Busy week with Linus

It has been a very busy week getting ready for a Project Linus worknight. I'm chair of the Linus committee at my guild and it is far more work than I had anticipated, though I feel good about it. People have been extremely generous with fabric donations, although not all of it is really child-friendly (but we've been working on creative ways to incorporate that fabric into the quilts). This week we made Happy Houses.It was so much fun, although the sewing took no time compared to the hours I spent sorting through our fabric and cutting out the pieces. Do click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see all the people and animals in the doorways. If you're interested in making any Happy Houses yourself, I have links to the original directions and some simplified cutting info posted on the blog I keep for the guild's Linus projects. Click here for the instructions. I'm trying to decide on sashing -- all suggestions welcome!

The roof and sky are made by the quick corners method, which is easy but wasteful. One of the ladies stitched all the leftover triangle pairs into squares. We have a big block box where we put leftovers like this and eventually they get used in a quilt.

And finally, here I am in my very messy sewing space. Brian had put a new memory card in the camera and snapped this photo to be sure it was working. I'm putting the borders on the I Spy quilt I'm making for Laurel's kids. I trimmed the hexagons without incident, thank goodness, and hope to finish up the quilt this week. I'll post a photo soon.

A red thumb

I wish I liked to garden. I do love gardens, I just don't enjoy the process of gardening, and I confess to some guilt about that -- like I'm deficient in spirit for not liking to dig in the earth. I have tried gardening with very mediocre results and I think of myself as having a brown thumb. But a couple years ago last November, some friends brought over three bare twigs with the unlikely claim that they were from their raspberry bush and stuck them into the ground behind our house. Incredible! Even I can't stop their frenzied growth (and why would I want to?). Such luscious berries, so full of flavor after the tasteless fruit from the grocery store. Although I'm sure I don't get credit for this -- people tell me I couldn't get rid of the bushes if I tried -- I now think of myself as having a red thumb. Well, maybe only rosy red, as I have never done well with tomatoes.

Every morning for the past week we trot out the back door and pick berries for breakfast. So delicious! We have so many this year that I may even try a berry pie, though as DH Brian says, why would I want to ruin them by cooking?

Dear California relatives, eat your hearts out! And if any of you grow raspberries out there, please don't tell me.

The red blue

On Saturday I made the word blue for my Stroop effect quilt. (And what did I do on Sunday? Nothing as fun as this was!) Making these letters is the most fun I've had quilting in a long time, and I always enjoy quilting! I've been playing around with different angles in the letters. It's a real mind bender to know how to cut and stitch angles so that you end up with the fabric opening in the right direction enough to cover the area that needs to be covered. I'm learning! None of the letters are sewn together, and I've left plenty of extra fabric so I can lop things off as need be. The letters are different in scale -- compare the b and u -- and partly I love that and partly it drives me crazy (as my husband says, it's not a long trip!). I'm going to make lots of color words before making any decisions about things like scale. I'm practicing this type of freedom in my quilting (just like I try to practice being 'random') and I'm hoping the final quilt will be the better for it.

I also realized that I was not picturing straight rows of words, but rather helter-skelter words at odd angles all over the quilt. I don't know if that's how I'll actually do it, but it will be a piecing challenge if I decide to go that route. Still, I think it can be done. Whatever I decide, I may have to re-do some words or letters, but at this point that thought doesn't bother me. This quilt is a real learning experience.

Quick -- What color is this?

Did you say red or green? It confuses your brain because it's getting both messages -- the word red but the color green. Psychologists call this the Stroop effect. You can learn more about it at a neuroscience site sponsored by the University of Washington, and it even has a couple tests you can take to see how much more quickly you can say the colors when they match the word than when they don't. This is the beginning of my next quilt, the one with rainbow colors hinted at in the previous post.

I am totally smitten with Tonya's wonky letters. So engaging! So many possibilities! I've been toying with various ideas about how to use them and finally settled on this. Seems to fit the style of the letters, too. If you've never seen Tonya's quilts, you're in for a treat. Her blog is Lazy Gal Quilting, and on the sidebar she has a link to tutorials for her wonky letters. It's not my usual style to just cut and stitch without measuring several times first, but it was a blast!


Here's a photo of an old (a very old) t-shirt of mine that has the mismatched color words. Guess I've been fascinated by this for a long time. We saw an exhibit on the Stroop effect at a science museum in Canada many years ago and my husband, who is a cognitive psychologist, explained it to our kids and me. My older daughter went on to major in social psychology in college and the younger one is finishing her major in cognitive neuroscience, so this quilt will fit our family well!

This is not a rainbow

Well, it kind of looks like one here, but the finished quilt will not. I can't wait to start -- I kept daydreaming about it at work this morning! I hope to begin it tonight and will post the initial result soon. I'll tell you what it will be when I post the first photos, but in the meantime I'll give a little clue that may mean something to some of you: Stroop.

The young and the old

I love three-day weekends! I can't believe I finished piecing this top. Now comes the scary part -- trimming the sides so I can add the border. I always worry that I'll cut it in the wrong spot. Click on the photo to see all the cute prints. A friend brought over a huge bag of novelty prints or I never would have had enough!
And Happy Birthday, Valerie! My younger daughter turns 20 today -- how can that be? Here she is on her 18th birthday -- since she's still at school in California, I don't have one for this year.
It seems ironic to me that I was finishing up a child's quilt on the day that my youngest officially moves beyond the teenage years. I wish I had been a quilter when my own kids were little!

Bunny Love

'Bunny ears' are those tiny triangles that stick out when you piece with triangles. I love them.

I had read or heard somewhere that they could be useful when joining rows, but I tried to use them when I made my first I Spy quilt and the result was disaster. The points didn't even come close to matching! I resorted to pushing a pin through the seam of both pieces, pinning on each side, and moving to the next one down the row. It took forever, and the end result, while better, was only okay. Pretty discouraging.
I think the problem was that I had made the hexagons by tracing around a template and cutting with scissors. The blocks were not the same size. Before I started this quilt, I put every piece back under the template and cut around it with one of those tiny rotary cutters. Still, I was joining rows with the time-consuming 3-pin method. But yesterday it occurred to me to give the bunny ear method another try -- and it worked! Hooray!
I love bunny ears. Is there an emoticon for those? =:-) How's that?

Quilts can be dangerous!

You think you have a safe hobby? Check this out:
Man paralyzed when hit by falling quilt.

From random to chaos!

This is the hazard of using a portable design wall. I was taking something off my temporary batting and painter's tape design wall right next to this and accidentally bumped it. Oops.

Actually, I kind of like this look ... :)

So I have one more chance to practice randomness when I put the blocks back up, but I may wait until tonight.

I don't do random...

...but I tried to tonight. It should be easy to grab a block and stick it up without any thought as to where it should go -- grab, plop; grab, plop; grab, plop -- but it isn't. I steeled myself and left the blocks where I first put them. But I needed a little control, so if two blocks were obviously wrong together, I avoided putting them next to each other in the first place. That got harder as the wall filled up. I'm going to let this sit a few days and fiddle with the layout after I've given this a chance. I'll need to make a few more blocks, too. Sorry the photo is so dark -- the sun had already gone down before I got the camera out, but the flash really distorted the colors.These flannels are so visually rich and so plush to the touch that I love working with them. I'm keeping this quilt -- can't get enough of it!

Things I've learned:
1 - My perfect quarter-inch seam is only perfect with the weight of cotton fabric I tested it on. This flannel is extremely thick, and my seams were off. Took me awhile to figure out the problem. Fortunately the block is simple and I can just trim them all up.
2- Just because you hate your project one minute doesn't mean you will not love it the next. Recognizing that such changeability is just part of the process is as hard as doing an almost-random layout.

Graph paper on the brain

Ever notice how things seem to come in groups? I've been thinking about graph paper ever since posting about my little gridded notebook a couple days ago, and then last night while I was surfing Quiltville I came across Bonnie's Millennium Pyramids quilt and was smitten. She said the hardest part was drafting it, but at least she used triangle graph paper found "at most quilt shops." Triangle graph paper -- what a concept! Still, I was unconvinced that piecing rows of triangles would not be hard. I had a very difficult time with that when I was making Brian's office quilt (which I have not posted because I am still mad at those triangles!). But her way of cutting and piecing the triangles was something I had never seen and it looks so much easier than what I did. I will definitely try it.As I looked closely at Bonnie's quilt, a hexagon suddenly jumped out at me. Duh! Of course a hexagon would be there. So I mentally played around with it and wondered how you might piece a six-pointed star, a shape with which I am enamored, using her method. It would require drafting and considerable planning, but it could be done! I wanted to do it NOW. (Sometimes I am like a two-year-old.) I had no triangle graph paper. Internet to the rescue! I found a great site that offers Free Online Graph Paper. So I printed up a sheet of triangle graph paper and drew out a double six-pointed star. I'm going to color it and then go through my stash and piece it her way. Can't wait!

J'adore le bloc Rhodia

When I lived in Paris as a student more than 25 years ago, I fell in love with French paper. Notebook pages were thick and felt silky, and every sheet was covered to the edges with a faint blue grid. It was expensive, so I hoarded it. I brought a couple packs home with me, and only a few months ago I discovered a few still unused sheets in an old binder.

When I became a quilter, I started using a graph paper notebook leftover from chem lab to draft blocks and layouts. In my heart I pined for my old French gridded paper. It was such a pleasure to write on, and embarrassing as it is to admit, I felt that the quality of those elegant sheets would somehow transform my designs into something more worthy than they were.

The powers that be must have been moved by my deep and wishful sighing, because just before Christmas I discovered this little French notebook in the UI bookstore. I love it. It's small (3.3 x 4.7 inches, or 8,5 x 12,0 cm), fits easily in my purse, and I can take it wherever I go. Best of all, the paper is silky and has a blue grid from edge to edge.



No matter where I am, I can doodle. Here you can see my draft of two ways to piece my flannel blocks. I saw the heart design on TV and grabbed my notebook to draw it before I forgot the details; I think it will be a lovely border on a Linus quilt. When I'm out and about and see a great design on a brick walk, or a tiled wall, I will be prepared.

I won the lanterns!

What amazing good fortune! Thursday night was the block lotto drawing for the Japanese lantern blocks -- and I won ! Aren't they beautiful?I hope enough people sign up for the swap that it will be a go. I've never been in a swap, although I've tried. The two I signed up for had too few people. Same thing happens if I like a new TV show -- it won't last the season!

My friend Glennys thinks that miniature versions of these lanterns would be great on a purse. There's a bag challenge at the guild and she's thinking of doing that.

The kids know I love Asian fabrics -- look at these gorgeous half-yards they got me for Mother's Day!



Val drove down (yes, she has a CAR!) to Eddie's Quilting Bee, which I really miss, and picked these out. Since my very first quilt had used red and blue Asian fabrics, she chose 3 of each color. You can see they come in pairs. Thanks, girls! I love them.

Happy Mother's Day!

In honor of the day, I thought I'd post photos of me with my terrific daughters...















...and me with my wonderful mother...














...and the girls with their loving paternal grandmother.

Happy Houses

I've been trying to come up with a variety of block projects for Linus workdays. It's easier to make a block than a whole top -- duh! -- and people get really creative when they make just one block. Here's my latest idea , "Happy Houses."Before Simply Quilts was taken off HGTV (sigh), one of the episodes I taped was Quilting with Kids. The guest showed how to make a butterfly block and a house block. Both are simple enough to make with children, but I figured that since the designs are so child-friendly, they'd make great Linus quilts, too. I used her pattern (available online if you click the link above) but put a child in the doorway instead of using the roof fabric for the door. I cut twelve blocks, each with different fun fabrics, so we can stitch them at the next work night. I love the balloons in the sky! Do you suppose this little boy is so happy because it's his birthday? ;)

Ella's quilt

Brian's colleagues are having babies right and left! Having made a minkee blanket for one, I am in a position to have to make them for everyone. I really don't mind (I like the people), but I am making very easy blankets. This quilt is from a cheater panel, Baby Genius by Benartex. Babies love these figures, and I didn't have to piece them! I just put on borders, backing, and quilted along the squares, then bound it.

Here's the backing -- it's the same fabric that you see in the bottom middle square of the quilt top. Wild!

...and more blocks!

Remember all those batik-look flannels I cut up? I've started stitching them into blocks.

I have been overwhelmed with Linus stuff, so my sewing space is a mess, which means I'm less inclined to work on a project. And then I got this virus followed by a cough so bad I cracked my rib coughing, so I haven't felt much like doing anything. But yesterday I was feeling better and really wanted to get into my projects. So the two blocks I just posted and these were easy to make without setting up a lot of stuff. Now I'm inspired to clean up the space (shouldn't really take too long) and get back to it!

I do love these flannels, and after I had cut them all up, I found I was regretting not making off-kilter squares, like Jan Mullen does. It would have been great, but now that I've started putting these blocks together, I'm happy with them.

Blocks

A couple months ago I found an Oriental Lanterns quilt on the About.com quilting site. I love Asian prints and since this pattern calls for a large number of those fabrics, I thought it would make a good swap pattern for the guild. It's easy to make. Dorothy, the swap and lotto chair, was very willing to use the pattern but wanted to try it as a block lotto first to see if there might be enough interest in a swap.
I don't know whether enough people will be interested, or whether those interested will have any Asian prints. There are more midwestern traditionalists in the guild than there are people who like modern designs, or quilts with a more international flair. We'll see if anyone responds. Wish me luck! It was nice of Dorothy to give it a try.

I also made this very traditional block. Every year the guild holds a retreat at the same place near Princeton, Illinois. The center needs to raise money for refurbishing, and so the guild decided to make a raffle quilt to help them. I took home a packet and made this block for the quilt.


I'm really glad they provided all the fabrics, because my scraps don't look like this! That's the problem with swaps and such -- it's really hard to end up with a coordinated look since no one has control over the fabrics other people choose. You can specify color or style, but it's never enough!

Una borsa fiorentina

Val bought some very spiffy shoes during her Italian sojourn, and the clerk put them into a possibly even spiffier sack:

If I recall the story correctly, Val was given a choice of a sack or a box, and the choice was made the very instant she saw the sack. She does have good taste. Anyhow, as I was cleaning up the satchel pile in the mudroom today, I saw the sack (now placed in Val's closet) and was struck by what a great quilt it would make.

And the design on the reverse would make a matching pillow, don't you think?

Chicago Quilt Show 2007 - part 2

This quilt was amazing. When you see it in person, it feels like the bird will swoop out of the quilt! Again, I like quilts that ARE quilts -- the dynamic background is a vibrant log cabin variation, and the whole quilt is pieced. Just love it.


This quilt was arresting -- partly for the color, partly for the immediately recognizable Monet look. I'm not completely sure what I think, but it's definitely intriguing.

This quilt is so different from the others, but I really liked it. The colors are great. The layout of the design is so interesting, and the simplicity is wonderful. It's both lively and calming. The background fabric is perfect.

Chicago Quilt Show 2007 - part 1

Yesterday I took the guild bus up to the Chicago Quilt Show. Wow! Such fun -- vendors galore and absolutely amazing quilts. I loved it!

There were some very clear "No Photos" signs on some of the exhibits, but others seemed to allow photos. People were taking them everywhere, even in the no photo area (shame on them). Sometimes I wasn't certain whether or not I could take a photo, so I didn't, and now I'm thinking I probably could have. Ah, well, I got photos of a few great quilts which I will share with you. I also photographed the sign with the title and quilter's note.




I really liked Brenda Smith's Wildfire! quilt. It works for me in lots of ways. First, the overall look and color grabbed my attention, and it was very "quilty" -- put together out of colored squares. I loved the straight lines of the trunks and the contrast of the leafy trees. Her color use, from the cool blues to hot yellows and reds, really spoke of the fire's effect. Hope you can get all that from the photo!




Helen Knott's Low Tide really took me in. When you see it, you feel drawn back into the mist. I felt like I could look at the quilt for a long time and not tire of it. I love the inner border frame, how it frames and yet does not limit the design. Do click on the photo to see the quilt in more detail.

A springtime visit to California

We went to California to have Passover with the kids, but it was also Merry Christmas -- Jocelyn finished my second sock! Hoorah! They are so comfy on my feet.

The Seder had almost 30 people, but fortunately the co-op had lots of dishes and tableware (and tables -- we had three!). Grandma Frances provided the flowers on the big table ...
...and the two little tables each had one of the quilted Passover tablerunners.



The food was fabulous (and why not, with such great chefs?). This photo of lighter-than-air matzah balls made by Val gives just a hint of how delicious the feast was.






Brian and I got to see lots of family -- our two beautiful daughters...









my mother...








my niece Andrea and her amazing son, Nathan...








and her cute-as-a-button daughter, Hannah. We also saw my brother Ray and his wife, Chris, but alas missed Laurel and her family. Next time!