September Morning

With all the craziness of trying to get ready for the Floyd Co. Arts and Crafts show the first weekend of October, I missed writing about my last quilt, which I finished right before the craft show.

Originally the top of this quilt was intended to be a pieced backing for "Driftwood Cove." When I got the backing done I realized that it really wanted to be a quilt top all of its own, so I set it aside for a second project. By the end of summer I had cut a flannel sheet to use as batting and found a good quality tan bed sheet to use as the backing for this quilt, but other projects yelled louder and this one was left undone. Then suddenly it was the end of September and I hadn't finished it even though I was intending on taking it to the craft show. I set aside a couple of days to finish it up, which I did the Tuesday before the show. It was morning, and still September, so this one's named "September Morning."

The colors in this quilt are much the same as "Driftwood Cove," but I used more of the silvery-grayish-tan material (upcycled material from a duvet cover by Martha Stewart) as sashing between my rows of charm squares. The perpendicular rows of squares give this quilt a little more of a modern feel.

The backing is a 100% cotton bed sheet with a square tile pattern woven into the fabric. I like how it paired with the material on the quilt top in terms of color and pattern. However, I had trouble quilting this piece and I suspect it was because of the "slicker" fabric of the bed sheet. Even though I had thoroughly pinned the piece before quilting to limit the tiny pleats that occur when the fabric shifts and bunches, I still had trouble and needed to pull out some stitches and re-stitch some areas. The backing still looks a little rough in a couple of places. I'll have to keep this in mind the next time I use a similar type of sheet as backing material. Maybe it won't be as problematic if I'm quilting a smaller piece.

Initially I thought I would quilt this piece by stitching parallel rows along side the columns of squares, but I didn't want to stitch across those three shorter columns. I figured that would only accentuate the fact that my columns were not spaced evenly and I didn't want to quilt between some of the squares but through the middle of the othersa. In the end I stitched in the ditch along each of the columns of squares and then in between the long horizontal columns as well. Between the shorter columns I quilted a cross-hatch pattern to create some large diamond shapes for more interest. To finish the quilt I bound it using a tan floral fabric and then attached a quilt label. My Sharpie pen didn't write smoothly on the material I used for the label, so I need to practice making labels a little more, but I'm pleased that my pieces are now "signed."

I must admit that while I like this quilt, it's not really a favorite of mine. Maybe I had gotten tired of the neutral colors by the time I finished this one up. Maybe it's residual annoyance at the pleating that occurred on the back while I quilted it. I dunno. I'll certainly try the "parallel rows with cross hatching in another area" quilting again...I definitely like that aspect of "September Morning" and may use it on my next piece.

New Projects

I'm trying a few new projects based on the idea of the patchwork wool blanket that I wrote about last week.

One of the great surprises of felting wool sweaters is that you never quite know how the wool will felt up in the end. Sometimes it's supple and drapes well, while other times you get a thick, woolly piece that's as stiff as a board. Thick, board-ey material isn't good for a blanket or my usual projects, but it does make a good rug.

I used a cream Irish fisherman sweater and a nubby gray silk and wool sweater to make a patchwork rug. The pieces are butt seamed together using a zigzag stitch that I stitched over a second time for reinforcement and durability. It's a good size for a bath mat, or maybe a cozy winter nap mat for a dog or cat. A small project like this goes together very quickly with nearly instant gratification, except for the d@mn cables. The zigzag stitch grabbed the top of the cables just fine, but when I turned the rug over to inspect the underside I realized that I would have to go back over and stitch it again to make sure the needle went all the way through the cable part. Lesson learned: I won't be using wool with very thick patterns like large cabling in projects like this again.

I also put together a similar project using wool squares in various shades of gray, black, and red. Some of these squares have a floral pattern embroidered on them, while others are argyle and Fair Isle.

Initially I thought this might be another wool rug, but the weight of the felt simply isn't thick enough to go on the floor. Instead, it's become a lap blanket or perhaps a security blanket for a very sophisticated toddler living in a big city somewheres.

And last, I have a pile of chubby pumpkins for the arts and craft show in Floyd next weekend. Or at least I do if Ally doesn't claim them all for her own.

The Craft Show

Last Saturday Mom and I had a booth at the annual craft show at the Shawsville Middle School. I'm just glad she's still speaking to me after 9 months of preparation and eight hours of craftapalooza.



Actually we had a great day. It was the first craft show we've ever done, although we've done a number of yard sales and flea markets together. Somehow back in January I got a wild hair up my butt about doing a show and was able to get on the list at Shawsville. The months since then have been filled with felting sweaters for material, planning and cutting out designs, and stitching items together. I've made wreaths, painted treat buckets, fashioned brooches, and wired bedsprings into hanging lanterns. I've caulked, glued, epoxied, stitched, and tied. I've stained fabric with coffee, glittered felt posies, glued ribbon on clothespins, and wrapped rag balls. I've spent hours cursing at the sewing machine only to be filled with glee when I was able to fix the problem. (Who knew stitch length could be so important?) I scoured the local Goodwill store for votive candle holders on a weekly basis and the nice ladies at the local JoAnn's Fabrics must think I'm a closet hoarder of clearance calico.

Needless to say, our booth was pretty full of stuff for sale.







In the end, the house has been in shambles for months and I'm probably certifiably deranged, but gosh it was fun! And *hoo-eee*, talk about a learning experience.

The Top Ten Things I've Learned While Crafting

1. You should consider getting a tetanus booster shot if you're going to work with rusty metal springs.
2. Glitter will collect in every crack and crevice of a hardwood floor. Vacuuming will not remove it, even weeks later.
3. Some industrial craft adhesives should really only be used outdoors.
4. You won't be able to match colors between dye lots.
5. Profit margins on craft items should always include the value of the time you put into making the item.
6. Never calculate the value of your time while crafting unless you enjoy being depressed.
7. You probably will never sell all of your merchandise at one show, thus requiring the need to sign up for another show to move the merchandise. You will then create new items between shows, thus initiating a vicious cycle.
8. The wise crafter specializes in lightweight items or has a moving team of many, many people to help set up the booth.
9. If you have a unique item, many of the other vendors will spend much of the day scoping out your wares and planning on making it themselves next time.
10. Unsold merchandise makes fabulous Christmas presents.

I also realized that antiques or vintage items are easier to sell in the sense that you might do a minor repair or clean the item, but it's not like you're making that Empire buffet or crazy quilt from scratch. Most craft items require a lot more time to make than you originally thought and you're liable to put more money into the item than anyone is willing to pay for it.

But despite all this, I really enjoyed making my items, preparing for the show, and receiving feedback on my work during the show. It's great when someone really, really likes your work and actually buys some of it. I think the greatest compliment came from the woman who inquired if I had a shop somewhere else. Will I do another show? I'm not sure. I've signed up for a two day show in Floyd next October, but I haven't fully committed to it yet. I think it will depend on who I can rope into working the show with me (seeing how Mom came to her senses during the middle of the Shawsville show and declared that, with God as her witness, she is not a crafter) and what inventory I create between now and then. But for right now I can relax and truly enjoy the holiday season because all my Christmas "shopping" is done for once.