What Constitutes a "Studio"?

I have been reading a lot about art lately, and the artists who create the art that I admire. I read about their training, their lives, and every now and then, I am lucky enough to get a glimpse into their studio. At times struck with envy, I daydream about the day that I can once again have a larger and more dedicated space to call my own - the day that I can say "yes, I have a studio - would you like to see it?"

This got me thinking, what exactly is it that constitutes a "studio"? I mean, I do have a place all to myself, that stores my art materials (that would be my whole home sometimes, but mostly it is a closet under the stairs); I also have a dedicated space where I create my textile pieces - that would be at my sewing station. By most standards, then, I would have to deduce that in fact, I do have a studio - just not the studio of my dreams yet. Would you like to see my studio? Well, by all means, here it is:

This is my "studio," with half of my fabric stash removed, lol!

And this is my "studio" when everything is put away...

This here is my "sewing station" - located right behind our couch...

Now, before I moved into this small space with my boyfriend this year, I did have a dedicated space to create. It was always messy and disorganized; having this small amount of space has forced me to organize in a way I might never have, had he moved in with me... Oh, and before you start pitying me, rest assured - we are waiting to move into a larger home (though I am becoming a bit impatient, lol!) - I have been given a promise that we will move by my birthday, in June of next year...

Taking all of this into consideration, I guess that my daughter has a studio as well - that would be her desk, when she is not doing homework. She tells me that she finds joy in creating art using acrylic paints - her favourite time is sitting at her desk, painting and listening to music. In my opinion, she is a very talented girl; why, just the other day she created this beautiful painting - it is a Christmas gift for her Great Granny:

It's tough to see the rose in the middle, but up close, it's gorgeous!

So, this is what I believe truly constitutes a studio - it is a space filled with love, where you create beauty to share with the world. I hope that after reading this, each of you is able to look at whatever space that you have for your studio, and realize that in it, you help to fill the world with beauty. That in itself holds more magic than any space ever will...





Bring on the Holidays!

The crunch is on; despite my daughter having been ill all week, we managed to get out today and find some gifts for our loved ones. And, during my rest and recharge time, I managed to pick up a new Lumix FZ100, which will allow me to take much better photos of my work (once I manage to figure it out, that is).. Of course, you need a subject in order to test a new camera, and since it has been pouring buckets here the last few days, I had to create my subjects.

If any of you have been following the Sketchbook Challenge, you will know that the theme for November is imaginary creatures. With this in mind, here are my test subjects for the new camera:

Here is my T Rex, out prowling for food; it must be dark outside, because there is low lighting... Okay, the truth is that I hadn't figured out how to use the flash yet!

And here is my frog princess - I still hadn't figured out how to use the flash, but I think she looks pretty cool, especially since I have no training in drawing. She is ready to go out and meet her prince at the fancy ball, but as you can see, she's developed a case of the measles, poor girl!

Hopefully, I will have a full grasp of the flash soon (I think I got it, but need to do a bit more research - the manual is 240 pages long!).. When I do, I will take a few photos of the quilt that I have been commissioned to make. This too is due before Christmas - so, my plate is full these days, with full time work, a child to mind, and gifts to make - I sure hope that you all are more organized than me!!

I am happy that I traced out about 18 templates for coffee cozies, and have cut out about 10. My plan is to set this up a little more "assembly line" style, since I really don't like sewing when I feel tired. Doing it this way allowed me to watch some Amazing Race 19 with my boyfriend while I traced and cut out templates; tomorrow, I will select fabrics and fuse away, and I hope to put in a few hours on the commissioned quilt on Wednesday. So, as I said, crunch time is here - what is your routine leading up to the holidays?

Rest and Inspiration

Some days, a creative soul just needs some rest; today mine did, and that's what I gave it. When my world just seems a little overwhelming, I love to do a little self pampering - I find that at times, being quiet and resting offers me space to recharge, and when I am recharged, creative thoughts start flowing again.

Knowing that the holidays are upon us, I sometimes wish that I could spend a little more time doing what I want to, rather than what needs to be done in order to fulfill my self imposed deadlines. However, it really does no good to offer half completed gifts, so I keep working to achieve my goals. Lately, though, I have so many ideas floating around in my head that once my gifts are made, I will be spending a bunch of time with the things that I really, really want to create, and I know it will be some time before I feel stalled in my creativity.

If you are feeling a bit stalled in your creativity these days, perhaps these photos will bring some inspiration. Or, perhaps they will bring to you a sense of calm, so that your own creative soul can rest and recharge, so that it can lead you towards the next step in your creative journey....

All of these photos were taken during our vacation to Long Beach, Washington this summer. We had a fantastic time there, and plan on returning again...

What do you do, to recharge your creative soul?

Gifts on the Fly - Coffee Cozies

The countdown to Christmas is moving quickly. If you are anything like me, you think that you have about half of your gift making done, and you are only now starting to realize that this just isn't the case. Christmas break is coming even sooner than December 25th, which means that now is the time to start thinking of everyone on your extended list - people that you likely won't be seeing over the holidays. For me, this list includes teachers, soccer coaches, dance instructors, band teachers, etc. - I'm sure that you are getting my point here. What is one thing that all of these people enjoy? A hot bevvie, of course!
What is one of the easiest (and nicest) ways to show that you appreciate all their time and effort, you ask? Why, it's a coffee cozy that you can whip up in about an hour, which means that if you have one free day, you can do this assembly line style and get everyone on that extended list covered. Or, if you are like me, and don't know what a free day looks like, you can whip up one a day, until you have all that you need (and maybe a few extra, so you can grab one on the way out the door, when you suddenly remember that other person on your list!). Ready to get started? Great! But, before we do, I want you to head on down to your favourite coffee shop, and grab a cuppa; and don't forget to grab one of those cardboard sleeves, too, because that's the most important part of your supply list. Here's the rest of what you will need:

- two 5 inch wide strips of fabric, about 12 inches long, in co-ordinating colours
- optional: fabric scraps for applique motifs, and fusible web
- firm, fusible interfacing (I use Pellon Decor Bond), about 5 inches wide by 24 inches long
- thin cotton batting, craft felt, or craft fleece, about 5 inches wide by 12 inches long
- thread to match your fabric
- jersey snap (4 parts, no sew);  if you prefer, you can also use elastic about 1 1/2 long and one or two buttons (I'll explain both ways later)
- cardboard, card stock, or template plastic
- cardboard coffee sleeve from your favourite coffee shop (just in case you didn't read that part!)
- blunt object, for pushing corners out (I have a chopstick in my sewing kit just for this purpose)

Ready? Check your time, and let's get started!

First, you want to make a template; to do this, open your cardboard coffee sleeve, and place it on your template material (cardboard, card stock, or template plastic). I used card stock, to make sure that my measurements were correct - now that I have a great template, I can trace that onto template plastic to make something more permanent. To make your template, trace your coffee sleeve using dotted lines (this will be your stitching guide), then trace around it again using a solid line, about 1/4 inch larger than your dotted lines. Cut your template out on the solid line. You can see my template here:

Here, you can see my card stock template underneath my traced shape on the interfacing.

Using the picture above as a reference, fold your interfacing in half on the long edge; it should now measure 5 inches by 12 inches. Trace over your template and cut out; this will give you two mirror image pieces of interfacing. Place one piece over your template, and trace your stitching guidelines (the dotted lines on your template).

Now the fun begins - do you want to use funky fabric with lots of design built in, do you want to center a motif on your fabric, or do you want to applique motifs onto your cozy? This choice is entirely up to you - here are a couple of photos to give you ideas:

Here, I had the idea to use a butterfly motif centered on the cozy

And here, I used some applique

Whatever you choose to do, align your interfacing on the fabric and fuse into place on the wrong side of your fabric. If you don't have fusible interfacing, you can fuse your template to something like Wonder Under or Misty Fuse, then fuse that to the fabric. Cut out along the outside edges of your interfacing. Here is where you would applique any motifs onto your "front" fabric, if that's what you are choosing (Note: if you use jersey snaps instead of buttons, and don't applique, you will end up with a reversible cozy); also, you may choose to embroider onto one of your fabrics. Next, trace your template onto your batting of choice, and cut out along the solid line. When you are done, you should have two pieces of fabric that are fused to interfacing, and one piece of batting, like this:









From here, it's time to layer your pieces; first, place your two fabric pieces right sides together (interfacing will show on both sides). Next, place your fabric pieces on top of the batting; you will want the piece with the stitching guides on the top, like this:

If you are planning on using snaps, pin all three layers together, and sew along your stitching guidelines, leaving about 4 inches on one side open, for turning.

If, however, you prefer to use elastic and button(s), you would want to attach that before this step. In order to do that, fold your elastic piece in half, and place it on the "right" side of your fabric that has the interfacing with stitch guides. IMPORTANT: Make sure that your elastic loop is facing the middle of your coffee cozy, otherwise you will end up with a loop on the inside of the cozy - this would not be good. Stitch your elastic into place just outside of the stitching guide, going over it 3-4 times in order to secure it properly. Once that is done, layer your fabrics together, pin, then stitch, and remember to leave an opening for turning.

Before turning your cozy right side out, clip into the seams at the curved edges; this will help the fabric lay flat when you push the corners out. Alright, you're almost done!! Now, you just need to turn your cozy right side out, and use your blunt tool to push the corners out nicely. Next, you want to fold the open seam to the inside of your project, and iron it flat. After you iron your cozy, stitch all the way around the outer edge, using about a 1/8 inch seam.

Final step - attaching your hardware. If you chose to use elastic, place a button of your choice on the other side of your cozy, and make a mark where you need to sew it into place (use your coffee cup from your trip to the coffee shop today to measure this). Sew the button into place, and voila - you are ready to give your fab new gift to a very grateful recipient! In my example, I used two buttons - this is so that it can be rolled up and tucked into a purse - not a bad idea, but not necessary if you don't want to.

If you are using snaps, attach them according to the directions provided with your hardware, making sure that the snaps line up on either side. In my example, I used only one snap, but I may use two in future projects, for added security. Here's what mine looks like:

And here's what it looks like on my take out cup:

Now, I have a reversible cozy that travels with me in my purse - perfect for those days that I rush out the door, and forget my coffee mug!! I hope that you enjoyed this little tutorial, and I would love to see what you come up with. Happy Stitching!!

Gifts on the Fly - Fast and Easy Fashion Scarf

I'm not usually one for bright colours, but I am getting there. A while back though, I saw some really cool stuff being done with jersey knits, and I thought "hey, I can do that." My intention was to make layered squares, razor cut them, and then applique them onto polar fleece to make a neat scarf. Well, that is SO NOT what happened!! The other day, I got a brand new idea, and here is what it looks like:

Folded in half, and a little closer up, it looks like this:

I'll keep this in the "Gifts on the Fly" series, though it does take more than an hour to make. I'd say it's best to give yourself a couple of hours, depending on how quickly you sew. Want the deets? Here they are:

Materials Needed:

- 1/2 yard of medium weight jersey knit for the scarf (60 inches wide)
- various colours and weights of jersey knits (I bought 1/4 metre each, but I like to have lots of fabric to choose from!)
- 505 spray baste, or a glue stick
- ball point needle for stitching knit fabrics
- a sewing machine with a walking foot is AWESOME!!

Making Your Scarf:

Cut your backing fabric into two strips of 8 inches by WOF (width of fabric). Place them right sides together, and sew around with a 1/2 inch seam, leaving about 4 inches on one long side open. Trim the corners, and turn your fabric right sides out, pushing corners out using a blunt object (I keep a chopstick in my sewing kit for this purpose). Fold the open seam to the inside, and stitch around entire scarf, using a zigzag stitch around the entire edge.

Cut your coloured fabrics into various strips and squares, and place them on your scarf into whatever pattern pleases your eye. Secure the fabrics using a glue stick or 505 basting spray. Next, sew around the edge of each square or strip using a zigzag stitch. When you are done, trim your threads and voila- you can now wear your art on your sleeve!!

Oh, and in case you are wondering - I love this scarf, but I happen to know a 10 year old with very good fashion sense who loved it even more... and orange suits her better, too. So, I plan on making myself another, using a black background, or maybe navy blue. Next in the series: a nifty coffee cozy (which, by the way, the lovely girl at Starbucks was oogling today...)  Happy stitching!!

The Healing Power of Quilts

Wow, what a journey this has been - 2 years in the making, this quilt has changed designs, moved with me, had a few "oopsies," and survived a bump in the relationship between me and the quilt's recipient. I started this quilt with the intention of gifting it to my boyfriend's daughter for her 21st birthday. The fans were fussy cut, the Geisha was hand painted, and the back is pieced with a border. Here she is, in all her glory:

And, for those who may have missed it the first time around, here she is, close up:

One of my favourite parts of this quilt is the back - here it is:

And, of course the koi fish need a bit of close up, as well:

I used gold embroidery thread on the back, so that it would blend in with all of the gold print. It was delivered on Friday to Tim's daughter, and received with much delight. I won't go into details of our falling out, but suffice it to say that it is not easy to be the serious romantic interest of another girl's dad, even if her parents have been apart for much longer than he and I have been together.

 Finishing this quilt was my way of working through our difficulties. I figured that if I could still put all the love required into making it, and have it ready for her special birthday, then I could leave our disagreement behind - this would suffice as my closure on that subject. It was a very emotional thing for me, to finish it, to give it, and to know that it was received with such joy and appreciation. Quilts bring us warmth; they bring joy, and they bring comfort. Perhaps this quilt can also act as a band aid, to help heal the hurt that was caused, and maybe it's even strong enough to be a bridge for the two of us, giving us a path to better days ahead and a more loving relationship. I know that is my wish, anyway...

Gifts on the Fly - Wristlets in Under an Hour!

As promised, dear readers, I will be sharing some of my favourite gifts to make over the next few weeks. These are great gifts to make "on the fly", since they are usually made in about an hour's time. Today, we'll be making a handy wristlet, good to use for keys, cell phones, or even scissors. You will need the following supplies for this project:
- one piece of fabric, 3 and 1/4 inches wide by 14 inches long (if you plan on making multiples, cut fabric 3 and 1/4 inch by WOF [width of fabric], then cut into 3 pieces each 14 inches long)
- one 5/8 inch, or 3/4 inch "D" rings (available at Michaels, or in bulk on Ebay) for each wristlet
- one split key ring or lanyard hook, for each wristlet, depending on its intended use
- grosgrain ribbon of your choice, 7/8 inches wide (also available at Michaels)
- about an hour of free time :-)

Ready to get started? Set your timer for 60 minutes, and let's go!

First, iron and cut a piece of fabric that measures 3 and 1/4 inches wide by 14 inches long. I like to use starch when I do this project, as it keeps my folds nice and crisp.

 Next, fold the fabric in half along the short edge, wrong sides together; you should now have a piece that measures 1 and 5/8 inches wide by 14 inches long. Iron this fold, then open up the fabric again and lay it wrong side facing up. Now, you want to fold each long edge towards the middle, and press those seams as well. Your project should now look like this:

One more fold along the long edge will keep the raw edges hidden. Again, press with your hot iron, and add a bit more starch if necessary. Next, stitch all the way around the outer edge, using about 1/16th of an inch seam. Here, I use my quarter inch foot, and just line up the outer edges of my fabric on the inside of the feed. When you are done, it should look like this:

You can see that there is a bit of a "nest" corner - don't worry about that, as it will be hidden soon! What you want to do next, is to determine which part of your fabric will be the "outside" - of course, if your fabric is uniformly printed or a solid colour, this won't matter. Slide your D-ring onto the fabric, making sure that the "D" faces the outside of your wristlet. Then, overlap the short edges of your fabric by about 1/4 inch, and secure either with a zigzag stitch or a straight stitch. I usually go over this 3-4 times, to make sure it is nice and secure.

Next, cut a piece of grosgrain ribbon about 3 inches long. Slide your secured edges close to your D-ring (about 1/2 inch from the bottom of it); next, fold one edge of the grosgrain ribbonto the inside of your wristlet, covering your stitched edge. Wrap the grosgrain ribbon around your wristlet to the other side, and tuck the other edge to the inside of the wristlet as well.

Again, using about a 1/16 inch seam, sew around the edges of the grosgrain ribbon; I usually go around my seams 2 times, backstitching at both the beginning and the end of my stitches to secure them. When you are done, trim your loose threads, and admire your project which should now look like this:

From here, you can add a split key ring or a lanyard hook, depending on what you will be using it for. Now, check your timer and see how much time you have left - hopefully enough time to enjoy a nice cuppa tea or coffee, giving you time to choose fabric for more wristlets!

Stream of Consciousness Quilt

Recently, I have been attending an online art class at Quilt University called The Artist's Toolbox, which is being taught by Lyric Kinard. What I loved about this class, besides not having to leave home to get information, was that I learned an entirely new way to look at things. I have always been drawn to art, and am very tactile in nature, so quilting is a very natural fit for me. In my last post, I showed you the oil lamp from which I drew my inspiration for this art quilt, that I call Stream Of Consciousness:

This is what it looks like from the front

And this is what it looks like from the back

I named it Stream of Consciousness because when I looked at it, the brown lines reminded me of rivers and their tributaries, which inspired me to quilt it using little pebble shapes. There is the stream part, and of course, the shift in my consciousness when approaching art and quilting explains the rest.

I still have the tiniest bit of binding to finish on the Geisha quilt , and I am also preparing for a post later this week, which will be the first in a series of gifts to make on the fly, for Christmas or any time of year. I was too excited about this quilt not to share it with you though, and I hope that my sharing it with you might provide some inspiration. Happy quilting!



Steampunk Hearts and Abstract Art Quilts

Sometimes, you just need to shift your perspective in order to appreciate the process of making art more fully. I personally am always looking for new challenges, new ways to grow. Yesterday, I stepped completely out of my comfort zone, and attended an encaustics class where we made steampunk wall hangings. Here is my creation:

This will be a Christmas gift for my daughter, Angelina. The lyrics of the music gave me pause to chuckle; they read, "Yet all the sense of eloquence lies hidden in a maid's Ah me!" which is, of course, a reference to Amen. What I did, was to split the music verse into two pieces, as you can see; the piece just above the lady with the wings says "me!", and it is meant to reference my daughter. She is only 10 right now, but I am sure I will hear a great big "Oh, Mom!!" when she is old enough to understand the verse. I had a great time making it, and hope to do more in the near future... For anyone that is local, this and other classes are held at The Upstart Crow in Ladner, British Columbia.

My other work today (and yes, I did do some work on the binding of the Geisha Quilt) was based on a study of my oil lamp - I sketched, then painted only one part of the lamp in watercolour. Then, I traced my sketch onto Wonder Under fusible web, and made a mirror image in cloth. It is not stitched yet, only fused - I will post the final result here when it's done. Here is the process that I followed:

This is the oil lamp - isn't it lovely?

This is my watercolour painting - I think it's not bad, for a beginner...

And this is the mirror image on cloth - I love the fact that I had fabric that helped express the dots of green and yellow - I think I may need more! For now, it is fused onto muslin; I am not entirely sure of how I want to quilt it, except for small zigzag stitching to outline the brown lines. I think that from there, I may do some hand stitching - I am sure that the cloth will tell me what I should do when it's time...

In the meantime, perhaps you have found some inspiration in my work; I know that I love to look at other people's blogs, and find inspiration from them daily. In fact, there is a beautiful post over at Art Journey today; I highly recommend that you stop by there to find even more inspiration - happy Monday!



Racing Against Time...

Aaah, to be back online is soooo nice!! We had been experiencing sporadic interruptions Tuesday, then on Wednesday our internet went completely offline (thankfully it was after I was able to announce and email the giveaway winners).

Halloween is over, and about a day later I learned that the family is having a birthday brunch for my sister in law tomorrow (it is late Saturday evening here in BC). On top of that, I am racing against time to finish binding the Geisha quilt for my boyfriend's daughter, who turns 21 on Thursday. I finished quilting it early this morning, but don't want to show it all off until it's done (I know you've seen it here and there, but I haven't shown off the "B" side yet...).

I have some ideas planned for the next couple of weeks; as you know, Christmas is on its way, and I have some pretty neat ideas for gifts that can be made in about an hour. Hint: here is what I whipped up for my sister in law, Bobbie:

This one is made from a pattern, because I didn't have time to sketch the cups.. this coffee cozy has two buttons (that was my idea), which makes it perfect to roll up and stash in a purse. I will introduce a couple of variations on this theme, plus a few other goodies that can be whipped up in no time. Hopefully by then, the winners of the fat quarter giveaway will have received their goodies, and will maybe make something from one of my ideas.

For now, though, I will be hiding in my bat cave, stitching away at the binding of the Geisha quilt... After I take a class in encaustics tomorrow, that is - we will be making Steampunk hearts at The Upstart Crow, a favourite little artsy craftsy hang out of mine. In the meantime, happy quilting!!