I've Got An Idea !!

Sorry for the delay. I've been just going crazy with allergies and such. I've been at the sewing machine but not producing too much in the way of great creativity. However I did come up with this little iPod case, which I think I'll make more of, and maybe even a teensy bit bigger to accomodate cell phones and such.

The iPod was kind of making me crazy because I'd have it sitting on my desk but if I turned around to get into a file, it would fall on the floor, or if I put it in my pocket, I'd worry about if it would fall out, and if I got up to go do something, it would be just sitting there. So I figured an eensy pocket might be quite perfect, and this is all just scrap material so it was just a little labor of love time. I may even put them on etsy to sell for $10 or $12. What do you think?

Kate

HOW WOULD I EVER DO A WHOLE QUILT?

I am really trying to stick to my plan of doing something every single day (after work) on my quilting endeavor. So far it's coming in random ideas so I will probably end up with a huge pile of things that don't necessarily go together. But, that's the story of my whole little artistic life. I can do one thing, maybe two, that are kind of alike, and then my mind has wandered off onto some other idea that I can attach to it, or turn what I'm working on into something else. It's a lot of work for me to stick with one idea, no matter how badly I want to.

Anyway, these are the products of my last couple of days. The tiny quilted piece at the top is actually done and ready to either frame or attach to a mat board. My friend, Laurie, wants me to sell them as patches for people to put on their jackets, or turn them into Artist Trading Cards..... I just like to pat them and hold them. The small pieces are comforting to work on... and I don't have to wait to work on them like I do my other things. I can carry them in my purse and work on them while I'm waiting in my car for something, or wherever. It's not like waiting for kiln space, or waiting for paint to dry........ you get it........it's fun, it's nice...... tuck, tuck, fold.... I like to line them up and pat them. Weird, huh?

Kate

ADDING NOSTALGIA TO MY WORK

I didn't make it to the sewing machine last night, but I did however, unearth a small book that I ordered some months back, with beautiful pictures and embroidery techniques.

The book has instruction in both thread and ribbon embellishing, and I thought I'd share.

The pictures are beautiful and it's a smaller book that's easy to slip into my purse/knap sack/magicMaryPoppinsBag. I believe I got this from Amazon.com so while it was a used book it was in near perfect condition. And I like the idea that somebody before me owned it and has now passed it on.

Anyway - here is the book and a couple of pages that I thought were good to share. I just think that adding little bits of interest adds so much to the value of your work and the history of your life - sort of like "can I produce something that will touch someone for years?" ... or last a lifetime?

K

SEWING INTO THE NIGHT.....

I started so SO late last night and almost didn't get to the sewing machine, but once I got going it was great. I got TWO pieces sewn last night and will work on some hand embellishing today.

I sat at the machine thinking that it might pipe up and give me an idea and I had none so I started sewing the little scrappy strips together and that looked kind of cool, but you don't get to see that, and then after I ironed it I cut it into strips and then reversed every other one and ironed them down on Wonder Under....not sure what I'll do with that but it looks good, almost like a checkerboard but not. And then after I did that, I just started piecing bits together and going round and round, trimming and cutting, adding more, and came up with the little 3x4 piece.

So I managed to finish the sewing on a 3"x4" piece and just have to go back and add some stitching, and the 9"x 15" and I need to do the same. And these will be framed and put on Etsy.com when I get done.

So....... a challenge.......that would be fun, I'm just not sure what would be good...... I'm into flowers right now so it would have to be something different, something to stretch my little brain. Any ideas?

K

Yesterday's Effort

So this is what I did yesterday (well into the night). I thought I'd be able to do more but what I've found is this - the same hesitancy I feel with a blank piece of paper (or blank screen) that is screamin' "type something" "think of something" "PRODUCE SOMMMMMEEEETHING", well it happens just as much and just as loudly when I was looking at a blank piece of muslin. I could NOT figure out what to start with first.

This is probably an insane reference, but you know how dogs circle around and around and around some more before they feel like they're in a comfortable spot to lay in? Yeah......well, I've noticed that THAT is just how it is for me. I have to have just the right amount of chaos around me, just enough tidy cluttery piles of fabric, paint, thread, wood, whatever I'm into that week, and after I clutter myself - sadly like a little pig pen.....well then I'm just happy in my slop (evidently) that I can work to my little hearts content. I didn't even mind that I had to get up and iron (yes Mom, I ironed the seams) the little seams every couple of minutes. Now THAT is amazing.

So today, I'll try to do another piece or at least make a significant amount of progress on something else and see what I come up with. I've got a ton of pieces in progress that I haven't even shown you yet either. That will come as we go.

And in the meantime, here are a couple of really cool websites to check out. And I'm only going to put on here what I love!

http://emmyschoonbeek.blogspot.com/ I LOVE her textures and colors!

And I really want to do something like the Gee's Bend quilts - they look simple but I'm thinking it takes some work to have it turn out as great as these: This is a public broadcasting link but there's some great information and the other website took their pictures down, I think to re work the display. In any case this will give you an idea of what these women have done over the years. Look up Gee's Bend quilts, or Gee's Bend quilters to get more information.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec03/quilts_07-01.html

Kate