Another Project

Once I had developed a plan for the notebook commission,  I got started.  The very first part you don't get to see.  Why you ask?  You see, the request was for initials on the front.  I opted to do a nice embroidery of the initials with a swirly embroidery underneath it.  As the colors requested were "red, white, and blue" added to the fact that she also loved the hand dyed fabric in the notebook that she saw, I did the embroidery in blue and white on a red background.   Then, I started piecing some of the "quilt top" for the notebook cover. 

Photos were sent for fabric approval, and I was ready to roll.  Once I started, I could not stop until I was finished.  I think she will LOVE this. 

For the sake of privacy,  I have covered the initials with a pad of sticky notes.  But you can see some of the white swirly design peeking out from the bottom of it.  The hand dyed fabrics look more blue than they are in the photo although the other blue and red are very accurate. 

This gets trimmed down a little after it is quilted so I will try to do another photo when it is finished. 

The question now is: What color will I quilt it with? Blue? Red? White?  I am sure I will quilt the part around the initials with red.  But as for the rest,  I am undecided.  White seems like the simplest choice.  I could switch colors a few times ---but--- the piano key bit would make me crazy switching that much. We will just have to wait and see what happens.  

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Some Fun/Useful Quilting Time

Now that I have delivered my things to the art gallery,  I have some time for fun sewing and quilting.  

My sister-in-law was admiring a table mat that I had given mom.  It is great for putting a hot casserole or other dish on the table or sideboard for a family style meal.  The mat protects the top from heat and/or scratches.  

Of course that gave me the idea to make one or two more.   She will get one of these and possibly both. 

The first one is made of a few leftover strips from some batiks.   I think these were some I won in a giveaway, but I am not sure. 

I did some pretty simple quilting on it and added a machine sewn binding. 

The other one is made of scraps of all kinds.  I sewed the pieces together randomly and just played.  It was already pieced and just waiting for me to decide what to do with it.  Since I was "in the mood" for making table mats, the decision was easy.  

This one is all "straight line" quilted with a few places where there are "maze" areas. 

I really just had fun with it. It was no stress.  It also got a machine sewn binding. 

I see fabrics in this one that go back for years.  I really do save all those scraps because, they will eventually get used if I live long enough. 

I gave a "nephew-by-choice" a quilted notebook for his birthday.  Since we were all

vaccinated, we were able to have a get-together and enjoy a meal and some time together.

One of his relatives, that doesn't know me quite so well,  saw it and fell in love. 

So now I have a commission to make one for her.  I need to choose the right fabrics from my stash as I don't want to buy any more fabric for a while.  For some reason, I think I have enough to last me a few years. Ha ha. 

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Take Note - notebook finishes

It has been several days since I posted.   I have been busy with some personal stuff (nothing bad though) and getting some items made for an art gallery.   

The Mountain Valley Arts Council is hosting a fiber art exhibit for the month of May and I was asked to bring some items to exhibit.   Since I know that my notebooks usually sell easily, I decided to take about ten of those.  

I am also going to exhibit one large quilt.  The bad part of that is that I have to put a hanging sleeve on it for the show.  I did find a way to make a sleeve and attach it with safety pins.  At this point I just need to "get it done."  Ha ha. 

Truthfully,  I love making the notebook covers because they finish relatively quickly.  If I plan ahead and do some "assembly line sewing,"  I can speed up the process of assembling them.  Making the cover and quilting it still  takes time.  

Here are my latest six finished.

In the top photo, the one on the right is already sold.  I will be shipping it this week to its new home. 

A previous finish also sold and went to a new home last week.  (Yay!) 
The middle one is different in that it has handwoven fabric with beads actually woven into the cloth. 

These three are fun. I love the hearts on batik which are fusible raw edge applique.  The middle one is a liberated log cabin set on point (using lots of fun scrap pieces.)  Then the right hand one is a design that I digitized and stitched out on my embroidery machine.  Then I added a piece of handwoven fabric for the "ground" under the horse.  

All of these have a pocket inside the front cover with my label sewn in as you may have seen on a previous post. 

Now......to get that sleeve made and put on the big quilt...... Sigh! 

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Some Finishes

Those fun randomly pieced chunks - at least some of them - became these

three notebook covers.  These will go in the next venue in which I sell things.

That may be next month, but I am waiting to hear more details.

The middle one in that group looks like this on the back. 
I decided to use a pieced strip across the middle. 

The one on the left in the first picture, looks like this  when you

turn it over. 

And of course they all have pockets and my label in them. 

The other finish is the puzzle that Mom and I were working on. 

We had fun doing this puzzle.  I am not sure we will start another one any time soon.  But that all depends on Mom.  

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.