Saturday, October 29, 2011

Tales of a pointy hat!

I finally got around and made the pointy hat for daughter #1 costume.  3 days early!  When I bought the pattern I assumed, never do that again, that the picture on the envelope would match the directions and yardages.  They didn't!  I ended up making 3 trips to the fabric store for trim and then coming up with my own way to make the hat.  I was not a happy camper last night!

It came out nice!  I added beads, to tack the tulle onto the hat.
Of course who knows how long she will actually wear it  ;)

In other news.....

I finished mister pumpkin.  I used variegated black thread for the bat and a little shiny grey.  I did heavy quilting on the background, which made the bat puff out.  Cool!  The pumpkins eyes, nose, and mouth are outlined in yellow glow-in-the-dark thread.  It glows really well.
I cut the piece out freehand, for a wonky look and zigzagged the edges.  I'm actually hoping for a little ravel on the edges.  I am hanging it on the bathroom wall.  The kids will love it!

Happy Quilting,
Caren

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Pumpkin Days

Over at Quilting Arts they are having a forum challenge on "thread designs".  The piece can not have any fabric additions!  No applique...No piecing!  HMMMMMM.....


So I came up with the idea of a pumpkin at night!  Well it is October, it also sounded easier than anything else I came up with.

There's Mr. Pumpkin drawn in chalk with a nice bat in the corner.  I spent 2 days and at least 5 shades of orange doing the thread work.  So here he is halfway through the 1st bit of sewing.

He's showing up nicely.  Now here he is with the open areas painted yellow.  ( I promise I painted them!) And it's after the last bit of sewing.

He's coming along very well I think.  I took it off of the stabilizer thinking I would only do a basic outline for the bat and then use a little glow in the dark thread for the pumpkin face and an all over quilt design.


What do you think I should do with the bat?


Happy Quilting
Caren

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A new dress

I finally felt a little better, so I worked no daughter #1'a dress for Halloween.  Originally she needed it for Thanksgiving, schools having a Middle Ages Feast. (?) 
I still need to add little beads around the neck and rick rack.  She said their wasn't enough sparkle!  This is a close-up of the lacing on the back.  The pattern called for eyelets.  But I couldn't get them to go through the fabric without crumpling, so I made buttonholes (9  on each side!).

The belt won't stay up, she has no hips. (Nice problem to have!)  I still need to make the pointy hat.  I'll do that next week.

happy quilting
Caren

Monday, October 10, 2011

We have a winner

And the winner of the free book by Clare O'Donohue is...
And entry #2 belongs to:
Wow, another author writing about quilts, YIPPIE, I love hearing about those. I will have to see what else this author has. Thanks for the giveaway and the info!

Congratulations:  Email me with your address and I will strap the book to a snail, in time for you to read by Halloween.

Happy Quilting
Caren

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Giveaway...

In honor of my GIVEAWAY of Clare O'Donohue's new book, The Devil's Puzzle, I have a Q&A with the author.  What fun.  I tried to ask questions of interest to quilters and readers alike.  I hope you enjoy.  Don't forget, leave a comment on the original post (here) for a chance to win.




1. I noticed, from your website, that you made a Drunkard' Path (Book #2). Have you made a quilt from each book title?
Not yet – though I’d like to at some point. I made the drunkard’s path quilt as part of an Accuquilt raffle, so I didn’t even get to keep it, but I have been collecting blue and white fabrics to make one for myself. And I’ve been thinking of making a Lover’s Knot table runner, but it hasn’t gotten past the planning stages.

2. How do you go about matching a quilt block with the books? Do you have a list of names that you would like to use?
I look for names that are interesting for both quilters and non-quilters, as well as have a mysterious feel – so something like The Devil’s Puzzle, is great. Unfortunately, there aren’t many patterns that fit the bill so it’s always a struggle to come up with a great title.   

3. I know I am fascinated by how people learned to quilt. Especially in an age of technology. Who taught you to quilt?
I’m a self-taught quilter. There’s no tradition of quilting in my family, though my grandmother did make clothes. I loved the look of quilts, and thought (foolishly) it would be less expensive to make one than to buy one, so I gave it a try. My first quilt was a 5 foot square hand-pieced hexagon quilt, which just shows you how nuts I was. My first ‘real’ quilt was log cabin. I call it a real quilt because I knew enough by then to have quarter inch seams, and to quilt evenly across the surface. 

4. What was it like working on Simply Quilts surrounded by such wonderful artists?
It was an amazing experience. Alex Anderson is a dream to work with, and I met wonderful quilters, from Eleanor Burns and Georgia Bonesteel to Jinny Beyer and Caryl Bryer Fallert. Seeing the quilts up close was absolutely heaven for me. At the end of each season (I worked on four of them) the producers would divide up the stuff, so I still have many of the rulers, fabric, pins and books that we used on the show.

5. Do you have a writing routine? I know you have a brand new book out, Devil's Puzzle, and another book, Kate Conway Series, coming out in Spring 2012. WOW. There must be a routine.
Yes and no. Usually I aim to write about 25 pages a week. Ideally, I write Monday through Friday from about 10am to 5pm, which includes time blogging, updating Facebook, and watching downloaded episodes of Dexter. Sometimes, though, it’s not ideal and I have forgo my goofing off time. I still work as a freelance TV producer. I don’t work at that job every day, but when I do, I have to travel, so I write in airports, hotel rooms and while my crew is setting up for an interview. As long as I find my 25 pages somewhere in that week, I feel I’m on schedule. 

6. With your busy schedule of writing, promoting, traveling, etc...do you still find time to quilt? I know you are knitting, that's a lot easier to travel with.
Quilting is my sanity, so I make time for it one way or another. If I’m home, I usually mark out space on Sundays to quilt but I’m also working on a few hand-pieced projects, so I can take those with me when I travel. Right now I’m doing a hand appliqué project. I haven’t done a lot of hand appliqué and this has thin vines and tiny pieces. I love it, but it’s also a challenge for me.

Do you follow a process for writing? I know some writer's just sit down and start writing with little idea of where the story will take them. Other's plan flow charts of major scenes and events. Where do you fall?
I don’t go into a book cold, but I don’t have a detailed plan either. I know the story I want to tell, and who the characters are. I usually have a synopsis of six or seven pages that highlights the major plot points. But that’s it. I don’t know every scene, and I usually don’t know who the killer is until I’m well into the first draft. I like to get to know everyone, and really let the characters determine their fate. I find it’s more fun that way.   

8. (& 9 combined) I haven't read the Kate Conway series. (My library didn't have it this weekend!) The mood seems very different from the Someday Quilt Series. Was it hard switching to a different style and mood?
It is very different – more cynical, a bit deeper. I had this character in mind and I wanted to see what I could do with her, and Missing Persons is the book that came out.  I don’t find it difficult to switch. I can keep two quilting projects separate, two friends separate… so really, keeping the characters separate isn’t much different. In fact, I think moving back and forth is refreshing. It allows me to take a break and come back to it with fresh eyes – the way working on multiple quilt projects actually makes each one more interesting.

10. I know you have pulled names for your characters from those around you. In reading the Someday Quilt Series I have fallen in love with the ladies in the Quilt Club. The experiences Nell has with the older ladies and quilting is similar to real life experiences I have had with guilds. The ladies are always so willing to help the newbies out. Are any of these characters taken from people you have experienced in real life?
While the supportive, fun nature of a group of quilters is something I’ve gotten from my own experience, none of the characters are based on anyone in particular. I wanted a diverse group, in age and backgrounds, and as I created the characters they developed their own personalities. They feel very real to me, but everyone from Nell to Barney the dog is purely fiction.

Don't forget leave a comment on the original post for a chance to win!

Happy Quilting
Caren

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Giveaway....

Help me celebrate almost 1000 views, with the  Almost 1000 Views Giveaway!!!
Ok funny title, how about this Free Book Giveaway!!!
No matter what you call it, it amounts to free stuff.  I like free stuff....Here it is win a free copy of

Yippee!!!
I was contacted by Mary at Plume Books to see if I would like to giveaway a copy of Clare O'Donohue's brand new book. (It might be a week old!)  I just read it and it is great.
If you haven't read the Someday Quilts Mystery, they surround a group of quilters.  Each book title is the title of a quilt block.
(How cool is that.)
This book is perfect for Halloween, hence the timing of the giveaway.

DETAILS:
Since I love all of my fellow blog quilters all you have to do is leave a comment on this post!  You do not have to follow me, although that would be fun.  I love stalkers followers.
This is open to international friends. (I hope I don't end up broke!)  I have received some lovely gifts from people across the pond and beyond.
ADDED: Contest ends Sunday, October 9, 2011 at midnight cst

So there it is.  Win a great cozy mystery for a chance to win a free book. 

Check back tomorrow for another surprise. HINT:  If you have read one of Clare's books before make sure you come back!!!
(Evil laugh)

Winners will be chosen by a random number generator.

Happy quilting
Caren

Monday, October 3, 2011

Giveaway...Giveaway...Giveaway

The time has finally come....well almost.

I have a giveaway.  It will be announced tomorrow!!! (Evil Laugh)

I think you will like it.  I know I did!

See you Tuesday

Caren 

PS. I need a random number generator

Sunday, October 2, 2011

I'm still here

I haven't gone anywhere.  I just have not quilted in...I've lost track of how long!

I thought I would share with you the quilt on my wall for October.  It is a few years old.
It's called "Crop Circles"!  My dad is a huge fan of crop circles and alien theories, not that he believes them!  Anyway, the circles are sewn down with raw edges.  They fuss up when washed.  It's the closest I have come to a rag quilt.

And since I am sharing photos.  This is what my kids did yesterday to the poor cat.

I feel so sorry for him!

Happy quilting
Caren