Monochromatic Mosaic Contest

Over at Stitched in Color there is another Mosaic Contest happening.  Always so fun to challenge myself to follow a specific prompt when picking out fabrics!

Where I've Been

This last year, was the craziest year of my life. Which meant I did not sew much and I did not blog at all.

So, what have I been up to this last year? My pregnancy was a difficult one, and my third son was born 7 weeks early, on June 16th. His birth ended up being one week before we moved across state. So, a bit overwhelming.

He ended up spending about a month in the NICU, in two different cities, due to our move. He did very well, only needing time to grow and learn how to eat on his own. He even left the NICU able to nurse! Overall, it was a busy, crazy, blur of pumping and taking care of my babies at home and my baby in the hospital. 

So, after moving to the new city, we moved again in October into a house we purchased. So, we moved 2 times within 6 months, with 3 children under the age of 6. Needless to say, sewing did not happen. 

Thankfully our new home does have a sewing space for me, so once we were a bit settled in I was able to start back sewing a bit. I took a foundation paper piecing class at a local quilt shop (Stitched Studio) in the beginning of December, and started attending the local modern quilters group. I've been posting some my sewing projects over on my Instagram.

Now that I'm starting to get back in my creative groove again, I hope to share what I'm up to in this space once again. I really enjoy blogging about what I make, as it pushes me explore what I'm doing in a different way. 

I did some English Paper Piecing for the first time, inspired by the Color Wheel Challenge posed by the GRMQuilters. I can see why so many people love EPP! It's been a great project to take on the go. 

I hope to post weekly, so I'll be back in the next 7 days to share more of what I've been up to!

Some Stitching

I have a bit of smorgasbord of things to share today!

Sewing time has been a precious commodity lately, as life with young children is unpredictable and very, very FULL. I have been sneaking in time though, here and there, and I have a little to show for that time.

A bit of practice

I've been intimidated by the applique involved in the first couple of blocks for my penny sampler, so I took the opportunity to practice the techniques a bit before jumping into the quilt. Above is a heart that I sewed using the freezer paper technique, and below is a dogwood blossom that I stitched practicing turn and sew applique. I'm feeling more prepared now for the quilt blocks!

Still working on binding this guy. 

I've been working on a project for a friend who is a photographer. He's commissioned me to make diaper straps that he is going to give to folks to hire him for a newborn photo shoot. 

Isn't the Ann Kelle camera fabric cute?

I've been trying to break up the somewhat boring sewing of diaper straps with small fun projects. One of which was a simple lined tote with the goal being to practice my FMQ.

Blurry... :/

My FMQ still needs quite a bit of work(notice that I didn't get a close up...), but this was a fun way to practice. I woke up at  3:30 am a day this last week, and I wasn't able to get back to sleep. So I decided to play with fabric instead. I blame the time of day for the fact that I installed the straps backwards. Oops.

Fabric!

I also picked out my fabric for the heart blocks in my penny sampler. Now I just need to get stitching! I'm really glad I went with the 12 month plan for the penny sampler, since I'm already very behind. I just keep telling myself that it's fine, and I just need to keep moving forward even if it's slowly.

Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts, Off the Wall Friday, and NTT.

An announcement and 2017 goals

Lets ignore the fact that we are in the second month of 2017 and I am just now posting my 2017 creative goals. Alright, good.

Last year (2016) I rung in the new year by myself, making a list of all the crafty/sewing type things I wanted to explore in the new year. I didn't plan to do that, it just poured out of me. It was like I was re-energized to pursue all sorts of creative endeavors that I had been telling myself were for people more talented than myself.

This year, as we have entered into this new year, I am much more exhausted. I still have creative drive, but it's on the back burner once again. This is in part because I am creating something that is taking a lot of energy. We are expecting a new little one summer 2017. This is worth being fatigued for. :)

In the last year I have gathered things to expand some of my creativity in new directions, but haven't ventured into them yet. I have a screen printing kit, and for Christmas I received a batik kit and a tjap. Starting up a new thing can be really intimidating to me. Also, I'm running into the problem of having a place to play with these things. My sewing area isn't the best place to get things messy (with paint and dye at least, it's not very accessible to an appropriate sink), and I'm not sure where to set up these very messy things. I really want to dig in though!

So, my goals for 2017 are to play with screen printing and batik, finish some of my WIP, consistently work on my penny sampler, get in some baby sewing, and birth a healthy baby.

Here's hoping that I am able to meet some of these goals!

Gigantic Tote Bag FINISH!

I have a finish this week! (actually late last Friday night, but I just got photos this morning)

I made a (unintentionally) huge tote/crossbody bag.

My new phone takes "eh" pictures

So, it's pretty huge, and I guess that's the advantage of using a pattern that has already been tested instead of trying to make your own. However, I am not deterred, I'm still pleased as punch, although it's too big for it's original purpose, it's a great overnight bag. I've already tried it out!

A better representation of the colors

Something that I'm proud of with this bag, is the quilting. I actually took the time to mark diagonal lines, and it turned out great!

'Eh' colorization... 

I'm so glad I have something to share today!

I need to figure out my camera situation. Any suggestions for a relatively inexpensive cell phone that takes GREAT pictures?

In other news, Google tried to redirect my questionable parenting yesterday...

Linked up at Crazy Mom Quilts and My Quilt Infatuation

Cathedral Windows Mosaics

So, I've put together some online fabric pulls for the mosaic contest running over at Stitched in Color. The prompt was  Cathedral Windows, and it was really challenging for me.

Mosaic 1

I really struggled to get across the brilliant colors with the darkness and shadows...

Mosaic 2

So, I tried solids, with 'eh' results... 

I really prefer playing with fabric in person!

My first Sampler quilt

I've decided to join along with the Penny Sampler over at Stitched in Color this year. I hemmed and hawed a bit, since I'm not sure I should be adding to my commitments, but the Penny Sampler won out. I've loved this quilt for a long time and I didn't want to miss my chance at making it. I've joined in the 12 month plan, so I could go slow and (hopefully) steady.

This weekend I've been playing with my color story. I decided to play with a vintage scrapy look. I made this pinterest board to get a feel for what I liked and didn't like.

Some of my favorites surprised me.

Found here 

The scrap factor on this quilt is crazy! But I really loved it. I like the pops of red, and all of the saturated colors. 

Found here 

The red on this one delighted me even more!

found here

The dark colors mixed with brights drew me to this one. 

So I went though my fabric and pulled out anything that read vintage to me on first glance. 

The photo is kinda crummy but you get the idea.

I need to figure out solids to pair with what's I've pulled. I'm leaning towards some very light pastels, and some more 'faded' saturated colors in blue and green. I'd like to hear what anyone thinks! I'd love some input. 

A Creative Lull

I haven't been sharing here much lately, because I don't feel there is much to tell. My creative life has been buried under other duties and interests.

Over on Instagram (@teagancarnes) I've shared some of my fabric/creative life over the past couple of months, including participating in #30daysofquiltdesign hosted by @stitchedincolor. It's worth a look for sure. So many interesting and different designs, from modern to traditional. It was a blast to see everything that people posted.

Also, I did a holiday craft show back in November which monopolized much of my sewing time.

My vintage suitcase displaying my logo

 So much time was spent sitting and waiting for people to come to my booth, in a cold and dark hallway of a local high school. I didn't lose money on the show (like some of the people around me) but it was not worth my time.

Reusable Gift Bags

The main item I was trying to sell were reusable holiday gift bags (simple drawstring bags). I did sell out of one of the sizes, mainly by one buyer. So at least someone appreciated the idea.

Reusable holiday gift bows! (Christmas pins)

I also made over 100 of these Christmas pins, marketed to go with the drawstring bags. I sold around 25 total, which is probably because I had them under priced at only 1$. It is fun to get out the hot glue gun from time to time, and play around ribbons and trims. Unfortunately, most the people who would wear a Christmas pin, already have quite a few (since they tended to be older ladies with many years of shopping under their belt) and these did not sell as well as I hoped they would.

So, after this show I made the decision to call it quits. I'm not going to do craft shows. Mass producing one item is not my thing. I may try another holiday show next year, just to unload some of my current inventory, but overall I'm not going to be putting any more energy into this venture. I want my sewing time to be filled by what I like to sew, not what I think other people might like. 

It has been so freeing for me to give up on the idea of craft shows being profitable for me. I'm so glad that I decided to move on. 

Mosaic Contest Entry: Dreaming at Dusk

I love playing along with the Mosaic Contests at Stitched In Color. Here are my entries for the one running now, inspired by dusk. :) What do you think? I was disappointed with the selection of brown available, but overall I'm happy with how they turned out. I love the blue's I found. :)

Number One

I think of the first as a snapshot as the sun is sinking, and then of number two a snapshot taken just a few moments later as the sun is even more gone. 

Number Two

Video Game Mishap

Oh, I've been feeling drained lately.

I've been getting my household in order (something I'm not very good at, or interested in) and it has been taking it out of me. I also have been dealing with a new medication that makes me sleepy (I seemly randomly came down with hives). This means my energy for playing, and creating, has been seriously depleted.

I did however manage to try out another folk flower idea, this time as applique instead of a linocut.

Folk Flower

I up cycled a beat up red sundress for the petals. Once I got it all together and stitched up I realized what the flower looked like. It resembles the flowers that try to eat you when I go down pipes in the Mario Bros video games. Oops. My hope for this project was to enjoy the act of creating and trying something new. That I succeed at. My future hopes for this little art quilt are currently unknown, since I'm feeling a bit deflated about it's unintentional connection to Mario and Luigi. 

I've been doing some thrift shopping this week, and I was excited to find two yards of adorable vintage corduroy. (For 1.50$ !!!)

Frogs, and bugs, and flowers, oh my!

I am hoping to find the perfect project for this delightful fabric soon. It's super soft, and the creatures are beyond delightful. Idea's welcome!

Hopefully I'll get back into a routine of creating regularly soon. I really miss it. 

Linked up at Off the Wall friday. 

Some Simple Patchwork

In Michigan, August is a very hot and very humid month. My sewing has slacked a bit, since my sewing room is not air conditioned, and is in the upper level of our home, making it even warmer.

Once the heat of summer becomes unbearable, we put a large window ac unit in a main level window, put up curtains and close doors, and are able to cool our main living spaces- living room, dining room and kitchen- to an acceptable temperature.

This lead me to set up my Singer Featherweight on the kitchen table, and decide on some simple patchwork that wouldn't require frequent trips to my cutting mat and design board that reside in the sweltering heat of my sewing room.

4" patchwork squares

So I quickly, in the brief coolness of morning, cut up some 4 inch patchwork squares. I had some Kona Lake and Kona Petunia on hand from my previous project (my friend's wedding dress) and a dress that didn't fit me that a friend gave me because it didn't fit her. So I cut it up! The pattern is pretty exciting, so I felt good about pairing it with the pastel colors.

It came together quickly, and it was just the little bit of mindless sewing that I needed to fill in these hot summer days. It's a baby sized quilt top, and I think I know a little girl to gift it to this winter. It was a bit challenging at times, working with the reclaimed dress fabric, because I decided to optimize the amount of fabric while cutting by disregarding the grain of the fabric. So some of the seams are on the bias, however with simple patchwork it's not as big a deal.

Finished quilt top dancing in the morning sun. 

Now, I'm left pondering how to finish it. I might tie it. I'm just not sure!

I've been enjoying playing along with #30daysofquiltdesign at Stitched in Color these past weeks. It's been fun getting out the crayons and graph paper, and just going at it. 

Day 12, my latest

It's been really fun seeing what everyone else is coming up with over on Instagram under the #30daysofquiltdesign hashtag. Modern stuff, traditional stuff, low tech, high tech, it's a blast. 

In other news, I discovered a volunteer moss rose in my backyard. It was just the delight that I needed this morning. 

Bright in the morning light 

I am working on some embroidery today, with hopes of using it to guide my thoughts and prayers. I am hoping to use my hands to ground my heart and mind. That sounds super weird, but really I'm not as crazy as I seem. :)

-Teagan

Linked up at Off the Wall friday, and NTT.

My Scariest Project

I realize that the title of this post may lead some to believe that I have started to prepare for the Halloween season, but alas, that is not the case.

I just finished one of the biggest, most overwhelming, and scariest projects that I have ever taken on. I should also mention that it was delightful, but sometimes the delight is in retrospect with these types of things.

So, what did I make?

A wedding dress, for a beloved friend.

Yeah.

When my friend texted me in May, letting me know she was getting married, and that she was going with the theme Rainbow Steampunk (I will admit I first thought it was a joke), I started to volunteer my creative services all over the place. Wedding dress! Bridesmaid dresses! Wedding cake! Centerpieces! Steampunk Gadgetry!

My friend was wise, and cut me off, allowing me to focus on her dress and the bridesmaid dresses. She has known me a long time, and knows that once my excitement dies down, my nerves flare up.

One of the very first things I did, was pick out her colors for the dress. She wanted a rainbow, but it was still a wedding dress, so I went pastel.

My Kona color swatches being put to good use.

This was my inspiration dress. My friend was going for fairy with a edge of steampunk, so I knew I would be adding in elements of metal. I used good sense when I decided to purchase a corset that fit my friend to embellish, instead of starting entirely from scratch. I realized rightly, that this was not the time to figure out how to make a corset, even though I spent a fair amount of time online researching the process before coming to my wise decision. Someday maybe, not now.

I took my friend's measurements, added scraps of batting to a dress form to make it roughly the size of my friend, and went at it. Slowly. I was very intimidated. Especially since everyone who asked what I was working on gave me a crazy, you are in over your head, look when I told them I was sewing a wedding dress. I began calling it "a costume for my friend who was getting married." It was way less frightening to think of it in this way. 

I decided to keep the colors in rainbow order, but she wanted green and purple to be the most prominent, as she has green eyes. So I played around with color placement...

And then finalized and stitched it all down. 

Front

Back

After getting the color layer in place, I began to play with adding in more texture, and what I began to call 'bits and bobs.' One special feature that I included was a locket, draped pocket watch style, that allowed her to carry a loved one who has passed on with her on her wedding day.

Many elements changed from this state

The pocket made for the locket includes lace from her mother, and sisters' wedding dress. There is a little vial of mustard seeds, in reference to Matthew 17:20.

I was so grateful that (a) she loved it, and (b) it fit! Overall I was very pleased. And very relived that I was done, in time for her nuptials! 

My hope in making this dress, was that my love for her, and my happiness for her, would be with her as she walks into her new life as a wife. That being able to give her something unique and handmade, just for her, would be a reminder of the special life God has planned, just for her. 

It was an honor to make this, and stretching in all the best ways. I am ready to play with some patchwork though, after being preoccupied with dresses for a while! 

-Teagan

Finished with Love

I haven't been sharing much of what I've made in this space lately, but I do have some finishes this past month that I am pretty pleased with.

My cousin had her twin baby boys 3 weeks ago at 34 weeks, which meant that they have been spending some time in the NICU before they can go home. I stitched up some baby stuff for her shower (you can check those out in this post), but nothing that would be overly helpful in the NICU. So I searched online and found this awesome free pattern for babies that are spending time in the hospital.

They are soft, and fun. The pattern is scaled to also fit bigger babies, and I can definitely imagine making these for full term babies in the future as well. 

I also really wanted to make my cousin a bag, something just for her and not just about her babies. I wanted her to be able to carry around the love and prayers that I have for her. I used a pattern from the book Sewing Stylish Handbags and Totes By Choly Knight. I'm very happy with the result, and I was delighted that my Cousin loves it, and has been using it for most of her time in the NICU. 

I grabbed a photo at the hospital yesterday when I visited. 

I picked the "styled shoulder bag" pattern from the book,since I was unsure if she would prefer a shoulder bag or a crossbody bag, and this purse can go back and forth easily. I kept it simple, and didn't customize in any of the ways she displays in the book.

As I talked about in my previous post am I thinking more and more about what my hope is with each project I make. For the smocks and the bag my hope is having tangible objects made with love, that she can carry and wrap up her babes, will help her feel love and prayers I have for her and her family in this challenging time. 

Next up for me is sewing a wedding dress!!! (WHat?!?!??!!!) Yeah. #idontknowwhatimdoing

What am I hoping for?

So, in my previous post, I talked about how the idea of hope has been on my mind.

It has been lingering still.

I sought out Emily Dickinson's well known poem, starting with the line "Hope is the thing with feathers." I decided that I profoundly disagreed with what she was saying about hope. She describes hope as this easy thing that sings and asks nothing of anyone. I feel that hope asks a great deal of me. I do not find hope to be a simple, easy thing. The poem made me feel like there was something wrong with me, since my personal experiences with hope are so different than what she presents. So still the questions remained for me.

What does hope ask of me? What is difficult about hope for me?

This song stopped me in my tracks this morning. I've heard it many time, but today it really struck me as I was cleaning up the messes of family life. I got goosebumps.


In the Night | Andrew Peterson, Buddy Greene, Jeff Taylor, Andy Gullahorn from Laity Lodge on Vimeo.

The violence that fights against hope, that he really gets across in this song, deeply resonate with me. I feel like there is a battle being fought over my ability to hope. That sometimes, hope is lost, but that it can surface in the deepest night.

Lately, as I've been making things, I've been asking myself "what is my hope for this object?" I'm hoping that more and more the answer to that question will draw me closer to the Maker that made me into the maker that I am.

On hope and the creative process

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about hope, and it's part in the creative process. I've been putting together thoughts about how hope drives my making.

My first thought with this idea of making things as an outpouring of hope, was "I'm sure someone else has already made this connection, and has better articulated it." I was right. I discovered Sister Corita Kent.

So, I quickly checked out two books featuring the works and ideas of Corita Kent, and they did not disappoint. Her words contain so many gems, that I have started to think, but that she clearly lays out, and seemed to live out, in such a graceful way. 

Another quote that kept springing to mind, to mix in with this flurry of thoughts, was from one of my favorite Sufjan Stevens songs. In his song Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid), there is a line that has always resonated with me. 

The song is soft, slow, and not so much hopeful. But this line connects something I have always believed, and something that the art and craft community act on daily.

So, what am I trying to say? What am I learning, connecting, and understanding from these ideas? Why post about these? 

I don't know, is the short answer, and one that I use frequently in life. 

But these ideas are drawing me out, and helping me become more of who God has created me to be. 

Hope is my struggle. It does not come easily for me, and I have often approached it wearily and cautiously. 

So, as I more and more understand that hope is in the essence of my making of things...

Well, it's a bit baffling, but it explains so much. It explains why I turn away from creating things, when I feel hopeless and depressed. 

So, I am learning. This is part of the creative process for me. 

This inner dialogue is still percolating and waiting on the God's wisdom for what it all means for me. 

A Fairy Pouch, but really so much more.

So, last week I was struck with inspiration. The fast as lighting, flying by the seat of your pants, type of inspiration.

So, I picked out some fabric and drew up a pattern for a purse.

I then cut out some grey fabric with sparkle polka dots. I started layering other fabrics over it. 

I then glued those fabrics down, stitched them down, stitched the outside of the pouch together and then waxed them. All of this happened quickly and excitedly, acting on the passion that comes with initial inspiration. 

Then, after the waxing, I realized that my hand does not fit in. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to attach the lining though the layers of waxed cotton. I was sure it was a complete failure. I was frustrated, and flustered. I didn't know how to proceed. I was going to put it on the shelf and move on to something else, as I have done many times before with these types of projects.

But, but... 

But then something amazing happening. I didn't stop. I kept going. I decided, oh, well, it's not exactly as I envisioned it, from a function point of view, but I can figure it out. It's okay if it's not perfect. It can still be a lovely finished object. I feel as though the Holy Spirit stepped in, and kept me moving beyond my old nature, into the grace that God has for me. It was certainly beyond my own capabilities. 

I finished it. It's lined, and although it doesn't have a handle of any sort yet, as I had originally imagined it, I feel like it is complete. I decided it looked like something that a fairy might collect important items into, like dew drops and starlight.

 So, it's my fairy pouch, a reminder that God's grace (that inexplicable magic of love and mercy) even enters into my humble acts of creating. 

Linked up at Off the Wall friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Crazy Mom Quilts

A Special Quilt Finish

I have finally finished the first quilt I ever made.

After piecing, and quilting this quilt over a decade ago, last week I sat down and finished hand stitching the binding.

Last week, my Aunt who helped me though almost every step of this quilt, passed away unexpectedly. When I was in high school, she went through her scrap bins with me, helped me cut, stitch, quilt, and start the binding on this pretty crazy quilt. We made it big enough for the twin bed that I was sleeping on at the time, which it never actually adorned. I have so many wonderful memories of working on this project with her, and the week I spent at her home finishing it up (mostly) one summer. 

I loved the narration she gave about the various fabrics. I know the light pink kitten print, close to center, was a scrap from a nightgown she made for my cousin when she was a girl. She always endearingly referred to the fabric with the people in windows as her "people." She directed me towards alternating light and dark fabric, but as the end product shows I didn't follow that advice too carefully. 

We made up a handful of these star blocks (that I don't know the name of), and put them though out. She taught me how to square up the quilt (which I have since completely forgotten how to do), select and add the borders, quilt, FMQ and bind. Another Aunt who is an avid quilter helped me with the final layout of the blocks and stitched the top together. 

She helped me write and put a tag on the quilt.  We naively assumed that I would finish up the hand stitching on the binding within the month (July 2001), instead it took 15 years. So perhaps I should edit the tag to mention that it was actually finished May 2016? I no longer sleep in a twin bed, my last name is no longer Jeffers, but this quilt is still made with love. That is still true. It is made with tears now stitched in the binding, as I visited the fabrics and the time I spent making it with my now passed Aunt. 

I will miss my dear Aunt Sue. Looking over this quilt now, it is clear to me the love and patience she showed me while teaching me all about sewing and quilting during this project. She directed me, encouraged me, and overlooked the flaws of this quilt. She was a wonderful lady and she will be sorely missed. 

I FMQed my name into the border.
Her Bernina definitely did FMQ better than my Brother does. :)

There are so many imperfections that I used to see in this quilt, but now I mainly see love.