Scrappy IPad Mini Case

I recently purchased an IPad Mini, and I didn't want to pay another $40-$50 for a nice commercial made case for it--but I did want it better protected when I took it with me---so I created this case from fabric scraps. Hence : THE SCRAPPY IPAD MINI CASE. The case has a velcro closure, and has a padded lining.

 front of case (with flap closed)

 front of case--with flap open

back of case

Now I can take my IPad Mini with me anywhere, and it is stylishly protected. Oh, and yes--I do like this device--especially for the portability.

Babie Quilts and Grandbabies

Here is sneak peek #2 of Arams' quilt-in-progress.  I must say--I am not really a quilter--I just end up creating quilts by default because a special occassion requires one and/or a daughter wants me to "make a quilt with her" and I end up sewing it (while she cuts the fabric). I am no seamtress....I like to sew but much the same as with my knitting I mostly don't use patterns--but alter clothing---or if I use a sewing pattern I alter the pattern. I'm not much a linear thinker so complicated quilt patterns just confuse me. I thought a strip quilt would be easy though and it proved to relatively uncomplicated.

This is a true "patchwork" quilt in the sense that I just used green and blue quilt cottons I had already had (thanks to my traveling friend Carol --who gave me a good deal of her green and blue quilt fabric stash before she took off to travel the world...) instead of going out a buying fabrics that were all coordinated.  I like designing a quilt buy buying fabrics--but it is a different process than creating a quilt top just using your fabric stash.

At any rate here is Aram's quilt top--minus the border(s) which I have yet to design and sew on....seems a fun start though and his Auntie Serenity and I had fun getting this far along with it...

and here is my new grandbaby Aram with his brother Jasper and his Pappa. Welcome Aram Adrian Micheletti to our family---may he enjoy this quilt....

Our family has been blessed with 2 babies this month...Aram born June 5th and now Caden born June 22nd! yupp!  two grandsons in one month! Here is Caden--about an hour old....I watched him arrive since I was invited to be present at his birth. All babies and parents are doing great....

                             welcome Caden Asher Gray to our family...

(Scroll down to see the blog post about Caden's quilt.....)

  After all, Our lives are like quilts - bits and pieces, joy and sorrow, stitched with love.

Sneak Pre-view of Baby Aram's Quilt

Here is a quick sneak pre-view of baby Aram's quilt. Aram is due in about 3 weeks! and his Auntie Serenity and I have been cutting and sewing....

 so now we have about 2/3 of the squares sewn and cut (more than I am showing here)...think it will be nice! once it is all sewn together...and has a border. And it is especially nice to work on this project along with a daughter ;-)

of course I will post finished photos here once it is finished! so check back...

BEAR OVER THE MOUNTAIN baby quilt

.

Finally finished this quilt after 30 years! yup---I started this quilt for my youngest daughter 30 years a go--but with a toddler and a baby I was just overwhelmed and never finished it...but I sure did keep all the pieces..for over 30 years. And so now I have finished for the baby she is expecting this June--a little boy!

Now most of these fabrics are considered vintage ;-) The quilt pattern  is called BEAR OVER THE MOUNTAIN. I am pleased at how it turned out after so many years a a WIP (= Work-in-progress).

Vintage Quilt as wallcovering...

I recently moved from one to room to a (larger!!:-) room in my co-op household. One large blank wall had numerous holes and really needed spackling and re-painting...but I didn't want to spend my time (right now anyway) doing this..so decided to hang a vintage quilt on the wall.

Turns out--it looks great !!! --really brightens up the room and I get to look at all the great vintage fabrics in the quilt every day.

the quilt top was sewn my one of my father's ancestor's--maybe my Grandmother? and my Mother added the backing and quilted it by hand with some of her friends.

 

I just love the vintage fabrics in this quilt!

the quilt provides a nice back drop to my computer design area....

Sketchbook Swap page #2

With a nod to the Gee Bend Quilts.....

Re-purposed sweaters baby blankie

I have been rather absent here as I hunt for a job---which, ironically, is a full time job--but now I think it is time to move on from my life transforming trip to Ghana, Africa and return to the main blog topic: creating crafty objects and art !

I have a special baby shower to attend this weekend and created several presents for the baby girl due to enter the world in June...first, I created a baby "blankie" intended for laying on the floor for the tiny baby to lie on and have "tummy time." This blankie is made of wool sweaters I felted (washing with soap or detergent and hot water in the machine, then drying in a hot dryer--felts a wool sweater up nicely)--then I cut squares, sewed them together---and since I thought the little "quilt" looked a bit plain--I used some wool crewel yarn to embroider flowers on some squares. The blankie is backed with colorful cotton flannel.


And I knit a little baby girl hat out of cottons...in spring colors.

Even though I have been absent here I have been busy creating more crafty objects--so will be returning to more regular blogging --and I have quite a bit to share with you! so do check back...

Bear Over the Mountain Crib Quilt : WIP

Hand appliqued, with embroidery details---these are calico's from the early '80's---yes, fabric & quilt squares I have had for that long! and moved several times along with me....the pattern is called "Bear Over the Mountain" and I have no idea where it is from...

I plan to make these 9 squares (which I originally created in 1981) into a crib quilt for the new grandbaby who will arrive in late August. I have always wanted to finish this quilt--- and pleased I now will. I'm thinking it might be fun to embroider some snow caps on the mountains...before I sew the squares all together.

Tree Quilt--Work in Progress (WIP)

So here is my last 2 days of the CREATIVE EVERY DAY challenge.

This small "quilt" is titled HOMAGE TO TREES and is part of a series of small mixed media (fabric and paper) quilts I am making on the theme of the Earth and the Environmental Crisis. This is a creative work in progress or WIP.

I started with a vintage deck of Tree Spotter cards
---stitched some cards together, added batting and a fabric backing--and now I'm working on embellishing with buttons, beads and embroidery. I will use the green leaf fabric as a border---and plan to hand quilt the borders....











"I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do." --Willa Cather

Fabric Inchies!

My friend Kari--from Sitka, Alaska--came for a visit and to play in my studio---we made fabric INCHIES! only ours are "inchie +" because we made ours 1.5" x 1.5" ---instead of 1 inch by 1 inch---so we call them "inchie plus" or "plus size inchies" or just "PSI"....
These were a fun quick project---here are some of mine--or the ones I have finished so far...I'm planning to sew pinbacks on these---and presto! instant holiday gifts ;-)




For those who are wondering--an "inchie" is a 1" x1" (or 1.5" x 1.5") fiber square which you can embellish any way you want. This is great way to use up all those tiny bits of interesting fabrics and papers you just could not throw away. Then pull out your fun beads, buttons, and other trims and embellish away.



For great directions on how to make these--via the Quilting Arts Magazine website-- go here and scroll down--the directions area pdf file available for free.



Besides pins--I can think of so many other ways to use these---on a bag or purse as an accent, or even on a sweater. How about ear rings? or a colorful mobile to hang above a baby crib? they are fun to trade with other artists, also...anyone want to trade? just e-mail me.....

TODAYS QUOTE:

"The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open hand held out and waiting.
Choose:
For we meet by one or the other."
----Carl Sandburg

Bead Embellished Mini-Quilts

A while ago--one of my projects was a series of "mini-quilts." These are about 8.5" X 11.5" in size, and fun to make---since they are fast to finish up! Mostly sewed and quilted on the machine--with bead embroidery and buttons, plus some hand embroidery for embellishment. These are a nice project for using up small bits and pieces of fabric; some of the fabric here is old vintage fabric.



This one has more handstitching and less beadwork...but I love the different orange-ish fabrics--some of these fabrics are I got from my quilter friend Kari (from Sitka, Alaska.) She has the fabric stash to die for! (thanks, Kari!)

I had six of these small quilts hung all on one wall--they made a lovely display. As I make more, I move them around---take some down, or add more.

Quilts in Our Lives

I love vintage quilts, and have few of them around the house. So, here is a quick tour of some of the quilts in our house...the ones we are currently using. I have few my Great Grandmother made packed away.

This Tumbling Block quilt I bought at a garage sale (oh lucky day!) quite a few years ago--I love the combination of vintage fabrics and the quilting is all by hand. This quilt is large enough for a queen size bed. An old quilt like this makes me wonder about the women whose hands stitched it? (or was it a man?) what was she like? who did she make this quilt for? where did she learn to quilt?

Here is a close up--so you can see the quilting and the vintage fabrics.

This quilt I inherited from my Mother. The top was pieced by a relative on my father's side of the family and my Mother finished the quilt and quilted it--with some friends--by hand. The quilt top is also all vintage fabrics, the backing is not. Fits a queen size bed.




This is another surprising garage sale find--a cotton flannel quilt! the pink triangles were beige until I washed the quilt and the red flannel colors stained the beige pink. The backing of this quilt is flannel also....this quilt is so comfy and warm...we use it as a lap quilt when we watch TV or read. This quilt is large enough for a full bed size.

This is an old wool crazy quilt I bought last winter at the Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale---the back is wool also. The wool in this small lap quilt is very fine and scratchy---probably from old men's suits. The embroidery stitching is done in wool, also. This quilt is old and funky--some holes (which I intend to mend), but I just fell in love with it.
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TODAY'S QUOTE:

Every single one of us has a good work to do in life. This good work not only accomplishes something needed in the world, but completes something in us. When it is finished, a new work emerges that will help make green a desert place as well as scale another mountain inside ourselves.
— Elizabeth O'Connor quoted in Living the Truth

Needleworkers Unite!

A small mixed media art quilt to honor our Needlework Salon or "Sewing Circle", which meets monthly at my house. The central image is the cover from an old set of needles I inherited from my mother-in-law, who was quite the seamstress. I do love those old vintage needle cases! Pieced on the machine and then embellished with embroidery.