Flippin' Doodle Dots!

That's the minced curse my kids say when something isn't going right, and I have had a week in which I may rightly use that phrase.

I was working on a Dresden Plate quilt. I put together the plate blades very carefully (just about did me head in!) so that when I got back to them, they would be in the right order. I got two of them done and the third one was half way complete when I noticed that it couldn't possibly be right. So now I have 1 1/2 Dresden Plates and a large Wagon Wheel and I have no idea how they got messed up. I had clipped them together in sewing order for the express purpose of not getting a headache!

Determined to make lemonade out of lemons, I took the remaining blades from the ferkachte plate plus my extras and stitched them together in a series of strips instead of a circle. I squared them off, trimming the angled edges and now I'm going to have a totally different quilt than I originally intended.

I had also purchased a hunk of denim at the Mill End GOOB sale that I planned on using as a background. Nope. Wrong shade of blue. On the other hand, I also got a few yards of linen in a strange, orangey shade of tan that works as a background. Huh. I had planned on making a jacket out of that, but I'm liking the look of it for this piece more and more.

I tried stitching the two background pieces together for a throw, but I'm just not getting a vibe from the whole thing. I take that back. I'm getting the wrong vibe from it like that. So, plan "C" is to take them apart and use the denim to make a doggie bed for my mom's arthritic dog when they come to visit (we have hard wood floors, not very comfy) and use all the pieces on the linen for a wall hanging.

Sometimes you really have to step back and reassess.

On another note, Sewtropolis, to which I had been planning to go for a field trip, has closed its doors, becoming a strictly online entity. The woman who ran it is still teaching and (thankfully) still quilting. I'm dropping off the quilt top and backing for my friend, Rachel's quilt with her today. I'm so relieved! I had driven by where Sewtropolis used to be the other day and couldn't find it, so I got on her website and all the pictures of the storefront and the address were missing from it. PANIC ATTACK! I went to her facebook page where I noticed someone had asked if she had closed the shop and, yes, it had closed in December. What a bummer. At least she still has an online presence and I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am that she's still quilting.

Flexibility is a trait that I feel doesn't come naturally to me. I get nervous when I get interrupted or realize that my plans aren't quite working. On the other hand, if someone else's plans get twisted, I'm very good at coming to the rescue and jury-rigging something for them. Like some people are really good at giving, but lousy at taking their own advice.

Going through my stash of fabrics has helped a great deal with flexibility. I've had so much fun with making quilt tops that I've changed my mind with some of the fabrics and pieced together more quilts instead of oh, say, a sundress. There are some things which really must be made into the garment I intended for them. They'd be just too great not to. On the other hand, I'm making peace with not (necessarily) going according to plan.

Your assignment: Let go of one old idea that you feel is holding you back. I'm not even going to make suggestions for this, since it's a very personal assignment. Let your mind be aware of the new-found freedom that gives you, even if you only do it for a day. See how that works out for you. The next day, try a different obstacle. Maybe something you thought was in your way of progress really wasn't and you can use it to your advantage instead?

It's okay to let go, my flowerpots. It really is.

Announcement! Today's Field Trip cancelled!

Because the road conditions after last night's snow storm are so bad, I've decided to cancel the field trip to JoAnn's today (Feb. 21st). I'll reschedule it and let you know when it'll be.
Drive safely!

Thrifty Thursday (Finally!)

I hate to post this, because, sadly, one of my favorite places to get fabric is going out of business. It was in the same neighborhood as my credit union, so it was a handy location (a little too handy, really). They always had good deals, unusual fabrics and probably the best collection of batiks this side of S.R. Harris (which will be one of our future field trips, BTW). Yes, Mill End Textiles is slowly liquidating their stock and boy, howdy! The deals are amazing!

If one of your neighborhood fabric meccas is going out of business, run, walk, drag your butt out in the cold blast of winter or hot steam of summer to get there! In the last three months while Mill End has been liquidating, I've hit the store about 5 times. I've purchased approximately $500.00 worth of fabric for about $175. I got thread at cost, cord and decorator trim for pennies and, in possibly the greatest tool coup ever, an Olfa compass rotary cutter for under $6. I went to a Jo Ann's immediately after to price the same cutter - $32.99!

What?! Yeah.

Of course, you run the risk of not getting enough of something and going back for more only to discover it's gone. That did happen to me. I eventually found the print I wanted in a different color combination that was just as cool as the one I had originally purchased, so I got that in enough for a dress. Yes, yes I did. Naturally I got stuff I don't NEED (like the thing-y to make fabric roses) but it was something I would only buy on ridiculous sale. Besides that, I'm hoping to use it in a segment for the blog, so it was worth it. I've been going through my fabrics at a rapid pace and felt the need to reward myself for a job well done. Granted, I'm only filling up the space I just emptied, but haven't we all done that at some point? (Please say yes. Please.)

Your assignment: Look around town, in the Sunday paper, on the net for places in your area closing up shop. Even if you've never been there before, check them out. You never know what treasures you'll find! Also, don't forget Field Trip Friday tomorrow at the Edina Jo Ann's at 10 am. If you plan on joining me, shoot me an email - totallytoots10@gmail.com!

Snowy day ramblings...

I'm writing this on President's Day and we're getting more snow. Occasionally, the wind will blow enough to send a flurry off of the roof and obscure my view of the neighborhood. I'm rather glad to not have to be out in this stuff.

The cabin fever, however, is starting to get to me. I know I have plenty of projects to work on, but I'm missing getting out in the world. Fortunately, I've been working on a show ("I Love you, You're Perfect, Now Change!") which opened last weekend, but it's a very limited run and I only have two more performances left. I also have to wait 5 more days for those final performances.

Performing is actually my first love. When I wasn't well over the last year, I stopped performing because a) I didn't know when I'd have a spasm and b) what if I couldn't perform anymore? Besides that, I had already planned on trying my hand at a design career. When that looked as though it was really not going to happen, I became ill. Enter the dreaded mis-diagnosed nervous breakdown.

Everybody's got their something, goes the song (Nikka Costa, in case you're unfamiliar), and into my 40s I still feel like I don't know what that something is. If it's what I think it is, why in the world does it have to be something that is so difficult to break into and actually get paid for doing? I love performing and creating, but I fear selling out.

I have a friend who does art on commission. The person says, "I want something that looks like this." She makes it. Now that something can be anything from custom wedding invitations to a portrait of a baby, a Mad Hatter's Hat or a company logo. I think to myself, "I could never do that. I don't want to be beholden to someone else's ideas." But I fear my own ideas are unworthy.

This of course is just one of many ways that I hold myself back from doing what I love. Yet I still think, as I'm working on my own ideas, that no one will like what I have to offer, even though there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. This isn't just my artwork, this applies to my stage work as well. For example, I've auditioned multiple times for a certain professional company and have yet to be hired. In the back of my mind, way deep in the recesses, there's a teensy weensy voice that tries to remind me that most times it's all what the director has in mind before auditions even happen. That voice is always drowned out by the one that says, "You suck. Why do you bother?"

The thing is, I don't suck. So, why don't these people who are casting realize this? I go into auditions prepared, looking good, and... terrified. They must sense this fear. Like horses, they can smell it. I've tried for years to fix this and cover it up. It hasn't always worked, that's for sure. In fact, there was a time when I lived in New York when I developed agoraphobia and couldn't leave to house on my own. I'd get just so far down the street and I'd have to turn back. Eventually I quit going anywhere alone and would manage to convince my friends that hanging out at my place was a great idea (they seemed to buy into this, too, so I must've been doing something right).

To this day, I won't leave the house unless it's either necessary or I feel the odds are with me. Sadly, if it turns out the odds were agin me, I stay home again for long periods of time. This winter has not helped the situation. The cold weather wreaks havoc on my fibromyalgia and since Minnesota has been below zero for the majority of winter this year, it has been quite easy to give in to those old voices in my head.

I actually made a New Year's Resolution to get dressed every day. For most of last year while I was dealing with my illness, I lived in my pajamas. Heck, I'm writing this in my pjs right now (it's before noon, so I'm safe).

Nope. I just guilted myself into getting dressed.

Anyway, it must be true that you are what you wear, at least to a certain extent. I mean, I practically dressed like a character I was auditioning for and still didn't get it, and I did really well at the audition, but directors have a vision for a show. Sometimes you fit that vision, other times, you don't. It's the hardest lesson for an actor to learn.

However, when I take the time to change from pj pants to jeans, put on some socks, run a comb through my hair and wash my face, I feel a bit freer, a bit more ready to face the world if I must. Even if I'm not dressed to the hilt, at least I'm not in my pjs. I always thought it would be great to spend my days not needing to get dressed, lounging in my jammies. It's not that great. Oh, maybe once in a while, when you're feeling sick enough to stay in bed, sure. By all means, stay in your jammies. But I have to say, even though most times it's just jeans and a t-shirt, getting dressed every day has been a major mood lifter. Isn't it funny how something so mundane can make such a difference? I get dressed and go down to my shop to work, I'll go to the store rather than call my husband and ask if he can pick something up. There still aren't a whole lot of places I must go in a week, and once the show is done on Saturday, I'll be back to just going to the store, the credit union and taking the boys to school in the morning, but at least I'm dressed.

This is one reason why I've decided to do the Friday Field Trips, to help me get out of the house more often, give me a reason to get up, get dressed and do something in the world. So, since this Friday is the first field trip, I hope you'll consider joining me, if you're in the area. I'd love that. I will be at JoAnn's in Edina at 10 am. Please email me to let me know you're coming so I can expect you. totallytoots10@gmail.com

Trying New Things

I don't know about you, but I have ADHD. I have several projects going at once. My husband thinks that silly, but he's able to focus on one thing at a time better than I. For me, boredom sets in rather quickly and I simply must do something else for at least a few minutes.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a project to make fabric cards for Valentine's day. It required a notion called Timtex, a stiff interfacing used for lining purses and other craft projects. JoAnn's carries a similar product called Peltex. It's a branding thing. Anyway, I decided to purchase some. I doubted I would actually make the Valentines, but wanted to use it somehow.

Now, you can get it where it's fusible on both sides, but I didn't get that kind. Mine's fusible on one side. So it sat in my shop for a while, me staring at it wondering what the heck I was going to do with it. I swear it was staring back at me.

I had some quilt scraps left over from a batik quilt I made for our old babysitter when she graduated and went off to college. I stitched some of those together. None of them were the same size. Not something I could put together in another big piece. Then it hit me! Fuse them to the Peltex! So I did that with as many as I could get onto the 1/2 yard I bought.

Neat!

Now what?

Muslin! Stitch muslin to the back sides. I got a hunk of it and pressed it. I cut pieces to fit all the little patches. Then I started wondering if I should paint the muslins. I got out some acrylic inks and found a stack of dried baby wipes I had set aside to use... somehow. I'll explain later. The upshot of it is, I started playing with the inks and writing quotes on the back sides of these "cards".  I also stitched some 1/8 inch ribbon onto one edge so that they may be hung, either side out, on the wall or from your keychain or whatever.

This one uses a repurposed baby wipe.

Muslin backing. Sometimes I forget to edit my photos. Echt.

The batik sides. One could make Christmas ornaments this way...

Okay, the baby wipes thing: If you've read my previous entries, you may be aware that I'm a big fan of the protection of orangutans. All animals, really, but orangs are my favorite. I've even played one on stage. Anyway, the harvesting of palm oil has become a real problem for their survival and that of many other species. Palm oil use is insidious. Some companies use responsibly harvested palm oil, most however, do not. Rain forests and peat marshes which are home to the orangutans and many other vital species are being destroyed in order to create palm plantations.

Palm oil is not necessarily harmful on it's own, but get too much of it (like anything) and it can be detrimental to your health. It's in nearly every packaged snack food you can name (from Oreos to Twizzlers to granola bars) it's in things which need to be spread, (margarine, peanut butter, Nutella), it's in the cleansing products we use on our face, body and hair. It's even in baby wipes. I used them to remove make-up quickly and easily after a show. I have two sons and you know I used wipes on their li'l behinds. But I couldn't fathom having them touch my face when I found out about the palm oil (listed as stearate in most body and hair products).

I'm also not for just throwing stuff out in a lump, either. So, I decided to repurpose the wipes. I laid them out on my worktable and let them dry. They have an interesting texture. I figured I should be able to use them somehow in my art. They take the acrylic ink very well, too, as I discovered.

I then spent several minutes dyeing baby wipes with the ink. I still don't know for what I'll use them, but at least I now know I can.

Abstract rose study

Detail of the green stripes. I'm thinking snake skins and dragons...

Your assignment: look around your home for things you can repurpose into your art. Those card stock pieces in the tights you bought for your little girl? Book marks, template material, ribbon organizers. Spice jars? Glitter catchers. Pasta jars? Button organizers. Get out of the comfort zone and look at things from new angles.

Zen and the Art of Sewing Machine Maintenance - Midweek Edition

Most of you are probably too young to get that reference, so bing it, google it, find it on Amazon.com, whatever. Look for Motorcycle Maintenance, though.

Anyway, know what's super fun? Working on the last seam of one of your (previously) unfinished objects and having your serger go through a meltdown. Soooooper fun. Yeah. I decided it was time for a segment on taking care of your stuff. I've had my serger for less than a year, but I've used it quite a bit and I figure I'll take it in for maintenance this week. This'll be the first time for the serger, but I've taken my Bernina in for regular yearly tune-ups since I bought it several years ago. It costs about $50, but it's totally worth it. I've been doing so much sewing lately that I think I'll probably take that in as well. I may wait a week, though, just so I'm not without a machine.

I have an old Singer I got when I was 22. It has never been in for maintenance. Perhaps I'll take that one in, too. That machine took me through a lot of costumes and clothes. I always oiled it and cleaned it, but never had it in for a flu shot. It moved with me From apartment to apartment. I made a lot of bridesmaids dresses with that one. I made a brisk business building medieval garb for my friends in the Society for Creative Anachronism (usually for trade. I made a kilt for a package of Double Stuft Oreos once. Once). I made a friend's bridal gown, several costumes for many plays and some clothes for myself. It went with me to New York where I used it to make more costumes, including the fuchsia satin suit of which I used the remainder to line a skirt last week. The machine still works, but it makes a loud racket. I should have that looked at.

Anyway, my old machine is pretty easy to maintain. It even has little red dots to show you where the oil goes. My Bernina isn't as simple. It has a computer in it. I also decided when I got it that I was going to be extra diligent with the tune-ups. I saved up for a long time for that machine, and I haven't been disappointed with it yet.

I guess what I'm saying is, you don't need the best machines or the most expensive and they'll be better, work better and last longer if you take good care of them. You'll also be a lot less stressed when your machine is working properly. When you buy a machine, find out where the store suggests you take it for maintenance. They should tell you anyway, but in case they don't, that's important stuff to know. It happens that our local Hancock Fabrics has a guy who comes in on Wednesdays I can drop off my machine at any time during the week and by the end of the day on the next Wednesday, it's done. I can even take it in that day. There's rarely a huge line of machines to be done. Maybe right after Hallowe'en when everyone's done all their costume sewing.

Some things you can do in the meantime to make sure your machines are happy and humming:

• When unthreading your machine, do not ever pull the thread backwards out of the track. Why? Well, thread looks like it's one long piece of fiber, but unless you're working with fishing line, it's not. Even 100% polyester thread is actually a bunch of smaller fibers twisted together. Manufacturers do this so that it looks like a natural fiber (usually cotton). Fibers are like your hair. If you run your fingers on a strand of your hair from root to tip, it's smooth. If you do it in the other direction, it's not. Fibers have a natural "grain" to them. When polyester thread is made, they use a process to texturize the synthetic fiber to mimic natural fibers. If you pull your thread back through the track, loose fiber bits rub off and fill your machine with lint. Ew. Cut your thread at the spool and pull it out in the direction of flow out the needle. Thread is probably your cheapest notion, and you can save the bits for hand stitching.
• Speaking of lint, NEVER blow your machine! It's very tempting to try to blow lint from your machine. There are even cans of air you can use that have a straw so you can direct forced air where you want it. These are made by the devil. What happens is, instead of getting rid of your lint, it's forced deeper into your machine. That's asking for trouble. Your machine should come with a small brush. This is your lint picker-upper. The bristles are typically made of acrylic, the ends of which are ideal for grabbing lint from your machine's nooks and crannies. You barely have to touch the lint and it'll pull right out. As for those cans of air, don't even use them on your computer keyboard. If they jam lint into your machine, they're going to jam your keyboard.
• Oil is your friend, but not friendly to your fabric. Make sure you have a spare piece of fabric around to run through your machine after you oil it. Oil can ruin your fabric because it's almost impossible to get out. Save yourself that stress by taking a few stitches in a hunk of muslin or scrap.
• Use the right needles. I'm notorious for not using the right needles. I'll cop to that. When you use the right needle for the job, you create less lint. Less lint is good. That's our new mantra: Less Lint is Goooood. 

Well, I'm off to the studio to clean up my space (yeah, right!) Take care of your machines and yourselves, flowerpots!

Mission Accomplished: Part 1!

A couple of posts ago I mentioned that I was going to go through all of my UFOs and try to get them done. Well, I finished one today! Huzzah! I made a pair of pajama pants. Several years ago I worked at a local Hancock Fabrics and I bought some really cute Hallowe'en flannel with little witch kitties on it. I had it sitting with its pattern and grosgrain ribbon for the drawstring for, Oh, let's go with 4 years. No. Really. FOUR YEARS.
I realized as I was laying out the pattern that I probably needed a half yard more for full-length pants, and since I didn't want flannel shorts, I decided to make them cropped pants. Clam-digger style. I'm wearing them to bed tonight. Yes, yes, I am. I know it's January. I'm still gonna wear them.

Cute Witchy-Poo Kitties with cats-eye glasses and, though it's hard to tell here, skull tags on their collars.

I'm so excited to wear these, you have know idea. It's like I've finally gotten a pony for Christmas.

I also made a skirt out of a pretty woven plaid I picked up last summer. I lined it with fabric left over from a costume I made when I lived in New York City in the 90s - fuchsia satin! I don't have a pic of the skirt yet, because I still have to put in the zip, but I'm going to take that to Sewtropolis and see if someone there can give me a hand with it. Plus I used thread from a different project that happened to go with it, and I ran out. Of course I did. But I saved the spool so I can take it along for matching.
I had enough scraps of the plaid to have a little fun. I've wanted to make little stuffed animals for a while, especially orangutans (I'm a huge orang fan). So I took a sheet of card stock (left over from a calendar packaging instert) and traced out a pattern. I also have a bunch of cotton circles cut out from when I made a Dresden Plate quilt a couple of Summers ago. I used one of those for the face and used fabric pens to color the face on. That way there aren't any buttons to come off.

I'm not entirely happy with it, but I don't hate it, either. I know how/where I'm going to change up the pattern but I figured, as long as I had some extra supplies, it wasn't going to cost anything to try.

I have this sort of fantasy where I'm making a bunch of these (or similar) for the baby orangutans in the nursery at Orangutan Outreach. I know they give stuffed animals to the babies and I hope they would like them, especially since they're typically orphaned and alone. I think it would be wonderful if there was a baby orang who wanted to hang on to one of my stuffies. Nothing would please me more! I'm currently looking for someone who might be able to help me with this dream project, so let me know if you're interested. 

So there are three, count 'em, three of my UFOs completed! I have no idea what project I'll tackle next, so stay tuned...

Assignment: Have you been going through *your* UFOs? No? I'm beating you? You aren't going to let li'l ol' me get my projects done first, are you?

February Field Trip Scheduled

Our February 21st Field trip Friday is going to be to the JoAnn Fabric and Craft store in Edina. It's in the Yorktown Mall at 3411 Hazelton (between York and France Avenues).
I'm working on a syllabus of sorts, but some of the topics I plan on covering are as follows:

Finding the right pattern for you
How to read those bolt labels
Which thread is right for your project?
Handy Tools! What do I really need?
What the heck can I make with a remnant?

We'll meet at JoAnn's at 10 am just inside the entry. Plan on being there about an hour. I can manage 5 or 6 "students" to keep things within the time frame. I'll be there regardless, but please email me at totallytoots10@gmail.com if you're interested in joining me and if you have any topics you'd like me to address. I have bright auburn hair and fuchsia/red glasses, you can't miss me.
Bring a way to take notes and any questions you may have. If you're working on a project and you're stuck, I'll be more than happy to see if I can help you with it, so bring that along.

Tequila Diamonds

I'm often asked, "Where did you come up with the name Tequila Diamonds?" It's my brand on Spoonflower.com and etsy.com and I'll admit, it's kind of a strange name. Here's the story:

In 2008 I was reading my horoscope (like you do) and they mentioned how scientists in Mexico had been able to create a diamond dust out of tequila. Not actual stones, mind, but a dust that can be used on tools for delicate surgeries. The scope then suggested that I take something and make something else out of it that was totally unexpected.
At the time I had been tossing around the idea of having a business upcycling thrift store items - taking something and making it new and useful again. Tequila Diamonds was "born".

However, I don't just do thrift store make overs. I make all kinds of stuff from old and new materials, but the idea is still there. My goal is to make things that are useful, beautiful and/or create as little waste as possible. When I make a quilt, for example, I try to use up as much of my fabric as I can. I rarely cut size-specific pieces for straight-seam blocks (ie. log cabin), I stitch all my strips together and whatever is left I set aside for the next project in which it might coordinate. This means I also do a fair amount of scrap work. Scrap work is actually my favorite. There are no rules, just sew and trim. They somehow look even better than the ones I plan out.

Another thing I try to do as much as I can is buy American made supplies. This isn't terribly easy, but I do what I can. Not only is it providing jobs for people here, it's also using the least amount of fuel to get the products to me.

I try to recycle as much as I can. Threads and scraps that are too small to sew become fire starters (balls of lint doused in wax to start campfires in the Summer). If I use glitter, I scoop up as much as I can and put it back in the jar. Unless I'm in a mood and decide I need a little pixie dust, in which case I toss it in the air and let it rain on me.

I buy an awful lot of my supplies at thrift stores. Fabric, yarn, thread, tools... all can be found at thrift stores. I bought a gallon baggie of zippers for a dollar. That's probably $50 worth of zippers. Thread can be dicey there, because cotton and silk can become brittle when they get old, but for basting, they're great. You're going to remove those stitches anyway. Then into the fireball jar!

Anyway, that's the story of my business and how it got its name. I'm working on inventory for my etsy shop (it's currently empty) and this Spring I'll be taking pictures of my Summer and Fall items. My Spoonflower shop is always open for business (www.spoonflower.com/tequila_diamonds). I know some people will look at the prices and think "Holy crow, that's expensive!" But they only print when something is ordered, and they only print the amount ordered. It's pretty slick. The fabric designers there range from total beginners to professional designers. I land somewhere on the high side of the middle.

My fabric designs are fairly unusual. Here again I try to take something ordinary (a medical slide, for example) and create an extraordinary design out of it. It's full of surprises. I have a few "normal" designs on there, but to be honest, they aren't the ones that sell. If you're looking for unique and unexpected, that's my style. I have a few new collections coming out this Spring and will, of course, post their release here.

Now I release you, my flowerpots! Go find your ECHT!