

Take it from Bruno, give yourself a gift this holiday season.

Scandinavian Stitches...You're Gonna Love This!

I can't even say how thrilled I am to introduce Scandinavian Stitches to you. Kajsa Wikman's book is brought to you by Stash Books and this book has it all, great projects, beautiful, inspiring pictures, a bit of whimsy and Kajsa's voice and style. I've admired Kajsa and her art for years and I'm so proud and happy that through this book she has the opportunity to spread her artistic vision and happy voice to a new audience.
The book and projects are organized around the seasons in Finland and how they inspire Kajsa's work.
Kajsa shares the inspirations for her designs and at the same time inspires us. I've always loved her signature birds and I'm so happy they are part of the book.
There are quilts to make....
...and smaller projects. Look closely at that basket...do you see the nest? The details in the designs are extraordinary.
And then there are the tomte. I happen to have some made by Kajsa. In Finland they're like Christmas elves, but Algot, Lars, and Olaf make wonderful sentries to guard my sewing machine! I've always wanted to make them myself and now I can! The book has so many great projects for the holidays and gift giving!
Kajsa graciously answered some last minute questions from me so we all could get to know her a little better.

Tell us a little about Finland that we wouldn't read in our geography books. Is there a Finnish word or two that you think we should all learn?

Well, the most important thing to know must be that there are no icebears here, only wolves; and that we have moose warning signs along the roads. Visitors from abroad usually find that very exotic. I belong to a Swedish speaking minority in Finland (6% of the population). Finland used to be a part of Sweden and then Russia, but has been independent since 1917. Women got the right to vote in 1906 and we have a female president today, a lovely lady named Tarja Halonen. The Sauna is Finnish, so is Nokia, the mobile phones. Finland has a lot of lakes and forests where you can pick wild berries and mushrooms. Many people have a summerhouse by a lake or by the sea.

Sisu (perseverance) is a useful Finnish word that is usually used to describe Finns. So you need a lot of sisu to write a book! Ruska is another useful word. It means the beautiful autumn colors in nature. The ruska is especially beautiful up north in Lapland (where Santa lives) and many tourists travel to experience this every autumn, and even more people fly in to see Santa in December.

Favorite author: Tove Jansson

Finnish design icons: Alvar Aalto, Marimekko, Littala

You describe art for you as "playful and happy." What advice would you give other quilters to help them find their inner artist?

1. Allow yourself to be you!

2. Give it time!

It takes time to develop a style of your own and all artists explore different techniques and styles before they find their own (stitched) path! I used to think that art had to be serious and deep, although I am quite happy and have an optimistic nature. When my daughter was born I felt free to be childish in my expression and allowed myself to dig into my favorite picture books to get inspired. First I used a more muted country palette, but the braver I got the more colour I dared to use! The on-line community of crafters and quilters has been very valuable to me, especially all the positive feedback I got on flickr when I first started posting pictures of my projects. I was encouraged and inspired to go on developing my style.

How much time do you spend sewing every day? How do you balance work and family life?

I try to get all work and sewing done while my daughter is at school and my son at Kindergarten and spend the evenings and weekends with the family. Sewing used to be a hobby, but now I can do it during working hours. How cool is that! This time of year I always end up sewing on the couch late at night, though, but I love my work so much. I can honestly say that I love my work every day!

Kajsa and Stash books are giving away a copy of Scandinavian Stitches and a set of Kajsa's holiday cards to one lucky reader. Leave a comment and tell me what's inspiring you this holiday season. Comments will close Friday morning at 8 a.m. central time. I'll announce the winner on Friday. Good luck!

I wouldn't risk not winning. I'd simply order this book right away. I'm going to snag an autographed copy from Kajsa's etsy store! Thank you, my friend for your inspiration! I wish you happiness and success!

Be sure to continue on the tour for more chances to add this book to your crafty library.

• November 18th – The Sometimes Crafter
• November 19th – Pikaland
• November 22nd – LucyKate Crafts
• November 23rd – Whip Up
• November 24th – PeikonPoika
• November 25th – Patchwork Pottery
• November 26th – All Sorts

Comments are now closed. Back with the winner soon!