Playing with Pastels

Let me start off by saying that, despite seeing a whole lot of Cherry Baby fabrics hanging out here lately, I'm not really a pastel person. There's nothing wrong with pastels. They're cool. They're lovely. I just tend to gravitate to more saturated colors. But, as most of you know, sometimes fabrics just call to you. They say "play with me". And hey, who am I to ignore it when fabric is talking?

First step to play with fabrics? Yeah, that would have been clean the mess in my sewing area. Here's an "after" shot. Still a few things on the table (it's never REALLY clear -- but, getting ready to sew now takes all of 2 minutes rather than the hour and 1/2 it took to get it to this point).

And then, while I do have a few other projects I need to get to -- I played. I will have the "need to finish" projects done this week -- but, well, some bad news over the weekend kind of sent me into a place where I needed to play. I needed to remember that while this winter seems to have been dragging on forever, the world won't seem like it's in perpetual hibernation forever -- and that there is rebirth and renewal that will come.

So, this is what I came up with. In a few ways it's totally unlike what I usually do. It's pastel for one thing. And then, well, it's a pretty darned traditional quilt piecing design. (I like traditional designs, I just don't make very many of them) Of course, I did add my own "twist" to the traditional -- but, hmmm...

I'm just not sure it works. I had an idea for a series of four of these little quilts (this one is about 18 1/2 by 18 1/2). I was going to play with different border and edge treatments and kind of do an ode to spring (and yes, one of them in a slightly smaller size to accommodate borders was going to be for my Four Season's Swap). I also had some vague ideas of doing some embroidery embellishment to the top. I'm just not sure it's worth continuing on with -- or whether I should call the experiment a bust and start over.

I think part of the problem is lack of contrast in the fabrics. The design I chose (bonus points if you can tell what the design IS -- I'm not sure I can and I made it) is one that should have a bit more contrast. Maybe I was being influenced by all of the lovely blended quilts (the link takes you to Nicole's finished challenge quilts, but the post has links to others) I was seeing last month?

Part of the problem is surely my own fault -- I'm usually of the "more fabrics is better" school of thought (why use one or two when you can use 10 or 20?). And I did that here -- maybe confining myself to 5 or 10 would have been better than the, um, I think 30 or so I did use? (gotta love those jelly rolls -- oh, yeah, that was how I got into this mess in the first place) But seriously folks -- here's a bit of a closeup with the sun shining on it, how could I have chosen just a few of these fabrics?

I guess the question now is whether to keep on trucking with this experiment or not? Any advice, opinions? For those of you involved in the Four Seasons swap -- um, would you hate something like this (though not this one) in your mailbox? I welcome some good, constructive criticism here. In the meantime -- I have a few "have to finish it" projects that are calling out to me. Oh yeah, and some blog reading to catch up on, oh, and laundry, grocery shopping, etc. I suppose it will keep me out of trouble. But oh, I really want to play!

Service please...

Ok, so it should be no surprise to anyone who has read my blog for long that I love to go shopping for quilt fabric. Really. I do. And it's not just fabrics. Oh no. I love patterns too. And gadgets and notions. Oh, and fabrics. Have I mentioned I love fabrics? Yeah. Given my addiction to quilt shops and their wares, you would think there isn't a quilt shop I don't love or at least appreciate. Well -- I finally found one that on the surface I should be absolutely crazy about, but I'm not.

Now, don't get me wrong. Not every quilt shop is for every quilter. They all have personalities. Some specialize in civil war repros. Others in modern quilt fabrics. Still others in brights and novelties. No shop can carry EVERYTHING, and they shouldn't have to. That's the beauty of this whole quilting thing -- different fabrics for every type of quilter. I accept and embrace that notion. I have been in some shops where I'm not going to find a lot simply because those particular fabrics don't sing to me -- they don't shout at me "Come play with me" or "I want you to take me home". That's cool. Even in shops where I'm not in love with the fabrics I usually find SOMETHING -- a notion, a poor, lonely little orphaned fat quarter that doesn't really belong, thread, needles, SOMETHING. At the very least, I usually find someone willing to chat with, a friendly smile and a hail fellow well met to another quilter -- even if we have very different styles.

And in some shops, you just go WOW -- like a kid in a candy store. The personalities of the fabrics just mesh with your own. All of your favorite designers in one place. Fabrics and colors that sing to you so loudly you almost need earplugs just so you can concentrate on what you want to buy first. You know -- the shop where if money was no object you would take at least a yard off of almost every single bolt. And some of them, you'd take a bolt.

Most shops are a combination of the two extremes. A section or two (ok, or three or four) you love. Some fabrics that you don't -- but that's cool, someone else will. Patterns and ideas -- some you like, some you don't. But usually, usually someone who is friendly and willing to chat. A fellow quilter. And as most of you know, quilters are some of the BEST people!

So why am I waxing poetic about the types of quilt shops and their personalities? Well, I was feeling the need for some fabric therapy the other day. In the midst of my cleaning spree I ran across some old memories that had me feeling a bit blue. They weren't awful -- just the sorts of things that can make you nostalgic and a bit sad. Ones that remind you of losses you would rather not have -- and that you can't do a darned thing about it. I decided it was much to beautiful a day to be in that kind of funk (that is best of rainy cold days when you can have a fit of the blues, NOT for days when the sun is shining in a beautiful blue fall sky and the weather is behaving for a change). Perfect antidote? A drive in the country with the end destination a new to me quilt shop.

As an added bonus, the shop in question had an ad in my newest guild newsletter -- and it prominently mentioned that they carried the new Joel Dewberry line and, more importantly to me, the luscious Chocolate Lollipop fabrics by Anna Maria Horner. (These fabrics are simply delicious folks -- fun, bright, with a twist of serious sophistication -- if you want to see some lovely examples check out Anna Maria's blog -- actually, if you want to be wowed by a seriously talented designer who is also a fantastic Mom -- check out her blog. How she does it all I do NOT know) I've been wanting some of these fabrics for ages -- but, well, I wanted to see them in person. I know, I can order them on the internet - but, well, I like feeling the fabrics and seeing them in person. I also like buying from local small quilt shop owners when possible. I know I can get things less expensively online -- but, well, I like HAVING local small quilt shops around, so -- that means spending money there! So, bonus -- a localish (most shops are at least a 30 minute plus drive for me) that is carrying fabrics that NO ONE else in the area is carrying. WOOO HOOO!!!!

My excitement lasted until I actually got to the shop. I walked up to the only obvious door from the side parking lot and the woman who was loading fabrics into a truck treated me to a weird reception. I was friendly and asked if this was the entrance -- obviously I've never been there before -- and was told that it was the BACK entrance, but I could go in if I wanted to. Um, yeah, that's why I'm here! But, ok, busy lady -- looked like she was getting ready to go vend at a quilt show (and since there's a major show in Madison, WI this weekend -- not too surprising). She actually had to unlock the door to let me in -- which is lovely since it was marked as the handicapped entrance, but, well --

Anyway, one of the first things I did was say I had heard about them from my guild newsletter and I came out specifically for the Chocolate Lollipop fabrics. Turns out she had just put all of them in the truck. Great. Ok, I can come back. It's not that far from my house (35 minute drive or so). And then I was told they would be back on Tuesday -- if they didn't sell out at the show. Um, ok, gee -- thanks. Now, did I expect her to unload the fabrics she was packing for the show so I could buy some? No. Not really. Though, I did think I could have been asked if I knew what I wanted (I did) and if so maybe I could get the 1 or 2 (ok, this is me 3 or 4) fabrics I wanted. I probably would have said not to bother -- but still. I did have the other person working there point out that there was a FQ bundle there in the shop (just about the ONLY Chocolate Lollipop left there btw). The problem being the ideas I have for the fabrics all involve at least 1/2 a yard of fabric if not more. FQs aren't going to cut it.

Ok, not a problem. This is a quilt shop after all. Even if I can't get my chocolate fix -- there ARE other fabrics after all. And let me tell you -- this shop has some lovely fabrics. Shelves full of Kaffe Fassetts. Really. Current prints, some older ones, stripes, shot cottons, etc. More Kaffes than I've seen in a single place outside of a major quilt show. Full lines of most of their fabrics. And, the Joel Dewbery fabrics. I should have been in heaven! But, well, after showing me where the Aviary fabrics were -- the sales person spent her time, um, following me around the store. Now, you've seen photos of me (well, kind of) -- do I LOOK like I'm a thief? But every time I reached out to pick up a pattern she was staring at me and using body language that indicated I wasn't supposed to DO THAT. A notion, same thing. And she made sure I could see her watching me as I was walking through the bolts of fabric (come on -- they sure as heck aren't going to fit in my purse. I carry a really small purse too.). Now, I suppose it could have been meant as being friendly -- but, um, I'm really not too sure of that. For it to be friendly -- a conversation would have been nice. Chit chat. Ask about quilting? Um, I am in a quilt shop after all. I did mention that I belong to a guild. Nope -- just staring at me and making me feel like picking up a pattern to examine it was a crime. It gave me the heebie jeebies. As a matter of fact, despite the fact that there were beautiful fabrics that I really would LOVE to play with there, the entire store gave me the heebie jeebies. (and we won't even mention the prices -- not just full price, but full urban center pricing which for the area where this shop is located? Um, let's just say it's high. I know fabric prices have gone up -- but, ya know, there is such a thing as being priced out of your market)

Does this mean I didn't buy anything? Oh, yeah, right. Like that's gonna happen. I did get a couple of things. Some of the Joel Dewberry Aviary fabrics, I think these are going to be a bag of some sort -- not sure what kind yet.

And I did get some Kaffe shot cottons -- these I think are destined to go into a little Halloween wall hanging. Though, I need to find some purple to go with them. Maybe something with a pattern as well, but I love the way these feel.

And just so I didn't feel totally chocolate deprived, I got the only piece of Chocolate Lollipop in the store other than the $60.00 FQ bundle (um, I really wasn't planning on spending that much folks -- the other reason the bundle didn't come home with me). It is an off cut fat eighth. Which means it isn't even a full fat eighth. But darn it, I got some of the fabric I went for! Not enough to do much with it -- but some.

I will say the sales person (not sure of what else to call her) did warm up a bit towards the end and help me find this little fat eighth and chat while cutting -- but still didn't make me feel much better after being watched so intensely while I was shopping.

And to get the bad taste from the shop out of my mouth (so to speak) -- I headed off to one of my favorite quilt shops in that area. Their selection of "modern" fabrics is pretty much one or two lines -- and then mostly brights/novelties. They have a great selection of batiks and flannels for kids (adults too for that matter). They have a wall 'o plaids for those of you who love 'em. No Amy Butler. No Joel Dewberry. No Anna Maria Horner. No Heather Bailey. No Kaffe Fassett -- and that's ok. Because what they do have, is the service that was missing in the other shop (and no, I'm not going to name that one).

It's not really fair to compare my reception at the two shops. I've been going to my fav for years now. When I walked in the door I was greeted with "Hi Angela!" by both owners (who were also getting ready to vend at the Madison Quilt Expo btw). Followed quickly by "Where's ------ (insert dd's name)?" I chatted with Stephanie (one of the owners) about her youngest daughter (who is adorable and was running around the shop "helping" Mom -- and is all of a month younger than my own dd) and mine and about quilting in general. She helped me look for a thimble for my newly developed interest in handwork (darn you Tonya and Rose Marie and all of you other talented hand quilters, embroiderers, and appliquers out there). When I mentioned I wanted a color of a line they are carrying but they didn't have -- she took down my name and said she'd call when the bolt came into the store. This even though I told her what I wanted it for -- and I'm only going to buy a yard or two (and since she is ordering it for me -- I'll probably buy more than I need). Nope -- they may not have all of the "cutting edge" fabrics -- but what they do have, is good, friendly service. The kind you come back for. The kind you drive for 40 minutes for even with the price of gas going up again. The kind you look for in a quilt shop -- or at least I do.

And of course, I didn't walk out empty handed. Some lovely denim blue solid -- it may be a skirt. It may be a project I'm thinking of -- but haven't decided on yet. Some may get combined with the Kaffe shots for that Halloween quilt. And a cutie pie pattern for a jacket for dd -- who is crazy for jackets, shoes and hats. My little accessory queen. Did I NEED either of these purchases? Nope -- but that's ok, I did need to buy locally (sort of) and feel good about it. I'll be going back there -- again and again. Even if I can get fabrics I want for less online -- if they carry it, I'll buy it from them. Because service is important. And so is supporting the local quilt shop owners who go the extra mile.

As for the Chocolate Lollipop fabrics I want, and that other shop. Well -- hmmn, the cost of gas to drive 30 minutes there and 30 minutes back -- well, that's just about the cost of shipping if not MORE than the cost of shipping. Z&S -- here I come. Less expensive, less of a hassle, and no heebie jeebies!

Lead me not into temptation...

for I can find the way all by myself thank you very much! Or in other words -- I've been bad, really really bad about buying fabric and am about to go on another crash fabric diet! But oh, did I have fun along the way!

I mentioned in my last post that I went to a fabric shop that had a sale on their clearance fabric. I figured I would just look around and see what I could find. I had good intentions, but, did I mention that the sale was $3.00 a yard fabric??? Eeeek! Add to that a trip to another quilt shop since I was so close, and you have more spent than I originally planned and more projects to add on to the need to get done pile.Since I don't want to suffer from my lapse into temptation alone, I thought I would share my finds with all of you. I figure this way I can share the fun!

First up on our hit parade is this lovely burnt orange color rose print fabric. I'm thinking another skirt. I have a great long sleeved wrap t-shirt in chocolate brown that would look lovely paired with this fabric. The only question is whether to add the gores to the bottom or just do a straight a-line skirt? Hmmmn...decisions, decisions. Either way I think it's going to be fun!

I also bought some of the same print in pink. Not enough for a skirt -- but I think this one is going to be a bag of some sort. I've been wanting to do some more bags and other semi-quick finish projects lately and this may just be the ticket. Not sure of the pattern yet -- need to think about it. But some sort of bag is in order.

And to go with it, I found this fun sagey green leopard print fabric. I did get more of this than the pink -- so it will go into the bag I'm plotting and something else as well. Not sure what else, but the color just got to me. And the combo with the pink works really well for me for some reason -- then again, since I've been doing variations on green and pink and white combos for over two years now there could be a reason for that. I think I may be getting into a rut with that combo!

I also picked up this go-along for some panels and charm square packs I bought last winter. What I'm eventually going to do with all of them I'm not sure -- probably a quick and easy type throw quilt to use to decorate. Not that I've been the queen of decorating my house for the seasons lately (um -- I'm lucky if I remember what season it is usually) but hey, I can dream that I will have that kind of life at some point right? RIGHT -- or at least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

I also picked up this cute little pattern to make for my daughter. I thought it would be perfect for some of that cute puppy fabric I found with Mom. I figured I would add a nice hot pink ruffle (THAT I already have in my stash) and they would be great little pj bottoms with a t-shirt. The pattern seems super simple and it's by the same woman who did the pattern for the jackets I've made for my daughter and god daughter. Should be one of those fun and quick finishes I've been needing! (famous last words here -- every time I think this the project takes way longer than I think it should!)

At the second quilt shop I hit, I actually was buying some basics. Some thread, some good quality white muslin, and then I found these. Now, some of you are probably looking at this going -- um, Moda Chocolate. So what? Well -- about the same time May Britt was making her lovely little charm square bag (see her post from July 1st) I bought the same pattern. I have a charm square pack of the Chocolate line I bought last fall, but I didn't buy any yardage of the line. And, frankly, while the fabrics are lovely -- they don't really play well with most of the fabrics in my stash. In fact, I think I saw them running and hiding from my stash at one point and complaining about the noise. (have I mentioned lately that I like bright and intense color??) So, I was happy to find some go-alongs so I can make the bag with the charms I already had. See -- I HAD to buy more fabric so I could use up stash. Really. Um -- yeah, I'm not really buying this one either, but I had to give it a shot. Of course I didn't have the pattern with me and bought too much of the fabric for the lining and binding -- but that's ok. I think I'll make a couple of these up and give one away as a gift for Christmas.

So there you go -- my latest fall from grace and newest vow to finish some projects before I'm allowed to buy anything new. *sigh* I really need to get sewing. I've been cleaning and organizing the house and I haven't gotten any sewing done in over a week now. Oh yeah, and I'm still catching up on my blog reading. If you haven't heard from me or I haven't been commenting much -- please, have pity on me, y'all have so much that's interesting to say I'm a bit overwhelmed!!! But, the lack of sewing means I'm going through withdrawals. Maybe that's why I've been buying -- must. sew. need. to. play. Need to USE pretties I buy!

Back to our regularly scheduled quilt content...

Ok, I really should be working on my paper right now. It's due on Tuesday and I had planned for it to be finished yesterday. But, well, some things do take precedence ( the frozen stuff was still pretty frozen, the other food was ok, and my new fridge is just humming along, I'd post a picture but I need to change the batteries in the camera -- will try and do that in the next post). As for tonight, my brain is fried, I'm tired, and I didn't want to have the first post you see on my blog be a complaint -- that's not really like me (ok, sarcasm and a sometimes biting wit is like me, but whining is not usually my thing). Plus I realized that I hadn't posted anything that looked like a quilt in a while. AND while I was re-arranging the kitchen to make room for large appliance delivery, I found the pictures of the Christmas present quilt I made for my mom this past year! I KNEW I had them!

The photo quality on these is not the greatest but you can get the general idea. This is the quilt that generated the orphans I've been playing with. There is a long and involved story that goes along with the creation of this quilt (involving fabric I had made some pillowcases for Mom with and which she loved -- then asked me to make more of them. Me: "Um -- Mom, I bought that fabric over four or five months ago" Mom: "Is that a problem?" Me: "Oh -- um, no, no" Reality -- YES, YES! Let's just say it turned out to be a fabric that had been featured in some magazine I hadn't seen -- I found ONE website that had it. And they had it back ordered. I ordered more than enough to make the pillowcases -- then used it as a springboard to design the quilt. And wouldn't you know, AFTER the Internet ordering and searching ordeal one of my favorite LQS's got a bolt. I bought more since my design needed several more yards due to fussy cutting and the borders).

The long story also involves trying to find a design to feature said fabric and not finding a pattern I liked so trying my hand at design. First I thought of Ohio Stars with the floral as a feature, didn't like them, but wanted to play with HSTs (have I mentioned I will get obsessive about a technique or a shape for awhile and NEED to play with it?). So, I monkeyed around with variations of the size square I would need to feature the fabric and one of them was an "X" -- hmmn. As a child, my Mom would write notes to me in my lunches. Little things, always signed with xoxo's -- potential here. I signed notes to her the same way (ok, so we still do -- just because I'm 35 doesn't mean I've outgrown those darn xoxo's from my Mom). So, a quilt to tell my Mom I love her -- works for me. And that's it's name too (I KNOW I'm not the only quilter who names her quilts) "Mom, I love you. XOXO". A bit more tinkering around (sashing so the X's and O's were distinct, some cornerstones made of more HSTs) and some fabric shopping and I was set to go.

The long story also involves the fact that I finished the somewhere around 80"x80" quilt in, oh, October or so. (There's even more here about working on it over my summer vacation with the invaluable assistance from my good friend and fellow quilter Bonnie, travelling with the quilt in pieces to Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico -- but way too involved to get into here). Ummm...can we say a bit late if I wanted it finished for Christmas? Especially since this one I DID send out to be quilted? Um, I was VERY lucky that the wonderful long arm quilter I sent this to was able to squeeze me in. Especially since I not only sent her this one, but another as well (again, funny story here about a friend of Bonnie's who went to pick up her own quilt and saw mine -- she was freaked out because Bonnie also made one in purples for her mother and she KNEW it was an original design, so she couldn't figure out how there was another one there -- either that or I had been lying about designing it. Nope, this was the original, Bonnie just used my drawings and instructions to make hers. But I thought it was hilarious how weirded out she got). Not only did she finish both quilts, but they turned out beautifully. Especially since my only directions on this one were -- "um, I think some feathers". I wasn't being difficult, really, it has more to do with trusting this woman with the quilt. I did the part I do well (piece and play with color) and I KNOW she does the quilting well. I trust her judgment and I have loved everything she's done for me.

A much longer post than I had intended, but this quilt had a lot of story to go with it. Mom got it for Christmas, loved it, and now it rests in her guest bedroom. (whole 'nother story there -- but I knew I was taking a risk when I used a white background -- besides, that is MY bedroom when I go down and visit and will be dd's when she is old enough to visit on her own, three generations of xoxo's -- works for me!).

Fabric Therapy

Let me start by saying that last week Thursday was awful. Nothing had gone right. My daughter didn't want to go to daycare. 15 minutes of screaming and clinging on to my leg as only a toddler can do later (and a pass off while she was still sobbing to her teacher), I was able to get out the door to make it to work on time. Barely. When I got there, only 1/5 of my students decided to get themselves out of bed to come to class. So much for staying up until 3 a.m. the night before to finish grading their exams. For any other teachers out there -- can we say instant re-evaluation and change of lesson plan for the day? In football (American) terms I threw a Hail Mary pass. (luckily we had a good discussion, but when only a handful of students get the benefit, you begin to wonder) Another student decided to post a message that insulted my subject, my teaching, the university, and the other students in class. As soon as I had conferred with my boss and decided on a plan of action about it, another student responded to her/him and told him/her off. Ok -- now I have to deal with this student as well. Oh, and all of this was before noon and I had run out of Diet Coke (my caffeine intake of choice) at 7:30 am. Can anyone say stress???

So, when the going gets tough what is a dedicated quilter to do? Retreat to the sewing room and play with fabric of course! I went home and ignored the pile of work I had to do and the phone and the nagging feeling I should be cleaning and went to work with my orphan blocks. This time I decided to invert the colors and make the white the points of the stars. I wasn't sure about them at first, but they have grown on me. So I had four blocks made out of orphans --

Hmmn...wait a minute here -- that looks kind of good, I like the way they go together, but the points aren't going to work -- sashing! That's it, sashing. Hmmnn...so now what to use? I still have a ton more scraps from all of the pink and white and green projects I've done in the past few years...I could dig, cobble something together...

So, after auditioning some of my scraps (although I must admit I wasn't too picky about it -- mostly I looked for things I had large enough scraps of to actually use. The unfinished blocks ended up being 11 1/2" by 11 3/4". Also -- note to self -- when measuring blocks, measure BOTH sides, just because it looks "kinda" squarish, doesn' t mean it IS -- re: look for more scraps to cut new sashing strips for lengthwise sashing). And, well, sashing isn't enough, I need cornerstones -- yes, that will work -- but if the sashing is going to be scrappy, the cornerstones should be the same color -- some continuity -- and, well --

There you have it. By the time I had to go pick up dd, I was refreshed, relaxed, and no longer ready to bang my head up against a wall (just to make it feel good when I stopped). Who needs a therapist? I've got fabric.

There's only one problem, these little blocks are no longer just orphans to "play" with, they are developing a life of their own. They are speaking to me. They are saying they want another border. They NEED another border. And, they even are telling me they want me to make crumble blocks. (please tell me I am not the only one who has fabric talking to them -- otherwise I may have to invest in that other kind of therapy) It's not like I can't accommodate them, I have the scraps, I have the know-how, I have a total disregard for most quilting "rules" that allows me to free-piece if I choose. What I don't have is time. So I've had to tell the quilt to shut up -- umm, rather to be patient -- I will get there, but for right now, I have finals coming up, projects due, more student papers to grade, research to do, and my mother coming for a visit next week. So, the little orphans have gone to marinate with summer sorbet until after finals.

And, so that I didn't feel totally guilty for taking an hour or so to veg out in front of the television, I have a UFO I finished! While not really "quilty" I have seen more punchneedle embroidery in quilt shops than anywhere else so I'm thinking it is fair game. I started this one a bit over a year ago as a take-along for a family vacation to Arkansas to introduce dd to one set of her great-grandparents. I thought it would be great -- easy, fast, can finish it in a week -- HA! It is handwork, no matter how easy or "fast" and it took me over a year. The nicely ironic thing is, knowing this, I still started the second one I purchased at the same time as soon as I finished this one! I must be a masochist.

I also spent part of today indulging in some fabric play -- I hope to have pictures of progress soon. I know I shouldn't have started this project, but ooooh those Heather Bailey fabrics are just tooo yummy!