I'm sitting here thinking about 

Starch

 

I admit that ... I don't get it.  I can't understand nor imagine why anyone would want to gunk up their fabric with starch. Unless maybe you don't have a walking foot, then I am able to make some sense out of it.

When I was young (prior to permanent press) we starched shirts while ironing and I remember being glad that they weren't my shirts and that I wasn't going to have to wear them. 

Luckily, "To each his own".

I sew 99% of everything I sew with a walking foot.  It's the best $150. I've ever saved and spent and when it gives out, I will buy another.  But I just can't even think about starch.  Yuk.  But am I missing something here?

So, if you starch and you have a walking foot, I'd love for you to explain to me why starch your fabric too?...cause I'd love to be able to say, "oh, I get it now".

Starchless in California

Annie

Pillow #3

My personal Pillow A Month Challenge

Flower Collage

One of my Flickr contacts, Krista Withers, lolablueocean, does a lot of free piecing and improv stitching.  She created wonderful flowers that I immediately fell in love with.  You can see her flowers and improv here .

I just had to make some for myself.  I can't even imagine free piecing them, so I drew up a paper piecing pattern for mine.

I ran a test as a postcard before starting in on the pillow top.

I've mentioned before that my process of a creation is starting with an idea and from there, making it up as I go along. Very seldom do I start out with an entire plan.

It turned out that the piecing process I used to make the flowers allowed me to create a bit of a different look for each one. That was a fun surprise.  The background for the flowers actually is free pieced and improv as well as some applique.  Doing the background this way was a big challenge for me.  This was my first time playing around with that.  Some of the background fabrics I made myself (you can see how I made the fabrics here)  and others are purchased fabrics.

I quilted with meandering straight line angles (for lack of a better description).  I'm 50/50 on whether it's over quilted or not.  I like it to look quilted but I do not like it when the quilting over powers the fabrics and design.

This pillow front sat for more than a week before I finally decided on the binding and the back.  I'm very stingy with my text fabrics and didn't want to "waste" a big chunk on that back side.  Feeling wild I decided to include the zipper as part of the design.

Me and my seam ripper became more than just good friends during this pillow creation, but I'm real happy with the way it turned out. 
It's my fave so far!

Thanks Krista for your awesome inspirational improv!

Annie

 

This pillow project is linked to Fabric Fascination's 12-Months Linking Party Check out all the fab creations!



Pillow #2

My personal Pillow A Month challenge

Reds on Checks
for February

My inspiration for this pillow came from my own wall quilt,

All In A Row.

I like the effect created within the checked area and wondered how it would look with the check as the entire background surface. 

While it doesn't have the same effect, I am happy with the result.  More strips may have taken me closer to what I envisioned,  but I like what happened with this design too.

I always make things a bit larger than the size I want it to finish at, so the extra went on the back...which turned into a happy surprise.

I'm enjoying the back as much as I'm enjoying the front. 

So far I'm enjoying this pillow challenge.  Pillow #3 is already underway and is my fave so far.  I'm actually beginning to wonder if I'll end up with more than 12 or if it will all come to a dead end all of a sudden.  I can be rather unpredictable.  Well, time will tell.  Until then, pillow love!

Annie

There's this

Wonky House Block Swap

going on over at

Jane's blog

I'm sure I've mentioned in the past that I struggle with mass production, which means anything over the count of one.  As well, my to-do list is ever lengthening and this year I want to work at chipping away at all the inspiring ideas listed on it.  However, two very sweet ladies connivingly rooked me into a private block swap with them for wonky houses.  They just would not take NO! for an answer.  So I caved.  And now that I had yet another commitment hanging over my head, I decided to try tackling the first block.  For which the result is this...

I very quickly learned that I cannot WONK!  I'm a Mrs. Monk...everything has to be straight and even and balanced.  Wonky does not fit in any one of those categories.  But I think I'm doing ok in the wacky department.  Which really doesn't have much to do with a wonky house.  They are very nice ladies and they say it's ok if I do wacky rather than wonky.  I tried to wonk, I really did, but it was just killing me!

Well, there's my "one" wonky wacky house block.  But now I need another one!  Not happy now.  Don't have another idea.  Don't want to make another wonky wacky house block.  Yet I said I would...why did I let them get to me like that?!

Finally another idea came to mind.  For which the result is this...

I forced myself to wonk but I really want to straighten that bird house!  It looks like I wonked the dotted background but it is actually cut on the straight of grain.  There really isn't even much "wacky" in this block, except the house is for birds rather than people. 

At this point I thought I was done with these not-so-wonky yet wacky house blocks when I decided to try one more.  I can't believe I put myself through that...no one to blame but me!

One more resulted in this...

I think those sunflowers are so fun, I wanted to play with them again.  This tea cup just would not accept a door and window design, so I went looking for someone to live inside it.  That beauty queen moved right in.  Now I'm done.  No more wacky house blocks!

I usually work with applique by applying Wonder Under to the back of the applique pieces.  Wonder Under light weight isn't really stiff, but since these blocks might end up in someones quilt, I wanted them to be just fabric pieces.  This is the first time I've ever done applique without fusing the pieces to the background.  Except for the two birds and the beauty queen in the doorway.  It went along well enough, but it's such a breeze with a fusible.  To  keep the bird pieces as soft as possible, I only applied Wonder Under to the edges to assist me with cutting them out as well as stitching them down.

Whew!  I survived yet another commitment.  Well, almost.  The quilt blocks weren't enough for Jane.  She wants signature blocks to go with!  So you can imagine the tizzy I'm in by now!  (I hear my pillow challenge calling me!...and what was I thinking when I committed to that?!)  For the signature blocks, the result are these...

I tried to make them a little wacky too.  Not much for success there.

This commitment is all fulfilled now and I am back to my to-do list and that makes me a happy sort again. **big smiles**

I hope my two conniving cyber friends are happy with their blocks because I just would not have put myself through all that for just any ole body.

You can check out all the wonky house blocks being made in this

flickr group

Have a wonky good day all,

Wacky Annie

I'm making my own fabric.

I love text fabric, especially if it's collaged, but it seems I can't really find what I'd like or it doesn't say what I would like it to or it doesn't look the way I would like it to.  I don't know why that is.  I see works of others with text and love what I see ... no matter what the words say.  But when I try to choose it for myself, I get hung up on what the words say.

So I'm trying out making my own text fabrics.  I'm using Miracle Fabric Sheets.

and scrapbook paper.

I found this 5X7 packet of paper, cut up the more interesting sections of the sheets...

...taped them together as a collage then copied them to the Miracle Fabric Sheets.

My printer copies a tad lighter than the original...next time I'll set it a notch darker for the copy. 

I know I should be able to do this with cotton fabric and freezer paper, but I just cannot get my ink to set well with that method.  It still runs/smeers in places when the fabric gets wet.  It isn't worth the trouble for me to worry about whether that will happen or not, so I'm sticking with the pro stuff.  I get much better color results with this method as well.   

Then I started chopping it up and stitching it up.  I'll show the results in a near future post...it's not quite ready yet.

Happy stitching!
Annie

Pillow #1

My personal Pillow A Month Challenge

Snowflakes
for January

My inspiration for my first pillow came from Marci Girl Designs and her Snowflakes.  I thought these snowflakes were so cute and I wanted to give them a try.  So I drew up a paper piecing pattern and began sewing.

I wanted the snowflakes to be white on blue backgrounds.

I pull the papers off while watching TV. 

I have a wonderfully fun shiny yellow metal trash can for my sewing and the shiny reflected onto the paper from the camera flash.  Makes the photo look strange...like I had chocolate all over my fingers!  Well I probably was eating chocolate, but I would never waste any like that!

Then I stitched them all together with a tiny flake and a cardinal.  I think maybe I would like this pillow better if I had made the background all the same color so that the flakes would look more like they are floating.  But, I got to spend a little time playing with the snowflakes, which is the purpose of this challenge, so I'll keep it around a while then probably give it away.

The back has a single snowflake and a zipper closure.

It's been so long since I've made a pillow that I'd forgotten I don't need a zipper the same size as the pillow.  Since that zipper pull wants to flop around at the edge there, I think I need to find a snowflake charm to attach to it.

If you already made a pillow too, I'd love to see it.  Please include your web address for your photo so that I can have a peek and I'll also include it in this post so others can enjoy it as well.

One down, eleven to go.  On to the next pillow...

Annie

Another New Beginning

Another chance to begin anew.

I don't have a need for resolutions this new year, so I thought about some other way to challenge myself.  There it is...that word...challenge.

I am challenge challenged.  Every time I challenge myself to a long term or ongoing project, I fail.  So I've given this some thought deciding it must be something that I know I can accomplish if I really want to.  My problem is that I hate having to sew something that I don't particularly want to sew at any given time.  So I've tried to think of a project that I want to sew and should be able to accomplish without the feeling of the dread of a time frame and deadline.

This brought to mind all the techniques and works of others that I've collected in my favorites in my flickr account.  There are so many that I want to try or just copy (for shame).  Then I thought I could use some decorative accent pillows around the place.  So this is my challenge for myself for this new year.

A Pillow a Month Challenge
 12 pillow covers by the end of 2012.  This is a way for me to play with some of those favorites ideas, without having to make a large quilt or just another wall hanging.  Now that I've made this decision, I know that it has to be reasonable for me to accomplish.  So, I'm not limiting myself to exactly one pillow per month.  Just that I will make enough pillows as there are months in the year. 

I'm very fearful that this challenge too will be unsuccessful at some point, but I'll begin with a very positive attitude that this will be done!  As with all new projects, it's an excited attitude to begin with.  Pillow #1 is now underway!  I thought 18" would be a good size.  I'm not so sure now, but this first one will be that size.  I think I'll probably work with a variety of sizes. 

I'll be back soon with a finished pillow to share my enthusiastic effort to begin anew!  If you like the idea and would be interested in joining me in this challenge, let me know and I'll figure out how to link your pillows with my pillow posts.  I'm sure if I had "partners-in-crime" for this challenge I'd have a much better chance at success

I'm off to ring in the new year with my sewing machine...because you forgot to invite me to your wild New Year's Eve party!
Happy New Year!
Annie

Happy New Year!

Cheers!

I wish you all a happy, healthy, prosperous 2012.

Have fun ringing in the new year, but be safe!

Cheers!

 Annie

Merry Christmas

Please help yourself to a Kiss

F

A mug rug I made last year.  I thought I'd use it now to offer you, my fabulous followers, a little chocolate treat and to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  Thank you all for sharing and making this past year a real treat for me!

I think I hear some of you saying "I want to see the rest of that mug rug" cause that's what you'd hear me saying if this was your post.  So, here it is.

From Nancy Halverson's book titled 'I Believe'

Merry Christmas!

Annie

Office Supplies Tote

Part of the Christmas gift request is for this:

Now, I love office supplies, so that was pretty fun to shop for.  But the funner part of the gift request was for a tote to carry them all in.  And this is what I came up with for that portion of the gift:

The request was for colorful and not too big.

It measures approx. 8"high, 9-1/2"wide, 4"deep.  (I hope that isn't too big)

I think this clear vinyl zippered pocket will be a fun surprise.

Everything fits!

This was the most unexpected gift wish I would ever have expected.

I did not use a pattern.  I just made the bag up as I went along. 

A lot of experimental guesswork was involved with it's creation.

I sure did have a fun time with it though.

There was a time I would never have considered making something like this without a pattern.  I guess I'm getting brave in my old age or maybe it's just blind wreckless crazy...yeah, probably the later.

Go crazy!  It's fun!

Annie

Linked to Handmade Christmas Linky Party with Melissa at The Polkadot Chair Blog.  There's a lot of inspiration in that linking party...go check it out!