Custom Project, March 2012

Back in March I was working on another commissioned project, a custom heart ornament. It was to be a surprise for the recipients in May, so I didn't post anything ahead of time lest someone found out about it too early. Then things got in the way (actually spring got in the way, to be exact) and I'm just now posting pictures for this one. I won't say much about it other than the symbols have a distinct meaning for the recipients. This is a keepsake, a memento, something that the giver hopes will inspire the recipients for the rest of their lives.



This is the first time that I've dyed wool a certain color rather than rummage through my stock in the hopes that I might have the exact shade of "lemon yellow" requested by a customer. I used Rit dye and it was very, very easy to dye all the pieces I needed in a stock pot on the top of the stove.

Too easy, in fact, and now I find myself looking at other pieces of wool and wondering what it might look like after a bath in cactus green, bamboo, or tangerine tango. Hmmm.....

Patty's Pillow

Remember that sneak peek I gave you last week of a work in progress? The one I wanted to finish the following day?

Ha. That was clearly an optimistic deadline for this particular project, which was meant for a friend who is getting married next month. This weekend we hosted a brunch in her honor. Three 4 year olds, a one year old, a second grader, and seven adults. It was chaos, but in a good way. My only regret is that I wasn't able to finish my gift for the bride-to-be before everyone arrived. No matter, in the end I completed it Saturday afternoon and wrapped it up to take to the bachelorette party that night. And then I promptly forgot it and left it on the coffee table at our house. Sigh.



But I was really thrilled to receive the wedding invitation in the mail last Friday. The couple chose a lovely combination of colors that included plum, purple, and pistachio. Much like the colors I picked out for the bride's pillow before I even knew what her color scheme might be. Booyah!

Anyhoo, I'll just take it with us to her wedding.

Shop Update, March 8, 2012

I made some felted heart ornaments from the Fair Isle patterned wool leftover from my patchwork rug.



These would make beautiful decorations for a nursery!

Lately it seems like I've been doing everything other than quilting. After my venture into free motion machine quilting went awry in February, I've been focused on reorganizing my sewing area and supplies. The quilt lab is now in prepped and ready to go, so just maybe I can finish that last quilt and finally start a new one.

Work in Progress, March 7, 2012

A sneak peek at something I'm working on and hope to finish by tomorrow.

Modern Linen Charm, Spring Chickens, and Stars, Oh My!

Finally we had a nice day outside to finish taking photos of my Modern Linen Charm quilt.


This is truly an eco-friendly quilt! The top of the quilt is made from upcycled linen and linen-blend clothes. The backing is an upcycled organic cotton sheet and the batting is an upcycled flannel cotton sheet. I used a linen/linen-blend material purchased at a garage sale for the binding.





The top of the quilt features 6” squares of solids colors and floral prints. The prints are either a neutral tone on black or black on a khaki background. The solid colors include a range of natural browns, sage green, mushroom, black, rusty red, and a brighter red. Some of the blocks were cut to include seams from the original piece of clothing for added interest. Some of the solid squares have been appliquéd with smaller squares of neutral tan and black. These are raw edged appliqués, left to fray naturally for texture. The binding is also a natural tan color. The back of the quilt is a darker khaki brown cotton.





The quilt is approximately 48 by 60 inches, a good size to use as a sofa throw, a crib quilt, or for wrapping around yourself while rocking in the porch swing on a fall evening. The flannel batting provides warmth and a “blanket” weight to the quilt, but isn’t so heavy that you won’t reach for it on a summer night.


One of the things I like the most about this quilt is the grid pattern the quilting made at the intersection of the charm blocks.














And in other news...the spring chickens have come home to roost!





These ornaments are made from felted wool sweaters, scrap trim repurposed from clothes, and black glass bead eyes. They're firmly stuffed with felted wool scraps. Each one is approximately 5 inches long and about 3 inches tall.








As almost always with my felt crafts, no two are exactly alike.





Also new, I've begun making patriotic star ornaments for the Fourth of July.





They're made of cotton and cotton-blend fabric stuffed with elted wool scraps. One side is navy blue with stars and the other side is a white with red ticking stripes. I've sewn a pearly white button in the center of the blue side and made a hanger from a shimmery gold organdy ribbon. Each star measures approximately 5 inches wide by 5 inches tall.


PS-See that gadget window in the upper right corner? The empty white rectangle that's titled "New River Quilt Works on Etsy"? Check back on Friday afternoon, when my Etsy shop officially opens, to see more of my work!