Cathedral Windows and Such Ramblings...

I have been swamped trying to juggle school drop offs/pickups, during-school schedules, after-school schedules, workouts, and quilting.

Pardon the short post, but wanted to let you in on the quilting work I'm focusing on right now. The Mother-in-Law's quilt....a Cathedral Stained Glass Quilt.

This is not to be confused with this:
http://sohappytosew.blogspot.com/2011/02/cathedral-window-quilt-tutorial-part-2.html (Although I have to admit that I have yet to do one of those, and plan to before I go to quilting heaven..)

I'm taking my focus from a window I can't place (I don't know where the window is, and I don't know the name of the cathedral, photographer of the photo, etc. ...I'm so sorry that I didn't grab all that.) I've got a picture I accidentally drew over in MSPaint that shows the whole window. This is the main part I'm focusing the quilt around.

While I'll admit, mine won't be quite as symetrical as it would be to be a replica, I have an intentional reason to not do so (I may choose to explain later, I may not). 

I had considered doing something to pull this window: 

Which is the South Rose Window of the Chartres Cathedral. While beautiful, it is currently far too intricate for my timeline of 4 months, and I can't really change the colors or themes to reflect the recipient's choices of reds and golds. 

Ok...off to get walking to pick up youngest school person, then off to pick up next one. Tomorrow, driving the oldest one off to college again. I promise I will eventually get back to this thing. (Today, I just got the 4 main pieces drawn and freezer-papered for templates to use later. Woot! Progress!!!)

Travesty Called Time...and Other Ramblings

OK, Everyone....

I'm kinda back (again)....

To explain my absence (not really necessary, but will comment anyway), I have to take a two-fold approach.
One, my health has been really iffy lately...as in: not sleeping, hyper-sensitive to everything (light, sound, touch, etc.), and stress. We're still working on figuring out this sudden change, so please be patient while I expect to start playing russion roulette with meds again next month to see if we can find the problem.
Two, there've been more than a few "outside affecting issues" preventing me from wanting to post. I've held off in deference to detracting from the issues others have going on (where my posts would help some, it would distract others from paying attention to those truly needing it). I've also been swamped with multiple different things (and one of those is in the form of much-needed, paying work).

Now, to update you on the few things that are GOING to happen (I'm holding off on the "has happened" for a very, justifiable reason).

1. Christmas is upon us....Yes, it's the latter half of July, but that is when most quilters who've put off Christmas stuff really start worrying and preparing things for gifts. So that quilted pot holder or simple pajama pants that you got from us last year? Yes....it was in the works since MUCH earlier in the year. If not, it wasn't because something a bit bigger was in the works.
I've got one super-large order for Christmas. Last year I gave out three quilts to members of my family. This year, it's my Mother-in-Law's turn. I promised her last year that she'd get a quilt this year, and she finally gave me her color choices. My current plan (please don't hold me to this....anyone!) is a stained-glass, Spanish-Gothic inspired quilt. I'm planning to use window ideas from Spanish and southwest-Americana stained glass windows along with some of the features of her furniture from the room that the quilt will go into.

2. I am planning (hoping, really....planning may be too strong a word) to do some webcasts with sewing projects and/or sewing techniques. I've got some young sewists who've learned the art and procedure to sewing from me....and most of them don't live nearby for one reason or another. Most of them do, however, have internet access and would be happy to have my webcasts....so that's the plan/hope.

3. School starts in little less than a month for my boys (one high school, the other elementary), and for my daughter (college)....so I'll be running around like crazy with that in addition to work.

So....among the things that are going to happen...none of them leave me much time for this blog. That doesn't mean I won't be trying (I'm very trying at times), but it does mean that I'm now going to have to schedule time to work on it. See you in a couple of days again, methinks! (Sooner if I nail down ideas or finish ANYTHING!)

7 Months in the making...

I swore I'd share this quilt with the public after it's debut last Tuesday. It's a celebration quilt for the Blount County Quilt Guild's 25th anniversary. I've been working on it since last December (when I started the idea and requesting the blocks, photos, and name lists to complete it).

There are 41 current members, and currently 7 "sustaining" members from the guild's first few years. All 41 names are listed on the sides, and on each of the 7 pieced block sections, the name of a sustaining member is embroidered.  The photo on the left is of the original guild members, and the one on the right is current as of 2013. There is an Established Date block in the lower right hand (it's in place of an 8th block). The center is also embroidered in two different shades of silver. There are also 7 hand-pieced/hand assembled pink dogwood blooms in the center block. The quilt was quilted with clear monofilament thread on top and grey cotton underneath. The quilt also has a false back covering the white back of the quilt. This false back uses pink, grey and white fabrics from the front of the quilt. I put it there to protect the quilt for many years of wear hanging in the guild house. The binding is white, and hand-sewn. 

(Several of the sustaining member blocks were hand-pieced. There will be/has been a photo with a group of the sustaining members published in local newspapers as well.) 

Now, to make things even more interesting, my little boy has just finished his first quilt top!  I normally don't share people photos, but this was too good not to share. 

He started this quilt top back in December after prodding me for a couple of years to let him machine sew. He's always been proud of buttons I've let him sew on or embroidery work I've let him do (all by hand), but he's been longing to get behind a machine and use an amazing power tool. And yes, I just called sewing machines power tools.....I rather love my power tools.... but moving on....

He was extremely proud to hold his quilt up in front of mine to show his ties to an even greater legacy I hope he's really starting to understand. I should have known when just over a year or two ago he watched in amazement as I made a couple of purses as Christmas gifts that he'd be using one of my old machines by now. 

His exact words regarding the purses: "When I grow up, I want to sew purses for people just like you, Mommy!" 

Whilst this definitely isn't a bag of any sort, it's something that he'll keep and cherish for a lifetime. He already knows that it's hard work and plans to hang the completed quilt on the wall in his room after it's made a few quilt show rounds!

He was excited enough that he immediately wanted to baste his quilt and get started quilting it. 

I think the bigger challenge for him will be getting it done in time for the next local quilt show in October!

:) Whew!

The long lost days of summer

Yeah, the days of summer are soon approaching.

I can feel them. I've got a group (gaggle, cluster, herd) of young ladies ages 10 and up coming to my house in late June. We get to sew, quilt, giggle, and learn. I have had no time to fix machines, work on promised projects, or anything like that.

Maybe I'll be able to post again later this week with an update....got tutoring to do!!!

I NEED!!!????@@@????!!!!

The local group of bloggers that I've joined in (even for my relatively unknown blog) has posted a challenge, and I figured I'd try to answer the questions, mixed in with my sewing and quilting time.

What do I need? (Hence the multiple expression marks in the post's title...and throughout the post)

Of course, then I ask myself, 

"Self, what about sewing and quilting time?"

"The time I'm supposed to be using for sewing and quilting! Yes, I need more!!!"

"When do I get that time back, Self?"

"When you are sleeping and wish to not be, and succeed!"

Now, pretend that I didn't just tell myself to start quilting and sewing instead of sleeping.....yep....I said pretend. Whilst my desk may be cluttered and unconventionally accumulating "stuff" right now, the rest of my sewing studio/office isn't that bad right now. I promise! I didn't say it is spectacularly clean. I said NOT THAT BAD.....

So, right now, I need TIME to work on sewing/quilting projects and get them completed....

....and yes, please pretend also that I didn't just talk to myself through my blog where everyone can see it....

.....to be continued...

What?

I feel like I should be saying "What is a sewing machine, and what can it do for me?"

I took my kayak (I'm more adventurous than my body likes me to be) out for it's first float and first two capsizes last Saturday. The air was warm enough, but the water could definitely have used a bit more sunshine!

Since then, I've lounged on the sofa, done a month's worth of grocery shopping for the full household, and lounged on the sofa some more. I've managed to get a quilt off the frame upstairs (I did half of what I want to do, but it's done over the entire quilt). I've managed to re-start the quilting on a soon-to-be-for-sale quilt. And I've managed to start the quilting on a couple of rag quilts.

I haven't done a stitch of machine piecing in so long. It's hard to work like this.....

But, speaking of work, I start a new job on Monday! I get to have a fairly flexible schedule, but this means my weeks will be more full than I would have otherwise expected.

So again....What is a sewing machine, and what can it do for me????

Bows and Ruffles!

Today, I was given a project. My friend needed a bag (it could be super simple) for the weekend, as she's going to a few shows and wants to be able to dance without worrying that someone's ravaging her purse while it sits on the sidelines, and she doesn't want to have something ugly or super-heavy over one shoulder (the way her purse works) while she tries to dance.

I had her choose a fabric for a bag a few days ago that I planned to make for her before she moves to Florida soon, and I decided to dig in. This is the bag I came up with, and she already is in love with it!

I put two very full ruffles near the bottom of the front, then put layers of the same bias-cut fabric above them. It gives the flouncy, ruffly feel without the weight of the extra fabric.

I used button holes at the top to help it create the drawstring effect. Placement was important, as it let me create the pleated effect at the top. When this bag lays completely flat, it looks like a little girl's skirt! The shoulder straps come out of the drawstring of the bag (all same piece) so that way when my friend wears it, it closes automatically.

The drawstring is double-thickness bias-cut, and is so very sturdy. I've tied it into a bow in the front, which just adds to the cuteness factor.

One of the other cool features (other than the fact that this bag is fully lined on the inside) is that there is a "hidden" zipper pocket inside near the bottom. When you look at it during the day, it won't seem hidden, but try looking at black-&-white plaid in a dimly lit club, and it blends in really well.

I even had to put something in the pocket to make sure you could see the pocket and zipper because they blend into the bag THAT well! 

She is very excited about the bag and was shocked that I'd had the time to make it (it only took me about 3 hours to make), and it has a zipper pocket to boot! After she's had people steal out of her bags at shows (how sad that people go through your stuff just because you're busy), I figured the hidden pocket might be a deterrent if she "happens" to set the bag down somewhere. With as cute and functional as it is, I don't see that happening much, though!