Getting Closer to Turning Paper into Fabric

A few years ago, I read a Spoonflower guest blog post by Emma that discussed how to turn handwritten recipes into tea towels.  You can read the blog post here.  At the time, my grandmother was in her 80s, and I thought something like this would be meaningful for her children and grandchildren.  So I borrowed her recipe book. 

 



My mom bought several of these books to support a fundraiser many, many years ago.  She gifted one to me, and mine contains my favorite recipes shared mostly by my mother, but other family members as well.  My grandmother routinely included the name of the person who shared the recipe, and sometimes included the date. 

 



I loved the idea of tea towels, but thought having fabric would be more fun.  I imagined all the things I could make for my mom and her siblings -- aprons, potholders, casserole covers, napkins, tablecloths, etc.  (Yeah, I got a little carried away.)  I decided to try including several recipe pages into one design to make a repeat pattern that would fill this imaginary fabric.  It took a while to scan all the pages, then clean up the images and remove the backgrounds using Photoshop Elements.  I made an arrangement of four recipes that had originated from my grandmother and each of her daughters.  After working on it for many hours, it looked very boring to me, needed color, and definitely did not repeat. 

I tried a few more layouts, then looked for tutorials on creating repeat patterns in Photoshop Elements.  Eventually, I got bored with it and gave up, thinking that one day when I had more time, I would figure it out. 

Between then and now, my grandmother passed away.  It has become even more important to me to preserve her handwriting in a way that can be shared with her children and grandchildren.  In a serendipitous moment, I ran across a link to Bonnie Christine's blog, Going Home to Roost.  You may know that she designs beautiful fabric for Art Gallery Fabrics.  (Links for all of her fabric collections are on her blog sidebar.) Turns out that she also teaches classes at Skillshare on surface pattern design!  She also teaches at Creative Live, is working with Spoonflower on its four-week SpoonChallenge 2015: Creating a Fabric Collection, and hosts the Roost Tribe, an online membership that cultivates creativity and provides tips, recipes, and all sorts of fun stuff.  I will likely purchase the class at Creative Live, but since Skillshare is a membership website with other types of classes, I signed up there first and enrolled in her classes. 

For now, I'm only watching the lessons a little at a time, and will repeat the lessons from the beginning when I'm ready to try creating a repeat pattern.  So far, I'm loving the classes, and learning so much!  Bonnie shares her journey as a surface pattern designer, and it's quite impressive.  She teaches her tricks for navigating Adobe Illustrator, converting sketches and drawing in Illustrator, and creating repeat patterns that can be used for fabric and other products.  And that's just in her first class!  In the second class, she teaches you how to create a collection.  Bonnie is so encouraging, and shares everything that it took her years to learn.  If learning Illustrator or learning how to design repeat patterns (or an entire pattern collection) interests you, you won't be disappointed with these classes.   Stay tuned -- I'll be back to share more as soon as I begin working with my grandmother's recipe book.  Hopefully, the next time you see it, there will be lots of color and much more personality.    

Hope you're all having a fun weekend!

Kim

Hello!

Hi there.  I know, it's been a long time since I was here.  I didn't mean to be away for so long.  I gave thought to abandoning my little blog, and also gave thought to sneaking in a post and pretending that I haven't been so absent.  Rumor has it that not many people read blogs any more.  I hope that isn't true, but honestly, I haven't been reading many blogs myself.  I follow many of you on Instagram, though, and have been able to keep up with you there. 

I'm still working full-time at a law firm.  For a few months, I also worked on a huge quilting project that took almost every spare minute, and I had to give up a lot of things to get it finished.  Things like blogging, reading, housekeeping, lunch hours and, occasionally, shaving my legs. 

A few weeks ago, I was finally able to take a short trip with my mom and aunt to Savannah, Georgia.  Such a beautiful city with so much history.

 

 
My mom and aunt were searching for Gullah sweetgrass baskets that are found in the Savannah/Charleston area.  We went walking along River Street, and found Oji Lukata.  Oji is a gracious man whose family has been sewing sweetgrass baskets for generations.  Here is Oji with my mom who is still so excited about her basket and thrilled to have met Oji.  And below the photo is a short video on the tradition and history of these baskets.

From Savannah, we took a short drive to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to visit Michael Smalls who also makes sweetgrass baskets.  We found Michael sewing a basket while sitting in a shady area on the grounds of the Coastal Discovery Museum.  We didn't have a lot of time to spend at the museum and, since it felt like 140 degrees in the shade, exploring the grounds may not have been a brilliant idea anyway.  I would love to go back to the museum when the weather is cooler.  It's an incredibly beautiful place surrounded by towering live oaks draped in moss.  Here are photos of Michael and my aunt, and the front of the museum. 

I'm slowly getting back to quilting.  Very, very slowly.  Have you ever slowly worked on three projects at once?   My progress is almost invisible without time lapse photography.  But I'm enjoying being able to sew just for fun, and working on some long-term projects.  One of my projects is Lissa Alexander's Rainbow Rows quilt that she made for American Patchwork & Quilting's Go Four It quilt-along.  Tee-tiny little four-patch blocks set on point.  I haven't even bothered to check the number of four-patch blocks I'll need for a whole quilt.  I'm sure it's like eight thousand or something.  I just make a few when the mood strikes, and watch the stack grow.  Slowly. 

That's pretty much everything I've been up to, all in one post.  I'll be working on some fun things to share with you soon.  Until then, take care and have a great summer!

Kim

Text Me a Quilt

At first, I didn't have a plan for using all the text fabrics I've acquired over the last year or so.  I just bought obscene quantities of fabric and watched my stash grow.  Eventually, I "destashed" some of it after the realization that I won't live long enough to use it all.  It took a while to choose a design.  I wanted to use small pieces of text fabrics in the background so that snippets of words, letters and numbers appeared throughout the background randomly.  I also wanted to use color prints for the main fabrics, but wanted to use more text fabrics than color.  Here's what happened.

 

This is only a portion of the quilt top that's finished -- I have a long way to go.  But I've had so much fun working on it that I decided to share the instructions in case you'd like to sew along with me.  If you don't have any text fabrics, you can always use "low-volume" backgrounds instead.  Or a combination of both!   

 

I shared the instructions with a couple of my Instagram friends who are fellow text fabric junkies.  They've been busy making quilts of their own.  I'm hoping Peggy (Stitchin with Peg) will be blogging about her finished finished quilt soon.  You can see it on her Instagram feed, too (paront1222).  It's fabulous!  Peggy made 10" blocks using both text fabrics and low-volume prints. 

Susan (yardgrl60 at Instagram) doesn't have a blog, but will be sharing her project soon on her Instagram feed.  She's making 7 1/2" blocks using text fabrics with subtle color prints.  If you know Susan, you'll recognize her signature style.  I love everything she makes. 

The instructions below are for a 60" square quilt, with options for two different block sizes.  Use 2" strips for the smaller 7 1/2" finished block, and 2 1/2" strips for the larger 10" finished block.  I've used the smaller block in my quilt, but the 10" block is easier to make, and you won't need as many blocks.  The instructions provide for a certain number of 2" or 2 1/2" strips, but I used as many fabrics as I could find, sometimes using only scraps or partial strips of text fabrics.  And I used only scraps for the colored squares.  If you need a little help deciding which block size to use, try making test blocks of each size before cutting your "real" fabric.  I threw together the instructions after I made a lot of blocks, so I haven't tested the instructions.  If you notice anything weird, just let me know. 

 

CUTTING FOR 7 1/2" FINISHED BLOCKS
(You'll need 64 blocks for a 60" square quilt.)

 

From Light Fabrics:

 

     Cut 51 strips, 2" x the width of fabric.

 

           From 26 strips, crosscut:

 

                3 rectangles, 2" x 5" (78)

                2 rectangles, 2" x 3.5" (52)

                9 squares, 2" x 2" (234) *

 

           From 25 strips, crosscut:

 

                2 rectangles, 2" x 5" (50)

                3 rectangles, 2" x 3.5" (75)

                9 squares, 2" x 2" (225) *

 

        Cut one more 2" x 3 1/2" rectangle from leftover scraps.

 

        *  You will have 11 squares left over.

From Dark Fabrics:

        From assorted dark scraps, cut 128 matching sets of 4 squares, 2" x 2".
      

CUTTING FOR 10" FINISHED BLOCKS

(You'll need 36 blocks for a 60" square quilt.)

From Light Fabrics:
       
        Cut 36 strips, 2 1/2" x the width of fabric.  From each strip, crosscut:

                2 rectangles, 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" (72)
                2 rectangles, 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" (72)
                7 squares, 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" (252)

From Dark Fabrics:

         From assorted scraps, cut 72 matching sets of 4 squares, 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".

BLOCK ASSEMBLY

For each block, arrange the pieces as shown in the illustrations below.  (The first illustration shows the measurements of the pieces for a 7 1/2" finished block; the second illustration shows the measurements of the pieces for a 10" finished block.)  Sew together the pieces in vertical rows, pressing the seam allowances toward the dark fabric squares.  Then sew the vertical rows together, pressing the seam allowances in the direction indicated by the arrows.  If you follow the pressing directions, the seams will nestle, you'll hear birds singing, and a rainbow will appear.  Probably.

Layout for 7 1/2" finished block.
 




Layout for 10" finished block.




Finished Block

 

 

 

Here are the 10" and 7 1/2" blocks side by side, just for perspective.

 

 

 

 

SEWING THE ROWS TOGETHER

 

Sew the blocks together in horizontal rows, rotating every other block a quarter turn.   Press the seam allowances in the direction indicated by the arrows.  Sew the rows together; press the seam allowances in the same direction.


Layout for 7 1/2" finished blocks.  Quilt measures 60" x 60".



Layout for 10" finished blocks.  Quilt measures 60" square.

 

So there you go! Hope you'll grab a stack of fabrics and sew along with me.  If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me (link in profile) or leave a comment here.  Have fun!

 

Kim

 

Text Fabric Problem and Winner of eBook

A while back, I confessed to having a text fabric problem. 

Initially, I didn't have a plan, but knew I wanted to make a quilt using lots of low-volume text prints with little scraps of color.  Here's a little preview of what I'm working on.

 

I'm also working on a tutorial to share with you later this week in case

you want to sew along with me.  Hope you'll join me!

In the meantime, we have a winner of the Celebrate Christmas with That Patchwork Place eBook. 

Congratulations, Jennifer!  I know you'll have fun with this book!

 

Thank you to everyone who played along.  Hope you all have a great week!

 

Kim

Celebrate Christmas With That Patchwork Place

You probably know that Martingale publishes the greatest quilting, knitting, sewing, crochet, and other craft books.  Did you know that the people who work there are also very talented quilters, knitters, needleworkers, rug-hookers, and crafters?  They're all so good at their jobs as book publishers that I sometimes forget they're passionate about their hobbies like you and me.  And when they put their heads together and collaborate on a book, you just know it's going to be spectacular.  Here's their latest collaboration, Celebrate Christmas With That Patchwork Place. 

This book really gets me in the mood for Christmas. There are 22 quilting and sewing projects that you can make to decorate your home or use for special gifts.  The projects can be made quickly, so if you start now, you'll have a house full of beautiful Christmas quilts, table runners, wall hangings, pillows, decorations, and gifts to enjoy long before the Christmas rush.  Adrienne made this "O Christmas Tree Wall Hanging" to serve as her Christmas tree.  Pretty clever, right?

Full-size templates are provided for all the projects, including Jenny's "Snowflakes" quilt.

 The instructions are very clear and easy to follow.  Each step is illustrated to help guide you along.  And, as always, the book is full of inspiration and lovely photographs by Brent Kane.  

This is Mary Green's "Paper Chains" runner that reminds me of the all the times my brothers and I made garland for our tree using colored construction paper.  Mom never complained about the mess we made because it kept us quiet for a long time.  (She probably wishes we still made paper chains during our get-togethers!)  

Karen Johnson's "Dotty for Christmas" tree skirt is so fun!  She used a fusible applique' method that I'm anxious to try.  

And here's a quick and beautiful "Holiday Delight" table runner that Cathy made using a charm pack of a really cute collection of Christmas fabrics.  

I'm smitten with Mary Burns' "Christmas Cookie Apron."  Every Christmas season, I envision myself wearing a fancy apron like this, baking cookies, drinking cider, and listening to Christmas music.  It has never, ever happened, but maybe if I had the fancy apron . . . ? 

I was blown away when I saw Karen Soltys' "Naturally Neutral" Christmas stocking.  I'll let you read about how she made it over at Martingale's blog.  While you do that, I'll be at the thrift store.  

I won't show you all the projects here, but you can hop on over to Martingale's blog to see all the projects, get the stories behind them, and find out how to enter the drawing to win a copy of the eBook.  They're also giving away a fat quarter bundle of Riley Blake's Home for the Holidays fabric so you'll have everything you need to get a jump on your Christmas projects!

Here's the schedule for all the stops on the Blog Hop.  Don't forget to visit Pat, too, because she has another surprise for you!

Thursday, June 26 - Stitch This!

Friday, June 27 - Pat Wys at Silver Thimble Talk

Saturday, June 28 - You're here!

Monday, June 30 - Rebecca Silbaugh at Ruby Blue Quilts

Tuesday, July 1 - SewCalGal

Wednesday, July 2 - Cindy Lammon at Hyacinth Quilt Designs

Thursday, July 3 - Generation Q

Saturday, July 5 - Cheryl Brown at Quilter Chic

Monday, July 7 - Jen Eskridge at Reanna Lily Designs

Tuesday, July 8 - Kathy Brown at The Teacher's Pet

Wednesday, July 9 - Amy Ellis at Amy's Creative Side

While I typed this post, my favorite Christmas song was playing in my head -- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.  If you'll leave a comment here and tell me your favorite Christmas song, you'll have a chance to win your own copy of the Celebrate Christmas with That Patchwork Place eBook.  I'll randomly choose a winner next Saturday, July 5.  

Thank you for visiting.  Make sure you visit all the stops on the Blog Hop to see the rest of the projects and enter for more opportunities to win your own copy.     

Kim

Winner!

Just popping in to announce the winner of the Uncommonly Corduroy e-book by Stephanie Dunphy. 

 

Congratulations, Barb!  If you'll shoot me an e-mail (link in profile), you can get started on one of these fun projects very soon!

 

 

 

Uncommonly Corduroy by Stephanie Dunphy

Please excuse the delay in sharing this delightful book with you.  Uncommonly Corduroy by Stephanie Dunphy.  You may have seen it by now, but in case you somehow missed it, I thought I would give you the scoop.  Stephanie at Loft Creations has published a really cool book of projects using -- you guessed it -- corduroy!  Until Stephanie told me what she was up to, I had no idea that using corduroy in quilts is actually a thing.  Apparently, I need to keep up a little better.  Stephanie will be at Quilt Market in Pittsburgh, so if you're there, stop by Martingale's booth (No. 618) to visit with her, and make sure you catch her Schoolhouse presentation. 

Photography by Brent Kane

In her book, Stephanie tells you everything you need to know about corduroy and how to work with it, as well as the best corduroy to use for quilts and for bags.  She also tells you about her favorite stabilizers and tricks for making bags.  Her bags always look so structured, and now I know why. 




Photography by Brent Kane

One of my favorite things about this book is that Stephanie provides cutting guides for various shapes instead of requiring the use of specialty rulers.  Even for the kaleidoscope-style quilt below, Saltwater Taffy. 



Photography by Brent Kane
 

There are patterns for sixteen projects, including quilts, bags, and even a scarf.  And a fun poem all about corduroy!  I love Stephanie's unique style, and the way she embellishes some of her projects with rickrack and buttons.  And, yes, Abby the dog makes an appearance in the book, along with her own special tote.



Photography by Brent Kane

 Some of the projects are made completely from corduroy; others are mixed with quilting cottons.  Quilting-weight corduroy is increasingly available.  If your local quilt shop doesn't stock it, ask them to try it.  Or look for online resources.  Stephanie provides a list of manufacturers and retailers to get you started. 

Photography by Brent Kane

   Just in case you're afraid to use corduroy in your sewing projects, every project in the book can be made with quilting cotton.  Stephanie's designs are unique, her directions are easy to follow, and each of the projects can be made with so many different styles of fabric.  Just check out her blog to see some examples. 

Photography by Brent Kane

 It was incredibly hard for me to choose a project from the book.  I decided to make this adorable bag, I Heart Dresdens.  That sounds like Stephanie.  Whenever I see a Dresden block, I always think of her. 

Photography by Brent Kane

I settled on a collection of fabrics I've been hoarding for a while, one that has a lot of polka dots (also a Stephanie thing).  Because I've never made a Dresden block this small, I made a test block using a mini charm pack of Sunnyside by Kate Spain.  Using the cutting guide in the book, it took me less than five minutes to cut all the little Dresden blades.  It was so much fun that I've decided to collect a lot more mini charms and make Dresden blocks out of each collection.  After I finish my bag.  Or maybe not. :-)

 

 

If you'd like to win your own e-copy of Uncommonly Corduroy, please leave a comment and let me know what you think about the projects.  (There's a gallery of all the projects in the book here.)  I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, May 20.  Hope you enjoy the inspiration!  

 

 

Bayside Quilting

Just popping in (a little late, as usual) to let you know that several of the sample quilts from my book, Scrap-Basket Beauties, are on display at Bayside Quilting in Olympia, Washington.  If you're anywhere close, stop by and check out this wonderful shop and visit with some really nice people.  You'll find them at 225 State Avenue, N.E. in Olympia.  If you're not close enough to visit in person, you can shop online here.  This probably won't surprise you, but I've already found a lot of fabric I can't live without.  They also have classes, block-of-the-month kits, rulers, threads, notions, and quilting machines, frames, and accessories.  If you need it, they probably have it.      

Brittany sent photos of a couple of the quilts hanging in the shop.  Doesn't this look like a cool place to hang out? 

 

 

 

Stop by and see the other sample quilts in person.  And if you have a chance to visit, please give them all a hug from me. 

Have a great weekend!

Kim