Where did the scraps come from?

By now, you have probably seen several posts here about quilting with scraps.  But, where on earth did they all come from?  Believe me - I'm not buying fabric to cut it in little pieces.  I refuse to throw away scraps, just because there is something beautiful and unexpected (and generally cheap) that can be made with them; you just have to to flex your crafty bone and get it going!

Practically all of the scraps came from my very first quilting project - kind of.  My in-laws moved to a new house and they had been hunting for a cover.  For some strange reason, their washer and drier are in the kitchen, and they were wanting to cover them. One day, my mother-in-law mentioned that she wanted something red. So there goes me, the one that always gets in trouble by attempting to make something new, exploring how to make something different and spend some time creating.

Mr. Fuzzband and I started talking about it, and I found out that there are quilt blocks that represent each of the states in the US.  Yes, I found out - I'm fairly new to quilting, and it was like a gold mine kind of discovery.  I wanted to quilt something with Georgia and Ohio, where my in-laws were born.  Mr. Fuzz suggested something like, why not make something that shows all the states they've lived in and their time in Japan as well...  Cool idea! Sure! And who's going to research and make all of that... Yep, you've got it!  Me!!  

So, here is to "A life time together" or "A memory quilt in the laundry!"

I even made a "map" with the name of all the blocks, so that they could identify the different states and it is also my reminder of the different techniques I used. We called it M & B's brick road...

These are what started it all:  Ohio and Georgia! 

Although I like the look of busy prints, I prefer to make blocks with fabric that allows the eye to "rest." That is why I used chunky frames around several blocks in this project; this also allowed me to have a sort of common denominator that unified the project, despite the variety of fabric prints.  By the way, we really wanted to include Japanese fabrics, and the one that make our jaw drop was the black one with the fans - all the other fabrics were selected around this one.  It is absolutely gorgeous!

For some reason, this little fellow decided to cling to the window and he stayed there for days... Nice quiet audience!  lol

I obtained most of the state block patterns from  Bella Online's US State Quilt Blocks site. This is the Florida block; it is paper-pieced, and you can find the pattern by clicking on the link above.

The next one is Nebraska. This took me a while to piece, but I obtained a lot of extra half-square triangles that I used later in a little block to fill in the spaces and make even rows.

This is the Barbara Fritchie block.  I got the instructions from Crafty's class Re-piecing the Past, with Kaye England. Also, I used a strip of my Paper-pieced block to even the shape and make a straight end.

The next block is New Mexico.  I was not able to find instructions that I liked anywhere at the time...  Now that I look back on this first quilting experience, I must also say that I was not familiar enough with all the terminology and techniques, so I may be able to find something that I can understand now and that will satisfy my crafty bone.  I ended up drafting it myself.  Now, this block has an eagle in the middle, but I decided to applique a circle.  It ended up being much smaller than what I wanted it to be, but I used chunky pieces of fabric to frame it and obtain the size I needed.

The next block is "Road to Oklahoma."  It is one of the first I made, and I was very happy to see that all the seams matched and the shape could be seen. I just had to do something different, and I used two different fabrics to offset it.  It ended up pretty neat! 

The next block is "Kansas Crossroads."  I had to follow a picture, and I decided to snowball all of them.  The great thing about this is that I ended with a lot of extra scraps and half square triangles to use in other projects!

M and B also spent about 24 years in Japan as missionaries.  It was really important to include this part of their life in this project.  After trying to find blocks to represent this county and its culture, I decided to use applique circles and an adaptation of Dresdens, to reminisce about the rising sun that is also part of the Japanese flag.

 

The following section is one that I'm really proud of.  As in many other occasions in this project, this was my first time trying foundation paper piecing.  In the left, there is a circle of geese; well, it's kind of two halves of a circle on top of each other.  I used Piece by Number's Circle of Geese paper-pieced block.

For some reason, I also wanted a block that would point to the beautiful art of origami, and the paper cranes is what I wanted.  I kept looking and looking in different places, and I ended up creating my own.  I essentially took a picture of an original origami piece and started to play with the computer.  I essentially inserted lines on top of each fold; I cut out the picture and only the lines were left.  It was kind of tricky, particularly because I did not leave any room for seam allowance; however, I was really pleased with the result.  So, my "window of cranes" lives now happily next to the geese... 

After mishaps, misreadings and patches, I had a bunch of scraps.  I guess this was the crucial start of my fond for not letting them go and experiment with the little pieces left behind...  The one in the left is my Pieced strip block and the one in the right is an improvisational log cabin block.  I ended up using a lot of the background fabric, and I think that the log cabin effect was lost in the end.  I did like the outcome, though.

The following is a diamond block made with the half-square triangles that were left from the Kansas block.

I did not really made a quilt - I did not use any batting.  I basically quilted in the ditch around the main shapes of the blocks and the "frames."  I used a plastic fabric that has fleece on one side of it.  I also used this fabric for the binding.

Looking back at it, I can think and see all of the mistakes I made; I know where the seams are uneven, where I should have used more fabric, where the points don't match, where I skipped stitches, where a frame is missing...  I'd better stop there!  However, I'm glad with the overall result, particularly being my very first sort-of quilt!  

I did get my living room back after everything was put together...  lol.  I just had to take a picture of the work in progress...  :)  It didn't last long, hehe. 

These covers were also a special way of processing the fact that my in-laws have been used to bless many people in different areas - they have ministered in churches in all of the places where they've lived in; that's why there are so many blocks in these covers!

I'm not sure whether this would qualify as a memory quilt or not, but I'm certainly thankful for having them and for knowing that God always uses someone to take his blessings where it is needed.

And how about you?  Have you ever made a memory quilt?  What do you like to create in order to reminisce of special moments?  

Happy memory-sort-of-quilting!  :)

More leather, one zipper, another pouch and a lesson in frustration...

Some days ago, I posted about making my first pouch, with a zipper!!!  I am pretty satisfied with it because it's functional, different and really cute.  However, one new pouch was not enough to hold everything that fit in my old pouch, so I had to make another one.

Even though I absolute love the first pouch I made, I wanted to try something different and decided to visit Sew Mama Sew's page; they have bunches and bunches of tutorials, and I found the instructions to make this cosmetic case under their "Bags" tab. If you visit this original post, you can also obtain a free PDF file with the instructions.

Anyway, back to the Hill...  I prepared the fabric and followed the instructions to the T:

And this is something I made different. You can actually use a regular glue stick to hold your zipper and fabric in place before you sew.  It is washable, won't stain the fabric and is a whole lot easier to use.  It makes the process way easier and faster.

 

Everything was going well, until I was like... UH?  How am I supposed to do that? It was the moment where I was supposed to sew around the four pieces of fabric to form the inner and outer pouches, forming a sort of trapezoid... This was supposed to make the pouch a little wider; I wanted this extra width so that I could fit more stuff in it. Everything else seemed to be OK, but I just couldn't get my head around the next part of the instructions...

This was pretty much the point where I got kind of lost...Now, remember that I'd never tried a pouch like this before this one, so I can take the fact that my cluelessness could (but just could... lol) be due to my amateurishness in these matters.  I just didn't get it...  :(

I decided I was not about to let my frustration get the best of me, and I turned to YouTube and ended up watching Melanie's video.

Woohoo!  That was the charm!  I did notice that Melanie said that she's not an expert, and that this technique was so easy...  Trying not to fume about myself and my inability to get this zippered pouch stuff, I just kept on trying and was able to deal with that confusing step!  YAY!

I went on to box the corners...

... turning everything the right side...

... and here it is!  My second leather zippered pouch, ready to hold a bunch of those little things that generally get lost in the Bermuda Triangle hidden inside my purse, lol!

Oh my! I was so thankful for having finished it and having made something that works. I've learned that my creative plateaus are actually a major learning opportunity that will allow me not only to feed my crafty bone, but also teach me about dealing with situations and getting things done!  From frustrating to rewarding... Now I have another reason to like my new leatherette pouch!  

How about you?  Have you ever made a pouch?  How do you keep things from getting lost in your purse?

Drop me a note and I hope you have fun making something today!  :)

Just moments

Yes, I know... Soooorrryyyy!!  I have sort of abandoned my blog for a while; this thing of keeping a full-time job along with house chores, crafty bone that is drying up and last-minute weekend getaways (Yay!  Happy 4th Anniversary Mr. Fuzz!!!) do not provide any constructive written paragraphs in the blog land of The Hill... (Sighing) However, ideas keep on cascading unrestrained, and I can only wonder how plentiful this blog would be if I had a laptop with an internet connection each time my mind starts concocting words and thinking about putting things together to make new ones...  But I was not about to take a rain check from the chance of spending a weekend with my husband away from the routine and treasure every moment of it.

I would not want to loose the chance to marvel at the changing colors of the sunset and having the assurance that God made it possible for me to enjoy it.

It was not whether we were able to visit this or that place, buy stuff or whatever; it was about just sharing moments together, whether it is standing on the balcony of our hotel room or knowing that my husband is patiently waiting for me outside the shop while I go on a fabric hunt...

   

We didn't get to do a bunch of the things we wanted to do, but taking a moment to turn and enjoy the beautiful sunset, even though I got to the craft store ten minutes after they closed was ever more meaningful when I realized he is by my side just looking and me and enjoying my taking pictures (this was of course, on the day before the actual fabric hunt happened, lol).

Or what about the moment I look over the hill and see the theater where we went to see a play together for the first time, or even deciding where to eat and realize that he prefers to order the same dish we shared during our honeymoon.

It was about seeing my husband rolling his eyes, but lovingly smiling at me when I told him that I wanted to take a picture of the carpet in the lobby of the hotel, because it can be turned into a free-motion quilting pattern.

In other words... Yes, I've missed preparing blog posts, but I decided to set them aside not for the usual reasons, but just to share moments with my wonderful husband, who loves me in his quiet and supporting way and who makes life goofy every minute!  :)

All those little moments are now part of our history together, little treasures to cherish and thank God for.

Heaven? Really?

Have you ever found yourself wondering about heaven?  Is it for real?  Is it really out there?  Am I going there? Does it really look like the prettiest flower garden? Or maybe like the most gorgeous sunset you've ever seen? How do I get there anyway?

What do YOU think of when you think of heaven anyway?  This is the question I'm asking!!  :)

Yep! That's the question!  Now, why I am asking it is the matter of the rest of this post...  :)

You probably already know that I review books for Tyndale House Publishers.  The last book I worked on is "Appointments with Heaven."  It is about a Doctor that grows up with a precious faith and wonderful Christian examples.  However, tragedy turns everything upside down and he decides to turn his back on God.  The most interesting thing is that, when he thought that by studying Medicine and understanding science would confirm the unexistance of God; he actually starts catching these little glimpses of heaven when treating his patients, and his world is turned upside down all over again!!!  A wonderful read that I would say should become a must-have for all Christians.

Check what Dr. Anderson has to say about it in his YouTube video  that for some reason Blogger is not finding and I cannot embed in this post...  :(  

(Sigh.) These marvels of technology...

Now, some extracts of this book were taken out and put together in a 30-day devotional... AND IT CAN BE YOURS FOR FREE!!!  That's right, I'm hosting my first giveaway, thanks to Tyndale's generosity.  

All you have to do is leave a comment and tell everyone out there what YOU think of when you think of heaven.In return, I will send you via e-mail a free devotional based on "Appointments with Heaven" that will be a sure little blessing for you!  :)

Keep in mind that if your comment is "private," I won't be able to send you the devotional because I won't see your e-mail.  You can try following the blog and I'll be able to use Google gizmos to send you your devotional.  

So, are you ready to go to heaven?  :)

Appointments with Heaven, by Reggie Anderson

Dr. Anderson shares his Powerful story of faith and awareness of the real, constant and marvelous companionship of heaven; throughout his experience as a family physician, he shares evidence of how this life is more a sort of parenthesis that opens when we are born and closes when we pass away and go back home.

Raised by strong Christians, Dr. Anderson’s childhood was wrapped in a precious trusting faith.  However, tragedy made him wander away from God, to the point of denying him during his early college years. It was medicine itself that sparked his return; in this sense, “Appointments with Heaven” is also a first-row seat to the connection of science and God.  Dr. Anderson shares how he went from thinking they were completely alien to each other to witnessing their deep, unbreakable connection. It was a blessing to read of how he usually shares this understanding with his fellow peers and making a stand for the truth and people's ultimate destination – either with or away from our Father.

The simple and trusting faith of a child made me shed tears, but it also challenged me. I ended up questioning myself and my authenticity as a Christian.  How many times do we just go on living and forget about the fact that God is right there with us ALL the time, anywhere we go?  How often do we feel completely independent and wise to make our own decisions and assume that we are entitled to every single breath, when we actually are granted the blessing of life? How often do we think of eternity as something that starts when we pass away? Most certainly, if we ever think of that moment, this thought will be accompanied with feelings like fear or anxiety, but this need not be; what we know as death is just going back home. I sometimes wonder if we even understand that eternity is already here, every minute, every second, and we are already part of it; Dr. Anderson’s book is an encouraging reminder of its constant presence. 

Problems, financial crisis, death, accidents and all sorts of difficulties have happened to Dr. Anderson and his family.  Through each of these, they have learned to look towards God, remain faithful and wait on Him... And He never lets anybody down!

This is a highly recommendable book that provides both, comfort and insight into the marvels of the world that is constantly besides us.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my opinion on the book or on the author.

Getting the Wheels rolling!

Some time ago, I saw the following fabric line and just got crazy about doing something with it... It was one of those moments when ideas start tickling in my head, and don't stop!!!  The weirdest thing is that I'm not much of a flowery kind of person, so I really don't know where all those tickles came from.  

How-e-ver... I did notice that the colors are the same ones as in "Starry Night" or in "Terasse de Cafe la Nuit," both by Vincent Van Gogh.  Who knows! Maybe those mysterious tickles have a mind of their own that knows better...  :)
Ha! Color Play in action!!

/

So, after musing, pondering and thinking of those prints, I decided I was actually going to seriously plan my next quilting project, and the quest for a meaningful block began...

And after deciding on the skill level and number of mini fabric pieces I would have to cut from yardage, the finalists are:  Dutch Rose (or "Swoon"), Star of Bethlehem and Carpenter's Wheel.

All of them are based on an 8X8 grid and share an inside line that goes around the block. I looked and looked, and most of the serious instructions I found require templates, so I ended up taking my handy sketch book in hand and figuring the blocks myself!!

The first step: grid... Check!

Second step: Figuring half-square triangles in the design... Check!

Third step: Finding out color placement...  Check!

Fourth step: Figuring the size of fabric and initial cuts...  Check!  
(Kind of...  More like: "I hope I got the figures right...")

Fifth step: Decoding the Carpenter's Wheel... Check!

 ... and color placement.

And whatever step is next: Moving to the Star of Bethlehem... Check!

Retracing steps: Interchange the inner green "ring" with yellow, so that there is consistency among the three blocks.


And this is where I'm at:

OK...  At least I'm getting something done!!  

But I also must confess that in the midst of all this planning, I've been working on a tutorial that several people have requested and on a wonderful book that I recently got from Tyndale - which means that before I can get this exciting Wheels project going, a review will come first...  So many things to do in so little time!

By the way, this brings me to the fact that I will soon be hosting my first giveaway, out of Tyndale's generosity.  Stay in touch and don't miss the details!!!

Stay blessed  :)