Yellow Stuff

My mom gave me this party book in 1962 when I was 8 years old. I loved to linger over the pictures and read the recipes. Not sure I actually made anything from it but the sketches and party plans captivated my interest.


What an unusual choice of yellow to illustrate this page on Christmas decorations. It got me curious as to whether I had any yellow Christmas decorations.


Today my husband and I decorated the Christmas tree and, sure enough, I have a couple yellow ornaments.




Tradition generally dictates our color choices for holidays, but why not break out of the box with an unconventional color?

Thanksgiving

A couple years ago my husband and I were on a mission in rural China. This gracious hostess prepared a meal for us in her "kitchen" (a fire box under a large metal wok, a small work surface and one pipe for cold water in the corner of a tiny, one-room house.)


She served bread, honey, hard boiled eggs and hot green tea. We will never forget the generous gift of hospitality.


This week we celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA. Thanksgiving originated as a holiday to express thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation to God for a bountiful harvest, family and friends.

Thanksgiving
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Yellow Stuff

How I love a sunny day. Unfortunately, it was overcast today!


The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It has a diameter about 109 times that of Earth, and accounts for about 99.86% of the total mass of the Solar System. About three quarters of the Sun's mass consists of hydrogen, while the rest is mostly helium.

Light travels from the Sun to Earth in about 8 minutes and 19 seconds. The energy of this sunlight supports almost all life on Earth by photosynthesis, and drives Earth's climate and weather.

The World

See the November 3 post for a full size image of The World. Here's another detail shot.

I lucked out on the commercial fabric for the cat as it looks like fur. The body, head and each ear are single pieces so she took four pieces of judiciously cut fabric. The quilting lines accentuate the fabric. Nose and eye are drawn with Micron Pigma pen and colored with diluted Setacolor fabric paint.

Yellow Stuff

On a recent trip to a local family farm and apple orchard, I couldn't resist taking pictures of these bins of squash. Though considered a vegetable in cooking, botanically speaking, squash is a fruit.

The World

These zebras are drawn directly on the background fabric using a black Pigma Micron pen. The white stripes are made whiter with slightly thinned Jacquard Neopaque white paint.

Other items like the cactus and rocks are appliqued.

View the complete quilt on the November 3 post.

The World

This detail image of The World (see November 3 post) shows a portion of the western hemisphere.


The starting point on this quilt was to get one full-sized accurately drawn hemisphere of latitude and longitude lines. First, I downloaded and printed a double hemisphere map on 8.5 x 11 paper and made a transparency by running it through the copy machine on transparency film. Using painter's tape I attached drawing paper (larger than the finished size of the hemisphere) on the wall. Then I put the transparency on an overhead projector (blast from the past) and adjusted the image to the desired finished size of one hemisphere. Tracing the lines with pencil gave an approximate image. Now it was time to get out the compass and ruler for accuracy. Refining of the drawing is done on a horizontal work surface.

Latitude and longitude lines are spaced every ten degrees and are further divided into ten black/white sections marking off 180 degrees around the perimeter and across the equator. The celestial equator (the sun's path across the sky) is also marked with 180 degrees.

All final line markings are done on the paper pattern with an ultra fine point Sharpie. I taped a second large sheet of paper over the accurately drawn hemisphere and traced it to get a second hemisphere pattern. I sure wasn't going to draw that thing twice.

To get the continents, each hemisphere pattern was returned to the wall and the continents were sketched in pencil using the projected transparency. To further refine the placement the patterns were tweaked after removing from the wall. This took a lot of pencil and eraser.

When I was satisfied with all the markings they were permanently drawn on the paper pattern with an ultra fine point Sharpie.

To transfer the pattern markings to the fabric, I ironed freezer paper to the back of the fabric (for stability) and taped the paper pattern under this. Using a light box I traced the lines on fabric lightly in pencil and later with Pigma Micron pens.

The color for the continents and water is achieved with Inktense water soluble ink pencils. On the freezer backed fabric I shaded the colors with a dry pencil. Then I spritzed it with water, covered with a disposable press cloth and heat set with the iron on cotton setting. The press cloth absorbs some of the wet color so I recolored in some instances and repeated the process.

Just a word on the giraffe. Note the use of heavier/darker thread on the eyelashes and finer/lighter thread on the hairs of her chinny chin chin. Using appropriate thread lends to the realism.

Stay tuned for more posts on The World.

The World

The World is making its debut at International Quilt Festival, Houston, TX this week (Nov 4-7). It is 73" wide by 56" high. The genesis of the world is portrayed in the style of a double hemisphere map.


Inspiration for The World came from antique maps of the 17th and 18th centuries. Check out these intricate examples of the art and science of cartography. They just don't make 'em this way anymore!




Something rich and rare was lost in the "progress" of printing and mechanized map making. I don't want to go back to a more primitive way of life, but I do pine for the art and craftsmanship of yesteryear. The satisfaction of presenting the work of your hands as a gift to the world. A finely tailored garment, a meticulously carved chest of drawers, a hand bound leather book--items of everyday use, not considered the arts--but when executed with excellence and pride, truly a work of art.

Stay tuned for further posts on some of the details of creating The World.

Yellow Stuff

This rose grows in the gardens at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.


See what Annette Hendricks can do with velvet roses in her masterpiece, The Solace of Persephone. Here's a close up of part of the quilt.

The Solace of Persephone (detail) by Annette Hendricks

The Quilt Show posted three Smileboxes giving us a step-by-step peek into Annette's working process. Click on the link below to follow the development of The Solace of Persephone. Watch them in order: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. You will be amazed.

http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php/blog_id/3190

Yellow Stuff

While a bit more gold than yellow, these products were worth their weight in gold to me (well, almost).


When our barely 9-year old kitchen faucet sprung an unfixable leak (shouldn't stuff last longer than that?) my husband and I went shopping for a new faucet. Found a nice one. Got to thinking, how is this perfectly polished new stainless steel addition going to look mounted on our 9-year old scratched up stainless steel sink? Not replacing the sink.

After googling some solutions that varied in price and effort, I opted for the mostly effort idea of Bar Keeper's Friend. Wow, was I impressed with the results. The majority of the scratches and stains are gone.

Directions: Take a damp sponge and lots of Bar Keeper's Friend and rub in the direction of the way the sink is polished. When one arm is about to fall off, change arms and rub some more. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Takes a lot of effort but well worth the end result. I topped it off with a final polish of Brasso.


The faucet directions started with this disclaimer: The hardest part of installing a new faucet is removing the old one. Believe it. My determined husband spent hours on this, folded up like a pretzel under the sink cupboard battling corroded, poorly designed fittings. In the end David and a drill won the day. So thanks, David, for giving up your Saturday afternoon in yet another home improvement project.

Yellow Stuff

The courage to imagine the otherwise is our greatest resource, adding color and suspense to all our life.--Daniel J. Boorstin

Speaking of color, using Prismacolor pencils lets you alter an existing fabric.

Especially helpful for shading like in the lamp base at the right of this image. Heat set with an iron.


Another option is Inktense pencils. Can be used wet or dry. Experiment first.

French Village

This fabric is called Renoir's Village. I still have a couple yards of it for another project. But really, I just like to look at it and imagine walking a narrow cobblestone street in France and soaking up the view.


The fabric is used in this little quilt, French Village, made using Karen Eckmeier's Accidental Landscapes technique based on layering and topstitching the landscape. I cut out houses from Renoir's Village to tuck into the landscape.

Check out all of Karen's creations on her website, The Quilted Lizard:

http://www.quilted-lizard.com/

Yellow Stuff

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. . . There is nothing progressive about being pig headed and refusing to admit a mistake . . . Going back is the quickest way on.
--C. S. Lewis

Crystal Fire

The backgound uses two colorways of the same fabric--one yellow, one orange. To set off the border I added a couple funky yarns in electric blue to contrast strongly against the orange. Complementary color schemes are my default choice. I go for a lot of shock value. Do not be afraid of color. Color is your friend.


Some hot-fix crystals add sparkle (they don't show well in this close up.)All the applique is fused with Wonder Under. The purple twisty things are woven over/under the blue rings. Easy to do with fusing as you can just snip and tuck.

Yellow Stuff

It's soon time for a new yellow pencil to highlight passages in my favorite book, the Bible. I've always considered these verses in Job 38 to be some of the greatest prose in literature:

Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind . . . Where were you when I established the earth? What supports its foundations? Or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together? Have you ever in your life commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place? Have you traveled to the sources of the sea or walked in the depths of the oceans? Where is the road to the home of light? Do you know where darkness lives? Or have you seen the storehouses of hail? Who cuts a channel for the flooding rain or clears the way for lightning? Does the rain have a father? Who gave birth to the frost of heaven? Can you fasten the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? Who put wisdom in the heart or gave the mind understanding? Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the water jars of heaven?

Yellow Stuff

For all beautiful things have their moment of newness. They rise and set. They grow, become perfect, then decline and shrivel. --St Augustine

This photo was taken in August. The flower is long gone, but what a show it put on while it was here!

Linnaeus

As a member of PAQA http://www.artquilters.com/ I'm entering a piece in the upcoming challenge: Art and Science.

Considered the Father of Taxonomy (science of classification) Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus published his first edition of Systema Naturae in 1735. His mantra: “God created, Linnaeus organized.”


The images of Systema Naturae and Linnaeus's signature are printed on June Tailor Quick Fuse. The edges are burnt to add to the illusion of age.

The surname Linnaeus refers to a linden tree. In the 1700's most Swedes had no surnames. According to Scandinavian tradition, Carl's father was known as Nils Ingemarsson (son of Ingemar). When Nils attended the University of Lund, he latinized the name of his family's ancestral lands, Linnegard, and adopted it as his surname for registration purposes. The name Linnegard was derived from an ancient small-leaved linden tree (Tilia cordata) which grew on the family property. Nils gave his son the name Carl Linnaeus.

Background fabric is stamped with linden leaves (from my neighbor's yard) skeletonized by Japanese beetles.

After pressing the leaves in a dictionary I painted them with Lumiere Metallic Olive and stamped them on white fabric. After the stamped images were dry I put a light wash of color on the fabric using diluted Tsukineko all purpose inks.

Yellow Stuff

Earth laughs in flowers. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Get out and listen for the laughter today!

Construction Techniques

How is a pictorial quilt like In the Quiet constructed? Basically I used two techniques.

First, the main quilt is put together using the applipiecing technique I learned from Caryl Fallert at her Soaring Compliments workshop. She also offers a workshop on CD at:

http://www.bryerpatch.com/cgi-bin/Store/store.cgi?cart_id=4345959.9400.s0&product=HowTo&productid=sc&sales=0&lastmenu=


This involves drawing a full size reverse-image pattern on freezer paper, a detailed construction plan, starch, a hot iron and assembly with tiny zigzag stitching. My main quilt includes the walls, fireplace, bookcases, floor, rug and chair.

Second, many of the smaller details (picture, sconces, cat, flames, teapots, plant, book, etc) are fused with Wonder Under. Raw edges are finished with a small zigzag stitch.

Shading is worked with fabric paint and pens. Even the choice of thread enhances or detracts from the overall image.

A quilt with this much detail requires a similarly detailed construction plan. Usually that's a result of trial and error on previous quilts! It's always helpful to start small when trying a new style or technique. There's no substitute for just diving in and seeing how it goes.

See my post "In The Quiet" in July for a couple more images of this quilt.

Yellow Stuff

Life is like riding a bicycle: you don't fall off unless you stop pedaling. ---Claude Pepper

How's that for YELLOW? Saw this outside a shop in Geneva, IL.