The Amy Quilt

I have finally completed my move to a larger shop/studio and it's inspired me to tackle my pile of unfinished projects that I've been staring at for years.

Since the quilt matched the color of my 1950 Plymouth I decided that would be the best way to show it off.

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who finish a project prior to taking on a new one but sadly I don't fall into that category. My problem is that I am inspired by a fabric, color or shape and I dive in only to be distracted again by something equally beautiful just as I get rolling. This has left me with many projects patiently waiting for my attention. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not a great finisher but this new chapter in my life is actually getting me excited about wrapping these up and starting even more! It's amazing what color and space can do to your creativity and I plan on taking advantage of every bit of my new digs.

Here's a beautiful view of the farmland, mountains, my quilt, and the inside of a cool car! Can't get better than that.

 This quilt was based on a single piece of fabric from Amy Butler that offered a half dozen beautiful colors in a striking bold pattern. Because the main fabric is so strong I opted for a fairly simple pattern. The inner border is a lovely light touch of lavender batik which stops the darkness of the main print. For the rectangles that make up the outer border I pulled every color that Amy's print had to offer (except the pinks) with a play on the lights and darks. The cornerstones were important to me because I wanted a stand alone medium print that was beautiful but didn't compete with the main fabric, I think they came out perfectly!

The backing is an older Carla Miller print that nicely contrasts with the top but at the same time has hints of colors that compliment if folded over. I think the backing is just as important as the top and love it when people go wild with their options very often creating a more interesting piece because they were not confined by what is "right". My binding choice was pulled from one of the prints in the rectangles because it's very dark and serves to stop the eye.






Inspiration Fabric from Amy Butler

For as much as I don't get around to finishing I really do love binding a quilt, I love sewing on what I consider the frame of the quilt, folding it over and stitching it down with invisible little stitches. This is the time that I really bond with the quilt and once I'm done I can't stop looking at it in various lights and positions. Binding signifies my accomplishment and it may take me awhile to get to that point but the process is what I love and if that takes four years then so be it. This is what makes me happy, creating something useful and beautiful.


So, Merry Christmas Mom! Two years later.... (not bad, huh?).




Cutting and Layout:
I'm only giving you finished sizes so you will have to add seam allowence.
The center is based on a square cut from the bolt and mine turned out to be 40"x40" after squaring up.
The inner border is 1.75" wide.
The rectangles are based on the size of your center and inner border (see? math was important). You take the length of your inner border and divide it by how many fabrics you want to use as rectangles. Example: 43" divided by 11 fabrics is 3.9" per rectangle. Then you can make them as long as you want, I did 10". So my rectangles are 3.9" x 10".
The cornerstones are 10" square.
My binding is 2.5" strips.
The finished size is roughly 63" square.

The process for this quilt is to find a large scale print you LOVE and add several fabrics that pull out those colors in lights and darks in no particular ratio, just follow your instinct. Have some fun with it!

Beautiful day at the beach to share with you

www.treasurehuntfabric.com

Soft Dolls

Several years ago Soft Doll Magazine provided a pattern for this doll that I thought looked like a fun project. I am notoriously bad about reading directions but this never stops me from going ahead anyway...

Queenie, my first doll and her fabric wrapped cord basket.

Well, I learned a few things after making a couple, like, for example, you're supposed to enlarge the pattern by about 20-30%, a detail I overlooked. I used the pattern as it was printed for the magazine and I ended up with a doll about 15" tall and looong skinny arms and legs (Barbie has nothing on unrealistic body image like this doll does). This scale also required a LOT of hand sewing since the machine could not make all the tiny turns. In the end I'm glad I made that mistake because I think they look really cool this size you just have to have a ton of patience for repairs because I poked out the hands and feet numerous times while trying to stuff them.

Fairy wings from Angelina Fibers

At first I didn't give the face any detail because I just loved the look of the fabric but by the third one I tried some embroidery and was converted. After that I started embroidering the faces on a hoop before construction. The hair is long 1/8" strips of fabric hand sewn to the head and yes, it's a pain but totally worth it. My dolls are all a little wacky and the giant messy hair just serves to reinforce that image.

Quilt Shop Doll with wire glasses and sewing notions.

Each doll was made with someone in mind and they were a reflection of that persons inner self including the colors I chose and the style of dress. I made the Cherish doll for my Grandmother after my Grandpa passed away as a reminder to cherish all her memories and think of the beautiful times. The doll is very cutesy, pink, flowery, and simple like Granny so it was appropriate.

Cherish for my Granny.

Full view of limbs.

I still have ideas for dolls that are, of course, more elaborate and detailed because as I evolve in my crafts I get so enamored with the little things it takes a decade to complete! I don't mind, it's the process I love and the ideas that motivate me.

Sometimes, when you don't read the directions, you end up with something even better than you expected and you never know, your "mistake" may be one of the best things you ever create! So get out there and ignore the rules!

www.treasurehuntfabric.com

What I Love

My Fat Quarter Quilt 

Granny's Owls

I don’t remember a time when I haven’t made things. When I was a kid I drew all the time and my Granny and I would crochet dresses and suits for my dolls. We made macrame plant hangers and glued sunflower seeds into giant owls on a background of cork.  There were paint by numbers and lots of community crafting classes. I remember my Mom making the poured porcelain Christmas trees and Granny crocheting blankets that I still use 25 years later. She also made three quilts all hand done from the piecing to the quilting and I am lucky enough to own two of them. 

Granny's Flower Garden Quilt

My Mom and I built apartment complexes from cardboard boxes for my stuffed toys all the way down to wallpaper and balconies. I even remember making a house for my (at the time, brand new) Star Wars figurines out of a Quaker Oatmeal can..man I wish I still had those. We pressed flowers to make book markers out of contact paper and I taught myself how to knit. When I look back at my life these are all my happy memories and I am so grateful that the women in my life showed me the way.

This blog is my outlet to share ideas and projects with other people who value the work that goes into hand crafts. There really is something special about spending your valuable time creating, it's something that we have walked away from in this society. 

I sew, quilt, embroider, paint, draw, mosaic, work with ribbon, spin, make felt, knit, crochet, bead, make baskets, calligraphy, needlepoint, woodwork, make handmade ceramic relief tile, and I still want to try sculpture, paper cutting, weaving, fabric printing, rug hooking, and bobbin lace making. I could live three lifetimes and never do everything I want to do.

I was lucky enough to own a quilt shop for five years before the economy killed it and I met some of the most creative women in that time but I also learned that people are terrified of doing things "wrong". Many people want to follow the pattern or use exactly the right matching fabrics for fear that others will react negatively. Forget that hang up! Crafting isn’t scary nor is there a right or wrong it’s just your way and you should embrace that idea and start to feed your soul. 

Not everyone is going to love our stuff like we do but you have to remember that we create for ourselves and not for approval. What is ugly to you is beautiful to me and the fear of failure shouldn't stop you from trying. If you've never done it you don't know if you'll like it!

Scary Rug Hooking

www.treasurehuntfabric.com