A Rant About Excluding and Sexism

A friend posted about a quilter challenge on FaceBook this morning.  The link was to AQS (American Quilter's Society.)  It seems they were trying to offend as many people as possible in one post.  Or it could be that the author is still attempting to live in the 1950s.

The title of the post is:  A Big Girl Challenge Just for YOU!
How many of you are offended just by the title?
Dare I list some of the ways that is offensive?
1. Big Girl - implying the overweight quilters with no social life.
2. Big Girl -  you are all still just girls, not happy successful women. So here is a little project for you.
3.  Big GIRL- No men allowed, this is a girls club and you can't play.  Sorry Ricky Tims, Luke Haynes, Mark Lipinski, Raymond Houston, Joe Cunningham, Bill Volkening, Kaffe Fassett, Bill Kerr, Thomas Knauer, Scott Hansen,  John Q. Adams, Ryan Walsh, John Flynn and Doug Leko.  Whew- and I can think of many more....... And that is just the beginning of the list of male quilters. Raymond Houston has a list of more than 120 who have an online presence.  Just so you know, I am on that listing. (imagine the number who quilt quietly and don't blog or maintain that online presence.)

So tell me, how many of my wonderful readers like being called Big or Girl ?

I have walked out of quilt shops when treated as if I didn't belong in the shop.  I don't give my hard won dollars to companies that denigrate me or my friends or anyone else for that matter. I am very much of the "live and let live" mentality.  I don't believe anyone should be limited or excluded.

I posted a comment on the AQS OnPoint blog - it was deleted from moderation and not posted.  Here is what I said:
"Thanks for using your words to tell male quilters that they are NOT welcome at AQS. Sexism works both ways you know."

Please forgive my rant.  My next post will show a pretty quilt, but today, I had to get this off my chest.
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

Oh, Nickita, I love you sew....

Bonus points if you know the song reference.  (Okay so they points are not worth anything, but if you know it you can feel smart.)

I made the second bag in the "Zip It Up."class on Craftsy.   This bag is called "Nickita."   It was surprisingly easy to make and I consider it a complete success. The free motion quilting was NOT in the class instructions. She explains a much easier way to stitch the layers together....but I wanted to quilt it. So, I did.

The colors are truest in this photo of my Nickita bag.

 I decided to make the handles with a completely different fabric that accentuates the blue bits in the feathers. I also added a blue pull to the lavender zipper just to add a bit of whimsy.  You can peek at the lining fabric in the open photo below.

The colors are "off" a bit in this picture. 

I am thinking I will use this one as a shave kit when I travel. However, this would be a great bag to carry some sewing supplies with you for hand work, or to a guild sewing day.

It may be a few days, but I want to make the Bendy Bag that is taught in this class too. If you click the link, you can see pictures of it.

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

Papa's Made a Brand New Bag

With a great discount, I could not resist taking Joan Hawley's class "Zip It Up."   Now, I am sure there is some fusible fleece hiding around here somewhere, but I couldn't find it so I improvised with some Bosal In-R-Form.  The In-R-Form is great but I think it was a tiny bit too sturdy for this bag.  Still, I got a nice looking very sturdy bag.

The front of the bag, with zipper
I improvised a scrappy strap instead of using just one of the fabrics.
I also switched out the zipper tab and used a pink one on the red zipper
for a little extra zip to my zipper.

And the back of the bag with a pocket.

 With this class, I got three patterns for fun zipper bags.  This is the Runaround Bag/ I am calling mine "Spicy Runaround."   But I also received patterns for the Nickita Bag and the Bendy Bag.  Plus once you make the Bendy Bag, there is a tutorial on Joan's blog to make a Bendy Bits zip pouch with pieces that will be left over. I am hoping to get a Nickita bag made this afternoon. These are fast and easy following Joan's tips and tricks.  One thing that I love about the class is that Joan teaches extra tips to insure a successful project.
(Links in this post are affiliate links that provide me a small stipend while you get the same great price.)
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

YouTube Videos

I wanted to remind everyone that I do have a YouTube channel with a number of videos on both quilting and weaving.  I have had quite a few views on some of my videos. My most viewed videos are as shown:

The one on Cutting Bias Binding  has almost 154, 000 views.  I would love to push it over 200 thousand.
You can find my videos at  my YouTube channel: Gene Black on YouTube  If you subscribe to my YouTube channel, you will get a notification of new videos as I post them.
I also have a tab/page on my blog with many of them posted - it is Tutorial Videos.

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope your week is filled with creative delights.

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

Don't Pay the Ransom!

I know I have been MIA for a bit. But I am happy to report that all is well.  Lots of things have happened, including some "it is just too hot to do much" down time.

The good news is that I did manage to finish quilting all three sections of my "Hearts" quilt.

The picture doesn't show the entire quilt.  There are two heart blocks in each row across.  At this point, I need to cut the joining strips and sew it all together.  Then I can label it, bind it, get a good photo of it, and send it on its way.
Here are some photos showing some of the quilting from the back.

An extra heart went on the back. :)

An elongated heart hidden in the quilting. 

A little "wild quilting" -this is on one of the hearts. 

In other news,  Jeanette,  at Inchworm Fabrics,  had a surprise giveaway and I was the winner.  I am thrilled with the batiks and the pattern that she sent.

I love the jewel toned batiks. 

 If you know my fabric loves, then you know that batiks and hand dyed fabrics are my top choices!   I would be remiss if I failed to tell you that Jeanette also has a fabric store online for Inchworm Fabrics.  She has some Island Batiks and some other batiks in stock there - just in case you are in a shopping mood. ;-)

I am not sure when I will post again, but hopefully I will have the Hearts quilt finished soon and have a photo of it to show you.
Have a great week!

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

A little Quilting update

For the past couple of days,  the heart of the rainbow quilt has been getting quilted in spare moments.

Life has been really busy it seems to me.  This morning I had to go to the ophthalmologist for a yearly checkup. A necessity if you are diabetic, because problems caused by changes can happen quickly.   I got Great News!  the only change was that the  axis of astigmatism in my left eye has changed.  Otherwise my visual health is great.  The tech took the pressure in my eye and said "you can't get any better than that!" (High pressure in the eye is an indicator of glaucoma.)  Having worn glasses since the last day of 3rd grade (8 years old) I am always aware of good eye care.

So the quilt was under the needle and ready to go when my eyes  started to normalize after being dilated for the exam. (I always say it "dI - uh- lAted" because we Southerners love to add vowels- Haha)   I am quilting without and just enjoying what happens.  It is a lot like sketching or doodling.
This flower developed in the process:

Sorry...it is a bit blurry

And of course I added some random hearts:

They don't have to be perfect, in fact I like them to be more like a loose sketch.
And here is some of the totally random quilting that happened:

I am really enjoying quilting over these batiks as there are some visual surprises that happen as you go.  In the flower, there is a pop of green that happened right in the center of the flower - I wish I could say I planned it, but it just happened.  The same thing happened with the leaf in the heart on  the red batik.  That leaf crossed it and made the design more interesting.

I hope you are having a lovely week.  Peace to you!

Oh, this just in!
Craftsy is having a "Black Friday for Makers" sale now through midnight (Mountain Time) on Sunday night.  Why in August?  Because if you are making gifts, you need the supplies NOW -not late November!

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

Coloring Quilt

The lastest episode of The Quilt Show has quilter Sherry Rogers-Harrison showing how she makes her "paint-liqué" quilts.  She quilts a wholecloth quilt and then paints it with various paints to resemble appliqué.   This thought had already occurred to me. An earlier episode showed a lady who makes tiny quilts and paints the blocks with fabric paint pens.  (Ahem, I ordered the pens in 2012 - and played with them a teeny bit.)

I had a practice piece of quilting carefully stored away (okay, okay, it was laying on the coffee table....sheesh.)   So I grabbed it and looked at the back - Yes!  I had used a nice plain fabric in mottled tan for the backing.  I pulled out my paint pens and started playing. Hey!  This is fun.  After a bit, it looks like this:

Artistically, I see the swirls with the "hook" as the thorns on the rose bush.
I am going "modern" and will not paint all of it.  But honestly, it was difficult to stop. At this point I need to decide just how much more to add. Then do that, and call it finished. As I really love this one, it will become something....not sure what yet, though.
The rose was a motif I tried out on this, but it makes a great focal point.  I did a closeup, but it shows every painting flaw.  So, I probably shouldn't show it.  But I don't mind not being perfect, so here it is.

Actually it looks nicer in person. The camera flash enhances the light and unpainted areas.

Have you ever tried painting or coloring on a quilt?  I think I may do some practice pieces and try some other paints with artist brushes.  If it works out well, I may paint the "Wild Quilting" piece from Saturday. 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

Sometimes, In the Madness of Daily Life.......

Yes, sometimes we are able to turn off the madness of life - and then: Magic Happens!

During a break on the quilt I am working on....okay actually I couldn't find the other part of the quilt that needs quilting....but I found another project that was resting and getting ready to speak to me.
I listened - I think magic happened.

At this point, it goes back on the shelf to mature a little bit more.  But I can hardly wait to see the final outcome of this piece.  You may remember it from this part back in May of this year.

Yes it is taking its time to become - much like we do in our lives.  But don't look at this and say "I could never do that kind of quilting!"   You can.  It takes time and practice and maybe some great instruction.
First you need to learn some Free Motion Quilting Essentials.  And then you can move on to learning to do some Wild Quilting.
Don't limit yourself with doubt and negativity.  Just say, "Yes, I can."  and start the journey.
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

FMQ - Fun Motion Quilting

Yes, I know it is "free motion quilting" - but I have been having fun with FMQ- so I temporarily changed the name.
I have a quilt that needs finished so I can send it off.  I have one third fully quilted and trimmed - ready to join.  The second third is almost finished - but I ran out of bobbin thread again.  So I took a break to take pictures and post this.

See where the line of stitching ends?  Right there in the batik stripe in the center? The bobbin ran out there---for the third time today. (but not the third time in the same place. ha ha) So I declared "break time."
I am doing a lot of this with my go-to swirls.

But I am adding some "straight lines" in there for contrast in the quilting. Plus it is fun and good practice.
The triangles in this I am attempting to fill with various straight line patterns.

Okay, sot they are "not so straight,"  but it adds a contrast to the swirls and will hopefully make someone who gets it smile a bit.

Okay, that mean old boss is saying "Break is over! Get back to it!"   I suppose I should listen.  I can finish this third of the quilt today if I do.
See you soon, I hope.
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

Stitching for Fun

I confess!  I have not done very much sewing. quilting or weaving lately.  Between the figs coming in - and the necessary jam making they bring, and the extreme heat of this summer, I have just not wanted to do it.
But Friday, I decided to use my die cutter and cut out some tumbler blocks for some almost mindless sewing.  However, I realized that planning rows so that the lights and darks alternate is not so mindless. The bottoms of the tumblers on one row have to match the bottoms of the tumblers on the next row so that the seams align.  I also tried to have no fabric match on any row. In that I was almost successful. Almost - but not quite, I don't think it is too obvious but you can find it.

Overall, I am happy with it and I will NOT be ripping out any seams.  I have no exact plan for this although I have some ideas.  One idea is to make this a row across a quilt made of varying rows of scrappy blocks. That way, I won't get bored with a repetitive task and the quilt will be uniquely mine. AND I will get to use up a lot of those scraps. Triple win if I do it this way. Or there is the possibility that it will end up in the pile of UFOs. C'est la vie! Telle est la vie d'une artisane! (that is the life of a quilter.)

In other news, I saw something that broke my "no new fabric purchases" vow. But it is only one piece.  And it is beautiful.

It is from the shop of Colorways by Vicki Welsh.  And it is a one of a kind snowdyed print. She titled it Fire Agate  and it was in the Hand dyed fabric/Crystals part of the shop. It is approximately 38" square.  My first thought is to make a whole cloth quilted piece with it.  I can't imagine cutting it up....but only time will tell.

And if you are looking for a bargain on a class to take- Craftsy is having an August Class sale on selected classes.  Just click here for up to 50% off on new classes.
But I also see that Zippered Bags with a Twist - The One Zip Way is on sale for the great price of $19.99 during this sale.  This is the Joan Hawley class that I took to make these:

You get the pattern/recipe for making the Becca Bag and the SweetPea Pods included in the class.  And while the class is on sale,  Zippered Bags with a Twist - The One Zip Way gets both for a little less than both patterns.  How cool is that? Plus Joan gives some great tips along the way for a successful finish.  I give it 5 Stars.

Now, tell me - what are you doing during this hot, hot summer?

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

A Laugh and a Surprise

First the laugh!  Yesterday, Marlene expressed her disdain for figs based on the  horrid fig newtons my dad ate.   I totally relate to that. Here is what I told her "Ha ha... I always ALWAYS  thought I hated figs because Fig Newtons are NASTY.  (in my humble opinion)   But then, they came out with Strawberry Newtons - and I LOVE strawberries!  I ate one and nearly barfed.  It was as bad as the Fig Newtons.
So finally, in my late 30s/early 40s, I finally tried a fresh fig. It was delicious.

Moral of the story: Don't blame the fig; blame the Newton!
I hope that makes  you laugh as much as I laughed over it when I wrote it in reply to Marlene.
For the record, I still think Fig Newtons are disgusting.

Now,  the surprise:
Yesterday I mentioned a "mystery UPS package"  --it arrived after 5 pm yesterday - I think UPS reads my blog and wanted to prolong my suspense.  Inside was a lovely bundle of Fat Quarters - eight in all. It was tied with a sheer golden ribbon that I want to save and use for something...but it is in a knot so I will probably have to cut it into a couple of pieces.

You know I had to open it and see all the pretties:

The collection is named Bear Paws by Cheryl Haynes for Benartex Fabrics. This will add to my collection of fat quarters.  
It seems like I should be sewing doesn't it?
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I am Jammin'

Today was a work - but fun morning.   I had gathered figs and prepped them for making jam.  A few days ago I made Cinnamon-Vanilla Fig Jam.

Yesterday I made some Grape Flavored Fig Jam. (no picture) Those batches were lower sugar.

Today, I made full sugar jam because I was experimenting with the recipe and I wanted to be sure it worked.  You see, sugar acts as a sweetener but also as a preservative.  You know, like "sugar cured ham."
There were four cups of washed, cut up and mashed figs.  But I had a secret ingredient in my freezer. A while back I saw a recipe for something made with fresh cranberries. They are only available for a short season so she suggested buying extra and freezing them.  (it works great!)   Sadly,  I forgot to bookmark the recipe, so I never tried making that one.  But, I had fresh frozen cranberries. Last night I put them down in the refrigerator to thaw.   Today they joined the figs for a delightful Cranberry Fig Jam.

Isn't that color luscious?  There is no added coloring,  the cranberries made it this lovely color.  I used my immersion blender (stick blender) to semi puree the fruit as it was cooking. Then after cooking with sugar, lemon juice and pectin, they were ready to put in jars.  So, into the jars, into the boiling water bath for 10 minutes and then to the towel on the table.   The great part is that there was a little more than 7 jars  so I have this:

A little less than half a cup that will go in the refrigerator to use this week.YUM!
And here is what I have to show for my morning:

There are seven half pints and a half cup of wonderful cranberry fig deliciousness.

So, if you want to try making your own, I have a plan for you.  Craftsy has a class, Jam & Marmalade
The Blue Chair Way, that will teach you to make Jam and Marmalade.  Once you learn the basics and become familiar with canning these things, you can use any fruit to make something equally delightful.

I am awaiting a UPS delivery today - I have a mystery package coming my way.  All I really know is that it was sent by a fabric company.  I don't know what it is or why it is coming.  Unless I have to keep it secret, I will tell you more soon.

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

A really cool Giveaway

This morning I learned of an excellent giveaway on Craftsy. It is called the Sizzlin'Summer Giveaway.   Craftsy has put together groups of classes into collections of two or more classes that focus on one topic.  This giveaway is for you, and a friend.  If you win, you also get to choose a friend who will get to choose a free class collection also. It is really a great prize.  Of course I am hoping if you win, you will remember that I am your friend. (wink, wink) and I will get a collection also. So get on over to Craftsy and enter.  If you don't already have an account, you will have to create one, but it is free and there is no payment information required.

And to share my love of scraps that I have been re-organizing, here is another freebie offer for you from Craftsy:

I have been told that some folks using an ad blocker can't see this.  It is a free 21 page ebook  titled "Save those Scraps!"

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.