Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Baby Snuggler

My friend asked if I could make one of these for the baby she is expecting. Of course I said yes. I had bought this wonderful Philip Jacobs fabric a few weeks ago and thought it would be perfect.
It's a baby snuggler, designed wrap a baby nice and snug.Placing the velcro strips was a bit tricky.I did a bit of testing first.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Customer Satisfaction

I went to the local Hobby Lobby today to buy the ribbon I didn't buy last weekend. I found exactly what I needed in a store that was clean, well lit, and filled with friendly, courteous, helpful salespeople.

When I was checking out, the sales clerk said to me, "You look familiar. Did you used to shop at Xxxxxx's? I recognize your bag."

"Yes, and I had a horrible experience there on Saturday."

The clerk nodded. "I hear a lot of stories from customers since I have been here. I worked there for 7 years. I knew I had to leave when I kept getting chewed out for spending so much time with customers. The manager/owner was never polite to me until the day he came into this store and found me working here."

It's amazing in this economy that customers aren't always treated well. When this guy's business fails, he'll undoubtedly blame "the poor economy" or "the big box craft store that came to town and drove away my business" without realizing his attitude was really the underlying cause.


Monday, August 29, 2011

Customer Dis-Satisfaction

My friend is getting married soon, and my Mom and I agreed to make a chuppah (canopy) for her. The canopy is a painted silk panel. We'll attach ribbon to the corners, then staple the ribbon to the posts at the four corners.

I needed to buy fleece for the snuggie I'm making, and decided to get some ribbon for the chuppah at the same time. I went to the local fabric shop.

I haven't been happy with this store for a long time. The store is dark, messy, the salesclerks are sloppily dressed, and never acknowledge when a customer enters. The store has a big selection of home dec fabrics, notions, fleece and a lot of cottons. They call themselves a quilt shop, but they don't know anything about quilting. They've always had the strangest selection of fabrics. I found out the owner buys the stock of fabric stores that have gone out of business. I've long since stopped buying my quilting fabric there, and now only shop there as a last resort.

I walked in on Saturday with my dad. I had to wait for the two salesclerks behind the desk to finish their conversation so I could ask where to find the fleece. I picked the color I needed, brought it to the cutting desk, and asked for a yard, and said I needed ribbon. The clerk cut my fleece and set it aside, placing a slip on it that indicated it was $9.90.

I found some 3/4" white satin ribbon, and five different colors of 1/4" satin ribbon. I needed 8 yards of each.

While the salesclerk was measuring out the white ribbon, she said casually, "Oh, here's a dirty patch," but she kept measuring. Then she came to a part where the ribbon had been cut, and was scotch-taped together. She kept measuring.

"I don't want that cut part," I said.

"What's this for anyway?" she asked.

"It's for a canopy for a wedding."

"Is the wedding TOMORROW?" she asked, and guffawed loudly with her co-worker. We all knew the hurricane Irene would hit the next day.

I didn't reply, feeling like I had just been insulted. What difference did it make when the wedding was?

Since she'd lost count measuring the ribbon, she had to start again. Again, she passed the cut piece.

"What are we going to do about that cut?" I asked.

"I don't know if I have eight yards after this cut."

"That's ok," I said, "I need four two-yard pieces,"

"You don't UNDERSTAND" she said, raising her voice, "I don't know if I have eight yards on this whole roll! There's NOTHING I can do about it." She glared at me.

I blinked. I couldn't believe it. I put down the five other rolls of ribbon I'd been holding and backed slightly away from the counter, and then the fleece caught my eye. I really needed the fleece for a project I'd be working on later that day. I reached into my purse, took out my wallet, pulled out a ten dollar bill and threw it on the counter.

"We're done here," I said. "Come on, dad." I took his arm, and picked up my fleece as we rounded the counter and walked out.

Two steps out the door my dad said to me, "You know, I bet she doesn't even understand why you left."

"Did I overreact?" I asked.

"Oh no," he said, "she was really rude to you."

We got into the car, and I thought about the encounter, "She wasn't just rude to me once."

"No," he said, "she insulted you twice."

I'll never, ever, go into that store again.


Sunday, August 28, 2011

While Irene Blows

While Irene blows in today, and dumps rain on us, I plan to be sewing (assuming we don't lose electricity.

First up is a case for Pip-pay's Kindle.Next up is a snuggie for my best friend, who's expecting a baby in October.
If we lose electricity, I get to read and fold the laundry.

I'm on vacation this week, so I'll be resuming the Red Letter Sew Along. Look for the letter R either Monday or Tuesday (electricity permitting).

Thursday, August 25, 2011

A Friend's View

My friend, The Selvage Fairy, drove up to my favorite Quilt Shop, Quilted Threads, to see the two Rules Quilts together. She sent me an email.

"No offense to your photography but OMG!!! The reds and oranges in "FUN" look like they are on fire in the black one!

I was expecting beautiful, but I'm just blown away..."



Thank you SF! You have made my day!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Same, and Different

In my quilts, I like to make the viewer on a voyage of discovery. I want them to keep looking closer, to discover the elements I have placed there. The two Rules Quilts exemplify this. At first glance, they are the same, except for the background - one white, one black. But they are also very different in some obvious, and some subtle ways.

The word RULES uses the same fabrics in each letter in both quilts.

The word MISS is NOT the same. I wanted them to LOOK like they were the same. I wanted you to THINK they were the same. Everyone notices the ladies are different, but I've used different fabrics in the M and the S's.

Look closely (click and then click the photos again to enlarge) to see the difference.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

The Rules, Together!

Woo Hoo! The two Rules quilts, the "White Cat Rules" and "The Black Cat's Rules" are now hanging side by side at Quilted Threads in Henniker NH.

I've been waiting to see these two quilts next to each other for months. It's everything I could have hoped for.



Tuesday, August 16, 2011

It's a GO!

It's official! I'll be teaching a class on free pieced letters at Quilted Threads, in Henniker NH, on Saturday October 22, 2011 from 10 - 4! You can follow this link to get more information. (You'll have to scroll down a little bit.)

I'll have all my word quilts with me, Letters From Home, The Quick Brown Fox, Nine x Nine, White Cat Rules and The Black Cat's Rules along with Make It Work, Daft Zebras, Tonya's Live, Love as well as both of the quilts Julie made using my "misfit letters," Hidden Potential and Magic Happens.

I am absolutely thrilled and excited! Hope to see you all there!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Love and Nasturtiums

I plant nasturtiums every year. I put them near my tomatoes because I read once that aphids love them more than tomatoes, and given a choice, they'll attack the nasturtiums and leave the tomatoes alone.I've found this to be true. Usually my nasturtiums are covered in aphids, and yes, they've left the tomatoes alone.

This year, no aphids. Which was a good thing, because the flowers have been so beautiful I could finally pick some flowers to enjoy in the house.

The photos in the background are my son, one taken when he was in high school, the other when he was four years old.


Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Black Cat's Rules

This little cat, sitting in the "O", has given me the title for this quilt. "The Black Cat's Rules."
I brought the quilt outside at 7 AM this morning, where the sun was shining directly on it, making the colors sing.A wisp of cloud floated by, enabling me to take this picture, which I think best represents what the quilt looks like in real life. As the cloud drifted away, the shimmering quilting began to pick up and reflect the light back, and I thought, "This is the way this quilt should be seen!"


Red Letter days will start again next week!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Rules, in Black

The colors look a bit truer here. I'm happy with the way this turned out. I can't wait to see them both hanging side by side.

*Compare it with the White version, which can be found here.


Monday, August 8, 2011

Black Rules Finish

Not really, I still have to sew the hanging sleeve, but for all intents and purposes, this quilt is done.

Somebody is gonna have to tell me how to photograph a black quilt and make the colors glow like they do in real life. The quilt is AWESOME, and this photo doesn't show any of that.

The quilt is 47-1/2" wide by 54" tall (about 120 cm x 137 cm)

Sunday, August 7, 2011

More Quilt Wrangling

I've finally got the binding all sewn on the black rules quilt, and now I'm in the process of hand sewing it down on the front.

Black thread on a black quilt... practically invisible! I think my days of doing the hand sewing down on the front are numbered!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Millie & Monty Q

The quilt Millie was "inspecting" yesterday...belongs to Monty Q, Millie's "sweetie."
After all, every couple should have a quilt.So I made them a very special one.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Thank You Millie!

Five years ago today I adopted a rescued feral kitten named Millie. She'd been hit by a car and left for dead in the middle of a busy city street. A passerby rescued her, and agreed to take responsibility for her. She had a broken leg, and it was dislocated from her hip. She was truly feral, not accustomed to humans or being handled. She was Freaked Out.(this is the Only Time I have ever held Millie, btw)

I adopted her and brought her into my home, which was already occupied by two elderly cats, neither of whom was particularly happy to see her. But Millie had spunk, curiosity and persistence, and made a place for herself in the family.

Millie changed my life, and not just as a cat owner. Through her I made friends around the world, found a new family, and started making quilts again.

Yup, if it wasn't for Millie, you wouldn't be reading this blog, because I wouldn't be making quilts.
So let's have a big cheer for Millie, because without her my life would be much less interesting!