Overlook bench

I haven't posted much about my bench quilts because I wanted to wait until I finished the pattern and for me making a pattern is a long process since the first one is usually done on a whim. Sometimes I realize, well maybe someone else could take this basic pattern and make it their own. This is such a pattern / idea. I think an art quilt should be personal to the maker and so the bench here is the spring board.

 

One of my favorite places is a trail thru the woods in a town park here and I came upon this bench that has the names of a couple with dates of birth and death. I assume they loved to walk these trails as I do.

I thought this as truly beautiful.

 

My favorite part of this trail is when you come upon this overlook of the lake.

 

So I put my bench there.

I also love the ocean and Maine so the next one was there on top of a sand dune.

 

Sit down for awhile to pause and reflect

 

And who doesn't love a midnight stroll on a hot summers night?

 

Where would you put your bench?

 

You can find this pattern on craftsy

Or etsy

 

 

 

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World Cup art quilt

The world , (well except the United States) - is watching the biggest sports event of all right now. Football which we Americans for some reason call soccor. I am not a sports fan but can appreciate each countries enthusiasm and love to see all the cheering on for the different countries. The United States even actually won a game much to the surprise of even their coach! Who knows miracles do happen, they might even win over Portugal.

Anyway I always think art quilts and thought I should make a World Cup art quilt and then realized that I already have and even made a pattern for it. Well that was easy wasn't it?

 

It's raw edge fusible appliqué and it really pretty easy. I give step by step directions so even a newbie to fusible should have no issues.

I like the embellishments you can do - adding buttons or snaps to the sneaker and look at the ball. I drew out the seams with black pigma pen first then slowly free motion quilted it. You could use a preprogrammed stitch from your machine, do it by hand or just draw it but I think the seam really adds to it. Makes it look like a real football. (I'm thinking global here)

As with all raw edge appliqué you should know how to free motion quilt somewhat since you should quilt all around the different motifs but it's easy since you are just following the edges.

 

The World Cup Art Quilt pattern is only 4 bucks and is for sale here for immediate download. It's small, goes fast - if you start today you could easily have it done by Sunday to see the United States win over Portugal

;-)

 

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Free audiobook downloads! From audiobooks sync.com

If you are quilter you probablly like to read. For some reason it sort of goes together and audiobooks are perfect for those long quilting sessions. This website is offering two books every week to download for free until early August. You do need to have the overdrive app but it's free and is available for android or apple so check it out here :-) I listened to one of the offered books from last week and enjoyed it very much.

These are the two books available this week

 

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Shelley's bag / McTavishing pouch

I don't like making bags. Well let me clarify - I don't like reading and following directions which is usually what you have to do when making a bag. Since I do love a handmade bag and wanted one with pockets on the side, I brought the pattern and fabric for a pattern called Shelley's bag to my mom's house last week to have her hold my hand while I tried to figure out the dreaded directions.

 

Viola! After making one I probablly could do another pretty easily. I do love the pockets but would make the next one with the pockets alittle taller. Since I was so crabby the whole time making this bag I made sure the crab was front and center.

But look at what happened when I started stuffing all my crap valuable belongings into the bag!

 

Oh well, I certainly was not going to take the whole thing apart so a double line of slip stitching and all is good. It really is a good pattern and a good bag (now that the direction reading ordeal is over)

Yesterday I embarked on finishing up another overlook bench quilt and had an idea for a kayak quilt but everything I touched turned to shit the stars in the universe were not aligned in my favor for creativity.

My FMQ was getting me eyelashes and rats nests, I couldn't seem to find the right sky to go with my water.

 

 

So I threw all projects to the side and decided to watch the McTavishing free motion quilting video my mom gave me and try out the new Isacord thread that comes highly recommended by Leah Day for FMQ and the quilters dream batting that my mom gave me. This also is supposed to be ....... Well a quilters dream.

I found a beautiful batik and cut a quarter yard in half. Yes this is a practice piece but I needed some quilters joy right now so damn it am going to use the "good stuff". I had dreams of the Isacord gliding like butter through the the quilters dream batting with the perfection of angels wings.

 

 

NOT!

Now in all fairness to the Isacord, this caused me to actually clean out and oil the bobbin area, then adjust the bobbin screw which is what I should have done like a week ago because after that it did sew fine. The McTavishing is ok and looks better now that it's done. When I was doing it I thought it looked pretty bad and I think it just takes a lot of practicing and getting loose. It's not the type of thing I would do on something I was going to sell or give to someone until I am really comfortable with it. It is really fun though, very freeing and loose. If you are a doodler and write with a flourish - you will LOVE McTavishing.

 

 

Here's a video to give you an idea of what it's like in case you've never tried it.

 

I ended up making a little pouch with it. Couldn't let that batik go to waste.

Have you ever McTavished?

 

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