Secret Sewing Becomes Secret Quilting

Can You See the Loose Threads?

Obviously, I could not before I took the picture or I would have removed them. They were from the first round of stitching that I did in the morning, and ripped out in the afternoon. I've had a lot of indecisiveness while designing this project.

Can I say up front that I don't do well with this Secret Sewing concept? I'd love to show you more, but the Hop isn't until January. If you're going to the Fall Market, this piece will be there. I've let a few dear friends see what I was involved with, but other than that I've been mum. This is the first quilt I've made entirely out of batiks so let me pass on a few things I've encountered.

2 A.M. Stitching Tips & Secret Sewing

Tickling the Ivories 

or 

Quilting the Piano Key Border

Have you ever taken in so much in just one day you felt like a different person when you fell into bed? I had one Aha Moment after the next yesterday, and was so geared up I could barely eat supper. Seriously, me not eat? You can read about my first experience batiking with a tjap over on "One More Thing Before I Dye." Not eating meant I woke up starving at 2 A.M., and I quilted the next 2 hours until the family started getting up for work.

Announcing "One More Thing Before I Dye"

Divide and Conquer
the Fog

Pink Doxies has been a mysterious blog lately. I've been asking myself, "Am I a quilter blogger or an art blogger?" The answer was confusing. It's seems I'm both. This blog will remain Pink Doxies, and be devoted to the original concept of creating colorful, original quilts and sewing, and the new sister blog to my growing artistic passion. I think I can explain it best by redirecting you to One More Thing Before I Dye.

I would love to have you pop in for a moment, and say hello!

Linking up with~
Midweek Makers
WOW at Ester's Blog
Sew Fresh Quilts

Fall Quilts, Wool, and Wool Dyeing In the Microwave

Transitions

Summer has unofficially become fall here, though the calendar says it's still over a week away. It's 54 F this morning, and I'll have a cool studio today. I confess that sweltering heat does not bring out my creativity, and also that I've taken a little hiatus while coming to terms with my art and craft. Both points have made it more difficult to return to the studio daily, though I'm in and out. It's not an excuse, and there's no reason for me to apologize. It just is. You know, I'm finding that makes more sense to me recently. 

Vintage Slow Stitching

The Luxury of a Slow Stitching Project

An upcoming long weekend away had me nervous for lack of a project to take along. I improvisationally pieced some simple log cabin blocks the night before. Though the project was started at the 11th hour, the idea had been brewing the whole week long. Something simple. Something graphic. Something old.

Round Robin Final Border and a Round Robin Link Up

Cindy's Block from Stitchin At Home

It's the final round for our Round Robin, and I think it's spectacular to see all 4 finishes. 

Cindy did the original center, and it arrived to Sandra at MMM! Quilts. Sandra added the surrounding border, and mailed it to Tish at Tish's Adentures in Wonderland. Tish mailed it to me, and I thought, "How in the world will I do this?" I wasn't alone. I think we all had a superb exercise in design!

#BraveQuilter for September Is OPEN!

Slow Stitch Project

This week has been a push every day. I've been sticking to a list of things that need to be done, and it's been working. Staying on track can be hard when there are so many distractions, especially when you're surrounded by tempting fabrics. But we have a weekend break coming, and I had nothing portable to take and stitch. I kept thinking of these beautiful blue cottons I'd recently dyed, and my growing stash of feed sacks. Throw in some vintage buttons, and it just seemed to feel good together.

What I Did Last Summer

Pinned and ready for many glorious 
evenings of hand quilting!

Summer's Accomplishments

I feel like I've spent my summer as a true holiday. Not R&R, but catching up. There are still many things on the long list, but we've powered through some Herculean tasks. Tree removal from the Emerald Ash Bore--6 mature trees, house and property restoration, and so on. Nothing that was neat and tidy, and it all spilled over onto the rest of lives. Piles of things in the house were designated by project, and that was disruptive in itself. I'm happy to report the chaos is about 80% contained now.

Deconstructed Screen Print on Fabric Finish

'Macrophytes'

14" x 16.5"

This piece was created using a deconstructed silk screen process with Procion MX dyes, and Kona cotton. It is color fast. It was stitched by hand with a variety of Prescencia cotton thread, which has a subtle sheen. The backing and binding are also made with hand dyed Kona cotton here in my studio. It is available for sale for $140. A hanging sleeve will be added at the purchaser's request, and in their preference of orientation.

Shipping in the Continental U.S. is included. Contact information is below.

Hunting Down and Caring for Vintage Textiles

"Button, button. Who's got the button?"

Did you play this game as a child? I did. I also passed many hours sifting through my mother's, grandmother's, and even great-grandmother's button tins. Mind you, most were not new. They had previously lives on garments worn years, and maybe the century before my hands touched them. Many were nicked and scarred, but still had usefulness left in them, so they were removed in the hope they could be reused.