Do you know the way to Applique?

Well, the snow is flying like crazy around here.  6.5" the other night and another 2"-6" expected on Sunday.  Too much snow for my liking for sure, and the temps are quite cold too.  Brrrr!  Here's Mayo the Wonder Dog checking out the snow at night.  It's a good thing I've got her on a string to reel her back in when I get too cold!

Can you see the happy faces above her head  (not photo shopped!)

I find myself doing applique the way the project calls for it.  There is no one right way.  You should do it the way that works for you!  And I use all different ways:

For circles, I love Karen Kay Buckley's mylar templates that can be used again and again - and they are just perfect, perfect, perfect circles!  You baste your fabric over them, pull it up like a yo-yo, then press them to put a crease in.  Here's where Mary Ellen's Best Press comes into play for me.  It doesn't leave a residue like starch, but makes a nice stiff crease!  (Not a paid commercial for either product!)

Circles, circles, circles

Sometimes, the applique just calls for a freezer paper template like these leaves I am making for my guild Round Robin.  I press the freezer paper to the wrong side of the fabric, then baste them together.  Most of the time, I don't take them out, but just stitch the applique piece down, and at the last inch or so, I take the freezer paper out.  There's one out already, because I didn't want to make another one.  So it got Mary Ellened and taken out to re-use again!  This is also a good car passenger project to do.

Freezer paper templates

Here is Clyde making sure that I don't forget about the amazing Babes quilt project. He's on the focus fabric which is a Christmas fabric from the Moda line.

Clyde and my selection of background fabrics

Because the central block has big sweeping pieces, I like to back-baste these, so they don't wrinkle and move around a lot. It also make the project much more portable and easy to work on because there are no pins. You mark your fabric on the back, place the applique fabric on the front (right side out), then baste on the line. I trim the extra fabric off, but not to the 1/4" line. When I am ready to applique, I then trim it to the right seam allowance, and needle turn under. I think that the basting stitches that have pierced the applique fabric make it a bit easier to turn - maybe it gives it a little memory?

Back basting

Then, here is the last project that has come out the box.  It's my "birthday quilt" that the Amazing Quilt Babes will be working on for me in February.  That's our gift to each other, sewing time - and my birthday isn't until April, but it will be my official Babe birthday!  LOL!  Oh, I see what's wrong with this picture - it's not applique!  Ha!  A girl has to do some sewing machine time too!

Last applique project

And you know your puppy is growing up when she can't fit in her favorite chair the way she used to! I LOVE THIS DOG!

Mayo the Wonder Dog

Don't worry if you don't hear from me this next week or so on the blog. Hubby is going back to Mayo Clinic (yes in all this snow and cold weather), but all will be well. We're going to get some stuff straightened out for him that will require a stay in the hospital. Mayo will get to go to Leads and Leashes in Byron MN and play the day away, and I'll be coach and "private nurse" while he's in the hospital. During the day, I'll applique then back to the apartment at night to sew on that "not" applique project.

Until later, and show me the way you applique! Or better yet, leave a message directing me to your page of projects. It's great eye candy when I'm away from home!

On my way back to Slow Cloth

The health issues that were plaguing our family continued to be problems through the end of the year. Today we are at Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN to see what can be done to get Hubby around the corner and through the woods, so to speak. It's been a rough start to a new year, but there's always hope for the next day, isn't there?

In the meantime, as I was spinning my wheels, getting this house ready for the market I dugout located this antique leaves and vines quilt top from the thirties in a "safe" place in my closet. A friend of mine located this in Shipshewana, IN a few years ago, and I absolutely fell in love. This is something I've always wanted to do, but since I don't do hand applique so much anymore, this will be the surrogate!  

It's king size, which is unusual for that time period.

I want this year to be the year of "slow cloth" as defined by Elaine Lipson. I plan on getting this tiop basted, then start the hand quilting journey with it through this year. Will you join me in slowing down and enjoying the journey? I've put Elaine's list of 10 qualities of Slow Cloth below my signature, but it can apply to just about anything you might "do", and I think it will enrich my daily life!

10 QUALITIES OF SLOW CLOTH,BY ELAINE LIPSON

• She defined Slow Cloth several years ago on her blog. Read the original post which is beautifully written. (Copyright Elaine Lipson 2007-2010; all rights reserved).
• Joy
  Slow Cloth has the possibility of joy in the process. In other words, the journey matters as much as the destination.
• Contemplation
  Slow Cloth offers the quality of meditation or contemplation in the process.
• Skill
  Slow Cloth involves skill and has the possibility of mastery.
• Diversity
  Slow Cloth acknowledges the rich diversity and multicultural history of textile art.
• Teaching
  Slow Cloth honors its teachers and lineage even in its most contemporary expressions.
• Materials
  Slow Cloth is thoughtful in its use of materials and respects their source.
• Quality
  Slow Cloth artists, designers, crafters and artisans want to make things that last and are well-made.
• Beauty
  It's in the eye of the beholder, yes, but it's in our nature to reach for beauty and create it where we can.
• Community
  Slow Cloth supports community by sharing knowledge and respecting relationships.
• Expression
  Slow Cloth is expressive of individuals and/or cultures. The human creative force is reflected and evident in the work.

I'm back!

(And I just can't figure out why my returns are giving me double spacing - so please bear with me while I investigate what to do. Anyone with a quick answer?)

I'm back now, so full steam ahead!  

We had some problems with Hubby's hydration issues which took us to the local hospital a couple of different times and then up to Mayo, Rochester, Minnesota for a week. For those of you who don't know, he survived a major blood clot in his small intestine almost 13 years ago (causing surgeries that left him with about 40" of small intestine), which then caused a cascade of other problems over the years. 6 years ago, he got a new liver, and 5 years ago, his brother gave him a wonderful gift of one of his kidneys. All is well now, or so we hope, and we go forward, as always looking for the sunshine after the rain.

I've been busy, but I can't tell you exactly what has taken up our days. We still have the house on the market and we're dreaming of the new one in a maintenance provided community. It seems our conversations are always wandering back to the new house...what if we moved this wall, what if we change the shelving, which way should my studio face. All good things to iron out before the building begins, right?  

I also finished the client wall hanging that was commissioned a little under a year ago. I thought I would finish it in June, but I just wasn't happy with some of the process, so I kept moving things around, cutting holes and adding just the right stuff until it looked like I had envisioned at the start. The client received it Monday night, and she was sooooo pleased, as was her hubby. I am always on pins and needles before they get their work, and this one was no exception. They have it on their wall, and it looks perfect, I must say. 

The process went something like this:

Selecting the fabrics - all the client said was that she wanted red...

I started the red skies/leaves and the tree trunks

I got extra help joining all the one inch squares

And even more help deciding some of the colors

Collection of scraps (orts) for the leaves

Making the ortwork with Sulky Solvable

Adding the ortwork leaves to the forest

It still needed something, so I decided to define the seasons starting with Spring

Then summer

Fall foliage

And winter delights

Seed stitch embroidery for all the seasons in appropriate perle cotton colors

Beading, beading, beading

My initials are signed in embroidery too

I love the handwork part of it all

And of course, Clyde has to add the finishing touches of cat hair!

And voila!  Forest Seasons is complete!

I hope you enjoyed the process as much as I did.  Merry Christmas to everyone, and to all a good night!

Looking for my Mojo

Have you seen my mojo? Quilting, cleaning, blogging...any of that kind of mojo? If you do, please let me know where it is, and I'll reward you handsomely! LOL!

I promise I'll be back soon and do a nice blog post for all my dear friends. I've been so swamped with some family issues and the holdidays that I have neglected this area - A LOT!

So be patient with me, and I'll get to it soon. In the meantime, calling all mojo searchers - be on the alert for Quiltgranny's mojo!

It's Over

So, it's over. This year's Guild quilt show, that is! Now, what am I supposed to do with my time? LOL!


The quilt show is over, and it was a GOOD one. I don't have much time to fill out this post, so I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Busy October

I've been pretty darned busy these last few weeks getting ready for the Lee's Summit Missouri Quilter's Guild quilt show that's coming up November 5 and 6th. I'd sure like to have you come see the show (and me of course!). You can find out more details on the guild's blog. It will be at the Woods Chapel Methodist Church at 4725 Lakewood Way, Lee's Summit MO, 9am to 5 pm each day.

I'm the chair for the Boutique, and I think I now have just about everything priced, packed and ready to load on November 4 in order to get set up. We've had a nice showing from national vendors who have generously supplied door prizes. Of course, I had to have help from Clyde who decided to closely inspect everything as I was pricing it. Then he got tired and had to take a little nap!

Clyd'es Boutique

I've also been to a couple of nice quilt shows in the area. I've taken pictures, but since there has been so much discussion about whether they should or should not be posted on the Internet, I won't post them here for now. I think from now, I will share a piece of it. For now, I will share two of my friend Shirlee's quilt - she's also an Amazing Quilt Babe. These were just two of them that she shared at her quilt guild's show. Aren't they amazing?

I never tire of seeing Hubby with the wonder dog Mayo cuddling, taking naps together.  The weather has turned colder here, and the old rag quilt is getting double duty.  I really should make another since I've repaired this one about three times.  It's one of their favorites!

With the change in the seasons, our sunsets have been spectacular.  The wind has certainly been high, so most of the beautiful leaves have blown away, but we can still get that gorgeous fall color just before dark.

About 15 minutes before sunnet

About 2 minutes before the sun is completely down

I hope your autumn brings beautiful things to you, too!

Mayo and Me

So, the question of the day is this?  Have you scheduled your mammogram yet?  

Have you asked your mother, your sister, your daughter, your cousin, your neighbor, your FRIEND if they have theirs scheduled?

Early detection saves lives and gives years of life to those we love. 

I know. 12 years and counting - detected early with a mammogram.

The Rambling River Exhibit

Here is an overview of The Rambling River and 11 of the 15 participants. As I discussed in my earlier, post, this group is comprised of 15 women. 7 of us are from the west side of the state of Missouri near the Missouri River around the greater Kansas City area, and the other 8 women are from the east side of the state near the confluence of the Missouri and the Missisippi around the St. Louis area. I'm trying to put together the map of the state with each of our locations on it, too.

This exhibit is 22' long, and I'm sorry that this photo doesn't quite show the ones on the right side very well due to the bend in the wal. When it is displayed in November at our quilt show, I should have a better photograph of it to share. If you are interested in exhibiting it at one of your quilt shows or know of a gallery who would like to have it for display, please let me know. It can be yours for the shipping/insurance to and from our location. Each piece is 18" X 22" so the weight shouldn't be very much overall, I think. And it is just stunning to see all the different techniques and ideas that were used without sharing information back and forth until the "reveal".

You can see this in person if you are in the area on November 5 or November 6 at the Lee's Summit Quilter's Quilt Show. It will be at the Woods Chapel Methodist Church, 4725 NE Lakewood Way, Lee's Summit, MO from 9 AM to 5 PM each day.

You can double click each of these pictures for more detail. Enjoy!

The Rambling Art Quilters, Missouri (four people not shown)

#1 Lorrie Oltman and #2 Jane Kennedy

#3 Jill Harmon and  #4 Wendy Richards

#5 Klonda Holt and  #6 Nancy Sinise

#7 Cheri Rabourn and  #8 Marsha Bray

#9 Quiltgranny and  #10 Candy Grisham

#10 Candy Grisham and #11 Cathy Wight

#12 Judy Humphrey and #13 Joan Ferguson

#14 Josie Hermsmeyer and #15  Terry Rhodes