Please welcome me to the 21st century

Yesterday I was pondering why I don't use Twitter more effectively. I have it on my computer, but I rarely tweet because tweeting seems like such a spur of the moment type of thing and I don't have my computer with me at all times, right? Actually, wrong. I have a smart phone, so I kinda, sorta do. Next, and I'm a little embarrassed to say this, I pondered aloud, " I wonder if there is a twitter app?" Yes, I really wondered that. And, after pinching myself so I could return to reality, I downloaded that app and, lo and behold, tweeting became a much more spontaneous activity.
Then I thought about adding pictures to my tweets. Again, I did all my musing out loud, which turned out to be to my benefit because my 15-year old daughter heard me and said, " Mom, why don't you use instagram to share your pictures as tweets and on flickr and even on pinterest. To quote Archimedes, "Eureka!"
In less than 24 hours, I've learned how to transfer my pictures from my camera roll on my phone to instagram and back to my computer to photoshop.

This is my newest Great Aunt Irma's Flower Garden Mini

Needless to say, I've also become a wee bit enamored of the gimmicky photo "tricks" instagram has to offer.

Here's a preview of one of the prints for my newest line. So excited about that!

Who doesn't love a good blur effect?

I even figured out how to download an emailed picture to my camera roll and then upload it to instagram for fun manipulating and sharing.

My friend, Nan, is currently sending me a daily shot of her tote in some of Europe's most beautiful spots. 

Yep, I'll be sharing them here and on twitter and on instagram.

Hey, if you want to follow me on some of the other sites where I publish my work and passions, guess what, I figured out how to add those badges to my blog as well. 

I've really grown over the past day or so. Can't wait to discover indoor plumbing!

Two Questions

Two questions:

1. How many licks does it take to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop? (I suspect I've asked this here before. It's one of my favorite quandaries, right up there with where do matching socks go when they disappear)

2. Why is it, despite seeing and being inspired by something, it doesn't instantly dawn on me how I can re-create it in my own life?

For example, consider this wonderful display:

A treasure trove of beautifully crafted potholders artfully arranged on a wall. I found this image on Pinterest, but it originated here.
The minute I saw it, I pinned it to my Collections Board.
The same is true for this one:

Also, found and pinned on Pinterest, but linked to this site.
Anyway, I also have a potholder collection, all hand made...by me. Do you know where I display them? Nowhere. I've always kept them in a drawer. Sure, I use them, but I could just as easily use them if they hung from pegs in my kitchen. But, I never thought to show them off, even though I saw bunches of examples of just that and thought to myself, "Doesn't that look great."
It never even dawned on me until...I thought about moving and decorating my new space.
Then I realized, " Hey, I've got quite a few potholders myself and I should really use them both to keeping my fingers from getting burned as I remove that fluffy souffle from the oven and as a way to beautify my space. "
So, here are my potholders:

Now, mine are not crocheted; they're pieced, quilted, and bound. And, this is not even a real "display" as I've not moved in to my new house, but this gives you an idea of what it will or could look like. I say could not because I won't display them, but because there are so many possibilities.

For today's post I just pinned them to my design wall.

Makes me wonder what other obvious solutions both to design problems and, frankly, life problems, are just sitting under my nose, ignored until some random event comes along to give me that "aha" moment.
Why, I might even know how many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Roll and not realize it.

For those of you who are interested, a couple of these potholder patterns are for sale in my shop. Just in case you want to whip up a few and display your own collection.

Great Aunt Irma's Flower Garden Re-visited

Remember this mini quilt?

And this one?

They probably date back at least a couple of years and began because I inherited an unquilted Grandmother's Flower Garden top.
I appliqued and embroidered the centers and then improvisationally pieced the remaining bits in a modern log cabin of sorts. It was great fun. Partly I liked the idea of reclaiming the quilt top, which I did in numerous versions including this one:

This mini appeared in Kathreen Ricketson's first book, Whip Up Mini Quilts.
A part of me wonders whether her untimely, recent death has anything to do with why I have returned to the design.
The other part that I always enjoyed was mixing all the different fabrics. Sometimes, when my fabric stash feels overwhelming, I think that I should just limit myself to the fabrics I know for certain I'll use in a project in the next few months. But then, when I work on one of these, I realize that I need all that "stuff" because I never quite know what will work until I pull it out and audition it.
Whatever the reason may be and I'm as clueless as anyone because sometimes I feel like I move from one project to the next in an almost stream of consciousness-like way, I made this mini in the past couple of days.

Here too I had the opportunity to mix a pretty wide variety of fabrics, a few Kona solids, a couple of other designer prints, as well as some Japanese cottons. When these pieces come together, they feel effortless and that might be my most favorite thing of all about making them.

I quilted this one like the others in a simple pattern that for some reason makes me think of bed jackets. I find that association so strange because I don't think I've ever owned a bed jacket or had any desire to, but that's what comes to mind.

I'm pretty fond of the backing as well, a simple black and white check. I love the way it works with the indigo cotton of the binding.
All in all, I'm happy with this little quilt and I still have a few remaining blocks form the original quilt to make a more.

Superstar Baby Quilt

One of the perks of designing fabric is the opportunity to craft items with that fabric. Some of you may remember this quilt:

Now, this dates back to my first line, a stitch in color, but, in all honesty, I still love this quilt and see so many possibilities for re-interpreting it.
In fact, when I taught this pattern locally at Stitch Lab I was blown away by the way my students utilized other stripe combinations as well as prints and pattern to make this quilt. I can even see this pattern as more of a single, giant block with the possibility of making 4 or more blocks to create a large, bed-sized quilt.
Now, I'd like to offer you all the chance to make this quilt.

These paper patterns are fully, beautifully, and colorfully illustrated.

The instructions are easy to follow and, despite the fact that the quilt looks complicated, it actually is incredibly simple to put together.

I am offering these paper patterns for sale in my shop, though I do have a limited number and am not planning on resupplying. So, if you think you might be interested in making this design, head over there and check it out.

Nan's Tote

I hope you all had a great weekend and that included at least a bit of sewing.
Mine certainly did, as well as a super-fun camping trip, so I'm ready to go with today's post. As promised, I'm going to announce the winners of the pattern giveaway.
They are:

Bailey said...
I love the choice of colors

and

Antoinette said...
Pinterest really does have some fantastic inspiration! Buried among the 12,000 mason jar craft projects...

Congratulations, you two! Please email me at malka@stitchindye.com and I will reply with an email that includes the PDFs of the instructions and templates.

One of the things that I think about when I design a block is how I can use it in different objects. I mean, I love quilts as much as the next gal, but I like to make all sorts of stuff. Truth be told, I also like to design with the idea of enlarging the block and distorting the colors and components to create  different effects, but, that has nothing to do with today's post or the project I'm featuring, so pretend like I never said that.
Back to today's featured item:

As I mentioned in Friday's post, I planned to use the Pieces of 8 block to make a special gift for a special person. And I did.

My friend, Nan, is a person with a wonderful, creative spirit and an infectious enthusiasm. We've had a lot of amazing experiences together including being in Boston together on that fateful day back in April. Fate seems to have interceded on both our behalves and we came home safe and sound, but not without a sense of how lucky we are and a bond that only comes through having shared a powerful experience.
Anyway, Nan and her husband are off on another adventure soon and I wanted to give her something to carry a few of her memories/treasures in. 

I really like have a large, roomy tote, so this tote measures about 16" x 20". I hate, hate, hate however having to dig in that large tote for my keys or phone, so I also included a zippered pocket in the lining.

I also decided to bind the edges of the webbing I used for the handles because it gave me an opportunity to add a little bit of color in an unexpected place. It has the added benefit of keeping the edges of the webbing from fraying or being scratchy against a bare arm. It is summertime, you know.
Both the front and back are lightly quilted to give the tote strength and form.

For those of you who are curious, the outdoor pictures of Nan's tote were taken in her backyard. She and her husband have an amazing place that they renovated. They're also the builders, designers, and proprietors of a wonderful vacation space on their property called Art Alley Lofts. If you're visiting Austin and looking for an authentic and beautiful place to stay in the heart of South Congress, you can't find a better place.

Tips, Discounts, and Giveaways...oh my!

When I was at Moody Gardens last week I saw a short 4D movie version of the Wizard of Oz. Before I babble on about that, which, by the way, has absolutely nothing to do with today's post, I'm going to babble on about something else, also not related to today's post. Anyway, yea or nay, people, is 4D really just an opportunity for the the theater to spray or mist its patrons?
Back to the Wizard of Oz. One of my favorite lines in all of movie history is Dorothy's declaration to Toto, " Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." As previously mentioned, this tidbit has nothing to do with today's topic other than the fact that the post title is a takeoff on another line from the movie.
What does today's post have to do with? This:

Stay with me here.
This is a paint chip garland that I found on Pinterest. If you follow me on Pinterest or just browse my Inspirations board, then you'll see this image (I'd love to credit it to somebody, but it doesn't seem to link to the correct page).
Long, semi-interesting story short, this paint chip garland was the inspiration for this:

I made the quilt, then wrote the pattern, which I sell in my store.

Currently, I'm making a couple of blocks from this pattern for a special project/gift I'll feature here this coming Tuesday.

This prompted my scarecrow-like brain to start thinking about tips I could publish here for those who've purchased the pattern in the past as well as those who might in the future. I also wanted to offer a discounted price on the pattern, and give away a couple of copies. Amazing, all this happened and there's nothing but straw between my ears.
So, without further adieu, here are my top 4 tips for making your Pieces of 8 quilt a success:
1. Generous use of Spray Starch.

Because of the shape of the pieces sewn together to make this pattern, there are inevitably going to be some bias edges. Tame their stretchiness by spraying the fabric with starch either before or after cutting.
2. Fold the strips in half to identify mid-point and make piecing them easier and more accurate.

I even make a point of nesting the creases inside each other. This pattern really depends on accuracy, so every little bit helps.
3. Cut template A generously.

 

Run your rotary cutter along the edge of the template and beyond the flat, short end at the top, so that the triangle created has a point like this one:

4. Audition the placement of the background pieces before sewing, so you can make sure they face the right direction.

If you have made this pattern and have other helpful tips to share, please share them either via email or in the comments section.

And, if you'd like a chance to win one of the two free versions I'm giving away, just click your heels together and leave a comment.

Also, this weekend through the reveal of my special project on Tuesday, I've discounted the price of the pattern by 10%. The price has already been changed in my store, so no need for any discount code or wishing upon a star. 

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Inspiration may be correlated to perspiration

...I say that because I just spent Memorial Day weekend in Houston and Galveston where it is decidedly more humid than I'm used to in Austin. Now, don't get me wrong, I had a terrific time, saw some incredible things, and even photographed a few of those, but it was a wee bit warm.
I'm not sure you all know this, but I spent a fair amount of my childhood in Houston with more than the occasional trip to Galveston, so this is not exactly unfamiliar territory, but this time I went with folks who hadn't really been much to either places. This made for a new experience both for them and me.
As we neared the seawall in Galveston, I told them about my tradition of waving to the waves and, being the good sports that they are, they obliged me with hearty waves as we caught sight of the Gulf of Mexico.This brought back sweet memories for me and, hopefully, started a silly tradition for them. I'm a big believer in pointless, silly traditions.
Our trip included a day at Moody Gardens in Galveston. For those not familiar with this attraction, Moody Gardens is a series of three pyramids. One houses a tropical rainforest, a second an amazing aquarium, and the third is called the Discovery Pyramid which seems to focus on more "science museum" type fare. The gardens also include an IMAX theater and a water park. What more could you ask for?  I'm thinking about moving there permanently.
That last statement is not completely true, but there was definitely loads of beautiful scenes to behold and attempt to capture. I did manage to take some pictures, most of which I can see finding their way in terms of patterning or color combinations into future fabrics or designs.
Maybe they'll inspire you too.