Closed Shop

Several years ago we had four quilt shops in our small town of 20,000. One was a home based business that specialized in batik fabrics. One was a regular fabric shop that carried a huge supply of quilting fabric. Another shop featured the newest Moda collections. And the last one carried quilting fabrics, several brands of sewing machines and gave classes.

I never really appreciated all the selection we had.  If I needed a particular kind of fabric I just checked the shop that carried it. Well over the last while, one by one they have closed. We are now down to one. I've been thinking about this a lot. Why is it that they have closed? Each shop had its own reason.  Retirement, or family reasons were what they told their customers. But I think the biggest reason is that we quilters didn't support our local merchants.

Our town is a short distance from the Canada/ USA border. In a couple of hours you can be at numerous quilt shops that carry the same fabrics and supplies that the shops in our hometown carry. However, there is one big difference. The cost of the fabric and such is dollars less in the USA. So for many people, a short drive would save them a lot of money.

I've really struggled with this. I like a deal ,so yes, I have shopped across the border. But I've also struggled with the fact that if I don't support my local shops, they aren't going to be there. I usually try to purchase what I am looking for at a local shop. Then if I just can't get what I am looking for I would go elsewhere.
I remember the days when we didn't have a quilt shop and I sure don't want to go back to that time.

It really makes me angry when I hear quilters say that the local shops are just ripping them off . That they are charging more for goods just because they can. It wasn't until I started my machine quilting business that I discovered that you can purchase many goods in a USA quilt shop for less than what a merchant can purchase the same product wholesale here is Canada. And I also discovered that a lot of big wholesalers make it almost impossible for a small business to purchase from them. They make it so that you have to order a certain amount of goods before they will accept an order from you. Often times those minimum order limits are so large that a small shop can't afford to buy from them.

Most quilt shop owners aren't in business because they want to get rich. They love quilts, quilting and quilters. They want us to have a place where we can go for inpiration, for help and for friendship.

So, if you want to keep a quilt shop in your community you'd better support them!

New Show: Lawler House Art Gallery

Yesterday I took two of my recent art pieces to the Lawler House Art gallery where they will hang in the show: "Text, Texture, and Tantalizing Eggs" from Feb 4-May 1, 2011.

My self portrait, "I am descended from Women Who..."

and the string of hearts "Hearts...Don't Bully" pieces...

I removed "Wired to Quilt" and "Stop Bullying Now".

I was told that many, many people stood and read the Stop Bullying quilt.

It felt good to know this!

New Post at Stamperbee

http://stamperbee.blogspot.com/2011/01/rain-rain-go-away.html

My daily post.

Have a great day, hope to see you there.  I am going to start a challenge on that site within the next couple of weeks.  The challenge will be bi-weekly and have a prize

Trying A New Technique

This is a work in progress at the moment. I still have a few details I want to add with paint and then it is on to making the quilt sandwich and quilting.

This fabric painting technique is inspired by a post that Judy Coates Perez shared on her blog recently and while Judy used FW Acrylic inks for her piece, I used Dr. Ph. Martin Bombay India inks for mine as I didn't have the acrylic inks on hand. I have ordered a few FW inks to play with and I'm anxious to compare the two side by side.

Anyway, I LOVE LOVE LOVE how the inks layer over each other and create color depth and interest.

Shweshwe Postcards

As I've mentioned before, making Shweshwe landscapes and postcards is a passion.Making these postcards also seem to be working as a "warm up exercise" for more creative quilting. It's interesting. I happened upon this discovery this morning....

Anyway, without further ado, some photos of the latest postcards.....














I love making the postcards with the "yellow sun" in it....

Kimono No More

I am a bit excited because my son has just gone to Japan and with him is a printout of lots of fabrics I love and some cash. I really am hoping that he will bring me back something new to create from.
Meanwhile, a few months ago I went to Kazari and bought an old blue kimono and a roll of blue fabric swatches.

I forgot to photograph them first, but in the space of 4 hours I had unpicked the kimono and pieced the fabric pieces into strips and then a quilt top.

There were about 10 colours and I had a few blues that I added in to make the top.

Most of the quilt back was from the front and back of the kimono. The collar and sleeves, once unpicked, were stitched into some of the quilt top and along the sides of this piece to make it larger.

I just fell in love with the bold lines on this kimono and it was only $20!

At least now some of my guilt has been assuaged as I have made more room for my new incoming Japanese treasures.

A few final posts at A Gypsy Angel...

Stamper Bee   click there to go to site or

www.stamperbee.com

My Stampin' Up Kit has shipped, so as soon as I get all the supplies, the crafting will begin.
So please come by just to say hello and see what the buzz is about.  I am going to post one last giveaway here, post either tomorrow or Monday to get my followers to follow me to StamperBee
Happy Weekend.
Living in God's Graces,
Kim

Valentine ATCs

I created these ATCs this past week. I had the background (blue and green pieces) leftover from another project and decided to make these. I actually was totally out of ATCs in my stash and I like to have some on hand to toss into packages I mail or for whatever reason.

The background on these is Mistyfused fabrics on stiff interfacing. Then I used pre-fused scraps to create the focal design. I free-motion stitched the hearts and then added some painted accents. I Mistyfused some watercolor paper to the back side and then zigzag stitched the outside edges.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Edit: Mistyfuse is sold worldwide. Check with your local quilt shop. Also available online through several retailers and at www.mistyfuse.com.

January Journal Quilts 2011

click photo to see larger view

(I just realized I made seven but counted two #6s! Oops!)

In January I joined a group of quilters at 3Creative Studios and I vowed to make at least two Journal Quilts a month for the year of 2011. Mine would measure approximately 8" X 11".

Each comes with a story and can be found on my other blog Getting My Feet Wet through out the month of January 2011. I got on a roll and produced four to the size I specified and two smaller ones for a traveling art book and a final one near in size but to give as a gift. To see more of the other members quilts go here.

Titles from Top Left:

#1 Our Prize; #2 Home Sweet Home; #3 Can't see the forest for the trees;

Bottom: #4 Let's Face It; #5 Tropical Storm; #6 Deep Blue Sea; #7 She's Still My Gal

Journal Quilt #4

Grow (Journal Quilt #4-2011)

Hand painted cotton duck, hand dyed cotton, hand embroidery, thread sketching, free-motion quilting, Mistyfused and painted

So far I've been able to create a journal quilt each week. I won't guarantee that will happen all the time...but I'm pleased to have kept up for now.

I think I got a little unfocused with this quilt as far as following my "rules" for journal quilting. Of the seven "rules" on my list, I did do the first four, but the last three went unobserved. Oh well...I guess you can't win them all. I'm okay with only following some of the rules. This is supposed to be fun so why stress over rules, right?!

The square of white fabric with hand embroidered flowers on it was something I had started, oh maybe two years ago. I found it recently and it was almost completed, except for some black outlining. So I quickly finished it up and attached it to this piece.

Sneak Peak

I know, I know... I've been neglecting my dear blog, (and most everyone else's, I'm afraid) but with good reason... I am working hard to commit more time to sewing!


My little shop is sorely in need of new items, and instead of listing an occassional one or two items here and there, (as I am prone to do) I thought this time I'd like to update with a whole batch of new work, (hopefully sometime in February). Until then, here's a little sneak peak at a few of the scrap inspired art quilts I've been creating.

In other news, the latest issue of the e-zine Fat Quarterly is now out.


This issue is all about solids, and I'm delighted to have been asked to contribute an article on how I got interested in using solid fabrics, and why I love them! You can go here to see a sneak peek of the issue and find out how to order your own copy. (It's easy... you can even order right from their etsy site!)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ......

Here is my exciting news:

I am starting a new blog called StamperBee.


The new blog will have challenges and although it's currently under

 construction; I would love it if you would stop by and take a peek

 and begin following me on my new blog.

If you would put my new button on your blog,

I would bee very pleased.  Here is my new button:

Thanks for taking a peak and I hope that everyone continues to

follow my blog and will tell all their friends too.  There will still be

 tidbits about me and most of all, lots of craft items just like a gypsy

 angel.

How Pinteresting

Have you heard of Pinterest yet? I'm just discovering it so there is a lot I don't know. Basically it is a virtual bulletin board where you can "hang" things you have found from one place or another so you don't lose track of them. You create your own categories and start pinning. Pictures, tutorials, anything you want to keep track of.

Here is a screenshot of my board.

If you enlarge the screenshot, you see the "pin it" icon on the toolbar. So far, getting the icon up there was the hardest thing for me--one of those click and drag things, so when you see something you like you just hit the "pin it" icon on your toolbar. Easy peasy. Except apparently it doesn't like Internet Explorer so much. When I opened up Firefox as my browser, I could drag it up there lickety split. Now when I'm poking around trying to find things to pin, I make sure I'm in Firefox, hit the icon, it asks what board it should go to, and voila!

This is my link. I still don't have much on it. And I'll just warn you ahead of time. Like going from one blog link to another, or one Flickr photostream to another, you can go from one pin to another, see what everyone else is interested in, and repin it to your own board.

Here is the Pinterest "about" page. Right now they are still in the beta stage so you need to request to join, but that only took a day or two, and then I was up and running.

So spend some time this weekend with something Pinteresting...

Zentangle Challenge #6

It's week 6 for the Zentangle challenge and the theme this week is to incorporate a new tangle design called Ixorus. This new design is the center area of my Zentangle above. There is a diagram on how to create this design at the link beginning this paragraph.

By the way, if you are new to Zentangles, a great site for learning most, if not all, of the tangle designs is TanglePatterns.com.

I discovered I can draw

What an amazing discovery. I have spent my whole life believing that I can't draw a stick man properly. One of my challenges for this year was to gather the courage to take drawing lessons..... Well, after 2 lessons, I discovered that I can actually draw... The first lesson we drew apples and mushrooms. This week I took the following photo along......

The outline of the kitten is done - I am now shading her in. As soon as she is done, I'll post a photo of her.

Making Progress

Making Progress

First here is my goal UFO quilt for the month. I started it about 2 years ago. A few months ago I decided to give it to my one and only granddaughter. She is going to be 3 in March and is going to move to a twin bed from her toddler bed. She needs a real quilt for her bed right. I finished the quilting on this one last weekend and I have one side of the binding done. Should be right on schedule to get it done by the end of the month.

Today hubby took off to ice fish for the day so I had a free day. I basted this quilt and got it ready to quilt and started quilting it. It's a scrappy string quilt. I love to look at other peoples work space. So here's a peek at mine.

Making Progress

Making Progress

First here is my goal UFO quilt for the month. I started it about 2 years ago. A few months ago I decided to give it to my one and only granddaughter. She is going to be 3 in March and is going to move to a twin bed from her toddler bed. She needs a real quilt for her bed right. I finished the quilting on this one last weekend and I have one side of the binding done. Should be right on schedule to get it done by the end of the month.

Today hubby took off to ice fish for the day so I had a free day. I basted this quilt and got it ready to quilt and started quilting it. It's a scrappy string quilt. I love to look at other peoples work space. So here's a peek at mine.

Valentines Hearts

A little Valentine for you.....

This one has been very hard to photograph, here it is at another angle. 

My friend gave me the stamp, and I love it!!! 
My oldest son would love it because it would be the perfect money holder card.



I am linking this to Lexi's Creations for my first time entry there.

WIP Wednesday

In the last week I have gone from this:

to this:

to some of these:

and finally to this:

I decided on two slightly different shades of solid brown for the spools, especially important where the spools were touching and going in the same direction. Should maybe have gone a little lighter with the brown, but I worked with what I had in my stash because (a) it was already in my stash and (b) I didn't have the time to order something different.

My next dilemma will be the borders. I need to use the challenge fabric somewhere, so the obvious choice will be in the border.

I'm thinking about separating the main part of the quilt from the border with a 1" border of brown and white stripes. Thoughts?

Then on to quilting. I want to big stitch using perle cotton. Still thinking exactly what kind of quilting. Any thoughts or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, one more thing: I was thinking of putting the challenge fabric border only on the top and two sides. On the bottom I would put a border of Kona snow and applique a needle and then big stitch some thread. Dumb idea? Too busy? Just a thought...

Check out what everyone else is working on here and here.

Take 5.....for Beethoven's 5th

I watched this short video this morning.  One amazing child and Beethoven's 5th Symphony.  Just click below and enjoy!



Which hand should I hold the baton in?

Zentangled Gourd

I used to grow gourds in my garden. I did it for several years, trying different varieties of gourds. They take up a lot of room. They are a vining plant, much like watermelon and cucumbers.

I quit vegetable gardening some years back and since I had so many dried gourds stored all over the place, I decided I didn't need to grow them either. I live on 10 acres of property so if at some point I decide I want to grow them again, I can create a new gourd garden space...since I've converted the former vegetable garden into a flower garden.

Anyway, I decided to play with a gourd a few days ago and so I started adding some color to it. Then I couldn't help myself and started zentangling all over it too. It's still a work in process...I need to get some fixative spray on it so that I can add some more layers.

Rabbits Everywhere

Looks like a rainy day here in North Georgia.  Hope someone is having a bright, sunny day.
 

Here is a little card I made..A little early for easter; but I am thinking Spring. (spring, spring)
 I made this card for Creative Inspirations Paint.   I love pink! This is my first entry for this challenge blog.  Have a wonderful day and dont forget think spring :)

Please stay tuned there is some very exciting news coming.  I am counting down the days until I can tell you.


Image from Hambo

I Miss Quilting!!!

Oh, I miss Quilting! ...

• I miss my sewing machine.
• I miss trying to put material together.
• I miss cutting material/pieces.
• I miss my sewing friends/group in Guatemala.
• I even have had little time to keep up with the quilting/sewing blogs I Subscribe to/ Follow, etc!

I know this is temporary, but I still miss it all!

taken Jan 24th 38w3d
baby is lower

Being pregnant with #4 baby and having 3 children 6 yrs old and under takes a lot of time. I love every bit of it and even more since I have the BEST Husband in the world! He's a HUGE help. I credit my great blood pressure and sanity to him with the help of God!

I will say I took a Crochet class at a JoAnn's in December. It has helped me with my need to do hand-work! I haven't done much, and I am not that good, but I am still practicing, when I can. I also had gotten curious about this coupon craze that has seem to come back with out economy struggles. I have found that sitting and clipping coupons with scissors (not a paper cutter) has helped with my want to cut fabric! Hillarious HUH!? It's fun to do and I mainly clip them and send them to friends who really rock at this coupon craze! I keep the ones for the products that we buy, but it's not much. Coupons seem to make me buy things I would not have normally bought anyway! LOL

Anyway. I miss you all and know this is a season, but wanted to post!  We're due anytime! Well the date is Feb 4th but we know baby picks the date! :)

*hugs*
Jackie

Weekend Recap...and a sneak peek

Did you all have a good weekend? Lots of diverse things going on here...

Charlotte and I went to a "snowman party" at our local children's bookstore, Petunia's Place. We listened to books about snowmen (my favorite--highly recommended), played games, sang songs, decorated marshmallow crispy treat shaped like a snowman...Such a fabulous bookstore. Not such a good picture...

Speaking of books, somehow I landed on this set of flickr photos, Book of Art. Isn't this fabulous? I definitely want one of these:

Mark did a lot of cooking yesterday--getting ready for Super Bowl. Yum.

And I'm not sure quite how this happened. I made a seemingly innocent comment to Aaron about reading his running magazine, and the next thing I knew, an app for this program was on my iPhone and I had a new set of running shoes.

Here's a sneak peek. Isn't this pretty?

A pile of orange selvages turned into this. I'm thinking of doing a tutorial on how to make selvage spool blocks. Any interest?

Finished Trip Around the World

The latest Trip Around the World quilt is finally finished. This pattern must be one of my all time favorite patterns. It is simple but so effective. I also made a backing for the quilt out of left over fabrics from the top and cross hatched the whole quilt is variegated cotton - again, simple but effective.....

The first photo is of a close up of the cross hatching......

 

This is the backing - if you have followed my blog for a while you would have noticed that I cannot work in straight lines or blocks.....:LOL

This last photo of the top of the quilt. It looks much neater now that it finished off.....

Oh Boy its your birthday.....

digi from hambo stamps

Linking to All sorts Challenge Maculine/Boy

I love ProMarkers Keep It Sweet & Simple

A New Giveaway by Lila Tueller Designs

I just found this on another blog and decided to enter.

http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/



It's a Giveaway that looks rather lovely. Not sure what I would make with any of it but I am trying to control my fabric accumulation and spending. So if I can win something that doesn't count as spending now does it?

Some of the Things I Bought

I have been dreamily passing the days since I have come home. Domestic chores, exercise, taxi driving my children, reading, doing crosswords - really anything except sewing. I am not sure if it's because I am still feeling too relaxed or if I just had so much stimulation from being away that my mind is at peace.
When I am working at school, I am so tired and so time poor that sewing is like an indulgence that I snatch greedily when given the slimmest opportunity. Now I have so much time but am frittering it away on seemingly useless projects.
So I have very little to show or tell except that I did buy some things with a textile flavour whilst away.
A lot of the places we went to were total tourist traps and consequently all the stores sold mostly the same thing. We picked up the expression 'same same' as we wandered through the old city in Hanoi. They were even printing t-shirts that said 'same same' on them.
When I would accidentally find a store that sold things that were different I would get really excited. If that store sold anything mildly crafty I would buy it, not really visualising how it would translate to everyday Melbourne usage. So here is some of what I bought.

Button Necklace and crochet bracelet with buttons

Woollen top with crochet flowers

This is a hand bag. It is ridiculously kitch. It has way too many bling bits, buttons, beads, crochet and trimmings. The colours are blah altogether. It's leather, handmade, and the inside has all sorts of pockets and special places sewn into it. The photos don't make it look any better but it is really quite wild in the flesh and I think if I wear it with very plain clothes I may have some fun using it. I just couldn't resist.