This quilt kicked my butt. Just like the High Seas repeatedly kicked Sinbad's butt whenever he felt his life was a little too normal on land.
This high adventure quilt twists and turns using a classic Monkey Wrench block. And just in case you are wondering, I think I will dedicate an entire post later to the difference between a monkey wrench, snail trail, and Virginia reel... sort of like the difference between a cobler, buckle, and brown Betty. The differences can be subtle, but exist.
I'm really proud of this pattern in the book, because when I say I break it down, I mean I BREAK IT DOWN. Anyone, and I mean any one, whether you are weary of your life on land, or are always on the edge, can make this quilt and dazzle and amaze yourself, and friends. But especially, yourself. And your Mom.
Are we in Nepal or Utah??? Who knows???
I'm thinking about starting a quilt along. What would you rather make with me? The High Seas quilt, or a Diamond Mountain?? or a Castle Treasury?
I think that we have a tendency to think of only deserts when we think of the Arabian Nights. Or to think that any jungle is a mirage. It's not Peeps. That's pretty much just like flying home to Houston, and people on the plane saying, "why is it so green"? They assume that because it is Texas, it is a desert.
The stories span Africa to China, and there is straight up jungle/ farm land/ rain forests and what have you.
Midnight at the Oasis is not only the name of a really classy song, with an even classier video, but it's a sweet action quilt that packs a dramatic punch. We used the dark blue illusion to give the effect that the "palm trees" are floating above an oasis. My favorite part of this quilt is the interesting negative shapes that form from the different directions of the blocks.
And in case you missed it! The book arrived today and is shipping.
As soon as the UPS dude shows up, I will have over 400 lbs of books to bring through my door, and then later today I will be sending out 100 lbs of books. I'm going to be sore and totally ripped by the end of the day, and I am going to really need some sushi and probably cake.
2. 1001 Peeps Summer Camp is meeting at the Fat Quarterly Blog today! Counselor John wants you to let your Peep Flag Fly, and has made a sweet action versatile flag that will blow your mind. Leave a comment over at Fat Quarterly to win some fabric and a copy of the book!
3. I'm getting production yardage of Outfoxed on Monday which puts me over the moon!!! and it probably puts you over the moon too... if the emails I have been getting about Outfoxed are any indication of your feelings.
In the Arabian Nights, there are lots of merchants, and they are buying and selling goods to be sold in the markets in these stories. Spice trade was a huge part of this trade, and ancient spice routes, were literal things!
The quilt, Spice Route, is a sampler of sorts of spiced blocks blown in from across the continent. This quilt assembles quickly, teaches you traditional blocks, lets your quilting run wild... and is all together really cool. The pattern shows crystal clear cutting instructions and bomb dot com piecing guide, as well as additioanl details about quilting and finishing
In preparation for the book to ship at the end of week, I thought I would show each of the projects for the book this week! We'll start with the first in the book, and my personal favorite. It's called Diamond Mountain.
In Sinbad's second voyage he is dropped onto a mountain that is covered in diamonds. Everything around him sparkled, and he took what he could carry with him. The kaleidoscope pattern lends itself well to creating overlapping gemstones, and the jewel colors of 1001 Peeps reinforces the diamond notion.
When I first started designing fabric, I would have to try and make myself forget the days that samples were coming in the mail, otherwise, I would pretty much be a zombie all day waiting for UPS to knock on the door. Well, as it turns out, I have become increasingly good at forgetting about things so I'm not so much waiting, but delightfully surprised when the UPS dude shows up with something good.
Today was something good.
Everything got shipped yesterday, and my printer sent me an overnight copy of the book. The whole order will be at my house on the 8th, which means that my domestic peeps will be getting your copies the 12th-14th. International Peeps books will be sent at the same time, and so you should receive your copies the following week.
It's really beautiful, and it's real. The matte cover is the coolest I've ever felt.The printing is great. It's 8x10 and 64 pages of gold.
I'm so happy/ relieved/ overwhelmed that it's finished.
Shops, now would be a good time to get your orders in, as I will ship everything on the Monday following the 8th, so they'll be in your stores to go with the fabric soon soon soon!
I feel like crying and sleeping and roller skating all at the same time.
I am so grateful to my printer. They have been so helpful, and accommodating with my tight deadlines after all the drama with the other printers. In fact, they just sent me some photos of my book on press.
It's pretty surreal for me to actually have a real life book from start to finish. It's literally a life long dream that I have had since I was a child, and it has come to past and I just turned 26. I'm doing alright.
Also, we are shipping a box directly from the printer to Sister's Oregon for the Outdoor Quilt Show.
I can't wait for it to get here! This might be even more exciting than getting strike offs or a new fabric line!!!
That's right! When you wake up bright and early on Friday morning, my little etsy shop will be over flowing with once in bluemoon items, including: champion ribbons, handmade books, a new pattern, and Never Before seen Peep Boots! Everything will be first come first serve!
Now I am off! I will have you know that I feel very much like an elf in my own factory... I just wish I had some peeps to boss around right now.
Deborah Moebes is amazing! She is like a sewing bff...or a sewing super hero. She owns and operates the stitching party powerhouse Whipstitch. She has also written an amazing book, Stitch by Stitch that is an essential sewing primer for learning to sew. In fact it's pretty much a gift that she has written and given to the world. It is comprehensive, supportive, helpful and it's a book that allows you to grow as your progress through it.
I've asked Deborah some questions, and you're in luck... she answered them!
We read that before you were heiress to an Atlanta Sewing Empire, you were an archeologist. Does this effect your process in any way? Meaning, I am a printmaker and it effects everything that I do. Thought process, work process, finishing process...
Totally! Archaeology is about quantifying and measuring--data, artifacts, structures--but in the end, it's really about people. What I learned as a scientist translates directly to the way I look at what I do now, especially my understanding of how sewing has changed over time and how people learn to sew. I think that the way I approach my own sewing is more methodical and planned because of my years as an archaeologist--I think through projects way more than I did before I was a scientist, and I see more organization and system in my projects, if that makes sense. I also think that the human connection of past to present is huge for me, and is a reflection of my background--there are very few things I do in sewing where I don't think about the timeline that led to me making that very project in that way; I really wanted the book to be part of that larger context, and to represent another link in that ongoing chain.
When choosing fabric for projects, what are your personal specifications besides what a pattern calls for? I refuse under any circumstances to use a polyester fabric, and that almost always includes blends, as well. I really, really feel strongly about using natural fibers and about wanting the fabric to feel good under my hands as I work. After that, I'm like most people: I want something pretty that flatters me, and that appeals to my eye and personal aesthetic. Most of us tend to develop a palette over time, and gravitate toward particular colors; I tend to use a lot of lime and chartreuse, a lot of tomatoe-y reds and clear blues for myself. And as surprising as it seems, considering how much I love so many of the prints that are on the market right now, I generally prefer to make garments from solids (and then accent with accessories made in prints).
You have included a very thorough section about types of fabric, how they are made, and design specifications. Do you have a favorite cloth to work with? If so for what reasons? I find cotton to be a really versatile and forgiving fabric--it's certainly the fiber I recommend for anyone looking to learn to sew. I use it for the majority of my projects and love the way it behaves and feels and how easy it is to work with. As a fiber, it also comes in a wide range of fabrications, which is so great--everything from broadcloth to voile and lawn to knits. I'm working with more knit cottons lately than I have at any other time, and am really excited to see so many more interlocks come on the market.
Let's expound on choosing fabrics. How and why should we choose what fabric to use, Deborah?
When choosing a fabric to suit a planned project, your goal is always to focus on three qualities of the fabric: the weight, the drape, and the print. These are the characteristics that affect the functionality, the desired shape, and the aesthetics of your finished project.
Weight is the heaviness of the fabric, which has as much to do with what season to wear it as it does with where on your body to wear it. Fabrics with more weight have a better recovery and staying power: a lightweight cotton, for example, won’t put up with being used as pants, and will leave you with a saggy bottom after a few minutes of sitting, but a heavier twill will retain its shape longer and recover better, so that when you stand back up your behind is all it was meant to be.
Drape is how the fabric hangs on the body. It is related to weight, but fabrics of the same weight can have very different drape. A cotton canvas, for example, is a heavier weight fabric, but some have a soft drape that hangs and conforms to the shape beneath it and others have a stiff drape that creates cones and hard folds. Choosing a fabric with the correct drape for your project is essential to getting the shape that you want: you don’t want a tote bag that goes limp when you set it down, or a wrap dress that looks like a snap-on outfit because it doesn’t move.
The aspect about fabric that most people really spend their time thinking about is pattern or print. It matters, don’t get me wrong, but this should be the final consideration in choosing your fabrics. The weight and drape of the fabric mustbe right before moving on to the print and pattern!
The major considerations in print selection are scale and placement. Scale is the overall size of the design, which can vary from a “ditty” print of very tiny images to a large-scale print with a 20”+ repeat. Smaller prints make the wearer of a garment look larger, and larger prints shrink the figure. Placement matters, too—few things are more frustrating than finishing a dress and finding that you’ve placed the arrow design on your fabric so that it points to….parts you might not want an arrow pointing to. You may also want to deliberately place a particular part of a print in order to best show it off, like when you center an image on the front of a handbag, for example. Watch the scale and the placement in order to achieve the overall impact you want your project to have!
This is Lizzy again. I was always told by my teachers, and I have passed it on to my own students... People often say that they can't paint. They generally have only painted once... but the first time they did paint they were using a brush that cost $1.00, a box set of paints from no one knows where, on a store bought canvas that has essentially been lacquered with starch. None of those are the right tool for the job. A brush that you have no control over? paint with no vehicle, mystery pigment, and questionable binder? A canvas that is dead? how would it ever have been successful?
You don't need to be a painter for this to apply to you. Your materials, when you sew need to be the right tools for the job, and you will have success! Deborah does an amazing job in Stitch by Stitch by giving you a wealth of information that you can store in your armory of sewing knowledge to help you progress as a sewer/sewist/seamster/seamstress.
No portion of this website may be copied, or used without the written permission of me, the author, Lizzy. So, please contact me for use and licensing. 2007-2010
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