Losing Track

...of time.  I've driven almost 6,000 miles since June.  Those slow sweet days at the lake seem like a long time ago but it has barely been two weeks.  I keep waiting for time to breathe but like the sign says, it won't be today and tomorrow isn't looking good either. 

How's your summer been? 

Sunshine On My

T-shirts leaves an impression.  I've been painting while the sun shines.  Squirreling away sunny shirts for the winter.  Gathering leaves before they fall.  Oh, whatever.  I've been making sunpainted shirts for days now. 

Oh, and sorry for the ear worm.  I figured fewer people would know this one than You are My Sunshine and besides, that whole skies are gray thing doesn't really work in this context.  Or maybe it does.  I think the paint is getting to me! 

Further Evidence That

a.  There is a dread disease carried on the outside of the mailbox that I know nothing about.
b.  There is a mailbox cleanliness fad sweeping the nation that I know nothing about.
c.  My neighbor has too much time on her hands.
d.  Yes, we are THAT family in the neighborhood.


My sweet little neighbor was out cleaning the bricks and mortar on her mailbox this morning.  It never occurred to me that my mailbox might need to be scrubbed.  Furthermore, I am sure that I would simply assume any moss or algae added to the rustic charm. 

A Wee Bit of a Rant

I had a birthday a while ago.  I received some birthday money.  I decided to spend some of it during the sales going on right now. 

I do most of my clothes shopping on-line.  I like the search functions that allow me to only look at things that I can afford and that will fit.  I shop at several national chains and greatly appreciate their service, quality, reliable sizing and pricing.  I'm not going to mention any names in this post because I really have no complaint against the company. 

One chain I shop at regularly has a great return policy.  I can either package it up and leave it on my porch for the mailman to pick up or I can take my purchase to the local store.  I typically go to the local store to avoid worrying about whether or not it will arrive at its destination. 

Now, I shop at this particular store a lot.  In 'flusher' years, I've even managed to become a preferred customer.  I'm in their computer.  The closest store for returns is a lovely place but it carries a very limited range of sizes.  It does not carry my size.  That is quite all right with me.  I understand they have done their research, (although I always wonder how they can say they don't sell particular sizes if they never reliably carry them.  But that is a question for another time).

On this particular day as I was making a return of a small portion of larger order the clerk started telling me about all of the sales and suggested I look around for an exchange.  Pretty typical fare.  Nothing I didn't expect.  I said, "No thank you.  You don't carry my size."  She then started to tell me about all the other sizes and particular styles that I could try on to see if they would work.  I told her that I didn't want to waste my time looking at things I that I could not buy today.  I really wasn't trying to criticize the store, I was just trying to state a fact.  I hate looking at things that I KNOW come in my size but aren't available for me to purchase.  It is annoying and I can find what I want and order online if I want to wait a week for delivery. 

I was set on relieving my wallet of some of my birthday money right then.  I didn't want to wait.  I didn't want to pay shipping or make another trip to the store.  I wanted an outfit to wear now.  It happens like that some days. 

So I completed my return with a rather huffy salesclerk and left the store.  I walked two doors down to the store that carries a full range of sizes.  The friendly clerk helped me find the right size and never once suggested I try things that clearly would not fit.  I spent a fair bit of my birthday money. 

As I was walking back past the original store with my rather full garment bag I wanted to go back in.  I wanted to say, "Look. I came out to spend money today.  If you carried the full range of sizes your company produces, I would have spent it here.  If you had suggested I could order from your catalog kiosk, I might have considered that as well.  You did neither, so the lovely Lisa two doors down, received a hefty commission instead."

I didn't because I am certain it would have been perceived as cranky criticism rather than an opportunity to learn from a loyal customer.  I really wanted them to know that I would be happy to spend money in their store, have done so in the past and would do so in the future if they would make it easy for me.   I really wanted to.  But I didn't. 

Well, I've shared it with you, so I feel a bit better.  Would you have said something? 

I Can See Clearly Now

When I first left the gray sun deprived upper-ish midwest (Hey SAD isn't a disease it is a CULTURE!)  I discovered that I needed sunglasses.  I also discovered that I had a sorry tendency to step on, sit on, misplace or otherwise render my sunglasses unusable.  As a poor grad student this was not consistent with purchasing good sunglasses. 

Besides

So for mmphty years I've stuck to my cheap sunglasses until this summer.  My MIL gave me a classy pair of grown up sunglasses.  What a difference! 

Independence

The July challenge for Project Quilting was to make a quilt inspired by Independence without making a red, white and blue quilt.

Thinking about it, I kept coming back to the notion of bunting that is so prevalent during the summer months.

I was intrigued by the notion of one of the pennants escaping, becoming independent if you will.

Thus, the Independence Bunting quilt.  I also liked the notion that the pennants were not traditional colors.  A little more rebellion suitable for the occasion.

The details.  This quilt is approximately 35x35 inches.  It is made of quilters cotton and muslin.  The backing is pieced and the binding is scrappy.  It is fused-machine applique and machine quilted.  The quilting is lines of bunting going across the quilt with a simple outline around the bunting.


Be sure to check out all of the other great quilts at Project Quilting.  And stop by Persimon Dreams to say hi to Kim and say thanks for inspiring so many cool quilts. 

Wee Quilts

I finally turned some of my Spring photography into wee quilts.

Images were printed on specialty quilt fabric.  (The blue in this picture and the one below is really purple.  Nothing I tried made it photograph purple.)

I was going to make one big wallhanging.

But the wee quilts appealed to me more.

 Plus they will each be going off to a special graduate soon. Shhh....  They might not read my blog but some of their mommies do. 

Indepdendence

The Project Quilting off-season challenge for the month of July is Independence.  But you can't make a red, white and blue quilt... so much for my blueberry and strawberry project.  This is my work in progress.  I actually have the quilting done and just need to hand stitch the binding.  I kind of liked the notion of the last pennant breaking free to fly on its own.  But then, I'm kind of strange that way. 

It is just about 40 inches square. 

Restored Kitchen

My sister is restoring her kitchen to the 1870's.  She has a few nods to modern conveniences: the cookstove is actually gas and the ice box is a real fridge.  But there aren't any counters or cabinets.  It is all furniture.  She is going to have some soapstone window seats.  They will need cushions.  Mom picked out the fabrics.  I have made some pillow covers and a the worlds most schizophrenic table runner you will ever find. 

Spud one and Bug the niece both HATE it.  One end is purple and mustard.  The other is green and mustard.  But the room is mustard and she wants purple dishes.   I figure she can always put a big bowl on the end that doesn't match today. 

Oh, the important thing.  These fabrics are a strong reference to William Morris, pretty much the dominant designer during the time her house was built. 

Adventures in Digitizing

I often offer custom embroidered labels or badges for prizes.  It is always fun working with customers to create something that is perfect for them.  This project was for a girl who won a custom label from Cara @caraquilts, the lovely host of #Talknt on Twitter every Tuesday night. 

RainbowR, doesn't quilt but she does do civil war re-enacting.  She suggested some historic silhouettes.  I did several different ones.  They were a lot easier than I had anticipated but it still took me a while to get them to the point where they were recognizable.  This is the final product for her.  I can't wait to see what she does with it. 

Fun with Shirts

I finally got one of the 30% off coupons for Kohl's at a time when I actually needed to go to the store.  While I was there, I found a sale on polo shirts.  Just the thing I needed to get some birthday presents done while playing with my embroidery machine.  We started with this lovely dinosaur from Urban Threads.  My sister, the geologist, got one in turquoise.  Her husband, the geologist/brewmaster/vinter got wine on his.  My nephew has a Zombie.  Spud one had to have a vampire.  Spud two needed an Alabama A and DH had to have a Michigan M.  I had to digitize those two.  Mine is a lovely pink dragon!  Sadly, this is the only one for which I have a picture.  I'll have to work on that. 

Dad's Shirt Had a Problem

So we made a bag out of it.

With an awesome stone lining courtesy of my friend Kelly.  I thought he might give me back my Morse bag, but it turns out he kept both of them. 

Hard to Believe

Spud 3 is going to be a junior this year.  He hasn't stopped wearing the Hawaiian shirts.  They are just louder now!

And these two are going places as well.  

Morse Bag-o-rama

I always try to participate in swaps run by Leslie and Susan on Craftster.  They do such a lovey job organizing things.  More importantly their swap ideas are fabulous.  It is always swapping something that is fun to make and that everyone can be successful at so you know you are going to get a great gift in return. 

This time it was round two of the Morse Bag swap.   The Hello Kitty bag and mug rug were what I sent to my partner.  I added a bunch of matchbook notebooks for her kids.  She is big fan of Hello Kitty.  When I saw the fabric, I just couldn't resist.  I did a modified pillowcase burrito to get the edges all finished inside.  I'm still working on the tutorial but should have it posted soon.

 

 This is the lovely bag that Usdimama sent to me.  It is made of a luscious heavy weight cotton.  I pulled it out of the box and it was immediately claimed by DH.  The pin cushion is lovely.  The colors are very rich.  I really like how they are variegated in the stitching.  And that is a lovely deep red fat quarter, that unfortunately doesn't show up well in the picture.

My poor partner had a difficult time getting to the post office so the swap mama's sent me an angel.  Susan sent it on even though I had already heard from my partner before she finished.  It is absolutely gorgeous.  She found fabric designed by Malka Dubrawsky of Stitch in Dye.  Malka is one of my absolute favorite fabric idols.  Her release and over-dye techniques are incredible.  To have a bag made from her fabric, which I've never seen in person before, is an absolute treat. 

 But wait!  There is more.  She sent me an altered tin containing my very own mini nini.  How awesome is that?  I LOVE it.  DH tried snagging that too but I wouldn't let him! 

A giant thank you to BOTH of my Morse bag makers. 

On the Work Table Today

I have been running low on sunpainted shirts.  Spud 1 sells them all at a show in November.  I haven't been taking them to shows.  I end up trying to make them in October when the leaves are tough and drying.  Not such a great plan.  Now that I have a bunch of trimming to do in the yard, I have gotten the shirts out and am working on getting 'normal' sizes for November and baby shirts to re-stock the brick and mortar shop that sells them.  If I get ahead, I'll put some in the etsy shop. 

It isn't impossible to find plain onsies in garage sales and re-sale shops but it is almost impossible to find plain white t-shirts in adult sizes to upcycle.  I might have to break down and buy some new ones.  That will be a challenge for me.