Nancy gets a new look.

So, I made another Nancy Drew quilt.  Imagine that!  This is number 3, but quite different than the other two.

The Nancy and magnifying glass squares are from the Moda charm pack; I haven't used the red and black ones in my other quilts because they just didn't go with the blue & yellow color scheme.  But obviously I couldn't let those little charms go to waste.  Here's a closer look at a block:

Every quilt presents its own challenge; in this case, it was trying to line up the sashing.

I managed to get it done though and I am proud of this one.  The back looks like this:

I was going to do the back totally in the funky floral print but--I was a little bit short.  What can I say, my system of measuring (guesstimating) doesn't always quite work out.  But I kind of like to do something a little quirky with the back of my quilts anyway, so I'm totally okay with this.  The finished quilt measures 46.5 inches wide by 51 inches long; big enough for a lap quilt or throw, but small enough to hang on a wall for display.  I tried a new batting this time, a bamboo & organic cotton blend.  Super-duper soft!  And it was the kind that isn't supposed to require any basting, but as I do not have a very trusting nature, I confess I did baste just a little before I quilted it (with red Aurifil--love that thread!). 

This is my tenth finished quilt.  I'm really glad I got over my fear of sewing machines. 

Around here in the new year.

Around here, the New Year arrived rather harshly with sub-zero temperatures and a sickness that hit our house pretty hard for a few days.  I think we have recovered and hopefully the deep-cleaning I gave our house got rid  of any lingering sick germs.

January is a time to relax a bit and enjoy trying out some new ideas without the deadline of any craft shows--although I confess I do feel just a little bit lost without any shows on my schedule at present. Here are a few things I've been working on lately:

I couldn't resist buying this sewing-theme fabric.  Bought it without a clear plan of just how I'd use it, knowing that eventually inspiration would strike.  Love how it looks as a background for this collage piece.  Fabric isn't just for quilting!  I found a whole bunch of those yellow letter tiles while digging through piles of books and other random junk a few weeks ago....I'd totally forgotten about them!  That happens a lot, actually.  Because I do have rather a lot of stuff in my studio. 

Most of the vintage patterns in my stash are from the 60s & 70s; those seem to be the most abundant.  However, a year or so ago I did find several from the 30s & 40s.  I think they are absolutely beautiful and a piece of art just on their own.  I used most of them for journal covers, but this one was pretty tattered so I held on to it.  I used it in this collage protected by a clear transparency (I just happen to have a box of overhead projector sheets) to protect it.  You can't really tell in this photo, but the burlap that serves as the background in this collage has images of vintage sewing machines and notions printed on it, and is pretty darn awesome. 

And, last but not least: I had to make another Nancy Drew quilt.  Just had to.  It's not finished yet, but the top is complete.  And I might just have enough Nancy fabric to make another one.  For Christmas, I bought myself some fabric.  I scoured the internet for Nancy Drew charm packs and more of this:

 

The typewriter fabric is from Melody Miller's Ruby Star collection from 2012 and is getting a little harder to locate.  This photo above is a wall quilt I made in the fall and sold last month at What a Load of Craft! in Iowa City.  I was happy to part with it because I know the gal who bought it truly loved it as I do--she told me she is a writer, and loves typewriters, and in fact, she actually had a typewriter in the trunk of her car that very day!  But I knew that when this quilt was gone, I would miss it and so when I got home that evening I got online and ordered more of this fabric.  And then maybe just a little more a couple days later.  Because obviously, one can never be too rich or too thin or have too much fabric.  I have a good idea of what I will do with my precious stash of typewriter fabric, and will. 

Lots of making to look forward to in 2014.  I'm looking forward to trying new things, learning new skills, and playing with new materials. 

And also to cleaning up my very messy studio and finding more stuff that I've forgotten about! 

Happy New Year!

My Nancy found a home.

Back in June, I posted about my Nancy Drew quilt:

I loved making this quilt and I was really happy with how it turned out.  Definitely not total perfection, but for someone who does NOT have knack for sewing and is new to quilting, I was proud of it.  I made it the quilt for fun and thought I would use it as part of my table display at shows.  This past Saturday at the Des Moines Farmers' Market, I had several customers interested in buying it, and so "my" Nancy has found a home.  But not just any home; she is going to be displayed in a middle-school classroom in Cedar Falls.  I really couldn't be happier about that.  The nice lady who bought the quilt is a reading teacher and she is going to hang the quilt behind her desk.  She thinks it will be a great way to get students interested in reading Nancy Drew and more. 

This is the best part of making stuff.  This  is why I love what I do.  Books and reading have always been so important to me, ever since I can remember.  The idea of my quilt in a classroom, introducing kids to Nancy Drew,  makes me happy.  When this sweet teacher decided to buy it, she said she was getting it because it made her happy.  So, everybody's happy!  What could be better? 

A Whole New Nancy!

I've been playing with fabric a lot these days.  Especially Nancy Drew fabric, once I discovered there was such a thing.  You can imagine my excitement. 

A couple of months ago I decided I was going to teach myself to quilt.  The problem with this is that quilting is, of course, in essence, sewing--which has never been a talent of mine.  But I was determined.  I love quilts.  Love them.  And for a very long time, I have wanted to make them. 

I started small, with a little table-topper about the size of a large placemat.  I sewed the whole thing by hand.  It turned out pretty good, as long as you just look at the front.  Then I started making blocks for a nine-patch.  Really BIG nine patch blocks.  I quickly realized that piecing them by hand would take me the rest of my life.  I am not that patient.  Luckily, I bought an adorable used sewing machine from a friend.  A pale blue Kenmore Mini Ultra.  Which is surely not intended for sewing big quilts, but I've been using it for just that purpose.  The Nancy quilt was fairly easy to quilt, since it is a much more manageable size(31 inches wide by 39 inches long). 

I suspected that fabric was probably just as addictive, if not more so, than paper, and it turns out I was right about this.  I admit that I get overwhelmed by all the choices available.  The Nancy quilt was easier to design because I used the charm pack (by Moda Fabrics) to design it so it saved me lots of time and effort as far as rotary cutting.  It was rather like putting a puzzle together.  I would also like to mention that I bought my Nancy fabric from Fat Quarter Shop and was totally impressed with the quick shipping: I ordered it on a Tuesday afternoon and it arrived in my mailbox Thursday morning.  I will definitely order from them again!  You can check out their sweet selection of fabric at: www.FatQuarterShop.com. 

I have some Nancy fabric left over and I'm already having fun playing with those leftovers.  If my experiments turn out as I hope, I'll share.  If not, I'll just order more fabric! 

The Nancy quilt will get put to use as part of my show display, so if you're a craft-show shopper in Des Moines, you can come visit Nancy and I in person, if you like.  We'd love to see you.