Stash Confessions

So I was looking through my stash recently, trying to choose fabrics for a new project.  Just looking at the overflowing piles got me to thinking.  How did I acquire such a mis-matched collection?  What did I think I was going to do with it all?

Oh, I know that I have a lot of projects on the back burner and a fair amount of this will get used – if I don’t acquire any more, that is!  Ha – what are the odds!

At one time, I was buying fabric mostly in fat quarters.

And it was useful to have a wide selection for doll costuming.  (These pics are only a fraction, by the way.)  Once I started quilting, I began to purchase one-yard pieces, only buying more when I had a specific project in mind.  Mostly.  OK, so just sometimes!!!

For instance, I bought enough of this pale blue to make curtains in my kitchen, dining nook, and front entry.  And then we decided to do blinds instead!  I don’t remember how much I bought, but I’ve been using it for five years and there are still about five yards left!

A lot of my larger pieces came from my Mom when she downsized.  This one is various shades of pink (darker than the photo shows) and quite pretty.  I have a few things in mind for using this one.

I have no idea why she had so much of this fabric, though.  Well, it’s blue (her favorite color) and cute.  But.  I’ll have to come up with something to use it for (sigh).

And then there’s this jewel.  It was given to me for a birthday or something.  I collect pig figurines and it must have seemed appropriate.  There is an awful lot of it, though.

And just to prove I am my mother’s daughter:

I do vaguely remember this piece.  I think I wanted to make some pillowcases.  But why, oh why, did I get 3+ yards?!?

This is the clincher, though.  I was looking for bee colors - black and yellow – and it certainly fits that requirement!  It was on a bargain table, all or nothing.  This is two yards.  And it was a bargain!!!!

I Had to Try It!

Heaven knows there has been enough snow around here this winter.  And I've been seeing so many posts about snow dyeing.  Well, I had to see if I can do it.

Keeping in mind that I am not really very skilled at things like mixing dyes and such.  In fact, I try to stay away from processes and materials that have CAUTION written in big letters all over the place!  Anything that requires doing some sort of pre-treatment and wearing a safety mask is automatically not my cup of tea!!!

So it's not surprising that the first effort went from the above . . .

. . . to this.  Actually, it's not a bad color of green, just not what I was going after.  For this attempt I used Dyna-Flo paints - which I've used in small pieces before - and a range of fabrics that were not pretreated.

The relative amount of cotton made a difference - with the darkest piece (right, above) coming out of unbleached muslin - but there are very subtle shadings in all the pieces and I do have something in mind for using them.

And no problem - there's still LOTS of snow!!

So during a trip to Michaels, I picked up some soda ash and packets of dye made by Tulip.  Honest to goodness fabric dye!  And I actually mixed up the soda ash and (are you ready for this?) pretreated the fabric!

Once again I used various fabrics.  The pieces above are (left to right) a piece of cotton knit undershirt, man's handkerchief, Shout Color Catcher (from the wash out), and a small piece of polyester blend.

Here is where things get interesting.  This is a yard of white muslin.  I believe it is 100% cotton, although I can't be sure.  These fabrics were pieces I "inherited" from either my Mom's stash when she downsized, or MIL's collection.

This one started out as unbleached muslin - about 2 yards.  These pictures are a little paler than the actual pieces, but not by a lot.  So, yes, the color variations are mostly subtle, but with some bright spots.  I know I can find uses for these fabrics!

So, this was something new for me and, yes, I learned a few things:

• A gallon of water is a LOT of water and it makes a LOT of dye!  Yeeks!
• No matter how hard I try to make it different, fiber content is very important to how the dye works.
• The hotter the water, the more intense the color will be (I know this because it said so on the packet!), so the purpose of the snow is to interrupt the dye action so to speak.  I dipped a cloth in the warm dye and then laid it on top of the snow.  The dye wicked away from where it touched snow.  Interesting!
• I am a total klutz around this type of project.  Snow all over the table . . . salt on the floor . . . red fingers even though I was wearing gloves!  Good grief!

I will probably try this again some time (I have another packet of soda ash and some blue dye), but the snow is melting now so it probably won't be soon.  Now, I need to come up with a project for pink!

Things I've Forgotten

I've been a bit distracted and absent minded lately.  OK, that's pretty normal for me - but this has been more than usual!  What with working on challenges and planning for the holidays and the "project from hell" (more on that below), I have not posted pictures of some of the other things I've been doing. 

Two Creative Studios BOM

You might have noticed the badge for this.  Over there on the right side of my blog.  I joined the 2 Creative Studios ning group that Sue Bleiweiss and Terri Stegmiller host.  We are in the third month of Terri's Block of the Month.  Here is a picture of my first two blocks ... third block to come soon.

I'm a Winner!

Part of the fun over at Two Creative Studios is that they are giving away prizes - and I won!  HOW could I forget to post about that? Here's my loot:

Think of the fun I can have with that fabric!  And Sue makes these amazing notebooks with lovely paper inside.  This is almost too pretty to make marks in.  But I bet I will get over that!

Bookmark Swap

This swap was over quite awhile ago and I teased you with WOW pictures, but never showed off the finished products.  Arrgh!  Well, here they are.  The theme was Art Deco meets Art Nouveau.  These are the ones I sent out:

And here is my set from swap partners Jannice, Edwina, and Peggy:

Postcard Swap

I've been trying to get into a postcard swap about every month.  November's theme was open, so I did a Fall scene.  We have enjoyed watching the squirrels dash around scooping up walnuts this year.

And this is the one I received from my partner Doreen.  She used an embellisher and some stitching to make this lovely card.

Traveling Pages

Another new thing you may have noticed on my blog is the badge for Story of the Traveling Pages.  I joined a group who will be making and swapping pages for a fabric book.  There are fourteen members, so this will be a yearlong project beginning in January.  My theme is "Doors" and I can't wait to see what the talented ladies in this group do for me.  If you click on the badge, it will take you to the blog we have set up.

Why Is This So Hard?

"This" is a very nice pattern from a well-known designer who has a reputation for easy, well-written patterns.  It is definitely NOT the designer's fault I am having a horrible time with it. 

I started the project as a gift for someone for Christmas.  It may still get there, but I'm doubtful.  I had to scrimp and patch to have enough batting and interfacing for this and then nothing fused like it's supposed to.  I have ripped and re-stitched just about every seam.  I've walked away several times.  I think the only reason it hasn't gone to the UFO closet is because that is full already!  My original idea was to make several of these this year.  Since I had to cut out 53 total pieces for just one, THAT IS SO NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!

So, there you go.  With this rambling, picture-heavy post, I should be all caught up.  I wonder what I've forgotten?

A Peek at Our Batiks

My doll club had a challenge this year.  We exchanged 1/8 yard pieces of batik fabric and challenged each other to make a doll using all twelve fabrics!

Here is what my doll looks like:

Meet Yolanda . . . or Yoyolanda, as I like to call her!  As I pondered how to use 12 different fabrics, I thought of using yo-yos.  The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.  I took a head from my "basket of heads" and re-worked the eyes a bit and then started looking for a body pattern.  I found one by Sherry Goshon in Soft Dolls & Animals magazine (Heather in Aug/Sep 2003 issue) and it suited that head perfectly!

From there Yolanda pretty much built herself!  She did not want a lot of bling, and she told me exactly how to make her "real" yo-yo (two shank buttons wired together with perle cotton wound around the center). 

As happy as I am with Yolanda, I was blown away by the dolls made by my fellow club members!  People, we have to have the most talented doll makers in the country right here!  In my humble 0pinion, of course.

These are just some of the finished dolls.  They are all wonderful!  I think we did an outstanding job of choosing batik fabrics, too.  The colors really complemented each other and make for an outstanding collection!

Good job, ladies!  What's next?

Kansas Prairie Shop Hop

 

 

Yesterday I boarded a bus bright and early for a day trip of fabric shopping!  The 2009 Kansas Prairie Shop Hop.

 

Last year was the first time I had ever taken a trip like that and I had a great time.  So, of course I needed to go again this year!  Auntie couldn't go so I went by myself.  I have been meeting a lot of the local quilters  lately and figured I would surely know someone else on the bus.  And I did!  And met some new people as well. 

We all had a good time and there was lots of laughter on the bus.  I can't tell you about the whole day - it would be too much for a blog.  Besides, the first rule of shop hopping is "What happens on the bus stays on the bus!" 

Each year there are block patterns available based on the theme for that year.  This year was stars.  Each of the eleven shops make a quilt using those blocks and each designs a different layout.   All of the quilts were amazing, but I think this one is my favorite.  If I were to make this quilt (which I probably won't) this is probably the layout I would use.

   Each shop provided a goodie bag to shoppers that included the block pattern as well as a quilter's button and miscellaneous goodies.  See that little pile of candy on the left?  It started out much bigger.  LOL!

This is what the buttons look like.  If you visited all of the shops, you would have eleven buttons and several shops had a quilted clock made up of these buttons.  Cute idea!  Did I think to take a picture?  Of course not!

This is part of what I brought home with me.  These are the stash builders.  Things I knew I was going to need and actually had on my list.  I need yellows and oranges in my stash and a couple of neutrals since that pile gets used frequently.  The fat quarters are for a polka dot swap.

And there were other fat quarters, of course.  Sometimes they fill a hole in the stash, and sometimes they just need to go home with you.  I can never resist new fat quarters!

And then, there is this group.  Have you ever been in a store when you heard a wee, small voice saying "Buy me, buy me!"?  No?  Ahem, never mind that, then.  I've learned on past shopping trips that if you see something you really, really like you should go ahead and buy it right then.  Thinking that you will get it the next time you are in <insert city name that you never visit again> is something you will live to regret!  I have no idea what these fabrics will become part of, but I will enjoy looking at them for awhile.  And one day an idea will come along that is perfect for these!

One stop seems to be a requirement for all bus trips . . . Russell Stover!  I think the buses are all programmed to turn off at the appropriate exit regardless of final destination!  Hmmm. Yum!

In fact, I think I need to go sample one of those chocolates right now!  I'll be back later with more fun stuff.

It's in the Mail

I just realized I have been really bad about showing the postcard swaps I've been in!  I belong to a couple of on-line groups that trade postcards pretty regularly.  Sometimes someone suggests a theme and sometimes not.  So here is what has been going on lately.

For this first one, the theme was "Blue".  Ha!  Do I ever have a lot of blue in my stash!  I was experimenting with a fabric technique from Threads Magazine (In the "Master Class" regular feature by Lois Ericson in Issue #140).  It involves laying fabric on a grid (like a cooling rack from the kitchen) and poking the fabric through holes, then ironing a fusible backing on to it.

I made two (as you can see from above), but this is the one I sent to my partner.   You might notice that this is not exactly the same as the first photo.  Why's that?  Well, it's because I ironed the backing on upside down!!!  You know - the part with the lettering on it!  Oooh boy.  Well, it looks good either way - right?

So.  Moving right along.  The next swap was an "open" theme, so I could pick whatever I wanted. 

I started out with lace bits and other snippets for the background.  These bits were mostly left over from Serafina's wings.

Then I found a clipart of bird silhouettes and picked three goose shapes.  These shapes really appeal to me and they made a great applique for the postcards.  After some hand embroidery, I stitched a fringe-y yarn to the edges and there you go! 

Here is a close up of one of these.  I sent one off to my swap partner and the others to a couple of friends for birthday and such.

Now, the real purpose of these swaps is so you receive cool postcards in return!  So what have I gotten?

This one from Debbie S.  Some cool layering and quilting.

And this one from Gina (after a detour of sorts.  Thanks for persevering, Gina.)  Gina does some nifty crazy quilting.

 

One of Sarge's recurring questions is, What are you going to do with this stuff?  In the case of postcards, I have the answer.  I put them into a small photo album - 6x4 inches is the perfect size - and I enjoy looking at them!  Even the album is fun to look at. 

 

All those fibers are from a tag swap I was in a couple years ago.  I keep the album on my worktable and the postcards are easy to leaf through when I need a quick break and/or uplift!

The Book

First I want to thank you all for the encouraging comments on my last post about 2009 goals.  Oh my gosh!  People are watching!!!!  Nothing like a little pressure, huh?

So, for the last little while I've been teasing you with pictures of the memory book I was working on.  Now for the finished work as promised. . . I do try to keep my promises.

Here is how it all came about:

My Dad died this spring, at the age of 90.  We went through so many pictures in preparation for his service that I wanted to do something to preserve the memories they invoked.  So I decided to make a memory book for my Mom. 

In true Liz-fashion, I started gathering pictures, fabric, and ideas - but no deadline!  I even drew up a mud map and had the cover completed (one side) in June. 

 

Now, for most people, if they say they have been working on something for six months, you would think that they have done a bit of work on a monthly or weekly basis and steadily accumulated completed pieces.  Liz doesn't work that way!  Oh no!  I did the cover, then several months later I cut out more pages.  Then I scanned photos.  Then, well, there is always something else to do - "I'll just finish this up first."  You know how that works?  Hint:  it doesn't! 

Fast forward to December.  I now enter into a sewing marathon hoping to have a finished book for Christmas day.  If you have been reading this blog, you noticed that I did not post an awful lot last month - only the aforementioned teasers really.

But I made it!  So, Mom has the book - and I got some wonderful hugs and kisses - and now it is time to share it with the blog world.   There were 18 pages - NOT necessarily in the order shown below (blogger/wordpress and I don't always get along!):

 

I wish you could see it in person.  Photographs do not do it justice of course, and there are too many details to share effectively or efficiently on the net. 

I learned some things that may or may not help me in future projects:

• Preparing a sketch ahead of time really helps!  The "mud map" is what allowed me to do the stitching and fusing in the short time I ended up with.
• It would be easier to plan ahead when choosing thread colors so that you can stitch everything using that thread at the same time.  I must have changed thread six times per page - at least!  And I never exaggerate!!
• Fusing photos and cheap, meltable ribbon on the same page is a bad idea!
• Hand embroidery is fun and a nice touch, but you need to have more time for that.  There's that PLAN word again!
• My Dad would have gotten a kick out of some of the pages.  Wish I'd started a lot sooner.

This project was both fun and stressful.  I worked through some grief and had a lot of happy memories.  I loved experimenting with my sewing stitches and new ways to display the photos.  I would love to make more of this type of book - but not yet!  I have a huge backlog of projects and work to get through now!!!  Not to mention my 6 tasks in 6 weeks list . . .