Finding time....

Time, time, time. Decisions, decisions. There are the gotta dos, work and essentials around the house – feeding the cats is not optional, then when you have time to be creative, what do you do?

For most of February my sewing time was tied up with making table covers and new window treatments for our restaurant. Not unpleasant (except for the part about using the floor to cut the vinyl), but not exciting either. But they look great now that they are finished and hanging!

Next it was finishing up some small art quilts. Each of these was an effort to work with a different technique, though I did all the free-motion work on my 1930s Singer 15-30 treadle.

The first was a lighthouse, done with fusible applique. I cut out each of the pieces for the water, sand and marsh separately and fitted them together like a puzzle, so there wouldn't be too much bulk. It worked pretty well, but next time I would draw all the pieces on the fusible's paper, then cut it apart, so they would fit better. After fusing, I layered with cotton batting and backing, then free-motion embroidered/quilted the palm trees, water, grasses and shading on the lighthouse, using various rayon variegated and solid threads. Then I free-motion quilted the sky background, and finally added beads and buttons, including the seagull, as embellishments.

Next was an experiment in thread sketching. I layered my fabric for quilting and sketched the palm trees, horizon and sand, and grasses, using a rayon thread. Then I used watercolor pencils to shade the beach, water and sky, and the palm trees. The pencils gave a nice, soft effect, maybe because they were soaking through into the batting. I decided I wanted the finished piece to be larger, so I stitched borders to the top of the piece, butted batting up against the existing batting and added a single piece of backing over the entire back. Then I free-motion quilted the border and added some waves to the water, securing the center of the piece and adding a

little more detail. Some tiny shells from one of the local shops finished it off.

Finally, my puzzle. In January I signed up for the challenge at Three Creative Studios, and the first challenge, for Jan. and Feb., was to create a quilt inspired by the word puzzle. I came up with the idea, but with my other deadlines, didn't get it finished in time for the challenge. I started with a scene I had photographed on Tybee Island, modified the picture, including drawing the puzzle piece outlines, and printed it on fabric. My first thought was to make the puzzle as a layered quilt, and stitch all the edges with decorative stitching, but it made for a very messy look. So I printed a second picture and fused this one to stiff interfacing, and used applique scissors to cut apart the pieces.

I found the fabric for the table in my stash, layered it and free-motion quilted following the fabric's pattern to suggest wood grain. Then I attached the puzzle pieces by free-motion stitching, following the lines of the grasses, building, shading of the palm tree.

And now it's on to other projects, I've layered and started quilting a Disappearing Nine-Patch I started last year, and am busy working on publicity for our guild's first quilt show, the High Cotton Quilt Show, which is coming up in October. I've set up a blog and Facebook page for the show, and designed the logo for the show this weekend.

What happened to February?

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. It seems February flew by, and between weather stuff and job stuff, I haven't gotten around to posting. Of course, there's the problem that I haven't had much new quilty stuff to post about, too.

Most of my sewing time for the past few weeks has been devoted to making table covers and new window treatments for our restaurant. 18 vinyl table covers and 12 window treatments, to be exact. I'm down to the last two window treatments, then will be able to sew what I want for a while. I'll post pictures once they are hanging, right now they just look like a pile of colorful fabric.

I have snuck in a little bit of other sewing. The quilt that wouldn't be finished is done except for a label. After I got the binding on, I decided I really, really didn't like the quilting, done in tan, on the black borders, so picked that out and did a slightly different motif, in black. Much, much better.

I'd also signed up for a challenge project, through Creative Studios, with the theme of "puzzle." I got my idea all worked out, and started on it, but had some problems with making it do what I wanted. I missed the deadline, but will still post once I've worked the wrinkles out.

For now, here's what the big Feb. 12 snow in south Georgia looked like, and I'm getting back to work.

Playing with new techniques and toys

I haven't spent as much time in the studio as I'd like, but I have been having fun trying out some new techniques and materials.

A couple of weeks ago I got some Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils. These things are so cool. You can sketch dry for a colored pencil look, brush with water after drawing to soften and intensify the lines or start with a wet surface for a real watercolor look. This weekend I took a thread sketch (last post) and colored it in with the pencils, wetting the fabric first. I love the effect. I still have a few finishing touches to put on, some tiny seashells, I think (if I can find them) then decide how to bind or finish it.

Another piece I am working on is fused applique, with detailing quilted in. I cut out the fused pieces like a puzzle, so I wouldn't have too thick a layer to quilt through, so for the most part it is quilting pretty well. I did some very small background quilting for the sky, which doesn't really show in the photo. Still a bit more to do here, but I'm pleased with the progress.

I've done all the thread sketching and quilting on both of these on my Singer 15-30 treadle. It's my favorite for free-motion quilting.

On the traditional side, I'm still working on the red and black quilt from the Treadle On Boat Shuttle Exchange. I got the binding on a couple of weeks ago (with help from Rascal, previous post) and while hand-sewing it, decided I really wasn't happy with the tan quilting on the black borders. So now I'm picking out the borders. I'm beginning to think this quilt will never be finished.

Lots of other stuff going on, of course. Our guild, Staying in Stitches, is holding its first quilt show this fall. As part of the publicity committee, I've set up a blog (on my list of blogs) to post details of the show as they are worked out, and I'll be sending notices to all the quilting magazines.

And for the next week or two I'll be on hiatus from quilting. I'm making new table covers and window treatments for our restaurant. They are the final step in redecorating the dining room, so getting them done is top priority.

Little pleasures add up

It's been a good few days here. First, it warmed back up to normal, which makes life so much more pleasant and means I can get back into my sewing studio! Project Runway started back up and the judges agreed with me for the first winner, maybe that's a good sign.

I finally signed up for Facebook and was thrilled to get in touch with my best friend from seventh and eighth grade, as well as other friends I've lost touch with.

I've been negotiating a peace treaty among my various cats. Two live inside and three in sunrooms/screened carports and one of the inside cats, Pepper, does not like to share his territory. We've made some progress and I've had Pixel and Rascal in the house for a few hours each day. Both are very curious about my sewing and Rascal decided yesterday to help me quilt.

Sunday we went to see "Avatar." Wow! That is one of the most visually stunning movies I have seen in a long time. It really sets the standard for what can be done with CGI, and the blending of live action and CGI was absolutely seamless. The story was a little predictable, but well told and certainly thought provoking.

Of course the most important good thing is that I got back into the sewing studio. Thursday and Friday evenings I finished the free motion work on a small piece, Tybee Fireworks III and spent most of my time cutting up scraps into squares and strips. My bins about about overflowing and there are still lots of scraps.

Saturday I got goodies in the mail, three new art quilt books ("Quilting Arts," "More Altered Photo Artistry," and "Thread Work Unraveled") and a set of watercolor pencils. I read a bit and tried out the pencils, of course, but spent most of the day organizing my main sewing space. One large trashbag later, I can see my counters, but the adjoining room, officially the dining room, still looks like a fabric store exploded.

In one of my breaks from organizing I tried some thread sketching. It's lighter than thread painting, just as pencil sketching is more open than painting. My first effort was a simple palm tree with ocean background. Rather than use a hoop I layered it with batting and a backing, treating it more as free motion quilting. I haven't decided if I'm going to leave it as is or do more experimenting, maybe fill in a bit with colored pencils or???

Back to the sewing! Lots to do today!

A look back and forward

Happy New Year! I know it's a little late, but thanks to this mini-Ice Age I haven't been able to get in my studio for more than a week, so no new sewing to report. So I've been thinking about what I accomplished in 2009 and what I hope to do in 2010.

In 2009
I completed eight quilts that were lap size or larger. Four were given away, four were to keep. The four to keep were all UFOs (started in 2008 or earlier) and they were: Red & White, 2001 Treadle On Block Exchange (TOBE); Road To Tybee, my version of Bonnie Hunter's Old Tobacco Road; Captain's Courtyard, 2008 Treadle On Birthday TOBE, designed by Dick Wightman of Treadle On; and Sudoku, based on the number puzzle.

I finished two more quilt tops and have one of them quilted and am working on the binding. I also hosted a block exchange with the Treadle On list.

I completed five original small quilts. Angel of the Garden; Tybee Fireworks I and II, Palm and Hundreds of Turtles.

I entered one art show, with Angel of the Garden, which won first place. I donated Tybee Fireworks II to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative and it sold at the Houston Show.

I took one class, Bonnie Hunter's Boxy Stars. The blocks for the quilt are finished, just waiting to be assembled. I had planned on another class, Twisted Bargello, but had a conflict.

I did pretty well at not buying fabric "just because" except for my trips to North Carolina and Tennessee, when I splurged on some beautiful, bargain fabric.

I also made it a point not to look for more sewing machines, but a few of them found me anyway. I filled in a couple of gaps in my collection with a beautiful 1950s aluminum Singer 201K. I have converted it to handcrank and it is a wonderful machine. I also bought a Singer 12 treadle with beautiful Ottoman Carnation decals. Other additions include two treadles a friend gave me.

I did not do much with the bags and fabric postcards I make for sale, just continued to sell the inventory I had made in 2008, which is almost gone now.

What's ahead for 2010?
On the QuiltArt list last week people were talking about themes for the year. I chose the word "dance." A few years ago the song "I Hope You Dance," really struck me, with the lines about dancing whenever you have the chance. I'm very content at home with my BF, my cats, my sewing and art and my books. So I have to push myself to get out and do things, even when I know I will enjoy them once I get there. So my goal for the year is to push myself, go to guild activities (even when I don't feel like making the drive), take the classes, try the new techniques, don't save "good" stuff for later, but use it now.

A few specific goals.
Continue to work to improve my skills, from free-motion quilting to precision in piecing. Try new techniques. I am especially interested in drawing/painting on fabric, thread painting and photos on fabric.

Spend more time on original quilts and art quilts, and reduce the amount of time spent on others' designs.

Continue to work on completing the traditional quilts in progress, and participate in Treadle On block exchanges.

Participate in guild's charity projects and donate at least one piece to another non-profit effort.

Enter guild's fall show and Georgia National Fair. Enter at least one additional show during the year.

Develop a new inventory of items for sale, concentrating on original designs which are more fun and sell better. Explore using etsy to sell some things. Enter one juried arts and fine crafts show.

Continue to be thoughtful about fabric purchases and try to use more than I buy.

There are only a couple of sewing machines on my "wish" list, so my main priority is going to be working on those I have and using them, and clearing out some extras to make room for an industrial treadle I may be buying from a friend.

I'm excited about the possibilities for my quilts and art this year, just wish it would warm up so I can get back to the studio. Until then, I've been cutting up cotton shirts to be used in some future projects. More fabric to use up, oh, no!!

What is a boat shuttle?

For the last couple of weeks I've been trying to finish a quilt made from the Treadle On "boat shuttle" block exchange. I started quilting it back in October, but decided I didn't like the way I'd quilted a couple of sections so took a while to pick those stitches out. I finally got that stitching out last week, with a little help from my "cat attachments," and now just have to decide how to quilt the borders.

If you are not a collector of antique sewing machines, you are probably saying, "what the heck is a boat shuttle?" So here's a little sewing machine history.

When the first inventors tried to come up with a sewing machine, their first idea was to put the needle all the way through the fabric, just as in hand sewing. Didn't work. The mechanism that worked was a chain stitch, which has a single thread. It works well and the chain stitch is still used today, for example I opened a bag of cat food a couple of days ago that was closed with a chain stitch. But the problem with the chain stitch is that it has to be secured at the end or it pulls out and if it is cut, bye-bye stitching.

The next big development, and the one that is used today, is the lock stitch. It uses a spool of thread on top of the machine and a bobbin of thread under the bed of the machine. The earliest lock stitch machines used a transverse shuttle. That's a long bobbin in a long shuttle and it moves in a straight line. The shuttles for the transverse shuttle machines were usually open on one side and the bobbin dropped in. They look kind of like a little boat so we call them boat shuttles.

One of the purposes of the Treadle On list is to encourage people to use their treadle and handcrank sewing machines, so we have regular block exchanges. Sometimes they are for a specific brand, or for machines of a particular time period, sometimes open to any machine. For the boat shuttle exchange we also included another class of machines that have an open top shuttle, those made by the American Sewing Machine Company. This company came up with its own arrangement, a tiny round bobbin which drops into a tear-drop shaped shuttle. I've been researching the company for a while and from what I've found they were probably the first company to use a round bobbin. But the bobbins were tiny and didn't hold a lot of thread and the company didn't make it into the big leagues.

How I started quilting

On the Stashbuster list someone asked how we all started quilting. That brought back such a great memory that I thought I'd share my response here, too.

Picture two women sitting on the floor in a living room with two huge garbage bags full of fabric - scraps, strings, remnants, mis-sewed pieces, you name it. With every piece pulled out we're saying 'ooh, look at this one,' 'oh, how pretty,' etc. That was November 2000 and is the date when I changed from wanting to learn to quilt to being a quilter, even though it was four more years before I finished my first quilt!

I'm at least a fourth generation quilter, though my mom is more of a top-maker. Growing up the quilt on my bed was a 1930s bow-tie that my mom and great-grandmother made. I started sewing my own clothes in ninth-grade and made various patchwork and quilted items over the years as part of my sewing.

Summer 2000 I found a vintage sewing machine (1930s Singer 15-91) at a thrift store, brought it home and in researching it, discovered the Treadle On list. With their help I bought my first treadle and in November a group member who lived near Atlanta invited me to spend the day with her and another member who was visiting. My brother-in-law and family lived near her, so I drove up on Friday and headed to her house on Saturday. The three of us looked at and talked about her sewing machines, then went to a couple of antique shops. Then the other visitor had to leave and the two of us went to a quilt store that was about to close.

It was my first visit to a quilt shop and I bought some beautiful fabric for my first block exchange, which was coming up. Then my friend mentioned that she wanted to make a log cabin quilt but that it would take a long time for her to get enough scraps. The shop owner invited her to help herself from a box full of strings. After my friend took a small bag full, the shop owner took over. She pulled out a big garbage bag and dumped the box in, then started pulling out scraps and remnants from under her cutting table. When the first bag was full she started filling a second. We took those bags back to my friend's house and spent hours digging through them. Her husband said we were like two kids on Christmas morning.

My friend insisted on sharing with me and the fabric I brought home with me was the beginning of my quilting stash, and I still have strings and crumbs from that windfall in my boxes.

In 2001 I participated in my first block exchange and after about three years of block exchanges I decided I had better learn to finish a quilt. I finished my first quilt, a BOM in Christmas fabrics, in 2004 and haven't stopped since.