What I Did on My Summer Vacation

A couple of weeks ago we spent five days at my family's cabin in Northern Minnesota. It's a gorgeous place, but the weather was a bit on the cool, rainy, and windy side. It was lousy for swimming, we only got out in the kayaks once, but it was excellent for sewing. I brought along three projects and managed to tackle them all.

First, a sock monkey. My mom and I named her Jockoline, because I cut her legs incorrectly and she looks a bit like she has scoliosis, so I thought a skirt might be just the thing to hide her unnatural curvature (really, who's to say what's a natural curve on a sock monkey)? I still need to make a large buttonhole on the back of the skirt so that her tail won't be scrunched underneath.

Pearl goes bonkers whenever she sees her, jumping up and trying to grab her—she seems to think Jockoline would be the ultimate chew toy.

Second task was to make more yoyos. I've got a bunch of Christmas fabric, so I'm working away at those. Not yet sure what I'll do with them when I'm finished: perhaps a garland, perhaps top a table runner or holiday pillow.




Finally , my mom and I made pot holders. I bought some Insulbright awhile back and wanted to give it a try.

In a classic move, I neglected to read the part that said to enlarge the pattern for the oven mitt that was on the back of the package and ended up making a mitt so small that I was unable to turn it right side out. My mom wisely made square pot holders, using some of this great blue Robert Kaufman fish fabric I had in my stash: the green is a Benartex Winterscapes fat quarter (that's what I'm using for my yoyos).

My mom chose the pot holder fabrics and quilted them and I bound them. I haven't yet gotten a report on how well Insulbright works, but we did use two layers of it (along with a layer of batting to absorb condensation). Hope nobody gets burned! Anyone else ever made potholders, and if so, what did you use to keep the heat at bay?

Blue ribbon winners

It's time to announce the winners of Pearl's giveaway. Congratulations to Sondra, Anne, and cliner1004. Please send me your snail mail address and I'll have a cool ToadUSew pattern in the mail to you. Thanks so much to all who responded. Hope to have another giveaway soon, so keep reading and keep commenting!

We're back from a week away. We spent the first day at the Iowa State Fair. Nearly every year I work in the University of Iowa booth for four hours and then wander around the fair for the rest of the day.

There is so much to see and I never get tired of it—it's incomprehensible to me that many folks have lived in Iowa for years and have never been to the fair—if nothing else, it's an incredible cultural experience.



We never go on the rides, but instead enjoy just wandering around, taking it all in. Some of my favorite sights this year included the butter cow and a butter Neil Armstrong landing on the moon—there was even a butter television replaying the actual moon landing footage; the prize-winning vegetables; the biggest bull, pig, sheep, and rabbit; the kids who casually hang out in the pens with their 4-H animals—we even saw some high school-aged girls bathing and blow-drying a fancy chicken; the girls dancing to Michael Jackson, followed by the amazing boy who sang Ol' Man River, as part of the Bill Riley talent search; and of course the plethora of quilts, knitted and sewn clothing, tatting, and weaving.






I've attached a few of my "food-on-a-stick" photos for your enjoyment (including the one I ate and thoroughly enjoyed—pork chop on a stick). If you scroll to the end you'll even see a nod to healthy fair eating: salad on a stick.

I'd recommend checking out Garrison Keillor's "Top Ten State Fair Joys" from the National Geographic web site—some great photos, too.

In Pearl the Squirrel's next installment, I'll get back to the business of making things, because I definitely did that on my week away, too.

Color, color, color (and a contest)!

The new issue (October 2009) of American Patchwork and Quilting is out, and although I'll admit to some bias for the publication in general (and not just because I write for them, I swear), this one is a special favorite of mine. It's all about color and the projects are so enticing. There's also a great profile of Sue Spargo, whose work I adore: folk-arty, but with a graphic twist, and her use of color gives it contemporary feel. It's an issue worth checking out.

I had the pleasure for this issue of interviewing three great designers/design teams for the Contributors Page. I loved Miriam Kujac's story of starting her antique quilt collection by going to farm auctions as her family took their summer vacations: she's now got more than 400 quilts and rotates them through her house—it must be a constantly changing visual treat. I've long been awed by Flavin Glover's quilted scenes using tiny log cabin blocks: her sheep are special favorites of mine. And I was introduced to Colleen Reale and Chloe Anderson of Toadusew: their quilts are colorful and graphic and just a little bit different. They're also triple-tested by quilters of all skill levels.


Toadusew offered to share some three of their patterns with Pearl the Squirrel readers. So it's not really contest (I just liked the alliteration in my headline) but a giveaway. Readers who are brave enough to leave a comment (come on you guys, you can do it!) about what draws them first to fabric: the colors, the patterns, or something else all together, will have the opportunity to win one of three Toadusew patterns: Pot Luck, Harmony, or Just Like Sunshine. I'll choose the three winners from comments left by August 21.

Help needed (psychiatric and otherwise)!

I'm home alone today: Pearl is visiting the groomer. While there's something pleasant about not being followed constantly from room-to-room, I've also realized that aside from unconditional love and comic relief, dogs have another important function: they make their owners seem less crazy.

In my case, I find that even though no one else is around, I'm still commenting OUT LOUD about things I'm doing: "It's time for just a little cup of coffee" I say jovially as I sashay toward the kitchen, or "I wonder what the mailman has brought us today" when I'm bored with my work and need a distraction or "That Nora Ephron is something else" after reading a profile in The New Yorker over lunch.

Talking to oneself is bad enough, but I realize I often employ some amusing little accent (well, amusing to me...and to Pearl) when I'm providing this blow-by-blow commentary on my scintillating life. It's probably marginally weird to talk to one's dog like this...but I'm guessing it's beyond marginal to talk to oneself like this. Don't tell!!

Okay, now here's what I really need help with. I made the blocks for this quilt back in early June—the last time I sewed! The pattern is Ingrid Barlow's Boxed Blessings, which I bought in Madison, Wisc. during my quilter's equivalent of being a locavore (I bought patterns by local designers). Barlow made the pattern with more solids, whereas I decided I'd be a stash-buster and use a bunch of Heather Bailey half yards I'd purchased a year or two ago. I added an orange polka dot and a wonderful stripe that incorporates all the colors perfectly.

The problem in June was, the blocks all seemed to fade into one another (bottom photo). So I added striped sashing (top photos) and planned to bind it with the same stripe. I wasn't going to add a border, but now I'm not sure whether a plain fabric border might be just the thing to calm it down. Or perhaps I should take this as a lesson learned about combining multiple prints without the relief of a solid and just let it go.

Any suggestions/comments/advice? I'd love to hear from you!

Summertime and the bloggin' ain't easy

Between a lack of sewing projects to share and seasonal activities, Pearl the Squirrel has been sorely neglected. I'm hoping to actually sew later this week, but for now I'll share a couple of my summer distractions.


First, there was that Iowa phenomenon, RAGBRAI. It's a week-long bicycle ride across the state. Now, I don't ever ride, but I am a driver for my husband's lab; they typically ride one day each year.

It's always quite the scene: thousands of riders from all over the country pedal 400-some miles, converging on tiny towns along the way to camp, and to eat rhubarb pie, pork chops, lemonade, and breakfast burritos. Lots of folks dress up and decorate their bikes and helmets: the bike at top belonged to a man on Team Flamingo.

This year, just 39 percent of the riders were from Iowa. Folks of all shapes, sizes, ages, and physical condition ride (and eat) their way across the state. I can never resist going to watch. (In past years, while the team is riding, I've been known to frequent quilt shops in the area. I usually have to read in a coffee shop for several hours before the shops open: RAGBRAI riders like to get started around 6 a.m., before the heat gets brutal.)

The big, the bold, and the opposite

I've had the opportunity to write two very fun stories in the past couple of weeks. They're for two different publications, on two different subjects, but there was one connecting element...I can say no more, but suffice it to say that it's been a pleasure and I'm a happy girl. (This photo is a clue.)

One of my story subjects reminded me how much I enjoy embroidery. This photo is of a patch I made for my then-boyfriend's jeans when we were in college. I was an embroidering fiend, having done up a blue workshirt and overalls. When it came time to ditch the jeans, I made him give me back to patch, which I recently found in a pile 'o stuff. After my brief dip into embroidery in Lake Tahoe, and after talking with my story subjects, I'm itchin' to be stitchin' (Sorry...couldn't help myself).

You like me, you really like me...

This headline will make sense if you're old enough to remember Sally Field's acceptance speech for her 1985 Oscar...but having more than one person comment to me that they know I've been busy because Pearl the Squirrel hasn't been updated recently makes me think I have actual readers who care...thanks so much!


So here's just a quick post of a future project. I haven't had time to do much sewing, between traveling and writing and having house guests over the 4th (my wonderful daughter and son-in-law visiting from Austin—we had such a relaxing and fun weekend with them).

My daughter admired my Birdie Sling and the one I'd made for her cousin and I quickly volunteered to make her one of her own. We went to Home Ec and picked out these great fabrics (with the help of my younger daughter, as well—she still hasn't asked for one, but I may well break her resolve one of these days).

Back to reality...

If Pearl the Squirrel has any readers left, I'll be amazed. And I just have time for a very quick post. After my trip to Lake Tahoe I returned to home and work for three days, then left again, this time for the opposite coast for my niece's high school graduation. I had a great time with my sister and her family and my niece Anna seemed to genuinely like the Birdie Sling I'd made for her. The day after graduation she transferred the items from the bag she usually carries into the Birdie Sling and took it with her to Busch Gardens. High praise, I thought!

Here's a picture of Anna and me at her graduation dinner. We ate crab cakes and she's holding her bag (and a very bright future). Here's to you, Anna!

The Sunday night blahs...

Sunday nights are a challenge for a lot of people. One of my sister's used to call it "the Sunday dreads," as in dreading the return to work on Monday morning. I like my job and the people I work with, but sometimes I still have that moment when I wish the weekend could go on a little longer. A couple of years ago I decided to make Sunday nights a sewing night and that helped—I actually started to look forward to the end of the weekend, because I'd set aside time to stitch.

Although I really have no reason to complain tonight, I'm feeling all the more challenged about returning to work because I've been on vacation. I had the amazing good fortune to spend five days in Lake Tahoe with some quilting friends, new and newer.
Six of us gathered at the most gorgeous home on the shore of Lake Tahoe and learned to paint on fabric from Mary Lou Weideman, who recently took a class from Susan Shie. Mary Lou drew on her art background and gave Susan's painting and writing techniques a "Weideman twist." (That's Mary Lou wielding a paintbrush on the right and Molly on the left, learning from the master.)

I've said before that I'm not an artist and several of us felt intimidated about drawing and painting. But everyone was encouraging and had a great time. I didn't actually get the words on mine yet, but I did enjoy the painting a lot...once it was drawn on the cotton I had that wonderful feeling I used to get when I colored in a coloring book: the pleasure of choosing and combining colors and just zoning out as I filled in the blanks. Lots of good thinking time, along with great conversation and an opportunity to admire everyone's creative spirits (and eat M&M's).

Our hostess, Lynn, was an absolute delight and made us really feel at home. I sometimes felt wrong looking at my work and not at the views, but there was always time to take a break, walk down the beach, or just step outside and check out the mountains and the water.

We also enjoyed some time in town, including at the Red Hut Cafe, where we purchased what became our uniform (left to right: Molly, Cherise, me, Mel, Robyn, and Mary Lou on the dock of Lynn's home).

It was an inspiring week and on top of it I learned how to applique from Mary Lou and Mel got me all excited about making yo yos (that's her at the sewing machine, with a stack of her Liberty of London yo-yos in front of her). Here's what I came up with:

Third time's the charm...

I've made my third Birdie Sling and I'm very happy with this one. I used all Amy Butler's fabrics and I think the scale of the fabrics suits the size of the bag quite nicely. I hope the person for whom it's intended will enjoy it—it's destined to be a gift later this month. (A shout out to Anne K. of Pearvana for the bags-on-trees photo idea!)

I also made this little bag from Terry Atkinson's Tag Along Tote pattern. I've sewn a few quilts using Terry's patterns and always been pleased by how well-thought out they are and the clever ways she puts blocks together. In particular I made a star quilt that she designed so that it was impossible to sew over the star tips—perfect for someone who's not a perfectionist...like me!

I bought the fabric and pattern at River City Quilts, a great shop in Mankato, Minnesota. It's a little hard to find, tucked away in a strip mall, but the shop is a delight, as are the women who work there. I've stopped in when I visit a relative who lives in town and always been pleased by the number of patterns, the range of fabrics, and the different takes they have on kits. I was very tempted by a quilt that featured purple, orange, and yellow batiks. Sounds fairly wild, and it was, in the best possible way.

Also, congratulations to Anne R. She'll be receiving a copy of Diana Rupp's book. I admit to being a little disappointed in the number of comments I received, considering that the give-away prize was really quite exceptional. But thanks to those who entered. Wish I could send you each a copy!