cut, crop & die

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OK, I don’t normally write book reviews when I’m only halfway finished reading the book, but I’ll make an exception this time. Cut, Crop & Die (A Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery) by Joanna Campbell Slan is a free Kindle download during May 2012. So I don’t want you to have to wait for me to finish and by then the offer is over.

I’ll tell you what I think so far, then you can download and read it for yourself. (If you don’t have a Kindle there’s even a free Kindle Reading App for your phone, computer, or tablet.) If you don’t like it, you can always delete it.

Cut, Crop & Die is an enjoyable summer read with funny, likable characters. It’s comforting to read a book where the characters share an obsession with you. Like the creative quilters in Jennifer Chiaverini’s Elm Creek Quilt Novels, Kiki Lowenstein and her pals in this mystery series are avid scrapbookers. Quilt guild meetings, crop parties. Stuff my friends and I do. Hopefully except for the murder-mystery part, that is.

So this summer when you’re lounging at the beach, why not read Cut, Crop & Die. It’s really too impractical to lug your crafting tote through all that sand, and the sun and salt water is no good for photographs, anyways. (Although you could get in a good fabric dying session at the beach.) Not only will you enjoy a charming book, the scrapbooking tips sprinkled throughout the story just might spark your creative juices and perhaps inspire you to bring out your scrapbooking supplies when the sun goes down for a crop party of your own. If you’ll excuse me, I have Cut, Crop & Die on my Kindle app and afternoon sunshine calling, so enjoy!

What’s on your summer reading (or crafting) list?

 

quilt showing

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Ever wonder why quilt show drapes are black?

Could have something to do with the fact that every little thread and bit of lint shows up like crazy on a white background. Still, I prefer the way my quilts look on a white drape.

Maybe it’s because I use a lot of strong colors, as well as a fair bit of black, and sometimes my quilts fade into the background when displayed on a black drape. Or I might just be used to seeing art hanging on white walls at galleries and museums, and my quilts tend toward the art quilt side of the spectrum. (Take a look at these posts to see what quilts and textile art look like on white: Virtual Fiber Art Show | A Gallery of Quilts from IQA Long Beach 2009.)

Either way, I’ve been packing for my booth at the SCCQG Meet the Teachers event tomorrow, and I’ve been busy picking threads off my polar fleece drape. Your guess is as good as mine as to why I’m using polar fleece for my drape, but it’s too late to help that now. Here it is:

If you’re going to Meet the Teachers, stop by and say hello. I’d love to meet you!

step by step to the studio of your dreams

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If you’ve seen photos of my studio, then you know that nobody is likely to mistake me for a professional organizer. But with a little help from Carolyn Woods, professional organizer, quilter, and author of Organizing Solutions for Every Quilter, you just never know. Anything could happen.

Step by step Carolyn takes you through the process from chaos and clutter to organization and finally, how to maintain your organization so you don’t find yourself buried in clutter a few months (or weeks) later. Great idea! Staying organized. Why didn’t I think of that?

Whether you have an entire room or just a corner to devote to your quilting, you’ll learn to make the most of your space.

Here’s my cutting station with rulers, mats, scissors, and rotary cutters accessible and ready when I need them. It’s also convenient and easy to put the tools away here when I’m finished with them, so they’re always right where they belong when I need them!

Carolyn also covers storage options for fabric, thread/notions, projects/UFOs, portable storage for quilting on-the-go, and long-term storage/display. Her friendly step-by-step method helps make each task seem manageable. Lots of eye candy to inspire you to make the most of your quilting space, large or small.

Here’s my CD-turned-fat-quarter storage area. It’s right by the door to my studio and this is where my new fabric goes when I first come home with it. (Other sizes of fabric fit well, too.) This way I can always find my new fabric when it comes time to use it, and it doesn’t get mixed up with the already-washed fabric. Looks like I have a little more space left before I’ll have to do a few wash loads of fabric.

I’m still working on the rest of my studio, but will give you updates from time to time. Feel free to share photos of your quilting space. Together we can beat the clutter and create a fabulous place to quilt!

a modern quilt along

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SeamedUPThe Modern Blocks Quilt Along is starting today! You can join in at SeamedUp.com. Stop by each day to find out what that day’s block is, learn more about the block’s designer and fabric, and see what color and fabric choices other members use when they make the blocks. (That’s always one of my favorite things about quilting: seeing what colors and fabrics other people choose.)

The blocks for the Quilt Along come from the book, Modern Blocks: 99 Quilt Blocks from Your Favorite Designers. These 12-inch blocks are fresh, fun, and beginner-friendly. So come quilt along with us!

What is SeamedUp, you ask? It’s a new online fabric crafting community where you can keep track of your fabric stash, patterns, and projects, discover what’s new in the world of fabric, as well as share photos and ideas with fellow fabric enthusiasts. Sign up at SeamedUp or take a video tour below with founder BryeLynn.

art with curves

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Penny Candy, by Julie Nutting

I’m excited to announce an all-women’s art exhibit at the Fontana Art Center (8536 Sierra Avenue, Fontana, CA (909) 823-6036), now through December 11, 2011. Featuring:

If you’re local to southern California, please join us for the artist reception, November 12, 7-9 pm. For those of you too far away to attend the show, stay tuned for an online virtual art show!

 

Enter to win a copy of Modern Blocks: 99 Quilt Blocks from Your Favorite Designers (Giveaway ends Sunday, November 13, 2011)

modern blocks

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C&T Publishing/Stash Books debuted a new book this year at International Quilt Festival. Well, actually, quite a few great books. This is only one of them. Scroll down to the end of this post to find out how you can win a copy.

Modern Blocks: 99 Quilt Blocks from Your Favorite Designers

Really. Fun. 12-inch blocks to mix, match, and make your own. Piecing, applique, paper-piecing, and embroidery. Beginner friendly. Something for everyone.

Check out my block from the book below, Quarter-Cut Daisy. I’ve finished the center panel, and am now contemplating what to do with the borders. I’ve got 8 extra sashing strips, so I suspect that once upon a time I had planned to make 4 more blocks for the corners of the quilt. Hmm…

Here’s a peek at a few of my favorite blocks from the book:


After Hours
by Louise Papas


Fungus Family Portrait
by Amy Sinibaldi


Missing Your Kiss
by Penny Michelle Layman


Mondrian
by Jamie Moilanen

Besides being a wonderful collection of quilt block patterns, this fun book also dishes up a generous serving of eye candy. You can find Modern Blocks on Amazon or as an eBook download from C&T Publishing.

I’m also giving away one eBook copy to a lucky reader! Just leave a comment telling me your favorite kind of quilt block, currently. After all, a quilter has the right to change her (or his) mind from time to time. If you want to add a link to a photo of one of your favorite quilt blocks, that’s even better. One can never have too much eye candy to enjoy! The giveaway begins Friday, November 4, 2011 and ends Sunday, November 13, 2011.

Happy quilting! :)

collage couture

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I’ve always wanted to try my hand at paper collage. Not long ago I was privileged to take a class with collage artist and author, Julie Nutting. It was a perfect way to spend an afternoon, like playing paper dolls with friends, only better. (I highly recommend Julie’s classes if you ever have the chance. If not, try her charming and informative book, Collage Couture: Techniques for Creating Fashionable Art.)

A little bit like art quilting except with paper and glue, I definitely want to make more. Check out Julie’s book below. It has lessons in drawing fashion figures, as well as many collage techniques, different projects from paper art to wall pieces to gifts, and let’s not forget, a generous portion of eye candy.


Find “Collage Couture: Techniques for Creating Fashionable Art” on Amazon
Visit Julie Nutting’s website

fabric friday: pandamonium

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Ever visit Spoonflower.com? It’s a website where you can design your own custom fabric and have your designs printed on various types of fabric: cotton, canvas, silk, etc.

Here’s a swatch (8″ x 8″) of a fabric I designed and had printed recently at Spoonflower:

What fun to design your very own fabric! Just don’t get so distracted that you never get around to actually making a quilt.

Here’s my Pandamonium Collection so far:

Pandamonium Collection by Laura West Kong

It’s a bit pricey, ($18/yard to shop other designers and $16.20/yard with designer discount when buying your own designs) but not a bad deal considering that you get to design your own fabric, exactly the way you want it.  Now I just have to design a quilt to go with it!

Here’s a link to the Spoonflower website and to my fabric at Spoonflower.

What kind of fabric would you like to design?

quilt-cation fabrications

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On a proper quilt-cation, you cannot simply lie on the beach even if you think about quilts the whole time. You also need to make a quilt. Starting a UFO is OK too, even preferable to making an entire quilt, because there is much less stress involved when there is no firm deadline to finish. You can just play! :-)

The hat above is part of the quilt top that I worked (ahem, played) on while on quilt-cation. (Photoshopped for secrecy. I’m not ready to reveal more just yet…)

I used the same painting with fusible fabric technique that I used on No Paints Were Harmed in the Making of this Quilt and Magritte and Me. Now I’m back to work, even in my quilting studio, so I’ll continue on this particular quilt Labor Day weekend for a mini quilt-cation.

A very important detail when planning a quilt-cation is fabric. Here’s my suitcase of quilt-cation fabric. I hand-carried it with me onto the plane because it would definitely be a disaster if the fabric got lost along the way.

THE FABRIC I BROUGHT

Most of that is what I packed and brought, although I did order 8 or 10 yards online and had it shipped to my destination. I bought some irresistible batiks at Quilt Lovers’ Hangout in Fort Myers, Florida as well.

There is a delicate balance when packing fabric for a quilt-cation. You don’t want to be in the middle of a project and realize the exact piece you need is still in your stash at home, but you don’t want to pack your entire stash either, even if you could fit it all into a suitcase. And you definitely want to leave some room for the fabulous fabric that you will find at the local quilt shops near your destination.

Luckily there was just enough room in the suitcase to fit all my fabric for the return trip. Expandable suitcases are great for this, but in case of fabric shopping overload you can always mail your extra fabric back home.

But the real question is, how much of that quilt-cation fabric did I actually use?  For my quilt-cation project, 8×10 inch pieces, not 1/2 and 1-yard cuts would have been more than sufficient. I’ll know better next time…

THE FABRIC I USED

Happy quiltcation! :-)

How do you pack for a quilt-cation? What kinds of projects do you like to make?

Read more:
Quilt-cation
Quilt-cation inspirations