Before, During and After Breakfast ~

We took the weekend (past) to drive down to New Orleans.  I was invited to speak at the Gulf States Quilt Guild quarterly meeting and their reception to my topic (The Modern Quilt Movement) warmed my heart. 

It was a whirlwind trip but I did have time to get a few snapshots to highlight the colors of New Orleans - my inspiration for the inprov quilt I made this morning - before, during and after breakfast.  Quilted in concentric circles. 

 

 

For lunch Friday on the way down, we stopped at Creola's in Grand Coteau.  They served us a cup of shrimp and okra gumbo.  So good.

 

 

 And for dinner Friday night we were joined by quilting friends and shared a good time at the award winning seafood and Italian restaurant, Mr. Ed's in Bucktown, where I enjoyed soft shell crab and an extra dry martini.

On the way home Sunday, we stopped for lunch at Lee's in Lecompte.  I topped it off with a huge slice of hot apple pie.  Since I had already indulged in a Snickers Bar early in the day, I didn't pile on the ice cream.  Now that's showing an unusual amount of restraint! 





 

It's a TABLE RUNNER Contest

.....and I'm in, well, err, my pearl bracelets table runner is in the contest and would appreciate your vote.  Pearl Bracelets is #8 and the voting starts October 19 and runs to November 2. 

I'm thanking Stitch N Frame in Vicksburg for the fun.  Also thanking Lizzy House and Andover Fabrics for the Pearl Bracelets 5" charm pack I used to make my newest table runner.

The prize....well, that will be a whopping $75 gift certificate from Stitch N Frame in Vicksburg where fabric and books and patterns and Bernina sewing machines and more abound. 

Thank you for your vote

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cottage on Cane River

I haven't done any serious Photoshop playing about in quite a few days.  This was the morning to re-visit pictures taken several months ago while we were in Natchitoches.  I've always loved this little cottage on Cane River.  Friends of ours once leased one of the apartments in the cottage and Tom and I had the opportunity to say here one year during the Natchitoches annual  Christmas Festival.  The cottage was as inviting from the inside looking out as from the outside looking in. 

This picture was taken from across Cane River.  Great view of the back of the cottage but a little busy with the barbeque grill, lamp posts, chairs and rug hung over the porch rail! 

I do enjoy before and after.

 

 

 

 

Not just another bowtie ~

I wish, oh how I wish, I could remember where I saw this bowtie quilt block pattern yesterday.  But I can't find it after searching Pinterest, FaceBook, BlogLovin, Instagram and all those other places I go each day. 

So, my disclaimer is this - this is not an original idea - I found it elsewhere, but did enjoy the online tutorial enough to make my own 12" scrappy bowtie quilt  block.  I hope to go this afternoon to find a pillow form and then can add the border to get just the right size for my newest pillow.  Yes, it's another work-in-progress.  There's always something in the works around here. 

It's as easy as clipping on a bowtie.
Cut (18) 2 1/2" squares from scraps and make 2 nine-patch blocks.
Cut (2) 6 1/2" squares from background fabric.
Cut (4) 2 1/2" squares from same fabric.  Draw diagonal line corner to corner on back of each and with right sides together place a square on one corner of each of the 9-patch blocks and on the two background squares.  Sew on the drawn line, then trim off excess fabric 1/4" from seam line.   Lay your four blocks together to make the bowtie and complete the stitching. 

Thank you unknown quilter for keeping me inspired.

 

Edited...........Edited.............Edited.................Edited...............Edited 

 

 I found it....I found the blog where I found this bowtie block pattern.  How could I not have remembered that one of my favorite blogs to follow.......Gen X Quilters.......was where I found it!
Thank you AnneMarie. 

On a sad note:  I'm too old to be a part of Generation X.    However, since I've never dressed, looked or acted my age, I'm fitting right in with the Gen X Quilters!

 

Curvacious and more ~

I've been going improv curve crazy:   Mini sampler

 

and more.    Starting with scraps sewn together, then stacked and cut into curves....sewn back together, more fabric added, stacked, cut and curved.  The solids add a calming effect....don't you think?  It may take you a while to agree! 

 

Going, going, gone around the improv curve ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Challenge: The Road Less Travelled

Entitled "Don't Go Near The Water!"

 I can express myself just as I see it in the standard 11 1/2" by 16" format  when meeting the bi-monthly challenges of  The Arts Quilts Around the World group.  Our last challenge theme - "The Road Less Travelled" -  was an easy one for me.  You see,

my road less travelled is to the clear blue ocean water, waves lapping on the beach with the blue sky overhead.  I took a simple approach down the path - right to the nitty gritty as to why I don't travel this road, literally and figuratively! 




I'm afraid of water....oh, no, not bath water, just deep water, as in a lake or river or the ocean.
I learned to be afraid of water at a very young age.  You see, my mother was also afraid of water  and so every time we kids went near any body of water, we could hear her say, "don't go near the water:  you'll drown."  I took that statement seriously. 

Look closely - there's a definite line between the water and the sand.  And, yes, that slash of red is symbolic as is the tornado-like stitches starting at the top of the heavenly blue sky and ending in the depths of my water's hell. 

There's more to the story, so I'll continue to tell until I get this out of my system once and for all ~

I was perhaps 30 years old when I decided I could not and would not allow my mother's words to continue to plague me.  I signed up for swim lessons.  Admittedly, progress was slow.  But surely,  I learned to swim! 

 

 

But wait....there's more to the story.

 

On graduation day, I was told to jump into the pool and swim back to the edge.  The obedient part of me jumped in

 

and

panic

set

in

 

The instructor had to jump in and drag my wet, soggy, sorry, scaredy-cat,  panic-stricken body back to the pool's edge.  It was not a pretty sight and I never did get my swimming lesson diploma.

 

I haven't travelled that path again!

Mom was right all along. 

 

 

 

The Final Gen X Sisters' Ten Modern BOM

Sometimes you know from the very start that the going is going to be good....and that's been the case with the Sisters' Ten Modern Block of the Month.  This is the final month and I continue to think that I did the right thing by committing myself to making my two blocks each month. 

Here's color way I and II of "Aunt Lee's Frame", the October BOM.

 

All twenty blocks are made and measured and ready to be sewn together -  that's coming up in November.  Can't wait to see them in a modern setting. 




 

I've been digging too deeply into my scrap fabrics!

Playing with my fabric for extended periods of time makes me delirious!  I'm seeing dog faces in my scraps of fabric!

Really!

Here's hoping you are enjoying your day as much as I am mine! 

 

Getting Ahead.....not behind ~

I'm so far behind, I feel as if I'm walking behind myself!  If I keep going, perhaps I'll get back to even, then ahead ~  That's the plan anyway ~

 

Hand Quilting With Perle Cotton with Sarah Fielke, Quilting Instructor

Sew Big Block Quilts ~

Here's the fabric for my next big block quilt.....



Jane Sassaman fabric from her "Early Birds" collection will be the highlight of this big block quilt.
 

A Debbie Bowles design I found on  Nancy Zieman's blog.  Love it using a Jane Sassaman fabric for the 12" block out of her "Early Bird" collection.  I'm also using another Jane Sassaman fabric - "Delirious Dots" from her "Wild Child" collection for one of the side angle blocks.   This quilt block will finish at 18".....now, that's a big quilt block!    It will be done in a jiffy. 



















 

Color.....my world is full of color

 

Fat Quarter Shop and a jelly roll....yea! I'm on a roll.

Can't wait to make a jelly roll jam quilt....or two.  Okay,  three's not gonna crowd me!

 

"Here Kitty, Kitty"

Yes, I do  have a vivid imagination!  But I think you have to agree that this improvisational curves sampler quilt is quite the cat's meow. You see them too, don't you?

I'm been making sampler quilts for an upcoming quilt guild program....just grabbing any and all scrap fabric I can find to get me and my program together.   Improv curves along with a little slash and insert.   I'm learning with every improv curves block I make to expect the unexpected.  And this one surely turned out to be the unexpected.  When I stepped back, I saw a kitty !!  Sitting on a window ledge with his tail hanging down. 

 

then another kitty ! !   With his tail in the air, ready to pounce.  "Watch out sparrow...here I come!" 

 

 

Thus, the title of this sampler: "Here Kitty, Kitty."  Just use your imagination and enjoy the improv curve and slash and insert quilt block piecing with me.  And, don't forget to thank me for making you smile. 



 

Hello....It's Me!

When I mentioned to my traditional quilt maker-friends that I was sewing my scraps together to make yardage.....well, they laughed....and laughed. 

Yes, they were laughing at me!  But not to be deterred, I sewed even more scraps together than I had originally planned.  Yes, even scraps deserve to be organized.  I first sorted by color...yellow, bluish/green, and lime green and sewed like color to like color.

I then cut my new fabric into random size medium to large squares and rectangles and arranged on my design wall in what I considered a pleasing design. 

There were enough scraps to sew together to make enough yardage to make this little quilt top.  Now to find a back for it and do some major quilting to get this baby ready to take to my modern quilt guild meeting.  They may snicker too!  That's okay, I was doing what I love to do and that is use what I have on hand while enjoying the moment, taking time to be creative and making quilts.   My newest mantra - Be Scrappy, be Happy. 



Laugh and the whole world laughs with you.....40" x 60"


 

 

But I can't color inside the lines!

I don't accept commissions....because I can't do what you want me to do.  I can only do what I want to do and if you like it, then you make the purchase.  Simple as that!  Right?  Well, would someone please tell my friend Lil that I can't color inside the lines. 

Lil is the most persistent of ladies.  I thought if I ignored her long enough she would forget that she asked me to thread sketch the Panera Bread lady.  She even bought a loaf of bread so she could give me a picture of the Panera Bread advertisement for me to make her a look-alike.  Yet, I continued to put her off.....until yesterday, when she cornered me! 

 

This morning, I dug deep in my "I'm sure I'll get to this later" pile and found Lil's greasy bread wrapping as I mumbled to self that I don't do commissions!

 

I set about pencil practicing the bread lady until I was satisfied that I had her in my left and right brain to transfer to fabric.  She's not an exact rendition, but she certainly has an attitude that is making me smile out loud.

 

 

 

 

From tablet paper to fabric.....she lost something in translation and I am for certain I can't get it back!

Panera Bread lady look-alike she is not. And, I sure

 

hope somebody tells Lil that I can't color inside the lines! 

 

 

 

 

It's precariously close to September.....

and I've just a few minutes ago finished my August Sisters' Ten blocks of the month.   It was a whirlwind morning getting just the right scraps together for these two Old Maid's Puzzle blocks.  You see, I like to use what's on hand for my sampler blocks and these turned out to be two of my favorites.

I'm not sure if these are Kaffe Fassett or Brandon Mably fabrics....either way, couldn't go wrong.  Their fabrics are divine. 

 

Bring on September!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geli Plate Printed Fabric ~

It's simply the life!
To get up in the morning
And paint fabric. 

I've been searching for just the right fabric to go with my string of pearl for my next table runner when all the while, it was right at the end of my paint brush!

 

From start to finish: 

 

Gather materials......white fabric prepared for dying

geli plate

acrylic paint

paper or plastic plate

paint brush

brayer

water

I protect my work surface with a piece of freezer paper, but any surface cover will do.

 

In plastic plate, squirt a dab of acrylic paint.

Since I wanted  the outcome to be a really muted gray, I added lots of water to my black paint and mixed with my brush.  Then,

 

 

with loaded brush, painted over the geli plate.  Because the brush was large and the paint was very watered, I got gray water drops just to my liking. 

 

 

 Now, lay your fabric right side down on the geli plate and roll the fabric with your brayer to get these results!  Need more painted fabric, just do it again.  When the fabric is dry, press with the hottest iron your fabric will stand to set the paint.   I'm using cotton, so hottest hot is okay. 

 

My painted fabric is a perfect blend with some off-the-quilt-store-shelf fabric I had on hand.

 

There you have it.....a table runner project in the bag for quilt retreat in mid-September.  There'll be more projects gathered before I get the final packing done, but this is a start! 

 

 

 

 

a laugh out loud moment

If this won't make you laugh out loud, nothing will. 

 

Commiserate or get up and at 'em?

I've been self-commiserating because of lack of enough time.....while all the time, I had all the time I needed.

I just needed to get back on track, stop floundering and

Unlock the door to find my creative room

 

 

Get organized

 

 

Follow the right path and stay focused

Now, I'm getting somewhere and decided to work on the improv log cabin that's been unfinished on the design wall for weeks! 

and my improv curve blocks

and that improv whole cloth quilt that's going to be full of life and color.  Malka Dubrawsky with a little Kaffe Fassett - that's what's happening here. 

Commiserating:  to feel or express sorrow or pity for.  No, not any more. 

Lots to do yet but at least I've pulled myself out of the pity party which in itself has given me more time! 





 

A Lyric to Live By: SugarLand

Haven't done much picture-taking lately.....but it seemed appropriate for a lazy summer Friday to rev up and post to my "Lyrics To Live By" series.   We drove over to Vicksburg last week and I was snapping pictures as we crossed over.  In between bridge spans, I got this one. 

 

Under the Lone Star Quilt ~

I'm delighted to be finished with my lone star quilt top.  After all four borders were added, it was a delightful 74" square. 

If you haven't....you should use Quiltsmart printed interfacing.  I could/would never have finished the star without it.   Once you get it, you get it.   Just fuse each rectangle, fold and sew on the line.  The intersections match effortlessly!  Really! 

And then, of course, each quilt top must have a quilt back.  I had plenty of fabric, just not enough yardage of one kind.  Not a problem in this sewing room.  I just took the three fabrics I thought would blend to make just the perfect back for my lone star, arranged and re-arranged until I was satisfied with the design, then sewed all 49 blocks back together. 

Now, it's ready to go to my favorite longarm machine quilter.  Yahoo 'til the cows come home. 



 

An August Quilter's Calendar

Okay, already....I know it's mid-August; however, since the month isn't totally over, I decided to get off my quilter's butt and make my monthly quilter's calendar.

Using a picture of Debbie's modern quilt - the one she brought and bragged about to the Piney Hills....Ruston, Louisiana....quilt guild meeting this month.  Love, love, love it!

 

 

 I had to do a little twisting and shouting to get this one put together in Debbie's red, white and black color scheme.  But, hey....that's what photoshop photo altering is all about. 

 

 

 

I'm a BOM addict

.....and I confessed just this past month that I participate in four BOM's  - one of which just ended.  Sew, Mama, Sew! and Pile O' Fabrics collaborated for a big, modern  block of the month and I just had to do it.  Here is block No. 6, Pandora's Box....all 25 inches of it!

And here it is together with the first five blocks.  I'm loving it!  I love it Big and Modern and almost Finished.   The borders have been selected, but not yet sewn on.  I'll update as sewing and photography and time allows. 

 

 

But for now, I'm on the road again.....heading to Vicksburg to enjoy the day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Being Creative....Ira Glass

I loved this message.  A very 'in my face' reminder that what I do today is making me and my work better.









 

Just zip it!

My mother always said....."if you can't say anything nice, then just zip it!"

Well, I have lots of nice things to say about Mary this morning.  She knows I love to make zippered pouches. 

 

 

So, when Mary found this box of zippers while working at her church's garage sale, she grabbed them up for me. 

 

I've spent the morning sorting and measuring.

I'll be zippered for a while!

Thanks, Mary.