Tag: on the work table

ghost kitties : a new tutorial and notes from the forest

boo! sew up a batch of friendly cat ghosts

They are sweet and silly and  I’ve made you a tutorial and everything. It’s super easy and quick  to do and you probably already have everything you need to make them.  Sew by hand or machine. This is also a perfect pattern for using freezer paper if you have it. Trace the template onto your freezer paper and iron it on (shiny side down). You can stitch around with the freezer paper still attached. And you can use the freezer paper template multiple times.  For the demonstration below I’m using a plain paper pattern.

More on the ghost kitties in a moment….


notes from the forest

mark making with stamps and paint on newsprint in progress

In other news I’ve just come back from the Squam Art Retreat in New Hampshire.  A glorious time  was had by all. Maybe mostly me. I so needed the change of pace and some time to play and experiment and listen to the loons and the wind in the pines. The group energy is wild and motivating. I came home with lots of percolating ideas.  The class (taught by myself and Autumn Song) was a day of creative play that began with mark making. The rest of the day is top secret…

And you never know who you might bump into in that big pine forest….

The dastardly owl and sleepy very nice mice and little  wire bed by Mary B. So sweet!


make a cat ghost doll

download the pattern

You will also need:

  • cotton fabric
  • a basic sewing kit
  • chopstick or similar
  • stuffing – I like wool
  • buttons
  • embroidery thread for the features

1.  Download and cut out the template.  Pin it to a double layer of fabric (right sides together) and trace with a pencil or disappearing marker. Mark the space for the opening indicated on the pattern.

2. Remove the paper pattern and re-pin the fabric (use lots of pins).  Cut out around the seam line with 1/4 inch seam allowance.

3.  Stitch the seam by hand or machine.  Clip tiny wedges into the seam allowance around the curves. Clip close to the seam but be careful not to snip it. Clip off the tips at the ears and tail and remove a little of the seam allowance. Reducing the bulk at the points will make them turn out more easily.

back to the cats in just a moment:

It has been a priority here for years to create high quality and fun free patterns (there are tons) like the ghosty cats on an ad free site. There are not very many of those left and it is becoming increasingly difficult. In an effort to keep the free awesomeness flowing I’ve created an opportunity for you to support and show some love to my free pattern library.

support the ann wood handmade free pattern library with a happy donation

Support free patterns like ghosty cats with a happy donation. 

Click here to add your support.

 

back to the cat spectres:

4. Turn it right side out. Use a chopstick to push out the small parts.Gentle pressure and a twisting motion will help push the tips all the way out.

5. Place the pattern over your right side out cat and use a pencil to poke through the paper to make guide dots for the simple features.

6. Stuff -I’m using this wool stuffing.  Add a little at a time and be careful not to block narrow parts.

Read More

fall project ideas, sew a scrap quilt on a foundation plus a spooky read

quilt blocks made with vintage scraps

Happy National Sewing Month to those who celebrate. I’m not even making that up, it’s a real thing since 1982. My big fall project is a scrap quilt. I’ve never gotten a quilt across the official finish line. I’ve made a couple tops that ended up as duvet covers which doesn’t really count.

lovely old quilt

This is one of those past efforts (in 2016 Brooklyn).

This time there is a do-able plan and a legit quilt is gonna happen. The kind you run into at flea markets, soft, homespun and scrappy but sturdy enough to really use.

quilt blocks made with vintage scraps

sew a scrap quilt on a foundation

It’s going to be sewn one block at a time to foundation fabric (lightweight muslin).

What I love about this plan:

  • The square muslin “container” inspires me.
  • The one block at a time thing makes it feel doable. I can babystep my way through it.
  • The foundation gives the very scrappy  scraps extra stability and makes the blocks easy to deal with.

There will eventually be a schedule for how many blocks per week but I’m messing with the process for a while to experiment my way towards what I want.

The muslin blocks are 10 inch squares. I don’t know exactly what the finish size is yet – I’ll figure that out after I have 50 or so blocks to play with. I will keep you updated on all the scrap quilt developments as they happen.

The foundation method is stitching scraps to the muslin. I’m using an improv process, no planning ahead, just grabbing scraps and stitching them on. That’s the kind of “make do” utilitarian and vintage feeling quilt I’m looking for. I think the quilting will be super simple and oldschool too, I’m leaning in the direction of yarn knots.

If your’e into a more organized process and result you can find a great tutorial for sewing a string quilt on a foundation here.

Before beginning I washed the muslin and scraps. To start, cut your foundation squares and pin a scrap, place another over it (right sides together) and stitch a seam (¼ inch seam allowance)

Fold the fabric over and press. Place another scrap over it and repeat until your muslin block is covered.

Flip the square over and trim the edges. This step is weirdly satisfying. Put the cut offs back in the scrap pile if they’re big enough.

The first couple squares I made over the weekend are sewn by hand but the plan is to mostly machine sew. I already like it.

table with vintage paper back and patchwork pouches

the spooky read

My friend Katy and I read a spooky vintage book every year. This years selection is “The Other” Thomas Tryon. We both love a scary novel, preferably written in the 70’s and preferably made into a film in the same decade and preferably a vintage copy with old book smell. Previous titles include Burnt Offerings and Rosemary’s Baby. This one is a winner on all counts.  I got it on Ebay for 6 bucks.

4 fall project ideas

It’s the perfect time to make a crow! This beautifully stitched example  was made from the crow sewing pattern by super talented stitch club member Kari M. If your crow needs a hat find a free template and diy for a paper hat here.

making sharp applique points

Bat Applique –  or “batlique” Get the free template and diy instructions here. They are especially cool stitched to vintage linens. And you’ll learn how to make super pointy applique points.

owl ornaments made from scraps

Owl Ornaments – these little owls are a perfect fall scrap project

Mini Tetra Sachet’s – Make little sachet’s with the tetra tutorial. I’m using all sorts of herbs from the garden and throwing in some cloves too. I’m all about a seasonal smell.

little hand stitched squirrel

Forest Folk Sewing Pattern – it’s time to make the squirrels! I sure do love to put a scarf on somebody little…

colorful handmade pirate birds with fancy bicorne hats (you should make one)

this is why we can’t have nice things – beware of scammers

Important note regarding pirates! Not the fun kind. I sell patterns here, ann wood handmade, and also on Etsy. Nowhere else. Shady websites steal images from me and other small pattern designers. One of those sites is currently pumping out lots of Facebook and Instagram ads for sewing patterns. It’s a bait and switch scam – anyone who purchases from them gets nothing or close to nothing. I and other designers have reported them to their webhost and Meta (facebook and instagram). So far there has been no action taken by the host. Meta has removed the ads but not deactivated the ad account so be aware.

Incidentally International “Talk Like A Pirate Day” also lands in September – the 19th.  Find the template for the little bicornes here.

What’s your national sewing month project? Will you join me in making a scrap quilt? Are you in the mood for a scary book? Let us know in the comments. Happy National sewing Month to you!

the vacation sewing box, mini stitched mushrooms, and the finished 2023 stitch book

a box filled with hand stitch projects prepared- it's pretty messy

meditative stitching

Simple hand stitching is an ideal activity for percolating ideas. It occupies me but doesn’t require too much brain power and lets my subconscious do its background magic. That background magic is key to everything and there is a lot to percolate! I’m working on new projects to share here and getting ready to head to Squam to teach a workshop all about having ideas…

a box filled with hand stitch projects prepared- it's pretty messy

This box of stitch projects is built for that, a vacation from thinking. Decisions are already made and you can just pull something out and start sewing. My box is lots of mending and mini mushrooms.

a red and white mushroom mad from fabric photographed in nature.

I made the spotted guy from the cut off part of some recently hemmed pants. The soft cotton twill was splattered with bleach first. Now I’ve got a mushroom that matches my pants and I’m positive that’s going to come in handy someday.


finishing the 100 day stitch book

It’s finally assembled! Two big differences for me this year are leaving the edges raw and thinking of the pages in pairs. I loved having a second chance at compositions by treating 2 pages as one image/idea. And I mostly did not work on them consecutively. Especially when I wasn’t 100% happy with what I’d done, putting the idea aside for a bit helped a lot. Checkout the final assembly of the finished pages in the video below.

learn more about the stitch book project here

Don’t see the video? Click here.

plus the mr. socks photo challenge winner!

Congratulations Diane! (@lubydiane on instagram). I love that your mr. socks had a friend on his adventures and all the photos were fantastic. A bundle of scraps will be headed your way! Check out the full reel on instagram. So sweet!

two tiny cat rag dolls posed playfully by a pond

Let’s wind up the summer with another photo challenge

Show us your mushrooms! Are they poisonous? Enchanted? Do they magically appear only when the moon is full? Stitch up a mushroom and take a photo. Please use #annwoodmushroompattern to share on instagram or facebook. Post your photo before the end of September. A panel of esteemed judges (me) will chose the winner of an awesome little bundle of scraps in early September.

a very small indigo capped stitched mushroom captured in the wild

Do you have a travel sewing project? Are you ready for September?!
Are you an over-achiever already working on holiday stuff? Let us know in the comments.

when life gives you lemons make tiny needle books and herb markers

a mini cloth gook fastened with a red string

a very small cotton needlebook with a haret in the center - there is a needle with green thread in it wrapped in a criss cross fashion

And also maybe a sad bulb… 

let’s start with the needle book

It’s super small, just 2 and ½ by 3 inches. And it’s made with template C and the heart from the free needle book tutorial. A couple details are different from the pattern:

  1. I added a layer of cotton batting in the heart and rectangle.
  1. Instead of the loop closure  I used a string with fringed ends. It’s tied around the button and long on one end for wrapping. 

It was fun to make and the size is sweet but most importantly it helped me bust out of inertia. 

Usually, in the early summer, I take a little  time off to travel or just mess around in the garden and swim. This year, instead of that, I got super sick and did a lot of tedious website maintenance work…  Finding my energy and focus on the other side of that and getting back into a working/creative rhythm has been tough. I’ve been firmly stuck in the doldrums, not even a whisper of a breeze to push me out.

a mini cloth gook fastened with a red string

 In a doldrum emergency like this the question to ask myself is : what would I be willing to do. Not what should I do, but what might I possibly, actually, maybe be able to get myself to do.  For me the answer was a tiny needle book. And twig herb markers.

 If you don’t see the video click here.

The little book would make a great gift and I might make a couple for the shop (I’m still in a tiny needle book making place). You can check out the book in the video above. The thread wrapped needle detail is a simple thing that makes it feel extra special.

making stick herb markers

Every year I mean to make them and don’t. They’re super quick and easy, just twigs with the bark shaved off and a fine sharpie. Mine are kind of a mess but that’s in keeping with the current theme here. I love them.  

The tiny projects did the trick, somewhere between the needle book and the twig markers  there was a glimmer of motivation and momentum. The wheels are turning again and I’m nurturing that precious momentum

blulb stitched form cotton with a green sprout and sad stitched face

Let’s talk about this guy. He was a bonus project for the zoom botanical class.  I’m considering a sewing pattern or mini class for him.  

How is your summer? Have you hit the doldrums? What’s on your worktable? Do you need a sad bulb in your life? Let us know in the comments.

7 things bringing me joy right now

1. vessels  And they’re turning up everywhere, in my paintings, the stitchbook and as ceramics.

little ceramic bottles - one with a pinted windmill scene the other white with little handles

I’ve been taking classes at the Guilford Art Center since I landed in Connecticut and have lately gotten obsessed with vessels. Mostly little ones. There are lots more in progress. The little group below is pre-firing.

2. the stitchbook I’m very surprised and happy at how many people are participating! And it continues to be a fruitful practice for me. I go on and on about that here.

*This post contains affiliate links – meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through the link.

3.the cardboard house I’ve been imagining the pattern for the downstairs walls for a very long time. And carving the little stamps made me want to carve lots more little stamps.

blue pattern being stamped on doll house walls

The old linen napkin I was offloading ink onto made me want to block print some fabric. I love the pattern, I see tea towels in the future…


I’ll get into more detail about the process in an upcoming cardboard house progress post. If you’d like to try making stamps you can *get a kit here – this is an affiliate link – I get a tiny commission if you purchase through the link.

4. packages Making sweet packages makes shipping orders way more fun. Brown paper, stickers, stamps bakers twine and little extras are all magic to me. Also there are  a couple new cards for spring.

packages wrapped in brown paper with stickers, stamps, cards and twine

5. twinkle lights  Most things can be improved by twinkle lights. And I’ve had one long string for many, many years that is particularly awesome. It’s the mini kind – wire with tiny lights, the light is warm and it has a plug rather than batteries. It finally died about a month ago. I tried a bunch of replacements that did not sing to me until this one arrived. It’s just right – warm light, nice and long and it plugs in. *You can get it here – and fyi this is also an affiliate link – meaning I get a tiny commission if you purchase through the link.

little art studio with twinkle lights

6. The tiny garden and  imminent lilacs. So much joy. I am so ready for the garden. I’ve got some herbs, flowers and lettuce I started from seeds in March (that feels so adult), the beets have appeared and it’s looking like my repurposed cedar chest planter is going to give me another year.

Also I’m sure it’s a good omen that a mystery plant has appeared. You gotta admire its chutzpah just showing up like that so it stays. I am gonna move it so it does not dominate the tiny space and has something to climb since it looks pretty climby.

7.  House plants make life better. Freshly repotted, happy plants. The little jade has been with me for 25 years.

Are you a plant person? What’s bringing you joy this spring? Let us know in the comments.

stitchbook : day 83 update – we are in the homestretch

fabric book pages appliqued and stitched

fabric book pages appliqued and stitched

Today is day 83 in the hundred day stitchbook project. Page 17 is the current page. I can’t wait to assemble the book. Some stuff has to be figured out first, most importantly:

Will the pages be chronological?

When I began I thought I would assemble the book with the pages in the order I stitched them. Now I’m leaning toward my pages not being in chronological order, instead arranging them  in whatever order I like. Some of the pages seem to belong together and I like the idea of seeing them side by side when the book is spread open. That decision lead me to the next decision about designing a cover and back.

day 82

There are only 4 pages left to stitch – 17 is in progress now. I’ve decided to make it the cover page and it’s going to be super simple. A couple appliques and then 100 marks/stitches.
One of the other remaining pages will be the back cover. I haven’t decided on a design yet but it will also probably be pretty spare and simple and use the same background fabric as the cover.

The  remaining pages will be approached as the first 16 pages were – experimental, improvisational.

A large part of the value of this project has been getting somewhere I did not plan to go. That’s the huge benefit of a daily art practice. Stuff turns up.

 

There are tons of people stitching pages (I’m super surprised and pleased and excited about that!) and I’ve shared a few below.

1. @lobostitched

2. @prairiewomanarts

3. @teresacass

4. @harpdollz59

5

5. @artcat237

A special over achiever award goes to @shmataboro – she has stitched 60 pages! And they are fabulous.

60 stitched pages

You can find tons more on instagram by searching #annwoodstitchbook. If you’d like to email me a photo you can send it to me at info at ann wood handmade dot com.

Are you stitching along? Are your pages going to be chronological?  Please let us know in the comments.

onward!

ann

the new plan for scraps : filed by color

sorting quilting scraps by color

sorting quilting scraps by color

The organizing was a huge idea generator. It shifted something – seeing everything grouped that way, it was somehow thrilling and I got tons of new ideas. There was also a big editing process, I just kept the stuff I loved.

It took forever and was hugely fun and satisfying to do. I haven’t figured out how to store them yet plus I love looking at them so for now they’ll stay where they are, just hanging out on a table.

sorting quilting scraps by color

The idea was to organize some little groups of scraps for my hexie quilt project. It snowballed into sorting through every single little cotton quilting weight scrap I have and organizing them by color. How do you sort your fabric scraps? Historically my scraps have been sorted mostly by project – owl scraps, doll scraps etc. but the hexie project uses all the scraps plus I’m experimenting with color transitions.

sorting quilting scraps by color

I found little scrap treasures I’d forgotten, and the original miss thistle turned up too – she’s been missing for years (her dress is still missing).

original tiny rag doll

hexie quilt made from scraps

It’s perfect for the hexie quilt – I’m working from the pale neutral pile now. And it does help immensely to have things pre-sorted by color. All the sorting and organizing led to more sorting and organizing, you know how that goes, and I think my plan for the remainder of this odd spring will be to organize and edit all my possessions.

How do you store your scraps? Have you tried sorting by color? Share in the comments if you like and check out out lots of awesome #hexiesforsanity projects here.

the hexie project

hexie scrap sewing project

hexie scrap sewing project

It’s a perfect plan, here’s why: You can do it in bed, all you need are some scraps, the most basic sewing ability and paper. Plus it has a calming effect, for me anyway. The first thought was to use only pale, small prints. But then the idea of playing with scale and color was appealing – using large prints in these little hexies. That dissolved into abandoning all constraints and going with a fully random assemblage – no planning, no thought, inviting serendipity.

I also didn’t really have a plan for what they would become, that evolved too. At first I thought I’d patch a quilt with them- I love it when hexies or groups of them just turn up somewhere. And I used a few in my mending.

mending a linen smock with hexies

I like making them so much though I want a legit hexie project. The current plan is to just keep going and going. Instead of a fully random situation I’ve begun to plan some color transitions and shapes and lines, still taking a meandering, “yes and approach” and  not laying out a design beforehand.

The idea of approaching a hexie project in a painterly and abstract way is super duper appealing to me. It’s also super duper appealing that it will take an immense amount of time over days, months, years…

hexie scrap sewing project

They are simple to make.  There are tons of detailed hexie (english paper piecing) methods, tutorials, tips and ideas on the interwebs to explore, I’ll give you some basics on my process  here. I started with template paper that was precut and later made my own paper templates using magazine pages. My shape is 2 inches at the widest point. Place the paper on your fabric and cut about  3/8th of an inch from the edge.

Fold one side over the edge and finger press the fold.

Fold an adjacent side down, finger press the edge and stitch through the fold to hold it in place. Don’t stitch through the paper.

Keep your needle attached and fold down the next side and finger press the edge.

Stitch that fold and continue around until all 6 sides are basted.

hexie project

After I get a bunch I press them. To stitch them together place 2 with the right sides together and whip stitch the edge. Keep adding hexies stitching one edge at a time.

hexie scrap sewing project

After a bunch are assembled I’ve been pressing the whole thing and taking the paper out to use again – snipping out a couple stitches and using my needle to lift out the paper. This may be controversial…. I think you’re supposed to leave them in until it’s finished.  Feel free to share your opinion.

resource – find printable hexie templates here.

I’m working on it every morning, marking these strange moments with hexies. I so recommend it. If you’d like to join me use #hexiesforsanity on instagram. Make something small, make something big, make a design or go free form or both – that could be awesome. I’ll be updating you regularly on my progress.

Onward,
ann

PS – if the idea appeals to you but you’re not on instagram let me know in the comments – I’ll try to put together another sharing option.

PPS – If you have tips for making and assembling hexies please share in the comments.

Be sure to check the comments for great tips!

 

the somewhat weekly newsletter

Do you get my free weekly-ish newsletter? There are tips and tricks, ideas, stuff to try, all the latest news and blogposts and extra stuff, just for subscribers, delivered mostly on Friday. Pretty much.


the hexie project

making a cardinal or other crested bird

cardinal sewing pattern

You’ll need the songbird sewing pattern and details below to make your cardinal.

cardinal sewing pattern

It’s surprisingly quick and easy to create a fabric crest for a cardinal or bluejay or tufted titmouse etc. etc.. The tutorial that follows was created for my songbird sewing pattern – but you could adjust the size to fit pretty much any bird pattern.

cardinal sewing pattern

We made cardinals in a workshop in Vermont.  It was a great weekend and the cardinals are awesome. Check out more about the workshop at the end of the post.

The Cardinal Modifications

songbird sewing pattern

You can find the songbird pattern here

– or use any bird pattern you like and adjust the template size.

 

download the crest template

 

how to sew a cardinal

1. Download and cut out the templates.  Cut the face cover and 3 crest pieces from fabric.

2. Place the face cover on your bird –  around the  beak – trim and adjust the size however you like – for this demonstration I left it full size.

3. Pin it in place – overlap the top corners to make it fit snuggly and stitch in place.

4. Pin the head cover in place and stitch around the edge.

5. Pinch the pointed end of the crest 1 piece.

6. Pin in to the top of the head and stitch around the edge.

7. At the back stitch the sides of the opening together – just at the base.

8. Pin the crest 2 piece the same way – on top of crest 1 and stitch around the edge.

9. Again stitching the edge together  – just at the base.

cardinal sewing pattern

10. Add the third crest piece. Optional – fray the edges or make a few stitches through the crest layers. Stitch simple eyes onto the face cover.

So easy! If you try making a crest I’d love to see! Use #annwoodpattern on instagram

A couple more workshop highlights – 2 students brought a pin girl for everybody!! I love them – find the free sewing pattern to make your own here.

pin girl sewing pattern

fabric cardinal workshop with ann wood

cardinal sewing pattern

cardinal sewing pattern

 

extreme mending and how to make a front bustle and scrap binding

binding mad from scraps

mending clothes with scraps

The Second Annual International Scrap Festival comes to a close today!  Thanks to everybody who participated – you can checkout some of the swaps and projects here. I’m already planning the 2021 festival…

You can’t have a scrap festival without talking about mending. I love my mended sleeves and knees, it has nothing to do with being practical or frugal, although I am both of those things. Pretty much. I get nostalgic and attached about clothes and the practice itself, the mending, the meandering stitches and serendipitous layers, is a daily meditation for me.

mended linen smock with front bustle

And I like an interesting hem, not sure why, but it might be at least in part because I’m pretty short (you may not have noticed this because I project quite tall). The hitched up skirt has a little lengthening effect. And it fits right in with my middle age art lady personal style ( #contemporaryhollyhobby). I stumbled onto the front bustle, or bustled hem idea idea while mending this dress.

The first bustle was a simple button and loop. I’ve just button bustled my ancient and  beloved  cal patch smock. The mending on this smock is so extreme it will eventually be nothing but mends.

mending a linen smock with scraps

I have a flannel shirt (purchased for 25 cents at the Herkimer NY Goodwill) that’s like that too – just can’t let it go. Plus it keeps getting more interesting. The edges near the buttons were shredded so I made edge binding from scraps.

binding mad from scraps

Check out this tutorial on how to make your own. It’s super easy.  And it begins with “iron your scraps” so you know it’s a winner. I’m making a bunch of this for frayed pillowcase edges too.

Back to the bustles. I tried a different method on an antique linen nightgown I got in France last year (it started out ivory – I dyed it blue with woad).

make a bustled hem

I’m using a strip of cotton fabric that’s about 3 inches wide. You can make it any length you like – depending on how bustled you want to be. I made the cord from very light weight fabric  – you could also use ribbon or twill tape, any sort of cord you like. I started with about 30 inches of cord and trimmed it .

bustled hem tutorial

Fold the side edges under and press, then folded the top and bottom edges over twice and pressed.  Pin the piece to the skirt.

Sew a U shaped channel in the center –  about one half inch wide. Sew the long sides down as well- I used a tiny whip stitch along the edge. Be sure to leave the top and bottom edges open.

Use a large needle  to thread the cord through from the top.

Come out at the bottom and go back in and come out at the top again. Once the cord is in you can stitch the bottom closed (being careful not to catch the cord) or just leave it open – I left it open.

bustled hem tutorial

bustled hem tutorial

Trim the cord and knot the ends. You are bustled! If you bustle a hem I’d love to see – use #contemporaryhollyhobby on instagram.

how to maker a bustled hem

elegant rag dolls

PS – There has been serious naked lady rag doll progress – The pattern is almost done – I’m in the tiny adjustment/improvement stage. This process involves making tons of dolls and some of those, in various states of dress, will be in the shop  soon.

bustled hem tutorial

scrap flowers and cardinals on my work table

cardinal made from red fabric

Is there a color, or colors you have a hard time working with? For me it’s red. It’s not that I don’t like red, it just hardly ever seems to find its way in to anything. Until lately, all of a sudden lots of rich red scraps have been turning up (or maybe I’ve just started noticing them) and my worktable is covered with magnificent reds and crimsons.  

hand stitched cardinal and flowers

stitched cardinal

I’m working on two projects to share at the Sugar House Retreat in March. a cardinal, and a fabric necklace.  The cardinal is made from the songbird sewing pattern with a few modifications. I love all the varieties of red and pink that turn up in cardinals and I’m working on a few. 

stitched flower necklace

The necklace is a scrap project, most of them collected in France this summer. It’s a jump in without a plan sort of process, step one is just cutting some circles.  I’m adding little bits of green too. I like the idea of using color as a starting point and a constraint and I’ll probably use the scrap necklace project ro experiment in other shades. I’ve started collecting some teal scraps for another.

sugar house retreat

If you’d like to join me in Vermont for the Sugar harvest and lots of projects, exploring and fantastic food and friends you can find more details here. It’s a small and super friendly retreat.  I had a fantastic time last year and you can checkout some images from that here. Or checkout out #warmbrookbarn on instagram.

abandoned quilt tops and stitched crows

fabric crow

It has some great moments and some highly questionable choices (worn towels…). All of it is very nostalgic for me.

salvaged quilt top

I’m always on the look out for  vintage or antique quilt tops. They are frequently super cheap and a great source for unusual little bits of fabric, perfect for all sorts of small projects (including doll quilts). Or if you find something  with no objectionable moments or issues you can take it across the quilt finish line. The quilt above (found on ebay) was probably assembled in the 70’s and has lots of sweet calicos. Another I found recently is pale and has a mix of small turn of the century and depression era prints salvaged from garments. Both are coming to workshops in LA with me.

needle book pages

I’m using the older quilt for needle book pages. I’ve been stitching up lots for the class.  You wouldn’t think machine sewing a ton of rectangles would be appealing but it is. I’ll probably get over it but right now I can’t get enough. It’s peaceful and satisfying to stack up the finished pages. Also I’m thinking of offering the pre-sewn, ready to embellish  pages as a kit this winter – what do you think?

stitching crow wings

Besides needle books we will be making paper ships, beetles, mushrooms and crows. I’m bringing lots of old garments to work with.

fabric crow

get the pattern

carved beaks and an edwardian skirt

paper ship

basket of edwardian lawn gowns

stitched beetles

stitched beetles made from scraps

I wonder what they talk about – somebody seems pretty bossy…