Color Inspiration

Happy Fourth of July everyone!  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday surrounded by friend and family, laughter and love. 

 

I know I have not written for a bit.  I have been very busy with work; the gainful employment type and not the stitching type.  In fact, I have barely stitched in about 6 weeks.  The little time I do get, mostly in the car while Jim drives, is dedicated to my donation block for the Baltimore Applique Society Bits of Baltimore donation block.  I'm hoping to get in some quality stitching over the holiday weekend.  If so, I promise to post photos.  Until then, let me share a few photos I snapped in the last few weeks for color inspiration.  And maybe a Hawaiian quilt pattern or two :)

 

Until next time...

Best stitches!

Mercy in rain soaked Miami

 



 

 

 



Tropical Inspiration - The Esperanza Rose Block



A while back I remember reading a statistic that stated the vast majority (over 90%) of flowers for sale in the US enter via the ports in Miami, Florida.  So, apart from the warm weather, one of the benefits of living in South Florida is an abundance of inexpensive flowers for sale all year round.  Every Friday morning, a flower vendor comes to the office building where I work, to sell the most spectacular roses - 24 roses for $15 US.  These are the roses I purchased Friday. 

The variety is called Esperanza (Hope in Spanish).  They are so beautiful I knew that they would be the inspiration for my next block.   

 

The tile I am holding in my hand is from a visit last February to the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. 

 

Here is the result - the Esperanza Rose Block.  I am still refining the drawing and making notes.  Let's face it, the New World Rose block is a tough act to follow.  My Esperanza roses will be the color inspiration as well.

Here is another block from a quilt in the same show at the museum that has just been haunting my creative mind.  I just love how prominent the needle artist chose to depict the leaves.  I suspect it is supposed to be Heliconia.  The quilt belonged to a Rev. George Eggleston and his wife Frances Muse Eggleston.

 

However, I just saw this beauty blooming in my Mom's yard this weekend. I have no idea what type of flower or bush it is but I love it!  Notice that the flower petals are really distressed leaves.  The ideas are percolating and I already started some sketches.  Hmmm.....

 

I wish all readers a happy, healthy, New Year.  May your 2014 be filled with laughter, friendship, and creative pursuits!

 

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

If you need to get something done, you ask a busy person to do it...hmmmm

Happy Spring everyone!

I sincerely hope each one of you has been healthy and happy during my blogging hiatus. It has been a trying winter but everything seems to be back on course and I am finally able to devote a little time to my blog.

So without further ado, let’s talk quilts!

They say that if you need to get something done, you ask a busy person to do it. Hmmm. I never really understood this quote until I found myself with a husband, a home, a demanding job, pets, parents, and a passion to quilt. Then I understood – the busy person knows how to organize and prioritize. And, let’s face it, that seems to be the only way things get done. Now, I am NOT the poster child for getting projects finished but I do manage to get a little quilting in almost every day and thought I would share some of my organizing tips.

Tip 1 – Maintain a Project To Do List. I know – very scary. The first time I did this several years ago, I had over 30 quilt projects listed. This included small items such as finishing a binding, or adding a label to a quilt back, and big items such as designing my own Baltimore Album Quilt. The latter is still on my list by the way. Today, my list is a little longer (hahah) but I don’t worry about that. I use the list as a tool to organize the projects by technique, by what stage each one is at, and by due date if any has a deadline. I then select the top project in each category/stage and setup a workstation for each one. This brings me to Tip 2.

Tip 2 – Setup Workstations. Currently, I am blessed with a large workspace that I can leave set up to sew at any time. Previously, my “workstations” were plastic project bins. The idea is to have everything to you need to work on a project all in one place so that if you only have a few minutes, you don’t spend them gathering your tools.

Current portable applique project - sometimes I only get half a grape sewn.

Tip 3 – No amount of time is too little to sew. Just a few minutes here and there all add up to progress.



Blue Moon in progress - Design and kit by Charlotte Angotti




What my sewing room looks like now….






 

Workstation One is setup for piecing. The project is a WONDERFUL laser cut kit by Charlotte Angotti called Blue Moon.



Charlotte Angotti's quilt, Blue Moon

I must digress here and put in a plug for precut kits – they are the cat’s meow. This is the first laser cut kit I have ever worked with and to quote Scarlett O’Hara “God as my witness, I will never cut fabric again!” Okay, maybe that isn’t the exact quote. But, it’s wonderful to stitch. John Flynn cuts the kits to Charlotte’s specification using fabric she provides. The laser burns the cut line into the fabric so the edges are seared – NO raveling – and accurate to within the width of a human hair. Even more wonderful, the Flynn’s provide this service for us regular folk too. You can pack up your fabric, mail it off to Kate Flynn, tell them what you want; they cut it, and mail it back. How wonderful is that? And what a great time saver!





Workstation Two is setup for machine appliqué. The project is The Planets. My college-age cousin came down during her spring break with a photo from the internet of a quilt she wanted to make. Of course, there was no pattern to be found so we made it up as we went along. After Meagan picked all her fabrics from my stash, I taught her how to prepare the planets and rings using the templar and Starch method. I appliquéd the unit using Sew Art invisible thread in both the bobbin and top. I set a very narrow and short blind hem stitch. I left everything set up for her to continue in May after the school term is over.

 

The Planet in progress - block 1 stitched, 19 more planets and rings waiting to be prepped

 Workstation Three is setup for cutting. Again, waiting for Meagan to return and cut the strips for The Planet quilt border.

Workstation Four is setup for handwork. This includes a great light, a comfortable chair, the best view of the TV, and all handwork supplies within easy reach. The individual projects are stored in plastic bins and Ziploc bags. This way I can pull out the project I would like to work on and have all my tools handy. While at the workstation, I usually work on prep tasks that I can’t do elsewhere easily. I save the things that I can do outside of the sewing room for when we watch TV in the family room or sit outside by the pool.

 



As soon as Meagan visits in May and finishes The Planet quilt, Workstation Two will be transformed into a piecing workstation and Workstation One will become a machine quilting workstation. I know exactly the machine-quilting project I will be working on because it’s at the top of my Project To Do List!

In early December, we lost the world’s best fabric guard dog, Thaddeus. Although he lived a short life (21 months), we loved and spoiled him beyond measure. 

Thaddeus Malloy Savage March 13, 2009 – December 9, 2010



Later in December, Santa Claus brought me two little girls. Lucy and Ethel are sisters from the same litter born October 14, 2010. Here they are shortly after they arrived.



Lucy and Ethel at 10 weeks

They are now at 6 months old. They love keeping me company in the sewing room. I believe Ethel has an affinity for quilting because every time I turn around she is chewing on a fat quarter she swiped from my stash. Batiks are her favorite.

Lucy and Ethel at 5 months

Until next time...

Best stitches,

Mercy in Miami

Oil and Fabric Do Not Mix

“The reason canvas is primed is to protect the fabric from the paint. With acrylics this isn't much of an issue, but with oil paint the oils will, with time, cause the fabric to deteriorate and become brittle.” 

What?  No!  It can't be!  It is?  Oh my!

“Unfortunately, fabric painted with oil paints will deteriorate over time, and that is why canvases must be primed before use with oil paints” 

Recently, there has been a flood of books, videos, tutorials, etc. that promote embellishing quilt blocks with Oil Pastels, Oil Sticks, and Paint Sticks.  This technique seems especially popular with applique needle artist.  Many that work in the Baltimore-style blocks are using this technique to stencil and shade flowers, sailing ships, vases, fruit, etc.  I have also seen this technique used to highlight quilting designs on whole cloth quilts.  The effect is amazing and seems to bring the designs to life.  However, what most quilters do not know is that this artist material damages fabric and may be quite toxic.

All artist grade pastels, even the wax-based or chalk type, contain pigments.  The higher the pastel quality, the higher the pigment content.  Many pigments are toxic so each color must be checked to see if it’s safe.  This excerpt is taking directly from the product description on the Dhama Trading Company’s website.

“All colors of Shiva Professional Grade Artist's Paintstiks are AP non-toxic, with the exception of Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red Deep, Cadmium Red Scarlet, Cadmium Yellow, and Cobalt Blue, which bear the ACMI Caution Label. Those particular colors are not intended for use by or for products for children 12 and under.”   
Working with toxic pigments is dangerous.  Applying it to a quilt top that will live in someone’s home is probably not a great idea either. 

Even if you do your research and only select the safest pigments, you are still left with the risk of damaging your quilt. In the 15th century, painters discovered that the oil used to bind the pigment in paint would deteriorate the painting support – usually wood and later on fabric. They began to apply a sizing or ground to the support that acted as a barrier between the fabric (or wood) and the oil. I am personally very grateful that the early painters discovered this prior to the Renaissance or we would not have some of the magnificent paintings we do today because they would have crumbled and cracked away into nothingness.


You can read all about the history and evolution of formulas and techniques for protecting the painting’s support in one of my favorite technical books , “The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques: Fifth Edition, Revised and Updated” by Ralph Mayer.

As I write this, I can hear all my blog readers screaming, “Say it ain’t so!  I LOVE my stenciling, I love my embellishing techniques!”  Not a problem - you can still use all of your techniques safely and ensure the permanence of your quilt by switching a few of the key materials.

Before I fill you in on my preferred materials, I would like to make clear that I have no affiliation with any of the manufacturers, distributors, or suppliers of any of these artist’s materials discussed in my blog.  My preferences are based solely on my personal experience using these products.  Your experiences may differ.  I encourage each of you to try a range of products to find what works best for you.

That being said, I only use water-based or wax-based, non-toxic artist materials directly on my fabric.  My favorite water-based media is All-Purpose Ink by Tsukineko (pronounced Soo - Key – Necko).  My favorite wax-based media is Prismacolor Pencils.

I heat set all ink work by laying a white paper towel over the area and pressing with a hot iron.  

I heat and chemically set all color pencil work.  First, I heat set by laying a white paper towel over the area and pressing with a hot iron.  When the fabric cools, I apply an infinitesimal dab of Jacquard Textile Color in Colorless (#100) with smallest brush I can find. Apply in tiny dabs.  I let the area air dry.  I then heat set again with the paper towel and the hot iron.  From a time management perspective, I don’t recommend pencil for large areas because you could be dabbing for days.

Some of you may recognize the block at the top of this posting.  It is “The Brickmaker’s House” from Elly Sienkiewizc’s book “Baltimore Elegance. This is the block that I made, at Elly’s request, for the book.  Notice that the bricks in the brickhouse are two different sizes – one size for the main house and a smaller brick for the chimneys.  I was not able to find any commercially printed, brick texture fabric that was the correct scale.  Therefore, I cut out freezer paper stencils of the brick patterns and made my own fabric using All-Purpose Ink by Tsukineko.   See my tutorial page, Stenciling with Inks, for tips on how to use artist’s inks to embellish your quilts.

We are about to go into full holiday mode so this is probably my last entry for 2010.  I wish all my blog readers a very Merry Christmas surrounded by the people you love and a Happy, Healthy New Year filled with your best stitches!

Galloping Garlic Batman! We finally tamed the poof!!!

Happy New Year gang!

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful holiday season with family and friends.


I finally completed the machine quilting on a small whole cloth I began in class with Diane Gaudynski ( http://dianegaudynski.blogspot.com/ ) last August. In class I was able to complete the first row of stitches that defined the shapes. The challenge I set up for myself with this piece was to "Tame the Poof" as I stitched the filler designs and the border. Poof is an excess fabric on the quilt top that if not handled correctly may cause a pleat as you quilt. I have been down the echo quilting route and that just corralled (word?) the poof into one big pleat that was REALLY visible .

In class with Diane I learned that the best way to fight poof it to attack it head on - or at least perpendicularly (is that a word?) OK - perpendicular, change direction, hmmm... Bouncing banana would be perfect for the filler in this piece.


Scissors pointing to my doodle of Bouncing Bananas and stitched on a warm up piece.


I love this filler - probably my favorite of all time, but it belongs to Diane Gaudynski. When I use it I feel I am paying tribute to her and all she has contributed to the world of quilting and to me personally as a quilter. At the same time I felt compelled to make it my own. But no matter what design I tried it always morphed back into bananas.

Then came Thanksgiving! One of the few times during the year I actually cook. I'm not a very good cook but I'm a great Cuban American so I start every dish with at least an entire head of garlic. Until recently, we didn't own a cutting board so I placed the head of garlic on a plate from my everyday dishes. hmmmm....pretty shapes.... leaves in the background....hhmmmm

Then I forgot all about cooking and scattered the individual cloves on the plate. Hey! That looks nice. The shapes shared all the design qualities that makes bouncing bananas so fabulous. A pivot at both top and bottom, can very width and length, and can change directions at any point.

Wow - can I draw this? If I can draw it then I might be able to stitch it!

Hey - yeah! More practice and refining.....

My white board in my office...

My note pad I take into meetings.....

Now the acid test - can I stitch it?

Well yuck and double yuck!

But never say die! I decided what I didn't like was the color of the thread on the background and not the actual shapes themselves. So I decided to just do it. I loaded the right color silk in the ol' bernina and just had fun.

And that boys and girls is the story of how Galloping Garlic was born. See closeup photos below. Notice there is not a single poof to be found!

...photo with flash

.... to give an idea of scale

One other huge lesson learned from this project that I wanted to share. Don't under estimate the power of Dianeshiko. Another one of Diane's killer background fillers and the best substitute for crosshatching ever. This is the first time I have ever used Dianeshiko in a border. OMG! It totally stabilized it. It's the first border that I have ever done that was perfectly flat BEFORE I blocked. Usually I can't get the border flat even AFTER I block it. Another huge plus is that even it it's not perfect it still looks great. And believe me, each time you stitch this design it gets better and better.

Go to Diane's website to see an example of how it looks when you actually master the design. Amazing! If you are interested in learning any of these filler designs, they are all in her book Diane Gaudynski's Machine Quilting Guidebook - less than $15 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Quilt-Savvy-Gaudynskis-Quilting-Guidebook/dp/1574329006/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262285902&sr=8-1

I wish you all lots of health, happiness, and good cheer for 2010 and beyond. To my applique friends, may all your stitches be invisible. To my machine quilting friends may your tension be perfectly balanced. To all, may you always see the positive in every challenge.

Best stitches,
Mercy aka The Savage Quilter

"Lemons into Lemonade" or "How to Quilt without Fabric or Thread"

Hi gang!

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the fall season. Even in hot and humid Miami, we are feeling some relief from the brutal heat. Down this way, we do not have an official fall or spring. However, we do have three un-official seasons; season 1 is when the humidity is LESS than the ambient temperature, season 2 is when the humidity is GREATER than the ambient temperature, and season 3 is hurricane season. Thanks to the miracle of Air Conditioning, it is always Quilting Season!

I have not been sewing as much as I would like this year but that does not mean my projects are not always on my mind. So while I am at work, or stuck in traffic, or packing & unpacking boxes, or painting walls, or any of the millions of things that have kept me from making quilts this year, I am designing and planning in my head.

Here is an example…

Yesterday I was stuck in traffic for well over an hour. It was an upper middle class to affluent residential area. Traffic has all but come to a stop. I start looking around and all the houses have beautiful wrought iron gates, stone fences that look like artisan masons slaved for a year to make, incredible landscaping. Hmmmmm……Time to turn lemons into lemonade! I pull out my phone and start to take pictures.

One thing I have been on the hunt for is inspiration for a fabulous border design. I can draw flowers and I can make the individual feathers on a plume but I have been struggling to create a graceful, beautiful spine and/or vine design. There it was! On a gate!

I emailed myself the photo and at the first opportunity printed it in black and white on a full size sheet of paper. I then edited and traced the design with a Sharpie pen right on the black and white copy. After a few more minor edits, I traced the design onto another blank sheet.

I then mirror imaged the design and butted them up to each other.

Then I made lot of copies so I could play and see how the design would look as a border.
Hmmmmm…..

Okay I love it! Now what size? I finally decided that since most of my projects are 60 to 80 inches square that I would like to see this design at 60”. I isolated the part of the design that I would need to enlarge to make a working pattern. I drew a line on the design for the copy store clerk to use as a guide when they make the enlargement.

My soul is happy! I did not take a single stitch. I did not cut a single fat quarter. Nevertheless, in my heart I quilted! Moreover, when I do have time to sit and play in my sewing room and I begin to work on the border for my current Tropical Album, I have the PERFECT (at least in my heart) design to work with).

Life is good!

Driving to work today, traffic again came to a screeching halt. Hmmmm..... Since I got lucky yesterday, maybe I can find inspiration again today! What do you think? Maybe I can do something with the sky?

Until next time, best stitches!

Mercy

aka, The Savage Quilter