Free Form Circles Pillow a project- by Heidi Emmett -Fall, Modern Patchwork

 

The Fall edition of Modern Patchwork will be coming out on October 4th. I’m giving you a sneak peek at the cover and my project! It is the perfect pillow to make for yourself and as a gift. I created it as an easy project that invites you to do more free-style machine quilting!

Hello everyone! It’s the second day of Fall! And it feels like it here in Cedar Ridge, CA  It was so chilly on the first day of Fall that our fireplace had its’ first fire of the season. Even the cats cozied up to it!

Whoo hoo! I’m in here!

While I liked there shot, I had to take a few of my own.

I love the “text”  background fabric. There are tons of them out there and of COURSE, I must add them to my collection. I have many collections.

 

The following pictures (yes, I kept the blurry one in too because I like it) show you where I got the idea for this pillow project. I’ll tell you at the end what they are. 

Did you guess? I had just finished a fun felted circle project with some beading on it. I was at the kitchen sink getting a drink of water from my pressed green colored glass. The sun was shining through it just right. I took the glass to my little quilt, put the project in the sun and set the glass on top of the embroidered circles. The pictures above are the result. Too FUN!  I could see stacked circles of COLOR using , Basicgrey “Grunge” fabrics by Moda fabrics. Look for them at independent quilt shops.  These fabrics are a must for every fabric stash. Didn’t I tell you? IDEAS ARE EVERYWHERE!!  Below is a teeny, tiny section of my felted circle project.

It’s the second day of Fall! And it feels like it here in Cedar Ridge, CA  It was so chilly on the first day of Fall that our fireplace had its’ first fire of the season. Even the cats cozied up to it!

Have a fabulous creative fall weekend and start looking for the Fall issue of Modern Patchwork! You’ll enjoy all the projects that are offered. Thank you all for stopping by my Blog (tell your friends about it). Hugs to Judi and Lori  and Jean (some of my Bunco buddies who visit my Blog). And hugs to all of you! Heidi

Zephyr Jacket now available with Tissue pattern pieces. Send $15.00 to me, Heidi Emmett at P.O. Box 208 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924, and I’ll send you one. I just love circles don’t I?

Zephyr Jacket- Perfect for Fall evenings-Now with tissues pieces.

I’m reintroducing my beautiful Zephyr Jacket pattern because now you can purchase the tissue pattern pieces from me!  You can buy it on Craftsy.com  for $9.95 in a pdf format (you or a print shop do all the printing) or, email me: hmemmett@gmail.com, and purchase a hard copy from me for $15.00 (a complete pattern with tissue patterns in one package).  

Like the Tahoe Zephyr breeze, here is another inspiring art-to-wear-pattern by me, Heidi Emmett. It is a flattering design for all sizes (XSM-4X sizes included). The back has a longer cut that brushes just below the hipline. The fluttering front pieces are a perfect canvas for embellishing. With only three pieces this jacket is a breeze to sew- a perfect project for a beginning sewist (the new fancy word all the sewing magazines use for someone who sews).

In upcoming posts, I will show you some of the different ways to make your own Zephyr Jacket a real art-to-wear piece!

In future posts, I will show you ways to embellish and create your own Art-to-wear Zephyr Jacket! Start looking for some unique fabrics,ebroideries, or trims that you could use. The outside and inside front jacket facings in the jacket above are 100% silk shantung. The deep teal was from a skirt and the red violet was a pair of pants! Yep, I love looking for vintage fabric through clothing from second hand shops or thrift stores. I gentle wash everything I buy, ’cause if I can’t hand wash a garment then I wont use the fabric. Thank you so much for stopping by. Get creative this weekend! Hugs, Heidi

 

 

Tahoe to a “T”, my newest pattern. “Make it with rectangles” series.”

 

Nothing says tall and thin like rectangle shapes. Tahoe to a “T” is the newest in my series of making your own patterns using measurements you take of yourself and transferring them to front and background pieces of fabric, that are, what else, rectangles!

From piles of Marcia Derse fabrics, I made bunches of off-centered log cabin blocks.

Here are a few that have been separated from the herd.

 

Put all these rectangle pieces together into one long and tall BIG rectangle piece and attach it to a background rectangle.

How about black, embroidered linen background rectangles, with rectangle strips sewn together and placed on top of the linen?

I’m on my way to teach at our 3rd Annual Artistic Alchemy Retreat. My workshop is what else, Wearable Art. We’re making “Off the Grid Vests.” Both of these patterns are available on Craftsy.com /sewing patterns/Heidi Emmett. These two are an easy pdf download and remember, you will create your own personal pattern from measurements.No tissue patterns are needed. Thank you all so much for visiting my blog. Happy creating. Hugs, Heidi    P.S. my next blog post will be from Zephyr Point, Lake Tahoe, Nevada and I’ll post on instagram from there too. Follow me, Designs by Heidi

I took this picture from the narrow road that travels above the shoreline from one edge of the property all the way to the other. 128 acres of AMAZING Lake Tahoe Beauty. Wish you were coming!

Mommy & Me & My Quilted Vest & Quilt!

 

Hello fellow quilting and creative sewing enthusiasts! Today I am introducing my newest pattern that is available on Craftsy.com in a pdf format (print it all at home) for $13.95 or email me at hmemmett@gmail.com to purchase a hard copy (I do all the work for you and you get tissue pattern pieces too) for $25.00(includes tax and shipping). Hard copies of all my Art to Wear patterns will be at the Zephyr Point  Artistic Alchemy Retreat. 

The cut of this vest is so different that anything else you have made. I thought it up after reviewing a book of the 20th century designer Erte’.  I will bring another waaay cool version of this vest (in a wool boucle’) to Zephyr Point and the retreat. For those who aren’t coming to Zephyr, I’ll post it when I get back, orrrr maybe by next Friday! We’ll see. 

Below is a “flip board” series of Rubix the cat, trying on the little girls jumper/vest! Whaat? 

Awwww……..See you all soon at Zephyr Point. Guaranteed fun, fun, FUN!!! Hugs, Heidi  P.S. Yes, this is a duplicate of the post on Artisticalchemyblog.wordpress.com because, YIKES, soooo much to get done before the retreat.

Introducing: “Mommy & Me & My Lace Vest & Quilt!”

Finally! Wow, what a process this time, because it’s 3 patterns in one!!! I am really proud of this pattern. Mommy & Me is the first in a series of patterns that is directed toward beginner sewists, young and older alike! Misses sizes XSm-Lg, Girls, 4-8, plus how to create your own unique small quilt.

Buy this vest pattern (3 in one) on http://www.Craftsy.com/Sewing patterns/Designsbyheidi $13.95 for a pdf file (you do it on your home printer or put it on a thumb drive and take it to Staples) or, buy a hard copy (all tissue pattern pieces and instructions included) for $25. This includes tax and shipping. Mail a check to me, Heidi Emmett, P.O. Box 208, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924 or if you have a Paypal account, just type in my email address: hmemmett@gmail.com and follow the prompts (super easy). Either way, I’ll get a hard copy to you asap!

This is a loose fitting vest and a little longer than some. It’s long and lean (my mantra for ALL my patterns).  Lace is so popular right now, check out what you might have at home (I’ve been known to cut up a tablecloth or drapery panel)!

Yes, I have been collecting lace for YEARS! Trim, all over lace yardage, as well as border laces. This pattern is perfect for border laces. 

The trim on the two vests looks whiter, because it is. I mixed colors of lace in the quilt too. Be sure to visit the Terial Magic blog post next Thursday, August 25th. I am the guest blogger and it will feature this pattern.  I made my own lace “looking” fabric for the back. Whaaat? I don’t want to give it away, but I think you’ll love it. 

A close up reveals that I’m using cotton laces. But nylon, and polyester, silk, etc. they will ALL work beautifully. 

Yes, you all get to look at some of the over 465 pictures I took to get just the right shots for this pattern. Thank you for looking!

This was probably the most fun I have ever had making a quilt. No experience is necessary,  but relaxing and enjoying the whole process is!  I give tips on how to put it together, and quilt it too. 

In between photo shoots I remembered I had to water (101 that day, OUCH! but they say out west, “It’s a dry heat.”) Anyway, I threw the vest over a silk printed tunic and I like it. It’s a Bohemian look. 

Rex was banished to the house during one of the myriad photo shoots (on the quilt, under the quilt, accckk!). He looks so innocent doesn’t he? 

Rubix, he preferred to lounge on the top of the fountain. He could stay. 

Close up of my “Sketch Stitching Quilting.” LOVE, LOVE, doing this. It truly is fun and easy. 

Here is a quote that I think really speaks to my newest pattern:  “There’s no right way, no formula. There’s nothing but struggle and constant refinement. We always have the daily disaster or three. But when it all works, it’s pure magic.”  -Karl Lagerfeld, Designer     Have a wonderful, and creative weekend. Hugs and thanks for stopping by today. Heidi

 

Are You Losing Yourself in Your Art?

 

Are You? And does that mean, in your sewing space, surrounded by all things related to sewing?  Maybe, sometimes during these doggone HOT days of August, I can’t BE in my attic studio space. It’s not insulated (oh, my husband debates that and says it is insulated with all my fabric!) and gets super hot during the day. Hi honey, I know you are reading this and I love you.  I’m not complaining, well, yes, I guess I am, but I manage to work around the heat. We do have a great attic fan that cools my space off beautifully late at night and early in the morning.

So during those hot times of the day I find other ways to lose myself in art by looking at Pinterest. So, today, it’s hot, I’m tired, so I am chillin’ with my tablet and pin, pin pinning, away!  Check out some of the things I have pinned lately:

While perusing for the shots above I came across some of my own pics from my mom’s Iris this past spring. How did these GORGEOUS Iris pics get into my inspiration shots? Who knows but these pics are truly inspirational to me. They are called “Batik” Iris. Enjoy. 

Ahhhh, I feel cooler now, and more inspired.  A quote I will leave you with by Thomas Merton- “Art enables lus to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Have a great weekend everyone and thank you so much for visiting my blog. Hugs, Heidi

 

 

More Ideas With Denim- Who Knew?

        Don’t forget, click on one of these icons and see more of my work.

Here is a blast from the past (one of my very first posts). It bears repeating because stenciled, bleached, torn, embellished, embroidered,quilted, denim is hotter than ever! My pictures are not all in a proper order. But that’s o.k. you will get it.

Finally, I get to use some of the stencils I have collected over the years!!

I use the inexpensive acrylic paints I own thousands of (slight exaggeration). A proper stencil brush is important too. And use a dry brush (take off most of the paint first and add light layers to achieve the depth of color you want), with up and down pouncing motions, never at an angle or the paint will go under the stencil. 

Her is the denim jacket I’m working on. 

Why did I turn it inside out? Because that it is just like the jacket I saw for $95.00. Wear it right side out and it’s an ordinary jean jacket. Turn it inside out and voila, a whole new look. 

Layer colors if you want but do it quickly so the paint doesn’t dry (and will blend if you want) and always paint dark colors first. Don’t forget to heat set the paints so they become permanent. 

Taa daa! Who knew you could turn a jacket inside out and wear it, ON PURPOSE, that way, and you will look very chic!

While hunting for these pictures, I found this one of my “helpers” Rubix (on the left) and Rex, partners in crime (shredded leather dining chairs to name one). They were four months old in this pic and were right here by my computer, sleeping in a basket. 

Yikes, I just found a bag of MORE stencils I forgot I bought. Oops. But they are soooo nice, one can never have enough stencils. 

A great t shirt that I bought for the front panel.

So I cut up the t-shirt and added the yellow crochet flowers to the back of the stenciled jacket.

Look in your closet. I bet you have a jean jacket hiding in there somewhere. A quick project to get done this weekend. And what fun to do it with others, adults, teens, and kids. Hugs, Heidi

Art to Wear, Patterns, Retreats, & Inspiration!

That’s Me! I love Art to Wear, I create patterns that you can make using your own fabrics, I teach at a retreat I created with 3 other fabulous teachers, and Inspiration! I have lots of inspiration to encourage you in your art to wear journey.

 

Below is a student from the Artistic Alchemy Retreat at Lake Tahoe and her beautiful “Night Skies” version of my Off The Grid vest.

I’ll say it again, some of the students will leave with a COMPLETED Off the Grid vest, like Trish! I call it Hawaiian Sunset.  

This is a friend in New Zealand and her version of Off the Grid, and I call this one “Kiwi.”

Here is one of mine in a one fabric version. 

Here’s a different way to wear Off The Grid. 

Check it out! Off the Grid is the miracle vest! See more at Craftsy.com/designsbyheidi/sewing patterns.

Or maybe it will be Terrific Tabard. You decide. Either way, there will be much inspiration and creative fun.

Mary Boalt was on a tear making 5, yes 5, of this Terrific Tabard. Two are shown here. If you haven’t already go to Artisticalchemyblog.wordpress.com and enjoy her July 9th post. You WILL be inspired.

Who knew you could make such a yummy vest with silk scraps?!

This one has a printed front piece that she added paint bits here and there and lots of Kantha like stitching.

The covered button is perfect.

Here is one of mine, using Marcia Derse fabrics. 

Judi is working on her T.T. vest. She keyed off of the large circles that she cut out of a large print piece, and will be surrounding it with other great coordinating fabrics. 

Deirdre chose African fabrics to be inspired with. I’m calling hers, “Serengeti.” 

Practice, practice, that’s what I’m doing on this piece below. It will be my first whole cloth “TnT” using my “TT” vest pattern, aka, “Tried and True Terrific Tabard. Having fun trying different shapes. No threads have been trimmed yet. Yikes, is that a tuck at the lower left corner?

Ta da! here is the front ( I tricked you into thinking I could free form quilt like that without a pattern to go by, ha, ha. 

Straight on quilting, I am good and fast! But lower those feed dogs, and it’s practice, practice. I’ll have a hand out and samples of fabrics batting, etc. at my workshop. What workshop you say? It’s Art to Wear, at Zephyr Point this Sept. 5th-9th. Sign ups in all workshops taken until the end of August.

Whatever you chose to sew today, think outside the box.  Quote for the day from me: “I don’t dress my age (and neither should YOU!) I dress myself. Hugs, Heidi

I LOVE DENIM MIXED WITH KAFFE FASSETT STRIPES!!

Enjoy these Rods & Reels Pillows and a Log Cabin Duvet Cover. All the details are created with Kaffe Fassett Stripes and using denim for the backgrounds, the Kaffe Fassett stripes really POP!! 

The Rods & Reels pillows were made by me, Heidi Emmett, for Stitch magazine. The beautiful Log Cabin Duvet Cover was made by Christine Barnes for a Sunset Book, Reinvent Your Bedroom.

Instead of piping for the outside edge, Christine created a flange. Love that!

My Rods & Reels Pillows make great use of upcyling denim jeans (one pair men’s jeans = one pillow). Check out following pictures. What would YOU design with denim and Kaffe Striped fabric? 

Acckk! I can’t find the Sunset book to show you the picture of the Reinvent bedroom. I’ll talk to Christine. Hm… I think we should each make our designs available on Craftsy.com, as patterns to buy and make. I’m going to chat with Christine. We could do this because both designs are out of print in their respective publications. It’s going to be hot, Hot, HOT!! here in Grass Valley, CA. If it’s hot where you live, stay inside where it’s cooler and enjoy some creative time. How about a movie and some hand work? Hugs, Heidi

Almost ready!– Mommy & Me & My Lace Vest and Quilt pattern!

I am finalizing the instructions and packaging and will soon have it available for sale on Craftsy. Take a look at what I’m doing:

 

I am also thinking how best to showcase the Mommy & Me lace vests on the pattern cover. They are sort of hard to view here. Busy background, busy lace. Hmm.. maybe I’ll wear all black and stand (once again) in front of my giant English Laurel.  I have to think about lot’s of little details, but it’s exciting to see this pattern come to fruition!

This vest has a square cut arm hole and side piece. 

I really like the wallhanging that goes with the lace vests. 

It is not pieced. But has a fun and light-hearted use of lace scraps (from the vest), trims, painted flowers, yo-yo’s, and a striking background of an Aussie fabric(M & S textiles; might find this one on Ebay or Etsy, sorry, I can’t remember the name). 

We have a whole group of new and young sewists in the wings that need nurturing in the fiber arts. I love the easy and inspiring  way that this pattern will encourage them.

Helper Rubix (I almost stepped on him while taking these outdoor pics).

And other brother, Rex. He is lounging in the runaway Oregano. TIP: Always plant herbs in pots, or they will become like weeds and TAKE OVER your garden. 

I always want to show another “view” to a pattern. So here is my idea: start with a butterfly fabric from the Tim Holz collection. 

Place a chunk of fabric in a ziplock bag and spray with Terial Magic (visit Terialmagic.com). Make sure it is covered with the T.Magic. (but not to the drippy point). Iron (dry iron on cotton)until the fabric is dry. Now it is acts like a piece of paper so it is easier to cut and sew on anything.  

And I’m going to do the same thing to my lace scraps. 

Isn’t this beautiful? And it’s cotton. And I used it 34 years ago in the train of my wedding dress. Of course! I designed and made my own wedding dress. It is made up of four different laces, maybe more. And yes, I just dug out all the scraps. I’ll show you a picture sometime. I’m very proud of it. And I just love lace. I collect lace. I have 2 tubs of nothing but special laces. 

I’m looking at different laces for the fronts (below)and mix in different laces for the trim and something REALLY UNUSUAL for the back. 

But before I show you that, check out my new scissors by Kay Buckley. They remind me Ikibana scissors(used in flower arranging). These are lightweight and easy on the hand to hold. They have micro-serated edges. They just might be my new favorite scissors. I bought mine through Sandramollonquilts.com and that’s where I got the butterfly fabric too. 

O.K. I’m busy cutting out butterflies and I’m going to stitch them to the most unusual fabric EVER!! I know it looks like tissue paper. It feels like tissue paper. But according to Judy Coates Perez (visit her website of the same name, she sells this on her site, ask her), this is “banana fiber” of which tea bags are made of. I can paint it, dye it, sew on it, and gently wash it. Why not, let’s see what happens. All rightie then, I’m still hunting and gathering. I sew wanted to have it done to show you. Next post. 

Take care everyone. Hugs, Heidi

 

What I did on My Working Vacation.

I was hoping to have time to cut out another Whisper Blouse and use one of the “Moth” trims I had just purchased at Humble Fabrics(here in Grass Valley) before we left for Lake Tahoe. I  had them on my cutting table and took some pictures to give me a fresh look at what I have picked out and if the combos would work together. I spy one fabric that is actually a curtain panel and another fabric that is a duvet cover. Whaaaat?? Yes, keep your eyes open whether you are in a regular store (as in Ross, Ikea, etc.) or in a Thrift store. Who says you have to use a cotton off the bolt?

We arrived at Zephyr Point in plenty of time for this amazing sunset. Hey, some of these colors remind me of my Whisper Blouse fabrics.

Within two minutes the colors deepened. I see a landscape quilt in the picture below. I like how the land masses are a dark navy in the foreground and a lighter navy in the background.

And suddenly it is early morning and with calmer waters, paddle boards and kayaks abound.

Take a short walk to the amphitheater and listen to a concert given by the Villa Symphonia group ( the youngest member is 5 and has a real violin sized to her petite proportions) which range in ages from 5 to 17. One morning I was getting coffee at 6:15 a.m. and smelling the gorgeous roses outside the Tallac center (where we hold our Artistic Alchemy Retreat, go to Artisticalchemyblog.wordpress.com) when I heard such exquisite violin music coming from a large practice room overlooking the lake. The room is aptly named “Talking Mountain.” 

4th of July dawned clear and bright. That giant rock in the distance(sort of looks like a mini half dome) is called Cave Rock. It is a Sacred place for the Indian nation that is native to the Lake Tahoe region. 

I was amazed that so many different types of watercraft were on the lake that day. I know, 3 shots of the same things. But look at that sailboat. It is a beautiful wooden one. And it was the only larger sailboat on the lake all week.  Speed boats and Jet skis seem to be the norm. 

Besides the boats, look closely at the bottom of this cabin. This cabin is right next to ours mind you. Well, that hole you see is where a bear decided he needed his own entrance. Yikes!! They have NOT closed it up just to scare all of us to remember NOT to leave food in our cars or out and about. 

There were also quite a few various aircraft doing flyovers. I saw a seaplane, two helicopters in synchronization flying really fast and later, something home grown, flying fast and really, really, low on the water (naughty, naughty). Many training flights come out of the base from the Los Vegas area.  

 

All my pictures were taken from the top deck of where we work during the day, The Bear Necessities Gift Shop. You must stop by when you have a chance. We were busy, busy, all week. With our priceless view, I’ll “work” there anytime. The commute is a bit much though, 10 steps from our cabin space below to the store above. Ha, ha.

On the way home, there are multiple stops at Thrift Shops. Remember at the beginning of this post I spied several fabrics that are not off the bolt. Here are just a few examples: Below is a brand new tablecloth. This might end up as a Zephyr Jacket. Great weight with color changes in the warp and weft. Oh, oh, do some large stitch straight line stitching like Kantha cloth. $6.25 for 2 1/2 yards worth of fabric.

Too bad this is a mini skirt (with lace layers), but I figure I will have four yards of beautiful rayon lace to use in an all lace Whisper Blouse. $4.00 is a bit much but at $1.00 a yard for lace trim, it works.

One of 3 large, brand new napkins. Just like a fat qtr. All 3, $2.00.  Perfect for whatever. 

All my treasures are washed, and put into bins like the one below. Don’t tell my husband but I need waaay more bins. Or stop going to thrift stores. Whaaaat!? I can’t do THAT! The thrill of the hunt runs deeply in my veins. And besides, the $$$(yes, plenty of $signs) I give them goes to really good causes. There we go, justified that for another month.

Get creative this weekend. Hugs, Heidi

 

Happy Independence Day!

 

Hi everyone! Look below and imagine giant fireworks explosions! Let’s celebrate the 4th of July!! I see fireworks in a Day Lily.

Kaboooom! It’s Bee Balm.

Boom, Boooom!! Shasta Daisy’s with trailing glitter. 

Weeeeeeeee! Kaboom! Double Day Lilies. 

Ta da! Lace Hydrangeas. Look at all the tiny explosions in the middle!

Did you love that display of fireworks in some of my late June flowers. I have enjoyed my displays while wearing my “Starry Night” Calypso vest.

Happy 4th everyone! Celebrate this day and take time to read our constitution! And of course, be creative. Next post, next weekend. Hugs, big hugs, and thanks for visiting my blog, Heidi

I Saw a Squirrel or Two or Three….

What does that mean? Well, I know it as: I start talking or doing one thing, then suddenly, something different comes to mind so I talk about that, or walk through a room while working on something and see something else that needs doing right then and there and on and on…. O.K., if you could follow that sentence, then I bet you see squirrels too!

I’m popping this fun pinafore/apron onto the Kaffe Fassett Collective today. Go to FB and search KFC. Sign up! Anything Kaffe is on there.  Over 14,000 members. A great place.

Since it’s all about Kaffe Fassett fabrics, I’m not showing the nice deep pockets. I used a different fabric. Shhh..don’t tell.

Isn’t this quilted flower pin fun? I  added some cotton batting, edge stitched the petals and cut off the extra fabric and  leaving  the petals with raw edges. An old pair of earrings became the center of the flower.  

So, I’m heading out the door to take my pictures and I’m hit with my first squirrel…this adorable needlepoint pillow perched near the front door. I have to take some pics and tell you that I found this needlepoint at the thrift store. I hand washed it and turned it into one of my favorite pillows.  TIP: When you visit your favorite stores, check for pillows on sale, even really ugly pillows (usually the cheapest). Unzip the cover and check the pillow form. If it’s a size and type and price that’s good, snap it up. Have you checked prices of pillow forms lately? Too expensive for me.

Ohh yeah, another squirrel, check out the chair. I bought this chair at a church yard sale at the town of Red Dog, off You Bet Road, outside of Grass Valley, CA in 1999 for $7.00 (funny names but I live in a Gold Mining community). I believe it is an 18th Century Savannah Windsor chair.  It was put together with wooden pegs and it has not been refinished at all, just the way Antiques Road Show likes. Well, I thought I had found our son’s college money in this chair. I looked at it very carefully and discovered that someone had CUT THE LEGS DOWN! Why, oh why would you do that??!!

I just took a break to fix lunch, and forgot the  fresh corn on the cob in the microwave. Squirrel sighting,  I just learned this amazing TIP: Put an ear of corn, husk ON, in the microwave for 3 minutes. Using a pot holder and sharp knife, hold the top area using the potholder, and slice just to the corn portion all the way around the ear of corn at the bottom. Pull at either end and everything just falls off, husk, and all the silk in one fell swoop. Amazing. And be sure to cook it the day you buy it. It’s at its freshest.

I had to water my newly planted flower seeds and passed by this “Wave” petunia. They used to call them “Cascading” petunias but they changed the name and charge more. Loved the light on them at that particular time of day. They look so happy. And the colors remind me of the flower pin on the apron/pinafore at the beginning of the squirrel sightings.

So I put the pinafore away and this issue of Modern Patchwork slid off the rather tall pile. Squirrel! Yep, there is my project for “Triangle Tote.” I will sell you a pattern for this fun flat tote bag and I will include hand drawn equalateral triangle pieces. Send a check made out to me, Heidi Emmett for $14.00 to P.O. Box 208, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924, and I will get it right out to you. 

I love the way these long triangles work so well together. Oh dear, another squirrel. Check out my “shabby chic” picket fence. Oh well, we call that “Life Patina” at our home. Works really well, trust me. 

Looking at this tote, front and back, I am going to find my sketch pad and draw up a vest pattern possibility using these triangles. Hmm…will they make me look fat going that way? 

Enough squirrels for one afternoon. It’s sad sometimes, my brain wont shut off, even at night. But that’s when you will find me on Pinterest. Follow me by clicking on the icon below. Have a wonderful, creative weekend! Hugs, Heidi

P.S. There is still plenty of time to sign up for my workshop with Artistic Alchemy Retreat up at Lake Tahoe in September. Go there by clicking on the Icon below!

 

Volunteering at Zephyr Point, Lake Tahoe, June 2016.

 

My husband and I go to Zephyr Point, home of  Artistic Alchemy retreat (it’s Sept.5-9th this year; click on the “Artistic Alchemy” logo above to learn  what my workshop is all about).  In June, we volunteer at the “Bear Necessities Gift Shop” for one week. It takes us about six hours to get there (only because I HAVE TO STOP at many thrift shops along the way).  Below are two absolute mint condition 30’s quilt tops I found at the third stop. These two tops just made my day, week, month, year!! I will sooo appreciate the beautiful stitching (all done by hand of course!) and absolute beauty of them. I wont say any more, just enjoy the pictures. I think you’ll agree, with the setup for these pictures, it’s almost as if they are stain glass pictures in the cathedral of Lake Tahoe so it is only fitting that I thank you God for this magnificent place, and the creativity you give each of us to make such lovely hand made things.

Yes, that’s me wearing my upcycled sweat shirt with the kangaroo pocket using Marcia Derse Fabrics. And below ,an hour later, was the perfect end to a perfect day. Enjoy this show too. All pictures this week were taken from the balcony of the cabin we get to stay in while working for the week. This place, the air, the scenery, it all gets me very excited to help you create your own piece of “Art to Wear.” Please join me at my workshop with Artistic Alchemy this September 5th-9th.

Hugs, Heidi

Creative Play Time, We all Need It!

My Artistic Alchemy partners in all things Creative and I went to the Judy Coates Perez Ephemera and Tea Bag workshop. What a great time we all had, of course!! In case you don’t know everyone, on the left is Christine Barnes, then me, (Judy C. Perez the teacher, she’s not part of our group though), Sandra Bruce, and Mary Boalt. We make up Artistic Alchemy. The 3rd annual Artistic Alchemy Retreat at Zephyr Point, Lake Tahoe is coming up. There is still room in all the workshops. Please hit the Artistic Alchemy logo below and see what we are all about. I am the only “Art to Wear” workshop. Check it out, and join me for some major fun! Also, please note: I did not get the black and white memo! Ha, ha. We were supposed to wear clothes we could paint in. Who wears white to paint in I ask? Check out the painted on silk, yes, silk quilt behind all of us. Just one of many of Judy’s gorgeous pieces.

 

Judy is busy explaining how to paint on tea bags, how to quilt through tea bags, how to hold them down, how to draw on them, etc. Below is some of HER gorgeous work.

This entire small piece is made completely with tea bags. She has had 20+ articles in Quilting Arts and Machine Quilting. So check your back issues.

All right, I should not follow with my own work, but I am just learning and this is just the first layer.

We did stamping, thermofax stencils, and lots of ephemera and on and on.  

We even added Napkins!! Soooo much fun. Check her out at “Craft Napa” (workshops in January)

I even threw in a piece of lace scraps from my wedding dress of 34 years ago (upper right corner below).  I just found my scrap bag of my wedding dress that I had made. Hey, I will have to show it to you on our anniversary week in a few. Sigh, I can’t throw much away. I’m starting to get better. I HAVE TO! This is crazy! And my husband still loves me. 

Here is Christine’s. 

Sandra’s has fun colors.

Mary’s is 3rd from the left in the top row. She brought the Eiffel Tower napkins so of course we all had to have one in our pieces!

More and more! There were 21 of us in the class. 

Who knows what we will all do with our pieces but what a great time learning new and old techniques in new and exciting ways. When I got home that afternoon I spied my seed packets (ready to be planted) and thought, ohhh yes. I just might be able to use the empty packages in a mixed media project. It will be perfect. Have a creative weekend. Next week, look for my blog post on Saturday. Thanks so much for joining me today. Hugs, Heidi

Look What People are Making from Designs by Heidi!

 

I love it when you all email me pictures of the all the lovelies you have made using my patterns. Below are two pictures of my 3-Tiered Skirt  pattern made by Nancy. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area. And look what she FOUND on Ebay! Kaffe Fassett’s  Mille Fiore rayon just like mine! Whoo hoo! VERY hard to find now as Kaffe quit making rayons from what I have been told.

You look fabulous! A pattern from Designs by Heidi is coming your way Nancy.

Below we have Kris W. from Paradise, CA and Sherry B. from Penn Valley, CA. Ladies, you just bought Terrific Tabard patterns from our Artistic Alchemy Booth at the Pine Tree Quilt Guild Booth. You are both very fast! And see how happy they are are wearing their new “Art to Wear” pieces!

These are both really fun. Thank you for sending me pictures. You will each be receiving a pattern in the mail next week.

Below, I have to show you again, Sandras one piece wonder with Terrific Tabard in just one fabric for the front and one for the lining. Quick and easy. Check out our Artistic Alchemy blog (tap on the icon at the top of the page) and see just what I’m teaching at the retreat this fall. Off The Grid vest, or, Terrific Tabard. 

Margaret V. of Nevada City, CA is wearing a royally rich color blocked Whisper Blouse that she recently finished. Looking good Margaret. You’ll be getting a pattern too.

So, everyone, get busy and sew up a Designs by Heidi pattern and send me some pictures. We’ll put you in print (on a blog post) and send you a free pattern.  Remember, buy pdf files from Craftsy.com (touch the icon at the top of the page) or email me at hmemmett@gmail.com and I can sell  you hard copies.

Margaret, your lovely colors remind me of the Helleborus flowers in my yard. I’ll leave all you creative ladies with a few pictures of them. Sew up a storm this weekend. Hugs, Heidi

 

Oh, What a Day!

 

I just received a special magazine from Ilse F. Iversen. It is Quilt.dk dit danske patchworkmagasin      It’s a wonderful quilting magazine from Denmark, and it’s the February 2016 issue, and I’m in it!!

Below, I am on the left, Ilse F. Iversen from Denmark next, her cousin ( she owns a quilt shop in Denmark), and Randi Veerkamp, my long time friend from here in Grass Valley.  This picture was taken last June 22, 2015. The two lovely ladies in the middle were visiting their cousin Randi. Since they LOVE quilting, and I do too, Randi asked if they could come visit and we could chat about what I have been quilting and designing.

What fun we had. And language was no barrier (of course they all speak English fluently). They were such a wonderful audience, exclaiming over all the pieces I had created. It was a great time had by all and Randi said they had enjoyed the visit. I gave them some of my patterns as gifts and we all exchanged business cards. A few weeks later I received an email from Ilse saying she wrote for “Quilt” magazine and wanted to do an article featuring me!!!

The title, “Oh what a day!” is the only thing in English in the entire magazine. I was so thrilled to see my name in Danish print. 

My husband was able to translate (pretty much) as he used to teach ESL in Denmark many years ago.  He had to learn to speak Danish, but as he said, “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” What an honor to be in a European publication. They like me and what I do! Thank you again Ilse for the opportunity.

Yes, I was absent last Friday. I was on my way home from 5 days in Yosemite. I’ll do a small travelog next time. So much has happened in the past 3 weeks. I will report when I get back. Yes, I’m leaving tomorrow for 4 days in Portland, OR to help my good friend celebrate her 60th birthday!!

Since I will be flying back home on Monday, Memorial Day, I want to say thank you to all the American’s who have served our country over the all these years. Thank you so much for your service. Freedom is NOT free for the brave men and women who have sacrificed in so many ways so that we can live peacefully in these United States. THANK YOU! Hugs, Heidi

 

Try This!

 

 

For years and years I worked with kids in elementary school to help them get creative. It has really helped ME with my own CREATIVITY! Below is the original “Flower Power” that I helped my little ones to make (special needs). They did ALL their own work, from the background, down to placement of each item on the 14 x 22 canvas.We all had so much fun making this piece and it made big bucks at the art auction!

Truly a mixed media piece. Acrylics, liquid watercolors, bubblewrap stamps, wire, beads, and fancy papers. Oh and all the background hills are torn pieces of leftover paper towels (used for blotting watercolors on another project). Ahh yes, doing my part to recycle. 

All rightie then, at home with more paper towel painted pieces, and my own wired flowers, I’m thinking, can I put all this on a fabric base and quilt it? YES!!! I DID IT!!

The bottom “field” fabric is a 100% silk piece I cut out of a skirt. I liked the soft coloring on the wrong side and the hints of the woven in  dragon flies zipping across the field.

Toooo much FUN! You need to TRY THIS! Start small. mine is 16″ x 16.” This makes it very doable in an afternoon. 

An afternoon play time. You’ve got to TRY THIS!!

Here is a very helpful hint, use Terial Magic for the flowers. 

I cut circle stacks out of silk blouses and placed them on waxed paper and sprayed them. 

So much easier to stitch when treated with Terial Magic.

Ahh, yes. Had to show this picture again. I’m wearing Terrific Tabard vest, in the “Aussie Angle” choice. The Aussie stylized flowers in my fabric remind me of my fun, wired, stacked, and stitched, and beaded flowers. Don’t forget, sew up T.T. by making it whole cloth (one piece of fabric) like Sandra did below. Email me at hmemmett@gmail.com if you want to purchase a hard copy of “Terrific Tabard!” P.S. Yep, that’s me with braces! Don’t you think I look 30 years younger? A friend said they look “charming.” I like that, goin’ with that one. 

I wish you all a very creative weekend! Hugs, Heidi

 

Heidi and Artistic Alchemy Goes to The Quilt Show in Grass Valley, CA

 

As I dashed outside with another load to pack in the car to take to the quilt show, I stopped in my tracks as I spied one of my Peonies in full bloom! Simply stunning! Enjoy these pics while I pack the car. 

Phew, made it to the booth on time.  I am one of four fiber artists that make up Artist Alchemy. We decided to have a booth at our local quilt show this past weekend, “Springtime in the Pines,” a quilt show put on by the Pine Tree Quilt Guild of Grass Valley, CA. to introduce people far and wide about what we do and what we are all about.

Sandra made a Terrific Tabard vest; isn’t hers fun? She added a pocket for her cell phone. If you take my Art to Wear Workshop in September at Lake Tahoe through Artistic Alchemy, you will have a choice to make either, “Off The Grid” vest or “Terrific Tabard.”

Here we are the four muskateers: Christine, Mary, Sandra, and me. Hop over to our Blog: Artisticalchemyblog.wordpress.com and check it all out. 

In a display by SWAG (Sierra Wearable Art Group) of which I belong to, I showed my Off The Grid vest made of one piece of pre-felted fabric. This time I showed it with the wrong side out. Really, with this fabric it looks good either way.

There was a booth further down the row, called Rainbow Resource. She sells my Whisper Blouse Pattern! Check out her own beautiful hand dyed trims of all shapes, sizes and colors. 

Order just what you want from all these choices. They can really dress up your next Whisper Blouse or Terrific Tabard.

I love this colorful picture. Charlene’s hand dyed trims are so color saturated. 

Here kitty, kitty. Charlene at Rainbow Resource is happy to ship any trim she hand dyes, to any place. 

Christine Barnes (her picture is above; from Artistic Alchemy) and I both supply Charlene (Rainbow Resource) with our Art to Wear patterns. 

A Tuffet collection on display, from pincushions to footstools.

I’ll show you more quilts and such from the show at our next visit. Have a creative weekend. Hugs, Heidi

 

Artistic Alchemy Goes to the Pine Tree Quilt Show in Grass Valley, CA

Nestled in the pine trees, This Quilt Show is held at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. And this year, Artistic Alchemy has our very own Vendor Booth. We want to introduce visitors to what we do when you come to our retreat. We sew up some storms, make lots of new friends and enjoy the Lake Tahoe Views. Click on the Artistic Alchemy logo at the bottom of the page and see or better yet, stop by our booth this weekend.

Below is Off The Grid Vest made out of a pre-felted piece of fabric. I love the way I did the collar treatment and how I used a pin to keep it closed. You can do this too. It’s on the way to the SWAG (Sierra Wearable Art Group) display within the quilt show.

I’ll be wearing a vest to advertise my patterns. Maybe it will be “Aussie Angle” (below) using the Terrific Tabard aka “Skinny Vest pattern. Make a Skinny Vest if you would rather at my retreat workshop. Off The Grid or Skinny Vest, you pick. I am doing demonstrations both days at the quilt show called “Going Round in Circles.” Look at these yummy silk pieces. What am I going to do with them? Come and see. 1/2 hour demo. 11:00-11:30 both Saturday and Sunday.

More of a close up on Off The Grid. Check out the cool pin by Orna Llalo. She has GREAT jewelry pieces. 

Trish from one of my workshops will be at the quilt show too and she will be wearing her Off The Grid Vest, Hawaiian Sunset I call it. Thanks Trish.  

Much clearer picture of Off The Grid in the pre-felted fabric and it’s being shown the other way in this picture.  

Here we are! We’re takin’ off for the party at the Pine Tree Quilt Show in Grass Valley. I hope we see you there! More pictures to come. 

Make it up, make it fun, and get it DONE!!! Hugs, Heidi

 

More from Oscar de la Renta from de Young Museum in San Francisco

 

The evening gowns were simply amazing! Yards and yards of silk chiffon, lace, and beautifully detailed embroidery. 

Below is the coat that Laura Bush wore for her husbands first inauguration. Tons of French knots on her very petite coat. What elegance and class. 

I have to say I was very surprised to see that many of the evening gowns had no hems on either the bottoms or the pieces in between. This frothy silk chiffon with layers and layers of bias strips had no hems. Hems would have made it look stiff I think. 

The dress below with each flower hand embroidered and put on in a 3-D manner, was worn by Rhianna at the Brit’s awards in 2011. 

The green gown on the left was worn by Nicki Minaj. Did you know that Nicki designed some pretty cool clothes for K-Mart? Oh my, I musn’t utter the word K-Mart amongst all this gorgeous couture. 

There is a tower 14 stories high right next to the de Young. The observatory is on the 9th floor. Here are some of the views.  

San Francisco Bay. A little more to the right is the Golden Gate Bridge, but only the tiniest portion of the bridge towers even shows. The 360 degree views from this vantage give a new perspective on the city by the bay. 

Thanks for going with me to see a glimpse of the beauty and elegance of the designs by Oscar de La Renta.

Wait a minute! How did this frothy little number slip in here? This is my Whisper Blouse proto-type. I’ll show close-ups of the fabrics another time. Whisper Blouse is one of my best

selling patterns. Put your cursor on the “Craftsy” logo below and it will take you right to it. Buy it now and make it for spring! Hugs, Heidi

 

Oscar De La Renta at The de Young Museum, San Francisco

 

Greetings everyone from the Oscar de la Renta Extravaganza held in the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. A passion flower is my feature photo as I am Passionate about great fashion designers and their collective works. There is so much to see that I will post again this weekend. Let’s GO!

We are so excited to see this that we were shaking with excitement. Here is Patty, our intrepid leader and getting this day together for all us. 

Let’s try this again, we are HERE! Now let’s go in. 

These pictures were all taken with my four year old Samsung phone so apologies in advance if any fall short of perfect. Pics were allowed as long as the flash was off.

A hush fell over everyone as we traveled through the large entrance doors into the inner sanctum. This ensemble immediately caught my eye (must have been the bling). Late 60’s and yes, the coat is clear plastic and encrusted with large rhinestones. 

Gold painted feathers cover this lovely top with a lame’ skirt. I would love to know how and what paint was applied.

This embroidered day dress was in the same room as the top 2.  It was whetting our appetites for what lay ahead. 

All hand embroidered of course. 

Stunned is a good word to use when I walked into the next two rooms. They were filled with exquisite evening gowns, many owned and worn by the likes of Anna Wintour, Nancy Reagan, Annette de la Renta and many others. This first gown closest to you is from Annette’s own collection (and rightly so, all of hers were some of my favs.) Her gown is  heavily embroidered and beaded, all by hand. 

Caftans never go out of style. I’ll take one of these. 

This room held dresses inspired by “Gardens.” Oscar was an avid gardener himself. The dress you see in this garden shot and the arm of another were used in a Vogue magazine for a photo shoot and I think the cover. No one wore them anywhere else. How sad.

I enjoyed the “paper leaves” that lined several walls evocative of a walk in a garden. The leaves remind me of an Anthropologie window display.

One of Oscar’s later gowns, 2011. So elegant and easy to look at.

Heavy satin ribbon rouching on these fanciful spirals. The gown itself, silk velvet. 

Love the cut of this long coat. 

The long lean cut of the vest below, HEY! wait a minute, that’s my Off The Grid vest pattern. It’s not an Oscar de la Renta, but I love it all the same. It transforms anyone who puts it on, the Magic Vest. By it at Craftsy.com/ sewing patterns/Designsbyheidi. Down load all the instructions via pdf format. Create 4 rectangle pieces from my instructions for this one of a kind vest. It’s Art to Wear!

Or buy a hard copy from me: email me at hmemmett@gmail.com 

I’m offering to help you create your own Off The Grid from start to finish in my workshop at the Artistic Alchemy Retreat at Zephyr Point, Lake Tahoe this Sept. 5th-9th. Go to Artisticalchemyblog.wordpress.com to learn all the details. 

Be passionate about whatever you are creating. More from Oscar de la Renta coming this weekend. Hugs, Heidi

 

 

Terrific Tabard, aka “Skinny Vest” – Make One Now for Spring!

 

Happy Spring Day!

Terrific Tabard Vest pattern is a perfect way to showcase large scale prints. Below is “Aussie Angle.”  I love Aboriginal fabrics. The designs are too nice to cut up into little pieces for a quilt. Let me explain how to showcase these “works of art” into your next Art to Wear piece.

Here’s another Terrrific Tabard using Marcia Derse fabrics. LOVE, her modern, organic shapes and designs. A sophisticated look. 

“Tree of Life” is another version of Terrific Tabard that is available to make in this pattern.

When you have no large scale prints, collaged pieces are the way to go. I will explain all the easiest ways to do this.

Terrific Tabard pattern comes with sizes XSm- 4X. Print all the instructions and “tiled” patterns pieces (put each 9 x 11 sheet together like a puzzle) on your own printer, orrrr put the pdf files onto a thumb drive and go to Staples and have them print it up.

Or, one last way to get Terrific Tabard is to send a check for $14.00 to Heidi Emmett, P.O. Box 208, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924 and I will send you a hard copy (I print it up for you and include tissue pattern pieces)

I took some time out to get up close with one of our many Dogwood trees. 

Below is one of several bluebird houses we have. Not in the best condition but the birds don’t seem to mind. In front of this birdhouse is Mahonia Aquafolium, better known as Oregon Grape. Tons of yellow blossoms getting ready to burst open. I’ll take another picture when they are in peak bloom. 

Please visit the group I am teaching with this fall: Artistic Alchemy. Our blog that gives all the details for this fun and creative retreat is Artisticalchemyblog.wordpress.com  (or click on the icon at the top!).

It’s hard. I’m torn, be outside, sew inside. Hmm… I’ve done it before, I’ll bring my machine outside. I’ll get the best of BOTH!  Hugs, Heidi

 

Whisper Blouse and The Thread Painting Class Continues…..

 

It’s time to make yourself a Whisper Blouse for Spring. Click on the Craftsy icon above and it should take you right to my patterns. If it doesn’t, go to Craftsy.com/sewing patterns/Designsbyheidi/ or Whisper Blouse.

Light weight fabrics like lawn, or voile, are perfect. Can you see the pin I used in the blouse back to catch some of the fabric into the pin, gives a closer fit. When it’s much warmer, I like it to float on a Whisper of wind.

Below is me wearing Terrific Tabard vest. I call this one “Aussie Angle” and I teach you to use large scaled prints to really capture the best parts of the print. 

Below is an upside down (sorry about that) shot of a piece from Whisper Blouse that came right out of my own printer. This process is called “Tiled.” Piece B, below required 6 sheets of printer paper. The lines are overlapped a bit to line up and then taped together.

Below is another picture of the taping of the tiling. 

If you don’t want to be bothered by all the printing (when you purchase any pattern on Craftsy they will come to you in a pdf format), send a check for $4.00 to Heidi Emmett, P.O. Box 208, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924. Tell me which pattern and I will send you the tissue pattern pieces. Send me an email to hmemmett@gmail.com if you want and we can discuss.

O.K. commercial over. Back to Thread Painting class. Needless to say, 3 days was just not enough to finish. But we learned sooooo much. Below, samples of 5 of the 6 patterns we could choose for class. I chose the lower right poppies because that one was for beginners and while I LOVE a challenge, I’d really like to finish it before too much time goes by. 

We had an amazing light filled space with which to work in. 

Donna Greenwald (in the glasses) our beloved teacher looking at a student’s work. Samples in the background. 

Close ups of those samples that Donna created. 

Mine is below. I am auditioning fabrics for leaves and the background. 

I’m also ready to rip off the tear-away stabilizer and hand sew the beads on. A word about stabilizers. I am used to a very smooth, crisp, tear away. LOVE it. But the store was out of it and all they had was a new type, with tons of little perforations. While it tore easily, it was sort of sticky (more textured) and I felt kept me from smoothly stitching. My tip for today: When using Tear-away- stabilizer look for a crisp, paper like quality. 

Oh my, I just this minute got a call from Christine Barnes (check out her website under her name). She is teaching in Durango, Colorado and is in a “darling” quilt shop and she asked if I want more “writing” fabric, as in the above picture. OF COURSE!! Perfect timing. I hardly have ANY! Ha, ha, ha. More pictures of my progress next week.  I’m off to Stockton, CA next week to give a trunk show on all my clothing, accessories, and more. It will be fun! What will you create today?  Hugs, Heidi

Oh Dear, So tired, So late…..I’ll see you tomorrow!

Thanks for your patience.

Oh my, I have been busy this week! I am program chair for the Pine Tree Quilt Guild in Grass Valley, CA and I had Donna Greenwald (check out her website of the same name). I also attended her three day workshop  (first EVER for the guild). WHAT FUN!!! Pictures tomorrow.

I also went to my orthodontist this a.m. Yes, my second time at being 39 and I got myself some braces! For those in the know, I got “spacers” today. Really, piece o’ cake! Wellll, I talked too much and ohhh are my teeth sore! A glass of wine has helped, but I’m taking some Advil and going to bed!

A post tomorrow morning, after all, it’s another day! Hugs, Heidi

Get Your Creative Going with Spring Pictures!

It’s picture day! I was so inspired by the views at my niece Sarah’s in-laws home and gardens that I had to share them with you.

Majolica. In the cabinet below are so many color combo ideas and designs for quilts, clothing, etc. 

The dining room. A soothing repose of creams, whites and beige. Oh my, it just hit me. Those colors will make a stunning “Tahoe to a T” (one of my newest patterns that STILL isn’t out yet) in cream and white embroidered linen and add touches of some of the gazillon laces I have collected. I love lace!

Sweet, sweet, Treats. Hmm, that could be the name of a pattern. The white ceramic pieces remind me of pieces of lace. And the flowers, Crabapple, and the yellow?, remind me of Liberty of London prints (yep, I have some of those too). Oh my gosh, mix laces and Liberty’s for a little girls Whisper Blouse (yes, workin’ on that one too).  Visit, Crafsy.com/sewing patterns/DesignsbyHeidi.

Rembrandt tulips. Sarah (my niece)said there were three left that had just started to bloom. Oh the yummy colors. 

O.K., there are lots of bunnies to follow. They are just so cute, I had to show you. 

Oh yeah, the cutest bunny yet! This is Marshall, the youngest of 7, yes, 7 great-nephews (four families). 

And They’re off!! Some more great nephews on the Great Easter Egg hunt!

Whoops, out of order, but a nice close up of my next Tahoe to a T. Wait until you see the linen I’m using. It’s embroidered. 

Crabapple blossoms and Peonies. They are Whisper soft looking.  This is Durham, CA, the central Valley. My Peonies are slowly coming up, maybe six inches of green showing. 

Look at the shapes in this Euphorbia and the Chartreuse color!!!! Stunning. I want to stiffen some Kaffe fabric, cut out circles and fold them in half sort of and 3-D applique them on a skirt. Wouldn’t that be fun? 

My brain, like the picture below, an explosion of ideas. It’s hard to shut them off.

I forgot to bring a back up battery so that was the last shot for this trip. Oh well. Plenty to keep me busy.  Don’t forget to consider coming to the Artistic Alchemy Retreat this year. Hop on over to our Artisticalchemyblog.wordpress.com site and check it out.

Also, Artistic Alchemy will be at The Pine Tree Quilt Guild’s Springtime in the Pines, Quilt Show. Look for our booth on May 7th & 8th at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, in Grass Valley, CA .

Look at a picture book and have a tablet close by and start sketching! It’s only 15 minutes a day to get you going on your next creative venture. Hugs, Heidi

It’s Spring but I still need to keep my Hands Warm!

O.K. I had a cozy soft, ex-large Tommy Bahama French Terry Shirt (thrifted of course). Taupe is not really my color. So, let’s gussy it up just a little for fun. Found some Marcia Derse fabrics from my stash to use. A Kangaroo pocket in front would be just perfect. So I strip pieced and quilted some fabrics together and topstitched a nice big double pocket on front. I added a couple pieces on front and back near the top to bring it all together.

I had this tiny little piece left over. Of course, Heidi can’t throw anything away! Even scraps.

Let’s do some stitching on this little piece. Oh, I backed it first with some muslin.

I trimmed it up and put it on my little “figure” (to help you draw the body in proper proportion). I got my figure at Ikea’s for 7 bucks just cause I liked it. And it is repositionable. Sorry, it’s on it’s side. My husband has a newer version of my picture manager and I can’t get pictures to STAY TURNED PROPERLY! Do you hear the frustration in my voice with ALL CAPS! Yes, there are still computer issues going on in my life. Soon, maybe soon. Sigh, and another BIG SIGH!!

So I thought, oh picture of action figure holding scrap on top of shirt. Taa dah. In to “save the day is Rubix. I got everything positioned for the shot and of course he jumped up and knocked over action figure. There are two possibilities for captions with this picture: “Ohh, you’re my Best Friend.” Orrr.. “Yeah, yeah, a little lower, scratch right there!”

O.K. subject change. I am working on the “little girls” version of Whisper Blouse. Look at these yummy Kaffe Fassett Prints that I want to use. I think I have enough.

 

You must look at all this yumminess close up! 

I think the little hand crocheted trim will be just what it needs. So stay tuned. Yikes, I put it out there with what I want to do, now get busy Heidi and DO IT!!

This weeks sewing fun was brought to you by Spring and pictures of my little (oh yeah, they are slow growers) Crabapple tree. 

It was like a mini-vaca. I went outside before coming into my husband’s office to type this post, and spent 10 minutes snapping pics. Ahhhh, just what I needed. 

The shades of the blue sky with the fuschia flowers. Lovely, just lovely!

 

Bzzzz… do you see the honey bee? I have never seen one with those cool stripes. At the edge of our property there are oodles and oodles of new hives with baby honey bees in them. 

Thank you for spending some of your springtime reading my post. Happy Easter to all! He is risen! He is RISEN INDEED!  Hugs, Heidi

Making “Felties!”

 

Another crazy week in the world of technology for Heidi! The new computer came, we saw, it failed! A new mother board and power source are waiting at my son’s house to be installed. Maybe this time it will work! In the meantime I have been making “Felties!” What are those you ask? Please enjoy the following pictures: they are all out of order, sideways, and accckkk!, not set up how I would like (I’m on my husbands computer again, and ohhh, it’s too involved and boring, and who cares? Enjoy.

These are so fun to make and to look at. I first put some on “Instagram” (different ones) and a friend saw them and asked if I would make her some for her newborn’s “manly” decorated nursery. She wants to make a mobile out of them. Ohh yes, let’s do this. I went to my Ginormous stash of yarn (I just LOVE, LOVE, anything fiber related). I gathered these yarns below.  Felties are easy to make. You will need: a felting machine (you could do it by hand but that’s too slow for me), yarn, pretty much any type, some work better than others. I don’t like rayons (too slippery), or big baubled yarn (breaks needles) and two layers of bridal illusion. 

I make a spiral of yarn with my fingers and place it onto the illusion (tiny holed netting). I might add another little spiral of another yarn on top. Whirrrrr, whirr, goes the felting machine. 

Trim the illusion away from the outside edges. Voila! Some fun little appliques for whatever you choose to put them on. Hand stitch (takes too long for me), machine stitch, even gluing them on will work. I will take a picture of Michelle’s “Feltie” mobile for baby Garrett as soon as it’s done. Can’t wait. I’m going to go call her right now. 

Make time this weekend for some crafting goodness. Remember, even 15 minutes is all you need to get started. Hugs, Heidi

 follow me on Instagram too (looking for that button) to put neatly besides these other three – type in DesignsbyHeidi

What Happened? Where was I last week?

Last week was a week of miracles for me, one right after the other. I wanted to get going on my blog post, early (for once)! I sat down at my desk top computer. Once I got on, a voice in my head said, “back it up now.”  Wow, I thought, I haven’t backed it up for months.  I actually listened (for once) and backed it up. The very next day, nothing, absolutely NOTHING happened when I tried to turn it on. All my pictures, ALL MY PICTURES, pattern files, important correspondence, it is all on my desktop. I totally freaked out, but my husband calmed me down and said, “but you backed it up!”  Thank you Lord! My heart is happy, happy (see picture below).

Here’s another one. Have you ever hugged a total stranger in a parking lot in front of lots of people? Well, I did. The day after the computer died, I was seated in my car, at the post office, engine off, reading my mail. BAM!! I was hit full on from behind. The man who hit my older model Honda CRV, he and I stared at back of my car. Now mind you, he hit me with a Dodge Ram pickup. The height of his tailgate bumper rammed (no pun intended) my tire (mine is the model when it was cool to have a tire on the outside of your rear door). Not a scratch, not a ding, nothing, nada. Door opens and closes no problem. We looked at each other, started to high five and just grabbed each other in a big hug (is that small town niceness or what?!).  Thank you Lord!  Happy, happy, heart again.

 

You will love this miracle. Two days after the dead computer, and unwrecked car incident, it was morning and with morning (except Sundays), my mom (she just turned 85 and she built an adorable granny house on our property) and I walk. We paced it off, one mile. Oh my, we solve all the world’s problems on those walks. My sweet dog, Sparky, our two cats, and mom’s dog join in our walks too. Got home from the walk, did some house work, an hour and a half went by. Where was Sparky? Searched everywhere, no dog. I couldn’t bear to go look way down on the highway so I sent Robert. He came back, no dog, He jumped into the unwrecked car and drove around. 15 minutes later, back to our home, and still no dog. A truck pulled into our driveway. A man rolled down his window and said, “is this your dog?” He picked Sparky up a mile away, walking on the edge of the road. See picture below: Sparky just turned 16, and had no collar (long story why, but he has a brand new one NOW!). Sparky is all of 22 lbs. and his fur blends in with the surrounding stuff on the side of the road.  The man just took a chance and thought maybe Robert was out looking for Sparky. Thank you Lord!

 

I thank you for reading about my miracles. I will show you some things I have been working on as soon as my computer is up and running. I am writing on my husbands computer and trying to find some pictures as mine are all tied up waiting, just waiting for Cory (our son the IT person) to get off work and “come on down” and set it up. I will owe him big time, dinner out, clothing repair, new clothes, take care of his rambunctious dog, I don’t care, WHATEVER IT TAKES!!! XOXO to Cory from Mom.  

 

 

 

Mokume Gane? Whaaaaat?

Have you ever heard of this? It is a technique that originated in Japan using precious metals to create layers of beautiful colors in specifically, wedding bands for men and women. Thank you Jean (a member of my Bunco group) who showed me her wedding band.  Well, I know it differently, layers of cool colors from polymer clay. Sandra Bruce, a member of Artistic Alchemy, who besides Material Matrix, teaches polymer clay classes. AMAZINGLY fun, fun, FUN! to learn and do. Very relaxing AND I can get ALL, that’s EVERY BIT of my supplies in one 2′ x 2′ x 3′ tall rolling basket cart. Oh yeah! $$ dollars in that itty bitty space. I feel so organized with it.

Here are some pieces I ended up with from a class

A close up of some yummy, yummies. 

Start looking for interesting headbands ladies. They become the basis of some great pieces of jewelry. Below: by LuLu from JoAnn’s. I WANT MORE of these. Anyone, see them, buy them (on sale of course, and I will buy them from you for twice what you paid plus shipping) please. I’m serious here.

Which ones do I choose? Once chosen, it’s off to use my Dremel and make holes in the tops. 

Hm…where should they go, how should they attach?

No jump rings for me (could not find them anyway). I did find some glittery black embroidery stuff from Italy in my stash. Oh yeah! Perfect. Thread a needle & square knots.

Not the best shot I ever took, but you get the idea. I took this shot at an angle so that I would not catch a glare. The necklace sits very nicely on my neck. 

I wanted to show you my start to finish Mokume Gane shots. Could I find them in my picture files? Noooo! That’s another area that really needs some attention, besides the sewing studio. Oh dear, I must go pull weeds now. Ha, ha, ha! Have a super creative weekend. Hugs, Heidi