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I was visiting Craftster last week and I found some excellent projects that are perfect for this blog & podcast!  The first is Color Chromatography which is something I am passionate and excited about!

• Sharpie Dye Color Bursts

Picture from IamSusie on Craftster

If you look at the craftster site, you find lots of wonderful pictures, a description of the process, the inspiration for the designs, and a lot of wonderful discussion about the process by other Craftster users.

Color Chromatography is a very simple idea that has a scientific concept behind it.  Chromatography is a method of separating substances into the different parts that make them up.  Color chromatography is when you take one color and separate the different colors out.  The way you do this is you take fabric (called a stationary phase) and Sharpie marker (pigment – what you want to separate) and let rubbing alcohol (the mobile phase that moves the pigment) run over the fabric.  Rubbing alcohol spreads out on the fabric and takes part of the marker pigment and travels it out.  The pigment “sticks” to the alcohol more than it “sticks” to the fabric, so it travels along the wet area of the alcohol until it dries or the alcohol doesn’t spread out anymore. 

A personal experiment with Chromatography because of this post:

I traced a bird from a free coloring page with Sharpies.

After I put rubbing alcohol on the fabric. Notice how I used hangers and binder clips to allow this to dry!  The tail isn’t exactly what I was envisioning (too much alcohol on the tail too quickly), but still looks interesting.

I saw someone who made minimalist trees with green dots, which inspired me to make this.  The leaf part dried overnight and then this is when I am just putting alcohol outside the trunk to color it in.

A geometric design with a view of my work station.  All I drew was criss cross lines.  This is a little ‘washed out’ to to true colors on the fabric.

A before and after of another strip design.  Before:

After:

The other Craftster post that caught my eye this time.  This is not quilting, but crochet, and instead of having a science concept, it has a scientific topic.

• Crochet Cell Pillow

Picture from Sally Le Strange from Craftster

If you look at the craftster site, you will be linked to a post that has multiple detailed pictures that describe the parts of the cell accurately.  An A+ project for sure!

My new favorite free motion machine quilting site. 

• 365 days of Free Motion Quilting

Picture from Leah Day from 365 Free Motion Filler Designs

This blog showcases a new free motion filler design daily (or about daily) with full explanation, video, description and ideas for using the designs in your quilt.  Leah Day’s videos are short, but informative, showing you just enough of the technique to help you get started.  She tells you if the pattern is beginning or advanced, in addition to having a video that shows her ideal setup and notions for free motion quilting.  Best thing is – no stencils.  If that intimidates you, she has a couple of DVD’s and worksheets to practice.  Up to posts in the 90’s she’s come a long way in a short period of time. I haven’t practiced any of these myself, but I am using them as ideas on what I want to quilt, and when I get back to the quilting stage on my tops, I’ll be sure to check out her blog for much needed inspiration and guidance!

After searching I found the pdf website from which I read off the article from Optics and Photonics News 1990.  Good suggestions of homemade dyes!

Thanks to the following podcasters who have left comments (so far)!

Allison Rosen @ Within a Quarter Inch

Ruthann Logsden-Zaroff @ Mirkwood Designs

Kelley @ The Pioneer Quilter

Also thanks to Robyn and Gail who commented in the Big Tent group, in addition to Sarah from “real life” for listening!

Keep Experimenting!

 - SQ

Purple patch! New scrap book with a purple plastic cover!

All the magazines which have provided the scrappy contents are all published in the last few years.

That’s a Jenny Bowker creation top right, don’t know who did the one bottom left …… and some dragon flies. I sometimes use them as quilting motifs on flowery quilts.

Lots of collectables cluttering a cottage, and a tree of life quilt and some sewing collectables.

Have you seen this new quilt?

Well, call me crazy, but I’ve decided to make this beautiful quilt. To make it even crazier, as I signed up to make this as a block-of-the-month project for next year,  I was approached by an equally crazy friend and employee from Quilted Threads to make this as a store sample. How flattering is that? But wait,  it gets crazier, the quilt needs to be ready for display in January! So, OK, I’ll think about it – for about 5 minutes- and guess what? I am making this for the store sample.

I love reproduction fabrics, and particularly civil war era fabrics. I have a fascination with the whole civil war time period-maybe in a previous life I lived in the south during those times, or maybe it was just Clark Gable as Rhett Butler that does it to me. At any rate, here I go, trying to do more than I should in a smaller time frame than is possible. i just can’t seem to help myself.

  The first block is started. As accurate as I am cutting, sewing, and pressing, I can never get my blocks to come out perfect. I guess close-enough will have to work. But, have you seen all those half-square triangles in this quilt? There are enough to make even the best quilter sweat a little. And, don’t even talk about quilting this quilt. The finished size measures  1o0 X 110 which is not the problem, it’s those sawtooth borders along the outside edge!

  This will certainly challenge me ad a piecer and quilter. But, hey, what else is there to do? It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and I have almost no family to connect with over the holidays. This project will keep me busy and keep me from getting melancholy before and during Christmas.

  Another big plus, this is probably the only way I will complete this quilt – a deadline! YAY for deadlines!

   Now, off to sew…..

   OMG! – I forgot to post this picture…

More new fabric! Did I tell you how much I love reproduction fabrics? The large print is from Moda, a Laundry Basket collection called “Close To My Heart” and the smaller pieces from the ” Astor Manor” collection. This quilt is just waiting for borders. I needed a quick project to complete to feel like I could get something done and not have a project linger. I’m into month 11 of a 12 month BOM and getting weary of it dragging on. It’s a great idea, but a block of the month project just takes too long to complete.

  Now, back to sewing…

Today, November 27th, because it’s Black Friday and because we are thankful for our customers we are having a sale on our Superdeals and our Seasonal categories.

Both our Superdeals fabrics and our Seasonal fabrics are 20% off for today only.

Enjoy shopping warm and cozy at home!

For Gary, because you couldn’t be here, and you were missed terribly.  Oh, and we ate at “One.”

Happy Thanksgiving from Central Pennsylvania

This picture was taken approximately 12 minutes ago.  As of this writing, you cannot see anything past the lanterns on the patio.  BUT, every once in a quick second, the sun pops through – just for a nano second.  It’s actually quite cozy.

May your day be filled with delicious food, good times and loving people.

peace

Let’s face it: quilts are awesome! Who doesn’t love curling up in a nice warm quilt and sipping tea and falling asleep by the fire place?

This year, Golden Daisy Quilts will be at the Moretown Artisans’ Sale, with a great selection of hand crafted quilts and quilted products such as tote bags (which are simply adorable!!) You know there are people on your list who would be very pleased with a gift from Golden Daisy!

Golden Daisy Quilts will only be at the Moretown Artisans’ Sale, Saturday, December 13 so be sure to stop by!

Pilgrimage Statistics

Consecutive Days Riding: 47                             Consecutive Days Blogging: 48

Today’s Mileage:  12                                        Total Trip Mileage: 409

As I ride the bike this morning I look out the window on a foggy scene.  The forest of leafless trunks and the few green holly trees are bleached out and fade into the gray sky.  It’s a reminder that we can only see and know what is in front of us for a short distance.  The future is a mystery, the past history and the present is a gift!  On this day of thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for.  I have my health, a job that brings me joy, a loving partner, sons, students and friends, a pilgrimage journey that connects me with an ever expanding circle of fellow seekers and another day to celebrate all of these gifts!

 I am riding around Naples enjoying the beach scenery.  Tomorrow we head east across the sprawling development that encroaches on the Everglades. 

First Family Home - It was bigger then!

I want to dwell briefly on the past, that part of my history inhabited by my family.  Being the oldest son, and in constant conflict with my father, I left home at the first chance after High School.  Initially I attended college and then travelled the world in the U.S. Navy before returning to the university.  While I used to go home to visit (less frequently in recent years) I never really returned to stay.  However, my family was always with me as the roots that anchored my travels and the fire that fueled my questions.  The longer I’ve been away creating a life uniquely my own, the more I have realized the degree to which they remain an integral part of the fabric of my life.  While I may not have voiced this importance to them as frequently as they deserve, they were, are and will continue to be loved and cherished by me, as the oldest son (Happy Thanksgiving Mom) and big brother!

Fall on the big Sioux River

I wrote the following musing years ago as I returned from a poetry workshop.  As I drove through the North Carolina mountains on a fall day I thought of my mother and her comforting routines that I cherish now as memories.  Among these were her annual canning of pickles and beets with the accompanying aromas and her creation of a new quilt.  These images reminded me of the process we all undertake, combining our memories, actions and desire to create a unique life.  I love you mom, always have and always will!  I hope this brings a smile to your face!

Quilts

Every fall mom would make them,

As the trees put on their dazzling display,

Before the frigid winter winds howled,

Before mornings foggy breath was here to stay.

Large slates of smooth timber perched on chairs,

Formed a square that filled the living room.

I and my siblings would duck and dodge

Running first in and then out till mom

Stretched a large square of nondescript cloth

Over the frame, nailing it down

With hammer and carpet tacks.

It formed a taunt roof for our imaginary cave.

Bottom layer of a plain color, usually earth tones

So it wouldn’t show dirt or stains.

Then a layer of thick warm padding

Covered by a sheet of small colored squares

Organized in a mosaic pattern

It was a game for me and my siblings

To try and recognize from where they came.

“That was my shirt.”

“Oh, no that was my favorite.”

“My old blanket!”

“So that’s where that went.”

Small pieces of our discarded clothing, memories

Worn out, out grown, or just out of style.

Cut into squares and sewed together,

A checkerboard of memory and meaning,

The three layers were then joined with knotted strands of yarn.

Mom would sew for days sealing the edges

Patiently completing the task

I now weave a quilt, I call it my life.

My public roles and faces form a background sheet.

My stories, mom’s face, the homes of my youth,

Memories of the plains, bit and pieces, colorful cutouts,

Of my life’s journey make up the patchwork mosaic cover.

My desires and passions form the warm tacking

Sandwiched and hidden between my stories and my public roles.

Small strands of wisdom that I’ve collected

Firmly knotted hold the three layers in place.

Proud penguin father with his son!

My mother started it,

I now carry on the task,

Adding new squares

Sewing up the edges

I will pass it on to my sons,

Perhaps they will find warmth in it

Till they complete it their own.

-       -    -    -

Rose Ann with her adult children! Why do I and my brothers look so much like our uncles, gray with a wide girth?

I hope everyone enjoyed my words and the images of family on this day of celebration.  Tomorrow the journey continues.

Our son has often referred to our family as the Soprano’s. I, on the other hand, have always referred to them as the Kennedy’s. Regardless each in their own right is a family.

This morning around 2:00 a.m. we were called to aid in a family matter. While following MacGyver home, I was flooded with recollections of several past events, which were equivalent to tonight. Events that occurred years ago so comparable in nature as to tonight’s events, it is eerie.

Thankfully, it was an event that was not serious, it was very comical though a sharp reminder of what family is all about. It was also an introduction of sorts to a new family member. I know she felt bad about calling us at 2:00 a.m. this morning to assist, but she handled the situation correctly. There is one rule that is always followed regardless of any disagreements or spats between the family members, and it is very simple but best summed up by this song by B. Scott and B. Russell.

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I’m strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We’ll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

If I’m laden at all
I’m laden with sadness
That everyone’s heart
Isn’t filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It’s a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we’re on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn’t weigh me down at all
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother

He’s my brother
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother…

Welcome to the FAMILY!
Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m all thumbs when it comes to needle and thread and have a very deep appreciation for seamstresses and quilters past and present.   I am particularly awed by those who diligently saved every scrap of fabric from feedsacks to finery and stitched them, by hand,  into stunning works of art.   Here is just one example I found a few weeks ago.  Can you imagine the stories these fabrics could tell?!

More pictures on eBay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270489544233&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

I was finishing up this top:

when the mail carrier arrived. I’ve been trying to make time for a little something Authentic. It was one of those make it up as you go along things. Which is not really the best approach in the interest of time. Because I cut a set of strips, sewed them together, liked what was going on and then proceeded to cut another set of strips. Which finally led to a third session of strip cutting and sewing to finish the job. Indirect but not necessarily as inefficient as it felt, I guess.

So, the mail carrier resolved the impending piecing thread crisis:

A little later the UPS man solved the quilting thread crisis:

I ordered the Superior direct from Superior. I ordered the Aurifil from a new to me place called Pumpkinvine Corner. Pumpkinvine has great prices on Aurifil. Had to order two cones to get the superb cone price but I will definitely go through these.

Ahh, that’s better to have the thread pantry re-stocked.

So what did I do after the thread issues were resolved? Played with the tape, of course:

And I ran out of tape while doing this.

For the U.S. readers, may you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I’m going to gobble up some Tofurkey.

This time an ‘Australian made’ one of charcoal and rainbow colors (http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=96480 — this URL will only be valid for a few days), and featuring my ‘Underneath the Australian Sun‘ fabric art card.

Here’s a screen shot:

Featuring my 'Underneath the Australian sun'

Has it really been two months? Ridiculous. Ahh. In any case, I’ve been busy, even if the blog has not.

Right now I’m working on a comforter for the bed. I keep wanting to call it a quilt, and then catching myself, because it is only three layers–top, wool batting, bottom. Except the top and bottom, while they are technically 108″ x 108″, are somewhat smaller than the king-size batting, at 120″ x 120″. So I’m adding borders. Still, it doesn’t feel like a quilt because it isn’t really pieced. I’m planning to tie it, not quilt it. Because it is huge.

HUGE. Do you know how big a piece of fabric 108″ square actually is? That’s nine feet square. The size of our living room, it is, almost. I sewed the strips for the borders and each side is long enough, when I hang it over a door to keep it from wrinkling (ha!) to nearly reach the floor on each side.

I have a theory. Remember all the people who say that in the old days, people were shorter? And then they are surprised when they dig up George Washington and he was six feet tall? I don’t think people were shorter. I think the women refused to sew quilts that required a hacksaw to cut and a map to sew together. Paul Bunyan maybe, but Martha Washington? Uh-uh.

Just a quick post to say hello and let you know that it has been such fun having all of my siblings and their families (or parts of their families) home for a long weekend.  My sister and her family who are visiting from Hawaii are here until the end of the week, so I am savoring every bit of their company.

I miss my little blog and my crafty friends, so I thought I’d also pop in to let you know that I have made some progress on my son’s birthday quilt. I have fifty-five of the above pictured blocks ready to go. And need another thirty or so to arrive at where I want to be.  The goal is a twin sized quilt.  Apparently you need lots and lots of 2.5 inch squares to get there!  Seam allowances can be a real buzz kill.

Other news on the sewing front is that I recently signed up for a local craft fair.  I have never sold anything that I have made, so the prospect makes me very nervous. I could go on and on about the many doubts I have about putting my handmade lovelies “out there” to be judged by the public, but I won’t go there.  I will report on how I do {for better or for worse} after it is over.  In the meantime, if you have any experience with selling at craft fairs, please share any pearls of wisdom.  I will be clinging to every word, trust me!

My very best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving to those who will be feasting on Thursday!

Welcome Quilt at The Cridge Transition House

Giving, caring and comfort are the foundation of the quilting community. Having devoted over thirty years of my life to public school teaching, working toward the common good is an important facet of my life that dovetails nicely with the greater quilting community and Satin Moon.

This holiday season Satin Moon is expanding its commitment to The Cridge , and The Cridge Transition House for Women.

Our Seamstress Joan G is busy completing eight quilts to give to eight new residents of The Cridge Transition House for Women. The quilts will be on display at Satin Moon December 5-17, before being given to the new residents. It is our hope to add to these loving gifts with eight new donated cosmetic bags . I have two Clinique bags full of new cosmetic samples, saved just for this opportunity.

I hope that some of you will be able to provide 6 more. The Nanaimo Quilters Guild girls send me back with a bag stuffed with toiletries to start our ongoing collection.

We will continually collect gift cosmetic bags and new travel size toiletries to provide gifts to new residents as they enter and exit The Cridge Transition House. In addition The Cridge has asked us to participate in their cell phone recycling program which will provide the women with cell phones and initial coverage. Your old cell phones can be mailed or dropped off at Satin Moon and picked up by The Cridge staff for recycling and distribution. Contact Candace Stretch Assistant Manager of Women’s & Family Services (250) 995 6404 for more information

One more box is waiting to collect eyeglasses and sunglasses for CHILDREN and adults. As a proud Chinatown Lioness I am participating in the Lions Club Operation Eye Care. This program was established to provide reconditioned, recycled eyeglasses to developing countries around the world. The Lighthouse sends approximately 100,000 pairs of glasses overseas each year. Gord and I collected 6 pairs of reading glasses and 3 pairs of prescription glasses plus 2 pairs of sunglasses just from our own “stash” . Once again, the Nanaimo guild members sent back 3 pairs of children’s glasses to start our collection. These too can be mailed or brought in to the store, all year long.

For more opportunities , check out our links page- and send me more links and ideas to add.

That’s what I’m calling this one which came from two lovely brother and sister basset hounds we met and nearly rescued this year.  This quilt has nothing to do with basset hounds really, but I loved those names together.

I really like how it turned out and I’m very glad that we now have a quilt that fits our King-sized bed.