Brag Sheet: 2013

I tried carrying the weight of the world
But I only have two hands.
Hope I get the chance to travel the world,-
But I don't have any plans.
–Wake Me Up, written by Tim Bergling, Aloe Blacc and Mike Einziger, performed by Avicci

I wasn't going to do a post about all of my 2013 projects because it didn't really seem like there were many. But I've enjoyed the other 2013 posts, so I looked over my index page and was surprised that even though it seemed like slow going, I got a nice bit of sewing done this year.

First are the projects I put together using Pat Bravo's Indie fabric line. I made two Stitchy Kits, designed by Lori Holt {pattern here}. I gave one away and kept one for myself. And I made a folded fabric star and put it on a tote bag. Somehow, Pat sussed me out and invited me to enter her Instagram contest, which I won. I received a half-yard bundle of Carnaby Street as my prize {by the way, I still need a sewcation} and Pat used the photo of my folded fabric star as the header on her Flickr page. The post of the finished fold star tote bag is my most popular post of all time, with 9,822 9,823 9,826 visits to date.

I put together a few other non-quilty things this year: two Christmas ornaments in January, stragglers from Christmas 2012; a Christmas table runner for a lady I know whose birthday is on December 24^th; a new reversible ironing board cover; a Magicka Wizard's robe for Grasshopper's Halloween costume; and two little booklet holders.

Although this has nothing to do with sewing, I was inspired by Shay, who included her travels in her 2013 wrap-up post, and thought I'd throw in our family vacation with a few days at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, a few days at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and a quick drive-by of Grand Tetons, Wyoming. Fun stuff! More family travel is definitely in our future.

And finally, even though it didn't feel like it, I got a few quilts done; a Drunkard's Path, Ripples, for a friend for her birthday; a 4" square mini for LadyBug's report on Pennsylvania {which is where the Amish live and the Amish are famous for quilting} and which ended up as a quilt for her Guard Lizard, Gilbert; a scrappy baby quilt, Little Boy Blue, for a friend's new baby; a framed Double Wedding Ring, Echoes of Eternity, for a wedding gift in the bride's colors; a zig-zag quilt, Miss Butterfly's Flower Garden, for my niece, Miss Butterfly, to use on her bed; a batik quilt, Sea Glass, for a friend for her birthday; and even though I didn't make the quilt top, I'm counting the quilting I did for P. on her String Ring Dresden as a finish for me as well. At 75" x 95", it is the biggest quilt I've done.

I'm excited for 2014. My goal for this year is not to over commit. I have loads of Ph.D quilts that I want to work on and I've made out a mental list of things I want to work on, but I'm leaving it open to see what inspires me.

Today's post brought to you by:

Blogger's Quilt Festival: Echoes of Eternity

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. –Henry Van Dyke

Welcome to those stopping by for the Blogger's Quilt Festival {and thanks to those of you who've been hanging around for a while}! The Blogger's Quilt Festival is always so much fun. I mean, how could it not be? It's got “festival” right in the name. Thank you to Amy for hosting and to her sponsors for the fun prizes! I'm really excited to share this quilt with you. I love that two entries are allowed this time, in two separate categories. You can see my second entry here.

I made this quilt as a wedding gift for the daughter of a very special friend. This young woman often babysat my children and it was a blessing to be able to get to know her. She is a wonderful example of love, service and kindness and so I wanted to do something special for her when she was married earlier this year. I used her wedding colors and made this double wedding ring for her to hang on her wall.

Blogger’s Quilt Festival Stats
Quilt Name: Echoes of Eternity
Finished quilt measures: 19½” x 19½”
Special techniques used: Curved Piecing, Templates
Quilted by: Me
Blogger's Quilt Festival Category: Art Quilt

I included this note with the gift: The wedding ring pattern, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes eternity. The purple center circle represents the responsibility a husband and wife have to strengthen and protect each other and their family. The green circles, of which you can only see part, represent the ways a family can branch out from the home by showing love and service to others. The flower represents the constant care and nourishment a marriage needs and the beautiful thing it can be when each partner gives 100% to their spouse and the marriage. The interlocking circle pattern symbolizes that each marriage partner and their choices are individual and unique but are intertwined in the lives of those around them. The square frame that cuts off the pattern, which is shabby and worn but still beautiful, alludes to the fact that life, though sometimes difficult, is only a small portion in our eternal existence. The pattern of the quilt continues well beyond the boundaries of the frame and it could possibly go on forever much in the same way that our lives on earth are only a small part of our existence.

I gave myself only three weeks, from start to finish, to have this project ready in time for the wedding. I planned to have it custom framed in a shadow box, every framer I talked to said it would take two weeks. I barely finished the piecing and quilting in those three weeks and wasn't sure what I was going to do about a frame. Discouraged, I almost gave up, but I found a frame that was the right size, removed the artwork that was already in it, painted and distressed it and pulled it all off just in time.

I knew the frame needed something. I mulled over paint options for several days before I finally settled on one. I was worried that a true white would be too much white but felt the dark frame, as it was, would overpower the quilt. I considered metallic and crackle paints, but in the end, I went with a slightly-off-white paint and I'm glad I did. I think it is the perfect color. I really love how the distressing highlights the pretty pattern in the frame and lets a little bit of the dark paint show through.

To mark my quilting design, I used blue painter's tape. I made a paper template for the pattern in the center, cut it out, traced it onto the tape and then cut it out with an Xact-O knife. I used a walking foot for most of the quilting because I knew it would give me the best chance for even stitches and straight lines. I only used a free-motion foot for the feathers in the purple blocks where the arcs intersect and for line of circles in the arcs. I also used the painter's tape and a couple of circle punches to mark those for quilting. And I used Stampin' Up!^®'s Crystal Effects {works better than E6000} and a lot of patience to attach the cyrstals. It is mounted on foam core board and the quilt itself, which is just the pieced top and a layer of batting, wraps around to the back of the foam core board and is pinned in place with tiny sequin pins. The inner dimension of the frame is 19½” square.

This was a fun project. You can read more about it here:
Fabric selection and project deadline
Quilting in progress
The finished product

Today's post brought to you by:

Echoes of Eternity {Mission Accomplished}

And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed! –Dr. Seuss

It was a little iffy there for a few minutes. That one and a quarter percent almost got me, but I finished and delivered the framed double wedding ring, which I have decided to call Echoes of Eternity, to the bride-to-be. She was feeling pretty miserable when I stopped by earlier. She has strep, a double ear infection, and her eardrum burst last night. The wedding is tomorrow, so I'm sure she could use all the prayers and good thoughts she can get.

Is it OK to say that I love how it turned out? It didn't even require an all-nighter. Almost. But not quite. I finished gluing the little crystals on at 2:00 this morning.

I wasn't sure if it was going to come together but I love how the frame turned out. I got cold feet about painting it after I brought home some white paint {read more here} , but with a little encouragement {thank you, Shay}, I decided to make another trip to the hardware store to find an eggshell white, which was how I originally pictured it in my head. Usually I shop for my crafty things alone, but Mr. Bug came with me to the hardware store the first time {who could resist, right?} and that, combined with the lack of selection in flat {versus glossy} paint threw me off my game. I'm so glad I went with my gut. The frame as I originally bought it would have overshadowed the quilt. Painting it white white would have been too much white. This eggshell white is just right, I think.

To mark my quilting design, I used blue painter's tape, the kind that isn't supposed to leave a residue. I made a paper template for the pattern in the center, cut it out, traced it onto the tape and then cut it out with an Xact-O knife. I thought of my dad a lot while I was doing that. He used to paint big diesel trucks for Volvo. If the customer wanted a special design, my dad would do it. He used tape to mask stripes and other designs {see also, 1968 VW Bug}. I also used the painter's tape and a couple of circle punches to mark the line of circles in the arcs.

This was such a fun project to do. It was fun the first time, and it was even more fun the second time. You might even say it is my favourite thing this week . Can I get a whoop, whoop? Some day {soon, I hope} I'm going to do a double wedding ring quilt for my bed. Here's one last photo, because I just can't resist showing this off a bit.

Today's post brought to you by:

Something New: Upping the Impossible Ante

Plan specifically so you can implement flexibly. –Dallin H. Oaks

I've been working as fast as I can {which is why you haven't heard from me in 10 days}, but we all knew this project was doomed, right?

Talk about a mission impossible. I gave myself 9 days to cut, piece and quilt it and I gave the framers a week. Today is day 15. The quilting is not even done yet.

Two consecutive 40-hour work weeks {general ledgers and gross income, I hate working that much} and the fact that every framer I talked to takes two weeks for a custom job, have conspired against me. It would seem that the best option would be to call it a day and move on to something else.

Hardly. Every good spy quilter always has a back-up plan. And a back-up plan for the back-up plan. And if they don't have back-ups, then they come up with new plans on the fly.

One of the framers that I talked to said they had ready-made shadow box frames that were 20". Using a ready-made frame would give me more time for quilting even though a ready-made is a little bit plain. Full of hope that I could salvage the plan, I headed to the shop after work and dinner and regular stuff last Friday and discovered that they close at 8:00 pm. Every day. What kind of craft store closes at 8:00 pm!?! Undaunted, I tried again on Saturday and they did indeed have 20" shadow box frames. They just aren't 20" square.

Not willing to give up, I looked at every single frame in the shop, tape measure in hand, trying to find one with a 20" square opening. I finally found one. Well, OK. The opening is only 19½". And the frame was occupied.

Still not willing to give up, I bought the artwork, intending to strip it for parts. What I'm going to do with the print, I have no idea. I don't think I'll be able to just throw it away, though. I may try to cut that outside border down and put it in another frame. {Yes, I see the irony.}

I also bought some spray paint. My first thought was to paint the frame flat white and then strategically sand it down to give it a shabby, worn look. I'm undecided about that now, and wonder if it will be too white, even with bits of the dark showing through.

This project hasn't gone to plan. But I kind of like the changes. I think that framing it without glass makes it a little more . . . I don't know . . . real. The first DWR is kind of look-but-don't-touch. This one will be up front and center; accessible, like a quilt should be. {Sidebar: I know. It will get dusty. I thought of that. I'm giving the bride & groom a lint roller to go with it.}

I'm still crunched for time. I took the picture above a few days ago, so I've got more than just the ditch quilting done now and I think I can make it. Even if I have to pull an all-nighter.

As Lane put it, I do like a challenge.

Something New: Mission Impossible Style

Nothing is impossible. Some things are just less likely than others. –Jonathan Winters

A couple of years back, I made a section of Double Wedding Ring and framed it. It was a wedding gift for a girl in our ward {congregation}, who I didn't know very well at all. Another woman in the ward made the wedding dress and contacted me about making something keepsake-ish with the left-over wedding dress fabric. She had the scoop on the wedding colors and flowers. The planets aligned and the perfect line of fabric in those colors fell right in my lap and it worked out beautifully.

In a few weeks, another girl in our ward is getting married. She comes from a wonderful family and I know this girl a lot better. She was my favorite babysitter, when I could get her. You sometimes had to book two weeks out. When I heard she was getting married, a single thought fluttered around in my head for a few minutes about doing something special for her and then it fluttered on its way.

When I received her invitation in the mail, I started thinking seriously about making something special for her, realizing that I only had a month until the wedding. After all, I went to a lot of trouble for a girl I barely knew, at someone else's suggestion. I wanted to do something equally special for this sweet girl. I decided to recreate the Double Wedding Ring in a frame.

I started asking around about my young friend's wedding colors and flowers and if she was having her dress made. She bought her dress. No problem. I could just use white fabric for the background fabrics. Her flowers are white roses with a bunch of other random flowers. Again, no problem. I can do white roses and random. And her wedding colors are Eggplant and Lilac and Sage and Lime Green. And that's where things got sticky. Purple is the hardest color in the universe to match precisely and my ideas of lime green and sage green don't go together. I wanted to keep this a surprise from the girl and her mother, so there were a few days of debate in my head on what to do about choosing the right colors of fabric. I shopped on-line because it is convenient and I can do it after the Not-So-Little Bugs go to bed. But matching colors on line, especially when you're going in blind, is a crap shoot.

I started by searching "eggplant." I found a pretty Joel Dewberry floral and looked for fabrics to go with it, in shades of dark and light purple in the eggplant and lilac family.

I agonized for ages about which fabrics I'd picked and kept shopping carts open for three days in two on-line stores, taking things out of the carts and putting them back in. It took a week for all the fabric to get here and when it did, I started to worry about the colors all over again. I worried that I'd missed the mark, especially with the lilac I'd chosen. Then there was the fact that some of the fabrics didn't match at all. The dark solid fabric on the far left is more raisin than eggplant. And those polka dots are way too pink. Some of the greens were a little off too.

With no small amount of further internal debate, I decided to see if I could get color swatches without arousing too much suspicion. I called the mother of the bride-to-be and she was most obliging and didn't ask too many questions, presumably because they were right in the middle of dinner when I called. She sent one of her boys over with the swatches, and I was relieved to find that most of what I ordered will work.

I did a little stash diving to flesh out the color ranges {I'll show you later; it was too dark to get good pictures} and threw the new fabrics in the wash.

In the meantime, I've been doodling quilting designs. My pencil sketches kind of remind me of blue prints. When I quilted the first DWR, I did what I knew, which wasn't much; echo quilting ¼" away from all the seams. My quilting skills have improved since then, and I want to do something really special.

I'm pretty sure this needs a little more work. Perhaps just a single half-feather?

And I'm not really sure about this. I love how the curved lines converge in the corners, but I don't like the uneven gap it leaves in the center. Mr. Bug says it looks like a Crusaders' Cross and I can see what he means. He also said it looks too "plaid," but that I can't see, because what I see in my head is solid white fabric, quilted in white, with little crystals in each of the small squares that are created when the lines intersect. If only I could get rid of that gap and still keep the cool corners, but I might just have to quilt this in straight lines. Opinions?

I don't even have an idea of what to quilt in the rings. If you have ideas or have seen something spectacular quilted in a DWR, please point me in that direction.

The wedding is February 16^th. That gives me 19 18 days to get this finished. It will probably take a week to get it framed {remind me to call on that tomorrow, so I know for sure}, so that gives me about 9 days to cut, assemble, quilt and mount this little project. It will be cutting it close, but I think that will give the framers enough time to get it back to me so I can get it to the bride before the wedding.

Mr. Bug asked me if it was even possible for me to get this done, knowing that the last week and the first week of the month are my busiest times at work and I often work 40 hours during those weeks. I told him, probably not, but I'm going to try anyway.

A little theme music, please.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Imitation is the sincerest of flattery. -Charles Caleb Colton

{Photographs courtesy of Tori @
James Family Blog}

Last Friday, as I was linking up to Sew & Tell Friday, I saw a really pretty . . . and familiar . . . double wedding ring quilt block. I was curious and a little exctied, so I clicked on over, wondering if the person who had made this double wedding ring had possibly seen mine a while back at Sew & Tell Friday and liked my idea enough to use it. When I got to Tori's post {she also posted about it here}, sure enough, she'd seen my double wedding ring and set to work on making her own. I can't tell you how flattered I am. Well, maybe I can, since I'm posting about it . I have to say again, though, that I can't really take much credit for the way my double wedding ring turned out. It was one of those projects that just comes together so perfectly that you know that something so amazing had to have been inspired.

In her posts, Tori talked about how she put her block together. My favorite part was that she included her husband in the creative process. Their wedding colors were yellow and white and their bedroom colors are grey and black. After a quite a search, she was able to find some really pretty coordinating fabrics in yellow, grey and black for the patchwork rings and she bought some bridal satin on eBay {as opposed to cutting up her actual wedding dress, which I am considering doing to make one of these for myself} for the body of the block, so her fabrics came together perfectly. Look at how beautifully her block turned out! I l♥ve it. Nice job Tori!

Wedding Rings and Wedding Dresses

In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare. Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced. -Robert Sexton

Remember the double wedding ring quilt memento I made from left-over wedding dress fabric combined with the super fabulous Metro Blue line? The wedding was a couple of weeks ago and now that I've seen the dress, the white lace with ivory colored satin makes much more sense. The lady who made the bride's dress also made a vest for the groom which, I think, makes the quilt memento all the more special {I think I can say that without sounding too boastful, because the whole idea of making something of the leftover fabric wasn't mine. The way the whole project came together with the woman who made the dress suggesting that I do something like that and then getting the idea for the double wedding ring block was inspired, in the true sense of the word, I think. I take no credit -- I just put it together and get to show it off a bit.}.

I thought you might like to see the beautiful bride and her groom on their special day. You can see how pretty that lace looks over the top of the satin. The dress is beautiful. I love the chocolate sash on it and the groom, in his matching vest and chocolate suit, is very handsome.

Here's a wider shot with the bride's parents and you can see most of the dress. I love the contrast between the bodice and the skirt, and look how pretty her bouquet is.

Here is one final picture of them cutting their cake. Don't you just love weddings?

The Blues No More: Wedding Rings and Eternity

It has been almost a month since I posted that I was starting a project with these pretty Metro Blue fabrics. Just as a refresher, I was given the left-over Duponi Silk and lace from a wedding dress and the crepe-back satin from the sash and asked to come up with some sort of memento the bride could hang on her wall. I was given a few other details; the wedding colors are turquoise and brown and the bride likes gerber daisies. I went to my favorite thinking spot – the shower (something about the sound of the water washes away everything else and I'm able to focus and figure things out), and came up with a brilliant idea, which involved new toys for me.

I'm prone to procrastinate but I'm working on that, so I started on this project way earlier than I might usually because I didn't want to be bringing the bride and groom a wedding gift from a group of friends and neighbors (who chipped in to pay for the framing because it was a lot, even after the 50% off coupon) a month after the honeymoon. That just gave me more time to stop and rest between steps so I could think things out when I came to a bit of a sticky spot. This is my first wedding ring quilt. The curved piecing didn't scare me, but the doing-something-I've-never-done-before did, especially since the pressure was on to get it right. I read through the instructions, pieced the melons and had the square laid out for about a week before I moved on to the next steps.

[Editor's Note: Obviously there was a bit of a flaw in the start-early-and-get-it-done-sooner plan, because it took three weeks to do something I could have finished in one. However, we will be taking this to the bride before the wedding, so in some small measure the plan did succeed.]

Since I was only working with one complete ring and partial pieces, I couldn't quite envision how to make the pieces work with the assembly instructions. To further complicate things, the corners were to be left open until the pieces were completely assembled. Since I couldn't think my way through it, I just had to start working and it came together. Eventually. Then I ran into some technical difficulties. My universal walking foot fell completely apart while I was quilting and got grease on the quilt as I was working on it. I wanted to cry because up to that point, I'd invested a good number of hours into this project. My only choice at this point was to finish it because all the quilting needed to be in place before I could wash it, and I would only know if the grease would all come out after I washed it, but that had to come after I finished the quilting. I was stuck again, and this time with a faulty piece of equipment. The single screw that held the cover on the walking foot was completely stripped. I resolved to make do and remember to check to make sure everything was holding together often. Mr. Bug could see me struggling, so he sent me to get my machine-specific walking foot. That helped the rest of the quilting go much, much smoother. I kept my fingers crossed as

I put the quilt in to soak and much to my relief the grease came out. After it dried, I pressed it, but the finished piece no longer had that perfectly pressed look I was hoping for. I decided I could live with it because the alternative was a re-make, and that I couldn't live with. I mounted it on foam core board and then added the final touch; a gerber daisy in turquoise, along with beads I'd pulled of the extra wedding dress lace.

And then I took it to the framers so they could work their magic. The finished size is 20" x 20". I picked it up today.

The bride and groom will be married on June 25, 2010 in the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple. We believe that a family can be sealed or bound together for eternity when married by the proper authority in the proper place. Families can continue after this life, if we are obedient to the commandments of God. So, I've decided to call this quilt Eternity. I think that name fits well. I added a bit of symbolism to the block as well. The wedding rings, which have no beginning or end, symbolize eternity. The brown outer circle represents the strength and protection a husband gives to a family. The lighter, inner circles, of which you can only see part, represent the woman who is the heart of the home and branching out from there are the love and service that she provides. The pattern repeats over and over and depending on the perspective, the roles are reversed, with the woman giving strength and protection to the family and the man giving service and love. The flower represents the constant care and nourishment a marriage needs and the beautiful thing it can be when each partner gives 100% to their spouse and the marriage. The interlocking circle pattern symbolizes that each partner in a marriage and their choices are individual and unique but are intertwined in the lives of those around them. The square frame that cuts off the pattern alludes to the fact that life is only a small portion in our eternal existence; the pattern of the quilt continues well beyond the boundaries of the frame and it could possibly go on forever much in the same way that our lives on earth are only a small part of our existence.

I realize that my beliefs are not embraced by all, so I hope you won't mind me sharing once in a while. I try to keep it contained to Sunday posts, but some of the things that I believe are a part of my culture and so they leak out into everyday things.

[Editor's Note: while I was working on this, I started thinking about making something similar to hang on the wall at my house. We bought my wedding dress, so I'd have to cut it all up. But it was on sale, 50% off, and I'm not sure that anyone would ever wear it again.  I even still have my reception bouquet. I could totally make this work.]

I've linked up at a few fun places. Check them out for some really neat finishes.

The Blues and Wedding Rings

I've got the blues again. This time it's the Metro Blues by Michele D'Amore for Marcus Brothers (I love to mess with you in my post titles). Isn't this fabric fabulous -- even though it is mis-named? The fabric line should be called Metro Teals & Browns or maybe something a little more creative like Metro Mud & Peacocks because the colors aren't really blue. Nevertheless, they are fabulous and I have a cut of each of the six prints pictured here (the two solids aren't from the line but I included them because they are relevant to this post).

And I'm working on something really fun. You see, a woman in the ward (that is LDS-speak for parish) called me wondering what kind of interesting project I could come up with for the leftover ivory Duponi Silk and brown crepe-back satin from a reception dress (the bride is wearing a simple white dress for the ceremony) and sash she is making for a girl in the ward who is getting married at the end of June. She told me that the wedding colors are turquoise and brown and wondered if I could make something that this bride could hang on her wall as a reminder of her wedding.

So, I started thinking. The colors are very modern (I think that is a quilter's term for 'so ugly it is cute') but the ivory silk is very old-fashioned. It took me a couple of days to come up with a plan, but eventually I got an idea. I thought that I would try combining the very old-fashioned silk and the absolutely fantastically fabulously modern Metro Blues fabrics within the frame-work of a wedding ring quilt to create a little memento for this new bride.

Wanna know the best part? I got a new toy out of it (hooray for 50% off coupons). I've always wanted to try a wedding ring quilt, but just didn't know where to start. I looked for patterns on-line, but couldn't find anything that was free and fabulous (I think I use the word fabulous too much. Note to self: use on-line thesaurus more frequently). I saw this set of templates with instructions in the store and decided to go for it because I had a 50% off coupon (and we all know how much I love to get a great deal!). So far, so good. The templates were fabulous to use and there are lots of pictures in the booklet so where the instructions are hard to follow, the pictures fill in.

Hopefully you are all on the edge of your seats and waiting for more. That'll give you a reason to come back and read through all the uninteresting stuff I post about until I get this fabulous (dang! That's seven fabulouses in one post . . . got to remember that thesaurus) project finished, photographed and blogged. Until then, may your bobbins always be full.

(I thought about saying, 'have a fabulous day,' but decided that was overkill.)