Grapes on Off the Wall Friday

Okay, I'm not one to complain, but who ever thought putting 4 values of wool strips in one little thumb print size circle sounded like a fun, needs to take a long look at their definition of fun!  I spent my rug hooking time this week doing gradated grapes.  In 4 different gradations.  In two different purples.  Not only is it a lot of work trying to get your loops somewhat smooth in little circles but also it's a lot of, "so where is the light source for this grape?  Is that dark enough?  Is this one of the 1,  2, 3, 4 light to dark grapes?  

Okay, I am one to complain.  But I'm the one that chose a project that was specifically meant for a teacher's workshop when I've only been doing this for less than a year.  This is as far as I've gotten:

And really, when one isn't working out, you unhook it in a second and put it back it beacause - ya know - it's the size of your thumb.  To remind you all - this is what this is supposed to look like...

I do have detailed instructions so there is that....

No worries, I'll get through!

This week I continued on with my "The Rug Hooker's Journey" course with Cindi Gay.  It's taken me a while to get into the rhythm of this course, but I think I finally found it.  Cindi Gay is an experience rug hooking teacher who has taken her mission to the internet. Her site has so much information, it's hard to decide where to start. I started with the free videos on youtube  (which are many), then moved on to the free content on her website (which is a ton), to finally joining the paid of membership of the official Rug Hooker's Journey (which is well worth it).  There you can just take your time working your way through courses that start at the very beginning and move into more involved weekly live lessons. Something that Cindi does which is what truly sold it, is that she has a weekly free Hook-In where you can just show up

and hook - chat and ask questions.  It's so fun!   You get to know her and her style.  The lessons on Tuesdays are live so you can ask questions in live time, or they are recorded if you can't make it.  After watching a few lessons, I'm officially asking my boss if I can work an earlier shift so I can get home to rug hook (can't wait to see the look on his face!  But 15 months in, he knows how I am).  I really like Cindi's style - down to earth, just enough content to be interesting but not to be overwhelming  - confident but not obnoxious.  

The lesson that I tackled this week was on composition, and it was so good...I put it on my "ideas for a blog post" list once I play with some exercises.  

That's what's up on my new rug hooking journey....

What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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Onto Autumn Fruit on Off the Wall Friday

Shirley, hooked by Kyoko Okamura, 40" by 37"

 So, I'm onto my 2nd big project- Autumn Fruit designed by Pearl McGown & Jane McGown Flynn.  I'm still pretty shocked that I got this lovely pattern on linen with all the wool kitted out and class instructions all for $20 on eBay.  The more I looked at the project, the more I realized what an amazing deal it was.  Not to mention, it's a perfect 2nd project.  First it will teach me to follow a pattern and also shows me how to gradate the pattern to give it depth.  

It was given as a Northern McGown Teachers Workshop by Kyoko Okamura on July 17, 2018. (So nearly 8 years to the day from when I started it.)  The project comes with all the wool plainly labeled, a lesson in color planning and then detailed directions on how the fruit needed to be hooked.  This is where we started with the maker ending on the fourth step or so  :

The strips are in #7 cut (7/32).  I don't happen to have that die size, so I'll be using #6 cut (6/32nd or 3/16th's) I mean how much a difference can that be?  The lady who started this did exquisite work.  Her loops all are super - super even.   It's a bit intimidating but I put my big girl pants on, silenced the critic committee in my head and got the peach leaf done.  Not super even, but color placement is right and it looks fine.  

Next in the directions where the plums.  But, reading the directions carefully, I could tell that this is where the maker decided to leave the directions behind. (I mean who hasn't done THAT!)  She followed the color placement like the pear with the values gradating to show the shape of a round plums.  This is her version, and you can see how gorgeous her work is - 

But Kyoto went off of the actual picture that the pattern was based on.  Many rug patterns are made from traditional paintings and rugs. So her directions, had you using a whole different color and playing with values of the plums as a whole not the individual spots in them.  Bravely, I ripped out the beautiful loops of the maker and decided to trust in Kyoko's directions.  Taking loops out in rug hooking is easy since there are no knots - so with a tug here and a tug there - the plums disappeared.  That's when I realized that all the colors the maker had used were completely different.  

I spent yesterday putting in the plums and the leaves.  I experiemented with using a #3 cut (yep - that's 3/32nd - see you're gettin' the hang of this!) for the stem of the leaf. The color was the same and I wanted to see how the little loops looked with the 6.  Traditionally, most rugs are hooked with loops that are only 2 size difference - but I can see me totally blowing that off.  I mean really - rug hooking for me is about  texture and line and you can't play with texture and line without adding scale to it.  

They totally look different.  Not better not worse but you can see why she decided to go her own way. This is right though by the pattern and how Kyoko intended.

This is where I am so far - WoW!  this is turning into quite a lesson in value! One thing I love about it is that it's so easy to sit down and hook for 20-30 minutes at a time.  Quilting had turned into a big production that I never seem to have enough energy or time for.  I'm  self-aware enough to realize this is more a Nina issue rather than a quilting issue.  Apparently, a wool strip measured in 32nds isn't as intimidating at this season in life.  

Thanks though for going along on this rug hooking journey with me....

Onto Cool Things I've found....two treasures this month....

1. Hartman Hooks (Irish Hook) - now most people don't realize what a find this is  - but rug hookers know!  In 1988, an Irish man designed these beautiful rug hooking tools out of yew wood and brass.  An American woman distributed them here for the last 30 years.  Recently both retired and the hooks which were a staple in the rug hooking world became scarce.  After much research, I found a yarn shop up in Maine which had the #5 Ergo Hook as a back up for my #6 and the #3 Ergo for fine work.  (Both at good prices!)  The thing about hooks is that the hand wants what the hand wants and my hand loved the Hartman Ergo.  I did find out that the original designer's son is still making them in Ireland, so you can order them from EBay and Etsy but then they have to be imported and it's a whole expensive production.  So now with three Hartman hooks I'm set!

   

   Who knew such a little tool could be such a pain to find?

   
   
2.  My husband and I love thrifting and I'm always on thelook out for something unique.  Today I found the quilting book - Yoko Saito's Houses, Houses, Houses.  It's such a gorgeous translation of her Japanese book.  The book explains in minute detail how to design a small houses quilt.  Then there are directions and patterns to make them into 3D projects or a Block of the Month quilt.  All of it, I believe is done by hand applique. This has me thinking, I could do a version featuring my small town.  
   
   
   

That's what I've been doing - 

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Cross Over Benefits on Off the Wall Friday

 

This week's progress 

To all my US readers, Happy 4th - I feel so blessed to be an American. Hope you get some time with ones you love.  

WoW everyone, thank you for the warm welcome back.  It's always nice to see the internet being used for actually bringing people together.  It's funny, the minute I finally got myself writing and creating, all the normal ideas would pop in my head.  My workflow the last 15 years have been that during my week, I'll get ideas on blog posts and then jot them down quick before they're lost.  For the last 6 months there weren't any and all of a sudden now they're too many!  

But today, I picked the elephant in the room - Cross Over Medium 

At first, when I decided to try to my hand at rug hooking, I thought, I'll just keep this as my little side gig secret.  It's something to do in the evenings while I indulge my deep dive on YouTube (don't ask but let's just say my husband thinks there might need to be an intervention soon.)  But the more I learned about rug hooking, the more I enjoyed it and could see similarities it has to art quilting.  Plus, it's fun to learn all the little nuances of it (something that I conquered with quilting long ago).  

Recent things I learned: 

• After MUCH research, the easiest and most economical way to cut wool strips, is to use a Sizzix system.  Sizzix is a die cutting system that is mostly used for paper crafts, but it can be used for other materials.  They did try to market it for quilting but have since dropped that line.  Thank God, the Old Tattered Flag came up with the brilliant idea of using it to easily cut strips of wool in different widths.   The whole system might cost you about $400, but its WAY cheaper than any other wool cutter they have on the market.  Traditional cutters are machined which makes
  
  
  them expensive.  Plus, as the craft gets less popular they are harder to find.  I found the Sizzix to cut quickly, efficiently and with very straight lines. (Part of the issues is that the strips are cut in 32nds widths from about 3-10)  That all said there is no reason you can't cut your strips with a rotary cutter  - although I have YET to hear a rug hooker say that - lol!  Let me know in the comments if you want me to talk more about this cutting system.  
• Most rug hookers are like quilters, they are a traditional lot.  They like to have patterns and they like patterns to show them exactly how to make it.  That said, I do think more and more hookers are branching out to make their own design.  This week I sat in on Cindi Gay's weekly Saturday Hook -In. It's free and there were about 12 ladies just hooking for about an hour chatting over Zoom.  People showed what they are working on and new people asked questions.  In the discussion, I learned a lot of hookers struggle with value and shading (that sounded familiar).  With a little research I learned about an app - Value Study App - finally a little app that will easily give you value study of picture.  I thought - WoW - where has this been all my life!  The android version is still in beta testing but I didn't have any issue getting mine to work on my Samsung Galaxy. 

Apparently, I'm not the only Sayre in this house that needed a change.  My husband decided last year that he wanted learn how to paint - yes not my house but actual paintings.  He first looked for painting classes locally and not finding any, he did what we all do lately...turned to YouTube.  Since he's retired, he then spent quite a bit of time watching videos until he started to follow some teachers he really liked.  He set up a little painting space in our basement (14 rooms in this Victorian and he chooses the basement which to me is like a dungeon) and started painting.  Over the last year, he's turned out some really nice pieces but his last series is kinda crazy good - no, seriously - here they are 

They are from copy-right free vintage photos from around 1910 done in oil.  He recently entered them in a local art show and won his first ribbon.  He's entered this show before but always with his woodworking pieces.  Imagine the surprise from the gallery owner when she saw he could paint.  (I knew exactly how she felt- I had no idea he has progressed this far in a year!)

That's right he taught himself off of YouTube.  Now for the first time in our marriage all he talks about is paint rather than wood.  He did easily make his own frames and stretched canvases.  Plus, he's planning trips to art museums rather than me for a nice change.  

That's the Cross Over Madness that is going on in the Sayre's house ...  (I'm linking up to Kathy Quilt's Slow Sunday Stitchin' because my hooking is all done by hand!)

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Designing a Calendar Cow on Off the Wall Friday

 I was looking back at previous posts (and when I say "back" I mean wayyyyyy back) and I realized that

I hadn't shown how I designed the Calendar Cow blocks.  So I thought it was a good idea to, since so many times I hear from people who see my work, "I wish I could draw."  I always smile and answer, "Me, too!"

So here is how to design a representational block when you can't draw but you know how to use a laptop, pencil and tracing paper.

1.  Come up with an Idea.  Since these blocks are in series, it makes it pretty easy.  The next month up is June and with that June Brides.  I mean what cow doesn't want to have a June wedding?  So then I started brainstorming the things I wanted in it - I came up with a Cow (duh!) - a veil - an old-fashioned church.

2.  Steal the Elements.  It's amazing how many places have royalty-free photos now online.  Today I used Unsplashed.  I chose this amazing cow photo done by Luke Stackpoole who graciously put his work up to be downloaded freely.

After looking at many, many church photos I chose one by Michelle Tresemer because it was simple and it looked like someplace a cow could have an old-fashioned wedding.

As for the viel, I thought I would work out the composition and figure that out at the end.

3.  Composition of the Block.  So now I'm being brave here and showing you my pathetic line drawing.  But truly that's all you need to get your basic composition down...a pathetic line drawing!  I normally use this step to work out what scale I want the elements.  Also, this is where I get a better idea of the main lines in the composition.  Since this is part of a series, I'm using the previous blocks as a guide.  Notice....big cow in the foreground and the church in the background with the horizon shown.  This block though will have a stone fence rather than a wooden one.  I love stone fences.  

4.  Edit the photos.  I edit the photos using a black and white high contrast filter.  I print them out in a nice workable size.  They don't need to be the exact size just something big enough to trace.   I  trace the photo with tracing paper because at this stage I can add lines and take lines away that I don't find pleasing using the original photo to help guide me.  I am never super careful with the lines.  Once the pattern is to my liking, I trace it onto overhead projector film sheets.  (I use expo  vis a vis markers ... I know my 10 years of teaching is showing but they are washable and won't rub off)

5.  Create the pattern.  Now I drag out the WW II overhead projector I bought on eBay 25 years ago for 20 bucks.  I mean do they even still make these?  I draw out the 16" block and then using the overhead projector, I then move my cow and church to a scale and location I like.  The line sketch from Step 3 gives me an idea of where, but I also trust my eye,  As you can see here, once I got the pictures up on the block, I really liked the idea of the church scaled larger, bringing forward.  Plus you gotta keep in mind this is part of a series, and this layout will look great next to July Cow and his 4th of July Barn.

With the final pattern trace, I can go back and put in a few details.  They will be the veil, the horizon line and hopefully the stone fence.  But it's getting late and I've learned never to make design decisions when you're tired.  

I know it might seem like a lot, but it really isn't.  It took me about 3 hrs.  It does help that I have all the supplies I like to use right at my fingertips.  The nice thing about this method is that its super versatile and cheap and low tech.  I know I'm still using the same box of 100 overhead projector sheets I bought back in the late 90's.

Now all I have to do is finish up the details on that pattern, choose the fabric, and sew it up!

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A Return of the Calendar Cows on Off the Wall Friday

January, July, February, October, April, May Cows 

 

This week my husband and I got optimistic and started Spring Cleaning our spare bedroom.  This room, aka, Tessa's second bedroom has ended up storing all the odds and ends we're not quite sure what to do with.  (are we the only ones with rooms like this?) Of course, it got worse when Tessa moved out since her odds and ends are now in there too.  Included in this menagerie of stuff, are my UFOs.  A while back I did actually weed this group down to pieces I  wanted to finish but still, there is a nice pile of them....since...ya know...I'm the squirrel of quilters.  Like who wants to finish anything when there are so many great pieces to start?

Included in the pile was my husband's favorite project, the Calendar Cows.  I started this project wayyyyyy back in 2009, when my then 11-year-old was obsessed with cows.  The idea behind the project is that each block would have a monthly themed cow all designed by me.  At the time, it was the first time I had tried to design anything figuratively that complex by myself.  Each block felt like a little triumph.  Somewhere along the way, I lost steam at "August". (You can read the story behind it on that post!)  It was all designed but not sewn.  And there it sat.  For 14 years. (Yeah, I have no idea where the time goes, truly!)

August

tiny zigzags

At my husband's encouragement, the calendar cows came out into the studio.  He's right ... the project is pretty cool.  Plus now I have a better idea of what I'm doing.  For August, it's vacation cow with her cool shades and beach bungalows. In 2010, I was using a rough edge applique technique taught by Joan Colvin where she would design her piece and put pins in them, then stitch them all down with a little zig-zag stitch.  I like the technique but the pins are a pain and my old machine couldn't adjust the 

zig-zag down to where I want it.

Jump ahead 14 years, and I now can use little dots of glue baste and a proper size zig zag compliments of my Janome Horizon.  Also, a new addition is the Deco Bob for thread which makes the stitches basically disappear.  I did get some time to sew today and it's already looking great.  It's taking a while to get back into the hang of slowing down and stitching perfectly along the edge but I find that relaxing for sure!

The Thread disappears

Of course, I got to record all of this in my journal.  It's nice to have a record for this project as well as any other future rough edge applique pieces.  Plus I want to do a palette study on this piece.  When I started, I was just kinda winging it, and now I know that having a set palette will make the whole piece stronger!

my art sketchbook, ya gotta start some place!

It's weird to be this excited over a 15-year-old project but there ya go... the life of a quilter!

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Last Day of Mosaics on Off the Wall Friday

 

By Gretchen VanNostrand

Contrary to how last week's post read, I really did have a good time on my creative vacation.  I try to do at least one week a year to recharge my batteries and this week surely did.  It wasn't that the piece really lead me to new ideas, but more the people that surrounded me were a pleasure.

One of which was Gretchen VanNostrand of West Virginia.  Gretchen has been quilting for about 20 years, but she specializes in fabric bags and organizers.  So she walked into the class never really having tried anything like this technique before. But let me tell ya, you'd never had known it!  She started with a picture of her beloved Fluffy...a lifelong friend.

Then she proceeded to work diligently from 8 am to 5 pm every day of class.  So many times, I had to stop myself from just chatting with her because I didn't want to break her flow.  Here it is finished... Amazing Right?!?

Fluffy, Gretchen VanNostrand

After my wasteful first couple of days, this is where I finished. Next, I want to do her shirt, hair, and back.  Luckily I have this technique down so I really don't find it daunting.    I'm traveling this week so I haven't quite gotten back to my studio yet.  Truth be known, I haven't unpacked my studio yet.  I'm lucky I got my clothes washed.  BUT SOON.  This is a piece that is not going to linger on my design board.

WIP Sunflowers

Something about the sunflowers I find interesting.  Also, I love that finally, I've gotten my Janome Horizon to successfully machine applique with monofilament thread.  If anybody is wondering, I used the "Automatic" Tension, a 70/10 needle, and decoBob in the bobbin.  WOW!  Made a huge difference.  I really can see myself trying to do a fully machine applique piece soon based on organic shapes rather than 2-1/2" squares.  (Yes I have a passion for sunflowers - here is my first silk painted piece from a few years ago)

As always, I recommend you take a creative vacation!  John C. Campbell just released their upcoming classes.  Or track down Timna Tarr - 'cause she's great!  Or there still are quilt conferences going on throughout the country - Empty Spools, QSDS, and of course my beloved QBL.  JUST DO IT!!

Since I'm traveling, I'll keep this short this week!

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When Your Big Idea Changes on Off the Wall Friday

Our Classroom at Marc Adams School of Woodworking and Time Honor Crafts

Okay, let me start by saying, this is not this clown's first rodeo.  When I get ready for a 5-day design class, I normally have a plan in mind of how it's going to go.  This week with Timna Tarr's Stitched Mosaic was no different.  Since I took this exact same class last year, I thought no problem.  You pick a pretty picture - you edit - you place fabrics - you sew - you get your pretty picture in fabric.  Right?

Well, apparently not.

It started off pretty normal.  I picked a picture.  I drew my grid.  I decided which elements I wanted to keep and which elements could go.

Blocked out my colors - which I now realize I really didn't have to do because ... sunflower field scene...greens, orange-yellows, blue sky ... not rocket science.

After making my little patterns and sewing up a few, it should start to come together...

But it did not...it's a mess.

End of Day 3...still a mess

On Day 4, I had an epiphany.  Recreating this photo into fabric was not where this piece was going.  Actually, it started to look like I took the photo and abstracted it out and I LOVED that idea.  So I got out some paper and started changing out elements of the photo by creating new templates.  I made a conscious choice not to be too fussy making all the lines met perfectly.  I decided that the piece would be just an impression of a girl in a sunflower field..not an actual depiction of the girl.  

So this is where I finished up Day 4...

Cool Right?

5-Day classes are hard.  You're trying to learn and create outside the security of your own studio with new people all around you.  I'm blessed that Marc Adams School of Woodworking gave us a wonderful space and my classmates are great...but....I'll be truthful, I was struggling.  Now, however, I think I'm on the right path and I have a clear composition of where this piece is heading!  

If you want a good review of this class and Marc Adams - you can see last year's here.  It's just as great this year.

And Timna Tarr is amazing too!  Here she is with her latest Work In Progress!

Timna Tarr 

I'll have a class rap up next week...for now, I'm beat.  Our classes have been going 8-5 with about a 45 min lunch, which is a long day!

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BOM - Month 5 on Off the Wall Friday

Helen's EQ8 mock-up

Under the wire, I finished up May's section of the Quilt Show's Block of the Month quilt.  I won't lie, it was a struggle.  This month's section was the flying geese that surround the elaborate medallion center.  I spent a good 10 days hmmmmming.....hawwwwwwing on exactly how I was going to handle the color placement of the geese.  When I spoke up about these concerns on the quilts forum, Helen W used her EQ8 to come up with a quick mock-up (Cool right?).  Several quilters were going with solid flying geese and they really seem to anchor the piece.  With a little more thought though, I decided that I would use prints and value changes to give a bit of movement.  I decided the corner sprigs would anchor the borders.  Problem #1 solved.

Next, I spent 2 - yes 2 - weeks struggling with getting the half square triangles right.  After 30 years you'd think I would have the skill down pat, but no.  I had to remind myself more than once that the reason why I was doing this piece was to hone my traditional skills.  Apparently, this was going to be one of them.  I did stick to my rules and used the designer's method which I actually found pretty user-friendly.  About 70% of them turned out right.  The first set, no lie, I probably did 3 times.  By the last set, I flew through them.  So the old adage is true...practice makes perfect.  As Rebecca Grace says, "Getting them just right is SO SATISFYING!"  She's right too.  It gave me a Victory Rush!  Problem #2 solved.

It's now the last week of the month and only the little applique sprigs to finish.  Easy right?  Ya

< know, I want to preface this with I have an engineering degree with many, many years of math behind me.  Somehow, I missed the fact that 4 borders have 2 sprigs each that had 4 leaves each and that would add up to 32 leaves.  Let me repeat that 32 leaves to hand applique.   At about 15 minutes each that is 480 minutes or 8 hrs of hand applique.  Oh and lest I forget the 8 little circles that went on the end of the sprig.

So now you know, why I only managed to finish June 1.  But why am I stressing you ask?  Because the minute you fall behind on a BOM it's HELL to catch up.  I've learned the hard way, that the best way to get a big project done is a chunk at a time on a strict schedule.  

And it's done.

On to Month 6.

Enough about me....

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Back to the Pinwheels on Off the Wall Friday

 

So does everyone have that one big project that just seems to go on and on with no real end in sight?  My English paper pieced pinwheels is that project.  It's been going on for ...oh I don't know... 13 years now??  I know I started it in a weak moment.  I had finished the 4,200-piece tumbling blocks quilt and thought "Gee I haven't EPP in a while".  What happened if I did an improv EPP using just one shape but played with value.  At that point I never saw an art quilt improvisationally English paper pieced.  13 years later, I now know why.  It doesn't help that it's been an on-again... off-again kind of project. In fact, looking back over the years in this blog, it's a bit embarrassing how long this project has gone on!  With all this hand work I've been doing though, I've decided it is once again...on again.  

To catch you up, I've been making these little 6-piece pinwheels out of trapezoids in basically values of light-light, light, medium, dark, and dark-dark.  I chose a palette of cool colors plus magenta.  After many false starts on an exact layout, I decided to let it grow organically.  I started piecing the pinwheels together by value in big "clumps".  Then this week, I started arranging some of the bigger clumps together to make the beginning of an actual top.  Let me repeat that...a beginning of an actual top.  (I know I didn't believe it either).   

So this is as far as I've gotten. For the most part, that big island there is all sewn together,   I do have several ziplock bags of pinwheels to sew into clumps, but at least now I can somewhere plan it out...a bit.  Just gettin' the dang thing started was hard!

Making life easier is changing the thread I was using to piece it with.    I've been using Wonderfil's decobob now instead of Aurifil 50 wt cotton.  Wowsy, do the seams go together much smoother and the little stitches disappear.  I did try the Invisifil but I found that the 100 wt was not strong enough and sometimes break with a good tug through the seams.  It's crazy the love affair I've started with these two threads though.  I even got them their own little thread boxes so I can stop hunting around looking for them.

So I got another night or two to work on these before the fourth installment of the Block of the Month comes out.  Wouldn't it be cool to get both quilts done this year?

Under things I Like...

I want to remind everyone that when shopping for your supplies, take a little time and surf the web.  It came up again this week when I was looking for the little thread packs of DecoBob.  Thread has gotten outrageous anymore like everything else.  On the official Wonderfil website, the pack I wanted was $23.10 .  But I found it on Amazon for $19.20.  While on Amazon, I picked out my Dritz thread boxes for $5-$7 each (depending on when you look - pricing on there is so weird right?) AND  a magnetic thread wand for 2 bucks.  Am I the last person to own one of these?  Why in the world did I not buy it sooner.  Wave it and magically it picks up all my pins from the floor...from my table....from my blanket...you get the drift!

Ohhh and even though we did manage to get 3" of snow on Tuesday, my crocuses did come out in full bloom.  With the snow coming and going this year, we've been able to enjoy them a lot longer than normal!

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