I See a Pattern Here

I spent quite a bit of time this month rooting around my sewing room, synthesizing and organizing.  I was on a mission to fill the envelopes in my To-Do List Quilt.

I went through patterns, books, magazines, fabric, and embellishments, then I made lists according to commonalities that I found.  At the same time, I rearranged the "stuff" that corresponded to the lists, so things weren't scattered all over the place.  I put all the "good" magazines in one pile where I can find them.  I put all "like" fabric, such as that with a sewing theme, together.  You get the picture.

Each envelope now has one topic, and directs me to the location of everything with a common theme.  This is the list for my sewing theme.  

  

 

Remember this  notebook that sits in a pocket amidst all the envelopes?  I used its paper to make the lists.  I have to admit I didn't use that 13" pencil, though.

  

When I flip open the cover, I've got an index to what's in each envelope.  The location of the squares correspond to the row and column of the envelopes. That big empty space is where the notebook pocket is.

Not only was the process fun, but it was energizing to see all those forgotten projects unearthed and now at my fingertips.  I feel a productive 2015 coming on.  

One of the things that popped up was a recurring theme running through these patterns, purchased over a number of years.

Rectangles and linky lines.

More of the same.  Holy cow - I think I have enough of this style now.

Yesterday I chose one of the patterns and this fabric, and today I'm going to start making it.

Monday is Fun Day - Aluminum Tree and Ice Cream Cups

Sorry about that long title.  I'm not even sure the tree is aluminum.  It might be plastic, but it looks like aluminum. 

Earlier this month, after I made my mossy, ferny, starry, terrarium, I had to make a return trip to the dollar store to pick up another gold charger plate.  When I made the terrarium, I stole the plate that I had under my gold metallic tree. 

Since there wasn't anything else under the tree, I dug out my aluminum ice cream cups to hold my stick pins. The colors and sheen of the cups made the perfect understory for the tree and metallic ornaments.

I don't know why I need to have three kinds of pins; I just do.  I use all of them, too.  

I also have a collection of pins I don't use.  I don't know why I don't get rid of them.

Well Then, I Guess Owl Just Keep It

I thought you could return fabric to Jo-Ann Fabrics, since I did it in the past without any problem.  But it turns out returns can only be done if you buy more than one yard.  

I had purchased exactly one yard of this, so no return.  When I heard the news, I said well then, I guess owl just keep it.

 

It's a synthetic knit, with a nap.  You can see the nap in this photograph.  The fabric is very, very soft, and I decided to make a warm blanket for our dog.

I had a yard each of these flannels in my stash, and I was glad to find a use for them.

Here's the finished quilt.  I cut the purples into four strips, 15"wide, and sewed them into alternating bands.  I did many rows of straight-line quilting to hold the layers together well, since it's going to get washed a lot.

I used the green flannel for the binding.

I'm really glad they didn't let me return the fabric.  I had a lot of fun making it in just two days.

And now our dog has a new best friend.

What Berry is This?

A few weeks ago, I bought a bouquet of berries, but don't know what they are.  Do you?

They also came in another color, I believe red.  I liked the pink better.

Even when they get done, and turn into raisin-like berries, they're still attractive.

Eventually I put them together with some variegated Carnations.

The two of them lasted for around three weeks, money well spent.  I just wish I knew the name of the berry.  Can you help me out?

From the Vault - House Quilt Finale

Today we're going to look at the final blocks of the House Quilt that I made in 2003.
To refresh your memory, the top row was winter.
Row two was spring.
Row three was summer.
And today we have the bottom row, autumn.

 Here's the full quilt, so you can see all the blocks in context.

The first house in the autumn row is the dog house.  The Siberian Husky is a pin that I bought at a dog show.  Dog bones are quilted on the roof. 

The gold fabric at the bottom with the free-motioned leaves is the bottom border fabric for the autumn row.

This is the next house, with a basket of apples (button) sitting in the kitchen window.  The door knob is a button, also.  For quilting on this block, I free motioned some apples.

 

The apples came from this tree.  Another bushel sits on the ground.

The same sky fabric was used on the apple tree and this autumn-colored peacock house.  The peacock fabric has a bit of sparkly gold on it, so I used shiny bugle beads to make the window mullion.  A tiny gold seed bead is the door knob. 

On the right is spillover foliage from another tree.

This is the big fat tree.  It was my easiest block, by far.

Pagoda-style house with bamboo door, oriental foliage in the front lawn, and a pineapple (symbol of hospitality) button in the window.  Step inside for some peace and tranquility.

The last house in the row.  House plants in the windows, a tricycle parked outside.

And this tree is the final block of the quilt.

Well, that was my house quilt from last decade; now I'm going to make a modern one starting next year.  I think I'll expand the scope of it to have stores, so it will be more like a little village.  I should make a goal of doing one block a month.  I should, huh?  Well, OK, I will.