Inspiration

September 12, 2011September 13, 2011 Elizabeth E.Leave a comment

An example of ikebana, the art of arranging flowers.

Mirei Shigemori and Sofu Teshigahara felt ikebana was so important as an artform they created the New Ikebana Declaration.

“New ikebana rejects nostalgic feelings.
We can’t find a vivid world in anything nostalgic.
There is nothing but calmly sleeping beauty in the nostalgic world.
New ikebana rejects formal fixation. Creation alway brings forth a fresh form.
Fixed form is like a gravestone.”

Shigemori went off to to do his wonderful garden work and Sofu became a number one believer in ikebana as an art form. (from Julia Ritson)

I’ve seen a lot quilt blocks in my life. Lots. I have books and books of quilts and I love looking at them and getting ideas. But I often try to find a new way to create in this fabric grid of the quilt world.

Maybe I’m channeling Teshigahara?

Blog Strolling

RedWhite–AUSTRALIA

July 21, 2011 Elizabeth E.1 Comment

How fun is this? The mail lady rang my doorbell and gave me this lovely package all the way from Australia. I practically grabbed it out of her hands.

And look what was inside–these lovely Shoofly blocks from Kay from Down Under. She has a funny story (which she gave me permission to relate) about these blocks. Seems she had them all completed and ready to send off when her niece spotted them in her sewing room. She grabbed them and gave the dogs a bath with her aunt’s “pretties.” So Kay sent off for more fabric, and remade them. I’ll always think of this story when I look at these blocks. The dedication of the quilters in this red and white challenge impresses me over and over again. Thanks, everyone!!

Blog Strolling

Mailbox Suprise

July 11, 2011 Elizabeth E.2 Comments

Look what came to my mailbox today–all the way from Canada!

Sue’s Red/White Challenge Square!

She wrote about this on her blog (scroll down). Only two more squares to go. Thank you to all who have turned them in early–they are so beautiful up on my pin wall.

Blog Strolling

Ironing Board Cover

July 9, 2011July 9, 2011 Elizabeth E.Leave a comment

Okay, it was time.

So I Googled “ironing board cover” because I wanted to have the glorious experience of making my own cover. I’m not a fan of the silvery metallic covers. I don’t like the ones with the foam bonded to them on the back. I majored in Clothing and Textiles in college and the ironing boards we used were the vacuum-type, with the board sucking the steam out of the jets of the iron. Real Fancy, and that’s how I got used to using a lot of steam in my ironing. But our professor said, if you can’t get one of those kinds of set ups, get an iron that has LOTS of vents and gives lots of steam and an ironing board that is heavily padded, so as to protect your work. When I buy a new iron I look for two things: lots of vents and that “shot of steam” feature and over the years I’ve been collecting the pads of my ironing board covers so now quite a nice collection. I needed a [cute] cover to go over that.

Here’s some blogs/tutorials that I referred to (I like to read up on things):

http://www.marmadaisy.com/2008/01/new-ironing-board-cover.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fabulous-Ironing-Board-Cover/
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/01/quilted-ironing-board-cover.html
http://sewcindy.blogspot.com/2009/02/ironing-board-cover.html
http://www.aquiltinglife.com/2010/10/great-cover-up.html
http://u-handbag.typepad.com/uhandblog/2008/01/super-easy-iron.html

But this one seems the easiest and most complete:

TUTORIAL : IRONING BOARD MAKEOVER

I post all these so I can find them again next time I need them and because it appears there are already sufficient tutorials out there. The world doesn’t need another. The fabric is from Alexander Henry and has lots of sewing motifs on it. My ~~messy~~ creative space looks a lot spiffier!