Over six months since I've been here and I apologize. A lot has happened in those six months. But no excuses ... I'm back.
I have a lot of projects on the go right now. Our Guild (of which I was elected president for the next two years) is having their bi-annual quilt show on the Labour Day long weekend so I gotta get busy! Plus there are umpteen items to finish up for my Etsy shop - table runners, lap quilts, pot holders, handbags and so on. I also have a really nifty 1960s folk art tulip quilt to do a few repairs on then I'll be putting that in my Etsy shop too.
I did get my sewing room cleaned up. Sort of. Good enough. I can use my cutting table again, anyway.
The pile of UFOs (unfinished objects) has reached the point where I refuse to start anything new. Oh ok, I'll start something new if it's fun. Sigh. I admit I've signed up for a class in July at my favorite quilt shop without even seeing a sample of the project. Yup we quilters do that.
April brought a terrific quilting retreat at Lutherhaven in Idaho, followed by a wonderful two week holiday in Maui with my daughter. I did three projects at the retreat that need to be sandwiched and quilted, so pics another time of those. In Maui, I picked up two quilt kits I'm dying to get into, but they're bigger projects so I've put them on hold until the UFOs are cleared up. One kit is a Hawaiian shirt wallhanging and the other is a log cabin pineapple lap quilt. Both are full of bright Hawaiian colours and will remind me of the glorious trip forever! I also brought home some patterns for traditional Hawaiian flower quilting, something else that will have to wait a bit unfortunately.
Our Guild is planning a weekend retreat just for ourselves for October. We'll have it at our own meeting location and everyone will be able to come and go as they please. Lots of fun, great company, good food, and loads of quilting time! I've got plans for an ugliest fabric contest during the retreat - I wonder how many quilters, like me, have bought fabric then later decided it's the ugliest fabric they ever saw? Guess I'll find out!
Enough for now ... will be back in a day or two, hopefully with some pictures of stuff. I promise.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
It's FINISHED - Whew!
Quilter's Tip: Do not wear black corduroy pants when clipping the seam allowances of a flannel rag quilt.
The rag quilt is done, finally. It took a lot longer to clip than I thought it would, but that's OK. My client is very happy with the quilt, always a big relief at the end of a piece of custom work. So here it is:
I'm really happy with the way it turned out. This is the first rag quilt I've made, so it's something I've added to my skills.
My daughter is here visiting for a while. During her time here, we'll be making a memory rag quilt for her - sadly, her fiance died not long ago and she asked if I would help her make a quilt from his jeans. Some may think that's a little morbid, but I don't. I think it'll be something she'll cherish forever. Before we do that, though, I need to teach her quilting basics because she has no experience. So we'll be making a simple wall-hanging for her home using her favourite colour - purple!!
Check in tomorrow for a few Etsy shops I'll be featuring, and some pics of fabrics projects-in-progress.
Cheery quilting!
The rag quilt is done, finally. It took a lot longer to clip than I thought it would, but that's OK. My client is very happy with the quilt, always a big relief at the end of a piece of custom work. So here it is:
I'm really happy with the way it turned out. This is the first rag quilt I've made, so it's something I've added to my skills.
My daughter is here visiting for a while. During her time here, we'll be making a memory rag quilt for her - sadly, her fiance died not long ago and she asked if I would help her make a quilt from his jeans. Some may think that's a little morbid, but I don't. I think it'll be something she'll cherish forever. Before we do that, though, I need to teach her quilting basics because she has no experience. So we'll be making a simple wall-hanging for her home using her favourite colour - purple!!
Check in tomorrow for a few Etsy shops I'll be featuring, and some pics of fabrics projects-in-progress.
Cheery quilting!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Rag Quilt is ON THE DESIGN WALL !!!!
Today I finished putting together the last of the blocks for the rag quilt, and quilted the giraffe and flower panel. Now all the pieces are on the design wall. (Note: the design wall is the flannel back side of a cheap vinyl tablecloth hung on the wall. Hey, whatever works, eh?) A few words before you get to the pictures. First, this layout is of the pieces only. There is no ragging yet, so it'll definitely look different when it's finished. Second, ignore the little bits of crookedness - that's my pinning!
So here's the whole quilt laid out ready to join together and rag:
And here's a close-up of the giraffe and flower panel, which is free-motion outline quilted:
A word of advice if you ever make a flannel rag quilt - clean your machine often. It's amazing how much flannel lint builds up around and on the foot, the needle, the bobbin and the bobbin case.
Tomorrow I'll be joining all these pieces. At that point the quilt will look like a quilt with the seams "inside out". Those inside out seams (they show on the front) and the edges of the quilt will then get clipped every 1/4 inch, the whole thing goes in the laundry a few times and voila! Rag quilt.
I hope the Grandma-to-be who commissioned this quilt likes it!
More pics tomorrow.
Cheery quilting!
So here's the whole quilt laid out ready to join together and rag:
And here's a close-up of the giraffe and flower panel, which is free-motion outline quilted:
A word of advice if you ever make a flannel rag quilt - clean your machine often. It's amazing how much flannel lint builds up around and on the foot, the needle, the bobbin and the bobbin case.
Tomorrow I'll be joining all these pieces. At that point the quilt will look like a quilt with the seams "inside out". Those inside out seams (they show on the front) and the edges of the quilt will then get clipped every 1/4 inch, the whole thing goes in the laundry a few times and voila! Rag quilt.
I hope the Grandma-to-be who commissioned this quilt likes it!
More pics tomorrow.
Cheery quilting!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Rag Quilt and Pamela's Quilts
Today I did the last of the cutting for the rag quilt. Tomorrow comes the final sewing of the layers for the blocks then it's design wall time! Can't wait and I'll have pics tomorrow night. This is going to be one cuddly, warm and cute quilt!
I want to show you another Etsy shop, this one a quilt shop named Pamelaquilts. The shop owner has been a quilter for more than 20 years and is a teacher and published pattern designer - very accomplished. Beautiful quilts and other quilted things like table runners, luggage tags, totes, journal covers and more. Good prices too. I aspire to quilt like this lady! Have a look here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Pamelaquilts
I'd especially like to show you a picture of this quilt, I think my favorite in the shop because of the happy colors:
You can also follow Pamela on her blog at http://pamelaquilts.blogspot.com/
See you tomorrow with new photos of the rag quilt on the design wall.
I want to show you another Etsy shop, this one a quilt shop named Pamelaquilts. The shop owner has been a quilter for more than 20 years and is a teacher and published pattern designer - very accomplished. Beautiful quilts and other quilted things like table runners, luggage tags, totes, journal covers and more. Good prices too. I aspire to quilt like this lady! Have a look here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Pamelaquilts
I'd especially like to show you a picture of this quilt, I think my favorite in the shop because of the happy colors:
You can also follow Pamela on her blog at http://pamelaquilts.blogspot.com/
See you tomorrow with new photos of the rag quilt on the design wall.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Etsy Shop Farragio and Other Etsy Things
Today I'm introducing you to another Etsy seller's shop and yakking about some Etsy stuff.
A self-described "indiepreneur" from House Springs, Missouri, USA (near St. Louis), Angela has a lovely Etsy shop called Farragio. You can find it here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/farragio . She enjoys a variety of crafts, including sewing and quilting. Here's one of the items in her shop, beautifully made and beautifully photographed - a quilted Dora the Explorer kid's backpack.
Isn't it sweet? She also has up-cycled tote bags (from men's shirts - what a great idea!), fabric totes and bags, Christmas card tree ornaments and more. Pop into her shop and have a look. It's worth your time!
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On to other things Etsy now. I've discovered how to make Treasuries. Treasuries are collections made by Etsy members of items gathered in a group and published. The items can have a common theme ... or not. Sellers can include their own items ... or not. The Treasury, once published, becomes available on Etsy via the Treasury search on the home page. Treasuries let sellers help promote each other, let buyers see what sellers like, and is another way buyers can search for items they're interested in. Ready to see the Treasuries I've made in the last week? Hope you like them! Follow these links...
First, of course, a Treasury of stunning quilts http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf04d870d456d91be335644/give-them-a-quilt-to-cuddle-with?index=3
Next, a Treasury of a variety of sapphire blue items (sapphire is my birthstone)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf49c8b6b1f6d91da808e50/sapphire-blue?ref=pr_treasury
Then, a Treasury of a bunch of Black Labrador dog items (our dog Hugo is a Black Lab X)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf6f6f9567a8eefca06a1b7/black-labrador?index=0
And here's a Treasury of purple turtle items, dedicated to my daughter the purple turtle lover
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf0750a59d58eef4825cf6e/purple-turtles-and-tortoises?index=4
Finally, a Treasury of pig things for my husband the pig collector
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf3e6b3ee366d919b93fd64/here-piggy-piggie-piglet-pig?index=2
Treasuries are fun to make and fun to share!
Etsy introduced a new feature for shop owners (sellers) this week - the Activity Feed. Now sellers can see a bunch of activities that have happened with their shops and items with one click. Items sold, items or shop favorited by other users, who's in their circle (sort of a 'friends' thing), treasuries sellers have been included in, and so on. This is a great feature and I love it. No more digging around the site to find these things, if you could find them at all.
Have you been to the Forums on Etsy? They tend to be more .... ummm .... civilized than the forums on ebay (if you've ever been there, you know what I mean!). Pop over for a cruise through. Not only is it loaded with information on how to use the site, it's also a great place to meet other folks and, if you're an Etsy seller, do some self-promoting (just make sure you self-promote in the right place). Check it out here:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_main.php
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that entering the coupon code PEACOCKPERCENTAGE at checkout will give you 15% off all items in my shop through December 5, 2010. I'm here on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PlumpPeacock
A self-described "indiepreneur" from House Springs, Missouri, USA (near St. Louis), Angela has a lovely Etsy shop called Farragio. You can find it here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/farragio . She enjoys a variety of crafts, including sewing and quilting. Here's one of the items in her shop, beautifully made and beautifully photographed - a quilted Dora the Explorer kid's backpack.
Isn't it sweet? She also has up-cycled tote bags (from men's shirts - what a great idea!), fabric totes and bags, Christmas card tree ornaments and more. Pop into her shop and have a look. It's worth your time!
------------
On to other things Etsy now. I've discovered how to make Treasuries. Treasuries are collections made by Etsy members of items gathered in a group and published. The items can have a common theme ... or not. Sellers can include their own items ... or not. The Treasury, once published, becomes available on Etsy via the Treasury search on the home page. Treasuries let sellers help promote each other, let buyers see what sellers like, and is another way buyers can search for items they're interested in. Ready to see the Treasuries I've made in the last week? Hope you like them! Follow these links...
First, of course, a Treasury of stunning quilts http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf04d870d456d91be335644/give-them-a-quilt-to-cuddle-with?index=3
Next, a Treasury of a variety of sapphire blue items (sapphire is my birthstone)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf49c8b6b1f6d91da808e50/sapphire-blue?ref=pr_treasury
Then, a Treasury of a bunch of Black Labrador dog items (our dog Hugo is a Black Lab X)
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf6f6f9567a8eefca06a1b7/black-labrador?index=0
And here's a Treasury of purple turtle items, dedicated to my daughter the purple turtle lover
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf0750a59d58eef4825cf6e/purple-turtles-and-tortoises?index=4
Finally, a Treasury of pig things for my husband the pig collector
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf3e6b3ee366d919b93fd64/here-piggy-piggie-piglet-pig?index=2
Treasuries are fun to make and fun to share!
Etsy introduced a new feature for shop owners (sellers) this week - the Activity Feed. Now sellers can see a bunch of activities that have happened with their shops and items with one click. Items sold, items or shop favorited by other users, who's in their circle (sort of a 'friends' thing), treasuries sellers have been included in, and so on. This is a great feature and I love it. No more digging around the site to find these things, if you could find them at all.
Have you been to the Forums on Etsy? They tend to be more .... ummm .... civilized than the forums on ebay (if you've ever been there, you know what I mean!). Pop over for a cruise through. Not only is it loaded with information on how to use the site, it's also a great place to meet other folks and, if you're an Etsy seller, do some self-promoting (just make sure you self-promote in the right place). Check it out here:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_main.php
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that entering the coupon code PEACOCKPERCENTAGE at checkout will give you 15% off all items in my shop through December 5, 2010. I'm here on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PlumpPeacock
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Just When You're About To Give Up ...
... I've figured out how to put photos in the Photo Gallery! There's just a few for now of completed projects, and I'll put some up of works-in-progress over the next day or two. Wheeee!!!
The Rag Quilt and Lack of Photos
I did somemore work on the rag quikt today, sewing the layers of flannelette squares together for the blocks. Almost done that part - tomorrow for sure! Then the funnest part starts. I get to lay out all the blocks in the shape of the quilt, arranging and re-arranging them until the final design emerges. All these pretty dots and stripes and birdies and flowers ... can't wait to see how they mix together! The giraffe and flower panel needs to be quilted and it's always fun deciding on a quilting design too. After that, it's just a matter of stitching all the blocks together then clipping all the exposed edges.
Then the unveiling happens. The quilt will go in the laundry a few times to rag the exposed clipped edges - and thereby revealing the charm of a rag quilt. I can't wait!
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My apologies to everyone for keeping you waiting for photos. I'm still trying to figure out how to get them on here. I'm about to give up and get some help. This is supposed to be easy haha.
Then the unveiling happens. The quilt will go in the laundry a few times to rag the exposed clipped edges - and thereby revealing the charm of a rag quilt. I can't wait!
----------
My apologies to everyone for keeping you waiting for photos. I'm still trying to figure out how to get them on here. I'm about to give up and get some help. This is supposed to be easy haha.
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