Two Little Birds

Okay, I'll try not to do back-to-back posts as a rule, but since this was a completely different topic I thought I'd let it have its own post.

Last weekend I got a hankerin' to do a project I saw on one of the many blogs I have been interested in: http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/. She demo'd one of her projects on Martha Stewart's television show: 

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=f501d3358fe36110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Basically, you take a pre-fab ready-to-paint canvas and stretch it with fabric you like, then prime it with Mod Podge or an acrylic painting medium and let it dry. Then you take an image for a silhouette, either paint the silhouette itself in opaque acrylic paint or (as I've done) paint the background in acrylic and let the silhouette be the negative space. It was really fun. Next time I'll stretch the fabric even tighter, but other than the occasional pucker, it was a really fun, easy project. I imagine it'd be really fun to do with kids. 

The Play!

Woo hoo! A Sextet o' Seamsters (Beth K, Sandy, Adele, Kathy, Jackie, and I) met up last Wednesday at the 74th Street Ale House in Greenwood for a bite & sup avant-play. All I know is, that burger with grilled onions & peppers was The Bomb. We yakked, ate, and drank, and realized with a start we should probably scoot over to the Taproot Theatre tout de suite. I mooched a ride off Beth and her Aussie-speaking GPS gizmo, and let me tell you, there isn't exactly a cornucopia of parking available in the Greenwood 'hood. So Beth was a scofflaw and parked in the Bartell Drugs parking lot right by the theatre. Beth, I hope you were able to enjoy the show despite your guilt pangs. We met Margaret at the theatre (so I guess that made us a Septet o' Seamsters) and Jackie, Adele, Kathy, & Sandy just made it by the start of the play. 

Speaking of the play, Gee's Bend, it was wonderful. Plus we got to stay for Q & A with the cast and a member of the Pac NW African American Quilters: http://www.pnwaaq.com/. I'll let the other Seamsters who attended make a post or comment on this one, but here is a link to a P-I article about Gee's Bend [don't get me started about the impending demise of the P-I]  http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/theater/397941_fanfare30.html. 

Anyone want to make another field trip to Seattle? Several Gee's Bend quilts are currently hanging in the Greg Kucera Gallery through March, and I'd really love to see them in person:  http://www.gregkucera.com/geesbend.htm. All I can say is, wow. 

I still wish I had more of those wonderful Gee's Bend quilt postage stamps...

my very own blog...

...which is, of course, linked to this one. :-) Not much to do with sewing or needlework of any kind--it's about my writing, or it will be soon--but there will likely be notes of some sort about projects on which I'm working. And probly pictures. And other completely random things that have NOTHING to do with writing. :-)

Can't wait for our next work day!!!

http://www.sg-1crazedwritingnotes.blogspot.com/

Hi, Seamsters!

I found an article in a quilting magazine that said felting can be done with woven wool as well as knits. I bought some used wool items to try. I'm most excited about coat weight wools. I have green and black. If you find other colors cheap, I'd love some. I think these will go as craft fair items. Also have grey tweeds, camel, and red in lighter weight. The article showed a quilt with bears and Christmas trees appliqued on. Quite cute. Other ideas to use these for?

I'm also working on a new one-block wonder that will probably make about 4 wall quilts, one of which will be donated for quilt auction or craft fair. I have a new book that shows how to make the floating cubes, if you're interested.

here i am, at long last...

...as promised. :-) I'm having trouble viewing the pictures, though; might have something to do with the permissions on the work computer. I have not given up the cause...

My mom's shawl is coming along, except for when I'm using my fingers to Facebook or blog...and for the rest of tonight. Too sleepy to knit; don't wanna have to unknit and knit again...again. :-P

So all of the rest of you blog lurkers, come on over and at least say HI!!!!

Love,
SG-1 (aka Sarah Grant)

I'm About to Lose Control and I Think I Like It

I'm. So. Excited!

After years of idle daydreams along the lines of "wow, it would be so cool to be a textile designer," the time has arrived! Yes, you, too can become a Loni Rossi, Amy Butler, or Kaffe Fasset. How, you might ask? Well, check this website out: http://www.spoonflower.com. 

One can create a design and upload it to spoonflower, who will then print it on Moda quilting-weight fabric. Gentlewomen, start your desktops!

I'm really quite a-twitter about this. Seeing as how the last creative outlet was finishing a large bulletin board to promote our school auction in April [actually kinda cute: the auction theme is "Hollywood Glamour," so I painted the wooden frame black, upholstered the entire cork area in red velveteen, and added gold cord trim all around the perimeter, then pinned up a variety of black & white photos of stars of yesteryear--Louise Brooks, Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, Lena Horne, etc.], and the project before that was my fancy-pants bamboo patterned socks on which I had to go and drop one infernal stitch and can't quite figure out how to fix it, yes, other than these two enterprises [well, three if you include crafting run-on sentences], I'm overdue for some creative juice-spewing. 

Not to mention the fact that I can actually see a distant glimmer of light at the end of the pulmonary tunnel for the first time in about two weeks...viva amoxycillin and cheratussin with codeine!

I am really loving the egalitarian opportunities that exist now that didn't exist even 5 - 10 years ago. I mean, would we have thought ten years ago it would be possible to create one's own fabric or create a beautiful, hardcover book unless independently wealthy? [Another plug: http://www.blurb.com/]

And on a completely unrelated note, we--the Seamsters, that is--now own a practically new, never-been-used overhead projector. Huzzah! Odds bodkins! Heavens to Murgatroyd! So now we can tackle the super-double-secret eyes-only project which shall be revealed later. Suffice it to say, we need an overhead projector and mylar. Say no more.

Up Up With Felting, Part Deux

Ahoy Seamsters,

I forgot to mention that Jen, the ECC-W has tentatively arranged a felting class with Leah at Space to Create on Monday, March 2nd, 7 - 10 pm. The class would be $28 which includes a generous amount of supplies. There are four of us committed to going, but she needs a minimum of six to make a go of it. So if any of you are interested, please let me know.

In any case, you should take a peek at Leah Adams' etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5156243. I heard a rumor from the ECC-W that the felted soap may be in the offing...I'm so excited!

Seamster Work Par-Tay

Today was one of our periodic Saturday Seamster work parties. "Work" party sounds so Shawshank Redemption-y, like we're out on a chain gang somewhere [stitching in the ditch?] instead of sitting on our keisters eating peanut M & Ms and yakking while we sew. We gathered at ten-ish with various bags, bins, and cases of equipment, a sack lunch, and nibbly things to share. We worked on our own individual projects (quilts, a quilted bag, knitting, hand-coloring on fabric, etc.) and also on communal projects (pinwheel blocks for baby quilts, for example). 

Plus, Kathy--a.k.a. Shop Steward--gave us a mini-lesson on a design technique for art quilts by Katie Pasquini Masopust. Very cool: you take an old cardboard slide frame with the slide removed, or create two els from a piece of mat board or tag board. Then take an image and slide the frame or els around until you find a pleasing composition (good light/dark play, interesting lines, etc.) and then trace it on mylar with a teeny Micron pen. Then you can either photocopy or put it on an overhead projector and start playing with color & composition for your very own fabulous art quilt. I believe we are going to utilize this technique for a very special, top-secret, eyes-only project. We would tell you, but then we'd have to kill you. Needless to say, it shall undoubtedly turn up in a later post. And on a different note, I wonder if anyone gets Katie Pasquini Masopust's name right on the first try?

Lots of socializing in between the clickety-clack of machines and needles and the cutting of various fabrics. Plus the day ended up really sunny, we got tix for the 2/25 Taproot Theatre production of Gee's Bend, and last but certainly not least, we satisfied--okay, I satisfied--a lingering curiosity of about 28 years by determining there is still a Kitty Wampus listed in the greater Seattle area, courtesy Sandy's iPhone. All in all a very good day.

Finished project

Here 'tis, the pulpit piece as finished as it's gonna get I figger.

Some photos of stuff I made

CHEMO CAP
I got this from a kit. I made it mainly just to learn the feather and fan pattern, which makes the pretty scalloped edge. It's made of very soft lightweight cotton, so it will be perfect for its intended use. Thankfully, I don't anyone personally right now who needs a chemo cap, so I'll just donate it to Overlake hospital. (They collect and distribute them there).


STRIPED SOY WOOL HAT
I heart the soy wool yarn. It's soft and has a really nice texture. It comes in solids and different self-striping colorways. I want to knit them all. This one is called geranium. Just one ball makes a warm, attractive yet unfussy, hat. Me likey!

LINEN STITCH SCARF

Last summer I went to the Mariner's Stitch and Pitch night with Jackie, Jenny and Sandy, and 'twas there I scored the materials for this lovely scarf. The happy memories are one (1.) good reason to love this scarf. The other reasons are 2. soft! 3. warm! 4. pretty! It took a very long time to knit because it is made of fine merino sock yarn. We're talking about 456,974,374,364 gazillion little stitches here.

Was it worth it? Yes indeed it was.

STRIPEY SOCKS

These are the second pair of socks I've made. I gave the first ones to my Ma because she loves the colors (turquoises and browns). Now Ma and I have cute feet when we go hiking together!

PINWHEEL BABY QUILT

Here is Sara's friend Jazmine with her baby daughter Isaya. This was Sara's very first quilting project. I showed her what to do, and she took off running. We whipped it out in a 3 day marathon before she returned to school for winter quarter. My Ma got sucked in by the third day, and we had some wonderful 3 generation chick bonding time in my upstairs sewing room.

We made the whole thing from scraps. The little mommy was delighted with it! I think Baby Isaya likes it, too.