Elegant Crazy Quilt Seam Treatments EBOOK Now Available!

I'm pleased to announce that my E-Book, "Elegant Crazy Quilt Seam Treatments" Volume 1 is now available for purchase:



This is a complete guide to working Crazy Quilt Seam Treatments with Waste Canvas. Create perfectly spaced and sized stitches every time!

This book covers the how-to's of working with waste canvas on crazy quilt seams, what size threads to use, how to calculate, helpful hints and more.

Included are 72 charted border designs and 9 Bonus Feather Stitch designs.

Cross stitcher's will love this book too! Create beautiful one of a kind band samplers using the borders!

I've also set up a Flickr group for stitcher's to chat about the book and share photos of their stitching. It's a public group so all stitcher's who work with the designs in this book are welcome!

The book is available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

The Flickr group can be found here.

Take It Further Challenge - February

In trying to distract myself from the blizzard yesterday which dumped a foot of snow us, I spent the day sewing up a few new blocks. Among other things, I pieced my February Take It Further Challenge Block:



As I mentioned last week, Sharon's concept for this month is "what are you old enough to remember". While reading Sharon's post, the first thing that popped into my head was the Apollo 13 Space Mission in 1970. I was 9 years old. Years later, while watching the movie with Tom Hanks, it occurred to me that they must have had angels watching over them.

I decided to use this Victorian image of 2 little angels with the earth behind them as a focal point. It was suggested to me that I try to find an image of the Apollo 13 logo patch. That's a great idea to get my theme across without making it too obvious. I have to make all my blocks for this Challenge work together as I plan to sew them into a quilt at the end of the year.

I'll find that image, print it on inkjet fabric and then I'll appliqué it somewhere on this block with some pretty trim around it. I'll be starting on this later today so stop back for updates!

Oh! I'm also working my blocks with Sharon's color palette for each month!

A Few Finishes

I finished up a few things yesterday on my sewing machine. First, my little red cat doll for Cathy D. is ready:



Next, I sewed up the little band sampler that I used on the cover of my book into a doorknocker:



Last but not least, Kim stitched the Valentine Ornament design that I did twice. Once for herself and once for me. I finished them both exactly the same:



Thank you Kim!

Finally for today, I'm going to sew up the Sunflower Purse and get that finished. I also want to sew up my February Take It Further block. I added a dark blue cloud background to the little angels that I plan to use as a focal point. Remember, the concept is "what are you old enough to remember?" The first thing that came to my mind is the Apollo 13 Space Mission:



I noticed this morning that I'm having some trouble with my Corel Photopaint software. My brushes have disappeared and I don't know what to do. I hope I don't have to uninstall it and then reinstall it.

Words

I've often admired bloggers who are really good at taking photographs. Not just any photos but the type of photos that have an artistic flair. The kind of pictures found in the Somerset Studio magazines:



I have to admit, although I love to look a pretty images in magazines and on blogs, I never really did understand the use of "words" in this type of artwork. What is up with that? Is the subject matter of the created work not enough? Does a single word really emphasize the feelings & thoughts of the creator? Does one single word really take the created piece to some higher level of comprehension & understanding?

For me, words get in the way. You may have noticed that there are times when I will post a photo of my stitching and since I feel that my work speaks for itself, I can't find much to talk about in regards to it. So I keep my post short and sweet.

On the other hand, there are times when I just can't stop typing!!! And I'm sure there are times, when my dear husband, after 1/2 an hour of listening me ramble on and on, probably feels the need to run shouting & screaming into the woods!

While looking through these new magazines this morning, I pondered the use of words. I thought about my love of Classical music and the reason I like it. There are no words. And yet Mozart speaks to me on a level that I could never describe in words.

I have a terrible time picking out greeting cards at the Hallmark store. Most Birthday cards and Greeting cards are just too wordy. Mushy poems and overly sweet sentiments kind of gag me. Why don't they all just simply say, "Happy Birthday"? or "I'm Thinking Of You"? That's why I've been making my own greeting cards.

For the most part, I'm a quiet person. I keep to myself, I think a lot and I create things, without the use of words. Words are quite inadequate to truly express ourselves.

I will leave you with my attempt at a creative photo, and trust me, there are no words to describe it. Perhaps this one could use a word:

Take It Further Challenge - February

Today is the 1st of February. On one hand, I am feeling terribly annoyed by the current weather conditions (I have so had my fill of snow for one season) and on the other hand, I'm excited because Sharon announced the concept and color palette for the February Take It Further Challenge!

Sharon's chosen concept for this month is "What Are You Old Enough To Remember?" At age 46, I am old enough to remember all sorts of interesting things. A regular joke between Scott and I, usually when the Direct TV bill comes, is that I remember when television and water were free! Ha, ha, ha!

Strangely though, as I was reading Sharon's post for today, the first thing that popped into my mind was the Apollo 13 Mission in 1970. Being that I was born in 1961, I can't image why that particular incident came to mind above all other things but it did so I decided to go with it.

At the time of the mission, I was only 9 years old so I don't remember having any opinions on it. I just remember it dominating the news for awhile. When the movie with Tom Hanks came out a few years back, I remember thinking that surely, there were "angels among them".

Since I will be sewing my 12 challenge blocks into a quilt at the end of the year, I had to think about how I'm going to tie them all together. Another challenge in and of itself for me! Certainly, a photo of the Apollo 13 rocket will not work with my January Victorian block:



However, my thoughts of angels watching over them while sitting through the movie reminded me of this image from my collection of Victorian clipart:



I will be using this image as the focal point for my February block but I haven't figure out yet how I'm going to get the Apollo 13 idea in there. Perhaps I'll embroider the words and date on the block or maybe, by the time I get it sewn up, I'll have figured out a better way to subtly convey my theme. Or maybe, the angels with the earth behind them, looking up at the moon are enough. All I know for sure at this moment is that this will give me the opportunity to use a ton of glitter on it! And ya'll know I love my glittery stuff!

Again, I will be also be working with Sharon's color palette:



I matched up the DMC floss colors to Sharon's palette, using both a printout and the image on my monitor. These are the closet matches I could get and I am quite pleased as they are pretty darn close! Please keep in mind that printers and monitors will vary in their color displays.

So, that's my plan for my February block. I would love to hear what ya'll think!

In other news, I had a few questions on my Sunflower Purse:



I was asked how I attached the sunflower to the block. The answer is, I popped the center out of the sunflower, sewed the sunflower onto the block by hand and then glued the center back in place with E6000 Jewelry Glue.

I forgot to mention in my post yesterday that there is a little story behind this sunflower. If you remember, this purse is a custom order. The girl who ordered it asked for a burnt orange sunflower. Had I looked for one back in October when she asked me for this, I probably could have found one quite easily. But I was busy with gifts and other things at the time and knew I wouldn't get to this purse until January. By the time I went looking for a burnt orange sunflower, they had become elusive! So I bought the only color I could get and that was the traditional yellow color.

I knew at the time that I could paint it. It's just a silk sunflower so I pulled out my Lumier paints by Jacquard and I painted it with the copper color. It's not exactly burnt orange but at least it leans more towards what she wanted.

I was also asked if I would post a photo when I get it sewn up. Absolutely! I always post photos of my completed projects. Oh, and the little bee, which I hated to part with, is a vintage pin that I found at an antique shop back at Thanksgiving. I loved him but he worked perfectly on this purse so I used him. And the bee had to be there because the girl who ordered the purse is named Melissa. That name means, "Honey Bee".

Since it'll be a few days before I can sew up my February block, I'll start a small project to work on over the weekend:



Cathy D. was kind enough to agree to stitch up my ornament design for the 2008 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue. My ornament for this year is a Biscornu and since I've never finished one and it has to be perfect, I asked Cathy if she would do the model for me. In exchange, Cathy asked if I would make her one of my little cat dolls in red so that will be my next project.

Finally, I'm pleased to tell you that my E-Book, "Elegant Crazy Quilt Seam Treatments" is complete!



The book contains 72 charted borders plus 9 charted Feather Stitch borders and complete directions for stitching perfectly sized and spaced crazy quilt seam treatments with Waste Canvas like I do.

I just have to upload the final pages and then when Allison Aller returns from her trip this week, she will review it for me, making sure my instructions are complete and clear and then I will release it.

I'm very, very excited about this book! So excited to be able share my technique and borders with other crazy quilters that I have already started work on Volume 2 which will be a supplement volume focusing mainly on more border designs.

Well, I guess that's it for today everyone!