Quick Baby Quilt

I needed to make a baby quilt for a boy, and fast. Thankfully, I stumbled upon Dying to Quilt's blog with easy instructions for creating a "Disappearing Nine Patch" quilt.

I used an assortment of red, blue and gold fabrics and started off with 5" squares to create this quick little quilt.

A suggestion - for a cohesive look, keep the same color in the center of your nine patch blocks - that's what makes the little gold squares seen here. I think it would be great to go completely scrappy, too, but with smaller squares, maybe 3"?

Thanks, DQ, for the inspiration and instructions!

Christmas Day

Well, I knew you wouldn't believe it until you saw it! Even Bruce says he figures there aren't that many quilter/hunters out there.

On Christmas afternoon Jeff, Bruce's brother, took us pheasant hunting up on Haleakala, with my nephew, Keoni. It was a beautiful day - cool and a little cloudy, just perfect for the rough hiking.

Keoni took this picture of Bruce and me while we took a short break in one of the ravines we had to cross.




We only saw a total of four birds - two roosters and two hens - and Keoni was positioned to get the roosters. They were long shots but he got them like a pro.

Here is a picture of the guys with De-Man. He is an awesome dog and it was neat to watch him work. He was doing his job and having a great time.




Is this a picture of a happy dog, or what?


I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas.

Best wishes for a happy new year, too!

DELISH!

We tried this Sparkling Ginger Cocktail for a dinner party on Tuesday, and it was great! It's featured in the December issue of Gourmet magazine.

I've never tried Prosecco before, so when I saw this I thought it would be fun. The ginger syrup adds a nice, refreshing zing to the drink. The recipe says it makes enough for 10 cocktails, but we actually came out around 8. So if you are making this for a party, plan accordingly.

Finding Prosecco on Maui was a challenge, because it's not available at any of the local grocery stores. Asking for it only resulted in blank stares. I lucked out, though, at Hawaii Liquor Superstore in Kahului! When a man approached me and asked if I needed help finding something, I asked him for it and I thought he said, "We have Port." I said, uh, no, "It's a sparkling Italian wine." He laughed and said, "Yes, I have four." Oh. I guess I need my hearing checked! He was very helpful and went on to explain the highlights of the four he had in stock. When I said it was for a cocktail, he said to go with the least expensive since the ginger would overpower some of the more delicate nuances.

I'm looking forward to trying them all by themselves in the future.

Paying it Forward

I caught this on Susie Monday's blog and the giving spirit is growing on me, so I'm offering this:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. (Actually, you will receive mine before the end of February!)

When you leave your comment, please also do one of two things: leave your post address or e-mail it to me.

I will send small textile hand-made-by-me gifts to the first 3 people that leave a comment requesting to receive the gift and are willing to continue the Pay it Forward tradition on their blog.

Christmas with All the Trimmings

I am going to make THIS for our tree next year. Scroll down Kristy's "Two Lime Leaves" blog and check out her peppermint yo-yo garland. I think it's darling. I KNEW I'd find a reason to buy that damn yo-yo maker after all.

Oh, right. In my spare time. Turns out there probably won't be much of that next year. Looks like 2008 is filling up already!

Mischief Afoot

There are some interesting goings-on around here! I can't reveal them right now, but will in the next week or so.

Besides, what would the holidays be without a surprise to mull?

Quilting Arts Magazines for Sale

I'm taking a cue from Robin and selling my collection of Quilting Arts Magazines on eBay (click to take you to the listing).

Since I work in such a small area, I am constantly moving stuff around. Well, I'm tired of moving this stuff! I've got a collection of art, quilting and fiber books for sale on Amazon.com (see post below), and a fabric/fiber collection for sale, too (see previous post).

If you're interested in adding to your collection of Quilting Arts Magazine, this is a great way to do it!

Gorgeous Jewels for Your Next Project - SOLD

I am cleaning out my studio this weekend in preparation for the new year (be sure to see my other items for sale at Amazon.com in the previous post). This is the fabric and yarns/fibers I chose for my class with Carol Taylor, but I'm not in love with the project. The next best thing (I thought) would be to offer this grouping for sale. There are 18-9"x11" squares (approximate), three skeins of gorgeous hand dyed fibers, and a set of 1" strips in coordinating colors.

Penny, I see a fabulous project in your future!

Quilting Books for Sale

I cleaned out my studio this morning and have several things to sell. I've listed a huge pile of art, quilting and fiber related books on Amazon.com in my storefront:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/index.html?ie=UTF8&sellerID=AAFONPXQR6Z6E

On most of the listings I am the lowest price seller. Check it out and see if there's something on YOUR wish list!!

Here's an alphabetical listing of titles:

• Artists Journals & Sketchbooks (Perrella)
  
• Beading on Fabric (Van Horn)
  
• Collage for the Soul (Harrison & Grasdal)
• Collage Sourcebook (Quarry)
• Creative Correspondence (Jacobs)
  
• Creative Habit (Tharp)
• Diamond Quilts & Beyond (Krentz)
  
• Everyday Matters (Gregory)
  
• Fusing Fabric (Beal)
• Mixed Media Explorations (Taylor)
• Pieced Curves So Simple (Fleming)
• Thinking Outside the Box (Cummings)
• Thread Magic (Eddy - original Fiber Studio Press edition)
• Twelve Secrets of Highly Creative Women (McMeekin)
• When Quilters Gather (McDowell)
  
• What Color is Your Slipcover (Daikeler)

Thanks for checking it out!

More From Art Quilt Tahoe

One of the best things about taking a class from Carol Taylor is that you get to work a lot on value. This is an area that is so important, and one I don't think anyone can get too much of!

This is the start of one of our class projects, with my fabrics sorted out. I eventually added more of the very dark fabrics on the left and refined the other piles as I went. Not every fabric here made it into the quilt. I moved away from the blue accents (like the fabric at the bottom of the second pile from the left), and more into the purples, which I loved with the browns and blacks.

You basically work from light to dark as you go along. Here's a snapshot of the start with the lights into the medium lights.

I think I mentioned it in a previous post, but this whole process really makes me want to reorganize my fabric according to value. I know I have real gaps in the very lights and very darks (like most quilters do). And since my work requires good value emphasis to be effective, I think it would be helpful. The only real problem I face with the reorganization is that I really don't have the room to spread out and do a good job with it. That and the fact that it would probably take me at least 2 weeks of valuable studio time to do it.

More lights into mediums and medium-darks. Although this quilt is fairly small (about 18"x54") it is a long process to get the value placement correct. As a class, we took most of a day to get our pieces in place on the foundation.

Here's a look with the third and fourth pieces, nearly finished. After I had the four base pieces up, I went back and added a lot of accent pieces to further enhance the look of the quilt.

I started my couching in class on the last day, and have about half of it completed. I need to get it finished this month, since I am giving a PowerPoint presentation at our guild meeting next month on my experience at Art Quilt Tahoe and I want to have the projects there for everyone to see.

If you have a chance to take a class with Carol Taylor, grab it. She is an inspiring, patient and knowledgeable teacher who will encourage you to make your best effort!

Stormy Weather

And I'm not kidding! We are getting some heavy rain and wind up to 60+ mph. We are huddled at work waiting for it to pass. Power is out on most of the island and ours has been flickering.

See the red? That's over our head right now. Looks like we have a flash flood warning in effect until 12:00 p.m. today.

We're waiting it out. Look out Big Island!

BINGO! Wins!

Remember when I posted about working with the book "On the Surface"? Well, this was the project I was working on at the time.

The theme for Art Quilt Tahoe's challenge this year was B-9, or Be Nine, or Benign, as it was their 9th anniversary. As soon as I heard the theme, I immediately thought of BINGO!

The title of this quilt is "B9=BINGO! Everybody Wins at Art Quilt Tahoe." The background checkerboard is woven and embellished with silver, black and red decorative threads. I stamped the BINGO card and the red markers are hand painted stainless steel washers. I couldn't find round clear glass or plastic markers, so I improvised based on a suggestion from my friend Joan. Thanks, Joan!

I had to Google BINGO to find out what the correct number layout was - in case you are wondering, it's 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 45-60, and 61-75. Did you know that the mathematician who developed the bingo cards actually went crazy?

My quilt won first place and $100 in the challenge at AQT!

Art Quilt Tahoe - Three Things to Ponder

The sign outside our door at Art Quilt Tahoe. The freakish organized person inside me really liked the way everything was labeled so nicely! I thought about snatching the paper sign at the end of the program as a memento, but someone beat me to it.

Here are three things (there are more, of course) I learned while I was there:

• Overheard from Libby Lehman, Thread Goddess: If you are a fan of Sewer's Aid for difficult threads, you'll really like Tri-Flow Bicycle Lubricant. It actually bonds to the thread and doesn't gum up your machine like Sewer's Aid can do.

• From Carol Taylor, Color Goddess: To tame unruly couching threads, use a straw, taped to the top of your sewing machine, to feed the thread. It's hard to see in my picture, but the couching thread comes around the back of the pin where you pull your thread to wind your bobbin, then trails over the end (near your flywheel). This will free up your hands to guide the fabric under the foot. Make sure the tension on your couching thread stays loose - if it pulls tight you will get puckers. After much serious discussion in class (ha, ha, NOT!), we decided that the best straw to use is one of the fat Starbucks straws, the one you get with a Frappuccino. However, make sure you get a smaller one, too, so you can poke unruly threads through the straw easily.

• Heard from one of the teachers and now I can't remember: Think about sorting your fabric by value instead of color. Hmmm...this might actually work for me, but is going to take a long time for me to reorganize my fabric. A long time ago I used to sort my fabric by type (solids, batiks, florals, etc.), then I mixed them all up and sorted them by color because I frequently intermix them in my work. But sorting them by value might even be better! I'll have to think on that one myself.
  

What I've Been Up To

I'm home from Art Quilt Tahoe, which was FABULOUS. I will post more very soon about the experience. In the meantime, THIS is what I've been up to:

LOTS OF WORK!

Actually, this picture doesn't look as bad as it feels. Organized chaos, I guess.

More soon.

Art Quilt Tahoe - Day Two

First, a glimpse of last night's dinner. It was Libby Lehman's 60th birthday. She looks terrific, by the way, and is sporting a darling new short haircut. (Notice Honu III on display behind the podium - WOW - how did I luck out with that??)

Today was the first full day of work and I made good progress on the first project. It was fun learning how to couch various yarns and threads. I have a nice new SMALL collection of these yarns that I can use for various projects. I already have some ideas.

Here is a play-by-play of the piece I worked on today:


I'll post a picture of the finished project tomorrow. In the meantime, check out this jacket that Mary P. from Upland, California made (Aly, here's an idea for your fabric!!):




















More fun posted tomorrow!

Tahoe!

I arrived at Lake Tahoe yesterday, a little tired from the red-eye flight, excited about the week ahead and a little nervous. This is the first time I've taken a trip like this by myself! It feels a little bit odd to be in such a beautiful place without Bruce, and he said it feels odd to be home by himself, too.

This is the view from my room, which is lovely. Snow on the mountains and a bit chilly outside - I don't think it got up to 50 degrees yesterday.

I settled into my room and had a massage, which was desperately needed after trying to sleep on the plane. They had a sanctuary room with comfortable couches, relaxing music, lemon water, tea and apples. I had two cups of this wonderful cinnamon tea, the scent of which reminded me of the fiery taste of cinnamon bear candy (one of my favorites), and an apple. I realized as I ate the apple that I'd had very little to eat and I was starving!

After the massage I felt relaxed and rejuvenated, but not perky enough to explore, so I ordered room service (I think for the second time in my life) and had a wonderful grilled chicken sandwich and a bowl of mixed fruit. It was funny, I was expecting a little side cup of fruit, but it actually came in a good-sized bowl which was filled with cantaloupe, honeydew, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and pineapple which were all fresh and sweet. I was especially surprised with the pineapple, which was the best I've had outside of home (and better than some of that)!

This is the view this morning. It snowed last night!! There is a thin blanket of white covering everything and it is SO PRETTY. You have to walk outside to get from the building where the rooms are to the main building where the workshop and restaurants are which is neat because you get to experience the COLD air. I love it. I'm just thankful I have a good jacket, gloves and warm shoes. I might even take a walk outside later. There are trails everywhere. If I had warmer running clothes, I'd probably take a spin outside, but I'll be happy to workout in the fitness center which looks out on the valley. Who needs TV on the treadmill when you've got a view like that!

I am enjoying the peace and quiet and the ability to choose whatever I want to fill the day. I am reading a wonderful book that I borrowed from my friend Joan called "A Three Dog Life." It's a memoir about a woman whose husband is injured and suffers a traumatic brain injury. It's beautifully written, poignant and funny. I didn't think I would be able to relate to it, but I read the cover flap and was intrigued. Turns out there's something for everyone to take away from this book. I have to keep reminding myself as I read it that it is a true story - this woman is remarkable. A must-read!

Lastly, I have to show you the little bag I bought for traveling. I needed a small purse just to carry my ID, credit cards, phone and camera, plus my boarding pass. Who wants to dig through a huge bag at the airport? I looked everywhere on Maui, but could not find what I had in mind, and I had NO TIME to make one up. The I literally stumbled onto Linda Dunn's blog via the SAQA web ring (the link for the ring is on my sidebar - they are all Studio Art Quilt Associates members). She makes these FABULOUS bags from bits of recycled fabric. Here is a picture of mine:

It is beautifully made, opens at the top with a zipper, has a front pocket that fits a boarding pass (see the gold silk edge near the top), and a zipper pocket on the back that you can't see, which holds my camera and phone perfectly! To top it all off, all pockets are lined in silk. And, it is my current favorite color combination - brown and blue. What a great Christmas gift! Thanks, Linda, for having exactly what I needed!

That's all for now. I have to finish sewing the sleeve on my quilt for the challenge. I will post a picture of it after the exhibit opens. More later!

No Mo Plastic Bag

Check out this effort by the Paia, Maui merchants to become the first plastic-shopping-bag-free town in Hawaii: www.nomoplasticbag.com

I caught a press release about it in Maui No Ka Oi Magazine.

Are YOU using reusable bags yet?

Trouble with Fabric Choices

This is the central fabric I picked for the last part of my class. I'm not sure I've done the right thing! I may scrap the whole bit and go with something completely different tonight after I talk with my friends at our guild meeting.

I'm just not sure I'm getting the pizzazz I want from the color choices. I've always wanted to do a brown/neutral quilt, but I'm not sure if this is the right combination.

Here are the other fabrics I've pulled so far:















What do you think?

Project Two

These are the fabrics I chose for the "sensuous lines and curves" part of my class next week.

It's a good thing to get everything prepped early. As I was getting these fabrics ready to go I realized that my central piece was only 18" wide (makes sense, since I usually buy half-yards) and I needed 22". I was lucky to find it at the fabric shop yesterday and bought another yard.

One more bummer - my Tutto tote is not the "crafter" model. It's the office model, so my sewing machine does not fit. ERG! I'm going to have to post it back on eBay. Thankfully, my mother-in-law has a variety of suitcases and one carry-on size just happens to fit my machine perfectly. Crisis averted.

Honu III

Here's a first peek at Honu III!

He's done, except for the sleeve, which I am going to stitch on tonight.

I finished this one with a facing instead of a binding, which I prefer for this quilt, because it gives it a more "open" look since it's not confined by a traditional binding. You can't see the detail in this shot, but I will take better (and more color-true) photos this weekend with my new photography set up.

Thanks to one of my blogging friends who referred to Kathy Loomis' article in the September 2007 issue of AQS magazine - who was it?? It's Kathy's instructions I followed for the facing - great job!