A Little Help From My Friends

This was the layout I posted earlier in the week...

and I thought it was pretty good. But as I said at the time "I could live with it", it wasn't really hitting the mark as much as I wanted, it just didn't *pop*. Elaine wrote and suggested I try placing the light corner patches next to the light triangles and the dark corner patches next to the dark triangles in alternate rows. The picture of hers told me that's what mine needed. I was willing to disassemble the top and try again.

A subtle change, but Yay! I like it so much better. Blogland friends are the best. Thanks Elaine.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

... try, try, again.

Inspired by Tanya's Patches and Pinwheels, I grabbed some partial 16 patch blocks I had and began my own version. And just like Tanya, I hadn't planned on making this quilt, I have more than a half dozen things in the works and don't need another - but it just grabbed me, I was captivated, I couldn't wait to get home from work and into the sewing room. Once I got the blocks done I experimented with colors for the pinwheels. That's where it sorta stalled.

Too white

Too green

Too dark

I was about to give up! I announced to Frank that I must've lost my touch I was three for zero, but he said three auditions wasn't too many, keep trying. Thanks for the encouragement.

Okay, I think I can live with this one.

This evening I got the top together. When I add the border, I want to extend the triangles out into the border to continue the block a bit more. I decided to let it rest until tomorrow and came to read blogs.

Tanya extended the triangles into her border! What fun, we're tag team sewing and didn't even know it! She has a creative suggestion found at Elaine's site you might want to check out too. Thanks for the fun Tanya. :)

First Anniversary

It's hard to believe it's been a year already. We spent a nice evening with Nathan and Danielle celebrating their first anniversary. We had a surprise for them.

When Danielle saw it she said, "Yay! Our very own!"

I'd made the one on the right for Frank and I in 2006. A reader of that post was very excited by the pattern and asked to borrow it. There didn't seem to be any reason to hold on to the pattern once I finished our sampler so I mailed her the pattern. But then when I had a married son I wanted to do the sampler for him. What you're looking at is the original cross stitch on the right and a high quality photo on the left. I took it into PhotoShop and changed the date. Once it was matted and framed you can hardly tell the difference. They love it. Nathan checked it out for a long time, "How did you...? That is, is that...?"

Yes, the intersection of domestic art and digital art.

May Blossom

This rosebud started to open Memorial weekend.

May 31, 3:00 p.m.


June 2, 7:00 a.m.

June 2, 5:30 p.m.

June 3, 7:30 a.m.

June 4, 7:30 a.m. after a rain shower

This year more than any other it seems, rose bushes in our town are exploding in a mass of blossoms. This little rosebush only manages one or two blossoms a year. But I admire them each day.

Getting Another Top Done

Last August I went to a Craft and Sew Day held at a local church for ladies that wanted to sew or scrapbook. I went with a quilt friend and made a Streak of Lightening quilt top using Bonnie's method. I got the piecework done that day.

It wasn't until late May of this year that I finally put the borders on.

You have to sit with some things for awhile until the time is right. :)

Hollin's Jerkin

Hollin wanted to make a leather jerkin. He started out by buying a tanned cowhide from the internet a few years ago, but wasn't quite sure how to turn into what he had in his mind's eye. He asked for my help. I've never made a leather jerkin either, so together we sorta winged it. We started with a draft, I traced his torso onto fabric.

He cut it out and sewed the shoulder seams.

Then we trimmed and shaped it to his body.

After we got the draft the way he wanted it, we took the shoulder seams apart and used it as a pattern. Hollin cut the leather with a new pair of kitchen scissors we had; that worked pretty well. We made a trip to the fabric store and he found leather lace to use on the sides and shoulders to lace it together.

I should've taken pictures of the lacing up the sides and at the shoulders. It turned out close to what he had in mind. Maybe he'll wear it to Ren faire. But this year's theme at the Christian camp he's working for is Gileadrial: Sword of Truth, so he'll fit right in. I don't think we ever outgrown the fun that comes with dress up!

Pieced Tam

Hollin and I were digging in my box of patterns for something that might resemble a man's pirate blouse or tunic for a project he had in mind when I came across this and inspiration struck!

I'd just gone through Kathy's scrap bag and wanted to work in her bright palette, what a perfect chance! Hollin worked on the tunic and I pulled fabrics; we spent the afternoon in the sewing room together, working on parallel projects.

Hmm... how big is my head anyway?

View D uses pieces one, two and five?

Sometimes I make patchwork clothing... then I get asked how I did it. This isn't really a tutorial, but shows several steps of the process.

Once the patchwork pattern pieces were made I just followed the instructions to put it together.

I had no idea when I got up that morning I was going to make this. Now that was fun!