Back in the saddle again...

or rather, back in the sewing chair. After 6 months of (mostly) baby bliss, I'm back at it. I've been knitting and sewing some small projects here and there. There are a few last-minute, before the baby was born projects to post, too. Bear with me...I don't expect to post as frequently as before, but I would like to keep up this space as a refuge for my creative side.

In Hibernation...

As you might have guessed, this blog is in hibernation. You see, someone important is keeping us pretty busy around here.

Sewing, quilting and knitting have fallen off the priorities at present, but don't worry, before too long I hope to make space for a little creativity. Until then, I'll be reading what's going on in the rest of the blogging world, and enjoying my baby girl.

Happy crafting to you in 2010!

Evolution of a Quilt

Have you ever had an idea for a project and right from the beginning it works better than you imagined?

This is NOT one of those stories...but I hope it will have a good ending.

The idea for my husband's Christmas present was to make a Plain Spoken quilt (from The Modern Quilt Workshop) in the colors of our Alma Mater, black & gold, to enjoy when we watch college sports.

You can see some Plain Spoken inspiration here and here.

Cut, sew and lay out blocks. Wait, these colors look hideous together! Maybe that grey has too much blue in it. I'll replace it with white.

Now the darkest gold looks Texas Longhorn orange. That simply won't do! Maybe I should just scrap the whole thing.

This is the part where I remind myself that I've been quilting enough this year to know that sometimes if I just plug through the project, I might end up with something likeable.

Discard the dark golds, lay out the rest plus a few replacement blocks.

Perhaps I can work with this.

Ooh, here's an idea for the backing.

I like this one more and more.

A lesson to keep on plugging when it seems it won't work out.

Today I'm basting and quilting. To be continued next week...

Ocean memories

I love the ocean.

Nearly every summer when I was a child we visited my aunt, who lived in South Padre Island, TX. She had a fun personality and always made me feel loved. I thought living on the beach all year must be a fantastic way of life.



In the summer of '07, I got to share South Padre with my favorite girl, my niece. She was almost 6 yrs old at the time, and a little timid of swimming and the ocean. When we weren't building sand castles, my siblings and I spent time teaching her how to swim in the pool and encouraging her to dip her feet in the waves. She took off like a fish - I think she may love swimming now as much as I do. Plus, I'm told she likes reading about ocean life and draws pictures of our time at the beach together. So...



With a little inspiration, I thought these Heather Ross Mendocino fabrics (mermaids, squid and fish) were perfect. The backing is an Erin McMorris fuchsia pebble print (think beach sand) that coordinates oh-so-well. It measures 50" square and is quilted with matching thread in each zig zag. A little more effort, but the result is great. See the different threads on the back?



The mustard fabric has a pattern that is a bit too large for the 5" squares, though I like the color contrast. If I were to do it again, I might also add a couple of solids to tone down the busyness. Overall, I like it and it definitely expanded my pattern and color comfort zones. A few more pictures...click to enlarge.



The best part is...I will give this to her in person on Christmas morning. I haven't seen her since that time at the beach. I can't wait!

Quilts of the 1930's

Not to brag, but we enjoyed a perfect NYC day today. After, frankly, a crappy Saturday of rain and high winds, today was a sunny and gorgeous 60 degree day. We ate eggs benedict and crepes at Maison and visited the American Folk Art Museum for the first time. There was a spectacular Lancaster County Amish quilt on display that I examined for 10 minutes. Then, we walked through Central Park (hence the picture of the only two trees we saw with pretty foliage) and visited the Lincoln Square branch of the museum for the special exhibit of RECYCLING & RESOURCEFULNESS: QUILTS OF THE 1930's. This is a wonderful FREE exhibit of about 20 quilts, showcasing recycled cloth and 1930's quilt design. I highly recommend it if you will be in the NYC area before March 15, 2009. If not, check out the pictures on their website - my favorite was the purple-sashed Chinese Fan Quilt and the Sampler Quilt. We topped it off by splitting a delicious Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip cookie at Levain (we'd seen this bakery on the Food Network, and it was surely worth a few blocks out of our way!)

I can't ask or hope for better days than this.

My Sewing Machine

My friend and I were talking about our sewing machines yesterday, so I want to share a photograph and story of mine. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was a teenager. Her Singer 306K was purchased in 1961, because her doctor thought the treadle machine was too much physical stress for a third pregnancy at the age of 35. We giggle a bit at that now, and my mom wishes she still had that treadle machine. But I'm glad to have the one thing I really wanted when my grandmother passed 10 years ago...her Singer. The one on which she sewed me a frilly dress or two, and the one she patiently taught me to sew on.

Although it is not fancy, it does have 6 stitches and is encased in a sewing cabinet that gives me a little work space. Since I've been putting it to the test lately, I've really learned how to fine tune and make it work sufficiently for my needs. I'll have a new machine of my own someday, but life in an apartment means I don't have room to keep both. And this one is sticking around for a long, long time.

Two Dogs and a Quilt

Funny name, I know. On a visit to Salado, TX, in 2004, my husband and I saw a quilt shop named, Three Dogs or a Quilt. We couldn't resist popping inside, since the name perfectly fit our life with three dogs. After moving to the colder, wintry Northeast, the running joke around our house is that we need three dogs AND a quilt to stay warm.

Now it's Two Dogs and a Quilt. Since we lost our elderly dog in December, I've recovered a little free time and have been bitten by the creative bug. I discovered the vast, online creative community and began tapping into this community as a source of inspiration and education.

The purpose of this blog is primarily personal - a creative journal of sorts, a place to post my projects and photographs, solicit feedback, experiment with new ideas and share knowledge. I am amazed by the creativity of fellow bloggers, and I hope that you might find a little encouragement to follow your creative inclinations too.