LAM's Blog

Improvisational Quilt in Progress

2012-01-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

Here's another project I've been working on, a little bit at a time:

The large striped panels will probably end up being cut up, but I'm playing with options while looking in my stash for other fabrics that will play nicely with what I have so far.

Figs and Ginger - additional blocks finished!

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

Finally got back to this project and finished sewing the additional blocks together. The center of both quilts are now complete and ready for borders, but in my haste to pick up, I forgot to take a picture of the panels, so you'll have to wait for that picture until I have space to spread it out again.

Snow Outside, Creativity Inside

2012-01-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

Over the past few days, we've gone from this:

to this:

We've shoveled snow (it doesn't look like it, since more came down) and endured two power failures. So what does one do when there is no power? Well, my knitting ran into a little snag, so I decided to spin some yarns for a project I'd like to start soon.

First, I finished plying this teal/ blue / white skein:

Next, I corespun (wool wrapped around a thin, premade yarn) a beautiful aqua and multicolor batt into this yarn:

Wanting to try something new, I spun a thick and thin single while letting multicolored thread autowrap around it.

That was fun, but I've seen beautiful yarns with beads, I had to try making one, so I spun up more fiber. Left to right: blue / violet / black batt, Ashford Damson Slyver, Ashford Woodland Slyver.

The first skein was multistranded. I plyed the two blue-violet strands with three different quilting / embroidery threads, one being pre-strung with beads, which I skattered throughout the skein. The metallic thread made it a bit scratchy, but added sparkle, along with the beads and it's beautiful!

I decided to try threading the beads directly onto the strand that was made from the batt, but only managed to ply a small sample skein before the yarn broke and beads flew everywhere!

Having more yarn to ply, I decided to blend the two blue-violet strands with a black lace-weight bamboo yarn and threaded the beads on it. It worked well, with the black bamboo yarn darkening the skein, but only a little.

More experiments to come as I have time...

TAST Weeks 1 and 2

2012-01-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I said I was going to take part in TAST 2012 (Take a Stitch Tuesday) and I've been working on it in different ways, but hadn't sorted out the "how" part for myself, because I didn't just want to do rows of stitching samples, I want it to work on something that will become something more than just a stitch sampler. Finally, I decided that I'd really like to try to make a garden with these stitches, experimenting as I go and hopefully the results will work out.

The first week was Fly Stitch, and I was experimented working on a light hand dyed linen.

The stitches were ok, but it wasn't the look I was hoping for, so I went in search of a fabric that was more green and began again. This past week has been Buttonhole Stitch, so I added a little more stitching. I'm still not happy with what I've done so far, but may keep working on this one and see where it goes, or maybe continue working on both pieces.......

During my search, I found a stitch sampler that I made several years ago and thought you might like to see it.

TTL mystery sock 2012 - spoiler alert!

2012-01-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

Last year I finally finished the 2010 mystery sock (only took me 2 years, because I set it aside for a while), but this year I joined the 2012 TTL mystery sock group in the Through the Loops group on Ravelry, and am trying to keep up with the weekly clues to make a pair of socks in a month. This is not an easy feat, as they're being worked on between other things (like bookkeeping in time for taxes - yuk!). Not doing too badly, since I've got both socks in progress at the same time, one is ready for the next clue and the other is getting there - maybe it'll make it too. If not, she said the next clue will be the heel, so will give us time to catch up before starting the foot. It's a challenging pattern, but beautiful, and I've taken the liberty of exchanging beads in place of the bobbles in her design, since I've never done them before, and want my socks finished asap, because I'd really love to be able to wear them to the Madrona Fiber Arts spinning class that I'm taking next month! Well, here's what I've knit so far...

New Slippers for Ryan

2011-12-29T17:04:00.000-08:00

These were gifted and worn before I realized I hadn't taken a picture, so I caught up with him and took this picture. They're from one of Cat Bordhi's books and knit with double strand of sock yarn.

Holding Hands - Pastel Painting

2011-12-22T10:42:00.000-08:00

Although I did complete this painting on Monday, I'm just getting around to posting it. You know, it's that time of year when we are all busy... Anyways, last week's challenge was LOVE, and the only way I thought I could try to represent it with my limited pastel skills was holding hands.

My sketches:

The pastel painting:

With each painting I learn something new!

Amir's Ibis

2011-12-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

This past week's challenge was "JOY", and although I had some ideas, I didn't know how to represent them in pastel, as I'm still such a beginner in the medium. For me, joy is time spent learning this new medium, and if I look at it that way, I did succeed, because I did a painting, and learned while working on it!

My husband took this picture of an Ibis on one of his photography trips, and I thought I'd try to recreate it in pastel.

Of course, it looks like a beginner's painting, because it is, but since it takes practice to get better, I'm practicing! At least I can tell it's supposed to be an Ibis:-)

Details: pastel, with watercolor underpainting, on 12" x 16" on Ampersand Pastelboard.

Current and Future Challenges

2011-12-08T09:02:00.001-08:00

I'm continuing to participate in the Holiday Paint Out on Facebook. This week's challenge is the word "JOY", and I'm still trying to think of a way to represent it in a painting.

For next year, I've joined Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) which will be a year long challenge devoted to learning and using different embroidery stitches, as well as seeing what varieties we can come up with. It's my hope that I'll not only learn from the challenge, but it will also inspire me to finish a large crazy quilt that I have in progress. The crazy quilt blocks are finished, but need to be put together into a quilt, which is not as easy as it sounds, because they are very heavily embellished, and I know it all needs to be stabilized with more than the usual tacking stitches that crazy quilters use. I'm thinking I need to be untraditional with it, using batting and hand quilting to hold it all together (machine stitching just wouldn't be right, and there is no way a machine could quilt the blocks anyways)!

Hurricane Ridge

2011-12-04T10:45:00.001-08:00

People always seem to be amazed at all the different things I've learned to do, and although I've learned how to do some things from family and classes, I've learned even more from kits, books and videos. This year I decided to participate in the Holiday Paint Out that CCP Videos is hosting. I missed the first prompt, which was COMMUNITY, so I'm starting with the second prompt, which is PEACE.

In late summer, my husband and I took a trip to Olympic National Park, and traveled up Hurricane Ridge. The views are spectacular, and when we hiked along the ridge it was so peaceful, and if it is possible, a more beautiful view around every bend in the trail. So after thinking of several ways to represent peace, I decided I wanted to paint from one of the pictures I took when we were there. It is painted in pastel.

Here's the first layer:

My finished painting:

The original photograph:

Details: pastel on 9" x 12" Wallis sanded paper.

Block Party Quilters Raffle Quilt

2011-11-29T10:50:00.001-08:00

I designed the quilt for the BPQ guild several years ago, and they decided to save it for the next APWQ show in Seattle, which at that time, was the bi-yearly APNQ show, and timed it's construction accordingly. In the meantime, the show changed names, and did not occur last year, instead it was held earlier this year in Tacoma.

I've been stalking this quilt since it was finished, in an attempt to get a nice, full picture of it, and caught up with it again at the BPQ show held earlier this month. Of course I knew it would be there, because it is their raffle quilt. When the finished quilt was unveiled to the guild, I was one of the people holding the quilt, so couldn't take a picture, and although the other ladies tried to hold it up for me, it is so large, it was impossible to get a picture of the whole quilt. I began trying to photograph it wherever I saw it, but there has always been a table or something in front of it, so I guess this is it, because I believe they will draw a winner soon.

.

more baskets

2011-11-20T13:06:00.001-08:00

This first basket is woven on a wooden base / handle combo that I ordered with a pattern. It's a great size for office supplies in my booth, as it holds all the essentials!

Unfortunately, I did not check the wood on both sides until I was ready to weave, because I found there were blue marks on the other side (I think it is dye). I decided since it was a basket that would be used for all kinds of things that may end up marking the interior, it was not that big an issue, and went ahead and used it. I lover the size, and it was very useful in my show booth last weekend.

Another basket completed before the show to hold some of my hand dyed fabrics in the booth. I believe the pattern name was a Cranberry Basket, and it is supposed to be a cat's head shaping, but being my first cat's head basket, it isn't shaped as nicely as it should be, but I love it anyways. Since the show is over, I'm now imagining it being used as part of a Christmas floral arrangement!

Additional info 1/15/12: I've been asked about the rim directions for these baskets, and thought everyone would like to know the patterns and rim information, so here it is with links.

The top basket pattern is called Remote Roundup (scroll down for pattern 0021-P085 , click on pattern name and you will see ordering info on base as well, but no picture), and was purchased from NorEsta. The rim was supposed to be wrapped once with reed, the usual way, but when I got to that point, there wasn't enough space between the stakes to fit any reed, so I used waxed linen, going once around and then back to where I started and tying the ends together (on the inside, under the rim where it wouldn't be noticed).

For some reason, I had thought the name of the second basket was Cranberry Basket (don't know where I got that name from), but the pattern is called Cat's Head Market Basket, and it is from Baskets of Joy. The lashing directions are in the pattern and is called a combination lash. My basket isn't shaped as well as the designer's basket, and maybe someday I'll make another that is shaped properly:-)

Gathering Basket - Finsihed!

2011-11-17T13:12:00.001-08:00

The pattern for this basket is a bit different than the way it ended up, because I fudged to make it work. There is a round reed between two hoops that makes the handle and center of the basket base, and you are supposed to just weave them over / under like the rest of the basket, but there wasn't enough space to do it. Since this shape is a new learning experience for me, I ended up skipping over all three pieces in the lower part of the basket, but didn't want to do the same with the handle. A friend gave me a book for my birthday that had the answer I was looking for, and I was able to adapt the instructions to make the decorative raised braid on the handle.

The Big Book of Patchwork

2011-11-16T13:44:00.001-08:00

It's time for be to get back to doing book reviews, so here goes...

The Big Book ofPatchwork by Judy Hopkins

So many beautiful quilts in one book! Most, if not all canbe made from your stash, because there are table runners which don’t take muchfabric at all, 2-color quilts, quilts using multiple fabrics for each color, andof course, lots of scrappy quilts. Shebegins with choosing your fabric and basic quilting techniques, then moves onto all the patterns – all 50 of them!!!

The samples for the projects in The Big Book of Patchwork are made of a variety of fabrics from 30’sprints to solids, batiks, plaids, and even Asian fabrics. You could even make one design with fabricsthat you see in another, and you could use this one book to make a gift foreveryone you know.

Quilting Disk Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-14T11:17:00.001-08:00

Congratulations Paula, the Quilter, you're the winner!!! Please contact me with your snail mail address, so that I can get them in the mail to you.

If you're wondering how the winner was picked, I used the random number generator, which picked the number 1, making Paula, the author of the first comment my winner.

I Have a Design Wall!

2011-11-10T22:29:00.001-08:00

Over a month ago, my husband helped me attach foam insulation panels to the wall in my studio, but it took much longer than I had expected for me to figure out how to stretch an attach the flannel by myself. It's finally finished, with the edges neatly trimmed and covered with a pale green and white dotted ribbon! (I know the ribbon can't be seen unless you are in my studio. My husband said it didn't need it, but the cut edges bothered me, and I'm happier now that the edges look nice.)

Here's another of my UFOs, but it's now out of the bag and up on the wall so I can think about getting it finished (after the bed quilts - they have to be finished first)! This is not my design, but I bought it because I liked it, and it is a foundation pattern that is great for using some of my fat quarter stash. (I'll post the pattern information as soon as I find the pattern cover.)

After finishing the crazy log cabin panel (yes, it is waiting for me to make it into a bag), I had some blocks and partial blocks left over (and of course more scraps), so I've pinned them near the edge of the design wall for now.

Grip & Stitch Disks, BPQ Show and Giveaway!!!

2011-11-10T09:32:00.001-08:00

These are the disks I love! I always use them and now have 4 pairs, one for each machine station and another to keep in my class bag, because I love quilting with them and hate being without them. They even help me grip and move the fabric or larger part of piecing and sewing projects much easier than my old way of grabbing a handful of the fabric when I'm sewing. If you've been to one of my quilting classes or free motion quilting demonstrations, you've seen me use these! When I was at the Houston Quilt Market last year, a little video was made in the APQS booth when I was demonstrating quilting on the George (this is the long arm quilting machine I have - it's in a table, like my Bernina and Pfaff), and Clever Craft Tools has some U-Tube videos on their website.

Besides quilting and sewing, there are lots of other things I can see these disks being used for, such as when my husband is using his scroll saw. Even though it's a saw, which is cutting the wood apart, instead of joining, the operation of the blade is up and down and the wood is moved like you move fabric when quilting, and I think it would give the woodworker an easier way to maneuver the wood they are cutting. Now I just need to dream up a project that will get him to get out his scroll saw and try it. Hmmm, I wonder if he will let me play with it?

Now here's the giveaway part. I have a set of the newest version of the Grip & Stitch disks, which has even better quality foam and instead of the gray layer in the middle, it's now white. Starting today, I'll be setting up my booth at the Block Party Quilters Quilt Show with my booth neighbor, who is the manufacturer of these cool disks, Clever Craft Tools, and she has given me a pair to giveaway. So leave a comment on this blog post and on Monday I'll use the random number generator to pick a winner!

If you're local, come see us at the Block Party Quilt Show this weekend and say hi! There will even be a machine so you can take the disks on a test spin.

(The fine print: If you're the winner, I'll need a way to contact you or will have to pick a different winner if I am unable to get in touch with you next week.)

Onion Basket - finished!

2011-11-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

My onion basket waited for its rim, while I was busy doing other things, but I decided to finish it so it can be used. Besides, I really like the size and texture of this one!

Inside, you can see how the extra filler pieces were split and tucked in before the sides were woven.

Coming soon another giveaway.......

Pincushion Baskets

2011-11-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

10 little baskets dressed up and ready to go to the Block Party Quilters show next week. Each basket has been hand dyed before or after weaving, and there are no two exactly alike.

No Second Sock Syndrome

2011-11-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

A little Cinderella sock story...

Usually, as soon as the first sock is complete, the second is begun. However, once it was cast off, this toe-up sock fit a bit too tight for my taste, so I tossed it back in the knitting basket while I considered if I should rip it back to the foot and make it longer. Since I hate to rip, it has been there quite a while.

One of my sons loves to wear slipper socks I've made him (I can tell he loves them, because they're either on his feet or in the wash all the time, and I've already darned them - time to make new ones), and his girlfriend asked if I could make her a pair of socks. Well, I had my lecture / class coming up, and this month my vendor booth at the Block Party Quilt Show coming up, with much to be done to prepare, so I wondered how to get everything done and also knit a pair of socks. I realized she has TINY feet compared to mine, and remembered the single sock waiting in the basket, so had her try it on. She liked it and it fit! So the second sock was cast on and finished, and now she has a new pair of socks!

Knitting is much more fun than ripping, and sometimes, you just need to search for the right foot!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

2011-10-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

The ladies at the Pieceable Quilters in Lynden, WA enjoyed my trunk show and had lots of fun in the Sunflower Garden class. Since they were Tuesday evening and Wednesday, they made a reservation for me at the Kale House in Everson. This was my first stay in a B&B, and it was wonderful. The B&B is charming!

If tomorrow is bright enough, I'm hoping to take a picture of the newer Sunflower Garden. It's the bolder, batik version of the original and everyone loves it! Another difference, is that I free motion quilted the blocks after I appliqued the flowers, although it still has quite a bit of fancy machine stitching:-)

Field of Sunflowers

2011-10-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

While the paint was still out, I painted the sunflower fat quarter quilt, so now it's also ready for binding and a sleeve! Although the discharge I tried in the background layer didn't seem to work as planned, maybe the paint to discharge paste was wrong, who knows, but it will require more testing to find out. At least the background still worked for the sunflowers, and I'm happy with the way it came out!

This is the original fabric sandwich that was quilted:

The paint changed it to look like this:

It's fun to experiment with little projects like these, so I'm planning to do more in the future!

Daisies in Vases

2011-10-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Last night I had some fun with paint! Using my limited palette of Jacquard fabric paints that came in little squeeze bottles, I mixed opaques, pearls and the metallic Lumieres to add more color to my little fat quarter, painted floral quilts. I think the only thing left to do is bind and add a sleeve, and am considering an invisible binding, like I did on Janet's Influence, so the binding doesn't take away from the daisies and vases.

It started with a fat quarter sized fabric sandwich to be used to demonstrate free motion quilting on during our local shop hop. As there were long breaks between groups of hoppers, I decided to have some fun and see what could be done with supplies on hand. I used chalk to trace around my drink bottle, for the outer size for the daisies. Once those were quilted, I decided they would be in funky vases and sketched funky outlines for the vases, stems and leaves. All the sketched areas were filled in with free motion quilting and then the background, which ended up looking like this:

Up close, showing the real fabric color:

I wanted more color in the background, so this was painted with Jacquard's Dye-na-flow fabric paints, which flow more like a dye. Now I liked the background color and it was ready to paint the daisies and vases, and the light was right, so I was able to get a better picture that showed the quilting off . [I wish I could get the light to be like this for all my pictures:-)]

Lecture and Class Next Week

2011-10-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to speaking at the Pieceable Quilters guild meeting and then teaching the Sunflower Garden class next week (October 18th and 19th). Their guild is in Lynden, WA and it is going to be lots of fun, but right now I need to finish sorting, packing and taking care of all the little details that need to be finished before I leave.

Basket Weaving Progress

2011-10-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

My gathering basket is getting closer to being finished, with only the handle left to be woven! It has been difficult following the pattern, and I think it is because of this double handle with filler. Other than the wood hoops, initial weaving in the natural reed color, and spokes that are seen here, I decided to finish the basket in an improvisational manner using the coordinating flat reed. There are things I would do differently in a future basket, adding more ribs (I didn't add all the ones the pattern called for), and only two hoops. The double handle and two D-handles used for the basket rim do add more strength to the basket, however my two hoops were not identical, or perfectly oval, and trying to weave around the added round reed that is between them was impossible in the basket, but I'm planning to try again on the handle.

Overall, I think it came out ok, considering it's my first time weaving a basket like this from a book. It is much more difficult to work with than the little melon baskets, which were a piece of cake compared to this one!

Watercolor Pumpkins

2011-10-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we harvested some little sugar pumpkins from our garden, and I've been trying to paint them ever since. I'm fairly happy with the first two, but the last one is still in need of help, but I think it will be left as is, because it is the best I can do at this time:-)

For the first two pumpkin paintings, I decided to paint first and outline afterwards, and being an experiment of sorts, I took pictures before inking, and although I liked the pumpkins without the ink, I really needed ink on the sign and decided to go ahead and ink them, so I would be able to compare them later. I think in this case, the pumpkins looked more realistic without the ink. What can I say, other than don't be afraid to experiment, live and learn!

This one was painted last week. I did the outlines before painting and was very unhappy with the way I left it. This weekend, I did the best I could to fix the sign, which was really bothering me. No, the finished painting (above) isn't perfect, but it looks better than it did (below), and I learned a lot about the paper and paints I've been using for these.

Slow Progress

2011-10-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

A couple more pincushion baskets have been woven and all the ends have been tucked. Even though they still need rims, I've already decided my favorite is the multicolored one in the front left, and it was woven from scraps leftover from weaving the others. Once the rim is on, I'm thinking I'll try dip dyeing the plain basket and see how it comes out.

The instructions for this Flower-Gathering Basket are from a Kindle book called Weaving Country Baskets. It's progressing a bit slower than I'd hoped, although it's because I'm only following the structure and basics from the pattern, and have decided not only to change the colors, but also the reed size and style, trying to use up some earth colored #3 reed that has been in my stash for too long.

As you can see, each side is a bit different, because I'm weaving the entire length of each piece of reed, however, I did try to keep the colors in the same order. For the remainder of the basket, I'm thinking it will be random color changes, possibly using some 1/4" flat that I have in the same colorway, when I get the weaving even, but will make that decision when I get there. The instructions said to weave around the round filler reed that is between the two hoops, I wasn't able to do it (maybe I should have spaced them further apart?), so am weaving the base as if it is one really wide reed. I'll try again when I get to the handle:-)

Fall Flowers in Watercolor

2011-09-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what a little ink can do! This little painting was begun with the intention of creating a traditional watercolor painting (without the black outlines), however, the painting had other ideas and I was very unhappy with it until I added them.

Madrona Collage

2011-09-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

Using some of my hand painted collage papers, paint and painting mediums, on a larger than I've ever worked canvas, I've tried to combine abstract and realistic forms in this Madrona collage.

2011-09-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

These Delicato Mitts were finished a little while ago for my sister-in-law, but I didn't want to post a picture until they had been gifted, because I didn't want to spoil the surprise for her. They're knit with sock weight yarn that I purchased because she is knitting a sweater in a similar colorway. Fall is in the air here and I know her hands get cold, so am hoping these will be a colorful way to keep them warm.

Tiny Baskets

2011-09-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

These little baskets in progress will be finished and made into pincushion baskets for my booth at the Block Party Quilt Show in November. Each is one-of-a-kind, and these include reed that was hand dyed by me in Sisters this past July.

More Watercolor Practice

2011-09-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

I'll probably add some words or something else when I get back to the teapot, cream and sugar.

Mystery Sock - another UFO finished!

2011-09-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

After more than a year, they're finally done!!! You know it really didn't take a year to do the work, but the pattern was dated 2009, and the last picture I took of one sock and the second started was in June, 2010, so they've been waiting to be finished for quite some time and now I have a new pair of socks just in time for the weather to be cooling down:-)

The pattern was designed by Kirsten Kapur for Through the Loops.

When the cat's away...

2011-09-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

While my husband went on a recent business trip, I pulled out my basket making supplies and got to work, it just took me a while to take pictures. Someday, I'd like to make an antler basket, and I've been told I need to make a melon basket to learn the basic techniques that will be needed, so I used some of the reed I dyed in Sisters, OR, and a purchased pattern, to make two little melon baskets. The small one was made with 6" hoops and the larger one with 8" hoops.

Once those were finished, I decided to begin work on a gathering basket pattern that was in my "to do" pile, along with the special base and handle. This is the most beautiful basket I've ever made! The only thing that bothers me is that it's too light and white looking, so I've ordered some Weaver's Stain and am thinking of staining it, after testing on scrap reed. Yes, it was time consuming, but I love it!!!

Sweet Jazz scarf

2011-09-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

My studio is full of UFOs, and as I go through them, some will be tossed, others finished. Some I'll work on enough to make a decision, and more than one has already been tossed for one reason or another. No, I'm not going to count my UFOs! I'd rather spend my time working on finishing them or working on new projects that have supplies taking up space in the studio. Sometimes it's obvious it needs to be tossed or given away, like when I find a UFO and don't like it any more - that one goes! It's only worthwhile working on UFOs that I still like. The decision to keep or toss depends on the type and status of the UFO.

Anyways, the Sweet Jazz scarf hasn't been in progress too long, and was a joy to make, so I'm saving the pattern. I love the yarn, the color, it was wonderful to work with, and it's finished just in time, as the weather is changing and fall is in the air!

Summer Spinning

2011-09-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

Throughout the summer, I've been spinning roving into yarn, so here is what I'm looking forward to knitting with:

I had intended to spin the huckleberry knits rovings so that I could use them all in the same project, if I wanted to, but after chain plying (3-ply) the darkest one, I decided to do the lighter two as 2-ply yarns. They are all Blue-Faced Leicester wool. I'm hoping the center yarn is enough for a cowl pattern (I think it should be), The roving is from Hood Canal Yarns, Inc. and feels wonderful, because it is a 50 / 50 blend of baby camel and tussah silk, so it is a thin 2-ply, that I'm hoping will work with the pattern that I've already chosen! On the far right is the skein from the woolgatherings Mixed Blue Face Leicester roving which I am considering using with the dark skein, as stripes in a cardigan pattern from Twist Collective, using the grey wool I spun from that enormous bag of roving as the background color (hey, I figure since I've got to have color, I'll never use the grey alone, it has to be used with other colors), but I need to dig in my roving stash for at least a third color, because otherwise, I might not have enough for the stripes.

While I was spinning those, I also spun a couple bobbins of thick and thin to make beehive art yarn, and am now in progress of plying it. This is a more time consuming project, because I need to work slowly, and can only ply for a short while before needing a break. Therefore, I am working on it in short bursts between other projects, and will look forward to finished yarn.....eventually!

Here are the thick and thin bobbins:

And the aqua 2-ply wool / silk is the core / plying thread. I thought I had plenty, but am noticing I'll need to prepare more, because I'm going through it much faster than I thought I would.

Olympic National Park (continued)

2011-09-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

The ranger station on Hurricane Ridge has a spectacular view!

The road continues a bit further up the mountain, and ends with a parking lot where you can continue further on a paved trail, which we couldn't resist!

Besides the gorgeous views, we chose this time of year to visit because the wildflowers were blooming. At this altitude, the spring / summer is quite a bit later and much shorter than we have at home.

It's such a beautiful place to visit, I'm already looking forward to the next trip!!!

Quilt, then paint - progress!

2011-09-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

My fat quarter quilts now have color added! Since I'm experimenting, I've treated each a bit differently. For the sunflowers, I mixed fabric paints with Decolorant and used a sponge roller to work it into the surface, mostly from the top to about 3/ 4 of the way down, blending it out as I went. I didn't want the same colors at the bottom, and wasn't sure I liked it, because the bottom was lighter than I wanted it to be. I mixed and diluted some Dye-na-flow fabric paints and brushed it onto the flowers in vases, leaving some areas a bit lighter, and darkening the mix so that I could make some areas even darker. Since I liked the color, I decided to go back to the sunflowers and use the Dye-na-Flow to darken the light areas that needed it. Here's where they stand right now, although I haven't pressed them yet, and when I do, the sunflowers should do some color changing with steam, because the Decolorant will be activated, which will lighten up the fabric color while setting the paint.

Little Watercolor Paintings

2011-09-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Still practicing watercolor painting!

These two are still a work in progress:

with this one being a bit larger.

Olympic National Park

2011-09-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday, my husband and I took a road trip to Olympic National Park! We took a scenic highway that followed the Hood Canal for part of the way, headed towards Port Angeles, and then into the park and up to Hurricane Ridge! We stopped at Switchback Trail, and took a short hike, before continuing upward.

View from the pond at the bottom of the trail:

There are lots of springs coming out of the mountain here!

My husband said I had to pose for a picture to post on the blog, so here's me at the ranger station at the top of the road to Hurricane Ridge. We drove a bit past here and then went for about an hour and a half hike at the end of the road. As you can see, views from here are gorgeous!

These pictures were taken with my little pocket camera, but I also took pictures with my little video camera, as well as another camera, so I'll post more as I get them uploaded to my computer and edited.

Watercolor Practice

2011-09-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

I've been practicing my painting skills (more like learning by doing), and have been a bit slow to post the pictures that have been hiding in my camera, so here are a few:

As you can probably tell, I'm painting things in my kitchen, because I'm painting IN the kitchen:-)

Painted Floral Quilts

2011-09-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

These two little quilts were begun when I was at Quiltworks NW, demonstrating the Grip 'n Stitch disks, as I wanted to show the shop hoppers a more interesting quilting than just the little doodling, that just showed how to use the disks. First I used chalk to draw circles around my drink bottle, scattering them across my sample, fat quarter, quilt sandwiches. Once the flower centers were filled with quilting, petals were added, and then I chalked the stems and leaf placement. I didn't stop until the whole quilt sandwich was covered with quilting!

For the second fat quarter quilt, flower heads were quilted in the circles, and then I decided they would be placed in vases, so I added a few more chalk lines. Switching between chalking a few outlines and quilting, I worked until there was no more room for quilting!

Of course, the next step is going to be painting in the quilted designs, although I'm thinking I might like to try a wash of color to make the background more interesting before starting on the flowers.

Trip to Olympia, WA

2011-09-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we took a little road trip and then extended it with a drive to Olympia. Fortunately we happened to pick a wonderful weekend to visit, as the weather was beautiful, and they even had an event called "Sand in the City" going on down by the harbor!

It was impossible to get the full capitol building in one picture, as I only had my little pocket camera with me (my phone doesn't take that great of a picture), so here it is in pieces:

The grounds and view from the capitol are gorgeous!

And the sand sculptures were amazing!

Knitting Projects Finished

2011-08-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

You know I always have multiple projects in progress, usually working smaller, or easier bits while on road trips, and sometimes I finish one. This time I have several finished knitting projects to show you, all of which were fairly quick and fun to knit, but still need to be washed and blocked!

Months ago, when I took the Aquitaine Cuffs class with Sivia Harding, she was wearing her Harmonia's Rings cowl (same as in the pattern picture). I liked it so much that I bought the pattern and this beautiful yarn before I left the shop. It's a fun knit, although I did end up searching my bead stash for larger beads, because the ones I had planned to use were too small.

The Seaweed Scarf pattern really shows off the varigated yarns!

My friend Cathy taught us this scarf when we were in Sisters - thank you Cathy!!!

Cathy had shown us another scarf she was working on, but we didn't see the yarn in Sisters. When we went to the stitch 'n pitch, at least two booths had it made up and we had many color choices. This one is mine, although I think it looked better in pictures and samples than it does on me, so maybe it will become a gift to someone who likes it????

Gardening and Sewing

2011-08-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

This year's garden is quite productive, especially when I think how much cooler and wetter our summer has been! Of course, those heat loving fruit and veggies are a bit behind when it comes to growing and ripening, so I've got my fingers crossed that our tomatoes and pumpkins will have time to mature before it gets too chilly for them! Looking at the veggies in the baskets, I really didn't think I had as much as I did, until I started bagging them. There were about 2 gallons of beans, 1 gallon of white cucumbers, and probably at least 1/ 3 gallon of the green cucumbers. Only a few carrots were pulled, because I'd rather pull them when I want them, and we've got plenty more continuing to grow!

When we were in Sisters, OR, my friend Ellen gave all her housemates a kit for a Peek-a-Boo bag. I love the way mine came out and am happy my larger than normal sewing kit fits inside! Thank you Ellen!!!

Shawl Pin

2011-08-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

This heart is from one of the books in my library. Although it isn't exactly like the one in the book, I'm still practicing my wireworking skills and happy with the way it came out. Now I need to get around to mix up some liver of sulfur to blacken it (and some of my other wirework projects), so that the design and hammering shows up better!

Dyeing Reed

2011-08-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

When I was in Sisters, OR I did a little dyeing. In the past, I've purchased some hand dyed reeds for basket making, and it always seems to bleed (at least a little), and most of the books and patterns suggest special basket reed dyes or Rit dyes, but I have been wanting to try dyeing the reed with Colorhue dyes that I already had for other projects. The first thing I did was soak some scrap reed, rinse, and wipe with an old towel to see if it would bleed. As long as I made sure to rinse the excess dye off, and other than one color, it seems to be permanent (right now I'm not saying which one, because I plan to do more testing here at home - I was rather limited without a sink outside). It's an expensive dye, so I didn't waste any, whatever I didn't use on the reed came back home with me in wide mouth canning jars.

As you can see, I space-dyed the reed that will be weavers after using Velcro to hold the bundles together. Each bundle was squished into the cup and held there until the reed was as dark as I wanted, and of course it changed a bit as it dried.

The stakes were dyed in solid colors, because they have been pre-cut for tiny baskets .

Whidbey Island trip

2011-08-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we took a family trip to Whidbey Island and had a wonderful day!

One of our stops was at the Captain Whidbey Inn, in Coupeville. In looking at the building, I think the original building must have been much smaller, and it had been expanded more than once, but I'm just guessing.

When we were walking near the water, I saw this table and chairs, and thought how nice it would be to sit and eat right by the water.

I love this old boat, it has so much character!

The inn looks out on Penn Cove. If you've ever had Penn Cove mussels, this is where they come from. Between the inn and the waterfront shopping and restaurant area of Coupeville is where they grow the mussels.

Another place we stopped was at the top of Mt. Erie, where you can see for miles! Lake Campbell is the body of water in the foreground with the small island.

Amy Walsh's In and Out Pattern

2011-07-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

was one of my Stitchin Post purchases. They had a finished quilt hanging in the shop, and I thought it would go with the rock on our fireplace and our yellow furniture, although I considered designing something else for the fabric kit. I decided to make Amy's pattern, because it would be quick and easy, so I can get the quilt finished asap! Last weekend I cut it out , and this weekend made the blocks (a three day weekend helped:-)) Some of the blocks might get re-arranged before I start sewing them together, but here's an idea of how it looks so far:

Fun with Friends

2011-07-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

This is the third year I was able to meet up with friends in Sisters, OR during the Quilter's Affair and Sisters Quilt Show. This year, all my friends couldn't fit into one house, so there were two houses, but we were able to get together for dinner at each house to visit while we were there. During the quilt show, my housemates and I posed for a few pictures together:

They close off the main street during the show, so everyone can wander around looking at all the quilts safely. Many buildings have quilts hung on more than one side and at the end of the day, I always hear about something I missed from one of my housemates.

There were other interesting things to see like this old truck (can you tell I have boys?):

Pictures of poppies from my trip three years ago became the poppy quilt on my book cover, so I made sure I took more flower pictures:-)

And look at this old basket:

We saw lots more beautiful quilts, spent time looking through many shops and booths, which were only there for the show and had lots of fun! Of course, I did some shopping, even finished a couple projects, but I'll save those for another post.

Quilters by the River

2011-07-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

One of my trunk shows came home while I was in Sisters, Oregon, so today I took them down to my local quilt shop, Gathering Fabric for a short visit before they leave for the next stop on their trunk show tour. While Susan, the owner was hanging the quilts, a group of quilters that belong to Quilters by the River in Sedro-Wooley, came in and were surprised to find me there. It was nice chatting with them, signing books and we even had our picture taken to remember the event!

Cause for Celebration!!!!!!!

2011-07-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

OMG, I just received a package from Martingale / That Patchwork Place and inside was a copy of my book, along with a note that said it had been reprinted - again!!! That means it's on it's fourth printing!!!!!

I'm on YouTube!

2011-07-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, my friend recorded me doing a short quilting demo with her Grip & Stitch Quilting Disks. These are the disks I quilt with all the time - I've got 3 pair, because I really hate the idea of quilting without them!

If you can't see the video below, you can also see it on the YouTube website HERE.

New Patterns and Shop Hop!

2011-06-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

This year I'll be doing quilting demonstrations at Quiltworks Northwest during our Western Washington Shop Hop, so stop by and say hi, I'd love to meet you! I'll have patterns with me as well as extra books, just in case the shop runs out:-) The samples are at Gathering Fabric, along with patterns as well.

Just in time for our local shop hop, I have 2 new patterns! With shop hop starting tomorrow, I’m hoping to get them up on my website later today, as well as an updated snail mail order form.

Summer Bounty:

This is my idea of summer! The piecing is quick and easy, and weaving fusible strips of fabric for your basket for texture is fun, especially when you add some paint to it. Fuse your fruit and flowers in place, and you’re ready to quilt. After you’re finished quilting, add some beads to the flower centers to make it sparkle, and you’re done.

Fall Basket:

By the end of summer there are so many flowers blooming in the garden, I just had to create a basket full of them! The piecing is quick and easy, and weaving fusible strips of fabric for your basket for texture is fun, especially when you add some paint to it. Fuse your fruit and flowers in place, and you’re ready to quilt. After you’re finished quilting, add some beads to the flower centers to make it sparkle, and you’re done.

I hope this is enough

2011-06-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

yarn for a sweater (or vest), that is. In a few minutes here and there, and then a massive attempt to get it all plied, I've manage to finish 3 huge and 1 medium skein of dk / worsted yarn from that warm gray wool. I'm in need of a break from this color, because I'm tired of looking at it and after putting it around my neck like a cowl and looking in the mirror, I believe it will be headed into the dyepot before knitting. so it's washed and dried and I'll try out my McMorran balance to see what yardage I might have after it has been dyed (it could change during dyeing process). Here's what I have at this point:

My Cuffs are Finished!!!

2011-06-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy with my cuffs! The beaded ruffle was challenging, but lots of fun to do, the only problem is waiting until fall to wear them:-)

And the Winner is...

2011-06-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

After plugging the number of comments into RANDOM.ORG, it chose #4, so the winner is Delighted Hands! Email me your snail mail address and the book will be on its way to you. [My email can be found on my website at: http://lynnmajidimehr.com/contact/contact.html , although it needs to be typed without the spaces.]

Almost there...

2011-06-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, this was filled with weeds (really one big mass), but I finally got the weeds out (okay, there will always be more sprouting) and have a lot of mulch spread. The mulch not only makes the garden look better, but helps retain moisture, which really helps in the summer. I think one more weekend and the major work will be finished!

We have lots of fruit and vegetables sprouting in the vegetable garden!

Another Bracelet!

2011-06-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

This bracelet is not my design, but was a fun, learning experience and I love it! It took about 2 hours for me to make it, although it could have been finished much quicker if I had not made so many mistakes and had to find the right size mandrels for the curves. As it was, I tried various pliers until I found the one that worked with the length of wire that the pattern called for, because they come in so many different sizes and the pattern didn't have a size specified! If the designer had measured their pliers, I would have been able to measure mine and not waste as much wire - or time.

Some of the pieces that didn't come out right were able to be made into charms, or saved to possibly be used in another project, but I also created a pile of scrap wire, so I'm really happy I'm working in copper instead of silver!

Figs and Ginger - more blocks

2011-06-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

Progress is slow right now, but at least I'm making some progress and eventually, I will have two finished quilts! I thought you might like to see the way I calculated the number of each block colorway that needed to be made from my diagram, so here's a picture of the chart (remember I had to double the numbers for two quilts, and make full stacks of fabrics - that's how I ended up making as many additional blocks as the pattern said to cut for the original size):

My cut and shuffled decks:

If you were wondering about the colorful papers in the stack, I use them to separate each deck and also to make moving the stack in progress closer to the machine easier. Once I complete these blocks, they can be organized and sewn to the bottom of my panels to complete them and then the borders can be sewn on!

Jewelry and Quilting

2011-06-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

The second Figs and Ginger panel has been pieced! After doubling my calculations and tallying up the squares needing to be cut, I looked at the cutting for one of the panels and found the number of pieces I need to cut are exactly the same as if I was making another panel from the book! Of course, I won't be using all the blocks in the quilts, but still need to stack, cut and re-sort the decks in order to make the additional blocks I need. I'm hoping I'll be able to make a coordinating pillow or two with the extra blocks.

On the jewelry side of things, I've been wire wrapping beads and made this set from copper wire and stone beads.

I'v

Quilter's Newsletter Reviewed my Book!!!

2011-06-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

Quilter's Newsletter has a reviewed my book in Staff Pics in their June / July issue! They also have a short review of my book on their blog and are giving away a copy! Here's the link to their post: http://www.quiltersnewsletter.com/blogs/insideqn/2011/06/06/book-giveaway/

To celebrate, I'll also give away a copy to someone who posts a comment to this post on my blog by Monday, June 13th! So you have 2 chances to win a copy!

New Necklace

2011-06-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

These beads have been in my stash for a while now, waiting for inspiration. They could have become a bracelet with small jump rings between them, but I decided I'd rather have a necklace. I made S links and a clasp, and then joined the links with pairs of twisted jump rings.

Apron UFO - more details

2011-06-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Delighted Hands said...

Finished it great-nice work on the apron-what kind of fabric is it to have the shine like that? Is it oilcloth?

I guess I should have provided a bit more information about the apron - yes, it's called oilcloth. I bought his fabric and a couple others at local quilt shops and it is much higher quality than I have seen in the past. It is quite different than those sold for tablecloths - very soft and would also be wonderful for tote bags. I'll be making another apron and a bag from the other pieces eventually.

Apron UFO - finished!

2011-06-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

This apron must have been cut out at least a year ago, but has been sitting around waiting for the binding. Now it's finished and I can use it when I'm doing messy things, instead of wearing my old clothes!

I used a pattern that I bought in a quilt shop ages ago, but widened the shoulder area for more coverage, because I'm planning to use it when dyeing, fabric painting, working with bleach and also grinding glass.

Figs and Ginger - doing the math

2011-06-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Since I'm making the quilts for twin beds, I decided they need to be longer. I took the first panel and laid it on one of the twin beds and decided I wanted to add 3 rows (my blocks were trimmed to 6-1/2" instead of 6" as the pattern states). In order to figure out what blocks needed to be made, I used a post-it note below the layout diagram in the book and extended the chart, labeling what blocks would be next (the blocks are continuing in a diagonal from right to left, so it was easy to extend the block colors that were in the bottom row. To figure out what colors would fill in the lower right corner, I looked at the pattern in the rightmost column and extended the repeat.

I've been piecing the rows for quilt number two, and have two left to piece and then I can put the panel together. Once the panel is the same as quilt one, I will go back and cut out the additional blocks I need to extend the quilts. I'll need twice as many as I have in this chart, because I'm making two quilts, and although I did have 6 blocks left from when I originally made blocks, I'll need to cut fabrics in groups of 3 each color for each block set, because of the block technique, so I may still have extra blocks when I'm finished, but maybe there will be enough to make a nice pillow?

Huge Gardening Project

2011-05-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

As you might have guessed, I haven't been working on the Figs and Ginger quilts because this garden has taken a lot of my (our) time lately. We work so hard, sometimes it's hard to get moving the next day, because my muscles are stiff from working out there and by evening, I just want to sit and work on something small with my feet up.

Luckily, the tractor is doing the tilling, because there are so many rocks in this field. I think we have picked up enough "large" rocks to fill the large front scooper at least 3 times. Some are small boulders, others are smaller, but they are large enough to have stalled the tractor several times. I also found 2 large pieces of bent up sheet metal in the field. Now I'm not talking small pieces, they must have weighed at least a couple pounds each!

I think we have all the vegetable beds ready for this year, and I've reserved a couple rows to plant later, to help spread out the harvest, but we're still working on the watering system. Since it's the first year of our garden in this area, we're learning about the soil and nutrients needed and hoping the warmer space with more sun will bring us more tomatoes, melons and squash, which weren't as happy with their old location.

The plants had to go in the ground before the seeds, but everything I wanted to plant is in the ground! Later I'll plant more lettuce, beans and other short growing crops, and then fall crops will need to be planted in the summer.

Earlier this year I bought some strawberries, grapes and blueberries, but didn't get them in the ground until this weekend, so I lost some of the strawberries and am crossing my fingers that the rest will still be ok since I kept them cool in our garage. A couple of the grapes have new growth, so that's a good sign.

Some of our young fruit trees looks like it will have fruit this year and we're hoping we will get to taste the fruits of our labors, after patiently waiting for a few years!

Fancy Stained Glass Box 2

2011-05-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

It took a bit of fiddling, but the second box from class is now finished! I love making the curls, but tried making zigzags as well. The fused glass decoration was given to me by the teacher, and I must say that if I didn't already have so many interests, I'd love to try fused glass - maybe someday......

Fancy Stained Glass Box

2011-05-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Last night was the last stained glass box class and I finished decorating one of my boxes! The teacher let me dig in his bag of sea glass and I found these two interesting shaped pieces for the top of my box. It's hard to tell in the pictures, but some of the glass is iridized, which makes it glow from within. These boxes are like art quilts, in that any mis-cuts or pieces that don't work for one, end up being the start of another, and now I have a collection in progress!

More Jewelry

2011-05-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

I'm still practicing my wire working skills, along with some other projects, even though I know I need to get back to the Figs and Ginger quilts which have been waiting for me. I think I've finally learned to make decent eye pins, jump rings and beads with eyes at each side!

I sorted my furnace glass beads by color and used all the odd ones in this necklace. The mix of colors goes with most of my clothes, so I could easily wear it every day!

The donut bracelet was probably started over a year ago, but I ran out of donuts and finally found more that would coordinate with those already wired onto the bracelet. My large donuts had been lost in the house for a long time as well, and I have no idea what made me put them where I found them, I'm just happy I finally found them and had a large donut that would coordinate with my bracelet!

Fairisle Hat - Finished!

2011-05-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

It still needs to be blocked, but I love the way my hat came out!

Trying something new

2011-05-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

I've said it before - I love to learn new things! Last week, I stopped by a stained glass shop that's relatively close to my shop, looking for a patina gel that I might use on the copper jewelry with parts that shouldn't be dipped in liver of sulfur. As I was chatting with one of the ladies that work there, I asked if there were any books to learn more about copper foiling on glass. Although they couldn't suggest any books, they told me about a three week class that started the next night, making beautiful glass boxes. Newbie me, who had aspired to learn to cut glass, foil and solder it, signed up, thinking it was a beginner class, but finding that it wasn't really for beginners, so I'm working a bit harder than the other students, and making some progress in catching up in the techniques department. All this reminds me of new quilters signing up for classes that are a little over their heads, trying to keep up, and like a new swimmer trying to keep their head above water!

Between a little extra help from the teacher and suggestions from some other students, I've learned to cut glass, and am practicing my soldering skills, even with a few setbacks - things like my soldering iron quitting on me, which meant waiting until the shop opened on Tuesday, so I could purchase a new one. I did manage to cut out, foil and solder (the areas the teacher told us to solder) two boxes, and have another cut out. My boxes are a bit wonky, definitely far from perfect, but I know I just need more practice just like I did when I learned to quilt!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need to look up close to see how beautiful something is, and other times the beauty is within. Fruit that looks past it's prime may be sweeter than those that look perfect. All the rain we've been getting has taken it's toll on my tulips, but when I take a closer look, the water drops make them more interesting than they would have been if they were dry and still standing tall.

Here's the big picture, not what I'd call a pretty picture, but they are the same tulips that are seen above.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hot off the Loom

2011-05-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

The grey scarves are finally off the loom! There is even a bonus 4th scarf, because I had made the warp longer than I needed for 3 scarves, and it turned out to be long enough for a scarf, but will need to be hemmed, because there is no yarn for fringe at the one end. I always try to weave the remaining warp to save as fabric, and this time I'm grateful to have had enough to make an extra scarf! Now, I'd better sit down and start twisting fringe, because I still have the previous 3 scarves to twist as well, making 6 scarves that need to be finished! The good news is that I'll have some that can be set aside for "instant" gifts:-)

Wirework pin

2011-05-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I made this wire work shawl pin out of copper for my sister-in-law, because she needed a closure for a shawl that she made. Not the best picture, just a quick one (sorry), so that I'd have one before gifting it today. The pattern is on p. 109, in Contemporary Copper Jewelry by Sharilyn Miller.

Since I'm still relatively new to wire working, each project teaches me something new, and my skills slowly improve, which is a good thing!

Hydrangea Fair Isle Hat - visible progress

2011-05-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

Progress is slow, because I only work on this hat when I can work without being interrupted, and really concentrate. I think I'm around the halfway point now, I've tried it on, and it fits, so I can keep knitting!

Aquitaine Cuffs - ruffle finished

2011-04-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

It took me a little while to get back to the cuff, but now I've finished knitting the ruffle and working on the ribbing. This time I made sure I noticed the little "*" in the pattern, and followed the directions, and it knit up much better, with the design rows aligning with those already knit! Since I'm making the short version, it shouldn't take me too long to finish this one and start the second, if I keep to this project instead of others that are also in progress:-)

Another Bracelet!

2011-04-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Copper and furnace glass, what a beautiful combination! I loved making this bracelet, and think I did a better job at scaling the jump rings and eye pins to a smaller, better size this time. I still need to experiment with making the S clasp in a smaller size, as well as learning to make other types of clasps.

Stitch Markers

2011-04-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've been needing more stitch markers to use when I'm knitting, and when I found I didn't have some for a new project I had started, I decided now was the time to sit down and make them. They're very light weight, and the tiny wires don't take up space between the stitches when knitting with fine yarns on small needles that I use to knit things like socks and mitts.

Figs and Ginger - first panel

2011-04-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

The first panel is sewn together, but after measuring and comparing to the beds these will be covering, I've decided that I'm going to need a few more rows. Before I go and cut out more blocks, I'm going to sew the other panel together, so that I don't end up getting them out of order. I also found what I think will be the perfect border fabrics, but they're in the wash, so I'll post a picture once they've been pressed.

Baskets and suppliers

2011-04-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Cindie asked if most of the baskets I've been making are from kits, and the answer is no. I have made some from kits, and have a few more kits to make when I'm ready, but most of the time I make baskets from patterns that I buy individually, or from books. Some basket designs use reed or other parts that are more difficult to find, or that I might not want to order separately, so those I tend to buy kits for, if they are available. Kits are also nice to take along when planning to work somewhere other than home, because I can just pack the package and go, instead of needing to sort through my supplies and try to bring only what I really need, and also because I won't forget something important because I didn't see it on the list.

I try to link the name of the pattern, supply, or books I have used to a place that carries it online, so that you would be able to find it, and Blogger changes the color of the words to blue, so that you can tell that it's a link (I know that I could just change the color of my words, but I don't usually do that, so that you would be able to see linked words from my writing).

The Williamsburg Onion Basket pattern in my last post was purchased at SandyAtkinson.com, but I have also found patterns, supplies, and kits from BasketWeavingSupplies.com, BasketPatterns.com, Royalwood, The Country Seat and Noresta, as well as a few other places, including Weaving Works, which is close enough that I can drive over and shop, although they don't have as many supplies as the online basket supply stores. Noresta has the most colors of reed that I have seen!

Williamsburg Onion Basket

2011-04-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make the Williamsburg Onion Basket for quite a while, but I couldn't decide whether I should dye the seagrass, or leave it natural, and finally decided to use the natural seagrass with smoked round reed. The Williamsburg handle is woven in from start, and one thing I like about this pattern, is the filler reed in the bottom of the basket - no large holes for things to fall through.

With the base almost finished, I get to start weaving around the basket, and then turn (or bend) up the stakes to start shaping the sides, but first I need to re-wet the reed, without soaking the handle. My favorite way to do that is with wet, but not dripping kitchen towels, because it works like a charm!

Starting to weave up the sides:

A make-do seagrass holder (warping peg for winding weaving yarn and clamp) worked wonders, and kept the roll of seagrass organized for most of the weaving. I'm so happy I thought of it!

It did take longer to weave the sides of this basket than the other ones I've made, and I know it's because it takes a lot more rows of skinny reed and seagrass to fill up the sides, than it does with wider reed, although I do love the look!

The sides are finished, and next time I work on it, I'll be working on the top edge and putting on the rim to finish the basket.

Book Reprinted - AGAIN!!!!!

2011-04-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

OMG, I was blown away yesterday when a package arrived from my publisher! Inside was a copy of my book with a letter stating that it had been reprinted again, and this copy was from the third printing. It was only released the beginning of October, so it has only been out for a little over 6 months!

Thank you everyone!!!!!

Demonstration at Gathering Fabric Scheduled

2011-04-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

I've scheduled a demonstration at Gathering Fabric in Woodinville, WA from 10am until 2pm on April 29th. Please plan to come see my quilting demo using these wonderful Grip & Stitch quilting disks!

Figs and Ginger progress

2011-04-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

The blocks have all been trimmed to 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" (this is larger than the pattern states, so my quilt will end up a little larger than the size in the book).

The blocks were laid out on the floor, so that I could arrange them to look their best, and also to make sure they are mirror images of each other.

When I was happy with the way the colors flowed across the quilt, I stacked the blocks from right to left, with the rightmost block on top, and then stacked the rows, offsetting them so that I could easily pick up and sew one row at a time. The block in the upper right of each quilt is on top of the stack, and I placed a little sticky note on top of each block with lines marking the angle of the colors and enough information to remind me how they were stacked, just in case I get interrupted. Each quilt gets stored in it's own bag until I am ready to work on it, just to make sure they stay in order!

Here's a better view of one of the quilts in progress:

Wirework 101

2011-04-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, I was able to take the beginning wirework class, Wirework 101, at Quiltworks Northwest, which is not just a quilt shop, but also contains a bead shop and is also my local Bernina dealer. I tried working in copper and bronze and found these beads in their shop. The tag says Howlite Mosaic Magnesite, and I thought they were the most beautiful beads! I managed to finish making this bracelet before I left:

I've still got a lot to learn, but loved the class, and have a new bracelet to wear!

Shirley A, You're a Winner!

2011-04-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, Shirley A, you're the winner of a copy of my book Flower Show Quilts! Please email me at lynn @ lynmajidimehr.com (without spaces) with your contact information, and whether you'd like the book personalized, or just signed.

Figs and Ginger - blocks pieced and a mini lesson

2011-04-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

All the Figs and Ginger blocks have been pieced, and I've begun trimming them down to size!!!

Oops!

As I was piecing the green and tan blocks, I had a wee problem, finding that I had reversed the deck as I was stitching the pieces together, and you can tell I wasn't paying attention, because I had sewn several pieces after the error, before catching it. I decided to finish piecing the blocks and then go back and fix the problem, because there would be less chance of making another error, or larger mess. Instead of ripping all the pieces off, I just rip about a half inch past the patch, to give me space to sew the correct patch back in place (a partial seams technique, in reverse).

And as I was ripping this block, I found that the first two pieces should have been sewn together, but needed to be swapped with another set of two patches to fix the problem, so ripped it out as well, and on the remaining blocks, I ripped the two joined patches out as one unit. Now, after matching the units to the correct blocks, I'm ready to sew them back together.

A fixed block:

I'm starting to trim, and very happy I cut the fabric squares an inch larger than Karla had said to cut them, because now I can not only square them up, but am able to fussy cut them, centering the colors as I choose!

Figs and Ginger Quilt-a-Long

2011-04-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've made lots of progress on the Figs and Ginger quilt lately, especially today! In case you missed my first post, this pattern is from Karla Alexander's book, called "Stack the Deck Revisited", and I've decided to make two, one being the mirror image of the other, so that I can put them on a pair of twin beds and they will point towards each other, creating a chevron of sorts. I thought it would be nice to do a quilt-a-long, hoping to see other people's versions of the same design. Next time, I do a quilt-a-long, it will be one of my own designs, or a take-off from my book, making another project with those flowers.......

Enough talk, right now I'm piecing the red / yellow decks:

Here is my collection of pieced blocks, stacked by color:

And the remaining decks are green / tan, but are the last pair of colors!

Once I have all the blocks pieced, then I'm going to have fun choosing where to crop the blocks as I trim them down to size, but right now, I just need the rest of the blocks pieced!

If you missed my last post, go back and read it, and then leave me a comment to be in the draw for a copy of my book!

Garden, Quilt, Knit, Knit, Weave... and Book Giveaway!

2011-04-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Since April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, I thought it might be time I offered to giveaway a copy of my book! Post a comment to this post before April 15th, and on April 15th, I'll draw a winner, so you can start making a floral quilt in May!

This year, my gardening started indoors, planting seeds in flats, but is now moving outside. Space has been cleared for the peas, and they're now all in the ground. There are two kinds, snow peas and snap peas, and we're looking forward to eating the fruits of my labor in the future. In the meantime, I'll be watching over these, as well as the other babies that will be to small to go outside for a while, like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and some others.

The stack of sewn blocks for the Figs and Ginger quilts is growing, and I get a feeling of satisfaction every time I get to change to the next set of colors!

I've ripped back to my mistake on the Aquitaine Cuffs, fixed the error, and am now ready to move on:

My green Oatmeal Sweater, is moving along, and for those that were wondering what I was going to make with the yarn I'm spinning, this is the project that inspired the wool purchase, but since I'm making it in the green yarn, I'll probably choose a pattern when the yarn is finished. The sleeves have been attached, and I'm now working on the pattern at the bottom of the yoke and working up, so I'm nearing the finish line! (Sorry, this isn't the best picture - the sweater is really green.)

On the weaving front, I've finished the scarf I showed you last time, and have begun to weave the last scarf on the warp. This one will go much quicker, because the treadling pattern is easier, and I'm only using one shuttle!

Oops!

2011-04-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I thought I was making such great progress on my Aquitaine Cuffs, and was nearing the end of the charts, when I noticed the little *** symbols by the row number. Oh no! I had wondered why my first hooked bead wanted to sit at an angle, but figured it was the double decrease, and kept going. Later, I noticed that the decreases seemed a stitch offset from where it looked like it should be on the chart, and still I kept knitting. Why? Because I was trying to follow a chart and knit, while watching a sub-titled movie! I almost didn't do it, but couldn't stand the idea of sitting and watching the movie without something to keep my hands busy. Lesson learned, and next time, I'll choose something that is either garter stitch, a hand applique project that is either already basted into place and I can just stitch, or something else that is super easy, that I can just keep going! At any rate, here's where I discovered what I did wrong, and now I need to rip back to that first hooked on bead (or maybe a row or two more, once I carefully compare the chart, instructions and my work):-(

Quilt, Knit, Weave, Spin...

2011-04-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Between yesterday and this morning, I shuffled and cut decks for the Figs and Ginger quilts:

I decided the quickest way to go, would be to cut each deck and place the sections onto card stock to keep everything in order. These can then be stacked, ready for sewing.

Three stacks have been sewn into blocks, so I'm making progress:

My Aquitaine Cuffs are coming along nicely, and I'm halfway up the second chart!

I'm weaving some grey scarves in between other projects. The warp is long enough for three scarves, each will be woven with a different pattern, and the first is finished, it's the swirling stars design in medium and light grey. Now I'm working on the second scarf, which I would describe as interlocking tabs, as I don't know what the pattern would really be called, as it is only a number in the book, I'm using, which is A Weaver's Book of 8-shaft Patterns:

I'm also trying to do at least a few minutes of spinning each day, since I've decided to spin for a sweater. When I was at the Allyn Knit Shop, I purchased a 3 lb bag of wool, which I seem to have lost the tag for:-( It's soft, and I think it is a merino blend that is from local sheep. There is some veg matter, which is seriously slowing me down, but otherwise, it is a dream to spin! I'm spinning this wool woolen style, as it is a roving, and almost spins itself in that method, but there is so much wool, it is going a long way, so much so, that I feel like I'm spinning an endless bag of wool! This is what I've spun so far (the numerical tags are to help me decide the order of bobbins to use when plying):

I still have quite a ways to go, and am wondering if I'll have enough bobbins, or if I'll need to start plying to empty some bobbins so that I can finish spinning.

Because this is such a large project, and the roving is quite thin, not needing to be pre-drafted or split, I'm spinning right out of the bag, only breaking the yarn when I get too thin, or have filled a bobbin.

A Little Progress

2011-04-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

The fabric squares have been cut for the Figs and Ginger quilts, but I've cut them an inch larger, so I could cheat and just unfold and cut squares from my fabrics, and save pressing for later. Well, now is later, and I'm pressing and sorting the squares into decks. Sorting decks for two quilts will take longer than if I was just making one quilt, but I'll do it all at the same time and be ready for cutting and sewing.

Here are my squares, and fabrics I'm considering for the borders on the right:

Even though I was tired last night, I couldn't resist knitting a few more rows on the Aquitaine Cuffs:

Aquitaine Cuffs - class with Sivia Harding

2011-04-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

What a great class! Today, I was able to take Sivia Harding's Aquitaine Cuffs class with my friends Ellen and Lucy, and we learned so much!!! She began the class showing us different kinds of beads that could be used in knit projects, then continued with all the techniques we needed to know. She even demonstrated other ways that we could add beads to our other projects, and I am so happy I was able to be there! Some students made more progress than others, and at least one came with the project already started, so was already ahead of the rest of us. Shortly before the class ended, we were encouraged to walk around to see everyone else's work, and I thought everyone's colors were beautiful, and sometimes combinations of bead colors and yarn were beautiful combinations that I probably wouldn't have thought to use together. Of course we all have a lot more knitting to go, but we now know what we need to know to finish our cuffs.

My progress:

Ellen's:

And Lucy's progress:

Aquitaine Cuffs

2011-04-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

The first thing I did as I was picking out the beads, was to test them to see if the crochet hook would fit through the bead holes, and then if I could pull the yarn through. I found that my size 14 hook wants to split the yarn, if I’m not really careful about pulling the yarn down on the hook to thin it out before sliding the bead over it. I have a little larger hook that works better, and will pull the yarn through the larger holed cubes, so will probably end up using it for them (the hole in them is sort of diamond shaped, so I turn the bead as I’m pulling it through, to get it oriented correctly.

My wrist measured 6.5”, and I couldn’t decide which size to knit (I'm exactly between sizes), so I measured about an inch or two up my arm (because the wrist part is knit about 3” long) and found it to be 7.5”. The pattern says it should stretch up to 1.5”, so I decided to make the middle size which is 7” finished, because I didn’t want the cast of end to end up tight on my arm. Therefore, I marked up my instructions, underlining all the numbers for the size I’m knitting.

In the beginning of the instructions it tells you how many beads to put on the “outer” thread of the thread ball, for the beading options. I’m doing option 1, which calls out four bead types, but in looking at the pattern picture, I only see 3 beads used (I even compared the picture and charts to see which beads were what letter – I think C and D are separated, just because the D beads are put on with the crochet hook and it was easier to chart), and laid out my bead packages on the table A = drops for edging, B = round size 6 seed beads, C and D = cube beads (mine say 3S at the right side of the number on the tube, so I don’t know if they are a bit smaller than yours).

I laid the packages on the table with A on the left and C/D on the right and then counted out piles on the beading mat in the same order. Once I knew I had the right number of each one, I started threading the piles of beads onto the thread from right to left, because you need them in the opposite order, so that the A beads can be used first on the edge, as you are casting on, and the others are used later, as you are going up the cuff. If you look closely, you might notice that there are some cubes that will be on the cuff that will be added in between the seed beads, but those are the ones that we add on the decreases with the crochet hook.

Before packing it up, I made a little butterfly at the end of the yarn with two half-hitches to secure it, because I don't want to chance losing any beads as it gets moved around in the bag, before I get it cast-on!

Here's my basket, loaded up and ready for knitting....

Figs and Ginger - fabrics found

2011-03-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I managed to find all the fabrics in my stash!!! So far, I believe I have enough for two twin quilts, and have also pulled out two fabrics that I think may work for the borders, but I'm going to wait to decide on the border fabrics, until I have the center panels complete.

Here's my fabric:

In case you missed my previous post, I'm making the Figs and Ginger pattern from Stack the Deck Revisited, by Karla Alexander, and have invited my readers to quilt-a-long. I've decided to make two for twin beds that are in the same room, but I'm making one the mirror image of the other, so that the angle of the design can point towards the other bed / nightstand, making a chevron design. Have you chosen your fabrics yet?

Hydrangea Fair Isle Hat

2011-03-28T10:37:00.001-07:00

On the day between classes at Madrona, the weather was beautiful, and I took a drive to the Allyn Knit Shop. I've always loved the fair isle designs, and have made a couple small stranded projects in the past, but never a true fair isle, and the stranded work was only a small part of the project. Well, I fell in love with a hat in their shop and the pattern and yarn for it followed me home:-) I'm practicing knitting with both hands, and it's going slowly (because I only work on it for a few rows at a time), but I think it's coming out ok.

Here is my progress, and the yarns and tools I'm using (and yes, I"m using my bread basket to hold this project:-)):

Pine Needle Basket - the stone

2011-03-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Delighted Hands asked what was in the center of the basket, and since there might be others wondering about it, or the structure of the basket, I thought I should explain more in another blog post. The centerpiece of the basket is a Dalmation Jasper cabachon, that is glued to faux leather that has a fabric backing, like Pleather. The first row of pine needles are stitched to the pleather, as close as you can get to the stone, and the spacing of the stitches in that first row radiate out to the edges of the basket, and I know mine isn't perfect, but found it difficult to un-stitch, and it seemed to leave marks. I kept the basket small, it is quite a bit smaller than the sample that Nadine makes in her video, and I would think that if you were to make a huge basket, you might be able to double the stitches at some point, to keep them from getting too far apart.

Here's a picture from the top:

Pine Needle Basket

2011-03-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I can now say I've made a pine needle basket!

I've seen some beautiful pine needle baskets, and have been wanting to try one for some time. A while ago, I bought Nadine Spier's video, that teaches how to make them, using a cabachon, black walnut slice, and other things in the center. At the time, I didn't have the supplies, and once I did, I didn't have the time to follow the video lesson and make one - until the other day, when I had a few hours and thought it would be a small, quick project. Ha! It took me days longer than I thought it would, but I do think it came out ok, especially for a first project! Will I ever make another? Only time will tell. I've decided that for now, it's not for me, although I've saved the supplies, just in case I get the urge to try again, or maybe one of my friends would like to try, you never know:-) Besides, I've got plenty of other media to keep me busy!