LaVieEnRosie

Sideways...

You know what I mean.  It's the kind of movement where you know you're moving, but you aren't making any forward progress.  I'm just glad I don't have any evidence to suggest I might be moving backwards.  

Thank you very much for "prancing along" with Pat - and with me.  Three winners have been randomly selected and notified -- that part wasn't random.  They are -- JMNiffer, Lisa B and Suzan.  If you think that might be you, check your e-mail box.  If you have something with the subject line "From Miss Rosie...", then you're it!

I'm still binding.  And I'm still watching playoff hockey games.  Woohoo to the Coyotes!  The games have been great but I'm feeling quite old.  I remember when Martin Brodeur was a youngster so I'm going to have to hurt the next announcer who feels compelled to remind everyone that Marty is now 40 years old.

Speaking of birthdays, my Mom is 82 years old today - Wednesday.  After getting a ho-hum-ish sort of response to Carrot Cake and seeing strawberries on special at the grocery store, I decided to make her long-standing favorite Gateau des Fraises ~ Stawberry Cake.  

Basically a cheesecake with a sour-cream layer underneath the strawberries.  This cake is supposed to be served with whole strawberries on the top but (1) it looks best when all the strawberries are the same size and I didn't have that.  And (2), it is so much easier to cut, serve and eat when the strawberries are sliced.  So with all apologies to the French chef who created this recipe... I changed it.  

Speaking of my habit of changing things to suit moi - do you remember when I showed you these blocks last year?  They were part of the 2011 Summer Pieced Block of the Week from Primitive Gatherings in Menasha, Wisconsin.  

It's a twelve week program and each week, you're sent the kit for five blocks.  

Five stars that are supposed to finish at 4" x 4"... except I changed that.  My blocks finish at 5" x 5".  I also changed every combination just so that mine would be different, adding and subtracting fabrics as I went along.  And because that wasn't going to be different enough, I also made more blocks.  I didn't know what the shop setting was going to be, but since I was already in for a penny...    

I've called my quilt Rorschach.  

Yes, this quilt says more about my psyche and personality than any silly little inkblot every could.  

I used a lovely soft gray tonal print by Lecien for the alternating squares and setting triangles because I wanted the stars to be the focal point of the quilt.  It is also why I decided that this quilt didn't need a border.  The binding is a faded red print from an early Sturbridge collection.  

The quilt was going to be in a book I was scheduled to publish in September 2013 but I have postponed that because my timing is so "off" these days.  (Don't worry!  Yes, I had asked Lisa's permission to publish my version of the quilt.)

The only other thing I've been working on is this quilt...

When you see this one, I think you're going to laugh.  Think of it as a "plus-size" quilt... and that will make sense when I tell you about it as soon as I've got pictures and a pattern cover on the way.  

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday... Thursday... Friday...

Prance prance prance...

All the way to France!  Wouldn't that be lovely?  Wishful thinking on my part.  

As a friend recently joked, "Calgon, take me away... no, farther."

It's Day 2 of Pat Sloan's Focus on the Center - 8 New Looks for Medallion Quilts published by Leisure Arts Blog Prance!

Wait... I have to catch my breath.  That's a long title.  I bet Bonnie and Michele are glad this isn't some kind of pageant where they have to wear a sash with the title because that would be one big, long sash!  But they could both manage it beautifully.    

Today's prancing bloggers are:

Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.  

Michele Foster of the Quilting Gallery.  

Bonnie and Michele will each be giving away two (2) books so leave a comment with them.  And don't forget to see what secrets Pat has managed to learn about both of them.  

Did you leave a comment for me yesterday?  It's not to late to do so, you have until Midnight on Monday, May 7th.  Leave the comment here.  (If you need a reason -- prizes.)

Thank you for all the amazing, creative and imaginative ideas for fabrics for Antique Mist.  From a variety of color schemes to fabric styles, specific collections to busting the stash and scrap basket, I enjoyed reading and thinking about all the wonderful possibilities.  

It reminded me of one of the first things I learned about when I first got into Pinterest over a year ago.  Design Seeds.  Are you familiar with the website or the color palettes they create?

Even though I have yet to actually use one to  create a color palette for a quilt, I think they would be an awesome tool for jump-starting one that isn't jumping on its own.  They would also be a terrific starting point for an experimental - improvisational - quilt using all solids.

I'm off to run a few errands today, including making my case to be someone's "favorite person" today.  Let it suffice to say that she needed some fabric that I just happened to have.  Ah, the indirect benefits of cleaning out my stash.  I also have to stop and get a new "point-turner" as I can't seem to find my old one.  I'm thinking one of those bamboo ones would be nice.  

But this would be nicer...

Yes... Calgon, this would be far enough away.    

Blog Prance!

It's just like a blog hop, only you get to strut and shimmy from blog to blog.    

How about a blog gambol?  What about a blog vault... after all, it's a jump of sorts, isn't it?

(Exhibit A that a thesaurus can be dangerous in the hands of the wrong person.)

So let me get to the main event -- Welcome to Day 1 of Pat Sloan's Focus on the Center Blog Prance!

Have you been to Vanessa Christenson of V & Co. yet?  I'm sure she's got something wonderful to show you, just make sure you don't miss the pictures of her debut fabric collection for Moda - Simply Color.  Admit it, you're going to want some, aren't you?

Let me get the particulars out of the way first --

How long is the Prance?  Five days.  It starts today and ends on Saturday with two blogs each day.  

How many blogs and bloggers will be prancing?  There are ten of us!

• Vanessa Christenson of V & Co. 
• Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville
• Michele Foster of the Quilting Gallery
• Victoria Findlay of BumbleBeans Inc. 
• Rachel Griffith of p.s. i quilt
• Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quiltworks
• Dana Bolyard of Old Red Barn Co.
• Vicki Welsh of Field Trips in Fiber
• Faith Jones of Fresh Lemons Quilts
• And me... but you already know that.

While you're prancing about, make sure to visit the Leisure Arts blog and Pat's blog as both will have more chances to win and all sorts of interesting diversions.  Do you want to know if Rachel has a secret chocolate stash?  Or which quilt is on Bonnie's bed right now?  Does Faith eat cookies in bed?  What is Victoria's favorite movie?  Pat will have all the answers to those questions.

Prizes.  Of course there are prizes!

• Prize No. 1:  Two winners from each of the ten blogs will win a copy of Pat's new book.  That means there are twenty (20) books to be given away!
• Prize No. 2:  Of course I'm putting something into a goodie box for the winners... plus one extra.  That's right, I'll pick three winners and they'll each get a fat quarter bundle of something wonderful.  Since they'll all be different, it will have to be a surprise.  But surprises are a good thing, right?

How do you win?  Leave a comment here before Midnight on Monday, May 7th.  All ten of us will leave comments open until then so if you don't get to it right away, you've still got time.  Unless you're reading this on May 8th... in which case, so sad, so sorry, too late.  

Now to the best part -- the book, one of the quilts and fabric possibilities.  

I love medallion quilts.  Always have.  Always will.  Which might explain why I've made several of them over the years, and why I'll probably make more.  The eight designs in Pat's book range from relatively simple to a bit more challenging.  Several of the quilts are shown using just four fabrics, but they could easily be made very scrappy.  (Pat knows I love that in a quilt design.)

My favorite quilt is Antique Mist --

It measures 57" x 57" but add another border - or two - and it's getting into bed-sized territory.  

If I had time to play, I might make this quilt using this fabric...

I think I would use the red or blue gingham in place of the strip borders - probably the blue - and then use this yellow print instead of the aqua...

All the blocks could be in the blue and red prints... though that would mean leaving out the pink and the green... I don't know if I could.  I'm not that strong.  Just in case you didn't already know, this is Pam Kitty Morning by Lakehouse.  But you knew that.  

(If you're wondering why I cleared out some of my stash, it was to make room for more of this.  And the PKM Love that is coming later this year.  Congratulations Pam!  I look forward to seeing it and buying some... okay, lots!)

For something completely different, I could also see this quilt in this really cool collection...

Curious Nature by Parson Gray.

I would make this one scrappy as well, perhaps even piecing the two stripe borders.  And in place of the floral print, I would love to mix this collection with some Essex Linen.

It's a 55% linen/45% cotton blend and it has the most amazing texture to it.  It looks and feels like linen but it washes and sews like cotton.  It also comes in terrific colors.  Just ask Jackie, she carries some of it -- Canton Village Quiltworks Essex Linen.

What about a French Antique Mist?

Rouenneries Deux.  You can't go wrong with a little French General, can you?  

And then there's an upcoming collection that would also work very well... I think it's called Eat Your Fruits and Veggies.  Pat probably knows more about that one...  :)

What fabric would you use for this quilt?  

Just leave a comment telling me how you envision Antique Mist and you might get the chance to actually make your own version because you'll have the book!  You'll have to provide your own fabric though... that's not included.  

You've got until midnight on Monday - May 7th! 

Good luck!  And if you haven't already been there, prance on over and say Hi to Vanessa!

Focus on the center...

Not these two... this one.

Oh. That's tomorrow. Sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. More on that in a minute...

Did you have a good weekend? Did you spend it de-stashing and de-cluttering? Are you blaming all that on me?

That figures. I know Renee is. She told me so. But she also cleared out several boxes of stuff so she must not have minded too much. I was going to offer to help but I know half of her stash would have wound up in my car, headed home with me. One step forward... two steps back. I've been there!

A couple of you asked me how I had folded the fabric so here you go -- Fabric Folding. Remember two things -- not my idea, and not my fault.

My weekend was exciting but only in an indirect sense. Five hockey games, two of which went to overtime.

Not this one, the Coyotes won this game, 5 to 3, to take a two-game lead in their Round 2 series against the Nashville Predators.

The hockey was really the only excitement I had. This was my weekend...

Do you do this? Stick threaded needles in the arm of the couch so that they're ready-to-go when you finish one?

Kleenex. Telephone. Hand cream. Dr. Pepper Ten -- for those of you that haven't tried it, it's very good. Sewing box.

TV remote. Magnetic needle thing with needles and stuff -- do you bend your needles when you stitch? I do that. I also like those little leather thimble-pad things as I just can't get used to a regular thimble. (I have tried every type imagineable and I don't like any of them... oh well.) Scissors. Binding clips.

I was binding this weekend. Three quilts done, two more to go. They're off this week for pictures as I've always found pattern covers to be a bit lacking without a picture of the quilt... but maybe that's just me.

They agree. They're happy about the pictures too.

Now about focusing on centers... Pat Sloan has a new book coming out titled Focus on the Center - 8 New Looks for Medallion Quilts from Leisure Arts. It's pretty cool and she's asked me to participate in a blog hop this week. Lots of giveaways ~ especially book giveaways. That's always nice. And you know Pat, who knows what else is coming. There are nine other wenches hopping:

Tuesday - May 1: Vanessa Christenson of V & Co. and me.

Wednesday - May 2: Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville and Michele Foster of the Quilting Gallery

Thursday - May 3: Victoria Findlay of BumbleBeans Inc. and Rachel Griffith of p.s. i quilt

Friday - May 4: Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quiltworks and Dana Bolyard of Old Red Barn Co.

Saturday - May 5: Vicki Welsh of Field Trips in Fiber and Faith Jones of Fresh Lemons Quilts

I feel like the "old lady" in the group.

Actually... this picture sort of reminds me of Sample Spree.

You think I'm kidding?

I'm back tomorrow! Hmmm... two hockey games tonight... I just might finish another binding.

Oh my...

Did you ever play Truth or Dare?  It was quite the thing when I was about 11 and if memory serves, it usually involved boys or cigarettes.  

I don't think I ever completely out-grew the "oh yeah?  You don't think I would do that... you think I'm chicken?" stage of my development.  It isn't bravado or cheekiness, I just have this issue with folks trying to tell me what to do.  It's been a lifelong problem... just ask my parents.  

So when friends didn't think I'd have the nerve to show this to you... of course I had to do it.  

But first I need to tell you how it came about.  This past week, because I had nothing better to do... okay, I couldn't find what I was looking for and dire measures were required.  So I started cleaning out "my stash".  

I know the organizational gurus recommend regular weeding and pruning of closets, drawers and such but really, this is fabric.  It's historical.  We've got emotional attachments to some of it.  And some of it just might be worth a fortune -- just check out the folks selling "OOP" fat quarters on Etsy.  But a regular review is still beneficial because it let me know what I've got, and more importantly, where to find it when I need it.  

Since I was starting to sort anyway, I decided to also do a bit of re-organization and improvement.  Have you seen those pictures and blog posts from quilters who organized their fabric by folding/rolling it bolt-style on a ruler to make everything a relatively uniform size?  That's what I did.

Isn't it pretty?

Of course I raised a blister flipping that ruler to roll/fold everything but it was definitely worth it as everything is neat and organized - mostly.  I think keeping it this way will be far easier than getting it this way.  Now, in the interest of full disclosure and honesty -- to keep it real -- this is what was left after the purge.  

Yes, the purge... make that The Purge.  (I really do fear that years from now, quilt historians will remember April 2012 as the date of The Purge.  It lasted three long days... but now it's done.)  

Even before this, I knew this to be true -- Hello.  My name is Carrie and I have WAY too much fabric.  More than I'll use in a lifetime.  More than any one quilter will ever need or use.    

But the reality is that I have fabric that I'll never use, fabric that I've outgrown, fabric that makes me question my sanity and ask "what on earth was I thinking?"  I had fabric dating back 25 years, back to when I first started quilting.  The only saving grace - if there is one - is that by cleaning out my closets, I can donate the fabric to groups that will happily use it to make something wonderful.  So into bags it went, destined for a local guild/group that does a whole lot of sewing for charity.  Lots and lots of bags.  And a few boxes.    

This was the trunk of my car.  (I knew I was saving TJs bags for something.)

This was the backseat.  

Note:  I want it entered into the record that I drive a small -- okay, small-ish -- car.  (Huh?  Yes, it is the same car and trunk that I have bragged about as having a super-large trunk... something about superior German engineering in my VW... whatever.)

I took everything to my super nice and very kind quilter as she knows all the ladies who do the charity sewing.  While I had warned her several times, and given her a couple of chances to bail on me, she burst out laughing when she saw the contents of my car.  It took us less than five minutes to empty the car and deposit everything in her living room.

I labeled these pictures "oy vey" and it definitely fits.  

I didn't weigh the bags or even count them as that would have meant mentally calculating the amount of yardage, and then the aggregate cost of it all.  I don't want to know.

The purpose of all this is two-fold.  I already told you the first reason, I was "dared" to post the pictures.  The other reason is that in chatting with friends about this, I know that I'm not alone.  I'm not the only one with too much fabric that she'll never, ever use, and I'm not the only one who wants/needs to clear out the clutter.  It took time that I would rather have spent doing something else but it was necessary and now its done.  And it feels great to have it behind me. 

Especially because I found something I knew I had... something I couldn't find.  

Mel Fisher found the Atocha.  I found Flea Market Fancy fat quarters... the original.  

And no, they won't be available on Etsy as OOP fabric.  (OOP = out of print.)

I also never outgrew the "finders, keepers" stage of my development.  Just as my brother.

Seams-a-poppin'...

I received an e-mail from a friend yesterday asking me to remind her about what to do with the seams on four-patches... "that thing that gets all the seams to abut..."

I call it "popping the seam", others call it "collapsing the seam", I've even heard it called "opening the seam".  Whatever you call it, it is one of the things I am always asked about in classes.  As I was trying to figure out how to explain this, I realized that pictures would probably help.  (A picture is worth a thousand words, right... though with me, you get both.)  

And since I had the pictures... well, lucky you.  

The first thing to tell you is that this works with any block that has four parts.  Any block.  Pinwheels and Four-Patches are obvious.  Double and Triple Four-Patches, same thing.  Buckeye Beauty - the block with two half-triangle squares and two four-patches, both in opposing corners -- is another example of a block that can use this technique.  

Start by assembling your four-patch -- with seams abutting.  That means - one up, one down.  In this case, they were pressed to the dark.

Using a seam ripper or pin, remove the stitches above the horizontal seam line.  I prefer to slip them out rather than break them, but as I have never, ever, not once had a seam come apart because of doing this, it probably doesn't matter.  While the stitches don't have to be itty-bitty, it's probably best that they not be too long.     

No, I don't worry about trimming that little thread tail.  

Now do the other seam - the other side.  

There are two seams at this junction, and for this to work, the stitches above the horizontal seam line need to be removed on both seams.  

This is what it needs to look like after the stitches have been removed -- the seams are un-stitched above the seam.  

Depending on your stitch length, your thread, your fabric and your luck, you can also "pop" the seams just by putting your fingers right next to the seam and gently twisting them away from each other -- the same sort of motion you would use to tear a small piece of paper.  I repeat - gently.  

But if the fabric is a looser weave or a finer, lighter weight, or your stitches are very small and "locked in", be careful with removing the stitches this way as it can pull and distort your fabric.  

Un-stitching that little part of the seam above the long vertical seam of the block allows the seam to be "split" in two for pressing -- half the seam goes in one direction, the other half goes in the opposite direction.  So after the seams have been pressed, they should all be going in one direction around the block, and the center seams should be open, with the right side of the fabric showing.  It should also be a "mini version" of your block -- on a pinwheel block, the center of the block is a mini-pinwheel.  

Now there is one more important thing you need to know when using this technique -- how to get all the seams on all the blocks going in the same direction.  

Maybe this only happens to me but sometimes... some of the blocks have seams that are going in a clockwise direction while other  blocks have seams that are going in a counter-clockwise direction.  

Here's what you have to do to prevent that - to make sure that all the blocks are the same.  As you are chain-piecing the blocks, the pieces all need to be aligned the same way.  

Seams up.  Seams down.  It doesn't matter so long as all the blocks are the same.  

Left -- seams up.  Right -- seams down.  

By up and down, I mean the direction the cross-wise seam is "facing" as the lengthwise seam of the block/four-patch is being stitched.  

Same four-patch, right?  It will look the same on the front... but not on the back.

Left -- pieced with seams up results in clockwise seams.  Right -- pieced with seams down results in counter-clockwise seams.  

Four matching blocks with the seams all going in a clockwise direction.  

Four matching blocks with the seams all going in a counter-clockwise direction.

Even if you get a piece turned sideways, the seams are still abutting.  Which is good, and bad.  Good because that might be what you're trying to do in some places... bad because you won't realize it's wrong until after the block is assembled.  Been there... ripped that out.  

This is one of those little techniques that can make your quilting life easier because the abutting seams means that the block will fit together more easily... it will be flatter... you won't have to fight seams... you can eat all the chocolate you want without gaining weight... okay, maybe not that last one.  But no matter what you call it, this really will make life easier. 

And coincidentally, I'm working on a little quilt right now where knowing this technique will probably qualify as "useful".  

Have a Happy Tuesday!  

Hit the rewind button...

I think I erred on a couple of things.  

While I was kind of late, my taxes were done a week ago.  As of Tuesday, my neck stopped hurting and the crick in my shoulder disappeared.  Funny how that happens.  But we're all done for this year, right?

I also think I gave the impression that the three quilts I showed corners of last week would be debuting today... oops.  Mid-May.  They have to have their "pretty pictures" taken this week - or next - and I have to finish writing and checking the patterns.  And since one of them is getting an "alternate version", the cover will still take a few more weeks.  But soon.  I promise.  Seriously... just ask anybody getting ready for Market... it's like next week or something.  At least it feels that way.

The only thing I did get right was that the store is open -- Rosie's Shop!  

Whew.  Since I don't have any other quilt pictures right now... you'll have to settle for random.  

Do you know what these are for?

Me either.

You know Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts, right?  A few years ago, Edyta wrote a terrific book that featured quilts that were made with half-triangle squares - Friendship Triangles.  Super scrappy - super fabulous.  The best part was that the half-triangle squares were part of a swap.  These were done with "roll-ups" I got from Olde World Quilt Shop in Cave Creek.  Each roll-up contained one "lighter" strip, one "darker" strip and a strip of Edyta's half-triangle square paper.  I initially did ten roll-ups, but after finishing them pretty quickly and enjoying the process, I got ten more.  That means I stitched and cut twenty strips -- that's 560 half-triangle squares.  I keep one from each roll-up and return the remaining twenty-seven half-triangle squares with papers still attached in a little baggie.  They were turned in last week and in another week or so, I'll get back 540 different half-triangle squares.  I expect there will be some duplications but with that many, I'm pretty sure they won't be glaringly apparent.

Of course, I'm sure I'll have to add a few anyway.  Just to be different.  Though I still don't have a clue what I'm going to make... something from the book or something different.

Do you see this amazing little red pincushion?

It was made by a friend (Hi Mary!) using a vintage salt cellar.  It measures about 2" across and 1 1/2" tall and I think it just might be the cutest thing ever.  That little whale is a magnetized needle-finder/keeper.  I got it forever-ago.  I don't use it but it sure looks pretty on the shelf.  

The only quilt picture I have is "borrowed" from a Seller on eBay -- here's the listing:  Antique Friendship Quilt

It might be a little obvious... but wouldn't this be beautiful made with Rouenneries?  Lots of it... because it has to be scrappier.  

That's all for today but I will be back again this week as I promised more Schnibbles Confidential... this time about fabrics.  

Happy Monday!

 

 

 

Almost there...

To those of you who 'fessed up that you're late-tax-doers - my heartfelt thank you.

To the rest of you... ttthhhhhbbbbppppttttttt.

Monday!  The Rosie Store will go "live" on Monday.  The link is there -- to the left of this -- but it links to an empty page.  It's all there, it 's just "hidden" until I make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  I'm sure I have but here's the thing, I'm going to be adding patterns and "other things" in the coming months anyway, so if I have forgotten something, who is going to know but me?

What's coming?  The first batch of patterns will include the most recent eighteen (18) Schnibbles patterns.  As new patterns are published, they'll be published as paper patterns and PDFs at the same time - the Schnibbles and anything else.  

Like Dimestore.  This is a new Schnibble.  I'm working on the binding.  Have you tried these Clover binding clips?  A friend gave me a big box (50 clips) and so far, I like them.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the 19,487 other clips I've got... but I'll figure that out later.  

I'll also do a "Scarlett O'Hara" when it comes to deciding which big quilts to turn into PDFs.  

But this one is definitely on the list, it's a new quilt for Spring Market...

This is Bounce.  This quilt will come with a couple of options... which might explain why the pattern cover will have two versions of it.  My favorite thing about it is this -- 1 Layer Cake and about 4 yards of background fabric makes a 74" x 74" quilt... or something like that.  And, yes, I love, love, LOVE this Hope Valley fabric.  (Oh my, have you seen the preview for Chicopee?  SewMamaSew.)

A sweet friend pieced this one for me... and when Market week comes around, I'm going to let her tell you all about it.  This is just a little peek.  The gorgeous quilting is by Linda Hrcka of The Quilted Pineapple.  (Pssst... Cupcake.  You're going to love it.)

If there is a pattern you think I need to have on "my PDF. list", let me know what it is.  You know I like making lists.  

Finishing the binding on this little quilt -- Leap Year -- is on my "to do" list for this weekend.  

My list this weekend -- bindings and a lab experiment.  

You'll have to wait until October to hear about the latter.  

Until then, Rosie and I hope you have a tax-free weekend!

P.S.  'Fess up... how many of you, when doing your taxes, did a double-take when you totaled up how much you'd spent on fabric and quilting stuff in a year?  Or am I the only one who actually has to add it all up for the tax-man?  If you don't have to do that, be happy... be very, very happy.    

 

Going to the beach...

I'm not hibernating.  It's April.    

I.  Was.  Doing.  My.  Taxes.  

Every year, I tell myself that this is the year I'm going to be organized.  Every year, I tell myself that this is the year I'll be ready.  Every year, I tell myself that this is the year I'll get them done early.  Every year, I tell myself that next year... that will be the year!

Yeah.  Right.  But... hope springs eternal.  Right?

I just wanted to check in to let you know I was still here.  And I found something too cute not to share.  While I've had some mixed feelings of late about Pinterest -- too many issues and questions and concerns to get into now -- I did see something I loved, something I wanted to share.  So bear with me while I make sure all the sources are credited...

Pinterest links back to -- Stuffistolefromtheinternet.com

Stuff I Stole From the Internet links to Buzzfeed.

Buzzfeed links to OddStuffMagazine.com.

The last picture is my favorite -- sometimes I feel like this.  I know I'm not alone.  

I think somebody just told this baby that Market is in less than six weeks.  

I'll be back soon with some Big Cartel news.  Yep... PDF. patterns for the Schnibbles.  Coming soon.

After I go to the beach.