Just When I Thought it Was Safe ...

to try and get my work space organized, I (literally) stumbled upon this madding crowd

As you can see, the lights are back on, but my territory has been invaded! I took one kid to cub scouts, and when I came back this scene (which is a very common one here at chez OOhPC!) had appeared. In a way I'm quite happy about this. I was concerned that once I moved my sewing machine back to the basement, the kids wouldn't hang out down there. Obviously - not a problem now that there's light! Though there have definitely been down sides to sewing in the main living area, I really loved being in the middle of everything and being available at a moment's notice. It looks like I won't be lonely in the basement either.

Hello World!

Well, a *very* big welcome to all of you stopping by due to the link on craftzine.com. Thanks for checking out the tutorial! I hope you enjoy your visit. If you're also interested in quilts please be sure to check out my website, www.dianedoran.com. Also, many thanks to Mama-E (Erin) for providing the link to Craft! (You should definitely check out Mama-E's warehouse - she dyes very beautiful yarn and fiber.)

Minty has been over here lately, and she's always so nice about my nature photos, so I thought I'd post a few just for her. We had an ice storm this week, and I very briefly ran out and took a few photos before the rain washed all the ice away.

The ice was coating this bush.

To my amazement, this ice casting was formed.

I placed it on our broken sundial.

On another happy note, the lights in my work space are back on, so I can get back to organizing my own space - yeah!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Well, I guess I jinxed myself with that last post. As I was typing it, my new lights in the basement stopped working! The electrician can't come out until tomorrow, so we've returned to cave like conditions in my work space.

I have a new quilt in the works, but I'm waiting for various supplies I've ordered to arrive. Believe it or not we need to add some extra memory to the computer in order for me to finish designing it! I tend to keep lots of files with intermediate design steps in them, and if I'm using many layers the memory sure does add up.

In a surprise move, I've already received several Valentine's from my guys.

Lovely flowers from my husband

Part of a "bouquet" of hearts from my preschooler. He made a heart for each family member saying why he loves them.

OK, I had to make this picture bigger so you could read it. He likes my quilts! I didn't even know that he'd noticed them - I was very touched.

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

P.S. I invite any of you who are interested in paper crafting to visit my new blog, Paper Playground. I haven't been able to sew for various reasons for the last month, so I've indulged myself in making some cards. It's been a fun creative exercise while I haven't been able to get the quilting done that I'd planned.

Buried Treasure

I've finally convalesced enough that I was able to make a little headway on getting my studio set up. The electrician came a little over a week ago and the results are simply astounding! He noted that he thought it would be much better than essentially sewing by candlelight - ha!

Yesterday I went through and got rid of (or at least sorted out) seven very large boxes of, well, stuff. I found some clothes I sewed between 15 and 30 years ago, and I can't believe how neatly I used to finish my clothes that long ago. Too bad I'll never fit them again.

Here's some of the booty I found:

Lobster Napkins, believed to have been appliqued by my mother back in the crafty 70's.

Keepers - they rock!

My very first applique project, also a relic of the 70's. If Wonder Under and stabilizers existed then I certainly wasn't aware of them!


Hand embroidered linens given to me by one of my mom's many super crafty friends.


Not pictured: My perfect pleater! (WHY did I buy that?) , sketches and stitch samples I made while designing And They Danced ... , the handouts from an applique class I taught in League City, TX back in about 1990, and *lots* of odds and ends of fusible interfacing. Absence did not make my heart grow fonder for most of the items, making it much easier to just get rid of them.

My big question - what suggestions do you guys have for dealing with fabric you know you'll never use? Some of it I"m willing to give away, there's a senior center nearby and of course elementary schools who might be able to use some, but there's plenty more than that. Is ebay the way to go? There's quite a bit that's high quality, like Hoffman fabrics and various batiks. Let me know what you think.

Esther's Tote Tutorial

I've learned so much from other blogs and websites, I thought after two years of blogging I'd give back a little with a detailed tutorial. This is a quick, cute tote bag I've made as a gift for both little girls and ladies. I hope you enjoy using it, and let me know where I can check out a picture if you make one! I think you'll especially enjoy the method I used to miter the bottom and attach the lining to the outer bag.

I'm thrilled for you to make as many bags as you want for personal, noncommercial use, but please respect my copyright and don't distribute copies of the pattern or sell bags you've made from it. I'd also appreciate a link back to me if you use the pattern. Thanks!

2/16/08 Edited to add: Several readers have listed some great tips in the comments for alternate construction techniques and I encourage you to read them. I deliberately chose the methods demonstrated here to provide a very finished, professional interior of the bag, with the lining and outer bag attached so that the lining doesn't creep up when the bag is in use. I've never liked turning linings and bags right side out through small openings and then having to close the opening, so I chose the construction techniques shown here. The method of attaching the band and handles reinforces where the handles are attached for a sturdier finished product. However, if you make it - it's your bag! Take what works for you, have fun, and run with it! I look forward to seeing your creations.


10/22/11 Edited to Add: If you've made a bag from the pattern I'd *love* to see a picture. Thanks!
 
Esther’s Tote ©2008 Diane R. Doran

1 yard Shirtailor Interfacing

½ yard outer fabric

½ yard lining fabric

¼ yard fabric for band

1/4 yard fabric for handles

(Note: if you use heavy decorator weight fabric you can skip the interfacing.)

Cut Shirtailor in the following order:

2 - 3”x22” strips for handles (from one short end of the yard)

1 - 6”x30” strip for band

1 - 15”x30” rectangle for outer bag

Interface all fabric pieces except lining and bias. Tip: Apply interfacing to fabric, then cut out fabric pieces. (The band and handles won’t be completely interfaced.) The extra ½” on the band makes it easy to turn the raw edge up to finish that edge.

Cut Fabric as follows:

Outer bag – 15”x30”

Lining - 15”x30”

Band - 6½”x30” (leave ½” on a long side without interfacing)

Handles – 5”x22” (apply interfacing to center of fabric strip)

Fold handles in half lengthwise wrong sides together, iron folded edge. Open, then fold raw edges in to center. Fold together so that raw edges are enclosed. Press. Top stitch close to long edges.

Press up ½” on one long edge of band. Open out this pressed edge. Fold band into a rectangle 6.5”x15” right sides together. Sew along raw 6½” edge. Press seam open. Note: the seam allowance for the bag band, lining side seam, and outer bag side seam needs to be consistent, but you can make it whatever you want.

For both Outer fabric and Lining Fabric:

Fold in half right sides together to make a 15”x15” rectangle. Sew raw edge that is opposite the fold. Press seam flat, then open. Sew one other raw edge with right sides still together. Press. Cut a 2” square of fabric out of the corner where the two seams meet. Use it as a guide to cut a square out of the opposite corner. Tip: use the same guide square for both the outer bag and the lining. Be sure to cut from the seam line in.

Now for the fun part! You will now join the lining and outer bag, and miter the bottom corners of the bag at the same time. Open up bottom corner of outer bag, and bring bottom seam allowance up to meet the side seam allowance.

Pin. Do the same with the lining bottom. Pin the lining and outer bag together with the bottom seams together.

The lining and outer bag should be “bottom to bottom”. Both the lining and outer bag are still wrong sides out. Sew from one end of your pinned miter to the other.

Repeat this step with the other lining and outer bag corner.

The lining and outer bag are now attached at both bottom corners, still inside out. Pull the outer bag up over the lining so that the outer bag is right side out.

Baste upper edge. Center handles on front and back of bag with 4.5” space between handles and machine baste.

(I switched bags here to show better contrast between the bag and handles)

Place outer band over outer bag, right sides together, matching raw edges of unfolded edge to raw edges of bag and lining.

Stitch all layers together with a 3/8” seam. Press seam and band up towards top of bag.

Pull up outer band and bring down folded edge to interior to cover seam and all raw edges. If necessary trim raw edges.

Top stitch on outside of bag in the ditch, catching the folded edge of the band (inside the bag) in the seam to cover interior raw edges.

Finis!

Fits and Starts, and Stops

Emily wrote a great post about January. I've been filled with ideas and plans too.

That tutorial I promised just needs one more proofread, and I'll try and post it next week.

In the meantime, I've been trying to get my basement sewing area straightened up so that when my new lighting is installed I'll have an actual sewing space of my own (as opposed to the living room). The lighting was supposed to be installed last Friday, but then there was snow and ice and a delay, and then it was supposed to be installed today, but I'm just not up to it. Tuesday evening I had an appendectomy (surprise!), so no furniture moving for me for a while. I think my appendicitis story is pretty much on par with everyone else's (except my friend Kim, who has an incredible story about rural Bolivia in the mid 70's and her appendectomy), so I won't share any gory details.

Lucky for me my amazing mom has swept in and kept the household running. So until next week I'm just planning on lying around and every once and a while doing some knitting. And on the bright side, "Under the Rainbow" did get into the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, so I'm looking forward to that.

Update on Paper Passion

In the comments on the last post Jeanie said

"I've got a Spellbinders Wizard (love the product & love the company) so I decided to try cutting plain fabric. I tried batik, "cheap" (i.e. low thread count) cotton, muslin & flannel. Everything I tried cut very cleanly. Not one thread was left hanging!"

I'm not surprised at this, as the Wizard is a more heavy duty die cut machine than the Cuttlebug. I want to emphasize that my results were just for the Cuttlebug, and I'm glad Jeanie mentioned her results as it might help someone else who could be looking for a die cut machine specifically to use with fabric. Thanks, Jeanie!

Paper Passion (to Die For)

It might not be obvious (ha!) but I tend to get intensely interested in some art or craft, learn as much about it as I can, then move on. Sometimes I feel guilty about these little obsessions, but I think that often I take away, sometimes subconsciously, ideas that surface later on in my quilts.

The "paper arts" - most notably stamping and decorating papers, is a case in point. For a number of years I tended to really get excited about them, usually in the autumn. An obvious result of this interest is the series of quilts I've made that include manipulated "paintings", including "Grotto" and "Under the Rainbow".

As Christmas approached this year I noticed a Joann's ad that include a "Cuttlebug". I had no idea what this was. Turns out it's a small die cutting machine, and it also embosses paper. I asked for one for Christmas, and low and behold got one. It accepts all major brands of dies, and is very easy to use. Caveat: it doesn't exert as much pressure as some of the "bigger" (and heavier) machines, but I thought it would be just fine for my little dalliances.

There's also a hot new die that's on the market called "nestabilities". Unlike traditional dies, they are a series of metal shapes (frames of shapes) that gradate in size, hence the nesting. I was immediately drawn to them, and purchased sets of circles and scalloped circles.

I played with the dies, cutting card stock, ruminating on how I might use the nested circles with fabric. The burning question: Would the nestabilities adequately cut fabric in my Cuttlebug? My husband's burning question: Would the Cuttlebug emboss fabric?

Here are my quick and dirty test results using some nestabilities circles and a Cuttlebug embossing folder:

Lutradur
As I expected, it cut the Lutradur very easily. The embossing looks much more impressive in this picture than in real life.

Painted Fabric

The painted fabric cut beautifully. (As you can see, it's pretty heavily painted.) This fabric probably embossed the best.

Hand Dyed Fabric

This fabric was not starched, and therefore very floppy. It did not cut very well. The embossing was quite minimal.

Wonder Under Backed Hand Dyed Fabric (paper removed from back)

I was most interested in this sample, as it would be great to cut circles for applique. It cut just fine, and the embossing was pretty good too.

I'd still like to try this test with silk paper (I couldn't find where I'd stashed mine), freezer paper backed fabric, and something like Timtex. In all honesty I didn't expect the fabric to emboss at all, and only did that test because my husband really wanted to know. My hypothesis is that if you get any of that embossing near high humidity or steam that it will disappear.

So there you have it! I can indeed cut fabric with my little machine, and I'd guess that the heavier die cut machines, like the Spellbinder's Wizard or Sizzix machines, would potentially work even on the plain fabric.

Happy cutting!

All Was Calm, All Was Bright

Our Tree

Cousins
(If you look very closely on the right side, you'll see the fused glass magnetic puzzle that my sister made for our guys)

We had a lovely Christmas, and I hope you did too. I'd planned to post the above pictures late Christmas Eve, but still had some packing to do for our trip to Louisiana, so now they're here. Happy New Year! And thank you, Felicia, for your Christmas wishes.

In early December I was so busy patting myself on the back for not getting sick, and having healthy children, that of course that all had to change. Nothing serious, but enough to keep us hopping all month (including one child with an abscessed tooth on Dec. 21, and of course my little trip to the hospital for dehydration on New Year's Day courtesy not of over imbibing, but a lengthy stomach virus) and we're all fine (or nearly so) now.

I need to take some pictures of the knitting I've been doing (hint: we're bulking up), and in its stead we have the teacher totes I managed to crank out at the very last minute.

Here are two of the three that got finished.

In a pinch, they're reversible.

I'm working up a tutorial for the totes, so feel free to remind me about it if I don't get it up by late next week.

I've finally figured out that after a Fall full of birthdays, soccer, Halloween, and Thanksgiving that by December I'm running out of steam. Hopefully I'll remember this next year and plan accordingly. I really enjoy making things as Christmas gifts, and that takes more time and planning than I've been able to manage. One really great gift that I did make was a book of photographs of our family that I published using blurb. They provide free book editing software, you lay out the book and upload it, then it's published and bound for you.

Finally, congratulations to Jolene on the arrival of Baby Joe!

How I Made "Under the Rainbow"

By popular demand (or at least requests by Frieda and Judy) I wrote up a little explanation of how I made "Under the Rainbow". It's on my website - here's the link.

Bonnie McCaffery did a great job capturing the flavor of the Houston International Quilt Festival this year. I was lucky enough to meet Bonnie, and you can see me in a brief interview towards the end of her vidcast. Thanks Bonnie!

I'll leave you with a view of our Japanese Maple from about a week ago.

Pink Cables

Last year I made several cabled hats as last minute Christmas gifts. My mother asked for one, and I finally made it this week.

It's made from Lamb's Pride Bulky, and is based on the pattern here. The mods include putting rib between the cables (in the pattern she knits only). I cabled every sixth row, and began decreases when crossing the fifth cable. It looks slightly pointy on this little noggin, but on my head it's nice and flat. I only decreased to 18 stitches (the pattern calls for 8 or 9) and that suited my head (and hopefully my mother's) better. Fast and fun!

Percolation

Yesterday I received two emails from my sister chastising me for not updating my blog. Here are some quotes:

"Before we know it, it will be Easter and you have yet to revise either your blog site or your quilting site with any late-breaking pictures or information."

and

"...Then blog some super exciting festival shots. As you left it, you’ve not returned from Houston, I think. "

My apologies. Houston was simply overwhelming. (Returning home to try and make a birthday party happen for 14 preschoolers was also overwhelming, as was having another child become briefly but violently ill the morning of the party, causing it to be postponed. The child is fine. But I digress.)

Sadly, I was unable take any pictures at Houston because I left the camera at home for Halloween picture taking. Luckily, the wonderful Lisa Ellis, of www.ellisquilts.com, came to my rescue. She generously shared this picture she took of me at the show.

Thanks, Lisa!

My family will only listen to me talk about my quilts for so long, so I really enjoyed explaining how I made the quilt to people who came to the show just to find out that sort of thing. It was just wonderful to be at Houston and enjoy the camaraderie of so many quilters. I could go on and on, but you've already read it on other blogs I'm sure. I hope that I'll be able to go to many more Houston quilt festivals.

Since I've been home I haven't sewn at all. What I have done is play with quite a few images in Photoshop, in hopes of designing a new quilt (hence the percolation). I haven't completed a design yet, but it's been fun anyway.

I've also been gobsmacked by this year's fall foliage, and can't seem to take enough photos of it.

We've had quite the drought, and it really seemed like the leaves were just going to turn brown and fall. Not so! Every day for the past two weeks there have been beautiful new vistas. Here are two "ortonized" photos of views in our yard.

A view from our driveway

Looking across the front yard

It's very difficult for a color junkie like me to concentrate when every time I look out a window there's something new and eye catching.

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Innovative Fabric Imagery

OK, three post in 24 hours - unbelievable, but true.

I'm even more excited about going to the Houston Quilt Festival because I just found out that my quilt Grotto won first place in the Innovative Fabric Imagery exhibit!! I'm absolutely delighted. I can't wait to see everything - the IQA show, the Innovative Fabric Imagery exhibit, and the accompanying book. Many thanks to C&T Publishing for sponsoring the book and exhibit, as well as the category I entered in the IQA show - Digital Imagery.

Quilting & Blocking Tips

Even though I've been quilting for a long time, I still learn new things with each project. While quilting my latest quilt (back in May/June) I tried using several products that were new to me, and they really made a difference.

The first product is the Free Motion Slider. It's a teflon sheet that lays on the bed of the machine, and reduces friction between the quilt and the top of your table and machine. There's a hole in the sheet where the needle goes through. I loved it, and felt it really made all that free motion work easier.

I also tried using gloves specially made for quilting. I used several different brands, and they all cut down on hand fatigue. I don't use them for every situation, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well they allowed me to grip with little effort.

I'd only used wool batting before for sample quilting. I wanted to use wool to showcase the quilting I planned to do. I love the look I achieved, especially on the quilted feathers, but a word of warning! Thorough basting is always important, but I found it to be even more so using the wool. Try it and see what you think.

Someone recently posted a question about blocking quilts to the quiltart list. I responded, and then realized that maybe some of you might also be interested. I do not block all of my quilts, especially if they are heavily fused, but some quilts benefit mightily from a good blocking. Here's what I posted to the list:

Here are two ways I've successfully blocked a quilt:

1. Soak the quilt in the washing machine in cold water, then spin dry. Lay the quilt flat on a carpeted floor covered with towels.Pull, push, and prod it until it's the shape you want it to be. If it has straight lines (like borders) try to make sure they're straight.Use a large t-square if you want the edges square, and measure the quilt from corner to corner on both diagonals - if you want thequilt to be square, both these measurements should be the same. Be sure when you're transporting the wet quilt that you supportit so that it doesn't strain the stitches. Once the quilt is the shape that you want, let it dry completely in place (flat) before moving it.The whole process is much easier if you have someone to help you!

2. Recently I blocked a quilt that was finished (including binding). I didn't want to immerse it in water so I used a different method.With a Sharpie draw the outline of the size you want the quilt to be on pink foam insulating board.Let the Sharpie dry completely.Put the quilt on the foam board and start pinning from one corner out both sides. Spritz the quilt with water as necessary while stretching the quilt to fit. When it is completely pinned make sure to spritz it well, then let it dry overnight. Having a fanblow on it helps. If you end up with little scallops where the pins are just remove the pins, leave the quilt flat where it is, respritz and straighten out those scallops, then let dry again.

Tomorrow I go to Houston - woohoo! The last time I saw the show was nine years ago so I'm totally psyched.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!!

Nearly There

Long time readers (all 3 of you) might remember that this is the time of year when we have 4 family birthdays, Halloween, and soccer season all in the span of about 7 weeks. I'm still madly redecorating/refurbishing, but we've also gotten through 3 birthdays, so yeah us!

Some years I have several Halloween costumes to make, others none. This year I was tasked with making a wolf costume. It's pretty standard - faux fur jumpsuit, hood with ears. But times have changed. Schools around here no longer allow children to wear masks for the Halloween parade. This presented a conundrum, as we'd located a fine (commercial) wolf mask with ears. But if the hood had no ears, how would this work out for the school parade?


(Obviously, he's not wearing the jumpsuit here. He's a little geared up because his big brother just got back from Cub Scout camp, so I was happy with getting any picture at all. Also, he picked out the fur - the fur that matched the mask looked "too cartoony" according to the Wolf Boy.)

The solution - retractable ears! Yes, it's a craze that no doubt will sweep the nation. When sewing the hood I attached the ears to only the front portion of the hood. When sewing the front of the hood to the back I left the seam open by the ears, and also left an opening in the lining for the ears. I whipstitched the lining to the outside at the openings.


And here are the ears in the up position.

My husband is not grasping the genius of this solution, so I'm hoping that some of you will, and might be able to use it to solve your own future mask/ear issues.

I'm very, very excited because I'm headed for Houston on Tuesday for the IQA show. If you're there and you recognize me I'd love to meet you! The only quilt related wearable I've manged to finish is a Magic Card Case (as featured in Quilting Arts, the Winter 2006 edition).

It's very fun.

Well, I need to go reupholster a couch (not to worry - it's a mid-century design that can be done with a staple gun) . If I don't post again before Tuesday I hope everyone has a happy Halloween!

(St)Art at Home

I thought once school started I'd be doing some serious quilting, but some other projects have intervened.

I don't know about you guys, but I can only watch the HGTV crews transform so many rooms before feeling like I need to do a little work myself. Three weeks ago today I started my campaign.

The children's bathroom needs some serious updating, and this involved skillz that I wasn't sure I possessed. I dove in anyway, stripped wallpaper, and spackled and patched with abandon.

Here I am, ready for action. Look carefully and you'll see the spackling dust on me.

A children's room also needed some wall work and updating. Virtually every window in the house has unpainted trim (just stained) and though I've seen it work great in other folks homes it's not to my taste.

Here's the before (the plastic was beneath a wall I was patching) ...

And after

(The window treatments and art work still need to be hung.)

Work continues on the bathroom, and is kind of stalled out because of trying to decide on a new medicine cabinet.

Curiously the walls match a Perfect Periwinkle Turtleneck I've been working on from Fitted Knits.


They also look a lot like some of the fall color that's starting appear.


A few weeks ago I raided my parents' basement and retrieved some paintings by my grandmother . (The second link is to my cousin's website, and tells a little about my grandmother's art.) I'll post pictures of them another day, but they're also part of my grand scheme to whip this place into shape. Wish me luck!

The Call

You've got to love it at this time of year when you pick up the phone, check the caller id, and it says "Quilts Inc". One of the (many) nice things about the IQA Houston quilt show is that when you win something, they call and tell you about a month before the show. Yesterday evening I was thrilled to get a call saying that my newest quilt, "Under the Rainbow", won a cash award! I don't think I ever posted a full view of the quilt, so here it is.

I'm trying to work out how I can make it to Houston for at least a few days, so if any of you are there I'd love to meet you!