Something New: Little Hearts

Belated Happy Valentine's Day to all (if you're into that kinda thing)!! We don't really celebrate in our house, no fancy dinners, expensive chocolates, or bunches of red roses. But we do like hearts. Doesn't everyone?

Instagram I took right after making my first block. 

It seems like the appropriate season to post a new block I've made recently. The first little heart I made was from memory from a post by Cluck Cluck Sew. I used 4 HST and it turned out cute! 

But I decided I probably should revisit the post and see how I'd done. The tutorial was not exactly how I'd remembered it, so I made a few more blocks!

Some more wonky than the others....

We are stash busting in our house this year, so I paired the hearts, which came from very old pre cuts, with scrappy greens from the scrap bin. I was able to move 99% of that bin to 2 smaller bins, and organize, so it was a work and fun project! 
A lot of people have been following this tutorial over the last few months. Here are a few of my favorites: Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting, Random Thoughts... Do or "Di", and Film in the Fridge. And so many more I have seen, too many to find! Plus a ton on instagram #cluckclucksew.

Today, I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday. 

Sea, Sand, and Snow, for Second Anniversary

For our second wedding anniversary we headed down to one of our favorite beaches. A year earlier, the weather was warm, and mild and we spent our time in Washington DC. This year we ran into quite a bit of snow Down The Shore. 

Flat, calm, ocean before the storm. 

We stopped by Ocean Grove on our way down, partly for business, but mostly to see the beach on a freezing, still, day. We found a bit of glass and jet but had to head on when our toes went numb. 

Sun sets over the boardwalk. 

Sunrise at one of our favorite hotels. 

We woke up the next morning in Cape May to easier temperatures, and set out to the beach again. 

Met a shy friend. 

Deserted places.

Ice capped jetties. 

This tall fellow. 

Cold and colorful. 

Ship wrecks at sunset.

We beach combed, thrift shopped, walked, and ate as many fish sandwiches as we could find.
We are always surprised and amazed at how different the beach can be. Last time we were in Cape May, the beach was rich with finds. This trip, we barely found any treasures. Whether we find things or not, the beach is a rejuvenating place for us, and we rejoiced in relaxation. 

Blue Pig breakfast. 

The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, we headed out into a dreary rainy NJ drive. Soon, the rain turned to snow, and the snow turned to blizzard conditions. Partly to avoid the road, but mostly out of excitement and curiosity we headed back to OG.  

Brave souls. 

No glass here.  

Asbury Park in deep white. 

We didn't find any glass or even very many shells, but the blizzard beach was worth the trip!

Another look at the boardwalk. 

Over all, our 2nd anniversary was relaxing, calm and a little cold, but wonderful. We got to enjoy some of our most favorite pastimes. A happy way to spend a happy date. 

January in Review

It's hard to believe how fast January went. The year is one 12th over already!

There was a lot of hard work this month. But it was straight forward with no major surprises which was a nice change.  It helped the month move along promptly. 

I tried to keep my goals for 2015 in this month. To start, we rang in the new year watching the fireworks in Prospect Park. Our tradition sets a nice start to a new year. We managed to go on our annual museum trip, this year to the Neue Gallerie. It is always refreshing to see art this month! We were amazed by Klimt's work up close. 

1) Watchers have been sparse so far this year. 2) You can't not marvel at this entry way. 3) Since loosing track of my number one #myfavoritetrucksofparkslope, this one has moved into that spot!  4) The long, chilly, line to get in was worth the wait!

We tried to create in January, as well. I sewed quite a bit but started more projects than I finished. I didn't make much progress on my 1Q Finish Along, but I was inspired for new projects. 

We got to spend some time with friends this month. We got to wander around the city. The weather was pretty snowy, and Brooklyn is beautiful in it's Winter clothes.  

1) Little hearts (more coming soon). 2) Winter's garden. 3) Snowy paths around Grand Army Plaza. 4) Coffee with Crimson. 

We were able to escape the city in January, as well. We headed to NJ to see family and found some great good sea glass on the bay. We also headed to our favorite shore town and did some house hunting. Seeing the ocean in winter is pretty wonderful. 
At the end of the month we headed back to Southern NJ to spend a special date.    

1) Interesting people at the library. 2) Mild skies above the ocean. 3) Static kitties in Park Slope. 4) Defeated Daleks looking dejected.  

I was able to set some goals for the upcoming year, and it's been helpful to look at that list and keep on track. January was productive, but all too brief. It was cold, snowy and stark in many ways but highlighted by colorful adventures. 

February is the shortest, darkest, month, has some of my favorite holidays (and I don't mean President's Day), and takes us one more step to Spring. January whooshed by fast and furious, February, what pace will you set?

Goals for the New Year

Right around the beginning of the year, I was not going to write any goals for 2015. I never like to make resolutions, bc they sound like a punishment. Something you have to do, resolve to do,, not that you aspire to do. I do like to make a list of goals to keep in mind as I go thru the year. This year, I wasn't feeling it. 

Until about the second week in January.

And then I started thinking of all the things I want to accomplish this coming year and how nice it would be to have a list to refer to. Not only did I end up creating a list, but I ended up with quite a long one.  Bc it is so long, I will only write the broader concepts here and plan to make more detailed entries going forward. 

Work on Creative Endeavors as Much as Work - I have to make my art and sewing a priority in my life and not let working at my job be the only or most urgent thing that drives me.
Sewing/Blogging - More sewing and more blogging about it! I want to work on my online shop. I must do one market, or fair. 
Take Better Care of My Health and the Health of My Family/Take Better Care of the House - In all the hustle and bustle of work and life this is something I often forget to pay close attention to. I want to always be striving to make a better house for my family and plants and keep us in good health.
Stay in Touch with My Friends - I'm fairly antisocial by nature, but I love my friends and care to make them feel appreciated. 
Use Up, Don't Buy -  I need to reduce all things in my life and and make better use of the things I keep. 
Wardrobe Makeover - One thing I have far too many of are clothes. I must make my wardrobe more manageable and stop buying clothes!  
Travel when Possible - Always more exploring to be done.
Read More - I can only remember reading three books last year. Pitiful. 
Move Out of the City - It's time. 

I feel better already. Having something to read and refer to, I feel more confident I can see some of these goals come to fruition. I look forward to expanding on what I have written here in future blogs and can think of some fun ways to do so. I've enjoyed reading people's goals. Reading them helped me compose my own. If you haven't written any, I suggest doing so here in the comments. 

2015 Finish Along

This year, I want to blog more, I want to sew more, I want to finish more!

So I'm participating in Adrianne's (On The Windy Side) 2015 Finish Along.
For those of you haven't heard of this before, every year a lovely blogger runs a Finish Along (FAL) where sewists can make quarterly goals to finish for the year. The projects can be quilts, clothes, knits, etc... But they must be a semi started project when you link up at the beginning of each Quarter. As you finish a project, you make a blog entry, and at the end of each Quarter you link up again with all that you have completed. There's no punishment or negativity if you don't finish, but there are potential prizes if you do! More than anything, it's a way to keep a list for yourself, and also to have support from the sewing community as you go!

I'm a big fan of to do lists. I make one everyday for myself at work. Although I have included quilting on some of my lists, I have never made a list just for sewing. 

Here is my First Quarter List!
Since this is the first time I'm joining in, I'm gonna go easy for my Q1. I've picked 5 projects to get done in 3 months. 

1. Repair, Label and Gift the Friendship Star Mini.

This quilt is pretty much done (so much so, that I already blogged about it once). Although I consider it a 2014 finish, it needs repair where the binding didn't catch. It needs a label and to given to whom it belongs. I think this is a good goal to start the year and Q1.

2. Finish hand-quilting, binding and labeling All Gingham, All The Time quilt. 

This project was started way back in Jan 2014. I set it aside when I wasn't happy with how the hand quilting was going. After some months of space, we have reunited. I want to finish this one up completely for Q1.  

3. Finish Nest Block Jacket. 

I have an old red wool jacket that my mom gave me quite a few years ago. It's really red. I started a wee star block to add to it. I'm hoping it breaks up the red a bit. I have the block, but I have to figure out how to best affix it to the jacket. This seems like a simple Q1 Project, but it may go sideways if the jacket needs more work. 

4. Baste, bind, quilt and label Stormy Friendship Mini Quilt. 

I made the top for this at the same time as the yet to be named Friendship Mini. Now I've got a back made. I want to have this one finished this Q1. This should be a straight forward project.  I just have to keep on task .

5. Finish piecing, baste, quilt, bind, and label Quilt for Grandma Doris. 

This is the biggest project on the list bc it is the least done. I started this quilt Nov 2014 with very high hopes it would be done by xmas. Not to be. I'd love to have this one done Q1 with the idea to gift it for Mother's Day, maybe? But there doesn't really need to be a special occasion to gift someone a quilt, right?

OK! I'm feeling good about this list! Let's get going!
Linking up with Adrianne, of course!

December in Review

Wow. 2014 is over. 

We spent the last month of the year gearing up to spend time with family: making gifts, cleaning house, getting things done at home and at work. When our family arrived at the end of the month we were ready and happy to take some time off with them, and show them the city we love. 

1) Festive Winter skies. 2) Library scenes. 3) Not your usual nester. 4) Squirrel brunch. 

In the beginning of the month. I tried to stay home, cleaning and quilting and nesting. I managed to finish some things, but I started some new projects, too. The weather was cold for a bit and it was nice to cuddle up at home. 

1) One of our favorite kitties. 2) HST madness. 3) Lovely day Down The Shore. 4) Glass houses in Brooklyn. 

We did manage to get out some, for walks and to visit some of our favorite place in Brooklyn. At home, we collaborated on some xmas gifts, and projects. 

By far, the best part of the month was the end when our family came to visit from Tennessee! I got to take them to some of my favorite spots in Brooklyn. It meant so much to me to be able to show them My Little Town. For xmas we went Down The Shore, to show them our other favorite town, and our home away from home. The weather was amazing, so warm people put their feet in the ocean!  

1) Lights on the houses, lights in the sky. 2) Cold and festive. 3) Welcoming light in. 4) Nighttime, last of the year.   

When family departed we headed back to BK and back to work. We spent the last minutes of the year in our traditional way, watching the sky explode over Prospect Park. 

December was a lovely, temperate month, with mild weather, easy days, and wonderful guests. January has begun cold but not too harsh. 

Over all, 2014 was a great year! Busy and productive filled with new things, learning, and learning experiences. But there was time for rest, contemplation, relaxation, as well. It was a year to reflect on strengths and weakness and what we can improve. But it was also about cherishing what we have and what is good in life. 2014 was a time to get ready for change, to prepare and plan. I hope 2015 sees many of those changes come to life, and is a time for improvements all around. 

For 2015, I have some goals. January, let's get started!

Belated Xmas Finishes

In November of 2013, we went to visit our Family in Tennessee. I had the idea that I would work on some mini mini quilts (table toppers. mug rugs, wall hangings, what have you) to give for xmas that year. I sewed diligently before hand and on the plane, but I couldn't finish them in time. When I did get them finished that xmas was over and the mini minis were far too Christmasy to give as late gifts. So I held on to them, and they were wrapped up for xmas 2014!

Back of Four Trees.

I made Four Trees specifically for my Mother in Law. It was the piece that I tried hardest to finish that year, but alas it wasn't meant to be. I used as many favorite scraps of red, xmas themed greens, and blues as I could find. The binding on the back got a little wonky. I used scraps of batting and quilted the mini densely with white pearl cotton. The only thing I added before gifting was a small label (which does not appear in the pics as they were taken way back at the beginning of 2014). This very small mini measures approximately 19" x 18 1/4".  

Night Trees

Night Trees is an even tinier mini I made for my Aunt using much the same techniques.  Although these minis are xmas themed and red and green, I tried not to make them too much about the holiday and more about the solstice. Night Trees measures approximately 16" x 12 3/4". 

Night Trees back. Pardon all the cat hair in these pics. 

I took all the pics shortly after they were finished in early 2014 and didn't look at them again until preparing for this post. If I had, I might have taken some more shots before they got wrapped. I hope everyone who received them as gifts enjoys the quilts as much as I enjoyed making them! 

One Tree. 

One Tree mini mini quilt is the smallest and most bright and was gifted to my Grandma. Most would consider this a "mug rug" I'm sure. I've never been entirely clear on what those are (over sized coasters?) and I like my work to have multiple uses, so whatever works, works. I'll have to see what my Grandma comes up with for it. 

One Tree back.

One of my first finished small pieces was a wall hanging using scraps of batik fabrics. I put various strips together and backed them with a mostly cream backing. I quilted it with cream embroidery floss in a diagonal pattern, and added little hanging loops. This piece moved around the house for a while and I thought to put it up on one of our doors. But I never felt quite right about it for some reason, so it never got hung. When I pulled the xmas minis out, I rediscovered it and thought to give it to my Sister in Law. That idea felt right!!

Batik Wall Hanging. 

As well as these, some other hand made gifts were given this year. I felt very happy that many of our gifts were home made, and that much of our time in 2014 was used creating, not shopping. I hope to keep that tradition up, and that more and more of our days are for making things, for ourselves and for our families and friends. 

Batik Wall Hanging back. I struggled with the little loops for this wall hanging, but ended up liking them. 

I hope everyone enjoyed their 2014 xmas season and has a happy and healthy new year!

Mat Finish

I can't even tell you how long ago this finish was started. It must have been several years, at least. But in early December 2014, it was finished!

As I dimly recall, this "quilt" was started by just having lovely pieces of fabric near each other and the uncontrollable urge to sew them together. I remember that these were sewn together long ago with no real plan. And I remember later forming a plan to make an insanely long quilted strip of pieces like these. That plan never came into fruition, and the top for this mat was left to the WIP bin. After being bagged, un-bagged, tossed around, etc... It eventually made it's way to a chair top for many months where Flounder became quite taken with it. 

A few months ago, I cleaned it up, tried to get as much of the cat hair off of it as I could, made a back for it, and basted it. Then it sat in a new WIP pile, for a few weeks, and was later quilted while my friend was in town. 

I had been looking for a project to do a fan style quilting on and this was perfect. Having never used a fan design, I was worried it might be hard, or slow, so starting with something small was great! The quilting actually went surprisingly fast. I used acrylic black thread for quilting the fan designs, and I think that made a difference. Acrylic really glides thru the quilt as opposed to natural thread, whcih sometimes get caught or travel slowly. The hardest part of quilting this quilt was that some of the fabric is quite dark and made it hard to see the stitching while sewing.   

The fabrics in this quilted mat are mostly new from various fat quarters, but there are also some recycled clothes and a bit of vintage. I pieced the back with most black, some old but not vintage stars, and a bit of vintage purple which was also a backing on another quilt.  The batting was also a left over scrap. Since my quilts are never any particular size, and certainly not a standard size, I seem to always have batting scraps laying about. I folded over the backing to make the binding but only did one line of stitching, where I usually do two. This is partly laziness on my part, but also I envision this quilt to be super soft and easy to fold, roll, and carry. 

This mat quilt is approximately 50" x 22", Which is a pretty weird shape for a quilt. I see this quilt being small and portable and taken where ever you go. It can be used as a mat for yoga or exercise, taken to the park or beach and used as a seat, folded as a chair mat or to give you a little extra back support, laid out for a cat or baby mat. It could also be used as a table/dresser topper or bed runner, but I picture it being more versatile and utilized. It's really soft and a little puffy. I really love the way the fans are very clear and noticeable even though sometimes they are black on black. 

I still have to label this quilt and write up it's entry in my quilt journal. But it was very satisfying to finish such an old WIP!! It definitely made me get out my unfinished works and assess them for potential finishes! It was also nice that this quilt had some firsts: First oddly shaped finished quilt and first fan quilting design.  

I'm linking this post up with Kathey's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

November in Review

I thought November would be a crazy month. Thanksgiving falling in this month, and other holidays nipping at it's heels, signals the high season at work (certainly when you work in a pie shop). Guests visiting, heading out of state to see family, required cooking, the weather turning very cold indeed, all these things, seem to want November to be hectic and stressful. 

But November was a lovely month. A month to work hard, but with plenty of time to relax, as well. Cold weather made my commute a bit tougher, but made my nights more snuggly. Having guests and being guests was easy as could be. Cooking was a easy pleasure not a chore. Even the most insane holiday at work went off without a hitch (everyone got their pies!). 

Partly bc we had a guest coming this month, I was able to clean and work on the house. Something that I always want to do, but that always seems not to get done (and believe me, it's never done....). I was able to care for and move around the plants to better use the Autumn light. I dream of a time when I can devote time to work on my "green thumb".   

1) Down The Shore, the off season is the best. 2)This xmas cactus knows what time of year it is. 3) Pottering about the house. 4) Rare visit to the city. 

In the beginning of the month, we were able to get away to the beach for a few days. We beachcombed, relaxed, and the weather held out. 

Towards the end of the month a dear friend came to town and there were trips to the city, shopping, and so much food! 

With the colder weather this month, quilting was a priority. Many cats and I spent many hours under cover working on several projects. 

I was able to complete a small finish in November, work on a few in progress projects and start something new that I hope to finish soon. 

Watchers were scarce. Staying away from frosty windows, I'm sure. 

1) So many quilting books to distract me at work... 2) My favorite place, in bed, with cats, quilting. 3) My helpers are very helpful. I don't even need interns. 4) SO many solids!!

Thanksgiving was insane at work, but not as insane as I thought it would be. We already have hopes of ramping it up for next year. 

Thanksgiving at home was slow and easy and wonderful. I made deviled eggs, and roasted a ton of veggies. We headed out to my families house and our house guest drove! I was able to quilt on the drive! Lovely. We ate so many wonderful things that my mom prepared, chatted and laughed, and got home at a reasonable hour. Wonderful. 

Overall, I would say November was near perfect. Not thrilling, but not stressful. It was a time to bundle up and settle down as we prepare for Winter's cold grip. I hope December holds us this close, but doesn't squeeze too hard!

Friendship Mini: A Finished Quilt

Right on the heels of making my first friendship stars, I started playing around with the scale of the stars. And this mini quilt was born!

This quilt has a name and was made for someone. But if I revealed the name, it would give away the surprise!

This mini measures approximately 31" x 31" and the star is about 25" x 25". The center of the star has vintage heart fabric and new anchor fabric. The points are the same vintage polka dots that I backed the First Friendship Quilt with. The background for the star is vintage green gingham. The sashing is a new dark blue fabric with multi colored bubbles. 

The backing is a deep green floral/paisley that was a gift from a friend. It has stripes of the same anchors and bubbles from the front. Both are new fabric bought on Fabric.com, I believe. 

I did a lot of hand stitching with light blue pearl cotton in and around the star, but left the dark blues un-quilted. I used my fold over double stitched method for the binding.  I like how heavy the quilting is, but there are still areas that are blank. 

I'm pretty sure that I used a scrap of batting left over from the First Friendship Quilt for this mini. All the quilting makes this one pretty snuggly. It would be perfect for a baby quilt or baby mat, and it makes for a nice pet quilt, as well. 

Tom was most helpful in the making of this quilt. Bippi wanted to help, but it was too small to work on and have her sit under, so she was mostly just annoyed. 

I haven't labeled this mini, yet, but I have washed it. It's very soft and supple.  Unfortunately while taking these photos, I noticed that the binding did not catch in one part of the quilt!

I knew I was cutting it pretty close,  but I've never had this happen before!! So, along with a label, this quilt will need a little repair before it heads to it's new home. 

Since all my quilts are hand pieced, basted, quilted and bound, I like to link up with Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday when I can!

Something New: Ohio Star

Back in August, I finished a quilt  that had the first traditional stars blocks I have ever completed. At the time, I thought they might be Ohio Stars (or a variation thereof) but I have come to learn they are Sawtooth Stars (or a variation thereof). I'm still learning about the traditional quilt blocks and techniques. Once my mistake was discovered I became interested in sewing an actual Ohio Star. 

In the last week or so, I have made some Ohio Stars, or a variation of the traditional block, for a gift quilt I am working on. Here is my (terribly wrinkly) first attempt: 

I'm not really a fan of ironing.

I'm working on a fairly tight deadline (can I do it?!) so, hopefully, you will be seeing more of this quilt soon!

October in Review

October wasn't quite the feast for the mind, body, and soul I was hoping for, but it was a pretty good month.

1) Starting the month off in a different place. 2) Eating my favorite foods. 3) Sewing and sitting. 4) Halloweening in Brooklyn. 

The first days, I was away on the last days of my yearly family vacation. We spent a lovely week or so in Cape May, NJ. The weather was amazing. And our first day of Oct was enjoyed as if it were still summer.

Although I want to call my First Friendship Quilt a September finish (the vast majority was completed in Sept), it was technically finished early morning on the 1st of Oct.

The moment I returned there was some chaos at work and the first few weeks flew by. Lots of meetings. Meetings are not my favorite. By the time things settled down it was mid month and discussion of November had already begun.

I was able to enjoy quilting, cooking, eating out, watching a ton of pretty bad (but so good!) TV, and get a lot of work done (both at work, and at home) this month. By Halloween, the weather had gotten brisk. There wasn't much travel this month, but every time the seasons change, Brooklyn does, too. So, it was fun to walk around Autumn Brooklyn and see the sites with new eyes.

1) A watcher waits on 6th Ave. 2) Watcher dog in North Park Slope. 3) Cormorants in Coney Island. 4) Hidden in plain sight on 15th St.

I got to take part in my favorite pastimes; quilting, watcher spotting, cuddling with cats (especially as the temp got cooler), and sea glass hunting. We even went to Coney Island to see what sea glass it had to offer.  

So, overall October was pretty mellow, with it's highs and lows. It wasn't a race, or a slow, relaxing meander. It was more like a light jog with some uphill sections. As we rush to the end of this year, I hope to keep pace, or even slow it down a bit. But sometimes those last moths can feel like a marathon. Let's see how fast November goes.

First Friendship: A Finished Quilt + Blogger's Quilt Festival

The First Friendship Quilt started around April of 2014. It was intended for a friend, but was so well liked by my husband it will not make it to it's original destination (don't worry, there's another quilt in the works for that person). Although that would be an interesting reason for it's name, the actual reason is much more simple. I named this quilt First Friendship bc it contains the first Friendship Star blocks I have ever made, and symbolizes the beginning of my foray into traditional quilt blocks. 

Although, truthfully I did make a log cabin quilt in 2013. You can see it in the portfolio section. 

As with all my quilts, this one is done entirely by hand. It's cut, pieced, basted and bound by me, by hand with one or more cats in tow. I started making the stars out of vintage heart fabric, fat quarters and scraps I had in my stash. I also used a collection of hand printed fabric I bought on ebay. I put them together with more printed fabric, more FQ and a vintage green floral for sashing. I mitered the corners of the outer sashing. 

The back has one friendship star, but in more of the same volume as it's self. I guess it would be considered low volume or low contrast, at least. The star is surrounded by a sea of green vintage polkadot fabric. 

The back has one low volume start on the back.  

I can't remember what batting I used. I think it was some that I had had left over from another project. I really enjoy using Quilter's Dream, but I often have vintage batting, or other varieties that I have tried or that were on sale. I do piece my batting when needed, or to use up scraps, but I do remember that this one was whole. 

I tried to keep this quilt relatively free of cat hair, but that never really works out. Several of the cats helped me with this quilt, but surprisingly there wasn't a stand out helper. 

I quilted this quilt with white pearl cotton. I went around the piecing of each star and then did an X design for the sashings. To bind the quilt I folded over the backing. I usually use either a folded over binding with two rows of stitches, or a roll over with one row of stitches, but this binding is somewhere in between. 

The quilting on the back doesn't match up with the back star, but still makes for an interesting design. 

one backwards star, unintentional. 

Red, tan, green, and blue. 

I'm calling this a September finish, even though the last few stitches of the binding were done October 1st. I even brought this quilt on vacation with me, in order to get it finished. The house we stayed in was pretty cute, so I was able to take some photos there!

First Friendship Quilt is approximately 45" x 57". 

Although I'm calling this quilt done, I haven't put a label on it yet. I am going to try and label all my quilts going forward and be more diligent about keeping my quilt journal. I haven't made an entry about this quilt, yet!

Finished quilt hanging out in Cape May, NJ. 

I'm entering this quilt in the The Bloggers Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side in the Hand Quilted category. This will be my first year participating and it's been wonderful to see all the amazing quilt work. I can't wait to start voting!

Something New: EPP

The quilting world loves English Paper Piecing. I wanted to try it to see if I would, too. 

My first attempt. 

For those of you who may not be familiar with EPP (English Paper Piecing) Craftsy has a good article and how-to here. 

Basically, it's a method of hand piecing most used for small or intricate blocks or designs. It involves precisely cutting paper and basting fabric to it before sewing the fabric together for more exact piecing. Many people use basic shapes that are small and may be harder to hand or machine piece without some stiffness and stability. Hexagons are one of the most popular shapes to use.

EPP is known for it's portability. 

The method is to precisely cut (or buy pre cut) shapes, cut fabric slightly larger, and baste it on to and around the paper. One you have a bunch of basted hexis (or what ever shape you might be using), you put them right side together and sew along the papers edge. You join the fabric covered papers like this, until you have the size and shape you like. Then you can remove the basting stitches and pull out the paper before finishing the piece by quilting, making a pillow, etc...

I had been wanting to try this method for a while bc many people swear by it. EPPing is known for being portable, small, and unwieldy, so I thought I might enjoy it. 

A pile of Octi and some that pieced together already. 

I'd waited before starting an EPP project, bc I had the idea that I would go and buy some paper templates. As weeks went by where I would look longingly at other peoples EPP projects, I realized I was never going to find time to buy the supplies I needed. So I found some stiff paper and some scissors instead. 

The very nature of EPP is to be very precise, my very nature is to be not very precise at all. 

But I forged ahead and cut some very wonky octagons. And then some very wonky squares to go with them, and set to basting. I basted as many as I could stand (like 6) before sewing a few together to see just how it worked.  After doing this a bunch more times, I found out how I preferred to baste the octis and how I preferred to sew them together. Although I had to make many adjustments as I went bc the shapes were not at all uniform, I eventually got into a rhythm. 

A lot of octis and squares sewn together. 

As with all my quilts, I didn't have a plan or sketch of what I wanted to do. I just made it up as I went along. And as always,  a vague plan started formulating. A pattern emerged and when it was time to stop, I stopped. After about a month I had completed the major part of the EPP project, and now it's set aside to decide what comes next. 

What I am about to say might shock and dismay some people. 

I don't love EPP. It's an interesting method, and I can see where it would be very useful. I didn't hate it but I found it achingly slow, and a little boring. Maybe it's bc I hand piece all my quilts already and this method is more for people who are used to machine sewing? I know I could have pieced the whole thing way quicker, and possibly neater, without the paper basting aspect. I also felt quite bad about all the fabric that was wasted. When I quilt there is rarely any unusable scrap left over. It kinda broke my heart to throw away so many tiny triangles. I found that as the piece got bigger it got harder and harder to handle. The stiffness of the paper became unwieldy and maneuvering became annoying. 

My favorite part is definitely cutting the basting threads and pulling the paper out. I like to see the patchwork all hard and stiff before, and then soft and subtle after. 

The back side of all those octis! You can see on the top left the papers have been removed. 

I was also not sold on EPP's portability or ease for travel. I pretty much always take my sewing on the go with me, and rarely find it overly cumbersome. But with EPP I had tiny scrapes everywhere, paper templates popping out all over the place, not to mention the scissors, needle,  and thread. And I had to have a special bag to carry it all in. Usually I just stuff all my sewing in my purse, but bc there are so many pieces of fabric and templates, etc... I needed more organization and therefore more stuff to carry. I was lucky enough to snag one of my husbands first zipper pouches, which did work wonderfully for the job. 

Library Card zipper pouch. 

I will definitely finish the work. I liked the process and the result enough to make this one project. But bc I didn't like it a lot, I'm not sure what the project will end up being. Only time will tell. 

You just can't put black, purple and gold or orange together without it looking like Halloween. The bats don't help, I guess. 

I'm linking up with a blog I love to read, Kathy's Quilts, for her Slow Sunday Stitching.

September in Review

In stark contrast to August's slow lazy, relaxing days, September was a whirlwind of work, visits from friends, stress, vacation, change, seeing family, making plans, and more work. 

For the last 20 years or so, I've been away for Labor Day, returning only after the school year is in full swing. In my experience, school starting up signals the real start to a new year. Back to school means back to work, back to Winter and back to waiting for a new Summer. 

1) Prospect Park Zoo's peacocks have refined tastes. 2) Busy bees in Cape May Point. 3) Watcher Dog hanging out. 4) Watcher cat being sneaky off the 15th Street circle. 

Every other year, I come home after the first week of September and it's Fall already. The weather's cooler, the leaves changing, the hustle and bustle already begun. But this year I got to watch the slow change of hot end-of-Summer days to the mild leaf swirled mornings and chilly dark nights of Autumn. It's an interesting sea change to experience, much more lazy and drawn out than I had expected. 

In the beginning of September, friends visited from out of town and we got to visit some of our favorite places, eat giant pretzels, sew, and go to the beach. We stayed Down The Shore, house hunted, met new cats, enjoyed some September Swims. 

We had some sad news when we found out the our truck was too expensive to repair, and we had to let it go. It's been a long time since I've lived in the city without a car, so part of this month was about getting used be being driven, taking the train, or staying put when we might rather be driving away.

At the end of the month we took a family vacation, so we could relax away from the city a bit. We headed down to Cape May, the site of long past visits and more recent stays. We beachcombed and bird watched, checked out the North American Sea Glass Festival, ate at our favorite restaurants, and visited old haunts, we wandered into Critterfest, light house gazed, read, and talked a lot, before heading back home, back to work, and back to a new month. 

1) Strange times, 2) stranger's cat, 3) strange 'Kat, 4) strange name for a bird (Mango). 

Although fun times and adventure were woven throughout the month, September was mostly about work. It was a month for change, getting serious, and getting down to business. It was stressful. It was hard. 

I think of it as a harvest. The work we put in during this month will reap growth, and plow the way to rewards in the future. To me, that is what September is about. Starting again, working hard, making new, getting ready for real Winter. And waiting for Summer to return. The long wait begins in September.

If September is a last harvest, plowing the fields, tilling the soil, then I hope October is the last feast before Winter. October, I'm setting the table. 

August in Review

This is the first full August I think I've ever spent in Brooklyn. It seems that the gods were smiling on me to make it pretty darn awesome. 

The cafe was fairly calm in August, which is normal for NYC. And it gave me the opportunity to concentrate on life outside of work. Quilting was priority as well as seeing friends and family, beach combing, watcher spotting, and eating well!

I finished a quilt in August which has not be able to happen since February. The quilt had a lot of firsts for me and was a joy to work on. Finishing a quilt is so immensely satisfying. I wish there were some way I could do it more often. Because of my methods, quilts are very labor intensive, and mentally intense, too. It makes it hard to work on quilts and job and life all at the same time.  

I had a happy surprise in August by winning a gorgeous pour over set from Martina Thornhill! I rarely enter giveaways on instagram, bc I try not to reblog or have any content that isn't my own on my feed. Her contest was perfect bc it asked for an original photo (of my morning coffee routine) to accompany her tags. I was so delighted that I won, I started using the set as soon as I got it! 

1) Using my prize, along with my vintage coffee carafe. 2) August didn't disappoint for flora and fauna. 3)A not yet finish. 4) Summer moon over BK. 

We tried to make the most of the end of Summer by going to the beach as much as possible. Pretty much any spare day was spent Down The Shore. We also tried to spend some time visiting family. I got to play cards with my brother and niece, eat clams on the 1/2 shell with my father, and do some antiquing with my mom. 

1) Surprised by Super Moon. 2) Hanging with the locals. 3) Slightly over-cast weekdays are always best. 4) Obsessed with sea glass.  

Thinking back on it now, there isn't that much to tell about August. Except that it was nearly perfect. Work, cat sitting, far away friends visiting, the beach, home with our cats, watcher spotting, good news for the future, calm days, new projects, great food, wonderful weather... Awesome sums it up. 

1) Pit is really concentrating on my next quilt. 2) Patriotic watcher. 3) I found out that the 11th Street cat's name is Tiger. She was less than thrilled that I was taking her picture. 4) Beach cats have it best.  

August was lazy days and temperate nights, but Summer's close signals the start of new adventure. So September, where are we headed?

A Finish in August

Finally!

Stars for NFG 2014 (quilt for Crimson)

Front detail.

My last finish was way back in February of this year, and that's too long ago!

The back. 

Back detail.

Stars for NFG 2014 (quilt for Crimson) is my version of a baby quilt. It's quite large but I forgot to measure it! I'd guess it was about 55" square, so large enough for a lap, or small throw, but great for a baby mat or snuggly small child blanket. 

I knew this quilt was for a baby boy, and although none of my quilts are gender specific in my opinion, I tried to make it a bit more boyish. I'm not sure it worked, exactly, but I like how it turned out. I also felt like my usual more muted tones would be too drab so this is my attempt at "bright" colors. 

Center star front

I'm going thru a traditional quilt block phase, and this is my first completed quilt using a classic block.  I believe it is a variation of a sawtooth star, but quilters, correct me if I'm wrong.  I made the four large stars first, then used the scraps to create the middle small star. And then I realized that if I didn't add some neutral solid fabric the quilt would just look like a messy jumble. I used one of my favorite go to grays (Connecting Threads Charcoal). to balance out. 

Besides the gray, there is a mix of new and vintage fabric in Stars For NFG. All the gingham is vintage from various places and finds over time, as well as the light blues, rich green, and purpleish strips. The green dots and deep purple are from the same great ebay lot. All the bright greens, blues and teals, are parts of FQs from my favorite quilt shop in VT.  

The vintage gingham had some flaws and one became a tear. I patched it using a smaller piece of the same fabric. 

The back is mostly vintage green gingham with a diagonal patten using deep purple, rich green and charcoal gray. The purple and green backing is a nod to my favorite band who I've been to see with the baby's uncle.  

Back of center star. 

I used a new cotton batting and dark blue cotton thread, doubled, for the quilting. I stitched in the ditch for most of the front of the quilt, except inside of some of the stars and the borders.  The back really shows the quilting bc it is light colored and mostly one solid piece of vintage green gingham fabric.  

I rolled the back over and quilted one line of quilting to make a sturdy binding. I have used this rolled method before, which is slightly different than the fold over method in most of my quilts. I wanted the backing to show only a little on the front as to not add too much more busyness to an already busy quilt. 

Stripy binding and quilted border. 

This quilt has a lot of firsts. It is my first traditional block quilt, my first finished commission, the first quilt that I have sold, and my first quilt that has a label. 

I used a stamp I had recently made and more of the gray fabric for the label. The stamp is a mad cat, a portrait of Flounder. I used sharpie for the quilt title. I sewed the label on the back of the quilt thru all the layers of the quilt the same way I did the gingham patch on front. I like that it gives it a bit of a punk patch feel, like the ones I used to wear on my jackets. 

It was hard to get the detail of the patch label. I pre washed the label and it faded a bit, but I like the results. 

This quilt had a quick time line going from request to finished quilt in three months (May 13 - Aug 8th). I haven't kept track but it may be the fastest I've made a quilt. Bippi was most helpful on this quilt, sitting under it on even hot Summer days. This quilt also did some traveling as I took it along on a few trips to the beach in order work on it. 

Stars for NFG top hanging out at the beach in NJ!

July In Review

What to say about July... July was wonderful.

I hesitate to say it out loud, I hesitate to utter it, but, this whole summer has been wonderful.  Hot, sure, but not too hot. Busy, yes, but not so busy that I couldn't enjoy myself. 

Although a longer month, July went by so fast. We barely left Brooklyn, heading Down The Shore only a handful of times. But the month felt low key. A good time to catch up via email, or over a cocktail. A few brief family visits were sprinkled throughout. Watchers sightings were scarce but special occasions. 

1) Crabby crab on Sandy Hook in NJ. 2) Sneaky spider in Asbury Park. 3) Daredevil watcher in Park Slope, Brooklyn. 4) Safe and sound at home in South Slope. 

A personal goal was to eat and drink of Summer's bounty as much as possible. Watermelon every night for dinner, corn, tomatoes! My go to Summer cocktail is still the Lime in the Coconut from Lucey's Lounge. 

1) Physics of grapes. 2) Lights in the City. 3) Cotton cloud formations. 4) Geometry of watermelon. 

July was a great time for art and craft, both personal work and inspiration. This month I finally started feeling back on track with quilting! It feels good to get close to finishing some things! I tried some printmaking, with mixed results. Gotta keep practicing.  Art was all around: at work, during a visit to the museum, and walking by natural beauty every day.   

1) The 4th was spent with gingham stitches and sushi dinners. 2) Urban mermaids. 3) Paper-cut seas at the Swoon show. 4) Summer spent under quilts. 

"And we'll remember this when we are old and ancient 
Though the specifics might be vague "

                                       - July, July -The Decemberists

1) Bodega kittens need their rest. 2) Bippi's over Summer. 3) Tom's classic "diver". 4) Beach cats have it best.  

July, your days were long and sweet. Your breezes as fresh and soft as a kitten's snore. Will August share your catlike lightness, or are the dog days on their way?

More Modern Art with my Father

Earlier this year, we took a trip in to The City with Stephen, my father. We went to the MOMA to see some modern art. A few Sundays ago, he came to visit and we decided to visit the Brooklyn Museum. 

There were two modern art exhibits up that we had been wanting to see and we got to explore both; Ai Weiwei and Swoon.

Ai Weiwei crabs. This room also had two huge bowls of pearls, which were begging to be touched. They had a guard to keep peoples fingers out of the pearl pots.  Pardon the blurry picture. 

Ai Weiwei's work is very political, often criticizing the Chinese government and practices. His work sometimes seems light hearted and whimsical, but often has undertones of loss and violence. 

The last Ai Weiwei room we visited was right before the next exhibit we were there to see and blended perfectly, having many pieces made from reclaimed wood. 

In a lot of the work we saw from Ai Weiwei, He used found objects, or reclaimed materials. Some from earthquakes, some from destroyed temples, but all things that impacted the people of China's lives. 

This giant tree created from paper mache, dyed fabric and paper cuts, was the center of the Swoon exhibit and served as a dock for two hand made boats from a previous art piece.  

In contrast to Ai Weiwei's deeply political, world wary work, Swoon's art seems to be about creating new worlds by taking the leftovers from this one.  Often using found objects or NYC garbage, she has created floating cities and strange spaces. 

A room and resting place besides the tree dock invites you to sit among bees, wasps and their nests. 

Swoon reformed the gallery space by painting the walls and creating an organic feel using wood, cloth and paper. 

Swoons first inspiration and applications as a street artist were increasingly delicate and detailed paper cuts pasted to walls and buildings using wheat paste. 

Having followed Swoon's street art for practically all my years in Brooklyn (who else remembers The Splasher?), it was wonderful to see a show of hers in a major museum. Although she has been having such shows for a while, it was a first for me. 

A familiar sight to the Jersey Shore bred. Reminds me of this work by fellow New Jerseyan, Mermaid Trousers.

In both these artists work there was a mix of the grotesque and the gorgeous. Both seemed to be about creating beauty from the fallen or forgotten. 

As usual it was nice to see art and hear three different perspectives on it. I'm sure there will be more modern art trips for our family this year!

June in Review

June flew by. July is half way over. I've fallen quite a bit behind, but lazy Summer days will do that. 

1) Prospect Heights neighbor says hello. 2) hand stitching in a very traditional manner (for me). 3) Pit helps me with a commission. 4) Tom contemplates great thoughts. 

I was busy in June. The usual mix of work, work, and work. But work can be so many things!  I worked for my job, I worked for my quilts, I worked to keep my family happy and healthy. June was about maintaining a peaceful balance of all the work that goes into life.

1) The sky and sea captured in a Jellyfish. 2) Nighttime walking. 3) Room with a view (sorta) at the at our favorite beach hotel. 4) Our version of hotel living with beach colors. 

In Brooklyn, the weather was perfect. But Down The Shore, it was better! We took as many beach trips as our schedules allowed. In some ways June was uneventful, as we just ping-ponged between our home and home away from home. But those early sunny Summer days were rejuvenating and much needed after the long and grueling Winter and the hectic startling Spring. 

1) 6th Ave, Between 10th and 11th Streets, a two faced watcher sits. 2) In Ocean Grove, NJ, this watcher might have an ocean view from up there. 3) Lazy Summer days for watchers on 8th St. 4) This watcher is happy to have the windows open in Prospect Heights. 

Watcher spotting was mixed in June, as many windows were over-run by air conditioners, and many kitties lounged in cooler spots. Sometimes we chose to search for seaglass, instead of watchers. But, thankfully,  in every season there are some watchers waiting to be found. 

Hot Summer days are not the most conducive to quilting, but progress was made. I am hopeful that there will be finishes to share soon. 

June was even, balanced, bright and sunny. It was refreshing and inspiring. It was sweet and strong, like Summer should be. July is feels much the same, so far, but it's not over yet. Are we ready to find out how July's story ends?