Can You Say, Zig Zag Stitch???

Photo Friday today - as I just can't resist capturing some of that "Autumnal Change"  I was speaking of earlier.   It seems nature is very busy this morning - preparing. 

Me - I think I'll just sit back and watch.

Make sure to take some time  to step outside

and appreciate YOUR world.

Meet Me on the Equinox...

 September equinox, autumnal equinox, autumn equinox, say goodbye to summer and hello to the shorter days and crisp cool weather.

I find this time of year magical.  Mesmerized by the giant moon at night - and the hot pink sun in the morning I long for the cool crisp  breeze and the scent of leaf burning laden air.  I anxiously await the metamorphisis  that shorter days and cooler nights brings to the beauty of North Carolina.

(Meet Me on the Equinox - Death Cab for Cutie)

Weaving a Cloth...

I  had a little time today so I decided to work on my first cloth weaving project for Jude's Cloth 2 Cloth Workshop.  I spent about 1/2 hour tearing up strips of neutrals - canvas, linen, sheers, cottons, silks and some commercial cottons. 

The first cloth I wove was a neutral cloth.  I laid the strips out so nicely, tacking each one at each end with pins - in an effort to keep them nice and tidy.  I then began weaving - back and forth, back and forth until I completed about a 13x13 inch square.  Then - it hit me. 

What an IDIOT.  I tacked the weaving down on my paded grid ironing surface - BUT I FORGOT TO PUT A PIECE OF BACKING DOWN FIRST.  Geeeze.  Not the end of the world - but way to make things more difficult for myself (a habit I have.)

I laid a muslin square over top of the woven piece and commenced to hand tack it. Problem solved.  Over the next  few days, I am going to make a few more of these so I'm ready to whatever comes next and have a few choices as far as foundation cloth colors, textures, etc.  

NOTE TO SELF:  Next time - don't forget  to lay the base down FIRST - THEN weave on top of that. 

Indian Summer - Quilted

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this little quilt.  It started off as an "experiment" in response to my own desire to try a Mod quilt.  I am absolutely enamored by the tension created between stark white and bold vivid colors.  And what better combination that the colors I visualize as representing a delicious Indian Summer and bright, crisp, winter white!!

I made a bunch of improv log cabin blocks with utilizing a stack of warm orange, red, magenta and yellow blended hand dyes, batiks and homespuns I had lying around. After playing with designs, I decided to make those into four patches spaced with 6 inch solid white blocks within which I quilted a tribal sun. Spending alot of time in Arizona and New Mexico I have come to understand the symbolism of the sun as an icon and sincerely appreciate the beauty in that thought. I really enjoyed quilting the suns free form.  They look so great!

 Something I find interesting about many   modern quilts is the backing.  Oftentimes there some kind of visual "pop" on the back.  For  Indian Summer, I   pieced together a long strip of the fabrics I used in the log cabins and sewed it down the middle.  I also randomly placed a color block here and there in the binding. 

This week I'm going to focus on the new  Spirit Cloth workshop I'm participating in  "Cloth to Cloth." I'm looking forward to learning Jude's technique for creating a base layer cloth by weaving it myself. I am excited  to pick up a needle and thread again after spending so much time with the machine lately. Should be a delicious reprieve

Baby Whale Quilt Nearly Done...

THIS QUILT IS LISTED ON ETSY.CLICK HERE

Took the Harley out with the man yesterday. It was an absolutely gorgeous day in North Carlolina. Temps only in the 50's when we left. We drove down to Pope Air Force Base on beautiful country roads, up to Chapel Hill, then back down to Raleigh.  About a 6 hour road trip.  It's been almost two months since we've taken a decent ride - our last ride being our Montana trip. 

I  worked most of the rest of the day on a commission quilt - that is almost complete.  I am so in love with these homespuns. After I started this quilt last week I went out and bought more as my supply is running low.  They are rather hard to find in this area - particularly in these beautiful blue shades (they remind me of Glacier Lake in Montana) - but I found a shop that carries about 20 different blends of color and they are really, really pretty.

This morning I made the bias binding and all that is left is to sew it on by hand and add the water spout to the little whale on the back.  Then I can pack it up and send it off to the little guy who will soon be snuggling beneath it.

Sometime today I will be taking a studio break to take Sabrina to the sporting goods store to shop for Lacrosse equipment.  We're not even done with tennis yet.

Next up: complete the quilting on Indian Summer Quilt, complete the commissioned tote bags, work on my art journal and paint some gift tags. 

Hope you get outside today and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine!

Indian Summer Quilt.....

I have a  three commissions I am currently working on - all which need to go out by next  week.  I love being this busy in the studio.  It's so exciting to work with clients on a piece that they have designed and want to see come to fruition, or to custom design a piece for them according to their specifications.  Really rewarding and so fun.



  I finished a few Kindle covers over the weekend - two special orders and two others.  I love this one and just may keep it for myself.  Kaffe fabric with a really cool fused glass button - such a pretty combination.

Monday I got this quilt all pinned and ready to quilt- but have to put it on hold until I get the commissions out.  It took me three days to decide upon a quilting pattern.  Rather than a grid or meander, I've decided to quilt individual tribal suns in the large white blocks. I did a few last night - and it looks awesome.  I'll post pics when it's done.  I just made these blocks for fun (improvisational log cabins - mod style) not knowing what I was going to do with them.  I ended up having enough for a pretty decent sized quilt (50+")  Click HERE to purchase this quilt on my Etsy.

I've also seen some mod quilts with color on the back and I really like that - so on this one I pieced a three inch strip for the back of representative fabrics from the front.  It runs down the middle - pretty.

I'm working all day on a smaller version of the whale quilt I put on Etsy over the weekend as a special order.  I love working with these aqua homespuns - they make me happy!  I'll post a picture of my progress on that one this evening as I promised the gal who purchased it some photos - so they will be up tonight.

Enjoy the day!  I swear I feel Fall coming - I really do. It hasn't been as humid and I've even notice a few leaves dropping (from exhaustion!) Cool Weather - Bring it ON!