Coiled Fabric Baskets-Bowls-Mats

A few weeks ago I took a
workshop from a friend on
making the fabric mats and
fabric baskets/bowls with
cotton clothesline cord and
fabric strips using our sewing
machines. It was a really fun,
no stress class. Making the
mats and baskets was really
quite easy and we had good
instructions to get us started.


First we all made a coaster to learn the technique then could decide what we wanted to do next. I made an oval mat then started on a small bowl that I finished later at home.

This is a good way to use up more of that fabric I have in my stash that is really quite ugly now. Really wonder why I thought some of it was so beautiful at the time time I purchased it!

After I got home and the next week I worked on making more of the baskets/bowls and mats. I even experimented with making one mat with an open zig-zag area in the middle. Took a little thinking but it worked out ok.

At first we had a hard time finding the clothesline cord so my sister got us some as she could find it where she lived in an area Wallmart. At the time our Wallmart stores and other discount stores did not carry it. The last time I was in our Wallmart they had it so I bought all they had to share or have on hand when I want to make more of the coiled pieces. It is back in the tool area of the store with chains and ropes not in the laundry area where I thought it would be.


Until Later....
Lynn

Finished projects

I thought when I first started this blog that I would probably write something each day. It seems like my life these past few weeks has really been busy. I really don't know where all the time has gone as my house still needs a good cleaning, I haven't spent that much time in the kitchen and I really have not done that much quilting either.

I do know I have spent quite a bit of time making the 3 dimensional stars I will be using at the bed turning in April. All 8 of the stars are done now as of a couple of days ago. My dilemma now is how to use them on my table. My first idea was to hang them all from branches stuck in a vase. I am now thinking that might just be a little too much and too bulky looking. I do want my guests to be able to see each other when they are eating. Now I am leaning toward displaying them in a large bowl or on a large plate on the center of the table.

I did get better and quicker at putting them together by the time I got to the last ones. Those first ones were quite the challenge. One had to be done over as I ripped the paper trying to get it glued. Kind of glad to have them done and they are fun to look at all hanging in a row on the fireplace.

I got the last leaf appliqued on a miniature quilt I have been working on - off and on to be exact - for over 10 years. I collected purple fabrics from my friends to get started years ago and it seems like I basted and basted fabric to the hexagon forms I cut out of freezer paper before I could start putting the flowers together in groups. Each hexagon is about 1/2" across.

Each purple flower is made out of a different purple fabric, each green hexagon is a different green and each flower center is a different gold or yellow fabric. When it came time to pick out a background fabric I had a difficult time finding something that would look good with the dark and the light fabrics. I settled on the beige and like the result.

After hand piecing the center I decided it needed an appliqued border so that took more time but am glad I did it as I do like the results. As I said I worked on this quilt top for a looong time. Never felt the urge to hurry and get it done as I did enjoy the process and it was a good size as a take along project. I hope to get it basted together in the next few days and will hand quilt it since the entire top is done by had up to this point. A friend suggested the name and I really think it fits this top. It will be named "Lady in Waiting". This quilt traveled to many hospitals when my dad was a patient and also when my mother had some health problems and had to be hospitalized. I worked on it to pass the time as I visited them and waited in waiting rooms.

Until the next time...
Lynn

Paper Stars

I took a photo of the two stars I have finished - only 6 more to go by April 19th. They look different from each other as I chose a different area of the fabric scan to use for the points of each star.

Paper Stars

Today I worked on making some 3-d paper stars. I got the pattern a year or so ago from the following website. http://www.korthalsaltes.com/

The one I am making is the Great Stellated Dodecahedron. There are a lot of points to glue but it is really pretty when all done. I scanned a piece of fabric and using Photoshop Elements, I "cut" a triangle from one section of the fabric print. I use that cut to paste it into all the sections of the star. Looks cool and like a kaleidoscope the way the pattern repeats itself.

I need to make 8 of these stars as I am going to use them as decorations for my table at our guild's China Luncheon and Bed Turning. I plan to spray paint some branches either white or navy, stick them in a vase and hang the stars on the branches as the centerpiece of my table. My plan is for all the people at the table to each take one of the stars home as a gift.

I only finished 2 today. Seems to take a while to do the cutting and pasting and now am thinking I may just make two of each design so I don't have to do so much busy work on each star.

I insert fishing line into two opposite points before I close up the star. To keep it from pulling out I tie it to a button that will hold it in the point then tie an overhand knot on the outside to keep it from slipping back inside the star. One point will have a line to hang the star from and the other I string a few beads that hang down and keep the star hanging straight.

Need to see if there is an easier way of making the stars as gluing the last few pieces is very difficult.

Will try to get some photos of the 2 stars I have finished tomorrow.

Lynn