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 - 

What Have You've Been up to Creatively?

(Linking to Kathy's Slow Stitch Sunday)

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The Tess Take-Over: Publishing an Indie Novel on Off the Wall Friday

I used to think that there was nothing better than a good book—the kind that makes you spend days cocooned in your favorite reading nook, not a care in the world. Turns out, the only thing better than reading a good book is writing one. My name is Tess, and this week I'm taking over my mom's blog to tell you about my debut novel, Kit & Basie (Tales from Long Lily, 1), and how the heck I got to this point. 

My mom can tell you I've been writing stories since before I could accurately spell, but I didn't become serious about being a novelist until adulthood. That was when the Real ideas started to hit me, beautiful worlds filled with complex people, somehow always about love. 

That's what Kit & Basie is: a story about folks who love each other and want to find the place they belong. It's an LGBT, cozy romance that tells the story of an immortal man who falls in love with the fella that moves into his late mother's house. I wrote it as a love letter to the queer folks in my life and all my favorite small towns in Pennsylvania. If this sounds like something that is even remotely up your alley, it is set to release in August 2023. I'm also running a Kickstarter to cover the publishing costs — more on this later! 

My mom asked me to talk about how I landed on this story, this genre. The truth is, sometimes stories are just meant to be told and it's a writer's duty to tell them. I had been wanting to write a collection of interconnected stories about small town people that was just a little magical. I pulled inspiration from The Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters, a collection of poems that narrates the epithets of all the passed residents of Spoon River, Illinois. I also drew lots of inspiration from Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery and even The Raven Cycle, by Maggie Stiefvater. All of these stories feature small-town people that are heavily interconnected with one another. 

Shortly after I conducted all my research, I went to a wedding in Virginia outside the Shenandoah Valley. Driving through Appalachia was a huge source of inspiration. The only downside was, I immediately caught Covid and came back quite ill. Buuut, it meant that I had plenty of time to quarantine and write. 

For the life of me, I don't remember writing the actual words of the first draft. Fever brain will do that to you. But, two months later, BAM! I had a completed manuscript. I recall writing most of it on the back porch, listening to the birdsong, or the soundtrack to the 2003 Pride & Prejudice. I let the novel rest for eight months after it was finished, before making the decision to revise it so that it could be published. Overall, Kit & Basie fell together so perfectly, so differently than I initially imagined, but I believe it's the way it was always supposed to be. 

Now, it must be said, self-publishing is not for the weak of spirit. I am a one-woman publishing house — equal parts author, editor, marketer, publisher, distributor, etc. I've worked with excellent editors and artists who helped me. Some of it was easy! For instance, my best friend is a professional, freelance illustrator. I commissioned her to illustrate the cover. My running draft is pictured below.

But ultimately, despite my collaborators, the end quality of this book is entirely up to me. That has meant editing the book nine million times, developing a social media presence, and planning fundraising. It's a lot on top of working in a library full time and going to grad school, but the hard work has been very worth it. 

For all that self-publishing is a lot of work, time, and money, it was the best choice for me. I knew I could do it. I had enough support from loved ones, artistic connections, and savings to make it happen. The main reason, though, was because the traditional publishing process is very long, tedious, emotionally taxing, and entirely contingent on the state of the book market. I wasn't confident that I'd find an agent or publishing house that would want to publish K&B. It's very short and character driven, and overall not what's on-demand on the book market. Yet, I was confident that the story deserved to be published and read, and I wanted it to be published on my terms. 

The last major undertaking for Kit & Basie's success is the Kickstarter. If you're not familiar with Kickstarter, it's crowdsourcing. Supporters of a project pledge money toward a creative endeavor, and if the creator meets their goal, supporters receive the product and often other goodies too! I decided to launch the Kickstarter as a way to break even on my publishing costs and a way to personally give fun things to the folks who support my journey as an author. My goal is to raise $3,800, and I'm already over 60% of the way there after only 24 hours. Kickstarter is all or nothing, so the only way this project comes to fruition is if it is fully funded. 

If you'd like to support Kit & Basie's publication, you can find the Kickstarter here. Pledging gives you access to the rewards, all designed by either myself or other PA locals. Two of the rewards are pictured below — a keychain I crocheted myself and a tea mix — but there's plenty more to be found on the Kickstarter page linked above! You're able to pledge as much or as little as you'd like, with or without rewards. I promise, every little bit counts. 

Time will only tell about where my journey as an author takes me. My mother is hoping it's more Long Lily stories. I'm hoping it's a fun fantasy story. Whatever it is, I'm excited to find out! Thank you for letting this indie author take over the quilt space today. If you have any questions about the project or even about self-publishing in general, feel free to reach out to tesscarletta@gmail.com. 

Enough about me!

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Things I Like on Off the Wall Friday

Four Flying Geese for the price of 

Yeah know, I don't know where the idiom, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" comes from.  I know we're all set in our ways, but really, doesn't everyone like to learn something new that will make their life easier?  That's what I did this week.  I continued on with The Quilt Show's Block of the Month quilt, Homeward Bound.  With June, came the piecing of the stars that radiate all the way to the edge corners.  When I first read the directions, they were made with half-square triangles which was fine because last month I finally learned how to make them accurately.  But then I listen to Barbara Black's live Facebook talk on this month's section.  Barbara besides being a nationally known quilt
teacher, is also this year's Forum's moderator for the quilt.  Also,, it is her job to make each section early so she can answer questions and find pattern mistakes.  This month she did just that but also added her suggestion on how to make flying geese.  Now I know that I made a rule to go by the designer's suggestion on the construction of this quilt, but Barbara's flying geese tutorial was too good to pass up.  After a careful reading of her directions and watching the video, I managed to make 4 flying geese at once which fit the star nicely....on the first try....yeah it shocked me too.  I felt very smart, let me tell you!  So one down and 23 more to go!

I like finding new things I like, don't you?

Another thing I found that I like this month, was a fine mist bottle on Amazon.  I've been wanting a new spray bottle that would spray my Best Press evenly over my traditional blocks.  I know there is a cutesy one that quilt shops sell, but I just wanted a nice plain one and leave it to Amazon to have a wide range of them.  I picked one that was 17 oz and could be here in 2 days all for the cheapie price of 10 bucks.  Happily, it was as advertised and really has made a big difference in my pressing.  One thing I have learned with this Homeward Bound, it's all about pressing accurately.  I had no idea how I was sabotaging my work by not pressing right!

Another gadget I found on Amazon that I love, was a welding torch cleaning set.  Yes, a

welding torch cleaning set.  One day,  I was complaining to Paul that there are times when little pieces of thread and lint get stuck in my machine.  Also, my Glue Baste-it nozzle gets clogged and I have nothing that was small enough to clean it.  He said did you try a welding torch cleaning set?  hmmmm, let me check my notion cabinet, amazingly noooooooo.  He brought his in and although it was "all knuckled up" it look like it would do the trick.  But I wanted one that was shiny and new.  A quick Amazon search and you guessed it, they had a set that would do nicely for $7.   It has all these little brushes and wires that are perfect! Since I got it, I also found that it cleans lint out of my machine easily.  LOVE IT!

Finally, if you haven't heard, June is Pride month.  With that, I started listening again to my favorite police procedural mysteries, the Kate Martinelli Series.  Well, the author Laurie R. King would call it a mystery series.  I would say the mysteries are there just to provide a vehicle for King's super interesting characters, the best of which is Kate Martinelli.  Kate is a queer police inspector in 1992 when it wasn't popular to be queer or a woman in the San Fransico Police Force.  I just love this series. King's female characters are so smart, interesting, vulnerable, strong - well basically real.  Plus it shows a lesbian couple as a very real, regular family unit.  Like it is in real life.  A Grave Talent is the first one of the series and one of the main characters is an artist which is super interesting!  If you like detective novels, I highly recommend it.  I LOVE listening to it as well!

So those are the things I like this month...Barbara's flying geese tutorial, a fine mist spray bottle, a welding tip cleaning set, and Laurie R. King's A Grave Talent.  

(Oh and yes I finally changed the color layout of this blog.  I'm not a big fan of the continually changing websites of today, but I figured once in 14 years wasn't too bad)

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My First & Last Quilt on Off the Wall Friday

 This time of year is always brutal around here.   We have Paul's birthday, our anniversary, Mother's

Day, and my birthday all in the same four weeks, it adds up to a lot of socializing and family time.  It is better than it used to be because before we also had all the end-of-the-school-year activities to add to the list.  Now as empty nesters, we are used to our creative time and that has sure been in short supply.  

So this week, I thought it a good idea to share my first and last quilt.  In 1993, I started quilting by mistake when I received the book, Quick and Easy Quiltmaking instead of the cross-stitching book I ordered.  Before sending it back though, I decided to read it and well, the rest is history.  In typical Nina fashion, I thought oh that doesn't look too hard.  (For the record, if anybody needs a beginner quilt book I can HIGHLY recommend this book.  It has a TON about basic quilting making and was easy to follow.  I ended up doing about 4 projects out of it and it's written by some of the best quilt authors of the time.)

I did make a table runner and a baby-size quilt, to begin with,  But recently we found this one, which really was my first major project.  I used Nancy Martin's half-square triangle method where you sew bias strips together and use a bias square to cut them out.  I fell in love with that ruler and when I wore out the lines on the first one I had to buy the second one on eBay.   You will notice that I still hadn't mastered getting my points to match and it's still not bound because at that point I had no idea how to bind.  This was the first quilt I hand-quilted and it truly is a mess.   I actually taught myself how to hand quilt from a book.

It's about 45" by 60"

Seeing these hand-quilting stitches its a wonder I stuck with it!

By 1995, I had managed to get through the QNL Block of the Month's Heritage Medallion.  Notice points still not matching but by then I had learned to hand quilt, hand applique, and bind.  (I discovered that you could actually take a class at your local quilt shop!)

Over the years, I seem to be doing more art quilts than traditional work.  In 2022, after taking a class with Timna Tarr I made this.

But 2023 has been dominated by getting back to my roots.  I am in the middle of hand quilting my Rain, Rain quilt with big stitches.  Notice that the even hand stitching skill translates nicely to big stitching.  It's still on my quilting frame but I'm about 3/4ths done quilting it.

And as you know I'm not working on the BOM Homeward Bound from The Quilt Show.  This month I am once AGAIN  struggling with half-square triangles where my points are AGAIN having trouble meeting.  This time I'm using the method of cutting a square, drawing a line down diagonally down the middle, and sewing 1/4th seam beside the line.  So you get two half-square triangles.  Now this is an old method, but I never tried it before.  It's been working nicely but getting the points just right is hard.

To tell you the truth, I just thought after 30 years of quilting, I could finally learn how to get my point to meet!  I was hoping to have May done by now but nope, half square triangles are turning into a lifetime nemesis,

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Flossie Teacakes' Guide to English Paper Piecing on Off the Wall Friday

Summer time has finally hit the banks of Lake Erie.  With that, we are having a mini heatwave, where it's more fun to stay inside and stitch than go outside in a mask.  And really where would they let us go anyways???  So, I've been spending time in my air conditioned bedroom suite working on my English Paper Pieced  Pinwheels quilt and listening to audio books.  There is something really soothing about making a one patch quilt into something interesting and beautiful.  But still....I thought maybe you could EPP something more complicated.

And with that thought....down the rabbit hole I fell.  Of course, I wasn't the only person that had the idea of taking EPPing farther  There are more than one ridiculously patterns out there based on I believe tile work.  That might be fine for some, but if I was going to  spend hours and hours and hours following someone else's pattern to do a by-hand project....I would still be cross-stitching!!

That's when I stumbled on Florence Knapp's amazing Flossie Teacakes' Guide to English Paper Piecing.  Thanks to Amazon, I had the book in a day and what a book it is!!  Just when you think you've read every variation on quilting, a great new book comes along.  This is not your average How-To book....ohhhhh noooo.  Knapp manages to put not only the history of EPP, but the psychological and social  influences of the technique.  THEN, she finishes the book off in a very thorough instruction on the technique (complete with excellent photos).

Knapp included two of her own patterns highlighting how to combine fussy cutting with EPP to get a very cool Kaleidoscope...Moroccan tile  kind of look.  Her work is breath taking and it's the kind of thing where you wonder....how did she do that?  Well she shows you!!

What I like about the whole thing is that you can really combine the zen of piecing  which is quiet, repetitive and soothing with the creative flair that will keep your imagination going through out the process.  Just amazing.

The book itself is nicely published.  There are a ton of wonderful photos and its laid out nicely.  The
only thing I would have liked is a bigger font for these  aging eyes.  sighhhh  But the book is so pretty and feels so pretty that you just want to flip though and pet the pages....I know you know what I mean!!

Honestly, I would say this book is a must for any serious EPPer.  I mean even if you didn't want to do all the fussy cutting, it still will give you an idea of how far this simple technique can be taken up to new heights.

But yeah....I promised myself to finish the pinwheels BEFORE starting another quilt!!

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Digital Fiber Art, A Review on Off the Wall Friday

You would think looking at my bookcases that I have enough art, quilt, surface design books.. Apparently not.  This week, I finally gave in to my wishlist and bought, Wen Redmond's Digital Fiber Art. I've been wanting it forever but hadn't had the right project where I really needed it.

Boy, so glad I did!  I've watched Wen's classes, seen her work and basically love the whole mix media vibe, but was too afraid to stick my toe in.  Reading through book, not only do you stick your toe in but she manages to throw you into the deep end!!

Most of my fiber art books contain about 75% things I already know  with 25%  new information I need to learn.  Not this one!  Even though I'm not a novice to the whole digital fabric thing there is a ton of concepts, techniques and inspirational pieces that really can get you started.  The thing I like the best is that Wen has managed to put all the odds and ends I've learned and organize them in a fashion where I can find them all in one place.  THEN she shows me how to put it all together!

PRO's

• Well written, in an easy understandable manner.  Not too much fluff
• Techniques are organized in an effective way for easy future reference
• TONS of great pictures illustrating the techniques and lending inspiration
• Goes from the beginning of the process right down to the finishes
• C&T Publishing.... so the book is of the highest quality - love the "feel" of it 
• Not limited to just fabric....many materials are mentioned throughout

CON's

• Not a book for beginners.  A good foundation of the tech world AND design fundamentals is helpful.
• There is so much material it could be overwelming
• There is no page of resources or links so you're left hunting down the many, many materials mentioned
• The inspirational pictures all have one "mood".  More is More seems to be on every page
• Techniques requires access to art supplies, online or downloaded software programs that won't be in the average person's sewing room
• There isn't a lot of mixing  of the digital with the traditional.

So if you always wanted to know "How does she do that???"  buy the book.  Wen tells you in a easy understandable manner.  But be warned,  this isn't a book that you read and start making work that looks like the author makes.  She gives you the techniques, the inspiration to experiment on your own and come up with your own voice.

For me this was definitely worth the $$ and I can see myself having a lot of  fun with it!

On to .....Things I Like.....

Normally, I don't much care for the Facebook kind of games that seem to pop up in people's statuses.  But this one showed up in my friend's Joyce's this week and I found it funny and interesting.  It's easy enough you just tell me the latest book you've read and add WITH DINOSAURS after it,  I love to see what people are reading and always looking for suggestions.

I have two books going right now.  I'm rereading the whole Mary Russell series with Laurie R. King which I highly, highly suggest.  My favorite series by far!!  So I just finished Locked Rooms With Dinosaurs which is 8th in the series.

The other is a non fiction book that was inspired by Locked Rooms.  It's San Francisco is Burning With Dinosaurs ...the Untold Story of the  1906 Earthquake and Fires.


 PLEASE play along and let me know what you've been reading!!

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Kimono!, The Artistry of Itchiku Kubota - Off the Wall Friday

Symphony of Light, Kubota (5 of a series 80}

So I tend to use my time at Quilting by the Lake as an "Art Holiday" visiting any exhibits that are happening locally.  Well this year, I hit the jack pot!!  The Munson - Proctor -Williams Arts Institute in Utica, NY is hosting an amazing exhibit of the work of Itchiku Kubota (1917-2003).  Kubota is credited with reviving and modernizing the nearly forgotten 400 year old  textile technique of Tsujigahana. 

The exhibit includes 48 nearly 7 foot Kimonos.  Some of stand alone pieces.  Some are series that are meant to be shown together.  There is also part of Kubota's amazing Symphony of Light.  Although only 36 are shown, the complete series consists of 80, yes you read that right, 80 kimonos that represent the grandeur of the universe.  Individually they really are a glory, but together they show the true talent of a master artist.  The 5 that they grouped together from Symphony of Light spanned the width of 27 feet!

The Kimonos are made on silk crepe with a long, labor intensive process of painting, dyeing,
embroidery and embellishing.  The dyeing process is daunting enough, but the hand stitching on the pieces is what creates the texture that brings the pieces alive.

I also bought the book, The Textile Artistry of Itchiku Kubota which I can highly recommend.  The catalog has the right blend of background information and gorgeous photos.  So many times I'm disappointed by an exhibits' book, but this one I can see myself reading over and over.

I promise to do a future post on the actual logistics of the modernized Tsujigahana process, but I thought for today, I would just let you drink in all that is Kubota.

So What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

Happy New Year!! Off the Wall Friday

There are White Christmases and then there are White Christmases Erie Pennsylvania style!!  You might have heard, but this week we had over 5 feet of snow drop in a couple of days time.  It put a big damper on the holiday for a lot of families.  For us, we just sat and watched it snow. We broke all sorts of records and it puts us at 103" of snow already for this winter!   Just in case you wonder what that looks like . . . .


There is the pretty side of it . . . .

And then there is the not so pretty side of it. . . . .

sighhhhhh #LifeonLakeErie

Sooooo . . . . 

I took some days off this weekend to spend exclusively in my studio and it looks like the weather is going to cooperate since we are suppose to get a foot more this weekend.

Also -

RECOMMENDATION ALERT

Recently, I spent just over 5 hrs listening to an enormously amusing book, Tim Gunn, The Natty Professor:  A Masterclass on Mentoring Motivating and Making it Work.   I bought the audio book to listen to Tim himself read the book on what I thought would be insight on Tim, the Mentor. So I was surprised when  that really wasn't what the book was about.  It was a hodge - podge  of stories from his life that spoke to life lessons and his views on the academic world.  There were some wisdoms thrown in there on how to critique and encourage, but what I found so fascinating AND entertaining is  his down to earth look at his life. Also, I love the little inserts of stories of inspiring teachers.   I loved the book and I'm sure I'll listen again.  I mean, its like he sitting there talking to you!!  I would recommend it to anybody who teaches, mentors, or parents!  Plus since most people found Tim Gunn's Life Little Lessons much better, I'm going to read that one too.  Too bad that isn't in audio form too!

So hopefully by next week I'll have something new from my studio to show  since I got fabric, thread, Gelli Plates AND a new Rowenta Iron for Christmas!!

What Have You Been Up to Creatively?

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