mokuroku (journal)

I love heavy cotton fabrics with rich, dense colors printed in big designs. The fabric for this project is "morukoru (journaling)" The Alexander Henry Collections 2004. I instantly thought of Diane, and her love of red, and journaling. The other fabrics are Funky Monkey by Erin Michaels for Moda, and a blue polka dot, part of a holiday line called "All Wrapped Up," by Maywood Studio from Huckleberry Patches in McCall. I included the knit print to curtsey to Diane's avocation, knitting. Here are her new pillowcases:

Close up of the fabrics.

I finished my September goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes. I used Hoffman Batiks to frame the paper pieced Christmas Trees. I machine quilted this piece. :

25" x 37"

Close up of the fabrics.

Catching Some ZZZZZ's

I made up some sets of pillowcases for gifts. What a fun and easy way to make a thoughtful gift that is sew nice. I used this tutorial and highly recommend it. If you have never sewn a french seam, you will after this. I like to make the cases long, so they will fit a king size pillow or cover a regular pillow modestly. I always include laundering instructions with my gifts. Happy Sewing!!

Wedding gift for Ruthie Hennings Traxler and Ben Traxler.

Get well gift for Uncle Pat Holbrook's companion, Sonja Mann.

Christmas cases for the Pinehurst Guild Quilt Auction.

Thank you gift for Aunt Ann Holbrook Rousselot.

Close up of the fabrics.

Retro Visions

 September is a busy time of changes, whether you are going back to school or back to work after summer off, or harvesting and preserving and moving the beauty of a garden into the pantry.  Our local quilt guild takes the summer off and now is gearing up for the annual quilt auction ~ our big fund raiser for community benefits and our spring retreat. My UFO for this month is a set of batik paper pieced pine trees, made by guild members at last April's retreat. They need to be made into a table runner or wall hanging for the auction.  It will probably take a day to complete this little project, if I skip the avoiding and staring dreamily and just get 'er done.  Here are the trees:

These trees remind me of aluminum Xmas trees of the 60's, with the rainbow lighting.

One thing I have learned about paper pieced blocks: don't remove the paper until they are sewn to their lattices or adjoining blocks. They have lines that make joining super simple. 

Crossing the Bosphorus

   I have finished a wall hanging that has been a UFO for 80 years. I first wrote about the blocks here.    This month I decided to make this my finish, and I got 'er done. I am selling this wall hanging to a good friend who commissioned a piece for her office. She appreciates hand piecing, and likes avant garde art. This swagged out piece is for her!
    Thanks to my brilliant daughter, Diane, (who was the National Geographic Geography Bee State Runner-Up for Montana in 1994, at age 11,) I know that the water the elephants crossed from Persia to Morocco, was the Bosphorus Strait.  In Wikipedia it explains the historical changes and importance of this waterway which connects Asia and Europe. Incidentally, the phrase  "crossing the Bosphorus" is used to indicate religious conversion to the Eastern Orthodox Church.    Here are the finishing pictures:

The little "Made in Persia" label is the center triangle.

Blue and white porcelain beads, Turkish style, with Jade beads.

Carmel lozenge beads.

Wooden beads and striped glass geometric beads. Variegated wool strands.

Tiny buttons.

Jet black beads couched over multi colored wool strands.

Silver rings.

Elephant border. See the baby elephant on the left side? Miniature red and black rick rack. Skull and cross-bone binding was the right color, and symbolizes the extinction of the north African Elephant used in ancient times.

Elephants Crossing into Morocco

Researching Marrakesh, Morocco I came upon images of elephants crossing the Zambezi River. Historically, the north African Elephant (now extinct) was used for travel to Morocco on ancient trade routes, as well as for war. Daydreaming about the images of morocco and spice markets, I imagined merchants traveling on elephants, rich and earthy tones, veils and tassels, embellishments. I pulled out a pieced top I started earlier this year, that was waiting for a border... and dug out some elephant fabric from my stash. Eureka! Now, to quilt this and embellish it with trinkets to recall Moroccan spice markets. This is the quilt story that I will illustrate this month.

 

Healing Prayer Banner

I finished my commissioned quilt yesterday and mailed it off. The feeling was...trepidation. Will they like it, feel good about the money spent, feel inspired to use it as a meditation tool? I thought I'd feel relief and pride. Here is the list of items they requested:   "Healing Prayer Flag Banner 48" x 36" Including but not limited to the following items: tree of life, white Great Pyrenees dog, tabby Maine coon cat, name : Baylee embroidered, red fox, polar bear, hummingbird with blue circle symbol of diabetes male deer with big rack or horned god, dragonfly, yellow butterfly, rune alphabet embroidered, ogham alphabet embroidered, Celtic knots, triple goddess symbol, pentagram or pentacle, wheel of year sabbat, phases of moon, Thor's hammer, 5 elements, chakras, tiny voodoo doll, angels, fairies, hand and machine quilted in labyrinth pattern, contentment, tarot card 3 of cups." I described the creating process in an earlier post. Here are some photos of the finish. 

Kanobi, Great White Pyrenees, and suede medicine bag with crystal, flicker, and chuckar feather.

Felted chakras, blue is also for diabetes symbol with hummingbirds

Fairy with pewter goddess button, violet and indigo chakras. Lapis stone and silver feather on indigo.

Paper pieced sun with satin rays, bone carved Buddha eyes and third eye symbol of contentment. From Indonesia.

Angels and tiny star fish. Northern lights sky.

Water quilting, rocks, dragonfly, and 3 of cups tarot.

Fire from dahlia flower fabric, red tulle, and pewter Thor's hammer.

Day of the Dead, including marigolds, and ogham alphabet.

Polar Bear with heart embroidery, water fabric and beading.

Label n the back.

Red fox on the trail of a bird, labyrinth with Baylee's name and heart of beads in the center, red, orange, and yellow chakras.

The finished Healing Prayer Banner. Grey binding from African tone on tone.

Water details, circles.

I am taking a break from commissions for at least a little while, time to recharge my creative batteries. But, I got 'er done. Have you done a commission, and how did it turn out for you? 


Well, the update is they are very disappointed and upset, and do not like it in any way. I have asked them to return it and I will make another or refund their money. I think I will just refund the money and learn to avoid this kind of long distance commission. And, I am sick of living in 105 ° heat without air conditioning.

Clearing out my Qi

   I am a fabric and sewing notion hoarder. There, I said it. Yeah, but...  I even made a list of "reasons to buy more fabric." (Titled "He made me wait in the car." It's an Idaho thing.) It had 88 items. I left it on my old computer, and when I moved, it went  ~poof~. Dangit. I have gathered more reasons, and can recreate a lot of the list, the point is, I hoard regardless of reasons. I am 57 years old, and already living on bonus time, so in an effort to unhoard, I have adopted a new philosophy. It is: see if I can get rid of all my fabric, in this lifetime. I am no longer saving the nice and pretty fabric/notions/etc. for that special project. I am using it now. Wow. Yesterday I took a large carton box to the consignment shop full of good stuff. You would think that it was the family jewels the way I agonized over what to include. For pete's sake, most of it is stuff I was given or found at thrift shops, and is old stuff I have had for over a decade...  I did toss in a nice zip lock of generous flannel pieces in shades of greens, olive, and turquoises, all over ¼ yd. each. A big jar of buttons, a mason jar full of wooden spools with pretty and ancient thread, poly batting, zippers, elastic, notions... buh-bye. Then I came home and went through a giant box of flannel scraps and ruthlessly tossed all of the small pieces, even though I intend to make a ticker tape quilt which calls for a zillion tiny pieces... I filled a garbage can. I have another box full and ready to go to the consignment shop. If I get rid of all my fabric, I'll come to your house and help you sew on  yours. xo

Another hoarder... look at the pollen on those thighs!