I do have colour.

Last night our two dear friends lost everything they own in a house fire. They managed to escape with the clothes on their backs. They lived in a local (Newcastle) community of creatives, musicians, artists. They started the local Commons Cafe, a venue for creative groups, bands, or individuals to meet, collaborate, listen, read. And everyone lost everything, instruments, craft stash, books, photos, but thankfully, no one was hurt.

My last post was about the comfort found in a quilt. And today I've been thinking. I don't have money to replace their clothes or instruments or, at the moment, the capacity to fund raise. I do have some colour. And a bunch of friends from all over the world. And when I thought of making them a quilt, I thought a beautiful gift would be an eclectic mix of squares from all around the place. Could you help me?

I would love to collect a big bunch of 5" squares to make a new bed quilt for Tim and Caitlin. They love music, upcycled and all things Scandinavian.

Could you spare a square? If so, can you please send it to:

Tickle & Hide
6 Smart St
Waratah, 2298
NSW
AUSTRALIA

Thank you, thank you, for your help to bring some colour and comfort. Please share this with your friends!

Jodi. xx

Updated May 31: I have now received this absolutely perfect collection which I thought i'd share with you if you wanted to contribute and were after inspiration. Thank you so much to all who have donated so far!

Stay at Home Quilt

I started this quilt in my head when Field Study Voile first starting showing up in blogs and shops. I cut into the fabric almost as soon as it arrived. I had it laid out carefully in the old shop, keeping note of time so I could work out a reasonable price to charge when it came to selling it.




I turned out to be the only thing I had brought home that Saturday afternoon, the last day of my 3 day working week, a few days before we had the scan that told us we had lost our baby.
I had a funny kind of feeling towards this quilt after that. I felt like stitching. Sitting, processing, feeling, stitching. But I didn't feel like working. I couldn't just keep manufacturing. But if I decided to keep it for myself, I knew I was making just because. Because it helped, because it was beautiful, or fun, or quiet, or passed the time.

So I decided to keep it. I worked on the binding before I finished the quilting, and have spent the last 2 months, without pressure, just quilting it as I feel like it, and not counting the hours. And all the while in between, I've been taking it outside to read while the kids play, or folding it over the couch to display my favourite parts, letting the kids use it as a cubby house or cape, noticing new things as I quilt or sit in changing light. Enjoying it.
Keeping a quilt is so different to making them to sell.

This week, one of those times was spent cuddling Evie who was sick and sleepy. It just felt so right that this quilt that comforted me, is comforting her. Like it's weaving its colour through our joy and sorrow to become part of us.

I'm linking up to the Blogger's Quilt Festival. Welcome if you've stopped by from there! 

Quilt Stats:

Size: 55" x 60"

Field Study voile and quilting cotton. 

Hand quilted with Yellow Perle 8.

Jodi. xx

A Study in Grey

It always surprises me with quilt-making that you will cut a huge chunk of squares, sew, cut, press, for what seems like forever, lay out your pieces, and end up with only about half a metre (2 feet) square of patchwork. Tell me I'm not the only one! I had plans for this quilt to end up much bigger, but as it turns out, I have only about 150 half-square-triangle squares' worth of motivation before I start twitching. :)

It was also only going to have one shade of that middle grey. But I ran out after only about 80 triangles. So I added the darker grey (sorry! I haven't recorded the names!) and the lighter bone colour, and I'm so glad I was forced to make that choice! I think it would have sat quite flat otherwise. My very favourite little bit is that hourglass (or bowtie?) in dark grey up the top, towards the middle. Can you see it? That makes me think I will be cutting triangles again soon!

I did intend all along to use this print by Lotta Jansdotter, which I bought especially, for the back (and now I have more leftover than I anticipated!) I do love how it matches the colour-simplicity but adds feminine curves. I love how it looks like it's pattern has been shaped by the random straight-line quilting. I love how the quilting only took me AN HOUR on my new machine! Maybe now that I know that, I'll give the next one a bit more time in the piecing department. But for now, this one can just enjoy being a baby quilt.

From drinking tea and talking fabric.

It all started with this last little piece. I bought a half yard of Fanfare by Anna Maria Horner probably close to two years ago now, and folded it up nice and safe in my book shelf. That was closely followed by one of those evening lightbulb moments, watching TV, where I made a decision not to buy fabric just to hide it away. Well, I used it, and as the risk of using fabric goes, some things I loved, and others I didn't. Until I was left with this tiny strip, seemingly useless except to hang in my sewing room as a little souvenir.



Then, while making my Light Strings quilt top, I realised I could totally use this last scrap of colour! I'd had in mind for a while that I would make a big Disappearing Nine Patch quilt out of my precious Anna Maria prints for our bed. But the more I searched on Pinterest and Flickr (I'm really enjoying using these for ideas on how certain fabric lines or colours work well), I was much more drawn to small pieces making up a scrappy-like quilt. Hmmm, perhaps instead of having a lot of a print I like (the way I shopped before the Fast), I can just make something to keep with a little. (Think I'll add that to the list of things I'm learning.)
Then last weekend, I was drinking tea and talking fabric with Lucy, one of my few in-real-life, quilting-nerd, Anna Maria-groupy friends, the one who showed me the world of online blogging and fabric shopping, and I was telling me her my ideas.
Then she said to me, "I could share some of my scraps with you if you like?"
And then last Friday, this is what arrived in the post:

How does one put words to that kind of generosity? You can't, really. Except, perhaps, to start making. (Thank you Lucy!!)

Peace

Peace, dear Mother
The day is nearly over
And it takes many
to make a lifetime

You do well
the things that mould a heart
The tiny parts that
make up the eternal whole

The things of least significance
are, in fact, the most.

It's not worry and striving
that will change the world,
But cut-up apple,
a good amount of dirt
And a peaceful home.

Heart Transplant

I've been staring at this Modern Medallion centre for a long time. I do really like this Anna Maria Horner Clippings, but I'm making this for a special friend, and I'd started to wonder if it was a bit too brave for a centrepiece. No one puts fluoro green and blue with maroon, brown and grey like Anna Maria!
So in order to finally move forward and feel confident about it, I decided on a heart transplant.

It's been interesting editing these photos and really liking it again. Maybe it's psychological because the surgery is over? Maybe the camera picks up tone and colour in a different way to 'in person'? Whatever it is, the original sat too warm and clashy. It's a look I often love, one that got me into fabric in the first place, but this time it was paralysing me. I just couldn't motivate myself to keep putting all that hand-stitching in if I wasn't sure she would enjoy it. So I decided instead on this Centerpiece, something much more cheery and safe, but still rich in colour. And in the photos, it sits much flatter. Hmm, interesting.

I cut out little bits of iron-on transfer paper to secure the top in place then cut around the new piece close to the orange Hugs and Kisses border.
I played around with the solids I had already chosen originally for the next border to make it a bit more cool and calm.

And then I sewed up the next round. I still feel pretty unsure about the overall feel. I'm looking forward to creating the next borders to enclose those light squares with some deeper colours, to bring in more green, blue and grey. Does anyone else find it hard to make for others? (compared to just making to try something new, or because you like it?)

Oh, I nearly forgot! I was here to announce a winner and got distracted!
My random number generator chose:

Congratulations Stacy! I'll email you now! Thanks everyone for dropping by and entering! Hope you get a fun email today too!
Jodi. xx

My Imaginary Friend

I'm really enjoying being part of SMS Giveaway Day, watching the entries for my little giveaway roll in on email. One of the things that has struck me are those that have apologised for not knowing about fabric lines or what they'd like to have reprinted (the suggested answer for entry). It got me thinking that I hope I never give the impression here that being a fabric nerd (though I enjoy that part too!) is the goal, or that this is a little club, and membership is given through certain bits of information. The goal for me is listening and expression. And I'm learning that the more I listen to myself and express what is in me, in words and colour, the more I take in the world around me and the world inside me. Like a loop.

I was in a bit of a stress last week, getting ready to go away, overwhelmed already by the amount of friends that would be at this conference we were going to, all of them asking how I was, not sure how to answer. I needed something to stitch while I was there, and the kids were in crèche. I needed something for my hands to do while I hung out in our room with sleeping children, or rested in my crafty friend's lounge room and talked fabric and projects.

With all the fun I'm having on my new machine, I didn't have any quilts to hand quilt. And my usual traveling quilt top was waiting on some more machine piecing before I could work on more applique.

My mind turned to the Star Blossom from Rachel's Handstitched Class. I looked it up on the computer, and then started to doubt if I should start a new project.

I slumped on the sofa, defeated. I took a deep breath, stopped and listened.

Suddenly, I realised what was going on. I started sharing it with Tim.
"I can't believe how I'm speaking to myself!" I exclaimed, "I'm saying things like, Jodi, you can't start something new, you're already doing too many things! and What are you going to make out of it anyway? You don't need anything for yourself and you can't sell something stitched by hand and expect to make any money out of it! I would never speak to anyone else like that!"

Then Tully, my nearly-5-year-old, (whom I had forgotten, can not only listen, but take in now as well!), said, "Mum! I have an idea! You could have an imaginary friend like me! You could name her and take her with you and she could say, Oh, that's a great idea, Jodi! and What beautiful work you're doing! and You are very good at this!"

Oh, what a precious gift that boy is to me! I went and printed out the templates, packed my needles and thread and chose this Chicopee line by Denyse Schmidt because I was in the mood for something traditional looking.

And all weekend I just stitched. Not stitched and wondered if I should have brought something else instead, or stitched and worried whether I should be at that meeting, etc, etc.

Then at the conference, I was asked to share about my experiences of opening a shop in town. I showed them my Star Blossom, and told them what Tully had told me. Then I told them that even though opening a shop had long been a dream of mine, that making at home, whatever ever I feel like, squeezed in around the edges, is a gift I am so thankful to be experiencing. Because for the first time, what I make doesn't have to be useful, or financially viable, it's allowed to just be beautiful.