My version of Carolina Christmas

Thanks for listening to me rant on my previous post. All the important stuff got done, even though my dining room looks like Santa's workshop exploded in it. Just my usual Christmas meltdown.

I finished the binding on the quilt from two posts ago. (note to self: go take a picture.)

I also finished my Carolina Fall quilt. I'm really happy with it, but those triangles nearly kicked my you-know-what. I had a few issues when I got done. I used a hand-dyed fabric on the border. It bled when I washed it. (yes, I pre-washed it) If you squint at the picture, some of the background fabric looks a little....dingy. If you're feeling less charitable it looks minty. My advice to you: If you're going to use hand-dyed fabrics, know your source. Wash them first and use a dye catcher or synthrapol when you wash the quilt. This is the second time I've used fabric from this dyer and the second quilt I've had very nearly ruined because of it. Despite, the....minty-ness, which I am still getting over, I'm pleased with how it turned out. I didn't clip off any points on the triangles, and I came up with a clever way to fix the border when I ran short of fabric. (note to self: don't measure when tired)

This is also the first quilt I have made for my husband and I to actually sleep under. And, no the one on the couch doesn't count.

I also finished this wool applique throw pillow which looks really great on the Fall quilt above. This was a really fun kit I got from Bits and Pieces by Joan at her booth at International Quilt Festival a couple of years ago. Go look at her site. She has tons of stinkin' cute stuff. www.bitsandpiecesbyjoan.com

Alright. back to work on my UFO list.

Ann

Highway to ....Christmas

Does anyone else out there think Christmas isn't any fun anymore? I feel like I've been run over by a big red and green semi-truck. I'm roadkill on the Christmas highway.

The final straw was last weekend. I went out into the world where, you know, there are people, and all of them were shopping. Yes, I knew what I was getting into. I had girded myself for the 3 stops I had to make, including driving out to one store almost an hour away. All of this in a miserable, cold rain. Store One went fine. The returns were fine. Not too crowded. Found what I needed and got out. Store number two. Sigh, didn't have half of what I needed which didn't surprise me, but did have the stuff I needed for Christmas specifically. Fine. That's what the internet was made for. Store number three. This is the one that did me in.

I was looking for ties. I am the only person on the planet (besides my sister) whose father actually asked for ties for Christmas. So while I'm shuffling through the display, this horde of children (is 3 a horde? whatever) goes tearing by playing keep away with a basketball from one of the toy displays. Gee, you must be very proud of your future NBA stars, lady. Rolls eyes. I dodge the basketball game and go back to the clearance section, where I find the lady with tuberculosis or the plague or something coughing all over everything and not covering her mouth. Sigh. Really? You couldn't at least bring cough drops? Better yet, stay home!

In order to protect myself from Ebola or the black death or whatever, I give up on clearance in disgust and go back to the seasonal displays because at this point I've given up on even wrapping gifts. They're all going in bags. And I find the basketball game has devolved into the World Wrestling Federation, right in the middle of the store. All the while I'm listening to, "It's the Most Wonderful time of the year! It's the Hap!-Happiest season of all!" over the loud speakers. Really, Bing? I'm pretty sure the only reason he could ever sing that song is that he never had to do any Christmas shopping himself. Right then, I forgave the woman for her children's behavior because I know she must feel as defeated as I do. This act, if you know me well at all, is enough to nominate me for sainthood.

And quilting? None to speak of. Which is probably part of the reason I'm so cranky. I finished making two items for Christmas, which for obvious reasons I'm not posting pictures of given that 2 of the 4 people who read this blog are on my gift-giving list. I will present you with a picture of the tie I'm NOT giving my dad for Christmas. Yes, I bought myself a tie, to cut up into little pieces. And yes, I realize it works out to like $80 a yard for the fabric. I don't care.

So, any suggestions on how to recover your Christmas mojo?

Ok, thanks for listening to me rant. Back to quilting next time. I promise. I'm thinking of doing Judy L's UFO challenge next year. We'll see how embarrassing the list is.

Ann

A little more Bliss

While I was in Iowa last week, I quilted this quilt. This is "A little more Bliss" from a Charlotte Angotti workshop I took last spring. I've talked about her classes before. This is my third Angotti quilt. I chose a different option for the border than what she was offering. I really like this turquoise-y blue. Here's a detail shot.

I used a loopy pattern using Superior Threads' Karnak. It's a variegated thread with turquoise, tan and dark brown in it. It worked wonderfully. I finished making the binding last night, and I'll finish sewing it down, hopefully tomorrow.

I realized something looking at my UFO list this week. I can complete 12 large projects in a good year. I define that as anything 40x60 or larger. It doesn't include bags, scarves, craft projects, knitting, crochet, or clothing. I have about 2 and a half years worth of UFOs at the moment on the list, and I know it's not up to date. I'm very good at starting projects. I get excited about some new pattern or fabric line and start something, then get excited about the next new thing and lay that project aside. I guess the first step is recognizing you have a problem...

Hi, my name is Ann and I'm a fabric-aholic.

Quilt show goodies

Hey All,

Mom and I went to the AQS show in Des Moines last week. It was really nice. Saw lots of great quilts. I, of course, didn't take any pictures. Sigh. Stupid me. But it was a wonderful day...almost 90 degrees which is unheard of in Iowa in October.

We also made two more stops. Creekside quilting and the Textile Shop. The first is one of the nicest quilt shops I have been in. If you are ever passing through the Des Moines ares, make this shop one of your "must-sees." It's 5 minutes or so north of the interstate. The second shop is a home decorator remnant shop another 2 minutes north of Creekside. Very nicely displayed fabrics and great prices.

Now I know you all want to see the haul. Ok, here's what I came home with.

The bundle is fat eighths of Maison de Garance, the new line by French General. I just love their stuff. I may have to decorate a whole bedroom just with their fabrics. The blues are half yards of Rural Jardin. The round dealy is a frosted donut from Superior Threads. I love their products. I picked this up to use for hand applique. I often take applique projects with me when I travel (not that I work on them) and this will be better than carrying half my thread collection in a ziploc bag. Plus, most of my thread is packaged up with one project or another which means I can never find the color I need when I'm working on somthing else.

Right now on the design wall is Blocks 1 and 2 of Oh, Fransson's Subway quilt. They're turning out quite nicely.

The background really is white, but it's pretty washed out here. I'm still learning the new camera.

That's all for now.

Ann

Some days everything comes together perfectly, other days....not so much.

Hey everyone,

Here's something I made this summer for my sister. I had so much fun doing it, and everything just worked. Considering I wasn't using a pattern and just made it up as I went along, that's pretty impressive. This is the front of the bag, oh, and these are the last of the cell phone pictures. Got a new camera before our vacation. I used a bunch of Art Gallery fabrics, one Michael Miller, and one really old Jinny Beyer that just worked in well.

This is the bag with the flap open. The inside panel there has a couple of pockets.

This is the back of the bag, complete with a pocket big enough for a paperback book. I also made a book cover with a beaded bookmark, but I didn't get a picture of that.

Now for the ugly. I'm of the opinion that most clothing pattern designers have never seen an actual human being. Maybe they were locked in caves in the 30s and forced to design patterns all these years. Maybe they're aliens with odd proportions 'cause the measurements on the patterns don't match up with any human I know. What I do know for sure, is that I am talented enough to read a clothing pattern, reproduce it in fabric, and wind up with something that I can't wear. As if 10 years of 4H sewing didn't prove that already. Sigh. Yes, people, I took measurements before I bought the pattern; yes I tried it on at various stages; yes I changed seam allowances and pleats. What I was trying to make was a wrap-around dress to use as a swimsuit coverup when we went to Florida last month. And this is what I got. It's a fair approximation of the pattern, and pretty cute, despite the shapelessness hanging on a wooden hanger. It simply doesn't fit. I think I'll boycott any patterns that don't include elastic or drawstrings.

I did learn two things from this project: Don't set in sleeves when you're tired and eyelet is really a b!@*h to rip seams out on.

Here's what I am working on. These are the fabrics I've pulled together for Oh Fransson's Tokyo subway quilt-along. You can find it here. I've got blocks one and two done.

That's all for now.

Ann

A self-professed band geek.

I absolutely love this time of year. Not because of the weather or the trees changing colors or the hordes of students about to descend like a plague of locusts. I like this time of year on a college campus about three weeks before classes start because of band camp. The marching band is back and they're practicing. Right now it's just the drum line. They're working their butts off learning their parts before the rest of the band comes back. If the drumline is tight, the rest of the band learns quicker. They were outside last Friday practicing in sections. I went out on my break and listened to them for a bit. When I left work THREE HOURS LATER they were still outside practicing. Yesterday morning they had all the sections together marching around campus. I went out and followed them around for a few minutes. Yes, I'm a band stalker. Hey it's my coffee break!

If you don't think marching band kids work hard, you're outta your mind. And the drumline works harder than any section. Why? Because they never stop playing. They play the cadence that everyone marches to, then everybody plays a song, then back to the cadence. Imagine going for a walk. Now imagine you're wearing a backpack with 40 pounds of rocks in it on your front. Now imagine your carrying a can of soup (1/2 pound) in each hand and clapping them together the entire time. Now imagine every 5 minutes you have to insert dance steps. Now imagine doing that for two to three hours while dodging potholes and horse manure. That's what marching in a parade as a percussionist is like.

Honestly I always wanted to play drums. My last year of high school I got to play bells for marching band. It was a blast, despite having to carry the extra weight. The entire rest of my musical career I was stuck with the sliver-suckers. I got to march in an honor band for the Cotton Bowl Parade one year, and let me tell you that was extra hard work. We practiced for two days learning our songs in July. Then we had 6 hours of practice on a 90 degree day in August, THEN marched in a two hour parade the same day. We lost 20% of the band to heat exhaustion. A good chunk of that was the flag section because they practiced all day in the sun, but we took my sister to the ER on the way home too. (I think the directors learned something that day, and they didn't have a repeat the next time.) The Cotton Bowl parade itself was over New Year's, so we practiced for two days outdoors in 20 degree weather in Iowa in December. Dallas weather was a treat after that.

I just can't help tapping my feet when I hear them go by. Remember the next time you see a parade or a halftime show, think about the band for just a second before you go get your popcorn refill. Those musicians spent just as much time practicing as the football team did. They're learning formations too, and working just as hard.

Go Band!

Ann

photo courtesy of Northwestern University Archives

Back from Florida

Hi Everyone!

Sorry to drop off the face of the earth. We're back from our well deserved vacation in the Florida Keys. Here's some pix to tide you over til I get back to our regularly scheduled sewing posts. Next time I'll update you on the Drama of the Dress and my suspicions that pattern designers hate me. In good news though, we got a new digital camera, so hopefully no more mediocre pictures like the last post.

First picture: This is out on the boat around sunset on the bay side of the Keys. The water is as flat as glass. It was just dreamy.

Here is one of the residents at The Key West Butterfly Conservatory. It's a fantastic place to visit with dozens of varieties of butterflies.

This is another of the very friendly natives. His name happens to be Tanner. You can meet him and his family at The Dolphin Research Center in Marathon Florida. The dolphins all seem to be such happy creatures you can't help, but smile at them. They recently had two dolphin calves which are doing well. You can tell how successful a program or zoo is if their animals are healthy enough to reproduce.

This was shot on our way out to Looe Key for a snorkeling trip. Yes, the water was that turquoise. It was gorgeous. It was crystal clear to a depth of almost 50 feet and as warm as bath water.

Here's one of the natives we saw on our last day at the Everglades National Park. Don't worry. We were up on a walkway well away from any closer introductions.

Talk to you soon!

Ann