feathers

I wanted to name this post "the birds and the bees," referencing this quilt block and the ladies in my online quilting bee who are making it . I named my last post "Orphans," which attracted lots of traffic to my blog, but for the wrong reasons. I wonder what kind of traffic and comments I might get with "the birds and the bees" as a title!

July is my month for our Stars in Their Eyes bee. (This is an online group of friends who take turns making quilt blocks for each other.) I’ve chosen Anna Maria Horner’s Feather Bed block, one that really caught everyone’s attention when it was introduced. I’m really excited to see my friends’ creations of this bold and colorful block!

Sam of Cup of Tea and a Slice of Cake has already made two blocks for me, here's her first!

The instructions for making this block start with making a fabric strata (a lot of fabric strips sewn together) to cut multiple vanes (side sections of the feathers) from. Since I’m asking my friends to make two feathers for me, and variety is a goal for these feathers, it makes more sense to me to paper-piece the individual sides.

On my first try, I pulled out a pile of strings from recent projects. Most of them were 1” to 1.5” wide, and the vanes ended up taking 12-16 strips to finish. It created a dense texture, and since I was experimenting with monochromatic strips, they’re kind of serious looking. I thought they were too dense to make both sides of a feather like this, so I paired each vane with a single fabric for the other side.

The feathers in the pattern, and the feathers Sam made already are bright and colorful, I like them better than my first attempt! So I tried again. This time I pulled out 2.5” strips, and looked for color contrast between the strips. Here’s a suggestion: I paper pieced the vanes, and removed the paper before I trimmed the shapes, because the bias edges stretch out of shape easily. After I removed the paper backing, I traced another pattern piece onto freezer paper, then ironed it onto the sewn-together strips, placed my ruler on top of the pattern,  and cut out the shape. Freezer paper has a waxed backing that adheres to the fabric when ironed on, and it peels off easily without leaving any residue. That made it easy to line up the pattern piece with the strips angled correctly, and to cut without the pattern shifting.

Another suggestion is one Sam made: cut the background pieces bigger than you need, so you don’t have to get the angle and alignment perfect when adding the background to the feather. This is especially advantageous when adding the little wedges at the top of the feather.

You’ll notice, too, that I used two different values of Kona gray fabric for the backgrounds of the feathers I made, and they are different from the gray Melissa used for the blocks she made for me. Any gray fabric is good for these feathers. 

When you’ve sewn together the feather and the background, I’m asking my friends to send two unfinished feathers, not sewn together. Each feather block should be 9.5”x18.5,” but I won’t mind if they’re a little bigger, or even a little smaller.

I hope my friends will have fun making this block, just as we did making Lisa's x&+ blocks and Sam's Union Jack blocks.

Orphans, the fabric kind

It's the end of the school year, and Friday, May 24 was my last day of work for the school year, part-time intervention teacher for kindergarteners. No, wait, there was testing to be done, so I was called in to work the next week, and Thursday, May 30 was my last day. Oh... more testing, so I worked again on Monday, June 3, and that was my last d.... except that tomorrow is a mini conference day so I'll work as afternoon sub in kindergarten. And then I'm officially on summer vacation!

With all this off-and-on schedule, I've been snatching opportunities to tackle and finish small projects. I really enjoy being in the 3x6 online quilting bee, and I'm part of a really friendly hive again this quarter. Since our hive is specifically making star blocks for one another, and I've been making stars for the last few rounds of the bee, I was happy to find a star block that's a little unusual, but still not paper pieced.

I figured out how to make it after seeing it on Karen's Flickr! photostream, and found some focus fabrics for the centers, and knocked out the blocks in a weekend. Fun! (If you want to see them in more detail, visit my Flickr! photostream.)


In the last quarter of the 3x6 bee, our hive was so friendly, we formed our own bee, Stars  In Their Eyes. For May, Lisa requested X&+ blocks in a specific color scheme, intended for a baby quilt. These blocks are really fun to make! I wasn't satisfied just making two, because I was eager to see the effect of putting them together, so I made four. (To see the gorgeous quilt Lisa made with her blocks, look here!)

The X&+ blocks are so addictive, I decided to make some for myself, and to use up some of my scraps that were starting to overflow my scrap pockets:

I keep scraps in shoe storage pockets, hanging on the door.
You can see the greens overflowing here!

I cut scraps and kitted them up, and started making blocks.

I kept making blocks until I had so many, I had to make more, so there would be enough for a bed-size quilt. I think they lose a bit of their charm when there are so many, but I'm still planning a quilt big enough for a bed, a very utilitarian quilt.

Laid out on the floor for effect, not sewn together yet.

June is Sam's month for our bee, and she asked for Union Jack blocks. After cutting on the wrong lines and making one too small, I successfully made these blocks, and I think Sam's quilt is going to be very charming!

That too-small Union Jack block wasn't going to languish in my orphans basket. I quilted it, piped it, backed it, and stuffed it, and made it into a little cushion. 

Pebble quilting and kelp quilting finished this mish-mash of leftover parts, and it got made into a pillow, too. This time with a zipper.

Detail of quilting. 

The scraps from my zig zag quilt top also got made into a pillow cover. I may be late to the party, but I love how arranging the half-square-triangles by value (light/dark) creates the diamond design. 

Pillow back with zipper, quilted in diagonal grid.

Scrappy binding, quilting echoes the flowers on the backing.

Here are my no-longer orphan pillows at home with their family of LWR quilt and other cushions. 

Meanwhile, I've been giving sewing lessons to Gabrielle, initiating a new sewist into the stitching community. We started with a pincushion, then a shoulder bag, then a pillow cover with a zipper, and here she is with her first dress! I'm so proud!

Linking up with Finish it Up Friday!

Ten Days. Compliant 9/10.

This is not my best look.

This is me, all strapped up for a sleep study. There were wires stuck to my scalp with a gummy paste, wires stuck to my face and my neck with sticky pads, breathing tubes leading to my nose, then the lovely netting you see to hold it all in place. There were plastic discs with metal nubs stuck to my arms and legs, and more wires snapped onto them. There were belts around my chest and my waist with more wires, and an intercom system for the technicians to hear if I needed something, and to hear any other sounds that might ensue while I slept. Because with all this monitoring, then I was expected to sleep. 

Apparently, I slept. And apparently, I snored so loudly that the technician had to turn the volume down on his monitor so he could think. Yes, all you family members, and roommates at women's retreats, and anyone who's ever been an overnight guest in our house, or has hosted me as an overnight guest, you are vindicated. I snore loudly.

I already knew this. Thanks to the many people who have told me that I snore very loudly. And to the ladies walking on the sidewalk outside my house, who were startled by the loud noises emanating from my window one morning when I was in that half-awake state and could hear them as I slept. I've even wakened myself with my snoring. The tipping point came when DH Ralph recorded the sound of my snoring on his phone, then played it back for me. And what it confirmed was not only that I snore loudly, but that I stop breathing as I sleep.

There were a lot of numbers thrown around, but the most significant to me are the 86.1 per hour apnea/hypopnea index, and the 70% SpO2 level. In other words, I stop breathing frequently, and I'm not getting enough oxygen. So, for the sake of my long-term health, I am learning to sleep with a CPAP. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, delivered via a fancy machine and a mask. 

Fancy machine on my nightstand.
Includes humidifier and air warmer.
Adjustable ramp-up time to fall asleep before it really starts blowing.
Sounds like a fan is on in the room.
Satellite antennae to report usage to  equipment provider.
Computer chip to record data for doctor.

This is how I sleep, now.

Note the color of the headgear: pink. Is that supposed to make me feel more feminine? All of you who had to get used to sleeping with braces and headgear, I feel for you! The first few nights, I came close to tears, because I just wanted to sleep. But I wouldn't let myself take it off. In fact, I have to really cinch it tightly to my face, or when it starts blowing at full force, the air leaks past the membrane with loud hissing and raspberry sounds. I'm relaxing more, now, than in the first days, when I woke up stiff and sore.

I've never felt as if I didn't sleep well, and while I'm sorry my snoring bothered other people, I slept through it just fine, I thought! I'm focusing on not contributing to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. 

Ralph says I don't snore at all when I'm using the machine. He's had to work at getting used to it, too, but at least it's not the big black mask he was expecting, something like this: 

John told me I look just like this:

I feel as if I look like this:

I really don't like to talk about health and medical stuff, but I think this is interesting stuff, and maybe useful to someone else. Do people tell you they worry about the way you snore and breathe irregularly when you sleep? Do you just laugh it off like I did? Would you be afraid to sleep in the same room with me? Please, tell me how cute I look in my mask! (Ha!)

Cruising

Mom said it was the best birthday party of her life! Our 3-day Bahamas cruise took care of lots of the details, like when and where to eat, what to do for entertainment, and where to stay, so we could just enjoy being together, and hanging out on a beach.

My gorgeous sisters. We've taken over a section of the beach.

Bethany and Poppy

Despite overcast skies and balmy winds, we soaked up the sun on beautiful, soft white sand beaches, and we swam in the turquoise waters.

Poppy and Melissa enjoying the beach!

We took advantage of the onboard photography, and got some great family photos.

Four generations of first-born women.
Check out the footwear.

The lovely and loved birthday lady, my mom,
surrounded by her five daughters and some of our family.

Wearables

The quilting blog world has been in love with shot cottons, fabrics that are woven with one color in the warp and another in the weft. The colors shift with movement, and enhance each other in changing light.
When I saw this beautiful aqua/indigo shirt-weight fabric a year ago, I knew it would make a lovely, flowing blouse someday. I bought some yardage. Then I left it on the shelf.

I recently spent some time in northern Arizona. I was honored to participate in honoring my stepfather in his last days, and at a series of wonderful tributes to his life and work. My love for the southwest deepened, and my vision for this turquoise blouse developed.

I bought these silver buttons to embellish the blouse, and added a bit of hand-stitching.

I love wearing this blouse with the shell-and-turquoise earrings that are a gift from/tribute to my stepdad. 

It's been a long time since I've sewn clothes, yet here are some more items I've sewn!

I'm going on a cruise(!) in a couple weeks, to celebrate my mom's birthday with my mom, my sisters and some of their family members, and Bethany and Poppy. When I saw this navy knit with sailboats on the sale table at the fabric store, I just had to make myself a summer dress. Is it too cheesy for a cruise?

Bethany asked me ages ago to make this Wiksten top for her. This fabric is from Africa, via a friend who was cleaning out her craft closet. (If it fits you, Bethany, I'll make more. Kathryn, Do you want one, too?)

I used more African fabric to make this dress for Poppy. I don't know if it'll fit her, or if she'll like it, but I'm having fun making it!

Spring break is over, back to school tomorrow. 

April Fool's Day!

I think April Fool's Day is the perfect day to finally post about last Christmas, don't you?
Of course!

Once again, I had The Best Christmas Ever. All our kids were home, and everyone enjoyed being together, and we did lots of fun things, and I never cooked, because the kids did it all!

I started by posting a photo on Instagram each day, a photo of something that was helping to set the mood for the holiday. I enjoyed the positive feedback I got, and I hope I can get others to do it with me next time!

The fun really started when Bethany and Poppy and Kathryn all arrived on the same day! Here we are stopping to see the miniature horses at the Quicksilver Ranch.

Then we played at the park for a while,

And we admired some of Solvangs's wares including this giant gingerbread house:

It was cold at the beach, but that didn't stop us from having fun!

The PCPA was performing The Wizard of Oz, and Poppy sat in the front row, where flying monkeys and Winkies menaced her, and she looked like she was part of the action at times.

There was some hiking,

And some more beach play.

There were pigs dressed as reindeer!

There was fun with fire,

and with trains,

and with cookies.

Of course, presents on Christmas morning were especially fun!

But the best part may have been Poppy's horse riding lesson with the gifted Isabella and Lucy.

Followed closely by a fun day of mini golf and arcade!

Okay, so maybe I'll post Easter pics for the 4th of July!