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Archive for December, 2005

Log Cabin from Bali?

Tuesday, December 27th, 2005

Well….another so-so…..I have wanted to make a log cabin quilt for the sofa out of batiks since about June. So I did. I wanted to make the undulating sort, and did some scouting on the web, and thought I had it right…that logs that finish 1 inch and 1.5 inches wide would give the right effect. As you can see from the photo, alas, I think the size of the logs should have been more than 1/2 inch different. Anyway, I like the cheerfulness of the colors, and maybe it will improve after being sewn together and adding a small border. I had planned on using the fabric on the right side, but now have nixed that idea (more below).

I want to back the quilt with either fleece of minkee (any preferences out there? How slithery IS minkee to sew anyway?)…the current favorite sofa quilt is the one with Polartec on the back..so soft and warm and cuddly. Anyway, given the size of the blocks, I can either have NO border (an option) or about 3.5-4 inches all around. I decided (I think) I’d like a skinny, maybe 1/2 inch , strip of yellow, then the turquoise colors pieced in long running strips around the edge–maybe two lines of turquoises. I don’t want to piece the back, so need to keep it at about 58 inches square…..

Thoughts anyone?

Self-Portrait Tuesday Dec. 27th

Tuesday, December 27th, 2005

Wellllll…here we are on Christmas….Paul is not exactly the best of photographers….Joshua just informed me he hates me because I’m posting this photo with his eyes closed. Well, it’s better than being decapitated like the other shots. How is it I have a twelve year old son who is nearly as tall as I am?

I had a better self-portrait Tuesday photo, but can’t find it now, so here you go for now….

Christmas Mug 8

Tuesday, December 27th, 2005

Here’s a seasonal mug, and a new one…a gift made by fellow Frayed Edge Deborah B. I love it…love the thoughtfulness, the creativity, and the shape! I used it all day on Christmas, and the day after, and will pack it away carefully until next year, when it will come out to celebrate the season and friendship.

Sit down–it’s actually a post about sewing!

Saturday, December 24th, 2005

Yep…I really did do some sewing besides the tree skirt and placemats. My mom, age 87, has everything she needs, doesn’t go out much, and doesn’t have any real hobbies other than reading the newspaper and mysteries (and since she can’t recall the titles of what she has read, it’s impossible to buy them for her). Also, she’s vegetarian and picky about her food, so it’s hard to buy her that for Christmas. So…….. I did buy her some old-fashioned Christmas candy, some lemon curd (which she loves), muffins and….drum roll, please, made her a purse.

I started with a different idea, but lost the patterns. My tissue paper mock-up looked the right size, but when I got the sack made up, it was too short for a drawstring closure (which wasn’t really “her” anyway…..a design opportunity, right?). So, I re-thought things and here’s what I made:

Mom doesn’t like open-topped pocketbooks, so I added a zipper (wasn’t that fun, but it worked)–the black thing in the center is a zipper by the way:

Then, my friend Gene saw an add on TV for a
purse organizer. Finally I saw the same ad, and came up with a pattern to make something similar. The one on TV has a built in light so you can illuminate the pitch darkness of your bottomless pit of a purse. My version isn’t that high tech! Just timtex, fusible web, fabric and thread.

First, you make what I am going to call (in my pattern to be published soon I hope) the Perfectly Portable Pocket (c).

Then you roll it up like a cinnamon roll:

Then you tuck it inside your purse, spread it out to fit flush against the sides of the purse, and bingo…instant portable pockets. I figure my pattern will have a tote bag sized version, a purse sized version and (drum roll and duh) a quilter’s version with slots for scissors, small rulers, rotary cutter, thread……you got it!

Morning Mug 7–around the world

Saturday, December 24th, 2005

Years ago, Nescafe had an offer for these mugs, so since we were in the US Foreign Service (i.e. diplomats) and lived and worked with folks all over the world, it seemed appropriate to order up a set. They are heavy glass, etched with a globe. I don’t usually drink coffee, let alone black coffee, but I poured some into the mug for you to see the design (I tried with tea with milk, and the photo was less than clear!).

Here’s side one:

And here’s side two: