Tea Time Finished!

It has been awhile (over ten days) since I blogged because I’ve been “down for the count” with a nasty viral bug that has hit.  My DGD London gave it to me (if Grammy here could just refrain from kissing her all the time, I might not have succumbed!)   It seems to get a bit better, then the air quality in the Salt Lake Valley goes to hell in a handbasket.  Every year, the valley suffers through temperature inversions, where the warmer air aloft traps (like a blanket) the colder air down in the valley.  All the yuck and muck from auto exhausts and fireplaces get trapped too, until you cannot see the mountains.  Really.  And if you want to know how close the mountains are, check out my first January post!  Breathing that air is not healthy, so we try to stay indoors until the next storm blows it through.


Anyway, my flu ebbs and flows with the clean and dirty air.  Finally lost my voice totally on Wednesday and took most of the week off work.

But when I feel well enough, I’ve been stitching.  As you may remember, the top of Tea Time was finished.  I’ve now added the sashing, backing, a bit of quilting, a beaded bottom edging, a pleated rod pocket, and a label.  IT IS DONE!

Tea Time - Finished!

Upper Right, when resurrected from UFO pile

Upper Right, complete

Upper Left, when resurrected from UFO pile

Upper Left, complete

 After most of the piecing fixes were done

Complete top before finish work

This will go to Crazy Quilting International to be auctioned off on Ebay.  Proceeds will go to Breast Cancer Research.

I also have an old wool quilt top (see post here) from my UFO pile that I’ve donated to CQI for auction. In this case, the proceeds will go to the scholarship fund of the ICQA (International Crazy Quilters Association).  And that, I believe, knocks off two of my UFO’s for 2011!  One more to go, but then I have 11 1/2 months left, LOL.

I’ll have more stitching to show you in a day or two.  Take care!

Wool Blocks Home and Prize Picture

As promised yesterday, I pulled a few things together for a third prize in my giveaway drawing.  I’m celebrating because I reached 100 Followers!  Thank you all so much!  Pictured here is some COTTON dyed lace (looks more coarse), which is not (IMHO) as wonderful as the RAYON dyed lace, which will be included too.  The rayon just shows off the sheen, and the cotton laces just look tea-dyed.  But, there are also some fabric pieces, some silk floss, silk organza bags, and a doily.  Depending on who wins this package, I’ll add more fabrics - cottons or fancies, their choice.

My wool blocks returned home from the CQ International Wool RR.  I had pieced three (6”) blocks with Christmas colors and three in green, cream and tan for a “woodsy” seasons theme.   Here is the lovely work that came back.


This first block was done by Karrin Hurd, and I love her tree wreath, poinsettia and presents.... oh heck, I love it all!

Leslie Ehrlich did this wintery Christmas block, including one of her “famous” trees (she loves to do them and we love to get them!).  I love the touches of “snow”. 

I will need to finish the sixth and final block (after summer; it’s waaaay too hot to work on wool now, LOL).

And then we have the woodsy blocks.  This elegantly simple block with wonderful greenery and was done by Marya .

Ritva in Finland did these lovely trees.... and are those bird tracks?!/

And Hideko in Japan stitched a lovely springtime woods scene.

Aren’t these lovely together??  I really look forward to assembling these blocks into little wallhangings.  

Thanks for all your beautiful stitching, ladies!


I’ll be announcing the winners of the contest over the weekend, so check back.  Pam & I have to get together to make sure we give everyone their proper number of entries.   The first name picked will get her choice of the three gifts; the second person picked will select next, and the third person will get the remaining.


Have a wonderful weekend!

Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of ... Wool??

I try to read the weekly column that Mary Jane Butters (*the* quintessential Farmgirl and entrepreneur extraordinaire) writes in our local newspaper.    A few weeks ago she wrote about using wool yarn to make laundry balls for the dryer.  I was intrigued because their intended purpose is to replace dryer sheets with a simpler, cheaper and more natural item.

My last dryer's heating element bit the dust last fall and I'm convinced that the dryer sheets played a role in that.  We've since bought a front-load washer (which I hate) and a front-load dryer (which I like).  But like or not, I want to ensure that they will both operate optimally for many many years.  So, I decided to try these dryer balls.

The first step is to get wool yarn.  Of course, mine came from unused skeins of 100% wool that I purchased at the thrift store.   Wind them into balls that are about 2-3 inches in diameter.

Thread the ends of the yarn onto a tapestry needle and insert into the ball.  Go in and out a few times so that the yarn end is secured inside.

Toss them into a mesh lingerie bag and throw them in with your next load laundry (in hot water).    After washing, Keep them in the bag and add them to the dryer (hot temperature).  You are basically felting them.    Viola!

Here is Vanna Boomer showing the dryer balls.  Cat and pillowcase are shown for size reference.

Some wools felt better than others.  On these, you can still see the strands.  But I've had others turn out just like a felted wool ball.

To use them, throw 4-6 balls into the dryer instead of dryer sheets.  They really DO work!  Utah is a very dry climate, with average humidity less than 30%.  Static cling is a given when doing laundry.  These balls work as well as the dryer sheets. The only time I still get some static is when I'm drying fleece, but I still got it with dryer sheets, too.  When I'm done folding the laundry, I just leave or toss the balls back in the dryer until the next load.   They are supposed to last for years.  And I can live without a frou-frou scent.

I'm making these balls to sell this year at our local Farmer's Market (4 for $10).  I'll let you know how that goes.  In the meantime, why not try it yourself??  

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One final note:  Crazy Quilting International has posted the 2010 Purse Contest pictures.  To view them, visit the CQI Blog.  And while you're there, check out the wonderful CQ eye candy!

 

Wool Block for Round Robin

I've been participating (s l o w l y) in a Wool round robin in Crazy Quilting International, a Yahoo group for crazy quilters where I am one of the moderators.  We're in the midst of a purse contest, which is what  I spent the majority of my March stitching time on.  That caused me to fall behind on my Wool RR obligations, so I am madly trying to catch up.


Unfortunately, once I began working in the yard, former problems with my arms falling asleep came back with a vengeance.  So, off I trotted to the doctor, who diagnosed it as TOS or Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.  Apparently the muscles and nerve bundles (etc) on my right side which go from the spinal column at the neck and through the collarbone down to the arm are very tight and being pinched or rubbed.  They suspect it may be an extra rib (apparently not all that unusual), but won't know until we do x-rays when my doctor gets back from South Africa in 2-3 weeks.  


In the meantime, it's twice-daily exercises, some non-steroid anti-inflammatory meds and twice-weekly physical therapy.  At the physical therapist I also get electro-massage (heavenly).  I've seen some improvement in my arms and hands and have begun to stitch again.  I was able to complete this wool block this week.  But I also worked out in the yard for an hour this afternoon.  I couldn't help myself; it was so beautiful and sunny!  I hope I don't pay for it tonight.  So far so good......

This is my work for Ritva in Finland.  Her block is 6"x6", and she requested wool or cotton.  I know the light green in the center area is wool; the rest is either perle cotton or silk perle.  Ritva did not want beads, ribbons, etc., so it's stitching only.  

This is all four blocks done for Ritva in this RR to date.  They were done (top L-R, bottom L-R) by Hideko in Japan, Marya in California,  Leslie in Colorado, and me (Cathy in Utah).   Next they move on to Karrin, who will stitch her block and then send them all home to Ritva.  


And now I get to start on Hideko's lovely blocks!  

Wool Crazy Quilt

About six years ago I made a wool crazy quilt top. First I purchased wool coats and jackets at thrift stores in shades of grays and blues. Then I washed them, felting them in the process. I pieced 30 quilt squares of 11" each. Rather than using the flip-n-sew method to join the pieces to the muslin backing, I just butted them up against one another and sewed them together with the stitch I was using to decorate the seam.

I chose to stick to bright colors for the seams, and simple stitches. No motifs were planned, although I did incorporate embroidery that was featured on one wool coat, cutting it up to make use of it in most of the 30 squares. The original intent was to make this into a queen sized throw for a guest bed. However, as it turned out, when Bruce and I married and bought our house, we got rid of the extra queen sized bed and got a day bed for the guest room. And the color blue is rarely welcomed in my decorating schemes these days, so it sits as a nearly-finished top.


The sashing is a 100% wool hand-woven piece that I bought at an estate sale. It still had the Scottish tag on it and they had the 2-yard piece priced for $5. Who could resist? I had to piece the sashing in places to make it work, but it fit. The blocks are set 5 x 6. However, I was not smart enough to stabilize or interface it first, so there's a great weight contrast between the sashing and the squares. It's set straight, but the you can see how the different weights distort it.

I'm thinking that I will remove the sashing altogether and just piece the 30 squares together and back it with flannel (a black and blue buffalo check I've already purchased) and tie it. It is so heavy and warm as it is, that it seems ridiculous to put the batting between the front and the backing. But it might need it for stabilizing; I'll just have to see.


So, here are some (poor) pictures. The above picture (in fact most of them) are draped over a chair.... I don't have anyone to hold up the quilt for me, and there's no place big enough in my house to spread it out to show the entire thing. These pictures, then, are just a sampling of some of the blocks.....After the staid blues and grays, it was really fun to work with bright-colored threads!


One thing I really like about piecing with wool is that you can cut your pieces in any shape you want and just butt one up next to it and stitch. I played with some curves, as you can see in the square below. If I did one now, however, I think I'd REALLY try to go for some really unusual curves and shapes and pieces!

It was a good learning experience for me at the time, but I'm beginning to get the itch to try another one. I know my piecing would be better, and I'd pick colors that appeal to me more. Hmmmm..... I think I could use a good wool lap quilt since winter is coming.......

A Couple Fall-ish Things to Share

I've been busy working on an autumn-themed piece that will be made into a pillow. More accurately, it HAS been made into a pillow, but now I'm re-working ("tweaking") some of the motifs and arrangements.

So in the interest of providing everyone with their Recommended Daily Allowance of Eye Candy (LOL), I'll just post pictures of a couple areas that will remain pretty much the same (rather than pictures of the entire piece, which has been reverted to "work in process").

This pumpkin was made by felting wool roving on a background of gold dupioni silk. The wool fibers were orange and deep gold. The stem was felted with a couple shades of green. I used my Embellisher, which I've been having some fun with lately. The leaves were given to me by my friend Janet as a gracious gift when we attended the Crazy Quilting International retreat in Denver last month. The little curled "vine" is florist wire that was wound around a needle. I think I may still add a bit of a stitched vine in and around the leaves....


This is the top part of the pillow. I wanted to show one of my favorite seam treatments, which is extending the leaf print fabric with silk ribbon embroidery. I've done this before, in fact, I used this exact fabric and technique in the quilt block I submitted to Quilting Arts Magazine. It won a spot for the month of November in the QA 2002 Calendar.

The sequin flowers (in brown) along the curved lace on the left were cut from an expensive trim I purchased at Allyn's, a wonderful dress shop in Denver (and CQ Heaven) last month. My spider web on the left is uninhabited. I love to do the webs, but am not overly crazy about spiders., real or stitched. Besides, how often have you marveled at a web and NOT seen any spider in residence? (A lot, I bet. I rest my case). Besides, doesn't the CQ legend refer to spiderwebs and not spiders????

You can disregard the rest of the picture! Those flowers underneath are being rearranged and added to a bit; more leaves and a wonderful experimental flower that I'll share a bit later.