I've nearly disappeared in this project. This one will be like giving away a child. 32 children to be exact. More on this later. Next week when I hand it off, I'll be able to post photos and other writing again. For now I'm off to fold laundry (because it's never done, right?) and have a cup of Buddha Nature otherwise known as coffee.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!
Gena
Unfinished Stitchette Log Cabin Square
Phew! That was one long Spring Break. We kept a good rhythm around here though with playdates and naps and mealtimes and bedtimes and no television. I am amazed. Now Miss B's back to school and I get to sew a little more. I think I'd better start thinking about producing enough to stock the shop through summer. And I can finally get my waxing done. These brows could be the star in a famous Eric Carle book. And I will because I'm being asked for my headshot. Now what to do about this odd acne breakout. The esthetician asks.
So I think I'll begin by making more of these log cabin squares. And maybe more pillowcases. I've been asked for a duvet. And my sister in law just bought a house in Lake Tahoe so maybe they'll be needing something as well. Potholders? Oven gloves? Personalized towels? Pillowcases, a lap quilt. We'll think of something, that's a guarantee. That it'll be finished by Christmas. Maybe.
Since September I have been coordinating a project in my community. And only now have I begun to piece together a prototype log cabin square. (It's the buried thing in this photo. My camera died this morning just after it snapped this.) And this one isn't even to go into the end project. It was to see how well the pattern I drafted last week would work. During this trial, I found this tutorial at a great blog called Craft Actually. This tutorial is just perfect for beginners like me. I have made other simple quilts, just never a log cabin. And Helen was absolutely right. In her post she said "Soon you will not be able to stop." Indeed. I am now obsessed with cutting strips and straight stitching. But this post probably gave that away ages ago. I am really enjoying this process.
This said project is a super special secret and involves many incredible individuals. I have worked out the kinks now and can turn over the fabric to some kind folks to help cut lovely strips. I have been offered a lot of help and for the first time ever on something like this, I'm excited to delegate. I will do embroidering in each of the "special" squares.
For a project of this caliber involving so many hands, the to do list looked something like this:
Identify seamstresses in the group
Identify seamstresses with piecing, applique, embroidery or quilting experience
"Select" colorway
Coordinate individuals for "designing" fabric. (This was what took the longest. I started in January and I am almost finished. I've moved on to the next steps because not having them will not hold up the project. We can add them when they are finished which will be next week.)
Bust into stash and supplement with purchased fabrics if necessary to fit colorway.
Draft a pattern.
Try the pattern out.
Examine "designed" pieces and cut out best sections.
Embroider each cut out section.
Cut many many strips.
Gather 12 strips for each section.
Piece together around centerpiece.
to the New Year! The original title for this post was Monkeyporkbun University. For the month by month of crafting or craft related endeavors listed below. I could accomplish new projects in a fair amount of time if planned well, so I've decided to give myself the opportunity to try one new thing per month. Production swamps my brain, so if I plan time to be creative, then I have something to look forward to and be excited about when things are feeling swampy. I hope that didn't sound like a complaint, because I really love what I do. Keep reading, there's a giveaway!
There are just so many things I have wanted to try. So I thought I'd make YET another list, can you believe it? Yes, another list. But this list is different. This list isn't a wish list, an I ought to, I should, I would like to, I'm thinking about, maybe I'll, or anthing like that kind of list. This list is a guilt free list of things that I WILL DO. And how do I plan on accomplishing this pray tell? Simply by having a plan. Having a plan is the first step indeed. So, on a monthly basis, I will be trying one project that I have been inspired to create, do, or make, by someone else here in blogland. Do I have any excuses for not trying yet? Limits that I have been placing on myself. I've worked hard at lifting them and I just feel incredible.
Hey, how about a giveaway! Blog about a creative breakthrough you've had, whether recently or in the past, and link back to this post. Oh, and please remember to leave a comment. The randomly selected winner, whether selected by my cats, children or random number generator, will get to choose one of the list items that I made, excluding of course item number 3 - the event in Chicago. Deadline for entry, February 29!
Steal the button from above for your blog too! Ready? Here's the list of projects I've been dying to try. And you could win one of them!
1. Lisa Tutman Oglesby: tagged scrapbook
2. Wee Wonderfuls: clothing for kidlets
3. Heather Bailey: Country Living Women Entrepreneurs event in Chicago(and maybe take in a Bulls game with Dad)
4. House on Hill Road: I am inspired by Erin to participate in more swaps. I just passed this swap up.
5. Turkeyfeathers: pillow with a hand embroidered square or two from one of her patterns
6. Molly Chicken: Lavender baby
7. Shannon: Stencilry freezer paper project
8. AnnaMaria Horner: painted fabric silhouette
9. Amy: papercutting
10. Linda: oven mitt
11. Jenny Harris: crazy nine patches (I'll do potholders instead of a big quilt though)
12. Sally Jean Alexander: Art collage charms.
And you can bet I'll be posting my proud results!
While sorting and organizing fabric, I came across this. These days it's easy to identify a fabric company in the selvedge of any given fabric. But not this one. It's interesting in places, but what's more interesting is that I own it. It's not really anything I'd be particularly attracted to, but I suppose I needed red and white. Say for a project like this? I can say I know where I bought it. It was at Legacy in Sebastopol. What should I do with it? Kids project? Ebay? Oh, right. Fold it up and keep organizing. Decide later. Stay on track.
