The Root Connection

Sunday Paper

2012-02-19T23:49:00.001-05:00

Sunday Paper

Here it is! Well a section of it!

I have been working on this quilt for last three days. It took me a while to get used to the idea of foundation piecing. The pattern is quite simple yet amazingly interesting.

The key to this pattern is to start out the center of the diamond with the shape that resembles the blade of the ceiling fan.

Thanks to Barbara Brackman who already had done the hard work of figuring it out. You can read about it in my last post.

Option One

I used Fons and Porter's 60 degree diamond ruler which I bought from local fabric shop for the template.

Option 1. Template for Simple Spiderweb Hexagon

To make your own template, use Fons and Porter 60 degree diamond ruler.
Trace the diamond on a computer sheet. Cut the diamond.
Fold it in half at the center. (Marked as dashed line)
Open it up and mark 1 1/2" on one edge and 3/4" on the opposite edge as shown above.
Connect those markings and draw a line.
Refold the diamond with the lines facing outside
Trace this line using a light-box or on a window. You will have a mirror image on the opposite side.
Use this template to make foundation pieces for your quilt.

To make a quilt similar to the one above, choose the back ground for the fan blades. The triangle on either side will be dark and light solids. Stay consistent with placement of dark and light fabric for the triangles to achieve the alternating look.

Stay consistent with the placement of dark and light fabrics

Hexagon block for Simple Web

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Option Two

Option 2. Connecting Spiderweb Hexagon

Follow the instructions for drafting basic blades (background) on the diamond template. Add two more lines as shown above at an angle. I have given the measurements I used for my block.

Fold and trace so you can draw identical lines on the opposite side.


Hexagon block for the connecting spiderwebs

I decided to use assortment of background fabrics that looked like newsprint.

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Option Three

Option 3. Randomly placed strings

This would be the easiest one of all. You only draft the center blades and don't have to worry about the placements of dark and light fabrics.

In this quilt, the maker started out with orange strips next to the dark centers and then followed with random placement of strings.

I used newspaper for the foundation. My very old and handy light box was quite helpful in making endless foundation pieces. Very tedious process.. I am a free piecing girl.. This was a little too much work for my taste but I am thrilled with the results.

While cutting the templates I was transported back to my childhood.
When I was growing up, except for the Sunday paper the daily newspaper was printed in black ink. The Sunday paper came with front page and Arts section printed in color!
I have to name this quilt, 'The Sunday Paper'
The colors and textures of the paper I used for foundation piecing influenced the fabrics for this quilt
I will 'read' all the 'print' and remember the story behind this quilt for a long time!
Thanks, Barbara for another great inspiration!

It's quite late as I write this post. If something doesn't make sense, feel free to send me an email with a question.

Are you ready for making your own Hexagon quilt? I chose the largest size of diamond so I can piece the hexagons with ease. I will post about the corner and edge pieces as I get closer to finishing it.

Stay tuned!

Mystery Solved!

2012-02-14T12:38:00.002-05:00

Spiderweb Hexagon

A scrappy Hexagon Spiderweb

Two weeks ago quilt historian and author, Barbara Brackman posted about Victorian puzzle of spiderweb hexagon. I can't tell you how excited I was to see this quilt. As much as I enjoy making improv quilts, my inspirations always come from old and antique quilts. Needless to say, I got sucked into this puzzle like none before!

It was the morning of my class in Philadelphia but I was so excited about this pattern that I had to solve the mystery right away. Barbara had already figured out the centers of the block. I did the rest!

Although the mystery was solved and I thought I would make a small sample before I post about this quilt. Sadly, I realized this morning that I am not cut out for foundation piecing.
I have never attempted to make a quilt using paper foundation.

For a girl who loves to just get her fabrics out and start cutting, or pick up the scraps and piecing, this method is a LOT OF WORK! Those of you who have worked with foundations piecing, this should be a piece of cake!

But since I figured out the pattern, Barbara and I thought it would be fun to start a quilt along, I am going to learn how to foundation piece and make this quilt.

Betsey Tellford Goodwin's Rocky Mountain Quilts

Are you interested in making this quilt?

Leave a comment and let me know if you are.

If there is enough interest, I will post on how to draft this block. You will have to figure out how to piece the hexagons.

Visit Barbara Brackman's Material Culture to learn more about these quilts and her process on the quilt she made!

A group challenge

2012-02-09T16:37:00.000-05:00

I am participating in a year long 12x12 challenge with my friends. We decided to make up our own challenge and revealed our first quilt of the year yesterday.

This is my quilt!

Snow

Each month I will be making a house quilt from recycled old clothes and stitch old and new memories in it.

Story behind this quilt..

The day after a snow storm in January...
Driving on the back roads of Lancaster...
Celebrating one of our relatives' 82nd birthday...
and thinking of the Kite festival in India...

How much can a small quilt pack?
Clearly, a lot for me!

An elephant for Terry

We celebrated Terry's birthday yesterday. Each of us made a block for her to mark the events of her 60th year. Check out what Cheryl made from the blocks.

If this elephant could speak, it would tell you about...
A grandchild's arrival, funny stories of making of a stuffed elephant for the baby and a very memorable trip to India.

It was a lot of fun to surprise her with our little gift.
I did some baking today! Long time ago I had promised a blogger friend that I would post the recipe and never got around it. So here it is! My family loves these cookies.

Brazilian Coffee Cookies

Here is the recipe from Betty Crocker cook book

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp powdered instant coffee
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix first six ingredients in a medium bowl.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
shape the dough into one inch balls.
Place them two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten to 1/8 inch thickness with the fork dipped in sugar.
Bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown.

About 3 dozen Cookies.

Enjoy!

Workshop Pictures!

2012-02-07T08:31:00.000-05:00

As I had mentioned last week, I taught 'Organic Piecing' at Philly Modern Quilt Guild this past Saturday.
The retreat was held in the art studio of Waldorf school in Philadelphia.
Here are some pictures of the students' work.

Fall colors!

Bright and cheery vintage curtain fabric in use!

Cool winter hues

Little bit of Spring and Summer

Background for an applique

Jessica Levitt of 'Juicy Bits'

Jessica Levitt

Jessica taught a class on color theory before my workshop. She is also an author of a book. Visit her blog to find out more about her work.

It was a lot of fun to be surrounded by quilters who were already thinking outside the box.

Here are some pictures of artworks in progress by the students of the school.

Students learn how to make a soft sculpture of themselves before they graduate.

Fun!

Have a wonderful day!

Workshop in Philadelphia

2012-01-31T23:03:00.000-05:00

Organic Machine Piecing

Fluidity in Quilts


'Driftwood' 2011

This Saturday I will be teaching a workshop at Philadelphia Modern Quilt Guild on my favorite subject- Organic Piecing and Quilting.
Stay tuned! Next week I will be back with lots of pictures and more details on my current new project.

A feel good day!

2012-01-30T18:49:00.001-05:00

January of 2012 is almost over! It has been almost five months since my shoulder surgery.
Last time I machine quilted a quilt was way back in August last year. I remember how good it felt to finish some quilts.

Well, after almost five months of break from machine quilting, I finally decided it was time to give it a try! And that's all I needed to do! These babies had been patiently waiting for almost two months after I basted them. I had honest intentions of finishing them before the deadline.

I guess the new deadline was today!
I spent my day quilting these baby quilts.

Orange Baby Quilt

Blue/Green Baby Quilt

The idea was to start the year with the charity quilts. I think it is a great start!
I better pull those tops out from the closet and give them another look. It would be so nice to finish some quilts this year!

Sunday Sketch

2012-01-21T15:57:00.001-05:00

Sitting restlessly, wondering what to do next,

I decided to pick up that sharpie and sketch..

Brown paper Sketch

Close up

What do you do when plans fall apart?

Fun with friends!

2012-01-19T20:38:00.000-05:00

Barb of Fun with Barb came over yesterday for a visit. I invited my bee friends to come and join the fun.

Barb brought one my favorite quilts she made for the show and tell. I must say that pictures never do the justice to the quilts. She has designed this quilt herself and hand quilted it to perfection.

If you haven't already, check out her post about this special quilt here.

The hexagon quilt! Something, I can only dream of making!

Her star quilt in progress! It was really nice to see all those blocks in person. Thanks, Barb for spending the day with us..

Speaking of us, Kelly of Pinkadot Quilting was also here. Check out her diary blocks.

It is going to be quite a quilt. wish you all could see those blocks in person too. Her detailing is amazing!

Another one of Kelly's quilts in progress. We got together last month to work on a string quilt project.

Christine also brought her string quilt in progress to share. I like her green background!

Here is another one of her clever use of upholstery and home dec fabric samples in a table runner.
I think it looks better on my table!


'May Apple' Terry Kramzar

Terry Kramzar came and did a little show and tell too!
I forgot to take the picture but you can visit her here and take a look at all the art quilts.

Jane came a little later and unfortunately I did not take the pictures of her quilts either.

I shared my latest project. It is an unusual and an evolving project. Hopefully next time I will have some better visuals for you.


Pile of fabrics for the new project

Work in progress!


My friends!

A slow start to the promising year!

2012-01-07T13:08:00.003-05:00

I am gathering thoughts and planning the year.. Lots of new and old in mind, I started the year with a micro pen and scraps of blank paper and revisited my roots.

Little bit of doodling gave me lots to think about and ponder over what I want to do next!

Overall, this may be a slow year for me as far as quilting goes.

But as they say, slow and steady, easy does it

and that will do for me!

Happy New Year!

'Peppermint' mug rugs

2011-12-15T17:55:00.000-05:00

My boys are coming home soon!

They love making their own peppermint mocha when they are together and,

this season will be no different!

I am ready for them to use these 'Peppermint Mug Rugs'

Stitched with love and in lots of anticipation.

I couldn't make just two or three...

They were so much fun to make..

I made a whole bunch!

They also made good tree ornaments. Don't know why this picture would not post itself straight.

But if you don't mind turning your head sideways,

here it is!

Have a wonderful weekend!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-12-03T22:17:00.001-05:00

House Top and Pine Forest

A perfect beginning of the holiday season!

I finished my very first Christmas quilt this year before I began decorating!

I made this quilt top last year and blogged about it here but had decided to hand quilt so it had to wait until the time was right.

It is lightly hand quilted with white Perle Cotton, bound with pieced bias binding and hung in the hallway ready to greet the boys when they come home this holiday season!

This is how I decked the hall this year.

Hanging in the far end is my 'Confetti' quilt.

I included my quilt 'Cranberry Sauce' for some photo fun!

Scraps were from the basket. I was cleaning and sorting out the scraps and decided to make a red and green quilt, my way.

Nine blocks include fabrics from so many quilts I made in the past.

It is a true scrap quilt.

It will brighten up the hallway for many more years to come.

Time to start a new quilt for next year!

An Indian Crazy Quilt

2011-12-02T16:51:00.001-05:00

I don't even know how to begin writing this post.

My friend Terry Kramzar just returned from her trip to India. To welcome her back and hear all about her experiences, our friend Christine invited us 'quiltinies' to her house. I took some hand work with me so I could stitch while I chat with my friends.

Who was I kidding?

Every time we meet, we have show and tell of our current projects and share a new book, magazine or new ideas and sewing related gadgets. Not to mention sharing the stories of our lives.. What good is a circle of friends if you can't share your lives? With a group that is made of the author and teacher Cheryl Lynch, Award winning fiber artist Terry Kramzar (won the first prize at Houston this year) and gem of a soul and talented quilter and teacher, Kelly Meaninx and equally talented friends Christine (Who I think should have a blog) and Jane, we always have plenty to look forward to.

I must have taken as few as10 stitches on my quilt. Rest of the time was spent with my jaws wide open! Terry had so much to share! The goodies she brought back from India and the stories that went with each of them! The food she ate and the places she visited. I am not kidding, I felt as if I went with her on the trip and came back in a day with lots of colorful memories!

After lunch she went to her car and came back with five big heavy rolls in her arms. Each of them were personalized. She had carefully chosen appropriate color of the gift for each of us.

This is what she brought back for me! Isn't it beautiful? It is an Indian crazy quilt made of embroidered patchwork.

India is a very diverse country. The handicraft and clothing is no exception. This one quilt alone is made of many embroidered patchworks from different states and regions. Here are a few of the close up shots I took of this quilt.

I hope you enjoy these pictures and please visit Cheryl and Kelly's blog to see other beautiful pieces on their blogs.

Most of the embroidery is done by hand. All of these patches are either the remnants of a dress or a sari,
There are even some wool pieces. They are stitched on a light weight canvas and each of the patches are edged with very light weight white rope. This is strictly for decoration. I don't think anyone would like to cuddle up in canvas:)

While I was growing up, I never had any interest in embroidery but I know why I love to hand quilt. There is something about the textures that draws me to it. I was also very much into wearing ethnic clothing. This quilt reminds me of oh so many cloths I used to wear from different regions. If only I had saved them, I would make a crazy quilt and treasure it forever!

Terry, If you are reading this, I have found a perfect spot for this gift. Thank you so much!
Christine, thank you for opening your home, for that wonderful food and most of all, being the person that you are!
I learn so much from each of my friends every time we meet. I hope you all are also blessed with friends who make your lives better.

National Corduroy Day!

2011-11-10T16:34:00.001-05:00

It is finally here!

The excitement has been building on for months!

I think Nifty did a great job being the ringleader of this celebration. Wouldn't you agree?

I decided to make a small quilt and use up an old unfinished project.

I am so glad I did!

Now the question is, how is it going to be used?

It is only 12 inches wide
and
a mile long!

You would think as a table runner?

It is true to my style.

It is hand quilted with Perle cotton thread. My favorite!

It is wonky!

It lays flat but it's 'organic' and 'fluid' just the way I like it!

I had so much fun taking pictures of this quilt.
K suggested I should take on a job of a window displayer ( is that a word?)

In the hallway, with pillows from India!
K came home from school and asked, "Mom, are we getting a bit carried away? Who in the world lays pillows around in the hallway?"
She is right! I don't have those laying around on the floor.
Just today, for the pictures.

After few tries on where and how to use this long quilt, I found a perfect corner in the house!
Looks pretty artsy to me. It shows of it's curved binding very well.

This quilt got it's own special hanger.
It is made from a copper pipe wrapped with cotton rope. I tied extra rope at the end to make it look like a scroll.
All it look were two tiny holes at each end of the pipe to insert the hanger made of garden wire.
Pretty cool, right?

And, since I have taken so many pictures, I might as well share them with you!

I was not sure if there were any rules for this challenge so I took the liberty of using linen and used cotton dress for the zigzag.

I like to cut my binding 2 1/4" wide and for curvy edges I prefer bias binding.

Love how it snugs the edges.

Deb also talked about cutting up some long corduroyee food..

That gave me an idea!

If those project runway people can design cloths out of almost anything,

Why can't I?

So here it is.

A quilt made out of corduroy food!

Few strips of zucchini, carrots and celery on my cutting board,

and it was delicious!

Are you inspired?

The Preview!

2011-11-06T20:25:00.001-05:00

National Corduroy Day!

It is just around the corner!

Deb Rowden and Nifty has got me excited about the National Corduroy Day on 11-11-11.

I finished my challenge quilt and thought you all should have a sneak peek!

Hope you come back for lot more pictures of the quilt and it's inspiration.

You might want to visit Nifty's blog to see the list bloggers who are participating in this fun challenge!

See you on the 11th!

Medallion

2011-11-02T08:14:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I have worked on a new quilt. With my limited ability to use the rotary cutter and iron, I am doing anything I can to keep my creativity going. In an effort to feel accomplished I pulled out another one of those old projects. The goal is to finish as many of those UFOs as possible. Even if it means that I end up with more quilt tops in future.

Almost a year ago I had started playing with the scraps of my Ferris Wheel quilt. I did not think it was ever going to turn into anything at all but I liked the way it looked after I sewed the background so I wanted more!

I am going to post some versions of this quilt. As the quilt evolved on the design wall, it started changing. I am not sure how it will end up in the end. I am enjoying the process and who knows where it might lead itself.

Wheel surrounded with bold patches of strips. I think they make the wheel stand out on it's own no matter how crazy it gets. Love those bold strips!

The wheel with patches made from smaller bits.

I am looking for a horizontal quilt to hang in my hallway. Trying to find a focal point that is off center and still balance the quilt. Not really difficult thing to do but after a while of staring at this craziness, I feel like I am going blind!

Still growing!

And, evolving!

I like the little slivers of black along the edges. I am going to leave it alone for few more days on the design wall and see what happens next.

My scrap bin is almost empty which can be a good thing!

I am ready for some fresh new colors to work with and,

this 4'X6' quilt gives cleaning up the sewing room a new meaning!

Have a great day!

Back to the sewing room!

2011-10-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

It has been six weeks since my shoulder surgery. About a week into the surgery, I started being restless.
As much as I would like to call myself ambidextrous, pressing and cutting the fabrics is not fun when I use my left hand. So I had to wait and be the good girl, listen to the therapists and follow the plan!

Those of you who have had to stay away from creative process know how difficult this waiting game can be!

Scraps from Zigzag 40" X 45"

Leftover scraps from the quilt, "Gridlock" 40" X 48"

At four weeks' mark, I decided to start sewing. I came up with enough scraps (already cut squares) to make three baby quilts. I am not sure when I will be able to quilt them but whenever they get done, they are going to keep some babies warm .

It feels good that I have used up most of those leftover squares. Now I can make more! Hopefully, of different colors! Having finished some of the quilts just before the surgery, now I have enough confidence to machine quilt and find them good homes.

As far as the shoulder goes, you can see that it is recovering surprisingly well!
Thank you all for your emails and notes, comments and well wishes on my previous post. It is good to be back. I have missed being here and staying connected!

Show and Tell...

2011-09-07T10:34:00.001-04:00

I am so excited!

Yes, I actually have finished quilts to talk about!

Not just one.. but four!

Remember this?

Done!

and, this?

Finished!

Hand quilted and bound!

This one waited for two years to be machine quilted..

Done!

And finally, K's quilt is also machine quilted and on her bed.

I sat on my machine (on my chair) last week and kept repeating like that little engine that could.

I think, I can! I think, I can!

I was quite apprehensive about quilting these big quilts myself on the machine.

But here is the truth...

The house does not get cleaned unless someone has those cleaning gloves on

and...

I can not turn that tall pile of quilt tops into quilts unless I put on my quilting gloves!

So I did!

I basted those quilts and got right to it.

Two out of four quilts were done last week.

I felt like a super woman!

I had some help from K and her friends capturing that feeling!

I don't think they minded the heat!

That's what quilts do! Make you feel happy and forget about everything.

Don't your think these smiles make those quilts shine even more?

Well, I am ending this summer with a really great note!

It has been the most memorable summer in a long time and I am sad to end it with another long blogging break.

I have had rotator cuff injury for last two years.

Next Tuesday, I am going in for a surgery.

It has been bothering me for quite sometime and it is time to fix it!

I don't know how long this break will be but quite relieved that the pile has shrunk just a bit before the surgery and recovery..

Four down and 36 more to go!

I will be back with better shoulder and even more motivated to finish them all.

Look what two months of being away from the sewing room did!

All I had to do was, believe.

"Yes, I can!"

Hopefully, I will be back before you even have chance to miss me!

By the way,

I can not tell you how appreciative I am of each of you visiting me and taking the time to leave a comment. If you are a no-reply blogger, please send me your email address so I can stay in touch with you. Thank you for being my blogging friends and sharing this journey.

Going back to the sewing room..

One more finish?

Who knows!

You will have to wait and see :)

Quilt in a day!

2011-08-30T08:46:00.000-04:00

Is it possible?

As you all know, I have been deprived of sewing for quite some time!

It was time to get back into sewing.

This was a perfect quilt to make for the Calico Cutter Guild challenge.

My very first AAQI quilt.

I quilted it with perle cotton and bound the curved edges with bias binding. It is finished with the triangle corners. I enjoyed making this one so much, I might just make another one this week.

But before that, I have a lot of catching up to do.. Three of my 15 minutes bee friends have not received their blocks from me!

I better get to them before taking another blogging break soon! ( More about that later)

Have a wonderful day!

Sujata

I am back!

2011-08-24T19:37:00.001-04:00

After little over two months!

This has to be the longest blogging break ever!

I spent last month and a half with my two sisters from Canada and brother and his family who visited from India. All four of us with our families went on a cruise to Alaska!

11 out of 17 family members managed to take the time off from their work schedule so everyone can be together and enjoy the summer vacation. Ever since we started planning this trip, I knew that it was going to be 'once in a life time' vacation.. And it proved to be nothing short of that!

We enjoyed the most breathtaking views!

As the sun rose at 4:00 AM and kissed the glacier peaks....

we watched it turn the Glacier Bay into liquid gold!

We splashed a little of that on ourselves!

It was so peaceful!

Although this cruise lasted only for a week, it is something I will remember forever!

My kids added layers of new memories to their relationships.

The Butchart Garden in Victoria B.C. was amazing!

I got to visit my friends in Seattle.

Wish there was time to see all my friends.

I could go on and on about this summer but I am not going to.

All I can say that it has been a whirl wind of vacation!

Trips to Washington D.C., Seattle, Alaska, Toronto, Ottawa and back to Philadelphia..

This memorable time with my siblings ended about a week ago!

I got back into my quilting life by inviting my friends for lunch today.

It was another fun day.

No sewing, just good food and great company!

I better start a quilt to mark this summer before it ends.

Hope you are having a great summer!

What's in the name?

2011-06-20T23:15:00.000-04:00

The story. Of course!

This quilt began little over two years ago when I had temporarily moved back to Seattle for a year.

I called it 'Goodwill Shirts Quilt'.

Because, that's what it was!

I had bought some shirts from the Goodwill store to make a quilt. As I started cutting up the shirts in larger chunks of fabrics, I decided to use up all the skinny and long strips into this quilt. It went fast.

At the moment my life was sort of like a driftwood, lacking a sense of belonging.

If you ever have moved after being in one place for a long time, you know what I am talking about.

This past week, I had the chance to go on a retreat with my new friends Kelly, Cheryl, Terry and Jane to Christine's house in Maryland. Together we cooked, laughed and sewed. Went on walks and of course worked on our projects.

Christine's husband took us on the boat ride in the evening. On the way back I saw a little piece of driftwood on the beach..

Remember this?

Time I spent with my mom back in 2007 is one of the most memorable time of my life. We were visiting Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island and were surrounded by driftwood.

At the retreat, I worked on my quilt and hand quilted away while sharing the stories of my early experiences in this country.

I think for the first time in past three and a half years I was as comfortable as I look in the picture with my mom.

I honestly feel as if my emotions have finally stopped drifting and my mind has found a 'home' on the beach (here) full of new possibilities.

My new friends have made me feel at home.

I will forever be grateful for that.

Now this quilt hangs over my fireplace in the family room.

It stands for lot more than curved piecing and hand quilting with Perle cotton thread..

It is the constant reminder of the good times I had with my friends but even more the fact that no matter how stormy life gets, there is always a peaceful outcome in the end.

New beginnings are tough but sometimes all one has to do is to keep afloat.

'Driftwood' is what I call this quilt.

For it's life which began somewhere else, had a wonderful younger years like a lush tree full of life and went through rough storms and survived, became sharper and smoother with every wave that hit.

Do you name your quilts?

Do you wonder what's in the name?

I say there is always a story.

I like to call it 'The Root Connection'

A wedding gift!

2011-06-09T15:21:00.001-04:00

My old neighbor's daughter is getting married this weekend. She was in fifth grade when we moved into our home back in Seattle. It seems like yesterday when all the kids were in the woods making forts and digging wells. Rolling each other on computer chairs on the street and playing flashlight tags.
Chandra Barton was the oldest one of the five kids between the two families that played all summer long.
I made her a quilt for her wedding. Hope it keeps the newly weds cozy in the Northwest as they begin their lives' journey as a couple.

I am glad that the hand quilting is done for my cranberry sauce quilt. I am ready to do some machine work... it is way too hot out here in the northeast. Binding and sleeve this weekend and it will be really done!

Organic Quilting

2011-05-05T08:35:00.000-04:00

I like the freedom in traditions. In quilting, that means cutting with scissors and no marking the patterns while hand quilting which translates into fluidity in quilts.

Of course, I have to be open to imperfections and raw look that it brings..

I like to call it "Organic Quilting"

Quilting with minimum tools which may require hard work but the fruits are as sweet as the ones that grow in the backyard gardens.

I have been hand quilting one of my favorite quilts for past month or more.

I wrote about it in the previous post.

As structured as the blocks are, the quilt portrays freedom. I had a vision for the borders heavily quilted with Perle cotton threads like my Confetti quilt but it was not possible this time around. So, I settled with the next best thing I could possibly do for this quilt.

I just took my thread and needle and started hand quilting by eye balling the pattern.

After my first attempt, I knew what I did not want.

And this is what I settled for.

It grew.....

and grew into wild ivy sprawling around an old broken barn or a log cabin.

I wish there was better way of taking good pictures of these borders.

I am pretty happy with my Organic Quilt Garden!

Have a happy day!

I wonder!!!

2011-04-30T11:38:00.000-04:00

If you are wondering...What have I been up to?

We all go through the ups and downs of daily life. When it get to a point when you have time to focus on less things than you normally do, we start prioritizing and some things have to get on the back burner..

In my case, it was blogging..

It has been almost a month since my last post. I have to thank each and everyone of you for spending your precious time reading, leaving wonderful comments of encouragement and sometimes even with personal emails just checking up. Your friendships means a lot to me and if you are a blogger, your posts and projects are also a constant source of inspiration to me.

I have to admit that after the visit to NY Red and White show, I came home very inspired to make some quilts. Within a week's time I also had opportunity to visit my friend Christine's home and got to see her beautiful collection of her handmade quilts... Finished quilts.... might I add!

It became clear to me that I needed to slow down.. I took a second look at my stash of tops.. Yes, I have stash of quilt tops and decided that it was time to change gears.. It was time to slow down and finish some of the tops into quilts.

So I went to the quilt shop and bought some batting.

Remember this?

I basted the top and started hand quilting the quilt. It has been little over three weeks and I have completed

hand quilting all 25 blocks. I decided to stitch in the ditch to preserve the pattern that is already heavy with texture.

Here is the close up of the block.

Now the border dilemma....

I am not sure how I want to quilt it. It is the only place where I can show case my hand quilting. But I am a lazy hand quilter that does not like marking the patterns. I started with this ivy but feel that the design is quite a contrast to the actual pattern of the quilt.. Some more pondering to do!

I know that these stitches are not perfect but having spent time with this quilt and being at peace has proven to be more rewarding than fussing over the perfection. And any given time, perfection is the last thing on my mind so I am pretty happy..

My focus for this month was the echo of good old Nike slogan.. 'Just do it'

And it worked..

I will be back with more pictures once it is complete.

May be hanging on the fence or off the barn door..

This quilt will be fun to photograph outdoors in the country side.

Spring is here... In my heart and everywhere I see!

Happy Spring!

Infinite Variety - Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts

2011-04-01T23:48:00.000-04:00

I am still walking in circles at the Park Avenue Armory. I am so certain that this experience will never leave my mind. From what I saw, heard and experienced first hand, those layers and layers of red and white quilts were breathtaking and mesmerizing for every single soul that walked in there....

I wish all of you could have seen this.

Imagine a three tiered round cake, hollow from inside and you could walk within the cake!

Now imagine the size of bed quilts that were formed into that cake like circle.. Quilts that looked like inlayed stone work on the white marble. Lighting was so perfect, it made each and every quilt a show stopper. Since they were all Red and White, none of them were competing against any other quilt. They hung in their own elegant and unique existence.The dark background of walls and ceiling were even more enhancing the beauty of each quilt.
I have hard time picking one out as my favorite. When I look at the pictures, I already know that I have missed seeing some of them from up close. I notice a new one every time I go through the pictures.

Layers.. that sprawled across the entire exhibition hall. No matter which side or angle I looked at, my views were of simple, bold and stunning beauty.

The center of the exhibition hall had quilts spiraling upwards into a tower.

Can you imagine the scale when you see the crowds?

There was a quiet and very respectful atmosphere throughout the hall. Quilters had brought their young grandchildren to experience the quilts. Young mothers were there with their babies in strollers. I have never seen so many men at any other quilt show.

The silence which only comes from disbelief was all around me. As I entered the exhibit, I could not believe what I was experiencing. In loss of words, I hurried to get my camera out of my bag..trying to hold back the emotions I was feeling. I am sure you have experienced beauty that moves you from within and heard music that brings tears to your eyes. In that moment I knew that this was my once in a life time experience.

It has been two days since I went to the exhibit.
I still close my eyes just to revisit this enchanting experience!

I wish you could have been there. If you were there, you know what I mean.

My sincere thanks to Mrs. Joanna S. Rose. Her passion and love for these quilts have allowed me the experience of a life time!

I feel like a Star!

2011-03-19T11:38:00.000-04:00

From the book " Gee's Bend Women and their quilts"

Can you believe I have never made a quilt with a star block?

Well, other than my very first quilt. But, that does not count. I see a very scrappy star quilt in my near future.

I do feel like a star! My "Zigzag" quilt was in the AQS show..

It was nice to see my quilt hanging there..

What was even nicer was the company of women I had the chance to hang out with!

Kelly Meanix from the Pinkadot Quilts and her friends are my new friends!

Some of the nicest people I have had chance to meet in last couple of years.

I also got to meet some fabulous bloggers like Kathie from "Inspired by Antique Quilts", Victoria from "Silly Boo Dilly", Barb from " Quilting with Barb and Mary".

Wish I had more time to chit chat with them!

I even tried my hand at a long-arm quilting machine!

Came home with inspirations and ideas that will keep me busy for quite some time!

Happy Weekend!

Red and White

2011-03-07T08:23:00.001-05:00

My Red and White Collection

A little wall hanging I made as a swap with a friend. She embroidered for my quilt and I did a little applique for her quilt back in 1997.

I densely hand quilted this quilt. Still love it just the same as I did when I made it. I guess that's why the Red and White combination is considered to be so timeless.

Few years back I had started this quilt based on the pattern by Blackbird designs. Although, I have only made one block I still like it enough that I will finish this quilt with same selection of fabrics.

This quilt top I made during one of my husband's business trips.

I had seen the picture of the original quilt in a blue and white combination and wanted to try my own take on it!

The hearts were not part of the original design.

I love this quilt and was planning to hand quilt it someday.

I still think it deserves the hand stitching of some kind.

There were lot of emotions that had gone into it while I worked on the top.

It was my second or third quilt top and I was so proud that I had figured it all out from the picture!

They are the colors of the traditional bridal-wear in India.

I wore them when I got married to my husband.

White stands for purity and red for the good luck!

I love this combination!

Taryn has set up a virtual Red and White Quilts exhibit.

Although, I don't own an antique quilt, this is my little contribution to the collection.

Go check it out!

You will be happy that you did!

Quilt Fiesta book Giveaway

2011-03-06T07:36:00.000-05:00

And the winner is...Gill Watson
Please send me your snail mail address so I can mail you the copy if the book "Quilt Fiesta".

Thank you all for participating in Cheryl's Giveaway.

Goodwill Hunting

2011-03-05T09:13:00.000-05:00

That is what I did yesterday!

May I say that I did that very successfully too?

You all remember how I have restricted my self from buying new fabrics for quite sometime!

There is always plenty to shop from my own stash and it is fun to create from what I have.

But, yesterday was one of those days.. I had to buy something new!

So I ended up at a local Goodwill store..

I came home and washed the shirts.

Look closely..don't they look fun?

Can't wait to start cutting them up.

Speaking of old shirts,

This is not the only time I have lapsed!

Few months back I found myself in another Goodwill store.

And bought some cloths!

It was the dead of winter and I was dreaming of Spring!

I can hardly wait to cut all these up and try something new.

By the way, today is the last day for Quilt Fiesta Giveaway.

If you want to enter the giveaway, leave a comment on the previous post..

Just scroll down and you will find the post!

Have a great day!

Quilt Fiesta book giveaway!

2011-03-01T05:47:00.001-05:00

Quilt Fiesta

Surprising designs from Mexican tiles.

I was honored when Cheryl Lynch asked me to be included in her blog tour and a book give away.

One of you lucky readers can win a signed copy of her book!

'Quilt Fiesta' includes 10 different projects inspired from the ceramic tiles from Mexico.

Cheryl has cleverly combined pieced blocks and easy applique designs that create secondary patterns seen in tile work.

The book also has design options in the library of center and corner designs that will keep your own creative juices flowing.

There are simple instructions and guidelines on how to create a unique quilt by mixing these patterns.

Each quilt pattern has two different versions which makes it exciting and lets you be imaginative to see beyond the original quilts. (In my mind it is always a great thing!)

I love the fact that it also includes a chapter, From Inspiration to Design

a very informative guide on creating a quilt from your own inspirations!

Isn't that wonderful?

I am certainly going to give this a try!

Last year I had taken above photos of tile work at my grandmother's place when I visited India.

Don't you think this pattern would make a wonderful quilt?

Are you inspired?

Leave a comment to win a signed copy of Quilt Fiesta!

If you are a no-reply blogger, make sure to send me your email address.

I will announce the lucky winner on March 6th!

Good Luck!

The fun doesn't stop here!

There are two more days of giveaway left.

Next stop,

3/2 http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/

3/3 http://cheryllynchquilts.blogspot.com/

Good Luck!

February Finish!

2011-02-28T16:30:00.000-05:00

'Confetti' finished!

Yes!

Quilted and bound!

Thanks for all your feedback!

Each and every comment has helped me to come to my final decision. I tried every aspect of design that would apply.

But in the end, I just had to keep it simple and let the quilt do the talking.

The little pieces of confetti were larger than life and were speaking loud and clear..

They wanted to be left alone!

I quilted it in a simple wavy lines.

I decided to put another scrappy binding.. I just can not get away from those. I think it gives nice balance to the long strips in the quilt.

I also finished a quilt from 2003!

A quilt/top I had made inspired by one of the quilts of Gee's Bend.

After all these years, it made it to the finish line!

I got myself a two sided quilt!

Do you ever use your unfinished old quilt tops as backs for your new quilts?

I like having two sided quilts.

This quilt in particular has been a wonderful month long journey.

No matter which corner of the house it sits, it screams, "Look at me Now!"

I can't stop taking pictures!

Don't be surprised if I keep posting new pictures of this quilt every now and then..

I love it so much!

Some day in my spare time I will count how many pieces are actually sewn together to make this twin size quilt! Wouldn't it be fun to know?

Want to know more about this photograph? Tune in tomorrow to participate in a give away.

Play of the day

2011-02-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

A border of skinny horizontal strips on one side?

Or use those strings as a center medallion?

This left over block from ages ago in the center?

May be a few scrappy triangles from really ugly scraps?

Or the triangles and strips on the side?

Am I trying too hard?

I should leave it alone.. It is so loud.. I can't go against the force!

What do you think?

By the way, These are only the half of overall blocks!

Fun!

Winter Warmth

2011-02-08T12:45:00.000-05:00

When you make friends through blogland, the joy of it arrives in many ways. Sometimes in the form of comments on your posts, a nice mail, a promise to meet in person someday.

You start participating in bees and make more friends. The friendship also arrives in little envelops in the form of bee blocks and occasionally a whole quilt!

The blogging community is full of surprises. I have come to know some really kind and caring quilters doing most amazing things for others.

I have received a few of these messages of friendship lately and it has really moved me.

This quilt arrived a week ago!

Em who celebrates life in every possible way sent me this beautiful quilt.

The bright flowers and the birds that always represent peace, came in time to create a happy spot in my day!

Thank you Em! I will cherish your quilt and your friendship forever!

It is makes me smile every time I walk by.

Few more blocks arrived from the 15 minutes bee group. I love how this is growing!

Thanks Shelly, Helen and LeeAnn!

LeeAnn also sent me the most beautiful scraps in the whole wide world!

I will have to do a different post for that!

And last but by any means not least, Mary sent me her block for the little quilt exchange we decided to do few months ago! I am not kidding, this lady is amazing! have you checked out her quilts?

When I first saw her quilts on flickr, my jaw just dropped! I had to close my mouth with my hands.. NO Kidding! She is a gifted and talented quilter who designs and makes most amazing quilts.

Few months ago I invited her to take part in a little quilt exchange.

We decided to start with a tree block and send each other our blocks to finish the quilt.

Just look at this artwork and read about her story behind the block on her blog.. I am almost afraid to ruin it by touching the block!

I have to be honest and admit that I took forever to make my block.I was not in the 'right place' to create that block until last weekend. Mary's block arrived on Friday along with the bee blocks. I had asked her to keep it in the sealed envelop so I would finish mine before I would open hers.

Isn't it gorgeous?

It has been rather gray and dreary winter as you all know! I miss the greens..I decided to make a tree block with green and brown strings..

I had been dreaming of Seattle where the evergreen trees are always there to brighten up your day. The new growth on the fir and Cedar trees is so fresh in winter and spring that even in the midst of a snow storm the surroundings look magical!

If I could fly, I would fly over the big cedar tree we used to have in our backyard.

I imagine this would be the view from up top!

And, it makes me feel happy!

Snow Falling On Cedar!

Doesn't it look dreamy?

I love it!

Lessons Learned...

2011-01-28T22:20:00.000-05:00

As you all know, I have been making a sincere effort to work with my scraps while cleaning the studio. It worked out perfect that I am participating in a 15 Minutes Quilt Bee that requires use of scraps.

The theme? Improve blocks with made fabrics.

Each of us decided on the block we would like for our assigned month. I was very influenced by the book, "Accidentally on Purpose" for last couple of weeks.. So I decided to try to make one of the quilts from the book. I also wanted to try to stay with the style of my Confetti Quilt. Only this time, I decided to make long strips sewn into blocks.

This one has taught me some lessons I thought were interesting.

For this quilt I had set up some rules for myself.

I wanted to work strictly with scraps.

Value each piece for it's size.

No trimming unless it was absolute must.

Since this block required small scraps, I saved the larger ones for a different project. So I thought!

I started sewing up little scraps one piece at a time. As long as the two bits of fabric looked good next to each other, they went into the block.

I made adjustments to the size of the scraps as needed. But mostly tried to match the size of the scraps rather than cutting them to the size. That way I would not loose fabric.
( I was really stressing on maximizing the use of what I had and pretending that every bit was precious.)

Once the strip of a desired size was sewn up I trimmed the sides and made another one.. Made a few and pieced them together to make a block.

Soon I ran out of all the small pieces and was left with little longer and thin strings of fabric strips. That's where plan B came in effect.
Instead of making more smaller pieces to stay with the theme of Confetti Quilt, I used the longer strings in the bin. I started piecing them in a slightly wider patches. Suddenly the colors were also changing.. Because these scraps were from a specific project.

The wider strips with lots of skinny strings are enough to make a block for a center medallion OR I might scatter them around the entire quilt.

Next, I used the patches that were squares or rectangles. I was hoping to make most of their size, use them cleverly and not loose any more than I absolutely had to in seam allowances. So I paired the squares together and made HSTs out of them.

These were also hand cut and without any specific size in mind. Silly as it sounds, I also discovered that I was more likely to use the tiny bits of fabric in quilt if I cut them by hand..

My Inspiration for the quilt.

I am not sure if I was cutting the yardage, I would have cut them as skinny and as tiny as some of them I ended up with. The standard quilting and cutting measurements are so easy to work with that it is difficult to cut skinny strips on purpose.

Besides, if I was in hurry to finish the quilt, the first thought would be the time and patience it would take to make this kind of quilt. Can you imagine how long it would take to actually cut scraps from yardage and refold them and put them back?

Thankfully, I have my bee friends making some blocks. They are fabulous!

Another advantage of being in the bee, each block will come with maker's personality...and from many different projects.

I started with an inspiration and designed the block based on above quilt. I have a feeling that once all the bee blocks come together this quilt is going to take it's own shape and form.

After all that's was improvisation means.. right?

While I was cleaning the scrap bin, I also found lots and lots of strings.
This is what I have started with all those strings.
A simple idea of using up all I had in the bin is keeping me quite busy.
I am running out of scraps.. Still lots of fabric in my stash... Just no scraps. One of these days, I am going to have to make those quilts that use yardage. It has been a while since I have done that!

I urge you to check out the 15 Minutes Play to see more of these blocks and other cool projects that everyone is working on.
It is truly an inspirational place!

My sincere efforts for cleaning has made my sewing room look like this little house from inside.

Hope you are having fun in your sewing room.

Summer Dreams!

2011-01-18T19:25:00.001-05:00

I decided to clean up my sewing room over the weekend. Of course, then came the domino effect! While cleaning I found all the left over scraps from my Ferris Wheel quilt.

I had also started a 15 Minutes Play with some of the leftovers. But still had enough left to create whole another quilt.

The cleaning went out the door.. I cleared the sewing table with one swipe and decided to answer the call of my creative energy.

It needed to let loose..

I had just enough of those triangle scraps left to make four fans.. Even though I am planning on appliqueing centers on each of these, I have decided that these deserves to be fans..

They have a certain kind of movement to them as if they are whirling!

Besides, It has been too cold..

I am dreaming of hot summer day and the red background is pretty hot and keeping me warm.

I believe that often times a quilt 'happens' because it wants to.

Do you believe in that?

What it takes to make the quilt is immaterial. It is almost as if I become the instrument when it wants to come to life..

I still have my red and green on the design wall. Isn't it funny how I am gravitated towards reds right now?

This quilt was inspired by all the red and green quilts that were floating in blogland over the month of December. I decided to do my own version of it. Slowly and steadily, it will grow.

There are lots of new details to put in this and 'Summer Dreams'.

As they say, "If you are dreaming, why not dream big?"

So, Dream away.. Big or Small,

We know it will be warm and cozy when that dream comes true!

Confused!

2011-01-12T09:30:00.001-05:00

I did a post yesterday about some of the blogs that have inspired me in past year.

Unfortunately, I am not sure what I have done wrong but the latest post does not appear on my subscriber's sidebar.

Have any one of you experienced this before?

I know this post may not show up on your sidebars either but it is a worth trying it!

I am going to be working on a Tonya's Challenge today. No picture yet..

Hope you all are having a good day!

Sujata

Few Words of Appreciation

2011-01-11T08:44:00.003-05:00

Few weeks back Rachael over at Blue Mountain Daisy tagged me with the Cherry on top award.

and I said, " Me? Really? " I can not even figure out how to put that award here on my post! I hope I am not misguiding people because I have had plenty difficulty trying to figure this blogging thing out!

It takes me forever to post. I am always worried about the right things to say!

And just yesterday, Mary at Fiberliscious tagged me with an award.. Thank you Mary for your kindness too.

I am so honored that you think my blog is worthy of these awards.

As part of the Cherry on the top award, I am supposed to show three things I like and name three other blogs that have inspired me.

The three things I love at any given day are,

Watching sunrise and sunsets, long and peaceful walks and gardening.

Sunrise at Haleakala

View of the sunset from our home.

I like Sunrise because it starts my day with possibilities

and the night fall after sunset gives me the quiet time to ponder upon the day that has just passed.

Going on long walks and listening to bird-songs bring a sense of oneness with nature. I also get inspired by the surroundings while I am walking. It gives me opportunity to look and observe without the noises and disturbance of other daily activities.

It is a difficult task to name only three blogs that inspire me..
I know that most of my readers also read some of my favorite blogs..

I am going to try to name some blogs that have inspired me every time I visit and some I have discovered quite recently.

Deb Rowden's Quilt blog

She captures the true essence of quilting. Scraps and thread tails turn into a stunning work of art.

No piece is too small. Her quilts are original and amazing.

LeeAnn's blog

LeeAnn has been blogging for only little over six month's period and quilting for about six years. I love her wild sense of color and playfulness that transforms her quilts from a simple idea to a unique master piece.

Em Celebrates

Em's blog is an inspiration on regular bases. Her blog has a positive and happy energy that is unmatched.

Her kind and good nature always shines through her words and quilts.

Please check out these blogs and I have a feeling you will not be disappointed.

I am asked to award the blogs which have under 300 hundred followers. Unfortunately, that leaves out many other blogs that I read on weekly bases.

And now here are the names for the tag by Mary

Attic 24 is my very favorite recently discovered blog! If you like colors and textures, there is a constant supply of inspiration on her blog.

Barb has inspired me with her quilts for quite some time. But just recently she did a post on her 'Mother's Garden' quilt which has left me thinking, planning and plotting for my next quilt. I love the stories behind all her quilts.

Story Cloth is another blog I discovered in past few weeks. I am really loving the slow process of stitching and creating that she represents on her blog. Take time and go through her pages. Lovely little stories are stitched with cloth and threads.

I would love for you to visit Joe's blog. He is as good with his words as he is with his art.

Don't forget to check out this blog by jmbmommy. For all of you who are fans of Tonya's Word-Play, this is going to be a treat! Make sure you scroll down all the way to the bottom of the page.

There are so many blogging friends that inspire me with their individuality. Thanks, Rachael and Mary for giving me this opportunity to sit back and think about what inspires me.

Last but not least.. Buffy.. I can not tell you how much I appreciate her and get inspired by her.
If it wasn't for her, I would not have been in the blogland.

Ooops.. they have started the music.. got to wrap it up!
Have a great day!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T10:11:00.000-05:00

May this new year is full of hopes, possibilities and joy for all of you.

Hope it is filled with sunshine and warmth every day, even for my friends and family who live in Seattle!

Hope your friends are always nearby to comfort you!

Your loved ones are healthy and safe..

Hope you get to fly of to the new adventures and explore the world full of possibilities.

I certainly hope you get to spend some lone time doing exactly what you like to do!

And be as 'colorful' as you can be!

This work of art was my gift from my children.

I have a lot to look forward to this year!

My coffee table is full of new inspirations!

Happy New year!

Stories in Stitches

2010-12-19T22:50:00.074-05:00

As quilters, we all write stories in stitches.

Few days ago Barb shared her quilt and the story behind it.

A lot of the times, we start a quilt on an impulse, a basic instinct, a drive to design and create.

Which is what I believe Mary is doing right now.

Sometimes we get inspired by what surrounds us and we get motivated to design.

Occasionally we take part in quilt along and let our creativity pour out.

Sometimes, it is a group effort like the one Victoria has started us all with our 15 minutes Bee

or Beth who is building a neighborhood of quilters.

Either way we all are somehow involved in telling a story.

It is the reason my blog is called "The root Connection"

Every quilt has a story..whether it is a machine stitched, hand stitched, appliqued or pieced, or it is made of a traditional or improvisational style. if you dig deeper than the surface you will find a story..If you ask the maker, he or she will tell you all about it!

I have not met a quilt that has not told a story.

I hope you all find this link below interesting.

Click here

The native language in the story is 'Gujarati', the language I speak at home here and with my family back in India. My ancestors were from the western state of Gujarat, the bordering state of India to Pakistan.

This little preview of the documentary tells the story that is indented in lives of millions!

Although, I was born way after the events that are depicted here, I somehow feel connected to this art that tells the story of human lives.

It is part of my culture and heritage.

There are great efforts being made to preserve this ancient art.

You can learn more about it by visiting

www.kala-raksha.org/

If you would like to learn more about the Ralli quilts,

visit

www.ralliquilt.com/

Patricia Stoddard, the author of the book, "Ralli Quilts" represents the organization called Lila Handicrafts. You can also visit this site and see the beautiful ralli quilts of all sizes.

I also would like to share the link for the Folk Art Market in New Mexico.

This site has been a great source of inspiration for me from the countries all around the world.

I hope you enjoy visiting these sites and get inspired and

even find a treasure for your home or friends along the way!

Ralli Quilt Close-Up

2010-12-17T22:22:00.000-05:00

I know I have done really poor job on these pictures. It has been a crazy busy day but I could not resist taking new pictures of the quilt and posting them for those of you who wanted the close up of this quilt.

As I said earlier, the blocks are made of 25 two inch squares.

This past week or two....

2010-12-15T09:19:00.002-05:00

Another quilt inspired by a Ralli from India.

The quilt top was sewn during the fall of 2008. I call it my two inch love affair.
After two years, I finally finished stitching on the borders!

Back in 2008-09, I had moved back to Seattle with my two kids for the academic year so they could finish their high school and Jr. high. (Our big move to PA from Seattle had back fired a bit for our teenage kids)

Knowing that we will be spending for two homes, I shipped the fabrics from my stash. I did not want to buy even an inch of fabric while being there. Since Fall was just around the corner, I had picked up a box with Kaffe fabrics and dumped them in the shipping box.
I stayed true to using what I had for this quilt. Not an inch of fabric was bought. I know it is quite saturated with colors but it is quite meaningful to me.
I just found the border fabric in another box!

I designed the pattern with blocks made with 25 two inch squares.
There are six different configurations of 25 square patches.
(does that make sense?)

It was a lot of fun making this quilt in the little apartment I called home for an entire year.
Being single mom for that year.. Not so much!
I have great respect for all of those single parent out there!

I finished the 'Confetti' quilt and hung on the wall by my sons' rooms to welcome them home.

( In four days... but who is counting? )

I learned something new about hanging quilts on the wall. I used to use about one or two inches wide sleeve on the back and insert 3/8" dowel to hang the quilts.

For this quilt I made a four inches wide sleeve.

What is the difference, you ask?

The quilt hangs away from the wall. The extra inches of the sleeve allow the quilt to FLOAT off the wall.

Without the binding in natural light.. this one made it on the Explore on flickr!

I really am happy with this little quilt.

The back looks like local farms covered with fresh fallen snow.

Before quilting it looked like it was never going to lay flat. The experiment of "quilting my way" was quite fun and pretty rewarding. If you click on the picture, it will show you how 'unflat' the quilt top was!

After getting inspired by all of you who have been working on Christmas quilts, I started a new project with no deadlines in mind. Bunch of red and green strips playing on the house top!

The stitching on the Confetti quilt has made me want to do more hand quilting. I think my red and green quilt also will get embellished with some heavy stitching.

Another slow project!

Inspirations

2010-12-09T08:55:00.001-05:00

This is not my quilt!

Neither is this one.

The designer's name is Stacey.. and her blog is called, ' On the Design Wall.' She has been making these quilt for quite some time. Go visit her blog if you are interested in more of what is here. I really like her take on Gee's Bend inspired quilts.
And, for those of you who like to work with used shirts,check this out!
I wish I was there!

Her Book!

2010-12-06T08:14:00.002-05:00

Tonya Ricucci has a new book!

Emotions + Fabrics + Letters = Word Play

Back in early spring when she started her Liberated Amish Challenge, I was one of the last ones to join in. It sounded like so much fun. The challenge was to get inspired by original Amish quilts and put a liberated twist to the quilt. She also threw in a fun element of adding words to the quilt.

I have to be honest and say that back then I wasn't so sure if I was even going to finish the quilt before the June deadline. So, the idea of adding words to the quilt seemed far fetched at the time. I finished my quilt top around June 28th, just in time and decided to skip the words. Pretty soon, other quilters who had made their quilts for the challenge started posting their work. It was fun to see all the messages that were written in quilts forever!

I then realized that I had missed out on great fun!

Tonya had given web lessons and tutorials on her blog but by the time I was ready to write with fabrics, they were no longer available due to the anticipation of her book. Now you can imagine how badly I want this book. Just look at the book cover! Can you imagine the endless possibilities? I like the playfulness of the letters.I can see myself writing all over the quilts.

Word Play Quilts can be pre-ordered or you can buy it tomorrow which is it's set release date!
I am so excited to get my hands on my copy.
I just finished quilting my challenge quilt. I had worked on my quilt a couple of years back but it seemed like a perfect fitting idea for Tonya's challenge. I am so glad I participated. I got to know a person who is not only artistic but quite generous with her gift. She shares her creativity and inspires all of us!

Have a wonderful day!

Memories from the attic

2010-12-01T21:47:00.001-05:00

This little snowman was made during my doll making days. He comes out of the attic every year since 1994.
He is wearing the hat that was made from my old socks. His nose is made of clove stick painted orange. Clove heads are buttons for his shirt and mittens are painted and so are the boots. I even laced the boots. I wish I know who the pattern designer was. I really enjoyed making them.

I still love having them around the house during the holidays..They bring a little bit of past back with those wonderful memories when the children were little. These two were made for my two boys.. They come out of the attic every year and hang together on the tree.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T08:04:00.001-05:00

I hope you all are near your friends and family this holiday season.
I wasn't going to post this week but I could not resist when I saw Mary's post this morning. I have been looking to accessorize my unusually bold styled coat (for me) for a long time and I think I may have found a perfect thing!
Go check out her blog. You are going to love how clever she is and how beautiful her work is..
I am wondering if I need to buy a new coat or feel lucky that in future it will be used to make my home even more stylish like Mary's. LOL..

It has been a busy yet very relaxing and happy past few days. My long lost best friend from 1988 is back in my life. She visited for few days and we shared so much lughter over cups of tea.. Lots and lots of cups of tea! It is amazing that true friendships remain the same even after so many years and you can pick up where it was left off last time. We had not communicated in at least 17 years! It was a blast from the past for sure!

I am just thankful that I have people all around the world that are so near and dear to me!

Before she arrived, I finished this little wall hanging and practiced my machine quilting.

I love finishing a quilt with bias binding for the curvy edges. The curved piecing becomes even edgier...

Here are some pebbles! I had to sneak them in!

Working on that scrap quilt.. Remember this? I decided to hand quilt with Perle Cotton.. I have always loved heavy hand quilting. This one was particularly inspired by this.

It is a nice little project to finish before the year ends. There is a spot in the house that needs a little sprucing up and this quilt is just the right size for that.

I also did lot of machine quilting last week.
This is the back of my 'Amish Impressions Zigzag' quilt.

And here is the front!

Also build more houses..

Hope your home is filled with love and laughter this week.
Have a wonderful day giving thanks to your family and friends!

One of my favorites...

2010-11-14T15:21:00.002-05:00

Do you have this book? If you like houses, you must look into 'Home Sweet Home' by Deborah Harding and Laura Fisher.

The blocks in this quilt are only 4 inches square. Click on the picture to see the close up.

My little house is two and a half inches tall.

Imagine an entire village out of little houses made of sticks and stones!

Are you inspired?

How many baskets of scraps will this take?

If you haven't been here, you don't know what you are missing out!

She loved it!

2010-11-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

She said so....

As she looked straight in to the camera!

and right into my eyes....

Mom too!

She whispered in k' ear..

Meera loved her quilt..

And yes,

She loved the back more than the front..

Have a joyful weekend!

Wild thing...

2010-11-05T21:44:00.000-04:00

You make my heart sing!

Yes, This wild and crazy thing makes me smile.. I have never finished a quilt in a week's time.

You see, I was working on a deadline.. Don't like to do that a whole lot.

You can't hurry love and you can certainly not hurry creativity.. unless it wants to hurry itself!

Amy is having her forth annual Blogger's quilt festival and this happen to be one of my very latest favorite quilts to share!

Which is the other quilt you ask?

This one of course!

Another one of my latest creations!

The basket blocks were inspired by the quilts from Collaborative Quilting II by Gwen Marston.

I just decided to use crazy patches for the background.

Since it is a gift for a baby girl, It had to be as cheerful and happy as possible!

Then I wondered... Why should the fun stop at the quilt top?

So, I pieced the back..

Now, I was really having fun and did not want it to end.

I thought a black and whilte stripe would be a perfect binding for this quilt..

But my heart said..

NO...

It had to be another scrappy finish to a fun experience!

I can't decide which is front and which is back.

I guess, I don't have to!

Baskets are fun..

They can be wild and crazy and filled with joy!

These ones are loaded with love

for our niece's first born!

Basket Quilt

2010-11-03T18:27:00.000-04:00

I thought I was going to wait for another post until after I finished this quilt. But it seems like I have hit the wall and going no where.

At first, I was not sure if I was going to use borders for this quilt. This quilt was just a fun experiment and had no ultimate goal.. I kept making my fancy baskets and as I made them the crazy patched up background seemed like a really good idea. I did have a great time making those blocks.

After looking at nifty's quilt, I thought of making it into a baby quilt and gifting it to our niece.

According to my daughter, the baskets are just right for a little baby..her quilt should be soft and gentle in colors and pattern...

In my book.. soft and gentle does not exist.. Colors have to be bright. Use of dark and light is a must!

I kept making my baskets..with wonky bases and handles because they are fun to make!

Now the quilt top is finished. I need to choose a backing.
I think I am going to go with another crazy..

I hope the baby does not stay awake all night with bright and poppy colors..

That would not be good.

But as long as she is warm and cozy..

She will be alright!

What do you think?

Soft and gentle or wild and crazy for the back?

Why not?

2010-11-01T12:07:00.000-04:00

Making baskets out of scraps is very addicting. As you can see They multiply very easily!

All you have to do is sew your scraps together into a piece of fabric and trim that fabric into a triangle with pointy or a flat bottom!

I made a few and wondered about the background.. As you can see, I tried a couple of them.

My poor husband politely said, "They are cute but you can't really see them. The baskets were getting lost!"

My friend Kelly commented that she liked the medium background because she always chooses light backgrounds.

The light bulb went on!

I, always choose dark backgrounds !

It is time for a change..

and while I am at it,

Why not go crazy all the way?

So I did!

I am happy with where this is going..

Here is how it will look when all the blocks come together.

Crazy background for my crazy baskets.

I put a handle on one of them.

First I cut the shape out of the scrap.

Then I machine basted it with long stitch and hand appliqued the out side edge.

Then trimmed the center of the appliqued handle in desired thickness and appliqued inner edge of the handle.

I sewed the handle section and the base to the basket!

Couldn't help sneaking in a printed scrap.

I like this one a lot..

Want to see more?

Want to join the fun?

Visit here

Send me an email.

This is definitely a great start to my Monday morning.

Hope you are having a good day!

Basket full of Scraps 1

2010-10-29T17:00:00.000-04:00

20" X 32"

The scraps turned into a huge basket.

Few leftover grays made nice background for the block.

Appliqued handle fits just right!

It turned out bigger than I had expected! I have no idea how this quilt is going to evolve but that is part of the fun!

Gridlock

2010-10-27T10:13:00.001-04:00

That's the name of this quilt!

If you are a Kaffe Fassett fan, you know what I am talking about. This quilt pattern was in his first quilt book, 'Glorious Patchwork' with Liza Prior Lucy published in 1997.

Roughly, around the same time I started exploring quilting in my own little way. My friend Linda had introduced me to the book and that's all I needed.

This was one of the first books I could relate to as a quilter. Although the photographs of quilts were staged in different parts of the world, the colors of quilts were very similar to what I was used to seeing while growing up in India.

Other well known quilt artists at the time may have used Indian silks and woven fabrics in their quilts but for me, the way Kaffe Fassett could bring all of India in a quilt just by using combination of different colors and textures..

No one could!

Every quilt picture I saw reminded me of home. The plaids and stripes, the bold combination of magenta reds and emerald and chartreuse greens and bright Orange and turquoise blue..Just to name a few!

I started dreaming of all the quilts I would make.. I would day dream in colors and textures..

I would go to the only local quilt shop that carried some of his fabrics. At the time, the quality of his fabrics was not well appreciated among seasoned quilters because the woven fabrics from India were too thin for long life of a quilt. For me, they were perfect because that's how they were supposed to be.. light and airy for India's hot and humid climate..

The only problem?

They were too expensive for me to buy for a whole quilt at the time..

So, I would go and visit the shop but never buy an inch of his or any other fabrics.

Instead, I would go to a local Jo Ann store and buy what I could justify for my new hobby!

Few years went by and my urge to make a quilt with fresh fabrics took over.

In 2001, I started working on an applique quilt, 'Stars in the Garden'. The pattern was designed by Piece 'O Cake designs. I needed some plaids to make the stars for the centers and I knew where to go!

They worked like magic!

And, I was hooked!

In 2002, I started working at that very quilt shop. It also turned into a teaching job.

A workshop based on Kaffe Fassett fabrics and quilts!

My dream job!

I loved helping our customers with the colors and textures from a different eye...

An Indian eye!

I found these blocks in one of my boxes from the move almost three years ago. During those years, I only could sew while I was in the class with my students and co workers/friends..

At home, there were three kids in three different schools, and soccer, boy-scout, baseball and everything that goes with it!

What I couldn't finish, stayed in a box!

Thanks to my friend 'Nifty' who mentioned of old projects during our last week's conversations, I pulled out that box with the blocks and finished the quilt top.

The light wasn't perfect for pictures yesterday, but today it is raining... So I say, this is great!

This picture reminds me of a silk sari draped in a window display of a sari shop in India.

The quilts looks rather bleached outside than it actually is! But guess what? The blocks are put together after seven years! I say that's an accomplishment by itself!

You see, it was fun for me to put together colors and textures outside the Kaffe Fassett fabrics and make them look as if they were from his collection. As beautiful as his fabrics are, I liked them as an inspiration and as a guide to a gorgeous and glorious color palettes.

Now, don't get me wrong.. I have collected lots and lots of his fabrics over the years.

Who can resist?

I am only human!

But, I was stuck in a gridlock!

The line that I used to describe my class, 'let the fabrics do the work for you' was not working for me.

I love putting my own colors and textures together. I would see students not wanting to mix his fabrics with other fabrics or follow the exact 'quilt recipe' from the books with all the same fabrics...

That was not my thing!

Quilts are supposed to be fun..

So, I took a break.

A break form creating from his beautiful fabrics.

It had been three years since I moved. Last I had worked with those gorgeous fabrics was in spring of 2007! I stopped teaching the workshops and moved. The fabrics and unfinished projects stayed in the boxes.

Yesterday was a great day!

I feel free again.. moving in the direction where I am supposed to be. You will see in the next few posts..slowly and steadily.. I will be moving forward with his fabrics and inspirations!

Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably's workshops and lectures are lots of fun! I have learned a lot during those when I got the chance.

The man can describe a really pale candle so beautifully with his words at a dinner table, you can start dreaming of a quilt just by hearing him talk about that candle!

Thanks to my friend, Stacie Baumeister who is also the owner of Quiltworks Northwest , I had the opportunity to sit next to him over the dinner, work very closely in the class and had a great time!

Thanks, Stacie!

I wish they would come near my town..I have lots of memories from the past.. I want to share more and make more by using more of their gorgeous fabrics in my quilts.

I am out of the gridlock!

By the way, if you missed my previous post about the basket full of scraps, check it out. I am still collecting names. There is no deadline and you can start anytime you want!

Leave me a comment on that post saying you would like to join the group.

Have a great day!

Basket full of scraps...

2010-10-25T11:37:00.002-04:00

makes baskets full of scraps!

Yes, I couldn't stop at just two.
I made a couple of more this morning.
What started out as just scrappy fun is now consuming me!
Has that ever happened to you?

My day began with this today.. I had so much fun with it, I decided to make another one.. bigger than the previous one..of course!

My heart said.. more...more... more...
My brain said, Yes... Yes... Yes...

So, I made several little patches from the scraps,
Sewed them together how ever they wanted to fit with each other.. and I ended up with a large square patch!
Didn't want a square basket!
So, I rotated it around... funny how things look completely different from a different angle!

Made a patch for the top left side..

Made another one for the top right side..

All it needed now was a handle.. A really long one!

And a base too!

Too tiny?

I think so!

I think now it is just right!

I am definitely going to make some more! I am not sure how this quilt will evolve but I am not thinking too much into it. I am just having fun making these scrappy basket from my basket full of scraps!

Want to join in the fun?

Leave a comment on this post and include that you are interested in the quilt along. If there is enough interest, I will start a separate blog for you all to be part of this super scrappy fun!

Going shopping?

2010-10-23T07:52:00.000-04:00

No...

Just having some crazy fun!

Have a great weekend!

The Dress!

2010-10-16T23:42:00.000-04:00

It was a big success!

Are you all tired of me going on and on about the dress? I promise, this will be the last of it.

This past week I worked on the dress, blogged about it and even threw ( privately) tantrums of my own.

I managed to finish it on time and she went to the dance as one happy girl!

Few of the phrases that went through my mind were...

Just shoot me.. Never again and What was I thinking?

My dear daughter, might I add is the most understanding, calm and non judgmental human being was not looking for a perfect dress. Just a finished dress!

Some thing to wear at the dance that would fit her.

Every time I had my doubts, she encouraged me and when that wasn't working she went on with her life with such trust and faith, believing that it was somehow going to happen.

And it did

The bag too!

Of course, you will never see the details on the dress.

I did terrible on finishing details.

But she assured me,"Mom, I don't mind!"

Last night she tried it on and it was almost three inches big..

I sewed a seam from top of the back to the waist..

It worked great!

Her glowing face was enough of a proof!

Last year was my first attempt at a formal dress. same story.. went to the mall and did not find anything that would fit her and my pocket so I somehow made this dress. With boning and zipper and all..

Another one of those- you never want to see from up close!

Those people from that show would throw a fit!

But she was as happy as she could be!

I think she is just a happy girl because if my mom made me a dress that had so many flaws.. I am not sure how I would have reacted.. Wait a minute.. I know and she does too!

LOL...

Now that I can reflect back on this past week,

I will never say never..

why?

Because, that's what I said to my mom when I was a teenager..

I was never-ever going to sew in my life..

and here I am!

I know for fact that I don't follow instructions well.

It is not because I can not.. I just don't like it.

I am just made that way..

No big deal!

All the while I was trying to follow each and every one of some 45 steps, I was eagerly anticipating for the Saturday to come and be done!

Living in the moment would have saved me a few trips to the fabric store and ripping out seams over and over again!

By the way, I only do that while I sew garments..

Quilting is another story!

Speaking of which, now I have some beautiful silks from this and past experiements.

I am thinking a crazy quilt. That 's how they were made.. scraps and strings from the tailored clothing..

Oh.. it feels good to be talking about quilts again!

Can't wait!

The second biggest advantage of making the dress?

I was forced to dust of my Viking Designer One and learned that it is a very classy machine..

It sews like magic and after first few getting used to it moments I was sewing like a champ!

The first and foremost advantage.. you ask?

Did I mention the smile?

Never say never!

Live in the moment.

Trust me.

Needle in the haystack?

2010-10-15T13:26:00.001-04:00

Or is it all over the house?

Is it possible for us to never misplace the needle while working on a project? I have tried my very best to keep them organized.. I still manage to lose them every once in a while.

I am working on finishing the dress. I feel like I have been deprived of joyful sewing experience for past week, but I am not going to fuss about that right now. There have been some good things that came out of that too and I will share that some other day.

This morning I was working on the dress and decided to take a small break.

I was not close to my beautiful pincushions at the time. In that moment I put the threaded needle to a SAFE place so I would find it right away when needed and took a little email break!

What seemed like few minutes of reading and answering the emails, It had been good half and hour. I forgot where the safe place for that needle was.. Needless to say, I spent next half an hour searching so that it would not show up at random places.

I finally gave up and threaded another needle wanting to just FINISH the dress.
As I sat down on the chair again I noticed a thread on my pants around my left knee and I looked down...

Guess what?

I had found my needle!

So, here are today's questions:

Do spend half an hour looking for the lost or misplaced needle or secretly hope that it will turn up somehow ( think of the possibilities.... ouch) and carry on with another needle?

Do you stick it in your shirt thinking it is the safest place in that moment?

Do you get out that vacuum cleaner before someone else discovers it?

Okay now...Be honest!

The dress is almost finished. I can not wait to get back to sewing 100% cotton fabrics.. Strings and scraps..

But I did do some fun stuff too. Took some pictures of my finished quilts for this. Check it out!
Got some more quilt tops out to baste.
The one on the left is almost 10 years old. How terrible is that? That's going to be my canvas for machine quilting!
But first, got to go back to hand work on that dress.
Have a great weekend!

Still cleaning!

2010-10-07T11:25:00.000-04:00

I thought I was done sorting cleaning and rearranging until I hit the scrap bin!

More thin and fat strips were crying to be used.

So, I made some fabric for future string quilt.

Kept cleaning and found few leftover blocks from this quilt.

So made a little doll quilt.

Not sure what I will do with it. But they are better in a quilt top than in a bin!

I also found a stack of thrift market shirt fabrics and scraps. A quilt block made in 2002.

THAT WAS SOME FIND!

That means lots of new and fun projects are on the horizon.

But first, I have promised my daughter a homedcoming dress! And when is homecoming, you ask?

Next weekend!

I better get started! I am really not a good seamstress. I stress over making outfits.

As much as I love watching Project Runway and wish I could sew beautiful dresses, working without restrictions on size, shape and colors is my way.

I am better at making 'it work' than making 'it'.

I hope she has a decent dress to wear next Saturday.

Wish me luck!

Lost and Found

2010-10-01T21:43:00.000-04:00

It is the second day of my clean up job! Yes, I decided to take a break from sewing and just clean up and organize the space. Like a lot of you who stopped by yesterday, I like to clean up in between projects.

It gives me a clean slate to work with inside and out.

It is a time consuming process and while I clean, I constantly think about zillions of projects I could be working on. But this process gives birth to new ideas and wild possibilities.

I found fabrics I had forgotten I had!

Now that is like hitting a jackpot! It's like getting new fabrics and you don't have to spend a dime..

Well, you did at some point... but not today! LOL!!!

I like that about reorganizing the fabrics. It also give me a sense of accomplishment.

And look what else I found when I was emptying a box of fabric!

A choo choo train wall hanging I made out of felt 22 years ago!

And the airplanes and some clouds to go with it!

A quilt half way hand quilted needing some more attention.

A basket quilt top I made while my husband was on a business trip back in 1998.

I had major plans for hand quilting that one too!

A king size quilt top inspired from one of the Kaffe Fassett books.

And more of those wagon wheels!

Few of the Jan Patek blocks sitting on the quilt 'Kavita's Garden' I designed in 2003.

An Amish quilt top! The wheel fits just fine there don't you think?

I like it when it is all nice and flat!

There was a third ring to go with it. I wonder where it is right now!

This was the original quilt I made few years back.

I also found the only art project I brought along with me when I moved to this country!

I often get asked if I have formal training as an artist.

Yes, I went to an art school in India and studied graphic design in days when computers were hard to find for students. For some silly reason, I chose to major in Typography and Calligraphy.

Drawing and painting was fun then and still is. Although, I have not picked up a paint brush in a long time.

I guess these days, I am painting with fabrics!

The word "GLASS' is 1 mm thick and I am proud to say that I hand painted it.

No tools, no gadgets, just a paint brush and lots of concentration! I remember chanting in my head like little engine that could.. I think I can! I think I can!

Oh yes, I also painted the glass candle stand.

It is really good to find old things filled with great memories.

I am so glad I was stuck the other day and found my way back to 1984!

More about this next week.

Have a peaceful and happy weekend!

The Wheel

2010-09-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

My sewing room is a mess.

I started working on a new quilt and my brain got filled with too many color combination.

Not good, when you want to just slice and sew.

The room has exploded with fabrics..

On the floor...

On the sewing table and even on the ironing board!

Brain storm!

Not the good kind!

I decided to pull my scrappy wheel out to piece the background to it.

I found the perfect leftover fabric from another project.

Now the wheel has become a square patch! Everything around the black background is still in patches.

It is going to be a slow quilt for sure.

See that block on the top corner with X?

That was the only leftover block from the quilt below.

I knew it would come handy some day!

I needed to take a break from thinking about colors and textures and just sew something.

Sewing up the background was enough to feel accomplished!

Sometimes, that's all it takes.

A break!

From

Colors and textures.

Size and shape.

Just slice and sew!

How do you get out of feeling 'stuck'?

Productive days are happy days!

2010-09-27T17:58:00.000-04:00

Six empty bobbins!

25 finished blocks for a new quilt.

Six blocks for the 15 minutes Bee

I was supposed to make only one, but they were so much fun I could not help myself!

I am inspired

and

very happy.

I think it was that trip to the mall!

LOL!

Lots and lots of...

2010-09-22T10:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, some of you were impressed thinking that I had my camera with me when I went to the mall!
( if missed it, read my previous post)

Not true!

I made the second trip... Yes... to the mall.... Just to take the pictures!

Lots of them!

Lots of stitching!

I came home very inspired.

I pulled my fabrics out.

Made piles and stacks....

More stacks.....

Got inspired enough to start a new project.

I plan to have fun.

Lots and lots of it!

Inspirations from "Free People"

2010-09-20T22:34:00.000-04:00

How many of you don't like going to the malls?
I am one of those who would rather be at home or in the garden, sewing up a storm in my studio or in the kitchen cooking warm meals.
Whenever I can, I stay miles and miles away from malls.
Just not my thing!

But, homecoming is in few weeks and I had to go dress shopping with my daughter this past weekend.

We did not find pretty dresses but look what we stumbled upon!

I could sit on this chair for hours!

Curtains on the dressing room!

If you are near any 'Free People' store, make sure you stop by and see their store display. They change their displays four times a year. This will be taken down around end of October.

This one is located in King of Prussia, PA

All of the above merchandise are from India made from old and used Saree fabrics.

There were mix of silks and fine cottons.

Every single piece is heavily hand quilted. The colors and textures are quite inspiring.

I like free form patchwork made with used clothing.

I like to hand quilt my quilts quite densely and with contrasting thread.

I know why!

That is what I grew up with.

Remember this?

A utilitarian quilt air drying on a railing.

The 'Kite Festival Quilt' from early this year.

I am ready for some serious hand-quilting!

Good bye Summer

2010-09-08T10:14:00.000-04:00

It has been well over a month! This was the longest break.. It feels as if I have lost touch with an old friend and don't know how quite to get back to her.. We all know that the longer you take to pick up that phone harder it is to stay connected.

I am back in my studio, the idea of steaming iron and sewing machine sounds like music to my ears!

Unfortunately no pictures to show today! I have not sewn a stitch in past month. And boy, have I missed it!

While I took a break, I have enjoyed occasionally visiting your blogs and keeping myself informed. Hope all of you had a great summer with family and friends. I am now looking forward to cooler fall season and get cozy in the sewing room with my stash - mountain.

Have a wonderful day!