Learning a new trick

Our guild is making an opportunity quilt.  It's a combination of log cabin blocks and applique.  We made block kits and invited our members to help us make the blocks.  Now, several are using needle turn applique to add the birds and a nest.

Although the first attempt left me with lumpy eggs, I had patient help and a sheet of heat resistant mylar to smooth everything around the edges.  I'm happy with how it's turning out now.

My bird's wing still has a needle in it.  There's a little embroidery in progress.  I'll add a little more to the tail and then pass these blocks on to be added to the quilt.

I can't wait to see it altogether.  It's a pretty pattern with the jewel toned batiks.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Wish You Were Here

I joined a mug rug swap with the theme, Wish You Were Here.
 
(A mug rug is a mini quilt, which you can use to hold a coffee cup and a treat.  The size isn't set in stone, but generally it's larger than a coaster and smaller than a place mat.) 

The goal for this swap is to make a mug rug which shows something about where you live.  I got to swap with a quilter in California.  She made this reversible mug rug for me.

I hope to walk along that sidewalk with the stars one day.

A stroll along that bridge as the sun sets ... can't you just smell the ocean breeze and hear the birds?

Isn't it cute?

I decided to hang it in my studio, rather than drip coffee spills on it.

So I needed to come up with something which represents my area.  Rockets, cotton fields, camelia (our state flower), dogwood trees (we had a 100 yr old one at our botanical garden, which was stunning), and our mountains on the east side of town.

I'll refrain from a history lesson, but the Space & Rocket Museum here will give you a large dose of history if you're so inclined.   We pass cotton fields ... on the way to school, to work, to WalMart.  It's a part of our history and our current culture.  I love it when the cotton is harvested and brought to the gin.  Little fluffs which look like snow little the sides of the roads.

I made 2 of these - one to swap and one to keep.  So glad I did!  These photos are of the one I kept.  The lighting washed out the other when I tried to snap a couple of photos before sending it off.

I love our Saturn V Rocket!  It's a landmark my two young drivers use to navigate.

I think the colors look better in this one. 

At a recent retreat, we had a short demonstration using colored pencils on whole cloth quilts.   This was my attempt to try that technique.  I really like the effect, but wish the colors were more vibrant.  The book recommends using a double layer of batting and quilting first.  Then coloring the design with the pencils.  It's like drawing on a cloud.  Too much fluff and not enough support to really make those colors visible.  The reason for the double batting is to make sure the pencils didn't show on the back side of the quilt.   I sealed it with a fabric medium once the design was complete.

Back side of quilt - no colored pencils showed through

I used my domestic sewing machine to quilt these two, since it was so small.  Most of the time was spent swapping out thread colors.

This was a fun technique to try.  So glad I saw the demo and purchased the book by Irena Bluhm, Quilts of a Different Color.

 Enjoy your day ... for this is a day that the LORD has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad.
- SeeingStars

For A PreSchool Class

A friend learned of the Sharpie and alcohol technique and told her son.  He ran with the idea and had a class of preschoolers draw their masterpieces.  After spraying them with alcohol to bleed the colors, my friend joined them together with sashing.  Then I had the privilege of quilting these masterpieces.

To make sure I didn't turn a dinosaur into a flower, I stuck with abstract free motion quilting.  Most of the time, I just followed the colored shapes.  Since this class learned basic shapes, I used the sashing to show off circles, triangles, rectangles and squares.  It was a fun design to do.


My friend made a beautiful backing too.  Her son plans to present the quilt to the teacher during the end-of-the-year party.  I think the children will be thrilled to see their artwork in this quilt.

Enjoy your day!  These happy colors and fun designs made mine even better.
- SeeingStars

My Seeing Stars Dreamcatcher

At our retreat last week, the team at Magnolia Park Retreat surprised each of us with our own dreamcatchers.  They remembered silly things from two years ago to make some of them.  We all enjoyed full belly laughs as each was unveiled.

A special thank you goes to Sam, who was inspired by my online name to make mine.  It's hanging in my studio and fits very nicely between two window frames.  Now I'll be seeing stars as I sew.

Magnolia Park is near Birmingham, Alabama.  If you're interested in a sewing or crafty retreat place, you'll enjoy their hospitality, great food and fun, and a comfortable setting.  Their large work area accommodates about 24 tables and several cutting and pressing stations too.  They also have a smaller work area to hold a few more if needed.  You can find them here at their website.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Happy Dance! This Top is Finally Finished.

I'm so happy to share this one with you since I needed advice from some of y'all to help me get this one together.  The double frames with the dark brown and the stripe made everything much better.

If there is a next time with this pattern, I'll pick my fabrics more carefully to use a high contrast light or dark for the frames.

Anyway, it's been a pretty day for sewing and cleaning house.  An audiobook kept me engaged and distracted me from the live news broadcasts. 

Since the afternoon allows, I think I'll return to the dragon on the quilting frame.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Mad About Plaid

Car Quilt

To prepare for our guild's Show N Tell last night, I worked on the final part of hand sewing the binding yesterday afternoon.  I had a little extra unscheduled time since school's closed early with the threat of stormy weather.  I gave myself permission to leave work early as well and supervised as my teens did several loads of laundry to prepare for a retreat this weekend.

Then, we had to cancel the guild meeting (the mayor closed City Hall, which is our guild's meeting place), so I had the gift of even more unscheduled time.  I could get used to this!  Taxes are now ready to be mailed and I was able to vacuum the studio.

I love that thrill of crossing a finish line!  It's nice to know this little quilt is ready to be used.  It was made from 6 or 7 thrift store men's shirts.  There's a previous post here.
And also here (with a link to the pattern)

So my plan is for this one to ride in the car and be ready for action.  An impromptu picnic, a cool evening, whatever ....  

Although I don't consider myself to be a big fan of plaid, I really like this pattern and all the fabrics in it.   I think I might start being mad about plaid!

No tool shed photos today.  Hoping to paint some trim and have it ready to attach tomorrow.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Dragon's Wings

I'm slowly working on the Project Linus top to transform it into a young boy fighting a dragon.  The top was donated and I thought it would make a great canvas.

One of my teens sketched out the scene on paper and I transferred it to the fabric using chalk....  which promptly erased into a cloud of mess.  So the blue/purple fabrics are not conducive to using the blue erasable pen. 

I'll post what ends up working.  For now, I'm re-chalking as I go.

Since my husband likes to share our tool shed progress with friends at work, I'm including yesterday's photos.  I stayed home to get an estimate on replacing our fence and spent the entire day coating the shed with green paint.

Western face

Please 'cuse the mess.  We have some cleanup work to do.

 

Front face

South and East faces

Here's Mr. SeeingStars posing to take the credit for my labor.  He's about to start the second coat while I go inside and figure out what is causing a horrible odor in our fridge.   Isn't he adorable?  I love his pose here.

By the way, we've discovered an amazing weight loss tool....  When there's a horrible odor in the fridge, no one wants to snack.  They even weigh the pros and cons of just going hungry, rather than opening the door.  After throwing out all our frozen shrimp, I found the culprit to be a container of mushrooms which had gone over to the Dark Side of the Force.

Between working on the shed and trying to keep up with my younger teen (aka The 5'10" Long Legged Gazelle) as we train for a 5K run in May, I've had no problems sleeping lately.  My bedtime has moved up a few hours and I literally fall asleep.  A few nights ago, I tried to put my head down at the dinner table.  Reminded me of days past when our toddlers fell asleep in the middle of their dinner.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars