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finishes
Ready to go to market and pick up some fresh tomatoes to go with that basil!
I’m so happy to have a finish to share with you on this lovely Friday! My first version of the Market Street Handbag by Kenzie Mac & Co. is complete! It came together easily. It only took me three days to finish (not working consistently, mind you), so that says a lot; because I never finish anything that quickly. I used a toile, cotton-duck fabric, which has a linen-like appearance– but feels sturdier — more like a home dec weight. I love the way the natural look of the fabric works with the jute webbing (something I also purchased from Kenzie Mac).
The structure of the bag is created with ByAnnie’s Soft and Stable. Have you ever worked with it before? I hadn’t and I was concerned that it was going to be thick and difficult to maneuver under the presser foot. In the end, I can say it was pleasantly flexible and the needle moved easily through it. Even when I was sewing the binding on, other than the shape of the bag making it a challenge, getting through the layers was no more difficult than sewing the binding onto a quilt.
This photo gives an accurate representation of the color of the cotton duck fabric.
If you do choose to make this pattern, there are a few tips I can give you. The first is that you should cut your lining to size (including the curve along the top edge of the purse) prior to edge stitching the pocket to the lining. This will save you from chopping the top of your pocket off (as I did!), if you attach it 2″ from the top lining edge per the instructions.
Another thing I am going to try when I make my next version (using these fabrics) is to use a wider binding. I’m hoping that it will help to cover any stitch lines that stray from the perfect 1/4″ mark when stitching the raw edges of the bag together. Especially since I still consider myself a novice when it comes to curves, I can really use another 1/4″ inch or so for margin of error.
I love how the variegated thread looks like sunlight streaming through the trees in the right light!
Overall, I’m thrilled with this little tote, and I can’t wait to make another one using the knowledge I’ve gained from having made a practice version! Oh, and it’s way roomier than I expected — large enough to fit a bunch of library books, sewing supplies or even a laptop (if the strap were longer). Once I’ve mastered it, I see this as my go-to gift for the future!
Okay, that’s all for now. Hope you have a great weekend! And if you have any bag-making tips that you’d like to share with me, I’m all ears!
Linking up with Finish It Up Friday, TGIFF, and Can I Get a WHOOP WHOOP!
finishes quilting events and conferences work in progress
2015 New Quilt Blogger Blog Hop
Posted on July 20, 2015
Hi, there! A big hello to all who are visiting because of the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop! I’m Kim, and I’m not quite sure how to introduce myself — if I’m being completely honest!
To give you a little bit of history about me, I am a former attorney, who is now a stay-at-home mom to my three boys ages (as of this week) 7, 4 and 3. I am obsessed with the idea of a quilt as both a functional object AND art. I guess because of my background, I know that in the eyes of the law (copyright in particular), quilts are considered utilitarian objects. However, when a quilt is hung on a wall, it is really a piece of art. In most of those cases, however, art quilts are usually not washable, usable quilts. I am on a mission to blend the two concepts into one — a functional piece of art. It’s not really something that I see happening tomorrow. But I feel that it’s the goal that I’m working toward as a quilter and an artist. Creating something that exists in that gap between art and function.
My mom began quilting when I was a teenager. It was something that I considered old-fashioned and dorky (at the time). When I was pregnant with my second son, my mom gave me a sewing machine for Valentine’s Day. I decided to make a quilt for my baby boy-to-be, and as you can guess, I became hooked! From there, I made a few more baby quilts before moving on to bags, makeup brush holders, and ultimately the quilts that I’ve started making today.
Long Island Modern Sampler
One of my favorite quilts that I’ve made to date is the Long Island Modern Sampler. It’s my own interpretation of blocks that were shared through tutorials on various quilting blogs. My guild picked the blocks as its “block of the month”, and when it was time to assemble, I added various blocks that I liked, in order to create an outside-the-grid arrangement. It even won a ribbon at QuiltCon 2015! (I know, crazy, right?!?)
Quilt for Jane
Another quilt that I still adore is this quilt I made for a friend’s little girl. It was a baby quilt using exclusively Chicopee fabrics from Denyse Schmidt, assembled in a courthouse steps log cabin.
Most recently, I revisited the concept of the log cabin, but this time with hand-dyed fabrics from Kim Eichler-Messmer. I decided to hand-stitch the quilt to achieve a folk-type aesthetic, and to echo the quilts of Maura Ambrose, who is a huge inspiration for me. I used 12 wt. Auriful cotton to hand-stitch the quilt. It is obviously imperfect, but in a perfect sort of way. I am seriously proud of this quilt, and it is newly hanging in my sewing room as a testament to my love for it!
One thing I have to suggest, as a quilting tip, is that patterns are merely suggestions. I love to pull inspiration from patterns. But I have found that patterns can sometimes be construed as rules. And when it comes to quilting, rules are meant to be broken. Patterns are a great guideline. But if you look at a pattern and think to yourself, “I can do this better”, then by all means, do it!! All you need to tell people is that you were inspired, and give the pattern-writer due credit. But you are free to embellish, stray, and break the rules as you see fit to make yourself happy! Quilting is both a craft AND an art. Which affords you creative license to express yourself through your work. There is no right way. Just YOUR way.
As far as a blogging tip goes, I’m not sure I’m expert enough to even share one! I guess my mantra when it comes to blogging is the age-old adage that content is king. Blogging is not always easy. There are lots of guidelines that tell you how to build readership, SEO, and how consistently you should post. But life is messy, and real, and there’s lots of times that blogging has to take a back seat. Readers are mostly forgiving and kind. Deep down, I believe, that if what you are sharing is quality content, then people will read what you have to say and they will come back to your blog, even if it’s not perfect.
Some other facts about me:
I am an only child.
I was a studio art minor in college (with a major in english).
I think podcasts are the best invention ever.
My love for avocado and egg on toast knows no bounds.
I married my college sweetheart.
Our second son was born on our 7th wedding anniversary.
My favorite genre of movie is documentary.
I belong to a CSA, which I love, but have yet to find a good use for gooseberries.
I dream of the day that I can have my own backyard with an organic vegetable garden and chickens.
So, now that I’ve shared some trivia about myself, tell me, what’s an interesting, random fact about you? Anything at all. A secret dream, a silly fact, or any juicy tidbit that you’d like to share!
Oh, and of course you know I’m not the only person participating in this blog hop today! So, please, give some love to the other members of my hive!
Cassandra @ http://thenotsodramaticlife.com
Deb @ newcreativestate.wordpress.com
Colleen @ https://colleenscustomquilting.com
And last but not least, a huge thank you to our hosts. This has been a great experience, and you guys have done a terrific job! Thanks so much Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs, Yvonne @Quilting Jet Girl, Terri Ann @Childlike Fascination, and Stephanie @Late Night Quilter.
Hello, friends! How is your summer going? We have been spending every bit of time possible at the beach and outside! It’s been glorious, and it’s almost making me forget how brutal this past winter was.
Since we’ve been mainly out of the house, my sewing has been happening a bit here, and a bit there. . . I did manage to squeeze in time to work on this month’s do. Good Stitches blocks. And I am proud to call them my first finish of July!
I was hoping to have finished my hand-stitched, hand-dyed quilt to share with you today, but alas, it is called slow stitching for a reason!
I’ve also made some progress on my improv blocks. I’ve sewn a few together to show you here. Any ideas on what they are going to be???
I’m thinking I may add a bag or two to my to-do list, just so that I can accomplish a finish in a shorter period of time. I picked these fabrics based on a bag made by Victoria Findlay Wolfe that my mom went bananas over. It’s the Market Street Handbag by Kenzie Mac and Co. My mom’s birthday is end of August, so I’m hoping to get it done in time to add it to her pile of presents!
In other news, my oldest son broke his arm. So instead of camps, he’s become his mommy’s constant companion. I think my quilting is rubbing off on him, because when my husband asked him tonight “Should quilts go on a bed, or on the wall” his answer was, “Well, Daddy, that depends on what kind of quilt it is. . .”
I hope you are having a beautiful summer so far, and since I have admittedly not had as much time as I’d like to keep up with all that you have been working on, please tell me, what sort of things have you been sewing? Do you find that your sewing patterns change with the seasons? I’d love to hear!
Linking up with Finish it Up Friday and TGIFF!
This past month I’ve been very quiet. I apologize, and thank you so much for bearing with me! I am finally typing this on my brand new computer, and though I am adjusting to the “newness” of some of its features, I’m super-psyched to be getting back into an online groove! I have many things I’ve been waiting to share with you over the past few weeks, so let’s get to it!
I recently had the opportunity to make a quilt for the sweetest little girl. She is a complete gift to her family after many hardships, and I wanted to make something that just screamed happy! joy! GIRL!
I think I accomplished that (wink).
I also think I had waaaaaaay too much fun making something pink! As a mom of three boys, it’s not often I get to make something exclusively feminine and sweet!
My goal was to work with value to create the illusion of the bottom right corner being lit up by the fireflies, and then as the squares graduated away from the “light”, have the fabrics become darker. Much like working with value on Diamonds in the Deep, I find that I tend to purchase fabrics that are way further apart in value than they should be to create the gradual shift that I intend to create. I definitely did not need to pick such a light of a pink for the bottom to create the desired effect.
In the end, I know the recipient is not going to care that my lights were too light and my darks too dark. And I know that with each project I am learning about color, value and hue. So I’m happy to wrap it up with a bow and know it’s going to keep someone that I love!
So happy to be back here! I’ve missed you! Hope you are having a great week! 
Linking up with Sew Cute Tuesday and Quilt Story.
Hi, there! Just stopping by to say that I’m still around, even though things have been quiet lately. My computer is suffering a major malfunction, and as I type this, it is burning hot and sounds like it is getting ready for takeoff. We’ve had a good run over the past 7 years. But I think the time has come to say goodbye. Until I can upgrade my tech, posting will continue to be limited, but I’m hoping to get back to normal again soon!
Enough about that, I’m here to share a quilt that I just finished up! It’s all ready to donate to my sons’ preschool fundraiser. Made entirely with Art Gallery fabrics (with the exception of the Kona solid plusses), it came together in a snap! That’s because I used almost every charm that I collected through the Art Gallery charm swap (hosted by Michelle and Chelsey). And to make the blocks, I used the super-simple Flickr tutorial by Wooden Spoon. You may remember the blocks I made for do. Good Stitches with the same tutorial here. I fell in love with Cath’s idea of the dark navy plus among the low-volume colored fabrics, and basically applied the same concept here with louder fabrics. I love how spring-y the fabrics feel all together. And yet the deep blue navy of the plusses gives it a sophisticated feel, in spite of all the pastels. I also have to add, the Art Gallery fabrics are soooooo soft! This quilt is perfect for the warmer spring weather!
I hope that the new owner loves it as much as I do. Happy Spring!
Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday and Finish It Up Friday! Woo Hoo!
Over the weekend, I finished a quilt that had been in my WIP pile for quite some time. I had the idea for a simple nine-patch where one of the squares was removed from the group, and wanted to see how it would look when there were a few of them together. I think it’s a happy little quilt, made with Alison Glass’ Field Day collection. It’s funny, because when I look at the quilt, I see the lone-squares moving away from the nine-patch. But some people have told me that they see the square moving toward the group. I’m sure there is some kind of psychological analysis to be done here. . . but far be it for me to interpret!
I’m not entirely sure that the concept works. I think it might have had a greater impact (more movement) if the removed squares were more randomized, and if there were more nine-patches in the quilt overall. But, it was really quick to create, and an idea I may revisit down the line. For now, I have bigger regrets.
See my perfectly pieced back? I scorched it. I’m not even sure how! I was pressing the binding down quickly and my iron was obviously too hot, or possibly had some residue on it, and it left a light brown mark at the top of the quilt. I’m going to carefully try to spot-treat it with a few suggestions that I gathered from the experts at my LQS, and I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Otherwise, the top will have to become the bottom of the quilt and I will be making a label to go over the mark! I guess that is one of the beauties of a symmetrical layout!
Wish me luck, and if you have any advice to offer (or just a story to commiserate), I’d love to hear in the comments!
Linking up to Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts.
Oh, hello there! How are you? Can you believe we are already almost two weeks into the New Year? Time seems to be flying by as I am trying to get myself ready for the start of Curves Class with Rachel from Stitched in Color! I’m excited, as it was on my list of resolutions for this year, and my head is already spinning with ideas of things I’ll be able to make with my newfound curvy skilzzzzz!
In order to get myself mentally ready for the class, I’ve been trying to get all of my other obligations and tasks out of the way. The first order of business was to finish the Anna Maria Horner embroidery project that I had started ages ago. It’s the first embroidery project I ever embarked upon, and I had NO idea what I was getting myself into! But I love how it turned out and can say it was definitely worth it in the end!
I also finished my blocks for this month’s do. Good Stitches.
I got a sleeve on this quilt, so that I can package it up and send it off to Austin!
And started the process of teaching myself how to appliqué, as part of my entry for the LIMOD Charm Square Swap Challenge. (Wish me luck!)
The last thing I’ve been doing (which was also on my list of resolutions) is taking an online drawing class. I signed up through Creativebug for Lisa Congdon’s Basic Line Drawing AND her Sketchbook Explorations class (I know, it’s like I have New Year fever!), and I have already learned a ton! (I have tons to learn, trust me! But, here’s a few snaps of my first doodles!
I’ve been watching the two classes in increments with my four year old, who loves to draw, and we’ve really been enjoying it! Obviously he is young to be grasping the technique, but he loves to watch her pen make shapes on paper, and even though he is not able to replicate her designs, he’s still absorbing the knowledge. Plus, it’s fun to snuggle with him while we watch the videos!
Okay, I think that’s pretty much it for now. How’s your year been so far? What are you working on? Are you gearing up for a big project? Already in the midst of a project that you started on the 1st? I’d love to hear what you’re up to, so please, catch me up!
Linking up with Sew Cute Tuesday!
This week my local guild had a secret santa swap. Here’s how it worked: at last month’s meeting we anonymously chose a paper bag containing a fat quarter and the name of the person who provided the fabric. We then had to use that fat quarter to create a small gift for that member. I went into the meeting knowing that I wanted to make something inspired by the amazingly talented artist Lisa Congdon, in particular, her Sami Girl. I am a huge fan of her work, and have been ever since I was first introduced to her through The Jealous Curator’s blog. So once I knew who I was making my Secret Santa gift for, I snapped her photo at the end of the meeting under the pretense that I needed it for the guild’s blog.
Here’s what I did: I used an app to turn her photo into a sketch and printed the image on fabric. I improv pieced around the photo to get the pillow to 16×16 using assorted neutrals and pieces of the fat quarter from the brown bag. I glue-basted scraps of Liberty fabric mixed again with snippets of the fat quarter to build the “dress”. Finally, I straight line quilted the entire top to hold the whole thing together.
The pillow-back was made using this tutorial and then the entire pillow was bound using the rest of the fat quarter from the brown bag.
The entire project took me way out of my normal comfort zone — and I loved it! I wish we hadn’t been in the middle of a Nor’easter when I finished it, because the photos do not do it justice. But it really was a fun and unique present for our gift exchange.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about art, sources of inspiration, and how I want to expand my skills in other areas — in particular drawing and painting — because I think in the end it will make me a better quilter. I feel that line-drawing skills would easily translate into FMQ, and an understanding of basic painting skills would translate into a better appreciation for color value, help me with fabric pulls for new projects, and give me a new way to think about form and negative space.
To bring this whole post full circle, I recently found out that my Long Island Modern Sampler was accepted to Quilt Con 2015.
But my Diamonds in the Deep quilt was not.
Facing both acceptance and rejection, it has been bittersweet. I am thrilled and terrified that I have a quilt that will be on exhibit at Quilt Con. I don’t think I have even processed it yet. And part of the reason for that, is, I am bummed about the rejection; but in no way am I letting it take away from all of the pride that I have in my quilt’s completion. The quilt didn’t match the needs of this particular competition. But it is still a damn good quilt!
In a serendipitous occurrence, Lisa Congdon published this post about rejection — today. I think it’s an excellent reminder to us all that art (including quilts) is subjective. Rejection is part of the process of being an artist. And if we love what we do, and continue to challenge ourselves, then our own opinion is the only one that matters.
Hope you are all having a beautiful holiday season! Congratulations to all of us who entered the competition — #winners, #rejects alike – we are #risktakers. And that’s what it’s all about!
Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday and Finish it up Friday.
I am so excited and proud to share with you my finished orange-version of the Bonjour Quilts pattern Diamonds in the Deep. This quilt has taken up the better part of 2014, and it has been a huge learning experience for me. It was my first time working on a queen-sized quilt, my first time testing a pattern, my first time experimenting with value, and my first time collaborating with a long-arm quilter. And I can say, I am a better quilter for having been through the experience!
I plan to elaborate on my experience working with a long-arm quilter in the future, but for now, I just want to emphasize how amazing Shelly Pagliai of Prairie Moon Quilts is to work with, and, as the pictures clearly show, how amazingly talented she is! I feel so lucky to have *met* her and to have had the stars align so that we could work together on this quilt. Shelly custom quilted the entire quilt using hand-guided free-motion. Each block is quilted with a total of five separate patterns, to complement and highlight the piecing.
The binding on the quilt is Denyse Schmidt’s Voltage Dot in black, and the design of the fabric is echoed in the outermost layer of each block.
I could not be happier with the end result. As hard as it was to make a quilt of this size, I also feel a queen-sized sense of accomplishment and pride for having tackled this challenge. So many hours and so much love went into the making of this quilt (both mine and Shelly’s!) — I think it’s the perfect embodiment of our efforts!
Thanks for hanging out with me while I bask in the glory of this finish! I hope that everyone in the states had a wonderful holiday weekend!
Linking up (later this week) with Needle and Thread Thursday, Finish it Up Friday, and, as this is one of my Q4 Finish Along goals, The Littlest Thistle.
