Spirit Cloth

quilting the weather

snowing  lightly  this morning. i was  inspired by a few frosty  flakes/earth stars  that sort of settled on all  the dried  out brush and flowers out side the window.  nice to have a little house to keep warm in with windows to watch from.

indigo makes such a nice backdrop for simple  stitching. i used a very pale blue instead of pure white to add some chill  to the flake.  the block had already  been quilted with  that two color  double thread technique, which on the dark blue adds a nice bit  of random fleck because the dark color blends with the background.

the embroidery was done freehand (on a train) so it is a little  rough, but i like the crudeness of the stitch (split backstitch) and the crookedness of the line against the symmetry of the design. 

pincushion story

there are many pincushions in my life. i used to collect them but over time certain ones have lasted and served me well. the tomato with the linen star pasted on top has been with me from my high school days when i used to make all my clothes.

then there is the one i call 'pin-world' which was picked up in a garage sale somewhere, you can spin it around like a globe.

weaving was my passion in college and i made this small tapestry and velvet cushion to hold my pins and needles. it was made especially to fit into a small box i carried, yes, on a commuter train.

and most recently , in the spirit of less, i have decided to just use my sewing chair. no one sits there but me and an occasional cat.

and i really like these. may be if i use a plastic jar i could make something portable.

quilting dreams

these little friends traveled a long distance to get here. first, from an etching i did in college  and that is a long, long time ago. and then from the moon, well, even farther.  it is interesting how we give things faces and  personalities... probably a way to feel connected, like we can communicate with everything around us.  to make something familiar, to feel safe. to feel one.

these keepers of vision are tiny and i had to really bind the edges to keep them in place.  i used a rayon fabric that has a little glow and shine. the faces are drawn and will be stitched later when i have the sunshine behind me.

this is the first of the windows for the little house.

hand quilting is like making soup

the process of making a quilt by hand (in this day and age) is by nature a bit eccentric, there are no 2 alike, except if you get them out of a can book.

and it takes a long time to finish, but mmmmmm.....

this post is an adaptation from a quote about soup making by laurie colwin.

quilting the seasons

fruit appliques. i started adding fruit to the garden yesterday but it feels out of sync with nature doing this now. i am thinking of using the seasons to guide me for the rest of this project...to ground it a little.  so it is too cold to go outside and the ground is frozen ...i will stay in the house and work on the house blocks or work near the lava (the fire inside) to keep me warm. (maybe it is time for a soup recipe?)

maybe play board games...i don't know what i am doing here with this mini patchwork, but it reminds me of one of those game boards.  i saw some sideways smiles yesterday on that commuter train. (maybe it was just gas...)

quilting with variegated thread

variegated thread makes quilting stitches appear softer  and creates a movement with the color changes. but sometimes i cannot find the right colors or the repeat on the color change is too long to show up in a short space.  i have a new way to engineer the effect.  first off i always use embroidery floss for quilting because of the wide color range  that is available.  secondly , i like to use at least 2 strands for a rustic quilting stitch with some texture.  in this case i wanted to get a softened version of that magical black and white double back stitch i am using for the embroidery. i tried 2 methods.

1-one strand of white and one strand of black together .  the thread naturally twists and turns as you sew and give a nice varied effect. 

2-two single strands of a variegated black/gray/ white but separated and realigned so each strand has a different color placement.

both worked great but since the regular floss is cheaper and the effect is similar, i will skip buying the fancy yarn. i guess i can combine multiple strands of color and get very wild effects....and this has inspired further trials which i will play with over the weekend.

ragged 9 patch quilt study

today i am taking a break and trying a new variation on the 9 patch.  this study will be the format for a series of collection quilts.

base is 1" woven strips of natural linen.  applique will be scraps of antique fabrics, displayed as collections.

it's raining.

spinning into shape

almost everything i do seems to attract these unidentified spinning objects. these are being applied to the front, to ease the transition between the sections. to soften the edge between hot and cold. another good way to use up small scraps, bits of accent color can move the eye around and break up monotonous surfaces.

i usually rough cut them and then draw the fold under/sewing line as i go.

each one has its own tilt and orbit, drawn toward an initially unidentified center that usually becomes clear over time. (like those thoughts i am always trying to catch).

i use double sewing and decorative border/binding techniques on applique for quilts. these projects are gifts to be used and extra care is taken to insure long life .

that lady in the lava formed in the ruby swirl, singing something about keeping rhythms and heartbeats...

a day in the velvet forest

the earth beast, the traveler's companion and builder of bridges, formed from that scrap of shibori dyed linen inspired by glennis and an old journal page.

i like the shibori effect for getting variation on fabric. i have planned other dyeing on silk and linen for use in quilts and i also have some plans for special treats from glennis herself (check her blog too) .

the beast  found a place where the forest and the garden meet.  linen is really nice to sew on, even though the structure seems harder than cotton, the stitching thread just seems to melt into the fabric and cooperates with my applique method. all my linen gets prewashed several times.

patiently waiting for moon candy, the old animal stretches from block to block and wanders the forest looking for weary travelers.

i have used an alternating color double back stitch to frame the mouth, a magical setting for the not yet formed words. i plan to used this stitch to pull all the forest together....

meanwhile... she is watching and they are planning a change of season.

folded applique and a nice story

the future is here already. the backs of things (a new category) are in the front of my mind today. for one thing, i am working on the reverse side of the quilt...in the velvet forest, so soothing and and safe compared to the frozen nightmare outside. everything just stiff and lifeless, brrrr.
i saw a beautiful moon last night and woke early with this idea of using the back of the fabric and the front of the fabric to create a harmonious color melt to form shapes. and now i have realized i could do it by just folding it over. i guess this will be folded appliqué, another on my list. the backs of prints always shadow the front in very cool ways as they blend accidentally on purpose.

this moon that folds back on itself was placed close by to the first forest king, close enough to tug at his purple heart and his queen has emerged and they will be melted together by green . for as long as time has been recorded and probably before that they have never been apart. they are wise and strong and brave and have the power to survive. forever. the keepers of promises.