well, this is a bit hard to explain - the birds with the big eyes were screen printed and then dyed with wax resists, in several colors (batik, sort of, but I think with the screen print you can't call it batik now?)

Anyway, if you are interested, you can look on my blog here: http://blotchandthrum.com/blog/?p=335 and here: http://blotchandthrum.com/blog/?p=344

The rest is commercial fabrics. Then it was machine quilted on my tiny machine, and I'm trying to be brave about, and I'm pretty happy with it.

The binding I tried to do a scrap binding, a few inches of each color and that was tough, getting those 45 degree angles to line up...

This is my first pillow, and my second time using selvage edges - which I have been collecting with abandon, and this hardly made a dent in that collection!  But it was so fun, perhaps I'll just make more... You can never have too many pillows, right?


Here is the front, which is in my current favorite quilting style - the log cabin.


And here is the back with my third through fifth ever buttonholes. It is embarrassing to admit that I haven't sewn buttonholes before - I've had the machine for at least 6 years.

It was so much fun to put together, perhaps addictive is more accurate, and there's so much going on with it, it just makes me happy to stare at it. 

Happy approaching New Year, everyone!

Hey, I made this thing, thinking it would be cute! and it is. If I do say so myself.



As I was making it, I took some pictures to put together a tutorial, but there is something of a stumbling block...  Which is step one:

1. Design and create a ghost screen from which you can print  your many ghosts...

(I use the method described in this tutorial: http://craftgrrl.livejournal.com/3674467.html?page=1 )

Although, I bet, if you used a piece of paper and a fabric marker, you could come up with something fairly good?

based on the size of your ghost (Mine are about 4 inches wide), cut out 20-25 pieces of fabric to print - I like an inch border on all sides of the design, that way, one doesn't have to be too precise with the printing.  (It helps to cut them out first, because then you can move the wet ones out of the way as you finish them and lessen the risk of sticking the elbow your sweater into fabric paint, or getting paint on the screen that will transfer to every subsequent ghost.)

3. print with fabric paint.  Allow to dry.



4. iron all the squares to fix fabric paint, according to the paints' directions.

5. cut a square of double sided applique adhesive for each ghost - smaller than the fabric the ghost is printed on, larger than the design.  Affix each ghost to some adhesive, by ironing.

6. Cut out the ghosts, leaving a small margin outside the line.  (You don't have to do this, but I like the effect myself).

7. Removing the paper backing of the adhessive, stick them to some black felt. (I used a quarter of a yard of the 72" wide stuff)



8. Cut out ghosts, leaving a margin of felt around all edges (again, optional).

9. Now the wreath - I used a wire frame from the craft store, and wrapped it with strips of the leftover black felt.



and so on until the whole thing was covered.

10. using your hot glue gun, attach ghosts to wreath. 

11. add bow.

Happy Halloween!

So, I don't know if this is getting more frequent or if I've been paying more attention, but it seems that a number of fabrics in the store now have "not for commercial use" or something similar on their selvages.

Now, I don't do a lot of quilting for profit (alright, I don't do any proper quilting, practically ever) but I do now and then use some fabrics, and every time I get something perfect, and then I see that label, my heart sinks, and I toss it to the side.  I'm considering purging the ones currently in my stash. That the company that makes them is trying to dictate my use of them makes me quite angry, really.  Yarn manufactures, knitting being my other main interest, would never do this...

What is the deal with this, and how do you deal with this?

I try to not get them, but I don't always notice. Not that I do a lot of selling, or any, but I want to know that if I ever do, I can go into my stash and not worry about license.

But maybe I'm crazy?

What do you think?

Here is the gallery for the swap!

Let's see some pretty pictures of new fabrics!

Original thread here.

Swap name: The Stash Neutral Fat Quarter Supply swap!
Craftster member who is organizing this swap: astormorray
Sign-up date range: 5/1/11-5/23/11
Date to send item by: 6/1/11

gallery: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=381425.0



Limited to a certain number of people? (optional): 24

Restricted to people who all live in the same country? NO

Additional Age requirement? No

Swap Organizer himself/herself meets these conditions:
- Has fully read the Swap Info Guide: YES
- Has successfully completed two swaps as a participant: YES
- Is not organizing more than three swaps right now: YES
- Will recruit a co-organizer or give all details to a Swap Moderator if this swap has more than 25 participants: YES
- Is at least 18 years old: YES

Swap Organizer will check each participant to make sure they meet these conditions:
- Has been a member for at least one month: YES
- Has posted at least 15 times: YES
- Has completed one swap successfully before signing up for multiple swaps at a time: YES
- Is not currently signed up for more than five swaps: YES
- Does not have any negative feedback: YES
- Participant has agreed that he/she is at least 16 years old: YES
- If within the US, understands that Delivery Confirmation number is required for this swap: YES
- If outside the US, understands that a mailing receipt copy is required for this swap: YES

Details of swap:

Fat Quarters! 18 inches by 22 inches.  the currency of quilting.  100% cotton, available in all sort of designs. Useful for all kinds of projects.  

And yet, perhaps, you have arrived at a point where you are overwhelmed by your own stash, and can't even see buying so tiny an addition. So, how about trading your excess with someone else? It is almost inevitable that those of us who hoard fabric have a few yards of it that were bought for projects that we didn't attempt for one reason or another, or perhaps that we don't remember why we bought it in the first place, or have some fabric we have inherited but don't know what to do with. Here is a chance to trade away fat quarters of that excess in exchange for fqs is new patterns!

We are only swapping quilting cottons! Otherwise, I am afraid I will never be able to sort out partners. Sorry!

You can select to send 4 fqs or 8 fqs.  Each one must be unique. If you chose, you can swap two packages with two different partners. (separate packages do not need to be unique, though, probably, they should be.)

This is how it will work:
- Go to your stash and pick out all fabrics that you might want to trade.
- Decide what level you can jump in on, and if you want to send one or two packages (first time swappers, please only sign up for one)
- complete the questionnaire as thoroughly as possible.
- Once your partner(s) is/are assigned to you, select those fabrics best suited to them, and cut out your fqs.
- Do not send extras! Extras would make it not stash neutral.  

Notes:
This is a supply only, no crafting swap.
New swappers are welcome! This is an easy one, so dip your toe in!  

It will be best if you can sign up for a level that is less than the number of fabrics you have selected to give away, so that you have some flexibility in what you do send, that you can tailor your package a little towards what your partner wants.
Please consider shipping internationally, as fabrics in other countries are different than those available in ours, and it will be fairly inexpensive to send a yard or two of fabric.

The less you want anything specific, the happier you will be! we have no control on what other people have to destash, and it may not always be to your taste!

That said, the more info you can give me about your fabrics, the easier it will be to match partners who suit each other.

You will most likely not be sending to the person you will be receiving from, or maybe you will, again, this will depend on taste and how questions are answered.

Please let's have some chatter in the thread!

Final note: This is a no extras swap! People caught sending extras will receive negative feedback.... No extras!

If you want to participate, here is the information to send to organizer:

QUESTIONNAIRE TO ANSWER:
Name of swap: The Stash Neutral Fat Quarter Supply swap!
Craftster username:
Email address:
Your real name:
Mailing address including the country:

Would you be willing to ship to an address outside your own country?(YES/NO)

Do you understand that Delivery Confirmation number or a  mailing receipt copy is required for this swap?(YES/NO)

Confirm that you are at least 16 years old or, if not, that you have moderator approval(YES/NO)

Are you allergic to anything?

Do you have any potential allergens in your house?

----

Questions about what you will be sending: Remember the more specific you are, the happier everyone will be!

How many packages will you be sending?

How many FQs will you be sending per package?

Can several FQs be termed gender neutral, or do they tend towards so-called masculine themes or feminine ones? (If a mix, be fairly specific)

If several FQs are the same color, what color is that?

Are the majority of your FQs novelty prints, florals, or geometric designs?

Are they large prints or small prints?

Anything else you want to add about your fabrics?

----

Questions about what you want to receive:

What are you looking for, in terms of colors, percieved gender, pattern, etc?

What would you not want to receive?


IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE, REMEMBER TO SEND YOUR INFO TO ORGANIZER VIA PRIVATE MESSAGE AND NOT TO REPLY WITH IT HERE.


Also, remember to read the Swap Info Guide to find other rules about participating in a swap.

I know there have been other fat quarter swaps, and I didn't look into what their specifics are. But currently, I'm into quilting, and also trying not to buy new fabrics. But I'm bored with my stash!

So, how about exchanges? I'm sure we all have some fabrics we look at and think, why did I buy a yard of this!?! (or half a yard...)

Here's what I'm thinking:

A. go through your stash and commit to a number of fat quarters.
B. fill out the questionnaire with that number and a brief description of the sort of thing your stash is heavy on (in my case: novelty prints, and small calicos/abstract prints) and the sort of thing you are most highly interested in (black and white fabrics) and the things you are not really interested in (large florals)

Once you are matched up with someone offering a number approximately equal to yours, you send the lower of the two numbers, and well that's the swap.  You can change what fabrics you've picked to better suit your partner's stated preferences, but it's not required.  It's a quantity over quality thing, in the end. And an element of surprise! Send, receive, the end.

It is a no buying and no extras swap! I think, however, that extras in the form of scraps would be cool if your partner is into that. 

What do you think?

I'm shocked that I'm starting this.

I actually finished this last week - Friday around midnight, actually, but only just got a chance to skein it up.



2 oz hand dyed (by me!) superwash merino - fingerling weight.

I carded some rolags last night.  They're actually pretty terrible, but still manage to look yummy.  I don't know how to use hand cards, though I apparently think I do. 

Hi!  This is a stash busting month-by-month craft along focused on spinning and/or using up fiber stashes.



Although I am going to be working through my tremendous stash, this is open to anyone doing fiber related things - such as dyeing, needle felting, blending, and preparing fleeces for spinning.

So, join up and tell us your goals, and keep us updated on your progress.  And maybe, there will be prizes.  

so, I made a little side zippered pouch a few weeks back, and a friend wanted a tutorial, after I tried to explain, rather fruitlessly, how I made it.  So, I've made another, taking pictures as I did so.



You will need:



Two pieces of lining fabric (one is 7x7 and the other 7 x 4.5 inches)
Two pieces of outside fabric the same sizes as the lining
Two small pieces of outside fabric (these are 2x 1.5, but are larger than needed)
one zipper - 6 inches

step 1 - pin tiny pieces to zipper, then stitch in place.  As close to the metal bits as your machine foot will allow.



step 2 - turn the fabric, and stitch it down.



step 3 - make a sandwich with the longer pieces.  Set an outside piece down face up, put the zipper on face down, put the lining on face down.  pin across the top.  Sew halfway, move the zipper, sew the rest.



step 4 - fold those over and stitch them down, right sides out.



step 5 - repeat steps 3 and 4 with the shorter pieces on the other side of the zipper.

Now you have this:


(I trimmed the zipper pieces to be flush with the rest.)

Optional bit: if you want a loop now is the time to add it.  I used a piece of ribbon.



pin it only to the longer outside piece.

Step 6. First of all, keep the zipper at least halfway open. Now here's the confusing bit.  You're going to need to fold it so the bottoms line up, but keeping the outside fabrics on one side, and the lining on the other, so that you see the reverse of the outside fabric on one side, and the reverse of the inside fabric on the other side.  Then pin it from the zipper to the top (about two inches) only.



Now sew from the zipper to the top.  ONLY. On both sides, of course.

Once that's sewn you should be able to do this:



Step 7.  Pin the sides and bottom of the outside pieces and pin the sides but not the bottom of the lining.  Sew where you've pinned.  But do not sew the bottom of the lining.

Step 8. Pull the outside through the bottom of the lining and the zipper you remembered to leave open.



Step 9. Flatten the pouch as much as you can, leaving the lining still sticking out, then start folding and pinning the open edge.



Step 10. Sew it closed!



Step 11. push the lining into the pouch.  And you're done!



I hope that's clear...