Seascape Bowl Fillers

I didn't realize that it had been almost a week since I blogged.  I've been keeping very busy sewing up new blocks to stitch on, planning the fall and Christmas projects I want to do for the upcoming holiday season; yes, I know it seems a bit early but when you make things to sell, you have think 6 months in advance!

Lesson 5 of my Color and Composition Class is almost ready.  My end of it is done so it's now in Jason's capable hands.  He's putting it together and we expect to release it a few days early.

Jason has also been working on my getting my upcoming book, "Elegant Cross Stitch Sentiments For Crazy Quilting" ready for release.  We're anticipating a mid to late May release date!  I'm pretty excited about this book because of it's versatility.  I know it will appeal to crazy quilters but I expect it will appeal to cross stitchers as well.  There are over 60 small cross stitch designs in this book which span the holidays and seasons as well as other sentiments such as Happy Birthday, Believe, Inspire, Welcome and so on.  Perfect for quick little gifts and awesome worked into crazy quilt pieces.

I have been stitching away on my projects too.  First, a pillow that I finished stitching up last week:

This piece features a vintage bird image and hand painted lace from Nicki Lee.  I've already pulled fabric for the back and intend to get this piece sewn up this week.

At the moment, I'm working on Seascape Bowl Fillers.  What are seascape bowl fillers you may ask?  They start with a crazy quilt piece.  I finished this one up yesterday:

And this one was started early this morning:

I'm very fortunate to be given outdated fabric and trim sample books from a local decorating store.  The small pieces of trim give me a lot of embellishing options.  That pretty green ribbon is from one of the trim books.

Be sure to follow my progress on these so you can see what else will be going into these bowl fillers!

America's Quilts And Coverlets

Scott and I went up to the Wilmot Wisconsin Flea Market on Sunday for a little something to do.  We braved the cold wind and drizzle just to walk around outside and get a bit of fresh air.  It wasn't very big but I did find a $3.00 treasure.

America's Quilts and Coverlets by Carleton L. Safford and Robert Bishop.  Published in 1974 by Weathervane Books a division of Barre Publishing Company, Inc.

The copyright information is as follows:

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publishers, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast.

For the purpose of review, I'd like to say this is an excellent historical reference book regarding the history and makers of both quilts and woven coverlets.  It's an old book, but is loaded with photos of every type of quilt imaginable.

And yes, it includes crazy quilting!  I'm going to share a brief portion of the introduction to Crazy Quilting chapter:

The Crazy Quilt

Despite it's name, the crazy quilt is usually not quilted, but is finished instead by "tufting" the top, the stuffing, and the lining at regular intervals.  At the time of it's great popularity in the Victorian period it was used as a "parlor throw" and was primarily meant for show, but it was also useful for a short nap.  These throws were of all sizes and weights, shapes and colors.  Their principal charm comes from the great variety of embroidery used to embellish them.

The fad for the crazy quilt involved much sentiment and no house was complete without one for the parlor.  The pieces that were sewn together helter-skelter as patchwork were garnered from trunks, relatives, neighbors, wedding dresses, graduation hair ribbons, baby clothes, prize-winner's ribbons, men's ties, - in fact, anything for "remembrance sake" was eligible.  Velvet, silk, calico, and wool were used, but no particular pattern was followed.  The patch was usually added in the shape that it came to the quiltmaker.  The real success of the final "quilt" was not judged by its pattern or a pleasing combination of colors, but by the originality of the embroidery that decorated its surface.  Some women with a daring imagination and the ability to draw a little came up with excellent examples of folk art in this medium.  Each crazy quilt is individual, for one could collect a thousand and not have any two that were just alike.

Modern collectors of  crazy quilts can be selective since there are many specimens still available.  However, many connoisseurs of early bedcovers tend to dismiss this type of quilt for not being on a par with other types we have discussed.  To quote one on the subject:  "Materials were assembled that were never born for each other;  it's plan of construction suggested the splintered points left by a stone in its passage through a window; pattern it cannot be called, for pattern is ordered relation."

I find that last quote to be amusing!  And I'm not sure how many crazy quilts are still around as many have deteriorated over the years!  Quite honestly, I've seen very few antique crazy quilts that I would call attractive.  The obnoxious combination of colors included on many of them is visually offensive!  However, as ya'll know, the random piecework and "no rules" approach to the art quilt is what I myself find favorable. 

Just thought you'd enjoy reading that excerpt. 

Heart Bowl Fillers Crazy Quilt Cottage Decor

Just a quick update for today ladies, it's just about time to get dinner together.  I finished up the 4 sets of Heart Bowl Fillers that I was working on last week:

These were a lot of fun to make and a perfect centerpiece for anyone with pets!  They're non breakable!

My next bowl fillers will be seascapes.  I always like to make some under the sea crazy quilt pieces for Summer!

Value The Arts

The following article appeared in the Chicago Tribune last week.  It was written by an artist name Kathleen Hardy from Chicago.  It's really a reply to a letter published a few weeks previously.  Since I have been a self employed, freelance artist for so many years, it really struck a cord in me so I am reposting it.  Please note that I have given credit both to the author who wrote the letter/reply as well as to the Chicago Tribune.

Value The Arts

A letter writer in the March 21 Voice of the People wrote:  "We liked the smaller bandstands (at former Taste of Chicago festivals) that would feature local artists.  I'm sure many of these bands would play for almost nothing just to be able to have others hear their music."
He is wrong about that!  Why is it that artists (of any genre) are expected to work for "almost nothing"?

Would anyone seriously say to an accountant, "Do my taxes for free; I'll tell everyone what a great job you did!  It'll be great exposure for you!  You should be happy to have others just see your work for almost nothing!"

Or how about, "Doctor, you should be happy just to have others see the nice job you did on setting my broken bone!"

None of these things happens in real life, so why should we expect artists to work for nothing?

Is it possible that people in America have no idea that artists eat food, pay rent and have kids just like they do?

Do people in America have no idea that an artist has to pay money for supplies to be able to create the art that many want to enjoy for free?

Do they understand that in order for artists to exhibit their work in craft shows, they have to pay money to be there?

Do they understand that many artists actually did go to college for training in their fields and now have student loans to pay back too?

We are often freelancers, so we don't have employee benefits like health care.

Those things are paid for out of our own pockets; our art pays for these things.

To have someone enter the booth and exclaim, "You're charging THAT much (for a unique, one-of-a-kind item)?" shows the level of disconnect between people and their jobs and artists and our jobs.

It is mystifying to us for people to tell us how we should simply be grateful for people to want to celebrate and share our work, yet somehow expect us to live without a salary, let alone keep creating.

If we truly value the arts, maybe we should compensate the artists commensurately.

Kathleen Hardy, Chicago
Chicago Tribune

The Gingham Dog And The Calico Cat Bowl Fillers

Okay, this will tell my mom's age!  LOL!!!  Don't tell her I said that!  Her latest in Bowl Fillers is this set of a Gingham Dog and a Calico Cat:

Based on the poem by Eugene Field 1850 - 1895.  Apparently, based on the poem, the contents of an antique shop get in a quibble!  The story is actually quite cute!

Anyway, mom always liked that little poem so she recreated it as a set of Cottage Chic Bowl Fillers!