And off it goes!!!

Well for better or worse it's off in the mail to the Alliance for American Quilts Fundraiser... It is hard to photograph all the black on black texture on it.

This is the first of three charity pieces I intend to do this year... I also want to do a wall hanging for the CQI cancer project and one for the Alzheimer's charity quilt project that Kerry has posted about... I'll have to check the deadlines before I decide which to do first.. I have both of them pretty firmed up in my mind...




This is the back of the piece with lace on the rod pocket for hanging. I included my artist's statement (75 words or less) on the back.. Allie was a big help and answered a lot of questions... It's going off in a pizza box. It will be in a lot of quilt shows around the country as part of a traveling exhibit and then they are auctioned on e-bay in the fall with the proceeds going to AAQ.





ps.... I have not been overrun with suggestions or names for the little clip I'm searching for...

And I need a name again....

This thingy came at the end of a retractable badge holder. The little metal bar in the center slides either way so you can release either end... It is 1 3/4" long...not very big... It is perfect for attaching small scissors to things and easily removing them... With no avail I have been searching google images using keywords....

lanyard clip

lanyard attachment

retractable badge attachment

clip with slider I want a LOT of them...

Does anyone know a proper name for it and if not suggestions for keywords to use in searching..

Also anyone trying to reach me through my gmail address is out of luck because I cannot access my gmail no matter how I try... it used to at least give me the html option to enter but that is gone now too... Please use olderrose@yahoo.com. This happened once before and lasted for several months and then one day I clicked it and it was back....

Helina's "Seams Only" Block & a recap of blocks

This is my last block in this RR. Doing just seams is a challenge because you have to make them strong enough to add interest to the block since there's nothing else. I posted a couple days ago about Helina's block which has only three long seams and my decision to use wide seams which expanded into the block. Well it was one of my projects I worked on while Cathy was here and now it is ready to pop into the mail. This has been an interesting RR for me..

Helina asked us to limit ourselves to colors in the block and to do very wide seams when possible. Upper left I used a wide lace and embellished it with the block's colors.

The middle seam I chose to treat as two different treatments. I used the gold scallop treatment to tread lightly as I didn't want to overpower the lovely green fabric. On the inside curve I used the stronger colors of the fabric.

But the bottom seam against the white patch was the "ta da!" of the block.. I adapted this seam from on in Miss Carole's treasury and used the templates with the triangles. With all the beads and visual activity it becomes the focus of the block.. and I'm done.

Now here's a recap of the blocks I did in this RR. The first was Cathy L.'s and it was a delight because she had a definite theme to her block - apples and I added pictorial seams which carried out her theme.... including apple cores and my favorite .... worms..

The second was Ritva's and she had eleven patches in a 6" block..ELEVEN!! So you can easily see more patches, more seams and more interest .. Some of these seams were only 2" long and I loaded every seam. I love this block... I know I already blogged about this but in the lower left there was an orange patch which I was not fond of so I literally buried it in daisies...

But the absolute opposite happened with Jeanne's block. It had an orange patch and I celebrated it. This 6" block also had a lot of patches - nine... so lots of seam opportunity.

Meg's patches were so homogeneous that I didn't want to introduce any other color. And if you follow my work you will notice I am almost religious about limiting my colors choices on other people's block... You just can't go wrong...

So what did I learn...? I learned how important the seams are to the composition of a block. Since I was limited to just seams I really experimented and learned that I just LOVE seams..

Will I do another "seams only" RR? Probably not because I still love doing motifs

more...

My advice to you? If you do a "seams only" make a lot of patches.....

I confess................

The tie was found and Morris had been falsely accused. I had actually cleverly hidden it from myself... But I found it the day before Cathy came so I was able to piece my second block for the Sharon Boggon workshop with my lovely tie as the inspiration colors.. As a beginning for my embellishment bag I have Theresa Rapstine's ribbon flower, Janet's trim, a great chenille rickrack I found in the barn, some yummy new ribbons purchased on Estsy... and a few other goodies....



I realize that with time I will get faster with Allie's "chunk, dump and clump" method but it took me the better part of an afternoon.

So for my second block I reverted to my usual paper piecing... also covered in Allie's book.


But since piecing is my least favorite part of the whole process and paper piecing is fast and easy (and mindless), I have used it exclusively since I started CQ.. Not only THAT I have to confess using the exact same pattern for every single block for all these years. I don't think anyone has ever noticed or if they have they have been too polite to mention it...



And besides that, I "stack and whack" and do several blocks at a time so I always have a basket of extra blocks ahead... Not too creative I admit but I make up for it in the embellishment.... Right?

So now I'm ready for Sharon's workshop... Next on my list is the label for the AAQ piece and getting it in the mail Monday along with the last block in the "seams only" RR.

Allie's "Chunk" Method

While Cathy was here I pieced the two blocks I'm taking to Sharon Boggon's 3-day workshop in April... One I wanted the inspiration focus to be this photo taken by my granddaughter in Morocco. I shared a couple days ago the steps I took to edit it a bit...

Then the search began for fabrics for fabrics... The printed piece was a scarf I found Tuesday in a thrift store... Cathy K. and Maureen F. donated some of the oranges... the greens I had. I will add blue accents with stitching and beads..

Last year when I pieced my AAQ entry I used a method on Allie's blog and she called it the "the chunk method" and it's in her new book which is rapidly selling out.... I loved it because I ended up with lots of irregular patches and endless seams.. The first step is cutting lots of "chunks" as seen in this photo... I arranged them on the block about where I wanted them and of course not one ended up where I planned. Then you start seaming them in pairs and then pairs of pairs, etc... My patches ended up all about the same size so the next time I try this method I will strive for more variety in the size of the patches..

But after it was done and basted to muslin foundation I was happy with it... The random irregular look is so different from what I've always done... So now I have it set out and will begin collecting embellishments to use on it.... I intend it to be a wall hanging with a lush fringe of beads and brass bells. All the seam treatments will be geometric..

Although Allie calls it the "chunk" method I refer to it as Allie's "chunk, dump and clump" method. The second block I did my usual method and I will share that tomorrow.

The Visit aka as the "Creative Surge"

Our Miss Molly immediately attached herself to Cathy and the feeling was mutual.. She literally abandoned DH to be Cathy's constant companion... night as well as day.. Any worries I had about Cathy adapting to over-exuberant Morris and neurotic Molly were quickly dispelled.


The long awaited visit was one long creative surge. We threw ideas out so fast we almost collapsed with laughter when we got ahead of ourselves. Oh oh oh what if?.........


I had watched the long range forecast for weeks willing decent weather.... only the have the coldest, hardest storm to hit Spokane in 18 years... My day to take her to Coeur d' Alene for lunch with a view ended in a blizzard with zero visibility and we were trapped for over an hour because of a pile-up on the freeway. So we ended up not getting a walk in the forest.

On Monday I tried to get a picture of her in focus in the barn going through large bins of fancies and lace but she was a constant whirl of activity...tossing fabric right and left. We spent two days doing fancies, one day doing lace, and one day doing just trims. She kept saying "Oh Gerry! Do you know what this would be worth on e-bay?" Obviously not, as it is still in my barn but she has me convinced to start listing stuff in lots later this spring... and also convinced I can make enough for my dream trip to England. That's the one where you stay in stately mansions, have workshops by the RSN, and are treated like a queen...all for about $7500 (flight extra). Well even I know I don't have THAT much stuff.....

On this day it was about 30 degrees and with the big propane heater going it was quite pleasant. I discovered lots of things I had quite forgotten I had.

But on Thursday the temperature was only 8 degrees F. outside and, even bundled in layers and the big propane heater, we were cold but determined to get through the bins of ribbons, braids, cordings etc. We didn't get to the little bins on the wall or the embroidered linens but made great progress otherwise... Most of the stuff we sorted through were items I collected in my doll-making years....and lots of it. She went home with her suitcase stuffed and a box for me to mail and left me with a lot less to cope with when I start selling on E-bay.

Besides going to all my favorite thrift stores, we poked through the coolest antique mall. We didn't leave any dollars at the antique mall but got lots of ideas for the use of cutter linens (which bins we didn't get sorted). But we found treasures at ALL of the thrift stores including great jewelry we divided to share.

I did cook every day but DH did all the dishes which allowed the maximum time to stitch and stitch to the max we did... early morning and all afternoon every day and late into the night...

It was one of the best vacations I've ever had and I didn't even have to leave home... What a great and treasured friend and sorely missed already...

Tomorrow I will show the progress on the CQ blocks.

Madison's Photo

Everyone is sleeping this morning including Miss Molly who has moved into Cathy's bed to sleep. I will take a few minutes to show the steps in creating the focal point for my block for the Sharon Boggon workshop.

I loved this photo my talented granddaughter took in Morocco in December and wanted to use it on that CQ piece and I'm preparing the block today...

I needed to simplify the photo a bit with a little photo editing. I wanted to crop out the door on the right and I wanted the cement blocks gone... So I made a couple copies of the photos..

On the first copy I edited out the bike all together. But as you can see the little bit of blue of the bike is vital to the composition of the photo .. Also the bike adds the human element of the photo... So I definitely wanted the bike back in the photo but without the cement blocks.




On the second copy I isolated the bike and began erasing the cement blocks... Since the wall and street are so rustic it does not have to be too precise.

Then I dropped the bike back into the photo and still need to do a little fine tuning.

The final step will be to set the photo on a bigger block of orange to create a seam allowance.

Sorry No Posts...

Cathy and I are too busy and having waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much fun!! Check back Saturday for wild recap or just pass time looking at new entries on my http://www.etsy.com/shop/olderrose

Cathy and the barn!!!

This is me skipping about singing "Tomorrow, tomorrow!"

And here is pretty much the dialogue between DH and I about Cathy's visit...

DH: "Are you taking Cathy anywhere special while she's here?"

Me: "Of course I'm taking her out to the barn. I never let anyone into the barn."

DH: "Be serious I was thinking like going into town to see the falls or to Mt. Spokane."

Me: "I am serious...There are faithful readers of my blog that would die to get into my barn.. It's filled with treasures."

DH: "Gerry your barn is filled with junk.... Do you mean that she's buying an airline ticket and flying all the way from SLC and the highlight of her trip will be going out to your barn...."

Me: "Well no... I'm taking her to two of my favorite thrift stores also.."

Then he is rolling on the floor laughing uncontrollably..

DH: "Most of the junk in those thrift stores is junk from your barn...."

Helina's block and "Crazy Quilt Gatherings" guidelines

Sometimes the first decisions seem minor but they can make a big difference later on... Putting laces, braids, ribbons on seams can change the look of the block...

In the left photo I placed the pink ribbon to the left of the seam and on the right I placed it to the right of the seam.. You can see what happens to the white patch... Since I want to do a wide seam I am leaving it on the right.

Next I wanted a small lace on the curved seam... In the left photo I put it on the outside of the curve and on the right it is on the inside of the curve. It will be much easier to do a wide seam on the outside of the curve (on the green) so I am leaving the lace on the right...on the inside and will embellish it as a separate seam...I will probably add a gold cording down that seam for glitz. I chose the wide lace upper right corner because of it's geometric qualities. It will be perfect as a guide for a dandy fancy wide seam...


You have seen lots of Pat's magazine in CQ blogs but so far no one has given you guidelines for reading it...
1. Read it from cover to cover... my page twice..
2. Go back and visit all the blogs of the contributors.. I knew most already but some were new... Loved Suzy Q.
3. Pour over all the ads and visit them... I found many sources new to me and have placed orders..
4. (the stage I'm at now) Take a magnifying glass and examine all the incredible details....
5. Buy extra copies for your friends as gifts and give them these guidelines... order here

DH left for a 30 mile-bike ride at 7am this morning and it is only 19 degrees F. He was hoping his bike mate would call and cancel. But not wanting to be the wimp, he went... But even though it's cold, the sun is shining and there's no wind... I bet he'll have a grand time. Meanwhile I should be cleaning house for Cathy's visit but I'm on the couch in the sun with my coffee, my dogs, my magnifying glass, and Pat's magazine...

Last Block...seams only

This is my last block in the "Seams Only" RR and it belongs to Helina... As you can see there are only four patches and three long seams.. But Helina has very cleverly requested and put out the challenge for wide seams..... I will use some ribbon or lace to increase the possibility of seams...

And I love wide seams.. the large space they take up visually creates such interesting patterns...




As a contrast Jeanne's block in the same RR had 9 patches and endless seam possilities but all very short...









There are fantastic wide seams in my Carole Samples "Treasury" book such as the one I circled at the left... I've always wanted to use some but I seldom have the space...Now's my chance... There are so many that it will be difficult to choose just a few... I won't have time to get started for a couple days but will keep my book handy to start highlighting the ones I might try... This book will be the first thing I pack going to CT in April.

Carole says others take their books to office supply stores and have a plastic binder put on it. I think that is the greatest idea and I would have NEVER thought of it...

Tie and Morris

Remember the lovely tie I scanned and then it went missing??? I still haven't found it... We immediately blamed Morris who is usually guilty of everything, but unless he ate it I can't see where he could have put it that I haven't looked... So that means that I am probably guilty of putting it "somewhere safe"

So I don't know about you, but when I have exhausted my search options.... I start cleaning.. really cleaning... moving furniture type cleaning.. So far no luck but I haven't done a lot yet... I can't believe I had that tie for years and now when I can finally use it, I lose it...



And speaking of Morris... When we leave for a few hours we always put him in the laundry room where he can do the least amount of damage. We can't put Molly in there because she is terrified of linoleum floors... But Morris is 1 year old now and we thought we would try leaving him with Molly in the living room....because he cries when he is separated from her.


The sectional was neat and tidy when we left ...covered with blankets so they could look out the window .. There are about 20 cushions and pillows on the sectional and there was NOT ONE that wasn't askew. And isn't he the very picture of innocence.

What nobody talks about!

After the RR is over and a block goes home I'm assuming that I'm not the only one that makes changes both simple and drastic. We just never get to see it after that happens... I think also lots of blocks ends up in a drawer because it's hard to see what's needed.. This summer I want to do a tutorial on "Can this block be saved?" Well I'm showing the whole story of this block..

This is how it left home with lots of lace and a silkie....also instructions for lots of hearts and flowers and no orange. And I included a little verse that said it all... "My little trollop is a slightly soiled dove...searching everywhere for her own true love.." This was the same "encrusted RR" as the previous posts...

This is the block on it's arrival home with lots and lots of wonderful stitching on it... If I really love a block I will start the final tuning and I really loved this block... Please note Maire's delicate stitching on the stripes.. and Leslie's whimsical use of beads next to silkie... Ati finished framing the silkie with roses...Here's what I see I need to do:

1. There's a piece of naked lace in the upper left and we all know lace cannot be left naked.

2. I hadn't thought to request fans but there are two fabulous fans from Cobi and how clever for Cobi to add fans... perfect... and it needs MORE fans...

3. The tiny perfume charm which Ati added needs to be in her hand.

4. The button trail just isn't working but that one large red one is fantastic and I will use it.. Most of the others will go into my button box for use on something else..

5. Since the theme of the block is searching for love I want more hearts, hearts, hearts...

6. I feel the red silk roses need to be repeated somewhere else on the block....a purely personal choice.

Now here is the block after I finished it...

1. I embellished the naked lace upper left and turned it into a saucy garter.

2. I added four more filigree fans and beaded them.

3. I replaced the trail of button with a trail of hearts of all sorts and the key to her heart.

4. I moved the perfume bottle to her hand and I took that fabulous huge red button and painted a rose on it.. I placed it and a few others from the trail right up next to her head...

5. Finally I replaced the beaded roses lower left with luscious red silk red roses to echo Ati roses...

I don't often completely remove something but if I do, I use it on another block or somewhere else on the same block... I do add lots that most often is inspired by what the stitchers have done (like the fans)... I encourage everyone to make changes to suit you as it's your block... and share what you've done... This is an important part of the process and never makes it to the albums...

More birds, more eye candy...

This is another block from the "encrusted RR" group I posted about the day before yesterday... This is Maire's block as it started out with a patch of delicate forget-me-nots in the center.

I was third in the rotation when I received the block and the color scheme has been established... Ati had added the lovely yellow roses upper left... and I followed with yellow organza roses...I don't often use the organza ribbons but when they're right, they're great...

Isn't that little row of pearl buttons across the center absolutely precious.. I believe Ati added them... Cobi did the yellow pussy willows.

I commenced to work on the lower right half with some love birds and a little poem..Some how forget-me-nots needed lovebirds..

Again the birds were done on felt and appliqued on on the block (and stuffed slightly) I really don't intend it, but I do rather get heavy handed on a block.... a drama queen of sorts. Can't help it though... I will be ready to jump back into RRs by fall...

Leslie followed me and finished the block in grand style. Just in case you hadn't noticed...there are very strong directional elements in this block which carry the eye... Start at the branch lower right, follow up the pussy willows into Ati's roses and Leslie used her yellow roses to bring the eye right on around... And what a treat to have yellow roses... We forget roses come in colors besides pink, pink, pink...

What I thought was so special about this team of stitchers is that we all had a very different style but we all worked in harmony. I just love it when that happens..

AAQ entry and Pat's magazine

My entry for the Alliance for American Quilts entry is in it's last stage... I just need to stitch down the gimp around the center section and do a label for the back... It will be entitled "It's a Man's World Unless Women Vote" I just HAD to add beads and fringe to the bottom even though it affected the overall size... Allie assured me that they wouldn't send it back because of it... I want Cathy K to see it in person next week and then into the mail it goes... It will tour the rest of the year and then go up for auction on e-bay in the fall..

I am so excited about Pat's magazine and can hardly wait for it to get here.... The cover alone is priceless. I ordered three copies...one for me, one for the granddaughter who loves my buttons, and one for a novice CQer who can use it as a resource..

Want some eye candy....?

I have started putting the birds I do on blocks into one album... I do a LOT of birds.... While I was searching for birds on felt I came across this beaded bird for an "encrusted" RR block... This was in 2007 and it was Cobi's block and I was the first to work on it and this was what I did in the upper left corner...

Leslie was second and she beaded a hummingbird in the top right corner. Maire and Ati finished it off... It was truely gorgeous when it was finished.

Doing the "udder" check.....

I really don't want a lamb in February but if Andy scored right away it's possible.. Bellies are hanging low and did the first check of udders yesterday...still early. But time to separate the ewes just to give them a little peace from Andy bullying them.

Sold some of my sheep last summer so I only have 3 ewes (Topaz, Ruby and Pitiful Pearl) and Andy left.. Need sell the all of them this summer... I will miss them terribly but it's time to let go... we'll see how I keep that resolve when the time comes....

Why Felt...? She asks....

I love it when you ask questions and I received this in an email: Why do you do them on felt? How do you then attach them to the block? I am assuming you think this a good idea since you do it but I would like to know why and how. This might be something I will think about doing if I understand the process.

I use felt for two reasons. First, and mainly:

Felt has no weave to unravel or fray and when it's done I can clip right up to the very edge and there is no pesky bit to turn under.....I use a firm high quality felt in a neutral color or a color that blends.... Then very first step is to outline it in a VERY TIGHT chain stitch (as you see on the left) ...for two reasons.

* Felt has a tendency to stretch and you don't want your robin turning into an eagle....

*The tight chain stitch defines the edge nicely and you can weave all outer stitches into it and it makes cutting it out later very tidy indeed.. When it comes time to applique the motif onto something you can weave your stitching into this same tight chain stitch.... It looks less like something "plopped" on.

Second: Felt is soft and malleable... I can easily stuff it into a shape or change the shape when appliqueing. When I do the same bird (rabbit etc.) on any tight weave cotton it is rather firm and stiff... sort of like the ready-made appliques you buy at the fabric store...

If you are still interested I do have the tutorial page (tutorials listed just under the header) with more information and lots of pictures http://olderrose.blogspot.com/p/bird-on-felt-tutorial.html

As you can see for this bird I actually did the nest on another piece of felt .. which was great because I could give it a very dimensional quality. So I cut out the nest AND the bird separately and both were stuffed slightly and then appliqued on the block.. On this bird I left the wing free.

This was a VERY busy block with many patterns, patches, and textures. I would have found it very difficult to embroider this directly on the block

I CANNOT for the life of me remember when I started doing these on felt... I might have seen it somewhere or I may have just invented it... If you know of anyone else who uses this technique PLEASE tell me as I always love to give credit...

I love the "reactions". Susie W. says they are like a "drive-by comment."

And speaking of bunnies.....

I admit to having a favorite bunny pose and this is it... After I embroider the bunny on felt and cut it out, the felt can be gently stretched and I can stuff his little bunny butt.

I love him in his little Art Nouveau thicket... I'll have to make a mental note of that thicket and use it again... This was a DYB RR so I did the entire 6" block..

The daisies on an incline is a good way to fill an awkward corner.. Even though it doesn't show up in the photo, I used gold metallic thread for the sun and silver metallic thread for the rain drops falling from the clouds...





I used the same bunny pose on this traditional RR block with the theme of spiders... Since I was first to work on this block I snagged this nice little corner and managed to get the bunny and three spider webs in it... I wrote the sign on very firm interfacing and it's semi-detached.....



I thought it would be nice if blogger had something similar to the "thumbs up" of facebook for the folks who didn't want to leave a comment...AND it turns out they do... It's called reactions and you can add it where you edit the blog post on the layout page... You can even put in your own names for the categories... So scroll down below where you would comment and hit a little button so I can see if it works...