Planned and Unplanned Improv; AHIQ 27

Pillows
The small group met and I finished my two improv pillows. Just as planned. They're small and portable, an excellent project when there's not a lot of room to spread out.

Thanks again to Chris English who posted many exciting pillows on Instagram. He inspired me to try my hand at this delightful technique. They look great in the living room and actually coordinate with the bow pillow I made a couple of years ago. {This one was my first sample. Mailed the second one after all the kinks were worked out. AND it looks so much better after I rinsed it again then ironed while it was damp.}

Coordinating pillows for the living room

The backs have a hidden zipper closure so they can be washed easily. The directions came from Chris Dodsley.

Pillow backs with hidden zippers

1. Cutting fabric for the improv pillows
2. Sewing the front of the improv pillows
3. Bow pillow with mattress ticking

Shh. I bought DH a new shirt for Christmas but also plan to return these former shirts to him. It sounds funny to me.

Security
Traveling these days means loads of security checks. I spied a quilt shop when we went out for tacos in Dallas and was amused by their sign:

Dog treat warning sign, Bernina quilt shop, Plano TX

Search and seizure everywhere.

Unplanned Improv
As I was putting the leftover Marimekko binding away my body was suddenly co-opted. Invasion of the Body Snatchers! Cue scary music. Suddenly I found myself opening a box of old household fabric and pulling out:

• One old sundress
• Two vintage shirts from DH
• One skirt
• Three napkins
• Two curtain cutoffs

Then I grabbed remnants from three blouses. {Tiny bits of these appear as petals in A Daisy a Day. Before I knew it everything was cut into narrow and wide coins along with some strings from the scrap bag.

Coin strings cut from vintage and remnant fabrics

After looking at the pile I added a few smidge-bits from the stash. [You know. Not a string but much less than a fat quarter.] One fabric was purchased twenty-five years ago and last used in The Live Oak. Time to finish it off.

What have I done? Completely unplanned. I don't need to start another project right now! This quarter was supposed to be time to finish previous projects and Christmas gifts.

Those dang aliens.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

Kaleidoscope of Butterflies 22, Pillow Progress, and Natural History Museum

How's that for an all-inclusive title?

Butterflies
Although I've seen butterflies here, they've been too quick or shy for photos. My daughter had much better luck at her house where she found thirty or forty Painted Ladies enjoying the daisies. They look like monarchs or frittaries, don't they?

Painted Lady butterflies feeding on daisies

Lots of beauty everywhere. I started more butterfly blocks but trimmed them incorrectly. Fortunately only a few were lost. Unfortunately the parts I lost are the green background which, of course, is the critical path. When it runs out the size of the quilt is set.

Butterfly wing blocks

Until my trimming mistake I'd developed a good rhythm using these as leaders and enders. Obviously I need to pay much more attention before cutting anything. Words to live by.

Enough have been sewn that I'm beginning to have design ideas. The blocks will will take a while to finish. Perhaps they will be done by springtime when their real counterparts reappear.


Pillows
Our bee continued working on the improv pillows. Because it's so small I straight pinned the layers. So much easier than safety pins! The batting is patched together and the backing is the ugliest plaid. Additionally it's a very rough, coarse weave. Yuck. Inside a pillow is the perfect place for it.

Pillow top pinned

The afternoon passed with wide-ranging discussions while I quilted narrow matchstick lines.

Quilting narrow channels on the improv pillow top

Here's the finished pillow top.

Improv pillow top of three vintage shirts
finished with channel quilting in tan.

At the next meeting I'll work on the back.


Museum
I spent my final day in NYC at the Natural History Museum, location of the first Night at the Museum movie.  Teddy Roosevelt is still hanging around the front entrance - inside and out.

Two statues of Teddy Roosevelt,
American Museum of Natural History, NYC

I've been before and knew it could be a multi-day visit so this time I headed straight to the Mineralogy rooms. They are dark; photos don't do the exhibits justice.

There were several cases of gold including fabulous leaf golds. The large one, from the Harvard Mine in Tuolumne County CA, is called the Sonoran Sun and weighs 2539.2g (81.65 Troy oz.) As you'd expect these beautiful examples are worth more than their weight.

Crystallized leaf gold in quartz,
American Museum of Natural History, NYC

Gerhard Becker of Sierra County, CA, carved this Bison from gold in quartz matrix.

Bison, gold in quartz matrix by Gerhard Becker

Not nearly as showy are the evaporites. These minerals form in alkali lakes of the Great Basin region. Who remembers the old TV show Death Valley Days sponsored by 20-Mule Team Borax and partly hosted by Ronald Reagan? Borax is third from the left on the top row.

Evaporite samples at the
American Museum of Natural History

On my way out I saw this ventifact from Antarctica, a rock carved by wind...

Ventifact, a wind-carved rock from Antarctica

and hung out with the barosaurus in the rotunda. Paleontologists are still arguing whether or not she could have reared on her hind legs like this {although it makes a dramatic display}; however, they all agree her young one is actually a kaatedocus. {Kaate- is a Crow Indian diminutive. So her name means "cute little diplodocus relative." Who says paleontologists don't have a sense of humor?}

Barosaurus with kaatedocus,
American Natural History Museum, NYC

We left NYC before the latest incident. My prayers go out to the New Yorkers hurt in lower Manhattan yesterday.

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because it was hacked.

Bunches of Backs and Some Improv

Doubling Down on Backs

All summer long {Beach Boys version here} I've been giddily making quilt tops with no thought to the rest of the work involved. Now reality sets in. Seven quilts in the queue and five were sewn this summer.  Fortunately I picked up several quilt batts on sale.

The next step is to make some backs. The easiest way is to lay the top on the floor and cover it with fabric. Here's a glimpse of the newest five.

Quilt backs ready to pin baste

I have very low standards for backs. As long as the fabric is good quality and the combination doesn't make me sick, it's a go. Older fabrics preferred since this is a great way to use 'em up and move 'em out. {Rawhide!}

Not the most exciting part, but an important step in the process. Now to pin, quilt and bind them.

Improv Pillow-to-be

I've been admiring Chris English on Instagram. Like Kaja he works with vintage shirts but makes pillows instead of quilts. My small group is sold on experimenting with improvisation and, although we probably don't have his exact process, we sure are having fun.

These are three shirts DH "retired", cut into strips: a faded denim-colored corduroy, a plaid, and a solid white. They are all 100% cotton but the white is also no-iron. They mean it. It hardly holds pressing at all. Hopefully, quilting will take care of that.

Clockwise from the lower left: cut shirts into strips, sewed strips into sets, cut and sewed strips together. Stopping now until our next work day.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Crafted Applique Blog Hop and Giveaway (CLOSED)

Today is my turn to share my opinion of {BuzzinBumble} Lara B's new book, Crafted Applique... New Possibilities. She asked friends and fellow bloggers to read the book and make something with her technique. AND we get to give away one of her books to our readers! Keep reading for more information.

Lara explains her applique method and its variations extremely well. It makes using the tiniest pieces possible... without fraying. Just look at Heidi's work on Red Letter Quilts. She made the most detailed circles (for Quilty 365) and then designed adorable reindeer. Wow!

In addition to being so clever, Lara is a talented artist. Her book contains seven unique projects, each in a different style. I love the Mid-century Modern vibe of the camper on the cover but she also has a folk art throw quilt, a realistic moth on a pillow and a sewing machine cover that doubles as a gingerbread house. All the patterns and instructions are included in the book. Take a look at her blog for more project photos and more giveaway chances.

You will want to keep an eye out for future patterns from this talented quilter.

Although you don't see much evidence on my blog I actually know how to applique. I just haven't done much for a long time. Lack of practice made me quite hesitant to draft a design. Several quilts-in-process call for applique so I simply must buckle down. Finally I chose to make a pillow using leftover arcs from my Polka Dot quilt. {Starting small and easy for once.}

I sewed selvedges diagonally to a backing and batt as a foundation. Next I prepped the fabric as Lara taught then laid the arcs in interlocking circles.

Selvedge strings on the diagonal form the base layer, then quarter arcs are arranged on top to create circles on this pillow.

I pressed them with an iron and press cloth then sewed a straight stitch with matching thread on each circle. Here's the finished top - soft, pliable, and fray-less! It will be smaller once I sew the pillow back. I want to keep it but it's promised already. Guess I'll have to make another.

Linked circles appliqued
on top of selvedge strings create this pillow top.

There are several ways to get a copy of Crafted Applique.

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me how this technique will help you. I'll draw one name on June 4 and Lara will mail your copy.
2. Enter a giveaway on one of the other blogs.
3. Order a signed copy directly from Lara's Big Cartel shop.
4. Order a copy from AQS.
5. Order a copy on Amazon. They've already sold out twice.

By the way, the linkup for AHIQ is still active. Take a look at the talented quilters there and consider joining in.

Enjoy the day, Ann

Valentine Pillow

By a bit of luck, I found Sanae's blog in early January where she and Ute were hosting their second Secret Valentine Exchange. We filled out a questionnaire with contact information, favorite colors, and places we posted (Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, blog) which were sent to our secret Valentine. Sanae suggested using our stash to make a present.

My Valentine is a lovely Irish woman who loves mustard. Me, too! Tracking through her photos I saw several pillows. One was made of mattress ticking (I had some leftover from the placemats.) Several others had beautifully tied bows. Suddenly I had an idea.

Bow tie pillow with mattress ticking

The pillow is 16". Since the mattress ticking is canvas-weight, it didn't need to be quilted. The bow is  8" wide indigo and 8.5" wide mustard broadcloth. Both were cut about 18" long to leave room for the gathering. These were sewed into a tube, then turned and pressed so the mustard appears to be a narrow piping. A second, smaller tube made the center of the bow.

ChrissieD had a wonderful tutorial on her blog for a hidden zipper closure on a pillow. Ironing double-sided fusible to the zipper made it the easiest I've ever put in.

Here's a close up of the zipper...

Bow Tie pillow back showing hidden zipper

and a full view of the back.

Bow tie pillow back

Thanks, Sanae and Ute, for a delightful Valentine party!

Enjoy the day, Ann

Pillow Covers and Colorado

We just returned from Colorado - a trip full of friends, family, storytelling and work made easier with helping hands. In the evenings I finished these simple envelope pillow covers using some of the Moda fabric line Hearty Good Wishes. My granddog is quite pleased. ;-)

Pillows using Moda fabric Hearty Good Wishes

Although parts of the state had devastating tornados we just saw welcome rains sweeping across the valley.

Incoming storm

Here's my new favorite monument... to the invention of the cheeseburger. What a significant moment in time. Nowhere but the US.

Monument to the creation of the cheeseburger

Fret not; enjoy the day.
Ann