Shabby Chic Paris

Some photos of a Shabby Chic building here in Paris. Actually, lots of buildings here would qualify to fit in that  decorating category, but I walk by this building a lot and it intrigues me. Photos from September.

Speaking of Paris, it’s gotten really cold here. Well, that’s cold for Paris, not for those of you who live in Arctic tundras. It was below freezing this morning – that’s more than cold enough for me. The advantage is that the sun is out – woohoo! I’ll happily take this over gray warmer days anytime.

Some day I’d like to make a quilt inspired by this antique quilt that Julie Silber discussed in her Save Our Stories interview. She says: “So, a block might say, 'Made on Wednesday, Fair. Made on Thursday, warm.'” I love that and I love this quilt. I’d do free-pieced letters of course.

Too bad I didn’t get it done here in Paris – would have been much more interesting with the weather than it will be in Florida. Beautiful, warm, sunny…. though I haven’t lived an actual summer there yet so who knows I might end up with “too stinking hot” and “surface of Mercury.”

Thank you for your kind words after my last post – ya’all are good for my self-confidence. Plus you definitely helped me with ideas for the paperwork.

We’re not having a Thanksgiving dinner as such, but my sweetie (who is safely home from his travels) and I will go out for lunch.

I’ve gone and lost my list that had links I want to share. That’s what I get for being disorganized. But I do remember a couple:

Bumble Beans had her daughter draw directly on a quilt and then machine quilted the drawing. Completely marvelous and wonderful.

Lynne at The Patchery Menagerie made the most adorable rubber ducky quilt.  So cute.

Marketing Research

Despite appearances to the contrary, it hasn't all just been sleep, sleep, sleep around here. Brothers Howler and Habibi in their side-by-side box beds:

Bonnie and I have been working bit by bit on Lazy Days in Quiltville. Holy cow, the last time I really talked about this was last June. Have we really been working on it this long? Heck, have to keep in mind that my co-author was incredibly busy with a great book of her own, not to mention her crazy teaching schedule. Furthermore I've wanted to hold off having a deadline until I'm back in the U.S.

Anyway, I am working on the proposal forms and feeling incredibly inadequate. Teaching credentials? nope. Professional references? nope. Classroom experience? nope. And writing ABOUT the book instead of just writing it? Really hard.

As I was slowly painfully plugging along at this, trying to answer questions about who would ever buy this book and why would they when there are so many other titles on the shelves, I thought why not ask you guys. I'm hoping you'd buy it. (Pretty please).

I know it's hard to say for sure when you don't even know what's going to be in the book, but you know it's going to be the Bonnie and Tonya philosophy of quilting. If it's too long, cut it off; too short add to it. Have fun while you quilt and be imprecise - no matching. Use your ugly fabric and all the bitty crumbs. Personalize the quilt - use the letters to say something about who you are or the one you're making the quilt for. No patterns (but maybe a bit of guidance for little starter projects). Like that.

Have you tried the free-pieced letters? How about the crumbs and/or strings (tutorials over on Quiltville.com)? Crumby or wonky hearts? Maverick Stars?

How did it work for you? What was your skill level? Had you done any liberated piecing before?

Why would you buy a book like this when there are so many others to choose from, not to mention all those books you're already got on your shelf. Why would you buy this book when the information has been online for so long?

Okay, you'd buy the book, but who else would this be good for?

Cutting Strips

I showed you a blue and turquoise quilt recently that I made for my husband. Well it strikes me that I perhaps have gone a bit overboard buying those two colors. Sigh. Admittedly there is a wee bit of purple and green mixed in here, but I do have a lot.

And there’s more….

Yup, definitely went overboard. I can still here that voice in my head, I have to buy fabric for that blue quilt I want to make someday. Well, when I finally get to it, I’ll have lots of choices.

Right now I’m cutting 2”ish strips and strings to make a bed quilt someday. I know I need fabric in Florida and it’s easier to put strips in the suitcase.

Julie recently posted this comment:

“I think a helpful thing for new quilters is cloth management during the quilt top process. When free/liberated piecing I think it helps to have a small to mid size piece to work with. It is really hard to sew with 1/2 yard pieces. Sometimes it is hard to cut up a pretty piece of cloth but I think small pieces are easier to handle. If you have a large piece and know you have to cut it up before you sew, but you don't know how you want the shape to look once sewn, what is your advice about cutting? I think this gets into the whole design thing. Even if you are liberated, there is some vision that guides the placement, non? Maybe you could talk about that a little bit. The comfort of cutting out a pattern and sewing it together is real. Getting out of the comfort zone and appearing to just wing it is scary.”

I’ll try to answer this question. First, I agree that it is much easier to use fabric in smaller pieces. I’ve found that if I don’t cut into a piece, it very well might not get used at all.

When I’m starting on a project, I will cut strips for it. My widths of choice are 1”, 1.5”, and 2.5” – there should be an ish on the end of those. I don’t worry about precision or getting the strips as straight as they possibly can be. And I do try to vary it every once in a while, throw in a 1.25” a 1.75” and/or a 2.25”.

If I know that I will be using LOTS of a particular fabric then I may just cut some other widths as well.

If it’s a fabric I have a lot of or am not emotionally attached to, then I’ll probably cut “whole” strips from one selvage to another (so they’ll be about 42” long).

But sometimes I’ll cut out a square and slice it up instead. Or I might cut a 6” strip – that’s the width of one of my favorite rulers so it’s easy to manage. Then I’ll cut that strip in half. One half  (approx 6” by 21”) will be set aside, the other cut in half again (in other words, quartered) and then I’ll start cutting it up into different widths. Some of them will be angled. Sorta like this:

The advantage to the 6” method is that you have some larger chunks (such as sky around houses) when you need them.

But I do like my letters and blocks smalls. Those widths might be too small for you. I know some people probably look at these and see a future in the waste basket. If that’s you, then I’d probably go 1.5”, 2.5” and 3” or something like that.

Just don’t think of it as wasting fabric. You WILL use it in a free-pieced or string or crumb project.

Usually when I start a project I have some kind of vision, yes. But it might not be very extensive. I’ll just know that I want to make houses. So I start making houses. If I’m enjoying it, then I decide does it need more? Does it need something else?

I might have a bit of a drawing to guide me. Not always. I might just have a phrase I want to use. My way of working is to just start something and play. I don’t always use the blocks for anything. They’ll get aside and maybe appear in an orphan quilt or I’ll find the perfect place for them someday.

Take a look at how I worked on my quilt Terms of Endearment. I did a fairly decent job of showing pics along the way and discussing my decision making. Go here, here, here, here, and here and all together here.

I cut out strips for that project just the way I described above.

Does that help???

You know you can take a quilt for a model and start there. My first experience with free-piecing was making houses from Gwen Marston’s Liberated Quiltmaking (sadly out of print but hey, at least the price of a used copy has gone down to “just” $50). I’d pick my favorite houses and try to make something similar.

Iluvmyairman asked the following:

“… my problem is binding a quilt by hand. I've always turned the backing to the front and made that my binding, but this time I am using double bias tape quilt binding. It is hard to stitch up by hand. Or maybe it's cause I don't know what I'm doing. ha ha Any thoughts or words of wisdom to help me out?”

The only way I’ve ever attached binding is by sewing it on with the machine and then hand tacking on the back. I’m out of my depth with the double bias tape. Can anyone out there offer some help?

On a complete change of topic, ohmy, I think the sun is out!!! It has been soooo gray and dreary here I’ve been losing my mind. The only brightness was a wonderful visit with Jen aka Hedgehog. Of course neither one of us thought to take photos because we were talking talking talking.

Time to run errands in the break between rainstorms. Ya’all take care!

 

The Non-Quilt Blog Post

Okay, I've done several quilty posts so now I feel free to write one that's completely off topic.

First off, a close-up of Lily making herself at home right where I don't want her. At least I'd moved a lot of stuff so she didn't knock everything down when she jumped up.

I'm doing well, the cats are doing well, the husband is travelling. I'm taking advantage of the latter and eating things like popcorn and nachos for dinner. Not at the same time.

I've avidly searched for news of the fate of Pushing Daisies. Please, ABC, please don't cancel this show. I wouldn't mind if they didn't make any more for this season - they've already made 13 episodes. That's fine, lots of my favorite shows have short seasons, not the 20-something episodes of the traditional networks. Just renew Pushing Daisies for fall 2009. Please, please, pretty please.

Bryan Fuller, the creator of Pushing Daisies, has stated that he might go back to Heroes if the show is cancelled. Can't say I'm excited about that. I love superheroes, but the first season of Heroes was only good, not great. I figured it was the backstory of how everyone got their powers and that's why it occasionally DRAGGED and after that the show would really click. But from the rather bad things I've heard, not the case... So I might catch more Heroes someday, but not going out of my way to see it.

Finished watching the final season of The Wire. There are shows that I love more, that I enjoy more, but I'd still vote The Wire as THE best overall, consistent tv show ever made. Every episode is fantastic, the writing and acting amazing and the story heartbreaking. Not a single bad episode in the lot and I can't say that about any other show. (Well, unless you count Fawlty Towers which only had 12 episodes.) Shows you how broken the Emmy system is since this show never got the love it deserved.

Interesting blog post here about what Barack Obama could learn from watching The Wire.

Finished watching season 6 of The Shield, another excellent cop show, though more melodramatic than The Wire.

I watched the first few episodes of Chuck, which I'd never intended to try. But I read a review that praised its sheer entertainment value so I gave it a shot. It's about a 20-something guy who isn't living up to his potential, working in the Nerd Herd at Buy More (hmm, wonder what that could be a reference to) who gets government secrets downloaded into his brain. I was afraid he'd all of a sudden be a perfect spy but it doesn't work like that--he gets flashes of insight but is still himself.

So definitely goofy fun. Nothing to take seriously. Kinda Aliasy, but not that kickass. Much better than Jake 2.0 which it vaguely resembles, but with a lot more humor and fun.

Tried Life about the cop who was wrongly sent to jail but is out now etc. It stars Damian Lewis who I loved in Band of Brothers. I hated the show. Didn't expect that at all, but totally hated it and couldn't even watch all the episodes on the disc. Just immediately set my teeth on edge.

I'm officially giving up on Smallville about Clark Kent and how he learns to be Superman. That show just lost it after the kids graduated high school. I kept plugging away with it because I do think Tom Welling does a wonderful job as Clark and I loved the relationship with the Luthors. But watched the first disc of season 7 with Supergirl and I just can't take it anymore.

Tried watching Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp and hated that one too. It was the singing and music I just couldn't stand. Give me rock opera anytime, but obviously not this stuff. Speaking of rock opera, Repo! the Genetic Opera sounds intriguing. Doesn't look good, just like it might be fun to watch on a double-bill with Rocky Horror Picture Show. And hey, that's Giles (Anthony Steward Head) starring - that's gotta be worth something.

I watched the new Masterpiece Theater version of Northanger Abbey. It was cute and fun but definitely Young Adult section Jane Austen.

Okay, that's all for now. Catch ya later.

What Kind of Fabric?

We've had nothing but gray skies and drizzle here. Pretty much describes my mood too. Please, sunshine, come back!!!

My friend Siobhan has just moved and is pondering how to set up her sewing studio. Hmmm, don't take advice from me, the Queen of Disorganization (and Procrastination)

Okay, here's today's topic for the beginning quilter. And again, this is a liberated, improvisational free-piecing quilter. What fabric to buy?

I know when I started out in the mid 1980's all the books recommended 100% cotton. period, no discussion. But now that I am much easier-going and have seen marvelous quilts such as those made by the Gee's Benders I'm not sure I can just turn around and give that advice myself. I can say it will be EASIER if you stick to all 100% cotton.

100% cotton IS good stuff. And yes that almost describes my entire stash. I admire a wide range of fabrics in others' quilts but I haven't quite worked up to that freedom myself. I would beware of cheap fabric with a really loose weave - it may just come apart way too quickly. Also, I'm a big supporter of the high quality fabrics found at quilting shops - they don't lose their dye as quickly as some of the cheaper stuff. Is this a quilt intended for a short period of time or for many many years? Are you making a dog bed or an heirloom? Depending where you are on that scale, the more you should pay attention to high quality fabric.

Batik fabric is cotton but it has a tighter weave than traditional cotton. If the quilt you are making is going to be made completely by machine (pieced and quilted) this is a great choice because it irons well, doesn't fray much, and is just plain easy to work with. However, because of that tighter weave, it is harder to hand piece and harder to quilt. May not be worth the frustration factor for the beginning quilter.

Flannel and brushed-cotton (looks like flannel on one side and regular cotton on the other) are stretchier. In some ways that can be fun because it will force you to work looser and more care-free. I love using brushed-cotton for applique because it misbehaves and I automatically get something of a primitive look. I've never tried hand-piecing with these materials.

Linen. I've read blog posts by folks who love working with this material, although of course I couldn't find them now when I'm searching for them. Oh, wait, here are some posts on linen by Quilt Words Meg (who I wish was still blogging and if she's reading this: hello!) Linen is a natural fiber, nice and soft.

Silk is absolutely gorgeous but it is slippery and frays like crazy. You're a beginning quilter - it's most likely not worth the heartache.

Polyester. Sorry, I just won't use it and won't use any fabric that has been blended with it. It wears out differently and looks unnatural. I know that for sure: one of my very first quilts was made with poly-cottons and just a few squares of real cotton and the quilt definitely hasn't aged well.

I'm not buying polyester and that goes for spandex and lycra too. I'm sticking with natural fabrics.

I'm out of my depth as far as talking about anything else. But I can sum it up this way. Stick to 100% quilting cottons unless you're adventurous. For quilting fabric it really can be true, you get what you pay for (unless it's a fantastic sale or store like Mary Jo's). That's when you're buying fabric off the bolt, but there are also great opportinities to be found by repurposing old clothing.

Additional reading on fabric can be found here and here.

Now if you want to see a quilter who does an absolutely incredible job of mixing a wide range of fabrics together, see Jude's work over at Spiritcloth.