Power of Ten

I first read about the Power of Ten and the way to implement it in a Newsletter of Texas Quiltworks. It is also described on this blog. I do it a bit differently though.

Floral Kaleidoscope- DIC

I like to concentrate on a project for as long as possible or till my attention slip- or fear for in case I will not manage to pull it off, get the better of me.

For me a list of ten Delayed In Construction projects to work on simultaneously is to much. I do like to list all the projects I want to work on and it might be more than 10. Then I choose 3-4 where one might be a hand project, the other a quilting project and then a project that is still in the piecing stage. I might also add an embroidery project.

If one formalize the projects by listing them it serves as a reminder. One can also plan better and when you have a specific goal you are working towards you work more intentionally and do not while away time playing on the computer, checking email and blogs or just wasting time.

In the next couple of weeks I will discuss the projects that I have not featured up to now on my blog, one by one to show the progress I have made. I will also list it on my Quilts 2012 list and move it to the complete section as I manage to finish it.

What do you do to keep you motivated to work on old projects?

Doing my book...without it

As a regular reader of organizational blogs and student of several books on the topic- it might surprise you that I am still looking for things I have misplaced. I wanted to "do" the book of Karen Linduska. Your Machine's Decorative Stitches.

I could not find the book here at home in one of my several bookcases with quilting books. So I start with a small project working from memory. I have done a bit of crazy patchwork with my Bernina Artista 170 but I have forget about all the lovely stitches it had. So instead of working whimsical I use stitches that look like grass and small plants etc. It did not really showed up well but I had a lot of fun. I needle felted some wool roving to use as flowers and that was fun too.

When I finally got hold of my book I add some more whimsical stitches. I completed my project with wool couched to the edge with a zig-zag stitch. (I also know why some people put a loop in the corner- although I was careful the corners pulled to tight and it does not lie flat in the corners.)

Lost and Found

I thought my camera had disappeared. I could not find it anywhere and without it I could not blog. Luckily I retrieved it this week end- it was at Melkbos.

I am still working on some of the Zanki designs- to test the files I have converted to ART designs. Everytime that I work with these designs I just get new respect for the real artist Susan Wessels is.

Just look at the Degas Dancer. I try to select colours as closely to these she suggested. With every colour that I added the design came to life and start to resemble that of the original Artist more. I am sure Degas would applauded Susan.

Here it is- nearly completed

The completed dancer- a true work of Art.

You can find her designs on her website at http://www.zankidesigns.com

Good Habits

I am an avid reader of Self-help books. I must say it did not really help or improve myself a lot. Even though I read the 7 Habits almost 20 years ago when it first came out and found it most inspiring, it did not bear fruits. Perhaps one become more yourself?

The biggest struggle in my life is to become more organized and create less cluttered  and stress free surroundings. Here I fail completely- I think mainly because I just have to much stuff and hoarding more and more. The UFO's I create, do nothing to reduce this and contribute to stress.

Lately I have been influenced by Leo Babauta and his blog Zen habits. He has changed his lifestyle with small daily habits. I needed to loose weight but know from past experience that it is almost impossible. I also have sleeping problems and are lacking energy. So I started quitting coffee and alcohol as well as refined sugar. Then I started walking daily- my husband join me in this and it has become a good daily habit. I eat healthy foods in very small portions. I have lost 6 kg over the last 2 months and has still a lot more to loose. I take it one day at a time, making sure I drink water whenever I think I am hungry.

When you use your fabric.

Since the beginning of the year I tried to get my studio cleaned up. This lead to very little quilting- not because this job kept me so busy but because I was resisting going into my studio. Over the last year a bad habit of spending to much time at the computer was created and I need to change this. I read a lot of blogs in my most productive times. I also just whiled away the time.

I have stacked my fabric in a different way- hoping to be able to get to more of my fabric (I just have to much of it- never thought I would admit or say it!)

Shelves to the left still need to be straightened.

This weekend I tackled my shelves. Although it might not look like a big improvement- I have removed things that was taking up space and do not belong or are used in this room. I have filled two big garbage bags. I have created space on my shelves for WIP so that my tabletops are nearly clean. I just need to move my ironing board and industrial machine and will then have a "new" room layout.

I spent the last 3 months dividing my time between the farm and Melkbosstrand where we have another building project. I am also busy with 3 internet courses and an applique project with Hanlie from our Paarl/Durbanville Bernina. I am teaching at Swartland guild and preparing for a workshop next month. This will also be the topic of a retreat that will run at Porterville hotel in June.

The current self help book that I read is: The Compound Effect. Here the practice of daily habits to get to your goal are also emphasized. Darren Hardy described how he decided to make a note everyday of things he appreciate in his wife. He presented her with this journal the next year at Thanksgiving. She was in tears- but the effect on him was that he fall in love with his wife all over again. This is quite inspiring. I have already started to note my husbands very good qualities. I will now make it a practice to communicate my appreciation of him everyday. (He does a lot of annoying things as well- but I will concentrate on the good things!)

Struggeling with quilting

I am quilting my third quilt on the frame and I am struggling. I was really wishing that I had a long arm teacher and did not have to figure everything out on my own. My Bernina do not like invisible monofilament thread when I quilt on the frame. So I was so glad when my order of Invisafil arrived. This is a lovely fine, fine thread and on my white quilt would have the invisible look I want for ditch quilting.

My thread indicator continuously show thread breakage and the machine stopped. There was none, so after several "unnecessary" stops I switched the indicator off. Then my thread started to brake as soon as I speed up a bit. Frustrated and feeling helpless I googled Invisafil and longarm quilting.  I read that a longarm quilter said she has to go super slow when using Invisafil and think she will charge clients more if they insist on her using it for their quilts.

I started to work more slowly, I switched the thread breakage indicator on and the machine stop before the thread brake. I then see that there is a spin on the thread as soon as I speed up. Using the thread stand on top of the machine did not eliminate the problem. Decreasing the tension even more (to 0.5) made it a bit better. This is really a lovely thread and it produce stunning results- it is nearly invisible without the tension problems that the monofilament create.

As soon as I started to do free motion patterns in the border no cure wanted to work. So I have decided  I will use this thread as a bobbin thread and on a low low tension for ditch work.

I am a follower of the blog: Expert Enough and this article relates so well to machine quilting. We so often hear that to become good at machine quilting there is just one thing and that is practise, practise, practise. Corbett Barr say in this article that without quality added to make it deliberate practise, all this practising will not bear real fruit.

When I teach machine quilting I try to be very encouraging just to get students going- fear of stitching can turn a machine quilting class into a non sewing class. Yet, I realise I should also teach students to really look at what they stitched, what the ideal look is and urge them to narrow that gab with deliberate practise.

Diane Gaudynski is the Free motion teacher of the month at Sewcalgal. I have learnt machine quilting with the help of Harriet Hargrave and Debra Wagner's books but it was with Diane's input (through her books) that I really strived to do better. In this article she emphasis working slowly and precisely. I am once again inspired to do deliberate practise on the frame (I was ready to quit yesterday). Video's of longarm quilters create the impression that it is so easy. I can tell you it is hard!

For me the difficult thing is to have the same control I was used to when I was free motion quilting. Now I must 'drive' the machine and to get straight lines and smooth curves where you want it, is not so easy. I do have the advantage that what I want to quilt is already part of my DNA so I only have to concentrate on moving the machine to carry these patterns out.

Are there any other mid arm or frame quilters that can encourage me? Have you become an Expert Enough and what was the secrets of your deliberate practise? Please share these with me.

All holidays come to an end

My holiday ended in a  weekend working in the dairy. I cannot complain- I have worked two months ago. The holiday was very enjoyable. We moved into a new house (for us) in Melkbosstrand. Only a street is between us and the beach. We can see the sea and beach from our bed on the second floor. My husband push the sliding door wide open at night so it feel like a beach slumber party!

After we bought the house a lot of work still needed to be done and the painting was only completed on 23 December. My parents and two sisters and their families (20 people) shared Christmast day in our new house. A good plan- every one brought a few dishes so no one worked to hard.

Look at the beauty in the middle-she had some matching sandals and earrings.(My daughter on the left.)

My children help me to create the miracle of getting the rooms cleaned the furniture moved into the rooms and the last painting touches on an old cupboard and bed. I made fitted sheets till late on Christmast eve but at 9 o clock we ate some braaivleis and admired the fact that order was created and we were ready to recieved the family.

I have created a sewing room and a sewing area in the lounge in this house. I mainly concentrated on handwork to spent time in the company of my family. My delectable Mountain quilt was worked in rows and except for the last row the top is completed. I worked an another block for my tweets- sitting at a desk in the big lounge where I could look at the sea.

This year I will follow the advice of Zenhabits and not make new year resolutions or plans. Instead I will try to form new habits that will help me to get my house and sewing room organized and kept in order. I have also decided to really try and threw all old clothes, linens and shoes out. I will try to remove clutter and keep it at bay on a daily basis.

I do have a few thinks for my quilting life planned though. I am taking part in  TAST 2012 of Sharon B and if I do not do the fly stitch tonight- I am a week behind! In February I will do an online class on studio journals also with Sharon. I have the wonderful Art journal book of Cathy Johnson and will also try and create an Artist Journal this year.

I plan to study and "do" my textile Art, collage and Mixed media books one by one. I started with Jane Davilla and Elin Waterton's Art Quilt Workbook.

I will blog about my progress on this undertakings. I will also participate in the Free motion Quilt Challenge hosted by Sew Calgal just for fun and the sew a long. I am sure that I will do a lot of free motion quilting on my "Art quilts" this year. To develop free hand embroidery abilities one first need to know and learn the formal stitches. This I will learn in TAST 2012 and apply in the Crazy Quilt challenge.

Please follow my undertakings and remind me if you see that I slack down! If you thought you arrived at the wrong blog- I am sorry. I thought a new year should have a change for the better. While reading blogs I found it is easiest for my eyes to read a blog written on a white background. I search and found this template in Blogger- hope it help you to read more easily.

My first block completed

When I saw the lovely designs of Erin Russek's My Tweets, I thought it would be a good project to "learn" to applique. I ordered the centre block- the other 12 blocks are free; more or less around the 15 th of every month- and used Erin's method of preparing each piece before the time.

I did not like this method. I think it is a good method for this design but it just not fit the way I like to work. First I did not like the long preparation. Then my iron is not suitable and when I used my small travelling iron it broke. I think I also had my starch mix to concentrated and when a point form around the edge it was very difficult to even it out. I also realised that if I want to carry on with more intricate applique that do not have the flowing lines, I should learn to do needle turn applique. Over the years I have collected many applique books. I first study them.

Jane Townswick make complicated layered applique and I learned a lot. I was still searching for the ultimate experience though.(I think I may be able to use her techniques after some more experience at applique)

After seeing The Thimble lady on the Quilt show I ordered her book and starter applique kit. This book was most helpful. Liuxin Newman taught me that once you have folded the seam allowance in- you do not need to keep it that way. By pulling a little bit on the seam allowance with the tip of your needle you can sculpt the edge to produce a nicely rounded shape. I still did not know how to fit the applique piece to the background though. From experience I know that one might be able to fit the applique in the lines drawn on the background where you begin to applique- but it shift as you go along. I wanted a mark on my applique piece so that I can see what must be folded in- I did not just want to eyeball it. Here is a lot of valuable info- perhaps if I am a bit more experienced I will be able to apply more of her suggestions.

I have admired Sandra Leichner's quilt Tea with Miss D and when I saw her book I wanted to get hold of it. At first I was a bit dissapointed. I think her editors took out a lot of vital information from the book. (She said no; they want the emphasis on the embroidery.) For instance she list thick table cloth type of plastic in her supplies- but do not explain how to use it. Then I found her blog. On her blog she describe many things in detail- even the make of the fabrics she is using, the needle she prefer and background fabrics. This was what I was looking for. I also realize how I could enhance and individualize my applique blocks.

I have only completed the first block. The flower at the bottom was my first attempt with her method and it does not look so good. I might remove and replace it later.

Some of the leaves also did not turn out so nice. The reason is the fullness of the seam allowance underneath and the difficulty to distribute the seam allowance evenly. With Sandra's help (I studied her blog till 2009) I have learned to use pins and section the seam. The first leaves was not so successful but I am getting better as I move along.

My center block still need some flowers. They have individual petals and I could not stand "preparing" them with starch over the template. I am working on block 2 now but will go back to the center block when I have completed this block as well. I think it will give me the practice I will need to get the dimpled petals right.

Two of the most useful tips I also read in Sandra's book. The one is to cut the seam allowance of the seam already worked away to make space for the seam allowance at the tip of a leave. The other good advice I got from her, but also from Jane Townswick is to cut petals and leaves (and any applique shape you can) so that most of the edges are on the bias. It is much easier to get a bias edge to behave than a straight or crosswise grain edge.

I found a new love in applique. At this stage I need to concentrate on every stitch but it creates a peacefulness and quietness in my soul. At the end of an applique session I feel whole and at peace with myself. As I gain more confidence and see that I am really in charge and the fabric is "listening" to me and behave on my instruction I know that this is something that I will keep on doing!

An 8 day Course

Since Monday I have been teaching 5 ladies of the Clover Mama Africa project. They are all experience sewers and have done several courses. Today the first 2 quilt tops (2 m X 2 m- about 6 ft square) was completed.

In this week they have practiced several techniques making basic units. We started with checkerboards. Then a strip pieced checkerboard border was made.

They also start hand piecing the basket blocks.

Piecing multiple Half Square Triangles and trimming them to siz, gave hassle free results for an outer border. In making 6 Ribbons star variations, the basic units of Square in a Square and Flying Geese was made to complete these blocks. The next day they made Ohio Star variation blocks, with Quarter Square triangles as main technique.

Antionette and Hettie came from Durbanville to show the interesting technique to apply circles- these blocks were used in the  corners of the quilt.

The center block was tackled last. All of them made a perfect 8 point star- applying the mantra of "keeping the  part that will be in the center"on your left hand when you press the two diamond units and also the 4 diamond units. They then made a "cross". The four corner units with their set in seams were constructed. These units were then set- in with the "cross" unit

Yesterday they start sewing on the borders and blocks. Today the basket blocks was completed and the handles appliqued by machine.

 At the end of the day we have basted one top in the basting frame. A second top was completed and we hang it on the wall to admire. Tomorrow the other three will be completed and basted.

Tomorrow they will also start with ditch quilting to anchor the seams, prevent shifting of the layers and stabilize the quilt. Once this is done we can quilt the borders and bind the quilt. They will practice some free motion quilting to be able to fill in some details in their quilts when they go home.

For a teacher it is a relieve when students have successfully completed their assignments and I am very proud of the high standard of their workmanship! Congratulations to all of you!

Pencil Rolls completed

I had a new plan for my pencil rolls. This time I cut the strips for the part that will keep the pencil at 1 and 1/2 inch (Actually 4 cm- I work in decimals- 25 units to an inch). For the bottom part I sewed the same 2,5 cm (1inch) strips but this time I worked on the Industrial Bernina and moved the needle all the way to the right(gives a 5 mm seam allowance- giving me 2 mm more on each of this.

Then I got the great idea to embroider the outside of the roll (which was a real waste of time- because one never see it) but I also embroidered the flap and that look nice. If I knew or realized that one will only see the embroidery on the flap, I would have taken more time to select the best looking designs for this. I used a coarsely woven thick fabric for the outside and unfortunately many of the embroidery stitches sink into the fabric and was not that visible. This is when one either select  another fabric or sew on a water soluble (the plastic like) stabilizer. I did neither so the embroidery only look so-so.

My plan was to sew the pieced part and the outside fabric together- right sides facing and then turn the right sides out giving a self faced result. Hereby I would eliminate sewing bindings on. Unfortunately the thick backing fabric was again my downfall. Also if you want to do that- you should not end your strip with a place for a pencil- the pencil pop out and do not look neat. You should add a strip of fabric first.

Well I thought with the thick fabric the best would just be to use bindings. So that was what I did. I gave quite a bit of thought on how to close this and decided on two pieces of elastic- one on the top and one at the bottom.

So I completed my 5 pencil cases and got and extra one plus the faulty one- I must still decide if I will unpick it and complete it with bindings, use it like it is and hate it, or throw it away.

Harvest time

We started harvesting on Monday. I was out yesterday to a fun class and forgot to take the photo of the ripe wheat- the view from my front porch. When I reach home I saw the camp was already harvested- well there is always next year- except next year that camp will be for grazing, so then it will be in 2013.

This is the little coloured window on the side walls of the porch- this is very typical of a Victorian era home.

I have completed my crazy patches that will go individually on the bags. I am a real novice on crazy piecing. I did it by machine and did the seam treatments with machine embroidery stitches. I have made a study of Crazy Patch blogs and have discovered another world! Check out Sharonb's website if you want tons of information.

Machine stitches fail to give the texture and the complexity that hand stitches can give. I can also see that this is a great way to be adventurous with beads and adding laces and trims. I got the beading video of Lyric Kinard- Bead it like you mean it and could apply a lot of what I learned in this DVD on my crazy patches.