Hands Up

I do all my best thinking while driving.

I know I'm supposed to be paying attention to the road, and, based on my driving record, I must be paying some attention, but I do think a lot when I'm behind the wheel.

 My Mom used to write birthday poems for each of her grandchildren on their big day and when complimented on an especially well-written bit of verse would respond by saying, " Yeah, I had to take a lot of baths to come up with that." She obviously did all her thinking in the tub.

I'm a shower person, so that leaves the road for thinking.

All this is to say that the other day I was thinking about the fabric I create and marveling at how, despite efforts to make it as uniform as possible, each piece, and I mean each piece, is different from the next.

That's what makes it so great, of course, but I still find it a bit astounding. Every time I draw a line or write "love" the mark looks just a little different. 

That realization started me to thinking about whether I wanted to include my hands in the product shots I take. Well, not just the realization, but a general frustration with how difficult taking product shots can be.

Consider this shot:

One of our newest prints, Double Dutch Dots.

You know what's hard? Other than patting your head and rubbing your stomach simultaneously? Keeping wrinkles out of fabric long enough to photograph it. Even the tiniest wrinkles show up. But, if I include a hand in the shot, I can apply a little pressure, smooth the wrinkles, and give the fabric a bit of scale, all at the same time.

It makes sense to include the hands that make the fabric in the product shots of the fabric. Also, an extended arm in combination with the auto-focus feature of my DSLR and a bit of Photoshop magic and the entire process is not only easier, but faster.

My hope is that this simpler, more streamlined, method of documenting the work of my hands will mean that more of it appears here and in my store rather than just at retail shows.

I'd love to hear what you think. Hands up or down?

Screenshot Inspirations

I take a fair amount of screenshots, most not accidental like the one above.

I take and keep these shots for a couple of reasons: some patterning, color, or opportunity caught my eye and I want to hold on to it or I'm struck by someone's creation and plan on sharing it in the "Current Loves" section of my newsletter.

If you don't subscribe to my newsletter, then (a) you should and can by filling out the form at the bottom of the page and (b) today's your lucky day because I'm going to share a set of "Current Loves" that I've compiled exclusively for you all. Also, unlike the newsletter, these inspiration links will include pictures. 

What constitutes a current love? Pretty much anything that I'm excited about. It's almost always making related, but I've included links to books I'm enjoying, recipes I've tried and even a video or two. Think smorgasbord. 

So, here goes, the blog edition of Current Loves (links included in captions):

By Hand London Sewing Patterns

 I think I've mentioned it here about 5,635, 259 times that I'm a selfish sewer (sewist? Could we come to some consensus on that term, please?) and love nothing better on a Saturday afternoon than sewing up a frock or top for my most appreciative recipient, me. I often scour instagram and pinterest looking for apparel sewing inspiration as well as indie pattern makers and am a big fan of the designs at By Hand London.

Giucy_Giuce via instagram.

Looking for color inspiration? Looking for fun, vibrant quilts? Looking for interesting photography? Follow Giucy_Giuce on instagram and that will get delivered to your feed on an almost daily basis.

Irena Swanson at tubepiecing.com.

A moment of honesty: I've not looked into what tube piecing is. I'm a visual person and I just like the pretty pictures.

I found Irena Swanson on instagram. I found all of these people on instagram. Take home message: instagram equals inspiration (and a lot of pictures of other people's cats).

I love graphic, simple , patterned-focused quilts and this gal delivers that. If you're interested in her specialized piecing method, check out the link under the photo.

Jen Rossotti on instagram.

There's definite quilt inspiration here. 

I first saw this quilt at QuiltCon this past February and started following Jen Rossotti on instagram about 2 seconds afterwards.

My final link has no image, but is a part of my daily life. I am a devoted listener to audio books and by devoted I mean constant. Love is too weak an adjective to describe how I feel about Audible.  It may be big and it may be corporate, but being an Audible member has so many benefits including their new channels feature. When I'm patterning fabric or sewing, I look forward to listening to (though I like to delude myself into thinking I'm "reading") a book. Even on the weekend when I'm selfishly sewing I do so while listening to an audiobook. It makes the process feel retreat-like.

I highly recommend it!

And all the other links.

Want more inspiration delivered right to your inbox? I think you know what to do. :)

The Quilt is Back on the Bed

That's a sign the quilt show is over.

This past weekend I brought my hand patterned and dyed wares and my cowboy boots to the Capital of Texas QuiltFest in my beloved hometown of Austin, Texas.

My booth features lots of handcrafted fabric, quilts and pillows, but, oftentimes, this quilt generates the most interest.

Along with paper versions of this pattern, I sell the PDF in my shop.

But, before it can do that, I have to take it off my bed where it is in daily use.

Other points of interest in my temporary 10' x 10' home of three days was the rainbow of half yards I created with the nearly 170 yards of fabric I patterned and dyed in preparation for this show and as a starting point for my booth in November at the International Quilt Festival in Houston ( I actually grew up in Houston, but do not consider it my hometown).

A lot of this fabric has gone to new homes, especially if it had the word "love" written on it, but I have 6 weeks (yikes) between now and then and I'll be making lots and lots more.

For almost real time updates of what's new in my fabric world, check out my instagram page. I'll be posting pictures of fabric as well as newly made samples to hang in my booth. I'm even thinking of a new sign for my booth that features my logo and the phrase, "Hand dyed modern batiks for modern quilts". I considered "modern batiks for modern quilts". I often use the hashtag modern batiks when posting to instagram, but I want customers to know that these are not mass-produced, commercial re-creations of batiks, but the absolute, real mccoy. We pattern, whether via drawing or stamping, every single piece of fabric. And by we, I mean me and my assistant. It happens in my home studio in lovely Austin, not half a world away. 

Anyway, all that seemed a bit long for a shop sign, so I thought I'd just add the phrase hand dyed to communicate that. What do you think? The sign hasn't been made yet, so I'm open to suggestions.

Also, as always, my online shop is available if you didn't have a chance to stop by this weekend and won't be in Houston. 

Just a girl who can't say no...

Remember the scene from the musical Oklahoma where Ado Annie declares, " I'm just a girl who can't say no," ?

 Well...me too.

Annie's referring to her penchant for kissing every boy in the county and I'm just referring to sewing with fabric. One is potentially more exciting than the other, but the inability to resist is the same.

My particular problem is not buying fabric, but wanting to craft with it. My job is patterning and hand dyeing fabric and, while I love my job, I do spend a lot of time planning projects with the very fabric I'm supposed to be selling. 

Like this:

When I listed the Two Stripes Fat Quarter Bundles in my store, my head started to fill up with ideas for patchwork featuring these fabrics.

Most of them involved using the bundle fabrics exclusively, 

but I can see mixing them in with solids as well. 

My pinterest inspirations board has over 2,000 pins and, despite being heavily weighted toward quilts made in solids, offers a lot of possibilities for tops that incorporate these stripes. 

Personally I'd like to use this pattern to work in these hand dyed beauties.

Abi's Coins Quilt Pattern PDF

This first version was made with a combination of Allison Glass's Hand Crafted II prints and a beautiful Kona cotton in blue, but I'm so tempted to grab a handful of these stripes and a different, but equally bold solid, and make a second quilt in this pattern.

What can I say?

Apparently not no.

Getting the Skinny on Skinny Stripe Grids

Confession time: I'm a selfish designer. 

Some people are selfish sewers, primarily sewing for themselves or because they want to try a particular pattern and, frankly, I'm one of those too, but my design interests are pretty self-focused as well. 

I assume there are folks who ask themselves questions regarding what their customers want to see them create or what trends appear to be on the upswing, but I'm motivated by what I want to try in terms of patterning and color.

I can't decide if that's a good or bad thing, but it's a thing and it's why I designed this pattern, skinny stripe grids.

Skinny Stripe Grids in indigo and white.

It's very simple really; I'd been patterning with simple horizontal lines and wanted to create a freehand drawn grid as well and to create that gird in a variety of color combos.

Skinny Stripe Grids in Pale Blue and Grey

Skinny Stripe Grids in Coral and Raspberry

Skinny Stripes Grids in Lemon and Amber

Since I selfishly wanted the fabric, so much so that I designed and created it, it's probably no surprise that I've already sewn several items with it.

A wee quilt.

A version of Purl Soho's City Gym Shorts (love this pattern!)

The Kenedy dress from Seamwork Magazine in hand dyed rayon.

Like most of you, I love sewing; that's why I'm writing and you're reading. But, there's just something more when the sewing is done with really special fabric. I'll sew no matter what, but give me a length of hand dyed fabric, and I'll sew with a slightly bigger smile on my face.

A quick note about the rayon: I'm gearing up to offer all the Skinny Stripe Grid color combos listed in my shop as well as the Bubbles and Wasabi Peas color combos in rayon as well as quilting cotton. At least initially the rayon will be on a custom order basis. If you're interested, email me at malka@stitchindye.com and request swatches of those fabrics. 

Champagne Bubbles for Everyone!

Maybe not exactly champagne. Especially because (A) these fabrics are not created in the Champagne region of France and (B) this is fabric. 

If you ignore those two minor facts, then you can help me and Lawrence Welk (remember Lawrence?) introduce my newest pattern, Bubbles.

Available in three different bundles, neutral, warm, and cool, as well as a build-your-own fat quarter or half yard bundle, these fabrics, like all my prints, are hand stamped and vat dyed to achieve that hand made intensity of color.

Warm bundle features shades of orange, red, pomegranate, and fuchsia.

The cool bundle includes turquoise, grass green, grey, and indigo.

Shades of ecru, amber, and marigold make the neutral bundle great blenders.

This design represents a bit of a change for me. Lately, I've experimented with varying the stamping quality across the fabric surface so that, although made with the same stamping tool and at regular intervals, the design seems to fade in and out.

Some of the circles are super crisp and dark while others are a lot more wispy. Because of the nature of the stamping process, the variety of circles and their placement changes for each length of fabric that's created.

Currently this pattern is available in fat quarter and half yard bundles, but look for it in single and multi yard increments as well as on-demand on rayon for those of you who's interest runs more to apparel than patchwork.

Makes for a super-cute dress, wouldn't you agree?

The LOVE frock...and friend

Confession: This dress is not totally new. It was made in July (of 2016), but I've already worn it several times. 

What is new about it is that it's made in a new fiber for me, rayon. 

I've dyed all manner of cotton, but lately I've been experimenting with patterning and dyeing rayon with an eye toward using it for garments. 

The LOVE frock is my first attempt and, yay, first success.

The dress pattern is for Lotta Jansdotter's book, Everyday Style. I've waxed semi-poetic here about how much I love this book. This particular pattern is the Esme, just like my previously featured ombre dyed top. I modified the tunic length a bit to add belt loops and a belt, included patch pockets, and adjusted the seam allowances to get a closer fit.

I tested my adjustments on another hand dyed version first, this time in a much-loved cotton lawn.

The colors are a little off here because the dress is patterned in shades of orange and raspberry, not brown. 

Considering the temperatures lately, both these dresses are ideal for the hot weather, but the rayon version feels particularly wonderful. It drapes so beautifully and feels so light, I can almost forget that the humidity is making it stick to my skin.

I'm so excited about the possibilities of patterning and sewing with this rayon that I already have a second length of fabric, patterned in a new pattern waiting to be cut and sewn.

Also, I'm going to start offering this rayon in limited patterns in my store starting in September, but more about that in another post.

For now, I'll just repeat how much LOVE I'm feeling for this fabric and the finished dress.

A Week of Finishes:: Ombre Dyed Top

Seems a little presumptuous to title this post "A Week of Finishes" when, hey, it's Tuesday. But, as I pointed out to someone who suggested that I should start a podcast, there are only 24 hours in the day. So, despite being a day late(but not a dollar short, though that little quip has nothing to do with my point), I do have a series of finishes to show off here this week.

Today's is this ombre dyed top, which I tried, I really tried to take pictures of myself wearing. 

Lack of selfie success aside, I love, love , love this top.

The inspiration came from the curtains in my sewing studio. I made them and hung them, so I'm not quite sure why it took so long for me to really "notice" them, but, the other day I was looking at them and thinking they would make great fabric for clothing. The curtains are also ombre dyed in shades of pale blue and indigo and it took a fair amount of self control to stop myself from having a Scarlett O'Hara moment and ripping them down to sew with.

I reminded myself that I had a dye studio in my garage and there had plenty of un-dyed fabric eagerly waiting transformation. 

I made this instead:

The base fabric is a super soft cotton lawn and it's perfect for crafting all manner of clothing.

The pattern for the top came from Lotta Jansdotter's newest book, Everyday Style: Key Pieces to Sew+ Accessories, Styling, and Inspiration.

Sidenote: I love this book. It delivers exactly what the title advertises. I've made 3 garments from the book including the top pictured and, though I'm often reluctant to craft what I would term Japanese-inspired clothes because they often seem baggy and intended to hide rather than flatter, I find her designs to be casual and fun and just a bit more fitted. That and her book is filled with inspirational images of the clothes as modeled by her friends and family and in inspiring, but approachable locales. 

I chose the Esme Top as the pattern for my hand dyed cotton and knew I would cut the fabric so the top ran darker to lighter from bottom to top. I also selected the cap-sleeve option as, (A) This is Texas and it's July and (B) I only need to trace and cut 2 pattern pieces. As with most facings, I didn't create the traditional facing called for in the instructions, but used bias binding, which I always make myself (personally cannot think of anything less worth spending money on than store-bought bias binding)

I'm not the type to make spreadsheets documenting this type of information, though I live with someone who is, but I can say with some certainty that this is the fastest pattern I've ever sewn.

Next up for me in from this book? 

I'm patterning more cotton lawn yardage (not as we speak because I'm busy typing) in my signature wax-resist technique to create an Esme tunic. I think I'll modify that a bit including adding belt loops and a thin matching tie as well a slit opening around the neckline.

But that won't be the next finish featured here. You'll have to check back to see what is.

Next up for the Next Quilt

Simple really is best. 

I finished this queen-sized quilt top in a little over a week and am slated to take it to the longarmer tomorrow. 

As I hinted in my previous post about this design, I'm not done crafting with the 4 rolls purchased for the original top.

Though still very much a WIP, this design, along with the bed-sized version will be included in a single pattern zine along with a few extras. My plan for this is different from most and also a work in progress, but I'm very excited about this direction.

Also, for those not interested in the scale or color ways pictured so far, look for the next version of the Next quilts in these colors:

I'm thinking twin-sized this time. 

They go together so quickly and are such fun to watch as they emerge, row by row, that another sort-of big quilt is something to look forward to.

Stay tuned here an on instagram to see the latest.

The Prodigal Maker Returns Home

It's hard to believe that I'm making this statement so soon, but I've moved my studio...again. You all may not remember, but last summer, after years, decades of working out of my house, I rented a large warehouse space with a friend and set up shop there.

There were some definite advantages to the move. Three people live in my little house and moving my workspace elsewhere freed up space. The warehouse space was large and my friend was super-handy and able to craft the space, even if only in a rudimentary way, to suit our needs. I also liked the idea of separating my work and home life.

I'm not super-handy(yet), but my assistant and I did manage to put up this peg board. 

The reality, however, was a little different than anticipated.

First, the space had no temperature control. This is Texas and that makes for a cold winter( yes, we do have winters, though short) and a brutal summer. Patterning and dyeing fabric in the space didn't seem to be a problem as I'd always worked in unheated/un-air conditioned garages, so I was familiar with that. What I found difficult to deal with was sewing in the space and either simultaneously shivering or profusely sweating. My solution to that was to set up a sewing space at home in my bedroom. I now had a temperature controlled space to sew in, but i'd defeated the purpose of separating the two aspects of my life and I had to transport WIPs back and forth between the two spaces.

And, finally, the deciding factor was the warehouse owner's decision to substantially raise our rent. I was just doing to much accommodating to make the space work to justify paying more rent.

So, back home I went.

Gotta love it when the pattern on your coffee mug matches the WIP you have laid out on the bed.

This time, though, I decided that I would really craft my work space. I wouldn't make the work fit the space, I would make the space facilitate the work.

To that end, I hired a handyman to install additional lighting in the garage where we would be doing our dye work. I started using an upright portable air conditioner so that we'd be more comfortable working in the garage. I organized and planned my sewing space so that it would be function and inspirational.

And I made sure I had a wall big enough to take photographs.

I can tack up and photograph a queen size quilt on the wall behind where my sewing machine usually lives.

Because this is an 1,800 square foot house where three people live, I did have to concede the guest bed living in my sewing space, but, there's a silver lining.

I can layout large scale quilts as they're being constructed and, of course, take a sweet mid-day nap in my light filled space.

If I were to pass on any advice to someone else about creating a dedicated space to craft, it would be really think about the way you work and what your priorities are. Be flexible, but not to the extant that you're working harder to make the space work than the the space is working for you.

Superstring Baby Quilt

If you follow me on instagram then you probably caught the sneak peek of this quilt a while back. Here, however, is the full view, in the Summer 2016 issue of Modern Patchwork. 

The concept behind this design is simple. It started with a question. All my designs do. That question was what would it look like if I sewed large strips together and then overlaid a large, self-drafted template to create a  super-sized string pieced block?

Naturally, the only way to find out was to do just that and then tweak the process so that it was repeatable and, since my focus is designs that you all can re-create, explainable. 

I started with some of my hand dyed solids.

The final version actually includes a greater variety of hand dyes and, of course, this design would look fabulous in commercial solids as well (personally, I'm a big fan of the feel and colors of Art Gallery's Pure Elements Solids).

Once I had the 4 "string" blocks though, it felt a little unfinished. Also, I had lots of extra bits already cut. So, I crafted the border and corner pieces. It's then that it struck me that this top could also be just a block in a bigger quilt. I could see sewn in a more limited palette as well whether or not you chose to treat the design as a single block or a finished top.

The top was quilted in concentric lines from the center out that mimicked the diamond shape created by meeting the four string blocks together.

I was looking through my Pinterest board devoted to inspirations and found a bunch of examples of creative uses for the humble, but graphically powerful string-based block. Have a gander here and let me know what you think.

What's next?

It's a love/hate thing. 

(Channeling my inner Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof):

On the one hand writing here, specifically on my blog, is so important to me and my work and my business. It helps me to think through ideas, forces me to document via photography, and helps to promote the stuff I'm trying to sell.

On the other hand, the work of keeping up with social media can start to feel like a job of its own and, though I like the job, I'd really rather be making stuff.

So, why am I here today? Because of this:

Aren't screen shots great? 

This particular one is from a site I follow, primarily on Instagram, called Nitch. Everyday they pair a beautiful black and white photograph of a well-known person with a quote from that person.

This quote caught my eye and came at the perfect time. I know I should be writing here. It's good for me and not in the way brussel sprouts are good for me (I love brussel sprouts and have a great recipe for them, but that has nothing to do with my point). Writing in this space is important because it's part of my making journey. I can't, however, wait to be inspired to write, I just have to show up and start pounding those keys.

So, here I am, ready to engage in the process.

Now to explain the first image:

The smart-ass in me wants to claim they're petrified logs or the food color dyed interiors of cinnamon rolls, but they're fabric rolls, Kona cotton fabric rolls, specifically. The reason they came into my life, because I've never really been a pre-cut gal before, was this quilt:

I don't exactly know where the idea for this little quilt came from, but I initially designed it as a free tutorial to include with my bi-weekly newsletter which, incidentally, you too could get(the form's at the bottom of this page). Anyway, the pattern is very simple and graphic and I sensed that it was the beginnings of something else.

And it was.

Though this is a still a work in progress, making the mini-version started me thinking about the possibilities for manipulating this design. Despite my total lack of experience working with pre-cuts, I wanted to explore designing within the parameters that fabric that's already cut and measured and selected presents. 

I specifically chose two "ombre" rolls to work with because I wanted to see what happened to the graphic nature of this design as the colors changed.

The other day someone asked why I don't design on a computer and, if I didn't know before, the process of creating this quilt has certainly answered that question. As I sew this top together, I make changes from my initial plan.  I wouldn't "see" those changes if I was just manipulating images on a computer. Frankly, I think it would lengthen, rather than streamline the process of making because when I did move the design from computer generated concept to actual fabric item, I'd then have to adjust the design for the change in media.

Next up for this design? 

Finishing and quilting the top, making a second, smaller, different color way version, writing and testing the instructions, and  publishing the pattern so that you all can make it and change it for yourselves.

Also, because it really is all about the process, this unfinished make has already, dare I say, inspired new ideas.

Here's a sneak(y) peek:

Gingham

I'm often reluctant to work with a curated selection of fabrics. I'm not sure why, but the thought of being limited to a specific collection, no matter how extensive, causes me anxiety. It doesn't matter who the designer is; it could even be me, but my first reaction is an inner clenching.

I was a bit surprised when Vicki from The Fabric Society contacted me to discuss a promotional post for some of their fabrics and I  enthusiastically agreed to participate. 

Though I'm usually a believer in the ideal of sticking with plan A, I also see the value in pushing beyond my comfort zone and that, oftentimes that leads to new discoveries.

It certainly did this time.

I didn't really have a design in mind when I chose a variety of colors from their collection of Fresh Solids. Frankly I was hoping that something would come to me.

I lived with the fabrics for a bit, mostly because I was in the midst of QuiltCon prep when they arrived, until I came up with this simple and graphic design.

After a bit of play with concept as well as pairing colors, I was ready to piece the top together, a super-quick process.

Then this little top was off to the long armer, bound and ready for it's close-up. The whole 40" x 40" quilt took about a week from design to finished product.

When I look at this design my head fills with other possibilities and variations, many of which you will be seeing in the weeks to come. None of it, however, would have been possible if I hadn't ignored my instinct to fear the limitations of working with a set group of fabrics and embraced the opportunity to create in a new way.

Keep your eyes open when you're driving along.

Those were the words of advice Aunt Rena imparted to me after I told her about this:

This is a Vintage 15-91 Singer sewing machine complete with cabinet.

We found it on the side of the road.

The other day, my boyfriend went for a run in our neighborhood and came home to report that there was a sewing machine in a cabinet about 1 mile away perched on the edge of a curb outside someone's house. 

"Do you want to go check it out?" he asked.

What do you think I said?

We drove over and found the cabinet on the curb, obviously discarded by someone. I opened the cabinet to reveal what I instantly recognized as a vintage Singer. The drawers still contained several machine feet, bobbins, as well as the owner's manual.

He asked me if I wanted to take it home.

What do you think I said?

Yesterday I plugged it in and discovered it still works. 

Today I called the local Singer servicing center and asked if they worked on vintage Singers?

What do you think they said?

I'm taking it in on Monday and, if all goes well would like to refurbish the cabinet as well as the machine, though that's not a must.

Mostly, I want to sew something on this machine. We were fated to be together. So many other folks could have found this machine, though they might not have been folks who sewed. They might have brought it home to admire and display it for all its vintagey coolness and that's not a bad thing. I, however, want to do more than just bring it home. I want to give this old and sadly discarded machine a new life and new work. I want to make a modern quilt or an indie garment pattern using this machine. 

And, when I do I'll think about all the other people that might have used this machine in the past. Maybe it helped a newlywed make curtains for her first home or a mom sew a much-desired halloween costume for her son or a special quilt for an elderly friend. Who knows what this machine crafted in the past, but, hopefully, we will be crafting together in the future.

A few years ago my uncle gave me my grandmother's Shabbat candlesticks. They had been gathering dust in a box set off in some long-forgotten corner. The sale of his apartment prompted him to sort through the box and there they were. 

I never knew my grandmother. She died when my dad was 18, but I'm her namesake and have always had a certain curiosity about her.

The first time I lit candles using those candlesticks I thought about how she had been the last person to use them and how amazing it was that we two, who shared not only a genetic connection but the exact same name (both first and last), were connected over time by these candle sticks. 

That's sort of how I feel about this sewing machine. I don't know and will never know who used it before and what they made, but me and my creations will be connected to them in a roundabout way.

If that doesn't put a smile on your face, I don't know what will.

I'll keep you posted about the machine as it is brought back to life.

Reverse Psychology as a Craft Tradition

"I can make that." When I was a kid, that was a common refrain of my mother's whenever we went to a store. The store was never a high end, or, frankly, any end, department store, but usually Kmart. Do they even still exist? As a child, money was beyond scarce because scarce implies we had a clue where to look for it and we didn't. So, Target was too rich for our blood. But, every once in a while a trip to Kmart was a must. We needed new shoes or a winter coat. Like most little girls, my eye often landed on a pretty dress or top and I'd show it to my mom. I knew we couldn't buy it, but at least we could acknowledge its appeal. But, more times than not, my mom's response was to declare that she could make it herself. My mom was the original DIYer, except she wasn't.

For starters, she hated sewing. I think she felt like she should love it, but she always cursed quietly under her breath when a situation required that she bring out the Brother sewing machine, acquired after devotedly collecting and licking Green Stamps.

Then it was her refusal to admit the value of a pattern. This might sound adventurous and creative; she followed the beat of her own drummer, crafting fanciful garments entirely from her imagination. Reality looked a little different. My mom didn't really understand clothing construction and pattern drafting wasn't among her skills. Also, she didn't believe in drape and fabric weight and especially in cutting anything on the bias. Her theory was that the bias was actually a conspiratorial ruse created by the fabric companies and acceded to by the pattern companies to persuade unsuspecting home sewers into purchasing extra and unnecessary fabric.

Thankfully, I was a relatively bright child and it took only a few homemade garments to convince me that hand-me downs, even those from my elder brother, were better because they came from the store.

Yet, when asked who has had the greatest influence on me and my decision to craft and pursue the handmade as a career I would answer my mother. Her many unfinished and unable-to-be- finished items taught me the value of following instructions, deeply learning a technique, and, most importantly, understanding a process before deciding to alter that process. My work would be completely different if I didn't genuinely love to learn and appreciate a tradition before I was ready to change it and make it my own.  

Whenever my mother would like something hand crafted, she would say that that person had really good hands. As a child, I didn't like that comment because I felt it disregarded the cerebral aspect of crafting. My mom, after all, was a scientist with advanced degrees in Biology and I thought she was disparaging the intellectual side of making. Looking back though I think she was admiring that person's ability to access their creative brain and translate it into something tangible, something beautiful to hold or wear or use. She was actually paying that individual the greatest compliment she could think of. 

My parent's home is decorated(littered?) with my drawings, quilts, prints, and pillows, a good place for them to be, because, though my mother didn't share the desire to craft, she taught me all the essentials to doing just that. And, she's always been my biggest fan. 

Too Tired to Tinkle

That title is a reference to Gillian Flynn's novel, Gone Girl. Let me know if you get the reference.

I was listening to On Writing by Stephen King today. I almost always listen to an audio book or podcast while I'm working. Sometimes I do so furtively because I secretly don't think I should when my assistant is around, but I love the way being told a story gets me into the flow of working. 

Anyway Stephen noted that his most productive working time is in the morning and I have to agree. If I had written this post this morning it would be chock full of insight and pithy phrases. if I had written this post this morning I would effortlessly transition from one topic to the next and find a way to connect them all. 

But, I didn't write it this morning or even this afternoon. 

It is 8:39 CST and I'm putting fingers to keyboard after a full day of crafting and dyeing and erranding and teaching. So, I'll just post a pretty picture and say goodnight, Gracie. (Please, please, please tell me you remember George Burns).

Picked up this quilt, the first of my Gingham Quilts, from the longarmer today. Straight line quilting is so perfect for this design.

Creating and Letting Go

A few years ago I was teaching a dye workshop to the members of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild when one of the students told me that she suspected that I had coined the phrase/design concept of working with "low volume" fabrics. I responded that I had and that I was happy to see how interested folks were in this idea. If you're curious about the original article, check out Quilting Arts magazine issue #38 dated to April/May 2009. 

When I wrote the piece I never suspected that this technique would become as ubiquitous as it has, spawning numerous other articles, online and in-person workshops focused on the process as well as books. While I'm happy that people enjoy exploring these fabrics and crafting with them, I'm rarely mentioned as the originator of the concept as it applies to modern quilting.

Mostly, I don't mind...at least I don't think I mind...because I've always believed that an idea can be copied, but my creativity is unique to me. I'm relatively confident I'll come up with something new. Also, I know that I riff off of other people's work as well. For instance, I've designed several improvisational quilts, both for my books and for articles and even for an online class, yet I did not invent the concept of improvisation. I discovered it in books and magazines like everyone else. 

I've just started working on a quilt design,

 influenced by the amazing art quilts of Eleanor McCain (I've mentioned her a couple of times in my weekly newsletter), that I'm calling Gingham, a title I didn't even come up with but was penned by a follower on Instagram. 

So, the cross pollination might just be as ubiquitous as the term "low volume". 

Yet, despite being aware of both generating and receiving influence, I look over my shoulder, not because I worry about being copied, but because I worry about copying. Sometimes I take sabbaticals from looking through books, magazines, and the internet, but other times I intentionally immerse myself in other people's images and ideas. 

And then, sometimes this happens:

If you're scratching your head and wondering what the hell "THIS" is, let me explain.

Last night I was drawing in my sketchbook, fleshing out old ideas and exploring new ones, when I had a thought, rather I posed a question, " What would a quilt look like if the image was a black and white outline of a block rather the block itself?" Believe it or not, that drawing is me jotting this idea down with the intention of returning to this concept soon or at least soon-ish. 

Then I woke up this morning, checked my instagram feed and saw this.

Don't get me wrong, I love this design. It's clean and modern and very clever, but, it also reminds me of what I was sketching last night. And, while I understand that it's plausible, even probable, that many folks might come to a similar concept independent of each other, I still felt the wind go out of my sails just a bit. 

Will I still pursue this idea? Probably. I think there are many ways to interpret the concept and I recognize that my first drawing and my final design may be only distantly related to each other. But, I will look over my shoulder more vigilantly with this idea than I otherwise would. Is that legitimate or even necessary? I don't know, but I know I will be extra-aware because I want to protect my own creativity. I want to ensure, at least for myself, that my designs are the product of my explorations within what I have deemed acceptable parameters of influence. Maybe those parameters are too loose or stringent for someone else, but they're mine and I know where the boundaries exist.

Which circles back to why I'm not bothered by my designs, concepts, or techniques having lives of their own that don't necessarily include me anymore. My creativity spawned something, others brought their creativity to it and made it their own. The something, whether it was conceived back in 2009 or yesterday, is not what is precious. What's precious is the creativity behind that something. 

Found in my Fridge

If I could name one bit of  business feedback I've been getting from my customers and nosy friends for a while now it's that I should create and sell a line of hand dyed solids. Honestly, I don't know why I didn't jump right on this idea, but, in the better late than never category, this week (yikes, is it that soon?!) I will be premiering my line of hand dyed solids by offering two different fat quarter bundles as well as some single solid fat quarter hand dyed cottons

I've also worked up a design for the Summer issue of Modern Patchwork, again in my hand dyed solids. I've got loads of plans for these babies including expanding the color selections almost as soon as they premier, but first I'd like to create a few quilt patterns to support this fabric collection. 

My initial thought was to turn to my Pinterest Inspirations board and quickly pinned several items that I felt could be re-interpreted for this purpose.

But, then another thought came to mind: maybe I've crafted quilts in the past that could be re-worked and sewn in these new fabrics.

Basically, I checked the refrigerator before I went shopping.

Here's what I found(other than I've got to stop buying more butter; there's already 4 boxes):

This quilt is a blast from the super past and originally designed and created in hand dyed stripes, but could definitely be adapted to working with solids.

Frankly, I'm a little embarrassed I didn't think of this quilt pattern right away. 

I originally designed it a couple years ago and sell the pattern both in paper and PDF form, so re-making it in my new solids would be a breeze, especially because the palette is pretty limited and the blocks are larger and piece together quickly.

I've always loved this design and even re-worked it with rounded corners for Modern Patchwork Magazine a few issues back, but, again, this would be simple to do in hand dyed solids and it would give me an opportunity to explore this concept in new ways. I'd like to expand the size even further adding enough" rounds" to make the single block big enough to fit a bed or make a quilt top that features 4 of these super-sized blocks.

How simple is this?

This quilt was inspired by the knitted Super Easy Baby Blanket created by the uber talented gals at the Purl Bee blog several years back. I made this first version to promote the commercial solids that were released alongside one of my Moda fabric collections. 

I think it would be even more amazing in hand dyed solids and if the widths of the various bands were varied a bit more. One thing I would definitely repeat: the intense machine quilting on the surface.

Another pattern that I sell, both in paper and PDF, that would be perfect in either exclusively solids or, as pictured, primarily solids with a few prints mixed in.

Originally created for my second book, Fresh Quilting: Fearless Color, Design, and Inspiration, this version features Kaffe Fasset's shot cottons. I've taught this quilt design as a class many times, so could probably re-do it in hand dyes in my sleep. Though, you're not supposed to operate machinery while sleeping. :)

If I did more than a cursory search, I could come up with more and just might. For now these seem a good place to start in terms of crafting supporting patterns for my solids or...maybe even starting a fabric/quilt pattern-of-the month/quarter club. I would love, love to hear your thoughts on that.

A Potted Philosophy

That's a pretty flower, isn't it?

I bought this bulb several weeks ago with the idea that I'd put it into a small pot and force it. Loads of folks do that every year. The bulbs were on display as I entered the grocery store, so I thought, "Why not? I've always had a green thumb. I've never tried this. It seems simple..."

There was only one hitch to my plan: I never took the bulb out of the plastic bag it came in, but not because I misplaced it or forgot. At least once a day for weeks I'd walk by the bag with the bulb and think, " This is so wasteful. Why don't I just plant the damn thing?" But, I didn't. It just sat there waiting for me to attend to it.

Or not. Because the other day, I walked by the bag, ready to feel that now familiar pang of guilt that I hadn't taken advantage of the beauty promised to me if I just planted the bulb, that I was wasting time, and money and resources, when I noticed that the flower stalk was sprouting out of the bulb while it was still in the bag.

That spurred me to action. I felt like the flower was speaking to me, metaphorically, folks. I don't usually hear plants talk. And this is what it was saying:

Remember this 1958 movie? Probably no one who reads this blog actually saw it in the theater, but, maybe, like me, you watched it as the late, late movie when you should have been sleeping, but your parents let you have a TV in your room so you watched too much TV and stayed up way too late.

Yes?

Either way, that's what I heard this plant say and the next day it was potted and watered and sitting in a sunny spot.

Having been spoken to by a plant, I started to think about what this act of floral survival had to say to me about perseverance and struggling to achieve despite obstacles. I found myself wondering if the flower was all the more beautiful because it had to fight its way into existence and if that too had a broader message. I know this all seems a bit silly but, like the idea that beauty is everywhere as long as we really look for it, the same might be true about life lessons.  

Again, it might seem a bit ridiculous, but, as I prep for QuiltCon West 2016 in Pasadena next week and feel the urgency that comes with a looming deadline, I think about striving and working, oftentimes without much feedback, and pushing forward. Then I look at my flower and think, "I to want to make it too!"

Or, maybe I just need a new red dress? :)

The Perfect Spot

Despite my interest in reading The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains by Nicholas Carr, I do run an online business. So, taking pictures and posting them online is a big part of my job.

In my old house I had what can only be called a perfect set-up: beautifully colored blank wall in a room with tons of natural light. Taking intense, saturated pictures was easy.

Though I love my new place, both workplace and home, I've struggled to find a great place to take photos. Finishing and therefore needing to photograph a quilt is not an everyday activity, so my assistant and I will go out on location shots for that purpose, but, I make fabric EVERYDAY and it's not a good use of my time to schedule a location shoot every time I have new fabrics to document and add to my store.

I honestly didn't feel like I had a solution for this problem until we converted my youngest daughter's room (she went off to college) to our new guest room/office. We bought a new bed and that has made all the difference.

It all happened by accident. I put neutral colored sheets on the bed because that's what I had and I positioned the bed alongside the window because that's where it seemed to work best.

Then one day, I glanced over to the bed and thought, " I bet I could take my fabric product shots there."

So I did.

And they turned out great.

In this shot I chose to include the edge of the windowsill by the bed.

Now I take all my photos here, group shots, individual images, as well as details of the fabric. 

I've gotten so attached to the spot that I won't let the dog on the bed for fear he'll mess it up. 

When I think about it I realize that it took a few years to find that first "perfect spot" in my previous home. I didn't even recognize it as THE place until I painted the wall. So, it's not surprising that coming upon a new place to shoot product shots might take a few tries and a bit of time...and some luck.