Fiber Babble: The Time Machine

The Time Machine

November 19, 2012

And at last I slept, dreamlessly. "Locked Rooms" by Laurie R. King ♦♦♦♦◊

For a the first part of this month, I was actually focused. Not surprisingly it was because I had a deadline (yes, that's my motivational trigger).

The short version of how and why is I got a call from the quilt guild in a neighboring county asking me to do a program on the importance of labelling your quilts. Well, sure I can do that... but I actually very rarely label my own quilts and I'd just have to be preaching something I didn't practice and hasn't everyone heard that 'rule' eleventy-one times already?

What I would like to do, though, is to talk about Crayoning. It's my new fad/focus. The guild president said okey dokey (or something to that effect).

Now, let's wander a little farther back in time. I joined a Hallowe'en swap with a group of friends on an online forum. I was thrilled that I 'got' the person I did to send to. I started designing. I designed Ben Franklenstein (SO cute, but too fiddly in a small size) and an "Eat, Drink and Be Scary" ghost-y mug rug. Both of them got to the cut, pieced and ready to quilt point when I decided they just weren't what I wanted to do.

So, let's wander a little farther (further?) back in time. I am constantly inspired by my morning blog surfing time. Somewhere along the way, I was fortunate enough to find Carol at mamacjt. Carol's style makes me happy and inspires me. In addition to incredible quilter portraits and brightly graphic quilting proects, she also plays with crayons.

That was it. I wanted to play with crayons for my swap partner.

Let's wander.... oh, never mind. Also in my surfing adventures among the many generous designers who offer free patterns and BOMs I found Peck's Pieces, Marjory's blog. She just happened to be doing a Hallowe'en BOM starring a cat and since my swap partner was definitely a cat staff-person I thought it would be purr-fect.

After picking out the Hallowe'en-themed pattern that I thought was least Hallowe'en-ish, I commenced 'ta coloring. I emailed Carol and ask what I needed to know. She told me to iron the fabric until it stops smelling like crayon and that she uses 30wt black thread for the outlines. That was enough for me, so off I went.

Here's what I made for quilton. The cat isn't black because Missy isn't black. The whole thing is about the size of a sheet of copy/printer paper.

Quilton loved it and said she'd hang it all year, not just at Hallowe'en. I couldn't have hoped for a better reception!

And that's what started it all...

So, I say to the guild president - "Sure! I'll give a presentation on crayoning on quilts!" I did not say, "I've only done it once!" or "I mailed my one and only sample to Canada!" So the hyperventilating begins.

First I thought I needed to find my 'style'. It was hard not to copy Carol because she does what I like, but I was determined to find my own voice. I drew and traced and erased and drew some more until I came up with some cool ideas. Then I went online and looked at free coloring book pages. Essentially I spent 5 days thinking.

So I did my first sample. From an online coloring book page. (this is also about paper-sized)

Cool. Cute. Bold.

But, what if...

What if I treat it like applique? Yes, the dreaded "A" word. The stuff that I love to look at but have no interested in investing the time to get good at it.

You know I'm a fusible applique fan but doing something traditional with fusible just doesn't seem right. And I guess I'll admit it here: It's too simple. I have come to be the one who does fusible applique with ridiculously small pieces.

Ooh! Ooh! What about a Baltimore-something quilt?

The sashing is a printed fabric, but the blocks just started out as squares of muslin.

And you know what's really cool? The 'applique' was done in less than 2 hours.

Yes, I can get into this stuff.

Now, don't fret, my pets. I'm going to tell you how I did it. I've already got the blog post written and scheduled to deliver tomorrow. Patience, Grasshoppah.

(And yes, now we can all figure out how old I am based on the pop culture references...)

Oh! And the presentation to the guild went great. They've asked me back in March to do a hands-on class!
Woot!

Labels: quilting

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1 Comments:

At 11/20/2012 1:21 AM,

Deb Babbled Back:

FB I love the Missy quilt you gave to quilton. I have the patterns and once you post how you did this I am on it!!
Thanks so much for a wonderful technique that I am going to use on my SSSwap. I was racking my brain on what to do and you fixed it for me.
All your ideas are just wonderful and I am always learning from you thank you again!! they are fantastic. but you still have to do one hand applique project. it is fun even though laborous.