Happy New Year!

Nova Godina (Bulgarian)
Xin Nian Kuai Le (Chinese)
GELUKKIG NIEUWJAAR! (Dutch)
Bonne Annee (French)
Hauoli Makahiki Hou (Haiwaiian)
Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit (Irish)
Feliz Ano ~Nuevo (Spanish)


I wish you all the best
in the upcoming year!

Placemat Sets in the Works

This week sewing has been all about placemats.  Currently, I have 32 in progress.  That is, eight sets of four placemats, each set in different fabrics.

I have been finishing one step at a time on all sets, assembly line style.  Choosing the fabrics, and cutting was the first step.  Now I am in the piecing phase.  Next comes attaching the batting and backing.  And finally quilting.

It is taking awhile for each step of the process, but I have been enjoying it.  And it should be edifying to have 8 sets done at once.  I will be listing them in my kimbuktu shop, which has been getting pretty bare of late.

Here is a peek at a few of the fabrics I've used.

My Quilting Magazine Obsession

I used to treat myself to one Quilting Magazine subscription per year.  When the year was over, I could choose a different magazine for the following year.  At that time, it seemed that there were only a handful of magazines to choose from.

But now, there is a plethora of new issues to choose from each month.  When I go into the grocery store, or my local Joanne's, I almost always stop by the magazine rack and see if there is anything new.  And usually I walk out with at least one.   This addiction can get expensive!

I suppose I could go back to buying a subscription of one or two magazines a year, it would be more cost effective that way.  But I have a suspicion that I would still be stopping by that magazine rack searching for the latest quilt designs and fabrics.

Anyone else have this obsession?

Maybe we could start a Quilter's Anonymous chapter.

Listed Some New Fabrics

I hope you are all are enjoying the holidays, and getting in some relaxation time.  We just got home from a wonderful visit with our daughter's family.  Just can't get too much of that grandbaby snuggling!

I've listed three beautiful Floragraphix fabrics from Jason Yenter  in my shop.   These are available by the yard, or in an assortment of 1/3 yard of each.

It is getting closer to the Grand Opening scheduled in January.  Stay tuned for some giveaway news, and special shipping deals.

Right now you get a mini pack of my thread tamers free with any order.

Merry Christmas!

Hoping You All Have a Joyous Christmas!

Had a Brainstorm

Or maybe just an afternoon shower :o)

Anyway, this is how my mind works sometimes - I sat down at my sewing machine to sew the binding for my latest quilt, and noticed that I needed a darker thread.  So I went to my craft room, found a brown thread, and then decided that I might as well wind a bobbin on my sidewinder with the darker thread. As that was winding, I noticed how messy my thread collection was getting, thread ends unwinding and tangling together everywhere.  Where was that special plastic tape I had bought awhile back to try and correct that problem?  Once I found the tape, I discovered that it was too big, and would need to be cut down to fit the spools of thread.  So I cut it down (pinking looked nice) and wrapped a spool or two.  Looked good, worked well, but was hard to see where the tape began.  What if I stamped an image on one end ....Long story short, hours later I had a new notion for my fabric store.

I didn't remember the quilt binding until I happened upon my sewing machine later, still with its little light on, patiently waiting.

Seriously though, I will be giving three of these nifty thread tamers away with every order from Fabric Fascination.  They can also be purchased in packs of twelve from my shop.  And incidentally, this is item number 50 for my new shop!

A Handmade Wreath

My daughter made this wreath for us.  It now hangs on our front door.  She made two, one a very formal clean design, and this one, a more asymmetrical and loose design.  It was hard to choose which I wanted (she let me pick), because I like them both.  The acorns were all gathered from her yard, where there are a number of very tall oak trees.

Five days until Christmas.  I'm really looking forward to spending time with my family.

The Christmas Stocking

I am gathering goodies for Christmas Stockings.  As far as presents go, the Christmas stocking is my favorite part.  Over the years, I have made a rather large stocking (quilted of course) for each family member, decorated with holiday florals, ribbons, bells, and other glitz.  Now I get to stuff them.  And believe me, it takes a lot to fill these babies!

Right now,  nametags are laid out on my craft room floor, along with the stocking stuffers that I have so far, arranged below each name.  This way I can see who has enough, and who I still need to buy for.

Stocking stuffers can be anything.  Inexpensive items from the dollar store like cosmetics, gag gifts and children's toys.  More costly ones like gift cards for a local bookstore, or craft store, or small tools for the guys from Home Depot.  There are doll clothes for the little girls, and makeup for the older ones.  The babies get soft stuffed animals, and toys that make noise.  Food goes in too  - sausage, cheese, Jalapeno chips, fancy chocolates, and peanuts. Really, anything small enough to fit ... goes in.

Then I carefully arrange which items peek out of the top of each stocking, to make it look the most appealing. Once all the gifts are in, I fill up any empty spaces with fruit, candy, and other snacks.

I'm not sure why I like the stocking part so much.  I guess because the process is just plain fun.  It is so mysterious to dip your hand down into that seemingly bottomless leg, wondering what will come out next, and when will you ever get to that last little goodie tucked into the tippy tippy toe.

I hope you all are enjoying your holiday preparations!

Bali Pops Have Arrived!

I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this shipment of bali pops.  As I pulled into my driveway today, there they were, left by my friend the U.P.S. man.

(Just in case anyone is not familiar with the term, these are the batik version of jelly rolls.)

Six luscious colorways arrived - Mocha Mint, Cappuccino, Green Tea, Berry Bliss, Spumoni, and Cotton Candy.  Don't they sound edible!  I can't wait to list them in my shop.

But first, I must decide which one I want to keep for myself .  There are so many fun ways to play with bali pops.   Here's a free quilt pattern using the Spumoni bali pop set called "Breaking Waves" by Daniela Stout for Hoffman:

Or how about these bowls, boxes, and bags made with reinforced clothesline and bali pops. 

Patterns are available for sale at Clotilde.





Did I mention that I love batiks!

Restoring Order

How nice to have a day at home, to savor a cup of tea, no deadlines (other than the ones I set for myself).  Time to catch up on watering the plants, talk to my granddaughters on the phone, address a postcard, do a little housecleaning and organizing, getting a week's worth of mail off the dining room table.  In short -putting my home in order.

And I have promised myself that any sewing which goes on today will be for my family, not my business.  Christmas is just around the corner, and projects are waiting to be finished up, including a Christmas stocking for the newest member of our family.

So I'm off to return some shoes, but first some yoga ....

The Joy of Handmade

As I put on some earrings this morning, I thought about how nice it was that I had met and talked with the man who had crafted them, and how special that made them to me.  The earrings are made from wood veneers, unbelievably tiny quilt blocks individually cut and carefully glued.  I love them because they are quilt related, but even more because they are handmade.

Here are a few other wonderful and unique handmade items available on Etsy.  Wouldn't someone you love enjoy one of these for Christmas instead of a mass produced something or other from Wal-mart?

How about this sweet little girl's jacket

from Hana and Violet's Shop 

For him, a beautifully crafted pen by DCWoodcrafts

Who doesn't love to write down their thoughts, plans, and ideas in a lovely journal?

This one is by Sue Bleiweiss

 







If you are looking for a cute and comfortable bag, check out this Abigail bag from my kimbuktu  shop.

Last, but not least, for the baby in your life, how about a gift they can hand down to their children.  This quilt is from Kim's Crafty Apple

 Buy handmade just for the joy of it, and say....

Who Loves Batiks?

I just got in a shipment of beautiful batiks from Hoffman Fabrics and thought I would share a little about batiks.



How Batiks are Made   (Wikipedia)

Melted wax is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common  to use a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The beeswax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colours are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.

Thin wax lines are made with a canting, a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps.

Blue Batik Rail Fence by Bungalow Quilts

After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character. This traditional method of batik making is called batik tulis.

For batik prada, gold leaf was used in the Yogjakarta and Surakarta area.  It was applied to the fabric using a handmade glue consisting of egg white or linseed oil and yellow earth. The gold would remain on the cloth even after it had been washed. The gold could follow the design of the cloth or could take on its own design. Older batiks could be given a new look by applying gold to them.

Round and Round Batiks by Erika Lynne Designs

The application of wax with a canting is done with great care and therefore is very time-consuming. As the population increased and commercial demand rose, time-saving methods evolved. Other methods of applying the wax to the fabric include pouring the liquid wax, painting the wax with a brush, and putting hot wax onto pre-carved wooden or copper block and stamping  the fabric.

The invention of the copper  block revolutionized batik production. By block printing the wax onto the fabric, it became possible to mass-produce designs and intricate patterns much faster than one could possibly do by using a canting.

Note: "Batik Print" is the common name given to fabric which incorporates batik pattern without actually using the wax resist dyeing technique.

Sockeye Salmon by Black River Batiks

 Batik Tissue Cozys from my Kimbuktu Shop

Here are a few tutorials on how to make your own batik fabric:

Craftown

Sven Gallery

All About Hand Dying

Some Things to Do with Yo-Yo's

I've been having fun listing die cut shapes like these in my fabricfascination shop:

Yo-yo's are great for many sewing and crafting projects.  This size makes a really cute yo-yo like the ones in this necklace by yoyo cottage.

 I like the way Robayre used them in her framed yo-yos

Or how about this cute headband by lovejill 

 

Then there is this lovely wall quilt by MoranArtandQuilts

 

And if you are really ambitious, you can make a whole quilt out of yoyos like this vintage one for sale in

vintagemercantile's shop.

Just a few examples of what you can do with yoyos.

The Big News Today!

I got home from an all day seminar to find the Quiltsy Team had been featured in a Storque article on Etsy.   How much fun is that!  Check out the full article here.  I had the priviledge of coordinating this huge project with another team leader Pamelaquilts.  The team worked together wonderfully from donating fabric, to sewing blocks, piecing the blocks together, and quilting the 9 foot long panels.  I love the way they turned out, and it is so great that Etsy appreciates the work that went into them.  Yay Team!

Some New Arrivals in My Shop

Thought I would show off some of the new arrivals in my FabricFascination Shop.

Nothing like flannel to say "warm" this time of year.  This 100% cotton heavyweight flannel would be great in a bathrobe or adult sleepwear.  Not suitable for children's sleepwear.

Gold Cotton Flannel  with Leaves and Berries

Bible Verses on Natural

This fabric would work wonderfully as a quilt back for a baby quilt, or in numerous crafting projects.

Another beautiful fabric by Kaffe Fassett this one is in rich pumpkin tones.

Kaffe Fassett Paperweight in Pumpkin

Lastly, a new one from Valori Wells Del Hi Collection.  Kind of  makes one want to get out their crayons and do some coloring.

Paisley from the Del Hi Collection by Valori Wells

Lots more in my shop, including die cuts, kona cottons, and batiks.