Modernista Homemade Swap

Earlier this year, several of my quilty friends from ECMQG signed-up for Round 3 of the Modernista Homemade Swap on Flickr.

 

Modernista Homemade Round 4 Spicing Up the Bedroom inspiration mosaic by craftnursequilt via Flickr

How could I not fall for a swap when the description is this?  "Do you love modern fabrics, quilting, and fabulous pieces to show off in your space? This modern swap will focus on a room in the home each swap. Modernistas can join at any time for the next round if you don't get in for the current round."  

Well, yes, I like all of the above.  I'd love to join.  Make a mosaic?  Hmmm... So, I missed Round 3, but I saw all of the beautiful creative items Kira, Wendi, and Kim made and received.  Wow!  I was hooked.  

Round 4, Spicing Up the Bedroom sign-ups closed the first part of June. Partner assignments were issued mid-June.  We had to complete our projects - one larger project and one small-ish project - by the 3rd week of July.  Our mail date was July 29th.  We could share progress photos, but we couldn't let our partners know who had whom.

You couldn't ask your partner what they wanted.  You had their preferences from their application - pillow, mini-quilt, bed runner, pouches, storage boxes, etc.  You had their inspiration mosaic - colors, quilting style, etc.  If they'd created any, you had links to their Pinterest boards, Flickr favorites, and personal blog.

I lucked out.  My partner had done this before.  Her application was very detailed.  She had terrific pins, favorites and photostream, and, she even had a blog.  I stalked her.  This was going to be easy.  

Scrappy - check.  Low volume - check.  Color wheel - check.  Shades of gray - check.  Mini quilt - perfect, because I can do a mini quilt easier than I can a large quilt.  A pouch or two - not checked.  Unfortunately, I don't do zippers. Yet.    

Circle of Geese template from piecebynumber.com.  Find it here.

I had so many ideas to work with; there were so many things I wanted to make; I was on overload.  

Paper Pieced Pineapple Pincushion.  Tutorial from Katie's Quilting Corner.

After a few fits and starts, a mess up, and one thing that totally didn't turn out like I'd wanted, I mailed Kelie's package a tad bit late.  Yes, I admit it, I belong to the procrastinators-r-us club.

I believe she was happy with the final result and the extra goodies because... 

she said so.  "Awesome mail day!" she wrote when she posted this picture.

And in the note she quickly sent thanking me, I quote: "I just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for my wonderful package!  I ABSOLUTELY L-O-V-E EVERYTHING!  SERIOUSLY!!!!  You nailed it!" 

For me, that's what this swap was all about.  It meant getting to know someone through her pictures and descriptions.  It meant creating original handmade items that were "totally" my partner's style.  It meant having fun.

I did all of that.  I am definitely signing-up for the next Modernista Homemade swap, whenever that may be.

Ripples

Sometimes it's nice to make little items.  Little in size but BIG in thoughts and deeds.

These do just that.  They are my prayer flags for the To Boston with Love initiative.  My local MQG, the Emerald Coast MQG, decided to contribute to this project.  

Our flags had to be ready by May 9th in order to send them as a group effort.  As is the norm for me, I sewed late into the night before our meeting, as well as the early morning the day of our meeting.  Unlike some people I know, I work best under pressure.  Self-induced that is.

Healing.  Peace.  Love.

Mine plus the one Elle made. 

The gate to my backyard with our flags.

Probably my favorite of the four flags I made.  I could tell you about the construction, or, I could tell you about my thoughts as I created this.  However, if you sew, you can probably figure out the how-to part.  

Healing is a journey.  All of us need to, in one way or another, from many of the things that happen as we walk upon this path that is our life. 

The spiral in this healing hand is the journey.  The messy knot is the beginning of the trauma.  The irregular running stitch through the middle of the spiral are the steps - baby steps and big giant running strides - that we each must take at our own pace.  The center is the end of the journey, when we are finally at peace.  That center heart is for all of the love we've been given, have received, and given right back.

My old-soul child, my exuberant, vibrant, mercurial 10-year old, knew exactly what I was making as soon as she saw my sketch.  If she ever decides to adorn her body with a tattoo, I know it will be a healing hand. 

   

A close-up view of Elle's LOVe.  Paper pieced.  A little project that was frought with obstacles, none of which detract from her intentions, nor from the piece itself.

Our hearts next to each other.  Separated by distance only. 

 

My friend and fellow ECMQG member designed the pattern I used to make my heart, although I tweaked (because I don't follow directions!) it slightly. Kira posted her pattern here.

Two other small items I completed over the weekend.  A couple of scrappy, improv pieced blocks for another Boston project.  This one is Quilts for Boston by the Boston MQG.  I like being a small part of something larger.

  

I'm also thrilled that Elle decided to join me in making a block.  Hers is spectacular!  Her pattern is from an Etsy shop called Piece by Number, which you can find here.  Isn't it beautiful?

I have a yoga teacher who has instilled in me the lesson that thoughts are powerful and what you put out into the universe has ripple effects.

It pleases me to know my ripples reached Elle.

Spreading a Little LOVE

It seems as though every time I spend some time perusing blogs, I find a worthwhile project.  Something else I'm compelled to add to the "to do" pile.


This is today's.

It's a request for quilt blocks 12.5' by whatever.  Requested colors are the colors of the 2013 Boston Marathon - gray, yellow, blue, white.  They have to be in Boston by May 24th.  

This is supposed to be the code for the button, but I'm not savvy enough to figure out how to make it work.  Learning curve.  

Three weeks ago, after that horrible day and ensuing week in Boston, my guild, ECMQG, decided to join with the Vancouver MQG in making and sending little flags to Boston.  

As soon as I saw them, I thought they were very similar to the prayer flags my yoga friends hang both outside and inside spaces to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom.   

This is the To Boston with LOVE project. 

I have yet to make my flag.  Have several ideas.  Need to get busy.

However, I know people who don't let moss grow.  This flag was made by a good friend, Elle, and is on it's way to me to go with the flags from our guild.  

As frustrated as she became during construction of this little flag, I kept telling her "It's ok.  It's the intention with which it was made that counts."  I think it's beautiful.  And uplifting.  And it fits exactly what the original idea was all about - "to bring peace and love from far and wide".

Let love be your guide.  In all you do.  Namaste.

Relax

Another completed project that I didn't keep.  Seems to be the way it is for most of the creative people I know.

Have an idea?  Maybe.  Ok, sure.  How do I want to do it?  Not sure, but I'll  figure it out.  Hmmm...Maybe this isn't working.  Ok, let's try it this way.  Finally, ta da!  Sucess.

And so it went for this 28 x 14 pillow cover and bolster.  Strip piecing?  Check.   Envelope pillow closure?  Check.  Find, choose, enlarge, trace, and cut out font?  Check.  Raw edge applique?  Leave that box blank, but it didn't seem too daunting on the difficulty scale.  Use Wonder-Under?  There's a first time for everything.

Ta Da!

This is another item I made for our school's annual fundraiser this past weekend.  Our theme was Sun, Sea, and Sky.  Obviously, I chose Sea.

I love how some of my current favorite fabric lines and older stash pieces coordinate so well together!  There's a little bit of Salt Water by Tula Pink, some Seascapes by Deb Strain for Moda, a couple of Art Gallery's Oval Elements, two pieces of Sketch from Timeless Treasures, another Moda piece - Lovely - by Sandy Gervais, and even a small piece of Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets (it's on the end in cream, so you don't see it in this picture).  

RELAX is the Text print from Peter Pan, and the selvage lists it like this:  "Disney Elements copyright Disney.  Circa 2009 Thomas Kinkade used under license by David Textiles, Inc."  Really, a text that reads "Second star to the right..." was just too perfect for a pillow entreating you to relax.

Now I'm off to make one of these for me.  I like it that much.  

Middle School Free-Form sculptures

Group art projects from the little people classes

Group art projects from the older people classes

Individual art projects, volunteer, and Silent Auction table

QAYG Inspiration

I fell in love with this pillow the first time I saw it.

Newtown Auction Pillow by letseatgrandpa

Pinned it.  Knew I wanted to make one like it.  Just didn't know when.

Our school's Silent Auction and Gala is in two weeks.  The theme this year is Sand, Sea, and Sky.  Perfect.  I'll make something.  What?  Hmmm...  Something small, because, as I said, Gala is in two weeks.  Let's be honest here, no way would I have a completed quilt within a week, even if I wanted to.  So, how about a really cool pillow?

A perusing of Pinterest, my pins and boards, as well as everyone else's, ALWAYS provides inspiration overload.  At any rate, I kept coming back to this pillow.  My style - scrappy, modern, wonky, improv, and best of all, QAYG!  

I haven't tried QAYG, but have wanted to since last October when several of the Scrappy Stash Quilt Along girls did so.

I was just going to wing it - my normal modus operandi - when I happened to check Cori's blog, Let's Eat Grandpa!, the creative one who designed and that pillow.  Lo and behold, she has a tutorial posted.  Ka-ching!  Thank you Cori!

Sea Pillow WiP

Sea Pillow WiP ready to make into a pillow

LOVe to Peggy

I grew up with two sisters, Julie (older by 11.5 months) and Tracy (younger by 11.5 months).  However, I've always known, if "always" is defined at age nine, that I had another sister, an older sister, who had been placed for adoption at birth.

The Hayes Girls 1968 or 1969.  Tracy, Cindy, Julie.

Not that I was told details at age nine as to why she didn't live with us.  Not that any details about where she was, or who she was, or who adopted her were available in 1972 when my Mom told me about Peggy, my other sister.  Mom told me her name - Peggy Sue - but that was all she knew.  Or maybe that was all she figured I needed to know.  Because I was nine.

Sometime in my adult life, maybe around 2002 or 2003, Mom & Peggy, connected.  In turn, Peggy & I corresponded, briefly, but as Peggy said, "she wasn't ready for all of us".  It wasn't really until Facebook and several years later that she and I began getting to know each other.

Fast forward to late September/early October 2010.  A weekend wedding in Vegas.  Mom flew from DC; we flew from FL to meet Peggy and her fiance  Richard, my niece Tracy, and Peggy's brother, Doug, and his family.

Peggy & Richard - Vows.

I can't say we did a lot of catching up.  I can't say we even began to fill in gaps.  I can say we learned that family is important, regardless of how, or when it comes about.  Because a family is about love.  

Mom, Peggy, Richard, me, Doug.

My February project from our ECMQG sew day.  The pattern, from KelbySews can be found here.  I knew right away I wanted to make something for Peggy. I brought my blue and brown batik scraps which, from previous Facebook conversations, I already knew she loved.

i

I believe the solid is Kona.  Maybe oatmeal?  I know I had it in my stash for another project that is still a WIP.  The quilting in each letter echoes the pieced shapes, or in the case of the L, the wavy patterned fabric.  Let me tell you how easy that was to do!

Above and below are my favorite organic wavy lines.  I figured they were appropriate for this, and for Peggy, as love is very much like water - it ebbs and flows; it comes in waves; it can be deep or shallow.  But like water, we can't live without it.

Naturally, I pieced the back with a strip of the scraps.  I really like how the quilting lines, especially the blue, show against the solid.  Still need to label it and send it on it's journey.

Love you Peggy.  

Motivated

As I've mentioned previously, I'm really good about starting projects.  Terrible about finishing them.  

Example:  These piles of 2.5" strips.  Halloween fabrics and coordinating others collected over MANY years.  Some from JoAnn's.  Some from Hancock's.  Some from Walmart.  Some good ones from A&E.  

I cut them because I was inspired by this:

Riel's Scrappy Strippy Halloween Quilt was simple.  It was colorful.  It was bright.  It used Halloween fabrics.  It was EARLY October 2011.  Sure, I could do this.  Sure, it would be finished by Halloween.  No problem.

However, my quilting world is never that neat or quick.  Those strips have lingered. 

I keep meaning to get back to them, but something else always catches my attention.

I rifled through them numerous times this past September and October when I was making Trick-or-Eek! bags. 

I pulled some of them out for our guild's, ECMQG, 1 year anniversary scrap swap challenge.  Leslie made me a fantastic table runner!

I pulled from them again two weeks ago when I was creating this little presentation bag for the mini-quilt I entered in a quilt show.

Heck, they were my go to fabrics when I pieced those mini-quilts, Fright Night, for L, and Monste-Madness for Jean.

  
So they're being used.  Just not as I originally thought.

However, I am trying to get back to that original inspiration.  See? (Ok, I need to rotate that picture.)  

  
A little bit each week.  And maybe, just maybe, I'll have a large, bright, scrappy, strippy Halloween quilt this year.

We'll see.