Spring Fever?

I think I have Spring Fever. Does anyone know what the symptoms are? I'm busy, but I just feel so...hmmm....unfocused. I'm not doing anything I SHOULD be doing...I just feel like wandering around, doing a little bit of everything.

For instance, I have this incredibly lovely stack of fabric that I got for Christmas last year:

And this perfectly wonderful pattern to make it into:

But I don't feel like tackling a big project right now! My attention span is too short. So I do silly things like this:

I made a thrifted pillowcase into an apron. I think it came out pretty...but still...

I have an entire stack of perfectly wonderful new crisp fabric waiting for me...and I'm sewing together old sheets again. What is wrong with me??

I did finish a useful pair of socks:

These are my "Jury Duty" socks. I started them as a mindless, chartless project when I was called for jury duty...but my case got cancelled (yay!) and I was stuck with finishing the world's most boring sock pattern. I like the yarn--it's Misti Alpaca. Very warm and soft, which are my two favorite qualities in a sock.

But then I went back to sewing old dishtowels:

Can you guess what this is? Here it is, unrolled:

And unflapped:

My dpn's now have a cozy little bed to sleep in. I used two Martha Stewart dishtowels, some batting, and a bit of fabric to make the flap. Don't they look cute all tucked in?

Spring fever, I tell you.

As long as my mind is wandering, I'll tell you about my new favorite cereal:

I'm on a gluten-free diet now, just to see what happens. It's been two weeks and so far, I don't feel much different. Maybe gluten was responsible for my former longer attention span...you think? Nah. Anyway, this stuff is yummy! I think the box is happy, too. Can't you just see a quilt in all those colors?

Speaking of yummy, it's lychee time of year again:

These are so sweet and tasty. Have you ever had lychee? You peel back the red skin and eat the flesh, which tastes a bit like a grape, but more floral-tasting. These are not quite ready; they'll get redder and sweeter.

My orchids are showing off right now:

Hello, my pretties. Do you have Spring Fever, too?

While I'm wandering around the yard, this new little family crosses my path:

The yard is so lovely, I just may stay out here and wander a bit.

Is there any cure for this?

Economic Stimulus

This week, I've done my part for the economy. I'm not usually prone to the temptations of retail therapy, but something happened to my willpower this week. Perhaps these little Dutchboys and their cute little doggies had something to do with it:

My knees still go week when I look at this fabric. Look at those polite little doggies! Or how about this little animal party on pink gingham:

Agggh! Look at that elephant sleeping on his little rug. Irresistable. Don't they remind you of Little Golden Book characters? I got these two pieces (plus four others) from Superbuzzy. I LOVE Superbuzzy. I showed remarkable restraint. But someday, I'll have grandkids to sew for and all bets are off. Meanwhile, I'm slowly stockpiling. Stash stealth--that's my strategy. (It's also very hard to say ten times fast.)

Here is another purchase I made:

An adorable purse kit from Nanette at Freda's Hive. She supplied the instructions, outer panel fabrics, matching rick rack and fabric button (I LOVE that button!), and I supplied the handles and lining. The instructions were excellent and I'm very happy with how it turned out.

LOVE the button. Love the prints she picked out for this kit!

The instructions included this optional feature--slitted sides to make getting in and out of the bag easier. From now on, I'm giving all my bags this clever feature.

A peek at the inside. Don't you just love that yellow kitchen fabric??? Sigh.

The reverse--more wonderful prints.

I don't often buy kits because I feel like I want to make my "own" quilt or purse. But I love Nanette's taste so much! I wanted to work with what she picked out--and hopefully learn from her. I don't think I would have had the courage to mix these prints, but I did, and I lived! I LOVE this bag!

After I put Nanette's bag together, I had to have more. So I ordered this charm squares and trim kit from her:

It's a collection of lovely little prints and sweet trims. Some are vintage, some are Japanese imports, some are new fabrics. She also included a little precious pile of snippets, which I am still drooling over:

These are just a few of the snippets. Sigh. Thanks, Nanette. The kit is wonderful.

More excitement this week: I found a cigar box full of buttons and rick rack at a rummage sale:

These are just a few of my favorites. It's very hard to find anything old or antique here on the island; the weather, mold, mildew, bugs, etc. ad infinitum, are very hard on old things. People live a long life, but their stuff...not so much. So I'm always amazed when I run across things like this. It's very rare!

I also found a cutter cotton shirt that I couldn't pass up. The shirt was too small, but look at the fabric:

Happy frogs and mushrooms. I hope your day is as happy as these froggies.

Missing Things

Well, duh. Now that you all have pointed it out, it seems so obvious! The lid on my thrifted sugar bowl does not go with the bowl at all. I guess I'll never get an appraiser's job on Antique Roadshow, eh? The lid fit on the bowl so well that it didn't occur to me that something was amiss. I did get this bowl at the same thrift shop as I got Fifi and her pitcher "partner"...so I probably should have suspected that there was someone doing some creative pairing. Hee hee...I think it's funny...and definitely worth two dollars!

Thanks to an intrepid commenter (thanks, janddj!), I now have a picture of the sugar bowl lid and the creamer I'm missing:

Picture grabbed from http://www.ioffer.com/i/HOTTA-YU-SHOTEN-lusterware-blue-Sugar-bowl-creamer--43473176

You know, I think I actually like my mismatched lid better! More character. Funnier story, anyway.

I think the most amazing thing about this adventure is the string of circumstances that had to occur before my little mismatched sugar bowl came to me. First, someone had to break the lid of the original lusterware sugar bowl, right? Then someone had to own another sugar and creamer set and break the bowl of that set, leaving just the lid. Then someone had to probably break the old lusterware creamer, too, because it wasn't at the thrift store alongside its partner (and why would they have given up just the bowl after so many years of keeping it, lid or no?). Also, someone had to notice that the spare lid fit the old sugar bowl that someone miraculously kept even though it didn't have a lid (until they broke the creamer). So was this all the same person? Two people? Three people? Or one little rambunctions tyke hoping that granny wouldn't notice?? Ah...a sugar bowl mystery! Did you catch all that? Good for you. You can have that job I didn't get at Antiques Roadshow.

Anyway..."janddj," thanks for the sleuthing and let me know if you run across a lone female poodle, huh? Fifi is lonely.

Last Sunday was a bittersweet occasion for our local quilt shop, Kapaia Stitchery. Some of you who have visited our island may remember the owner of Kapaia Stitchery, Julie Yukimura:

Julie was a hands-on fabric shop owner. If you had ever visited Kapaia Stitchery, you probably would've spoke to her about where you were from, or perhaps she would have taught you how to applique a Hawaiian pattern, or even give you a quick lesson on how to hand quilt. For nearly thirty-five years, she owned and operated Kapaia Stitchery, creating a thriving quilt shop and tourist destination waaaaay out in the middle of the Pacific ocean. She gave it her all and did it with aloha spirit.

Julie died suddenly and unexpectedly this past November. Ours is a small quilting community, and Julie was a very active member of our group; we're still in shock. Last Tuesday, April 1st, would have been Kapaia Stitchery's 35th Anniversary. Julie celebrated her anniversary every year with a sale, so her family decided to keep that tradition alive:

Julie's sister Lisa served up cake. There was ukulele-playing, hula dancing, hot dog eating, and lots of memories.
Her family, quilt family, and friends milled about and "talked story" on the lanai:

There was lots of fabric buying:


And chatting with quilters and visitors:
This is Julie's brother, wearing a custom-made Kapaia Stitchery shirt. Julie's brothers and sister are working hard to keep the shop open. The Yukimura family and Julie's employees are carrying on the way Julie would have wanted.
How did I celebrate Julie's memory? I bought fabric, of course. I have two projects in mind, and some or all of these may find their way in.
In any event, I'll always remember Julie and her kind and generous heart. Rest in peace, Julie. We miss you.

Scrappy How-To

I thought today I would give you some insight into how I make a scrap quilt. But first, I have to post a walloping disclaimer: I have no idea how I came upon some of these ideas. I've been reading quilt books for twenty years now, and I'm sure some of the "rules" I follow were seeded in my brain by legendary quilters like Marsha McCloskey, Gwen Marston, Judy Mathieson, Ruth McDowell...the list goes on and on. I didn't keep track of what my brain made up and what I read from these esteemed scrappers over the years, so please forgive me if I have plagiarized any of their ideas; it is not my intention at all. I've been quilting for so long that my brain itself is like a big scrap quilt; some of it is recycled from who knows where, and some of it is original--but don't ask me which is which. The information has been intermingled for far too long.

I think the most important thing about making a scrap quilt is thinking about the big picture. Again, I will show you some blocks that you would probably never think of making at home:

A floral, two Hawaiian prints, a thirties wannabe, a plaid, and other various assorted fabric nightmares. All these fabrics were thrifted from old clothing or scraps.

Your bad block dream continues. Ick. But let's back out a little and take in the bigger picture:

Hmmmm...not too bad, eh? Those prints got quieter as more were added. In mixing patterns, I find that varying scales and textures is a must. Prints that are similar--like two similar scale florals--will clash. But a floral and a check? Wonderful. A stripe and spotty thing? Fabulous. Vary your texture and scale! I know it can be traumatic your first time, but it takes a leap of faith. Just do it. Don't freak out over one ugly block. Twenty ugly blocks are not so ugly any more.

The bigger picture. Hey! Where did all those clashy fabrics go? Where did those horrible eye-assaulting wild things go? (Okay...if you can still see them, I don't want to know. Work with me here, huh?) Always keep the bigger picture in mind and just go for it. Have faith in the bigger picture.

Color is almost a secondary consideration in my mind. I usually try to use one dominant color more than all the other colors in the quilt to tie everything together. Don't use equal amounts of all colors--they tend to cancel each other out. When making a two-color quilt, for instance, use 2/3 of your dominant color and 1/3 of your accent color. When using more colors, divide them up accordingly, always using more of your dominant. An easy way to do this is make your dominant color your main border or sashing color. A strong border will help to corral all the wild little print ponies and keep them from running amok. By "strong" border, I mean a texture or tiny print with only one or two colors that reads like a texture.

I almost never use solids. They attract the eye too much. Your eye falls into a quilt black hole and won't move around the quilt any more! Many beginners use solids because they think it will blend in and viewers will only notice the print. Actually, the opposite is true. The solid fabric shape sticks out like a sore thumb and you don't notice the print because it's shape is broken up by pattern. The only time I use a solid is if that's what I'm trying to accomplish--a strong, clear shape that makes everything else background noise.

I love all colors, but another "rule" I follow is to always exclude one color. If you use ALL colors, your quilt will visually cancel itself out because you have all colors and their complements--which is the only art term I know about color--but I do know that having equal amounts of a color plus its opposite on the color wheel turns the entire quilt gray. Complementary colors in equal amounts make a boring, visually gray quilt. It's the weirdest thing! (But you can use complementary colors with the 1/3-2/3 rule and it'll be great!) So I solve this problem in my colorful quilts by leaving out one color. I'll say..."this will be a quilt with no red in it" and that's the only color rule I'll follow. (But if you're using a color wheel like the one above, notice each color is broken down into two segments...so you'd leave two color segments out.)

But as I say, color is secondary. Contrast is the most important. Before you sew, you should take a picture of your fabrics or blocks in black and white and see if the pattern you expected happens:

Because if it doesn't happen in black and white, it's not gonna happen in color. Trust me on this one.

If you're making a wall quilt, my favorite advice for block placement is this: Sort your blocks into five piles from lightest to darkest. Use your lightest pile of blocks clustered in the middle of the quilt. Cluster the mediums around those, working to the border where the darker blocks should be. Place your almost darkest two blocks in the top two corners, and place your darkest darkest two blocks on the bottom corners. This procedure puts a "light" on in the center of your quilt and "weights" the bottom of your quilt. To illustrate, look at my Hawaiian Rainbow Basket quilts on the post below. See the lightest in the middle and the darkest at the bottom? Cool, huh?

Now...I have a confession to make. I've been pulling your leg about the color of the above quilt. I used the Photoshop "change hue" slider to change the color! This is the real color of the quilt in the above pictures:

Hee hee...did you notice something funny going on? The quilt is not teal and pink, it's really blue and orange!!! See? Color is not all that important when you have the contrast right. (The "hue" feature only changes colors relative to each other, so you know you've got a winner when your quilt looks good in every hue!) This was a "no red" (and no red-violet) quilt. The block is called "Jewel Box" and the entire quilt, except for the border, was made from recycled fabrics.

I hope today's lesson gave you some new ideas of your own. I can't say these ideas always work for me--I have my disasters like everyone else--but guidelines are a place to start.

Reminder! Be sure to comment on the post "Hawaiian Rainbow Basket Giveaway" by Saturday March 8th at nine p.m. Hawaiian time to be eligible for the giveaway. One comment per person, please. OH!! And by the way...I've noticed that a few commenters think I'm giving away the quilts....nooooooo. My quilts are pattern shop samples and class samples, so no can do. The giveaway is for the Hawaiian Rainbow Basket PATTERN and two yards of fabric. Sorry if I disappointed anyone, but the items are listed there in the text. I shall be clearer with my pictures next time!

Coming Out of the (Scrap) Closet

This is not a quilt that would ever accompany me to a trunk show. I gave you a glimpse of this quilt in an earlier post, but I didn't have the courage to show you all of it until now. Thank you for all your lovely encouragement about my scrap quilting; it means a lot to me!


Made from old curtains, an old lady's scrap collection, some Wal Mart and remnants, lots of old skirts and blouses, an apron, and some thrifted stuff. Border from JoAnn fabrics on the Mainland somewhere (because we don't have one here).


You know, sometimes it takes some courage to make something you really love, especially if it's out of the mainstream. You sometimes have to ignore what your friends will think or what your public expects of you. You must be brave enough to make a quilt that not everyone...maybe not anyone but you...will like. Worst of all, if you show it to your friends or guild, you'll have some explaining to do. Puzzled faces abound.



Frankly, I have never come up with the perfect thing way to explain it. Why is my quilt made of shabby old scraps? Why do the quilts I like to make look like rumpled up pajamas? Why don't I always make my quilts elegant or tasteful or artistic if I'm financially able to? Why do I waste my time on simple patterns and cutting up old clothing? Why am I delighted when I run out of border fabric and have to make do with patching in something else?




I can even afford to send my quilts away for professional quilting--which of course would look a whole lot better than my own attempts, but I don't. I like my crummy little machine quilting squiggles. They're mine and I love them.

I wish I could explain what compels me; I don't know why I love to make quilts like these. These scrappy quilts just speak to my heart in ways that "elegant" quilts or quilts made of new fabric do not. I CAN make beautiful, trendy, intricate quilts; they just aren't my favorite. They don' speak to my soul. That's my only explanation.


Everything I truly love to make looks homemade and well-used. Homely. Sincere. Soft. Old. Sweet. Cherished and well-loved by its owners. I hope these are the words that will describe me as I grow older. Hmmm...maybe I've just figured me out a little bit more....


Day two of the Mailbox Vigil. Waiting for my Monica-made Strawberry Needlecase from Happy Zombie to arrive. Bleah. Just bills and junk today. No needlecase yet. I can't wait!!!

On the walk back to the house, a beautiful sunrise hibiscus beckons.

Upside-Down Pillowcase Day

I sewed today! I made three of these pillowcase grocery bags from a set of matching thrifted pillowcases I bought yesterday. I made them using this outstandingly wonderful tutorial by Creative Kismet: pillowcase tote. I made no modifications to the pattern; her instructions are excellent and she was very, very kind to take the time to write her fabulous tutorials.

The more visually discerning viewer may notice that the bows flowing off the flower bouquets are defying gravity, fluttering upwards in a freak updraft. The floral swags seem a little confused too--perhaps they're aspiring to be floral arches. I guess I should've looked at the fabric more closely before I made all three like this, but...oh well, no one will notice.

I can't wait to go grocery shopping with them! They are doubled fabric, so they are much sturdier than they look. They also have a nice box pleat bottom, so they are plenty roomy. Plus, they're soft and they smell like my own laundry and I love them. As Happy Zombie Monica puts it, "I feel 10 feet tall when I walk into my Safeway armed with my own bags!" I understand completely. I feel like I grew a couple of inches already!

A Fifi update. As you recall in my last post, I was concerned about my tiny ceramic poodle, Fifi. He lost his partner in a thrift store mishap, and I asked for your assistance in trying to discover what/who his lost partner could be. Alas, no one had any ideas, so I looked through my own personal box of knick knacks (I have only one box of knick knacks--I told you I was a minimalist...) and came up with a temporary substitute:

Fifi is not pleased.

Yes, it's a teeny-tiny 1953 General Electric "Swivel-Top-Cleaner" vacuum cleaner. It's the only knick-knack I own that is small enough to go with Fifi; everything else dwarfs him. Unfortunately, Fifi does not look overjoyed by this substitution for his beloved jug. I can't imagine why, since I totally adore vacuum cleaners! I really do--I own five of them. Next to the sewing machine, I think vacuum cleaners are one of the best household inventions ever. (Last year, we bought this bad boy: The Dyson Animal. Whoa. What a man. Unbelieveable. But I digress. Back to Fifi.)

Perhaps Fifi would be happier with the vacuum cleaner if he took a closer look!

Fifi is intrigued...

Ah ha! What's this?? A teeny-tiny sewing kit...IN the vacuum cleaner???

Yes! It's a vacuum cleaner sewing kit, complete with sewing threads of various colors for repairs, a thimble, and a couple of rusty vintage 1953 needles. Oh...and an advertisement extolling the virtues of the REAL vacuum cleaner, which does not have any thread in it at all until you vacuum your sewing room.

Alas, poor Fifi. A thread-filled vacuum cleaner is no substitute for a mate, I always say. Although...since I own five full-sized thread-filled vacuum cleaners, I'm not sure my husband believes me.

There is someone in my household that doesn't like vacuum cleaners very much at all: Mr. Bigglesworth, who slept through the whole upside down pillowcase adventures of the day. Good night, sweet kitty.