Pearl the Squirrel

New Year's Writing Resolution? Check!

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

One of the things I am striving for this coming year is to see my writing published in some new venues (while still continuing to write for the previous ones, of course). It's a bit of a cheat to say I succeeded at fulfilling this New Year's resolution, because I actually knew about this particular opportunity last fall.

Janine Van Gool, the editor and founder of UPPERCASE, contacted me in November regarding the Etsy story I'd written about Kyle Durrie and her Type Truck. Janine had taken photos of Kyle and was planning to assign a story for UPPERCASE, when she happened upon mine. With the blessing of Etsy, Janine ran the story in the magazine, illustrating it with the photos she had taken and giving it a whole new lease on life. I am thrilled to be included in a magazine that is a visual treat and has such lovely production values.

I think the cover of UPPERCASE really says it all: A magazine for the creative and curious. It features myriad quirky, talented people and their inspiring ideas (including a piece about Kathryn Clark's Foreclosure Quilts). And if there was ever a magazine with more fantastic covers, I have yet to see it. Check the back issues (and the current one) on UPPERCASE's website.

Quilt Retreat Catch-up

2012-01-20T21:09:00.000-06:00

In October I was lucky enough to attend another retreat in Lake Tahoe, but thanks to Quilt Market and life in general, I never managed to get the photos posted. So here they are.

The gang at work with the Lake outside our windows

It was the same group from last year's retreat (although we missed De, Sue, Lynn, and Nancy very much). The locale was just as lovely, and the friends were dearer, because I knew them better.

Candy with her Featherweight

Mel & her Liberty print yoyos

Debbie and Kathy S. with their witch blocks

We decided last year to do a witch block exchange, and it was the first block exchange I'd participated in. I finished my blocks up just before I left, and we exchanged them on the last day of the retreat as a few members were still stitching.

Witch blocks by Molly and Mel

Figuring out how to put them together has been the perfect excuse to start collecting Halloween fabrics—a little of this for sashing, a bit of that for the border—as if I needed such an excuse.

The block ensemble

Haven't managed to start on that yet...the sewing, that is. The fabric collecting I'm pretty darned good at.


Carol finishing her blocks

Tina's Moooy (muy) Cowliente (caliente): Note the fringed udder

One of the highlights of the retreat were the many cow quilts that kept being conceived and then quickly stitched. The idea for cow quilts comes from Mel and Mary Lou's new book Out of the Box with Easy Blocks book. These are a few of those that were created and then shown at Quilt Market the following week.

Psych-cow-delic by Mary Lou (detail)

Homage to Mary Lou (using all her fabrics) by Kathy C.

Boo-moo! Halloween quilt by Molly. Love the rick-rack spider legs

A few other projects were undertaken, as well.

Debbie worked long and hard on her quilt back. Adding some cheddar fabrics was the final piece de resistance...it gave it the oomph it needed.

Tina got into some garment sewing (and cheerfully modeled).

Mel and I stitched holiday table runners.

And making many baby bibs...flannel on one side, quilting cotton with rick rack details on the other, occupied a few of my sewing hours.

Can't wait for next year!

Mad Photo Skillz

2012-01-17T12:27:00.000-06:00

My husband's 7th grade picture, on our workbench

Welcome to those of you who are visiting after reading my guest blogging post on the Quilt Gallery blog. Michelle was a real pleasure to work with and as a former teacher of writing, I really enjoyed the opportunity to share a few tips I've learned along the way. I'm planning to offer more suggestions about writing for blogs and for publication and possibly to be taking on a few online "students" in the future, so if you're interested check back, or even better drop me a line and let me know of your interest.

At any rate, along with writing I've greatly enjoyed the opportunities my work presents to improve my photography. I took photo classes in high school and spent many pleasant hours breathing in horrid chemicals under a red light—okay, so that wasn't a hightlight, but I so loved darkroom work—the magic of watching the image slowly appear in the trays of developer. I shot photos for my high school yearbook and continued through college to take and develop them. But as kids and life intervened, I switched to a point and shoot camera.

So it was with trepidation that I started shooting "serious" photos again, first for my blog, but then for Etsy stories and my Quilt County column. And now I love it. I still have much to learn, though, and one of my challenges is taking crisp, clean shots of individual items. Etsy has fantastic resources for taking great photos and there are lots of tutorials on line about photography, too. I used this one and this one when I decided to make a light box, and below are a few shots of the process.

Start with a box. This one was pretty large, and thus harder to store the finished product.

One one side, measure 2 inches in from each of the four edges of the box, marking the distance at intervals along each side.

Using a straight edge (a quilter's ruler would work well for this), connect the dots to draw a line. Then use a box cutter to slice the cardboard away, leaving a "frame." Do this to three of the boxes sides, leaving the back and bottom of the box uncut.

Below is what it will look like, with "frames" cut into three sides:

Next, cover the three "frames" with something white that is transparent enough to let in light. Some tutorials suggest tissue paper, but I thought this would be too easy to accidentally punch through. Most quilters have some muslin in their stash and so that's what I used, along with duct tape to hold it tightly in place.

When you've covered all three "frames" it will look like this on the outside and inside:

Now, add a sheet of white paper to the back and bottom. I got some poster board. Mine wasn't quite wide enough, but still works well for shooting small items. Then, add lights. I placed mine directly under the lamp that lights our kitchen table. It's near a window and I hoped the natural light might be enough, but in retrospect I would add lights to either side. Again, if you're a quilter and have an Ott light or other portable light, these would be ideal to place on the sides.

And finally, try some sample photos. While I love the white background, I think they would be made much crisper by adding side lighting (portable shop lights would work well, too).

There you have it! I'm more than a little embarrassed that I didn't take the time to crop and enhance these photos. And I think that the scarf in the bottom photo would show off much more effectively on a live model (like this one). But you get the idea. Take the time to get creative with it—try lights on just one side, change the color of your background, etc. It will go a long way toward improving your photos!

Do you have any great tricks for shooting textile photos for your blog? What do you think of this light box? I'd love to hear from you!

A Featherweight Comes Home

2012-01-12T16:10:00.001-06:00

My very sweet husband wanted to get me a ring for Christmas. He found one on Etsy that I'd marked as a favorite, but another buyer had snatched it up. So he asked me to choose a replacement.

While his impulse was a lovely one, there was something else I'd been wanting for quite some time—a Singer Featherweight sewing machine. These 11-pound wonders were built and sold in the 1940s and 1950s, and lots of quilters love them and use them regularly.

My friend Kristin pieces on one that belonged to her mother and another friend Candy brought hers to our Lake Tahoe retreat and whipped up a couple of quilts with it. They pretty much go forward and backward and that's it, but they're easy to transport, have a terrific 1/4-inch stitch, and are as cute as a button.

We were lucky to find a reasonably priced Featherweight on Craigslist. The machine had belonged to the grandmother of the young man who was selling it—she'd used it to stitch charity projects for her church. Neither the seller nor his fiancé sew.

I'm trying to decide what it is that makes me so happy with this little wonder. It's adorable, of course, and there is something so fantastic about the fact that it not only works, but works incredibly well.

I think it's the story that goes with it—the young man and his fiancé are both students and could undoubtedly use the money, so they were pleased to make the sale. And I loved the absurdity of meeting at a shopping mall, where they pulled the machine from its little black case, plugged it in at a wall outlet, and oblivious to the shoppers strolling past, I tested its sewing ability with the bit of fabric I'd tucked in my purse for just that purpose.

As we left, the young man shook our hands and told me that he knew his grandmother would be pleased that it wasn't sitting unused in his house, but instead bringing pleasure to another stitcher. The Featherweight was part of his family's history and its purchase has added to our family lore. I can't wait to use it to stitch my next quilt.

Inspiration for the New Year

2012-01-03T14:42:00.000-06:00

I don't mean to come off like Oprah, promising to change your world. But I do find that tips or quotes can sometimes provide a succinct way to put things into perspective. Here are two that inspire me:

Inspiration number one: This quote attributed to educator, theologian, and civil rights activist Howard Thurman. He founded the first intercultural, racially integrated church in the United States, the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco.

I came across this quote a few years ago in a profile I read in my husband's alumni magazine. It resonated so strongly for me because it was a time when I was going through a lot, trying to figure out what my next step should be.

This Christmas Eve my daughter Rebecca got off the plane with a big piece of cardboard and it turned out to be this poster. She remembered how much I loved this quote and purchased the poster from letterpress printer bookish lady. I'm planning to hang it in my study, so that I am reminded on a daily basis to honor the choices I've made and to prioritize my life so that the things that make me come alive don't get buried in the mundane activities that can eat up a day. It also helps me remember that doing so can have repercussions beyond what makes me happy...that my choice can serve others.

Inspiration number two: Today's Etsy blog post by Noah Scalin, who's written Unstuck: 52 Ways to Get (and Keep) Your Creativity Flowing at Work, Home, and In Your Studio.
I haven't read the book, but I quite like his six suggestions in the Etsy post. Check them out here.

How about you? Any tips or quotes that are inspiring you this new year? I'd love to hear them!

Setting my own standards: A New Year's goal

2011-12-31T10:34:00.000-06:00

I wrote this months ago and it seems fitting to post today, New Year's Eve. One of my resolutions for the coming year is to pay attention to what is truly important to me—to not let others opinions or expectations weigh so heavily on my decision-making process. Read on...

On a sunny, brilliant September morning, I was rowing with my coach. As we watched the women's University team pass, she muttered something about what she figured they were thinking about her—that if she was really good, she'd become an elite rower, for example, rather than coaching a community club team.

I countered that applying other people's standards was silly and that what she was doing was so important. Because of her, people are learning a new skill and enjoying an opportunity that otherwise wouldn't exist.

And then I realized that I apply the same sorts of standards to myself. I feel inadequate because I don't make big bucks with my work. And I question whether others see me as a "real" writer.

Writing is taken seriously where I live. Iowa City is one of four Cities of Literature in the world and home to the top creative writing program in the country. We're lousy with writers—we brush elbows with Pulitzer Prize winners at the farmer's market and stand in the check-out line at the public library with authors of critically acclaimed novels. I often feel sheepish identifying myself a writer in such refined company. And yet writing is what I do day in and day out and I work hard at it.

So I told my coach that we both need to stop judging ourselves by impossible and entirely inappropriate standards. Easy to say, hard to do.

How about you...are there expectations or standards you judge yourself by that don't really fit with your goals? No? Then how do you avoid such behavior?

(For the record: my coach is figuring it out. She was recently hired full time to be our club coach and says it's her dream job.)

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T15:34:00.000-06:00

Things have been a little quiet around here—family matters have intervened. My mom was in the hospital for 11 days and I flew out to be with my folks when she was released. Fortunately, she is doing better, but we had quite a few days where once we got her clean, fed, and comfortable, she'd nap. I'd been planning to finish for her Christmas gift a table runner I'd pieced earlier in the year, and her naps gave me the perfect chance to do so.

I used her very snazzy Brother Ellismo machine to quilt it. We had some trouble getting the free motion functions to work (my mom uses the machine primarily for embroidery), so I ended up using the walking foot to do some straight stitching. I was a little intimidated by all its bells and whistles at first, but the wonderful extra work space, ease of threading, and amazing needle threader really won me over. It didn't take too long to figure it all out (except for the free motion aspect), which surprised me, too. I love the two machines I most often use—a Bernina 153QE and a Janome 6600. But I gotta say, this one was pretty pleasing.

So here are some shots of the final result. The pattern is so much fun—Lone Pine, made with X-blocks. My buddy Mel and I bought these rulers two summers ago when we met at a quilt shop in Manchester, Iowa, during the riding of RAGBRAI. Neither of us had ever used them and wasn't sure I would. But they were very fun—kind of like using my mom's sewing machine—they offered a new take on something you do regularly, in this case strip piecing. Yes, the binding is a bit wobbly, and I think a bit of free motion between the trees would have been great, but given the situation, I'm happy with it, as was my mom.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday, filled with time to read, sew, be with friends and family, and relax. Cheers!

WPA—Would Politicians Approve?

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

John V. Bloom mural in Tipton, IA post office

I'm so lucky! There are, of course, many, many things that make me feel lucky in life. But right now I'm referring to the fact that I get to travel around the Midwest learning about and photographing things I never before knew existed (or may have taken for granted).

Moline, Illinois post office (currently for sale for $400,000)

That's the way I felt with today's Etsy post on the Works Progress Administration (WPA) era. I knew a little about it (and frankly I still know just a little about it, because it turns out there is so much to know). During Franklin Roosevelt's time more than 100 departments, known as the "Alphabet Agencies," were formed by the government to both provide work for people on relief (unemployed and supported by welfare).

These jobs included all kinds of artistic and recreational endeavors, as well as construction projects (many under the auspices of the Civilian Conservation Corps—CCC). While I chose to focus on murals and buildings within driving distance of my home (and in the case of the boathouse above, within walking distance), I discovered that there are a plethora of WPA-era murals in post offices around Iowa and Illinois.

Edward Millman mural in Moline, IL post office

There are, of course, well known murals from this time period—those in San Francisco's Coit Tower come to mind. But to learn that so many murals were painted for tiny post offices, and that most are still in existence, amazes me...to know that every day people are in the presence of artwork whose creation helped feed artist's families, while enabling artists (and actors, musicians, writers, and craftspeople of all sorts) to continue in their chosen line of work...and to know that the government valued those lines of work enough to support them, is nothing short of stunning.

There were certainly people who felt disdain for the New Deal and the Alphabet Agencies, but not so many that the programs didn't exist.

I've had a number of conversations with people about whether this kind of government work program could work today. What do you think? Why or why not?

And I Will Make Thee a Bed of Roses...

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

People who know me hear me complain about not having enough time to sew. "I write about sewing all day, but I hardly ever get to do it!" goes the whine. It's often true. But last Friday I got together with some friends at Inspirations, a newish quilt shop in Hills, Iowa, to sew. The shop has a sunny classroom space where we gathered, and I managed to make 45 pennants for three more holiday garlands, which I finished up today.

Garlands are one thing, but it takes me an awfully long time to complete a quilt. I've slowly come around to the idea that a quilt doesn't need to be quick and that it's fine to have more than one project going at a time. So I'll try not to feel too terrible about showing you something that took me more than a year to complete. It was worth the wait.

The quilt started out in October 2010, when I took a French Roses class at Common Threads. (The pattern is an old one by Heather French—sorry, I can't find a link to her site.) I was excited about the colors and fabrics, and took the quilt to Lake Tahoe to work on. It was there I realized what a creative bunch I was sewing with. The pattern is traditionally put together without sashing, but someone suggested I add some and someone else brought over some black and white options to audition. Keystones punch it up a bit more (I fussy cut a few of them ato highlight the mushrooms, birds, and chairs). And finally, over the summer, I added the "strata" border (a Mary Lou Weidman term). It is such a great reminder that it's okay to change up a pattern and to do some things that take a bit of extra time, rather than rush to finish.

Linda Duncan quilted it and I just love what she did. She used a pink thread that really gives the quilt spark, and she tried a new technique on the flowers. Rather than quilting around each layer, as she's done on French Roses quilts in the past, she stitched "spokes" in hopes that when the quilt was washed it would create "petals." Indeed, it worked just that way.

I am once again a bit giddy, and I can't help but pat myself on the back for taking a pattern of long-standing and giving it a different twist. I can't bring myself to put the quilt away (and it goes with absolutely nothing in my house). So I've got it hanging over the stair rail, where I can admire it daily and force unsuspecting visitors to tell me how much they like it, too.

Pennants? Banners? Garland? Let's just call it holiday decor

2011-12-01T14:21:00.001-06:00

My eldest daughter was with us over Thanksgiving and we had a massive list of things we hoped to accomplish (perhaps "accomplished" is too strenuous a word, as our activities included sleeping in, playing Bananagrams, viewing the new Muppet movie, and eating a seemingly endless supply of pumpkin pie).

Our two crafting plans were to make folded German paper stars and stitch holiday banners/garlands. I've made those paper stars a million times, and once even held a "how-to" session at my office to teach my coworkers. But try as we might, Maggie and I really struggled and in the end we were doing something wrong. Maggie's excellent at origami—she used to make bouquets of folded flowers for her friends' birthdays—but this task eluded even her.

I wasn't very helpful because I was largely focused on sewing. Maggie's moved into an apartment and will be visiting us for Christmas, so she's decided not to get a tree. I told her she still needs some snippet of festive decor and thought a holiday garland would be easy to put up and simple to store.

There are umpteen tutorials online for these and I spent a ridiculous amount of time perusing the methods for making them—fused, raw-edged, with interfacing and without, etc. I refused to consider any with templates and finally settled on an amalgam of techniques. I used the cutting instructions from What I Made Today because you could create multiple pennants from a 9" strip of fabric. But I thought they looked a little more finished if I sewed them right sides together, then turned and top-stitched each pennant. I used pre-made double fold seam binding for the "string" and stitched them fairly close together. I was kind of giddy about the results (it takes so little, really, to put me in that state). I thought it might also be cute to clip holiday cards in between the pennants with sweet little clothespins.

Okay Maggie, I'm waiting for that photo of your garland on the bookshelf! (And sorry these photos are a bit dodgy...I was rushing to sew and shoot, so she could pack.)

Much to Be Thankful For

2011-11-23T16:18:00.001-06:00

A year ago just now, we were in a car accident. While the car was totaled, we were ultimately just fine. A few months before that I required surgery. And I was ultimately just fine. Though last year was challenging, I was one grateful gal on Thanksgiving 2010.

There have been some low points this year—funny how you just can't squeak by without a downturn or two—but I continue to be grateful for all that I have: Smart, funny, loving daughters and a husband who is my best bud; extended family who cares; friends who support me when I need it and accept support when they do and who also play with me; work that fulfills me; an exhilarating new sport—the list goes on and I am so lucky it does!

Whether you're enjoying some much needed solitude or thrilled to be surrounded by a crush of revelers, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Cheers!

Feeding My Obsession

2011-11-15T16:20:00.001-06:00

Can you believe that one on top of the box? Totally wild!

Since last April, when I attended the feed sack show in Ainsworth, I've been under the spell of feed sacks. In every antique and thrift store, at any quilt show, wherever vintage textiles are found, I poke through stacks of fabric in search of them. Typically they're very, very pricey, and given that I'm not sure what I'd do with them, I've never splurged.

Sweet little floral

Earlier this summer, no doubt when I should have been doing some work, I was noodling about online and decided to check Craigslist. Lo and behold, there was an ad for feed sacks, nearly vintage itself at several months old. I figured they'd be long gone, but wrote for more information. Amazingly, they were still to be had, but for a price that was a bit rich for my blood. Turns out here were about 23 (including several duplicates) of them, plus some scraps. I offered to buy them all for a lower price and the owner countered. I told her that I would pass, but if she'd ever consider my offer to let me know. Sure enough, she did and they arrived today!

So graphic! I've got two

It turns out that the feed sacks belonged to a octogenarian quilter from a small Iowa town. Her daughter was selling them for her. I felt a bit guilty having bargained for them, although the ad had been placed months before, so I guess she was glad for the sale. My real worry is that her daughter said that her mom wanted to know what I would do with them and asked that I send a photo of anything I made. Yikes! That feels like such responsibility...I can barely imaging cutting into them. But I promised when I did use them, I'd share the results. And she obviously used them, as there are many small bits in addition to the complete sacks.

A bold take on florals—flower in a flower

With feed sacks, I expect the sweet little florals, but am always amazed by how contemporary many of the designs are. In my Etsy story I mentioned that it took three feed sacks to make a dress, but the only bag I have three of would make anyone look (as my mother used to say) like the broad side of a barn.

Apparently owl imagery isn't new

For now, I'll just be folding and re-folding and admiring my feed sack stack. Heaven!

My favorites!

Yup, I've got three of these...

Quilt Market Update: Links, Photos, and a Bit of Commentary

2011-11-06T11:09:00.000-06:00

The most charming Lucie Summers with her fresh,fantastic Summersville collection

[Photos fixed and a few added..thanks for your patience!]

I'm far behind my other bloggy friends when it comes to sharing Market photos. Since you may have seen it all (or most of it) on other blogs, I'll just share some highlights. Market, as always, was awe-inspiring—the fabrics, the colors, new bells and whistles on sewing machines, the clever patterns, the booths that look like living rooms from Elle Decor. It's always sensory overload.

Maggie, Anna Maria Horner, and Pierette

While the goods were fantastic, catching up with people was really a pleasure. Yes, it's tough to have a heart-to-heart with a designer or editor when people right behind you are taking her photo. But I think there's such pleasure in talking with others who love the same things you do. Because so many of us work at home and because of blogs, we've learned about each others home lives and that makes these business relationships a little more personal, too—how are your kids? Is your mom feeling better? Are you really on an ice hockey team?

Finally, I had the extreme pleasure of sharing Market with my Texas daughter, Maggie. The Home Ec team decided they just couldn't make it to Market and so Maggie came in their stead. She gathered lots of goodies for the shop, some that Codi specifically requested and some we thought she and Alisa would like. There was one crazy moment when Sample Spree was about to end and Codi and I were calling back and forth so I could find out if I should purchase fantastic Japanese zippers and we kept losing our phone connection. The announcers were saying Sample Spree was over, I was frantically trying to describe the zippers, and the guys were starting to pack up—mania! In the end, victory (and zippers) were ours.

Apologies for the funky layout...I decided it was better to finally get it posted than to make it perfect!

Yoshiko Jinzenji fabric and perfect quilting

Marny and Jill of Modern Quilt Relish--Iowa gals!

Modern Quilt Relishbooth-they also one made for Daisy Janie

Seven Islands booth-lunch bags

Malka Dubrowsky and her new fabric for Moda,A Stitch in Color--Wow!

Cloud 9 has a new line based onGrandmother's drawings

Alexander Henry's booth is always aknock-out

Thelovely Alyssa's work in her Penguinand Fish booth

Maggie with Amy Butler's clothing in the softest-ever voile

Deploy that Fabric camouflage quilt

Love this concept and the cover quilt (above)

Weeks and Bill Ringle have launched ModernQuilts Illustrated and it's gorgeous!

A cow quilt from Mary Lou and Mel's new book

American Jane (Sandy Klopp) knocks my socksoff every time

Ty Pennington's booth with (getit?) ties

Making the most of down time: Kaffe knits and Liza binds

Tina Givens knows how to make the bestof chocolate brown paint

Heading to Houston

2011-10-27T09:55:00.001-05:00

Does Pearl look a tad miffed in her stitched portrait? It's likely because I'm once again leaving her behind. I'm off to Quilt Market. Photos and commentary to come!

(This amazing Pearl portrait was created from a photo by Codi and Alisa at Home Ec Workshop. Check out their shop window for lots of other critters, some nearly as cute as Pearl.)

Have Letterpress, Will Travel

2011-10-22T09:05:00.000-05:00

Kyle in the Type Truck

Interviewing Kyle Durrie was a pleasure. She's the proprietor of a Portland printing business, Power and Light Press, and is touring the country in a renovated 1982 Chevy step van equipped with letterpress equipment. (You can read her story on my Etsy post, here, and on her blog, here. The photos in this post are hers—she's a fantastic photographer.)

Kyle is 31 and after talking with her I was in awe—because of her commitment to her craft and trade, her thoughtful answers to my questions, and simply because of what she's doing. I learned about Kyle's journey when she drove her Type Truck into Iowa City earlier this summer and parked it outside Home Ec Workshop (where proprietors Alisa and Codi kept her parking meter plugged while she printed with the crowds). It was a hot, hot day and I didn't make it to the Type Truck—and have kicked myself ever since, but several of my UI Center for the Book friends met Kyle and printed with her and had great things to say about the experience. You can read about it on Kyle's blog, here.

After hanging up the phone, I gushed about my conversation with Kyle to my husband, but I admit to one funny comment. I said that if one of our daughters had come to us and told us she was going to do this, my first reaction would be "No way! That's crazy! It's dangerous! You can't possibly!" And yet here I was thinking Kyle was such an original thinker and so impressed with her willingness to put her life on hold for a year to pursue this experience. There's a lesson in there somewhere, about fear, taking risks, and letting go. Thanks for that one, Kyle, for reminding me that being a visionary isn't just for people "out there," but those in my own backyard.

Heading to Tahoe

2011-10-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm off on what has become an annual (year one and year two) Lake Tahoe retreat. It is with both excitement and fear that I leave—fear because there are plenty of undone things, but excitement because I'm actually going to sew for an extended period of time...can't wait!

And I also can't wait to see my quilting buddies, who are moving from the category of new acquaintances to longtime friends.

I spent last Saturday finishing up my witch blocks and can't wait to see what the others have come up with. I'll share them with you soon! Have a great week.

Outfitting Babies for the Best Life Has to Offer: Reading and Eating

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Cotton fronts

There's nothing better to celebrate than the birth of a new baby, and no better gift than a quilt. But in reality, I often don't have time to get a quilt done for every new bambino—Paul and I are lucky to be surrounded by young folk who keep on popping them out. We get to hold them, and oooh and aaaah over them, and then hand them back when they're crying. Best of all possible worlds!

Although I can't quite get a quilt done for every baby, I still like to make a little something. And so my go-to gifts these days are some of our favorite baby books, accompanied by a couple of bibs. I typically make one side of quilting cotton, and one side of flannel for soft face wiping. I add a little rickrack, impractical but too zippy to resist. I'm hoping to get a slew of these stitched up on my upcoming retreat.

Flannel backs

As for books, we typically give those that were our daughter's favorites, including The Snowy Day and Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats, Dr. DeSoto and The Amazing Bone and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Stieg, Noisy Nora (a great rhythm for reading aloud) by Rosemary Wells, Blueberries for Sal (kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk) by Robert McCloskey, and Bill and Pete by Tommie DePaola.

There are so many great books for babies and toddlers—what are some of your favorites, old or new?

A Gift from a Quilter

2011-10-09T11:50:00.000-05:00

Friday afternoon I attended the funeral of a quilter. S. was unbelievably talented, particularly with appliqué. Years ago, decades really, I took an appliqué class from her and while appliqué didn't really stick, it's one of those things I have on my "when-I-retire" list (as in, "when I retire I'll alphabetize all my spices, finally read War and Peace and Moby Dick, and learn to appliqué really, really well.") It intimidates me.

But S. never intimidated me. There wasn't a kinder, more self-effacing soul around...her workmanship and color sense were exquisite, but she'd act as though her quilts were just any old thing, in a way that made you laugh, both because she laughed all the time, and because you knew her quilts were really something special. In the program from her funeral was a paragraph she'd written about her quilting, and one line in particular struck me as so true—"Indeed, it is the this initimate relationship between the quilter and the cloth—the needling and holding of the fabric—that makes quilting a uniquely personal art form."

I want to share a poem that was read at her funeral—there were two, and both by Czeslaw Milosz. The first was "Encounter." The second is reproduced below. Thanks once again, S., for sharing a glimpse of something beautiful.

Gift (1971)

A day so happy.
Fog lifted early.
I worked in the garden.
Hummingbirds were stopping
Over the honeysuckle flowers.

There was no thing on earth
I wanted to possess.
I knew no one worth my envying him.

Whatever evil I had suffered, I forgot.
To think that once I was the same man did not embarrass me.

In my body, I felt no pain.
When straightening up, I saw blue sea and sails.

Thinking Outside the Usual Box

2011-09-24T09:00:00.000-05:00


Interior of the New Melleray chapel

If you've read my post on Etsy this weekend, you know in early September I visited the New Melleray Abbey near Dubuque, Iowa. The abbey is in a lovely, rural setting—indeed, until last year the monks farmed the surrounding land. I've known a number of people who visit New Melleray for retreats—the monks rent out 18 rooms for quiet, contemplative stays. The people I know who spend time there aren't all Catholic, but appreciate the opportunity for quiet, reflective time.

Signs demarcate areas in the shop

I went to learn about Trappist Caskets, the business that supports New Melleray. Sam Mulgrew is the general manager of Trappist Caskets. Sam is not a monk but is a woodworker, and actually made caskets himself before bringing the idea to the monks. He explained that creating these furniture quality caskets fit well with the life of the monks—the attention to detail and care with which the caskets are made matches the calm, reflective lives the men lead.

On left, Brother Felix, who has made more than 1,000 caskets

As I walked with Sam around the workshop floor, I saw men engaged in the work at hand. While they talked occasionally, there was no shouting across the room, no blaring radios.

Cremation urns drying

The monk's approach to their work—evaluating each piece of lumber to determine its best use, managing their forest sustainably, keeping the end use of their product in mind—is wholly integrated with the lives they lead. I don't know that I've ever seen a place where work and values align so closely. It made me wonder whether this kind of attention is possible only in a place that's separate from the world. The concept of intertwining your belief system and your daily life so completely is enticing.

I'm not Catholic and I don't plan to be buried when I die, but I left Trappist Caskets having gained insight into embracing both those decisions in life.

Flippin' Knitting

2011-09-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Last spring, a woman at a meeting sat next to me with the loveliest scarf. It was short and flippy on the ends and had the most charming little bobbles. I complimented her on it and lo and behold, the very next week (okay, so the meeting was Weight Watchers), she brought a copy of the pattern for me. A total stranger did this. I love people who love textiles.

The pattern is by Kat Coyle (just found her blog and it is well worth a visit—a super-talented designer with a bold and bright color sense—her lace knits are lovely) and was originally in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007. You can find it on Ravelry here.

I made the red one in the spring for myself and was delighted to learn how to wrap and knit stitches and make bobbles...two new skills to accompany my learning to knit cables earlier this year. I settled on Blue Sky Sport Weight 100% Baby Alpaca from Home Ec—very cozy against my neck and it knitted fairly quickly. I decided to knit one in green for my Minnesota sister for her early June birthday. I'm feeling a little sheepish that I just finished it and sent it off, but she probably wouldn't have gotten much use out of it in July and August, anyway. (The colors really don't look nearly as rich in the photo as they are in person.)

And did I keep going to Weight Watchers? Well, yes, for awhile. But I got derailed by Italy, visitors, vacation at the lake, etc. Will. return. soon.

Share (Quilt Blocks) and Share Alike

2011-09-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

I’ve never (successfully) been a part of a block exchange.I’ve wanted to join one, but just never had the time to follow through (that’sthe unsuccessful part). So last year, when I was at Lake Tahoe with Mary Louand friends, I was delighted when someone suggested we have a witchblock exchange. The witch was modified from a pattern that I think had itsroots in one of Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran’s fantastic, freeform books. (Youcan see Cherise’s incredible version of this quilt below.)

One of my fellow retreaters, De, offered to create a patternand share it with us, which she did last year. Then Mel made a variation ofDe’s template pattern using strips. I didn’t get started on these until I wasat the lake in August and only have one completely finished. But I have all thesegments of the other 14 blocks ready to go.

I admit that used to be a bit of a snob about noveltyprints. Some slip too far over the edge of cutesiness, particularly if you don’thave a baby or grandchild for whom you’re stitching. And who really needs aHalloween quilt? But as my friend Anne R. reminded me yesterday, most quiltingthese days doesn’t have a whole lot to do with need. And is there a betterexcuse for buying skull and crossbones fabric?

I’ll share the results with you in mid-October, when theretreaters gather and swap blocks…it will be a perfect example of what Ilove about quilting—the way that one block can look so different, depending on the fabricsused to make it.

Have you had any experience with block exchanges? Any stories you'd be willing to share?

Happy Birthday, Little Beanie

2011-09-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

Today is my youngest daughter's birthday. I was lucky enough to have her here over Labor Day weekend, and since she left yesterday we gave her her presents. The one I'd like to share with you is a circular scarf I knit for her.

Rebecca, (affectionately known as Beanie or simply The Bean), has rather exacting tastes and making something she likes isn't easy. But when I saw this lovely, golden Madeline Tosh DK yarn, I knew she'd love the color. I chose to make this circular scarf, Honey Cowl, a freebie pattern also from Madeline Tosh. I started this mother in May, taking it to Italy with me. I figured it was a simple pattern and would be perfect for those times when I'd be distracted and have to put it down. Even so, I pulled out rows multiple times...not sure how this happened on such a simple, 4-row pattern. But in the end I am very happy with it, and so is Rebecca. She put it right on and even wore it home on the plane, which delighted me no end.

So Happy Birthday, Beanie—Love you lots!

Vacation Round-Up

2011-08-29T16:43:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in my previous post that I recently returned from vacation. It was an incredibly relaxing couple of weeks (yes, I said COUPLE). I'm not sure when we last took two actual weeks for R&R, but we did this time.

Friends helped print the signs

The bride's dress, elegantly simple, suited her perfectly

The first part of the vacation was spent at a wedding in Wisconsin. It was a lovely event during which the bride and groom's siblings played piano and bass and read poems. Every audience member got a kazoo when walking in, and we all joined in on All You Need is Love as the couple and their families left the auditorium.

Cupcakes rested on hand-dyed, hand-cut papers

The reception was special in many ways, but I thought you'd especially appreciate that the bride made gazillions of lovely decorations...hand-dyed paper garlands on the walls, "doilies" under the cupcakes, letter press printed programs, place cards, table numbers, etc. She also created some enormous honeycomb structures that held lights for the ceremony, as well smaller ones that adorned the reception tables. It was a joyful event with lots of fun dancing.


Table decor, made by the bride


Loved the stitching on this guest's jacket

I'll share a few photos of the next part of the vacation soon. It included sewing and knitting, along with floating in inner tubes and drinking beer. Now there's no need to wonder why I was so relaxed and suffering from my return to real life. It doesn't get any more restful than that.

You May Already Be A Weiner!

2011-08-27T16:08:00.000-05:00

We have a winner (weiner), chosen by my random number generator, my husband. The winner is Vicky F. Send your snail mail to me, Vicky, and get ready to enjoy a fantastic volume!

Thanks to all who entered. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to write some really wonderful tales about your friends in fabric—touching, funny, sweet, and sometimes bittersweet. If you haven't read them, I encourage people to take the time to do so. They're proof of the bond created by textiles.

Today's photo is one from my vacation at the lake. We got back a week ago today and I still haven't accepted that it's time to get back to reality. The picture gives you an idea of why re-entry is so tough...it's a lovely, soothing, and Internet-free place. Next time I'll post some photos of the witch blocks I stitched on a rainy afternoon in the cabin.

Thanks again for writing, and I hope you continue reading Pearl the Squirrel. And continue sewing with your friends in fabric.

Friends in Fabric, Redux...and a Give-Away!

2011-08-22T09:57:00.000-05:00

I've written previously about the friends I've made through textiles, and it's time to mention two of them again. My buddies Mary Lou Weidman and Mel McFarland are not only two of the most down-to-earth, most fun, and most talented women I know, but they've come together to create a new book Out of the Box with Easy Blocks: Fun with Free-Form Quilting.

I've had the good fortune to hear about and see bits and pieces of the book as the quilts came together, and last fall in Lake Tahoe I even got to make a shoe block that wound up (on page 71, in case you're looking) in a quilt featured in the book's gallery of quilts.

Mary Lou's French fabric pineapple quilt

If you've read Pearl the Squirrel for awhile, you've heard the tale of how we all met—I interviewed Mary Lou for an American Patchwork and Quilting article and she wound up inviting me, a total stranger, to Quilt Market. And there I met Mel who turns out to live not too far from my parents in California. Since then I've had the opportunity to get together with them in Lake Tahoe (here and here) to sew. I also took a class from Mary Lou at John C. Campbell in January 2010. So despite our geographic differences, our paths have crossed, all thanks to fabric and sewing.

Mel & cow quilt at my parents' home in S.Cal

The new book really reflects Mary Lou and Mel's spirits—lots of cheerful imagery that celebrates special occasions and the everyday. The patterns give you an opportunity to create quilts for birthdays or babies and there are fantastic instructions to create the cow quilt, letters, cats, fruit, and more. After you've tried a few of them, you'll be ready to make just about anything you want.

So, in honor of my fabulous friends and their colorful, inspiration-filled volume, I'm giving a copy away. For a chance to win, leave a comment about one of your friends in fabric—at the very least, tell me her or his first name, and if you're feeling chatty, tell us a story about that friendship. One lucky commenter will be selected at random to receive a copy of Out of the Box with Easy Blocks!

Last day to comment will be Friday, August 26, so get cracking! I look forward to hearing from you.

Digging into Your Past and Finding Your Future

2011-08-04T14:31:00.000-05:00

I mentioned that I've joined the local rowing club, and the experience got me thinking about the way things resurface in life—those things you used to do, but don't anymore.

There are entire periods of life when it's possible to be obsessed with some activity—car repair, canning, going to movies, playing cribbage—and then for one reason or another you quit. Sometimes it's circumstances—you move and no longer have a garage to store your old Corvair, or you have a baby and the hours you spent in darkened theaters with a box of buttered popcorn are now filled with weighing the pros and cons of bibs and bottle warmers. Or maybe you fixate on something new and different and it overtakes your former preoccupation.

Sometimes these old passions disappear forever, but as I've gotten older I find that often they reappear, albeit in a slightly different form. I realize that part of what I love about rowing is that I’ve always enjoyed being on the water in a small boat—I've taken numerous canoe trips, taught sailing, and in high school I was on a flat water kayaking team. Sewing is the same—I quit for many years, and then a friend taught me to quilt and my love of stitching returned. My old obsessions may have morphed, but the fact that they’ve resurfaced makes me think they're an essential part of me. I may not see the connection right away, but eventually I look back and see the pattern—of fascination, absorption, and exhilaration.

How about you? Is there something you do today that is linked to a passion from your past? What did it used to be and what does it look like now?

One River and 46,000 Glass Tiles

2011-07-28T09:25:00.002-05:00

During the summer of 2008, when the Iowa River reached far beyond its banks and wreaked havoc across the state, the University of Iowa was in the process of building a boat house for its women's crew team. They stopped what they were doing, watched the partially-built structure submerge, and once the river subsided made flood-proofing alterations, knowing that the river would inevitably rise again. The result is a LEED-certified structure that sits at a bend in the river, affording views both up- and downstream.

One of my favorite features in the boathouse is a mosaic of a rower, gliding across the river's turbulence. It was designed and constructed by Des Moines artists Rebecca Eckstrand and Tom Rosbourough and is constructed of 3/4-inch glass mosaic tiles—46,000 of them—laid by hand and designed to withstand flood waters. Take three minutes to check out this video that shows the mural, the process used to create it, and the boathouse.

In June, my husband and I stopped to see the mosaic at an open house and were surprised when the tour guide ask us if we'd like to try rowing. I've long admired the sport, but have a few injuries and wasn't sure I could row. Here was an opportunity to find out.

Suffice it to say that not long after I signed up for a two-day learn-to-row workshop and survived. And after that, I joined the Hawkeye Community Rowing Club and have been on the water two and sometimes three days a week. Each time I'm both thrilled and terrified. I'm also surprised how much focus it takes. I never noticed Paul on the river bank, taking this photo (that's me in the front, my first time in a two-person scull). Suffice it to say that I am in love—with learning to row; with being on the river at 7 a.m., when only a few hardy walkers stride the banks and our boat scares up an occasional egret; and with the knowledge that my body can still take on, and meet, a challenge.

A Real Headache

2011-07-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

The daughter of some friends recently underwent surgery for a brain tumor. She's a college student, 20 years old, and it was a frightening event for all concerned—hell, it was every parent's worst nightmare.

Despite this, her parents were paragons of calm—the mom told me that she felt that she needed to hold it together so that her daughter wouldn't be even more frightened before the surgery, but that she sobbed after leaving her daughter en route to the surgical suite.

Fortunately, things seem to be going well. The tumor was benign, and though she had to be re-hospitalized for a few days, she's home and the stitches are out.

While friends brought the family meals, and while I knew that was highly useful, I decided on a (totally impractical, particularly for a 20-year-old young woman) sock monkey. This time, I followed the directions while making the monkey. E's school colors are red and black, so I made a hat from a crimson baseball sock and embroidered a black "E" across the front. Then I made a pair of crossed band-aids from wool and french knots and stitched them on the head, where they can be hidden under the hat. (Indeed, I got the sweetest thank you note from E, who said that now that she'd gotten her stitches out she had one less thing in common with the monkey.) I used scraps of my Woolylady wool for both the band-aids and eyes and was reminded what a pleasure stitching through wool can be...like butteh!

I was a little worried about giving her this rather odd gift, as I don't know E all that well, but was gratified that the entire time I visited she kept the monkey in her lap. And I am so, so happy that she seems to be doing so well. I think their experience is part of what informed the last paragraph I wrote for my recent Etsy post on The Oxford Project: "Sorrow and fear, passion and joy will find you, and the completely unexpected can happen whether you strike out for parts unknown or move just down the block."

Clothespin Pleasures

2011-07-18T09:14:00.000-05:00

People who hang out clothes get lots of environmental brownie points. But long before clotheslines represented doing without for the greater good, I loved to clip sheets, sleepers, and socks to the line. I actually felt guilty about taking the time to do something so pleasurable rather than using the much quicker and more efficient dryer. Hanging clothes on the line was and still is my very own brand of hedonism.

The appeal is not just the smell of freshly hung clothes, or the fact that once hung, many need no ironing. And it’s not just feeling the sun on my back or hearing the wind swish through the walnut trees, or of catching sight of kingbirds chasing white moths or the oranges and pinks of blooming daylilies.

It’s the way clotheslines display textiles, threads splayed to catch the sun. And I get to handle each piece of fabric twice…once in it’s limp, mangled, wet stage and again when it’s crisp and flapping. And when I do I am reminded of where each textile fits into my life. The red-and-blue dishtowels I wove more than 15 years ago that still get used weekly, the hand towels monogrammed by my mom, even the rags that used to be my favorite nightgown or a diaper that belonged to my now-grown children—these fabric bits and pieces conjure everyday kinds of happiness.

I adore my antique quilt and the silk-embroidered table runner from Iraq, textiles so precious that I protect them from fading and friction. But my clothesline let’s me feel the density of knit sweatshirts, the airiness of linen skirts, the raised stitching on days-of-the-week dishtowels. It feeds my obsession for the tactile and visual elements of textiles, past and present, and lets the daydreams and memories unfold with the napkins and fly with the sheets.

Old Friends

2011-07-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

I think that every quilter was attracted to a traditional quilt at one time or another. Whether you were fortunate enough to have one passed down through your family that you snuggled under at night, or a quilt caught your eye as you perused the merchandise at an antique store, old quilts often are what got us quilting in the first place.

But just because we loved or were intrigued by an old quilt, doesn't mean that's the kind of quilt we want to make. My initial interest in piecing came not from a family quilt, but from patchwork-y things I made in the 1970s, like the purple and brown floor-length patchwork skirt I stitched in high school. In recent years, it's contemporary fabrics that make me want to sew and I'm an unabashed ~~color whore~~ color hound (but I am pretty promiscuous in my love of color).

So I was surprised to find myself bringing home an antique quilt. Every year there's a show in Kalona and the displayed quilts are a combination of antique and contemporary. I'd gone to see a quilt made by quilter extraordinaire Erick Wolfmeyer and was sucked in by the antique quilts. There were three that I was drawn to and when Marilyn Woodin (original owner of Woodin Wheel antiques and founder of the Kalona Quilt show and the textile museum there) told me I'd made good choices, I couldn't help but buy one. (When I got home with it, Paul said, "You've been with an enabler." Indeed I was. Marilyn complimented my choices and told me this quilt was the perfect start to my collection. Which doesn't exist. Yet.)

According to Marilyn, this quilt is from the 1880s and the cheddar fabric is likely from the 1860s (it's not just my friend Mary Lou who believes every quilt needs some cheddar). And Marilyn said this is a T-square block, popular with the followers of the temperance movement.

I think it's got a lot in common with contemporary quilts—it's graphic and there are certainly some unexpected colors and fabrics in there. Everything old is new again. I've got it atop the spare bed in my study, where I can see it every day, and see something new in it every day, as well.

Destiny

2011-07-01T18:50:00.001-05:00

Okay, so perhaps destiny is a bit grandiose...but when I was in Virginia my mom was packing up her suitcase and pulled out the shoe bags she's used for my entire life and what were they made from? Feed sacks!

It turns out that decades ago my mother went to my aunt's farm in Minnesota and picked the sacks out especially to make these. I took a close look and sure enough, there were the former stitching holes Mike Zahs told me were a sure sign that the fabric had once been a feed sack.

Apparently feed sacks have been tucked away in my brain all these years. And now I'm a little obsessed. In my family, when someone has something you really like, you tell them "I get it when you die!" I told my mom I definitely get these when she's gone.

There's a great outdoor antique sale every 4th of July in nearby Solon. This year I'll have my eye out for feed sacks, for sure!

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend, everyone!

From My Baby to Yours

2011-06-27T10:30:00.000-05:00

Back from some additional travels—we went East to watch my nephew Karl receive his diploma in Virginia. It was a great family gathering that included my parents, sisters, bro-in-law, and even my daughter Rebecca, who flew from NY.

Rebecca's been working in NY for nearly a year now and she's had a fantastic boss who's been a real mentor. She has made it possible for Rebecca to stretch herself, taking on substantive work beyond her role as administrative assistant. She's also a caring person with a good sense of humor (I've actually never met her, but know these things from Rebecca). So when I heard that she was having a baby, I decided that the perfect thing would be to offer Rebecca a quilt to give her. As my sister so aptly said I should write in a card "I hope someday someone is a kind and caring to your baby as you've been to mine."

Rebecca picked this scrappy triangles quilt from my stash of tops and it provided a great excuse to finish it. I quilted it myself and while I did a reasonable job, I can't say that I really enjoyed it. Even when I start out intending to make big loops, my quilting gets smaller and smaller and takes forever. When I got to the borders I decided a series of parallel lines would be fine, and I think in the end, they are.

The piece is a true stash-buster: the only fabric I purchased for it was the graphic red and yellow dots (Beetle Boy by Ellen Crimini-Trent for Clothworks) for the inner border and binding and I am really happy with the way it picks up the colors and extends the wonky center's playfulness. Place a baby on his tummy on this quilt and he'll have lots to look at.

I was madly sewing on binding on the plane and at my sister's house, so that I could send it back to NY with Rebecca. Finally got it finished, and yes, that is a Great Dane (my sister's dog Danish) snoozing under the quilt. But no need to worry—the quilt was thoroughly washed and de-dogified before it was given.

Seed Savers

2011-06-23T15:40:00.001-05:00

In my previous post I mentioned a three-hour drive to Decorah, and it was to visit Seed Savers for today's post on Etsy. I'd been to Seed Savers once before, but it was autumn and after a hard frost. It was lovely, but not quite like going this time of year, when the urge to garden is strong (in late October, my gardening instincts are usually ready to be rested and revived by several months indoors).

At any rate, my friend Anne (see post below) and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Decorah and especially appreciated John Torgrimson, the Seed Saver executive director who showed us around. The work they're doing there is nothing short of amazing. If you haven't read the Etsy story, please do, because it explains some of what Seed Savers is about. If you're really interested, make sure to visit their extensive website, because I could only fit so much into an 800-word post.

One of my favorite facts that didn't make it into the story is that while at the grocery store you might be able to buy 4 kinds of potatoes, Seed Savers has 800 kinds. And they have more than 4,500 varieties of tomato seeds! Their seeds are available online and at 500 seed racks around the country. And if you're in Iowa, make sure and plan an afternoon at Seed Savers—nearly 900 acres, with hiking trails and gardens.

The Egg and I

2011-06-21T12:08:00.001-05:00

Earlier this month I headed three hours north for an Etsy story and my friend Anne agreed to accompany me. Anne and her husband live on a farm close to town and there's always much to anticipate as I drive down the road to their house. There's a guaranteed welcome by Penny the dog and the sensory delights of checking to see what's blooming along the path to her front door. (This time—roses. See below.)

Anne and her husband have an incredible amount of energy, and along with the flowers and pets, there's usually something new to admire. Each year they plant an enormous vegetable garden and her friends (me included) wait for the inevitable email saying they have way too much asparagus or rhubarb and we're welcome to stop out any time and get some.

This summer, they've added six chickens to their farm. Years ago they had chickens they butchered, but it's been a long time and these six are likely to be egg-layers only...Anne says she just can't imagine eating them this time around.

Before we left on our road trip, she took me out to the lovely little outbuilding they'd cleaned up for a coop, and we gathered eggs. The chickens pecked at my painted toenails while I shot photos, then escaped out the coop door. We rounded them up without too much trouble and then marveled at the eggs they'd laid—they've been producing an egg apiece daily, and Anne (a former caterer and fantastic cook*) has been making all manner of egg dishes.

When I dropped her off that evening she bequeathed to me a dozen brown eggs and all week I ate omelettes and scrambled eggs with toast. I'd forgotten how simple and good eggs can be, and these were so fresh and the yolks so firm and golden.

Summer really is my favorite time in Iowa for so many reasons—the Farmers' Market and friends like Anne are definitely at the top of the list.

*An example of Anne's cooking: The lunch she fixed for our road trip—wraps stuffed with a chicken she'd smoked, along with asparagus and lettuce from her garden, and for dessert, vanilla Greek yogurt topped with sliced strawberries, also from her garden. My MO had been to grab grapes, granola bars, and bottled water. Thank goodness for friends like Anne!

Textile treachery

2011-06-06T15:37:00.001-05:00

Like many a textile-lover, I'm fond of fibers of any ilk and can't stay true to just one. I love to sew, I love to quilt, I love to needle felt, and I love to knit (crocheting is still beyond me, but on my radar of things to try). This past winter, while it seemed that I wasn't sewing much, I was still knitting. Winter is the only time I get really into watching TV, and knitting is the perfect way to make me feel slightly less guilty about it. So I spent some winter knits curled up with needles, yarn, and Law and Order.

I've always been intimidated by a lot of knitting because it seems so numbers-oriented. But enough people convinced me that even I, a math-phobic, could handle cables. So I gave it a try, joined Ravelry, and made the Gretel beret by Ysolda Teague. And what did I discover? Knitting cables is the most freakin' fun I've had in ages! I loved this pattern because every row was different, but not too long, and I had that incredible feeling of satisfaction from learning to do something that's scared me.

I knit it in a washable wool (I think it was Cascade 220 Superwash) in an orange that I thought would look good with my big ol' brown down coat.

The only problem is that it is huge. The pattern has three sizes and I wanted a bit of the snood look. I started knitting the snoodiest of the three sizes and realized that would be enormous, so ripped it back significantly and went for the medium size. Even then, as my husband said, to make this hat fit I need to grow dreadlocks. I really did swatch it beforehand, but somehow it didn't work out.

Pearl supervised my photo shoot. Sorry I didn't get a picture of it on someone, but I was trying to save myself the humiliation of being laughed at, which is what even my dearest friends have done (they try to be supportive and say it's just fine and then they see it drooping to my shoulder blades and crack up).

I'd still really love a snood with cables. Does anyone have a pattern they've tried that they'd recommend?

And now for something completely different...

2011-06-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

Iowa is the land of cicadas. There are some nights in mid-summer when their drone nearly drowns out conversation. Their carcasses litter sidewalks and lawns and remind me of the feather-weight husks of tomatillos. These signs signal the warm nights of July and August, but they don't exactly make cicadas endearing. Still, when I saw this short about a film being made about cicadas, I was intrigued.

Check out this short feature about Cicada Princess from Kickstarter. (If you're not familiar with Kickstarter, be prepared to spend some time wandering through the amazing projects. It's where the idea came from for the Etsy post about artist Julia Sherman's project with the nun doll museum.

Textiles, Italian style

2011-05-27T18:17:00.001-05:00

There's been a lull on Pearl the Squirrel, and I confess it's because I've been away. Yup, I just left home for 12 days...the longest stretch in many a year. I was fortunate enough to accompany my husband to a meeting in Italy, and then we stayed on for another week and met up with my daughter and her husband and had an absolutely fantastic time. Aside from getting lost on the autostrade a few times, all went well (we even got bumped up to business class on our flight over and those luxurious seats make it possible to actually sleep—what a fantastic treat!).

In addition to all the glorious scenery, churches, food, etc., I found myself drawn to the way Italians hang their laundry on clotheslines they string ingeniously from window frames, shutters, etc.

I have a real thing for my own clothesline, hanging clothes when using the dryer would be much more efficient. Although I thoroughly enjoy the fact that I'm not spending money or energy when I use my clothesline, there's something about all aspects of hanging out laundry—the way the colors of wet clothes are deep and saturated, seeing fabrics fluttering in the wind, and getting to fold them up and pop them in my wicker clothes basket, often no longer in need of ironing—that warms my textile-lovin' heart.

So I give you my Italian laundry series...

Feed Sacks, Continued

2011-05-09T22:38:00.001-05:00

Thought those of you who read the Etsy feed sack post might enjoy a few more photos: The exhibit was sensational and Mike Zahs knows so much...I kept encouraging him to write it down, because it will be a shame if his extensive knowledge is lost. He's obsessive, in the best possible way, and one thing I really loved was that he so admires the women who used every last bit to make sure their families were clothed and comfortable. He's even got a doily crocheted from the strings used to hold feed sacks closed.

Enjoy, and plan a visit to Ainsworth the last weekend of 2012!


This piece contains 561 squares of 134 different sacks.


Feed sack from the 1950s with sailor doll. Sew, stuff, and enjoy.


The Corn of Tomorrow, Today

Border prints above. Some of Zah's 31 new feed sacks below.

One crate full from Zah's collection. He has nearly 50 crates.

Three colorways of a single feed sack pattern

A book of feed sack sewing ideas


A fantastic spider web quilt made with solid and striped sacks

Ainsworth Opera House: tables set for lunch and dinner meal served as a fundraiser

A Case of the Blues

2011-05-06T18:10:00.000-05:00

I've always had a thing for blue. When I was young it was hands-down my favorite color. While I'd no longer say that was true (because I can no longer imagine narrowing myself to ONE color), I still find myself drawn to it again and again. So when I got an opportunity to write about indigo, I was pleased, both visually and as a writer.

The article appears in the most recent issue of Stitch. I tell you, I get started researching these things and become so fascinated...indigo has an ancient history as a treasured dye, and like so many textile-related things, affected national economies and policy worldwide. In addition to learning about indigo, I had the opportunity to finally write about shweshwe, a fabric that I've had a real obsession with for quite a few years.

I first encountered shweshwe in one of my favorite quilt shops—Eagle Creek in Shakopee, Minnesota. At first glance it reminded me of an old-fashioned calico. But the minute I picked up the bolt I realized it's another beast entirely. First, the fabric is only 36" wide. The second striking thing is that it's as stiff as a board (it washes up to a lovely softness). Intrigued, I bought a few fat quarters and used them in a quilt I made for my aunt. (The shweshwe is mixed in with many other blue fabrics above. The pattern is from a several-year-old Quilt Sampler. If you're interested, leave me a message and email address and I'll let you know which issue it's in.)

I could find little out about the fabric until I found the folks from Marula Imports at Quilt Market. There I learned that shweshwe comes not only in blue, but red and brown (blue is still my favorite). It was first created by the Dutch and shipped to South Africa for sale, where it was snapped up by locals. In 1980 production moved to South Africa. The Da Gama company, which produces the 3 Cats line (check the back of the fabric for the distinctive logo), is environmentally and socially conscious, providing jobs for many skilled and unskilled workers (it's 40 percent worker-owned) and uses cotton from an emerging South African market. So not only is it lovely, but you can feel good about using it.

The only problem I've had with it is that the dye will run for a long time if not properly laundered. Marula has great washing tips on their web site, along with all sorts of background and other info on shweshwe.

A few years back a friend of my husband's casually mentioned he was going to South Africa and did I need anything. I mentioned my love of this fabric and as it turned out, this non-sewing, pediatric intensive disease specialist ended up visiting quilt shops and learning all about shweshwe. And he brought me back the lovely yardage above. Not sure that he's a converted quilter, but in the end he didn't seem to mind tracking it down for me. What a pal!

All hail the royal nuptials!

2011-04-28T10:06:00.002-05:00

So, let's hear it for Kate and William, who must not only experience the jitters that plague every couple about to make a life-long commitment, but have to pledge their troth in front of millions, including people crazy enough to get up at 4 a.m. to watch. And think about the walk down that aisle...I always watch the Oscars and marvel at the actresses who manage to make it up the stairs in heels and trailing gowns to accept their award. Imagine sashaying down that long gangplank (er, aisle) at Westminster, knowing that half the people were cheering for your uprightness and the other half (all those who imagined THEY'D be marrying the Prince) so wanted you to fall on your tush.

I have to admit that when we lived in England in the mid-80s I told my daughter (then 3 years old) that she'd be marrying the Prince someday. I even showed her Buckingham Palace, her future abode. Instead, she chose to marry three years ago...she found her own (American) prince. And I had enough trouble figuring out what to wear to their wedding...thank God I don't have to worry about a hat suitable for royal nuptials! (Thanks to my friend Susie, who brought me the lovely Kate and Will tea-towel, direct from London.)

If you want to stay up all night in preparation for the festivities, you just might have time to knit the Royal Wedding. These fantastic figures are from Knit Your Own Royal Wedding, a book by Fiona Goble, who apparently also wrote Knitivity, a volume with instructions for knitting nativity scenes. I love that she included a royal corgi!

Best wishes to Kate and Will. May they surpass his relatives in every way (including marital bliss).

More monkeys (and other critters)

2011-04-20T09:09:00.000-05:00

Thought you might enjoy seeing a few more of the sock monkey photos I shot for this week's Etsy post. These are from the collection of Todd Thelan, owner of the fantastic Artifacts. He has between 150 to 200 and his collection has grown over the years. In no particular order I give you more monkeys:

A Chip Off the Old Sock: The Road Trip

2011-04-18T15:39:00.000-05:00

It was back in December that I learned that the official socks for creating sock monkeys are made in Iowa. The Etsy story that appeared today has been planned since then, but it wasn't until three weeks ago that Emily Martin and I took a road trip to Osage and Fox River Mills. Of course we felt it was necessary to take a sock monkey along for the ride and so my orthopedically challenged monkey, Jockoline, rode safely in the back seat.

We stopped along the way to see Iowa's Largest Frying Pan (in Brandon), to gas up, and for lunch at the Teluwat restaurant (seriously good pork products).

Gassing up in Floyd

Emily shares the menu with Jockoline (she can't read)

After dining, we found Fox River Mills. You'd think that given it's the largest employer (around 200 employees) in the county that wouldn't have been hard, but somehow we got lost and had to ask people who were outside raking their lawns for directions. Once there, I made Emily leave Jockoline in the car (Emily is shameless, but I had to remind her I was there for professional reasons and walking in with a sock monkey might have clued them in to my true nature).

Sock critters from the Fox River Mills collection

We were greeted by Mike (PR) and Rebecca (who self-identified as the VP for Monkey Business) and taken to a conference room where they'd laid out sock monkey photos from their history files, along with examples of socks and monkeys they had in their collection. It was a fascinating tale (see Etsy story for background) and I loved the way they embraced the tradition.

Along the wall of the conference room was sock after sock...Fox River produces 140 styles, but the original Rockford Red-Heels are one of the best sellers (Rebecca said some people even wear them).

After our history lesson, Mike took Emily and me on a factory tour. There is something so magical about a the interwoven nature of machinery and workers on a factory floor (The lede I wrote for this Etsy post is about what I saw at Fox River Mills.) The factory was huge and spotlessly clean. (Emily noted later that she'd just been reading about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and that one of the things that made it so flammable was that everything, including the workers, was covered with lint. At Fox River each knitting machine had a suction tube that was collecting lint and moving it overhead to an area where it was recycled for stuffing. Green technology and recycling efforts are a big part of the philosophy of the mill.)

Newly knitted sock before it's sucked into a pneumatic tube

Socks await toe-sewing

Hundreds of knitting machines turned out sock after sock, and these were sucked overhead in pneumatic tubes, inspected and sorted. Stacks awaited the workers who readied the socks for the machines that stitched the toes. Enormous laundry facilities took care of the washing and drying and then socks were stretched on sock-shaped forms and put through an iron/steamer to make them flat and tidy. Finally they were folded and fed into a machine that labeled them and inserted the plastic loop on which they hang on store walls. Throughout, giant, wheeled bins held socks awaiting the next step of the process. We also got to see the warehouse and area where they sell socks directly to the public (via their online store). A totally fascinating afternoon.

Emily inspects an older knitting machine

Sock monkey swag

I am a major fan of cozy socks and was fortunate to be given a sample of one of Fox River's light hiking socks and I'm a convert. Not only am I so happy to be able to support an Iowa business, but I'm thrilled that I'll be so very comfortable doing so. I also got a copy of their pattern book and plan to make a sock critter one of these days. I'm thinking a dachshund might be just the thing.

Next post, I'll share some photos of Todd Thelen's sock monkey collection that I photographed for the Etsy post. Lots more good monkeys!

Give that girl a treadle

2011-03-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I drove to nearby Kalona to take copies of a Quilt County magazine article I'd written to a few of the people mentioned in the piece. Until I moved to Iowa, I thought the Amish lived only in Pennsylvania. But on a summertime drive to Kalona, about 20 miles south of Iowa City, it’s not unusual to pass a farmstead with a large garden, where Amish women walk the rows of beans and squash in bonnets, plain dresses, and bare feet. Hand-lettered signs posted by white houses and red barns advertise fresh eggs, rhubarb, and grass-fed pork. Black buggies pulled by horses wearing blinders dot the roadsides in all kinds of weather.

If you stray off the main highway you encounter Amish businesses, including a general store lit only by gas lamps that sells black shoes in all sizes, and the Stringtown Grocery, where horses and buggies are tied up outside while Amish and Mennonite families shop.Years ago, when I worked on the pediatrics ward of the hospital, we'd occasionally get Amish children and the little ones spoke no English, only a kind of German that one of my friends from Germany couldn't understand.

The good citizens of Kalona have learned to capitalize on Amish rubberneckers like me. Antique stores line the main streets and a fall festival each autumn and quilt festival each spring bring even more tourists. Over the years we've made friends with Ken and Brenda who own the Kalona Antiques Company and a furniture repair and refinishing shop. I took Ken some chairs for repair and while I was there I wandered among the dusty wooden furniture he had for sale—dressers, side tables, and an enormous Mission-style sideboard all held my attention. And then I saw the treadle sewing machine.

I actually did a lot of my early sewing on a treadle machine my mom and I bought for $10 at a yard sale when I was in junior high (and no, I'm not so old that I was a pre-teen in the days before electricity). My mom had a fancy Necchi machine that she worried about me messing up, so when we saw the treadle she told me it could be all mine and I loved the idea. I stitched up skirts and shifts, but eventually my sewing slowed and my mom took the machine out and antiqued the base a light blue and installed the Necchi in—no one remembers what happened to the machine.

There was a rush of nostalgia when I saw that dusty relic and the price wasn't bad, so I told Ken I'd take it. I'm not sure how much I'll use it and it is taking up valuable real estate, but the machine was so lovely I simply couldn't resist. It's much fancier than my first treadle...I can't get over the filigreed metal bits and the ornate transfers that are still intact on the machine.

Probably one of the funniest moments came as I was leaving the shop. The machine didn't have the drive belt, that attaches the flywheel to the treadle, and I wondered where I'd get one. Brenda suggested I check out the Stitch and Sew Cottage next to the Kalona Antique Company. Not only did they have the name of someone who services treadle machines, they actually had drive belts in stock for $8.00. Only in a town where a portion of the population is forbidden to use electricity would there be a treadle sewing machine technician. Kalona may be only 20 miles down the road, but it's truly a world away.

Modern Quilting

2011-03-20T20:32:00.000-05:00

Awhile back (actually, about a year ago right now) I wrote my first post for Etsy about modern quilting and the Modern Quilting Guild. I had the good fortune to chat via email with guild founders Alissa Haight Carlson and Latifah Saafir. Just tonight as I was cruising about online, one thing led to another and I came upon Alissa's blog and a post about a Modern Quilting Guild challenge with Robert Kafuman Kona Cotton Solids.

Check out Alissa's fantastic wonky rectangles, surrounded by halos of quilting, which is on her blog. If you've got a few minutes, take a peek at the many fabulous quilts from the LA Guild. There's also a Flickr group of photos of other Modern Quilting Guilds challenge quilts...haven't had time to check this out yet.

And it looks as though Jacquie Gering, the modern quilter who's inspired so many, was a guest at the LA guild...lucky them! I interviewed Jacquie a year ago January for a Stitch story...I'd been reading her blog for awhile and pitched the story of her Project Improv challenge, which inspired tons of quilters to take a stab at Modern Quilting, to Stitch magazine's editor, Tricia. It's fantastic to see how modern quilting, online challenges, and an entire community of modern quilters seems to grow and grow, and to bring into the quilting fold people who previously didn't think quilting was their thing. I so enjoyed talking with Jacquie and it's wonderful to see her influence spreading...I never cease to by the designs she comes up with, along with the thoughtful commentary she presents. She's got lots of great tutorials on her site, too. Check out Tallgrass Prairie Studio if you haven't before!

Take my breath away...

2011-03-14T09:10:00.000-05:00

Just opened an email from a (non-quilting) camp friend, who sent me the link to a Daily Candy feature on quilter Carrie Strine. I then went to Strine's website, and then her blog. As the photo slowly loaded (my computer is rather lethargic these days) I did literally gasp...the double wedding ring quilt is the perfect combination of Modern Quilting and homage to our ancestors. Here's a quilter I'd like to more about! Thanks for the tip, Annie.

Oooo, baby love...

2011-03-09T17:36:00.002-06:00

Just had to share these photos of Eli and Jack on the quilts that Sondra and I made for them last fall and bequeathed right before the winter holidays. I know we all believe our own babies are the most adorable, but you have to admit these two rank right up there on the Chuck-Them-Under-Their-Chins-Baby-Scale-of-Cuteness. And with expressions like these, their mom Anne looks to have a couple of engaging photo subjects who will oblige her with photo-worthiness for years to come.

Thanks for the photos, Anne!

(The quilts are the Mod Pod pattern from Carolina Patchworks. The blocks are Andover's Snorkel by Cosmo Cricket in two different colorways. Perfect for land-locked Iowa.)

Scrap-happy

2011-03-02T17:45:00.001-06:00

I finished the top of the quilt I started a few weeks (months?) ago at Home Ec. Steff, one of the women in our quilting group used a little folded edge between her top and the border and I thought it looked so lovely I out-and-out copied it.

Of course, I didn't really think ahead about attaching it. I sewed the little strip (an inch-and-a-quarter wide, folded with right sides together) to the border and that worked out just fine for the first two sides. But then I tried the same method for the next two sides it didn't work at all. There was lots of ripping and re-sewing and cursing and gnashing of teeth—luckily the Academy Awards was on to distract me. I never did come up with an elegant solution, but it eventually worked. I ran into Steff the very next day and she told me that she'd sewn her edge to the quilt itself...Duh! A much smarter way to have done it.

Now, the trick will be to take this puppy from a top to the finished quilt stage. I'm finding I'm not a huge fan of machine quilting...I'm more piece-loving (ha!)...but I hate to pay to have a baby quilt finished, so I will likely do something simple.

Here are a few others from our group. Steff's is the one with the brown background. The other two belong to Anna and Amanda. I love how these are all so different!

Vortex to Insanity

2011-02-27T09:11:00.000-06:00

The title of this post is from a movie (video, in those days) that my youngest daughter made with friends when they were 11 or 12. Yes, they titled their film Vortex to Insanity. I probably should have taken this as a clue that the next ten years were going to be challenging, but instead I thought it was absolutely hilarious and have pulled that title out whenever the occasion warrants. (The next ten years WERE challenging, but well worth the outcome. There's lots less insanity.)

However, a new kind of insanity has entered my life as I've discovered Twitter and Pinterest, and my already limited hours of creation have suddenly shriveled. Pinterest is a site where you can post photos of just about anything, categorize them, and then peruse others posts. There's inspiration galore here, but one feels a certain responsibility to maintain one's Pinterest boards as sites of interest. This leads to more hours online of sorting through amazing sites, blogs, etc., and drooling while looking through gorgeous homes, textiles, vignettes, scenery, etc.

And Twitter is much the same. I ping-pong between my "serious" sites (New York Times), photography (Light Stalking), lots and lots of fabric folks (too many to mention), comedians (Andy Borowitz comes to mind), a celebrity or two (Tom Hanks...John Cusack was too weird), and family and friends. In between all that I'm forced to tweet myself. It's all fun, but I do really wonder how anyone gets anything done...I noted that Lizzyhouse is taking a month off from all technology and I can understand the need. Such a brave thing!

So with that whining behind me, I share with you a few more shots from last week's Etsy post on Doris Montag and her amazing collection of tatting and crocheting. Read all about her here. I must say the comments on that story have been amazing...I love how much those items and what Doris is doing with them resonated with readers. Creating these intricate textiles is an insanity all its own, but certainly a more tactile and soothing kind of crazy...with gorgeous results.

A Book About Life and Yarn

2011-02-20T11:16:00.002-06:00

Children's book author and illustrator Michelle Edwards http://michelledwards.com/blog/has a warm and snoggly new book for grown-ups, A Knitter's Home Companion http://www.prairielightsbooks.com/book/9781584799160. It's a comforting compendium of projects, recipes, and essays about the ways that knitting fills the interstices of her life.

The essays touch on husbands and children, on home and giving, on relationships created through textiles, even Iowa City's very own Home Ec Workshop; they're universal in appeal, yet intimate in approach. It's the kind of book that just makes you feel good about the simplest things in life, the kinds of things that occupy most of us each day.

I've gotten to know Michelle a bit, as we've met for coffee and discussed writing, or bumped into one another at Home Ec. She's been extremely generous with her time and advice as I've picked her brain about the vagaries of writing and publishing.

So check out this lovely volume. You can feel good that a kind and clever soul penned it and I promise it will be worth your while to put down your knitting needles long enough to dip into an essay or two. Its ease and warmth will soothe you like the coziest hand-knit shawl.

Sewing in fits and starts

2011-02-09T14:27:00.000-06:00

On my stitching radar for quite some time was the Birdie Sling I'd promised my niece Anna for Christmas. Since she's in Virginia and I'm in the Midwest, I had her go to Fabric.com to pick out the three different fabrics needed for the bag. I had her do this well before the holidays, fully intending to have it finished in time for her to open it on the day.

Instead, Anna got a card with little snippets of fabric attached. (She chose a fabric from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern 2 for the handle and two from her Lotus line for the bag interior and exterior.) And it's taken me more than a month past Christmas to actually complete it. But I did a little bit over a couple of nights and last weekend and it's done.

This is the second Birdie Sling I've made for Anna. Her first was a high school graduation gift and she seemed to love and definitely used it. Last summer she sent me a photo of the now threadbare bag, asking if I could repair it. I told her it would be just the thing for Christmas.

Because she uses it so much, I decided to use the fusible fleece throughout the bag, instead of just in the exterior layer as I've done with some of them. This is the fifth I've made (others are here, here, Anna's original here, and here) and I've got an "order" for one more. Don't hold your breath, Rebecca, I don't seem to be able to whip these out very quickly!

Now my goal is to make sure Anna gets her Birdie Sling before Valentine's Day! (I did throw in a little something to help make up for the delay...hope she remembers to check the pockets.)

Addendum: I've heard back from Anna, who not only sounds quite happy with her bag, but told me that her friends were "fawning" over it (loved that she used that word)! One of them even asked if I'd be willing to make her one, too. Very sweet, I must say, even though I'm not able to go into production mode just now.

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag...

2011-02-04T11:26:00.002-06:00

One of the most fun things about writing for Etsy are all the comments that follow the post. It's very gratifying to know people are reading and that they've enjoyed what they read. This time around I wrote about how bird feeding evolved in the United States and I loved hearing from all the people who were enjoying birds at their own feeders, across the country (except for the woman from Georgia who has bluebirds at her feeder...that just made me jealous).

As always, I got excited by the research I did for the piece. Birdfeeding turns out to have a pretty fascinating timeline that includes big name writers (Thoreau), political policy (the Lacey Act of 1900, the first to protect bird and other wildlife), and 1950s suburbia (where birdfeeders were as de rigueur as cars with fins).

It also provides the perfect opportunity to share this clip from Portlandia. I haven't seen the show in its entirety, but I first saw this courtesy of Monica over at Happy Zombie. I will definitely be checking out this show, soon. Put A Bird On It!!!!!

Stitching Knits

2011-01-31T22:10:00.001-06:00

Sewing clothing has always been a frustrating experience for me, largely because of fit. I'm your basic straight-up-and-down gal without much of a waist. It's that way whether I'm sleek or slightly plump. But sewing patterns never seemed to work for that body type...if the things fit my hips then they were too tight in my waist and if they fit my waist they'd balloon around my hips. (Except for shifts...anyone remember shifts? They were perfect for my body type.) My mom had some complicated methods for altering patterns that my math-phobic mind never let me grasp. So I quit sewing for many years, until my friend Anne taught me to quilt. It was perfect for me. I got to play with color and pattern and never had to worry about darts, set-in sleeves, or zippers.

But as time has gone by I've been intrigued by lots of kinds of sewing. And this weekend, I was brave enough to try sewing clothing again. I took a Sewing with Knits class at Home Ec Workshop with Alissa. There were five of us and it was fantastic...in four hours we all cut out and finished a long-sleeved t-shirt (and many people finished in less time). It was so satisfying, and I wore my shirt all the next day. Sorry not to have pictures, but I used a knit from Moda—a very springy turquoise and white dot from the City Weekend line by Oliver and S. It is so soft and cozy the color makes me think winter may eventually come to an end, something I've been doubting of late. And best of all, Alissa altered the pattern (a Burda pattern, I believe) for each of us in the class, so our shirts actually fit.

All this was exciting enough, but the new Stitch magazine has a fantastic article about sewing with knits, as well as some truly adorable patterns. I'm itching to try the Spiral Skirt. Check it out here. (The instructions are in the magazine.) And if this pattern isn't for you, seriously check out the issue, anyway. It's a real keeper, with explanations of great sewing techniques and tons of fantastic projects and patterns. I'm also seriously thinking about using my stash of Woolylady fabrics to do the cover pillow. And there's a Malka Dubrovsky freebie pattern here. How I love her work!

In addition, there are a couple of short articles by yours truly in the issue. One about Collecion Luna, a wonderful endeavor that seeks to preserve Guatemalan textile traditions while provide a living for families, and another about the New Dress a Day blog, where Marissa creates a new frock each day from an old one (and it can't cost more than one dollar).

Yes, my name is mispelled in the bylines for these pieces...they had a new proofreader and as a former editor I know that these things happen. But they did get it right on the back page, where staffers and contributors were asked about their 2011 sewing resolutions. I said that one of my goals was to take more classes in the new year, and I'm pleased to say I did just that at Home Ec on Saturday.

Share the love

2011-01-31T12:35:00.002-06:00

Just found out about this project Etsy is undertaking (and not for the first year, either). They're asking folks to create Valentines that they'll then distribute with meals provided by Citymeals on Wheels.

For suggestions about getting together with friends to create Valentines, guidelines for the cards, mailing information and more, click here. The only catch is that the cards need to be to Etsy by February 9. So gather some friends and get a heart on (sorry, that was very, very bad).

For inspiration, visit Blah to Tada, who's already repurposed some bits and bobs to create a wonderfully diverse assortment of cheery cards.

And this would be a great project to take to your local Meals on Wheels program for Valentine's Day 2012! (Two years ago the Old Capitol Quilter's Guild stitched holiday placemats that were delivered with Meals on Wheels Christmas dinners—there are lots of potential variations on this theme.)

Collaborative quilting

2011-01-24T11:34:00.001-06:00

I've joined a small group of interested quilters at Home Ec Workshop (Codi calls us Prelude to a Quilt Guild) and we've met a few times now. The group is fairly free-form and our stitching abilities range from newbie to very experienced. Sometimes we just talk about what we've been doing and sometimes we all decide on a small project that we work on between meetings and share the next time. Thus far, I hadn't managed to get any of the projects completed, but this last time I was inspired.

Each of us cut 64 squares of 5.5" background material (I used a print I've had for ages, everyone else picked solids), and 128 half-squre triangles, cut from squares that measured anywhere from 2.5" to 4.5". Then we threw all the half-square triangles in a big pile and plucked out the number we needed. It gave each of us an opportunity to use someone else's fabrics, which were often fabrics we wouldn't have chosen ourselves.

I sewed each block intentionally not color-matching the triangles (although I did often sew a large one and a small one to each background piece). Then I deviated from the original pattern (it's loosely based on Corner Store by Lynn Harris in Pretty Little Mini Quilts) in which the background blocks all faced the same direction (above), forming a kind of flat Star of David.

In a future post I'll share the finished quilt tops. Can't wait to see what everyone's come up with!

Pearl helped, of course.

Bib-elots

2011-01-13T08:57:00.001-06:00

Okay, so maybe the headline is pushing it a bit. Calling bibs "bibelots" (Dictionary.com defines it as a small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity) works on the "small" level, maybe not so much on the curiosity or rarity plane. But they can be beautiful, or at least fun and charming. And if the things we make don't add a bit of fun and pleasure to our day-to-day activities, then what the heck are we doing making them?

Sweet baby Sam

My good friend Sara had baby number three just before Christmas and I finally got to see (and hold) him yesterday. A total sweetie who obligingly made all his little baby faces, fussed and stretched, and then went to sleep on my shoulder.

Baby Sam's grandmother is a quilter extraordinaire, and a hand-quilter at that. I knew he was getting a very special quilt from her so my friend Sondra and I decided to sew some other items. Sadly, our schedules were such that we never managed to get together. So I made bibs.

Flannel backing on left and right bibs. (Pearl refused to stay out of the photo)

My favorites are the ones backed with flannel. (I made two like that earlier this fall, but gave them away before I got photos.) I figure flannel is softer when you want to wipe the baby's mouth off with the bib. I realize the rickrack will likely serve as a goo-catcher, but it's just too hard not to add a bit of embellishment. And I did put batting in these. I think the ones I made earlier didn't have batting. Not sure which is preferable. I have a friend who cuts up old towels and puts a layer in her bibs. I used Velcro for the fastener.

Any suggestions or tips on making bibs for babes? What's your favorite method or pattern?

Stellar Quilts

2011-01-11T22:15:00.000-06:00

Apparently I'm on a video roll, because here's another one. Yes, it's definitely on the far side of bizarre. But the quilts represent an entirely different kind of modern quilting—non-linear, embellished, hand quilted with big stitching. Even though he claims he's from outer space, don't give up too soon...watch to the end to see the stellar quilt. His Etsy shop has more, if you're interested:

Bull Cozy

2011-01-06T20:19:00.001-06:00

If for no other reason, watch this for the music and Olek's victory jump. And think of it the next time you decide a textile task is too big to take on!

Wow! It's 1-1-11!

2011-01-01T17:25:00.000-06:00

Last night we had a lovely New Year's Eve dinner with our stranded daughter (in werewolf arms, at left). She was supposed to return to New York on the 26th, but as you likely have heard not too many flights made it that day. She was rescheduled for the 27th, went to the airport and was told to get on the plane to Chicago where her flight to Newark was promptly canceled. Rather than have her spend days on stand-by we brought her back home and she finally got a plane out at 7 a.m. this morning.

But back to our dinner last night. I've never been a big fan of New Year's Eve—it often seems like a lot of forced conviviality—the last few years our bookgroup gathered and that was fun, but it didn't happen this year.

During our dinner conversation, Rebecca made the point that although New Year's celebrations can wreak of false gaiety, there is something enchanting about the idea of a clean slate and of getting to start all over. I had to agree. And to that end, I asked each of us to share some resolutions.

So here a three of my 2011 resolutions. Sometimes I think if you say them out loud you have to be a little more committed (or a little more wiling to be humiliated).

1. More exercise: Since I left my University editorial job for full time freelancing I've ceased my daily walk to work and back. It was just a bit over a mile each way, but it's quite apparent that the effect of that walk was significant. So I will be exercising more, whether it's on my treadmill in my basement (ick) or at a gym (ick to the time it takes to get there).

2. Sort writing priorities. This freelance life offers some challenges, trying to fit in various ongoing projects while looking for more. I've got the potential for a couple of big ones on the horizon...the challenge will be figuring out what's worth doing and what's not.

3. Finding time to sew. I've had very few hours in my sewing room this fall and early winter. I miss it and I'm ready to return. First though, a little clean-up is required so that I can actually find my cutting table and sewing machine...they're both piled high with fabric, patterns, and magazines.

Okay, those are three of my big resolutions...how about you? Willing to share any in this semi-public forum?

Happy New Year!

SeaHope Partners

2010-12-28T16:25:00.002-06:00

Thanks to an assignment from Stitch, I had the good fortune to come into contact with Margaret Jankowski, the founder of the Sewing Machine Project. Margaret is an amazing woman, someone who absolutely doesn't let adversity (or even her own self-admitted naivete) get in her way.

The Sewing Machine Project started when Margaret heard an Indonesian woman lament the loss of her sewing machine in the 2005 tsunami. Margaret, a lifelong sewer and sewing educator, could identify with a love of a sewing machine, but realized that for the Indonesian woman it also meant the loss of her livelihood. The loss so moved Margaret that she started gathering used machines in good condition to send to Indonesia. She quickly gathered 75 machines, but realized she had no idea how to transport them. Through a variety of connections she found someone to help, and the machines were sent to those who needed them. Since then she's sent machines to people in need around the world, asking only that the recipients "pay it forward" by teaching someone else to sew or sewing for others in need. After Hurricane Katrina her efforts focused on New Orleans, and to date she's created a partnership with AllBrands and has distributed more than 650 machines in that area. This is the story I wrote for Stitch (it's in the fall issue).

When the Gulf Oil spill occurred, Margaret again wanted to help. She formed SeaHope Partners, and I was able to share that story on an Etsy post that went up yesterday. Check out the bags that Margaret is creating, including the line she's creating with artists (and if you're interested in helping, you can get in contact with her through the Sewing Machine Project site). Margaret's efforts are full time and unpaid, but she's completely committed to doing the work she's begun and she's got more projects on the horizon (see the Etsy story for word on her upcoming efforts).

I love that Margaret has found sewing to be the means to reach out and help. Sewing is pleasurable: it brings feelings of mastery (learning new skills and techniques), of inspiration (working with all those colors and patterns), of comfort (sewing for family and friends), of practicality and self-reliance (making something you could buy, and making it your own). But for most of us it's a hobby or at least a pursuit that we don't depend on to put food on the table. Margaret understood that sewing continues to put a roof over the heads of people around the world and has made it her mission to keep those folks stitching.

If you're puzzling over a great birthday present for a sewing friend, or even a way to honor a stitching friend who has died, consider a monetary gift to the Sewing Machine Project. It will help Margaret get donated sewing machines to areas of greatest need, to people who will love, use, and appreciate them.

(Photos courtesy of Margaret Jankowski)

Happy Holidays to You and Yours!

2010-12-20T20:26:00.000-06:00

(I don't know about you, but I think these birds actually look a as though they're set on committing mob violence, rather than espousing cheerful holiday greetings.)

Many thanks for all your kind words and thoughts about our accident. Life is getting back to normal. I did finally buy a new (used) car and have even taken a road trip to Minnesota...a five hour drive for which I had to muster a little bit of courage. Fortunately all went well.

It's been a busy few weeks, between the car and the holidays. I've created a few things, but unfortunately none could be shown before Christmas and some have been mailed away without photos. I've also had a few assignments to complete and then there were those cookies to bake and a tree to decorate. I'm going to take the week off after Christmas and do some things around the house...including locating my cutting table under the mounds of fabric. We've had cold and snow and I'm feeling a real itch to quilt!

I hope you all have a restful holiday, with time for fun, friends, and family. Peace and love to you all.

Seeing the world while hanging from the ceiling...

2010-12-03T22:41:00.001-06:00

A week ago today my husband and I had a car accident on our way to visit our daughter and her husband in Austin. It's a long story, but suffice it to say that I saw Oklahoma upside down. My husband avoided a car spinning out of control in front of us, but in doing so was forced to drive off the shoulder of I-35 and down into a ditch. We were doing pretty well until the wheel of the car hit a concrete culvert at the bottom of the ditch, the axle bent, the car spun around and rolled upside down. When we stopped moving we were hanging from our seat belts, completely unharmed. (If you want to read this as a testimonial for my 1999 Saab wagon and Thule car top carrier, go right ahead.) People were on the scene immediately and helped us out of the car. We stayed amazingly calm and I even made sure I had my purse before clambering out.

Which brings me to the point of this post—contemplating the importance of "things." As we stood by the car, waiting for EMTs, state troopers, and a wrecker to arrive, it dawned on me that the many things we had in the car were likely ruined—my daughter's childhood Eastlake dresser and her wedding dress, my sewing machine, our computers, a baby quilt I'd raced to finish so that I could stitch down the binding on vacation. The only injury occurred when Paul reached through the broken glass at the rear of the car to rescue his mandolin and cut his finger. I asked the firefighters if I could climb back into the wreck to retrieve the hat I'd been knitting at the time of the accident. (The firefighter understood my request completely. "My wife knits and quilts and all...she'd do the same.")

Our overwhelming reaction to the accident is to be so grateful for escaping intact that nothing else matters. And that's probably the most obvious lesson—everything else was replaceable, or not so very important in relation to what could have been lost. Still, there was a sick feeling as we watched the wrecker flip the car upright, hearing the crunch of objects inside as they shifted from ceiling to floor. And the stench of gasoline that filled the car made it obvious that even if things weren't broken, they smelled like a Mobil station.

I spend my days writing about people who create objects—fantastic quilts, quirky embroidered bags, needle-felted creatures—and it would be easy to feel that it's rather pointless, that losing one of those items would be nothing in the face of losing a limb or a life. But the accident reminded me too that objects are imbued with a past (the wedding dress) or a future (the stash of fabric I'd brought to stitch holiday gifts), a memory (my daughters' childhood obsession with the Roald Dahl books we had stuffed in the car top carrier), a connection (that baby quilt I wanted to finish and pass along to a newborn).

As we sorted through the mess at my daughter's house in Austin, where I was preparing to pitch the gas-fumed cover of what for years we've called "the car pillow," my daughter balked. "Couldn't you try washing it?" she asked. The terra cotta corduroy cover has been worn smooth by the heads of our family members' during countless naps taken over the years—trips to my aunt and uncle's farm, to the cabin at the lake, to college dorm rooms. Yes, objects can be replaced, but they also remind us of our time together, of who we were, of what we long to accomplish, of our place in the world.

We chose to fly home, rather than retrace our steps (and have to drive past the place where we'd veered off the road). My sewing machine, miraculously unharmed, rode under the seat on the plane. We shipped several boxes of clothing and fabric that had been aired out, washed and dried. My daughter's wedding dress is hanging in her closet and her dresser, piled with her childhood books stands in her garage. I'm writing on the same computer that rode in the car top carrier, on which the weight of the car rolled and came to rest. And today I gave baby Jack Henry the quilt I'd finally finished binding.

We have much for which to be grateful.

Get Down

2010-11-28T10:17:00.000-06:00

My latest Etsy post was a pleasure to research. Cookie Vanous and her daughter Dawn Schrog of the Czech Feather and Down Co. were so gracious with their time, despite the fact that they were trying to whip up a slew of door draft-stoppers in time for a craft fair in Cedar Rapids. (Dawn's daughter was going to sell them as a way to drum up some business.)

I learned all about stripped feathers (read more about that in the Etsy post) and got to see the piles of pillows and bedding sent by folks from all over the country for renovation. Their customers are all over the U.S. and the world and they've custom made all kinds of pillows and comforters. I especially loved that if you buy a pillow from them and after sleeping on it for awhile if you want it firmer or softer they'll add or subtract down to make it just right.

Cookie and Dawn also told me their best customers are men. They say that when couples come into the shop the wives will often say "Oh, I could make that...don't buy it, it's too expensive." And the husbands will tell Cookie and Dawn, "I'll be back." And they always are.

After my visit to Czech Feather and Down I'm planning to bring my old pillows in and perhaps combine the down for a nice, new, fluffy pillow. They do such beautiful work and are such nice people, to boot!

Back to My Future

2010-11-19T09:47:00.001-06:00

I've mentioned my love of embroidery: when I was in college I covered my overalls and work shirt (a blue chambray shirt) with butterflies, flowers, cross-stitched seams, a giant tree, and more. I also made lots of patches. In early October my book group decided to have a craft weekend and I brought a dishtowel and embroidery floss and hoops for everyone, and my friend Emily drew the perfect bookgroup motif on each of our towels. And thus my love of embroidery was rekindled.

It took another month to get it finished, but on my way home from Quilt Market I started stitching. I choose blue and green (no surprise to anyone who knows me) and then added a bit of orange steam rising from the cup, just so you'd know the coffee was piping hot. I used a chain stitch for everything except filling in the coffee, primarily because it's the stitch I know best. I also wanted it to be ultra-sturdy so that it would be useful and I wouldn't worry about pulling anything out as I used the towel, which I fully intend to do.

I got so excited I went straight from the airport to Ben Franklin, where I purchased more towels. I've now got stitching firmly embroidered on the brain.

And unfortunately, if I told you what PFS stands for, I'd have to kill you. Our book group (of 18 years!) is sworn to secrecy.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

More Quilt Market photos, but Etsy words

2010-11-12T10:28:00.001-06:00

Amazing applique and quilting by Autralia's Don't Look Now

I had a post on Etsy yesterday about Quilt Market. If you're coming to Pearl the Squirrel from Etsy, there's more on Market here. If you're interested in reading more about Market on Etsy, click here.

Lucy Prior in the Kaffe Fassett booth

Dolls from the Melly and Me booth

By the way, while in NY I had the opportunity to visit the Etsy offices and meet the fabulous Storque editorial team in person. They were extremely gracious and TeenAngster put up with me wandering about with my mouth agape as she gave me the tour. (She's known me for a few years, so perhaps she wasn't surprised by my total lack of cool in the face of so much awe-inspiring, crafty hipness.)

Moda's booth with Momo and Sandy Gervais quilts

From the ceiling hung ductwork covered with green and yellow crocheted granny squares. By the front door were rooms for making phone calls decorated with all manner of Etsy-made items (people don't use their phones at their desks, so although the space is open and enormous, it's relatively quiet). A room divider of hanging balls of yarn, Dottie the speckled dachshund wandering about in her Etsy t-shirt, a ping-pong table, specially designed and stitched quilts that set off a "living room" with couches, lamps, and a coffee table (all vintage and purchased off Etsy), the craft workshop...it went on and on. Thanks to Etsy for welcoming me and sharing their Eatsy lunch with me, as well.

Whole lotta Spandex going on...

2010-11-08T16:29:00.001-06:00

Yesterday my eldest daughter completed the New York marathon! It was a perfect day for the run...sunny, around 50 degrees, fabulous crowds...and we were all there to cheer her on. We started in Brooklyn, just two blocks from my younger daughter's apartment, where we saw the elite men runners, had brunch, and then came back out on the street (Maggie started in the last wave of starters, at 10:45. She ran for Team Boomer, raising money for cystic fibrosis awareness, research, and educational scholarships for CF patients.)

We took the subway, cabbed, and walked blocks and blocks to see Maggie at four separate locations. They wouldn't let us to the finish line, but we enjoyed a reunion on Columbus Ave., complete with cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. She not only completed the entire marathon, but she improved her time by 27 minutes from her previous marathon in San Antonio! Her parents, sister, and husband are in awe and had a fabulous time cheering her on.

The whirlwind that is Quilt Market

2010-11-02T16:28:00.004-05:00

For photos and more information that I didn't get to include, make sure to click on the radio Quilt Market link to the right. It will take you to lots of other posts with lots of perspectives and photos—don't miss it!
Phew! Six days after I returned from Tahoe I headed out for Houston. For a home-lovin' gal like me, it's a little challenging to travel so much. But I must say, Market is always such an inspiration. And it's so much fun to get to meet in person the wonderful folks I interview all year via phone.

This was never more true than this year. I spent the entire month of August interviewing designers for Moda's fall "playbook." This is the catalog they give to quilt shop owners to peruse when they make appointments with their fabric reps. It includes images of all the newest fabrics, organized by designer. This Market their theme was Family Tree and included a family tale of each designer or design team. I was the lucky girl who got to write the 18 bios. (Several of those required multiple interviews, as the "designer" is really a pair or more of designers.) I was so excited to see the final product (at left) and it did not disappoint. Marketing director Lissa Alexander is amazing at coming up with ideas for Moda and her crack team of designers really help her ideas shine.

Ann and Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill

In addition to loving the way it looked, I was so pleased to meet many of the designers I interviewed. On top of being talented, they're a fantastic, friendly group of women and because the theme was family I heard some great stories (see the lede to Sandy Gervais bio at left) that really made me laugh.

Blackbird Design's Barb and Alma

I talked to Sandy Klopp of American Jane (ack!!! no photos) and Alma and Barb of Blackbird Designs (who later won a best booth award...you can see why), Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill (here with her friend Ann), and Barb and Mary of Me and My Sister (sorry, no photos of their super-cheerful booth with great new bags). Talked with several others as well, but was so busy chatting that I forgot to shoot photos.

I got to see a few of my other favorite folks, as well. Here is a photo of Anna Maria Horner and her mom. She was as friendly and warm as Anna Maria, and I was a little envious of how much fun it would be to work together on an endeavor like a Quilt Market booth with one's daughter.

I've always admired Jane Sassaman's work and took the plunge and gushed about it to her. She, too, was as friendly as she is talented and we chatted for awhile. Here's a shot of her with her friend (whose name I have sadly forgotten).

Amy Butler's booth

Right across the way was Amy Butler's fabulous (as always) booth. Amy was busily signing her new book and talking with admirers every time I came by, so I didn't get any photos of her.

Across the aisle was another of my favorite folk, Tula Pink. She's started designing for Free Spirit and it was great fun to see her. In addition to her gorgeous fabrics and quilt patterns (machine quilted with amazing style and speed by her friend Angela), she was sharing little packets of pink and purple M&Ms emblazoned with her name—so cool! Chocolate was everyone's friend at the show...there was lots, but I didn't see any other personalized treats. (Sorry, no photos, again.)

I also chatted with Jenean Morrison, who has a wonderful new line, Wild World, for Free Spirit. Her booth included a fabric covered guitar, table, and bicycle and I heard later that she'd won a booth award. She talked about how much she loved seeing what people did with her fabric—she doesn't do much stitching herself.

Stephanie and Codi

One of the big excitements of the show was that my traveling buddy Codi (of Home Ec) had designed and stitched a quilt for Camelot Cottons and a magazine expressed interest! Can't say much more, but Codi is a true artist (as in, she has a degree in art) and a sweetheart and I'm so excited for her success. Here she is with Stephanie, the company's art director.

As always, Japanese fabrics were incredible. Here is Etsuko Furuya of Echino, sitting pretty in a display of her magical fabrics. We also visited a booth where Codi purchased for Home Ec some of the most amazing buttons, zippers, and trim from a small Japanese company.

Clothing seems to be getting bigger all the time and there were some great patterns for adults, as well as children. Here's one of my favorites—Sewn. Their patterns are enough to make me think that I might try garments again someday, and I love how each one can be modified—a jacket pattern also makes a trench, for example, and you can change up design details to create a new look.

There were a couple of new fabric companies—one of my favorites was Anthology, out of Southern California. Here are some clever folding chair treatments that featured their fabric.

Organic cotton prints were gorgeous, too. Here is Jan of Daisy Janie, getting a ribbon for her booth as Best New Exhibitor. The wonderful Bob Ruggerio is presenting her with the award—he's in charge of media for Market and Festival—a huge job—and he and his trusty assistant Rhianna do their work with ease and a wonderful sense of humor.

Wool continues to make me drool. The Wooly Ladies rich, bright hues are fabulous, and I also loved these warm tones of Mary Flanagan...all hand-dyed, too.

As per usual, Market ran the gamut from the sublime to the downright silly. Here is a fine example: the ironing board cover that features a naked stud-muffin covered by a towel. When you iron over the towel, his anatomically correct physique is revealed (I never got actual proof of this—apparently it was too risque for Market, but the sellers assured us it was so). The cover is available in a blond or brunette model and apparently also comes in a female version, which they claim was in much less demand. (This company sells some really great ironing board covers, too. And this one may be fabulous...it's just that there's something decidedly perverse about running a hot iron over the male member on a regular basis. Ewww.)

There were so many folks I saw whose pictures I didn't take...Lila Scott (technical editor of APQ) and I got to stroll around together and she's always such a treat; Heidi Kaisand of APQS shared photos of a relative's amazing outdoor wedding; Linda Lum DeBono scurrying around, woman on a mission as per usual; Marianne of The Cinnamon Patch, who translated my story for Quilt Country and told me she got so excited about pearl buttons she also wrote a column on them; Karen Snyder of Anna Lena's who was perusing the amazing quilt exhibition and confessed she'd bought a new quilt earlier in the day; Pam of PamKittyMorning with her friend Elizabeth of Late Bloomer Quilts; all my great editors at American Patchwork and Quilting and their related publications (especially enjoyed chatting with Lisa, the editor of All People Quilt, their online site); a quick hello to editor Tricia from Stitch; the list goes on and on. It's so much fun to connect and catch up.

There is one final photo, and that's of me and someone I've admired for years and years and years (since 1985, when I lived in England and saw an exhibition of his knitting). I couldn't help myself and Kaffe Fasset was willing to put down his needlepoint long enough to pose, so I went for it. It was shot by Brandon Mably, who suggested I tuck my name tag into my jacket so it didn't spoil the "liveliness" of my clothing's color scheme. Yup, I'll admit it...I can be just as much a celebrity designer groupie as the next person!

Lakeside sewing

2010-10-27T17:36:00.002-05:00

One of the wonderful connections I've made through my writing is with Mary Lou Weidman. I "met" her when I interviewed her for American Patchwork and Quilting nearly four years ago and we've walked the aisles of Quilt Market together.

Kathy and Mary Lou

In addition, last January I took a class from her at John C. Campbell in North Carolina. Lots of great opportunities have come my way thanks to Mary Lou. This past week another one took place—a sewing retreat at Zephyr Cove on the shore of Lake Tahoe.

There were 15 of us from around the U.S.—most from the West Coast, but there were two Texans and a Georgian. Everyone had taken a class from Mary Lou at some point, many at the Asilomar Empty Spools seminars.

Some folks brought a Mary Lou-style story quilt to work on, while others brought UFOs or other projects they had in the works.

Candy's story quilt about her mom

I only knew five of the people and really enjoyed getting to know the rest. The location was fantastic—a light-filled sewing room with views of Lake Tahoe right out the window—and the company was creative and fun-loving.

Cherise's incredible pineapple quilt

There was lots of laughter and lots of sharing of techniques, design ideas, and fabric. (Of course we had to buy some fabric, too. There's a terrific little shop with a varied and sizable inventory that some people hit more than once.)

Kathy's Hoochy Mama flowers

Lynne stitches her family quilt

Some of us had gathered in Lake Tahoe previously and already had the required Red Hut clothing. After a Red Hut breakfast one morning several of the rest of us got this year's Red Hut sweatshirt. We also had the opportunity to peruse the blown glass jewelry made by Andrea King and several of us took something home. She even took orders and brought them to us a little more than 24 hours later.

Nancy and her new necklace

I learned a tremendous amount simply by seeing what other people were doing.

I think I mentioned that my French Roses quilt took a turn for the better when I laid out my blocks at the end of the first night and someone casually mentioned that I might think about a sashing. Before I knew it people were bringing over fabrics to audition and then someone suggested keystones. I'm so happy with the way it turned out—the black and white lifted it from being fine to giving it a bit of sophistication. The border is still in the works and only about half done.

I also learned wonky Monkey Wrench blocks from Mel and Deb, who were cranking out cowboy and polka dot blocks, respectively. Everyone's work was different and inspiring in its own way.

Carol

Though I went through travel hell on either end of the week, the time I had in between made it all worthwhile. Now, I'm hoping that I've built up some good travel karma for my next two trips—Quilt Market this coming weekend and the New York Marathon the week after.

Apologies for the wonkiness of this post...the quilt blocks are supposed to be wonky, not the blog layout!

Packing up my cares and woe...

2010-10-21T13:02:00.000-05:00

I'm hitting an unprecedented spate of travel just now. Right before I left for the first trip I took a French Roses class at Common Threads. I had no business taking a class just then, but I remembered the pattern from several years ago, when Common Threads opened and I just couldn't resist.

I was totally excited my the red, purple, and green fabrics and I got these two blocks done and all the other pieces cut out by the end of the class. Then I had to pack up and head out. Stay tuned for what happened to this pattern, thanks to the input of a group of creative, talented women!

Generation Stitch

2010-10-09T08:09:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the incredible pleasure of having both my daughters home for a weekend. The younger one had to head out on Sunday afternoon, but Maggie stayed until Wednesday. We had the most wonderful, leisurely time: the weather was gorgeous and we walked to Home Ec and RSVP, had a ladies lunch, and bought a chocolate bar to share in the park. And we sewed!

Maggie's been taking classes at Stitch Lab in Austin and has really taken off on her sewing—she's done some bags and a skirt, but the accomplishment I'm most impressed by is a headboard she made for her guest room for which she had to piece three sections of a chevron-print material. The seams match perfectly.

She has several friends who are in a family way, and for one of them she wanted to make a playmat from a pattern she'd found in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. We modified the pattern a bit to make it a little larger. In addition, rather than the recommended stitching in the ditch, Maggie went for echo-stitching each rectangle (and learned just how fabulous a walking foot is for quilting). The fabrics were stash-busters from my bulging closet...so happy they got used.

We spent Tuesday back-to-back at our respective sewing machines, catching up and listening to tunes. Most satisfying aspect: the entire playmat was completed and Maggie went home with a gift for her friend. Best part: spending time with my sweet girl.

Adventures in Crafting Continue

2010-10-04T16:02:00.001-05:00

In addition to my Gujarati embroidery class, I took a one-night class in needle felting. I'd bought the book Little Felted Animals more than a year ago, although I had no idea how to needle felt. I simply couldn't resist the adorable critters in it.

Codi taught the class, and she had several other books, as well. I made the bird that night from the book Sweet Needle Felts (I think). Codi complimented me on how firm he/she was and you could practically hear me puff up with pride. Really, it takes so little to make me pleased with myself. (A few nights later both girls and Paul and I were g-chatting and they were all talking about the truly important things they are dealing with at work: patients with diabetes, the best ways to handle new administrative duties, the death penalty. And I was showing off felt animals.)

The next morning, fresh from my conquest of felt birds, I got up and made the mouse from Little Felted Animals. I was on a roll. I had this idea that I'd make an animal a week and then I'd really understand how to judge the proportions and I could take off and make my own.

The polar bear was next on the roster and it was then I realized that some creatures are definitely more challenging than others. For the longest time he looked a lot like a rat and building his haunches and shoulders out took some doing.

In the end, I think he could have had longer legs, but I do like his cartoon face. This past weekend I got a start on a Jack Russell terrier, in preparation for re-creating Pearl. That lone black spot should be easy to reproduce!

In searching the web I've discovered probably the most amazing needle felted animals—somehow they have the most expressive faces, yet they're smooth and simple. They're by Victor Dubrovsky, and you can find them here.

Crafting ADHD

2010-10-01T08:40:00.001-05:00

Yes, I'm a quilter, but I can't just leave it at that. Years ago I was a spinner and weaver, I've always been a knitter, and I love to sew all kinds of things that don't qualify as quilts. I've covered a birdbath with broken pottery, used boxes and fabric to make doll furniture, and heck, was even an elementary school art teacher for awhile, so you know I've tried every craft in the book. That's why I understood when a woman I recently met told me she had "crafting ADHD."

A couple of weeks ago I finished a big project and as a treat to myself I decided to give in to my love of all crafts and signed up for two classes at Home Ec. The first was something called Gujarati embroidery. I was a big embroidery buff during my college years (a few samples from my blue chambray "work shirt" and a patch for jeans) and keep wanting to get back to it. So, although I had no idea what Gujarati embroidery was, I decided to give it a try.

The floppy-looking framework for the embroidery at left

Turns out that Gujarati is a region of India and this embroidery hails from there. Our teacher learned it as a young girl (in 1953!) from an Indian man who stayed with her family when they lived in Costa Rica. She was a great teacher and actually gave each of us in the class a sample of the technique stitched out step-by-step on muslin. Good thing, because I certainly had to refer back to it time and again.

The back of Gujarati embroidery

The really amazing thing about this is when you turn it over and look at the back, you realize that there are very few stitches showing. You create a framework and then you weave your thread in and out to create a design. We learned two types of embroidery—one in which the motif's center is filled with thread and one in which it is empty.

Most traditional Gujarati embroidery seems to be one color, but starting with two colors helped us see where we were going. It was a fairly tricky technique to learn, but once I got the basics I could move on to the more complicated patterns. I even made a Christmas ornament using the design as it reminded me of a snowflake...will wait to show that closer to the holidays.

Filled center embroidery at left, open center at right

And as often happens, the first week I learned Gujarati embroidery I went home and read the word "Gujarati" in the book I was reading...Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I'd had the book on my shelf since March 2009 and finally read it. Recommended—a compelling read. And I'll tell you about my other class in the next post.

Top of the morning...

2010-09-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

I've got mixed feelings about pre-cuts. Initially I thought they limited creativity, in the same way that I sometimes think lines of fabric do—everything seems to be thought out for you and there's not a lot of challenge. But I've found that they can be just the thing to kick-start some original thinking. A while back I made a quilt with pre-cuts and it sparked my creation of a quilt without a pattern. That might not seem like much to some of you whose brains think in blocks, but I was quite pleased with myself, as that's not how my head works.

This morning I got up and started thinking about an upcoming wedding. I wanted to give something personal, but to be honest I wasn't looking to create an heirloom. I knew earth colors would appeal to the bride-to-be, and I remembered a layer cake of Deb Strain Cherish Nature fabrics I'd picked up a year or two ago. The colors and images were perfect, and so I made a simple quilt of just squares.

It turned out to be a completely satisfying way to spend a few hours. Laying the fabrics out to distribute lights and darks took nearly as long as sewing them together. Just like last weekend, I was reminded how much I enjoy being in my sewing room, listening to great Saturday programming on NPR (Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, This American Life, The Splendid Table...a total treat, one right after the other), watching Pearl look out the window, listening to the rain. This top and the one I made last weekend were both speedy, but both reminded me of the pleasures of sewing, inspiring me to think about making quilts of more complexity and challenge when I have the time.

For our 25th anniversary, a former neighbor stitched for us a very simple quilt. She made it extra long so that it would cover Paul (who is 6'5"). We still use it, nearly 10 years later, and love it. I wasn't a quilter at the time, but I was so touched by the the time and thought that went into it. There is a time and place for the quilt police, and for blue-ribbon quality quilts, but I'm a true believer in every kind of sewing and quilting, even if the outcome isn't something that will wind up in the quilt history books. The pleasures of making, and giving, and hopefully of receiving, are more than enough.

Pieceful Saturday

2010-09-14T11:02:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I worked on a quilt top. But Saturday Sondra and I got together to sew matching quilts for our friend Anne (STOP READING RIGHT NOW, ANNE!) who is having twin boys in October. Sondra had a baby last October and it was the first time she'd done any sewing, as well. She has a fabulous studio space in the upstairs of her house, with a view of the fields beyond and back-to-back desks where we set up our machines, spread out our fabric, and sewed, chatted, and ate the wonderful caprese pizza (with homegrown tomatoes) and brownies she'd made.

We used Carolina Patchworks Mod Pod pattern, which turned out to be speedy and satisfying. We modified it slightly to make it more appropriately baby-sized. The center blocks are Andover fat quarters in truly adorable nautical designs—bubbles, starfish and squid, life rings, and schools of fish (Snorkel by Cosmo Cricket). Sondra's were in a green colorway and mine were blue, so we choose a Valori Wells print in green and blue to go with them. We each used the same orange for the second set of vertical "frames" (originally it was going to be red, but we decided to save the red for the binding) and are very happy with the outcome.

The weather was gorgeous, so the drive up was lovely—fields starting to turn golden, monarch butterflies flitting along the highway, blue skies with puffy, white clouds—and it was great to hang out with Sondra. Since I left work I haven't seen her much and we had lots to catch up on. It's always so funny when I stop and think that Sondra is just a wee bit older than my eldest daughter, because when we're together I never notice that age difference.

Sewing was fun, but at the end of the day her adorable daughter Emily came home and happily let me hold her. Such a sweet thing. I couldn't help crawling around on the floor with her a bit before I got back in my car and headed for home.

Sewing with friends is the best!