Into each life some rain must fall, Carolina Lilies

The spring fabric burst from the shipping bag with excitement. They joined other fabrics on the work table. The brown tones had been pushed to the back of the table when the Christmas projects began. They were afraid that they would now be sent to 'the stash' never to be seen again. The blue tones on the table were happy to hear the next challenge was for flowers that needed a 'Carolina Blue' sky. Two shades of blue batiks were cut into strips and brought to "the Brother" machine. The strips were cut and staggered like rain in the sky. The challenge was to create a quilt with Carolina Lilies. The lilies were appliquéd on the Carolina Blue sky.

The finished size of this wall hanging is 23" wide x 21" tall and was made in Webster, NY by Ed the Sewing Husband. Since Ed lived in NC for a few years he knew there had to be a Carolina Blue sky. The green stems were added to the sky. A blanket stitch on either side of the stem added texture. The leaves on the lilies are snippets from the Sulky project blogged about earlier. Orange flower pedals were appliquéd and fabric paint added the spots on the flowers. Free motion quilting was added to look like rain falling on the lilies. Into each life some rain must fall. From this rain springs beautiful flowers. In this case the flowers are Carolina Lilies.

 The exciting thing about doing this challenge is that it brings me back to my original goals in quilting. I have spent the last year on my skill set. I am excited to get back to art quilts. With the Brother Dream machine I can add embroidery and many other details. This is the beginning of a new chapter in my quilting journey. Thanks to Kim for this push in the right direction.

My Sulky Online Teacher Certification

These are the projects that I completed for my Sulky Online Teacher Certification Continuing Education Course in November of 2016. I am now certified by Sulky to use the materials and teach the classed connected with these two projects.

This online class was offered by Sulky through craft online university. I learned many new techniques and it gave me confidence to try new things. It also taught me a lot about the Sulky products. I do like the KK2000 temporary adhesive spray. It loots like a small can but it is really concentrated and goes a long way. They say it is even save to use inside. Thank you to Sulky for providing this opportunity.

The vase of flowers started with a blank piece of white fabric. The base image was created with regular crayons. I have already played with this technique further with my 3 year old grandson. It provides many possibilities and the problem I have with taking a course like this is seeing so many new ways to do things with the techniques. This piece is also an exercise in letting go. The snips of cloth are supposed to land randomly but I did help them fall in the right places. It was fun to build the image on top of the crayon drawing.

I do like the way this piece turned out. I don't know if I will ever teach a class on this project but I know I will use the techniques and I am also glad to know more about the Sulky products that I used to complete it. I have a couple of my own photos that I plan to use for similar projects once we get past the fast approaching holidays.

The second project is one of four panels to be used to hang your own calendar. It is the orange flower to the right. When finished for a calendar holder it would have button holes at the bottom to use for attaching the calendar. Later this year I plan on during a blog or video on ways to mount or hang a small quilted piece. I have some idea for this one. The piece added to my appliqué skills, taught me to do a thread weaving and added couching to my repertoire. I was surprised how easy the couching was and it made me try out some additional features on my new Brother machine.

For my birthday in December, my daughter gave me the "Welcome" hanger shown below. It has given this wall hanging a permanent place by our front door. This is the last blog draft that was waiting to finish from 2016 onto the blogs of 2017.

Runners and Wall Hangings make scraps that become Table Tops

A few new runners, the top one is a disappearing nine patch. The bottom one come from a block I saw in the tutorials at Missouri Star Quilting. Runners are a versatile term I use for something that could be a smaller bed runner, a wall hanging or a larger table runner.

If you have read my earlier blogs, you know that very few things are considered scraps in my world. So, the corners from the runner on the bottom were used to create the smaller table tops seen in the middle photo.

Eight Become Great

Hanging with my Brother

The year 2017 has begun and today as I entered the sewing room I noticed 8 pieces of fabric that seemed rather sad. “Why so blue?” I said, well besides the fact that you are blue in color. They explained that their life began as happy members of the Northcott family and went to live in a wonderful warehouse in Missouri that even had a star on it. They were shipped here to Webster, NY and felt like they were being born as they burst happily from the shipping bag. They enjoyed life on a shelf watching the comings and goings of projects throughout 2016. They got very hopeful when their stack of 40 went to the sewing room. They were to join the pictures that Prince Parker had made and become a lap quilt for his Oma. They watched as others were lifted off the pile and were sewn together with the beautiful crayon drawings. But all of the sudden the quilt was finished and they were left behind. They were not needed in this project. They got pushed to the back of the table as Christmas projects came and went. They heard that they may be taken to “the stash” and they did not know what or where this was. They had not seen it but were afraid that it may be a cult. They heard of many fabrics going there years ago that had never returned to see daylight.

Eight squares face to face

Cut corner to corner

As I saw these eight pieces of fabric, I had an idea. I had just read about a fabric challenge based on the number eight. I told the fabric squares that if they trusted me they may still have a chance to become something great. I told them they must go two by two to see the Brother, but must face each other and not look upon the Brother. Wait they said,  “are you the Brother’s keeper?” “Yes, I am my Brother’s keeper,” I said. This was an honor entrusted to me when I visited the great Jackie Lynn at the meeting of elders in Syracuse, NY this past year (the AQS show).

HST Half Square Triangles

Time to spin

The squares of fabric went to the Brother, two by two, right sides together and were sewn on all four sides. “Wait, how will we see the light of day this way?” said the squares. After a quick encounter with Ironman, the squares received two cuts from the Brother’s keeper, running corner to corner. They flopped open and suddenly realized they had become half square triangles. Again they were sad, because they were just half square triangles and looked much the same as each other. But the keeper told them to spin into different patterns and the Brother would make them into beautiful blocks. The blocks were afraid again since they were told they could not look upon the Brother. The keeper reassured them it was OK to look at the Brother, he was just joking before.

Auditioning Fabric

As the keeper auditioned beautiful fabrics to join the blocks, they were concerned that they should not be joined to other fabrics that did not come from the Northcott family. The keeper told them that many fabrics could live together in harmony if they were just given a chance. As the project came together, there was just one more request the blocks wanted to come together in the shape of an eight to remember where they came from. 

Throughout this journey with these pieces of fabric, the keeper was reminded of a lovely, local quilter named Zelpha. They had crossed paths many years earlier and she told the keeper of her story quilts. She had told stories, like Little Red Riding Hood, in quilts with textures for children to touch as she told the story. This is not to the extent of Zelpha’s quilts but it has become a fun story based on the making of a little quilt. The finished wall hanging is 15 1/2 inches wide by 20 inches tall. Eight blue squares turned into four blocks with eight triangles in each block surrounded by a big 8. This project started a 8 am this morning and I started writing the blog at 8 pm tonight.

Runners

 

These are a few of the runners that I have created this fall. They can be considered a table runner, a wall hanging or an accent runner on a bed, sofa or chair. They are a variety of sizes and a variety of techniques.  The block with a diamond center came from a video I saw on YouTube. Here is a link to the video where Suzanne McNeill demonstrates fast and easy quilting techniques, 10-Minute Blocks and Twist & Turn, from the floor of the Houston Quilt Festival 2010.  It is an easy block that I have used a variety of ways. Her book is available at Missouri Star Quilt Company and many other places.

The top left, this is two ten minute blocks in a brown and green leaf pattern is 25" x 45" with corner triangles for hanging.

The top right, black, white and red is 24" x 43" with corner triangles for hanging.The black and white squares started as a disappearing nine patch with an added twist.

The lower left, brown, green and black is 24" x 62" no hanging options at this time.

The lower right, this is another one done with the ten minute blocks. Here I offset the black and white with purple to finish 21" x 58.5" with corner triangles for hanging.

My wife keeps asking me if I am going to have a one man show... For now this is my one man show along with postings on my FaceBook page. My long term goal is an Etsy Shop. Thanks to all who share and support my postings.

A few of my Wall Hangings with Embroidery

Here are some of the photos I promised to start adding to the blog. This is what I have been up to lately. I have been getting used to my new Brother sewing machine with embroidery features. The first awl hanging, top left, is a raw edge appliqué peace symbol with "PEACE" embroidered below. The size is 17 inches wide by 20 inches long with two triangles on the back for a hanging rod.











The  blue block with a diamond center is a left over block from a runner / wall hanging you will see posted later. It reminded me of a quote which is part of the poem Desederata. I thought that the block had a look of the universe. The size of this block is 11 1/2 inches square.

The red and black wall hang in was also created from some more left over black and white blocks and was my first use of my new embroidery machine. This wall hanger is 25 inches square with a hanging pocket on the back. The word "Hope" is a little brighter than all the rest of the words. I love this type face with its subtle nuances.

You know that there are stories that come with all of my projects. This one involved my use of thread from my wife's sewing room. I used up two rolls of thread on the words "Wisdom, Courage and Strength" so by the time I got to "Hope" I had to change color and the brighter white only seemed natural.

Sorry for the delay, more posts (and humor) soon!

Sorry for the delay...

I promise to return to regular posting in the near future. I also have some goals of creating some patterns for sale and some online tutorials to go along with it all. In the mean time relax and enjoy the humor of life.

As we all know, life happens, and we go along for the ride. My wife strongly suggested that I not continue using her sewing room. That was OK because the last child was moving out, so I could have her bedroom and a Janome sewing machine that was my Mom's. About the time the room was settled the first child moved back home with his wife and son. So the sewing room was put into storage mode as other rooms were consolidated. It was fun having them here. Now they have completed the purchase of their home I have a sewing room again.

My wife also helped me purchase a fancy new sewing machine with many bells and whistles. She offered one of her old machines in trade to help get the price down then gave me the coupon book for monthly payments. It is really more like a computer with a sewing machine attached. I had an hour long class at the sewing store and have sewn a few seams since it is home.

Thanks for reading. Mark this blog to come back to and tell your friends. No pictures today but more soon.