Small detour

A small detour in my plans to sew, but the results look so good.  Russ has been working on a pair of floor to almost ceiling bookcases for the bedroom for a few months now---in between all his other activities.  It was a 2 day operation to get them installed, but worth every ounce of strain lugging them up from the shop.  I finished filling them up this morning.    A very happy dance!

  And out the window of the bedroom is this beautiful floral combination....

peonies and  red roses. 

Now to finish up and get the house cleaned before I get to sew. 

Happy stitching.

I have a design plan...

  Finally, after a dozen more designs, I found one that satisfies me and Russ, too.  There were a couple that I liked.  So follow the progression...if you can.     The first was the twist and turn one that Russ did not like.   Then I changed the center to a circle.  I liked that effect.  He didn't. 

  So here's the rest of my thinking in coming up with the final design plan.

 

Then I decided to take a total different direction.  I left the circle in the center, and focused on creating blocks with lights and darks in the corners.  It is striking, but it is just a little predictable.   I think all the circles should be  all  "spikes" or not at all for this one.  This is just not quite what I had in mind.   But a good design to remember for another time.

A couple more tries--that were awful---no focus to them at all.   I stood across the room and suddenly saw that I could get the effect I wanted  by using 3/4's of a circle around the center circle. 

   I have to make a few more blocks in certain combinations to get this one to work.  The center circle will have light corners, the next round will have dark corners, etc.  I have small circles that will go in areas that "read" too solid...if needed.  Right now this is square, and I want it rectangular...so I have an idea about adding a row at the top and bottom  for that. 

  One note to this.....you eat up a lot of fabric and end up with lots of scraps.  Some will go into journal projects, and the larger pieces will become part of the "cobblestone blocks"  that I am accumulating....for a future project.      Happy stitching.  

 

Another layout

Little sewing last week, as I worked a lot in the yard.  Unfortunately, a couple of insects of some sort found me, raised huge welts, and I spent the weekend in a benadryl fog.  Better today and needing to get back in the swing of things.
    A few more blocks made out of the batiks, and a different layout now......I had the fan on in the sewing room and it blew the first layout off  of the design wall, so I thought it was a  sign to try another one. 

I still like the twist and turn pattern that these blocks create, but this time I put a group of four in a circle for the center.  There are about a dozen more blocks cut out  and ready to be sewn. 

This small photo is part of what was the first layout.I think I could probably play with this forever and have a hundred different combos.....

So,  I see my challenge is deciding on just one.  

There I go, jumping ahead of myself...again.    Finish the blocks and see what happens when they all come together.  

Insight:  This is self expression, not a given set of plans.  Enjoy it.

Happy stitching.

Journal quilt...I've lost count.

  I've saved all the scraps from the paper piecing and trimming on the batik blocks.  So they became the source of inspiration for this journal quilt. 
  I have a small enamel vase on the shelf in my sewing room.  It was a souvenir I bought my mother many years ago, and the blue/green batik prints remind me of it.  She loved that color combination. 
  The background is done crazy patch style on a muslin foundation using light blues, and the table top is a mix of taupe fabrics.  I drew the vase shape on the foundation and tried to work around it, leaving the shape uncovered with the piecing.
  For the vase....I drew the shape onto the paper side of heat and bond, and covered the shape with all the tiny pieces on the glue side. The shape was  cut out and fused to the foundation.  The little "twigs" are twisted thin strips straight stitched down.  I used the "trapunto technique"  behind the vase when I stitched it to the foundation.  All the extra batting was cut away.  I straight stitched in matching thread to hold down all the tiny pieces at this point.
  Then on to the batting and backing and quilting.  I decided to try to only use straight stitching  and not use free motion quilting.   So I only used simple curves around the vase shape.  The edge is unfinished right now....not sure if I will bind it or just use  thread. 
   I spent the afternoon cleaning--shock!---so maybe tomorrow I will to finish this.  I completed a few more batik blocks and need to take a photo. Again, maybe tomorrow.  Till then, happy stitching.

More color from the garden..

I couldn't resist a few photos of what is blooming.....roses, ice plant, iris. 

They are always good for inspiration.  So enjoy my garden.

This photo is of the tiny Carolina Orchid in the side bed.   It is loaded with blooms this year. 

Almost a meltdown

The phone is back on again, and my jaw is better, but the computer gave me a  melt down today.  Imagine cropping photos that you just uploaded and when you return to the library view......everything, but everything you have done  for 2 years is GONE!   There were no folders in Picasa or in my docs with photos.  Nearing the panic stage, we kept  searching the computer.  Finally, we  found my folder  of photos under Russ's docs.  Huh?  No idea how it moved on its own.  I re-did my backup just in case....again.  But how to get them back to Picasa.....restart and open Picasa again, and I watched everything come back.  Don't ask how, why, or what is going on, I am just glad to be past it.    I feel like the "technology gremlin" is after me this week, or maybe I really am a bit crazy.   
   Insight:  Don't panic.  Always back up files.  Take a vacation from it.  Then cry if all else fails.

   On to the blocks and batik quilt......a few more with points and a few more plain ones.  Here's a couple of layouts I am playing with. 

I want to use an off set layout, that much I am sure of.  The blocks are 9", so this is only wall size right now.  I like the curvy trail with the NY beauty blocks so far.  Seeing the photos helps me.....I need to re-arrange some of the blocks with points for better balance.   I have  more color combinations to try and more NY beauty blocks to make before I can  really play with the design.   And small circles to make to applique on.  This one is really a lot of fun....maybe it is all the color that stimulates me.
Time to head for church for Easter service.  I made food for the production team for tomorrow morning.  Five services makes for a hungry crew.  Happy Easter to all.

 Happy stitching.

Cure for the "pits"

   Some days are the "pits".  Things don't work like they should, frustration level rises, and I feel over whelmed and want to escape from it all.  Today is one of those...actually it started yesterday when we upgraded our Internet service, modem and phone.  The phone still doesn't work.  My main computer is a mess....I can't log in to access photos and my files are scattered everywhere.

    My cure.....retreat to the sewing room.....push everything aside and do a journal quilt.   I opened up my favorite reference book, Art Quilt Workbook, and  literally let it decide for me.  The page it opened to was about creative piecing by slashing and adding inset strips.  I needed this to be easy, so I chose a fabric that I had sun-dye painted last summer, with bold colors and a few fern fronds.  I used a dusty green for the strips to inset in 2 different widths, just because that was what I found. 
  The process:
  I cut a section of fabric 12 by 12 inches to begin, then cut a section off the top and added the first strip.  Then  I slashed it down the side and added the second.  At this point the size was awkward, so I hacked off on side again and added it to the bottom with another strip.  I liked the balance better and the size was 10 inches by 15 inches.   Some outline quilting and fill in stitching with  mctavishing and a strip of batik that matched for a binding.....and I felt much better. 
   
    The phone still doesn't work, and I am having to use the laptop to post this...but I feel more relaxed.  I know it is only  a temporary fix, but maybe I can get thru the rest of the day without screaming.  Now to see if I can post this to flickr....
Happy stitching.