Weekend Edition - Art Show News

(Ann Fahl's coneflower quilt in front, and my 2 little Colander quilts in back.)

Hi Friends!


Just popping in with some weekend doings. This weekend (as I'm sure you know already!) is the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair up in Crystal Lake. I'm going up today, late in the afternoon to visit the vendors before attending the artist reception at the art show from 6-7pm. I have 2 quilts in the show, so pop over for a second and say hi!


Tomorrow is the opening for another show, the Bloomingdale Park District Museum is having an artist reception frokm 2-4pm for 2 shows: Quilt National 2007 "B" Collection in one gallery, and Women Packing Irons - Quilt Art from the Chicago School of Fusing in the other gallery.


Get that yard work done early, and come say hi!


We hung the show 2 weeks ago and here is a sneak preview from that day......

Anne contemplates what needs to go where.

When you have 3 kids in tow, you give thanks for Laura (above), who is always ready to entertain, and Marge (below), who decides to open up the (juice) bar.

Judy unpacks one of her large quilts.

Laura poses with the kids in front of our sign. Laura is happy because the show looks great, and the kids are smiling because we are done and are on our way to get the kids a treat. (In fact, I think Ethan is already on his way toward the door.)

More Tote Bags and a Caterpillar Update

The other day I overheard this conversation between my 3 year old and some Barbies:


"I'm going to the ball! I'm going to be so pretty! First, I need a pretty dress. Then, I need a tote bag."


Apparently, I have passed on the tote-bag gene.



Here's a bag that I made for a preschool teacher. I had enough fabric left over so I made an one for the girls too. Again, I used the Summery Dish Towel Tote Bag tutorial. Except I ran out of dish towels, and used actual fabric, cut the same size as the dish towels. The fabric is from Joann's, a nice heavy weight cotton. I used the same fabric for both the outside and the lining.

Here's another summery bag. This one is made from 2 Anthropologie dish towels that I got on sale. One thing you find when looking for dish towels, is that sometimes there is a design only on one end. On this one, the pink flowers were only on one side. On a plain towel, that might be a problem, but this towel has the writing all over, so the "plain" side isn't really plain.

Another situation you run into with the towels is that if there is a placed design on the end (as opposed to the design being an all-over print) is that, when you fold it to sew the side seams, the design is going to be facing upside down when you make it into a bag. That was the case with the above bag: the pink flowers were upside down. So I had to cut the towel in half and sew it back together with the design facing the other way so it would be right side up on my bag. No big deal, it's just another little step. The seam is at the center bottom of the bag and doesn't show.

I love the lining and the bag is reversible. With floppy bags like this, it's important to love the lining because you're going to see it. That's the way I feel about quilt backings too. You're going to see them, so do something nice or fun or interesting and don't just use crappy old fabric thinking it won't show. (Maybe the backing of art quilts hanging on a wall won't show, but for sure the bed quilt backing will show at some point--at least it does on my unmade, crumpled beds).

Here's the reversible side, it's as fabulous as the other side:

And now for a caterpillar update!

Here's a photo of the caterpillar condo, with everyone tucked nicely in their chrysalis. (5 of the 6 made chrysalises and one, sadly, didn't make it.)

You can see that 3 attached themselves to the roof of the condo and one is on a stick right below. The other one was near the bottom. You can kind of see how the chrysalises were spikey, just like the caterpillars.

They hatched 11 days later. Two hatched and three did not, (which was sad, but apparently the kids are well adjusted to the circle of life, even if Mom is not).

They hatched during the night and it was exciting to come down in the morning and see the butterflies clinging to the chrysalises, being totally still. They were still for almost a whole day befor they started moving around.

The butterfly is at the bottom of the house, just to the left of the orange slice:

I was concerned about opening the top to let out the butterflies when there was still a chrysalis attached to the ceiling, but we did it very carefully.

I was hoping to have this quilt done, and to have a glorious butterfly release, complete with sunshine, Martha-Stewart-worthy picnic, and photo shoot with beautiful butterflies landing on shoulders and kids smiling in wonderment.

It was nothing of the sort, as the day the butterflies chose was filled with vacation bible school, swimming lessons, and a quickie dinner fit in before 2 baseball games. Nevertheless, it was memorable, in its own ramshackle way. The first butterfly flew off quickly and crazily, zigzagging with his first freedom high into the sky and away.

The second one flew right up to the tree next to us, and stayed basking in the sun for a long time. You can see him in the picture below, about 2 feet above the fork on the left side.

I was desperately trying to get a group photo, but the kids were getting restless, and here is all I could get. But it does have all 4 of them in the photo, at least.

See them all? Here are arrows, the top arrows pointing out the butterfly, and the other arrows for the kids.

Two Year Anniversary

I can't believe it......this month is the two year anniversary of Sophie's Toes Sock Yarn! I am having a big celebration over on etsy!


Here's what is happening, starting tonight.....

Free shipping to the U.S. or Canada if you buy 3 or more skeins. Stock up for those summer sock knitalongs, vacation knitting, or get a jump on some holiday knitting! International buyers--get $5 off your shipping cost.

I am giving away 3 free skeins! The 2nd skein I sell on Tuesday evening, after I list the new yarn, will be free to the lucky person with the quick mouse clicks. The 11th skein (it's my favorite number) will also be free, and so will the 22nd skein. If you are a lucky winner, I will notify you as quickly as possible and send you a revised paypal invoice. If you are a quick payer (thank you!) and have already paid for the free skein, I will refund your money via paypal. I wish I could make confetti drop down on you, but you will just have to imagine that!!

And I am sending a little thank-you-suprise in each package!

So, I hear you asking, what colors will be available on Tuesday night? I dyed the TOP TEN FAVORITES, as voted by my mailing list subscribers. The top ten favorites are: American Patchwork, Bouquet, Christmas Lights, Crushed Velvet, Favorite Jeans, Iris Garden, Good Earth, Secret Garden, Springtime in Paris, and Tapestry.

And, what I'm even more excited about, is that I have also dyed ten BRAND NEW gorgeous colors.

There is going to be a huge amount of yarn listed tonight. Some of them are sure to sell out, so get there early and get a good seat down front!! The excitement starts at 7pm Central time, Tuesday, June 10th in my etsy shop.


Thank you for all your support the past two years. I hope you have fun shopping!

Breaking News: Science and Nature Department

I was backing out of the driveway last week, taking the kids to the library. I noticed something black on the side of the house. I was pretty far away, but it looked like a very big caterpillar (you know we are into caterpillars), but it was also possible that it was just a leaf.

I stopped the car and told the kids I needed to investigate. Upon closer inspection, it was a caterpillar! It was a big, black, spikey caterpillar with brown spots. We abandoned our library plans and went inside to get a jar. While I was poking holes in the peanut butter jar lid with a hammer and nail, I noticed another one crawling across the garage floor. The exact same kind! What are the odds? We haven't seen a caterpillar in ages--let alone two of the same kind, at the same time. So we put them both in the jar.

We went outside to get some leaves and sticks for their home. And what do you know, but here comes another one crawling across the driveway.

Yes, at this point, I was feeling a little freaked out. Invasion of the caterpillars?! Three freaky, black, spikey, caterpillars.

So we went in to identify them on the internet. It took about 30 seconds to identify our caterpillars and see what kind of butterflies they would turn into. (I breathed a sigh of relief that they would be a beautiful butterfly and not a scary kind of moth!) We also learned that they stay together on their host tree (Elm) until they are full grown, and then go traveling off at the same time to find a place to make their chrysalis.

No wonder they were all there at the same time! And our guys were all brothers and sisters! How exciting!

(Sophie is not crying. She is "taking pictures for the blog". My girl.)

So, we went back out to find the Elm tree, which was right next to our driveway--makes sense--and, there came another little guy crawling across the driveway! So, then we had four. And I told the kids to keep and eye out on the driveway for more, and that's when I found another one on the house. Five.

I was concerned about the amount of room, and the amount of air, to be honest, in the peanut butter jar, so we put them in the garage and continued on our mission to the library, and also to find a suitable house to keep them comfortable.

We stocked up on butterfly literature at the library and found a fabulous caterpillar condo at the toy store. When we got back, we transferred our friends from the crowded peanut butter jar into the condo, and added a nice amount of sticks and elm leaves.

I told the kids to make one last scan of the area for any more. All of a sudden, Sophie started yelling at the top of her lungs. She was so excited that, at first, I couldn't understand what she was saying. She was pointing at the side of the porch, screaming "I see another friend! I see another friend!!!!" She was over the moon with joy.

Final count: six. Group photo.

I made a diagram of where they were all found, for posterity. I mean, what are the odds that we happened to be on the driveway at the exact moment that the little guys made their move? I went out several times later that day and the next, and I never found any more. I feel incredibly lucky that we were in the right place at the right time!

I put their house on the dining room table. I will admit, it was a little creepy to watch them while we were eating dinner, all crawly and spikey and everything. They were extremely active that afternoon and evening. Then, the next morning when we came downstairs, they were all in their j position, hanging completely still, upside down from sticks or from the ceiling of the house.

The next day was pretty exciting, as we waited for chrysalis making. I was gone in the evening, when they made their chrysalises, but the kids got to see it. Now they are all tucked in, and our waiting begins.

In crafting news, Emily's Totebag Factory is running full tilt.

Many totebags were gifted in the month of May. Teachers were hugged. Tears were shed.

These (above) were made from my dishtowel totebag tutorial and my stash of Crate and Barrel dishtowels that I bought last year. Love the cherries. Wish they had that same vintage-looking dish towel this year.

The one below was from two black and grey towels Crate and Barrel has this year.

This is the same bag above and below. It's reversible.

Then I ran out of towels and had to make one from fabric (imagine!) This is upholstery weight fabric (Veronique by Alexander Henry) lined with black cotton duck, and the straps are black twill tape webbing.

I put the tutorial in my sidebar. I am finishing up a couple more for myself and the kids, so brace yourself for more totebag deliciousness later this week.

I'll be back tomorrow with a shop update announcement. This month is my two year yarn-dyeing anniversary, and I have some special goings-on over on etsy!

Summery Skirt

Hi guys! A lot of you know that I love to sew clothes. It was my first hobby, before quilting and before knitting. Even though I sew a lot of my clothing, I have rarely blogged about it; I just didn't think people would be interested.

But I have had more compliments on this skirt than probably any other clothing I have ever made--literally, every time I wear it, strangers say "cute skirt!" so I thought I'd share it.
It's the Barcelona skirt from Amy Butler. The fabric is Amy Butler too- from the Lotus collection. I made this skirt last summer from a fabric I bought in April 2007, but I noticed that the fabric is still available at Hancock's of Paducah, and probably other places too. (And speaking of Amy Butler--have you seen this new pattern? Cute!!)

It's just a basic a-line skirt, but the unique and fun detail is the way the skirt panels are layered and stitched, so you get a frayed edge on the outside. Here's a close up.

Today is my last day of preschool for this year! I have two hours to myself and I'm torn between sewing and planting. Then, when I pick up my preschooler I'll be saying goodbye to a wonderful teacher that all the kids have had --five years in a row. Pass the tissues.

Mother's Day and This and That

First off, a big shout out to MOM! Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you!

I don't think I mentioned that within this last year my mom got her first computer--so now she reads my blog! That has been a really special treat for me. (Although I can no longer pull something like this.) She now "gets" how fun blogging is and what it means to me.

--------------

I got a special card today and opened it up:

I read outloud "Mommy, your ok." That's nice, I thought, albeit a little less enthusiastic than their usual Mother's Day greetings. How happy I was to be corrected: No! Mom! It says: "Mommy, you rock!" (Whew! What a difference a little translation makes!)

--------------

In some sad news, I was talking this week to a knitter-friend of mine at church, the lady that I mentioned before who lost her niece on Valentine's Day. I didn't know that her niece was also a knitter. She had 8 projects on the needles and my friend is working through them one by one to finish them. I guess this is a way to work through grief but I can't even imagine how difficult that would be. Prayers for her family would be good.

------------

And I also learned this week that UMCOR is a good agency to donate to if you wish to help people in Myanmar. 100% of your donations go to the relief effort, since all administrative costs are paid by the church. And they are one of the few agencies that already has people in place and permits to be working there now. FYI.

------------

On a completely different thread, I found myself making last minute teacher gifts before school on Friday. Clarification: these were not the big end-of-year teacher gift. That is yet to be determined. (Teacher Gift Guru Kay, please bestow on us the wisdom that is this season's best idea for teacher gift!) This was a little trinket that they were supposed to bring in for teacher appreciation week, to be contributed to a big class basket. I used some of my favorite fabric purchased at Paducah, to make tissue holders from this great tutorial.

It is especially appropriate for our 2nd grade teacher, since their class had caterpillars this month. The "theme" wasn't as pertinent for the kindergarten teacher, but I figured, who can resist the hungry caterpillar?! He is just the cutest. There is a whole line of Hungry Caterpillar fabric

(see some here and here) and I'm hoping to make a picnic quilt out of it before the end of school. (As if!)

-----------------

Speaking of kindergarten, their science project this spring was hatching chicks. My girl was so excited. She dressed up in a dress the day the eggs were delivered. Every day I got an egg report. In honor of the hatching, we made a shirt. Which led to another shirt.

And another.

Wonder-under on the fabric, iron it to the shirt. I recommend a small piece of fusible interfacing on the underside to help stabilize it. Stitch around the shape, adding details as you wish. Couldn't be easier! (Seriously--it's embarrassing that I just typed out instructions.)

-----------------

I guess that's it, sorry for the jumble. New knitting projects and FO's up this week. Today I'm giving thanks that, in someone's eyes, "I rok", and wishing you all a rocking day too. Happy Mother's Day.

p.s. I almost forgot to mention a little thing....today is my birthday! What a difference a year makes. Last year I was completely freaked! 40 is hard! 41 is nice and mellow! I'm having a wonderful mellow relaxing day today, and as soon as hit publish post, I'm going to go make myself a delicious birthday pie. Happy day to you all!

Magic Ball Fever

Hello! Since I have an etsy shop update tonight, I thought I whould show you something I finished last month from a Magic Ball. (Tonight will be the last of the Magic Balls until fall--I need to rest my winding arm!)

I was so taken with Jodee's Baby Suprise Jacket that I wanted to make one myself. I was possibly the only person on the planet that hadn't made one and I wanted to see how it was constructed.

Fun! Quick to make, fun to figure out, and adorable finished project. No wonder they are so popular! If I am wrong, and YOU are the only person on the planet who hasn't made one, go forth, now, and make thee a Baby Suprise!

Add some wee buttons and revel in the cuteness.

Specs:

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Suprise Jacket from The Opinionater Knitter, also available as a single pattern from Schoolhouse Press.

Yarn: Sophie's Toes Magic Ball, color Pastel Baby. It only took 1/2 of the ball.

Buttons from Wool and Company.

Notes: I was determined to use the Magic Ball as is, with no "engineering" of how the stripes would be placed. But when I got toward the end, I could see that the only pink section was the one around the sleeve edge (the same stripe that goes across the upper back). And I thought it would look really nice if the pink was repeated. So, I did break my "rule" of leaving the ball alone and just doing whatever came along. When I could see that the last stripe was going to be purple, I took the ball apart and got to another pink section so the front/bottom stripe would be pink. Some rules are meant to be broken--I love the way it turned out.