The cat came back...

First order of business - I worked on my applique word "quilt" today - I only have 3 letters done, but this isn't a race, more of an enjoy the process experience!

And since this post would be pretty boring with just that to show you, I thought I'd tell you a story. In June of '09 we went to the animal shelter and adopted two cats, brothers. Mittens, an overly friendly black tuxedo cat, and Scotchie, a very sweet but skittish white and orange boy. After a couple of weeks Scotchie escaped outside and spent the next few days sitting by the back shed. He'd come into the garage during the night and eat food I left out for him, but then he stopped even doing that and we presumed he had died of starvation under our shed.

So that was the end of that. Until last Monday when I received a call from the shelter saying they had our cat Scotchie and when would we like to pick him up?! I just about fainted - I said something like are you sure? We haven't seen that cat for 1 1/2 years! So in we go, me expecting to see a skinny, mangy, flea ridden wild cat. Instead there was Scotchie, fat, happy, and not a flea or tick to be found!

He has settled into life with us very well, but is a bit wary of the children and comes out when they're not around, but when he does come out, he's the most affectionate cat I've ever seen! We had to wonder what had happened to him all the time he was gone, and why he was so big and healthy?

In an amazing coincidence, some of the mystery was solved last Thursday when I went to visit someone who lived on the street he was found, to deliver some late Christmas cookies. She lived in a ground floor apartment and had 4 cats, so I told her the story of our 'found' cat, who happened to be found on her street. She said, "He's white and orange isn't he?" Amazed, I said yes! She said, "Oh I've been feeding him for over a year, and so has everyone else in the apartments. He's very friendly, isn't he?" Once again, I just about fainted! All that time, Scotchie was having the time of his life, being fed by numerous people and getting all the cuddles he could handle! No wonder he didn't come home! The street is about a 5 minute drive away, and over 2 very busy streets. We think he and Mittens probably lived there before we adopted them. Who knows?! But we are happy to have him home, and he and his brother have picked up right where they left off, playing in the hallway late at night, and licking each other. Does he look malnourished and wild to you? I think not!Moral of the story - microchips in pets actually work!

New project

2 days into the year and I am 2 days into my goal of stitching and blogging every day! But barely - it's 11.30pm and I'm sneaking this post in.

I decided to make a new quilting project bag to carry my current hand work around in. You know, since I'm going to be stitching every day now and all!

I know it's in the early stages and it's hard to see the potential, but stick with me, I have plans!

What better to applique on a bag designed to hold quilt projects than the word 'QUILT'?! So stay tuned and see what becomes of this simple rectangle of fabric...

New year, new goals

Once again, I have the same quilting related goal I made two years ago, and that is, to stitch something every day. The first time around I lasted until about May and then fizzled out. Last year my goal was to make a mini quilt a week. What a bust that was! I didn't even do one per month!

But it's a new year and I have new resolve. Not only do I want to stitch something every day, but I want to blog about it every day as well. Yes this is coming from someone who finds it easy to go for more than a month without posting! Others have done it, and so can I!

So to start with, I want to show you two things. First up are presents I made for our kids for Christmas.

At the beginning of December I got the kids to draw a picture of what they thought a monster would look like. Then I spent the next couple of weeks recreating them in fabric. And when I say recreate, I mean as close as I could to the original drawing, including different size arms and legs, or 7 nails on one foot and 5 on the other.

My youngest boy's was pretty simple and only took a couple of hours. My daughter's was a little harder and took about 3 hours. But my middle child's - oh my! He had 4 arms on that monster of his, and antenna, and the arms and legs weren't any kind of normal shape. My mind was spinning! Needless to say, his took longer than the other two combined!

But I did get them done in time for Christmas and they were SO surprised when they opened them! It was definitely worth the effort when I saw the look on their faces! They have been sleeping with them every night and they have plans for more pictures. I think I'll try to put that off for a while though!

First, here is my youngest with his purple monster with 24 legs and as he says, a thousand eyes. He always picks rather odd names for his toys (like "Maybe" the the Lion) and as such, his monster was named "A Million"!
Next is my middle boy with his pain-in-the-rear-to-make monster called, "Mr Monster"

And my oldest with her mushroom-top monster that she has named, "Mrs Mush"

As for sewing today, I started off the year by making chair covers for the Primary organization at our church. This involved sneaking a chair out of the church yesterday so I could use it at home to make sure the covers fit properly, shopping for some cheap but sturdy fabric, and then deciding that making and fusing fabric names was just going to take too long and that fabric paint would work just as well in a tenth of the time! They have the names of the 7 classes on them so the children know where to sit each week.
I also made matching tablecloths. Phew that was a lot of sewing today! But at least it is done, and they can be used for years to come.

I think some nice quiet handwork might be the order of the day tomorrow!

Project Review and Blog Hop

I was recently asked by a company called Clodite to participate in a blog hop taking place today and tomorrow, and do a review of an applique project in a book they have for sale. All they had to say was applique and I was in!

The book is called "Learn to Do Applique in Just One Weekend", by Nancy Brenan Daniel.I emailed Nancy, the author, and did an interview with her, and she had some really interesting things to say, so before I get to the actual review, enjoy the interview!

1)Joanna: My favorite method of applique is needleturn. Do you have a favorite method and could you tell us why you prefer it?

Nancy: I use a wide variety of techniques... for different purposes. My favorite is the ONE that I know will work the best with the design at hand.

2)Joanna: Many quilters think "applique" is a bad word and are scared to try it. How do you go about convincing them how wonderful it is?!

Nancy: I start my beginners with simple shapes that have small challenges. I use a variation of the apple design from the book in ALL my shorter, duration, applique classes. I strive not to overwhelm students... ever. I'm not there to impress a student about my skills.I'm in the classroom to teach the basics -- and to have them succeed.

3)Joanna: There are so many fabric choices in the quilting world today. What style of fabrics do you enjoy and why?

Nancy: For most applique projects I use 100% cotton fabrics of high quality. I also work in wool, felt and silk.

4)Joanna: I like the different subjects you use in your applique. What inspires you
and how do you decide what you are going to design?

Nancy: For applique I let nature inspire me. I also look to art, older architectural drawings and building details (like grates).I usually carry a sketch pad with me at all times to jot down ideas.

5)Joanna: Most of us have very busy lives. Between work and children and commitments it can be hard to dedicate time to ourselves. What tips can you give for fitting quilting and applique into our busy day to day lives?!

Nancy: Even when I had small children at home I always made time to live a creative life. I've always been fond to using my time creatively. Even now I make use of very small units of time in which to work. I might sort fabric while waiting for the pasta water to boil! ;-)

6) Joanna: We know that you obviously love to quilt, but what other hobbies do you
enjoy?

Nancy: I love to garden - take long walks with my dog - read - draw - travel - COOK!

7) Joanna: You are a quilt judge, certified by the National Quilting Association Inc. What are the most common mistakes you see when judging? Any tips for people
entering a quilt into a show?

Nancy: Take your time planning and finishing any quilt you plan to enter in any show. Most errors I see are in the planning, contrast, AND in the binding. Learn to take good digital pictures of your quilts.


8) Joanna: Some of us would like to teach our young (as in not adult) children how to quilt - what are your suggestions on how to approach this and make it a good
experience for all involved?

Nancy: I started my granddaughter hand piecing when she was five years old. She made four-patch that we converted into a pot holder for her Mom. Her stitches were long... but everyone was pleased with the results. ALTHOUGH... I don't think it was every used as a potholder!

9) Joanna: Where do you see the world of applique in 5 years?

Nancy: More of the same I would presume. BUT... I would like to see more turned-edge applique in studio/art quilts.

10)Joanna: What is your single best applique tip?!

Nancy: Use very fine thread for hand applique... I don't care if it's poly, cotton, or silk. Use a fine needle for hand and/or machine applique. Take your time... it's a marathon... not a sprint.

Thank you Nancy for your insight - there is a lot to think about in there and some great tips!

Onto my review...

I was assigned the cover quilt to review, and I liked the center of the quilt so much, I decided to not just read and review it, but make it too.Now anyone that reads my blog regularly knows that needleturn applique is my applique method of choice. I have tried every method out there and I keep coming back to needleturn. However, for this project, I used the method as written in the instructions, and it was actually a method I've never tried before! The instructions for this project were to use one of 2 different methods of freezer paper applique. Before I was a needleturn enthusiast, I used the freezer paper method where you iron the freezer paper to the wrong side of the fabric and use a glue stick to glue the seam allowance to the freezer paper. However, that's not the way I did this project. Instead of ironing the freezer paper to the fabric, you flip it, shiny side out, and iron the seam allowance to the freezer paper. No glue stick needed!

I took photos to show you how it works...(for detailed written instructions, see the book)




The first few pieces were a huge learning curve for me. It took me a while to get the feel for it, but once I did it became much faster.

There are some advantages and disadvantages to this method. For me, the biggest disadvantage is the time it takes. It took me 4 hours to iron the seam allowances to the freezer paper patterns. That to me, is a long time for one block.

However, there are distinct advantages. The first being how easy it is to lay out your block. Because the edges are already turned under, it's easy to see exactly where your pieces will fit.

The second big advantage was the actual stitching. The stitching was a little faster because I didn't need to turn under the edges with my needle as I went.

I also liked that I got to do a bit of reverse applique in this project. I had done a little of it in the past, but not a lot, and it was fun to try again!

So would I recommend this book? Yes, I would recommend it, definitely to the beginning appliquer. Nancy goes over ever applique method out there, with detailed instructions on how each method works. She also describes in detail every tool you will ever use for every method of applique. I wish I had seen this book when I first started appliqueing.

If I had a complaint it would be that the full page color photos of each project are lumped together in the middle of the book. I prefer them to be with the instructions. But that's just my personal preference. I'm sure some people prefer it that way!

And finally, you can't beat the price - $9.95. It's not a big thick book - it has just 64 pages, but everything you need to know about applique is in there.

As for the block I made, I plan on turning it into a cushion cover this week, so stay tuned to see the finished project!
And while you're waiting to see that, head on over to the other blog hop participants blogs and read their reviews of other projects in the book!

Jessica Kovach -- http://twinfibers.blogspot.com

Judi Madsen -- http://www.greenfairyquilts.blogspot.com

Stacy Gandy -- http://sewbutterfly.blogspot.com

The REAL Thrifty Thursday

You're all a bunch of enablers. Because of your comments on my last post, today I went and bought the other 2 chairs from the thrift store! I mentioned to my hubby that there were a couple more that I wish I had bought with the green one, and he said, "You should go get them!" Followed by, "I read the comments on your blog so you should definitely get them!" At least, that's what I think I heard. He might have said something completely different but all I needed to hear was, "you should" and it was a done deal!

So here they are sitting together in the living room. I am SO glad you are all such good enablers!! When I came home the other day with the green one I told my kids that there was still a pink and a purple one left at the store. My daughter said, awww you should have got the pink one for me for my room! So she gets the pink one, BUT it's hiding out in the shed at the moment. It's her birthday at the end of the month so it will be a surprise present. She came home today and saw the purple one and was so sad that I didn't have the pink one. I told her someone bought it. Which isn't a lie - she just doesn't know the person was her mother! Until November 28th, this is how it will be...
Thanks again folks - next time I really want something that I can't afford, I'll just ask for your permission, which I know you will all happily give, and then go buy it!!

Thrifty Thursday. Edit: Oops! Wednesday!

It's been a few months since I did a Thrifty Thursday post, and today is Thursday so I figured, why not?! (OK OK OK I am completely losing my mind - just realized it is only Wednesday, NOT Thursday!!)

I've been having fun in thrift stores, as usual, and found some great stuff. My latest acquisition is this fabulous kelly green vintage chair.
I picked it up and put it back about 5 times while in the store, mostly due to the price tag. It was $20 which is a crazy price in a thrift store. I never pay that much for second hand junk, ever! BUT I was in completely in love with it, and knew I'd regret not buying it. I am SO glad I bought it! I love the clean simple lines, and look how perfectly it matches my re-done green cupboard!
There were actually three chairs, this green one, a pink one and a purple one. Think I can convince the hubster to let me get the other two?!!

I've also kept up my milk glass collecting, getting pieces for a dollar or two here and there.

I get so much satisfaction from decorating with second hand items. Of course, there's the monetary savings, but also the uniqueness factor. Who else has a matching green cupboard and chair? I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, but they make my heart sing!

Applique class

On Saturday I was invited to teach the lovely ladies at the New England Modern Quilt Guild how to do needleturn applique. It was so much fun!

They all came prepared with a tree block from my tree tutorial (you can find it here or over on my sidebar) and I taught them how to prepare and then needleturn leaves to their trees. I was so impressed with all the different trees and loved their fabric choices. Look at them all holding their tree blocks!
They all picked it up really well and learned that hand applique really isn't so scary after all! And best of all, they all went home at the end of class, enthusiastically promising to finish their trees. What more could a teacher want?! Thanks ladies for being such great students! And thanks to Shelly for bringing all the free magazines. This is what was left after being picked over. I have a nice pile to read through!

If anyone in the New England area loves the new modern patterns and fabrics out there, I highly recommend checking out the New England Quilt Guild - they are a fun bunch of ladies with lots of exciting things going on!