What if I created my own Fabric...

My Day Job is not that pesky, really, I like that it allows me to fund things like a nice home to cover me a my two old-man kitties and ALL my fabulous fabric, as well as the ability to purchase more fabulous fabric.

But, I've been sketching a lot in the last two days after seeing the show and want to do more than just fondle my fabric. I would love to stay home for a week and just cut and play and sew and make stuff. I have so many ideas ... waiting...

A friend of mine just released her second line of fabric, WOW! So, naturally I am thinking the next obvious thoughts...

What kind of fabric would I design if I could create any pattern?

What fabric cannot I not find that I would like use?

Would it be a reproduction, new idea, inspired by my favorite artist/designer?

What would be the subject?

How could it be used?

Is it a Graphic Pattern?

Is it a Blendy, Impressionistic Pattern?

I would like to see a range of shades with good contrast

Are my doodles worthy of the permanence of fabric?

Do I really need to create my own fabric when there is so much else out there?

My guild has an Art Bee, I would like to start attending, I am failing at the Stashbuster Bee. I am already abandoning my projects and designing the next (thus creating more UFOs). I have to come to make peace with this way that I work so that I stop beating myself up each time my mind races to the next exciting idea.

Soooo, the next exciting idea.... I have a really nifty design worked up to show case my treasure trove of recently purchased fabrics (Amy Butler, Jane Sassaman, Valori Wells, Martha Negley) . I want each beautiful print to be showcased in the quilt and not cut up too small. I have a design I created about five years ago with some other fabrics, but have repurposed it to work with these.

Tonight I've finished drafting the design and am really excited by how they fit together. The design will involve these fabrics

Your Opinion Counts

I am feeling like "Art Jouney with a Quilty Voice" is a pretty dry blog title. I like wordy titles, especially if spoken with a British accent, but somehow that doesn't translate to the Bloggisphere.

Should I start calling it "Flippytale Quilter"? or something else. I welcome your thoughts...

So many blogs that I read have such great snappy titles and I've used Flippytale for at least a decade... so, you can imagine that I am a bit attached to it as an online persona.

I will close the poll (on the left) Saturday (May 5, 2007) at midnight, Thank you!

I came - I saw - I spent

The bus trip to Paducah was just what I expected, a great show, beautiful quilts, lots of walking, lots of spending!
This is my fabric diet for April...

..but it was a planned binge.

And here is the LOOT that I brought home from the show


We had an hour after the show to stop at Hancock's of Paducah. They have a back room of flat fold, bolt ends for 3.98 a yard. I went a little NUTTY! 24 yards! (you do the math.... that's a hundred clams) I really need to find a pattern that will show case the loveliness of these great fabrics that won't require me to cut them into little pieces. They are so out of character of the other fabric I possess, but right in character with how they make me feel

(A bit of a weird reference to 24, but I sort of felt like Jack digging through the flat folds and dodging other eager hunters at the store. And then I came up with the magic number of 24 yards... and I do like the show. "I promise to do everything I can to get the fabric home safely and not let if fall into an enemy's hands, I promise")

The pictures I took at the show were the quilts that inspired me the most, and were all detail shots. I bought the show picture catalog so I will have a quick visual of every quilt at the show.
These are two of my favorites were more abstract in design; "Evergreen" and "Loose Curves"


Most of the quilts chosen for this year's show were symmetrical, more traditional than in the past, and many quilters were adding crystals to their quilts. Wonder how the Nashville AQS show in August will go...

WIPs

How did I end up with so much Pink and Ivory? I am using their boxes to press my little rag rug, which doesn't lay so flat no matter how much I steam iron it. But that's okay too, I plan to use it as a bath mat. Now cutting up the Pink and Ivory would be a good stash busting project, to reduce those colors, and they do look good together, if you like that sort of thing, which I know many people do, so maybe a gift? See... I like dark earthy colors, with only the occasional light, bright color to be thrown in to add a highlight or sparkle.



Again, with the beating of self about how many UFO's I have and how few I've finished. I've set a goal of completing 25 projects this year, I don't care if they are new projects or UFO's as long as it is all from my stash (with the exception of April)

Well here is one stashbusting idea I had this week, two tops I made that I don't really want to go further with, they are in fabrics that are not "quilty". The purple one is a poly blend from my beginner years, the second is corduroy from the same era. I am thinking that if I just sew the two together the boys might enjoy a good snooze on them. I don't mind washing these repeatedly.

Especially with these fuzzies


Oh, I could use a mental health day. I think Sunday will be a true day of rest, lots of naps, no chores. (not like I keep a perfect house or anyone will see it to know the difference) Not that I am truly complaining, I know you with families have a lot more obligations than I do. But, even the unencumbered like me feel overwhelmed at times, and that is me this week, just not enough time to do all that I would like, too many woulda-coulda-shoulda's... as always, I know I will be fine as long as I take time to take care of myself, which is what is next on my agenda.

Tomorrow is the bus trip and I am hoping to have some good chats with my quilting sisters! Yeah!

AQS - Paducah 2007

This week the big AQS show in Paducah starts, I am sure that you know this. What I am so excited about is that a group of us are taking a bus there Saturday. I love the bus because it is a good four hour drive and I don't have to do the driving! I really love it on the trip home, because I am still not doing the driving! It is my favorite show and I have a HUGE wish list of things I want to look at. Not neccessarily to buy, but maybe if they are REALLY cool! I have a lot of books I want to flip through, again they have to be AMAZING for me to buy (for one who doesn't read the directions!)

Notions:



• Pencil Box(es)
  
• Rottary Blades
  
• Superior Threads, King Tut
  
• Ironing Board Cover 51x17"
  
• Dream Cotton Batting
  
• Needle Threader (Clover?)
  
• Neutral Green Thread, Mettler 824, 871
  

Pattern:



• "Turning 20"
  

Books:



• "Modern Quilting"
  
• "Layers of Stitch" Valerie Campell-Harding
  
• "Modern Quilt" Kerr
  
• "Make You Own Contemporary Quilte" Pieroni
  
• "Continious Line Quilting" Laura Lee Fritz
  
• "All in One Reference" Hargrave
  
• "Continiouse Line Quilting" Cody
  
• "It's a Wrap, Fabric Baskets" Breier
  
• "Piecing Workshop" Ruth McDowell
  
• "New Cuts...." Karla Alexander
  

Fabric:




• Denyse Schmidt's new line
  
• BROWNS
  

Leaf Top is done

Sunday I finished the Leaf top. All I need to do is make the back, sandwich it and quilt it (yup, that's it). I had no idea how it would turn out when I started and a pleased with where it ended up. Should I do another? Maybe, I like this technique, but maybe something different than leaves. I should sketch for a bit about it. Something more abstract? Less symetry, I dunno... I like it when the fabric tells me what to do, this one sure did.


Tomorrow I am donating this quilt that I made while learning to fussy-cut radiating patterns. It will be donated to a local Alzheimer's hospital to be displayed there along with other quilts from my guild. I have the book somewhere, I won it as a door prize at a guild I belonged to in Pasadena. That's how long ago I made it. I've enjoyed looking at it, it is in good condition, and it is time for someone else to enjoy it now.


My pet toad is doing well and came back after I mowed the lawn, I feared that the motor sounds must have been terrifying to the little amphibian. I am glad it has decided to make a home in my yard and look forward each day to checking up on it. I don't know how to tell if it is a he or a she, sometimes I refer to one or the other gender. It is still cute ... maybe I should kiss it ... just kidding ... right?


This is the home of where my Creeping Jenny cuttings came from. They were growing everywhere, which what I hope they will do here too. Cute fountain, I have a pot that converts into a fountain that I should hook up again. It served as a holder for one of my plants during the winter and is still only full of leaves.


ooh, am I being wordy or what lately?

Humbled

I just finished reading Crazy Aunt Purl's blog announcing that her book is being published. I am so humbled by such greatness. I have been an Artist all my life, really, ever since I can remember I can't think of a time I wasn't fooling around with something with paint or craft.

With her success I had a rush of memories all things that I've done with my career (a very meandering path). I can't but help compare myself to her story. It is similar to mine, though the leaving of the boyfriend events are a bit different. I found my way into Quilting. Every Quilter I've ever met has always 100 percent been accepting of me, no matter what her (yes, HER) background is. I know there are men that quilt, I have yet to meet an actual one, though I saw John Flynn at a quilt show once.

Anyway, I am so fortunate to work in Design. I am a bit like a bulldog that way, once I get a hold of something (like my career) I will clamp down and hang on forever. Try to take it away from me (like me ex did) and I will clamp down further. Don't tell me the odds (I'm not a vegas gambler, and don't tell me women don't do well in my field) because I will take that gamble. The gamble of self. My consistent thread in all the things that I've done is that I have always believed that what I am doing in important (at least to me) Even if no one every bought or supported what I do I still HAVE to do it. The is where the Art is like Oxygen part comes in.

Not too long ago the only fan club I had was myself and my wonderful parents. I am also so incredibly grateful for their support and belief in me. Our relationship is strong and close. I just hate that I am so physically far away from them. But, then again, I wanted to stick to my career and moving was part of it.

Art and Design are hard for me to separate in my mind, the motivations for each are similar and intertwined. Design is what I do for a living. Art is what I do to stay living. Quilting is what I work in because I love the challenge of working in fabric.

I have started several businesses, worked for both corporations and entrepreneurs, I have had a pattern copy-written, I even have a patten (that is not a typo) in my name for one of my designs, I've been sued for because of a different design, I've been laid off, I bought a house by myself, I manage my own finances, I design my own quilting patterns, I've taught quilting, I've given lectures about my quilting. Someday I will add "book published" to that list, and "self-employed"

I like my life's journey, I can't imagine how I could have done it differently, sometimes I wish I could share it with someone else, but, I know that this journey is not taken alone, I have always felt that God had guided my steps ... I just pray that I continue to follow his guidance.

Happy Earth Day - Another Sexy Iris Photo

Did I mention that my Iris is blooming? It is the Tennessee state flower... (I am not sure if it is a specific type of Iris, or all Irises count, I'm taking the latter)


I planted a new ground cover called "Creeping Jenny" that I begged a cutting off my host that I stayed with in North Carolina. I nutured six little plants through the winter and planted three of them this morning. (Wait, is this a quilt blog or a gardening blog?) I expect them to take over this one flower bed and do their job of choking out the weeds. I am not a big fan of mulching and everyone puts down mulch here. I would rather see green. I love green, I've never met a green that I didn't like. Maybe that's why I have so many green pieces of fabric (hey, its a quilting blog again!)


And my little herb garden. I am determined to get them to grow big enough to consume this year! The parsley was given to me by my mom last fall and I've taken good care of it. I pinch the big leaves off and add it to my cooking and it keeps growing! I put it there to influence the other herbs I have growing so far; basil, thyme, chives, arugula, and clilantro.


In honor of Earth Day (and I figured I better use them since I bought them almost a month ago) I put in four more CFLs (compact fluorescent bulbs), they are equal to 100 watts of incandescent light bulbs, but are really only 23 watts. I mention this because two went into my sewing room. It is like daylight in there now! Anyway, I've been trying my best to be green since I moved to TN four years ago, but it is not a popular here as it was in California. No one seems to care about recycling, the garbage company has never given me a recycling bin, even after I've asked repeatedly. I still am horror struck when I see someone throw away an aluminum can because there isn't a recycle bin near by. I've thought of starting a recycling program at work, but am put off by the nightmare of picking up people's disgusting, sticky, dirty cans. So, I save my own cans, and bottles and take them to the only operating recycling center I could find in Memphis. It is just a drop off point, but I hope that they are able to at least cash the stuff in and recycle it. I am still looking for the aluminum foil that in from recycled. Wonder what the neighbors would think if I had a wind turbine in my yard?

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Ok, Back to the Quilt Cave!!!!!

Fun in the Yard (& a bit of quilting)

A detail of the square in my quilt top, the top is almost done, and would be if I hadn't fooled around on the computer for so long. But hey, I found some great sites today. I favorite so far is
Crazy Aunt Purl, a light hearted blog about knitting, cats, and life.


I mowed my poor lawn, it went back into dormancy, so most of what I mowed was saw dust and weeds, but I just love when it is all the same length after a good mowing. The best part is that the weather was perfect today and I was outside fooling around with my yard!

(my pet Toad lives in the flower bed on the left side of this photo)

My Iris is blooming!!! The first blooms since they were planted two years ago, my hydrangeas got cooked by the cold snap and probably won't bloom, again (bleh!)


A cool picture of my pansies... they are happy because I gave them "Pansy Booster", I give them until July... They were orphans that I adopted from Lowes last fall for 10 and 25 cents a pack. Love those bargain plants!


Speaking of Bargains, Dianthus!!! Best bang for my buck (well, actually is was my mom's buck) They bloom all summer, cut them back, they bloom again, they bloom in the winter, they bloom when it is dry, they bloom when it is wet. I love these little plants!!!

More UFO's

I went looking for a pattern I designed a few years ago so I could give a copy to a friend and in the process became re-aquainted with all the VAST amount of UFO's I have created over the years. Why do I leave them behind? When I revisit them I remember the emotion and excitement I felt for them at the time. What happened to that that first blush away. Do I have that much trouble concentrating on one thing for very long? Somehow I manage to finish stuff, but when I see how much I haven't finished I really see the glass half empty....

MY Quilts in Progress

Leaf Quilt - Border

I added some squares to the sashing and am now choosing my border. Because of the way that the squared are inserted into the seams I will have to cut the border the same length of my blocks. I think this fabric (which I just love with the blocks) will be okay with seams. I will have to let it marinade a bit more...



My Iris' are going to finally bloom! This will their first since I transplanted them two years ago from a friend of mine's yard. I was so worried that they would freeze during that surprise cold snap earlier.


And, I have a pet Toad! Well, actually, it has chosen to live in my daylily bed, and I am happy to have it as my guest! Love the warty skin and cute little shiney eyes!


Technical note:
the squares were introduced to me on a Simply Quilts episode (QLT-743) featuring Ami Simms

WIP Leaf Blocks - this evening

Last bit before bedtime.... these trimmed to 12-1/2" blocks, unfinnished and are currently pinned to my design wall.

WIP Leaf Blocks - this afternoon

I plopped the blocks I made up on the wall to arrange...

I think I like this arrangement best, so I will add some purple sashing. (I am still apprehensive of what I've got here, but want to finish it so I can make the next ones) The good thing is that I don't hate it, and already have ideas of what I will do next. It will be just the right size for a challenge my guild is having, so the tea cozy will have to get made out of something else, or from the left overs...

It has been so fun to be cutting and sewing fabric again, I don't think I really did much the last two weeks other than the crocheted rag rug I am working.

WIP Leaf Blocks

Well, the voices and I have been having a conversation again... I've been contemplating making a leaf block for a few weeks and was inspired by Sande's Tea Leaves blocks and the technique I learned last fall at my guild's retreat "Stack a new Deck". Briefly what happens is: Layers of fabric are stacked up, cut, shuffled, sewn back together, trimed to a uniform size, sashed, batted and quilted. My Onion Peal quilt was a result of that class.

So here is my twist, is it good? I don't know yet, I will mess around with these blocks today and see what happens. I am hoping they may become a gift for my cousin's wedding, but as a back up I might just turn what I have into a tea cozy ... or something.

WIP Rag Rug

A voice in my head said "wouldn't a bit of yellow be nice?" So I am putting little yellow circles around the edges and am filling in with the red. Have used up about five yards now.


The 3/4" bias

WIP Weekend Stashbusting

I had a crazy idea when I saw an image in a design magazine (I think Elle Decor) for a designer rug, sold for who knows how much.
"Eliana Gerotto & Patricia Urquiol’s Crochet rug for Paola Lenti"

I thought "hey! I could do that!" Then I thought about the heavy thread that they must have used to make it, and then it occured to me that I could make it from bias fabric. I have a bag of fabric I am not so fond of, the colors are fine but the prints are incredibly out of date. Hmmm......

So by the end of the weekend I've cut up about 3-1/2 yards of fabric so far into 3/4" bias and crocheted it up. I still like the colors, and what a great way to turn ugly fabric into something nice! Here is my interpretation of that rug, it is about 15", point to point so far....

Good Friday Fabric

A friend and I both had gift certificates to my favorite fabric store, so we went there yesterday to see what we could find. Wheee! As always I try to adopt the sale fabrics and did all right. But also found a Michael Miller piece that I don't have any idea of what I am going to do with ... so I bought six yards just to make sure that I could make what I wanted when I decide what it is.

My new friends: