Category Archives: Sewing

Quilt In A Day . . . Or Two

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I recently attended a three-day Eleanor Burns quilting retreat, hosted by Sew Much More (Austin, Texas) and sponsored by Baby Lock. There were about 75 attendees (some from as far away as Massachusetts) and we were split up into three groups, rotating to a different class each day: (1) sewing and appliqué, (2) embroidery, sewing and Sashiko and (3) serging.

Eleanor Burns is the quilting guru behind the company Quilt In A Day and has been in business 35 years. She and her staff have come up with all kinds of tips, tricks, notions, rulers, templates and patterns so that their quilt tops can be created in just one day by most people.

Serged French Braid quilt top

Serged French Braid quilt top

This is my small, lap-sized quilt top that I began in the retreat’s serging class (my group’s class for Day 3). We used Quilt In A Day’s Braid in a Day: Eleanor Burns Signature Pattern. Even with two instructors in the class, I couldn’t finish my quilt top in one day. One has to pay particular attention to the beginning part of this pattern and I did just that, managing to start it incorrectly not once, not twice, but four times. Pfft! Yes, there are pictures in the pattern, so I have no excuse.

Back of the serged French Braid quilt

Back of the serged French Braid quilt

Once I got past the beginning, I made fairly good progress but at the end of the day my quilt top wasn’t finished. I left with the three braids done, their inner borders attached, and the fabric for the remainder of the quilt top. I finished it the next day, at home. So if Quilt In A Day patterns can be sewed (or serged) in one day by most people, but I’m not in that “most people” group, that puts me in the small, elite group, right? (We just won’t go into where that specific “elite group” falls in the quilting food chain.)

Closeup of the serged quilt seams

Closeup of the serged quilt seams

The goal of this class was to show the students that quilt tops can be pieced together with a serger. I’ve owned a serger for years, but never considered creating a quilt top with it. I am very happy to have the setting values that result in a quarter-inch serged seam: four-thread overlock, width 5.5, length 2.5. (These settings will work with most of the newer Baby Lock sergers they said. I have no idea what settings are needed by other brands.)

I confess that my casual sewing attitude seems to include serging, as well. The top of this quilt measures about half an inch wider than the bottom of the quilt. And this is probably the only time I’ll ever show you the back of one of my quilts. This is as neat as one will ever be, as they are not near this neat when I use my sewing machine.

I also have the in-progress project from the Day 1 class, sewing and appliqué. Looking at what’s left to complete on that quilt top (wall hanging size, even smaller than this one), I may need two or even three more days.

Elite sewist, indeed. (Snort.) Quilt in a day, or two or three or . . .

New Sewing Room

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While in Medina, Texas, I saw this cute, little pink house. It looks like it was built as a ranch hand house, way back when.

It’s perfect for me.

I might have a bit of a problem trying to fit all my stuff into it, however. Maybe I’ll buy this pink house and make it my sewing room and buy the little white house next to it (which is an exact copy of the pink one) for me. Problem solved.

An old, small ranch hand house

Just the right size . . . for my sewing machine and fabric

Sock Upgrade

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I was shopping for a new pair of running shoes at Rogue Running. I was specifically interested in the Mizuno Wave Sayonara. I considered them my future Zentangle shoes.

Mizuno running shoes: pink with black Zentangle decoration

Mizuno Wave Sayonara

I brought my own socks, but when Chuck, the salesman, saw them he noticed they were cotton. He suggested a true running sock and brought me a pair to use and then went to get the Mizunos.

Rogue Running had the white version of the Mizunos, not the pink, so I started out with them to check the size and fit. The size was good, but I was not having any luck with the fit. I laced them three different ways, but that didn’t help; the shoes slipped on my heels no matter what. I was heartbroken to let go of the idea of pink shoes with black Zentangles.

Reluctantly, I tried on other shoes only to find that the problem continued. I jogged up and down the hall, always returning with the disheartening statement, “No, these are slipping on my heel.”

Chuck and I both thought it was a little odd that all the shoes were slipping on my heel. Being the professional that he is, Chuck suggested that I try a different brand of sock. Ooh. Aah. That made all the difference: the shoes didn’t slip on my heel anymore. Chuck retrieved the white Mizunos for me to retry. Success!

Chuck ordered the pink Mizunos for me and I shopped for socks. I left with four different brands, as they were having a sale: buy three pair and get the fourth pair free. What a deal!

Each day for the next four days, when I got home from work and changed, I wore a different pair of socks. The first three pair were okay, but the fourth pair, they were “just right.” Yippee! Upgraded running socks, worthy of being matched with a good running shoe. All I have to do now is wait for my Mizuno (Zentangle) shoes to arrive.

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That sequence of events seems simple enough as to how I bought new socks, but here’s the back story, in reverse chronology.

I ended up with new socks because I was looking for the Mizuno (Zentangle) shoes. I had called around town, trying to find them locally. When I was on the phone with Rogue Running, I forgot to ask which color they had in stock. I didn’t find out that they only had the white until I showed up at the store, thus the new socks.

I was looking for the Mizuno Wave Sayonara shoes because a recent Zentangle newsletter showcased them (with a photo) as a happy example of Zentangle art.

I subscribed to the Zentangle newsletter because I had seen a Zentangle fiber art piece at a gallery show with work from my Austin Fiber Artists group. That one Zentangle fiber art piece was enough to get me hooked. Before I went home, I stopped at Staples and bought some Sharpie pens to start my own Zentangles.

I joined the Austin Fiber Artists group because I had taken my thread painted Eagle for show and tell for a meeting of the Austin chapter of the American Sewing Guild. After the meeting, Pam Farley came up to me and gave me a card for the Austin Fiber Artists. I went to one meeting as a guest, fell in love with everyone’s work, and joined.

Miniature art quilt, thread painted eagle

Eagle, thread painted. Based on a photo by Jack Marshall (Austin, Texas)

I came across the Austin chapter of the American Sewing Guild at the Austin Area Quilt Guild show one year. I picked up a membership form and joined. (I’m now also a member of the quilt guild and entered my Eagle quilt in one of their shows.)

I created the Eagle miniature art quilt after taking a Photo to Finish (thread painting) class at my local sewing store, Sew Much More, where I take a lot of classes. I made a few other thread paintings, including a Grizzly Bear for my brother’s birthday present. I showed it to MaryKay at Sew Much More who put me in touch with the photographer Jack Marshall and he gave me permission to use his eagle photograph. Ta-da! The Eagle was my fourth miniature art quilt thread painting.

Grizzly Bear, thread painted

Grizzly Bear, thread painted

(I can now say that I have art work in a private collection. That’s stretching it a bit, considering that I’m referring to my brother’s living room, but as an artist, I’ve got to start somewhere, right?)

I wandered into Sew Much More when I was shopping for a serger. They invited me to their Serger Club as a guest. I showed up, loved their demonstrations and joined. (I’m starting to see a pattern here.)

I was looking for a serger because a some years earlier I decided to learn how to sew and bought my first sewing machine. Later I discovered that some garment finishing tasks are easier on a serger.

So, long story long, the reason I have new socks in July 2013 is because I bought my very first sewing machine in July 1991 with the intent of making my own clothes. (I’m still working on that.)

I don’t remember where I got the idea to learn to sew, so I will stop the background trail here and consider the sewing machine purchase the beginning of this story. The new socks are not the end of the story, even though I don’t know how it will continue; I just know that it will. I’ll keep you posted.

On Tour

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A couple of years ago, I drove to Houston to see author Patti Digh at a bookstore. She was on tour, promoting her book, Creative is a Verb. Although not what I usually consider “in the area,” Houston was the closest tour stop and so I decided to head on out to the Big City (as I call Houston) to see Patti. I picked up my friend, Judy, in Brenham and off we went.

I have three pieces of artwork in two of Patti’s books (Four Word Self Help and Creative is a Verb), and she had requested that people bring their artwork so she could see them in person. Woo-hoo! This meant that I was also “on tour” with my artwork.

Actually, I go “on tour” all the time. My tours are nothing like Patti’s (or any other author or artist, for that matter). I don’t go out of town and I don’t have anything for sale. My tours are self-arranged and self-promoted and are limited to the people I can hunt down at the office work with.

I’m an early bird and often the first one to park in the garage and the first one in the office (sometimes before 6:00 a.m.). But as a true artist, I don’t let that little detail get in my way. I start my tour right away, before I even get to my desk. First stop is the security officer. “Ben,” I say, “look what I have!”

Quilt top blocks for the Carpenter's Star pattern, arranged on top of my bed

Carpenter’s Star, arranged

No matter what I bring in, a 4×6 quilted postcard, a watercolor or acrylic painting, a quilt top, Zentangle envelopes, pillowcases, table runners, miniature art quilts, pencil drawings, blouses, wallets, or tote bags, Ben is appropriately appreciate. I cannot tell you how good it is to start a tour with a positive reception; it makes all the difference in the world.

I then have a break in my tour schedule, as I wait for my office mates to trickle in over the next few hours. I check the clock regularly, gauging how much time they need to settle in before I show up at their cubicle with my stock statement, “I have show and tell!”

My first watercolor painting: sunflowers in a terra cotta vase

Look! I’m an artist!

When it’s time, I announce — to no one in particular — that I’m going “on tour.” My scheduled stops include my division director, several department heads, all the administrative assistants on my floor, the credit union lady, a few more security officers, as well as my quilting block-of-the-month cohorts.

Once I’ve exhausted the captive audiences in my building, I head on over to the annex for three more floors of potential artwork admirers. I usually take the catwalk between the main and annex buildings and anyone standing in the catwalk taking a break gets drawn involuntarily into my showing and telling. The same goes for anyone who gets on an elevator with me: I consider them fair game.

A fabric postcard, crazy quilt with a dragonfly in the center

Dragonfly postcard

It has happened, on occasion, that I’ve been on tour right before a meeting and didn’t have time to take that day’s masterpiece back to my desk. No problem — for me, at least — as I take the artwork with me. Ah, a new audience. As they arrive, I tell the meeting attendees, “This will only take a minute,” and then I show them.

Sometimes I’ve been lucky enough to have appointments away from work on show-and-tell days. After I sign in, I bring out my artwork to share. My dentist’s office (the receptionist, dentist, dental assistant and hygienist), my physical therapist and his assistants, I make sure to include them all.

No one, but no one, is safe from me when I have show and tell.