Waxing lyrical

Sometimes a mad idea just grabs hold of you! I saw a picture of song lyrics done in cross-stitch and thought that was fun, but that it would also take too much time, so I dismissed it. Then one day I sat down to watch a new episode of The Big Bang Theory and trying for the umpteenth time to catch all the words in the theme song by Barenaked Ladies, the idea popped up: I would google the lyrics and stitch them, but I would do it in back-stitch, which would be less time consuming than cross-stitch. I charted the lyrics in my cross-stitch software, without spacing between words and breaking words when I came to the end of the line, thus mimicking the breathless, breakneck speed of the song. Keeping each word in one colour makes it readable. I must admit that it took a while longer than I had thought to stitch this, but I had fun doing it and now the song is forever stuck in my mind!

To unstick it, I started on another song right away and it just had to be one of the theme songs from my heyday: "We go together" from the movie Grease. While the first one was stitched in scraps from a celestial kit in tones of blue and gold, I chose pink and black for Sandy and Danny respectively with a hint of mint thrown in. Fun, but I'm done now. No more lyrics! And I've still got that Big Bang earbug...

Sometimes...

.... when you are close to the finish line it pays to stop and take a deep breath and make sure you know where you are going...

Perks

I've been away on a business trip this last week, and although that can be hard work some of the time, there are some perks too. Like coming across this sweet little milk bucket at the airport - perfect for storing bits and bobs in my sewing room! And the chocolate inside was good too (note the past tense)...And this pretty purse was inevitably having to come home with me - "someone was going to have to set a bad example" - too true! I always try to be the naughty auntie giving the kids ideas their parents wouldn't come up with and telling tales about what their mums used to get up too... Well, somebody has to, right?

But the best of all treats on a trip, as any quilter knows, is getting some new fabric! This was just irresistible! And having been such a good girl most of the week... I felt I deserved it. Now I just have to come up with that perfect little project for it. I'll be exploring a few ideas over the next couple of days. Today I've been concentrating on quilting my Mod Quilt Sampler, and it is coming along nicely. Then there is the trapunto heart one, and a handbag for a birthday next week - it's a good thing I have the rest of the week off!

Odd blocks and contrariness

We have a quilting guild meeting tomorrow. This marks the beginning of the new year in a way - we elected a new chairman and board in February and this is the first meeting they are in charge of. And with a new board there are new ways of doing things. We have received a mail announcing that we are to make monthly blocks, to learn new techniques (or practise old ones). So why does that wake the contrary child in me? - "Been there, done that" was my first thought. I rummaged through my boxes of odds and ends and found the old blocks from the last round. That's them in the photo. I just grabbed a couple of fabrics for that first meeting without giving it much thought. After six blocks we stopped (or maybe I missed a few meetings?) and I never got around to making anything from them. I'm not so sure I like them, to tell you the truth. But the funny thing is that I realized while looking at them that this Block-of-the-Month thing was one of my contributions as chairman back then!
So what if it doesn't seem all that exciting to be making more blocks, I do remember how difficult it could be sometimes, to come up with a program that would be of interest to the majority of members, and I know that we have new members now who haven't learned the "old fashioned" hand piecing methods. So I'd better get down from my high horse and be positive and supportive!
- It isn't easy to get people to run for office in a small guild, and the least I can do is show interest and take part in the activities offered. Who knows, maybe I can help teach a novice how to improve her skills, the way one of the elder members helped me when I started out. Quilting is about honouring traditions after all, isn't it?
So there we are, I have talked my contrary inner child into participating with good grace, and enjoy the companionship with my fellow quilters. The question now is: do I continue with these fabrics so the blocks I've already made can come out of hiding and actually end up in a quilt, or do I pick some other fabrics and go off in a completely different direction? Hm, I'll have to sleep on that, I think...

Early bird

Tidying up after the holiday season gave me the opportunity to change the wall decorations around a bit, so right now this little quilt graces the wall in my hallway. This must have been the first quilt pattern I ever bought, way back when I was starting out on this quilted road... I bought the pattern from Quilts and Comforts, and I should give credit where credit is due, but I'm afraid I don't know who the pattern is by, having thrown it out after I finished the quilt.
Anyway, when I got the pattern I realized that it was going to be a huge quilt. We are talking ceiling to floor height here - no way was I going to make a chicken quilt that big ! Back in those days I was a firm believer in sticking to the pattern as closely as possible and spent ages trying to find the fabrics used in the original, but eventually the pattern was just stowed away. Then, a couple of years ago a friend was hosting a stitch along just before Easter and everybody seemed to be planning on stitching chickens of some sort, so I got the pattern out again. Instead of using the pattern sheet, I took a photocopy of the picture on the front, traced it and enlarged it 200%, which made the size just perfect for a little wall quilt.The point of all this? Nothing really, except that I'm not feeling like an early bird in any way at the moment. The cold weather and long days at work makes me want to follow that little green worm's example - scuttle out at the corner and go into hibernation... ;-)

Haunted

It must be the stormy weather we're having and the crisp autumn air that has turned my mind towards another world, because all of a sudden witches seem to pop up everywhere. I have all sorts of ideas about new things I want to make, and I see witches, broomsticks, cats and moons everywhere. Ideas of spooky castles, wise women, herb lore, spells and the like are everywhere: In books and movies, magazines and among the fabrics and patterns in my stash that grab my attention.
You might say I'm haunted by the images, and I'm not quite sure what's brewing, but there is a project or two lurking in the shadows I'm sure!
Ghoulies and ghosties and longleggety beasties, and things that go bump in the night are on my mind, and I'm sure October will take me on a creative ride down a mysterious lane. I'm going to have fun with it, I'm sure - starting with this "Haunted house" kit which has been left languishing in my stash for far too long. Then we will see which witch is next... :-P

As if...

...I didn't have enough of these! I went to a Tupperware-party hosted by a friend this evening, and would you believe it - I found something new I had never realized I needed! Amazing, isn't it how a gathering with friends can get you all geared up to buy a lot of colourful plastic you swore you didn't need - well I suppose that's how Mr. Tupper made so much money in the first place! I didn't get too carried away, but you know how it is: "I'll just have that." "But, that would be quite nice too.." and "Oh, are you getting one of those? I think I must have one too..." and before you know it you have a long list of "musthaves". Well, never mind, I did some sensible shopping on my way home from work today - some of this:
And a packet of these:
I have just a little more hand stitching left on that binding and I'm ready to begin cutting the fabric for my handbag. Tomorrow, tomorrow...

F is for Flossie, Faye, Flora and Fernanda

It all started so innocently with Flora the Gardener. I found the pattern somewhere and liked her prim little face and felt watering can - such a practical feature, don't you think?
No sooner had she got her hat on, than she announced that she wanted a friend. A quilting friend. After a little think, Flossie the Quilter was born, complete with half finished quilt (what is a quilter without a UFO?) and paper tape measure from IKEA.
With a gardener and a quilter in the house there was reason to believe that there wouldn't be much housework done, so another friend with a broom was next. She, however, evolved into Fernanda the Witch, who was no more interested in sweeping than the rest of them, so to finish the quartet, Faye the Fairy with her magical wand designed to bless my rooms and make them dust free arrived. Sadly I have to report that there is some kind of malfunctioning where that wand is concerned. Matters will have to be looked into....

The angelic guest

Bella aims to be the best kind of houseguest. Never intrusive, but prepared to be a good sport whatever happens. She waits quietly in her room in the morning for the family to finish using the bathroom. She has donned her new bathrobe with hand embroidered flowers over her gingham PJs that she bought especially for this Christmas holiday visiting friends in the country. She has a crick in her neck after sleeping in an unfamiliar bed with her hair wound round pieces of paper tissue and tied with ribbons, to give her otherwise straight hair some semblance of curls for tonight's party. - Now, was that the bathroom door? Yes, time to rush across the hall........ but, too late, one of the teenage girls beat her to it. Oh well, she'll just have to wait outside the door- one of the other guests popped out of her room at the same time, it would be silly to go back to her room now. And she may be an angel, but she is keeping her place in the queue, because she just has to go....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Old St. Nick is back! He has been hiding out in the attic since January, but promises of fresh baked cookies tempted him downstairs today.
I don't usually decorate until the last week before Christmas, so that it all will be new and fresh when the holidays start. That means that a lot of my homemade creatures and decorations are hidden away for about 49 weeks a year. When I finally get the boxes down and start opening them, it is like meeting old friends again, and I find myself chatting with them, asking them where they want to sit this year and comiserating with them about having been squashed together in a dark box for months and months - quite batty, don't you think?
Never mind! I'm still a kid at heart, and who wouldn't be cheered by the sweet little faces of these cherubs? Never mind about those chubby, less than perfect hands and feet.
And what about my snow family? Covered in artificial snow and getting all tangled up in those Christmas lights - who can blame them, having to make do with those akward branches instead of hands? And still they're smiling! I must admit I have a thing abut snowmen, so they tend to turn up everywhere at this time of the year. The great thing about them is that they can stay on a bit longer as well, since snowmen aren't out of season until March or April. These two seem to think they have been hanging in there for ages already, politely hiding heir yawns, but quite ready to go to bed in their little PJs, thank you! Yes, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here, but I still have boxes to get out of the attic, some cleaning to do and a few presents to wrap. My bathroom angels are almost finished, and I only have the binding left on my Christmas table mats. Now if only I could get the rest of the quilting done on that tree skirt I'd be ready for the holidays, but there's nothing like some last-minute stress and I might get there yet... ;-)

Bathrobes for angels...

It's the Twilight Zone here...
The weather has been so bad lately that I feel I haven't seen daylight for weeks. But that doesn't stop some angels from seeing the light of day - the little light there is...
Things seemed a bit akward at first, but these bits of wire sticking through her head didn't seem to bother Bella much. Until her eyes were added, that is... Then she started looking accusingly at me, so I had to help her with her hair. Lots of pigtails with ginham ribbons in them. She seemed happy with that, until she realized that she had next to nothing on - hence the blush. I'd better get a move on with her bathrobe so she can keep her modesty intact and get her a set of wings. Because she is to become a Bathroom Angel, waiting in line to do her morning "toilette".

Well, I did say that I wouldn't make that many Christmas pressies this year, but I just had to make two of these angels to go with the Sleepy Angels I made and gave away last year. I'm proud to say I have done most of my Christmas shopping today, so now I have a pile of books and other presents to wrap. I'll do some more baking tomorrow, and then I should be all set- I think... No doubt I'll come up with something I Just Have To Do at the very last minute. We cant have Christmas without some Traditional Seasonal Stress, now can we? But that's half the fun of the Holidays, isn't it ;-)

I know what I did this weekend...

You might think I was about to come out with some interesting tidbits about a hot date or something, wouldn't you :-D Sorry, that was just a teaser - I just had to share those great paper napkins I picked up at a clearance sale a couple of days ago!

Rather, my weekend has been spent in the company of this book by Japanese quilt artist Keiko Goke. I have had the book for quite a while, but was inspired to pick it up again after seing a quilt in the recent issue of Magic Patch magazine. The quilt reminded me of one of Goke's quilts, so much so, that there was no doubt in my mind that the quilter had been inspired by her work, although the article with pattern didn't mention this... I got the book out and found several quilts I had wanted to try out.
In particular this floral quilt which isn't too big and would give an opportunity to practice curved seams. I have been thinking about making something for my bedroom wall - I have two quilts there, but need a third to get the right balance. I decided to make one in similar colours to the ones hanging there already, and before you knew it, I was immersed in fabric and having lots of fun! The great thing about this approach is that there is no real pattern - I had the general layout and that's it. The rest is made up as I go along. The instructions (if there are any) are in Japanese, a language I'm not too familiar with... But I got the general idea, and have been walking back and forth between cutting table, sewing machine and ironing board all day (I keep my ironing board in the kitchen so I'll have to get up and move about now and then), completely losing track of time. I realized at some point that the yucky feeling in my stomach was due to not having eaten since breakfast, so I had to stop to prepare a light meal. Eating the slightly burnt chicken a while later (I couldn't just leave the cutting table in the middle of a block, now, could I?) I realized that I haven't had this much fun in ages!
Oh, it's great to have that creative vibe again after a rather lazy few weeks. Well, maybe not so lazy, but I have been telling myself that I had to clean the dishes/mop the floors etc. first, and before you knew it the day was gone. That won't do! I am getting my home organized little by little, but I need to schedule some more play time for myself, and that means jumping right in, leaving the dirty dishes in the sink. They won't run away, but my inspiration might!

And I really want to try my hand at something like this as well. Those curved seams are getting easier by the minute and I'm beginning to feel confident that I'll be able to do it!


This is how far I have got today, please ignore the wobbly bit in the middle; a slight adjustment with an iron, and it should lie flat. I'm going to add black triangles or borders tomorrow, I haven't quite decided. I was thinking triangles, but as my piece so far is rectangular, I'm not sure anymore. I could add a strip of blue at the top to make it square I suppose..., hmmm ..., now what if...
Oh what fun!