*Edited to add: I apologize for any confusion regarding a few of the links in my blog. Most of them work properly, but a few came out of nowhere. For example, the color of the yarn, paper_rose is now connected to a book on Amazon. Huh? Apparently, I have a malfunctioning widget and I cannot figure out how to delete it.
After my last post, I spent some time attempting to further organize my small sewing/knitting room, but, truth be told, the room is just too small. It's really not that I have too much stuff. Really. The fabric is all part of the palette from which I work. The yarn came home with me because it was on sale, unique, or specifically for a project. Now that I'm an at-home wife and mom, it's being put to good use. And I don't have too much stuff. The room is really too small. Really.
Yet I am thankful to have a room. For most of my adult life, my quilting and sewing things were stored in odd locations around an even smaller home. Then, at my last house, which was huge, I had a designated sewing/knitting room where I could keep everything neatly organized. I also had space for more supplies. So I acquired more. It didn't make me more productive, though, probably because I was working two jobs and taking care of the kids (and the huge house). Here, I have less space, but more time, and I'm making a dent in the stash.
This morning I pulled out a set of 12 block-of-the-month kits from A Patch of Country. It's a series they ran in 2004 and, yes, it was safely stored in one of the pretty white boxes in my previous room, not doing anyone a bit of good. Because I had to stay home today to wait for another repairman, I thought I would crank out some blocks. Here's this morning's set:
The sun washed out the lighter fabric; it's more cream than in the photo. I also cut out the pieces for the remaining eight blocks (which takes at least as long as piecing them), so that I can piece them when I have a few minutes here and there.
I'm also working today on a curriculum for a quilting class. When my older kids were young, we homeschooled for eight years, and for most of that time I taught sewing and quilting classes in my dining room, at a local retail store, and at a private school. At the same time, I was independently researching Civil War quilts and had an opportunity to make presentaions at several schools in Delaware. I'm so happy to have time again to renew my passion for quilts and history.
I'll be offering the following hand-piecing and history classes beginning in September:
Prairie Quilts, inspired by the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls WIlder. Children age 6-10 will learn, with the assistance of an adult "helper" (mom), how to hand-piece several blocks which they will assemble, border, layer and baste, utility quilt (quilting with larger stitches than fine handquilting) and finish into a doll-sized quilt. During each class, we'll read about pioneers and their quilts, and will examine samples of quilts. At the end of the course, children will have accomplished beginner level quiltmaking skills and will know how and why quilting is an important part of our Amercian heritage.
In The Underground Railroad, students age 11-18 will learn how to make a quilt from start to finish, including blocks that incorporate squares, triangles, set-in seams, curves and applique. They will also acquire drafting skills, and learn how to assemble their blocks into a quilt top using a varietly of settings, then baste and utility quilt to create a fine, finished product which can be a bed quilt, wall-hanging or lap quilt. Students also will have freedom to choose the size and style of their quilt blocks. They may make a quilt that looks like an antique from the 1860s, 1930s or something completely contemporary. During each class, they will learn about the history of Civil War quilts through reading first-person accounts and examining photos and samples of quilts.
If you are interested in beginning your own study of Civil War quilts, I highly recommend reading Barbara Brackman's Facts and Fabrications, Unraveling the History of Quilts and Slavery. I've taken several quilting classes with Barbara and I've read all of her books. I'm impressed by the extensive and accurate research she has done on quilts and the Civil War, and her books are very, very interesting to read!
Oh, and for my knitting friends, yes, there has been knitting! Last Friday afternoon I started knitting Forestry from the fall 2008 issue of Vogue knitting. It's really a very simple, quick knit and I was able to make good progress yesterday afternoon when Eric and I drove Drew to camp. I've reached the underarms on the back:
Again, the sun washed out the rich color in the fiber. It's a warm, rosy tweed that feels, oh, so lovely with a touch of cashmere and silk. The yarn is Jo Sharp's Silkroad DK Tweed in color Paper Rose, purchased at Eleganza Yarns in Frederick, MD.
Finally, I have to mention that the drapes I made for the sliders last week are really keeping the room cool during the day, as it faces south and gets direct sun. They're lined only with Rain No Stain from Joann's, but despite it's bargain price and though it's not very heavy, it's doing a great job at insulating the back of the house form the heat.
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