Restricted by the landlord, Inspired by my husband

We are renting short-term, and the landlord absolutely forbids anything on the wall. I can’t have shelves that would organize things so well in the sewing room, and I can’t give up a lot of floor space. We have several bookshelves that are doing duty as a pantry because of the shallow (and few) cabinets in the kitchen. I don’t really want to buy more furniture, even used, so a comment by my husband inspired this sewing room makeover. “I could even use boxes as furniture for a while.” So I will.

inspired temporary storage of fabric

I have some plastic bins on the floor with various craft supplies that I can’t seem to live without, but never open the box to access. Anyway, I decided to tape together some of the boxes we have saved for the next big pack-and-move, and use them as fabric storage. All this is supposedly set aside for doll clothing and accessories. I keep going to thrift stores and stumbling onto fantastic sales so I come home with another bag full of tops, tablecloths, and fabric remnants that I just know I can turn into something absolutely cute for a doll.

I stacked the boxes in the corner, and it also inspired me to rearrange most of the rest of the room. I think I can walk through it again. Even though I resent using valuable sewing time to clean, fold, and reorganize, I know I’ll appreciate it the first chance I need something and can immediately put my hands on it.

A maze quilt

It’s not often I think of my own designs for a quilt. I do tried-and-true traditional designs, or I find a photo of a quilt someone has done, figure out the dimensions for myself, and recreate it the way I want to.

I was wandering through Pinterest posts today and the thought hit me – I want to do a child’s quilt that ends up looking like a maze. A real one that the child can trace with her finger and find the prize at the end.

I started my Google image search for the maze design I will use, and found a few possibilities. What I love about the internet is that I can usually find what I’m looking for. These will be good places to begin to design from.

Stay tuned! At some point I’ll be posting photos of the one I have completed!

(more posts about the maze quilt HERE and HERE)

Odd critters

I had to laugh out loud when I saw these.

Some clever someone had converted old sewing machines into tractors. Add a few bits like gears, wheels, shafts, paint a bright color, even add a decal.

We were at an old gas tractor show in Scottville, MI last July and came across these.

How Fun!

Barn Quilt – first block done

Thanks to a reader’s comment, I found some motivation to work on the barn quilt.

first block done

I took plenty of pictures to show you how I go about interpreting a photo or painting into a quilt block. Some of it is pieced, and some of it is appliqued. I’ve been enjoying the process of collecting fabrics, 1/4 to 1/2 yard at a time, so I have plenty of textures, shades, and colors to choose from. I keep them in a zippered plastic bag that some bedding came in. I find them very handy for keeping a project together.

I found a photo of a painting of a barn online, and printed it. I’m sorry I don’t have the reference for anyone, but if you recognize it I will surely correct that omission.

As I mentioned in a post last winter, I taped the printed page to a window, right side to glass, and drew basic outlines on the back side with a sharpie. I do this because I am not trained in art, and cannot see the shapes unless I do.

I laid out my fabrics and chose the ones I would use for this block.

Then I looked at the photo and realized I had approximately 1/3 sky, 1/3 other, and 1/3 grass foreground. I used a plain muslin for the center part, which will be covered by barn and trees. I used strips as wide as my block would end up to be, and sewed 1/4 inch seams.

Then I chose the tree fabrics and cut rough outlines. I knew that part would be covered by the barn. I goofed a little bit, but it’s easy to change or adjust. I used a bit of the darkest green to make a treetop peeking out over the closer (lighter) trees at the left.

I sewed the edges of the tree pieces with a narrow, short zigzag stitch, not quite as small as a satin stitch. Just enough to keep the edges from fraying, but not so that I  spend hours sewing small pieces. I didn’t use interfacing on the back, but you may want to. If your zigzag stitch is small enough, it’ll pucker the fabric and interfacing will help stop that. You can also use a double fusible web to fuse your pieces together before you sew. I pinned in place, held my breath, bit my lip, and did just fine.

I edged the barn pieces (and part of the roof) in white to mimic the white painted edges shown in the picture.

I added barn door and windows with white thread. I could do more with the trees, but I’m going more for representational on the other parts, and sticking to details on the barns.

One down, umpty-eleven to go.

Fear of starting

I noticed a blogger had written about a fear of finishing. I don’t think I have that problem, although there are projects I haven’t finished yet. I seem to have a fear of starting.

I get a paralysis in the planning stages. I know I have an excuse to quilt, such as a baby coming, a personal need, or a gift occasion. I look at photos, patterns, colors, and try to put something together. It could take a while as usual, or it could come together quickly which rarely happens.

I’m cautious with the first cut. I can lay out the fabric on my cutting table and KNOW what I’m going to do, but it takes so long to work up the courage to make that first cut. Once the first cut is done, it goes easily from there, but somehow that first one is SO hard to make.

I stutter with the first stitch. Okay, not the greatest choice of words but I wanted to continue the alliteration. I lined up the pieces of fabric and put quite a few together, sometimes pinning, but have to take a deep breath to start sewing.

Once I actually get going, then I can continue. I know what to do next, almost without thinking. Maybe that’s why finishing is also hard – it means I can’t avoid another beginning much longer.

A few years ago I went crazy taking photos of barns. I printed photos of barns that I had found on the internet. I set them aside because it was time to start planning a layout, block size, etc. So, I guess I could say this barn quilt (that I have yet to cut fabric for) has been in the planning stages for about 6 years.

Time to design

I have more bonus quilting time, and rather than pull out another UFO, I wanted to start designing my next project.

I usually begin with a Google Image search. This time I searched “barn” and came up with photographs of unique and interesting barns. I wanted a variety of shapes, settings, and seasons. I printed off those that my husband and I agreed on. I have a good start, but I’m going to need a lot more. For fun and laughs, I included a photo of the Fallasburg Covered Bridge, near Lowell, MI, and I’ll probably include the Ada Covered Bridge as well. Both are old buildings, interesting shapes and settings, and both are buildings I have visited in person as a child.

Next, I taped the photographs, wrong side out, to the glass on my French doors to the back porch. With the nice white snow in the background, it’s very bright today and creates an eye-level light box. I traced the lines on the back side that I wanted to include in my blocks. Then, by taking the paper off the door, I could see how my block will look without the extra detail that I don’t plan to include. In some cases I will change part of the setting, and even some of the structural features of the building.

I managed to complete 5 tracings of barns. I plan to trace many more, but I got so weary of searching photographs on the internet yesterday that I don’t want to do any more of that.

Most of these will be applique, but I may try to design a paper-pieced barn or two, and there will be patchwork elements such as the doors. Some of the detail will be stitched in, probably free-motion. Before I can start to sew, however, I have to decide what size the blocks will be, what width the sashing will be, and how many I will need to complete a queen size quilted duvet cover. I’ll be busy today!

A Little Inspiration Credit

I have recently been spending more time on quilterblogs.com, where I can peek at the photos other quilt bloggers are posting and get some ideas. I came across Wayne Kollinger’s blog.

He is a self-taught quilt designer, and wondered aloud why aren’t more quilters designing their own quilts. I am one who does.

I dislike making something from a kit that hundreds (thousands?) of other quilters have made from the same fabrics in the same way. Quilting is an expression of what I think, what I feel, and what fabrics are in my closet or shopping bag. I like to choose fabrics myself and put them together in a way that pleases me. I haven’t even been able to make any two quilts from the same design! Somehow that bores me and I want my quilting to be fun, imaginative, and never a chore.

I have some disasters, yes I do. I have photos of quilts that I’d rather not show, but I have so many others that I’m proud to display. Hence this blog. I’m displaying the quilts I’m proud of, and hoping you will read, browse, get inspired, and leave me a comment or two.

Wayne Kollinger recently posted a photo of a curving 9-patch quilt. When I saw it, I wanted to use the concept of straying from the typical checkerboard arrangement of 9-patch to something unique. Now, I feel that I’m at a bit of a disadvantage, because I don’t have dandy quilt designing software for the computer. I do things the old fashioned way, either in my head, or with a spreadsheet. I change the size of the squares so that they are the size and dimension I need, then fill in the blanks with solid colors. I may not stick to the arrangement, but it gives me a starting place.

(*note: if anyone wants to donate an OLD quilt designing program, I have a PC and would gladly accept. :D)

At this time, I don’t have a design made that is based on Wayne’s curving 9-patch. I saved a link to his photo and I will refer back to it many times, and one day the inspiration will hit me hard and I’ll think, “Why did it take me this long to come up with this?” Until then, I’m still mulling it over. Thanks, Wayne, and thanks, quilters, for inspiring me.

Inspiration Sunday

I was searching images on the internet and came across this one from Lynne at The Patchery Menagerie. It may just have to go into my idea file. I’ve made this block before, in grey background with blue corners, for my grown son. Unfortunately, a flash drive with all my photos has given up the ghost and I don’t have the patience right now to sort through all those old photographs in a box to find the right one to post. I love it done in white and bright colors, especially that it can be a stash-buster. I think I need to make a lot of stash-busting quilts in the near future. Thanks, Lynne, beautifully done!