Ribbon Storage Idea

Look what I found on Etsy: a wood ribbon storage rack. Boy I need one of these! My ribbons are stored in various plastic boxes, which is fine, but I don't know which boxes. Haha. Check out Jim Robertson's Etsy store: Creative Visions Woodworking. He's willing to do custom orders to help you with your storage needs.

I have a question...

 I'm making another little quilt featuring words, letters, calligraphy etc. and I'd like to know what language this is (on the dark taupe background). Does anyone know? Chinese, Japanese, something else? It could even be upside down. Thanks for your help.  :)

Christmas Banner Artwork from Poland

Did you know that you can have a custom banner made for your Etsy store for only $9 from Magnesina in Poland? I really like this banner. It's just what I wanted.

I'm adding a big collection of doll/wall quilts to my store priced at $25. My 24 yr-old son saw all the little quilts and said "Oh, quilts for babies' babies." They aren't babyish though; they'd also make nice wall quilts. I cut into my Kaffe fabrics for the most recent batch of little quilts. I love those colors! Have a look; you might want to whip up some for gifts. They're fun to make.

Lisa's Memorial Bears!

Lisa Schultheis from New Jersey has a wonderful idea! She makes bears from sport jackets or dresses. She made a bear using the dress her mother wore to her brother's wedding and gave it to him the Christmas after their mother passed away. What a sweet idea! Lisa sells them for about $25 on her Esty store: earthluv. This bear is about 18" tall. Lovable, don't you think?

Amelia's Mosaic Gingerbread House

This is my wonderful niece Amelia from Vermont. Yesterday we had 21 family and friends (and girlfriends and boyfriends) at our house for the 25th annual Gingerbread House Day, always the day after Thanksgiving. When I saw her amazing mosaic house I knew I had to get a photo for you! The ghostbuster face is on her shirt, not the house.  :)

Amelia is sweet and kind, smart too. A 14 yo, she likes to paint, write, do theater lighting, travel, read and learn about government. She's been a page at the VT state capitol. And of course she's made a quilt.

Here are some more of the houses created yesterday. My sister Eileen bakes all the gingerbread pieces and facilitates the whole thing. By New Year's Day she will have made over 150 houses. Her all time record for one Christmas season is over 400! (P.S. Eileen is not Amelia's mom. I have 2 sisters, and a brother...lucky me!)

(Photo by nephew Sam Lovett)

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Talented Etsian from Canada

Mandy Budan is a Canadian abstract landscape painter who sells her work on Etsy: budanART. I was just browsing through the 11 million items for sale on Etsy and Mandy's artwork grabbed my attention! Isn't it amazing? What genuis! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

 (Psalm 118:1)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grumman Greenhouse by Jordan Griska, Sculptor

Jordan Griska, Philadelphia sculptor and my nephew, has just completed this work "Grumman Greenhouse," located downtown in Lenfest Plaza in front of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.  He bought this airplane on eBay and turned it into this artistic creation which repurposes an instrument of destruction into a greenhouse filled with edible plants. Viewed from the left you can see all the plants through a big window. The pink grow light is partially visible through the cockpit window.

On Monday we attended the dedication ceremony at Lenfest Plaza. Shown above (left to right): Wayne S. Spilove, former Chairman of the PA Historical and Museum Commission, Jordan Griska, and Caryn Kunkle, Director of The Philadelphia Salon (also Jordan's girlfriend). Take a look at this video to see the  plane in its original condition and hear Jordan tell about the project.

Doll Quilts on Etsy

These quilts are so much fun to make! Fast and easy to quilt too. I want to get a bunch of these little cuties in my Etsy shop asap. I already had these fabrics in my stash. Check out the scissors below. I like this combination of modern and retro fabrics.

Selvage Quilt Workshop!

 These delightful and adventurous quilters made a silk cigar style selvage quilt on Saturday in Harwinton, CT. We took this photo before the end of the day, but you can see that there was a lot of progress being made!  This was their first selvage project, and it's the most challenging quilt in the  book: Quilts from the Selvage Edge. Lots of laughs, we had the best time, as quilters are known to do.  :)

This is a non-selvage, raw-edge version by Judi. Well, there is one selvage, and she asked me to sign it as a souvenir of the day. Isn't that sweet? This will be a hexagonal quilt for a table (under glass). Cool. I love how quilters see an idea and add their own twist to it! Thanks for a wonderful day!!

My Quilts in the Litchfield County Times!

Scroll down in the sidebar of this blog for the link to the Fandango quilt.

Silk Dupioni Wall Quilt is Finished

This silk improv quilt is my latest finish and newest addition to my Etsy store. It's hand-quilted with Pearle cotton (big stitch) in straight lines and curvy lines. It measures 33" x 35." Working with silk takes a little getting used to; you need to use a pinking blade on your rotary cutter so the fabric doesn't fray away. I don't use a stabilizer because it drags under the feed dogs. I love how rich the colors are, and how brilliant it looks in a spotlight or near a lamp. It's worth the trouble in my opinion.

 I've been collecting silk dupioni over the last 5 years when I visit the garment district in New York City. I especially love the shot silks; the warp is one color and the weave is another color. So when you use it in a quilt, placing it in various angles, the color looks a little different. And so beautiful!!

Do you use silk in quilts? Any tips?

Two Crazy Quilts at the American Folk Art Museum

These two star quilts are part of the "Super Star" Exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum. The quilt above was made by Mary Ann Crocker Hinman of New York State, 1880-1890. According to the info tag, this crazy quilt emphasizes piecing rather than embroidery. Well yes, but look at that embroidery below! This quilt is truly impressive in person.

This contained stars crazy quilt was made in Barnstead, New Hampshire (that's where my brother lives!) by a member of the McAllister family in 1885-1920. This quilt has a huge variety of fabrics and embroidery stitches. Notice how the 9 stars are not lined up like a Type-A person would do it? I like that; it adds charm. I also like the gold embroidery along the outer edge. I feel a crazy quilt coming on, don't you?

Bull's Eye Quilt

This stunning Bull's Eye quilt was made in Berk's County Pennsylvania in 1900-1920 by a member of the Alverda H. Hoffman Herb family. This is one of four similar quilts made around the same time in that vacinity. Imagine, after all that piecing, this quilter decided to add some applique and lots of hand-quilting too. I love this quilt and I'm glad it has found a good home, the American Folk Art Museum.