Le Challenge SPACE for Art Pens!

This month's Space challenge lured me to use some lovely Handmaids fabric from Quilting Treasures, to make storage bags and organize my art pens!

I used a heavyweight wool fabric to line the pencil roll that now holds my set of 24 Lyra watercolors.

The pouch holds all my fabric pens.

The pens are made by Evanscraft for Cross Stitch purposes, they work as well on fabric as Pigma Microns. I really treasure them because, unfortunately, they are no longer available.

I covered some foam-core board to stabilize the bottom.

The top fabric is almost like a burlap, perhaps a linen though I am unsure. Found the perfect little charm at Michael's!

Thank you so much Lucy, and Nat, for this month's Le Challenge theme, 'Space', that has prompted me to organize a bit!

I am also linking these up with Bag It! at Elm Street Quilts - today is the last day of this fun challenge!

Le Challenge: Method. Using Orphan Blocks & Vintage Fabrics

Finding and using vintage fabrics is a bit of an art, and definitely a hobby of mine. When I began quilting, "The Quilting Police" were in their prime and I still hear their voices whispering in my head, "that fabric is sub-par,
it will not last 100 years,
it might bleed,
it might fade.... "

 There is some truth to this, and I look forward to sharing soon the biggest bleeding nightmare I have ever encountered. But not today as it is still a secret, and it's outcome is not yet known. However, the culprit in this case is a NEW, quilt-shop fabric.
Lately, I have been using some of my favorite vintage pieces and these things have been on my mind. You may have seen projects recently with some of these beauties:

Over the years there have been many times I've pulled lighter weight fabrics from my stash, yet there are many I just wont part with. Bottom line, I love them. I also love building my stash, as well as the thrill of the score! When I go fabric hunting at garage sales, estate sales and thrift shops, I seek them out. The rebel in me does not diminish and I continue to find vintage fabrics for my stash, and I find creative ways to use them.

Le Challenge for November is METHOD and I chose to finish up an orphan block that I found at a garage sale. There were six in the bundle, all signed and dated by different quilter's. They were made in the 80's for some sort of swap. Interestingly, most of them were appliqued on a poly/cotton blend background.
Unfortunately, purple is the hardest for me to photograph, especially on a stormy afternoon such as today. This is the best photo I came up with, taken indoors:

I Googled the maker and found that she passed away one year ago. Turns out Ruth was a Past President for her quilt guild. I did find a daughter and plan to mail this out to her once I finish hand-stitching the binding.

I used this method to make the Broken Dishes border:

This is the third orphan block that I have made into a mini, all with the same border.
One for myself:

I was able to find an address for the maker of this one:

She gave me a call after receiving the surprise in her mailbox and we spoke for more than an hour:)
Can you imagine opening this more than 30 years after you made a block and mailed it away for a swap? She was delighted:)

One thing I have learned about using vintage fabrics is that you really never know what you may end up using in the future. It is so nice to shop your own stash successfully when working on a project!

A few tips methods I use for stashing vintage:

1. Keep what you like if you have the space!
2. Avoid storing fabric in plastic bins if you can avoid it; they will acquire a peculiar odor.
3. If you can do this without offending anyone, smell the fabric before purchasing.
4. Wash pre-owned fabric before adding it to your own stash. Sometimes I air it outside for a few hours first. Then pre-soak in water with 1c. vinegar sprinkled with quite a bit of baking soda. Finally, wash with extra-gentle cycle and mild detergent. Dry and lightly press. Any odor remaining will be detected during the pressing, and I donate these to the thrift store.
5. I stick with 100% cotton for quilting. I can usually tell by the feel, however, if it generates static when removing from the dryer it is likely a poly blend. If you are really uncertain, a burn test can also be done. Take a lighter to a small snippet: Cotton will leave an ashy edge and synthetic leaves more of a melted edge, a bit like plastic.
6. I store lighter weight fabrics separate from premiums since I tend to use them together. I have been known to mix various weight fabrics with some quilts, but generally I use them together in scrappier quilts, smaller projects, linings, etc..

How bout these calico's, look familiar?

Cha-Ching!

Inspired by the Le Challenge October theme, "GOLD", lightbulbs went off as I was changing out my shower curtain this week!
It has fun casino chips, and this one caught my eye:

On a time-crunch, but I just met the deadline with this fun tote!

A quick online search located a produce bag tutorial HERE.
My bag is just a bit bigger, and I used binding to finish the edges and the top.
Next time, I will put the seams on the outside, but they do look cute in there!

Well, my chips are in!

The theme for next month's challenge is "METHOD"

Le Challenge - Wilderness!

One of my favorite monthly linkups is Le Challenge - I find it so inspirational and do my best to come up with projects that challenge my own abilities!
Somehow, last month I forgot that we were given two months to complete the theme assigned in July! Soo, in August I rushed to complete a zipper pouch with one of my favorite stash-fabrics. I thought this fabric suited the Wilderness theme :-)

I used the pouch as a giveaway gift for followers, to celebrate my 200th post in August!
You can read about the make, and the tutorial I used HERE.

This month, I am without a sewing machine for SIX weeks, while in Alaska, so I brought a little slow-stitching project along that seemed perfect for the Wilderness Challenge. I finished it up last night, but I still am not real sure what I will do with the little stitchery once I return home.

"CATTAILS"

This is from a kit I have had for years now, designed by Betty Miles for Sunset. The yarns are wool. Only once have I done this kind of thing before, many moons ago...

Visit Le Challenge to view pics and read all the other interpretations of this month's fun theme, "Wilderness"
Thank you Lucy & Nat!

Today is Day Fourteen of the Jaftex 85th Anniversary Blog Hop and Giveway! Today's stop is with Melissa at Sew Bittersweet Designs, and tomorrow, September 15th is at Kati Cupcake! View the entire lineup, enter my FQ bundle giveaway, and enter to win the Grand Prizes at this link HERE!

Back to that Wilderness theme:
Here is a cell-phone shot I took yesterday after hiking a trail from The Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge.
The Aspens were absolutely stunning..

Directionally Challenged, haha!

Le Challenge charged us this month with the theme "Direction".

I thought immediately of my lack of.

Sooo, rather than starting a whole new project, I chose a fairly old UFO to conquer...

Red & White Hourglass Blocks

To play fairly, I designed a border with great, big, directional, arrows!

Here, the arrow is presenting itself to you!

 

Elephant March, 40" Square

Each month, I try to further challenge myself by trying out a new technique. The idea is to steer me toward some art quilting, but this month I chose to tie the quilt as my new technique. I wanted a fluffy finish yet I am unsure how dense the quilting should be with the alternative down batting I used. This is an ingeo-fiber, made with plants and vegetation. It is a very lightweight batting and lifts nicely in the wind...

I used size 5 Perle Cotton, tied with a square knot, with a little extra strand tucked in each knot so it looks like four strands.

The backing is a very pale gray with subtle little safari animals.

Have I mentioned how much I love Le Challenge? Of course, it helps that I won the $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop last month! I have not used it yet, been watching their daily deals in hopes of finding something fun I can share with followers for a wee giveaway!

Thank you, Le Challenge, for helping me "Take Direction" this month! This quilt also fulfills my July goal with A Lovely Year of Finishes, and my first Q3 Finish Along goal as well - both buttons found on my sidebar!

Le Challenge - SINGLE! Learning to Threadpaint

Oh my gosh, I almost forgot the SINGLE Challenge!
I was aware that LeChallenge was set to coincide with the Cozy Afternoon Blog Hop this month, I tackled my project almost immediately after the theme was announced last month!

One Single Ornament!

I have been trying to make time to learn some art quilting skills this past year, and my own personal goal for Le Challenge has been to incorporate that goal. With this challenge, SINGLE, I tried thread painting! And since this year is turning into what feels like a big Christmas-fest, I started with simple sketches of ornaments, then played with a few fabric markers to put the backgrounds on muslin.

What I really gained with this project is a new appreciation for thread-painting! It takes a long time! And perhaps more practice ;-)

This is my favorite of the three, and the only one I took the time to complete. I used several thread types, sulky, poly, and the metallic.

It think this is my 5th or 6th Christmas finish this year! And I am doing Cozy Afternoon with a Christmas theme as well!

Le Challenge de Tradition

The theme for March Le Challenge is TRADITION.

Patchwork and quilting are steeped with it, making the challenge pretty open-ended!

I began with a chunk of Las Golondrinas (Alexander Henry) as my theme-fabric. It is filled with lovely Mexican tradition, and named for the Swallows.

 All the patchwork fabrics were selected from the theme fabric.

 I couldn't quite cut into the it though, and it ended up on the back!

 

Here is the finish - I love all the pretty bits!

Quite traditional, those HSTs. The pattern is designed by Kimberly Jolly, the Aurifil Designer of the Month. I linked this up for their monthly thread giveaway (at Flickr). No dice, but perhaps one of these month's my name will be drawn!

I decided to break tradition a bit with some unconventional free-motion quilting.
Every mini is an opportunity for growth!

I experimented with some FMQ, Angela Walters style.

This was my first time using wool batting, Quilter's Dream. (machine washable!). I wanted to play with it before going with a full size quilt.

It feels like a poly, and interestingly, when I read the fine print, it actually has some poly in it. It quilted well and has great texture for enhancing quilting.

I like this style of quilting a lot, and I improved as I went along (wish I hadn't started in the center!), but I still prefer less density - parallel lines versus all the points. Especially on the back, it just seems a bit dense to be cuddly.  

The binding is machine-stitched, and I tried invisible thread in the bobbin to hide the stitching on the front.
Hardly noticeably, and it stitched without incident!

 

Thank you for visiting!

Finish #1 Q2 FAL!

Check out Le Challenge!

The April Challenge is 'WOOD' !

Le Challenge - Passion!

I joined a local group this month, called ART QUILTS, Etc...

It seems a lovely and diverse group - I joined to feed my passion for ART - to kick-start and inspire myself. The nametag is my way of commitment to joining, and creating art.

Because even though I am immersed in patchwork quilts, I still want to be a Fiber Artist when I grow up..

I have been wearing this proudly around town, in anticipation of the next meeting.

Now that's passion ;)

 

Linking up with all the other peeps proudly sharing their Passionate Projects at Le Challenge!

The new Challenge theme will be announced tomorrow!

Heart Shaped Applique Tutorial

Roses are Red'

Violets are Blue,

I tried a technique today yesterday,

I would like to share with you!

Since I first tried this technique (with Ringed Circles), I have wanted to see how well it applies to points. Valentine's Day provided the perfect opportunity, and since the February challenge with Le Challenge is DOTS, this sweet little mugrug is what I came up with!

Initially, I decided to participate with Le Challenge having a personal challenge in mind: to expand my horizons in the world of art quilting. For some reason or another, I have found the themes to be tough to apply in this way, perhaps too general actually.
The topic of  'stealing' art and techniques has been on my mind since reading recent posts on a blog I really enjoy, Creations... Quilts, Art... Whatever. I was reminded of this quote after reading Nina Marie's post about 'borrowing' techniques. (last week's Off The Wall)

‘The difference between a good artist and a bad one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal, the good one really does.’ ---- William Blake

So, although I have not met my personal goal by letting lose with some art quilting this month, I did learn a new technique for curves/circles/points that I can apply to art quilting in my future! I took a lot of pictures along the way and hope you find them easy to follow.

I am happy to say Ty & I enjoyed a SWEET Valentine's Day - hope you did too!