~ Summertime ~

Forgive my absence, but don't expect a huge amount of activity from me this summer.

Why?

Because it's Summer!!

That's why!

Since all of my sewing is summery sewing, it won't surprise anyone that I have been sewing some waves.

And catching some.

I don't actually surf, but I did take the ferry yesterday at Balboa Island with two of my sunny grandchildren. It was heavenly.

 I wish you all a summer filled with sunlight and water.

~ Swimming with the Fishes ~

It's going to be a binding kind of day.

How about you?

~ Dinner for Eight: II ~

So I am well aware that my blogging skills as of late have been less than stellar.

The truth is that I took some time out to make some things for my grand kids and  ... the Boy Scouts. The work for my local 11-year old troop, involved sewing a flag that was embellished with a rabbit.

A Nuclear Powered Killer Rabbit to be specific.

But, I digress.

Before starting those other fun projects, I had already decided on my next Sea Quilts adventure and had already set aside my piles of fabric ... paint.

I decided to reprise my very first Art Quilt, which has long since sold and is no longer in my possession. I am pretty excited not to be starting from Square One, especially since Square Two (the fabric picking process) is my favorite Square of all.

And what is your favorite part of the creative process?

`

~She Sews Sea Horses on a Surfboard by the Sea ~

This was SO much fun!!

~ Machine Quilting: A Bug's Eye View ~

Once upon a time ... I used to dread the machine quilting process.  It hurt my back. 

Still does.

But with the passing of time and hours and hours of practice, I have actually come to look forward to this part of the process. I recognize it as part of the design and not just a necessary evil.

I have come to terms with the fact that my back hurts a lot anyway ... so I might as well enjoy it.

I'm also very excited about my Sea Horse Surfboard. So many favorites all in one quilt!

How about you? How do you feel about the machine quilting process? Endurance or Enjoyment?

Or "Eh"?

~ Seascape II: Now in the 21st Century ~

I apologize most profusely for my lack of attention here.  I just want it on the record that 

It's not entirely my fault.

My computer ... officially older than dirt ... gave me so many Blue Screens that I was actually beginning to lose my fondness for the color Blue.  Until a new computer was purchased and installed, I was forced to avoid any action involving pictures which seemed to upset the old gal.

To add to the fun, when I was finally up and running again, Blogger and Picasa got into some sort of a fight and would not play well together,

Has anyone else had this problem?

In the meantime, I spent a great deal of time sewing on my latest project, this fun little Seascape, complete with a lush green beach and some happy little star fish -- both on the sand and under water.

When it came time to machine quilt the sand, I decided to give myself a challenge: Pebble Stitching. In the end, we are talking about 6 hours of pebble stitching.

I can officially say that I have improved my skills at pebble stitching.

Oh it feels good to be back in the cyberspace saddle.

I am really enjoying the 21st Century!

And loving the color Blue once again.

~ There is More on Instagram! ~

If you have noticed a decided decrease in posts here ... there is a reason.

Although I have NO intention of turning my back on my blog, I am putting pictures much more frequently on my Sea Quilts Instagram account.

@seaquilts

Please follow me there for more of a daily (eh, 3-5 times weekly) report on my quilting pursuits.

And please ... don't forget to check back here.

P.S. The quilt pictured above is an enlargement (24" x 24") of the mini piece (10" x 10") that was featured in the October issue of Quilting Arts Magazine.

~ A Happy Mess ~

A work in progress.

Surrounded by mess.

Note to self:  Clean Studio.

Later.

~ Fish Lips ~

TaDa!  I finished both of my colorful tropical fish quilts.

Two ... two quilts in the same space as one! 

Each of these quilts measures 25 1/2" wide X 18 1/2" tall. 

Each one is created out of colorful, shiny details ...

... + layers of texture to bring them to life. 

I didn't originally intend them to sport such ... girly ... colors, but once the fish spoke to me, those things were out of my hands.

So I offer you this PINK.
In the month of October.

Only fitting.

~ Something's Fishy ~

 

 

 

More. Fun.

Make that double the fun.

And yes ... Fish have Lips!

~ Sea Escape ~

This baby of mine has actually been completed for a short time now, but with all the surfboards/patterns, she hasn't had a proper photo shoot.

I have found that it's quite difficult to get the silvery shimmer on the water ... on film.

But trust me ... there's a lot of shimmer going on here.

Which extends down to the froth and the foam. 

And the sand.

 The stars simply lie on the sand.
This wall hanging is 25" wide x 36" long just like the others.

I can't decide whether or not to go with another seascape next, or one of the other things on that very long list in my head.
A great many lists have been made on paper, but the one in my head seems to always take precedence.

I love the Sea.
Can ya tell?

~ A Binding Agreement ~

So ... I was finishing up my latest project yesterday and starting on the binding.
(You can see that I attach the sleeve to the top and sew within the 1/4" seam before I start the binding process.)

Anyhoo, that got me to thinking about the three (3!) tutorials I published a little over a year ago which outline the quilt binding process that I taught at this store in AZ for over 6 years.

Since then they have been pinned countless times, but I know personally that I often pin something and then neglect to ever actually go back and reference it when I need it.

Sad but true.

So here is a reminder to take a look.  I can promise you that you won't ever want to use another binding method after you have tried this one.

Tutorial One: How to get crisp, square, professionally looking corners.
See HERE.

(And yes ... I changed the "sky" on my quilt.  About 6 times.)

Tutorial Two: How to join those edges for a smooth, bump-less junction.
See HERE.

Tutorial Three: Sewing the binding down on the back.
See HERE.

Pin it. Use it. Love it.

~ Temporarily Clean ~

So ... on Monday I cleaned my Studio.

It took all morning.
It made me happy.

And then ... for the next two days ... I couldn't bring myself to go in and mess it up.

Weird.

Finally, yesterday afternoon, I started sketching.

After the sketching comes the fabric picking process.
Which ... FYI ... is my favorite process of all.

Sky.

Sea.

Sand.

I have had my fill of clean.

Let's make a mess!