Sew, Mama, Sew: Words to Live By Pillow Contest

I'm so excited because my "Look, See" linocut pillow made it to the Top 20 in the Words to Live By category of the Sew, Mama, Sew Pillow Contest.

My pillow was made with my handprinted fabric from my handcarved linoleum block. I quilted in random straight lines on both the pillow front and back. Then I raw edge appliqued a pair of eyeglasses/sunglasses. The pillow is bound in a home dec weight chartreuse fabric.
If you would like to vote, here is the link:
Poll: Words To Live By Pillows
One of the prizes is a new iron and my newer iron just up and stopped working about two weeks ago, leaving me with my old iron that spews rusty water. So, I have my fingers crossed!

Central Park Layer Cake

I wanted to take a moment to thank AnneMarie from Gen X Quilters for hosting the Love Nest Quilt Contest this month. It was so much fun! And thank you to everyone who voted for my quilt. It took second place! One of the wonderful sponsors, Sew Delightful Fabrics, sent me this beautiful layer cake, "Central Park" by Kate Spain. It's my very first layer cake. I am not a cake fan but I think this variety has converted me. I will be requesting a layer cake next year instead of a birthday cake. Do you think my family will go for it? It's sure worth trying! I don't have plans for this fabric yet but I look forward to using it.

Innocent Crush

I have started on a new quilting project. My husband gave me fat quarters of Innocent Crush by Anna Maria Horner for Christmas. I debated long and hard over how to use them and I have to say that I am not yet convinced that I made the right choice!

I wanted to find a block that used just two fabrics so that I could pair each Innocent Crush fabric with a coordinating Kona Solid. I also wanted to make my blocks simple enough and big enough so that the Innocent Crush fabrics were cut into fairly large pieces since they are such large scale prints. I settled on the Double Hourglass block and my finished blocks will be 10" square.

I love each individual block so far but I am concerned about putting them all together. I am going to forge ahead though and see how it looks once I add all the different solids. I might have to eliminate some blocks at the end if they just don't work with the others.

Doll House: Kitchen

This is my favorite room in my doll house, and the last room on the tour. I will show some shots of the exterior at some point. The kitchen has a brick floor with mortar and everything. It's one of my favorite features in my doll house and something I'd love to have in my real life kitchen someday. I probably crafted the most for this room. I added exposed ceiling beams so that I could hang baskets and some braided garlic that I made, as well as a little net bag of oranges. On the wall, in the front left corner, there is a punched tin lantern that I made. About that time we did a punched tin craft in girl scouts which undoubtedly inspired me.
I also made those little sconces over the sink with birthday candles. Take note of the icecream maker and sundae cups!

The kitchen has an icebox with tongs and a chunk of fake ice in the top. You can see the icebox and hutch best in this picture, I think.

What I really loved making was the food. I can still smell the aroma of the dough that I used. It was a mixture of glue and bread torn into bits. It was an odd smell. The food has held up pretty well over time! I would guess that I made these 20 years ago. I painted them and coated them in a clear acrylic varnish after they had air dried. Let's see, I made a turkey, some sort of plum pudding I think, strawberry shortcake, asparagus with sauce, bread, a bunch of grapes, a blueberry pie, cream puffs, a roast with potatoes and carrots (tied with string!), a cherry cheesecake (with cardboard for the graham cracker bottom!), and turnovers. Oh, I really loved making food. I might have to make some more!
I was asked where I found all the store bought doll house accessories. When I was little, there was a woman in the town next to us who had a shop in her front room called "Kay's Gift Shop." She had an assortment of items including doll house furniture that she sold for next to nothing. I used to save my birthday and Christmas money to shop there. There were also two doll house stores within about a half an hour drive. On occasion, I would go to doll house shows that were held in hotel function rooms.

Doll House: Living Room

Welcome to part three of my childhood dollhouse tour! I have to say that I am really excited that some of you are enjoying seeing these pictures. I am having fun sharing them.
This is the living room/sitting room. Perhaps one of the sweetest items in this room was a gift from my husband when we were newly married. See that little picture frame over the desk? He printed one of our wedding pictures in black and white (to be appropriate for the time period and all) and put it in a little frame. This room also reminds me of my grandmother an awful lot. She passed away just two years ago and there are things I will never change about this room because they hold so many memories of her. The peach material used to cover the piano bench and for the curtains, along with the materials used for the little pillows on the couch, were scraps left over from pillows that my mother made for my grandmother. These colors and materials just remind me of her home.

I also decided that my doll house family *needed* bits of tatting on their couch back and arm rests, on the piano, the table, and the mantle. My grandmother used to tat quite a bit. I asked her if she would make these for me and she said that she had forgotten how to tat. She brushed up on her skills though and made them for me nonetheless. They are more special to me with time.
Beside the piano, there is a music stand with a flute resting on it. I played the flute when I was in grade school and junior high. And I just love the beautiful feathered hat on the coat rack by the door and the tea service on the table.
I'll be back with pictures of my favorite room, the kitchen, next time!

Doll House: Bathroom and Master Bedroom

I'm continuing the tour of my childhood dollhouse today. For my first post see here. This is the parents' bedroom. I didn't make too much in this room but I did make all the bedding for the canopy bed.

Again, I made a yoyo coverlet. Apparently I really liked how they looked and thought that they suited the time period of the house.

The mother has her sewing area set up in her bedroom. I remember making and staining this tiny little balsa wood box and filling it with cards of notions. I glued beads on cards for buttons and wrapped thread around cards for twine or ribbon.

The bathroom is in the upstairs hall, between the bedrooms. It's a little bit tiny and the furniture doesn't quite fit. That didn't stop me from putting in this bathroom set though. It was love at first sight. Look at that pull chain toilet!

In this room, I embroidered little flowers on some wide ribbon to serve as a rug. I also made cross stitch towels.
I should take this opportunity to tell you about the supposed time period of the house. When I was 11, I decided that I wanted to decorate the doll house from "the time period when people didn't have electricity but the people in the house would be wealthy, like the Olsen family in Little House on the Prairie, so that they could have some fancy things." The Little House on the Prairie books were, and still are, my favorites.

More Butterflies

I have been printing more butterfly linocut fat quarters for my shop. I thought that you might like to see some pictures of the process. Once my fabric is prewashed and ironed and ready to go, I roll my ink with a brayer.

I then apply it evenly to my block.

I then press the block down firmly for a count of five and lift it carefully straight up while holding the material down.

And I repeat these steps over and over again until my fat quarter is complete.

I printed a second version in hot pink as well!

Doll House: Children's Room

I received an unfinished Colonial doll house for Christmas in 1985 when I was about 11. It was one of those real "dream come true" gifts for me and is still one of my most cherished possessions. It has been all packed up since we moved 5 years ago and I decided that it was time to set it up again. It sits in the sun room now where I sew and makes me smile. Many, many hours of serious crafting went into the doll house from the time I was in 5th grade through highschool. I have no desire to redo the house because I like all the memories I have of creating it just the way it is. And honestly, I am not very different from my 11 year old self so I would make many of the same decisions today. I would like to finish things I never got to though, like trim around the doors and windows. I thought I would take you on a tour, one room at a time.

This is the children's room, shared by two beautiful porcelain dolls.

I made this woven rug for the floor. As I recall, I folded strips of fabric and wove them through twine. Then I backed it to keep everything in place. I still love it to this day.

I used a cheater print that my Mom had to make a wall quilt. I tied it with thread.

I made bedding, again with scraps from my Mom's fabric trunk. I taught myself to make little yo yos and made bedspreads with them.

And because no child's room is complete without toys scattered all over the floor, I made this tiny, tiny soldier out of a toothpick.

And I made a drum. If you look carefully in the full room shot, you can see a little set of blocks that I cut and painted and get this, wood burned. What was I thinking burning wood on blocks that were 1/4" big and that I was holding in my bare hands? I must have gotten some burns but if so, I have blocked that out successfully.
I will be back another day with another room! I hope you enjoyed your tour!

Inspirational Bunting

I know that buntings have been the hot thing for quite some time now but this is the first one that I have made!

I make silkscreen panels that I call "quilting process panels" along with patterns to make mini quilts using the panel (like the mini you see above). Sometimes when I attempt to print a screen it gets botched. There could be too much ink, too little ink, too much pressure, too little pressure, the ink might be the wrong consistency, etc. Often only a few of the words are bad but the rest is ok. I can't just throw away the good words so I have been holding on to them until inspiration strikes. First, I thought of a use for "BASTE."

I made a batch of these pin cushions for all the safety pin basters out there.

Today, I decided to select some coordinating "LOVE" and "DREAM" prints and create scrappy bunting. I paper pieced each flag with an assortment of fabrics in reds, pinks, whites and turquoise.

I think it would be cute in a little girl's room!

Rainbow Leapfrogs and Butterflies

Sure, it took me awhile, but I was good to my word! I now have some handprinted linocut rainbow leapfrogs ready for sale in my shop. I look forward to seeing what you choose to do with them. Perhaps they will be used on bags, pouches, quilts? The sky is the limit!

Speaking of skies...I printed my flying butterfly repeatedly over a fat quarter of prewashed Essex 55% Linen 45% Cotton Blend. I am calling it "Orange is for Monarchs." It feels like spring to me. I think it would make a fine pillow cover.

This is my first attempt at "yardage" using my handprinted designs. I plan to do more. It takes quite a bit of time but it is satisfying.

Mini QT Swap, 3D Theme

The theme of the Mini QT swap this time around is 3D. My partner is Dolores and she said that she would like a mini quilt featuring one of my whimsical dress linocuts. I loved having her suggestion to work with because it made arriving at an idea so easy. Here is what she received today!

I created a piece of a room with some 3D details, such as the folds in the lampshade, the beads used for the lamp base and table knobs, a tiny frame made of cut Popsicle sticks and hung with a ribbon, and of course, a door that opens!

Inside you will find the linocut print. I call this dress "Smocking" and it is hanging on a bead peg in the closet. I embroidered over the details of the linocut at the dress top.

Up above, I added a hat with a bow and a hatbox with an embroidery floss handle, fed through a flat bead. Down below is a pair of Mary Janes. The mini measures 12" square.
It was awfully fun creating for you Dee! I hope you smile each time you pull that button door knob and peek inside!

Just in at Pinked Fabrics

You might have noticed my sponsor button on my side bar. Pinked Fabrics is now sponsoring my blog. We made a little deal. We started talks in her driveway as she put her kids in the car and I was getting back into mine. It was sealed over the phone while we prepared our kids' lunches. We are very serious business partners. :)
Amy wanted me to let you know that she has just received a large selection of brand new Michael Miller fabrics. There are lots of pretty feminine and fun spring/summer prints that would make beautiful little girl's dresses. See the green vine above? That's called "honeyvine in thyme" and it's on my list!

These prints are just so cute for little boys. I love their names too: "honk, honk" and "beep, beep." It's nice to have a source of gingham that is not polyester and super thin. This is a nice weight cotton! Amy also has it in pink and aqua in addition to the lime. I love seeing little girls wearing gigham.

This picture has another two of my top picks. The little diamond print is called "mini harlequin" and it also comes in a pink, orange and white combo. As you know, I love the houndstooth. This isn't the same houndstooth that I used for my quilt binding, but only because it wasn't in yet.
Amy has also added listings where you can make your own bundles without having to wait for a convo and custom listing.
Check it all out right here. Happy shopping!

From My Valentine

I have to brag for just a moment. My husband made me this beautiful box for Valentine's Day. It is made from scraps of bubinga wood that were given to him by a friend. The heart inlay was made from the dogwood tree that grew on our front lawn before we had to cut it down a couple of years ago. He even sketched out the heart shape himself. And if that weren't enough, he bought some buttons on ebay and filled it up! I have been sick for four days now with no end in sight at the moment so this really made my day. I am off to the doctor's now for a bronchitis check. Is it strange that I am almost hoping I have bronchitis because then I can get some medicine at least?

Dance With Me-Take Two!

Phew! I couldn't stand looking at that garish picture of my "Dance With Me" mini anymore. I've been having so much trouble with the camera lately and have blamed it on the weather. As it turns out, he who shall remain nameless, messed with the settings and it was on "dim" requiring way to much lightening in Photoshop and therefore the awful color. So, let me reintroduce my mini.

I finished up a mini quilt for my shop, inspired by my five year old daughter's first ballet lesson this week. I used my linoleum block carving of a dress on a hanger that I call "Puff Sleeves" for the center of the quilt. I free motion quilted around the dress which gives it really nice depth. I added some embroidered flowers at the top with beaded centers. And the words "dance with me" are free motion quilted at the bottom center with a glass bead to dot the "i."

The pinwheels and half square triangles are pieced in some of my favorite pink, yellow, white and green feminine, floral prints.

Look See Pillow Cover

A while back, I carved a linoleum block with the words "Look" and "See." Originally, I used it to make some eyeglass/sunglass cases for my shop.

I wanted to play around with the words some more. Sometimes it is fun to break out and make a bold design and that's what I felt like doing today.
Prior to appliqueing the glasses, I used fusible web to attach two pieces of my handprinted "Look See" fabric onto the pillow front. I quilted the front of the pillow with random straight lines in white thread. Then I fused the eyeglasses and appliqued them with black thread.
The back is a piece of fabric that I hand printed, as well, and quilted similarly. The binding fabric is a home dec fabric in a textured chartreuse.

It is fun graphic image but it can be deep too...do you look or do you really see? Hmmmmmmmm....