Endless summer

Since our summer weather isn't going away, I decided I might as well sew these lavender cropped pants. What took me so long? I am tired of my summer wardrobe, so at least this is one fresh thing.

Have you heard the term sewist? I've noticed lately that some of the bloggers who sew clothing are calling themselves this. It used to be seamstress, or tailor if you're a man. Sewer could be confused with sewers. :-) What do you think of the word sewist?

Quilter AND Sewist?

I've been posting all the little outfits I've made for my granddaughter for years. Recently I sewed a blouse for myself! It's the Caroline blouse from Sew Loft patterns. I liked the pattern, although I had to make major adjustments to make it fit me. I am only 5'1", and the pattern was meant for someone much taller. I bought all the fabrics at Purl Soho: Rowan chambray, mixed with Liberty prints.

Now if the weather would only cool down, I'd wear it somewhere!

Visit to Mood NYC

I have been meaning to upload photos from our NY trip but have been busy with other things. I will try to post one photo a day from my phone. These are swatches from Mood Fabrics in NYC. I was wandering around this fabulous store but had no room on my suitcase for purchased fabric. So I made do with yummy precut swatches. Being an art quilter, I will use them.

marbled fabrics

I can't believe I haven't posted anything about the retreat I went to at Casa de Maria in mid-May. It was a wonderful, creative time. I taught knitting. I spent the rest of the time playing with fabric: dyeing silk scarves with silk neck tie fragments boiled in vinegar water. Marbling on all sorts of fabric. It was all so much fun!

Some of my marbled fabrics hanging on the line. I tried everything from silk chiffon to linen and all sorts of cottons, some of them already dyed or printed.

Completely different looks another day.

An array of gently washed and ironed fabrics. The ones on the far left are the dyed scarves.

The fabric in the middle was from some disappointing green dyed and rusted fabric that I hated. Marbling it made it rich and wonderful.

I have an idea for a quilt (or two) that I want to do with the marbled fabrics, but I have been too busy with other things to get started. Soon!

newsprint fabric and projects

More owls in progress for the award ribbons I'm making for the Flying Geese Quilt Show later this year. They still need legs, a few need beaks.

I made a second purse for a gift. I put batting in this one which gives it more body than the first one I made.

I saw this fabric, "Collage" for Windham fabrics, on the Pink Penguin blog. Newsprint sure is popular these days! Hey, I did it when it wasn't, back in the 90's. I screen printed some newsprint fabric myself, and other times I bought it or did photo transfer. Someday when I have time I will show you all my newsprint quilts!

More spring, fabrics old and new

Here are some early plum blossoms in our back yard, as promised.

I thought these Rosa Parks stamps were beautiful.

My daughter gave me some vintage fabrics for my last birthday, and I've used a couple of them recently. I put this one on the back of the quilt I can't show you yet (hope it's okay to show the back). The colors go well with what I have on the front, and I think it's just perfect. I have a little left for other things; maybe I can put it on the front of a quilt, too.

Dang, I should have rotated this photo before I posted it. Ginger is wearing her newest top, which is made with more vintage fabric from my daughter. It really looks cute on her, and very Springish.

It's green on the reverse side, and she can wear it both ways. She gave me a third piece of vintage fabric, which I have an idea for...

This is another top I made for Ginger last week. It looks great on her, too, but I haven't photographed her wearing it.

Isn't this fun fabric? I used a little of it in the quilt I can't show, but I have some left, and I'm thinking of making a cover or tote for my iPad mini with it.

photos from teresa shippy workshop

I had a fun play day recently, painting on fabric at Teresa Shippy's house. Here are some of the fabrics hanging on the clothesline. Old tin tiles and metal grates were used to make a pattern on the painted fabric.

Here's a closeup of my green silk fabric. I'm really happy how it turned out. The vintage tile had chipped paint and was somewhat rusty, and it added texture to my piece.

I was very happy with this turquoise piece, too. jo griffith was there, too, making wonderful things. We had a great time! Teresa made a fresh peach cake for us to enjoy, when we went inside to escape the sun.

Meanwhile, at home I made some more words with the beautiful old set of letters that Carol McDaniel gave me. You'll see more photos of the related project soon.