Start your art cards

I asked Santa for a pack of start your art cards and he delivered. They are a deck of cards that on each one has a small quick creative exercise. Lyric Kinard came up with these and she teaches design principles for textile artists. My eyes start to glaze over when reading about elements of design and all that but she makes it fun. You can check them out here.

She encourages you to make bad art - don’t worry about how it comes out, the whole point is making you think about design and how it works. This is right up my alley, learn and have fun - win, wn!

I’ve done 2 cards so far

Ha!ha! Crazy

 And this one, which took some thinking 

The only way you can fail doing these exercises is not to do them at all. Your loss for not trying.  

Now go out there and make some Bad Art!

Bowl cozy dyi

 I’m making some of the bowl cozies that you have seen or maybe made but if you haven’t made any and are planning to, here are a few tips. There are lots of videos and tutorials online on how so I won’t go into that. Just a few things I learned when making mine.

First use a batting that is pretty stiff  if you can.(100% cotton) I use a thin batting that is soft for my quilts and that doesn’t work very well. I suppose you could double it but I had some on hand that fit the bill. I’m sorry I can’t tell you what kind. The label only says 100% cotton and I’ve had it awhile.

Cut the batting an inch smaller than the fabric. I used a ten inch square and 9” batting. Sew just on the edge of the batting so there is no bulk at the seams. Clip corners.

 Clip your darts.  Speaking of darts, if you like a deep soup mug instead of a bowl make your darts a generous 2” long to make the cozy deeper.

 Give yourself a good 4” to turn.  Be sure to push out the corners with a chopstick or something like it once you turn it inside out.

 Wonder clips work great for holding the opening closed.

If you are giving as a gift, make a card to go with it that tells the recipient how to use it and that it’s washable. 

If you don’t have one of these you should make one for yourself. They really are handy. If you have made them and know what kind of batting you’ve found to be the best, please comment and let us know.

Thanks!

Evil labyrinth quilt

I’m trying to make a smaller version of the labyrinth quilt. I’m sure you’ve seen it, it’s a pattern quite popular made by Christopher Florence and is written to be an 84” by 84” size quilt. I didn’t want such a large quilt so I cut all the measurements in half and went to town.

I cut out all the million pieces and labeled them with sticky’s. All ready all this organization is scary and out of my normal routine. But oh yeah! I can do this easy peasy at least that is what I have heard about this quilt.

 Ha! Well after much adjusting and fixing the first five blocks went together .

 Only a couple times did I have to break out this tool of torture and woe. 

 Now the next 4 blocks almost did me in. The tool of torture ripped many a screaming seam. ( or was that me screaming) but I digress.

 I’m finally at this point so the end it near. See those white strips? They are only 5/8” wide before sewing so not much room for error and I am not a precise quilter so error I am doing much of. 

I may not be precise and perfect but I make up for it in determination and I WILL conquer the demons in this labyrinth. I am quilter! Hear me roar!

Stay tuned 😁