Vintage Vogue Christmas

This post began over 30 some years ago, before kids even!  Wow! I'm getting old!  It all began with a vintage vogue pattern.  Well, it was a new pattern at the time but from what I see on eBay selling as vintage...  My husband and I had just moved to a new state, I wasn't working and didn't know a soul.  It was getting close to Christmas so to fill up my days I bought some patterns.

I made the tree skirt and the wreath.  Somewhere over the years I lost the wreath but we still use the tree skirt.  It is a little bit loved on the edges but lots of fond memories are sewn into those seams.

It is very soft and became a natural attraction for my children over the years.  Finding one or the other with their head snuggling against the soft fabric, gazing up into the tree, lying down with them and enjoying a moment in time is one of many fond memories.  It was often pulled out from under the tree, worn as a skirt, snuggled with on the couch, covered up a pet or used as a super person cape.  I actually used some of the leftover fabric to make a cape in a lame attempt to keep the tree skirt in it's place.  So, when my daughter asked me to make her a tree skirt just like the one we had, I felt so blessed.  Hopefully this means she has some of the same fond memories or even more of her own.  What a compliment!

It took me a little while to find the pattern, but I still had it.  I couldn't find the same green but I like the rich hunter green.  I cut out the six wedges, the six strips for the ruffle, the flap for the Velcro closure, lining and batting.  The bright red and green ribbon were all sold out by the time I went to buy my lace beading and ribbon.  I had this trim at home already and it looks pretty good, adds a little more dimension to the whole skirt.  So, I spent a little time threading the trim into the lace beading.

After sewing the wedges together added the trim.

The next step was sewing the pieces together for the ruffle and adding a small hem before gathering the edge and attaching to the skirt.

Finally the Velcro closure, batting and lining.

I think she liked it.

Here is the other vintage vogue pattern I made over 30 years ago.  It needs a few repairs but still looks good.  She would like this too.  So, that will be for next year.  Always something fun to create here.

Have a creative day,

Janet

Texture Challenge

I just added a post to Art Quilts around the World for our texture Challenge.  You can view the full post here.  I'll post a few photos here as well.  I have been wanting to try Stumpwork.  I tried a couple of techniques for this quilt using some of the instructions from this book.

Here is the end result and a couple of photos from along the way.

Have a creative day

Janet

Birthday gift

My daughter has been talking about getting a cat.  I thought I would help her out!  I have had this pattern for a number of years.  Just waiting for the right opportunity.

Here is the pattern.  It is for a small wall quilt but I made a pillow.  There are two sizes for the cat in the pattern.  I used the smaller pattern.

This is before it was all sewn on and I was trying to add the toenails.

A closer shot of the toenails.

Here is a head shot.  I couldn't find any cat shaped eyes at the local stores so I added a little stitching around these to give them a little more cat shape. And definition.

I tried to do some different stitching in each row of squares, hearts, clamshells, this one is supposed to look like farm fields.

I really like this fur I found.  I had a different one to start with, but this looked more cat like to me.

I think she liked it!

Have a creative day

Janet

Birthdays, vacations and secret projects, oh my!

I realized I haven't posted in awhile so thought I should add an update.  I did post a teaser on the Art Quilts Around the World blog.  Since I came up with the idea of  'texture' for our theme I thought I should add a little teaser of the texture on my quilt.  Be sure to check it out on November 30th when all the artists post their texture driven quilts.  Should be fun!

I had to wait for more fabric for my Jinny Beyer quilt so I began working on a quilt I started years ago.  I only made one block at the time.  I was trying to learn paper piecing and did a variety of different projects, so it served it's purpose for me at the time.  

My sister, Julie, was visiting and encouraged me to work on this one again.  

So, now I have two blocks out of thirty-six complete.  It is a fun quilt and great for using scraps.  Very time consuming for me though. 

At this rate I may have it finished by the time I am 90!  I am considering buying the pattern from electric quilt because it would be easier to print out the patterns.  It is Karen K. Stone's quilt Cinco de Mayo.  

My husband and I took a trip to Door County, Wisconsin to relax and enjoy the fall color.  It inspired me to make a fall quilt so I order this beautiful stack of fabric from Patchworks that Praise. This is a small quilt shop owned by Cathy Geier who makes amazing landscape quilts.  Cathy lives in Wisconsin so she had great fabrics for a Wisconsin quilt! I have lot's of photos from our trip to help me make a woodsy fall scene.

My son had a birthday at the end of October.  I saw the pattern for Hazel the Hedgehog when I was at AQS in Des Moines, Iowa(first time I have been to a quilt show other than the Minnesota Quilt Show).  I had to buy it since my son had Boom the Hedgehog for an actual pet.  I made him a pillow just for fun.

My daughter has a birthday soon so I can't show that one yet, but stop back next month.

I'm almost finished with my texture quilt, when it is done I can catch up on both of my BOM's because I have the fabric now.  After that is time to start quilting some of these quilt tops I have finished.  Maybe this winter I can catch up with my piecing.

Have a creative day
Janet

Itchy, itchy, itchy

Art quilts around the world has another challenge posted.  The theme was Uniform!  My first thought was the uniform I wore in grade school.  I shuddered and moved on.  I had several ideas but something kept calling me back to that old itchy, school uniform.  Who knew it would some day inspire an art quilt.

Sometimes quilting can be like therapy and help you work through issues.  This is not a big issues but clearly not a pleasant memory.  I know many people love uniforms but for this 'child' they were not a good choice.  Here are my reason for being part of the no more school uniform movement (is that a thing?  It really should be a thing!)
1. Itchy, itchy, itchy. Honestly who can wear wool without being itchy.  Am I the only one?
2.  Surprise!  Not everyone looks good in the same design.  (Check out bridesmaids dresses if you are wondering)
3.  Did I mention they were itchy.  How does that help a child concentrate?
4.  Many people believe uniforms create equal ground for the kids, they can no longer be teased or bullied about their clothes.  My take on this is it actually highlights more personal differences between the kids.  Until parents and other adults step in to stop the teasing/bullying it's going to keep happening.  It is not just a rite of passage,  kids need good role models to know it isn't ok to put someone else down.  When they don't have the clothes to make fun of they chose more personal attacks on looks, size, speech etc.  it hurts and it is not ok.
5.  They were very itchy, did I mention they were itchy.

If you want to see more on how it was made head over to Art Quilts Around the World. There are many wonderful interpretations of Uniform.

Thank you Jane my sister-in-law for sending me inspiring photos of our church.  She inspired me so much I plan to make a quilt of the whole church at some point.  I love making brick.

I used the stained glass window from the church and printed it on metal.  I framed it with fabric brick. I added a border of a fabric reminiscent of my school uniform.
Have a creative day
Janet

Another UFO pieced!

I started this One Block Wonder several years ago.  After cutting the pieces I really thought it was a very boring quilt so I put it aside for another day.  I have been inspired by the wonderful quilters in the Facebook group for people who make OBW quilts.  They try lot's of different techniques.  I was intrigued by the ones who made different size hexagons.  So I made some half size hexies and some giant size hexies.  

These are going to add some pizzazz to the back of the quilt.  I added enough of a border to some of the smaller ones so they would fit in the quilt and put the rest in the border.  I think it has a little more flare now.

I also started the 2015 Summer Block of the Month with Craftsy.  It began in July.  I finished July, August and September.  Here are a few of the blocks

Now I need to work on my challenge for Art Quilts Around the World.  It's due at the end of this month.  I've started several times but wasn't happy with what I was making.  'Uniform' hasn't been an easy thing for me to create as a quilt.  I keep in my mind going back to the uniform I wore in elementary school, which makes me think of church since it was a Catholic school.  But now I have two quilts to make, the small one for this challenge and a larger one of my childhood church.  Not sure why but something is calling me to try to recreate my church in fabric.  I think it's the stones, I love the texture of stone.

I need to get busy.  I'm planning to go to the AQS Show in Des Moines at the end of this month so I need to get my challenge quilt finished before I go.

Have a creative day

Janet

Fractured Penquins

I recently purchased the book Fabulous Fractures by Brenda Esslinger.  I love the koi pond she has fractured on the cover of the book.(if you click the link it will take you to a page with photos from the book, Wendi's Koi Pond is the last one on the list, click to see)  I wanted to try it so I looked through the fabric in my stash and found the penguin fabric.  Not sure what I had planned for it originally but I decided it would be a good fabric to fracture.  This fabric is by Robert Kaufman and is called The Last Frontier.  (I labeled it incorrectly in my last post, sorry)

You need four exact repeats of your fabric.  Here is my original piece.

Here it is halfway finished.

And the final fracture.  I think it could be a global warming statement, what do you think?

Brenda has one called Home for the Holidays that is cut at a forty five degree angle, instead of horizontal and vertical.  I want to try that next.  Might have to venture out to the fabric store for a suitable fabric.  (Darn!) I love the flowers she has fractured as well.

Have a creative day

Janet

Moving on to September

I finished piecing the illusion block quilt.  I really like how it turned out.  Thank you Craftsy for the batik layer cake which made this quilt possible.

I am almost done with my September assignment for the Block of the Month.  I finished the last two blocks and added black borders to all the blocks.  They are each 13" now.

I just need to tear off all the paper from the paper pieced blocks and finish adding the flowers to three baskets.

I have a quick little project to experiment with the next few days.  I've had this Robert Kaufman fabric for quite awhile and I think it might just be perfect for the technique I want to try.  Here is a sneak peak.

Have a creative day

Janet

In the meantime, in between time, ain't we got fun!

While waiting for the September instructions for the Craftsy Block of the Month I decided to do something quick and less complicated just for fun.

I was given a stack of 10" squares from Craftsy as an apology for an order mix-up.  An above and beyond attitude on their part.  About the same time I saw Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Company explain how to make an illusion quilt.  Seemed like fate to me, so I purchased some grey fabric, and pulled some white from my stash.  They really aren't as wonky as they appear.  My design wall is not flat as it hangs over my shelves full of fabric.  Sometimes the fabric bulges out as I occasionally over buy!  Never happens to anyone else I know, but I am weak where fabric is concerned.

This has been happening all week.  

They are only squares at this point and I still have two more rows to put together.  

It's very satisfying to make something that goes together so fast as opposed to the months I have been working on the BOM.

Have a Creative Day

Janet