Jane Sassaman's Idea Book

A Week of Contrasts

2012-01-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

Wednesday I returned from a wonderful teaching trip to Florida. I had workshops in Sarasota, Naples and Lakeland. As always, the hospitality and camaraderie was amazing. One afternoon I got to visit the Naples Botanical Garden and this little display of Air Plants was fascinating!

They were simply suspended on weighted fish lines. Each one had a personality of its own. They looked like weird and wonderful pieces of jewelry.

Needless to say, I was drawn to all the curlicues and spirals... some of my favorite shapes.

Look at the movement in this one! It looks like a wild green whirlwind.

I just wanted to wear them all. There are definitely some quilt ideas brewing from this dramatic display. The sun was shining everyday in Florida, but when I got back home the skies were leaden and grey. What a contrast! But I like contrast, so it was fine with me. It's always nice to be home.

So back in the studio there is lots to do, as the book deadline is coming soon. Plenty of writing and finishing of quilts will occupy my time this month. Here is a new Early Birds top that needs quilting. But look as this great view from my studio window. What a better place to work and play?

You may enjoy the special Valentines blog at Quilt Inspiration featuring hearts "Sassaman Style". Guess I'd better start thinking about some new Valentine ideas for 2012.

Early Bird Napkin Project

2012-01-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

This has been a wild weather week! Wednesday it was 50 degrees and sunny. Thursday it was 15 degrees and we had the first snow storm of the season! But it's all fine with me.

I promised a little project this week, so let's get to it! We are going to make some Early Bird napkins to spice up your dining settings. I had collected some nice colored cloth napkins at an outlet shop with the intent of ornamenting them. I pulled them out the other day, because they were just the right colors to go with the new Early Birds fabric.

To make these pretty napkins with a front pocket, we started by cutting a 9" square from some coordinating Early Birds fabric. Above is Leaf Dance in Lime and below is the Primrose Posy in the Blueberry colorway.

Then we folded it in half, with right sides together and stitched a quarter inch seam, but leaving a hole so we could turn it right side out. Clip the corners.

When it is right side, whip stitch the opening. Then stitch along the long side of the triangle before pinning it to one corner of the napkin and stitch down the two short sides to make a pocket.

So here are a few others that we whipped up...

Very cheerful colors for a cold winter day! These would be lovely for a Valentine's place setting.

Early Birds Pattern Give Away This Week!

2012-01-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

Aren't these the cutest aprons? They are being featured on the FreeSpirit Blog this week. So to read all the details visit their site. This week they will be sharing a free pattern for the new Early Bird fabrics. Also check out the Fat Quarter Shop's blog, the Jolly Jabber, to see some studio shots and read a short interview.

Lots to do in the studio this week. Next week we will post a little home decorating project, so stay tuned.

Another New Year!

2012-01-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! After a busy week of socializing I am exhausted. Having fun has made me tired! I have washed LOTS of dishes and made up quite a few beds. But today is New Year's Day, the wind is whipping through the trees and it is dark and snowing now and then. A good moody day to ease into the long list of projects that need attention. A quiet day for reflection and resolutions.

I have managed to escape to the studio everyday for a little "quiet time" and some quilting. In fact, I have been going in circles... lots of circles. I will show you the rest when it is all finished.

And today we begin to get organized for a new year of positive possibilities. These wonderful file satchels were designed by my friend, Melissa Peda. They are quilted and lined and perfect for the serious fashion follower. They would be perfect laptop or iPad covers, too. You can buy the pattern or purchase them ready made at Melissa's Etsy shop, 100 Billion Stars. These were made with fabrics from the new Early Birds collection. Left, Primrose Posies in the Plum colorway, right, Leaf Dance in Lime and Primrose Posies in Blueberry.

Our new life begins tomorrow. But those leftovers in the fridge still remain!

A Tree for the Birds

2011-12-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

A beautiful dusting of snow appeared over Friday night. Yesterday was delightfully gray... a perfect studio day. After a foggy evening we awoke to bright blue sky and a sparkling coat of frost over everything. It is never boring here!

This week I worked on the new book and did a little holiday shopping, very little. I like to keep the holiday simple, especially after such a busy year. Handmade holidays are always best. Greg found a nice tree, as always, with room for ornaments to dangle. It looked like the perfect tree for birds to nest in. So I went to work making nests.

I went through my scraps and cut random squares of brightly colored fabrics. Then I piled them in loose stacks and free-motion quilted a big spiral in the middle of each one. After that I slashed them all around the edges and popped them into the washing machine.

Next I sent them through the drier twice to fray and tangle the flaps until a grand bouquet of nests emerged.

Melissa Peda made us a bunch of sassy birds for our Early Birds booth at Houston Market, so of course, they will warm all the new nests. After the birds are all settled in we will add the next layer of ornaments.

It's starting to feel like Christmas. Remember to take some time to stitch this week... and bake and wrap...

Jack Frost Arrives

2011-12-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

This week we had our first sprinkling of snow and the chill felt blistering. The scarves, hats, gloves and boots were put into service. I had many good work hours in the studio, but it has been hard to adjust to it getting dark so early.

For this weeks "show and tell" I'm keeping with the holiday color theme. Here are two purses made with the Pretty Perfect Pocket Purse pattern. This is the purse design that I use everyday. It's just big enough for everything I need. These are both featuring fabrics from the new Early Birds collection. Above is the Primrose Posy and the Poka Dots, both in the Strawberry colorway accented with yellow rick rack, red ball fringe and felt balls on the zipper pull. Both bags were made by my quilting buddy Juanita Whiting.

The extra little details make all the difference. The primroses have been free-motion quilted and there is hand stitching around the pocket and top band. She has also enhanced the black fabric with a simple, but very effective, machine embroidery stitch done on the "to die for" Bernina 830. The back of the bag is also black and covered with the same embroidery.

This pattern is fun because the front panel is like a little quilt that you can embellish any way you'd like.
This version uses Prairie Poppy with gentle echo quilting with top-stitching thread. The pocket lining is made with the lime Curlicue design. Ball fringe adds to it's optimistic attitude.

This time we chose a hand dyed green cotton for the top band and back. Juanita used a variegated thread for the machine embroidery detail. Again the hand stitches really give this little bag some class. Wonderful workmanship!

So this is your little dash of seasonal color from the Sassaman studio this week. Next week we hope to feature the Christmas tree decorated with a few Early Bird ornaments.

Thank you, too, to everyone who put in your scarf vote over at the Dragon Threads blog. Looks like the Spiderweb design was the big winner.

Holiday Fair and Fabrics

2011-12-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

The holiday season officially began yesterday with the annual Chicago Waldorf Holiday Fair. Our children went to Waldorf School from preschool through high school and the seasonal fairs were always huge events in our lives. I always looked forward to decorating the greenery for the winter fair and making May crowns for the spring fair.

This year Willow had her own colorful booth to vend her wonderful wares. You can see she has access to the "mother load" of Sassaman fabrics. So I journeyed down to support her enterprise. The pillowcases were a big hit, as always, and quite a few reversible ties found good homes, too.

It was so nice to see many of my old friends and know that the school is still as active and vital as ever.

So in the holiday spirit, I'd like to share these monkey puzzle quilts that certainly have some traditional colors and shapes for this season. I love the simplicity and graphic punch of this quilt pattern. The piece above is made with the two colorways of the Willow Wand from the Garden Diva's collection. The blocks were arranged to take advantage of the linear design of the stems. They were also placed so the light and dark blocks alternate for exciting contrast. This quilt was elegantly quilted by Janice Head of Head to Sew Quilting.

Since discovering this quilt pattern I have made several versions. Here are two sides of a pillow that I've made with this season in mind. They are made with the two colorways of the Leaf Dance fabric in the new Early Birds line. You can see the third colorway in the heading of this blog above.

This design always reminds me of a wreath, so it seemed the perfect way to play with these fabrics, which have Christmas colors but in a modern way. I like how the black background of the print and the solid black surround blend into each other.

I am happy that Early Birds was delivered to many stores this week, so hopefully some of these fabrics will be used for Christmas crafting. Press the button in the right column above to find a list of Early Bird vendors.

My other big news is that my friends at Dragon Threads want to make some beautiful silk scarves from one of my FreeSpirit quilt designs!! They have posted several candidates on their Open Books blog and are looking for your opinion. So scoot over and put in your vote.

A Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

I am nesting in my little house during this holiday weekend. After the big house cleaning I was anxious to add a spark of celebration. A tablecloth is a good place to begin. This year we are introducing a buttery soft laminated fabric in two Early Birds designs in three colorways. Two of them will be perfect for Christmas decorating. This is the Primrose Posy in the Blueberry colorway. The Christmas cactus is right on schedule.

I also thought it was time to update the speakers with fresh new covers. Now they look like bright Christmas presents in the corners. The Zinnias are from the Garden Divas line and all the others are from the new Early Birds collection. Dapper "Basil" is an alley find that has become a family heirloom.

For some reason I am really looking forward to this holiday season. A sprinkle of snow is predicted tomorrow. Ahhhhh....

More holiday ideas to come.

Holiday Brush Up

2011-11-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

Friday was house cleaning day. The dust had gotten pretty deep during all the Houston preparations and I was determined to spiff things up to start the holidays right. So this weekend I'm feeling renewed and ready for the next phase and enjoying the perfect Thanksgiving weather... dreary and dreamy.

Our house is the laboratory for Sassaman designs and it is fun to switch out fabrics from time to time. It's amazing how refreshing a simple change of pillow covers can be. At our house the walls set the scene as each room has a color theme. Our bedroom is turquoise with a pink adjoining bathroom. It has been decorated in the dusky colorway of the Prairie Gothic line from a few years back. But it is time for a change! So here you see a welcome lamp and pillow made with the new Early Birds fabric in the plum colorway.

The lamp shade is covered with the Primrose Posy fabric and trimmed with pastel green bands of rick rack. I like using fabrics with white backgrounds for lamps and curtains because the white still lets light shine through.

I also like to make my pillows reversible to get twice the use from them. In this case, both sides have the same simple layout, but the fabrics have been swapped around. On this side the Strawberry Serenade is in the center and the pretty Prairie Poppy are the corner blocks. The purple Poka Dots border both sides.

This half is a reverse of the other side. Each half is actually a mini-quilt and I entertained myself with the quilting on both sides. I prefer using heavy topstitching thread for all my quilting since it shows up so much better. Well, I guess this means the new duvet cover can't be far behind!

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope you all have a little time to yourselves in the sewing room this weekend, too.

New Goodies To Wrap up the Year!

2011-11-09T06:05:00.000-08:00

This week has been spent cleaning and organizing after the studio mess devoted to Houston Market.
Before I leave for my last teaching gig of the year, we were able to get our two new designs added to the webstore... the new mugs and the Hepburn Apron pattern, too. Hooray! We have also posted my workshop schedule for 2012. It has been an intense couple of months and it feels like we have accomplished a lot.

But the activity isn't over! The rest of the year will be devoted to working on the new book, Patchwork Sassaman Style for Dragon Threads. The designer has sent some sample layouts and they look great. It really makes a difference to be able to imagine it in print. Looks fabulous, YES!

Houston Market Report 2011

2011-11-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

With a sigh of satisfaction and exhaustion, I can show you the results of all our energy for the past month. Here is our Houston International Quilt Market booth for 2011. It is amazing how it all fell together. The booth was designed around the fabulous party dress in the corner. The new Early Birds line has a really nice border print, so I knew it would be perfect for the edge of a fancy garment. We added drama by framing it with some fabulous curtains and adding a coral pink backdrop.

My steadfast friend and super sewer, Susan Tempin, made this show stopper from a current Vintage Vogue pattern. Then she added the icing on the cake by hand sewing a gold sequin in the center of each little daisy. I just LOVE it!

To the left we had a display of Early Birds purses and bags, many made by Melissa Peda from her own pattern designs. You can find them at her Etsy store. The Pretty Perfect Pocket Purses, a Sassaman pattern, were made by the fabulous and enthusiastic Juanita Whiting. The almost whole cloth quilt on the table was pieced by my quilting buddy, Susan Buckingham.

I was lucky to have both Susan T. and Melissa P. in Houston for support and companionship. Thanks to everyone!! Thanks for making the booth such a success. Thanks, too, to all the folks who stopped in for a visit and shared so much encouragement and interest in our new designs!

And the winners are........

2011-10-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

WOW! Thank you everyone who posted a comment on last weeks blog! It reminds this quiet quilter what a delightful community we fabric fondlers have. This morning the lucky Early Birds mug winners were drawn from the soup bowl and they are Rachaeldaisy and Tonya Littmann. Hooray and congratulations!!

Rachaeldaisy has been a steadfast Australian follower of this blog, so it is nice to be able to recognize her loyalty. Tonya is a graphic designer and fabulous art quilter from Denton, Texas. Check out her wonderful dragonfly quilt. Again, thanks to you all for making this drawing so exciting!

Of course, this has been another busy week in preparation for Houston Quilt Market. One of our goals was to have the apron pattern finished and ready to deput. That means the directions and patterns needed to be perfected and photographs taken for the cover sheets. So above is one of the many shots I took this week. The fabrics are from the new Early Birds collection for FreeSpirit. Don't those colors play nicely off the saffron colored walls? We will be posting the apron pattern and new mugs in the webstore directly after Market, so you can see the real cover next week.

The rest of the time has been spent stitching up a storm, designing fliers and attending to all those last minute details. Today I plan to make a market bag with the beautiful new laminated fabrics and bind three quilts. Just 4 more days to make it all happen. Several people have asked when Early Birds will actually be on the shelves... November is the answer. This is great news, as there are some fabrics that will be ideal for the holidays. The next blog will be my Market report.

Early Birds Give Away!

2011-10-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

There has been a dramatic change in the landscape this week! After a week of sunshine and idyllic autumn days, it finally rained and brought wind and cooler temperatures. It's all good weather to me, although I've hardly had a chance to enjoy it!

This was the week for gathering, organizing, packing and shipping all the supplies and booth accessories for my booth at Houston Quilt Market. Too much driving, too many lists and shopping for those little details. This morning I loaded it in the car and shipped them out! What a relief!

You all know what it's like when your sewing machine is beckoning to you but you have to ignore it! This was my week. So in celebration of a job well done, I am going to give you a sneak peek at the new Early Bird Mugs that have just been unpacked.

In fact, I'm so happy to have this assignment completed that I'm going to give away one mug each to two random visitors who leave a comment on this post. The winners will truly be Early Birds and have the first mugs to venture into the world. The design is from the signature fabric for the new Early Birds collection for FreeSpirit.

You can see how much fun this fabric will be to quilt and create with, so I am especially excited to have so many Early Birds quilts to share in the upcoming book, Patchwork Sassaman Style with Dragon Threads publishers.

By the way, did you notice that Dragon Threads was giving away some of my greeting cards, too?

Maybe this week I will get to enjoy my surroundings a little more, but now I've got too many sewing projects to whip up for Market. But that's a much nicer assignment!

The Glorious Mess Begins!

2011-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

These have been sublime autumn days. It is still warm, but we have had to turn on the heat a few times already. The vegetables are pretty much at an end except for the pumpkins and gourds. The flowers are still glowing, especially the hardy dahlias and mums. The zinnias seem determined to out shine them all!

But in the studio the GLORIOUS MESS has begun, as production for Houston Market is in full swing.
We have started cutting into the new Early Birds fabric for quilts, aprons, tea cozies, purses and pillows.
A big part of the fun is making fabric combinations for each project.

Luckily, I have some helpers to give these ideas life. Since the fabric arrived so late we are really having to hustle. We are setting up a moch booth in the corner of the studio to test out our plans. I am even sewing in my sleep, it seems! I'm not complaining, though, since this is the best part of designing fabric... seeing it come to life as fun and usable objects. But time is short!!

All thoughts of the new book have been temporarily set aside. But now is a good time to let you know it is underway and due out this spring. I am so pleased to have Dragon Threads as my publisher for this new venture. We are calling it "Patchwork Sassaman Style" and it is all about using big, bold and beautiful prints. And we will be featuring lots of pieces made with my FreeSpirit fabrics, including Early Birds. I will keep you up to date, as we have lots of ideas to share as the book comes to life. Check out editor, Linda Teufel's latest blog and she will give you some more backgound on our project, including our sunny quilting cruise!

The Early Birds Have Arrived!

2011-09-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

WHOOOOPEEEE! It finally came! Can you tell that I was pretty excited when my box of new FreeSpirit designs arrived on Thursday? It is called Early Birds. Some collections just feel good from the start and this is one of those. So let's open this treasure box and see what's inside.

It usually takes a while to get reacquainted with your designs because it has been months since the artwork went off to the factory. But this time they felt like old friends. Look at those COLORS!

Of course, a mother has to love her children, so I'm biased. This is one of the designs that will also be done in oilcloth (laminated fabric). I see some fabulous tablecloths in the future!

Naturally, you have to stroke and caress each one as it comes out of the box... and then do it all over again as you sort them into their proper stacks. The beautiful hand of FreeSpirit fabrics makes it a tactile feast as well as a visual one. Then you have to unfold them and fondle them some more. Heavenly!

If you would like to see the whole line, visit my website. It is still under renovation, but the fabrics are all posted for your inspection. If you like what you see, pass the word to your favorite fabric store. The fabric will be available in November and they can see it in person at Houston Market, with their Westminster representative or on the FreeSpirit website.

The other nice thing that happened this week was that the October/ November issue of Quilter's Newsletter arrived with my article about designing fabric! And if you go to the Quilter's Newsletter website there is another fun article by my good buddy, Nancy Arseneault. We are both Day of the Dead devotees and there you can see and read about her wonderful new Beauty Parlor de los Muertos Quilt.

So after such a quiet summer the autumn is starting with some nice energy. Let's sew!

Preserving the Green

2011-09-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

As I still wait for the arrival of my new fabric, I have taken time to record some of the shapes and colors around me. The autumn transition has set in and all the colors are beginning to change. The soybeans and corn are turning yellow and the mums are beginning to bloom.

It is ironic that my designing time is in winter when all the inspiration is covered in snow. So these photos are my memory for the designing days ahead. As you can see, green still rules in the garden.

On the quilting scene, I have finally taken the time to prepare some fabric for a portable project. I hate to sit idle and am always happier when I have some hand work. So I spent a day cutting 5" hexagons from freezer paper and fusing them to the backs of the Exotic colorway of the Iris and Bleeding Heart fabric from the Garden Divas collection.

Then I treated the seam allowances with Mary Ellen's Best Press starch alternative and ironed them to the back. In the following evenings, I basted the seams in place and then began to whipstitch them together.

Here are some of the kaleidoscopic results.

Pretty exciting and a bit addictive. The color contrast and the variety of scale make some interesting effects. The next step is deciding how to put them into a composition.

Cross your fingers for new fabric this week.

Sublime Summer

2011-08-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh... it has been perfect summer weather and there is anticipation in the atmosphere. I am awaiting delivery of my new line of FreeSpirit fabrics which will kick off a new burst of activities in preparation for Houston Market. It is the quiet before the storm. A bit like sitting on an egg!

Meanwhile, as I cleaned up the studio getting ready for this new phase, I got a wonderful email from Jean-Sophie Wood. She had her two salvaged wing-chairs reupholstered in the Sweet Potato Vine and Rose Hips fabric from the Prairie Gothic line.

Don't they look striking? If you visit her blog, Sophie Junction, she will tell you all about them. I love their symmetry, especially the arms which are perfectly matched with the leaves and rose hips landing in the same place on both chairs.

This just tickles me! Needless to say, I am delighted to see my designs put to such perfect use. And I am honored to contribute a little color and style to someones life. They also seem appropriate sitting among these gems from the garden.

The garden produce is ripening and the fresh vegetables are a sublime treat. This is the first watermelon that Greg has grown. It is always amazing to watch melons and gourds grow. I love the shape of the leaf on this plant.

Look at the breathtaking network of stems and vines on this zucchini!

The peppers are very HOT and happy this year.

This is our second season to grow okra. It looks so lovely that we hate to pick it, but found that the pods dry beautifully for autumn floral arrangements.

And finally the tomatoes are coming online. What a treat it is to eat these days! This is the inspiration that carries me through the winter.

Communication Breakdown

2011-08-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have just returned from the Twilight Zone. After the big power outage we have been hit with storm after storm. I love storms, but it seems that it can't just "rain" anymore. Lightning hit our Internet tower and we were without a connection for over two weeks... not amusing when you are getting ready for a teaching trip. I really felt disconnected and discombobulated. Boo hoo! This is my apology for being absence for so long. The Internet was down again yesterday, too! So I rushed to get this posted today before something else happens.

It was also 100 degrees and humid during the communication breakdown and we had to begin taking photographs for the new book (more on that later). At this point, I have at least 50 quilts made with my fabrics that need recording and more on their way. So we soldiered on and prepared the studio for a photo shoot.

Greg set up a clever rigging for the lights and I was his assistant. Technology has changed since our last big shoot, so it was a bit nerve racking, especially since I couldn't go on line to get any tips. All went well, however, and we have another batch to do this week. But the weather is cool and lovely, so the studio will be more comfortable and the routine is established.

Here is a stack of quilts awaiting their turn in the limelight. It has really been fun to dig through all these past projects and revisit some of my favorite fabric designs. The book will be a nice record of the past eleven years of designing for FreeSpirit.

I am also making some new pieces for this venture and this is the latest. I am a minimalist at heart, even though some of my quilts are over-the-top with pattern. I quite like the simplicity and starkness of this design. The quilting should be just as clean and clear as the top.

I appliqued the quarter circles to 12" whole blocks and attached then with topstitching. The Willow Wands fabric is from the current Garden Divas collection and the rest of the fabrics are from various previous lines. This is a good design for mixing and matching from your stash. In this case, I used blues, green and pinks for a comforting and cool feeling. It also has huge graphic impact but is easy to put together... perfect for a dorm or baby quilt.

Here are some pillow cases that would be welcome in the dorm room, too. School started here this week and there were scrubbed and bright little kids and their parents on almost every corner waiting for the school bus... such memories.

Next week I'll take you on a tour of the vegetable garden, beware of mosquitoes!

Back to Basics- Three Days Without POWER!

2011-07-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

Oh my, what a week! I had big plans and lots to accomplish, too. So I set out early Monday morning to hit the gym and begin the week energized. A good girl! As soon as I drove off our road and onto the highway the storm began. It was wild! The wind and rain came straight and hard from the west. Leaves were flying through the air. The screaming weather warning came over the radio. But I couldn't turn around for home because the wind was blowing at my back... I would be driving right into the storm.

So I waited out the weather at the gym. Finally things tamed down enough to run a few errands. When I got to Starbucks it was packed. "What's up?" I asked. I was told that all these people were without power. Too bad, I thought, not knowing that our house was without electricity, too.

So for three days we lived like the pioneers. Greg was quite enjoying himself... hauling water and ice, clearing the fridge, collecting flashlights, lighting candles. I'm afraid I wasn't as enthusiastic... no computer, no sewing machine, not to mention the toilet situation. But I will admit it was nice to have a valid excuse to take a little technological break. But everything is up and running now, at least at our house and we're getting back to business. Thank you to all the crews who worked around the clock to make it "light" again!!

So, this blog is brought to you with a little help from my friends. Melissa Peda comes to the rescue again! Here is a pretty little pastel bag made from the Garden Diva fabrics. She has cut the fabric to exploit the symmetrical design. But it is the covered button and closure loop that add the pizazz. It is lined with the same pink fabric as the strap and middle band. Please visit her Etsy shop to see more delightful creations.

This is another of Melissa's recent Garden Diva projects. The kaleidoscope pillow is nicely trimmed with the refreshing green Willow Wand fabric. The simple checked baby quilt is so feminine. Notice the purple backing and the green dotted binding, both from the Sunshine and Shadow line. What a wonderful combination! Thanks, as always, Melissa for your energy and your style.

Hopefully, this week I can start again with that "to do" list!

July 4th Cloth Kaleidoscope Fireworks

2011-07-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

We had our holiday bash on Saturday. The house was dressed for the occasion and Greg had the yard tidied and trim. The place was humming with conversation and pockets of activity. Our move to country was intended to be a refuge for ourselves and our friends and it certainly was the case this weekend with good friends, good food and good times.

So in honor of the 4th of July, I thought I would share some fireworks! But these explosions are fabric creations done in the computer by my quilting buddy, Susan Buckingham. She has a crazy wonderful
design program called Kaleidoscope Kreator. She took three fabrics from the Garden Diva's collection and fed them into the kaleidscope software. The results are stunning.

This is the Exotic colorway of the Iris and Bleeding Hearts fabric. It is very symmetrical so it is a perfect subject for slicing and repeating. Susan applied a ten wedge template and added the blue background to match the background of the fabric. I combined then into a single composition. Look what happened!!

Next she took the Spring Wreath fabric, also in the Exotic colorway, and did her magic. This time, instead of circles, she has kept them in a square format and used an eight wedge template.

I added the black background which looks like sashing on a quilt and really makes the colors dance.
I especially like the way the daffodils and daisies interact and change the texture from one frame to the next. So many possibilities!

It's hard to pick out a favorite block! The Zinnia fabric in the Peacock colorway was her next test. Also a symmetrical design, with a black background and lots of potential for play.

She really had fun with this one. She used an eight wedge template again and added color around the circular motifs. I put them into two groups so you could see all the variations.

Unbelievable! The graduated colors in the flower do some grand things. The whole group has such a fresh and lively energy. Now check out the turquoise collection, below.

My favorites are the ones that incorporate the stems and leaves because they create more variety and movement in the composition. Of course, the obvious application of these wonderful designs is for quilting. My brain is scheming and my fingers are itching to begin a new kaleidoscope project.Thank you, Susan, for your effort and inspiration. What a wonderful way to start the week!

Hot Summer Colors

2011-06-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

Whew! A busy week here in the studio. There were lots of great rainy and gray days to take advantage of. But this weekend has been mostly sunny and Greg is out sprucing up the yard for the holiday celebrations. Every time I look outside there seems to be more flowers than before, like these mossroses, which are a yearly tradition.

My favorite hot color combination of red and yellow seemed to be the theme for the week. First, my wonderful helper, Susan, came over to dig through my major stash of vintage Sassaman fabrics because she had a project in mind.

A few days later she called to say she was coming over with a "very colorful surprise". Holy cow!!! This is a Vogue pattern by well known designer, Koos van der Akker. I first became aware of his wonderful couture clothing from the Dragon Threads book, Koos: Couture & Collage by Linda Teufel. He loves to mix fabric prints in unexpected combinations and his clothing designs are always opulent and exciting.

All of these fabrics are from Jane's Floral Fantasy, a line I did for FreeSpirit around 2004. You may have some of it in your stash, too. Susan has arranged them in a masterful
composition. I really like how the blue is carried throughout and adds a lively contrast to the red and gold. Notice, too, that the lily print is repeated for continuity.

This is a three piece ensemble... harem skirt, cowl blouse and cummerbund belt. The skirt is actually reversible and continues on up inside and given a little twist to create the full ballooned edge. Clever!

The blouse has a cool cowl neckline and gathered shoulders. It is lined with very sheer, almost see-through, fabric to help it hold it's shape.

The belt is really interesting, as it is made of strips of fabric sewn in diagonal rows and then into a tube. Then the tube is folded like a paper fan and stitched at both ends. I wish I'd thought of that!

But, oh, such a perfect outfit for a garden party. I can just imagine Doris Day wearing this with red hi-heels. Perhaps we should name our mannequin Doris, as she has the most fun in the studio.

It seems that red and yellow was the theme in Melissa Peda's San Diego studio this week, too.
Here is a fabulous baby blanket made with my current FreeSpirit line, Garden Divas. I appreciate that someone else shares my colorful infatuation! This checker board quilt of 6 inch squares is very basic quilt construction, but the results are extraordinary. The checks are made from the Daisy Check fabric and the Zinnia fabric, both from the Exotic colorway. I find the simple repeat very satisfying and love the electricity created by the blue border. And that little bit of red iris blends the body and border together beautifully. As always, Melissa, thanks for sharing your vision with us!! Lucky baby!

It is uncanny how often Melissa and I are on the same fabric tangent! This is one of my projects this week using some of the exact same Garden Diva fabrics. I have to admit to really liking the Zinnia fabric with the red background, even if I did design it. Sometimes a mother has favorites. So here it is in an ocean waves quilt.

I started with a 10"(finished) zinnia medallion and then made blocks with 10" half square triangles. The blocks are made using three fabrics... Willow Wands (pastel), Lively Silhouette (blush) and Picnic Checks from the Prairie Gothic line. They are arranged to create the illusion of transparency by alternating pink and red blocks. The border repeats the Zinnia fabric again. I think the overall look is kind of old fashioned farm house... comforting, fresh and summery.

The back, however, is another story. But it is still keeping with this weeks color theme. I always like to do interesting backs so I get two quilts in one. I try to coordinate colors and attitude. I just could not resist
this fabric combination. Again, it is from my stash of treasured fabrics and it turned into a lively piece. It reminds me of circus posters, summer days, pedal-pushers, red PF Fliers and bikes with handle fringe.
In fact, like the 4th of July! Have a great holiday!

Garden Divas in the Rain

2011-06-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Last week I got to visit one of my favorite cities, Portland, Oregon, for a few days of class with the talented Columbia Stitchery Guild. I love everything about Portland... the weather, the shopping, Powell's Bookstore, the gardens, the architecture, the galleries and museums. This glorious tree is at the amazing Japanese Gardens.

Portland is, also, the hub of the modern crafting movement and host to many creative events for crafty entrepreneurs. One day after class I was treated to a visit to the Portland Craft Museum. There was a intriguing show about weaving and as we wandered upstairs we notice a great activity in their classroom space. About two dozen people were sewing, either by hand or machine. A group was sitting around a table and all free-style embroidering on a single large table cloth. Others were stitching up quilts. They were all participating in a Craft Party to create quilts to send to Japanese disaster victims. The event was sponsored by Etsy. I felt honored to be a small part of this crafty momentum.

Upon my return, my friend Linda Teufel, editor of Dragon Threads and fellow Bernina Artisan, came for a visit. It's such a novelty to see your teaching fellows and not be "working", too. When I picked Linda up from the airport, she was easy to spot because she was dressed in Garden Divas!

She made two of these wonderful shirts... one for herself and one for me, too! The pattern is from Indygo Junction and called Mismatch Medley. It is a perfect way to feature several favorite fabrics at once.

I really like the way she has sprinkled the pink and turquoise throughout with a base of black to hold it all together. The edges are serged, which adds some extra detail and texture.

Even the sleeves are different fabrics. This looks great with a pair of slim black trousers or capris and summer sandals. It looks right at home among the flowers in the garden, too!

She let me choose the fabric combination for my shirt and I decided to stick with a conservative blue, black and green pallet. The results are far from average, though. It even looks wonderful with jeans!

Thanks, Linda! As always, it is delightful to see the fabric put to such good use!

Too Hot Outside-Cool Projects Inside

2011-06-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

It has been way too hot for the first week of June! It is so hot that Gardner Greg is overwhelmed by noon, but tries his best to make slow progress. So much to do! I, however, head straight for the studio where it is nice and cool and enjoy the garden through the window.

I can see the first peony blossoms and the day lilies glowing through the dappled sunlight. I see the iris are very happy and the strawberries are claiming more space, as always. Ahhhh... the best of both world!

Since we have begun with a pink peony this week, let's continue with the color pink. Here is an extremely pink beach bag designed and made by my friend, Melissa Peda, proprietor of 100billionstars,
an Etsy shop. Melissa has a great instinct for using "personality" prints and shares her talent with several fellow FreeSpirit designers. Since I design the fabric to be beautiful straight off the bolt, I am always happy to see it in "full flower". Melissa has successfully combined several fabrics from the Garden Diva line (Dragonfly Moon and Willow Wands, above) in this cheerful project.

She even had fun with the lining of the bag. I like to have bright linings in my purses because it is so much easier to find things... but this lining will make you smile, too. It is just so much FUN! The main body of the lining is Spring Wreath, with a pink pocket of Lively Silhouette fabric and a key case in Willow Wands, again. Very refreshing on a hot afternoon!

My personal project this week had just a tiny bit of pink. Turquoise ruled in the studio. I have a heartfelt project to make as many simple, but dramatic quilts from the Garden Divas fabrics as possible. I am very fond of this line and feel it has some designs that are "pure Jane", so I want to share it's full potential with all of you.

As you know, I love very strong and graphic designs. This is probably one of the reasons I was so attracted to quilting, in the first place. And I love the rhythm and excitement created by hard edged repetitive motifs, as in Amish quilts. Plus BLACK is another favorite for creating drama in a composition. So this quilt has it all.

The main block is fussy cut from the Lively Silhouette (Aqua) and the supporting block is made with solid black and the Daisy Check in the peacock colorway. I think it is an elegant combination. I cut the Silhouette block so the black part of the design was concentrated at the bottom and would blend into the smaller black squares. But the Lively Silhouette comes in six colors and they would each made a fabulous version of this quilt, although the moods would be totally different.

Notice the tiny pink dot in the checked fabric above? So now we have come back to PINK. In fact, I think this quilt should be quilted with pink thread. YES!

Rainy Days in the Studio

2011-05-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

It is so suddenly GREEN here that it is like living in the Emerald City in The Land of OZ! And so many kinds of green. There has been nothing but dramatic weather... wind, rain and tornadoes (lions and tigers and bears, oh my!) Several neighbors just over the hill had many trees uprooted and snapped in half. I am constantly reminded of the persistant power of nature.

Yesterday morning it was rumbling and the sky to the south look ominous as we hopped in the car to visit the Hosta Fest in Fontana, Wisconsin. We packed our cameras and a big umbrella. The clouds followed us there and a light rain began as we arrived. But the rain only made the greens brighter and the devoted hosta fans were not deterred. Acres of hostas! It was fabulous! A wonderful study in GREEN.

It was pouring rain when we left the arboretum, so I headed straight to the studio upon our return. It was so dark that I had to turn on the overhead lights, which I rarely have to do in the daytime. But a rainy day in the studio is a heavenly day! I had been working on two new quilt tops in the Garden Diva fabric based on simple 6" squares, so I jumped back into production.

This quilt is a simple check or 9 patch design. The blocks have been fussy cut and arranged to create a plaid pattern with alternating light and dark rows. The dragonfly block is the glue that binds it all together. Instead of focusing the block on the dragonfly moon, I chose to crop the design to concentrate on the negative space between the characters. This black space makes a big X, which in turn creates diagonal lines, which isolate the new motif that appears.

Here you can see the individual squares, 6" finished. It is always satisfying to discover a new and dynamic pattern with such basic shapes. The fabrics are so different in design, yet combined so successfully. I love it when this happens!

Here we go again! When I am on a roll it is hard to stop so I kept on with that 6" square. This time the squares are on point and the composition radiates from the center. Red and yellow are one of my favorite color combinations, so I started with blocks of the Exotic colorway of the Zinnia fabric. From there I tried to blend the colors with each new row of fabric. A red and gold square next to a blue patch with a bit of red and gold, then blue squares with gold and pink next to a pink patch with a tad of yellow. The pink and red checks signal the transition to a border and the border echoes the movement and color in the body of the quilt. The corners are mitered to continue the diagonal movement.

The blocks are easier to see in this close-up. This piece is so wild that I had my doubts during the process. "Jane, you are over the edge here! Are you really going to put those wild fabrics next to each other?" But luckily, I listened to the fabric instead of my doubt and the piece turned out great.

Today the sun is shining and it is already hot and humid. The corn will be pleased and I am happy to spend the holiday cleaning the studio and making space for the next project.

Spring Cover Up

2011-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

The spring weather is been as unpredictable as always. It was actually too hot here for a few days and I was forced to fold up my winter uniform and switch to some cooler clothes. This is never easy for me, because I am not thrilled to have to take off my protective parka and expose my winter body to the world. So I need to ease into the hot weather gently, uncovering my soft and glow-in-the-dark limbs in gradual steps. So this smock pattern is a perfect piece of transitional clothing. It is light weight, covers almost everything and is colorful and fun to wear.

This is the pattern. I saw it years ago, but never owned it. In the mean time, it went out of print! So I went on Etsy and found it again. I like to find patterns that can be made over and over again, as I tend to have seasonal uniforms ... the same pattern in many colors, just makes life easier.

I like everything about this pattern, the square neckline, the double pleats in the back, double pockets and the turned up cuffs. Plus we could use Sassaman fabric, too. I wear them with a complimentary colored shirt underneath. There is something rather old-fashioned about it, that appeals to me, too.

This version is especially nice and a bit more formal, too. These were made by my helper, Susan. She is a whiz at garment sewing. She is also the one who added the wonderful buttons. Black leggings work with all of these and I think a black pencil skirt would be cooler and look good, too. But I'm working up to that!

Here you can see the lining and shoulders done with the Bleeding Heart and Iris fabric. All of the printed fabric is from the Garden Divas line. The solid fabrics balance the fancy fabrics, so they aren't too overwhelming.

But in this version we let the prints take over and I love it! Exuberant and exciting. It's right up there with your "rat pack"leopard prints. Kind of retro, in a 1960's way. If this was oil cloth, it would make a dynamite raincoat, too.

The cheeky blue buttons add some electricity and attitude. So perhaps now I can ease into spring and work up to a cooler summer wardrobe. PS... all these photos were taken in the new studio. The saffron
colored walls look great with everything.

New Zealand Travelogue

2011-05-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping that you've missed me, but in any case, I have been visiting with New Zealand quilters since April 16. My first stop was in Queenstown for the Remarkable Symposium, an annually traveling event hosted by regional quilters for visiting quilters around New Zealand and Australia.

This is my third trip to Queenstown and I feel so lucky to be invited again! The symposium is called after the mountains that surround the area, the aptly named "The Remarkables". Although it was spring when I left home, it was autumn in New Zealand. The flight into Queenstown was an amazing blaze of color with the mix of bright gold and red deciduous trees against the dark evergreens.

In Queenstown you are always wrapped by mountains and water... so beautiful, but nearly impossible to capture on camera. We arrived in late morning and dared not take a nap, lest jet lag get the best of us. So I headed for the park that I had enjoyed so much before. This was my first autumn exploration, but all my favorites were still there... the giant monkey puzzle trees, the pond, the bowls ground and the roses. It was school holiday in New Zealand, too, so lots of families and students were romping and enjoying their autumn vacations.

One morning we awoke to snow on the mountains in the distance. Thank goodness I packed gloves and ear muffs. You could smell wood fires burning on the way to the classroom in the morning and back home in the evening.

I conducted three workshops at the symposium and each one produced some wonderful work! Below you can see examples from the Kaleidoscope class, the Shape Shifting class and the Pattern Play class.

Then on Easter morning I began a two day road trip, with my adventurous companion, Anne, through the Southern Alps to Takaka in Golden Bay. It was a wet trip and the clouds sifted through the jungle of dense dark foliage on the steep rocky walls around us. I kept thinking of the haunting opening of Aguire, Wrath of God, Warner Herzog's memorable movie about conquistadors in the Amazon jungle. So that sound track was my companion, too.

My first peek down the other side of the mountain into Golden Bay was obstructed by clouds, too, but it was still an inspiring sight!

Golden bay is a beautiful, pristine and idyllically isolated spot on the northern coast of New Zealand's south island. There is only one road in and out and it's extremely steep and convoluted. Golden Bay sits on the Bay of Tasman, surrounded by water, mountains and green fields and my hosts had a fabulous view of it all! Later that day, the clouds began to lift for a beautiful sunset.

The plush green pastures were sprinkled with grazing cows and sheep. Even in town, there was always some livestock within a block or two. It amazed me that the animals stay outdoors all the time, year round, unlike here where they go into the barn at night. So logical!

Things grow like mad here, too! I visited a student's lovely garden who must have had 20 varieties of fuchsia, plus apples, avocados, oranges, hydrangeas and more!!

What wasn't green in Golden Bay was rocky, VERY rocky. Tramping (hiking) and climbing is a favorite pastime. It was a bit damp and cold, but we went on a little tramping adventure one morning between the rocks, boulder and exotic vegetation. This narrow passage made me feel like Indiana Jones.

Even though I would have loved a longer visit, it was time to move on. Back over "the hill" to the Nelson airport and a flight to Christchurch. It was a short but dramatic trip over the snow dusted mountains.

Then a two hour drive with my new hostess to her quaint little store, Obsession 2 Quilt, in Temuka. Temuka is noted for their pottery, their carrots and bagpipes... home of the New Zealand Bagpiping Champions. Love it! There were some nice old homes and buildings there, too.

The class in Temuka was small, but very talented. They inspired me with their hard work and unique vision.

It was difficult to believe three weeks had passed and it was time to head back home. My flight was late in the day, so my kind hostess took me to see the botanical gardens in Christchurch. The city is still recovering from a series of devastating earthquakes that hit hardest in the lovely old part of the city, but caused damage for miles around. Church steeples lay crashed on the ground and piles of brick and stone exposed the innards of buildings. But scaffolding and protective fences were evidence of rebuilding and renewal.

The large park that held the greenhouses and gardens was a quiet, restful and rainy refuge in the middle of the shaken city.

It was dark when I boarded the plane for Auckland, where I transferred for the twelve hour flight to LA. In LA there was a two hour journey through customs and a change of terminals before the four hour flight to Chicago. I arrived at O'Hare at midnight and I had been gone so long I felt like a visitor, instead of a native... a newly confirmed citizen of New Zealand. So 32 hours after leaving my hotel room in Temuka, Greg picked me up with Korean "takeout" and a smile! After the hours drive home, I ate dinner at 1 am and hit the sack around 2. When I woke up it was spring again!

Home again, home again, jiggity jog! But home again as a big fan of New Zealand and it's gracious and resourceful quilters!

Setting your Easter Table

2011-04-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's not too early to begin thinking about your Easter gathering... the guest list, menu and decor. A festive table setting is a good place to begin. Goodness, I'm sounding like Martha! But I can't deny that the Garden Diva colors are well suited to spring celebrations.

When I decorate for the holidays, I always begin with a seasonal tablecloth to set the mood. Here we have created a light and lively table covering using the pink Dots as the center panel and the pastel Daisy Checks as a happy border. The corners have been finished with an elegant miter and for fun we have added a drop of our favorite felt dingle beads... the cats will like these, too!

After the tablecloth, we can add the colorful accessories, in this case our Fiesta ware place settings and Garden Diva napkins. It is not important that each place is exactly the same, in fact, I prefer just the opposite. I like to mix and match. A variety of napkins in the same color family is fine, no two really need to be alike. The plates and cups, too, are more entertaining if they are color mixed. The Tea Cozy and Reversible Party Napkins are both from our Pint Size Pattern series.

Seasonal events are always family occasions and pretty casual. But there are often new guests who have the overwhelming task of remembering 25 new names, so place cards could relieve some of their stress. And a place card can add a bit of class to any event, so I have designed a free place card that you can download and print for your own holiday table. Just print, cut and fold.

We have also designed a simple basket liner/ bread warmer that you may like to stitch up for your party.
It has the advantage of being reversible. The two layers keep things extra warm as well as offering a bit of colorful contrast.

Here it is reversed. I love the pure white eggs on the dark fancy Iris and Bleeding Heart fabric. Below the liner is flattened, so you can see the pattern. It is almost a square, but the corners are slightly rounded and there are half circle bites taken out on every side.

The topstitching finishes it off quite nicely. So as the spring settles in and Easter plans are underway, don't forget to down load your free place cards and be sure to make some time for seasonal crafting.

Have a Heart!

2011-04-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I received a handful of emails from Denmark and they were all looking for the "Heart" fabric from the Paradise Garden line. What was happening in Denmark that was creating such a demand for a fabric from several seasons back? I finally learned that there is a talented young clothing designer, Celine Hallas, who was featuring the heart on her refreshing series of little girls dresses!

So, her fans were searching all sources to find the illusive fabric. You can see more of her wonderful work at her blog, Strawberry Flavor. You can have Google translate it into English. Not only is the clothing colorful and fun, but the photographs are stunning, as you can see!

I get many requests for fabrics from past lines. Sometimes I have some in my collection to share, but not always. Even I run out of some designs, so if you see something you like on your vendors shelf today, it is best to buy it before it's too late... and buy lots of it!

But the lack of the "perfect" fabric never stops the creative sewer! It simply forces a new solution. After all, why do we love the old quilts so much? It is because the makers were doing with whatever they had on hand and the results were often odd, but fabulous!

So I decided to play with the heart motif and my current line of fabric, Garden Divas. Each heart is placed on one of the Daisy Check fabrics, since checks are a classic design for children's clothing and suggests innocence and joy.

I added an extra outline around each heart to add definition and sometimes a little contrast or drama, too.

Each combination has it's own mood and attitude. But each group is quite feminine and could easily be used for any young girls's accessories... bedding, curtains, quilts, etc.

I love red, yellow and pink together, so the red checks really speak to me. This combination is especially effective with the repeat of the dragonfly motif in both prints.

Symetrical prints are well suited to the heart shape. I tried to fussy cut the print to echo the movement of the heart. The Lively Silhouette fabric had several design groupings to focus on and the Iris and Bleeding Hearts really fill that space nicely.

The abundance of flowers and critters would also make fitting elements for your Easter decor... table runners, napkins and placematts, too. I hope these hearts have given you a few new ideas for using those "personality" prints.

My sewing machine was just tuned and cleaned and I'm ready to sew! So let's go!

Palouse Patchers

2011-03-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a marvelous teaching trip in Moscow, Idaho for the Palouse Patchers Spring Fling. The Palouse is a stunningly dramatic area of the country of giant velvety hills and valleys. Trees on the Palouse are few and far between and the sky puts on a show all day long.

The Patchers really made me feel special. At the opening event every place was set with a swatch of Garden Diva fabric and a lovingly crafted fabric flower brooch. The centerpiece on each table was a tiered plate filled with colorful cupcakes.

The next two days we had class in Moscow's handsome community center. The girls in class were good sports and cut into their Sassaman fabrics, even though they didn't know exactly what would happen. Here are the awesome results of Friday's Kaleidoscope class.

I am delighted that they are all so different. Each one has a distinct personality. We didn't have time enough to work on borders, but you can still see the beginnings of some exciting quilts.

Some students used 45 degree triangle templates, some used 60 degree ones and others did their own "thing". I never get tired of the surprising relationships between the different fabrics, especially when they seem to blend in and out of one another.

It is also interesting what depth the black fabrics create. In many of these pieces there is an underlying organizational principle like "mirror image", "light to dark" or "alternating". Keep scrolling down to see the rest. You may be inspired to try a "kaleidoscope" of your own!

Thanks, Palouse Patchers for your enthusiasm and your hospitality! I look forward to seeing your completed quilts one day soon... hint, hint!

The Kaleidoscope Experiment Continues

2011-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it is inevitable but the spring changes are beginning to appear. This is the same enthusiastic crowd of little snowdrops that herald the new season every year. We even have some tulips and daffodils stretching their pointy little fingers toward the sun.

I continued to do a little more play with the kaleidoscope pattern and the Garden Divas fabrics. You can refer to the previous blog for the basics, if you missed them. This tine I used the Spring Wreath fabric for the central star and the border. The Wreath fabric is so busy that the emptiness of the Willow Wands fabric give the quilt top some needed breathing space.

Here I have digitally added black borders which give the composition some muscle and punch. This would be my preference. The black outline defines and focuses the wild prints.

Again we have the exact same diamond and border fabrics, but we have switched out the corner squares
and triangles (surrounding the star) for the Iris and Bleeding Heart fabric. This substitution added some extra movement by suggesting circles of bleeding hearts. Pretty interesting.

So now we have added the black borders again. It is amazing what those borders do! Again it tames the business and focuses the best parts of the composition. This has been an entertaining experiment, but so far I have just used fabrics with black backgrounds, which always makes thing rich. Next I am going to try some pastels and see what happens!

One Pattern, Two Looks

2011-03-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

This time of year seems to inspire everyone to regroup and get organized and this was my direction this week, too. Greg varnished and installed the new studio shelves and I filled them with fabric. My helper, Susan, cut bolts of fabric for kits and bundles to take to class. I reorganized the studio space in to new task areas, including a zone for shipping and packing.

But during the whole time, the Garden Divas were competing for my attention. This was not the time to begin a large quilting project! But, hey, a "little" one would be OK, right? So I got out my favorite template, the Fast 2 Cut Fussy Cutter Diamond Ruler designed by Jan Krentz! This is the perfect ruler for symmetrical prints and that's why I have used it for almost every collection. The results are always fabulous.

In the first quilt top the construction is obvious. You can see the diamond, the 9" square, the half square triangle and border. The design is very clear despite the patterned fabric. The colors and simplicity remind my of Delftware ceramics.

The second top is exactly the same, except the squares and triangle have been substituted in another fabric. The effect is very different. Now we have a kaleidoscope that blends and flows through colors and textures. The pattern pieces totally disappear. The composition looks more sophisticated even though the piecing is exactly the same.

This is an exercise worth continuing. I think I will try it in some different colorways and see what happens.

All Tied Up

2011-03-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

This week I heard the first Sandhill Crane, a sign that spring is truly in the wings. I also shipped my new fabric designs to Westminster and found the perfect shelves to store fabric in the new studio. The giant work wall is installed and covered with white paper. A little progress occurs every day.

But after so many months of designing exclusively with paper, pencil and computers I am feeling a desperate need to fondle some fabric and sit at the sewing machine. It is always best to warm up with a smaller project, so this week I am showing off these fabulous new bow ties made with Sassaman fabrics past and present.

Oh, that feels better! These are "mood altering" accessories! You can't be crabby when you wear one of these happy ties. Now I can pull out my Illinois Album quilt, the one with the salamanders, and begin quilting the borders. This week I will also be visiting the Heritage Quilter's Guild in Lockport, Illinois. It is always a treat to have work so close to home!

Back in the Picture

2011-02-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, I will admit it! I have been hibernating in the studio since my return from three delightful classes in Florida! My flight left O'Hare the day of the biggest blizzard of the century. It was a tense day all around. But my flight managed to take off before the worst of it, so the rest of the trip went as planned.

But after three weeks on the road, I was way behind in my fabric designing schedule! So I've had to put in some mega concentration to get the new line finished by March 1. I'm very happy with the results and have been printing the designs for shipping on Monday. I seem to measure my life by projects and it is always an exciting time when one goal is completed and another venture begins.

But there has been another project brewing during my absence! My Greg is the energy behind this adventure and I was a willing, but quiet supporter. But now that it's finished, I'm grinning from ear to ear!

My studio is connected to the garage and a large screened porch. Here you can see the garage is just a door away. Since we don't have an attic or basement the garage was filled with everything but cars. So Greg moved all the "stuff" into the porch, which we don't use much anyway, so we could turn the garage into extra studio space!!!!

Here is the cold day the door came down and the new wall was installed.

Windows came next, east and south. Basically, we are replicating the existing studio, but in reverse, as the windows are on opposite walls. Lighting and saffron colored paint made a huge improvement and laminate flooring finished it all off.

The new view looks like this! Pardon the mess, but many displaced objects are being parked in my room as we look for shelves and tables to fill the new work space.

Can you believe it? Now I can spread out!!! Time for a trip to Ikea.

Quilting in the Desert

2011-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

My teaching year was launched in an ideal way at Quilting in the Desert last week. It was a gentle way to break from the recent weeks of concentration in the studio. The excitement and sense of anticipation was contagious. I taught three classes and, as always, am delighted with the students willingness to try some new techniques.

The Abstracting from Nature workshop was three days, just long enough to really make some progress. Nature is our theme and I was thrilled that Betty Gilliam decided to use the Venus Fly Trap as her subject. There have been many Sunflowers and Morning Glories, but this was a first! I'm jealous!!! Her interpretation is quite effective.

Jan Sheets did this very clean and graphic interpretation of a Poppy. Here is a picture at the "cropping" stage. Her plans are to substitute a few areas of background fabric with different black prints to add some depth and interest. Quilting will really be fun in all those big areas of color.

It is interesting how the surrounding environment affects every ones choice of subject. When I taught in Japan, many students chose familiar and traditional Japanese plants for their theme, like the cherry blossom and chrysanthemum.

Here in Phoenix the desert plants were common choices. Sharon Brooks worked on the Bird of Paradise in class. This flower is always a challenge because it is so simple to begin with... Mother Nature has already stylized it.
I enjoy the way she has condensed the orange petals into a single piece and used the unexpected turquoise to improve her composition.

The scale of each project is as variable as their themes. Becky Schroeder's Shooting Star, below, grew quickly and is at least five foot tall. The gradation of blues in the background works quite nicely. The stem fabric proved to be the toughest challenge and changed throughout the process. Then in the last half hour they changed again to a rusty wine color, which seems to be the winner.

So I'm back at home for a few days before I leave for classes in Florida. As always, my students have encouraged and inspired me, too! I will be full of ideas and energy when I get back into the studio again.

Naturescapes Winner!

2011-01-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

Wow! Thank you all for your positive response to our first gift give away! It is nice to know who is actually checking into the Idea Book and to know there is a real audience out there. The winner of Noriko Endo's lovely new book, Naturescapes, is "momto2wasd"! Congratulations!! We are planning to do this every few weeks, so stay tuned.

While you were enjoying Noriko's work, we were enjoying another snow storm, so now the landscape is white and gray again. But here in the studio the colors are as brilliant as ever. The pastels have been irresistible this season, which is an unusual attraction for me! I was one of those women that rejected the color pink for many years. It seemed like a frivolous and airheaded color. But now I feel differently! Now I see pink as extravagant and heart achingly optimistic.

Pink and green is always a refreshing combination, so here I have teamed two fabrics
( Lively Silhouette, Blush and Dragonfly Moon, Peacock) from the Garden Divas line for the Reversible Party Napkin pattern. The coordinating Button-Down Napkin Ring is made with the Dragonfly Check, as is the old fashioned styled tablecloth. The English Tea Cozy, another of our Pint Size Patterns, teams up the Lively Silhouette, Aqua with a finishing band and yo-yo with the Dragonfly Check again.

Yes, optimism is the mood this week. I think this is a very pretty combination and I really enjoy the mix of critters, too. Perhaps the new seed catalogs have helped to sprout this spring like project.

Our house is trimmed with honey colored oak woodwork, so I am always looking for blonds baskets and accessories. But, of course, we crafters have to add our own touch. This handsome tea tray is from Ikea with a little extra decoupaged lining of Sassaman fabric... perfect for a summer celebration in January!

Noriko Endo Book Give Away!

2011-01-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

It is ironic that the latest FreeSpirit fabric line, Garden Divas, is just arriving in stores and I am already deep into designing the next collection! When I am in "the designing zone" all my energy is focused on my pencil and paper, instead of my sewing machine, so this week I have decided to get my "fabric fix" by sharing the work of a new friend and fabulous quilter, Noriko Endo.
Our paths had crossed before, but this year at Houston Market, we really had a chance to talk and get to know each other. She is a very quiet, lovely and gracious woman with a surprising sense of humor and many tales to tell about her quilting adventures.

Noriko was at Market to introduce her lovely new Dragon Threads book, Confetti Naturescapes: Quilting Impressionistic Landscapes. I am always fascinated by work that is so different from my own and this colorful book takes you through her inspirations, explains her collage techniques and gives you a glimpse into her "real life" in the studio and at home

(I always enjoy seeing where other artists work and live).

This is a wonderful picture of Noriko in her studio. She looks very peaceful and happy working on this giant quilt! I'm afraid my expression would be much different!! But I don't have a George, either, and I suspect that may help her attitude.

I'm sure this little tour of Noriko's work has stimulated your crafting instincts this week. It certainly has made me anxious to do some stitching. So to keep the creativity flowing, Dragon Thread's has generously donated a copy of Confetti Naturescapes for us to give away! So post a comment below before next Tuesday, January 18, for a chance to win this inspiring book.

PLUS Dragon Threads is having a reciprocal drawing on their blog! They are giving 2 pieces of the new Garden Divas fabric, as well as the new Pretty Perfect Pocket Purse Pattern to a lucky reader.

Garden Divas Celebrate the New Year!

2011-01-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

It is the new year and Garden Divas is finally arriving at your quilt store. So we are celebrating this week with some optimistic colors and designs! Here is one of the quilts which we made for the line's debut in Houston. I call it Nature Baby because it would make a lovely crib quilt for babies of any persuasion. The construction is easy, so its not too precious for real use. This is one of the free patterns available on the website. It uses two colors of the Life Totem and Dragonfly Moon fabrics and all three color variations of Willow Wands.

You can see some of the same fabrics in this Butterfly Quilt, too. Many of you may have made this pattern in other lines, so you have discovered that these Simple Silhouettes are an ideal way to feature some of your favorite "personality" prints.

I like to make the back of quilts less formal, but still interesting. On the back of this Butterfly Quilt, I made a large checker board, really just an elongated nine patch, edged with the Exotic Dragonfly Check. Pink is the color that flows throughout and holds it all together. I love the electricity that the contrasting blue blue patches create.

My friend Mellissa Peda, proprietor of the 100 Billion Stars Etsy store, has also been busy playing with her new Garden Divas stash. These are two new pillow covers that she is featuring in her delightful e-shop. I really like the simplicity and crispness of her designs.

Notice the embroidered embellishment that she has added in this detail. Quilting could also add some nice texture. The fussy cut Spring Wreath creates a nice kaleidoscopic effect and I can imagine the block being repeated for a larger quilt, too.

So we begin the new year with fresh colors and lively shapes. Stay tuned for new Diva ideas to brighten your winter in the weeks to come.

Christmas Baking

2010-12-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

It's so nice to have a baker in the family, especially during this season of celebration! Willow always makes us treats for the holidays. Last weekend she made three kinds of croissants... bacon and tomato, onion and apple. I can't remember the last time I've baked because I'd rather be quilting. But when the kids were little baking was a favorite activity.

I just happened to have a new apron design made with the Garden Divas fabric. My tomato red kitchen opens onto a saffron and yellow dining area, so the Exotic colorway is perfect for my kitchen color scheme. The apron is reversible and both sides have side pockets.

This pattern was designed to cover both your front and back because I don't like having my backside sticking out, like it does with most aprons. Willie is so slim, though, that she doesn't have that dilemma!
It was fun picking out the fabric combinations and I am quite pleased with the contrasting trim on the pockets and ties. The blue willow fabric really adds some zip.

Here you can see the apron during construction and pinned to my work wall. Basically, I made 4 apron halves, two with pockets and two without. Each fabric was cut to take advantage it's symmetry. The scale of the little dragonfly check also adds some interest. I just love these colors!

Happy and Healthy Christmas to you all!

New Bouquets

2010-12-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

Last weekends storm socked us in for a few days. But that was fine! The kids where up and took over the studio to stitch some Christmas gifts from the Sassaman stash. The timing was right because I had about a billion threads to bury while the sewing machine was occupied. I have been making a few new class samples for the 2012 teaching year and still working on the big salamander quilt. It is rare for me to work on several quilts at a time, but the balance seems to be working.

Above is the latest little broderie perse project for the Bountiful Bouquets workshop. The Jack-in-the-Pulpit are fussy cut from last years Sunshine & Shadow line, as is the central background. The border and the butterflies are from the new Garden Divas. I think the combination worked well.

The Jack fabric had a black background, so when I cut out the characters, I kept about a sixteenth to an eighth inch of a black outline because I knew it would blend in with the black Sprigs fabric. All quilters know how hard it is to work with black on black because the details disappear, but in this case, it is just what I wanted to happen. The extra edge also allowed me to keep the whole shape intact and not eat into the design. The black finishing satin stitch also dissolves into the background nicely, too.

Even the borders are appliqued, so the construction was pretty straight forward. I have chosen to simply follow the existing outlines for the quilting because the fabric is so graphic and pictorial. As usual, I am using heavy 12 weight thread for quilting. It adds just a little frill to the edges, too. Perhaps it will get finished this weekend.

I hope you are all taking advantage of the season of good cheer! It is so easy to be overwhelmed with good intentions during the holidays. So remember that fondling fabric lowers stress and promotes positive thinking!

Celebrate the Simple Things

2010-12-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

It seems like the weather changed gears overnight. Autumn was mild and lasted longer than usual.
But on Friday we began preparing for the first snow storm of the season, which started around midnight.
We went to bed anticipating the new world morning would bring and looking forward to being stranded
for the weekend. We weren't disappointed.

This kind of weather heightens the nostalgia of the season, especially since we are "empty nesters" now. There are just a few decorations which have become necessities, among them are the Christmas stockings, even though we have never had a mantle to hang them on.

The stockings, no doubt, were inspired by this little tree that I made at our Brownies meeting in third grade. I can remember sitting around the big table at Cindy's house and stitching it together. It was a gift for my mom and she kept it in her jewelry box for 50 years. I just loved this little tree made of pinked green felt, sequins and seed beads. I don't really know why it still tickles me so much, but it does.

Also, my mother-in-law had made felt stockings for each of her seven children and my husband was very fond of his. So when my kids came along I got out the felt, beads and sequins to keep the tradition going. The things a mother will do for her kids!!

I will admit I had a great time sewing these goofy stockings. And the kids do take notice of them every year, probably hoping they will be filled with golden chocolate coins again. I wish we'd had access to all the great wool felt and beads that we have today. Perhaps I'll have to make one for myself.

So the seasonal basics have come out of the closet and I plan to just enjoy these few weeks that slip by more quickly every year. We will celebrate the simple things this year.

Season's greetings to all of you who check into this blog! Your friendship and support keep this quiet quilter in stitches all year long!

New Pattern for the New Year

2010-11-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Winter is settling in today. It is delightfully dark and dreary and I suspect we will have out first flakes of snow today. But, as you know, I love this kind of weather, especially if I am in the studio and fondling fabric. One of the first projects of the season has been to write and illustrate this new purse pattern. I call it the Pretty Perfect Pocket Purse and it is the bag that I actually use everyday. I have had so many people admire it, that a pattern was the obvious outcome.

I love this little bag (11" wide and 12.5" tall) because it is just the right size. It holds everything I need and the front pocket is great for all the things you want close to hand, like your keys and your cell phone.
But I like it, too, because it's just FUN! It make people smile and the felt beads are the icing on the cake.

Both of these are made with the new Garden Divas fabric, which will be available in stores this January. But it is perfect for featuring some of that fancy fabric already in your stash. The other fun thing about this pattern is decorating the front pocket to make it personal and unique. On the first bag I quilted it and added she-sha mirrors. On the turquoise bag I quilted it and then added clear sequins and pink French knots. The front pocket is your creative canvas... beads, buttons, ribbons or paint. If you can't find felt beads for the bottom, ball fringe will work just as well.

It takes a lot of concentration to put a pattern into production, so it is a good feeling to see the project come to life. We added it to the Sassaman Store this week, too, for those of you have taken the "handmade pledge" this holiday.

Garden Divas Finally Materialize!

2010-11-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new season of inspiration from the Idea Book. This week I have been busy sewing things with my new FreeSpirit fabric, Garden Divas. There are so many possibilities and ideas that I want to try, so I have been trying to organize my time in the most advantageous way. Basically, it comes down to serious sewing, designing and office work during the day, handwork (burying threads) for relaxation in the evening and dreaming about new projects at night. I actually have several jobs going at the same time, which is unusual.

Here is a little broderie perse quilt that is hot off the sewing machine. This was made by fussy cutting Zinnias from the Pastel colorway that are backed with interfacing. The interfacing adds stability and also helps to keep the colors bright. I was careful to keep a bit of the blue background surrounding each flower, so the applique stitching would not eat into the blossoms and blend into the blue background.

The pot, background and border ( Lively Silhouette- Green) are also backed with interfacing. After arranging the bouquet, the pieces are appliqued from the bottom up and the background is cut away from underneath. This keeps the quilt nice and flat by removing the multiple layers.

Then I got to practice my free-motion quilting by stitching in the white outlines. It's not perfect, but it really gives the piece a wonderful texture. I used 12 weight (topstitching) thread to quilt the flower pot and around the border.

Here is an extension of the idea, through the magic of Photoshop. The butterflies are too regular, but that would be easy to change in "real life." This could be a wonderful quilt to hang over a bed or above an entryway. The quilt could be made in any of the colorways by matching your background fabrics... red for the Exotic colorway and black for the Peacock Zinnias.

This has been wonderful fabric to brighten the cold and cloudy days this week. I hope it has brought a little cheer into your life, too!

A New Design Season Begins

2010-11-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

So now Houston Market is a pleasant memory and the teaching year has finished. As the new year of design begins, I am looking forward to showing all the fun new fabrics and the items we have made from them. I have made a pledge to post a new blog entry every week, so stay tuned for more fabric inspiration and project ideas as we head into the season for celebration!

Off to Quiltworks Northwest

2010-11-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

After all the bustle and anticipation of Quilt Market in Houston, I am home for a day before I leave again to see all my fiber friends in Seattle and teach a three day class at the wonderful fabric shop, Quiltworks Northwest in Bellevue, Washington. Quiltworks is a favorite store and I am looking forward to fondling some fabrics there!

This is my last scheduled teaching job of the year, so I am a bit giddy and looking forward to getting started on many of the new ideas and improvements I have planned for the next creative year. Most of all, I am anxious to show you all the goodies made with the new FreeSpirit fabric, Garden Divas, now that it has been officially launched!

But in the meantime, we have posted Garden Divas on the website so you can start your own designing gears in motion! I am really pleased with the line and I hope you will like it, too!

Autumn Report-Because I can't reveal the new fabric yet!

2010-09-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

There have been some delicious changes in northern Illinois in the last few weeks. As you can see from the top photo, the soybean fields have turned to gold and the wild prairies are sprinkled with purple and golden yellow. The purple asters are especially plentiful. Being "Miss Contrast" I love the purple petals with the orange/yellow centers which glow in the evening autumn light.

The sedum have their fresh colors on display, too, adding more pink to the overall color scheme

The native sunflowers are quite dramatic now as their yellow petals drop and the pregnant seedpod begins to look like our favorite felted beads blowing in the wind.

Greg has been planting Moonflower vines by the front door for several summers now and this season they have been taking their sweet time to blossom. They have spectacular twisted buds which anticipate the magnificent blossoms to come. They actually open in the night time and are so high on the vine that we can see them better from our second story bedroom. The large flat flower and skinny throat look like platters balanced on a stick or a delicate stemmed goblet.

You can see why we look forward to these dramatic blossoms! And to have them are the "end" of the season makes them even more precious.

Even as the flowers still bloom, the damp fall forest decay is following the traditional seasonal schedule. The variety of funky fungus shapes are amazing, especially after such a wet year.

These growths look like they were deliberately placed as lovely trunk ornaments or broaches.

I am forever overwhelmed by Mother Nature's imagination.

Here are a couple of critters that also appreciate the recent rain. This tiny turtle was hanging out by the garden faucet. If you look very closely, you will spy a tiny snail clinging to his back foot. He looks like a pine cone with legs.

These little frogs like to climb up windows, even very high ones. Many nights this summer we had one of these little guys on our bedroom window, stalking bugs that were attracted to our reading lights.

This long environmental report is due to the fact that my new line was delivered unexpectedly late on Sept. 10. Needless to say, I dived into it early the next day. Since then I have made four quilt tops and one back. Poor Greg only sees me when I get hungry and head up to the kitchen. But it is BEAUTIFUL and it is killing me to keep it a secret until Houston Market!

The Quiet Before the Storm

2010-09-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Our Midwestern landscape has taken another step toward Autumn this week. Each day the corn and soybeans become more golden. Here is a peek at the field next to us... a sea of soybeans after last nights heavy rain. In a short while this will be dancing waves of yellow leaves.

I traditionally kept my August through October teaching schedule light because I usually get my new FreeSpirit fabrics in August. Once they hit my door step, they are my only focus in preparation for Houston Quilt Market at the end of October. But this year, even though I finished the designs ahead of schedule, there were more color corrections than usual and the strike-offs traveled between the factory and here four or five times. Now the fabrics may not arrive until the end of September! Yikes!

So, I have been taking advantage of this precious time to begin quilting my Illinois Album quilt. I have finally finished all the outline quilting, which is tedious but necessary, and am on to adding the details inside each element. This part of the process is much more entertaining.

I have been hibernating in the studio and enjoying this luxury. Besides the mosquitoes make it impossible to stay outside! It has been a long time since I have worked on a quilt this big and wrestling so much fabric through the sewing machine. But it feels great to get back to some personal work.

I am using some of the decorative stitches for the quilting, too. You can see how they add interest, rhythm and texture... the last layer of icing on the cake.

Yes, thousands of threads to bury! But what a joy to have the time to enjoy the process.

The bumblebee is developing some personality, as his real life brothers are busy, busy busy in the garden outside the door. Perhaps I should have included mosquitoes in the composition, too, for they certainly have been the theme here this summer! Consequently, there has not been much weeding done.

But in spite of it all, wearing his mosquito net hat, long sleeves and pants tucked into his socks, Greg has done a marvelous job with the flowers and the kitchen garden in ten minute spurts.

This has been a wonderful year for tomatoes. Don't these look like jewels after the rain?

Personally, I don't think you can have too many fresh tomatoes. The kitchen counter is covered with the bounty of summer and every visitor goes home with a sack of home grown goodies.

Oh well, we'll work on the weeds next year. Another good excuse to head for the studio!

Settling Into Summer

2010-08-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am still thinking about the wonderful sights I saw during my extraordinary Australian teaching adventure. No matter where I travel, I love to look at houses! I like to imagine the home's inhabitants and wonder about their lives. This is a charming Australian style cottage which I noticed everywhere. Many are being rescued and lovingly renovated and many new homes are being modeled on these quaint ancestors. This architectural style personifies Australia's respect for traditions and good manners.

Another convention that delighted me was morning and afternoon "Tea Time"which occurred with perfect punctuality every workshop day. And almost everyone in class brought their own tea mug from home! And each mug had a special carrying container, as well!

In Brisbane, many of the gals were using the same cute pattern for their Mug Bags. This one belongs to Bev Sellers and happens to be made with Sassaman fabric from the Sunshine & Shadow line. Needless to say, Bev got extra points from the teacher!

Some of these adorable satchels even sported little pockets to carry a favored tea packet. There were always little cakes or scones with whipped cream and jam to enjoy with your tea, too! Consequently, the art of baking cakes is alive and well respected in Australia, too.

The coffee break is a thing of the past in the American workplace, we just carry our paper coffee cups everywhere we go and Starbucks is on every corner. But in Australia Tea Time is a comforting custom that I think we should remember and revive on this side of the world!

But here, on the home front, the growth is lush, the mosquitoes are ever present and the zucchinis are the size of baseball bats! This morning, on my walk through the park, I noticed the first turned red leaves of autumn and acorns spread over the ground. Summer has peeked, fall is in site and I have some stitching to do in the studio... life is good!

Australian Native Color

2010-08-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

A week ago I returned from a fabulous teaching tour in Australia. I was forewarned that it would be winter when I arrived on the other side of the world. But to my delight it was not the same winter we have at home. I laughed every time someone complained about the "cold". As you can see from these photos it was very moderate and pleasant; flowers still bloomed and the birds were enthusiastic.

Every afternoon reminded me of our early autumn... the temperature, the slant of the light, the long shadows and the hint of crispness in the air. It was lovely!

Above is a photo of my first teaching location, at Be Creative by the Sea Symposium in Coffs Harbour on the Tasman Sea in New South Wales. So most mornings began with a walk on the beach or exploring the residential neighborhoods near the resort. Below are two wonderful signs on the hotel property at the beginning of their little nature walk.

The wild life was quite exotic to this Midwestern girl. All the birds were twice as big and twice as loud as the ones at home. On my first evening I spied a huge bat flying right outside the window and hanging in a palm tree! This was not a puny little bat from Illinois, but a BIG bat just like the vampire movies! It was thrilling. My host, who lives in Coffs Harbour all year, says that in the summer there would be hundreds of them in the air!!

On my days off I was always treated to a local tour and gardens were always on my list of places to visit. The flora of Australia is unbelievable and just as amazing as the critters. Most of my classes were about translating and abstracting designs from nature, so the class projects often portrayed native Australian plants. This was a nice way for me to learn more about the flowers, too.

Just scroll through the photos and you will see a small sampling of the natural wonders that I enjoyed during my visit. I had plans to post my pictures while I was there, but the Internet, especially WiFi is often expensive and difficult to find. But it was kind of nice to be excused from everyday tasks and to take advantage of this incredible sensory experience.

These spiky trees were one of my favorite discoveries! It is called a Floss Silk Tree and is a native of South America. The thorns are the size of a Hershey's Kiss or larger!! Delightfully dangerous!

I see a quilt or new textile design in every photo and I am anxious to get into my studio and let the Australian inspiration take over. I will also be thinking about the many wonderful men and women who are new friends on the other side of the earth. Who could dream that quilting would led to such an extraordinary journey!

Summer Travelogue

2010-06-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

Summer classes have begun in earnest now. My journeys began in California with a three guild visit: San Francisco Quilt Guild, the Santa Rosa guild and the Moonlight Quilter's Guild. Thanks to the organization of all the workshop chairwomen the travel between locations was smooth and easy.

And best of all, I was able to see some wonderful sights along the way.

I stayed in a modest but delightfully located inn right on the ocean and in Golden Gate Park. The Legion of Honor was just up the hill and the hiking path began almost outside my door. The trees above were on the path of my morning walk along the coast. As a Hitchcock fan, I was reminded of his movie, Vertigo, since so much of the movie takes place in this very location. Consequently, I had Bernard Herrmann music running through my mind during the entire trip.

I was lucky to be able to spend two nights at a cozy home in Sabastopol. The California hills were just turning golden and the roads were faced by wineries and apple orchards all along the way. Here is a field of fragrant lavender in the midday sun located on the grounds of a handsome winery.

One night we drove over to Bodaga Bay on the coast. The landscape of steep rolling hills and occasional wind swept trees were stunning in the magic light of sunset. This is, of course, the setting for another Hitchcock film, The Birds. So there was a delightfully ominous theme to this trip! That evening the ocean was rip roaring and the wind was fierce, but that just added to the atmosphere of the location.

In Santa Rosa, I got to visit the home of the famous horticulturist, Luther Burbank. The grounds were filled with design inspiration. Above is an opulent branch of plump plums against the clear blue sky.

And below is a gathering of Love-in-a-Mist... one of my all time favorite plants. They will show up in a quilt one day, I'm sure. Here I also discovered a memorable quote from Mr. Burbank:

"Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water-bugs, tadpoles, frogs and mud-turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, brooks to wade in, water-lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pine-cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries, and hornets; and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of his education."

Upon my return home, a huge storm was brewing. We got in the door just as the sky broke open with lightning, thunder and driving rain. We sat on the screened porch to enjoy the show. Now that's a welcome home! Our garden is very happy as I prepare for my next journey which begins tomorrow as I fly to Australia for a month of new quilting adventures. So Greg will be on garden duty and much will change in the weeks to come. But perhaps I'll come back to some ripe home grown tomatoes!

Free Form Embroidery

2010-06-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

It has been another very wet week in the Midwest and I have been preparing for several long summer teaching journeys. But a bit of energy was directed toward more digital embroidery experiments on my 730 Bernina with basic Artista software.

Synthetic threads are often used for machine embroidery because they are colorfast and strong enough to endure the wild action of the programmed machine stitches. These threads tend to be very shiny, so I have been tempted to try using shiny fabrics, too. So here I began with two silk doughnuts fused to a black cotton background. The sewing machine gives you the dimensions of your design, so I was able to center the thread spirals almost directly in the center of each silk circle.

The gray thread looks like silver and creates a wonderful glowing effect. By marking the background I was able to place the designs in almost perfect symmetry. These practice pieces have also allowed me to play with different interfacings and hooping techniques. Frankly, it is hard to stay away from the sewing machine these day, as so many ideas are floating by.

The spider was stretched so he was big enough to become the grounding element of the little composition. I am really enjoying the collage possibilities of mixing and matching separate shapes.
But my machine will have to be content to rest while I am on-the-road meeting new friends and collecting design inspiration.

Spring Cleaning

2010-06-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

It has been a luscious week. Everyday has been a mix of sunshine and rain. The lovely peonies where just blooming into their glory when a storm came through and pounded the poor things to the ground.

Luckily, Greg was able to stake this magnificent deep purple iris in time and save it from the same fate.

There have been some family distractions, plus I am waiting for some new digitized designs which I want to add to the black border of my new quilt. So since I was in a waiting zone, I used several days to clean up and reorganize the studio. I know it still looks messy in the photo, but believe me it's a major improvement. You can actually see the worktable's surface!

Since my artistic output was limited this week, I thought I would share pictures of two fabulous quilts made with Sassaman FreeSpirit fabrics. I love to get these kinds of emails! Even I don't have enough time to exploit all the possibilities of every new fabric line, so I really appreciate seeing what others have done.

The top quilt is called Four Cards Around and was made by Diana Ramsay from North Carolina. She used the Card Trick block for the basis of her design and it is a clever way to play with the gradating dots fabric. She has actually created the illusion of depth by arranging dotted fabrics according to their density. The black background makes the cards feel like they are floating in space and adds even more dimension. The simple border is delightful and just right! I am going to file this block in my "must try" ideas for the future.

The next wonderful work is by Sue Wood in Canberra, Australia. She claims this is only the third quilt she has made! I'd say she's gotten off to a roaring start! She has cut 60 degree triangles from the Teasel and Lace fabric (Prairie Gothic) to make the kaleidoscopic hexagons. Each block is fascinating and unique. I like the way she has organized them by type and especially enjoy the spider block in the bottom corner. The geometric blocks are a nice contrast to the spinning organic ones and create an icy atmosphere.

Both of these quilts are breathtaking... one for it's joyous simplicity and the other for it's opulence. Two ends of the spectrum and I love them both. Thanks, Diana and Sue, for sharing your talent and enthusiasm!

I did sneak in a little time to play with my digitized embroidery designs. I only have four designs to play with, but I am amazed at all the possibilities. The hardest part is rehooping the fabric, but that gets easier with practice. I can distort and move the shapes in my sewing machine to make these little embroidered collages. In this little experiment I like the transparency of the spirals and the life in the skewed spider.

I have dubbed this technique as "Free-Form" embroidery. Now I'm afraid I'll have to get another Bernina, so I can be sewing while the other one is stitching out digital designs! What a dilemma!

Progress Report

2010-05-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

We have a clump of Columbine that grows by the front door every spring. They are a delightful way to begin and end the working day. And they look especially good against the new house color.

Here are two new clutch bags designed and made by Melissa of 100 Billion Stars, using a vintage Sassaman fabric and the "Jack"design from the current Sunshine and Shadow line. They are sturdy enough to carry a note pad, your check book and credit cards. I like the way she matched the design of the Jack-in-the-Pulpit on the front flap.

The strong snap also adds to their practicality. Her choice for the lining is nice, too. It is much easier to find something against a light color, plus the inner fabric adds to the optimistic attitude of these fun bags.

I have devoted a little time this week to play with my new digitized embroidery motifs. This is an idea that I have been dreaming of for years... creating an embroidered fabric to cut in appliqued pieces and enhancing the background fabric with embroidery. I am very happy with this simple experiment, as it does just what I had hoped.

In this case, I used the spiral design, which I altered directly in my 730 Bernina. Then I stitched out several spirals by rehooping a few times. I also tried some different kinds of threads. The leaves were cut from another embroidered piece. Each layer of the quilt became more exciting. The fabric, the surface and the texture can all be enhanced by this extra thread work. My head is reeling with all the possibilities!

Emerald Forest

2010-05-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

New spring energy is everywhere. As the days get warmer the green canopy grows denser day by day. The Farmer's Market in the town square has begun with truck loads of potted flowers and starter vegetables. The weeds in the yard are overwhelming! It's time to adjust the wardrobe and the brain to adapt to this season of rampant lusciousness and labor.

The Emerald Forest Quilt has recently returned from the quilter. I could not resist taking it outside for a photograph since it blended so nicely with the fresh spring colors. I showed you this quilt a few months ago, when it was pinned in pieces to my work wall. It is another quilt made with Jan Kentz's Fussy Cutter Diamond Ruler, which suit my large Sunshine and Shadow prints perfectly.

Here is a detail of the quilting done by my friend, Audrey Esarey in Louisville, Kentucky. She used a clear top thread which doesn't compete for attention, but adds some nice texture and movement. It also helps to blend the kaleidoscopic elements together.

The turquoise bedroom as a natural fit for this quilt, because it feels like a tree house in all seasons.

This is also the happy season for weddings and graduations. Here are two wine/gift cozies that will dress up those bottles of bubbly for the celebrations. They were designed by my buddy, Melissa Peda of San Diego. You can find these designs in other fabrics at her inspiring Etsy shop.

I think the ribbons and buttons make the presentation fun and thoughtful. The hard-working hostess will feel that she is getting a present, too.

This is the next installment of my embroidery journal. Juanita, my Bernina embroidery trainer, coached me though the hooping and stitching process. So I am pushing buttons that have never be activated before on my 730. Now I can play and compose with the designs that she has digitized for me. I am having a blast! I know it is a baby step in the Big Picture, but it is a giant step for me. I really feel that digitized embroidery designs are going to expand my work in a monumental way!

Stormy Weather

2010-05-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

It has been raining for days. It just drips during the day but the middle of the night and early mornings have been earth-shattering. The rain seems wilder than ever and the thunder and lighting battle for hours. The fresh lush green foliage overwhelms us with it's luminosity in these dark deep days. The tree trunks are black with wetness and the few remaining pink tulips sheltered under the big oak stand out like lonely beacons. Ahhhh... what better time to bury yourself in the studio!

I have been treasuring this opportunity to just stitch and dream. I am hoping to finish all the embroidery on the center portion of my new quilt before my next job. And I have been dreaming about the design possibilities for the remaining black border.

These opportunities have recently expanded thanks to my new friend and "personal trainer". Juanita has worked with the Bernina Artista software for years and she is patiently mentoring me through the learning process. There are also classes on the Bernina website. I am a slow learner. She has digitized a few of my designs and here you see one of the first!! I LOVE IT!!!!! Move over Ralph Lauren. No more silly polo players on shirts... it's flora, fauna and critters for me!

Mother's Day

2010-05-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

I am just back from a wonderful visit with the Friendship Star Quilter's Guild in Germantown, Maryland.
Happily, I was able to fit in a quick visit to my favorite museum along the way, the American Visionary Museum in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.

This wonderful place is devoted to "outsider and folk art". They have a permanent collection, but also have theme shows that are always incredible. Plus it has one of most entertaining museum shops ever!

The Kinetic Art Race was the same day, so there was music, happy people in funny clothes and fantastically decorated bicycles parading by. A memorable day!

But now that I am home again, it is time to focus on the next calendar event... Mother's Day! My Mom has lots of pink and blue in her home, so we had one of my new prints matted and framed to match her decor. It turned out beautifully. Shhhhhhh... don't tell her!

Even if your mom doesn't have a coffee table stacked with Sassaman ephemera, she still might enjoy one of these limited edition fine art prints, too. Happy Mom's Day to you all!

Spring Handiwork Bag

2010-04-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

I have always admired the achingly beautiful "handiwork" and presentation bags from the Tudor and Stuart periods of English embroidery. They both have the same basic square design with draw strings and tassels.

The handiwork bags were meant to hold embroidery implements, supplies and unfinished projects. The bags themselves were embroidered by their owners. The presentation bags were the same format but they were much more elaborate. They were intended to contain an equally valuable gift, for example, a pair of exquisitely stitched and embellished gauntlet style gloves, which were a popular and symbolic present in 17th century England.

So I set out to make a 21st century version of these stunning bags. I began with a simple square of the Coleus fabric surrounded by strips of the Sprigs fabric, both from the Sunshine & Shadow line for FreeSpirit. I made two of these, one for each side. Then after adding batting and a white backing, I quilted two rows of heavy white stitching with 12 weight threads to add a little glow of light.

Then I quilted wavy lines with the feather stitch, also using 12 weight threads. I think these rows help to blend the fabrics together. Then I hand stitched random flat sequins, a relaxing evening activity. This is another idea borrowed from the embroidery of the 1600's. I just sequined one side for show and left the other side unadorned so it could rest comfortably next to the body.

Although this bag is too substantial for draw strings to be very effective, I added them as a decorative element. They are strung through loops of gross grain ribbon. This was also a wonderful excuse to add more tassels! The tassels were made with DMC pearl cotton and my favorite felt beads from the Art Girlz.

A zipper was added for security and finished with more felt beads. The ribbon loops are continued inside the bag and turned out to be perfect for storing your knitting needles, which also help to stablize the bag.

I chose a light Sprigs fabric for the lining, so it will be easy to find what you are looking for inside. There is a wide shoulder strap for portability. I think this bag looks nice enough to hang on the wall! It would make a handsome throw pillow, as well!

Also note that Craftcast with Alison Lee has just posted our podcast interview. I am a fan of several craft podcasts, which I listen to at the gym... makes working out easier to bear! I especially like Craftcast because her guests are accomplished fine craftsmen and women. You can download the shows or simply listen on demand. I know you will find lots to explore on her site.

Pastel Productions

2010-04-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

This has been a remarkable week of weather. It started like spring and ended like summer. No coat or heavy socks required and no time to adjust your body to so much heat. But that heat created comfortable evenings for unwinding and enjoying all the new buds and blossoms.

Greg burned our prairie and has begun to rake up the heavy layer of oaks leaves to reveal the anemic and energetic little sprouts below. The first daffodils opened yesterday and the Sandhill Crains are back exploring the cropped cornfields and waterways.

The kids were here for the weekend and Willow was in a frenzy of pillowcase production in preparation for her booth at a school May Fair. She decided to use lots of the pastel dots (blue, pink, green and yellow) from the Sunshine & Shadow line. They are perfect for childrens accessories and very refreshing and gentle colors for spring.

Staying with the pastel Sunshine & Shadow theme, here is a clever package for storing your knitting needles made by Melissa Peda, the owner of the One Hundred Billion Stars Etsy shop. The best part of the design is the extra flap at the top which keeps the needles from slipping out. Notice that she has reversed the fabrics on both sides of the flap to create contrast.

For the outside she picked the coordinating Jack-in-the-Pulpit fabric and a double button to secure the purple gross grain ribbon. The whole parcel rolls into a slim portable bundle. A glorious display of pretty pastels for your Easter crafting basket.

Willow is the knitter in our family and always has a project in the works. She admired this needlecase so much that she adopted it as her own!

Jazz up your Easter Bonnet with this Yo-Yo Brooch, another cute idea from Melissa. I used to make fun of yo-yos, because they were so "old-fashioned". But they have renewed potential in the new crafty world. Happy Holidays to all!

Studio Time

2010-03-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Since winter is fabric designing time, I try to limit my teaching schedule during the season. It takes a lot of concentration to design a line of fabric, which is usually 9 to 10 patterns in three colorways. Sometimes the muse is illusive and takes a while to settle in, but this year the ideas flowed smoothly and I was able to turn in my work ahead of schedule. This has left me with some delicious quality time to pursue some activities that have been on the waiting list for a long time.

First of all, I have developed a line of limited edition fine art prints based on some of my favorite textile designs. Each image is printed with archival inks on heavy 8.5" by 11" rag paper, signed and numbered. Perfect for framing, the matte finish and crisp graphic make a rich combination. I am thrilled to see this project come to fruition and hope to work on some larger prints in the future.

I am also taking lessons to learn Adobe Illustrator and Bernina Artista Embroidery software. It is often overwhelming and makes my head spin. But progress is being slowly made.

After all this computer work I was feeling the need to fondle some fabric and make an art quilt. This new piece is a continuation of the Totem Series. My mind has been in a symmetrical phase lately. I wanted this piece to be filled with characters from my landscape, beginning with seeds and salamanders.

With every photo you can see a bit of the designs evolution. I began by making the initial shapes in fabric. Even if a character is eventually weeded out of the composition, I know that it will not be wasted, it will just become the incentive for another piece in the future. The design grows and shifts as the shapes begin to converse.

The spring weather has also inspired the design. The snowdrops and crocus are up and the pointy little fingers of tulips and hostas are poking through the thick carpet of old oak leaves. This brought to mind some other favorite flowers in our summer garden, hence the gaillardias and sunflower.

Our canapy of oak trees is represented, as well as the constant buzzing of the bumble bees. It is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Each character finds their proper place and then it is time to add the details.

Above is the basic composition, so far. Currently, I am assenbling and embroidering all the independent units before they can be appliqued to the background. But as long as the characters are unattached they can still change position, so there could be some more adjustments made. Below, with the magic of a Photoshop, you can see it with the eventual black border.

Each phase of working on a quilt is satisfying. Right now I have hours of stitching to look forward to, which is a luxury, indeed!

Wonderful Woolly Willow Rug

2010-03-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to show you this special project by Lois Conradi, a talented Canadian quilter and rug hooker. I met Lois during a visit to the Orchard Valley Quilt Guild in beautiful Kelowna, BC, Canada. Always anxious to have my designs translated into other mediums, I quizzed Lois about the art of rug hooking. It has been on my list of interests for many years, but have never found the time to try it. I love it's folk art quality. Luckily, Lois was adventurous enough to interpret the Wee Willow pattern into wool.

First she decided to enlarge the pattern to a 25" square to allow for better detail. Then she traced the design onto the Red Dot paper, which is like a transparent interfacing. Next she taped her tracing on to "primitive"even-weave linen, which is the backing fabric, and used a Rub-a-Dub laundry marking pen to transfer the design to the linen. The linen is also finished with a machine zig zag stitch to prevent fraying.

The whole rug is worked in "5 cut" widths of Dorr Wool from the Dorr Mill Store. The "new" black wool was washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer to felt the wool. It is deliciously black and really sets off the bright colors. The bright wools were hand colored with Cushing or Pro Chem dyes, which created wonderfully variegated colors. The blue flowers were made from recycled wool fabric.

Here is a page from Lois explaning the size of the fabric cut. She highly recommends The Rug Hookers Bible by Jane Olson and Rug Hooking Magazine to learn the finer aspects of the art. In this detail, you can see the scrumptious undulations and subtle patterns made from little loops of wool. Even the whitish background is packed with rhythm and texture. Like little highways of tiles, these kernels of color make the surface intimately interesting.

The rug is also terrifically tactile. It is hefty, but very malleable, almost like soft chain mail. Once fondled, it is really difficult to put down! I stop by several times a day just to give it a feel.

After the rug is hooked, the edges are whip-stitched with black Briggs & Little wool around a double strand of cotton cord. Then the black twill tape was stitched on by hand to cover the linen edges and add durability. The back is almost as lovely as the front!

Lois, your work is beautiful! Thank you for your energy and effort in this project! But I can see that one hooked rug is not enough! Now I think I need one in every room!

Think Pink!

2010-03-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that it's March already! Here in the Midwest spring is in the air. The birds are singing and the snow is slowly melting. The old saying, "in like a lamb and out like a lion"is bound to be put to the test this month... along with the groundhog's prediction. But the optimism of spring fills me with encouragement.

Spring is also foreshadowed in the shifting of seasonal sunlight. Here the afternoon sun shines through the high windows of the apple green guest room. A change of seasons requires a new look, especially for bed dressings. This pink and green quilt is definitely a refreshing transformation. It is basically a log cabin block exploded to a giant size. Rows of the Mulberry Coleus and Jack-in-the-Pulpit alternate with strips of green Fronds from the violet colorway of the Sunshine & Shadow fabrics. Black sashing and yellow corner blocks create a graphic rhythm that holds the design together. The pillows are also made from Sunshine and Shadow fabrics. Amazing how a new pillowcase can make you feel so good!

Check out this blooming bag created by my friend, Melissa Peda. It is so pretty and optimistic that it makes me sigh! She is using the same mulberry fabrics as in the quilt, but that pink lining really puts "spring" in mind. The Easy Street Bag is Melissa's original pattern and I love the scoop with the button closure. This cheerful purse and many other fun creations can be seen at her colorful Etsy shop, 100 Billion Stars. Thank you, Melissa, for your enthusiasm and generosity. Think spring and think pink!