Ties

The time has come to do something with all the silk ties I have stashed away.  Some belonged to my father, my uncles, my son, my husband, my nephew and others came from thrift shops.  I have an over abundance 

Then there are the old silk blouses and slacks that I kept saving with the though that they might be back in style one day.  Alas, I have tossed the shoulder pads that should be velcroed into the blouses for that 80's look, so needless to say, the fit is no longer very attractive.  So they've been cut apart.  Let me just say right now, that it finally keeps me from wearing them in public.  

Then there are the pieces of silks that did and did not make it into garments

               Next step, I washed everything all up and began taking the ties apart

when I needed a bit of "sit down, put my feet up time".

A few days ago, I took rotary cutter in hand and began slicing and dicing 

the ties into approximately 2" inch strips.  

Like so

Not having much experience with silk, I felt that it should be sewn onto some sort of backing.  Making an executive decision, I cut 6 inch squares of muslin for the backing.  Now to decide a pattern for the silk strips.  Mulling it over and over, it's time to make the next executive decision.  Let's sew these suckers down and get on with it.

Like so

All the original ideas that I had are out the window, and now it is audition time

on a silk blouse sleeve, a new look for garments: or maybe not

silk blouse strips, oh so traditional

use the silk ties center sections for sashings, tradition with a twist?

but then, why use all silk; use recycled linen slacks

The original intention was to use silk and only silk.  The question of the day, do I want contrast? Tonight, methinks, it is all about the contrast.  Dare I go back to both sides now?
Yes, Miz Scarlett, tomorrow is another day.
No telling what it may bring.
I am wide open for suggestion here.  Don't be shy

Who's to say

Maybe I should entitle this post 

Venus and Mars

or

 man and woman

or

night and day
or

positive and negitive
or
back and front

or
to and fro
or
right and wrong
or
left and right
or

opposites attract
or
 need I continue?

I like the last one best.  Occasionally opposites do attract.

Well to my mind, it worked this time.

so here it is:
Selveges inspired front

Mandingo inspired backing

In any case, I have finished a king sized bed quilt as you go.  And my wrestling days are over, let me tell you. Marianne's QAYG method is fabulous, but I won't be doing another king bed size quilt in my life time.   Call me lazy, call me a slacker, just don't call me to do another king size quilt.  Whatever was I thinking?

Oh, and just for reference here, the Mandingo inspiration

Oh, and just to show the masculine feline approval (or at least I think he approves)

Both Sides Now
Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds * that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As ev'ry fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way

But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away

I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day

I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all


Thank you Joni

back in bizness

In an attempt to get back into a schedule, I have committed to completing somethings.  Notice that I say somethings, as in plural.  So here we go.  Remember the block that I was exchanging with Sujata way back when?  Our theme was to be trees. In case you don't recall, here 'tis:
 

"Family Holiday Tree"

Sujata's "Snow Falling on Cedars" 

Sujata's block is exquisite.  An amazing graphic piece that I hope to see again and yet again in an amazing quilt at some point whenever she decides it may happen.  There was a story behind her block, but I will let her tell about it.
My block began simply but ended up being a bit more complicated.  Long story short, ultimately we decided that we would return the respective blocks to each other for several reasons.  It was an emotional decision for both of us, I do feel.  What emotions we can connect via the web, right?  Tears well up as I write.

At last I felt it was time to get on with it.  Is it because of the approaching fall season which always brings the holiday emotions to the surface.  Perhaps so, and I did get on with it.  I expanded on my family trees.  And now, I am thinking out loud here, can it be a year that has already passed?  Yup, afraid so.  YIKES.

Original block on the right.
Beginning the addition on the left.

and so it grew to a completed panel

I have joined more trees and finished this piece. Yet the cycles continue.  As family goes, hopefully, it is never a complete journey.  And as friends go, we hopefully continue to expand and connect via the w.w.w. and continue our journeys together. Who knew, huh?

my new friend, Irena

 When I was growing up my Mom has this old "ironer thing" that she used to starch and iron everything from the sheets and pillowcases to my Dad's overalls.  Let me just say that we were a well-ironed family back in the day, much to the dismay of my brother and myself, as those starched pillow cases weren't the most comfy place to lay your head.

Mom finally gave up and got rid of the her ironer.

Years pass and and I sign up for a Nancy Crow workshop, which means I need to get busy dyeing more solid fabrics to add to my stash.  Dyeing fabric also means lots of ironing.  Ironing has never been something I was thrilled to spend time doing. 

Guess what will handle one yard pieces of damp fabric like a champ?  

You got it! 

 I discovered an old Ironrite on Craigslist, contacted the owner, and immediately took it off her hands.  Let me introduce you to Irena, my new best friend.

a wet wrinkled pile of hand dyed fabrics

placed into Irena's hot arms 

looks like this in a tenth of the time it would take if using my regular iron and board

And I might add that she does a bang up job ironing cloth napkins.  I have been following my daughter's lead in trying to cut back on consumption of paper products.  And since I have drawers full of cloth napkins, that I NEVER iron, we now have lovely crisply ironed napkins at meal times.  Now to get to the pillow cases and sheets . . . . . . 

Old news

How do I begin?  It seems that I cannot get back into the swing of blogging lately.  Maybe it was the long hot summer, or my vacation trip to Portland and Seattle, or maybe I came home from my trip to be overwhelmed with a huge mess in my studio.  Way too many unfinished quilts, all my stash piled here and there on the floor, lots of household chores to catch up, chaos of the mind?  I would show you how bad it was, but I neglected (er-um refused) to take pictures of my mess.
Now that all is reorganized, put away, caught up, I wanted to share a few pictures of my visit with the Rebels of Seattle. I could not have felt more at home with this warm and welcoming group of ladies.  Talk about southern northwestern hospitality!  The meeting began with a yummy pot luck lunch on the Sally's deck in a warm, sunny Seattle.   I had to really control myself to not go back for seconds and thirds.  After all, I was a guest, who brought no food to share.  But when everyone brought out their projects to share,  I quickly forgot about the food.  What a diverse group of talents.

You should see Patty's stripes up close and personal ~ WOWSER ~

Dawn's upcoming project using silk strips

Buffy's amazing use of solids and fabulous machine quilting

Nifty is hiding behind her glorious Madonna that she is handquilting.

If you have yet to discover this multi-talented group jump over the their site and take a look to see more.  You will be delighted.

Nifty of http://www.niftyquilts.blogspot.com/and her husband graciously hosted my husband and I for two wonderful dinners and a bit of Seattle sightseeing.  Sad to say I was so excited about meeting and getting to know them, that I neglected to take any pictures.  But be on the lookout, because I am already looking for cheap flights to the Portland/Seattle area.  I am thinking it should be a quarterly trip.   And this time there will be less words and more pictures, I promise.

Portland visit

Hubby and I have returned from parts west recently.

We had a fabulous visit with our daughter and her hubby and at long last got to meet  our grandpuppy. Our first trip to Portland was delightful and seems an enticing area to live.  There is so much happening, so much to do and see.  Exquisite restaurants to satisfy whatever mood you may be in and acres of city parks, trails for hiking and biking, to work off the excess calories.  Lots of accessible shops within walking distance of their home, to walk off more calories.

a hike near Mt Hood with Jevan, Casey & Winston

Lots of other shopping districts to explore throughout the city, like this great little shop.

Check out Tanner Goods Retail shop.
Guess who provided the interior design for this hot new spot?
If you guessed that it was my designing daughter, you were right on!
She even designed and made the light fixture for the shop.
tres' cool, eh?  
She & her equally talented hubby,
 along with their partners design, create, market and sell 
top of the line leather items.  
Casey & Jevan sweetly accommodated Mom & Dad by giving us a grand tour of Portland.  Even the touristy things I wanted to see.  Like the Chinese Gardens and the 
International Rose Gardens, to mention a few. 

Sad to say I didn't take pictures of some of the delightful restaurants we enjoyed, nor the lovely home cooked meals.   Guess that means I will have to return, huh?


Oh, yes, a blog post is not complete without showing a picture of a quilt.  Am I right?


Vanilla Bean has a new home.  And here she is with the proud new owners.

I think they liked it. 

Shakerag

I've done it now!  

I am going to Shakerag next June to spend 

a week with the inimitable Nancy Crow. 

This idyllic area is only a little more than an hour's drive from my home.  

So why not, I say.  Feed the soul, feed the creative forces within,
not to mention the exquisitely prepared
home grown, organic delights to feed the stomach.

I can't say when I've been more excited, except for week that I spent in the
presence of Ms. Ruth McDowell a few years ago.  

I must admit, that I was somewhat terrified after I signed up for the workshop with Ruth, so I spent months making samples and learning her techniques from her books
before I left for the workshop.  

I wanted to be prepared, you see.  

What began in this workshop was another bloom

I came home so full of self confidence that
I beat my all time recorded for completing a quilt.

This type of design and structure is my passion.   It is my own original design from start to finish with encouragement and assistance from Ruth in beginning a pattern. Rather than telling me what and how, she quietly guided me in the direction that I wanted to go and gave me more self confidence in myself that anyone had previously done.

So, now, I find myself yearning to broaden my field a bit.  I've never been comfortable working with solids and geometrics, other than coping other quilts.
Or making simple pillow tops.

I want to do grand abstract art quilts and simplifying does not come easily to me on that scale.  I am eager to learn and next June seems so far away.  But then Mama always said, the older you get the faster time flies.  And I've got lots of hand dyeing to do and lots of practice to do before next June.
I better start shaking 

Gee's Whiz

Here is what's been happening with the strips of pieced rectangles that I received from the lovely ladies participating in Victoria's 

15 minutes play quilt bee 

It all began in October based on the scrappy making fabric concept.  

When It was my turn to "play", my original thought was to ask for strips of fabric rectangles sewn together.  What I didn't divulge in my request for the strips is my idea for the putting them together.  I would  sew all the strips together, then cut them apart in  "snakey curves".  I would then sew in the "snakes" to rejoin them. 

Sorta like these inspirational  African American quilts:

 

Rather than actually making a quilt similar to my friends' Real Deal quilt 

Once those strips began to arrive, I got a bit lazy.  Plus I couldn't decide what color to use for the "snakes".  Black snakes, green snakes, copperhead........... 

the first strips came from Margaret

a few more from other bee members

And still more

Then I pulled out a few old words blocks that I had made years ago, I just knew it was meant to be.  It just seemed to suit the mood of a bee concept.  People sharing pieces of fabrics sewn together, inspiring one another, and having fun. 

so to here

then to here

But wait  there are more strips to come from other players, 

it isn't over yet.  There could still be snakes.

With so many strips of fabric, I can make two quilts.

Why not?  Two for the price of one. 

Green snakes,

black snakes, 

copperheads, 

coral snakes, 

scarlet snakes, 

even a python